Ryan turned his head and saw the beautiful proprietress with her eyes already open, though they still carried a hazy look as if she hadn't fully awakened. The sight made Ryan swallow hard, but his hands didn't stop moving as he continued wiping her body. Squinting slightly, he muttered to himself, "Good thing this girl has long hair. If her ears froze off, she wouldn't be as pretty. Nice feel, though."
Delis felt as if she were trapped in a dark space, unable to move, with her feet seemingly stuck in a quagmire. She couldn't tell how much time had passed, but it felt like an eternity. At some point, she started to feel as though someone was touching her body. Straining to open her eyes, she saw the back of a young man moving up and down, his hands working vigorously on her body.
"What...what are you doing?" Delis asked weakly, confused.
"Oh, you're awake? I'm rubbing snow on your body to prevent frostbite. Otherwise, your hands and legs might be permanently damaged. I'm almost done." Ryan turned his head to glance at Delis and replied with a sincere smile, his expression perfectly proper.
"Uh, my legs...they'll be fine, right?" Delis, suddenly remembering the events that led to her predicament, asked nervously. The thought of losing her ability to walk filled her with dread, and she mustered all her strength to sit up in alarm.
"Ah, no, no. Your legs will be fine; I've already treated you," Ryan stammered, licking his dry lips as Delis sat up.
"That's good to hear," Delis said with relief, then slumped back down. She had gone without food for an entire day and had exhausted all her energy during their escape. Her sudden burst of strength had been fueled by adrenaline, and now, with her nerves relaxing, she collapsed again.
"Ah!" Ryan quickly caught Delis as she fell. Seeing her limp and powerless state, any lingering desire in his heart evaporated. Casting a subtle healing spell, he carried Delis to the wooden tub not far away, where another beauty awaited. Light healing magic required physical touch to work, which made it quite discreet.
"Time for a wash. Then I'll make dinner," Ryan said to himself as he approached the large tub. Noticing Alice's eyebrows twitch slightly, he realized she was already awake. With no one else around to help, he pretended not to notice and muttered casually. He then carefully washed both women. Delis lay there with flushed cheeks, her eyes hazy, but she was surprised that this time the young man didn't take advantage of her.
Ryan used his Fireball spell to heat the water, quickly and efficiently washing the two women. The whole process left Ryan feeling miserable—this was pure torture! He hurriedly finished cleaning them and laid them on his makeshift bed, a pile of hay covered by a ragged cloth, with another cloth and hay on top for warmth. Slaves lived harsh lives, after all. Fortunately, the cave was warmed by two bonfires, making it relatively comfortable.
Ryan then prepared food, cutting magical ape meat into small cubes and cooking it with some fruit, honey, and cassava in a tin pot. Though simple, the resulting aroma was rich and enticing as the mixture simmered.
Alice—her full name—was discovered to have magical talent by the Mage Guild when she was eight. She had been studying there for over four years and could already cast spells like Detect Poison and Acid Spray. According to Guild President Toria, Alice was on the brink of officially advancing to a Level 1 Mage, news that had excited her for weeks.
But today, everything Alice thought she knew about magic was overturned. Her household's lowly slave turned out to be a magic user. During the rescue, she saw Ryan casting Fireball spells into the tub to heat the water. At first, she thought it was impossible—no mage would degrade themselves by using magic for such mundane purposes. Magic was noble and sacred! Yet here was Ryan, blatantly using spells to heat bathwater.
More shocking still, Ryan cast more than 30 Fireball spells in total. Even in theory, a Level 1 Mage would run out of mana after 20 spells. In practice, most could manage only a dozen due to mental strain and the need to reserve a third of their mana for emergencies—a fundamental rule hammered into every mage from day one. And yet, Ryan showed no signs of mana exhaustion or mental fatigue.
Could he be a Level 2 Mage?
Alice was too embarrassed to open her eyes while Ryan washed her, her cheeks burning red. Eventually, she and Delis lay together to rest. Delis, Alice's cousin, had fled to Alice's father's territory to escape an arranged marriage to a wealthy old man. Most townsfolk were unaware of Delis's true identity, spreading rumors of an inappropriate relationship between her and Alice's father. Lying in bed, Alice's mind raced. As a minor noble, she was well-versed in her class's traditions. People like Ryan, with unparalleled talent, were never overlooked by the nobility.
"Gurgle, gurgle!" Ryan's cooking pot let out bubbling sounds. He glanced toward his bed with a wry smile.
"Noble lady, your servant has prepared dinner for you," Ryan said, bowing deeply and using his best formal tone to address Alice, though he found the words awkward to say.
"Clothes…where are our clothes?" Alice peeked out, her face still flushed, and whispered shyly.
"As you command." Ryan quickly fetched their dried clothes from near the fire and placed them by Alice's head before leaving to call for Tory and Chuck.
Tory and Chuck had long since woken up but chose to stay outside. In the past, Tory would have barged in without hesitation. However, after witnessing Ryan's magic, he thought twice. Even if something serious happened, there wasn't much he could do. In the Reishi Principality, knights were common, numbering nearly a thousand, but mages were rare. The principality had three court mages: two Level 6 Mages and one Level 7 Mage. While the Mage Guild boasted dozens of mages, they operated independently of the principality's government.
A 13-year-old Level 1 Mage with such talent was considered extraordinary. If he had been self-taught, he might even be the first of his kind in a thousand years—or ten thousand, if he were an awakened mage. The Mage Guild conducted annual magic aptitude tests, free of charge, mainly for commoners, the wealthy, and noble children. Slaves, however, were rarely tested.
Chuck woke up to find Tory explaining the situation, leaving Chuck utterly dumbfounded. "Ryan, Ryan... is actually a magician now?"
"Yes, so don't treat him like a slave anymore. His status is now higher than Lord Terry's, so don't act recklessly, understood?" Tory instructed Chuck patiently. Tory thought highly of Chuck, as he was the last remaining member of the guard unit and had shown unwavering loyalty, which pleased Tory greatly.
"Tory, dinner is ready!" Ryan called out loudly from a distance upon seeing Tory and Chuck near the campfire.
"No, no need. We'll eat here. We don't want to disturb the ladies," Tory stammered. He didn't know how to address Ryan anymore, clearly lacking his previous high-handed demeanor. Chuck, on the other hand, immediately bowed his head, occasionally sneaking glances at Ryan.
"Alright, I'll bring you some food then," Ryan said, scratching his head. To be honest, Ryan preferred less interaction to avoid accidentally exposing himself. Besides, this was only the second time he had met them.
Ryan went inside, gathering some food and even bringing out some magical ape meat since he figured these men needed hearty food, unlike the noble ladies. However, the meat would need to be roasted by themselves. Tory and Chuck didn't dare ask too many questions, as it was common lore that magicians were not only arrogant but also had peculiar quirks, often killing without much reason. This fear led many commoners to avoid having their children tested for magical aptitude, even though the majority of high-level magicians came from commoner backgrounds.
Inside, Alice and Delis had already woken up. Dressed in elegant gowns, the two ladies were a breathtaking sight, exuding that noble aura. Delis's snow-white chest, slender neck, and fair skin left Ryan feeling restless. After months of isolation, even ordinary sights could stir a man's heart, let alone these naturally beautiful ladies.
"Here, we have wild honey, fruits, diced magical ape meat, cassava, and porridge made from grains—all excellent for restoring strength," Ryan said, placing bowls in front of the two women.
"Thank you, I'm Delis Rett," Delis introduced herself gracefully, extending her hand.
"A pleasure to meet you, my lady. Just call me Ryan," Ryan said hurriedly, kissing her hand and introducing himself. Inside, he marveled, "Wow, her hand is so smooth," giving it a little squeeze.
"I'm Alice Kerr," Alice introduced herself briefly. Given the chaotic situation, she didn't address Ryan further, instead focusing on her meal. After all, Ryan was technically still her family's slave, but his newfound status as a magician complicated matters, as he now outranked even her father.
Watching the ladies eat, Ryan felt a bit awkward. They ate slowly, using wooden spoons he had crafted recently, while Ryan sat by the fire, gulping down his porridge. He hadn't eaten all morning and was starving.
"What's this?" Alice asked curiously, holding up a crystal vial filled with an earthy-yellow liquid she had found on a shelf near the table. She felt faint magical energy emanating from it.
"Oh, that's a refined extract from magical ape blood. It's used for drawing magical arrays," Ryan replied, still drinking his porridge.
"Magical ape blood? Refined? For magical arrays? Are you also an alchemist?" Alice exclaimed, her small mouth wide open. Alchemy required immense memory, strong mental power, magic, and, most importantly, talent. In the Empire, there were fewer alchemists than one could count on a hand, most of whom were mid-level magicians who switched to alchemy after hitting bottlenecks in their magical studies.
"Not exactly. The magical ape hide still needs two more days of soaking, and the bones haven't been crushed yet. Plus, I'm still practicing the arrays," Ryan answered honestly before diving back into his meal.
"You… you even have magical ape hide?" Alice stood up, startled.
Seeing her strong reaction, Ryan replied honestly, "A magical ape snuck into the stables a few days ago to steal horses, so I took care of it."
"Was it an Earth-element magical ape?" Alice asked weakly.
"Do magical apes come in other elements?" Ryan asked in confusion.
"Of course! Just like humans, magical beasts can have different elemental attributes. For example, magical wolves with wind attributes have green fur, fire ones are red, and ice wolves are blue. Earth-element wolves are brown, and gold ones are golden. Dark ones are rare, and light-element ones are almost nonexistent. As for lightning and spatial elements, they're unheard of. These attributes are often tied to the environment they live in," Alice explained, showcasing her superior theoretical knowledge.
"It was an Earth-element magical ape," Ryan confirmed.
"Open the door!" A voice called out from outside the cave.
Startled, Ryan quickly put down his bowl and ran to the entrance. "Coming, coming!" he shouted as he rushed out. The person outside was too impatient, and the last thing he wanted was more trouble in this cold weather.
"Dear cousin, aren't magicians supposed to be physically weak? How is Ryan faster than the town guards?" Delis asked in astonishment.
Alice ignored her cousin's question, instead examining Ryan's belongings: a magical ape hide soaking in a wooden barrel, bones piled nearby—all confirming Ryan's claims. However, Alice was perplexed. Killing an Earth-element magical ape required at least a Tier-2 magician, yet Ryan didn't emit any magical aura. Suddenly, she remembered seeing him cast a fireball spell. "Wait… he cast it instantly! His fireball spell was instant!" Alice exclaimed.
"Come in, Qing,," a soft voice called. For once, Nunu allowed her giant wolf companion to enter. The massive two-meter-tall green wolf seemed oddly obedient and skulked inside.
Ryan looked at Nunu curiously. Embarrassed by his gaze, Nunu explained, "Give it some food—magical ape meat will do."
As the giant wolf entered, Tory and Chuck immediately jumped aside, trembling. Tory's legs nearly gave out. "That's a wind-element magical wolf, isn't it? And a mid-level magical beast at that!" Tory exclaimed, his voice shaking with fear. A creature like this, renowned for its speed, could easily dispatch a hundred men like him. Only a warrior with awakened combat energy could pose a threat to such a beast.
"Let's go to the stables to keep watch and guard the path up the mountain," Tory managed to say before grabbing Chuck and bolting out of the cave, practically rolling on the ground in their haste.
"Qing, you scared them," Nunu teased, looking at the wolf. Hearing this, the wolf tilted its head, then buried its face in its paws as if embarrassed—a human-like gesture that made Ryan shake his head in disbelief.
Tory and Chuck ran into the stables, collapsing onto a pile of hay, breathing heavily. "Captain, what's wrong?" Chuck asked, puzzled.
"What's wrong? That's a mid-level magical beast worth tens of thousands of gold coins!" Tory shouted, venting his stress. He began to wonder if staying around Ryan might literally scare him to death.