Faerun: The arcane mage is still too imprisoned.

Arya's lips curved into a beautiful smile: "That's wonderful. Old Bert is already preparing. Shall we meet at the restaurant in half an hour?"

"it is good."

"I'd be honored to accept your offer," Lance replied with a smile.

Arya led Lillian out of the study. As they reached the door, she turned back, her long, fiery red hair cascading over her shoulder in an arc. "By the way, Mr. Lance... you look great in that dark blue robe today, it suits your eyes very well."

After saying that, she blinked and turned to leave.

Lance stood still, raising an eyebrow.

"Is this... teasing?"

He looked down at the dark blue mage robe he was wearing—the one that Cielsa had picked out for him when they went shopping a couple of days ago.

It seems to be working well now.

……

The Silvers family's restaurant was more welcoming than Lance had imagined.

The long oak dining table was illuminated at only one end, with three high-backed chairs placed opposite each other. The magic crystals on the candlesticks emitted a soft white light, illuminating the tabletop covered with a deep red tablecloth.

The dishes were all served: perfectly roasted ribs drizzled with a dark sauce, accompanied by creamy baked potatoes and roasted vegetables, and a basket of freshly baked bread, filling the air with an enticing aroma.

Arya sat in the main seat, Lance to her right, and Lillian to her left.

"These are all home-style dishes; I hope they suit your taste." Arya raised her glass, which was filled with amber-colored wine. "A toast to our first collaboration."

Lance raised his glass in response: "To talent and sweat."

The glasses clinked lightly, making a crisp sound. Lillian also raised her juice glass and carefully touched it to the two adults' glasses.

The meal was quiet, with only the soft clatter of cutlery against the plates. Arya's table manners were impeccable; every movement was elegant and perfectly executed.

Lillian, on the other hand, was clearly still in the learning stage, occasionally glancing at her mother and imitating her actions.

"Mr. Lance," Arya cut off a small piece of rib and asked casually, "you said before that it wasn't the goddess of magic who created the magic network, but rather the magic network that created the goddess... That's an interesting statement. Could you elaborate?"

Lance put down his glass: "We believe that the Magic Web is one of the fundamental structures of the universe, on par with matter, energy, and time."

"Ladies Mystra—or rather, the goddesses of magic throughout history—are essentially the embodiment of the will of the magic network, administrators born from the magic network for its own maintenance and management."

Arya pondered, "So, the power of mages is actually borrowed from the magic network?"

"To be more precise, it's applying for usage rights," Lance corrected.

"When we learn spell models, we are essentially understanding the grammar of the magic network; chanting spells is making requests with the correct pronunciation; making gestures is outlining the format of an application form."

"When everything is right and there are no surprises, the magic network will respond and weave the effects we need into reality."

"Spellcasters with higher spellcasting attributes, a stronger connection between their mind and the magic network, and the ability to enter deeper into the magic network will gain higher authority over the magic network."

"These people don't need to be so strict when casting spells; they can even cast spells instantly with just a thought."

Lillian was so engrossed in listening that she forgot to put the potato on her fork into her mouth.

Lillian was listening intently, the potato on her fork hovering in mid-air. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her, and she couldn't help but ask:

"What if the Magic Network disagrees?"

"The Magic Network itself doesn't have the concept of 'agree' or 'disagree'," Lance said with a smile, shaking his head.

"It exists and operates naturally, just like mountains, the sky, and the earth."

"But—" Lance's expression turned serious.

"The magic network has no will, but the manager it created—the goddess of magic Mystra—has a will."

"As for what Mystra is..."

"Among the mage community, there is a classic saying—"

"The Goddess of Magic is a stinky symbol!"

"Mystra has a history of using her network administrator privileges to disconnect the network at crucial moments when mages are doing their work."

"Mystra is different from most other gods in the Pantheon; her power comes entirely from the magic network."

"Therefore, she doesn't need followers, and naturally, she doesn't care how the mage community views her."

"Therefore, high-level mages often find ways to bypass the goddess of magic's authority and use the magic network."

"Ugh~" Lillian frowned, looking somewhat disappointed and unhappy. "That goddess of magic is such a wicked thing! And I used to admire her so much!"

"The goddess of magic doesn't need anyone's worship," Lance chuckled. "But your habit of worshipping without permission and then being disappointed without permission is not good; you should change it."

"When was the goddess of magic cutting off the magic network access?" Arya suddenly interjected, giving Lance a mischievous smile.

"Yes, yes, I want to know too," Lillian said expectantly.

Lance: "..."

"Don't ask me that."

Lance turned his head away, refusing to look at them. "Even if you insist on asking, all I can say is—the Goddess of Magic is a worthless symbol!"

Arya smiled gently.

Lillian was completely bewildered.

But since the teacher said so, she decided not to ask that question.

"So what would happen to a mage if the goddess of magic disconnected the internet while the mage was casting a spell?" Lillian blinked and asked again.

"Then the spell will fail." Lance shrugged. "At best, the spell will be ineffective; at worst, there will be a magical backlash, and your brain will explode."

"Is it that serious?!" Lillian froze, startled by the words "brain explosion".

The juice glass in her hand jerked violently, and a few drops of amber liquid splashed onto the tablecloth, quickly spreading into a small dark stain.

[A magical trick!]

Lance used a spell to cleanse himself.

"Therefore, a monk must be meticulous; every syllable and every gesture must be correct."

"Even so, we can only stay safe as long as the internet connection remains constant. If the goddess of magic loses her connection, we're doomed."

Arya chuckled. "That sounds much more complicated than swordsmanship. When I was learning swordsmanship, my father only said, 'Cut accurately, use force, and cut faster.' That's all you need."

"Each has their own difficulties," Lance smiled. "Warriors need to hone their bodies, and mages need to temper their spirits. In the end, it's all about pursuing a path that transcends the mundane."

These words deepened Arya's gaze. She raised her glass and clinked it against Lance's again: "To the path of the extraordinary."

Dinner continued in a relaxed atmosphere. Arya would occasionally ask questions about magical theory, which Lance answered one by one, explaining things in simple terms.

Lillian listened quietly most of the time, occasionally interjecting with childish questions, which Lance answered patiently.

Dessert was honey-baked apples with ice cream. As the last bite of dessert was finished, old Bert appeared silently and took away the cutlery.