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Chapter 78: Barbecue Master

Ashura ignored those snobbish classmates and focused on building the fire beside his tree hollow.

Then he sharpened a long stick, wandered to the lakeshore with it on his shoulder, and pulled the corpse of the greenwood savage bull from his space belt.

In no time he skinned and gutted the carcass right by the water, skewered it with the fresh spear-like rod, hoisted it back to camp, and mounted the whole bull on the wooden rack above the flames.

The classmates who had mocked him kept an eye on the oddball of their class, and when they realized he meant to roast an entire greenwood savage bull, their brief astonishment turned into another round of shrill laughter.

Clara could not sit still after hearing the jeers; to her they sounded so harsh it felt as though they were laughing at her instead.

The exquisite dishes on the table suddenly made her nauseous.

She was about to get up and bring the food from her ring to share with Ashura, but an elegant figure had already walked over to him.

Ashura was crouching by the fire when someone called his name, and as he looked up he could not see the visitor’s face, only that she was a female magician in a magic robe.

That gave Ashura a very direct impression of how generous the newcomer’s bosom was.

The ample-bosomed magician asked in an excited voice, “Classmate Ashura, are you going to grill something?”

Ashura recognized her voice as that of his homeroom teacher, Instructor Ella, so he quickly stood and answered, “Yes, Instructor Ella, some beasts from Beast Forest are actually delicious.”

Instructor Ella squealed like a little girl, “So you can barbecue? May I join you? I’ve never roasted a beast myself!”

Ashura froze for a moment, then smiled and said, “Of course, it is my honor to invite such a beautiful lady to my dinner.”

With that he performed a textbook nobleman’s bow, tilting his body and extending a hand toward Instructor Ella.

Instructor Ella unhesitatingly placed her hand on his, completing the aristocratic ritual.

At that moment Ella looked utterly thrilled, more like an eager girl than an instructor.

The magic students who had just been laughing at Ashura were stunned, and even Clara, who had stood up, froze by her seat, unsure whether she should still go over.

Kyle recovered and shouted indignantly, “Instructor Ella, come eat with us; we have so many delicacies here, dishes prepared by the best chefs in Saint Gobban City… please, have a taste!”

But Instructor Ella merely glanced at them and the food on the table, then smiled and replied, “No thank you, I prefer Ashura’s dinner; you go ahead and eat.”

Kyle felt immediate embarrassment at her answer, and his humiliation deepened when the goddess he adored, Clara, added lightly, “I have no appetite, you eat,” and headed toward Ashura as well.

Instructor Ella’s eyes sparkled as she asked Ashura, “What can I do? I want to help.”

Ashura thought for a moment, took a box of sauce and a brush from his storage space, handed them to Instructor Ella, and spoke to her as though to a friend, “Just baste the meat evenly with my secret sauce.”

Instructor Ella did not mind his tone, happily accepted the sauce, and went to work brushing the roast.

Just then a voice cut in, “Ella, I’ve been looking for you; I prepared many delicacies from the restaurant’s second floor tonight and hoped to dine with you.”

The speaker was Instructor Anthony, the young teacher from the Warrior School, said to be from a count’s family in the Valencian Empire and himself a 2nd-stage Magic Warrior… young, handsome, and wealthy.

Ever since seeing Ella at the academy he had pursued her fervently, staying on as an instructor just like her, and he had pulled strings to be assigned to this expedition with her.

Yet Instructor Ella politely declined, “No thank you, Instructor Anthony, I prefer to stay with my students; I have always wanted to learn barbecuing from Ashura and finally have the chance, so I’m sorry, Instructor Anthony.”

Anthony was not discouraged by the clear rejection… he seemed used to it… and continued gallantly, “Oh, perfect, I enjoy studying cuisine too; we can learn barbecue techniques together.”

Instructor Ella kept smiling, turned to Ashura, and asked with exaggerated kindness, “Student Ashura, is that convenient?”

Ashura had been enjoying the show, but when Instructor Ella asked him directly, he could not help feeling that her benign smile brimmed with menace.

Ashura thought for a beat and decided to gamble, awkwardly saying, “Um, Instructor Anthony, I’m terribly sorry… this barbecue technique is ancestral, and the family rule is that it’s passed to women, not men, so your presence is inconvenient.”

While he spoke he studied Ella’s face; when her smile grew even brighter he knew he had bet correctly.

Still, the excuse was so clumsy that he glanced at Instructor Anthony in embarrassment.

Anthony’s handsome features twisted, a vein throbbing on his forehead, and Ashura quickly turned his head away.

Fortunately Instructor Ella picked up the thread and said, “Instructor Anthony, it seems inconvenient; I know some friends who are good at barbecuing… perhaps I can introduce them to you another time.”

Anthony knew staying would only add to the awkwardness, so, looking disgruntled, he turned and left, glaring at Ashura on the way out and making Ashura feel helpless.

After Anthony left, Instructor Ella let out a long breath and winked at Ashura in heartfelt appreciation.

The girlishly playful gesture left Ashura momentarily dazed, yet he was not that easy to please; leaning closer, he whispered, “Dear Instructor Ella, how will you thank me for helping you so much?”

In her little-girl guise, Instructor Ella immediately said, “Help? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ashura let out a cold chuckle, stood, and opened his mouth to shout in Anthony’s direction.

But before the shout escaped, a jade-white hand covered his mouth, and Instructor Ella growled, “All right, you win; you weren’t this merciless when you came asking me for leave.”

Ashura chuckled and flattered her at once, “How could I dare ask you for anything? It’s just that during the year I was away on leave, the academy never paid me the monthly 100 Academy Points… if you could just transfer those credits to me, that would be enough.”

Instructor Ella rolled her eyes and said helplessly, “I prepared them long ago, but you were off campus and I couldn’t send them… give me your badge and I’ll transfer them now.”

Ashura continued to pour on the flattery about Ella’s beauty and wisdom while handing over his badge, and he watched as she transferred the more than 1,000 Academy Points he had missed while away.

While the two of them were whispering, a gentle voice sounded behind them, “Instructor Ella, may I join you?”

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