Loa led Linley through a back alley to a little tavern with an oak barrel painted on its sign. The place was small but clean and tidy. It was a leisurely afternoon, with only two or three tables of customers talking quietly.
"Boss, bring us a few dishes to go with our drinks!" Loa was clearly a regular. He headed straight for a seat by the window. "And a jug of your signature Golden Autumn Fruit Wine."
"Coming right up!" answered the bearded owner behind the counter. Before long, he brought over several small dishes: golden-fried meatballs, richly seasoned braised dried tofu, and freshly toasted bread with garlic sauce.
Linley sat down opposite him. Bebe eagerly jumped from his shoulder onto the table and brought his little nose close to the dishes for a sniff.
"This little fellow needs something to eat too." Loa smiled and called the owner back. "Two roast chickens as well. Plump ones."
"Squeak, squeak!" Bebe happily spun around on the table, his little black eyes shining.
"Boss, he's a good guy!"
Hearing the Soul Transmission, Linley did not know whether to laugh or cry.
While they waited for the food, Loa studied Linley carefully. A year had passed since they last met, and his close friend had changed considerably. Beneath his mage robes, the outline of a sturdier body was faintly visible, and his calm gaze held a keen edge. Clearly, his year at Ernst had been fruitful.
"A Rank 2 mage already?" Loa poured a cup of fruit wine and pushed it over. "Congratulations."
Linley looked a little surprised. "How could you tell?"
"Your aura." Loa poured himself a cup as well. "The fluctuations of a mage's spiritual force differ from those of a warrior's battle-qi. I'm fairly sensitive to energy now. Besides..." He