Chapter 75: Boschendal

Felix could clearly sense Mandragora's burning desire to become stronger. Over the past few days, while he was busy restocking supplies, Mandragora had been diligently attending Degenbrecher's training sessions alongside Senomi. After completing her physical exercises, she would head to the open field to practice her Originium Arts on her own initiative.

Degenbrecher, having never learned Originium Arts herself, had once been mockingly called "a defective Leithanian who couldn't use spells." Felix, likewise, had no experience in Caster-type professions, so Mandragora was left to teach herself entirely.

Even so, she soon surprised both Felix and Degenbrecher. Mandragora displayed remarkable talent in Originium manipulation. Without any formal guidance, she managed to smoothly channel her skills through her staff using nothing but her own intuition and self-study. Her Originium abilities gave her control over rock, allowing her to launch multi-target attacks with ease.

Felix quickly realized that Mandragora didn't limit her practice to daylight hours. Her yearning for strength had reached a near-obsessive level—perhaps even more intense than Senomi's.

Senomi sought strength out of gratitude.

Mandragora, too, wanted to repay a kindness—but her motivation was more desperate, more anxious. She craved Felix's attention. She wanted vengeance for that night. She wanted to make the Victorians pay for what they had done.

Fueled by both hatred and hope, Mandragora's progress was rapid.

But still, she insisted on practicing in the cemetery at night. Felix understood—there was no one around, making it a quiet and suitable place to train. Yet every time he used the drone to check on her, he couldn't help but feel a chill. The eerie setting always unsettled him.

Two days later, Mandragora climbed into Felix's pickup truck. She gazed at the city with deep reluctance. This was where she had spent her childhood, where her family had lived. Life had been tough, but it was familiar. Even the rare moments when she got to eat meat had filled her with quiet anticipation. She always looked forward to when that next meal would come.

Now, it felt like she wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

'Dad, Mom... goodbye. Mandragora is leaving now. I'm going with Pioneer Brother. He's so kind to me. He tells me bedtime stories and strokes my head with his warm hands. He's such a gentle brother… I really like him.'

After silently bidding farewell to her old family and familiar neighbors, Mandragora turned away and wiped her eyes.

The Tara people didn't even receive graves. Their bodies were burned to ash, and no one remembered their names.

But Mandragora did.

She remembered all of them—deeply and clearly—in her heart.

Felix climbed into the driver's seat with a warm smile, started the engine, and drove toward Kendall Town.

There, he awaited the arrival of the Yanyu Pavilion team—a group he'd been looking forward to meeting for quite some time. A squad composed entirely of female players, Yanyu Pavilion brought not only strength but a visual charm that made their presence in the game very welcome. These professional players had seemingly retained their real-life appearances, and each of them was rather captivating.

Xiyiye earnestly brought over Yan Fei, the captain of Yanyu Pavilion, to meet Felix.

Yan Fei looked at Felix once... then twice... then stared at him in silence for an uncomfortably long time.

Felix's mouth twitched.

What's up with this girl? Just staring like that? You browsing without buying anything? Trying to get something for free or what...?

However, Felix didn't get to enjoy the peace for long—more players soon arrived in droves.

Inside the truck, Mandragora and Senomi stayed hidden, Mandragora's eyes widening in alarm as she watched a group of men and women dressed like a hunting party rush toward them. At first, she thought these people were attacking Pioneer Brother.

Senomi quickly calmed Mandragora down. "Don't worry," she explained. "They're adventurers. They're usually very friendly... and they often bring gifts too."

Just as Senomi finished her explanation, a sharp-eyed player caught sight of Mandragora through the vehicle window. His eyes lit up instantly.

"A new NPC has joined the Pioneer Team—and she's another adorable little girl!"

"Is this for a quest? A special event or something? Doesn't matter—give her a gift first!"

"Wow, she looks just like a little Victorian princess! Her sense of fashion is amazing. I'm in love."

Among the group was a female player, a professional from the Yanyu Pavilion, which kept the male players from getting too rowdy or inappropriate—none dared to say anything crude like "licking feet" out loud. Still, someone managed to snap a few photos of Mandragora and quickly posted them on the forums with the caption: "Another NPC joins the Pioneer Team—she's just as cute as Senomi!"

Clicking the post revealed three images of Mandragora:

—One where she looked startled after being discovered by the players.

—One where she appeared panicked, clearly unsure of what was happening.

—And one where she looked adorably shy after realizing the players were giving her snacks.

"Wow, the Pioneer Team has amazing taste. These NPCs are all so precious! I want to work with the Pioneers so I can see cute girls like this every day!"

"You're just here for the eye candy, you filthy casual! Weren't you following the Pioneers for the Black Knight storyline?"

"I'm stuck in this boring mission, but aren't you at least curious about her backstory? A black-haired, golden-eyed girl rescued by the Pioneers? There's gotta be something deep there."

"+1 to that. When Senomi joined, she was rescued from slavery. This new girl looks skittish and traumatized—maybe she has PTSD. Her backstory is probably going to be heartbreaking."

The player base buzzed with theories about Mandragora's origins. Some were genuinely intrigued by her story, while others simply couldn't stop gushing over her cuteness. Either way, the consensus was clear:

Pioneer, I swear my loyalty to you until the end!

Meanwhile, Felix went about his business undisturbed by the online chatter, selling another batch of goods to the players. The crowd thinned out soon after—most of the players had taken on the missions issued by Felix, all eager to earn dungeon crystals. With a proper strategy guide now circulating, several well-organized teams had already cleared the instance.

This brought a huge morale boost to the player base. They were no longer just rookies struggling against NPCs—they were learning combat tactics as they played, gradually becoming more efficient in taking down strong opponents through coordination and persistence.

Later that day, Yan Fei and Xixiye returned as a team. After half a day of grinding, they had successfully collected enough to exchange for the dungeon crystal from Felix.

The initial team had already spent around two months playing the game. Once the strategy guide was released, it took roughly 100 to 120 hours of real time to clear the content—professional players could complete it within a month.

Yan Fei approached Felix and asked politely, "Hello, Mr. Pioneer, we're planning to go to Leithanien. Do you have any suggestions?"

Felix looked as though he had just woken up—a reaction perfectly in line with typical NPC behavior when spoken to unexpectedly. He lifted his head and looked at Yan Fei.

"Adventurers, are you heading to Leithanien to improve your Originium skills?"

"Yes, you're quite well-informed," Yan Fei replied courteously.

Xiyiye, standing beside her, felt a pang of frustration. No matter how many times he had tried to talk to the Pioneer before, she'd been completely ignored. As expected, only players with high Charisma stats could get a proper response from NPCs. Did low-Charisma players like her didn't deserve attention?

"I suggest you enroll in the music academy in Leithanien," Felix continued. "Their Originium skill curriculum is among the best and will significantly benefit aspiring Casters." He then rolled his eyes playfully. "As it happens, I'll be heading to Leithanien too. What a coincidence."

Yan Fei blinked, trying to hide the excitement bubbling up inside her. Could this be the start of a hidden storyline?

Meanwhile, Xiyiye grew even more bitter. Wuwuwu... Pioneer, why won't you talk to me?

Felix hadn't initially planned to interact much with Yan Fei, but considering her influence in the professional gaming scene and her popularity among players, it made sense to build a connection. Still, there was no need to ask her to tag along—unlike a player like Magic ZX, Yan Fei had commitments and team training schedules to stick to.

A bit of contact was enough.

Felix issued her a D-rank quest.

[Pioneer's Acknowledgement and Concern]

[Quest Details]: I've heard that you're heading to Leithanien. The Pioneer supports your decision but is concerned for your safety. Please proceed with caution. After entering a university in Leithanien, you may encounter the Pioneer again.

[Objective]: Successfully enroll in any university in Leithanien to study Originium skills.

[Reward]: 5,000 EXP

Yan Fei's eyes widened in astonishment. A quest from the Pioneer himself! Her coach, Bai Mi, had told her that the Pioneer only gave quests to players who had triggered hidden missions. Had she stumbled into one? Even though the reward seemed modest, this could be the start of an important quest chain. If she and her team leveraged their connection with the Pioneer wisely, the Yanyu Pavilion team could go much further than expected.

Felix's thoughts echoed hers. As long as he managed his relationships with top-tier professional players carefully, they would become his strongest shield and sharpest blade—an elite force in the game's ecosystem.

"I understand. Thank you, Mr. Pioneer. We'll be sure to stay safe."

Yan Fei kept her voice steady, but as she turned and walked away with Xiyiye, she couldn't contain the joy rising inside her—she burst into laughter after just a few steps.

"Boss, what's wrong? Boss?"

Yan Fei shook her head slightly. "I triggered the Pioneer's hidden mission."

Xiyiye's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "What?! Captain, did you actually trigger it? None of the other pro players who've interacted with the Pioneers managed to trigger the hidden quest—not even the top player, Huangtian Houtu!"

"Maybe I'm just lucky, or my Charisma stat is higher," Yan Fei speculated. "Or maybe simply mentioning 'Leithanien' triggered some sort of mechanism in the Pioneer's programming."

Xiyiye lowered her voice. "In any case, we should tell Coach Bai Mi the good news right away."

Yan Fei nodded. "Let's keep this quiet for now. If other teams find out I've received a hidden mission from the Pioneer, we'll be targeted during matches."

Xiyiye agreed solemnly.

After Yan Fei left, Felix packed his belongings and prepared to move out. His next destination was the northern region of Victoria—where he might run into someone he had known in a previous life.

What he urgently needed now was a master caster who could accompany them and mentor Mandragora. However, finding someone both willing and capable of traveling with them was proving difficult.

He bid farewell to the reluctant players, "kindly" and "generously" reminding them that he would be heading to Leithanien in the spring. His parting words quickly made their way to the forums, causing an uproar. The players in Leithanien were so moved they nearly wept—they had waited so long for the Pioneer!

Felix still had to craft a new batch of goods. Most Caprinae players in Leithanien were Casters, but the majority of his current inventory consisted of cold weapons. He needed to start preparing staves and leather armor suitable for Caster players.

Meanwhile, Mandragora was slowly adapting to the life of travel. She was gradually emerging from the grief of her past, tucking those memories gently into a quiet corner of her heart. On the road, she had begun chatting and laughing with Senomi again, as if they had returned to the days when they both worked as blacksmiths under their Pioneer brother/master.

After more than ten days of travel, they arrived in northern Victoria, having set out from the south. There stood a small mobile city on Victoria's northern border—Boschendal. Though it was technically spring, the air still held a lingering chill.

Despite its modest size, Boschendal was still a mobile city. Its population was several times larger than that of Oak Grove County. It was Mandragora's first time entering one of Victoria's mobile cities, and she gazed at the surroundings with curious, inquisitive eyes.

The mobile city had a complete infrastructure, including residential, industrial, and commercial zones, as well as some farmland for self-sufficiency. There were even several schools—one of which was a Caster academy.

"Mandragora, would you like to enter the Caster School for formal training?" Felix asked.

"Huh?" Mandragora blinked in surprise.

Felix continued, "Unfortunately, neither Degenbrecher nor I are casters, so we can't guide you in that field. But while we can't teach you ourselves, we can give you the opportunity to receive proper Caster training."

Mandragora pursed her lips and nodded, then hesitated as a thought crossed her mind. "Brother Pioneer… you're not going to leave me here, are you?"

"I'll be staying here for about a month," Felix replied. "That should be enough time for you to take quite a few classes."

He reached out and gently ruffled Mandragora's hair with his free hand. "You've never been to school before, right? Why not take this chance to experience it? Senomi too—but she'll have to attend a regular school instead of the Caster academy."

A soft light sparkled in Mandragora's eyes, and she nodded quietly. Senomi had no objections either. She looked at her master, her gaze filled with emotions she couldn't put into words.

Degenbrecher knew this was just another one of the boss's whims, but letting the two girls go to school for a month wasn't a bad idea. It was a form of compensation for the lives they had led. Everyone should experience that kind of life at least once—only then could the rest of their journey find its proper course.

As usual, after settling into their hotel, Felix immediately set out to take care of business. He found the principal of the Caster School, brought along a wad of money, and expressed his wish for his "sister" to take a one-month introductory course in Caster training. Naturally, the principal wasn't about to say no to money and agreed without hesitation.

He made similar arrangements for Senomi at a regular school.

The next day, after the four of them finished breakfast, Felix noticed Senomi and Mandragora standing by the door, both dressed in proper Victorian school uniforms. Backpacks slung over their shoulders, they looked a little nervous.

Felix walked over, crouched slightly, and gave them each a warm hug.

"Come on," he said gently, "let's go to school."

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T/N: Hello everyone, Sorry for keeping you waiting. Here is the first chapter for today, i have 2 more for tonight.

I may not have said it yet, but just to be clear, I will be updating 2 chapters per day. Thank you for reading and for your support so far.

I hope you all have a wonderful day.