Chapter 53: Leisure

As Penny emerged from the backyard of the inn, having sorted through his drenched garments, the lingering discomfort in his heart began to ease slightly. However, upon entering the tavern hall, only the proprietress remained seated at a table, her gaze tinged with ambiguity, seemingly amused by the events moments ago.

"Please, spare me your scrutiny," he implored.

God knows why Waugh placed the teleportation point in that location; perhaps he should have realized earlier that the coordinates opposite that copper coin were those of Helene... Penny thought silently, bemused. And to think he had returned precisely at that moment. What were those two women doing in the bathhouse, exactly? He recalled the poses of the two beautiful women when he fell into the bath, and as he glanced at Viola, still wearing her damp robe, his mind began to wander.

"What are you thinking?" Viola noticed Penny's frequent glances toward her body and the absent-minded expression, clearly aware that the little lecher had drifted into a reverie. With a firm rub of Penny's tousled hair, the mage's vision was suddenly enveloped in darkness. He lifted his hair, feeling annoyed and ashamed, then swiftly embraced the voluptuous proprietress, only to hear a giggle: "Helene is watching from the stairs."

Penny glanced upstairs, seeing no one in sight. In his momentary distraction, the proprietress had already freed herself from his grasp, retreating to the side with a mocking tone: "What's this? Daring to play both ends against the middle, yet still looking over your shoulder?"

Penny coughed awkwardly, a long-lost sense of propriety resurfacing as his conscience stirred: "Is she still upset?"

"Angry? She's not angry," Viola said as she settled onto the stool beside the young man, slicing a small piece of steak. Along with a leaf of lettuce and a dollop of spicy sauce, she sandwiched them between two slices of toasted bread, placing it on Penny's plate. "She's just feeling shy."

"Shy?" Penny recalled Helene's reaction just now, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

The proprietress rested her chin on her hand, letting out a long sigh. "Well, of course, not everyone is as shameless as you."

"Is my face really that thick?" Penny wondered, his hand brushing over his acclaimed face. However, the proprietress rose from the table, leaving the question unanswered. He shook his head, eyes wandering upstairs. With the sandwich in his mouth, he climbed the stairs, heading towards Helene's room and rapped on the door.

...

He knocked again, and the door cracked open, revealing the shy, slightly flushed face of the girl. "Please, come in," she said softly.

The mage entered the room somewhat awkwardly, noticing his wizard robe hanging outside on the balcony, worn and tattered from his recent adventures. Approaching it, he furrowed his brow. "This one's beyond repair; we'll need to purchase another."

"But that's wasteful, and..." Helene glanced at Penny, her head lowered, her expression suddenly hesitant. After a few seconds, she picked up a piece of parchment. "Penny, what's this?"

Penny gazed at the slightly distorted oil painting, feeling a bit awkward. Suddenly, he realized there was nothing to be ashamed of. "Ah, this is my companion from the North, a Tyrian warrior," he explained.

"Oh?" Helene nodded, scrutinizing the female warrior's figure in the painting. Remarkably, it rivaled Viola's, evoking envy and admiration in her. After the incident in the bath, the proprietress's actions and teachings had detached her thoughts from the concept of purity. Even a girl like her blushed and palpitated at the sight of the figure in the painting, let alone a man...

The discovery of this painting triggered a flurry of thoughts. Viola is kind to him too... But Viola is much older than him... It shouldn't matter, especially since she takes care of me just like she does with Penny...

Clearly, although she had shed the constraints of "purity," she underestimated the dangers of the world and the power of certain hormones.

Moreover, this girl is a sacred warrior of Tyre, unlikely to have any connection with Penny...

With these thoughts, the girl's heart eased slightly, but the previous idea was enough to make her vigilant: "I mustn't let Penny interact freely with other beautiful girls."

The mage gazed at the girl in the portrait, a nostalgic expression crossing his face. "While in the North, she once saved me. Otherwise, I might never have returned."

Helene's heart skipped a beat. "Such a thing happened?"

"It wasn't as perilous as you imagine," Penny said, standing by the windowsill. Seeing the girl's fearful expression, he realized he had made the conversation too weighty. He chuckled lightly, trying to ease the tension. "In fact, it was quite an adventure, running around with a motley crew, battling monsters. Perhaps one day, when I'm old and can't walk anymore, I'll regale my grandchildren with these tales."

The girl chuckled, but she detected the self-deprecation and lack of seriousness in the mage's words. She easily sensed that things weren't as easygoing as Penny made them out to be. Initially inclined to press further, she remembered Viola's advice. Sometimes, she couldn't afford to appear too gentle or indulgent. So, she adopted a stern expression. "You're trying to fool me, Penny."

Penny was momentarily taken aback by the girl's sudden anger. Seeing Helene's slightly flushed face and the sharp glare of her anger, he hesitated on what to say next.

It had been a while since Helene had been angry with him.

"I want to know what dangers you encountered in the North and whether he intentionally sent you to undertake those perilous tasks," Helene's scrutiny extended beyond the ordinary, even questioning her own father. This evidently made Penny feel uncomfortable. He embraced the girl from behind, feeling her rapid heartbeat gradually calming against his chest. "Don't doubt the teacher. It's something every Red Robe apprentice must do."

"Indeed?"

"Truly, there was hardly any danger. It was merely a serendipitous encounter with a few fellow countrymen while in the North, and we had a little gathering. The most significant event was stumbling upon an old man who kept pet mice in a cave. I told him a couple of stories, and he went mad. Then he gave me the mouse and ran off halfway through the journey." Penny rambled on, feigning annoyance. "The most infuriating part was that disobedient mouse running away halfway."

If the ancient mechanists and those Red Robes were to hear this passage, they would likely be moved to tears. But it evidently lightened Helene's mood considerably.

He was just afraid that I would worry.

Thinking this, a bit of warmth dissipated her forcibly squeezed-out anger, and she chuckled. "You can actually tell stories?"

"You'd better not listen," Penny replied with a smirk, tousling the girl's hair. "Don't worry. I'm back safe and sound now, and before long, I might even be officially promoted."

"Really?" Helene's face lit up with surprise, startling Penny.

"Why are you so pleased?" he asked.

"Of course, with you in an official position, you'll have more leisure time," Helene said with a smile. "There will likely be fewer chances of encountering such dangers."

Not necessarily...

Penny silently scoffed inwardly but still didn't quite understand Helene's reaction. "But didn't you dislike the Red Robes?"

"Who said I did?" The girl's finger jabbed at Penny's chest.

The mage fell silent.

A moment of tranquility passed.

"Penny, let's go out for a walk." After a while, Helene broke free from Penny's embrace, carefully storing away the portrait of the Paladin, then took the mage's hand. "The weather outside seems lovely."

"Very well." Penny smiled and walked out of the tavern with the young woman.

"Come back soon~~" The landlady waved cheerfully at the inn's door, and as Penny passed by, he felt an inexplicable pang of guilt.

"Sigh~~" Watching the two depart, Veronica squinted, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed, and sighed softly.

"Miss... you," Ogan approached.

"What is it? Has anything unpleasant happened on Simon's side again?"

"Not at the moment, but..."

"That's good." Veronica glanced at the hesitant Ogan. "Rest assured, I have discretion. I know what needs to be done and when. However, if there's nothing else, let's just enjoy each day as it comes."

She looked at the middle-aged man, hesitated for a moment, and then added, "I know what you want to say, but it's tedious to always associate everything with profit. I've lived that life for over twenty years."

"...Yes." Ogan hesitated for a moment before lowering his head.

...

"Make way! Make way!! Don't obstruct!"

As the young men and women strolled down the street, dozens of knights suddenly appeared, disrupting the atmosphere. Penny became nervous, recalling a vaguely familiar scene from the distant past.

"Don't mind it, Penny. It's just the Mage Guild selecting apprentices again. They do this every year." Helene noticed Penny's distraction, tugging at his hand to bring him back to the present. Penny then noticed the silent procession of parents leading their eligible children out of their homes, and he suddenly felt inexplicably uneasy.

Upon observing the expressions on these parents' faces, Penny noticed that not all were filled with fear; there was a hint of complexity in their demeanor.

Instantly, Penny recalled the events of eight years ago: the delicate woman who had embraced him for six years, and the young man who returned every few months, weary and with a rough stubble that scratched his face.

Where had his parents of this lifetime gone?

It seemed that within the Crimson Robe Mage Academy, visits from parents were strictly forbidden — as they would disrupt the educational atmosphere. Moreover, once apprentices entered the academy, it appeared they were entirely severed from their past lives.

"Dad, hurry up! We'll be late if we don't hurry!" Lost in thought, Penny suddenly heard this cry, and then saw a child of about six dragging his old man, rushing towards the gathering of apprentice seekers.

"Oh my child, your old man is about to drop dead from exhaustion. Let's take a break for a moment." The chubby old man grabbed his son and stopped to catch his breath.

Though middle-aged and portly, the man's bare feet, blistered and calloused from walking in grass sandals, along with his robust thighs, hinted at his industrious nature. His skin, tinged with a faint puffiness, suggested a somewhat inflated corpulence.

"Dad, we're just a few steps away!" The disgruntled child protested.

"No need to rush. Sooner or later, it will be your turn. They might not even accept you," the father remarked.

"I'm so clever and agile, if the Mage Guild doesn't admit me, they must be blind," the child boasted arrogantly, his tone grating on Penny's ears. "Is it something worth celebrating? There's a fifty-fifty chance you won't come out once you go in. Foolish children."

The child and his father glanced at Penny in astonishment, and Hickel noticed that Penny's mood was somewhat off. He tugged at Penny's arm, but felt no response.

"What do you know?" The child was very displeased with Penny's tone, staring into the mage's eyes. "If I could become a prepatory member of the Mage Guild, my family wouldn't have to pay taxes to those lords anymore. None of my three brothers have had this opportunity. Now, the hopes of my whole family rest on my shoulders. Do you know how poor my family is? Duhumi's land suffered from drought this year, and the rice harvest was poor. Do you know how difficult life is for us? You look like a self-righteous fool!"

"Hey hey hey, Snide, stop it." Perhaps this stout father had noticed the difference in Penny's demeanor and attempted to pull his son away. Penny noticed the pallor on the man's face, which further dampened his mood.

At the doorsteps of some houses along the street, adults emerged with their age-appropriate children, greeting the approaching Ser knights with bewildered expressions. The expressions on their faces made Penny even more melancholic, as it was not purely reluctance and fear, but rather a faint sense of anticipation.

Though the road ahead was perilous, in Ser, it was the closest path to glory and authority!

Not everyone had the chance to become a mage!

Penny suddenly understood the source of this conflicting feeling.

It was entirely different from the emotions and insights he had experienced eight years ago during those events.

"This has nothing to do with us, Penny," Hickel tugged at Penny's sleeve, seeing no response, he patted his face.

"I know," Penny sighed deeply, suddenly speaking somewhat absentmindedly, "Is the hope of escaping poverty and hopelessness, amidst the harsh and cold order, inevitably intertwined with a path that leads halfway to death?"

"Penny..." Hickel sensed the mage's profound melancholy, her own heart veiled with a few strands of gloom as she embraced the boy's neck, "Don't dwell on these matters."

"But I must ponder..." Penny Sean sighed, "Because my descendants will soon multiply in this world. If the environment remains unchanged, won't they too one day fall into such dire straits? I may find a way to become a prestigious mage, but what about after my death? Will our descendants become laborers, farmers, slaves, forced to make tragic choices for survival? Not just in Ser, but in other places like Ferren as well..."

"This..." Hearing the mage mention descendants, Hickel's face flushed for a moment, yet Penny's worries also infected her, "This is the way of the world, isn't it? Besides, even the gods cannot foresee all that happens in the world. How can we mortals possibly contemplate so far ahead?"

"Regardless, I must strive to change this world. We cannot continue to drift aimlessly with the current," Penny paused, suddenly feeling the confusion and aimlessness in his heart dispelled by a surge of determination, as if a beacon appeared in the distant horizon.

"Change... the world?" The girl lifted her head in puzzlement.

"In any case, Hickel, from today onward, I shall endeavor," Penny said with a smile, and the girl simultaneously felt that the man before her had become somewhat more genuine. Though she did not quite comprehend Penny's resolution, she inexplicably felt reassured in her heart. "Well, though I don't quite understand what you're saying..."

"I shall strive as well." Hickel kissed Penny's cheek and smiled. Due to the incident that just occurred, the streets were becoming increasingly crowded, no longer suitable for a leisurely stroll. "Let's return."

Penny nodded. As they passed by the street, he saw the boy who had come from the countryside with his father. He walked over and whispered softly under the boy's vigilant gaze, "Judging from what you just said, it seems the mages must be blind not to accept you. But you must be careful. It's not as you imagine there. Just being unafraid of death won't see you through. Endurance, resilience, be cautious not to be bullied, nor to bully others. Learn everything you can, but don't readily reveal it." The boy listened to these words, his expression gradually becoming strange. Penny patted his head, "Of course, you may not understand these words now. Just remember them."

"Why should I..." The boy was inexplicably lectured and seemed somewhat defiant. Just as he was about to retort, he was suddenly pressed down by his father's sturdy arm. "Quiet, Snide."

His father reprimanded sternly, then solemnly watched Penny depart, loudly shouting, "Thank you for your advice."