Chapter 7 - Determination

Nathan and Theodore arrived at a place and stared blankly.

Nathan looked around to check the surrounding; it seemed that he had come to the right place, but where was the dining restaurant? Why is there a shop selling toys for children here instead?

"Teacher, is this the place you mention?" Theodore questioned Nathan, who was equally confused.

"Wait a moment," Nathan said before he walked to ask some passersby.

He found a middle-aged woman nearby who seemed like a local. He asked her, "Excuse me, do you know about the dining place that used to be here?"

"Oh, that place closed down years ago. The food tasted peculiar, and there were not many customers." The woman replied and walked away.

Nathan walked back to Theodore with a stiff smile on his face. He awkwardly asked, "Is there anything you want here?"

"Teacher, I'm not a child." Theodore raised his usual soft voice to reply; there was embarrassment on his face.

"Let go in to take a look." Nathan smiled at Theodore's reaction and led him into the shop together.

The shore was full of toys for children. There were various stuffed dolls, models, funny-faced craft toys, and storybooks.

Theodore was in a daze looking at the playthings around him.

Not counting his previous life, he had never come to such a place.

Although His parents and elders had given him many gifts, he did not get to choose. Most of the presents were jewels and valuable treasures, not toys they thought useless.

Theodore's eyes wandered as he strolled around the shop. He paused slightly at a silly-faced duck plushie half his size before walking away.

Nathan, who was watching from the beginning, caught Theodore's movements.

He came to the doll, grabbed it, and raised it to Theodore. He then asked, "What do you think of this?"

"Teacher, I do not want it," Theodore replied seriously. However, his ear turned bright red knowing that Nathan caught his movement.

Nathan laughed lightly in response and walked to pay for the toy at the counter. The plushie was not expensive to him, only around 200 copper coins.

Of course, this feeling was for Nathan, a relatively wealthy person. Ten copper coins could trade for one meal for ordinary people, so the toy was rather costly.

Humans used five levels of currency: copper coins, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum.

A hundred copper coins can exchange for one bronze. There was a similar exchange rate for the other level of currency.

Most people exchanged ordinary things that were not useful for cultivating mana through copper coins.

After paying, Nathan handed the doll to Theodore.

Theodore accepted it and hugged the plushie in his arm to hold it. He felt its softness and felt strange in his heart.

He would never admit that he wanted this silly-looking duck plushie.

'This is my method to act adorable to gain the teacher's sympathy.' Theodore comforted himself but could not stop his lip from curving into a little grin.

The atmosphere when the teacher and disciple walked out of the shop was more relaxing than before.

...

Nathan and Theodore continued strolling around the street to find a place to eat. They then decided to eat at a simple tavern.

The waiter and the chef raised their head when they noticed the new guests had entered.

They then widened their eye when they saw Theodore.

The middle-aged chef, John Blackwell, hurriedly walked over and said, "Are you the young master of the Hale family, Theodore?"

Theodore also recognized the two; they once worked for his father in the Hale mansion, so he nodded in response.

"That is good, very good," John muttered, smiling with relief.

John then spotted Nathan beside Theodore. He doubted Nathan's identity but did not ask because the code of conduct he learned in the Hale mansion stopped him.

Theodore perceived John's reluctance and introduced, "This is my teacher, Master Nathan Ashford."

Knowing Nathan was a mana user, John tried to greet him respectfully.

Nathan stopped him, signaling that there were still customers in the tavern.

John nodded in understanding. He ordered his daughter, Jasmine Blackwell, who worked as the waiter, to attend to the two guests. He then went back to prepare himself in the kitchen.

The signature dish of the tavern was beef stew, so both Nathan and Theodore ordered it.

Except for the gathering and banquet, Nathan had rarely eaten regular food. Dining normally like this was uncommon for him.

The higher the rank of a mana user, the less they need to eat. Nathan did not need food at his level and usually took the time to cultivate instead.

Nathan was silent as he waited for the food.

...

Nathan and Theodore did not wait long before Jasmine came to serve the food.

Theodore noticed a lot of potatoes in his stew and smiled.

In the past, he always asked to add more potatoes to his stew; he did not expect John to remember, but he felt warm in his heart.

Back in the Hale mansion, the people who cared for him were his father's subordinates rather than his parent.

Theodore dinned happily; John's stew was still as delicious as usual.

Nathan's eyes also lit up slightly; it was better than he thought.

After the two finished dinings, the father and daughter of the Blackwell warmly sent them off.

During the walk back to the house, Theodore, with one arm holding the plushie, watched the bustling of people walking around as the sunset.

He felt at a loss in the past as to why he was so heartbroken when he knew about this city's future destruction.

He did not understand why he cared so much about this city where he had suffered many mistreatments.

However, he now realized that although he had some awful past in this city, there was also much good memory to remember.

'Colond city was my home.' Theodore thought with his ambition clearer than before.

He wanted to be a powerful mana user strong enough to change the fate of himself, his important person, and this city; Theodore had this determination.