Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
```html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Why Would a Woman Buy You Food?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Ah, well, this is..."
Hisenna glared at Ian, who was locked in a struggle with a stray cat.
Ian stood up awkwardly, scratching his head.
Hisenna had caught him red-handed slipping cat food into his pocket on the sly.
"Put that down. It's for the cat."
"It's on the ground. Finders keepers."
"I bought that for the cat."
Hisenna shoved the convenience store receipt in Ian's face from earlier.
"Whoa... this much for a cat? You some kinda rich kid?"
"Such vulgar terms are unbecoming of my family."
Chaebol third-gen... Ian muttered under his breath as he set the cat food back down.
Hisenna couldn't for the life of her figure out why this guy had been scrapping with a cat.
He still didn't look like any 5th-circle magic genius, no matter how many times she looked.
"You..."
Grrrrowl—
Just as Hisenna was about to grill him, a massive rumble drowned out her voice.
Magic? No. It was Ian's stomach.
"Uh... if you're loaded, could you spot me some cash? I'll pay you back once the semester starts."
"...Pardon?"
"Nom nom. Thanks a ton. I'll definitely pay you back."
"...Whatever. It's nothing."
"Whoa, so I can grab seconds?"
Having scored some pork cutlet, Ian promptly ordered an extra noodle dish.
It was ridiculous, but Hisenna bit her tongue and footed the bill.
"So, how the hell did you pull that off in the exam?"
"Huh?"
"That was clearly a 5th-circle spell. You look like a perfectly ordinary human to me. How'd you cast something like that?"
"Mm. Learned it from an archmage?"
An archmage? But there was no Isaac Archmage Duke family.
A commoner, taught by an archmage.
"But you're not from an archmage duke family."
"Archmage duke? No idea what that is, but he said he was an archmage among archmages. One of the best."
An archmage superior to archmages?
Was he dissing the Perryhill Archmage Duke family right now?
No, that can't be it. No one's dumb enough to straight-up insult an archmage duke family to their face.
A surge of anger nearly boiled over, but Hisenna reined it in.
Archmage dukes commanded immense respect across the continent.
No mage would dare badmouth them outright.
Which meant Ian was telling the truth.
He really had been trained by an archmage superior to an archmage duke.
Sure, there were archmages beyond the duke families.
But none you could confidently say outstripped them.
"No way...!"
Then it hit her—a certain legend.
A figure dismissed as myth nowadays.
The legend of all mages, the one said to have forged this world's magic system: the "First Mage."
The "First Mage" hadn't vanished; he was out there somewhere, hidden from view.
Some claimed he strutted around in his own pocket dimension, invisible to us mortals.
The "First Mage" absolutely existed.
Even among ancient mages like the archmage dukes, more than a few had studied under him.
No way... a disciple of the First Mage?
Suddenly, it all made sense.
That explained why she couldn't read Ian's presence—he handled mana in an utterly unconventional way.
It even accounted for his idiot behavior.
Records described the "First Mage," despite his pinnacle achievements, as humble and carefree.
There were even accounts of him staring into empty space and chuckling to himself.
Ian's quirks matched the "First Mage" to a T.
Because he was a disciple of the "First Mage."
"It can't be...!"
"Uh, y-yeah?"
He'd done it again just now—mid-bite, Ian had rolled his eyes frantically at thin air.
Like he was peering into a world no other mage could see.
Definitely something taught by the First Archmage.
She had no clue why the "First Mage" had chosen Ian.
But one thing was clear: all her earlier disdain had been downright foolish.
And with it came a fresh spark of rivalry.
Even so, this guy's no First Archmage himself.
Sure, Ian could cast 5th-circle magic, but he hadn't reached archmage heights yet.
And that 5th-circle spell had been a simple one, even for its rank.
Hisenna had to be the best. She wanted to surpass even the disciple of the First Archmage.
A new goal took root in her heart.
To overcome this man. Then maybe she'd catch the eye of the "First Archmage" too.
"Mind if I grab one more? I'll pay you back for sure."
"Go ahead. And don't worry about paying me back. It's fine."
"O-oh! Then a drink too?"
First things first, she needed to stick close to Ian.
She could cover the cost of a few meals, no problem.
"Burp."
I patted my stuffed belly as I trudged back to the dorm.
Thanks to Hisenna, I'd eaten like a king.
I'd thought she was a total bitch during the entrance exam, but turns out she's an angel?
She even said we should hang out more.
Muggle Begging Success lol
Writer: Kim Muggle
I went outside after hearing Wandering Battle Mage's advice earlier. But begging from total strangers was harder than it sounded.
Then I spotted a stray cat chowing down like it was living large. It was convenience store grub—enough to feed like ten cats.
So I figured we'd share, snuck up... but the little bastard wouldn't budge? Wild world's brutal, so I went full "KYAAA" to claim my share.
Suddenly this girl shows up yelling at me. Turns out it was the one I fought in the entrance exam.
She was loaded AF and had been spoiling the cats. So I took a shot and asked her to buy me food.
And get this—she hooked me up for free! Scored three menu items plus a drink. We're gonna be buds from now on.
Honestly, she seemed like a bitch during the exam, but she's actually cool lol
fuck, fighting a cat for real?
Muggle the true legend lmaoooo
But hold up, the girl you dueled bought you food? And wants to stay friends?
Duel opponent was a 'girl'? Why tf would a girl buy Kim Muggle food?
You dumbasses ;;
lmaoooo Muggle delusion tier peak kekeke
Starving hallucination. Why would she buy you food lol
Jealous af, wanna eat academy food too fuck
Why did that girl buy food for Kim Muggle tho
"These assholes."
Friends sharing a meal? And Hisenna looked like nobility.
In a world like this, nobles were miles above commoners.
So treating him to food was no biggie, right?
How dare they talk smack about Lady Hisenna.
Nah, they were dunking on me. Treating my time with her like some pathetic otaku fantasy.
No for real ;;; She seemed rich af. Ofc she'd spot me if she felt like it.
Even rich ppl don't do that. Why buy you food this late at night.
She's rich so maybe she pitied me? We're gonna see each other all semester anyway, and I wasn't gonna stiff her... well ok I was.
lmao caught in delusion, backpedaling hard
For real you fucks!! Hey mages! Y'all single so taking it out on me huh
Virgins were clearly a prerequisite for archmage status.
How else could they turn a free meal into "delusional fantasy"?
But ExtremeEfficiencyFanatic's next reply made me reconsider.
Fine, sure she could buy food. Point is, the one who bought it is sus.
The one from entrance exam? What's the issue?
Exactly. From your exam story, she was like 3rd-circle level—top-tier for incoming students. And she got one-shot by a muggle like you? No way she likes you.
Damn, that tracked.
Her looks at the start and end of the exam hadn't exactly been friendly.
Thinking back, she'd warmed up midway through the meal.
Huh yeah now that you mention it, she got nicer as we ate.
Plus from the description, she seems prideful AF. Would hate the guy who beat her by default. And above all, why would a girl buy you food.
Girls don't waste money/time on guys they're not into. Even if she's drowning in cash, no reason to sit and eat with you. Kim Muggle eunuch confirmed?
fuck; you're a dude too
Hawawawawa? Lulu-chan's a cute girl!!
True, they had a point. Archmages had scary insight.
Why not just explain upfront instead of roasting me?
Archmages turning into gallery trolls was infuriating.
Felt like they were playing 4D chess while I looked like the idiot.
But couldn't she just eat with me?
Bailing right after buying felt awkward. We see each other all the time anyway.
But she could eat with me right? Kinda rude to just dip when we'll keep running into each other.
Ao, Kim Muggle so damn dense
Live like that forever lol
That's why he's still a muggle
What're you on about, y'all basement-dwelling mages got zero social skills ; Go meet some people irl
I'm a social king ㅇㅇ
Not all mages just research
I do just research
We know better than you anyway lol
Tch. No reasoning with 'em. Live in the real world, losers.
Screw it. Anyone buying you food ain't bad news.
Hisenna didn't seem like she had shady motives.
I asked her to buy it first, and she didn't seem that bad.
Just keep scamming meals off her.
Don't you dare insult Lady Hisenna, you maggots!
"You lot stick to spitting out spells!"
I ain't learning human relations from these guys.
Socially inept basement mages. Spit out some magic!
Whatever, teach me some magic already
Writer: Kim Muggle
I'll keep mooching meals so quit slandering her you conspiracy nuts.
Anyway teach me magic. Gotta start with basics I think. The spells you taught before are good but too much for my mana pool. One cast and I'm out.
Wanna learn step by step, anyone got tips?
Ao still clueless to the end. Fine learn magic
More fun watching what he doesn't know lol true muggle no tact
Yeah learn magic. Build from basics.
And train your mana consistently. Total capacity matters.
Start with meditation.
2nd circle should be ez since you did 5th anyway
Semester start was about ten days out.
Should nail down basics by then.
The archmages started dropping advice in replies.
I was gonna read through step-by-step, but my eyes were drooping.
"Man, been busy since noon today."
Normally at 11 PM I'd be deep in gallery mode.
But after all the daytime hustle, sleep hit hard.
Ugh, passing out this early? Gallery disgrace.
But belly full and dorm bed so fluffy... irresistible.
brb full n sleepy gonna nap then start
Ao
Classic Muggle eat n crash immediately
Do that and you become piggo!!
Why sleep? Mana train instead
Muggle do that? lol
Oh right
Meditate at bedtime.
Even as sleep crept in, one thing caught my eye.
Mana training instead of sleep?
I fired off a reply.
```