Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 618: Foul Intentions

After an unknown period of time, the red-haired woman slowly started to gain consciousness. She gradually opened her eyes, her vision initially blurry.

The first thing that she saw was a ceiling made of dried straw supported by wooden beams. The walls were made of wattle, and their surface was uneven. The floor was simply packed earth.

”Where am I?” She muttered under her breath.

The last thing she remembered was being chased by her pursuers. She had managed to fight them off, but in that process, she had gotten grievously injured. Then, she was ambushed by a group of mortal bandits who had managed to injure her even further.

She couldnʼt even begin to believe that a Magus of her caliber would be done in by a band of measly bandits who didnʼt know a thing about mana.

But it couldnʼt be helped. Her pursuers were a very formidable group of people. She nearly died trying to escape from them. Thus, she had been severely weakened.

The woman looked around the interior of the hut. The bed she was lying down on had a simple wooden frame and a mattress stuffed with dried grass.

”No wonder my back is itching…” she grumbled.

In one corner of the hut, there were a couple of clay pots and baskets for storing grain and food. In the adjacent corner was the cooking area - a small hearth with soot-stained stones forming its base.

She instantly realized that she was inside the hut she had earlier seen before she fell unconscious. The one by the oak tree. The hut was cozy but very cramped.

”Could the person living here have brought me inside?” She wondered as she tried to sit up on the bed.

”Ugh!” But she instantly grimaced. The wound on her stomach had still not healed.

”Huh?” She lifted her robe and saw that the wound had been wrapped in a cloth bandage. Although it was messy, it still did the job of stopping the blood loss.

Moreover, even the injuries on both her legs and left arm had been taken care of.

Just as she was observing the state of her injuries, the door to the hut suddenly opened, catching her by surprise. A young raven-haired boy entered, holding onto two dead rabbits by the ears stepped inside.

”Oh?” Adam was pleasantly surprised. ”Youʼre finally awake! Great, are you hungry? You must be. Anyway, I got lucky today and managed to catch two rabbits. Wait a little while I cook us some dinner.”

Without waiting for her response, he went to the cooking area of the hut and began preparing for the meal.

Seeing how carefree the boy was, the red-haired woman was dumbfounded. She thought to herself incredulously, How can he be so friendly to strangers? What a simpleton!

No! He could be plotting… I canʼt let my guard down.

The last few months had taught her to remain vigilant at all times. She glanced at the boy squatting before the iron pot and asked, ”Who else lives here?”

”Just me,” said the boy without turning around.

Is he lying? Thought the woman. Yes, he must be lying. Thereʼs no way a boy so young can manage to live on his own.

She decided to probe further. She had to make sure there was no imminent danger to her life now that she was utterly defenseless.

”How do you make a living then?” She asked. ”Surely there must be someone thatʼs taking care of you, right?”

”Nope, nothing like that,” said Adam as he began skinning the rabbits. A pungent smell traveled across the hut, causing the woman to involuntarily cover her nose.

”I work the field outside, you know,” Adam continued. ”But it isnʼt very profitable because most of the produce goes to the Baron. Heʼs a very greedy man, sigh. Everyone in town already knows that but thereʼs nothing we can do about it.

”Apart from that I do all sorts of work for the people in the town. But sometimes it gets difficult to get a job, you know, ʼcause people think a kid like me is incapable of doing work. But Iʼll have you know, Iʼm a very dependable man, hehe.”

He kept on rambling about the odd jobs he did in the nearby town, causing the woman to become speechless.

Yes, heʼs definitely an idiot, she thought. She chose to silently observe the boy for a while, to see if he was actually stupid or pretending to be one to lower her guard.

But the more she observed him, the more she realized how simple-minded he was. The boy had absolutely no qualms about having a stranger like her in his home and even cooking a meal for her.

She could already tell that the boy wasnʼt doing so well financially, yet he was taking care of her and even cooking for her. According to her, the boy was surely planning something.

Soon the meal was ready. Adam brought two bowls of meat stew and gave one to the woman. ”Youʼre very lucky, you know. Usually, I only get to eat meat once a month.”

Is this poisoned? The woman thought, glancing at the steaming bowl of food in her hands. Although she had seen the whole process of Adam preparing the food, she was still slightly suspicious.

She didnʼt eat until she saw Adam take a couple of bites from the bowl. The meat stew was surprisingly not bad.

”By the way, whatʼs your name?” Adam asked curiously.

The woman deeply looked at the boy. She could see the wonder in his black eyes. Apart from that, there was something else as well - happiness.

”…Anna.”

”Ohh, Anna!” Adam giggled. ”My name is Adam! Adam Constantine! Whatʼs your surname?”

Annaʼs eyes narrowed. She ignored his question, resuming eating. Adam didnʼt mind it, instead, he began telling her about how his day had been. He went on and on, causing her to become irritated.

Just as she was about to snap at him and tell him to shut up, Adam changed the topic, ”Oh, I forgot.”

”What?” Anna asked, seeing the devious glint in the boyʼs eyes.

Adam pointed at the bandage around her stomach, and the ones around her limbs. ”Thatʼs going to cost you, you know? I had to buy clean clothes from town because I didnʼt have any at home. I also bought a special herb paste from the apothecary. Itʼs supposed to dry your wounds.”

He then pointed at the bowl of meat stew in her hands. ”Thatʼs going to cost you as well. Do you even have any idea how long I had to wait for the bunny to get caught in the trap? 4 hours! Oh, I also bought some herbs and spices from the market for seasoning.”

In the end, everything has a price, Anna thought to herself bitterly. For some reason, she felt a hint of melancholy in her heart.

For the first time, she felt as if someone had done something for her without wanting anything in return. But it seemed that she was wrong. Even if it was a clueless child, he still wanted something from her just like most of the other people in her life.

”How much—” She asked even though she had no money on her. But before she could finish her question, she was interrupted.

”Of course, thereʼs a way you donʼt have to pay for all these,” said Adam, lowering his head. His cheeks turned slightly red and he added, ”You just have to promise me something.”

Seeing his expression, Anna was inwardly furious. She gritted her teeth so hard that her gums hurt. She couldnʼt believe that such a young boy would have such foul intentions.

Despite having an idea about what the boy wanted, she still asked, ”What?”

Adam fidgeted with his fingers, feeling greatly embarrassed. He looked at the beautiful red-haired Anna and meekly asked, ”Can you promise… to be my friend?”