Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 214

Chapter 214: The lesson (1)
The door to Luna’s hut creaked open, revealing a chaotic interior that looked like the workshop of a medieval alchemist. Books were scattered across the floor and stacked haphazardly on tables, which were also cluttered with peculiar tools and mysterious objects. Glass vials filled with strange, swirling liquids caught the dim sunlight streaming through a large open window, glimmering faintly in the cluttered space.

“It’s a bit messy”- Luna admitted casually, her tone not a single bit apologetic – “Give me a second.”

With a simple flick of her fingers, the air around her was given life, moving at her command. The scattered books floated off the floor, stacking themselves neatly into piles atop the tables. Dust and debris that had collected on the ground swirled together in a tiny vortex and was tossed out the open window. Two chairs hovered in the air before descending smoothly onto the cleared floor.

Henry didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately took one of the chairs, sitting down as the door remained open behind him. Faint voices from the training session outside drifted into the hut, the frustrated yells of trainees struggling to summon their spells, their failures echoing in the cold air.

Somewhat perturbed by the constant noise of those brutes, Luna flicked her hand again, and the door creaked shut, shutting down the noise outside. She gracefully took the other chair, crossing her legs, her golden robe covering her whole body.

“Would you like some Winter Coffee?” – She offered casually – “It’s made from a fruit that grows on the border between the Inner and Outer Regions of the Frozen Forest. One of the barbarians brought it to me. I made some experiments and the flavor turned out to be quite similar to a drink we have in the Middle Lands. Except this one enhances mana flow, making it faster, but it’s enough to make attacks a touch stronger.”

Henry raised an eyebrow at the mention of coffee, his thoughts instantly transported to his previous life. The name was so familiar it startled him – “Coffee?” – he repeated, his tone skeptical but intrigued – “I will gladly try it.”

Two cups floated through the air, each filled with a steaming black liquid. Thin tendrils of smoke curled upward, carrying a faint but rich aroma that spread through the whole room.

Henry caught the cup as it hovered near him and took a cautious sip. The liquid was hot, but it didn’t burn his tongue. The taste was bold and strong, far more intense than the coffee he remembered from Earth. Yet, there was something nostalgic about it. As the drink slid down his throat, he felt a faint tingling sensation, the mana in his circuits seemed to flow just a fraction faster, enough to make a slight difference – “It’s good” – he admitted, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

“Right?!” Luna said, beaming as she sipped her own cup. “I still need to refine the brewing process, but it’s already amazing as it is.” Her emerald eyes sparkled with excitement and pride. “So, what do you need me to explain?”

Henry took another sip of the coffee and let a moment of silence hang between them before finally speaking. “Can you teach me about magic?”

Luna’s lips curled into a mischievous smile as she set her cup on the table. Her finger traced the rim of the cup absentmindedly. “So, you want to be my student? Is that it?” she teased. “Sorry, but I do not take official students. I am still too young for that, and honestly, I do not want an old boy like you calling me ‘Master.’ It would leave a bad taste in my mouth.”

Henry’s grip on his cup tightened slightly as he looked at her, irritation flickering in his gray eyes – “I am not asking you to be my master” he shot back, trying to maintain a calm tone – “I am also a king. Having someone like you as my master would ruin my reputation.”

Luna’s playful expression darkened into a glare at the insult, her emerald eyes narrowing as if she might incinerate him on the spot. Sensing the shift in her mood, Henry quickly added, “Let’s make it a trade. You teach me, and I’ll give you three more books. What do you think?”

“That depends,” Luna said, taking another leisurely sip of her coffee, trying to get revenge for her anger – “Do you even have the talent for magic?”

“If I don’t, then you can just tell me more about mages,” Henry replied calmly. “As you have seen, there are no mages in this region. You are the first one in centuries. I need to understand magic better. If another lunatic like the one who obliterated my city walls with a single spell shows up, I want to be prepared. What do you say?”

Luna studied this king closely. Then, with an eager grin, she rose to her feet, her cup floating alongside her – “Let’s do this! Where are my books?” She extended her hands expectantly, her excitement palpable.

“I don’t have them with me right now,” Henry admitted, standing as he drained the last of his coffee and set the cup on the table. “But I will send someone to deliver them as soon as I am back at the palace.”

“Fine, fine.” – Luna waved dismissively, already heading for the door – “We will begin now. Let’s go outside, it’s easier to sense mana in the open. These wooden walls may be durable enough to withstand my experiments, but they interfere with stabilizing mana and forming sigils. If I were inside that cursed Frozen Forest, I probably couldn’t even draw a basic sigil.”

She threw the door open with a sharp flick of her wrist and stepped outside, her golden robe fluttering behind her. “What are you waiting for?” she called over her shoulder, her tone sharp and impatient. “We’re starting from the basics, and I don’t have all day. I hope you have a decent head on your shoulders, or this will be a bigger waste of my time than training those geese you sent me.”

Henry didn’t hesitate, following her out the door. The long hem of his black coat dragged against the wooden floor as he stepped outside, the cold northern wind nipping at his face.