Early the next morning, at the residence of the "magic old hag" Serie.
Since it was his first visit, Gut deliberately arrived half an hour earlier than the agreed time as a sign of respect.
But upon facing the wooden door, he decided not to knock immediately. Instead, he casually found a spot by the roadside to sit and wait for Lernen to arrive so they could knock together.
Fortunately, this junior didn't keep Gut waiting for long—just a few minutes later, he appeared.
"Good morning, senior," Lernen greeted, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected his senior, who had drunk so much last night, to be up even earlier than him.
"Mm, good morning."
Gut smiled and nodded in response. After last night's drinks, though Lernen was still a bit shy, the two were noticeably closer than the day before.
Meanwhile, inside the house… a different scene was unfolding.
[＜(⌯̫⌯)＞]
"Mmm—so sleepy…"
Serie, still in her pajamas, was sprawled wildly across a soft bed. At this moment, thanks to her magic sensory feedback, she already knew her two disciples had arrived.
"Why are they here so early…"
As a teacher, she should get up and dress properly to greet her disciples.
But…
The warm bed and soft pillow were simply too irresistible.
"It's not that I'm getting up late—they just came too early…"
"And… it's still not the appointed time…"
"As their teacher… I… just five more minutes… should be fine, right?"
"Mmm—"
Serie burrowed deeper into her pillow, and after a short mental struggle, "resolutely" closed her eyes again.
Half an hour later.
Outside, Gut checked the time. It should be about the agreed meeting time now, so he ended the chat with Lernen and stepped forward to knock gently on Serie's door.
"Hm?!"
Inside.
Still lying in bed, Serie jolted awake. She quickly sat up and cast a Sealing Magic spell to lock the door shut—just in case her disciples barged in and witnessed something that would be socially fatal.
Now, there was no time to ponder how long her "five minutes" had lasted—she had to wash up fast.
She quickly washed her face, grabbed yesterday's jacket, and cast a Cleaning Magic to remove any food stains.
The magic dissipated, and not only were the crumbs from last night's dinner gone, but her clothes also smelled refreshingly clean.
Only then did Serie release the spell on the door and open it for her disciples.
"Come in."
With a simple command, Serie turned and walked back into the house, leaving a mysterious silhouette behind.
Gut, following behind, couldn't help but smile.
It was obvious from her messy hair, the glimpse of pajamas beneath her jacket, and the sealed bedroom door: Gut had guessed why she had taken so long to open up.
"What are you smiling at?"
Serie suddenly turned to Gut and asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking how adorable you are."
"What kind of disciple calls their master adorable?"
Serie grumbled slightly, "Whatever, describe me however you want."
After a not-so-short walk, Gut and Lernen finally arrived at their destination: the "magic old hag's" library.
Seeing the mountain-like towers of grimoires before them, not only Gut, but even Lernen—who had seen the royal archives—was stunned.
The imperial library held many books, but this... the number of magic texts here might actually rival it.
Seeing their stunned expressions, Serie chuckled and said calmly, "This is just a corner of my collection."
"Once the Continental Mage Association is fully established, I'll move the rest there."
For the first time, the phrase "the great mage who has lived since the Mythical Era" felt vividly real to Gut.
The vast sea of magic books stacked like mountains, yet Gut knew: the woman standing before these books—Serie—was a mountain even greater.
She was the living history of magic.
Still, Gut wasn't overawed. What floated through his head now was: If I could touch her head, wouldn't that mean I've climbed to the peak of magic itself?
Amused by the thought, he eyed Serie's head mischievously, already starting to act.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Serie noticed immediately and halted Gut's movement. Faced with her mildly threatening gaze, Gut sheepishly pulled back his hand.
What Gut didn't know was that Serie, now seated in the library, was even more frustrated.
"What kind of disciple is this... no awe in such a sacred place, and trying to…"
"I really haven't had one like this before... troublesome."
After Lernen recovered from the shock, Serie cleared her throat.
"For every disciple I take on, I grant a privilege."
"Among this sea of magic, I will bestow upon you one spell—whichever you desire most."
"Think carefully. You may ask me for anything."
"Gut, you—no, never mind. Lernen, you go first."
Serie changed her mind mid-sentence. She just had a feeling Gut was about to say something outrageous.
Better to keep her mood intact and teach the "normal" one first.
"Um... me first, then…"
Lernen pondered. He had known since before the test that disciples would be granted this right—but choosing what magic to ask for was difficult.
In the end, he decided.
"Teacher, I'd like a spell that can shrink stones, preferably something portable."
"Alright."
Serie nodded, summoned a grimoire from the shelves, checked its cover, then handed it to Lernen.
"And you, Gut?"
Serie admitted: she took a deep breath before asking.
She had a hunch that this "special" disciple would definitely give her a "special" answer.
"Teacher, I want a magic that allows me to freely pat Serie-sama's head."
...Of course.