Chapter 27: Stella's Teacher

Under EeDeChi's guidance, "The Last Defender of the Way" adventurer team once again spent a fortune to take the teleportation array and arrived at a city on the border of the Baharuth Empire. On the other side of the border was the Empire's arch-enemy, the Re-Estize Kingdom.

They temporarily settled in a rather expensive inn, where the cost of lodging for the six of them for one day and night was a gold coin. But now that EeDeChi had money, they naturally chose a better place to stay.

The innkeeper cast a suspicious glance at the twin loli girls they brought with them. It was indeed rare to see adventurers with two little girls in tow. If the girls hadn't shown such a good attitude towards EeDeChi and the others, the innkeeper would have reported them as human traffickers to the sheriff.

That evening, in the lobby downstairs, "The Last Defender of the Way" was preparing to head to the city's Adventurer's Guild. An elderly man with a white beard and a robe stepped into the inn. He scanned the four adventurers one by one, finally stopping at Stella in her cleric uniform, exclaiming, "Stella Famillion, is that you? My dear student."

Stella stopped at the sound of the voice, looking at the old man in surprise. "Teacher, what are you doing here?"

"Long time no see! You've grown into a beautiful young lady," the old man said with a loving smile, embracing the excited Stella. The two of them sat in the lobby's soft chairs and chatted for a long time.

It turned out that this old man was named James Simon, Stella's former teacher. He was a high-tier mage, proficient in 4th Tier Magic, with dual talents in Arcane Magic and Divine Magic.

Not only was he highly skilled in magic and held a prestigious position in the Empire, but he had also taught at the Gaia temple, instructing Stella for quite some time.

Although Stella wasn't the highest achieving or most talented of his students, she was sweet-looking, lively, and diligent in her studies, endearing her to her teachers.

Unfortunately, Stella had to leave the temple due to changes in her family and chose to become an adventurer to shoulder her family's burdens. James had regretted this greatly and had supported her for a long time to his ability, but in the end, he couldn't bring her back to the temple.

He glanced at the slightly worn dark gold staff in Stella's hand and took out a bag of coins from the inner lining of his green robe, handing it to Stella. "Go get yourself some better equipment. Consider it a gift from your teacher. With better gear, you can earn more."

Stella pushed the coin bag back to James. "Thank you, teacher. I have enough money now. Tomorrow, I'll go buy some new equipment. Our team leader is very kind; she just gave me a salary of 80 gold coins!"

With that, she took out a linen bag, untied the string at the opening, and showed it to the old man. The gray bag was filled to the brim with shiny gold coins.

James exclaimed in surprise, put away his coin bag, and started chatting with Stella about recent events.

Although the old man's beard was white, he was still full of energy. He began to converse with Barrett. The old man was quite talkative, and he got along well with Barrett, an experienced adventurer. When discussing the habits and characteristics of some monsters, he laughed heartily, his white whiskers shaking, revealing a few bright gold teeth.

After chatting with Barrett, James approached Sean for some casual conversation. Finally, he walked over to EeDeChi, mysteriously asking her to step outside the inn to discuss something.

It was late, the crimson sunset painted the sky with golden edges, and several women with jars on their heads hurried down the street. EeDeChi glanced at James and casually asked, "Old mage, what's up?"

James frowned slightly. Despite his immense magical prowess and being six or seven decades older than EeDeChi, this girl showed no respect for elders.

However, his good upbringing allowed him to quickly set aside these displeasures. He tentatively asked, "Adventurer leader, what kind of commission tasks do you usually take on? Stella's magical talent isn't particularly outstanding among her peers, and she stopped her magic studies due to family issues…"

Gradually, EeDeChi understood James' implication: Stella's magical abilities weren't particularly strong, yet she had received 80 gold coins, far exceeding what her abilities would typically warrant. Was it that EeDeChi had money to burn, or was she involving her team in some dangerous, unsavory business?

The adventurer leader rolled her eyes. "How I spend my money is none of your business. These gold coins are…"

She initially wanted to tell the truth, that they were a gift from the emperor, but remembering Barrett's advice to keep a low profile, she changed her story. "They're a gift from a noble of the City Alliance. I discovered a dragon's treasure hoard for him."

If an adventurer dared to provoke a dragon, they surely had some skills. James was doubtful, but seeing EeDeChi's upright demeanor and proper attire, he decided not to press the issue further.

He changed the subject. "What do you think of Sean? Has he shown any inappropriate behavior towards Stella?"

Anyone with eyes could see that Sean was infatuated with—no, in love with—Stella, showering her with attention. Though he hadn't confessed yet, Stella hadn't shown any intention to accept him either.

James was naturally concerned that Sean, a platinum-level adventurer, might harass his outstanding student.

EeDeChi nodded and said, "Sean is a bit impulsive. His vision isn't very broad, and his heart isn't strong enough, making him susceptible to setbacks in this materialistic world. Often, he isn't very smart and tends to act on emotions. However, he is honest and has no ill intentions, with a Justice Value of 224, which is quite rare.

"As for their romantic relationships, as long as it is consensual love, the organization will not interfere. However, if they wish to marry, they must both be over 18 and submit a marriage application to me. This formality is always necessary."

What? Marriage... application? Organization? James stroked his silver goatee, puzzled. Despite his vast knowledge, he couldn't understand what EeDeChi was talking about. Asking someone six or seven decades younger for clarification would be embarrassing.

He then reminded EeDeChi to take care of Stella, mentioning her frail health and poor family finances, hoping the leader would look after her.

EeDeChi nodded perfunctorily, agreeing with "Uh-huh." James then gifted each of them a magical trinket, mentioned he was off to a gathering with some old friends, and bid them farewell before leaving the inn.

Later, James promised to return to the inn to guide Stella in her magic studies. Stella waited for days, but in the end, the old man never appeared before them again.