The wizard's journey

Chapter 4: The Beauty Shell

In the exquisite cup lay fragrant wine.

On the table, just in front of Grim, were nearly seventy to eighty types of condiments, like foie gras and Yelisey juice, not to mention the various kinds of meticulously crafted roasted meats that Grim had never seen before.

It was unbelievable for Grim to have the fortune to dine with the lord of the manor on his first visit.

However, it was all thanks to the great wizard beside him.

"Grim."

The wizard suddenly called out.

Putting down his knife and fork, Grim hurriedly bowed: "My lord."

"Hmm. What I want to say is, children whose psychic power naturally grows to 10 would usually sense their own talent during the crystal ball test. This is very important for your future development as wizards. Do not forget everything that happened during the test. If you can advance to a wizard in the future, you should utilize your talent for development."

The wizard's voice was somewhat neutral and a bit hoarse, as if he had a problem with his throat, or as if a parrot was speaking on behalf of the wizard from within his robe.

"Yes, my lord."

Grim responded respectfully.

His own talent?

All those bizarre and strange phenomena?

Grim didn't believe those oddities could be his allies or hands; considering their weirdness, they were more likely to be enemies.

Then, the wizard turned his head towards the lord's daughter, Lafi, and the son of The Moon Bay Tavern's owner, Wade.

"You two, with psychic powers not reaching 10, originally did not have the right to become wizard apprentices. But in reality, for a wizard, external conditions are secondary aids; wisdom is the true source of a wizard's power. For wizards, the most important thing is knowledge, not so-called talent."

"Yes, my lord."

Both answered in unison.

"Ha-ha, it’s been a tough journey for the master. Let me entertain you well today. Come, master, try these rare delicacies found from the Endless Southern Sea."

The lord, now in a grand noble outfit, smiled broadly and with a wave of his hand, eight beautiful maids brought over eight plates, placing them in front of the lord, the mysterious wizard, and the six wizard apprentices.

Grim looked at the plate in front of him, which contained what seemed like a very ordinary shell, frowning.

Is this a rare delicacy?

How do you eat it?

"The Beauty Shell! Ha-ha, since tasting this rare delicacy for the first time a hundred and twenty years ago while on a mission in the Endless Southern Sea, I never saw it again. I did not expect to taste it again in the Eastern Coral Islands this time. Lord, you have gone through a lot of trouble."

The wizard seemed to have a special fondness for this odd delicacy known as The Beauty Shell, his words revealing great excitement.

"Ha-ha, please."

Apart from the lord, Lafi, and the mysterious wizard, the remaining five wizard apprentices were just staring, not knowing how to taste this so-called Beauty Shell.

Grim closely watched every move of the lord, whose chubby hands adorned with seven dazzling rings, gently lifted The Beauty Shell from the plate and effortlessly cracked it open.

What followed made Grim's eyes widen in shock.

Inside the shell was actually a living, miniature beauty, but this beauty wore no clothes and seemed to have no bones, being a soft-bodied creature curled up asleep in the shell.

However, now that the shell was opened, the sleeping soft-bodied creature resembling a "beauty" naturally began to slowly awaken, looking around in confusion.

"Heh heh." The lord, with his plump face, smiled and brought the shell to his lips. At the same time, his thick lips puckered, as if he was about to suck the bewildered "beauty" from the shell into his mouth. However, the "beauty" inside the shell seemed to realize her predicament, her soft body desperately crawling away, screaming in terror like a newborn mouse. Yet, as the lord inhaled sharply, the scream was abruptly swallowed, resonating faintly in his belly.

"Ah... truly marvelous." The lord carelessly tossed the shell aside, closing his eyes to savor the moment contentedly. The wizard and Lafi also consumed The Beauty Shell, appearing nonchalant about the act.

The wizard turned to the five hesitant wizard apprentices and shook his head, "For a wizard, taste is secondary. What's important is that The Beauty Shell possesses the ability to purify fire elements. Those of you interested in studying fire elemental knowledge will find The Beauty Shell particularly helpful." He paused, then added, "Of course, consuming it also brings the curse of the sea, emitting a scent from your flesh that is particularly attractive to sea monsters."

Grim was the first to act! To showcase his determination before the wizard, Grim closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and with great resolve, allowed the beauty from the shell to slide into his mouth and down his throat. Grim could even hear the despairing scream inside his stomach.

Controlling the bizarre sensations and the urge to retch, Grim nonchalantly began to eat fresh beef dipped in foie gras. The other three boys, Yorkris, Wade, and Gilrom, grimaced but also swallowed The Beauty Shell, and for a moment, faint screams echoed from their stomachs.

Only Yorklianna, Yorkris's sister, hesitated and eventually decided against tasting The Beauty Shell, pushing it aside with a shake of her head—a bright young girl indeed.

Overall, the dinner went smoothly, allowing Grim to witness the true luxury of nobility.

By Grim's estimation, the main ingredients of the dinner alone would not cost less than two hundred gold coins, not to mention The Beauty Shell, a "rare delicacy" that was priceless.

The next day, Grim hurried to the viscount's mansion to retrieve his old horse-drawn carriage. Lafi and Wade, standing behind the wizard, wondering why they were wasting time over such a dilapidated carriage. How much could that old carriage be worth?

"Damn, didn't you hear yesterday? Come again and I'll break your legs!" The butler, upon seeing Grim's rushed arrival, bellowed.

However, deep down, the butler hoped Grim would give in today and settle the matter, as he realized he had forgotten to find suitable help after being busy all day yesterday. It would be a significant issue if the viscount's evening banquet wasn't prepared.

"Uh..." Grim glanced around the viscount's courtyard, spotting his carriage, which had apparently been moved inside by the viscount's staff.

"Sir, let me retrieve my carriage and will be leaving now." Being a wizard's apprentice was a tremendous opportunity, so much so that Grim was willing to leave behind even the last gold coin at home, yet he found it hard to part with the old horse. After all, it was a gift from Old Ham, and Grim had grown fond of it, unwilling to leave it destitute.

"Uh..." The butler was momentarily stunned, not expecting Grim to respond in such a manner, and then his anger exploded. "Scoundrel! Peasant! You mud-footer! Get out if you must, there's no carriage here. Skagard, throw him out." The butler was genuinely intent on confiscating the carriage.

As Grim saw a muscular giant approaching, he swallowed hard, but just then, a cold snort came from afar: "A wizard's dignity cannot be violated!" A beam of dark light shot towards the approaching guy. The knight, quick to react, awkwardly dodged the dark light, which hit the manor's doorframe and turned into a mass of terrifying, dark insects.

Each insect, no bigger than a fingernail with transparent wings and powerful mandibles, numbered in the thousands. The knight, realizing what was happening, turned pale and pleaded, "Spare me, great wizard!"

The wizard, unphased, showed that to a true wizard, knights were merely larger bugs that could run away. Unless the knight could advance to become a legendary knight, he might pose a slight inconvenience to a wizard.

After chanting a spell, the wizard pointed a finger, and the pleading knight slowly transformed into a pig! Grim watched in amazement as the knight truly became a pig, which was then devoured by the swarm of dark insects.

The butler, unused to such a display, was accustomed to bullying servants and peasants but was now paralyzed with fear, staring at the squealing pig. Suddenly, a long tongue snapped out incredibly fast towards the butler, pulling him out of sight in an instant.

A pair of red-eyed frogs, initially towering seven to eight meters high, shrank to the size of a palm and hopped into the wizard's hand. Those who witnessed these unfathomable powers were stunned, looking at the mysterious wizard with fear. For Grim, it was his first time witnessing murder, especially in such a bizarre manner.

The area fell silent, the tension so thick that even a pin drop would be heard. Is this what being a wizard entails? The inviolable dignity of a wizard? Indeed, for ordinary people, wizards who wield magic are terrifyingly powerful.

Grim clenched his fists, determined that one day he too would become a wizard, erasing any trace of those who dared to offend him. His heart was filled with an intense desire.

Regaining his composure, Grim swallowed hard, trying to calm himself. He quickly led his old carriage to the blacksmith's shop to bid farewell to the dumbfounded man.

"Hey, my brother, is it true? Are you really going to become a wizard?" Charles asked incredulously for the seventh time.

Grim smiled wryly: "Just a wizard's apprentice..."

"Alright, a wizard's apprentice... Are you really, really going to become a wizard?" the eighth time.

...