"One serving each of shrimp and crab meat. Don't forget the fruit wine. Oh, and we'll need dessert afterward too."
Nolan said this to Reep, who had hurried over to watch the commotion.
He had long since figured out Sellen's tastes. Living with a shameless glutton like Nolan, that teacher never exactly ate lightly.
"Your Excellency, you're free to leave at any time."
Heavy iron boots struck the ground as a tall knight stepped up beside them and spoke.
Nolan gently set his teacup down, rose at an unhurried pace, and casually brushed the dust from his clothes before asking,
"Everything's been sorted out? No problems with the questioning, right?"
The knight answered with an ingratiating smile.
"Those big creatures are old enemies of ours. We usually keep them firmly blocked off in the outer waters."
"No one expected them to break through all the defenses and make it here. I'll report the situation to the academy."
There was a clear hint of flattery in the knight's tone. He was probably hoping this magic apprentice might put in a good word for him with the academy's higher-ups.
Nolan merely waved him off with a cold gesture, too lazy to listen to any more of the knight's nonsense.
If the Cuckoo Knights hadn't arrived so late, how could so many innocent townspeople have died?
Gatefront Town was the most prosperous settlement in Liurnia of the Lakes, right next to the Raya Lucaria Academy. Its location was critically important.
It was the very heart of the region, protected by multiple layers of strict defenses.
Having lived in such a relatively safe environment for too long, the knight had grown accustomed to comfort and calm. Naturally, he was completely unprepared for those massive creatures suddenly breaking in.
Still, whether this man was dealing with a Golden Needle Knight or just with a mage apprentice, his dereliction of duty was not something Nolan needed to worry about.
How he would be dealt with was a matter for the academy's upper ranks and Her Highness the Princess. Nolan trusted that Ranni would make a fair judgment and handle it properly.
In the knight's eyes, Nolan had simply displayed the typical arrogance of a Sorcerer.
Without saying another word, Nolan turned and left. There was no need to put on a pleasant face for people like this.
When the Cuckoo Legion was kept under control, they were merely mercenaries.
Once they lost that restraint, they immediately turned into bandits.
This small disturbance did nothing to affect the town's prosperity or bustle. Nolan and Thops continued on the road back to the academy.
The bald, muscular Thops kept sneaking glances at Nolan. The brush with death earlier was clearly still fresh in his mind.
Whether it was his overwhelming magical power or his outstanding physical ability, the young man ahead of him was astonishing in every way.
Was this the genius everyone at the academy spoke of with such admiration?
Thops felt a surge of longing. He dreamed of the day he might become that strong himself.
Just then, Nolan suddenly turned his head and fixed his gaze straight on Thops.
"If I didn't hear wrong, your name is Thops, right?"
Thops swallowed nervously. Despite his rugged, intimidating appearance, he was actually rather reserved.
After hesitating for a moment, he answered quietly,
"Yes. I'm Thops, an apprentice trainee at the academy. Senior… why did you save me just now?"
"What are you saying? Does something like that need a reason? Besides, you're no different. Why did you dare to act back there?"
Nolan shot back immediately.
"I just acted on impulse. My head heated up. I can't compare to you, Senior," Thops said awkwardly, scratching his head.
"Having the courage to act is enough. Failing is just a matter of ability. There's no higher or lower in that," Nolan said with a smile, his expression sincere.
Thops fell silent at once. He really wasn't used to being praised.
Seeing his reaction, Nolan became even more certain.
This was the Thops he knew.
The one who claimed to have no talent for magic, yet whose magical achievements were enough to make countless Sorcerers look up to him, the so-called "Bluntstone."
The two of them walked in silence through the academy gates. Just as they were about to part ways inside the tall tower, Nolan suddenly asked,
"What kind of Sorcery did you use just now? I don't think I've ever seen it before."
He was certain he hadn't been mistaken. Those cyan ripples of magical power had spread outward like waves of water. After confirming that Thops was only an apprentice, Nolan had already formed a rough guess.
"Ah… that?"
"It's just a small trick, nothing worth mentioning."
"It's a defensive spell I've been fiddling with on my own. Honestly, it can't even block a slightly stronger Glintstone Pebble."
Thops sounded nervous as he spoke, scratching his head awkwardly, as if he were already bracing himself to be mocked by the genius standing in front of him.
Nolan found this strange.
As far as he remembered, Thops's barrier shouldn't have been able to deflect physical attacks at all. And the Crayfish's water cannon was clearly neither an Incantation nor a Sorcery.
"Don't tell me that spell doesn't need a medium to block water blasts?"
"No, no, no. I was just flustered earlier," Thops hurriedly waved his hands. "There was nothing around that I could use as a 'magical shield' medium, so I didn't think too much and just cast it."
His voice was still as lacking in confidence as before.
This apprentice clearly possessed unusual talent, yet he carried himself with far too much self-doubt.
Nolan gave him a solid pat on the shoulder and said with a smile,
"I actually think this spell of yours has tremendous potential. If you manage to fully refine it, it would be a great creation that wouldn't lose to any master sorcerer's work."
"Y-you really think so?"
Thops stared at him in disbelief, so shocked it was as if his entire worldview had been shaken.
Was that really possible? Had he heard wrong? This was the academy's famous genius, and he was actually acknowledging him?
Looking at the apprentice standing there, stunned and wide-eyed, Nolan nodded seriously.
"Of course. Even if you can't establish an entirely new school, creating a brand-new spell on your own is already an incredible achievement."
Thops stayed lost in that surge of happiness for quite a while before finally coming back to himself.
He scratched his head, gave an embarrassed smile, and continued,
"Heh… thank you for saying that, but that spell really isn't very useful. It can't even block some low-level Sorceries."
Hearing this, Nolan didn't look disappointed at all. Instead, he smiled and encouraged him.
"Whether it's useful or not is something you can only judge once it's fully completed."
"How about this. If you're interested, you can come find me anytime in the future."
"We can work on finishing this spell together. What do you think?"
After hearing that, Thops almost couldn't believe his ears. The excitement swelling in his chest was impossible to put into words.
The disciple of that Witch, a genius sorcerer whose talent rivaled the lecturers themselves, was actually proposing to research magic together with him.
And he was nothing more than a Bluntstone, someone who claimed to have no talent at all and failed the entrance examination year after year.