A Temporary Stay
On the third day of her stay in the castle, Li Yan finished dealing with all the trivial matters and was ready to set off for the Royal Capital.
The Little Fool seemed rather happy, as her mentors, Sister Xiao Wu and Sister Xiao Xue, accompanied her.
"Yan'er, it's said that your master has built a Magic Continent Association in the Royal Capital. You could also have your master build one in our territory. Now that the identity of a magician is fully recognized, we can openly recruit some magicians."
Lionheart Earl slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. He could no longer see the future clearly, and he had to admit that he was getting old.
"I know, Father."
Li Yan nodded gently and led Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue onto the Mana chariot. The novel interior amazed Xiao Xue and Xiao Wu; they hadn't expected that such a wild-looking Mana chariot would be so cozy inside.
As Li Yan waved goodbye to his many relatives, his younger siblings wept, their eyes filled with tears. Having witnessed their brother's swordsmanship, they had become his devoted fans and were especially reluctant to part with Li Yan.
From a young age, they were instilled with the image of their older brother as a great hero, and because of this, even though they had never met their biological brother, they had a deep affection for him.
"Yan'er, remember to bring back the woman you like next time."
The Earl called out with a smile, and Li Yan, sitting on the Mana chariot, felt a chill run down her spine.
If Mother knew that the woman she liked was her best friend, would Mother feel withdrawn? After all, it was she who introduced her best friend to be her son's magic mentor.
The thought of the potential conflict between her Godmother and mother filled Li Yan with dread.
As the Mana chariot entered autopilot mode, the sounds of farewell gradually faded into the distance. Li Yan looked back at the town that was now shrinking, and the pressure in her heart slowly eased.
"Godmother, I've come to see you."
Gazing at the scenery rushing past the window, Li Yan murmured to himself. The warm breeze blowing in from the window gradually lifted his spirits. Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue sat obediently beside Li Yan, massaging his body. For them, as long as they could stay with Li Yan, they were willing to go anywhere.
At dusk, the Mana chariot stopped in a small village. The villagers, who had never seen a steel chariot before, were frightened and hid in their homes. Only after seeing that it was a human who got out did they cautiously emerge from their homes.
"Who are you? What brings you to our village?"
The elderly village chief, his hair graying, walked shakily out from among the villagers, coughing as he asked Li Yan a question.
"We are adventurers from the Lionheart Earl's territory, passing through this area. We'd like to occupy this precious spot in your village for the night. We'll rest on our Mana chariot and won't disturb your peace."
Li Yan pointed to the Mana chariot and bowed slightly with the etiquette of a nobleman.
"Instead of living in a house, are you going to live in this steel vehicle?"
The old village chief glanced at Li Yan's clothes, then at the massive steel chariot. Based on his knowledge, the person before him was undoubtedly a nobleman, and not just any ordinary minor nobleman. A nobleman with such a handsome appearance and who treated an ordinary village chief with such courtesy must be the son of a nobleman with a grand vision.
Li Yan nodded with a light laugh, "Yes."
Do you need some food?
The old village chief kindly spoke up.
"No need, thank you for your kindness."
Li Yan politely declined, but the refrigerator inside the Mana chariot still contained enough food to last for half a month.
There aren't many rules in the village, so just do as you please.
The old village chief coughed and waved to signal the villagers to go home and find their mothers. It was just a matter of borrowing an open space in the village for one night, nothing too serious.
The villagers glanced at the Mana chariot with a mixture of curiosity and awe. The sight of this steel behemoth was immense, much like a primitive man seeing a modern person lighting a cigarette with a lighter.
It was probably the first time Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue had seen the houses in the village, and they both stared in surprise with their mouths agape, curiously looking at everything in the village.
The Little Fool, wearing a tightly closed hat, followed closely behind Xiao Xue and Xiao Wu. At this moment, she looked like a teenage girl, following behind the already mature Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue, much like a little sister.
After chatting for a while, Li Yan became somewhat familiar with the villagers. Perhaps because Li Yan naturally possessed maximum human likability, many female villagers were particularly fond of her, and some even warmly invited Li Yan to their homes for dinner.
Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue chatted with the girls in the village. They found Xiao Wu girls' free and easy lifestyle very novel. For them, who were born and raised in a wealthy castle, freedom was something they could only enjoy late at night when they were with the Xiao Xue master.
The girls in the village also longed for Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue's life in the big town, and kept asking Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue about all the fancy things in the big town.
The Little Fool listened with a blank expression. For her, whose life revolved only around her young master, magic, and battles, these conversations were nothing more than boring and tedious daily routines.
As darkness fell, Li Yan waved and gently called for his maids to return to the Mana chariot, where they would eat, sleep, and play games.
Watching Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue follow closely behind Li Yan, the village girls looked on with envy. Even as maids, becoming the maid of such a handsome, polite, and gentle noble young master would be a wonderful thing.
Back on the Mana chariot, Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. The Little Fool tiptoed and secretly learned Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue's cooking skills. Making delicious food that would please their master is a basic skill for a qualified maid.
Li Yan sat on the small sofa, gazing at the Space Magic tome and pondering new ideas for developing Space Magic.
Soon, the aroma of delicious food wafted from the kitchen. Xiao Wu placed the fragrant dishes on the table, then hurriedly ran back to the kitchen to help out. Seeing the stains on Xiao Wu's snow-white skirt, Li Yan couldn't help but chuckle. She was just as clumsy as ever.
Six dishes, one soup Xiao Wu, one dessert, and three fruits were served to Li Yan Xiao Xue he looked at the Magic Tome. He could eat whatever he wanted simply by opening his mouth. Xiao Wu and Xiao Xue knew his eating preferences very well. After a piece of meat, there were vegetables to cleanse his palate.
The Little Fool, holding the juice, stared intently at Li Yan with his big eyes, waiting for Li Yan to ask for a drink.
After dinner, Xiao Wu was in charge of massaging Li Yan, Xiao Xue went into the kitchen to clean up, and Little Fool was in charge of massaging her legs.
"Master, is this force enough?"
The pressure from the massager on her back was so soft and inviting that Li Yan nodded gently. Although Xiao Wu's Xiao Wu was light, the 36D massager still provided a good amount of pressure.