Chapter 21: Strange Backalley

[Third Person's PoV] 

Stephen looked toward them and held up a peace sign. "You called my name, didn't you?"

"That's not… that wasn't… You know what, if you don't want to share, I'm not going to force you. You do you, man. But still, you can use time magic? That's unbelievable," Magic said, shaking his head as he glanced at the unconscious Heath, who had vomit at the side of his mouth.

Noelle stepped closer to Stephen, her expression serious. "Are you related to the Wizard King?"

"Huh?" Stephen asked, looking at Noelle in confusion. "Why the hell would I be related to the Wizard King?"

"Because only the Wizard King has the power to use time magic," Noelle said, still serious.

Stephen rolled his eyes. "I can assure you, I'm not related to the Wizard King. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a patient to get to." Shaking his head, Stephen walked toward the injured old man.

He looked at the villagers surrounding the old man, their faces filled with worry. "He's lost a lot of blood, so make sure he eats plenty of food. It'll help his body produce more blood quickly. In his condition, I'd recommend at least two weeks of bed rest."

"Mr. Magic Knight, are you also a doctor by chance?" the old man's grandson asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

Stephen smiled and winked. "I'm training to be."

"Do you think… do you think I can also be a Magic Knight like you, even though I'm a peasant?" The boy suddenly asked, shutting his eyes as if afraid of Stephen's answer.

Stephen ruffled his hair. "Without a shadow of a doubt. If you work hard, you can do it." Stephen then winked at the kid. "You see, I grew up in Hage Village, so I'm also a commoner."

The villagers' eyes widened in shock, having witnessed his incredible magic skills. The boy's eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked up at Stephen.

After Magna and the others ensured everything in the village was taken care of, Magna called out to Stephen.

"Yo! We're ready to go!" he said, giving a thumbs up.

Stephen quickly equipped his Sling Ring and made one swift circle with his hand, opening a portal back to the base.

Magna kicked Heath in the back. "Get moving, you punk!"

Heath grumbled and growled at the treatment as he walked through the portal. Noelle scoffed. "You're the one dressed like and actually acting like a punk, you spiky-haired delinquent."

Magna just huffed, ignoring her, and followed Heath through the portal. Noelle and Asta followed suit. As Stephen crossed over, he gave the villagers a two-fingered salute before the portal closed and they were back at the base.

…

"It looks like you guys had a blast out there! Talk about a first mission!" Yami said, laughing happily.

'Why is he so happy that we were attacked…?' Noelle wondered, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"YES, SIR!" Both Asta and Magna shouted, banging their fists on their chests.

Vanessa, yawning, patted Stephen's back. "Good work, you guys."

She then rested her arm on Stephen's shoulder. "The Magic Investigation Department is really pleased and impressed that you guys were able to prevent them from committing suicide and gave them people to interrogate."

Yami happily held up two stars. "The Wizard King was so impressed with your actions that he gave us two golden stars. One for saving the villagers and the other for capturing the ones responsible."

"WOOHOO!" Magna celebrated, pumping his fist in the air.

"A STAR!? YES! … What's a star?" Asta asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"The nine magic squads compete to see who can collect the most stars. It's mostly about honor," Vanessa explained.

Yami placed both stars on the wall next to the other star on the wall, however all the other stars were all black.

"Great!" Yami exclaimed with his hands on his hips. "That makes us a solid minus 29 stars. Talk about progress, am I right, guys?"

"Oh, and here's your wage for this month," Yami said, handing them a bag of coins.

"WOAH, IT'S MONEY! SO MUCH!!" Asta yelled excitedly, stars in his eyes as he held the coins.

"This is barely anything…" Noelle muttered, counting her pay.

Stephen tossed his bag into the air, caught it, and set it aside.

"You don't seem excited or bothered by the money. Why is that?" Vanessa asked, curious about Stephen's nonchalant attitude.

Stephen shrugged. "Monetary value isn't that enticing when I can make anything I need with my magic."

"Oh my god, that means you truly don't know the wonders of shopping! We have to fix that ASAP!" Vanessa exclaimed, looking at Asta, Noelle, and Stephen. "Since it's your first payday, I'll do the honors of taking you guys shopping!"

"No need…" Stephen started, shaking his head and turning to leave.

But Vanessa hooked her arm around his neck, putting him in a headlock and pressing his face against her side. "Too bad, sweetheart! I wasn't asking. We're going to Castle Town!"

Stephen's cheeks reddened slightly as he was pressed against the side of her breast. *'She smells nice...'*

…

Stephen sighed as he walked next to Vanessa, who was dressed nicely with a witch hat. Beside them were Noelle and Asta. They stood in front of a large town bustling with people and surrounded by buildings—completely different from the view Hage Village had to offer.

"WOAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" Asta exclaimed, looking around at the lively town.

Kikka, the place they were currently at, was a Castle Town located in the upper center of the Common Realm.

Asta was all excited, running around to check out the stands and the different goods they offered.

"Stephen! Stephen! Look! Yummy-looking fruit we've never seen before!" Asta said excitedly before moving on to the next shop. "Stephen, look! Magic items! I'm sure you'll love this!"

Stephen smiled, amused as he watched Asta enjoy himself, though the townsfolk gave them strange and wary looks upon realizing they were members of the Black Bulls.

"Once we pick up the essentials and everything else we need, I'll take you guys somewhere *really* fun!" Vanessa winked after buying a couple of wine bottles.

"That doesn't look like anything essential to me," Stephen said, rolling his eyes.

Vanessa posed, holding her bottles beside her face and pursing her lips. "These are essential for *me~*. I can't function without them."

"I'm honestly starting to get concerned about your alcoholic tendencies," Stephen replied, his expression full of worry.

"I'm not an alcoholic, sweetie, I just like having a good time," Vanessa winked.

"That sounds exactly like something a raging alcoholic would say."

Vanessa chose to ignore the comment and skipped along happily.

Once everyone finished buying what they needed, Vanessa led them to an empty alley.

Seeing how deserted the alley was, Stephen turned to Vanessa. "I want a trustworthy adult by my side…"

"Wha—what's that supposed to mean!? I'm a trustworthy adult!" Vanessa exclaimed with a pout.

"You took us to a back alley and called it a *really fun* place…" Stephen replied with a deadpan expression.

Asta and Noelle looked between Stephen and Vanessa, unsure what to say.

"Hehehe, you're funny," Vanessa laughed as she pressed a few tiles on the wall, revealing a hidden passage. "What I wanted to show you guys is the Black Market."

Asta and Noelle peeked inside before heading in, followed by Vanessa. However, as Stephen was about to enter, Vanessa stuck her arm out, placing it on his chest to stop him.

She leaned in close, standing mere centimeters from his face, giving him a sultry look. "And if I really wanted to take you somewhere *fun*," she whispered sensually, her hand moving towards his face, "it wouldn't be a back alley—it would be straight to the bedroom with you," she said, running her fingers along his jawline.

Vanessa winked at him before twirling around, whipping her hair back as she walked ahead, her hips swaying enticingly with every step.

Stephen stood by the entrance, his eyes wide as he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, his face slowly turning red.

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