Seeing the fierce rabbit being lifted by Owen, the trio felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Unlike Owen, they knew the true nature of the arcane beast before them.
"Damn it, even now, that dead rabbit hasn't stopped eating meat!" The red-haired girl was filled with mixed emotions. "How could it be so docile? Who is this pub owner? We had to destroy a treasure from the academy just to injure it back then!"
Despite their shiny gear, they knew that without external help, they couldn't defeat the rabbit arcane beast together.
"Sorry, we need to discuss something," the black-haired man smiled at Owen, pulling his companions aside.
The three of them huddled together and whispered.
"What do we do now? Should we fight?" the youngest boy asked.
"Fight? Can't you see how obedient the rabbit has become?" The red-haired girl hit him lightly. "This man must be extraordinary!" Though a bit reckless, she was certainly not foolish.
"Exactly. The bad news is we are definitely not his match," the black-haired man said. "The good news is his attitude seems friendly, so he's likely not from the evil camp."
After much deliberation, they finally made a decision: to temporarily refrain from capturing the rabbit arcane beast and try to build a good relationship with the master in front of them.
Owen, however, paid no attention to their whispered plotting. He set the rabbit down and started grilling some vegetables.
When he saw the trio approach, he greeted them warmly. "Hello! I apologize for any misunderstandings earlier."
The black-haired man introduced, "We are students from Crossbridge Academy. You must have heard of us; our academy is one of the three major academies in the Azul Kingdom."
Owen nodded, having not heard of it at all. But he understood the significance of an academy. Everyone knew they represented superpowers! Such a connection could not be overlooked.
"Hello, nice to meet you!" Owen's attitude became even friendlier.
"This is the headmaster's daughter from our academy," the black-haired man pointed to the red-haired girl. "Her name is Asha. I'm Kevin, and this is Ken."
The headmaster's daughter? That's quite the catch!
"Welcome to my pub! I'm quite good at mixing drinks," Owen wanted them to come inside to sit and build a rapport. But then he remembered that the pub was a bit messy.
It hadn't had customers in a while, and there were some odds and ends lying around, not to mention he had made a mess looking for his cat.
"I'm sorry, I need to tidy up a bit. Feel free to explore the backyard while I get things ready," Owen said generously. "You're welcome to look around; I'll be right back."
"Oh, by the way, here are some meats I grilled. You can eat if you're hungry."
After that, he hurried into the pub.
As soon as he left, all three pairs of eyes fell on the rabbit arcane beast.
To their surprise, the rabbit ignored them and began sneaking bites of the beef strips Owen had grilled for itself while following the cat.
"…" Red-haired Asha couldn't help but whisper, "Maybe, just maybe, we really misjudged this arcane beast?"
This greedy rabbit seemed far removed from the fierce and terrifying arcane beast they had imagined.
Black-haired Kevin also started to have doubts. "In any case, we absolutely can't make the first move!" After some thought, he made a decision. "Since the master asked us to look around, let's explore his garden."
"This way, when he comes back, we'll have something to talk about."
So they distanced themselves from the rabbit arcane beast and began to casually explore the backyard.
As for eating the food Owen prepared, none of them had the guts to do it.
No matter how friendly Owen seemed, he was still an unknown stranger; who knew if the food was laced with some terrible poison?
"Wait… what are all these?" They hadn't walked far when they stumbled upon Owen's garden.
It was filled with plants he tinkered with in his spare time.
Besides common potatoes and corn, there were plump tomatoes, glistening purple grapes, and fragrant apples.
There were rows of vegetable beds planted with yam, greens, and peppers among other assorted vegetables.
All these were very common on Earth, and Owen didn't find them particularly special.
He just grew them on a whim.
However, the soil and air here were so excellent that even casual planting yielded impressive results, and the produce was exceptional.
What Owen considered ordinary left the trio stunned and speechless for a full five minutes.
"My god, am I seeing a miracle? Or have I stumbled into a divine garden?" Asha murmured, "There's no way so many mana-rich god-tier herbs could exist in one garden."
"It's not an illusion!" Black-haired Kevin's breathing quickened. "These must be things the master has carefully cultivated. Everyone, hold back; we absolutely mustn't touch anything."
"Whew, this is terrifying," the young Ken couldn't move, afraid of accidentally knocking something over. "I'm so scared; even one of these would cost a fortune! If I broke it, I'd have to work a hundred years to pay it back."
The garden felt like a gold mine, captivating them while simultaneously making them too afraid to act.
Needless to say, someone who could cultivate such powerful herbs, even without any visible mana fluctuations, was definitely a master hiding his prowess.
"I still don't understand," Ken whispered. "One god-tier herb is already incredibly rare; why are they just blooming here like it's nothing?"
Black-haired Kevin was equally puzzled. They stood there, unsure.
Ten minutes later, a busy Owen returned to the three.
He looked a bit puzzled and asked, "Have you all just been standing here without moving?"
"We were afraid of breaking your precious treasures."
"Huh? What precious treasures?" Owen looked around, not seeing anything of value.
The three exchanged glances.
Oh no, could it be that these precious herbs meant nothing to the master?
"Sorry, I wanted to ask, how did you grow all these?" Young Ken was the first to lose his patience.
"Oh, these?" Owen casually said, "I just grew them for fun."
The three of them inhaled sharply, feeling dizzy.
What?
Just for fun? He could grow this many god-tier herbs?
If he took it seriously, who knew what kind of astonishing things he could produce?
Embodying the Earth tradition of hospitality, Owen noticed the trio staring wide-eyed at his plants and immediately said, "If you like them, feel free to pick some to take home."
"Ah!" Red-haired Asha let out a squeal. "You mean we can actually pick them?"
Even the most composed Kevin jumped up excitedly.
"Sorry, Mr. Owen, can we really? What do we owe you in return?"
"Hahaha, you guys are so funny," Owen waved his hand dismissively. "These are just little things; no need for money, take whatever you want."
The trio felt as if they were about to faint from joy.
Seeing them so excited yet too hesitant to pick, Owen once again thought to himself that people in this world were just too polite.
"Go on, go on," Owen said generously. "Don't be shy; pick whatever you want. I have plenty, and I can't possibly eat them all."
Finally, they mustered the courage to start choosing. However, even though the master said to take freely, they still lacked the courage.
After a long selection process, red-haired Asha chose a bunch of grapes, while Kevin and Ken each picked a large tomato.
Owen observed them as they gingerly cradled their finds like treasures, wearing silly grins on their faces.
"You three!" Owen was left speechless. "Why are you being so polite?"
Owen directly pulled out a large plastic bag and filled it with even more food for them.
These plastic bags were something Owen had made under the system's guidance.
Although he didn't understand why the system insisted he create such things, he complied out of sheer boredom.
"You've come all this way, so taking just a little bit would make me look stingy," Owen said, handing the heavy bag to them. "Go ahead, don't be shy."
The three of them were taken aback.
They had never encountered such a warm-hearted and kind master before.
To think he would fill a bag with such precious items and give them away!
However, since the master had stuffed it into their hands, they felt they couldn't refuse.
They had to accept it.
"No, we can't just take your treasures for free," the trio discussed and decided they at least needed to give a gift in return.
Even if the master didn't need anything, they couldn't let the academy lose face.
They rummaged through their belongings and finally pooled together a fine sword, a healing pill that appeared incredibly valuable in the outside world, and a moonstone.
If any mercenaries saw these three items, they would surely go mad trying to claim them.
The sword was crafted from refined metal, capable of cutting through iron, and embedded with mana gems representing various elements that could be used for auxiliary magic in combat.
For a warrior, wielding this sword could enhance their strength by two tiers!
It was a family heirloom of the black-haired Kevin.
The red-haired Asha produced the moonstone, which was also a life-saving artifact from her father, the headmaster of the academy.
Not only could it store various supplies, but it also functioned as a mana replenisher.
In times of danger, crushing this stone would allow for instant teleportation!
It was a rarity in the black market; its appearance was usually accompanied by bloodshed.
Compared to these two treasures, the healing pill that young Ken produced was also remarkable.
As the most favored youngest son in his family, this pill was a treasured gift from his mother.
It could instantly heal any injury, restoring both health and mana as long as one wasn't dead.
The three of them felt a bit reluctant to part with their items, but in comparison to a whole bag of god-tier goods, these items seemed trivial.
"Please, you must accept this!" Kevin said earnestly as he handed the items to Owen. "Maybe you don't need these trinkets, but this is our gratitude."
"Okay, I'll accept them," Owen replied, glancing at them and nodding without hesitation.
What wonderful items!
Although he didn't know exactly what they were, they looked incredibly impressive.
The sword shimmered with opulence, and the gems were as large as fists!
The two stones were one a lustrous pearl-like stone and the other a crystalline diamond-like stone that emanated a pleasant fragrance.
To exchange a bag of worthless fruits and vegetables for three valuable treasures was quite the bargain!
"Asha, Kevin, Ken, you're such good people," Owen thought to himself.
The trio had the same sentiment.
They had traded ordinary treasures for an entire bag of god-tier fruits—what a steal!
"Owen, you're truly a good person."
As for Owen's swift acceptance of the items, in the eyes of the three, it was the hallmark of a master—decisive and straightforward without pretense.
After the exchange, both parties felt immensely satisfied, and their mutual goodwill increased significantly.
"Would you like to come into the pub for a drink?" Owen suggested, seeing these fortunate guests. "My cooking is quite good; everyone says my dishes are delicious."
"No, no, we couldn't possibly trouble you further," the three quickly rejected. They had already taken such a large advantage; how could they ask for more from Lord Owen? They weren't the type to take advantage of generosity.
Moreover, they had already given away their most valuable items; they had nothing left to trade with the master.
"Oh, I see," Owen said without pressing further. "Do remember to come again when you have time."
"Yes, we definitely will," they said, flattered.
After leaving, the trio exchanged glances and immediately began to run as fast as they could.
They had to get back to the academy with all these valuable treasures as soon as possible!
Otherwise, if anyone found out, countless thieves and rogues would come to steal from them.
Watching the trio shrink into the distance, Owen couldn't help but sigh, "Young people are so spry! Although I've made some new friends today, the pub still hasn't opened."
Suddenly, he slapped his forehead.
"Fuck! I forgot to ask them to help promote it!"
Then he thought, since the food he grew tasted pretty good, after eating it, they might just think of coming back. Plus, they already knew it was safe here.
"Anyway, this is a good start," Owen reassured himself. "More people will come in the future."
...
Hundreds of miles away, at Crossbridge Academy, a white-haired headmaster was pacing back and forth, looking troubled, sighing repeatedly.
"How could this happen?" The headmaster finally stopped, glancing for the hundredth time at the calendar, where a certain date was circled.
"I'm going to die," he sighed. "Why did the Stellar Competition get moved up by two whole months? Two whole months! Our academy is going to suffer badly this time."
In Azul Kingdom, although there were three major academies, there were many other institutions of varying scales.
They had a strict competitive relationship and hierarchy; the state absolutely forbade conflict between academies.
However, resources were limited, so every year, a Stellar Competition took place.
This competition was vital, affecting the rankings of the academies for the coming year.
The higher the rank, the more popular they became among students and parents, leading to a surge of new enrollees.
For the academies at the bottom, it was disastrous.
Not only did they see a drop in enrollment, but students who had already enrolled might transfer out due to embarrassment.
Many academies had gone bankrupt and disbanded after being at the bottom for just one or two Stellar Competitions.
"Sigh, the other two academies have all improved." The headmaster felt bitter. "Now among the three of us, I'm the one at the bottom."
"Dear, don't worry," his wife finally spoke up. "Why don't we just skip this competition? We have a good excuse."
"The rabbit arcane beast incident has greatly affected us; we could use that as a reason to pull out."
"No way!" the headmaster firmly rejected. "How could we withdraw from the competition over a mere rabbit? That would only make us look worse."
The couple exchanged glances and sighed in unison.
Just then, the secretary knocked excitedly on the door.
"Headmaster, Kevin and the others are back!"
"Ah, wonderful! Bring them in to see me right away!" the headmaster said, immediately invigorated.
The trio were his most promising next-generation students, not to mention Asha, his beloved daughter. Their safe return was a cause for celebration.
The three rushed in, quickly closing the door behind them. Kevin locked it, Asha closed the window, and Ken drew the curtains.
Then they cast a spell to prevent others from eavesdropping.
The headmaster was puzzled by their actions. Why were these kids acting so strange since they returned from their mission?
"What are you doing?" the headmaster asked. "Where's the rabbit arcane beast? You should have succeeded in capturing it!"
"No, no," the three said in unison. "We didn't catch it."
The headmaster thought he misheard.
These three, with smiles on their faces, were claiming they had failed to capture the rabbit arcane beast?
Oh no, the children had truly lost their minds.
"You three fools!" the headmaster was so angry he could have a heart attack. "You come back with a failed mission and are still smiling? Do you know how many of our students that detestable arcane beast has killed?"
"It has tarnished our academy's reputation, and you all seem completely unconcerned!"
"Mentor!" black-haired Kevin spoke up. "I know you're anxious, but please don't worry just yet!"
"Yes, yes, Dad, we've brought back good things!" Asha chimed in. "What's a mere arcane beast compared to these items?"
Ken, more direct, lifted the bag and untied the string that held it closed.
Apples, grapes, and tomatoes tumbled out, filling the space.
The headmaster's roar came to an abrupt halt.
His eyes widened in shock, staring at the god-tier fruits scattered on the floor.
Just the grapes alone could elevate the headmaster's long-stagnant rank significantly!
Not to mention the other items.
Most importantly, these three kids had brought back an entire bag full of treasures!