Chapter 496 – The Little Cart

Chapter 496 – The Little Cart

“The spark of the human contractor has already begun to burn. From here on, we just need to play our roles well and wait for things to unfold.”

Mo Lan looked at Lilith and the other two. “It’s time for you three to start acting like real apprentices—work hard, earn money, and come to me, your Instructor, to exchange for new spell structures.”

“Huh?” Lilith, Vasida, and Sylph were all a bit stunned. “Earn money? Exchange for spell structures?”

“Were you planning to spend your entire time in the Mage Empire as little apprentices who only know two apprentice-level spells?” Mo Lan asked. “That wouldn’t exactly fit your personas, would it?”

What kind of apprentice follows a mage around yet has no ambition and idles away their days?

The three Sorceresses, who had been feeling rather bored since moving to Number 21, Apprentice Lane, suddenly found themselves burdened with worry.

“As lowly apprentices, how are we supposed to earn money reasonably?” Vasida asked. “Can’t I really just open a hotpot restaurant?”

“Only after Greta invites you and you become a member of the Dawn Society! For now… absolutely not!” Mo Lan said without hesitation.

Seeing the three of them looking troubled, Mo Lan offered a reminder:

“Have you forgotten about those magic scrolls you copied on the road to Lance City? It’s time to go sell them. After selling, buy some magical beast hides for making blank magic scrolls, and whatever’s left over is your own income.”

Lilith, Vasida, and Sylph reluctantly took their bags of magic scrolls and headed out toward Apprentice Square.

It wasn’t that Mo Lan didn’t want to go out—it was just that an Advanced mage wandering around areas where apprentices gathered day after day would be highly conspicuous.

The magical materials sold at Apprentice Square were nothing an Advanced mage would deign to look at.

So she could only stay home, secluding herself to study magic.

Fortunately, there was still much worth exploring in human Alchemy Magic, and her Grimoire still contained plenty of unread books. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to sit still either.

In the afternoon, before Lilith and the others had returned, the doorbell rang.

Mo Lan set down her book, walked to the window and glanced out. It was Greta.

She first hurried downstairs and opened the front door, but then deliberately slowed her pace to appear unhurried. When she reached the courtyard gate and opened it to see Greta, a flicker of confusion crossed her eyes, as though she were trying to recall who this person was. “You’re that server from the Gold Globe Flower Inn?”

The one who had come to the door was Lilith’s Instructor, a powerful Advanced mage. Greta felt a twinge of nervousness and nodded carefully.

“Greetings, my lady. I… I’m here looking for Lilith.”

“They should be at Apprentice Square, running a stall to sell things.” Mo Lan’s gaze fell on the little cart beside her, and she asked curiously, “What’s this?”

Greta immediately took a flatbread and a set of seasoning packets from the cart, wrapped them in a paper bag, and held them out to Mo Lan.

“My lady, these are the instant noodles I’m planning to sell at Apprentice Square. Just a bowl of boiling water mixed with this seasoning, let the flatbread soak until soft, and it’s ready to eat. The flavor is quite good. This portion is a gift for you to try.”

The previous night, she had studied all the tier-one resource cards in the Card Shop and discovered the {Instant Noodle Cake Card}, {Instant Noodle Seasoning Card}, and {Disposable Paper Bowl and Wooden Fork Card}.

Compared to buying finished instant noodles directly, purchasing these three cards in combination was clearly more cost-effective.

She had meditated through the night, converting her active psychic power into Gem Coins as soon as it recovered, then meditating again. She had been busy all morning, and the afternoon was her time off.

She converted all her saved Gem Coins into these three types of cards, assembling fifty portions of instant noodle materials.

Then she borrowed a little cart from Yurian, borrowed a water bucket and a large pot from the kitchen, and set out to run her stall.

It was partly to earn some gold coins and increase her own worth to attract more mages, and partly to take the opportunity to grow closer to Lilith, who had previously shown her goodwill. After all, Lilith still had two other mage apprentices and an Advanced mage by her side!

Since Lilith wasn’t here but the Advanced mage had shown curiosity about the instant noodles, how could Greta let this chance slip by?

Mo Lan didn’t reach out to take it, so Greta simply pressed the instant noodle materials into her hands, then grabbed her cart and dashed off, afraid Mo Lan would return it. As she ran, she kept turning back to shout:

“My lady, I’m heading off to my stall now! Please be sure to give it a try! It won’t disappoint you!”

If she could use this bowl of instant noodles to establish a connection with an Advanced mage, that would be an incredible bargain.

Mo Lan stood with one arm cradling the instant noodle materials and the other hand pinching a gold coin. “Hey! I haven’t paid yet!”

But Greta was already far away. Mo Lan sighed helplessly, closed the courtyard gate, and turned back inside.

Once indoors, she went to the kitchen, opened the kitchen window, then boiled water and cooked the instant noodles.

The aroma drifted out through the window, carrying far, and attracted the visitor she had anticipated.

Mo Lan went to the front courtyard to open the gate, wearing an expression of displeasure at being disturbed.

The visitors were the maid from Number 22, Apprentice Lane, and an unfamiliar Beginner mage.

“Can I help you?” Mo Lan asked.

Amy was about to speak but was preempted by her mistress.

“Hello, I’m your neighbor, Beginner mage Alicia!” Alicia performed a standard mage’s salutation.

This type of etiquette was generally used by junior mages toward respected seniors—it seemed she had perceived Mo Lan’s considerable strength. Mo Lan acted as though she were pleased by this, giving a slight nod. “Hello. I am Moira, Advanced mage.”

Alicia was inwardly stunned. She really was an Advanced mage.

The Duchy of Lance had even attracted an Advanced mage!

She became even more respectful. “Lady Moira, please forgive my presumption. I was at home just now when I suddenly caught an indescribable aroma that seemed to be coming from your direction. Might I ask which establishment’s cuisine it is?”

Amy had told her that the tenants at Number 21 were four female mages. Alicia certainly didn’t believe that mages would cook for themselves, so it had to be food purchased from somewhere in the city.

The aroma had so thoroughly distracted her that she couldn’t even concentrate on meditation. Even though the other party was an Advanced mage, she had to get to the bottom of it.

“It’s instant noodles from a server at the Gold Globe Flower Inn. She should still be running a stall at Apprentice Square right now,” Mo Lan said.

She had deliberately opened the window precisely to lure someone into asking, stoking the fire for Greta’s business while simultaneously distancing herself and her group from the Dawn Society’s signature cuisine.

As soon as Alicia heard this, she sent Amy rushing off to Apprentice Square to find it.

Mo Lan, her mission accomplished, retreated back inside to eat her instant noodles.

She had cooked them a bit too long to make the aroma stronger and carry farther. The noodles had gone mushy, and she didn’t much care for that texture. After a few bites, she tossed the rest into the Trash Can Card.

Amy ran all the way to Apprentice Square. By then, Greta was already packing up her stall.

“Instant noodles—are you the one selling instant noodles? Give me three bowls!”

“I’m sorry, today’s instant noodles are all sold out.”