Chapter 9

"Today, you were very brave." These words were spoken by the so-called Second Miss.

Rolin was led by the first mate to a seaside villa at the port, into a study with a sea view. One side of the study faced the sea, with an entire wall embedded with highly transparent and expensive crystal, offering a direct view of the vast, blue ocean. The other side was a large bookshelf, filled with various books.

A young woman wearing rimless crystal glasses was sitting on a soft leather recliner, holding a cup of an unknown drink in one hand. As she spoke, her gaze shifted from the book on the custom-made wooden bookshelf to Rolin at the door.

"I am honored." Rolin bowed slightly. His clothes were tattered, making him look particularly shabby in this elaborately decorated and luxurious study, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

He once again truly felt that this was a strictly hierarchical real world, not a holographic game where one could barge into the king's chambers naked and then sleep with the queen on her bed.

"Coven, you can go and attend to your business. I need to talk to this... uh."

The first mate Coven immediately said, "Second Miss, his name is Rolin."

"Oh, Rolin, I need to talk to this Rolin."

"Yes, Second Miss." The first mate Coven took his leave.

Rolin felt his attitude was very respectful, not just pretending, but genuinely respectful.

"Sit down." The young woman pointed to a chair beside her.

Seeing the snow-white velvet on the chair, Rolin was glad his clothes were still relatively clean. He had already adjusted his mindset, walked over, and sat down calmly, then asked, "How should I address you?"

"Hehe, my name is Davi, daughter of Homlin, apprentice to the great mage Vianna, and currently a junior mage." Davi smiled. She found this pale-faced young man very interesting. He did not have the usual servile and vulgar air of his kind, and he was neither humble nor arrogant, which was quite rare.

Rolin was startled. This was actually Vianna's apprentice... Wait a moment, he suddenly felt that the name Davi was familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it.

"What are you thinking about?" Davi asked.

"Oh, I just find the name Vianna familiar." Rolin came up with a reasonable excuse.

Davi covered her mouth and smiled. Rolin noticed her hands were very beautiful, with smooth, white skin and almost no visible joints, just like the so-called delicate and jade-like hands.

"It's not surprising that you've heard of Vianna. However, discussing my mentor here is not polite, so let's stop this topic."

Davi straightened her expression and got to the point, "Do you know why I want to see you?"

Rolin's heart sank, feeling something was not right. He suspected the breathing gel had been exposed. This matter needed to be handled carefully. He cautiously asked, "Is it because I killed a shark?"

"No, not because of that, although it did surprise me." Davi's face showed a smile again.

She seemed to love smiling, and with her apple-shaped face, even a smile looked radiant, making people feel close to her, which helped Rolin relax.

"Then, could it be because of my swimming skills, and you think I'm special and want to meet me?"

"Getting closer to the core of the issue, keep thinking." Davi shook her head and laughed, showing great patience.

Rolin knew he couldn't hide it anymore. His trick might fool the rough workers at the dock, but this woman was a well-informed mage. Hiding it would only make him look foolish.

He took out the bag of breathing gel from his pocket, "Alright, my exceptional swimming skills are thanks to this."

"I knew it." Davi smiled again, pointing at the bag, "Open it and let me see the gel."

Rolin did as he was told.

The gel inside the bag had already lost its effectiveness. Originally a light green gel, it had turned into a light yellow, semi-transparent substance similar to soap.

"The material is very pure, and the mixing technique is excellent. I know you made this gel yourself. Tell me, who taught you the formula?"

"No one taught me, it was my own discovery."

"Your own?" Davi didn't believe him.

Rolin explained, "You see, I'm a dock worker. Salmon algae and sponges are common around the dock. I once saw a sea mouse dive into their mixture and stay underwater for a long time before surfacing. I tried it myself, and it worked."

His fabricated story sounded reasonable, and his serious tone made it convincing.

Davi seemed to believe him. Her light blue eyes behind the crystal lenses looked at Rolin with admiration, and she smiled, "Among all the people at the dock, only you noticed this. You have extraordinary observational skills, a trait of a mage. In other words, you might have the potential to be a mage."

As she spoke, she took a crystal ball from the bookshelf and gestured to Rolin, "Come over and place your hand on it. I need to check your elemental sensitivity."

Rolin did as he was told. The crystal ball was warm, and there seemed to be a mist inside. When his hand touched the crystal surface, the mist seemed to be attracted to his palm, gathering and forming a layer of white light on the contact surface.

But the light was not strong, even faint.

Davi watched the changes in the crystal ball intently. After a while, she shook her head in disappointment, "Unfortunately, your elemental sensitivity is not outstanding, no different from an ordinary person. It seems you can't become a mage. What a pity, I thought I might find a follower."

Rolin was not at all disappointed. He didn't like the idea of being a bookish old scholar-like mage. He would rather be a warrior, as he had the talent for it.

Wait, a follower... a follower... When Davi said this, Rolin suddenly remembered who she was.

A flood of memories surfaced in his mind.

Yes, yes... Davi was indeed Vianna's apprentice, but in the game, the first quest Rolin received from Vianna was to investigate the death of her apprentice, Davi.

In other words, if nothing unexpected happened, Davi would die soon, and Vianna would send someone to investigate. After a long chain of quests, Vianna discovered the Cult of Destruction hidden in Vandom, and then found that someone was trying to open a portal to another world.

Unfortunately, by the time she realized this, it was too late. The portal had already been opened, and the orcs had gathered deep in the marsh, leading to the fall and massacre of Vandom, known as the Withering Moon.

In a flash, Rolin saw this as a great opportunity to get closer to Vianna! Being a mage's guard would significantly elevate his status, broaden his horizons, and provide more opportunities for advancement.

Rolin immediately decided to seize this opportunity.

So he said sincerely, "Miss Davi, I've heard that mages need loyal guards. Although I can't be a follower to assist you in your studies, perhaps I can be a guard to protect your life."

Mages were powerful when casting spells, possessing superhuman strength in direct combat, but they were tragic when faced with assassins hiding in the shadows. Low-level mages, once targeted by assassins, rarely survived... like this Davi, who would die at the hands of an assassin in the near future, at least in the previous game.

"Guard, you? Don't you think you're a bit too thin, Rolin?" Davi laughed teasingly.

Rolin was not one to give up easily. He continued to persuade, "Noble Miss Mage, don't forget, I just killed a shark in the sea."

"Ah, I forgot about that. That does show your exceptional bravery. Your character seems good too. I just heard about your past from someone. However, the key issue is that I don't need more guards." Davi shrugged, "You see, I'm not a powerful mage, and I'm not involved in any disputes. I'm far from danger, and the guards I've hired are enough to protect me."

This was a polite refusal, but Rolin wouldn't be deterred by a few words. "Miss Mage, I think you're mistaken."

"Oh?" Davi showed interest.

Rolin said confidently, "I believe that true danger doesn't come from what ordinary people can see, but from the sharp blades in the darkness. An excellent guard needs the ability to perceive danger and prevent it before it happens. I also believe that the guards you've hired don't have this quality, but I do have the ability to detect danger from the details."

His words seemed to move Davi. She touched her chin with her white, tender fingers, tilted her head in thought, and then smiled. She really liked to laugh. "Rolin, I must say, you're not at all modest."

"Modesty is a virtue for the strong. I'm not yet qualified to have it." Rolin pressed on, his sharpness evident. He saw that Davi had a very easy-going personality and wouldn't blame him for his impoliteness.

Sure enough, Davi didn't get angry; instead, her smile grew wider. "I must say, you're very interesting and more confident than all my guards! Although I know you're not a qualified mage guard and that you owe a lot of money, I agree with your view on danger and appreciate your character. So..."

She paused at the crucial moment.

"So what?" Rolin showed a look of anxiety on his face. He could see that Davi was deliberately teasing him, but he had to satisfy the young lady and his future employer, right?

"Hehe." Davi laughed again, "So you have a chance to become my guard, but you need to pass a test."

Rolin was delighted, "I will do my best!"

"In the Mudmarsh, there's a group of annoying goblin bandits. They rob travelers and merchants passing through the marsh. Recently, they even stole a batch of magic crystals from my mentor. They are truly despicable. Their camp is hidden deep in the marsh. If you can find the location of their camp, I will recognize your ability."

Rolin was delighted when he heard this task. It was very difficult for others, but he was familiar with the game map and knew where the goblin camp was. This task was too easy for him.

"Miss Davi, I will complete the task within three days!"

As he accepted the task, the AI brain released information at the same time:

"Task obtained: Investigate the goblin bandit camp.

"Completion reward: 160 experience."

Rolin glanced at his current experience bar, which showed: 10/200 (Level 2).

Completing this task, plus the 150 experience for finally paying off Malfoy's high-interest loan, would allow him to level up to Level 3, further enhancing his physical strength.

Davi clearly didn't think Rolin could complete the task in three days. She shook her head, "Three days is too short. How about a week?"

"Three days is enough." Rolin remained confident.

"You look very confident. I hope your skills match your confidence." Davi said solemnly, thinking this young man was overly confident.