The Mentor's Hardcore Wingman

Early morning, Norrent Castle, the exclusive training ground of the Rose Courtyard.

The atmosphere of today's morning practice seemed a bit bizarre. Aria, who usually acted like she had been injected with adrenaline the moment she grabbed her Nimbus 2000 Custom broom, was sitting listlessly on the steps today, looking as deflated as a popped balloon.

Sigh...

This was already the eighteenth sigh Aria had let out this morning.

The sound was heavier than the broken old bellows in the castle's back kitchen, exuding a thick sense of despair and self-doubt.

Lynch was holding a wrench, tweaking a little gadget he had built based on a recently dropped system blueprint reward.

Hearing these endless sighs, he stopped what he was doing, stood up, and wiped his hands with the towel hanging around his neck.

I say, young lady, what's with you today?

Lynch walked over to Aria, looking down at the curly-haired girl whose face was written all over with depression. Usually, you get mad at me if I even make you rest for five minutes. Today, your broom is getting cold, and you're not even going up for a few laps? Are you giving up on your revenge against the Ice Wolf family?

Revenge? What am I supposed to use for revenge...

Aria rested her chin in her hands, staring blankly at the ants on the ground. Brother Lynch, tell me... am I just a useless piece of trash with no talent for magic?

Huh?

Lynch was taken aback. This girl had not only mastered the high-pressure air cannon but could also break the sound barrier riding a jet-propelled broom. If she was considered useless trash, wouldn't those academic mages outside who were still bitterly memorizing incantations be worse off than paramecia?

What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Who brought you down? Lynch frowned. Could it be that when he was away yesterday, that young master of the Ice Wolf family came over barking again?

No one else, just myself.

Aria looked up. Her large eyes, which were usually full of fighting spirit, were now brimming with grievance.

She hesitated for a long time before she finally spilled the beans, recounting to Lynch exactly what happened yesterday when she went to the magic workshop to find Asik to test the romance buff.

...And that's what happened.

Aria curled her lips, her face full of frustration. Teacher Lokina clearly said that as long as there is physical contact, a romance resonance would be generated, thereby granting a Joyful Mood Aura, and it could even double the power of my magic.

But yesterday, I clearly grabbed Asik's hand so hard! I even stared right at him! And the result? Let alone doubling my power, the magic power inside my body didn't even make a splash! In fact, because his palms were so sweaty, I just felt it was a bit slippery and got a little distracted!

Brother Lynch, tell me, is it because my magic circuits are defective and naturally insulated, so I can't be compatible with this top-tier dual cultivation buff?

Pfft—

Hearing this, Lynch couldn't hold it in anymore and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Romance resonance? Dual cultivation buff? Grabbing someone's hand to check your mana pool?!

Lynch's brain worked in overdrive, instantly piecing together the truth of the matter.

It was definitely Lokina, that charlatan who did nothing but loaf around the castle all day and had never been in a relationship in her life. In order to look profound in front of her student, she had solemnly instilled in Aria this outrageous view of romance that sounded like grinding monsters and stacking buffs in an RPG game!

The worst part was that Aria, an absolute battle maniac, actually believed it completely and went out to put it into practice!

That innocent nerd named Asik had probably already thought of names for their future children at that moment, right? Yet this girl merely treated him as a low-level mana potion that didn't even restore any mana?!

Hahahaha...

Lynch was already rolling on the floor laughing in his mind, but he knew that if he laughed out loud right now, it would severely damage the pride of this pure girl who was harboring dreams of becoming stronger.

As a qualified mentor and part-time troll, Lynch decided that not only would he not expose this beautiful lie, but he would also add fuel to the fire.

Ahem!

Lynch coughed twice abruptly, forcefully suppressing the rising corners of his mouth, and put on an extremely serious, highly academic expression.

Aria, don't be in such a hurry to doubt yourself.

Lynch walked over and sat down beside her, speaking earnestly. Regarding this... uh, romance resonance, Teacher Lokina's theoretical direction is correct. However, on a practical level, she overlooked an extremely important variable!

A variable? Hearing an academic term, Aria immediately perked up and pulled a small notebook out of her pocket. What variable?

Environment and bandwidth!

Lynch solemnly began his great endeavor of bluffing. Think about it. Wasn't that magic workshop filled with metal gears, scrapped magic crystals, and the pungent smell of machine oil?

Yes, what about it?

Exactly! Lynch slapped his thigh. A place filled with industrial noise and chaotic magnetic fields is the most likely to interfere with the romance magnetic field! It's like trying to listen to someone talk while standing under a waterfall. Can you hear them clearly? Your emotional resonance bandwidth was squeezed out by the environment. How could any magic power possibly be transmitted?

Aria's eyes widened in sudden realization. So that's it! No wonder I didn't feel anything except his sweaty palms! The magnetic field was being interfered with!

That's right.

Lynch held back his laughter and continued his hardcore guidance. Furthermore, romance resonance isn't just simple physical contact. It requires a process of preheating and synchronization.

Running over and grabbing someone's hand, expecting to siphon mana... ahem, expecting to resonate, is like flooring the gas pedal right after a cold start. It's a miracle the engine doesn't stall!

Then... then what should I do? Aria asked humbly for advice.

Very simple.

Lynch revealed a smile fit for an old fox. Take him to a place with no magical interference, a beautiful environment, and a relaxing atmosphere. For example, the commercial street in town.

You two can stroll down the street, eat some street snacks, and naturally take his hand during the process. Don't think about magic output. Just feel the sunlight, the breeze, and the warmth of his palm.

You need to hold hands and walk around for at least an hour to let your magic circuits and heart rates synchronize completely. By then, that so-called Joyful Mood Aura will naturally trigger on its own.

Aria nodded repeatedly, as if a door to a whole new world had been opened for her.

Window shopping... eating snacks... holding hands for an hour... synchronizing heart rates...

She rapidly jotted down Lynch's supreme directives in her little notebook, her eyes once again burning with blazing fighting spirit.

I get it now! Brother Lynch! Yesterday's failure was because I was too impatient and didn't do a good job with the preheating!

Aria suddenly stood up, grabbed the broom next to her, and declared, "I'm going to find Asik right now! I must establish this 'resonance bandwidth' today! Ice Wolf family, you better wash your necks and wait for me!"

Watching Aria's back as she rushed out of the Rose Courtyard like a whirlwind, Lynch finally couldn't help but clutch his stomach and burst into laughter.

"Oh man... this silly girl..."

Lynch laughed so hard that tears almost came to his eyes.

He could only imagine the massive critical hit of happiness that pure-hearted boy, Asik, would suffer when faced with Aria's wolf-like demand to "hold hands and go shopping."

"Whatever, I'll just act as a wingman for the young folks this once."

Lynch stood up and stretched. Aria wasn't getting any younger anyway. Although Asik came from a commoner background, he was indeed a hardworking magic nerd. Ever since Lynch met him, the kid had been putting in a lot of effort.

Pairing him with this muscle-brained young lady was actually a wonderful kind of complementarity.

A perfect match, if you ask me.

...

In the afternoon.

The commercial street of Broken Gold Town was bustling with noise and excitement.

As an important trade hub in the North, Broken Gold Town welcomed a large number of merchant caravans and mercenaries after the beginning of spring. Both sides of the street were lined with a dazzling array of goods, ranging from fine steel daggers forged by dwarves to specialty spices from the Elven Forest.

Lynch was in a good mood today, so he deliberately took a half-day off to go out and buy some fresh ingredients for a hotpot dinner.

Carrying a basket full of magic-vein beef and fresh snow fish, he was just about to head to the spice shop ahead to buy some bay leaves.

Right at that moment.

"Brother Lynch!!!"

A passionate, even slightly voice-cracking shout rang out from the crowd.

Lynch turned his head, only to see a young boy wearing black-framed glasses and a gray apprentice robe charging toward him through the crowd like a wild boar in heat.

The boy was carrying bags of all sizes in his hands—candies on a stick, meat skewers, and a few roughly made rag dolls. He looked like a Christmas tree hung full of presents.

It was Asik.

Asik rushed up to Lynch, and before Lynch could even speak, the young man actually gave a standard ninety-degree bow.

"Brother Lynch! Please accept my bow!"

Asik's eyes were red, and behind his lenses flashed a look of intense fanaticism and gratitude. His posture made it seem as if Lynch wasn't a private tutor, but his second parent.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, there's no need for that."

Lynch was startled by the dramatic display and quickly helped him up with one hand. "Isn't this Asik? Why the grand gesture? Did you just come back from restocking goods?"

"No! This isn't restocking! This is the testimony of my happiness!"

Asik was so excited he was practically incoherent. He leaned in close to Lynch, lowered his voice, and spoke in a dreamy tone as if he had just won a five-million-dollar lottery, "Brother Lynch, I heard everything from Lady Aria... It was you! You were the one who told her to come find me!"

"You are simply my god! My guiding light!"

Looking at Asik's dizzy, walking-on-clouds demeanor, Lynch fought back a smile and knowingly asked, "What's going on? Did that girl go looking for you today?"

"She did! Not only did she look for me, but..."

Asik swallowed hard, a blush spreading all the way to the base of his neck.

He nervously looked around, as if afraid someone might snatch away his treasure, and then carefully enunciated every word, "The young lady... she held my hand."

"And she held it for over an hour!"

Recalling that dreamlike hour, Asik felt that even if he were to die right now, he would have zero regrets.

Just this noon, while he was still in the workshop feeling heartbroken over the young lady's baffling behavior yesterday, Aria suddenly appeared before him again like a goddess descending to earth.

Then, without any explanation, she grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the commercial street.

"Brother Lynch said we need to establish 'bandwidth' under the sun, in a place without magical interference!"

Those were Aria's exact words at the time.

Although Asik was a magic nerd, he swore he had never seen the word "bandwidth" in any magical tome. Even when Aria, munching on a candied hawthorn stick, earnestly squeezed his hand and asked, "Is your heart rate synchronized? Why haven't I felt the magic power double yet?", Asik was completely dumbfounded.

Magic power doubling? Heart rate synchronization?

What kind of cutting-edge enchanting theory was this?!

But! Did that matter?!

It didn't matter at all!!!

Asik looked at Lynch, his eyes shimmering with the hot tears of a pure-hearted boy. "Brother Lynch, I know that the 'romantic resonance' and 'happy mood aura' the young lady talked about sound very abstract, maybe even like some unorthodox cultivation method..."

"I'm guessing the young lady might just be practicing some peculiar meditation technique that requires a two-person coordination, and I was simply chosen to be her 'magic testing socket'."

Asik was a smart person. From Aria's hilariously technical jargon, he vaguely guessed the truth—the young lady didn't understand romance at all; she just wanted to get stronger.

At this point, Asik paused for a moment, but then he raised his head, his gaze becoming incredibly resolute.

"But, I don't care!"

Asik tightly hugged the snacks and trinkets in his arms. "This is the first time in my life... I've officially, openly held a girl's hand! And it's the hand of my favorite Lady Aria!"

"When she held my hand and walked through that noisy street, I felt... I felt like I could challenge a dragon for her!"

"Brother Lynch, even if she treats me like a testing instrument to provide 'bandwidth' for the rest of her life, even if she only ever holds my hand to test magic... I am completely willing!"

Looking at this "super simp... no, pure love warrior" who was humble to the bone yet movingly sincere, a trace of emotion inexplicably rose in Lynch's heart.

This kid might be a bit dense, but his purity and sincerity were rarer than high-tier magic crystals in this alternate world full of scheming and profit.

For that idiot Aria, who knew nothing but fighting, to meet a boy willing to unconditionally tolerate all her outrageous behavior was actually a blessing.

"Alright, wipe that look off your face like you're about to march into battle."

Lynch smiled and patted Asik on the shoulder, his eyes growing as gentle as an old father's. "Asik, you're a smart boy. The fact that you can see through the essence of her absurd theories shows you are much more mature than she is."

"Brother Lynch..." Asik felt a bit overwhelmed by the unexpected praise.

"Listen."

Lynch put away his joking expression and seriously imparted his ultimate wingman wisdom. That girl Aria grew up in a castle. Her head is filled with nothing but swordsmanship and magic. Her understanding of romance is probably only slightly better than a rock.

It is not a bad thing that she treats you as an EXP pack right now. At the very least, she is willing to let you get close to her.

You do not need to correct her bizarre theories. If she wants to hold hands to measure heart rates, just obediently let her do it. If she wants to go shopping to build bandwidth, then buy her favorite candied haws in advance.

Affection grows over time, understand? When you become the person in her life who she is used to having around even without providing magic buffs, this so-called romantic resonance will naturally fall into place.

Lynch's words were like sunlight piercing through the clouds, instantly illuminating the confusion in Asik's heart.

I understand!

Asik excitedly pushed up his glasses. I am going to take on a few more private enchanting jobs right now! I need to save up money to take the young miss to eat at the most expensive barbecue restaurant in town tomorrow! I will provide her with the highest level Aura of Joy!

Go on, kid. I am rooting for you.

Lynch smiled and waved his hand. Take it easy, though. Do not feed her so much that she gets fat, or her broom will not be able to fly.

Thank you for your teachings, Big Brother Lynch! Goodbye!

Asik bowed deeply once again, then, like a warrior pumped full of adrenaline, sprinted toward the magic workshop carrying his various bags and packages.

Watching the youth's receding figure, Lynch carried his grocery basket and leisurely continued his walk home.

It is great to be young...

Lynch sighed emotionally. Soon after, the image of his own witch wife surfaced in his mind—usually aloof and elegant, but under the covers, she would get so embarrassed by a single teasing remark that she would kick him.

Still, my wife with her adorable contrasting traits is much more interesting.

The corners of Lynch's mouth turned up. I will make a spicy snow fish pot tonight, and while I am at it... maybe I will test the waters about her tail again? Hehe...