Early morning…

Merlin stepped out of his dormitory and glanced at the large clock standing beside the main building.

'It's already eight o'clock? I need to go to Lisa's place, then meet Nivis,' he whispered softly.

Coincidentally, Luna had activities today, giving him some time to himself.

Along the way, Merlin passed many new students. As usual, no one dared to approach him.

That was because he had taken first place in the test a few days ago.

'It looks like I'll have a hard time making friends,' he chuckled to himself.

Well, he didn't really care. Building relationships was important, but he still had to be selective when choosing friends.

Of course, he was targeting supporting characters or those with the potential to become strong in the future.

That way, one day, he would have a much better chance of defeating the evil god Volgrath.

Merlin continued walking, and before he realized it, he had arrived at the academy cafeteria.

The atmosphere there was lively, filled with students searching for breakfast.

Since they were still new students, they didn't have many mandatory activities yet.

So most of them chose to relax and enjoy their days before the general tests for the next wave of students began.

After all, once that time came, they wouldn't have the chance to relax like this anymore.

As usual, Merlin headed straight to Lisa's food shop. By coincidence, he hadn't had breakfast yet, and his stomach was already growling.

When he arrived, the shop was very quiet, without a single customer.

In contrast, the shops next to it were crowded. Even if they weren't full, at least five to ten students were queuing to buy food.

Merlin saw Lisa kneading dough in the kitchen and immediately greeted her. "Good morning, Aunt Lisa. Am I disturbing you?"

Lisa looked surprised at first, then quickly smiled when she saw him.

"Disturb me? How could that be, Young Master Merlin? Please sit down. I'll prepare breakfast for you. As usual, right?"

"Yes, as usual." Merlin smiled and gave a small nod.

He walked to the back and sat down, observing the bustling atmosphere around him.

It didn't take long for the food to arrive. There was bread, milk, corn soup, and neatly cut fruit.

Not to be forgotten, Lisa also prepared a strawberry cake topped with white cream that looked delicious.

"Thank you, Aunt Lisa," Merlin said cheerfully. "I'll eat now."

Lisa giggled. "You're welcome, young master. Please enjoy."

After that, she turned and left, not wanting to disturb Merlin's breakfast.

Merlin tore the bread in half, dipped one piece into the corn soup, and ate it.

"Mmm! It tastes so good!" His eyes sparkled.

No matter how many times he ate it, Lisa's cooking never grew boring.

Buzz!

A flash of light suddenly appeared, and Lyserra emerged from it.

She was in her cat form so as not to attract the attention of the people around her.

As soon as she saw Merlin eating so happily, Lyserra grew curious.

Without letting him notice her presence, Lyserra approached and ate half of his strawberry cake.

"Delicious!" Lyserra was shocked.

The taste was truly unique—the sweetness of the cream mixed with the sourness of the strawberries, creating a perfect combination of flavors.

Without a second thought, she ate the other half of the cake, chewing with a satisfied expression.

Merlin realized it a moment later and froze.

"Lyserra, what are you doing?" he protested unhappily. "Why did you eat my cake?"

The cake was the last dish he usually enjoyed after he was full.

Eating it while watching the other students was something he always looked forward to.

But now, his cake was gone, eaten by Lyserra, and his heart ached.

Lyserra licked her lips and snorted softly.

"Humph! It's just a small cake, yet you're so angry with me. What a stingy man."

The corner of Merlin's mouth twitched slightly. Lyserra didn't know how precious that strawberry cake was, and explaining it to her would be pointless.

"Young Master Merlin, there's no need to be angry with your guardian spirit. I've prepared another cake, so don't worry."

Lisa's gentle voice pulled him out of his gloom.

Merlin looked up and saw Lisa carrying two small plates, each holding a strawberry cake.

"Thank goodness…" Merlin sighed in relief, a smile returning to his face.

Seeing his reaction, Lyserra rolled her eyes, as if mocking him.

Still, she had to admit one undeniable truth—the cake was indeed delicious.

Lisa placed one plate in front of Merlin and the other in front of Lyserra.

"Eat up, little cat. I know you like it," Lisa said kindly as she patted Lyserra on the head.

Merlin almost laughed but quickly held it back.

Lyserra glared at him, filled with anger and dissatisfaction.

Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything and could only grumble to herself.

The presence of Merlin and Lyserra naturally attracted the attention of the surrounding students.

Merlin was the champion and quite famous among the first wave.

So when they saw him sitting in that empty shop and eating so enthusiastically, their curiosity was piqued.

"Hey, it's the champion! He looks like he's really enjoying his meal there. Want to try eating there?" a student asked excitedly.

"Eat there? Are you sure? Don't you see that the tables and chairs look a bit old?" His friend replied hesitantly.

"Don't worry about that. Who knows, maybe the shop owner doesn't have the money to replace them yet? Besides, the floor is clean, and everything is neatly arranged. Let's try it," the student persuaded him.

His friend had no reason to argue and finally followed.

Not only those two, but other students also began to flock to Lisa's food shop.

Merlin's presence was like a magnet, drawing the attention of everyone around him.

Seeing the sudden influx of students, Lisa was clearly surprised.

For the first time, her shop—usually quiet—was quickly filled with customers.

Without a second thought, she immediately began serving them.

"Pfft! Merlin, it looks like your special treatment is about to end. See those students? They're here to eat. Once they taste how good that woman's cooking is, you won't even find a seat later," Lyserra teased, giggling.

Merlin flinched and looked up at the commotion around him.

However, instead of getting angry as Lyserra expected, he remained calm and indifferent.

"It's fine. I'm actually happy to see this," he replied casually. "With so many customers, Lisa's business will only grow. That's good news."

He took a sip of his corn soup and finished it in one go.

Lyserra stared at Merlin for a moment, then smiled faintly.

"You haven't changed."

She bit into her strawberry cake and squirmed happily.

Merlin also resumed eating his cake, enjoying the sight of students filling the tables around him.

Suddenly, he placed his plate on the table and stood up.

Seeing this, Lyserra was startled. "What are you going to do?"

Merlin glanced at her and answered calmly, "Help Lisa, of course."

Lyserra: "…"

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