Chapter 392: A Gift

The woman turned toward Nura and gave a subtle nod, accompanied by an amiable smile. "Hello, Nura. I’m Lea, a close friend of your instructor."

"Y-yes..." Nura muttered, momentarily captivated by the woman’s graceful appearance and gentle smile.

"She’s my best friend, to be more exact," a voice echoed from behind as a hand rested on Nura’s shoulder, making her jump in surprise.

Zura giggled as she walked past, carrying a tray of tea. "Skittish as ever, aren’t you?"

Nura felt heat rush to her cheeks, blushing in embarrassment once again as she tried to regain her composure. She quickly bowed her head to hide her red face.

"I brought some tea," Zura said, setting the tray down on the table between the couches. She gestured toward the seat opposite Lea. "Sit down, Nura. There’s no need to stand on ceremony here."

Nura nodded and carefully sat down, trying to keep her posture straight as her mind raced with questions. She glanced between Zura and Lea, wondering what kind of lesson this was supposed to be.

Zura poured tea for everyone, handed the first cup to Lea, then slid another across the table to Nura.

"I know you’re probably confused right now," Zura began, taking a seat beside her friend. "Truth is, I brought you here to give you that gift I mentioned yesterday."

Nura accepted her cup with both hands, taking a tiny sip before looking up with a puzzled look. "The gift... is it meeting your friend?"

"Haha, no, of course not~" Zura laughed again, then paused. "Well, in fact, getting to know Lea is a privilege on its own. But the gift I brought you here to receive is this."

Zura reached into her storage ring and retrieved a heat-insulated magic container. She set it down in the center of the table and popped open the lid.

A rich, savory steam rose into the air as the meal came into view: a vibrant, perfectly balanced dish of tender cuts of meat nestled over fluffy, fragrant rice, with aromatic vegetables glistening throughout.

Nura’s eyes widened slightly as the rich aroma reached her.

"Is this..." Nura started, her gaze shifting from the steaming meal back to Zura. "The gift?

"Mm. It’s a magic meal specifically made for you." Zura replied. "It will help you heal your damaged pathways and core, and will also strengthen your body."

A spark of genuine excitement lit up Nura’s face as she processed what that meant. Yet a second later, a wave of hesitation crossed her face. "Is it really alright for me to accept something this valuable?"

"Of course. Or..." Zura paused, tilting her head. "Do you not want to improve?"

Nura shook her head immediately. "No! I definitely want to get better!"

"Good," Zura smiled warmly. "If you like it and the effects work well, I’ll bring you more. But... you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone about this... Not even your family."

Nura’s expressive eyes flickered with doubt. She leaned forward slightly and asked cautiously, "Why?"

Zura’s playful tone vanished, her expression turning dead serious. "Because..."

Nura swallowed hard, her heart pounding as wild theories raced through her mind. Was this some forbidden food? Illegal? Or did it have some hidden side effect?

"Because you can surprise everyone when the time comes," Lea interjected smoothly from her wheelchair.

"Eh?" Nura blinked, her thoughts coming to a sudden halt.

Zura let out a long sigh of disappointment, throwing a dramatic glare toward her friend. "You ruined it, Lea! It was just starting to get good."

"What... what is actually going on?" Nura asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Don’t listen to her nonsense. She’s just playing with you," Lea said with a soft chuckle, shaking her head. She turned her eyes to Nura, her tone taking on a gentler tone. "However, she really did go through a lot of effort to get this meal for you. And the chef who made this food doesn’t want anyone to know about it or that they were the one who prepared it. If anyone asks, it’s fine to tell them you ate a magic meal. Just don’t mention where you got it, who gave it to you, or what kind of food it was."

"I see..." Nura muttered and nodded earnestly. "I swear I won’t say a word to anyone. My lips are sealed."

"Good girl," Lea said, her expression softening as she gestured toward the steaming container on the table. "Now, go on and eat before it gets cold."

Nura reached for the spoon, but her hand paused just above the container. She looked up at Lea with a touch of hesitation. "Um... Lady Lea, please, take the first bite. Or... maybe you could eat with me?"

Lea offered a small smile and shook her head. "You really are a sweet girl, but sorry, I already ate. And as you can see, I’m just an ordinary person now, so I can’t eat magic meals anyway."

Nura’s eyes widened in surprise. Her face instantly flushed as she realized her oversight. "Ah... I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to-"

"Don’t worry about it," Lea interrupted gently, waving off the apology.

"Alright, enough fussing," Zura chimed in, resting an arm over the back of the couch. "Don’t eat too much all at once. Take a few bites, then pause to absorb the mana and let it settle through your pathways first."

Nura nodded firmly, trying to steady her jittery nerves. She picked up the spoon and dipped it into the dish, bringing a single spoonful of the meat and rice to her mouth.

The moment the flavor hit her tongue, her eyes went wide. It tasted incredible, far beyond anything she had tasted in the academy’s kitchen or anywhere else she had visited until then. But even more surprising than the flavor was the sudden sensation that followed.

As soon as she swallowed, a wave of soothing warmth bloomed deep in her chest. The heat spread outward in soft ripples, sinking directly into her damaged mana pathways. The dull ache around her core eased, and the flow of mana became a bit smoother.

"A-Amazing..." She muttered in awe, then, recalling Zura’s advice, quickly closed her eyes and focused inward. She carefully guided the current through her mana pathways, allowing the magic food to take effect.

Zura and Lea attentively watched from the side, Zura ready to step in if anything went wrong. A few minutes later, Nura opened her eyes and let out a long breath, her face noticeably brighter.

"It really works just like you said, Teacher!"

"I told you." Zura chuckled with satisfaction. "Keep going at that pace. I’ll keep an eye on you while you eat."

Nura nodded enthusiastically and picked up her spoon again. Taking small portions at a time, she repeated the process: eating a few bites, closing her eyes, and carefully circulating warm energy through her pathways.

An hour passed, and the container gradually emptied until Nura finally set down her spoon, having finished every last drop.

"How do you feel?" Lea asked while lowering her cup.

"I feel great!" Nura smiled brightly. "Thank you"

She turned to Zura, her excitement bubbling over. "Teacher, look!"

Nura raised her open palm between them. "...Ignite."

A small fireball appeared above her hand and hovered steadily. Then the floating flame stretched and narrowed, molding itself into an arrow’s outline.

"Hmm..." Narrowing her eyes, she flicked her wrist, and the floating flame stretched into a small blade, melted into a swirling ring, then reshaped into an arrow. With another subtle shift of her mana, the fiery arrow dissolved into a cluster of swirling sparks and quickly split into roughly twenty thin needles suspended in midair.

As she continued to manipulate the flame, her control became smoother, without the usual strain or trembling that used to ruin her spells.

Zura’s eyes lit up as she clapped her hands together. "Amazing! Your control has already improved so much!"

"Hehe, it’s all thanks to the gift you gave me, Teacher!" Nura laughed, a bright spark of pure happiness lighting up her face.

For the first time in months, she felt genuine hope. Her damaged pathways were finally healing, and her strength was actually returning, all from just a single meal. Overwhelmed with relief, she stood up and bowed deeply to Zura.

"I will never forget this kindness, and I promise to work hard to repay you," Nura said earnestly.

Zura smiled and shook her head slightly. "The one you should be thanking isn’t me, but the person who cooked this for you."

"R-Rght," Nura straightened up, her curiosity piqued. "Then... Is it possible to meet that person? I really want to thank them in person."

Zura shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. Because he’s currently in seclusion. But once he comes out, I’ll try to arrange a meeting for the two of you."

"Thank you!"

"Haha, don’t get your hopes up too high just yet. I honestly have no idea when he’ll actually finish his seclusion."

"That’s alright. I can wait as long as it takes."