Mage Manual

Chapter 164: Chapter 148: Professor Selin and Shelf Life_3

Why had he come here?

…

After class, Freyja returned to her apartment and upon opening the door, was greeted by a delightful aroma.

“Welcome back, just in time for dinner.”

“…I’m home.”

As Ash finished setting the food, Freyja couldn’t wait to ask, “Did you go to Professor Selin’s class this afternoon?”

...

“Yes, did you see me?”

“Why did you suddenly decide to attend class?”

“Well, there were two reasons.”

Ash picked up Freyja’s cat who was busy with its food: “The first reason was to take Xiao Xian to the university’s medical center to see a Medical Practitioner.”

Freyja was taken aback, “Xiao Xian is sick?”

“Yes, congenital chondrodystrophy. I saw it sitting on the ground looking lethargic this afternoon and thought it might be uncomfortable, so I took it to see the Medical Practitioner. The practitioner said if we want to relieve its pain, it would need treatment almost every month.”

Freyja, feeling distressed, held the folded-eared cat in her arms, “Sorry, Xiao Xian, I didn’t know… thank you.”

Source: , updated on ɴονǤօ.ᴄο

“That’s great, I was worried you might blame me.”

“Why would I blame you?”

“If it hadn’t undergone treatment, Xiao Xian wouldn’t know that pain can be dispelled, nor would it realize how comfortable good health feels. It might find it very hard to endure any pain in the future and will need you to take it for treatment every month.”

As Ash browsed videos to watch while eating, he said, “I was afraid that you would blame me for causing you trouble.”

“What trouble?”

“Isn’t it troublesome to take Xiao Xian to the doctor every month?”

“Not at all!” Freyja shook her head, “Why would I find that troublesome? It shouldn’t have to suffer like this, you’ve rescued it from its illness, I can’t thank you enough.”

Ash glanced at her, “Well, that’s good… I’m actually quite surprised. You won’t accept any intimate relationships, but you can give your wholehearted and selfless devotion to a cat.”

“That’s different,” Freyja muttered, “Who’s as adorable as a cat? Plus, Xiao Xian won’t leave me; it’s a friend without an expiration date.”

Ash laughed, “You consider the expiration date when making friends?”

“What else?” Freyja asserted confidently, “If the expiration date is just a few hours, like a hired helper, then be polite and act cute like Meiwa for a few hours; if it’s a week to a few months, you can hang out during the holidays to bond, and chat about hobbies occasionally; if it’s for several years, then you should quickly discuss political views to rapidly judge if the person is suitable for deeper interaction. If there’s a fundamental conflict, you need to set boundaries immediately and avoid personal contact outside of work.”

“Then what does it take for you to feel like someone has a lifetime expiration date?”

Freyja paused, looked down, and hesitantly squeezed Xiao Xian’s paws, lifting them, “At least they have to be as adorable as Xiao Xian, right?”

Xiao Xian, overwhelmed by Freyja’s embrace, pushed away Meiwa’s aggressive cuddling with its paws. Freyja let it down and asked, “So going to see the Medical Practitioner was the first reason. What was the second?”

“Passed by the school, so I just decided to drop by and see how your class was going.” Ash answered casually, “Oh? ‘It’s My Fault for Saying I Like Milf’ has released its first episode, eh? Let’s watch that.”

“I actually wanted to continue watching ‘Teacoffee Detective Shop’…” Freyja poked the dish in front of her with her fork, “What’s so interesting about a class?”

“There’s nothing interesting.” Ash rolled up his noodles with a fork, “So I left after a glance.”

“How odd.” Freyja muttered, focusing on ‘The Curtain of Knowledge’ while eagerly eating her dish.

But her mind wasn’t on the food or the video.

For some reason, a strange and even slightly happy emotion was growing inside her.

Speaking of which, the Cult Leader’s expiration date was…

She forced herself not to think about that question.