Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

”Gentlemen, here is the Fickle Pie you ordered,” a cheerful young lady with wavy brown hair and matching eyes approached the table with a large tray in her hand.

”Oh?” Adam’s eyes lit up. ”Fickle Pie? Is this famous around these parts?”

”Yes, my lord!” The hostess replied jovially.

She placed a plate of pie in front of Daneli, secretly glancing at him and slightly blushing.

Then, she placed another plate in front of Adam before explaining, ”Fickle Pie is the pride of Ravenfell. You will never taste a pie so delicious in all these lands.”

Adam couldn’t help but be intrigued by the pie’s introduction. He saw that it was a baked dish made with wheat dough. ”This better be good,” he said jokingly.

The smell wafting from it made him instantly drool. He had high expectations for this dish.

”Fickle Pie is indeed very good.” Daneli nodded from the other side of the table.

Adam’s eyebrows rose in surprise. He knew just how picky his elven friend was, especially when it came to things related to people from other races.

The fact that this pie, made by a human chef, managed to get praise out of this elven youth, spoke volumes.

With great anticipation, Adam grabbed the fork and knife and cut a small piece of the pie before stuffing it into his mouth.

Then, his eyes widened in surprise.

The brunette hostess noticed this and the smile on her face deepened. She took this opportunity to explain more about the famous dish.

”Our Fickle Pies are renowned for their unpredictable and ever-changing flavors. The pie has a buttery crust that is golden brown and perfectly crisp on the outside.

”However, the filling is what makes the pie truly unique. It is a mixture of various meats, vegetables, and seasonings that change with each batch, making sure that no two pies are ever the same.”

”No two pies are the same?” Adam asked as he gulped the food after savoring it for a good while. ”Isn’t that counterproductive?”

”On the contrary, my lord,” the hostess replied respectfully. ”The meat, vegetables, and seasoning we use always remain the same, but the quantity of seasoning we use with each pie differs ever so slightly.”

”Ah, I see.” Adam nodded in understanding. Changing the quantity of seasoning would greatly affect one’s taste buds.

From the bite he had just taken, he could surmise that the filling contained tender chunks of beef, chicken, pork, and even deer meat.

Undeniably, this was the best pie he had ever tasted.

He looked at the hostess and sincerely praised, ”Perfect!”

The hostess smiled brightly and bowed, ”Thank you, my lord. We are glad you like it.”

Then, she grabbed the three ceramic jugs on the tray and gently placed them on the table. She glanced at Daneli and beamed, ”My lord, these are the wines that you ordered.”

The next moment, her expression turned a little strange and she added, ”But, my lord… won’t these be too much for you?”

”Too much?” Daneli scoffed. He then glanced at Adam and grumbled, ”I’m afraid it will fall short.”

Adam ignored the grumbling elf and glanced at the three white jugs with anticipation. He asked the hostess, ”Are these your specialty wines?”

”Yes, my lord,” the hostess began, ”from left to right, they are the Flaming Wine, Selene’s Embrace, and finally Red Lightning.”

”Oho!” Adam marveled, ”The names are quite intimidating, young miss. Are these wines also the best in the city?”

”I’m afraid not, my lord,” the hostess forced a smile. ”If I’m being honest, Garden Cafe in the Uptown Quarter serves the best wine in Ravenfell.”

Adam glanced at the hostess with slight surprise. ”You don’t have it in you to lie, do you?” His lips then curled up into a warm smile. ”Well, I appreciate your honesty, and thank you for your service.”

”It is my utmost pleasure.” The hostess smiled brightly before bowing toward the two Magi and leaving.

While Adam was enjoying the Fickle Pie and the various wines, Daneli glanced at him with a strange look in his eyes. ”You’ve changed.”

”Huh?” Adam looked puzzled. He asked with a mouth full of food, ”What do you mean?”

”It seems to me that you’ve learned some manners,” Daneli spoke with a thoughtful expression. ”I didn’t know pigs could evolve to such a degree.”

”Bastard, you really want a beating, huh?” Adam growled before continuing to eat.

As he poured wine into his cup, he stated, ”You still haven’t told me about Saratoga Castle.”

”What’s there to even tell?” Daneli replied in a bored manner as he gracefully cut into the pie and chewed on it.

After he finished chewing, he wiped his lips with a napkin, and then continued, ”As the name suggests, the entire institution is just one big castle on a hill.”

”How far is it from Ravenfell?” Asked Adam as he sipped from the Flaming Wine, which was surprisingly very spicy for his taste.

”About half a day’s travel on horseback,” replied the elf. ”It’s quite a magical place.”

”How’s the academic curriculum?”

”It’s quite laid-back, to be honest.” Daneli took a sip of Red Lightning, his eyebrows creasing ever so slightly. ”We are postgraduate students and have many years to finish our studies, after all. But you still have to hand in assignments when it’s due.”

In Tron, when children turned fifteen, they were deemed fit to embark on the path of a Magus. They would then enroll in magic academies and would be known as undergraduate students. Regardless of the institution, they had five years to study.

On the other hand, Magi who graduated from these magic academies after their five-year time period and enrolled in magic universities to pursue higher arcane studies were called postgraduate students.

A postgraduate student didn’t have a five-year time limit; their studies continued for several years, even decades.

”It is also compulsory for a postgraduate student to choose their area of specialization,” Daneli added.

”I have to major in a School of Magic, is that it?” Adam asked as he chugged the whole cup of wine.

”Indeed.” Daneli nodded. He glanced at the youth and curiously asked, ”Have you decided which school?”

Hearing his quesiton, Adam’s lips curled up into a smirk.

”I have.”