Having been dealt with by an apprentice-grade spell, Shen Xuan looked even more disheveled.
Fortunately, his handsome face made up for it quite a bit.
"Tsk tsk tsk, you're so weak, you couldn't even block a single introductory spell," the little loli mocked.
Hearing this, Shen Xuan lowered his eyelids and, uncharacteristically, didn't retort. Instead, he forced a bitter smile. "Yeah, magic is divided into nine elements: wind, water, fire, earth, wood, ice, lightning, dark, and light, yet I can't awaken a single one. I'm a complete and utter good-for-nothing, unlike you with your peerless talent—born a dual-element water and fire mage, already a Junior Mage at this age."
The boy's mood was depressed, looking utterly desolate.
His lowered gaze seemed to radiate self-deprecation over the gap in their status.
Luo Xiaoxue's heart suddenly ached.
Why on earth did she just say something like that?
Although he usually looked so cavalier and carefree, he must have longed to become a mage deep down.
"I'm sorry, Brother Shen Xuan, don't take what I just said to heart..."
The little girl walked up to Shen Xuan, tugging at the corner of her clothes like a child who had done something wrong.
"Silly girl, I know I'm just not cut out to be a mage. I've already accepted my fate. As long as I can live a simple, happy life every day, that's enough." Shen Xuan squatted down, gently petting the girl's little head with a gentle smile on his face, just like a kind older neighbor.
Behind her back, however, he was chuckling to himself.
"This girl is way too easy to fool!"
What a joke—being a salted fish, walking birds, fighting crickets, and eating soft... ahem, isn't this life wonderful?
As for becoming the kind of envied mages everyone looked up to—who said he wasn't a mage?
It was just that, unlike conventional mages, his power didn't belong to the nine elements, so all talent tests could only conclude that he had zero magical aptitude.
Shen Xuan was quite happy with this; living a plain life was actually pretty nice, free of strife and slaughter...
Luo Xiaoxue now had no idea how to comfort Shen Xuan, so anxious that tears were welling up in her eyes. Anyone seeing that pitiful and cute look would feel immense heartache.
Shen Xuan, who had just been rather pleased with his acting, felt his heartbeat skip a beat as well.
It seemed he shouldn't have lied to her...
Just as the atmosphere was about to descend into awkwardness, Luo Xiaoxue thought of something and said with a trembling voice, "Even... even if you can't become a mage, from now on, Xuer can protect you!"
Shen Xuan was slightly taken aback, not expecting her to say such a thing.
A moment later, he returned a bright smile: "Alright!"
As the words fell, the ground began to tremble slightly, followed by a chaotic sound of footsteps and carriages approaching from a distance.
Shen Xuan asked in confusion, "What's going on? It sounds like an army is on the move."
Luo Xiaoxue: "Should we go out and take a look?"
Just as the two stepped out of the library's main doors, a heavily armed squadron of soldiers in armor and holding long spears happened to be riding past on warhorses. Because they were so close to the entrance, the foremost warhorse was about to crash right into Luo Xiaoxue!
"Move aside!" the knight shouted sternly.
The girl only had time to turn her head. Faced with the rapidly approaching warhorse, she froze in place, her legs feeling as heavy as lead, unable to move an inch.
Releasing a spell was even more out of the question; there was nowhere near enough time for her to chant an incantation.
Fortunately, the next moment, a strong arm caught her by the waist and jerked her back abruptly.
The warhorse galloped past, and the little girl's back was already soaked in cold sweat.
She looked at Shen Xuan, who was holding her from behind, still somewhat dazed—partly from the shock, and partly from...
"Are you alright?" Shen Xuan set her down and asked with concern.
"I-I'm fine..." The little girl felt a sense of loss for no apparent reason. "Thank you for saving me."
"Oh, come on, why are we standing on ceremony? If we strike it rich, let's not forget each other—Brother Shen Xuan is still counting on you to protect me in the future!" Shen Xuan patted his chest while smacking his lips.
Luo Xiaoxue asked suspiciously, "What are you secretly eating?"
Shen Xuan answered truthfully, "Free meals."
Luo Xiaoxue suddenly had a feeling that she had been swindled.
Once the army passed, the pedestrians crowded to the roadside began to discuss:
"Tell me, what are they off to do?"
"Aside from fighting, the Winter City army is well-versed in eating, drinking, and playing poker. Who knows how many years it's been since they mobilized on such a large scale like today."
"I heard that earlier on, Lord Liu had already rushed to the east city wall!"
"Lord Liu is one of the only two Intermediate Mages in Winter City. Even he has been dispatched—are we going to war or something?"
"Winter City is located inland; there shouldn't be any powerful Magical Beasts appearing. Just rest easy."
...
Listening to the chatter, Shen Xuan frowned as if pondering something.
Suddenly, he whipped his head around and dashed headlong back inside the library.
"Hey~ where are you going?"
"I smell a hint of danger!" Shen Xuan replied without looking back.
Luo Xiaoxue thought it inexplicable. Her little nose sniffed around tentatively, and she asked in surprise, "How come I only smell the fragrance of green grass?"
"I'm sure the warhorse will appreciate your praise," the boy's voice drifted back from afar.
The little loli didn't understand what he meant at first, but catching sight of a few brownish-green mudballs on the street by chance, her fair and cute little face instantly darkened.
Crawling under her desk, Shen Xuan began rummaging through a pile of things.
Clatter, bang, crash!
A massive heap of sundries was continuously tossed out—such as a battered ordinary armor, a rusted tetanus-inducing sword, a drafty mage robe, a gunk-covered staff, a few salted fish...
Luo Xiaoxue, who had followed him in, twitched the corner of her mouth. How on earth did he manage to cram so many things into a tiny desk?
And they weren't just ordinary junk; it took a real talent to own all of these at once.
The rummaging suddenly stopped.
"Found it! My big baby!" Shen Xuan cried out excitedly.
The little loli found it strange. What on earth was he looking for? Could it be some kind of peerless treasure?
That wasn't entirely impossible.
The little girl had once suspected that Shen Xuan was actually some sort of hidden expert.
The kind of super-duper powerful existence who could punch the Gold Slime Emperor and kick the Wild Boar King!
His "cavalier and unserious" demeanor was merely a mask he used to hide himself.
Otherwise, why would he have suddenly appeared on that rainy night, holding a library recruitment notice and claiming he wanted to take on this library assistant job that paid 250 copper coins a month with no days off?
Low pay, heavy workload, far from home—anyone with a normal brain probably wouldn't do this job, unless they were a powerhouse wanting to experience the life of an ordinary person!
Well, although long-term exposure suggested the guy was just an ordinary boy with no merits other than his looks, the superhuman reaction speed he'd just shown made Luo Xiaoxue start doubting his true identity all over again.
Just as the little girl's mind was running wild, Shen Xuan sprang out from under the desk, holding something in his hand that shone brilliantly in the sunlight filtering through the window!
Luo Xiaoxue was blinded by the glare, yet her heart was filled with boundless excitement—such dazzling radiance must be a Legendary Grade treasure!
Good heavens, this lazy bum really was a hidden expert!
That pile of junk earlier must have just been placed with it to conceal this treasure!
"Wahahaha, I've still exposed your true colors! Little Xuanchuan, hand over a month's salary for ice cream, or else, hum hum~~ You wouldn't want others to find out your true identity, would you?" The white-haired loli put her hands on her hips with an arrogant little expression that screamed "I've seen right through everything."
"What on earth are you talking about?" Shen Xuan looked at her as if she were an idiot.
"Still trying to quibble? Look at what you're holding. Wise as I am, I won't be fooled by your clumsy acting!" Luo Xiaoxue said, puffing out her chest.