Isha sat inside the carriage, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her eyes filled with intense curiosity as she peered out at the passing scenery through the windows on either side.
The streets of Green City were far from the cleanliness and tidiness of Dawn City; there was even a faint stench of sewage lingering in the air.
But even this scene was enough to spark the girl’s curiosity.
Through the glass window, the outside world reflected in her crimson eyes.
On both sides of the cobblestone-paved road, shops with open doors sold various items, ranging from common goods to peculiar rarities—fruits, delicacies, clothing, and even weapons and armor.
Nearby, peasants dressed in coarse linen clothes gazed at the carriage with deep reverence, not daring to approach.
Even though it was nearing the Month of Deep Winter and temperatures had plummeted, beggars clad in tattered, thin clothes still knelt on the streets, begging. Their foul odor caused people around them to instinctively keep their distance. The broken, grayish-black bowls in front of them held only one or two lonely copper pucks.
As the rhythmic sound of the carriage wheels echoed—"taptap~"—everything that had just entered her view quickly receded behind her.
This fleeting panorama was an incredibly novel experience for a girl who had grown up in hardship.
She often saw noble lords’ carriages on the road but never dared to look directly at them. Instead, she would sneak a glance after the carriage passed and no one was watching.
The girl had countless fantasies about what it would be like to sit inside a carriage and gaze outside. Now that her fantasy had come true, her once timid eyes became bolder.
Li De smiled faintly at the sight of Isha leaning against the window and did not stop her. He closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.
The Meditation spell was a remarkable magic. This essential spell for all mages could not solidify into a magic model and did not even appear on his attribute panel.
To meditate, one had to repeatedly reconstruct the magic model of the Meditation spell in their mind.
Though called "meditation," in Li De’s view, it was more about exercising one’s mental strength by continuously reconstructing the magic model, ultimately increasing mana capacity.
It was somewhat akin to warriors training their muscles—though mages would never admit to such a crude analogy.
After a long while, Isha finally satisfied her curiosity. Sensing that Li De was meditating, she quietly turned her head, propping her chin with one hand, and stared intently at the face she would never forget.
The sharply defined features were flawlessly handsome. As she gazed at him, little Isha’s cheeks flushed slightly.
Her crimson eyes radiated deep contentment.
Perhaps, the luckiest thing to happen to her in this life was meeting Lord Li De.
Isha had to work very, very hard to become strong—to the point where one day, she could protect her teacher.
When Li De emerged from his meditative state, he found that Isha had already dozed off, her head resting on his lap.
Seeing the girl’s slightly parted lips, Li De smiled faintly and pinched her nose.
Unable to breathe, Isha quickly opened her eyes, sitting upright. Her drowsy eyes hadn’t yet focused when she blurted out in a panic.
"Mother, I’m sorry! I’ll go to work right away!"
Li De looked at her panicked expression, and his heart ached.
Hearing his voice, Isha snapped awake. Recognizing Li De’s face, she gradually calmed down from her panic.
Her heart was once again filled with warmth. Isha wasn’t dreaming—she really had met her teacher.
"Teacher, I’m fine. I just dreamed about Mother."
Li De gently patted the girl’s head, his tone soft. "From now on, Isha will no longer live the way she used to. As long as your teacher is here, it won’t happen again."
Isha stared at Li De, her eyes reddening. She nodded fiercely.
When Li De stepped down from the carriage, holding little Isha’s hand, he happened to encounter Spark returning home.
In front of the white tower, a group of nobles dressed in luxurious attire surrounded Spark. Seven or eight lavish carriages were parked by the roadside, clearly having just arrived.
At the center of the crowd, Spark, dressed in a black mage robe, looked completely different from how Li De had seen him just a few days ago.
His graying hair was neatly combed, his mage robe clean and tidy, exuding an outstanding presence that made him stand out even among the nobles.
This appearance was much closer to Li De’s mental image of a Grand Mage. However, having seen Spark’s slovenly demeanor in the mage tower, this refined image had already collapsed in his mind.
No amount of grooming could repair that impression.
The sharp-eyed Spark spotted Li De leading Isha down from the carriage at a glance.
"Kachar, come over here!"
Upon hearing Spark’s shout, everyone immediately turned their attention to Li De.
All eyes were drawn to the semicircular embroidery on Li De’s mage robe, a symbol of an Advanced Mage.
How many Advanced Mages were there in Green City?
And who else besides this one would Spark address so casually?
Clearly, there was only one person: the recently much-discussed genius mage among Green City’s nobility—Li De Kachar.
This reclusive genius mage had recently decided to rebuild his family’s town during the Beastmen invasion—a decision that had sparked widespread interest.
The news, leaked by Rom, the son of a marquis and a senior official of the Alex Merchant Guild, intrigued many.
Some were even waiting to see him fail. Establishing a town during a Beastmen invasion? Such a foolish decision.
What made Li De even more famous was that just a few days ago, after a long period of seclusion studying magic, Grand Mage Spark suddenly announced that the Crimson Mage Tower, under his guidance, would start producing and selling magic scrolls.
This caught the attention of many nobles, prompting them to investigate further.
Spark had once run a large-scale merchant guild specializing in selling magic scrolls, establishing cooperative relationships with numerous nobles.
However, twenty years ago, he abruptly shut down the guild and declared that he would no longer sell magic scrolls, leaving many puzzled.
But no one dared to question the decision of Spark, who was already a Grand Mage at the time, and the matter was left unresolved.
No one expected Spark to have his disciple restart the production of magic scrolls after twenty years.
This news undoubtedly caused a sensation, and Li De, the direct producer of the magic scrolls, became the object of desire among all the nobles.
The Crimson Mage Tower, backed by a Grand Mage, was untouchable. However, mere cooperation with him was not an issue.
Li De, unfazed by such scenes, walked forward with a faint smile, leading the petite Isha by the hand.
"Good afternoon, Teacher." Then, with a faint smile, he greeted all the curious nobles staring at him.
"Good afternoon, everyone."
None of the surrounding nobles dared to act arrogantly and returned the bow respectfully.
"Good afternoon, Lord Li De."
Seeing this, Spark sneered.
"What tedious noble games."
Then, his eyes suddenly lit up.
The sight of Isha, her head slightly lowered, caught his attention.
A look of surprise spread across his face.
"Such powerful mana affinity—is this a dragon??"
"Kachar, who is this little girl?"
Upon hearing Spark’s exclamation, the group of nobles finally shifted their attention to the girl who had been keeping her head down.
Seeing this, Li De raised an eyebrow and turned to Isha with a smile.
"Isha, don’t be afraid. Your teacher is here.
From now on, you won’t need to lower your head in front of anyone.
Believe me—lift your head."
These gentle words instantly gave Isha boundless courage. She had always kept her head down because of her red eyes. Her mother had repeatedly warned her never to raise her head.
That narrow-minded woman had always believed that red eyes represented demons.
But now, someone else told her she no longer needed to lower her head in front of anyone.
Encouraged by Li De, Isha pursed her lips, her gaze shy but resolute as she lifted her head before everyone.
The first thing she saw was Li De’s reassuring smile, which eased her heart.
She turned her head and saw a group of nobles dressed in opulent attire. Meeting their astonished gazes, she didn’t flinch—the presence beside her gave her boundless courage.
At this moment, the girl’s heart was no longer fearful. She gently raised her small head.
What intrigued her was the strange look in the old man’s eyes, as if he had seen her before.
Isha grew slightly nervous and instinctively tugged at Li De’s hand.
Upon seeing those ruby-like eyes, Spark’s face was filled with astonishment.
"Goddess above!! I’ve actually encountered this race again!!"