Aside from the four familiar faces from Stormwind, the other four warriors queuing for entry were no ordinary individuals either. Although Cassus didn't recognize them immediately, he was still intimidated by the lineup of customers.
Unlike others, Sandar, who had spent a long time underground, had a temperament as unpredictable and shifting as a Warlock's sinister demonic spells.
He mocked, "Yo! I was wondering who it was. Making such a grand show of authority outside—turns out it's the illustrious material vendor under the Archbishop... oh wait, my mistake. It's the 'venerable' Brother Cassus of the Archbishop's staff."
"No wonder. Such a great man sees the leader of Northshire Abbey and calls him directly by name without even a word of greeting. Tsk tsk, if it were me, I wouldn't dare put on such airs."
Hearing Sandar's words, Cassus gritted his teeth in hatred, but he couldn't erupt in front of this particular crowd.
A leader of the Mages, a leader of the Warlocks, and a highly respected Marshal—not to mention a lowly vendor like him who stayed at the Cathedral to sell sacrificial and spell materials to pilgrims from afar—even Archbishop Benedictus himself would have to show these people some respect.
Since the founding of the Brotherhood of Northshire, all middle and high-ranking human priests were required to further their studies at Northshire Abbey. In the last ten years, it had become the sole academy for training novice priests in the Kingdom of Stormwind.
Although McBride was a warrior, as the leader of Northshire and the actual administrator of the Abbey, almost all priests took pride in calling him "Teacher," representing that their path in the Holy Light was of orthodox lineage.
Cassus quickly placed his right hand over his chest and bowed to McBride.
Scornful laughter immediately erupted from many people both inside and outside the shop.
Cassus was fuming, but at the end of the day, even if he was just a vendor, he was still a member of the Cathedral of Light. He figured that as long as he didn't actively provoke these "big shots," they wouldn't stoop to go out of their way to trouble him. However, he had to reclaim his dignity after that insult. If he could sit down in this net cafe alongside them today, word would spread that he was on equal footing with such figures.
He shouted, as if purposefully letting Sandar hear him: "Little girl! Arrange a seat for me, now!"
Wayne had just whispered a few words into Tess's ear. Tess understood and now raised her head, looking at Cassus. "Mister, do you have money on you?"
Cassus: "What kind of talk is that? I have enough money to buy this whole place!"
Tess: "Is the money on you actually yours? You didn't come out today to restock supplies using public funds, did you?"
As soon as these words were out, many people in the queue and those watching the live stream outside smirked. Even if Tess hadn't said it, they had already guessed as much.
Wayne's net cafe fees were notoriously expensive; it was common knowledge in the player circles now. Even someone like Dughan, a local official, couldn't support regular consumption at the net cafe on his salary alone.
The Cathedral of Light was the tallest building in Stormwind, a beacon and lighthouse for all Alliance faithful who followed the Holy Light.
Cassus's role at the Cathedral was much like a vendor selling incense and candles at a mundane temple. Many might not know his name, but they recognized his face.
While work was not defined by status, everyone had a general idea of how much such a job paid per month. Trying to act like a big spender in Wayne's net cafe was a bit of a stretch.
Seeing himself exposed by Tess and being ridiculed by the crowd, Cassus lost his temper. His hand moved involuntarily as he reached out to grab her.
Before his hand could even fully extend, his body was teleported to the open ground outside the net cafe. He was left dizzy and doubled over, unable to move, as if he had just taken a heavy punch to the gut.
The change happened so fast that no one saw what had occurred. Even Tess looked at Wayne in surprise, as if asking: Boss, was that you?
Wayne shrugged, neither admitting nor denying it. Inwardly, he knew the net cafe's defense mechanism had been triggered.
Cassus recovered from his dizziness, filled with both shock and rage. "What did you do to me?!"
Wayne shouted back at him, "You've been blacklisted. This shop will never serve you again."
Cassus wiped his mouth and began chanting. "I am an orthodox priest of the Abbey! Did you think I'd be afraid of you if I didn't fight back?"
He raised his hands and began to cast "Smite."
Hum!
A sound rang in Cassus's ear, and a faint blue light hit him. His spell was interrupted.
However, because the noon sun was high and bright, the crowd still couldn't see what was happening.
"Counterspell?!" Cassus was startled. Seeing that neither Wayne nor Tess had moved, and no one nearby was casting toward him, his first reaction was: Who is ambushing me?
He waited a moment for the silence effect to wear off and began chanting again, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
Hum!
His spell was interrupted once more.
The onlookers, who had thought Cassus was about to attack, had instinctively stepped back. A few had considered stepping in to mediate, but what they saw instead was Cassus's hands gathering a bit of golden Holy Light energy only for it to vanish instantly, then gather again and vanish again.
He looked like a child who had just started learning to cast and couldn't control his mana properly.
Laughter and head-shaking resumed among the crowd.
Cassus's face first turned a deep, angry red, then immediately turned deathly pale.
He was angry because someone was clearly playing with him, but he was terrified because he realized the only people present capable of repeatedly and silently using the Mage-exclusive "Counterspell" were the two Archmages playing games inside.
Andromath went without saying, but even if Old Marlin looked like a pedantic old scholar, his status and position were still not something Cassus could provoke directly.
"Just you wait! I'm going back to report you to the Archbishop for publicly insulting the clergy!"
Cassus spat the threat at Wayne and Tess before turning and leaving, accompanied by Tess's "farewell" of "Safe travels, don't ever come back!"
After he left, order was restored. With such a display, even if people complained about the queue, no one dared to cause trouble again.
Wayne took Tess to the inn for lunch. She asked him, "Boss, why didn't you let me teach him a lesson? He's no match for me."
Wayne said softly, "Oh, so our great Young Lady is ready to show off her skills openly? Ready to tell..."
Tess: "Hmph, stop talking nonsense! What 'King Gigi'..."
"So, Boss, it was your doing that he couldn't cast spells?"
Wayne: "Had nothing to do with me. I don't know."
Tess frowned. "The fact that you say that means you know! Tell me!"
Wayne: "Then tell me, who is the contact person?"
Tess: "You..."
Wayne: "See, it's a recursive loop."
Hearing him mention her codename within SI:7, Tess blushed. "Don't say my codename! You lazy cat!"
Wayne: "By the way, we're opening a new shop. We'll be moving to a place about fifteen minutes' walk from here."
Tess's eyes lit up. "Oh? Finally, we won't be cramped together? No more queuing?"
Wayne nodded. Just then, the toasted bread and roasted quail were served, and he began to dig in.
Tess: "Wait, didn't you fail to buy a place when you went out last time?"
Wayne smirked. "No need to buy. Someone is going to give it to me."
Tess immediately put on an adorable expression. "Then Boss... considering how hard I work for you... having to endure being yelled at by mean old men, and having to clean and organize the rooms day and night..."
Wayne pretended to consider it for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I suppose... but..."
Tess: "But what?"
Wayne: "But the new place is a bit far from this inn, and I'm getting tired of eating the food here all the time."
Tess was only twelve, after all. She didn't realize a pit was being dug for her. She continued to flatter him: "Exactly! I've only been here a few days and I've already eaten everything on the menu. It's the same few things over and over. How about this, Boss—I'll go to other shops to get takeout for you later?"
Wayne licked the grease off his fingers. "How about this: besides the larger area, I'll set up a kitchen in the new shop. You should spend this week learning to cook. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask Thomas, the chef here. I'll pay the tuition."
Tess was stunned into silence, but Wayne kept going. "From now on, buying groceries and cooking will be your responsibility. You decide what to make, as long as it's good..."
Clatter!
The half-eaten quail in Tess's hand fell back into the bowl. Tears began to well up in her eyes.