"Terrified?" Jack the Red asked. "Why are they terrified?"
"Everyone thinks that Viscount Lewis and his son must have been possessed by some evil spirit, which is why their personalities have changed so drastically."
Jack was speechless. "So they're asking the Academy to exorcise them and turn the Lewis father and son back into their previous awful selves?"
"Leave it be. Just keep an eye on things."
Jack couldn't help but feel puzzled.
It seemed...
Strange things were happening more and more frequently lately.
…
The same thoughts were running through the minds of the border guards stationed at the edge of the Azul Kingdom.
Since a few days ago, there had been an increasing number of people trying to enter the Azul Kingdom.
That wasn't unusual in itself.
But the peculiar thing was that these people were all dressed in a similar fashion, wearing old-fashioned robes with embroidery of wine cups and grape patterns along the hems.
Moreover, their reasons for entering were all very similar.
"We have been called by the Goddess of Wine and have come to the Azul Kingdom to seek the mortal messenger of the Goddess of Wine."
"I am a priest from the Wine God Temple in the Emerald Kingdom. I am here to find the Goddess of Wine's messenger."
"We are priests and followers of the Wine God Temple from the Osseth Plains, and we wish to visit the Azul Kingdom to seek the presence of the Goddess of Wine."
"We're also here to find the Goddess of Wine's messenger."
The border guards' ears were filled with talk of the Goddess of Wine, Goddess of Wine.
Many of them had never even heard of this deity before.
They had no idea why so many of His followers had suddenly appeared, all seemingly convinced that the Goddess of Wine's messenger was somewhere within the Azul Kingdom.
Although the guards didn't understand what was happening, all these people's credentials were in perfect order.
So the guards let them pass and reported this strange occurrence to His Majesty the King.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of all this, Owen had a comfortable night's sleep and woke up to a delightful aroma.
It was the smell of scrambled eggs.
Owen nodded approvingly.
The eggs smelled good, though there was a hint of something slightly burnt.
Wait a minute!
Owen suddenly jumped up from his bed.
He was the only one who could cook in the house. Who made the eggs? It couldn't be Avel or White—they didn't have opposable thumbs, so there's no way they could handle a frying pan!
In the kitchen, a plate of scrambled eggs was sitting on the counter.
A small figure was crouched on the ground, carefully wiping the kitchen floor.
"Cinderella?" Owen was stunned.
"Good morning, Mr. Owen," Cinderella said shyly. "Your kitchen is amazing. If it hadn't been for the cat showing me around, I wouldn't have known how to live at all."
"I made some food for you. I hope you like it."
After a good night's rest, she looked much better.
She seemed full of energy.
"Thank you," Owen said. "But I should handle things like this. A child shouldn't have to work so hard."
He had already noticed that the vegetables and fruits in the garden had droplets of dew clinging to their leaves.
There was even a new rope with hand-washed clothes drying in the sun.
Cinderella must have done all this while Owen had been fast asleep.
At that moment, Owen suddenly felt like the wicked stepmother in Cinderella, bullying this poor little girl.
Seeing Cinderella's expectant gaze, Owen smiled and praised her, "You did a wonderful job. Thank you."
After eating the scrambled eggs, Owen realized that things couldn't continue this way.
"Cinderella, would you like to learn the art of bartending from me?" Owen asked. "My pub is short-staffed, and if you're willing…"
"I'm willing!" Cinderella bowed immediately and said, "Mr. Owen, from now on, you are my bartending mentor."
"I'll study hard."
"You can trust me to take care of the cooking, watering, laundry, and cleaning up after the cat."
Looking at the eager sparkle in her eyes, Owen laughed. "Haha, alright. Let's start by teaching you how to use these household machines."
He had already modernized the pub completely.
Of course, the living areas were the same.
Owen introduced Cinderella to the air conditioner, the refrigerator, the washing machine, the dryer, and the automatic ignition stove. The little girl's eyes sparkled as if she were looking at a deity.
"Mr. Owen's home is amazing! Even the mayor's house still uses a wood stove."
"And this giant metal box that smokes and makes ice—and keeps food from going bad!"
"These must all be blessings from the gods."
Owen felt a bit embarrassed under that worshipful gaze.
Although he had pets for company, he had been alone for so long with no one to talk to.
Now that Cinderella was here learning bartending, the pub suddenly felt much livelier.
"Oh, here, take this." Owen handed her a small pouch. "Go buy yourself some clothes and whatever else a young girl might need in town."
Cinderella opened the pouch and was immediately dazzled by the sight of the gold coins inside.
"This is for me?" She was completely stunned.
"Yes." Owen nodded. "From today, you're my student. This is a little gift from your mentor."
Cinderella's eyes welled up with tears.
Mr. Owen is the best person in the whole world.
I'll study hard and help earn money!
Owen was in an exceptionally good mood as well.
Because he felt like he had done another good deed today.
Not long after...
Two figures appeared outside the pub.
It was none other than the straightforward Jane and her mentor, the headmaster who loved group brawls.
"Mentor, do we really have to go?" Jane looked uneasy. "After the way you treated Mr. Owen before, I'm too embarrassed to see him again."
"What do you know?" Black glared at her. "I'm giving him a chance to mend things and get back on good terms with me."
"Huh?" Jane scratched her head. "That doesn't sound right. Mentor, your pride is even stiffer than the crows you summon."
"Quiet! Stop spouting nonsense and let me check the gifts again. Don't leave anything out." Black rummaged through his magic pouch.
"Three chests of gold coins, a bag of various gemstones, five small boxes of exotic spices, three slabs of rare edible arcane beast meat."
Seeing her mentor meticulously counting the gifts, Jane realized that despite what he said, he clearly took this meeting seriously.
She couldn't help but whisper a reminder, "Mentor, don't forget the points I mentioned earlier."
"I know!" Black grumbled impatiently. "Treat him like an ordinary person, be respectful, and don't use crows to bully his pets."
"You've repeated this eight hundred times already."
The two of them stood in front of the pub and rang the doorbell.
After a moment, a little girl opened the door.
"Why is there a human girl here?" Jane was taken aback, but she still asked politely, "Little one, I'm looking for Mr. Owen. I'm Jane; he knows me."
"I'm sorry, big sister. He's not home right now," Cinderella said warily. "He went down to town."
"Are you his sister?" Jane asked. "I didn't see you the last time I was here."
Hearing that Jane had visited before, Cinderella relaxed a bit.
"I'm Owen's student. My name is Cinderella."
"That's a lovely name," Jane said with a smile.
"Here, take this." Headmaster Black suddenly pulled out a grayish-white crystal. "You're still just a normal person, without any mana. Keep this, and it will gradually change your constitution."
"You'll be able to learn some low-tier spells in time."
"Wow!" Cinderella's eyes widened.
She suddenly remembered Owen's teaching: If you don't take what's offered, you'll turn into a turtle's egg!
"Thank you, kind and handsome grandpa! Thank you, beautiful big sister." Cinderella accepted the crystal, her sweet words flattering them both.
She thought the crystal must be very expensive.
So these two definitely weren't thieves.
Cinderella invited them into the backyard.
"Please have some juice." Cinderella brought out two glasses of orange juice. "Mentor should be back soon."
Seeing the full glasses of bright orange juice, Ravenfeather Headmaster Black froze.
It was pure, concentrated mana liquid!
It had even been specially flavored with oranges to serve guests.
Owen really was just as Jane had described—an immensely powerful figure, hiding his strength behind an unassuming demeanor, with even his household items being powerful magical artifacts.
"Little girl, can we really drink this?" Jane swallowed nervously. "It's way too precious."
"Precious?" Cinderella looked puzzled, not understanding the value of magical items. "Big sister, there's lots of juice in Mentor's fridge. If you don't like orange, there's also apple, pineapple, and blueberry juice."
Cinderella noticed that the two of them hadn't touched their drinks.
She was feeling a bit thirsty herself.
So she poured herself a glass and downed it in one gulp.
"You can do that?" Jane's eyes widened. "That much concentrated mana liquid? I wouldn't dare drink it straight—it would make me explode!"
Black was equally stunned.
Drinking that much mana liquid wouldn't be a problem for him, since he was a renowned high mage. But this seemingly ordinary little girl wasn't harmed at all?
That didn't make any magical sense.
"I'm going to groom Mr. Cat and Mr. Rabbit now." Cinderella said politely. "Feel free to drink slowly."
Watching her bounce away cheerfully, Jane suddenly asked, "Mentor, what's up with that girl?"
"I'm not sure," Black replied in a low voice. "But she's Mr. Owen's student, so she's definitely not just a regular person!"
"Maybe… she's a prodigy with a unique constitution."
A prodigy?
Jane nodded earnestly.
That must be it.
Mr. Owen's student would certainly be exceptional.
Black carefully lifted the juice and took a cautious sip.
As soon as it entered his mouth, he felt his mana boil within him! Not only did his body feel revitalized, but his mana core also seemed to be on the verge of an upgrade.
Black's admiration for Owen deepened instantly.
To casually serve something so precious to guests…
Truly the generosity of a mysterious, powerful master!
Jane, meanwhile, pulled out a large glass bottle, poured the juice into it, and diluted it heavily with spring water before she dared to drink it slowly.
She took a tiny sip at a time.
Before she knew it, she had risen another level.
Jane was overjoyed.
Gradually, the sky outside darkened.
But Owen still hadn't returned.
Jane and Black remained patient, but Cinderella started to get anxious.
"I'm sorry, I don't know why my mentor isn't back yet. He may have run into some trouble."
"I'm going to head down the mountain to find him."
"I'm sorry, but could you come back another day?"
"Alright." Black nodded. "We'll come back another time. These gifts will be left here—please pass on the message to your mentor."
With that, he left the pub with Jane.
On their way back.
Jane curiously asked, "Mentor, that little girl seemed worried. Why didn't we offer to help? Maybe it would have improved our relationship with Mr. Owen."
"Fool!" Black said, "What kind of person do you think Mr. Owen is? Does he need our help?"
"If he hasn't returned, it's probably a test for his student. If we interfered without thinking, it could have angered him."
"I see." Jane realized suddenly. "Mentor, you're so smart."
And so, the two of them left just like that.
They had no idea that this wasn't a test from Owen.
Owen, who still hadn't returned, had run into a bit of trouble.
He had gone to town to buy some seeds. Occasionally, he liked to grow some local vegetables and fruits.
For some reason, though, once these plants were brought up the mountain, they seemed to undergo some sort of mutation, and the locals couldn't even recognize what they were.
After making his purchases, he was about to leave.
But a few people dressed in white robes surrounded him.
Seeing this, Owen immediately said, "I'm not Owen. I didn't kidnap any kids. You've got the wrong person. It wasn't me."
After being accosted multiple times recently, he had gotten used to it.
The group was startled at first, then broke into expressions of ecstatic joy.
"Yes, it's him. I can feel it—this is the scent of the Goddess of Wine's messenger!" The veiled woman at the front exclaimed excitedly, "I've finally found him. You must be the revered mortal messenger of His Excellency, the Goddess of Wine."
"Huh?" Owen sniffed his sleeve. "I did spill some alcohol while mixing drinks earlier, so I do smell like wine."
"But you're definitely mistaken. I'm just a pub owner and have nothing to do with any god."
"No, there's no mistake!" The veiled woman insisted. "I am Emil, a priestess of the Goddess of Wine. I could never be wrong about the aura my god has left behind."
"You are indeed His Excellency's messenger."
"…" Seeing the fanaticism in her eyes, Owen knew there was no arguing with her.
People in this world can be so stubborn.
"Alright, alright, let's say you're right." Owen said. "So, what are you planning to do? Recruit me into your Wine God Temple? Or do you want me to donate some money?"
He flipped out a gold coin and handed it to Priestess Emil.
"There, that's my donation."
"I believe in the supremacy of money! I'll pass on joining your Wine God Temple."
"Is this a blessing from the Messenger?" Priestess Emil carefully cupped the gold coin. "I'll enshrine it on the altar and cherish it dearly."
Owen scratched his head.
He took a few steps back, intending to slip away quietly.
But they followed him relentlessly.
"What exactly do you want?" Owen was getting a bit annoyed. "I need to get home."
"Your Excellency, the Wine God Temple needs you!" Emil said. "Our temple in the Osseth Plains is nearly deserted, and many of our followers have left. Your appearance has brought us new hope."
"Please, come with us. Only the Wine God Temple can be your true home, both in body and spirit."
Owen finally understood.
So, they were trying to kidnap him.
Of course, he wasn't going to agree.
But if they used force, he wouldn't stand a chance against so many people. He needed a clever way to escape.
"If you say I'm the Goddess of Wine's messenger, then what's the creed of the Goddess of Wine's followers?" Owen asked.
"His Excellency, the Goddess of Wine, is the divine ruler of joy, celebration, revelry, and fine food and drink, as well as music and art—a noble god who values happiness over conflict." Emil said earnestly. "The aura of His Excellency is all over you. Any priest could confirm it."
Owen stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Since He values joy and dislikes conflict, then true followers of the Goddess of Wine shouldn't force others or make them do things against their will, right?"
"Of course!" Emil replied. "That would violate our teachings."
"But right now, you're violating my will," Owen said. "I don't want to leave here, so there's no way I'm going with you."
"Huh?" Emil was taken aback. "But at the Wine God Temple, you would become stronger."
Owen shook his head. "Which is more important, strength or happiness?"
"Of course, happiness."
"I'm very happy right now," Owen said. "If you took me away, even if I became stronger, I would be unhappy. Aren't you a priestess of the Goddess of Wine? Can't you understand that?"
"Don't get it twisted."
"Everyone has a different definition of happiness! You can't use your own ideas to define someone else's joy."
Emil froze.
It felt like her heart had been struck by a bolt of lightning.
Those parts of the Goddess of Wine's teachings she hadn't quite understood suddenly made sense!
So that's what it meant!
Emil's body began to radiate a soft, golden light. Her hair floated gently, and the scent of fine wine began to waft from her.
The other followers of the Goddess of Wine gaped at her in astonishment.
"She's… she's having an epiphany!"
"My god, a miracle! It's been a hundred years since any priest of the Goddess of Wine made a breakthrough!"
"We didn't choose the wrong person. The messenger is amazing. He just said a few words, and Priestess Emil surpassed her limits."
Everyone looked at Owen with even more reverence.
At this point, there was no way they'd hold him back.
With just one word, these followers of the Goddess of Wine would go through fire and water for him!
Owen nodded habitually. "She was probably already on the verge of a breakthrough. There's no need to thank me so much."
"No, thank you." Emil knelt on one knee before Owen and held out a silver chalice with both hands.
Upon closer inspection, the originally dull cup was now glowing faintly, looking as if it were brand new.
The chalice was filled with a fragrant wine.
"I've just been promoted from High Priestess to a Archpriest. This is all thanks to Your Excellency's guidance."
"Please accept my offering of gratitude. From this day forward, the Osseth Plains Wine God Temple will follow you forever."