The Sweet Smell of Success and the Truth

The campfire crackled now and then, its flames swaying as light and shadow rolled across the two men's faces.

Ruger's mind was on that inheritance site, yet his feet still carried him toward the campfire. The light of spirituality flickered like his wildly pounding little heart. He knew the burly man watching the fire had already locked onto him. He had stopped Foul-Smelling Skin the moment the enthusiastic man uttered his first word. Sometimes malice was not immediately lethal, but the trouble it caused could develop in wholly unexpected directions.

He sat down on the other side of the campfire.

"Thank you."

He had read in Ka Liu's diary that lower-ranked apprentices had to show respect to higher-ranked ones, especially Ultimate Apprentices like this.

"Actually, that guy might not have meant any harm. Besides, he knew I was in the party, so things wouldn't have gone that way. Most likely, he wouldn't have done it," Baangte said.

Ruger instinctively felt that this Ultimate Apprentice was very earnest. He was willing to explain so much even to a low-ranked apprentice like him.

"I didn't say those things to help you, so there's no need to thank me. I only said them because I dislike him and wanted him to get out of my sight. Your appearance helped me instead. I should thank you for giving me an excuse. Honestly, I wanted to pick a fight with him and take the chance to beat him up badly." As Baangte spoke, he tossed something over.

Ruger caught it, only to discover it was a large chunk of magic stone.

Crackle! Bang!

The flames burst apart and nearly went out, then swayed unsteadily before recovering.

A figure emerged from the fire—it was the man who had been playing with flames earlier.

"Hm? Where did he go?"

The fire-wielding man held a huge beast leg in his hand, taken from some unfortunate underground beast. It looked like a plump, succulent hind leg.

Faced with his question, Baangte merely shrugged.

The fire-wielding man revealed a knowing expression, then began preparing the beast leg, muttering as he worked.

"You used Phantasmal Sound Spell when you sent me to get a beast leg? Hm? I said 'fine.' What did that guy hear instead?" The fire-wielding man kept his head lowered as he busied himself, his mood remarkably steady, as though he had long suspected it. "Kid, remember this: don't let this big fellow's appearance fool you. He's a strange one. Strange is the most accurate word for him—not exactly bad, but not good either..."

Baangte shrugged again at that. "He heard 'fine' as well, but the sentence before it was different. I didn't risk altering your words; I only changed my own. You know I'm not good at this sort of thing, so it was exhausting. I also had to find a way to conceal the spell's fluctuations. That guy was just too annoying."

Oil dripped from the beast leg as it roasted. The two men were silent at times, chatting a few words at others.

Ruger looked around and felt the atmosphere had eased. It seemed he could leave now.

"Gentlemen, thank you for your kindness. I think it's time for me to go."

He rose and spoke calmly, though he was still somewhat panicked inside. Sitting with two powerful wizard apprentices felt even more nerve-racking than facing two powerful underground beasts.

In an instant, he felt his aura being locked onto once more, as though every movement he made was enveloped by a pair of invisible giant hands. It felt as if those hands only needed to move a little slower with him to brush against his dog fur.

"You can't leave," the fire-wielding man said.

As the man turned the beast leg, waves of fragrance rose from it. He kept sprinkling on seasonings Ruger did not recognize. This level of flavor was something Ruger had not tasted in a very, very long time. The boiled bugs in his storage pouch, which he had been reluctant to eat, instantly no longer smelled appealing.

The rich aroma made one unable to resist swallowing.

But the saliva Ruger swallowed at this moment was more from nervousness, like a criminal awaiting sentencing.

If he had committed any crime, then in his opinion, in the Cavern World, weakness itself was a crime.

"This is enough for three people. Waste is no good. We must maintain reverence for the living creatures of the Cavern World."

As he spoke, the fire-wielding man began carving meat from the beast leg. He casually took out clean plates, and the patterns on them left Ruger dazed for a moment. He accepted one in a fog, struck by the illusion that he had returned to the civilized world.

Ruger wanted to appear elegant, but that was truly difficult. Even under the double weight of fear and worry, he still could not resist the temptation of delicious food.

The kobold's sense of smell and taste finally proved useful here. He had even worried that years of eating mushy bugs would make them deteriorate.

"See, Baangte? This little fellow's appetite is the finest praise I could receive."

The fire-wielding man seemed extremely pleased with Ruger's reaction.

Baangte ignored him, lowering his head to eat on his own. From time to time, he took out a crystal-like sphere and glanced at it.

"Those troublesome big bugs should really be dead now. I just don't know where that little bug has hidden itself," Baangte said.

The fire-wielding man remained calm as he cut another large strip of meat for Ruger.

"This mission is highly unusual. I'll wait another three days. If there's still no clear result, I'll give up and leave this place," the fire-wielding man said.

"Hmph!"

Baangte snorted coldly.

"Wizard Niteri's reward isn't so easy to obtain. He put out that thing precisely to lure Ultimate Wizard Apprentices yearning for advancement. So failure in the first stage of the mission is inevitable. An Ultimate Wizard Apprentice might even secretly help that little bug escape, giving it a wider range to move around in, letting it follow the guidance of spirituality to search for that city." The fire-wielding man abruptly changed tack. "That includes you, doesn't it? Now that we can't find that little insect person's trail, any extra complaints will only make you look more incompetent."

"Hmph! Only little fellows like this would care about the reward for directly catching that bug," Baangte said.

Ruger stood up again. He had finished eating, and he truly believed he could leave now.

Moreover, their discussion of the little insect person made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. He feared some incredible spell might detect his connection to that crybaby bug.

"Thank you both for the meal. This was the most delicious meal I've had in a very long time."

He tried his best to remain calm. After speaking, he politely bowed to them both.

This time, no one stopped him.

He only hated that he did not know one of those flashy methods of travel. Unable to make a swift, stylish exit, every step he took only made him more nervous.

"Hm?"

Baangte suddenly rose to his feet, staring at the crystal-like orb.

The flame man, meanwhile, remained utterly unhurried.

"If it's that little insect-man, I'll go with you. If it's still that snake, go by yourself—or you can bring that little fellow over there. A low-rank apprentice can still be of some use against that wounded snake. Also, don't give him any more magic stones. What people like him need most is spell knowledge, even basic knowledge. Apprentices born as experimental subjects are all like that."

The flame man's words made Ruger pause mid-step.

"I know you can kill that snake with ease, but right now, you're trying to capture it."