"Master, hehe~"
As Gumieis stepped forward and laid her hands on Serie's shoulders, flashing a silly smile, Serie—propping her chin with one hand—couldn't help but shake her head.
Though inwardly enjoying the warmth of having her disciple close, she kept a cool expression, her eyes lifting slightly to glance at Gumieis, her voice calm as ever.
"What is it?"
But Gumieis didn't answer directly. Instead, the small hands she had placed on Serie's shoulders began to move, gently kneading.
"Mm—!"
Caught off guard, Serie let out a soft moan. Before she could protest, however, her disciple's skilled massage technique spread a tingling comfort through her entire being, even bringing a dreamy daze to her gaze.
<(´⌯̫⌯`)>
Seeing her master melt under her touch, Gumi flashed a smug smile, even giving Lernen down below a cheeky wink before launching her next move.
Still massaging, now with even more effort, Gumi leaned in close and whispered into Serie's ear, her voice soothing and slow.
"Master~ don't dwell on sad things anymore."
"News takes time to spread, and distance takes time to cross."
"Talented mage candidates from distant regions are still on their way."
"So please be patient. I'm sure you'll get more outstanding disciples just like me."
"Mm~ mm~"
Eyes closed, Serie nodded instinctively in agreement.
Whatever Gumi said now, Serie probably wouldn't refute any of it.
And so, the so-called "Magic Fossil" Serie continued enjoying her disciple's pampering for quite some time. Her expression grew so content it was practically purer than a Milk Dragon's.
But just then, Gumi suddenly paused her hands.
"Mm?"
Serie flinched at the halt, her shoulders twitching, silently asking for more.
"Master, I'm hungry."
Before Serie could respond, Gumi continued.
"Yesterday, Senior Brother took me to a restaurant that was super delicious. Can we go there tonight—together?"
"Mm! Mm!"
Serie nodded without a second thought. She had already been planning to dine with her disciples anyway.
As for waiting for someone else?
Gut who? Serie didn't recognize that name at the moment.
A full disciple gathering? That can wait till the exam wraps up.
For now, she would simply enjoy the moment.
With her conditions met, Gumi naturally resumed her expert massage, even throwing in some new techniques to keep things fresh and comfortable for Serie.
...
Later that night, outside the restaurant.
Gut's eye twitched as he stared at the absurdly long and winding line in front of him.
Crap, he thought. Must be some special holiday today. Listening in on nearby chatter, he gathered it was a celebration of the city's first lord's birthday.
But Gut didn't care about the holiday's significance. All he was thinking about was how long this line would take to get through.
Serie had mentioned this morning that she liked the food from this place, so Gut had wanted to buy some takeout and bring it to her as a peace offering for being late.
But with the holiday crowd, it was packed.
Gut considered switching to a different gift.
But what should he bring?
Shoes, maybe?
He thought about how Serie often walked barefoot and figured maybe it was because she liked the sensation of earth under her feet, not because she lacked footwear.
White thigh-highs?
Bingo.
Eyes lighting up, Gut congratulated himself on the idea.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, a familiar mana fluctuation hit his senses from within the restaurant.
"No way… What are the chances?"
He squeezed through the line and peered inside—and sure enough, there they were.
Gumi, inhaling food like a black hole; Serie, peacefully slicing meat while gently placing food on her disciple's plate; and Lernen, silently chewing on leafy greens.
They must've just sat down.
Hah. Missed the message, didn't know the time or place—and still stumbled right into a gathering. Gut chuckled inwardly.
Lernen looked shocked to see him take a seat beside him.
Serie, across the table, didn't seem surprised at all.
Or rather, she had already gone through her surprise phase earlier.
She'd sensed Gut's mana the moment he queued outside and had intentionally released a small pulse of her own to guide him in.
"Sorry I'm late, Master."
As soon as he sat down, Gut bowed slightly and apologized.
"No matter," Serie replied calmly, slicing through a steak. "I summoned you before the exam ended so you could join us tonight."
"But you came on your own, so in the end, my plan still worked."
"However…"
Her voice paused. Her eyes sharpened. Her tone grew stern.
"I told you to go home and rest, didn't I?"
"And yet you decided to train that Body-Training Method with a sleep-deprived body…"
She massaged her temples, tone mixing sternness with exasperation.
"Honestly, when I handed over Bodhi's training notes, I didn't expect you to master it in just a few hours."
"If I had, I would've waited until you were well-rested before giving it to you."
"Hehe..." Gut scratched his head sheepishly. Looking back, maybe it was a bit reckless.
"Ahh, never mind."
Serie sighed, then waved over a waiter and pointed at the disciple beside her.
"Bring him the exact same order as hers."
"Excuse me?" The waiter blinked.
"Ma'am… Are you sure?"
"Mm," Serie nodded firmly. "And hurry with it."
"…Right away! I'll inform the kitchen immediately!"
And off the waiter dashed, bewildered.