Above the head.
In the clouds.
Lynn sat on a white cloud, clutching his stomach, laughing so hard he could barely catch his breath.
"HAHAHAHA, so why are you still afraid of me finding out? Little Master Nanako, are you up to something shady? HAHAHA!"
Watching the small, sneaky figure darting through the streets below, Lynn's curiosity grew.
After all, it was quite rare for Little Master Nanako to sneak out all by herself.
Moreover, during these past few days in Lakeside Town, she had been acting mysteriously, disappearing for the entire morning without a trace. Who knows what she was up to?
He had to observe this closely.
Under Lynn's watchful gaze.
Nanako swiftly made her way through the streets.
Soon, she arrived at the slums on the outskirts of Lakeside Town.
On the filthy, chaotic streets.
Nanako sat down in a corner, then deftly opened the large bag she had brought with her.
Instantly, a dazzling glow of jewels and treasures.
Inside were piles of glittering gold coins.
Nanako picked up a few coins, paused for a moment, and a hint of indecision flashed in her blue eyes.
But that hesitation quickly vanished.
She shook her head vigorously, her ponytail swaying, and then pulled out a thick stack of parchment from her pocket.
"Duncan, seventy-one years old, two sons died in battle, his five-year-old granddaughter passed away last year, now bedridden with illness, the farmland mortgaged to the nobles, no means of livelihood..."
She murmured softly.
Then, under Lynn's watchful eyes.
She looked up at a dilapidated, low house not far away, her body gradually becoming transparent.
She had cast an invisibility spell on herself.
The amused smile on Lynn's face slowly faded, replaced by a silent gaze as he watched his master carefully sneak into that household.
Gently placing a few gold coins on the table.
Along with some packets of medicinal herbs.
On the dirty, tattered bed not far away, an elderly man wheezed incessantly, his lips moving as he muttered in his sleep.
Nanako remained silent, her blue eyes filled with sorrow she couldn't hide.
"Little Ellie... take your medicine, and you'll get better. Grandpa mortgaged the farmland, and the lords were kind enough to give us a dozen silver coins... Grandpa has money now, and I’ll definitely cure your illness..."
"Little Ellie... your father will be back soon... he’ll buy you a doll... you must wait for him..."
"Little Ellie..." The old man slowly opened his cloudy eyes, his lips still muttering in his sleep.
"Have you come back to see Grandpa...?"
Nanako bit her lip, walked over, and held his aged, rough hand, whispering softly:
"Yes, Grandpa, Little Ellie is back. Have a good sleep, and your illness will surely get better."
A faint magical glow gently soothed the old man's emotions.
In a daze, the old man's expression seemed to calm, his cloudy eyes slowly closing again, as if the painful wheezing had suddenly eased.
Gradually, the sound of steady breathing came from the bed.
Nanako wiped her eyes with her sleeve, shook her head vigorously, and lowered her head.
She didn't stay here for long.
Under the influence of the invisibility spell.
She swiftly left the house, took out the list again, and headed toward the second dilapidated household in the slums.
"Andreano, a retired veteran, once a knight, lost a leg and an arm in the war and was sent home, impoverished ever since as his pension was embezzled by the lord..."
"Ms. Clark, thirty-one years old, raising three children alone, her husband was burned at the stake as a heretic two years ago, later proven to be a misunderstanding, she has repeatedly pleaded with the church, but to no avail..."
"The orphans in the slums, currently numbering around 121, aged between 5 and 14, their numbers drastically decrease every winter..."
From afar, Lynn listened as Little Master Nanako softly read from the parchment in her hand.
Watched her sneak into each household.
Watched the coins in her bag gradually dwindle.
Lynn remained silent, not uttering a word.
Only the moon in the sky, round and bright.
The ethereal moonlight cast over the dilapidated slums, weaving a seemingly beautiful veil.
After a long, long time.
Nanako's bag was finally completely empty.
She stood on the street, silently gazing at the endless stretch of broken-down houses, the parchment in her hand still thick with many names.
She gently tied the parchment together and carefully placed it back into her bag.
Lowering her head, biting her lip, lost in thought.
After a while.
She forcefully lifted her head, removed her mask, and put on a big smile, wiping away the moisture in her eyes, trying to appear cheerful.
Although many things will always fall short.
At least she had done her part.
Nanako, you must stay happy.
You are a powerful mage of Winter Spring Valley, and there’s nothing you can’t solve!
She tried to hum a tune, tried to walk with a light, skipping step.
"But what excuse should I use tomorrow..." Nanako pondered, muttering to herself:
"Hmm, if I tell my disciple that I accidentally lost my coins, he definitely won't believe me..."
Above the clouds.
Lynn looked down at his master on the street with a complex expression.
He suddenly felt both amused and exasperated, wanting to laugh and scold her at the same time.
"Such a silly little loli."
Lynn smiled, resting his chin on his hand as he sat on the cloud, gazing at Nanako below, and said softly:
"Since you sneaked out at night, why didn’t you bring your disciple's share of the coins? Master, no matter what excuse you come up with, I’d definitely believe you."
Lynn took a deep breath, rubbing his suddenly sore nose, the smile still on his face.
He looked gently at the list he had prepared.
"Looks like this is useless now."
With a flick of his finger, the list turned to ash.
He had thought that Little Master Nanako would have forgotten by now...
After all, they were noble mages.
From the moment they mastered supernatural powers, it meant they were completely severed from the lower classes.
Little Master Nanako was indeed naive.
She didn’t realize that in this reality, no matter how many gold coins you gave them, it wouldn’t change their situation.
Sometimes, these acts of compassion could even bring them misfortune...
But at least...
In her pure heart, these coins could help these suffering people get through their immediate hardships.
And that was more than what many others would do.
Lynn smiled faintly.
[Silly loli, when it comes down to it, your disciple has to help you →_→, so foolish, at least hide your ponytail!]
Nanako, who had been skipping along the street, suddenly stopped.
Her hair stood on end.
She immediately widened her eyes and quickly turned her head to look back down the street.
"Was that... was that just my imagination...? Did I just hear my disciple's voice...?"
The wind whistled past.
The street was empty, not a soul in sight.
...