I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 22 The Old Man is Very Bad
Upon hearing this, DuPont couldn't help but feel excited, and pretended to be a curious child: "So the Dean has such a glorious past. If only I had that ability, I could go anywhere and have fun as I do."

“That’s not necessarily true. Sometimes being too strong can be limiting, especially for someone like Lavoisier who is married and has family ties. Now he can only stay here obediently. Without an imperial decree, he can basically only stay in this mage academy. What’s the difference between that and being in prison?” The butcher was about to say more when the halfling coughed and said, “Alright, if he hears you, he’ll dock your pay.”

Upon hearing this, the butcher realized he had spoken out of turn, chuckled a few times, and then patted DuPont on the shoulder with his greasy hand: "Alright, come with me to the mountain later. If you're so eager for adventure, I'll let you experience real combat first, so you don't die on your first mission and end up with a whole corpse."

Upon hearing this, DuPont nodded, feeling a little excited.

Wasn't all that work just for this sentence? It wasn't a waste of his time.

When the pig's trotters were served, none of the three said a word and started eating right away. The butcher finished his and was about to finish the last trotter when the halfling stopped him: "I'll save this for Lavoisier."

The butcher snorted coldly: "He said he doesn't eat this stuff, it's beneath his dignity."

"That's because he doesn't know how delicious it is. Besides, whether he eats it or not is his business. It would be too unfair of us not to leave him any."

After hearing this, the butcher muttered a northern dialect phrase, but still obediently didn't touch the pig's trotter. He took out a clean white towel with magical light and wiped the grease off his hands: "Don't forget to embarrass him after he eats it. He has a lot of bad habits."

DuPont didn't care about this at all; if he could leave an impression on the dean because of this pig's trotter, that would be a real pleasant surprise.

What future is there in fighting with the kids in the academy all day? Getting to know real big shots is the fastest way to cross social classes. If I could really get some reward from Lavoisier, even just a little something slipping through his fingers would be enough to meet the prerequisite of 1000 gold coins.

However, DuPont didn't place all its hopes on this, as it was somewhat unrealistic.

With his current abilities, even if he's highly regarded, he'll only ever become a chef at the academy like Judy, and there's virtually no chance he'll achieve anything more.

To be given important responsibilities, one must have the ability. How could a being like the Grand Mage, who absolutely respects reason and whose emotions are probably almost nonexistent, be like those tyrannical rulers who cannot do without sycophants?

If there's really no other way, then naturally one can only become a salted fish and live a mundane life.

But if there's still a chance, who wouldn't want to take a gamble?

He knew he wasn't cut out for this, so he might as well just stay put, but before that, he had to give it a shot.

Before leaving, Man Shi took a few loaves of bread from the kitchen and stuffed some meat chops into his pocket. The other chefs ignored him. Seeing that Du Bang was too embarrassed to take any, he took another portion and threw it into Du Bang's hand: "Just take it. The canteen always has leftovers. The rest can be sold cheaply to taverns in nearby towns or simply donated. No one will say anything if we take it."

DuPont shook his head. It was one thing for the chef to taste the food, but it was another: "Normally, I would pay 30 copper coins for one serving."

“That’s right, who would care about something worth less than half a silver coin?” The butcher didn’t understand DuPont’s words, or rather, he didn’t care about such a small matter at all: “Let’s go, don’t delay the journey, otherwise there will be fewer prey when it gets hot.”

DuPont shook his head, tossed down three copper coin pillars bound together with ten copper coins, and left with the meal.

The butcher may disregard the rules, but he cannot, because no matter how well he gets along with them, he is still an apprentice in this academy.

Even if Lavoisier didn't care, it wouldn't be worth it if some apprentices or mentors found out and made fun of him.
-
This was DuPont's first time leaving the mage academy, whether in his past life or this one. Although there was almost no danger around the academy, wandering around was undoubtedly a waste of time, not to mention that it might cost money.

However, for DuPont, a modern man, there were many strange things about this place.

The four-meter-wide road was tamped down by a magic statue, and the smooth surface was free of weeds. The elm trees on both sides of the road were sprouting new buds, and birds hid in the treetops, quietly watching the pedestrians. Once they made eye contact, they would spread their wings and fly away to another tree to continue their quiet observation.

As you cross the bridge, the stream flows freely through the river. Beautiful pebbles reflect a gentle light in the sunlight, and the water is so clear that you can see the golden spots on the sand at the bottom. Several small fish, about the length of a finger, swim slowly in it.

Walking in this pristine wilderness, DuPont felt much less stressed.

Although the air in the college is not bad, the fast-paced life and tense atmosphere can be depressing after a while. The ubiquitous comparison can also lead people into internal friction without them realizing it. It can be said that competition is everywhere.

On this desolate path, the gloom that had been hanging over his head instantly dissipated. The rustling of the wind through the wheat seedlings and the occasional calls of unknown birds were all very pleasant to him, as if he had awakened the dependence on nature in his ancestral bloodline. He had no desire to return to that cold academy built of cement and stone.

The only drawback was that Man Shi didn't give him much time to appreciate the scenery. Although he would occasionally take out a bottle of ale from his waist and drink it down, and then carelessly toss it away after finishing, even though DuPont secretly used the spell "Grease Your Feet," which made his body more agile and his steps easier, keeping up with the other's pace still left him sweating profusely.

Barbarians are known for their strength and stamina, and Barbarian Stone, being tall, long-legged, and an adventurer, was walking at a speed that was almost as fast as a jog.

However, the exhilarating feeling of regaining freedom made him ignore his physical exhaustion, and he simply persevered silently.

Although he hadn't done any physical exercise in a long time, he still supervised the team's work overnight when necessary. How could he not have that much perseverance?
Half an hour later, the two climbed over a low hill and finally arrived at a small village surrounded by a wooden fence.

"The Barley Village, with its location near Mount Talas and the cold waters of the Galagana River, is arguably the best place in Harua to grow barley, though the taste is just so-so." Manshi simply pointed to the village ahead: "This barley village only has a little over 300 people. It's not poor, but the population is too small. The tavern there doesn't even have a decent hostess; she's too old for you. Basically, only country bumpkins would be interested, and you'd only be able to get the lowest-level contract quests. If you're interested, you can go to the town further away; that's where you'll find young and pretty girls."

DuPont was somewhat embarrassed after hearing this: "Don't be ridiculous. If I really wanted to find a girl, I might as well find one at the academy. Why bother coming out here to buy pleasure?"

"It's definitely different. Hiring hostesses is just for entertainment and to satisfy physical needs. Dating takes time and energy, and you might get angry and look for someone else, which could lead to a fight. It's much easier to spend a little money and have some fun. Most adventurers do this. Otherwise, if a team gets emotionally attached to each other, it can be a real problem. Quite a few teams have broken up because of this."

After finishing his sentence, Man Shi looked at Du Bang shaking his head and laughed, "What, you don't have that kind of aristocratic moral fastidiousness, do you? Are you still a virgin?"

DuPont stood up straight: "I call this chastity, okay? Besides, I'm a promising young man, unlike you old men who find dating troublesome. Don't corrupt me with your filthy self-interest."

"You, a grown man, still remain chaste?" The barbarian couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Then you'd better be careful. This world is not peaceful. Who knows, one day a drow or a harpy might pop up from the ground and kidnap you. If they take your virginity, will you be crying while hugging your blanket?"

DuPont: "."

The day I become a Grand Mage, you'll see if I don't hire a bunch of barbarian old women to wreak havoc on you.

(End of this chapter)