Evening fell upon the Twenty-First District in the Outer City of Kajinson.
Li Yuan opened for business as usual. He flipped the wooden sign by the door to the "Open" side before returning behind the bar to arrange the tea sets for the day.
He had just put the water on to boil when the copper bell at the entrance chimed.
“Ding-ling-ling—”
The door was pushed open, and Napa and Angela walked in one after the other.
Napa had changed into casual wear today, his long silver hair tied back. His expression was much more relaxed than it had been in recent days. Angela, meanwhile, was draped in a black coat. As she entered, she made a point of looking up at the copper bell before glancing down at her feet.
“I came through the front door,” she announced.
Li Yuan looked up at her and smiled.
“Mhm, not bad. You deserve a compliment.”
Angela nodded proudly and naturally took a seat by the window.
Napa approached the bar, expertly pulling back a chair to adjust its position before sitting down. He promptly placed his order.
“Green tea.”
“Coming right up.”
Li Yuan took out the tea leaves and began the brewing process with practiced movements.
Before long, two cups of hot tea were placed before them.
Angela picked hers up and took a sniff, a look of pure satisfaction on her face.
“I can finally relax these past few days. The reconstruction and cleanup of the Outer City are nearing their end, and the teacher doesn't need us hovering over him every day. I feel like I’ve come back to life.”
Napa took a sip of his tea, his tone carrying a hint of relief as well.
“The major tasks have already been handed over to the City Guard Station and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. What’s left are just details that don't require us to be there in person.”
Li Yuan smiled and looked at Napa.
“Even if those tasks are finished, don't you still have your work at the academy? Your job as vice dean seems remarkably easy. Don't tell me you're just a hands-off manager?”
Napa immediately set his teacup down, looking indignant.
“What do you mean, hands-off manager? I am the honorary vice dean. The word ‘honorary’ is very important. I only hold the title; the actual work of the academy is naturally handled by others.”
“I see.”
Li Yuan nodded, looking like he had learned something new. Angela, sipping her tea nearby, suddenly interjected.
“If Napa doesn't want to do it, I can take over as vice dean at any time.”
The teahouse fell silent for a moment. Napa turned to look at her—as did Li Yuan.
Angela held her teacup, looking perfectly matter-of-fact.
“What? I think I’m quite suitable. In terms of strength, seniority, and mobility, where do I fall short?”
Napa sighed softly and said calmly,
“Everywhere.”
Li Yuan nodded in agreement.
“I think things are fine as they are. Just be a mascot and run an occasional errand. It’s safer if you aren't assigned any important work.”
Angela blinked, her expression shifting from confidence to annoyance.
“How can you two think that? I’m very capable, you know!”
Napa picked up his teacup again, his voice flat.
“Because it’s common sense. Also, strength and ability are not the same thing.”
Angela looked at Li Yuan, seemingly seeking support.
Li Yuan smiled and looked away, choosing not to give her a chance to continue her performance.
Napa’s fingers lightly traced the rim of his cup, as if he were hesitating over something. After a long pause, he finally looked up at Li Yuan.
“Let me ask you something.”
“Go ahead.”
Napa’s gaze grew more serious.
“Angela told me you’re very strong?”
Li Yuan’s hand paused in the middle of drying a teacup. Then, he slowly turned to look at Angela.
Angela was holding her cup, and seeing Li Yuan look over, she immediately shrank back.
“I didn't mean to, it just slipped out... I swear.”
“That sentence itself is suspicious.”
Li Yuan sighed softly before looking back at Napa.
Since the topic had already been raised, there was no point in continuing the act. Besides, he had known Napa for a long time, and their personalities were quite compatible.
He simply nodded in confirmation.
“Compared to you two, I am indeed quite strong.”
A flash of surprise crossed Napa’s eyes.
“I always thought you were just an ordinary person. There’s no aura of mana about you, nor any fluctuations of a vocationalist.”
“I don't know magic to begin with,” Li Yuan said. “It’s only natural that you can't feel anything.”
Napa’s brow furrowed slightly; he had never encountered such a situation before.
“Then what rank are you at? Legend? Heroic Spirit?”
This question put Li Yuan in a bit of a bind. The power tiers of the Ogu Continent didn't apply to him. Converting them would be a hassle and ultimately meaningless.
He thought for a moment before giving a compromise of an answer.
“I should be a bit stronger than those you call gods. But I’ve never actually compared myself to one, so I can't say for sure.”
Angela had been sipping her tea, but hearing this, her eyes instantly lit up.
“Stronger than the gods?”
Napa was stunned for several seconds before instinctively shaking his head.
“Impossible. No one can be stronger than the gods.”
Li Yuan smiled, not bothering to argue.
Explaining such things was too much trouble, and it was indeed difficult for Napa to accept. It was like suddenly telling a mortal that a hole could be poked in the sky; most people’s first reaction would be disbelief.
Angela, however, seemed to think of something, her excitement suddenly spiking.
“Then why don't you two have a match and find out?”
Hearing this, Napa actually considered it seriously. He turned to look at Li Yuan.
“What do you think? A simple test, nothing too serious.”
Li Yuan looked at his interested expression and felt a bit helpless.
He had known Napa for a long time, and the man was one of the few people he could sit down and enjoy a tea with. If he refused outright, it would be a bit of a buzzkill.
“Alright.”
Napa immediately stood up.
“Let’s go to the academy. There’s a martial arts arena there. The space is large enough, and it has protective barriers.”
“No need for all that trouble,” Li Yuan shook his head.
Napa blinked, confused.
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s just do it here.”
Napa thought he had misheard.
“In the shop?”
“Mhm.”
Napa looked around the newly repaired teahouse, then back at Li Yuan.
“Aren't you afraid of destroying your shop?”
Li Yuan set down the teacup in his hand, his tone peaceful.
“I’m not... because you won't even have the chance to make a move.”
Napa’s expression changed, becoming a bit more serious. What had started as mere curiosity had now sparked a genuine competitive spirit.
He stepped back a few paces, creating some distance, and slowly raised his right hand. Blue flames quietly flickered in his palm, and the surrounding air began to distort slightly. The temperature didn't rise noticeably, but a sense of oppression filled the room.
Napa looked at Li Yuan.
“So, what will you do about this?”
Li Yuan didn't stand up, nor did he make any complicated movements.
He simply raised his hand and lightly snapped his fingers.
“Snap.”
With a crisp sound, the blue flames in Napa’s palm vanished instantly, as if they had never existed.
Napa was stunned. Angela watched the magic dissipate, her eyes wide and round.
Napa looked down at his palm, and after a few seconds of silence, he raised his hand again. This time, he condensed his mana much faster than before, and the blue flames took shape almost in the blink of an eye.
“Snap.”
A second snap of the fingers followed, and the flames vanished again.
Napa’s expression turned solemn as he continued to try several more times in quick succession.
On the third attempt, he compressed his mana directly, trying to release it before the flames fully formed.
“Snap.”
The mana still dissipated into nothingness after that crisp sound.
The fourth time, he hid his fire mana under his sleeve, attempting to bypass Li Yuan’s line of sight.
“Snap.”
That little spark of blue light didn't even get a chance to peek out.
The fifth time—he didn't even try to form flames, but simply mobilized the mana in his body, preparing to use an instant-cast spell to snatch an opening.
“Snap.”
The mana felt as if it had been cut off in the middle, its flow coming to an immediate halt.
After five attempts ending in the same result, Napa gave up. A strange silence fell over the teahouse. He stood there, his hand still raised, his expression shifting from serious to silent, and then from silent to an indescribable sense of dejection.
It took a while before he slowly lowered his hand and walked back to the bar to sit down.
He picked up his teacup and downed two large gulps.
“You kept me in the dark for a long time...”
Li Yuan smiled as he refilled the man’s cup.
“Sorry. It’s not like I meant to hide it... you just never asked, did you?”
“What could I have even asked?! You’re not much of a friend,” Napa muttered, looking down at his tea with a trace of gloom. “I’ve known you all this time, and I actually thought you were just an ordinary person.”
“I didn't deliberately hide it from you,” Li Yuan repeated. “You just never asked.”
Napa looked up at him, his eyes full of disbelief.
“Is that something a normal person would ask?”
“I suppose so, but if you can, I’d suggest asking occasionally...”
Li Yuan nodded, then set down the teapot and thought for a moment.
“As an apology, your tea is free tonight.”
Napa’s hand holding the cup trembled slightly, but then his expression softened. He said with satisfaction,
“That’s more like it.”
Angela immediately raised her hand from the side.
“What about me? I was here too! I’ve suffered the mental shock of being kept in the dark! Oh, and the psychic damage!”
Li Yuan turned to her and smiled.
“Not you. You’re paying full price.”
The cheer on Angela’s face froze before it could fully bloom.
“Why?”
“Because you already knew.”
“But I only found out by accident!”
“Then I definitely can't waive the fee.”
Angela’s expression shifted from expectation to shock, and in the next second, to utter disbelief.
Napa, holding his teacup, finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Lighthearted conversation filled the teahouse once more. Outside the window, the night grew deeper and the pedestrians on the street fewer, but inside this small teahouse, the light remained warm.
Rate on N.U.
