Chapter 77: The Strict Teacher

“Encyclopedia of Necromantic Magic: Level 1 Necromantic Magic”

[Skeleton Summon]: Level 1 magic, summoning type. Can summon several skeletons. The number depends on the wizard’s strength. Leveling up increases the summoned creatures’ combat power and quantity.

……

At this time, Luo Yan naturally had no idea that his father’s political achievements had been “played down.” If he had known the details of this matter, he might really have flown into a rage — wasn’t Lloyd’s action equivalent to blocking his dream of “being a successful rich kid with connections”?

But right now Luo Yan didn’t know, so he could only stay calm…

During the following period of time, apart from enjoying family happiness with his family every day, Luo Yan’s daily focus was on cultivation. By the way, Isaiah had already moved into Luo Yan’s house. Luo Pei now had time and was carefully instructing him on some practical techniques for using Battle Aura.

At noon, seeing that the weather was still fine, Luo Yan put on his coat and strolled leisurely toward Old Strom’s house. Although the first snow of the year hadn’t fallen yet, the howling north wind still brought the chill from the Huta Highland. Fortunately, the Bale Mountains blocked it, so it wasn’t too unbearable.

Old Strom’s house was at the very edge of the village, not too far from Luo Yan’s house. It didn’t take long to get there. During this period, Luo Yan had been coming and going so often that he was very familiar with the place. Although in terms of magical cultivation, he actually didn’t need any guidance from Old Strom, who was only a level 1 Magic Apprentice, Luo Yan still did a very proper job of respecting his teacher. He reported to Old Strom’s house almost every day. After all, the reason he had become his disciple in the first place was to latch onto someone’s powerful leg — it had nothing to do with magical cultivation at all.

Arriving at Old Strom’s courtyard, the shrubs beside the wooden fence had already become somewhat withered. Although the leaves hadn’t fallen, they had turned a dry yellow color, with some dust scattered on them, making one feel the desolation of winter even more deeply.

But today, something felt a little different, because Luo Yan heard what seemed to be Mrs. Strom’s laughter coming faintly from inside the room. This surprised him a little. Old Strom was a rigid person, and the atmosphere in his home was always rather serious. It was really rare to encounter such a situation.

He knocked on the door politely, and immediately Mrs. Strom’s cheerful voice came through: “It’s little Luo Yan, isn’t it? Come on in! I’ve told you before, no need to knock.”

The door opened right away, and Mrs. Strom’s face was indeed beaming with joy. As soon as she saw Luo Yan, she said loudly, “Come in, come in! Why be so polite? It’s so cold out there — don’t freeze outside. Sit down, sit down. Your teacher hasn’t come back yet. Let me brew you a cup of hot kava to ward off the chill.”

Kava was a slightly bitter drink similar to cocoa, usually drunk with honey or mixed with milk. However, Luo Yan preferred plain kava. That faint bitterness always reminded him of some vivid memories from his past.

He walked over to the tea table by himself. Luo Yan knew that Old Strom had the habit of taking a walk after meals, so he wasn’t anxious. Soon, Mrs. Strom brought over a fragrant cup of hot kava. Luo Yan hastily took it with respect and asked with a smile, “Teacher’s wife, you seem very happy today?”

A joyful smile immediately curled at the corner of Mrs. Strom’s mouth, and she said excitedly, “Yes! Today I received a letter from Carven, saying that school is on break and he’ll be coming back soon. Also, Desai said he’s coming back this year for the Winter Festival — he might set off in just a few more days!”

Desai was Old Strom’s eldest son, the future Governor of Sedan Province; Carven was Old Strom’s second son, who would later become the empire’s youngest field army corps commander. But right now, one was studying in Hodecheng and the other in Lons Pompey City, both away from home all year round. No wonder Mrs. Strom was overjoyed the moment she heard they were coming back.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan also looked delighted and offered his congratulations to Mrs. Strom repeatedly. Old Strom was a thick leg to hold onto — but weren’t Desai and Carven, whom he had never even met, also thick legs? To fulfill his dream of “being a rich kid with connections,” they were also key figures.

He chatted with his teacher’s wife for a while longer, and then a leisurely series of footsteps could be heard. Luo Yan immediately stood up properly. Soon, Old Strom walked in. The moment he saw Luo Yan standing in front of the tea table, a barely noticeable smile flashed in Old Strom’s eyes. But on the surface, he still nodded very seriously and said calmly, “Ah ~~ Luo Yan is here already. How did you do on the assignment I arranged yesterday?”

Seeing Old Strom so serious, Luo Yan was very used to it. It was Mrs. Strom who was dissatisfied, shooting Old Strom a fierce glare. Speaking of it, Mrs. Strom truly doted on Luo Yan to the bone — no less than she did her own two sons, perhaps even more. She felt intuitively that this child was so sensible it made one’s heart ache. She really didn’t know how his family had raised him. Sometimes Mrs. Strom even felt that Luo Yan should be a little more assertive, at least show a bit of childish mischievousness.

Of course, Old Strom’s fondness for Luo Yan was actually no less than his wife’s. This disciple not only had extraordinary talent but was also humble and polite. Old Strom was a rigid person who valued etiquette and rules above all, and Luo Yan had always performed excellently in this regard, which made him very satisfied. However, he simply didn’t like to show it too much.

Hearing Old Strom’s question, Luo Yan immediately stepped forward and said respectfully, “Teacher, I’ve already finished the assignment you gave me yesterday.”

As he spoke, Luo Yan took out a sheepskin scroll from his chest. It was fully three feet long, covered with dense handwriting — neat and orderly. It was clear that it had been written with great care.

Seeing this sheepskin scroll, Old Strom nodded with satisfaction. Nominally, he was Luo Yan’s magic teacher, but in reality, due to differences in their actual strength and professions, Old Strom didn’t think that he, an Elemental Mage, could provide much useful guidance to Luo Yan, a Necromancer — don’t forget that Luo Yan was now also a level 1 Magic Apprentice. In terms of rank, the two of them were now completely equal.

However, Old Strom didn’t abandon his responsibility because of this. On one hand, he used his family’s old connections to acquire relevant materials on Necromancers, trying to give Luo Yan professional guidance as much as possible. On the other hand, he seemed to transform into a home tutor, starting to cultivate Luo Yan in other subjects.

A Wizard must not only have magical talent, but also vast knowledge — only then can one walk further on the path of exploring truth.

— That was what Old Strom always said…