Chapter 21: Cultivation

Gray didn't know how he stood up, but eventually, he managed to free himself from the girl's entanglement and straightened his body. The girl's physical strength was limited, and Gray's unexpectedly sturdy body was too heavy for her. After a few moves, she was sweating profusely, and her hands and feet felt soft and weak. Seeing Gray standing up successfully, the girl was so frustrated that she almost bit her lip. Wasn't it said that boys from noble families started learning to distinguish between men and women at the age of six? A ten-year-old noble boy should understand everything he needs to know. Many boys from prominent noble families might have experienced more than ten women by the time they were fifteen. But why did Gray seem to understand nothing? Which student of a legendary mage didn't come from an aristocratic family among aristocrats?

"It's impossible! He's the student of the Highness. He must think I'm not good enough!" The girl was too entangled in her thoughts and inadvertently blurted these words out.

"What's wrong with you?" Gray asked, somewhat bewildered. Until now, he still felt like what had just happened was a dream.

The girl gritted her teeth, her body softened, and she leaned into Gray's embrace. Seeing her weak and feeble, as if she were about to collapse onto the hard stone ground, Gray had to hold her up. The girl took advantage of the situation, twisted her soft waist, and pressed her most prominent part tightly against him.

However, as soon as he held the girl, Gray couldn't help but gasp!

The girl's hand secretly took gripped Gray's lower body and began to rub it vigorously.

After a few rubs, the sensation in her hand told the girl that it was a fruit that was almost ripe. Almost ripe meant it was just a little bit off. Maybe it would ripen after a year, or maybe it only needed a few months. If it was well-cultivated, it might ripen even sooner. But now, the fruit still seemed a bit unripe. However, a fruit was a fruit, and like all fruits that were almost ripe, if you rubbed it vigorously, you could mostly ripen it manually.

The girl bit her lower lip again, obviously considering something seriously.

In the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it. It wasn't because she had a change of heart, but because manual ripening might damage the fruit. Even if the probability was extremely low, it could leave unpredictable aftereffects. The girl didn't want to take such a big risk.

So Gray was finally able to smoothly change into a dark casual robe and sit at the dining table, then stare blankly at the roasted meat that filled the entire silver basin on the table. This was his lunch, and the same amount would be provided for dinner.

The roasted meat was a full two kilograms, not including four equally hearty side dishes and a large cup of an unnamed and oddly flavored alcoholic beverage. This was once Gray's entire daily meal, but now it had become a single meal, and he had to finish it all. Besides delivering the meal, the girl's other task was to watch Gray eat.

Although he picked up the knife and fork, Gray felt reluctant to start. He was indeed hungry, especially after entangling with the girl for so long, that pesky mysterious blood had quietly disappeared. But dealing with such a large plate of food made him feel very hesitant, especially since the roasted meat also emitted a nauseating smell. The lingering aroma constantly circled around his nose, and after a while, Gray felt his blood flow speeding up again. He was afraid that eating it would once again stimulate that unknown hot blood.

The girl noticed Gray's hesitation and smiled, saying, "Eat heartily! One of the Highness's famous quotes is, 'If you want the strength of a giant dragon, you must first have the appetite of a giant dragon.' So, high-level mages in Deep Blue can all eat a lot."

Although he was a student of Liana Dawn and full of awe for her, Gray was still puzzled by his teacher's famous quote. Moreover, it wasn't just the roasted meat; the flavors of the side dishes and the wine were also starting to trigger reactions in his body. In the end, every additional flavor that reached his nose made him feel like a blood vessel in his body was being stirred. The girl who had delivered the meal was sitting at the table, her elbows on the table, her hands supporting her chin, just watching Gray. But Gray noticed that when her gaze occasionally swept over the food, it would immediately become intense, then return to a nonchalant expression. So Gray knew that this lunch might not be simple.

"What kind of meat is this?"

"The rib of a Komodo Ground Dragon," the girl said without hesitation.

"Where's the wine?"

"It's the warrior's ale specifically for elite warriors from the Fiery Gorge"

"Ah, and what about these dishes?"

"There's qiaolan, blood parrot, kabu berries, and spiblue grass. These are the main ingredients for strength potions, cooked with special techniques. Eating them can enhance strength and physique." The girl seemed to know every dish intimately, even though it wasn't her profession. Gray could sense that she was already nearing the threshold of third-level magic power. Third-level magicians at this age weren't rare, but they weren't extremely common either, even in Dark Blue.

Gray nodded and beckoned to the girl, "Come and eat with me! I can't handle all this alone."

The girl let out a surprised "Ah" and quickly shook her head, saying, "No, I can't! They're too expensive. I can't afford them..."

"Just consider it helping me cheat," Gray said with a smile. When the mysterious Boiling Blood didn't cause trouble, Gray was quite intelligent. Too many changes had happened in the past year, and hardships accelerated a man's maturity.

Hearing Gray's words, the girl felt a sudden relief but still shook her head, saying, "No. I know you mean well, but they're special recipes meant only for men."

What the girl didn't say was that these foods also accelerated a man's maturity in another aspect. And this knowledge wasn't something she should know.

Gray looked at the girl again, then without hesitation, started to devour the food on the plates. He ate quickly and intently, his limited time making him very focused on everything he did. Finally, when Gray lifted the wine cup and drained the pungent-tasting ale, the girl's eyes flickered slightly. At this moment, in her vision, it seemed like a slightly unripe fruit was being fiercely nourished.

Within ten minutes, Gray had cleaned up all the food, leaving the silver plates as clean as if they had just been washed. From the girl's reaction, Gray guessed that the bill at the end of the month would surely have an eye-catching additional charge.

The girl started to collect the dishes, her movements slightly slow. After the entanglement in the bathroom, Gray had a different feeling about her. Recalling it now, those intertwined limbs, those touches, all carried special meanings. Under Aiden Gray's gaze, the girl's face turned slightly red, and Aiden Gray also felt his body starting to heat up again. That soft body under the magical robe seemed to be exerting a mysterious attraction on him.

"I haven't asked for your name," Gray suddenly said.

The girl's body suddenly trembled slightly, and her head lowered unnaturally. "My name is Ailin, Ailin Feila," she said.

"So, is there anything I can do for you... Oh, no, I mean, you've done a lot for me, and I hope I can repay you," Gray chose his words carefully to avoid offending or hurting the girl's self-esteem. His sensitivity was inherited from his mother, but his understanding of interpersonal relationships had gradually matured due to the knowledge he gained in Dark Blue.

Ailin finally lifted her head and smiled, saying, "The tradition in Dark Blue is that you get gold coins for your efforts. But I know a lot, a lot. Whatever you want to know in Dark Blue, you can come to me. Of course, I'll charge a little fee based on the rarity of the information."

After collecting the dishes, the girl suddenly leaned close to Gray, pecked him quickly on the lips, said, "Thank you!" and then left like a flying bird.

Looking at the girl's obviously light steps, Gray's mood suddenly brightened considerably.

The magic circle shone with light, pushing the heavy metal door to close slowly, isolating the living area from the outside world. All noise was kept out, and the entire area was quiet and peaceful. Gray had regained his calm and started his daily studies. But today, the feather tip of the firebird seemed particularly slippery, and the freshly opened Lorlga Hell's Blood ink also seemed dry, causing the lines drawn on the expensive Dreammare Star-Patterned Cloth to deviate frequently. There were several mistakes that were almost large enough to invalidate parts of the magic circle. The practice materials Aiden Gray was using now were worth over 50,000 gold coins just in value. If parts of the magic circle were drawn successfully, it would recharge Gray with 30,000 gold coins. This was Gray's tuition allowance for the first month.

However, today, the pen in my hand seems disobedient, often overshooting where I want it to stop. Grey soon realized that something was off with him, such as his heart beating much faster than usual and his unusual anticipation for dinner time. Although the local magic array was expensive in materials, it wasn't particularly complex; it just required high precision. But this time, Grey spent much more time than he did when drawing the most complicated magic arrays.

"Hmm, my efficiency seems a bit low this afternoon, but maybe not..." Grey pondered.

The efficiency was a quarter of what it was under normal circumstances, and precision gave the answer. It had to be admitted that this talent was not always welcome.

Dinner time finally arrived. The young girl walked over punctually and then watched quietly as Grey quickly and precisely finished the food in his bowl. Before leaving, she routinely gave Grey a light kiss on the lips, then grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest, grinning mischievously and saying, "You owe me a gold coin!" Then she quickly left the residential area.

The young girl was in a particularly good mood, skipping happily along the way, without noticing a group of people approaching from the nearby square. In the center of the group was a handsome noble youth, who looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. His attire was simple and fitting, with excellent tailoring and craftsmanship. On the left side of his chest, he wore a small light golden badge, featuring a double-headed eagle grasping a coiled serpent in its claws. Those who knew a little about continental politics would recognize this badge. The eagle and serpent were the symbols of Duke Soram of the Holy Tree Dynasty. And there were very few people in the Soram family who could wear the family badge on their clothing.

Following the youth were more than ten people, half warriors and half magicians, quite different from the scene in Dark Blue where magicians were abundant. The old magician who had explained the history of Dark Blue to Grey was now diligently following the youth, speaking in a and expressive manner. Apart from his family background, what made the old magician exert so much effort was mostly the power of gold coins. The youth listened somewhat distractedly, observing more of the internal structure and crowds of Dark Blue. His sharp gaze did not miss any detail, even pausing for a moment on the magic lamps providing illumination.

In the youth's eyes, Ailin's back was gradually disappearing, as cheerful as a beautiful swallow. He pondered for a moment, stopped, and then looked at the place where Ailin had come out. It was a residential area, with only one magic array-powered metal heavy door on the long wall, indicating that the surprisingly large area behind the door belonged to only one master.

"Did you just say this belongs to that... um, Mr. Aiden Grey's residential area?" the youth asked the old magician.

"Yes! Aiden Grey is the latest student recruited by the princess. Don't underestimate him because of his young age; he's a true prodigy! Just look at this residential area. Among the princess's students, only two of them have such a large space! And there's a huge secret..." Saying this, the old magician lowered his voice mysteriously.

"Oh, what secret?" The youth leaned closer to the old magician with interest.

The old magician looked around before whispering, "Mr. Aiden Grey is a future constructor!"

The youth looked surprised and exclaimed, "What? Didn't you just say he's just eleven years old?"

The old magician jumped anxiously, "Quiet, quiet! It's a secret. I also said he's a future constructor, future!"

The youth then realized, "That's incredible! Who identified his talent as a constructor? Princess Liana Dawn?"

"Who else could it be?"

The youth smiled, took out a small bag of gold coins, and handed it to the old magician, saying, "Thank you for telling me such a significant secret."

After hefting the weight of the money bag in his hand, the old magician's face lit up. This matter was a secret only to Aiden Grey in Dark Blue. However, the old magician had become quite skilled at exchanging money for this "secret" from newcomers to Dark Blue.

The youth took a deep look at the gate of the residential area before saying to the old magician, "The time I agreed with the teacher is approaching. Let's go now. It's very impolite to keep the teacher waiting."