The boys were shooed away by the girls to bathe, as the girls prepared to arrange the tent interiors themselves. After all, bed mats, sleeping bags, and such arrangements would definitely be executed better by them than those rough-and-tumble boys.
Glenn was naturally also dismissed by Hermione. Having secured the girl's promise, he contentedly followed the others toward the small creek not far from the camp's perimeter.
Stepping beyond the camp boundary, Glenn glanced back. The boundary air trembled slightly, ripples materialized then vanished, and simultaneously disappearing was that particularly brilliant firelight from within the camp that blazed conspicuously against the darkness.
Attempting perception through enhanced senses, Glenn discovered nothing.
"Impressive."
Withdrawing his enhanced perception, Glenn turned to rejoin the group.
"After all, it's a magical device personally crafted by Great-Aunt. This constitutes treatment only our Dragon Kingdom official members receive during field mission execution. Glenn, after graduating from Hogwarts, would you consider working with us?"
Lin Yu extended his palm, revealing several long spikes. Glenn briefly sensed them, detecting faint magical fluctuations emanating from their surfaces.
"Absolutely not. Why would I desire employment? You simply want to drag me over as your assistant, don't you?"
Shaking his head, Glenn expressionlessly exposed Lin Yu's intentions.
Though Lin Yu remained merely a young sorcerer studying at school, Glenn knew he had already begun participating in Dragon Kingdom official work. However, as someone mastering alchemy and potionology, Glenn didn't believe he required any specific employment.
Wasn't transmuting stone to gold sufficient? Wasn't lurking in black markets selling potions adequate?
Considering this, Glenn employed fingertip magic, levitating a small ground pebble into his palm, then released magical power, performing alchemy to transform the stone's material composition.
A gold particle materialized in his hand. Glenn subsequently clenched his five fingers, reconverting it, and casually discarded it groundward.
Alchemy demanded prices. When possible, substances transmuted into other materials should optimally be reverted to original forms. Glenn refused paying costs for such trivial matters.
"This isn't really monetary concerns... sigh, Great-Aunt genuinely spoils you. She basically manages nothing regarding you, while I endure dual exploitation from Grandfather and her, with all troublesome matters dumped upon me."
Walking onward, they had reached the creek. Lin Yu stripped off clothing and trousers, tossing them aside, revealing well-proportioned musculature. Bare-bottomed, he gazed upward at the moon, particularly melancholic.
Glenn removed his clothes, folding them neatly upon nearby stones. Using enhanced perception to examine water quality and confirming no anomalies, he entered the stream, sitting cross-legged, beginning to manipulate creek water for bodily cleansing while voicing his thoughts regarding Lin Yu:
"I believe they treat you thus due to your own characteristics. From my understanding, you're the type requiring others' prompting before moving—poke you once, you move once, possessing zero initiative. No wonder they're anxious."
"Furthermore, you'll probably become future Dragon Kingdom Sorcerer Chairman, necessitating corresponding capabilities."
"You think I desire that position?"
"You don't?"
"Well, I do desire it. Important matters require personal control for peace of mind. Dragon Kingdom actually isn't as tranquil as surface appearances suggest—all manner of troublesome situations exist. If those overt and covert struggles could quiet somewhat..."
"Sigh, so troublesome."
Lin Yu complained, then leaned backward spread-eagle style, splashing into the stream, allowing ice-cold clear water to cool his agitated thoughts.
Everyone occupying every position possessed their respective troubles.
Lin Yu, inevitably destined for high positions, could wield tremendous authority yet would also be entangled by countless troublesome matters. Were he irresponsible, his days could pass easily and pleasantly.
Unfortunately, he wasn't, requiring constant preparation.
Glenn, seeking neither power nor fame, unburdened and light, also needed considering family around him. This might constitute trouble, though Glenn had made ample preparations, reducing so-called troubles to minimum levels—essentially nonexistent.
However, Glenn believed this didn't truly constitute trouble—merely what he should naturally accomplish living in this world.
Thinking thus, Glenn felt genuinely relaxed.
Ice-cold creek water rushed against his face. Through magical power combined with vibration, Glenn could ensure complete cleansing of all dirt between skin and hair, while his heart was simultaneously purified by this pristine mountain stream.
"Though this water remains somewhat cold."
Raising his hand to sweep wet, long curly hair backward, Glenn cupped creek water handful while murmuring.
Lin Yu drifted like salted fish with the current, occasionally turning over—face down, bottom up, gurgling. Observing Glenn's self-conversation, Lin Yu raised his head, inquiring confusedly:
"You should have practiced our body-strengthening methods too, right? You should endure this. Too cold?"
Glenn shook his head. For him, he and Hermione had never ceased progressing in body-strengthening methods from Dragon Kingdom Sorcery School's combat courses. Current creek water temperature was completely bearable. Even without practicing body-strengthening methods, Glenn could still utilize this creek water for bodily cleansing. The answer was simply habit—he could endure it.
"Merely uncomfortable. Hermione dislikes cold baths... I possess alchemical devices capable of warming creek water. Using them should prove acceptable?"
"You should understand the principle of avoiding environmental changes to surrounding areas' original appearances when in unknown external environments, especially with surrounding dangers, correct?"
"Naturally. Therefore I'll establish two devices—the downstream-positioned device will re-cool heated creek water to original temperatures."
Observing Glenn's preparedness and understanding of permissible actions, Lin Yu remained too indifferent for management, waving dismissively:
"Then proceed as you wish."
No sooner said than done. Glenn stood from water, grasping at air with both hands—two alchemical devices materialized in his palms.
Glenn maintained thorough preparation and possessed extensive outdoor wilderness camping experience, having long prepared various potentially necessary tools.
This expedition, after all, aimed at helping Hermione relax, naturally requiring optimal execution of everything possible.
Consequently Glenn completed a round trip along creek flow amid everyone's discussions, installing alchemical devices.
However, everyone's discussions didn't concern strange devices in Glenn's hands, but another matter entirely.
Don't ask—it involved masculine admiration for each other's excellent physiques.
Glenn's somewhat slender yet incredibly well-proportioned and refined musculature attracted everyone's heated gazes.
After politely declining several young sorcerers' requests for tactile examination, Glenn silently walked ashore, rapidly donning his clothing.
Felt genuinely strange. Time to escape.
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