Chapter 102: This Pet Is Different

Chapter 102: This Pet Was Different

“I had no choice either,” Ye Tian said helplessly. “And I hope you won’t tell anyone.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t,” the girl said softly. “Do you really hate being a butler that much?”

“Yes,” Ye Tian answered without hesitation.

The girl parted her lips as if to say something, but in the end remained silent.

“Oh, right. I heard you took a month’s leave. Are you done with whatever was keeping you busy? Do you need my help?” Lisana asked hesitantly.

“Oh, thank you, but no need.” Ye Tian smiled.

The girl gave a faint sigh. “Could you stop being so polite? I want to be your friend.”

“We’re not people of the same world, my lady,” Ye Tian said quietly. “I’m only a manservant.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not really some grand lady either,” Lisana said. “Just treat me like an ordinary girl.”

“Well, I still have something to do. You two go on talking.” Seeing the situation before her, Leila hurriedly made herself scarce. Some things were better left unknown.

“All right,” Ye Tian said.

“Really?”

“Really.” Ye Tian nodded.

“Then… would you come shopping with me?” Lisana asked, brightening at once.

“I’d better not.” Ye Tian looked awkward.

“Because of Miss Akarnala? Or Miss Leila?” Lisana asked softly.

“It has nothing to do with them.” Ye Tian smiled. “I just don’t have a habit of strolling through the streets.”

“But weren’t you enjoying yourselves yesterday?” Lisana asked anxiously.

“So the girl at the pet shop really was you.” Ye Tian laughed.

The girl blushed instantly. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I’m just curious why you were hiding,” Ye Tian said.

“It was nothing.” Her face reddened further.

“Don’t you want to ask what my relationship with that shop is?”

“I’m not interested. That’s your business. I have no right to interfere,” Ye Tian said seriously.

“Thank you,” the girl said softly. Then she suddenly lifted her head. “Could you practice magic with me from now on?”

“I think not. You’re already very strong.” Ye Tian scratched his head.

“But I’m still far behind. The other students are catching up quickly. By the way, do you know Layton? He’s become very formidable now,” Lisana said softly.

“Try looking at it from another angle. This is only my personal opinion, but don’t you think the current way of using magic is a little too rigid?”

“What do you mean?” Lisana asked, puzzled.

“Let me put it this way. When you face another mage in battle, what’s the first thing you do?”

“Chant a spell,” the girl replied.

“What kind?”

“An offensive spell,” she said. “Defeat the enemy as fast as possible.”

“A good idea in theory,” Ye Tian said. “But what if your magic isn’t faster than theirs?”

The girl hesitated.

“And what if, while you’re chanting, a huge rock falls from the sky?”

“But that sort of thing probably wouldn’t happen,” she said uncertainly.

“True, not in an arena. There’s a roof overhead. But what if you were out in the wild?”

The girl hesitated again.

“And once you’ve finished chanting, what if a gust of wind blows dust into your eyes?” Ye Tian went on.

She was nearly dizzy by now. How could this man keep bringing up such absurd scenarios?

“It sounds ridiculous,” Ye Tian said seriously, “but all of those things could happen. You mages stand there completely absorbed in chanting, exposing yourselves entirely to danger. I think that’s very wrong.”

“But so what? Mages have been fighting like this for thousands of years,” Lisana said urgently.

“You can adapt a little.” Ye Tian thought for a moment. “For example, when you fight a mage of equal rank, you always think about ending it in one blow with the fastest, strongest spell, right?”

“Yes.” Lisana nodded.

“And your opponent?” Ye Tian asked. “Wouldn’t they be thinking the same thing?”

“Yes,” Lisana said with another nod. “That’s a mage’s instinct.”

“Then what magic is the fastest?”

She considered it. “Low-level spells. The lower the grade, the faster.”

“If I remember right, Fireball is one of the most basic ones.”

“Yes.” Lisana nodded.

“Do you remember that duel? If I had been a mage like you, and while you were setting several fireballs around yourself, I threw one at your feet, what would happen?”

“I’d dodge,” Lisana said. Fireball might not do much damage, but damage was damage, and no one wanted to be hurt.

“Then wouldn’t that give me time to complete another spell?” Ye Tian said.

The girl drew a sharp breath. The preparation time for magic was not that long, especially for low-level spells. Unless one carried some magical protective item, no ordinary body could simply endure it. No one was a dragon, after all.

“If I set several magic spheres around me and attack you one by one, that should also buy me enough time to chant a high-level spell, shouldn’t it?” Ye Tian asked.

“Probably,” the girl said uncertainly.

“Let’s look at it another way. What if your chanting speed can’t keep up with mine?” Ye Tian smiled.

“I’d chant faster. Or run,” Lisana said after a pause.

“Mm. And what if I were chanting an area-of-effect spell?”

She fell silent again. Such spells covered a wide range, and with a mage’s turtle-like speed, there would be no hope of escaping in time.

“Then what should I do?” Lisana asked.

“How about this?” Ye Tian said. “When you’re fighting someone, and they begin chanting an offensive spell, why not throw a Fireball at them?”

“That wouldn’t be proper.” Lisana felt it carried the air of a sneak attack, unworthy of a mage’s style.

Standing behind your allies and attacking enemies from afar with magic is already a kind of sneak attack, Ye Tian thought, but only smiled.

“That’s different,” Lisana said stubbornly.

“All right, then let’s change the example. Suppose it’s a warrior. While you’re chanting, a swordsman rushes you with blade in hand. What do you do?”

“Knock him down with magic.”

“But he’s already within two meters of you. There’s no time to chant a high-level spell. Then what?” Ye Tian asked with a smile.

“I’d hit him with a Fireball,” Lisana said firmly.

“And what if he jumped aside?”

“Then what would you do?” Lisana countered.

“I’d use a restraining spell. If I remember correctly, the fire element has quite a few—Flame Bind, Flame Chains, things like that. They don’t do much damage, just hold the enemy in place, right?” Ye Tian said.

“Yes, and they aren’t very high-level either.” Lisana herself knew a Flame Chain spell, though mages could dispel it with magic.

“Exactly. That buys you time,” Ye Tian said.

“Time…” Lisana repeated softly, savoring the word. Many times, a mage was simply racing against time. If there was enough of it, the spell would be completed and victory would follow. If not, defeat was inevitable.

“Well?” Ye Tian asked.

“At the right moment, use the right spell. It doesn’t always have to be pure offense. Is that what you mean?” Lisana looked up.

“You could say that. And often you can be proactive too—for example, interrupting someone while they’re casting. I seem to recall there are also spells like Petrification and Sluggishness, aren’t there?”

“Thank you,” the girl said earnestly.

“One last thing,” Ye Tian said. “Mages are too weak physically. If you can, train your body a little.”

“But mages aren’t warriors. Why would we need such strong physiques?” Lisana asked, puzzled.

“The longer a fight drags on, the more the side with better stamina gains the advantage.” Ye Tian raised a finger. “A secret for you: Layton carries weighted gear on him.”

“You mean Layton has been training his endurance all this time?” Lisana asked in astonishment.

“You could say that.”

“Then what should I do?” she asked.

“How about this? I learned a method that conserves energy and lets you keep fighting longer. Do you want to learn it?”

“Really?” Lisana asked.

“Yes. It’s simple—a breathing method.” Ye Tian briefly taught her the technique.

“That simple?” she asked doubtfully.

“It isn’t simple at all. Practice it more. If you can, don’t stop. Keep at it over time, and you’ll discover its value,” Ye Tian said seriously.

“All right, then. I’ll try.” Lisana nodded. “Gray, thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for?” Ye Tian asked, puzzled.

“Just talking with you for a while makes me feel as though my understanding has risen considerably,” the girl said with a smile.

“You were already impressive.” Ye Tian slipped in a little flattery.

In the end, the cluster of young ladies departed in disappointment. So he wasn’t nearly as extraordinary as the rumors claimed. They cast Ye Tian aggrieved looks, but his skin was thick as fortress walls, and he remained utterly unfazed.

“Thank you for today,” Lisana said.

“Sorry about… all that today.” Ye Tian glanced at the departing girls.

“It’s all right,” she said softly. “We’re friends now, aren’t we?”

“Yes,” Ye Tian said.

“Thank you.” She nodded and left.

“All done?” Once the young ladies had gone, Leila returned and began tidying up.

“Just clear one table. I’ll cook something later—I’m a little hungry,” Ye Tian said.

“All right. Just a moment.” Leila quickened her pace.

“Hey, everyone!” Ye Tian called cheerfully to the cooks collapsed in exhaustion in the kitchen.

“It was him!”

As one, they pointed at the chef with the most shameless grin.

“I think you said the same thing last time too,” Ye Tian said viciously.

“This time it really wasn’t me!” Rabbit wailed, tears streaming down his face. “You heartless lot—if you frame me again, I’m not letting this go!”

“Mm, fine then. There’s still some black chicken beauty soup left. Two big bowls for each of you, and I won’t pursue the matter.” Ye Tian smiled pleasantly.

“No way!”

A chorus of shrieks broke out at once. In that moment, Ye Tian looked no different from a horned demon. If anyone claimed the soup held no hidden trap, no one alive would believe it.

“If you won’t drink it, I’ll pour it out. As for what comes later…” Ye Tian paused meaningfully.

“We’ll drink! We’ll drink!”

For the sake of future delicacies, the entire group steeled themselves. One after another, they came forward, ladled out large bowls, clenched their teeth, and gulped them down.

“Huh? It’s not that bad.”

They looked at one another in surprise and then suspiciously drank a second bowl.

“Finished? Then I’ll take it away.” Ye Tian simply carried off the whole pot.

“Gray drank some too. Looks like it’s fine.” The cooks all breathed a sigh of relief.

“You lot!”

Everyone turned at the shout and jumped. Rabbit’s whole body had begun to glow with firelight.

“You bastards actually framed me!” He snatched up two large ladles. “I’ll kill you!”

“Well, you do have a record!”

The cooks burst into laughter and scattered in all directions.

“Don’t run! Get back here! I’m going to kill you!” Behind them charged Rabbit, blazing all over.

“What happened?” Leila looked at the chaos and asked in confusion.

“Nothing. Try this. It’s been simmering until now—the flavor should have sunk in nicely.”

Leila took a cautious sip with a spoon. “Ah… it’s delicious. Then why didn’t those young ladies like it?”

“Hee-hee, secret. It’ll be ready in a bit.” Ye Tian set the soup pot on the table. “Today we’re having four dishes and a soup!”

Braised fish in brown sauce, twice-cooked pork, stir-fried greens, scrambled eggs with tomato, and black chicken beauty soup. Meat and vegetables alike—not especially lavish, yet deeply appetizing.

“It smells wonderful!” Leila could not help exclaiming. “Gray, you’re incredible!”

“Just so-so.” Ye Tian grinned. “Try it.”

Leila carefully picked up a slice of twice-cooked pork. Girls were always especially sensitive to meat. She bit into it gently.

“Mmm, delicious!”

“Have some soup too. It’s quite spicy,” Ye Tian said with a smile, ladling her a bowl and handing it over.

“So spicy—and so good!” Sweat sprang out on Leila’s brow at once. “Gray, how do you do it?”

“Mmm, heat control,” Ye Tian said. “Where I come from, cooking is all about the fire. The moment ingredients go into the pan, the moment they come out, the timing of each toss and stir—every step matters.”

“It sounds awfully troublesome.” Leila could cook as well, but after hearing his method, she decided not to bother comparing.

“It’s just a matter of habit.”

When Ye Tian awoke from a comfortable sleep, he felt something scratching at his face. He opened his eyes and found a pair of sly little eyes staring at him, while a pointed tiny beak pecked at him without pause.

“Oh! You’ve opened your eyes!” Ye Tian exclaimed in delight. Opening its eyes meant it was about to begin growing.

“Chirp!” The little creature flapped its wings and let out a long cry.

“Hungry?” Ye Tian sprang upright, washed quickly, and took the little one with him to the dining hall. But now that it had opened its eyes, it absolutely refused to stay in his arms. In the end, he had no choice but to let it perch on his shoulder.

“What is that?”

Along the way, Ye Tian drew every eye. The little thing was not shy in the least. It elegantly preened its sparse down, then, seeing everyone staring at it, gave an indignant cry.

“Chirp!”

“Amazing!”

Though the sound was unbearably young, it carried the aura of a sovereign so vividly that people could not help but stare. This dingy little gray bird was clearly no ordinary creature.