Chapter 86

Cook looked at Zagot suspiciously. To be honest, Cook could never believe that the term "Guardian Knight" could have such a meaning. Cook asked again, "Zagot, are you joking, right?"

"Cook, yes! The Guardian Knight does have the meaning you mentioned, but it's different in your case. Tell me, between you and Miss Lori, who has the higher combat power?" Zagot retorted irritably.

Cook was taken aback for a moment before he replied, "Of course, it's Miss Lori. She is already a Mage."

"Isn't that settled, then? And does Miss Lori's family need you as a Guardian Knight? They can easily find several warriors with combat power several times higher than yours. Why would she choose a poor boy like you?" Zagot asked again.

"But, but..." Cook wanted to argue.

But Zagot waved his hand and said, "If you don't believe me, go and test it out yourself. When a woman needs a man to protect her with his life, what do you think it means? Don't look at me like that. You're not saying they chose you for your talent, are you? Cook, let me tell you, this world will never lack talented people. But being talented doesn't necessarily make you strong, because the path to the top is filled with all kinds of dangers. Alright, I'm leaving. Go see Miss Lori!"

Cook watched as Zagot walked out, and the others in the living room looked at him. Cook shrugged helplessly and said, "I'll go see what's going on."

"Miss Lori! Miss Lori!" Cook stood at the door, knocking on Lori's door and calling softly.

"Go away, what are you shouting for!" But Lori shouted loudly from inside the room, her voice somewhat hoarse.

Cook was stunned and muttered to himself, "Could what Zagot said be true?" Cook felt a bit guilty. He had never thought of his relationship with Lori in that way, and he had always believed that Mitch was the best match for him. Mitch was beautiful, had a similar background, and had no temper. They were already engaged.

Cook frowned and sighed helplessly, then said to the door, "Miss Lori, you should rest well. I'm leaving." Cook really intended to leave, thinking that not clarifying some things might be better for everyone. Cook didn't think he was so handsome that beautiful women would throw themselves at him without caring about his other relationships. In fact, Cook thought he was just average in appearance, and his height wasn't particularly tall in this world.

"You bastard! You pig!" As soon as Cook finished speaking, Lori suddenly opened the door, her eyes red, and shouted at Cook.

Cook was splattered with Lori's saliva, but he still handed her the robe and magic core, saying, "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry! I don't need your sorry, Cook. I must have been blind to choose you. You're not even a man. I don't need your things." Lori threw the mage robe at Cook's face and pointed at him, scolding him.

Cook was stunned, and then he realized that this was the first time he had seen Lori like this. Faced with such a Lori, Cook was at a loss. But seeing the shadows downstairs, Cook gritted his teeth and squeezed into the room, then closed the door and asked, "Miss Lori, I'm already engaged to Mitch."

"What? When did you get engaged? You're my Guardian Knight, how can you... How can you do this?" Lori immediately shouted loudly.

Faced with Lori's questioning, Cook explained softly, "It was just a few days before coming to the academy. You know Mitch and my family background and birth are very compatible. And Mitch is very gentle..."

"Shut up, shut up, Cook. Don't you understand the meaning of a Guardian Knight? Am I not gentle enough? Haven't you noticed that I've been trying to change my temper?" Lori shouted hoarsely, then asked a series of questions.

Cook was caught off guard by Lori's confession and asked weakly, "Miss Lori, I'm just a poor boy, I don't understand the meaning of a Guardian Knight. And I, Cook, am timid, afraid of death, and very greedy. I don't understand why a young lady like you would choose me as your Guardian Knight."

"Cook, do you know? I used to look down on you. My initial intention in taking you as a magic servant was to find a free laborer. But during that crisis, it was you who led us to survive in the underground river. You should know that at that time, you had almost no combat power. I remember you carrying me, who had a lame leg, away from danger. I remember you finding food, and I remember you lighting the first campfire. And it was you who saved my parents. Cook, do you know? You are the first man I admire besides my grandfather and father. After you carried me away from danger, I saw you massaging your feet alone at night. I noticed that your feet were full of blisters, but you didn't say anything. Instead, you comforted us and found food for us. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have survived in the dark underground river." Lori looked at Cook steadily and said.

Cook was stunned after hearing this. In fact, Cook was also afraid at the time, but he couldn't show it because such emotions would spread. If the whole team was afraid, the situation could escalate into something unimaginable. Cook did this to find a better support. The main reason Cook carried Lori was that his family was still in the Lori family. Cook never expected that the always temperamental Lori could be so emotional.

"Lori..." Cook wanted to say something but found himself unable to speak.

"Cook, do you know, you saved my uncle, saved me, and saved my parents, and even turned the tide of the entire battle. After we came out of the underground river, I found that my mind was full of your image, as if I couldn't leave you. That's why I chose you as my Guardian Knight." Lori continued.

"But the gap in our status and family background?" Cook's voice was hoarse.

"Ha ha, that's exactly why I chose you as my Guardian Knight. Unless Cook can make our family officially recognize you, or I can make all the decisions for the family, there's no way we can talk about marriage. Do you know? A Guardian Knight represents a romantic relationship." Lori explained with a bitter smile.

Cook was also stunned. He was a complete novice in matters of the heart and didn't know how to handle it. Feeling uncomfortable under Lori's gaze, he said, "Lori...!"

"Don't call me Miss Lori. Call me Lily in private." Lori interrupted.

"L... Lily. Let's not talk about this for now. We are still young, and relationships need to be cultivated..." Cook said, bracing himself.

"Hmph! Cultivate, how can you cultivate? Is it like this today? And where do I fall short of Mitch? In terms of figure, appearance, or family background?" Lori asked, puffing out her chest.

Cook was speechless. In fact, Cook didn't dare to think too much because of Lori's status. He could only apologize, "I'm sorry, L... Lily. I didn't know before, and I won't do it again. We are still young and in a critical learning period. I, Cook, promise to give you a clear answer when we graduate."

"Graduate? Ha ha. Ha ha, Cook, do you think it's easy to graduate from the Unparalleled Academy? But since you said that, I'll forgive you this time. But the last high-quality magic core in your hand is best not given to Mitch, or else, hah!" Lori laughed.

Hearing that Lori forgave him, Cook quickly handed her the mage robe and magic core and said, "That's it. I'll go see if Martha has finished cooking." With that, Cook left.

"Cook!" Just as Cook turned around, Lori called out, and Cook turned back.

As soon as Cook turned back, his head was hugged by Lori, and her lips came close. Cook felt a soft, slightly cool sensation on his lips. He was stunned, and a fragrant tongue slipped into his mouth.

At this moment, Cook reacted. Without thinking, his tongue entangled with the fragrant little tongue. Cook's mind was filled with only these words: "Is this what a French kiss feels like?"

"Um!" After a while, Cook and Lori let go of each other. Lori's neck turned pink, and Cook's face was also flushed.

"Lily, I'll go down first. Little Lei will definitely be angry again." Cook said and ran away.

"Hehe, Cook, you can't escape from my hands." Lori watched Cook run away and couldn't help but giggle, then muttered to herself.

Cook's meal was the least tasty. He didn't dare to look up at the table, unsure how to face Mitch and Lori. In Cook's view, he had betrayed Mitch just now, but he also liked that feeling, which he had never experienced before.

Moreover, Cook had his first sleepless night, his mind filled with the memory of Lori's soft lips. Bored, he took out a lightning magic core for Little Lei. Little Lei was now almost like a human, sleeping at night and almost not sleeping during the day. Cook no longer fed Little Lei too much because he found that the little guy had no limit to eating. Whether it was ten pounds or twenty pounds, it was the same. After checking the books in the library, Cook discovered that magic beasts advanced by absorbing elements.

Cook handed a fourth-level lightning magic core to Little Lei, who drooled as he watched. Under Cook's gaze, Little Lei put the thumb-sized lightning magic core into his mouth, as if eating a hard fruit candy, his cheeks bulging and sucking continuously.

"It seems I need to go to the magic beast department to learn more. Little Lei, caca, little bad, big mouth, oh, I forgot, Little Gray also needs an earth magic core." Cook slapped his head, realizing he knew very little about magic beasts, and a good hunter should know the weaknesses of magic beasts.

Cook got up early the next day and left quietly, only telling Martha. He didn't know how to face Lori and Mitch. Cook went to the potion testing area, which was the last day of his plan for the week. However, he found that Mentor Lyle was not there. So Cook took some experimental tools and potion-making materials and had Zagot deliver them to his dorm, which had a dedicated laboratory. Then, under the surprised gazes of many students, Cook carried Little Lei to the hunter training area.

"Uncle! Where is Senior Sister Murphy?" When Cook arrived and found no one, he went to the guard department, which was at the intersection of each area and the exit of the magic elevator.

"Murphy seems to be in trouble." The uncle hesitated for a while before answering when Cook asked.

"What kind of trouble?" Cook asked, surprised. He had finally found a high-level professional hunter to teach him, but now this person was in trouble.

"It seems to be about a part-time job, but I'm not very clear. Here is Murphy's address, but the area where Murphy's family lives is not very safe." The uncle, seeing Cook's disappointed look, wrote down an address and gave Cook a piece of advice.

"Ah! What a mess!" Cook originally wanted to start training, but without guidance, he felt he couldn't figure out much on his own.

Cook played with the address the uncle gave him, wandering in the comprehensive area. Dunks saw Cook from a distance because Cook was the only one in the Unparalleled Academy carrying a baby around. Dunks walked up and patted Cook on the shoulder, making Cook turn around. The first thing Cook did was to tightly hug Little Lei, as the little guy was about to throw something at Dunks. Cook asked irritably, "Dunks, can you not do that? It's dangerous in the wild."

"It's not the wild here! What, not going to Mentor Lyle today?" Dunks said indifferently, then asked.

"No, by the way, Dunks, do you know any hunter professionals who can give me some guidance?" Cook shook his head and then asked.

Dunks shrugged helplessly, "Hunters are usually part of large teams. I haven't joined any team yet, so I'm sorry. Do you want to post a task? Hunters require the lowest payment in tasks."

"No need. I already found someone, but they are said to be in trouble, so they didn't come today." Cook shook his head because he had already made an agreement with Murphy.

"Trouble! Come on, Cook, what kind of trouble is it? I, Dunks, will help you sort it out." Dunks had been looking for Cook all day because his family told him to get along well with Cook, though they didn't say why. The one who said this was not Dunks' grandfather but his grandfather's father, an honorary elder of the Mage Guild, who also warned Dunks not to oppose Cook. Dunks didn't know why, but he didn't dare to be careless with his grandfather's father's instructions. Of course, the funds and other things were given generously, with no more restrictions. This situation made Dunks feel it was a great opportunity.

"Cook, are you sure you didn't get the wrong address? This is already near the edge of the Magic City, and this is a slum. Does our academy really have students living here?" Dunks, with several guards, sat in a luxurious carriage, looking at the address in his hand, surprised.

"I don't know. It's the address given by the guard at the guard department." Cook sat in the carriage, seeing passersby who were mostly adventurers, mercenaries, and women throwing flirtatious glances. From the surrounding residences, this was clearly a slum.

"Go ask someone where this address is." Dunks waved, and a guard went to ask.

"Sir, it's here, in that alley." The guard quickly returned, pointing to a narrow alley about a meter wide.

Cook and Dunks looked at the garbage on the ground, the low houses made of stone and mud, and the tree bark on the roofs, which had been blackened by rain, with some weeds on top. Dunks' guards had already arrived.

The alley was deep and winding, about two hundred meters long. People coming and going were mostly hurried adventurers, mercenaries, and laborers, but they all avoided Dunks' fully armed guards.

"Sir, it's here!" One of Dunks' guards stopped in front of a closed door.

"Knock on the door!" Dunks' face was a bit strange because the smell here was too bad, and Cook also frowned.

"Knock, knock, knock! Is Miss Murphy living here?" Dunks' guard loudly knocked on the wooden door.

"Who are you looking for?" The door didn't open, but a head appeared from the side, looking at the fully armed guards and asking weakly.

"We're looking for Miss Murphy." Cook smiled and said.

Perhaps seeing Cook carrying a baby, the owner of the head came out completely. Cook saw a young boy who looked at Cook and the others with a wary eye and asked, "What do you want with Auntie Murphy?"

"Auntie Murphy? We are her classmates, and we have an appointment." Cook was stunned, and Dunks looked at Cook with a strange expression.

"Auntie Murphy is in trouble. Only her father is at home." The boy pointed to the house and said.

"What kind of trouble?" Dunks frowned and asked.

"Debt. She was taken away by the police, but it was intentional. Auntie Murphy had the money to pay, but they didn't listen. They are forcing Auntie Murphy to marry..." The boy didn't finish when the door to Murphy's house opened.

"You, you, who are you looking for?" The door was opened by a very thin old man, almost skin and bones, who could barely walk.

"Grandpa Greg, they are Auntie Murphy's classmates, looking for her." The boy quickly explained.

Dunks waved, and a guard came forward. Dunks asked in a low voice, "Who is the police officer here?"

"Sir, I don't know. This place is basically a slum. Capable people don't come here." The guard answered helplessly.

"Go, bring Miss Murphy back. How to handle it is up to you. I just want to see the result." Dunks said with a hint of authority.

"But... if..." The guard hesitated.

"Go, this is the Elder's will. If it doesn't work, just arrest the police officer here." Dunks glared, irritated.

"The Elder's will! I'll go right away." The guard, originally worried, became excited upon hearing the word "Elder" and turned to call two others and left.

However, just as the guards left, a young man with several mercenaries approached Cook and the others. Seeing Greg at the door, the young man shouted loudly, "Greg, is it time to pay the debt? I told you, your daughter has been taken by my people. If you don't pay, I'll take her as collateral."

"Didn't you say that students in the academy are not bullied?" Cook asked Dunks quietly upon hearing this.

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