Chapter 24 – The Green Festival and the Barbecue Restaurant

BBQ Uncle became noticeably more excited when speaking about the Verdant Festival. He grabbed a large mug of ale and took a heavy gulp, then began telling Punk about the festival in his boisterous manner.

While eating barbecue, Punk quietly listened to the uncle’s scattered explanations. It turned out that mid-Sprouting Season was when farmers’ planted seeds began to germinate, and the Verdant Festival was held to celebrate this sprouting. People used this method to express their hopes for crops to grow strong and healthy. On this day, everyone would wear emerald green clothing and adorn themselves with grass wreaths for celebration. What the public most looked forward to was the performance of songs and dances by young female devotees of the Harvest Church, who worshipped the Harvest Goddess Maisenna, during the festival ceremony. When BBQ Uncle mentioned the dances performed by these young devotees, he wore a completely infatuated, lovestruck expression.

After learning that the changes in Konola City were merely due to a festival, Punk lost interest. He continued calmly eating his barbecue, now thinking about how to sell the large bundle of junk he brought back to the Mage Guild. But just as Punk was deep in thought, his train of thought was interrupted.

Sitting upright and cutting his barbecue with a small knife, Punk felt someone tugging at the hem of his Mage Robe. Looking down, he saw a beautiful little lolita with pale golden hair. On her head was a grass wreath adorned with many small flowers. The faint green wreath complemented her pale golden locks, her fair face both youthful and delicate. A pair of sparkling, dewy eyes were fixed on Punk’s face beneath his hood, her slightly parted lips expressing her surprise, while her cute little nose twitched, making her small face appear adorably silly!

“Big brother… so pretty…”

Punk maintained his expressionless facade, but inwardly he was somewhat twitching. This was the first time in his life he had ever been praised as “pretty”!

BBQ Uncle approached with an awkward and somewhat fearful “hehe” laugh. “This is my daughter, she’s young and doesn’t know better. Please forgive her, mage sir…” Then he deliberately put on a stern face and said to the little lolita, “Get back to your room now! Don’t disturb the mage brother!”

“No, no, I won’t! I want mage brother to perform magic for me!” The little lolita glared at BBQ Uncle with an expression that said “if you interfere anymore, I’ll cry,” then turned her gaze back to Punk, her expectant eyes practically sparkling with anticipation.

“I’m truly sorry, mage sir…” BBQ Uncle said as he prepared to forcibly carry the little lolita back to the room. But the little lolita, determined to see magic, refused to leave. She tightly gripped Punk’s Mage Robe and wouldn’t let go, leaving BBQ Uncle in a dilemma – he couldn’t pull her away, but couldn’t leave her be either.”It’s alright, just a child’s small wish,” Punk waved his hand to stop the uncle’s fuss. The uncle, standing awkwardly in place, had practically written his worry and distress across his face, but Punk paid no mind to his discomfort. With a gentle gesture, he gathered the water from the cup on the table into a floating sphere above his palm. Under Little Lolita’s wide-eyed, mesmerized gaze, the water sphere transformed into three tiny figures in short skirts dancing a “tango,” twirling and spinning across Punk’s hand.

“Wow…” Little Lolita was completely enchanted, her expression frozen in delighted awe even after Punk returned the water to the cup. Punk patted her little head, and she let out a soft murmur, looking as content as a kitten.

“This really is a living world!” Punk muttered under his breath, almost inaudibly, after finishing his barbecue.

“What was that, Mage sir?” The uncle hastily scooped up the drowsy-looking Little Lolita and placed her on a chair farther away from Punk. Only after wiping the sweat from his brow did he seem to relax.

“Nothing. The barbecue was delicious, and the little girl is very pretty!”

“R-really? Haha…” The uncle scratched the back of his head out of habit but didn’t attempt any further familiar banter with Punk.

Punk didn’t bother with the barbecue uncle’s state of mind. To him, the inner thoughts of an ordinary person weren’t worth speculating over. So, he simply tossed a silver coin, declared with a rather flashy “Keep the change,” picked up his “ragged pouch,” and turned to leave the barbecue shop.

Outside, pedestrians chatted and laughed, all dressed in emerald green clothes and hats. Only Punk stood out in his light cyan mage robe, his face half-hidden in the shadow of his hood, appearing both unique and out of place amid the bustling street. Yet Punk relished this feeling—the path of the strong was destined to be lonely, and he had long since conquered that loneliness back in the void!

—————————————

The old man at the Mage Guild, after all, had rich life experience. When he saw that Punk had reached the Apprentice-Level, he only paused briefly, unlike the old man at the city gate who had been visibly shocked. However, the Old Mage’s attitude toward Punk clearly shifted. That ridiculous “senior expert” demeanor vanished without a trace, replaced by a strangely familiar rapport, as if they were longtime friends or peers. Punk’s bag of junk easily sold for a high price of eight hundred Gold Coins, which pleasantly surprised Punk, who had expected no more than six hundred.

Still, Punk knew this was the Old Mage’s way of currying favor. After all, Punk’s potential was undeniably far greater than that of the half-buried Old Mage in every aspect. The Old Mage’s attempt to win over a “future heavyweight” was understandable, and at least Punk benefited for now.

But the Old Mage’s scheming was doomed to fail. Punk wasn’t one to care about favors, let alone the fact that he had already decided to ditch the useless title of Mage Guild member as soon as he found a reliable mentor!No matter how many times the Old Mage tried to strike up a conversation beside him, Punk completely ignored him. He simply purchased the long-desired Night Vision Potion and several essential materials from the alchemy puppet, then closed his eyes and leaned against the cool wall while waiting for the small puppet to fetch the formula book. Seeing that his efforts had been utterly fruitless despite talking until his mouth went dry, the Old Mage curled his lips in resignation and turned away.

“Is that old man performing clapper talk? He’s making my ears ache with all that noise,” Punk grumbled inwardly as he rubbed his pointed ears.

Clutching the ancient, lightweight Night Vision Potion formula, Punk made his way to a particularly secluded Gloomy Alley in Konola City. Though the buildings here were somewhat dilapidated, their advantage lay in the quiet isolation, far from the city’s bustle—making it an ideal location for an Alchemy Workshop. After all, alchemy was a delicate craft, and beginners especially couldn’t afford any distractions. The slightest interruption could lead to failed potions at best, or outright explosions at worst! While Punk had full confidence in his “skills” and the System’s analysis, it was always wiser to err on the side of caution when dealing with unpredictable outcomes.

With the formula secured, materials prepared, and equipment ready, Punk’s first alchemy experiment was finally about to begin!

(End of Chapter)