The Celtic person who was supposed to have fair skin instantly transformed into a pure green-skinned creature, that greenish hue reminded Ian of a game from his past life where beastmen were tainted by evil energy.
"Are you okay? Damn! The teacher is so harsh!" This unexpected change caught Ian off guard, and he quickly supported Pandro, who was clutching his behind, and asked.
"I'm not going to die, that's for sure, but I've taken a backstab from you, and that certainly requires some rare worldly wine to heal the damage I've suffered."
Pandro was calm, clear-headed, and spoke confidently, suggesting that he wasn't in serious trouble, so Ian immediately let go of the guy who was taking advantage of the situation.
"This probably won't wash off, right?" Ariana walked forward with a large basket of fruit, and even curiously grabbed Pandro's arm to rub it hard a few times.
No color came off.
"There's a saying: 'You can't disobey a teacher's command.'" Ian sighed, distancing himself from the situation, a move so dog-like that Pandro angrily lashed out.
"Now this requires two bottles of wine to solve the problem!"
Regarding this price gouging.
Ian had no choice but to agree.
"Alright, after all, I'm at fault." He ultimately had some conscience, so he decided to bring some pearl-level wine for his buddy the next time they enter the Misty Illusion Realm.
Two bottles are too stingy.
Ian decided to be generous and give six bottles, after all, many wines come in six-bottle cases, twenty pounds non-shipping—how could the pearl in the food industry not be called a pearl?
"Very good, very nice, very on point." Pandro rarely felt Ian's generosity, he nodded with satisfaction and tossed the fruit he was holding into Ariana's fruit basket.
"Want to come back to the town with us?"
He looked at the little wizard next to him, as if sensing how much longer the little wizard could stay—Ian didn't have much time left before returning to the real world after chatting with the giant dragon for so long.
"Of course, the teacher said you went to catch a giant dragon, I saw it, that dragon was really big." Ian followed the two towards the town.
"I just assisted, mainly Pandro was amazing, he jumped onto the dragon's head and plunged his sword in, the dragon instantly fell to the ground, motionless."
Ariana humbly smiled, then excitedly recounted her and Pandro's adventure to Ian, obviously finding this adventure quite novel and interesting.
"You were great too, cutting off its four legs, otherwise I wouldn't have easily climbed up."
Pandro immediately engaged in some commercial mutual flattery, with his green face showing a smile that lost its previous sunny demeanor and instead had a slightly sinister Gargamel-like feeling.
"It's a pity, I wish I could have gone too." Ian had always yearned for the romantic adventure reminiscent of the Middle Ages, after all, it was a magnificent scene he could only learn about through stories and biographies.
"You'll soon have the chance!"
Pandro eyed Ian, and spoke confidently, "I'll take you to wreak havoc, you cover for me and I'll lead you in dragon hunting."
The dragon he spoke of was surely not the mixed-blood Ian was familiar with, but the ancient giant dragon similar to the ones by the ancient castle. Perhaps the dragons have already suffered enough worldly woes, being extinct on Earth, yet can't escape some painful torment in the Misty Illusion Realm.
"Why are ancient dragons staying in the Misty Illusion Realm? Are they different from other fantastic beasts…" As Ian was about to ask Pandro some questions he just thought of,
Suddenly.
"It's Santa Claus!"
Ariana shouted with joyful exclamation. Looking up, there was a delicate jingling sound, like the shake of copper bells resonating in the air.
The sound grew closer.
Following Ariana's gaze, Ian looked up, and a sleigh drawn by two flying reindeer was approaching. The white reindeer had no wings yet could fly in the sky.
Their antlers shone with a golden hue, dazzling under the sunlight like a burning golden flame, creating a dreamlike and fantastical scene with an enchanting flair.
"We see him every year, but he never gives us gifts…" Ian wasn't overly surprised, as he witnessed this scene every time he entered the Misty Illusion Realm during Christmas.
The figure driving the sleigh was taller than the elves, with a beard long enough to reach his ankles, always just piloting his reindeer sleigh across the Misty Illusion Realm.
"I told you, he's just a wizard with senile dementia, I think this dementia has seeped into his soul, making him forget to distribute gifts to us."
As he spoke.
The stone from the young man precisely hit Santa's sleigh, knocking down a package that looked exquisitely wrapped, this accuracy and long-range hit was more precise than an automatic rifle, causing Ariana to exclaim in awe.
"You must have been the leader of young kids in your childhood." Ian hurried towards Santa's dropped gift box, while the figure above seemed unaware, flying off into the distance.