Chapter 480: Invitation
That evening, a sumptuous campfire roast appeared in a jungle clearing.
The two knights, Mainz and Hopp, showed off their exceptional skills in roasting meat. They also carried an assortment of condiments in their space rings.
The twin mages, Guinness and Genevieve, retrieved some cheese bread from their space rings. It was a unique product from the southern part of the Western Archipelago.
Its rich flavor surpassed anything Sein had ever tasted, making it far more enjoyable than mere nutritional potions.
Sein generously contributed to the feast by offering fruit juices he had personally concocted and stored in his space bangle.
These concoctions included ingredients from Viridescent Land, South Coast, Marmett Union Alliance, and Steel City.
When Sev returned from the magic beast forest with Tourmaline, it brought Sein a selection of basic and intermediate ingredients.
As Sein’s companion for decades, Sev had a good understanding of the materials that intrigued mages like Sein the most.
Compared to cold, hard energy crystals or magicoins, Sein was much more interested in novel magic ingredients and materials.
The Rank One knights and mages in his company were from diverse origins—the twins hailed from the Torronto Continent in the southern Western Archipelago; Mainz came from a kingdom named Ireland in the eastern Magus Continent; and Hopp originated from the West Coast.
Unlike Sein, the four knights and mages before him had never traveled across the Magus Continent.
As such, they were only familiar with the names of places within the Magus World and had not actually visited them.
When they learned that Sein hailed from Viridescent Land in the heart of the Magus Continent and had traveled extensively throughout the Magus World, the four knights and mages regarded him with both surprise and admiration.
“I’ve always wanted to visit Steel City. I’ve heard the mechanic development system there is vastly different from the profession of typical spellcasters. Is there a lot of new and exciting technology there?” Guinness asked.
Although the Rank One mage was an elementalist specializing in electro elemental magic, he had a keen interest in metalwork.
Upon discovering Sein’s expertise in alchemy, he paid even closer attention to him.
“I'd like to see the Marmett Union Alliance. The knight profession is evolving impressively there,” Hopp chimed in.
“Centuries ago, a grand order of the knights was established there. I’ve yet to see what a grand order looks like. I heard its power structure aligns pretty well with my family’s values,” he added.
Hopp, the Rank One knight clad in black armor, was typically stoic and reserved.
However, he became more talkative after everyone was better acquainted and had some fruit wine.
Sein did not provide the wine; he had only brought out fruit juices.
It was Hopp who had infused the juices with strong alcohol.
Mainz, the female knight with flowing platinum blonde hair, also proved to be quite the drinker.
Since the group had briefly fought side by side and grown more comfortable with each other, Sein decided to remove his mask while helping with the grilling over the campfire, revealing his true appearance.
Sein was strikingly handsome and his features were further enhanced by the Verdant Flame Body Tempering experiments, lending him a ruggedness uncommon among mages.
Both Mainz and Genevieve were visibly taken aback when he revealed his face.
It seemed that beauty often resonated most profoundly with the opposite sex.
Their momentary stupefaction caused Hopp to burst into laughter.
Even Guinness looked at Sein with a hint of envy. Though a handsome man himself with an erudite air, he could not quite match Sein’s allure.
Guinness had never seen such a look even in his twin sister, whom he was particularly protective of.
Hopp was the eldest among the group—a married man with grandchildren. He revealed that he hailed from a prestigious knight house on the West Coast.
Indeed, none of those present came from a humble background.
The camaraderie among the group was solidified through an earlier battle and a shared campfire roast, leading everyone to exchange contact information.
Sein was relatively new to this group of four, who had already forged a strong bond over two months of trials together.
Their enthusiasm was also partly an effort to draw Sein into their group.
Previously, Sein had demonstrated his combat prowess when they worked together to defeat the Noctowl Stag.
His verdant flame body and his resilience against the stag’s frontal assaults had left a strong impression on everyone.
“Sein, you must be a Battle Mage, right?” Guinness was the first to inquire.
As a mage from the Western Archipelago, Guinness was somewhat familiar with the specialized combat profession of Battle Mages, which was prevalent across the sea on the East Coast.
In fact, Battle Mages were not exclusive to the East Coast but were widely recognized across the Magus World, though they were more numerous on the East Coast.
Sein shook his head and clarified, “I am not a Battle Mage; just a pure elementalist. My exceptional power is due to my faction’s unique legacy.”
Sein’s response left Guinness blinking at him.
The others, possessing keen insight typical of their prestigious backgrounds, were equally stunned. They could hardly believe that a pure elementalist would possess Sein’s impressive physique.
Then again, the Magus World was vast and full of surprises.
As mere Rank One beings, they had yet to uncover all the secrets this world held.
Sein was a unique example that had certainly broadened their horizons.
During the ensuing discussions, Sein and Guinness exchanged a wealth of intriguing information.
As the roasted meat sizzled in the heat, its aroma filled the air. The thigh of the Noctowl Stag was extremely flavorful.
With just one bite, Sein felt a gentle warmth radiating from his tummy.
Such high-quality ingredients clearly offered significant benefits to creatures in the process of evolutionary advancement.
It was no wonder the two knights wanted nothing but the flesh of the Noctowl Stag.
Consuming this meat provided benefits to cell growth and muscle development comparable to rigorous training and rare potions.
Other than the roasted meat, Hopp enjoyed its bone marrow even more.
Sein’s eyes sparkled after tasting one of the bone marrows Hopp had prepared himself.
Perhaps due to his frequent body-tempering experiments, Sein had a larger appetite than most mages.
Despite identifying himself as a pure elementalist, Sein’s appetite matched that of Hopp and Mainz.
After a hearty meal of food and wine, Guinness approached Sein and ventured, “Sein, have you considered joining us?”
“It’s often necessary to form small groups for the trials on the Knight Continent,” he added.
As the group's leader extended this invitation, the other three members looked at Sein with anticipation.