Chapter 018: The Socialite

Old Mark had somehow arrived beside Du Fan. He glanced at Du Fan and asked doubtfully, “Young Master Du Fan, didn’t you say it was this mage…”
Du Fan waved his hand and said, “It’s not her… This one is Kristy from the Mage Guild… She’s not the person I’m waiting for.”
“Kristy?” A flash of surprise appeared in Old Mark’s eyes. “Is it her?”
Du Fan turned to look at Old Mark and asked, “What? Do you know this woman?”
Old Mark nodded, glanced around, then whispered, “Young Master Du Fan, this Kristy is said to be the direct disciple of the current president of the Mage Guild. Though she’s only eighteen this year, she already achieved the rank of an eighth-level mage at the age of thirteen… In recent years, she’s definitely one of the most famous figures in the magical world. Moreover, Miss Kristy is also a well-known socialite in the capital. Although she’s a high-level mage, she lacks self-awareness and often attends various noble banquets. Countless nobles are utterly captivated by her, and of course, many have tried to pursue her… Some even resorted to forceful methods. But after all, Miss Kristy is an eighth-level high mage, and those who dared use force against her never ended up well…”
Du Fan frowned and said, “How could someone like her be part of that lofty Mage Guild? And yet, her direct disciple?”
Old Mark replied indifferently, “I really don’t know about that, my lord. But it’s better if you avoid contacting her as much as possible.”
Du Fan gave a bitter smile and said, “It’s not a matter of whether I want to contact her or not now. She’s already come to me—what can I do?”
Old Mark was stunned and asked, “What do you mean?”
Du Fan shook his head slightly and said, “Do you know why she came today? She’s here on behalf of those old monsters from the Mage Guild to invite me as a guest… As a guest? Hmph, I never saw them so eager before. Now they suddenly invite me over…”
Old Mark frowned and asked, “Young Master Du Fan, so have you agreed?”
Du Fan snorted and said, “How could I refuse? I can offend anyone, but I certainly can’t afford to offend the people from the Mage Guild—even our Green family can’t!”
Old Mark nodded slightly, not knowing what to say, and could only sigh softly.
Du Fan snorted again and turned to head back inside. He just couldn’t figure out what the Mage Guild really intended this time.

According to Old Mark, this Kristy was someone who acted as a liaison between the Mage Guild and outsiders… Since such a person came to invite him, it must surely represent the wishes of the entire Mage Guild. Although he had used a few spells during his fight with Aldas, it wasn’t worth them treating him like this! As the saying goes, those who show undue interest have ulterior motives—this invitation from the Mage Guild, even if well-intentioned, was likely limited in scope. But whether there were benefits or not ultimately didn’t depend on Du Fan. Though puzzled, Du Fan realized he still needed to visit the Mage Guild sooner or later. In the afternoon, a servant reported that another mage wished to see him. This time, it was finally Ringne. She wore a simple mage robe that covered her entire body, but she deliberately emitted a faint magical aura. While talking to Du Fan, she also showed a hint of the arrogance and prejudice typical of mages… Of course, all of this had been planned in advance. After a series of conversations, Ringne agreed to Du Fan’s invitation and decided to stay and serve him. To make it seem more genuine, the process was extremely lengthy, but since both parties were prepared, there were no issues. Once everything was settled, Du Fan asked Old Mark to reinforce the mage tower in his courtyard—where Ringne would naturally reside. As for Chenchen, who couldn’t be seen by others, she continued to hide in the basement. This was originally Du Fan’s way of allowing Ringne to enter the duke’s residence openly and integrate into the noble circles of the capital. A mage serving the duke family would always bring advantages wherever she went. As for Duke Green and the duchess, Du Fan also sent a servant to inform them, as employing a mage wasn’t a trivial matter. Even for the prestigious Green family, they had never had a mage before. Unexpectedly, Duke Green seemed indifferent to Du Fan’s actions, while the duchess, upon hearing that the mage was not only a woman but also a beauty, showed a peculiar smile… Under these circumstances, it was settled that Ringne could stay at the duke’s residence. And so, another day passed in busyness.

Du Fan had originally planned to visit a few influential figures, but due to time constraints, he had no choice but to give up. Early the next morning, under the protection of guards, Du Fan was already in a carriage, rushing toward the cathedral. Upon arriving, the believers were already waiting. Du Fan was extremely familiar with rituals like prayers; standing inside the chapel, he recited the doctrines by heart and glanced at the full breasts of a few nuns before leaving satisfied. In the square outside the cathedral, the believers respectfully greeted Du Fan before slowly dispersing. Du Fan touched his slightly sore face, ready to return to his carriage… But at that moment, a faint voice, tinged with surprise, sounded behind him: “Ah! It’s Lord Du Fan! I never expected we’d meet again—what a coincidence!” Hearing this, Du Fan turned around and saw a thin-haired blond man staring at him in shock, as if he’d seen a ghost. Still, Du Fan quickly recognized him as Oscar, the bard he had met in Rui Gen City. Back then, Du Fan and Oscar had become somewhat acquainted, and he knew well that Oscar was no ordinary person—just his warnings to Du Fan proved that… not to mention his remarkable skills. Thinking of this, Du Fan examined Oscar closely. It was clear that Oscar hadn’t been doing well lately. Though he wore a rather expensive robe, the collar and cuffs had begun to darken, suggesting he hadn’t changed clothes in a long time. He also seemed thinner than before, indicating he must have endured many hardships. In fact, Oscar had had a very difficult time recently. Setting aside his mysterious identity, he had been the last person to see Du Fan in Rui Gen City. Although he managed to faint himself at the last moment, the Northern Legion still captured him and imprisoned him until news of Du Fan’s return led to his release.

Of course, Du Fan had guessed most of these things. He smiled at Oscar and said, “Lord Oscar, it’s really been a long time since we last met… I still remember back then when we fought side by side against our enemies. Lord Oscar risked his life to save me, and I, Du Fan, have always been deeply grateful for that!”
Oscar smiled awkwardly and said, “Young Master Du Fan… What you say is really… My abilities are limited. If I had been a bit stronger back then, you wouldn’t have fallen into those people’s hands.”
Du Fan nodded slightly. When he and Oscar fought together against those barbarians, Oscar had indeed saved him several times. He had originally planned to thank him, but too many things had happened these days.
Thinking back on the past, Du Fan felt a bit guilty.
He looked at this utterly down-and-out bard and smiled gently, saying, “Lord Oscar, it’s truly an honor for me, Du Fan, to meet you here today… I was wondering if I might have the chance to invite a bard to lunch with me?”
Oscar was momentarily stunned, seemingly not knowing how to respond.
Du Fan naturally noticed Oscar’s awkwardness. He might not even have enough money for a meal, but bards had a special status. They adhered to various noble customs, even though they weren’t nobles themselves… after all, they served the nobles, so such things were particularly important.
In fact, among nobles, making such an invitation in person was considered highly impolite. For a noble, even inviting someone for afternoon tea required an invitation sent at least half a day in advance…
And Du Fan’s actions clearly violated these unspoken rules.
As a bard, Lord Oscar naturally didn’t know how to respond.
Seeing Oscar’s awkwardness, Du Fan smiled again and said, “Lord Oscar, as the saying goes, it’s better to meet by chance than to plan an invitation. Besides, given our relationship, there’s no need to be so formal. Is having lunch with me, Du Fan, really that troublesome?”