144: Reunion

“Me?”

Glynn was stunned, then suddenly laughed.

“Are we going to reminisce here?”

“This might not be the best place. How about we go to our usual spot?”

“We can sit down, eat, and chat…”

“It’s been so many years since I last saw you, I really missed you…”

Ellie looked around and said, “This is my first time here, so I need to take a good look around.”

“How about we chat another day?”

“Then forget it,” Glynn replied.

“Since you’ve just arrived and don’t know the difficulty of this First-Order Guardian Wizardry, why don’t you look around first? I’ll study alongside you. If you have any questions, you can ask me.”

“Although I don’t know much, I’ve been studying here for half a month, so I’m familiar with some basic things.”

…Glynn paused, then continued, “Ellie, my path is different from yours.”

“After becoming a 3-Star Apprentice Alchemist, I realized my Pharmacology talent wasn’t great, so I chose another path—a Battle Wizard.”

“Ah…”

Ellie was a bit surprised, her face filled with confusion and bewilderment.

“Glynn, as I recall, weren’t you the most cautious?”

“You were also very afraid of Black Wizards. Why would you think of taking this path?”

“My Mind Bottleneck during the Advanced Wizard Apprentice stage was my fear of Black Wizards. The fact that I can stand here means I have successfully overcome the shadow of fear of Black Wizards and no longer dread combat and death.”

“Ellie, you’ve been in seclusion for too long.”

“You’ve also been out of touch with us for a while. In fact, everyone has been changing during this time, and the academy has also been changing. In just a few short years, it seems the world has undergone significant changes.”

“As for more detailed changes, you’ll need to discover them slowly.”

“Alright, let’s talk about these changes later. Studying is important. You go ahead and learn. Call me if you have any questions.”

Glynn proactively ended the conversation. Having experienced the harsh realities of society, Glynn was slowly maturing.

The two separated to study.

Glynn needed time and space to think and to process his relationship with Ellie… That evening.

After getting Ellie’s consent, Glynn called Oakes and Bigg.

The four of them revisited their student days at the Beef Burger Shack on the first floor of the Wizard Tower.

They had all graduated four or five years ago and had many grievances they wanted to vent.

Good friends who grew up and studied together were naturally the best people to confide in.

Bigg had a second child and complained about the various expenses for his children.

The daycare fees, school uniform fees, and meal fees for his eldest child were all prohibitively expensive.

The milk fees, vaccine fees for his second child, and his wife’s nutritional expenses were also not small sums.

And with grain prices hurting farmers, the various Botanical Gardens had recently reaped a huge harvest, causing the prices of various Magic Plants to drop a bit, and Bigg’s income was cut by 10%.

Young Bigg already had a few gray hairs, showing the immense burden of life.

Of course, Bigg’s life was not just bitter; it also had its sweet moments.

Whenever he talked about his eldest daughter’s obedience, his wife’s capable management of the household, and the wrinkled, smiling face of his newborn, Bigg’s face would always light up with an irrepressible smile… As for Oakes, he had also made progress during this time.

He had finally reached the Intermediate Wizard Apprentice bottleneck after much effort.

However, he had been very troubled lately. His Mind Bottleneck was like hide-and-seek; Oakes had tried all sorts of methods but couldn’t find it.

This was a problem most Wizards faced.

So, Oakes was considered stuck at the Intermediate Wizard Apprentice stage.

This was also why Oakes had so much free time; overtime could no longer defeat him. Oakes had also found a new girlfriend, who was a Battle Wizard, an experienced Intermediate Wizard.

Seeing Oakes’s happy display of affection, Glynn could only wish him good luck.

Battle Wizards were not to be trifled with, let alone female Wizards who could adapt to various harsh environments, constantly moving on the front lines of life-and-death battlefields. Female Battle Wizards usually had some psychological issues, more or less.

Mentor Andre had told Glynn all of this.

Mentor Andre also advised Glynn that if he had the chance, it would be best to find a wife from the academy’s logistics department.

For example, finding an Apothecary wife could save a lot of magic stones on potions.

At the very least, he could find a Magical Plant Cultivator as a wife, as they were generally more patient, mostly gentle, and understanding.

He absolutely must not try to find a female Battle Wizard, because he himself was a living example.

Glynn didn’t know much more, only cautioning Oakes during a toast—a wise man submits to circumstances… Ellie, at this gathering, was quite uninhibited.

She didn’t let the passage of time or the difference in status make her distant from everyone.

Having overcome her inner demons, Ellie seemed to have returned to her former lively and cheerful self.

She also joined everyone in complaining about the various difficulties of refining potions. Whenever she tackled a tough problem, Ellie’s hair would fall out in handfuls, which was very frustrating.

Young Ellie already had a slight crisis of premature baldness, forcing her to dedicate some effort to researching—how to maintain a head of beautiful long hair… Ellie would also often feel down after being alone for too long… But Ellie always managed to overcome her difficulties on her own.

Ellie enthusiastically introduced everyone to a pot of green ivy and narcissus she kept, and an adorable courtly black-silk cat.

Whenever she felt unhappy, she would water the flowers and plants, weed, fertilize, and then drink tea while petting her cat.

Her bad mood would quickly pass… Glynn was also not shy, heartily and generously sharing his exciting “adventurous” life.

He spoke of Mentor Jordan’s “unique” training, the embarrassment of being chased by fireballs to clean the ground;

He spoke of the annoying insects during stealth training, an extreme test of patience;

He spoke of the excitement and thrill of slaying a Black Wizard for the first time, the joy of dispelling the gloom;

He spoke of how he commanded the battlefield among thousands of people, fiercely beating down the fallen foe;

Finally, he was lucky enough to receive three major merits on his first large-scale mission, becoming a registered disciple of a Formal Wizard.

Of course, there was also the hard work and complaints of studying First-Order Wizardry during this time… The long-separated friends were all a bit drunk.

They all complained about their own lives and then accepted each other’s complaints.

The companionship of friends felt especially important at this moment.

Without any additional vested interests, I’m good to you simply because we’re friends, friends who have known each other for over twenty years.

We grew up together, I know what kind of person you are, and you know my temper.

We are all confidants, capable of comforting each other and acting as strategizing advisors.

Looking at the smiling faces before him, Glynn knew he wasn’t alone. These friends, including some mentors at the academy, were Glynn’s imprint on this world.

They were Glynn’s unbreakable bonds.

For others, these might be burdens, hindrances, stumbling blocks that affect their freedom and ease.

But for Glynn, these lovely people were the human warmth that Glynn would fight to protect with his life!

Glynn secretly vowed in his heart:

“I must become a Formal Wizard.”

“To become a new pillar of the Heart of Plants, transforming into the academy’s guardian.”

“Protecting this beauty and warmth, for a long, long time, forever and ever…”