Book 1 Chapter 709

709.

That evening.

The atmosphere in the Bell Tower dormitory was quite different from the awkwardness of the morning.

"Don't come over here! I warned you!"

"You'd better not come over here yourselves!"

First-year students drew lines in the common garden and growled.

They were students from the Department of Summoning and the Department of Magic.

Cale, who was watching them from the common garden, clicked his tongue.

"They really became complete enemies in just one day."

As Cale clicked his tongue, Eliza, who was sipping tea in front of him, replied.

"Because Leo Plov wanted something like this."

"How was Professor Yura's class?"

At Cale's question, Eliza curled the corners of her lips.

"You're trying to figure out the trends of the Summoning Department through me?"

"Information is important. If possible, I intend to continue actively interacting with kids from other departments too."

"Is that so? Good luck with that."

"So? How was Professor Yura's class?"

"Hmm? For free?"

As Eliza glared, Cale took out a small bundle from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Upon checking the contents, it contained a small glass bottle filled with glass pellets.

"Crystal Fruit?"

Eliza also looked a little surprised.

It was a fruit highly preferred among summoners as it could increase intimacy with phantom beasts, which liked the food.

However, it was an extremely rare item that could only be found deep in the forest where nature's energy was concentrated, making it difficult for even Eliza, the successor of the Hergin family, to acquire easily.

"I got it from Lumeria City."

"It seems quite expensive for the price of information?"

As Eliza gave a suspicious look, Cale shrugged his shoulders.

"Because I want to make a good impression on you."

"What?"

Eliza was flustered by the sudden remark.

Cale laughed, looking at such an Eliza.

"Our store opens next month. You have to grant my wish then, you know."

"…"

"But no matter how much I think about it, I feel like you might hit me when you get angry after it's over."

Cale put on a serious expression.

Eliza had promised Cale last year that she would grant his wish within the limits of what she could do when she advanced to her third year.

Cale's one request to Eliza was.

Cale's store.

That is, he asked her to become a store clerk for Cale's General Store, which was opening in Lumeria City.

Among students, quite a few go to Lumeria City for short-term part-time jobs on weekends.

This is because there are many expenses when attending Lumerin.

One of the most typical part-time jobs was private tutoring.

Every year, people who wish to enroll in Lumerin pour in from all over the world.

As such, many also wish to receive private lessons from students already admitted to Lumerin.

Of course, due to the academic culture of Lumerin, where students must constantly develop themselves and compete with others, not many students spend their weekend teaching others.

But it was still a preferred part-time job because it could earn a lot of money.

In addition, there are students who solve requests that do not flow into Lumerin Academy.

Knight Department students take on subjugation or escort requests.

Magic Department students take on assistant requests from famous magicians.

Summoning Department students take on requests to soothe angry spirits or phantom beasts that are causing harm to humans, and so on.

The fields are diverse.

However, there are hardly any students who work as store clerks.

"…"

Looking at the silent Eliza, Cale took out one more beautifully wrapped bundle.

"And this."

"What is it?"

"Our store clerk uniform. I designed it myself."

"What do you even think of me, the successor of the Hergin family?"

"Hmph. A part-timer whom I'll have to treat as a boss in the future?"

Cale gave a thumbs-up.

"If you work as a clerk, the store's promotional effect will surely be tremendous."

"Just having you as the store owner should be enough, shouldn't it?"

Cale is already a globally famous person.

"Aw, come on. Is one person the same as two? And you're pretty, aren't you? Because of that alone, there will be a lot of regular customers."

"…Why did I make such a foolish promise?"

Eliza grumbled.

"Well, now that our business is done, I'll get going."

"You're leaving?"

"Since we're in a department war, if I keep talking to you, the kids will look at us strangely."

"Did you call me just to deliver one measly message? A letter would have sufficed. Do I look like such a free person?"

"Yes."

"I don't have time to spare for you, you know? You should compensate me."

"Then how should I compensate you?"

Eliza pointed with her finger to a restaurant in the central garden.

It was a high-class restaurant, so expensive that students hardly ever used it.

"Give me a break."

Cale made a face like he was about to cry, but Eliza didn't bat an eye.

"I know you have a lot of money."

At those words, Cale sighed and took Eliza to the high-class restaurant.

When they arrived at the restaurant, as expected, there were no students.

The server guided the two inside.

Eliza, sitting by the window, looked at the menu.

Cale silently gazed at the garden scenery.

Then, he suddenly realized something.

"Eliza."

"What?"

"You've been to that labyrinth in the garden too, haven't you?"

"Yes."

The labyrinth made of garden trees.

What students called the 'tree labyrinth' was extremely complex inside.

It was very difficult to escape because mana could not be used inside the labyrinth.

"Why the labyrinth all of a sudden?"

"Have you ever been to the center of that labyrinth?"

"I haven't."

"Any student who has? As far as I know, there isn't one."

"…"

Eliza fell silent.

Cale was an informant among the students.

He knew all sorts of trivial information.

If Cale had never heard of it, it meant no student had yet reached the center of the labyrinth.

"It seems we're thinking the same thing."

As Cale grinned, Eliza lowered her gaze to the menu and said.

"Starting tomorrow, there will be a commotion about conquering that labyrinth."

"Let's conquer it, just the two of us."

"What?"

Eliza looked back at Cale.

"Soon, students will notice it. Let's conquer it before then."

"Why do I have to conquer it with just you? I could do it with the kids from the Summoning Department."

"If many people know about it, we'll have to compete fiercely. And we'll face a lot of checks."

Cale shrugged.

"If that happens, the Knight Department kids will also notice. Imagine it being swarming with people. Do you think we could do it properly? Let's just form a temporary alliance and conquer it, just you and me. How about it?"

At Cale's question, Eliza nodded.

"Not bad."

"Then let's meet at 1 AM under the scoreboard in the central hall tonight."

"Understood."

***

Night descended upon the dormitory.

The interior of the dormitory, now past curfew, was quiet.

Click-clack-

Amidst the silence, the sound of someone walking echoed in the hallway.

The person who reached a room took a deep breath, then Artian opened the door.

Click-

"Leo student. I'm here."

The place Artian entered after opening the door was Leo's room.

Late at night.

The reason Artian visited Leo's room was for the spirit summoning skill tutoring they had previously arranged.

"Hello, Professor."

"It feels new to be with a student late at night."

"Please take good care of me."

"Yes. I'll teach you all sorts of things well."

Artian chuckled and clapped her hands.

"Alright, then first."

"First?"

"Take off your clothes."

"…"

Leo stared intently at Artian.

Artian, looking at Leo, pointed to her own upper garment and said.

"Take off your upper garment, Leo student."

"Why?"

"You must already know the theories about spirit summoning, Leo student, right? I thought we could just go straight to practical application."

'Is there a need to take off my upper garment for a practical lesson?' he thought, but Leo didn't know much about spirit summoning.

As Leo obediently took off his upper garment, Artian stared at Leo intently.

Then, she exclaimed and poked Leo's abs.

"I expected it, but Leo student, you have a really good physique."

"Because I train."

"Indeed. Still, I've seen quite a few men's bodies, and I don't think there were many who had as good a body as Leo student."

"Did you have many occasions to see them?"

"Yes. I have a lot of experience because of spirit summoning."

Artian, smiling brightly, took out a brush, a dagger, and a plate from her bag.

"Leo student. Would you like to sit on the floor?"

At her words, Leo sat on the floor.

Artian, sitting behind Leo, cut her own palm with the dagger, making a wound.

And she collected the flowing blood in the plate.

A moment later.

Artian, who had stopped the bleeding, skillfully dipped the brush into her blood on the plate.

"It might tickle a little."

Artian began to draw a circular pattern on Leo's back.

"Even before I entered Lumerin, I taught summoning. Many people wanted to learn spirit summoning among them."

Artian said as she drew the summoning circle.

"I taught classes this way back then too."

"I see."

Artian, who had finished drawing the summoning circle on Leo's back, moved.

Though the summoning circle on his back was complete, there was still much to be drawn on various parts of his body.

Putting the brush to Leo's chest, Artian giggled.

"Leo student, you were thinking strange thoughts, weren't you?"

"You said strange things, Professor."

"I haven't even dated once in my life yet. Everyone says I'm scary."

'You are scary.'

He didn't say it aloud, fearing she might get hurt.

Artian, who had completed the summoning circle on Leo's body, sat in front of Leo and said.

"Spirit summoning is actually very simple."

"Simple?"

"Yes. You just close your eyes and summon."

'Professor Artian was also an Arion type.'

Even with innate talent, it's rare for someone to perfectly master their abilities from the start.

Literally, the genius type of "Why can't you do this?"

Artian smacked her lips and said.

"Well. Even if you have a talent for spirit summoning, I've heard that many people can't do it like me. So I've done a lot of research."

Fortunately, it seemed she knew that others couldn't do it like her.

"Has anyone learned from you and been able to use spirit summoning?"

"Sadly, all the people I taught didn't have talent for spirit summoning. Instead, I told other spirit summoners about my research method, and some people succeeded in summoning spirits by training with that method."

At the very least, it meant Artian's training method was effective.

"What I will teach Leo student today is the introductory stage."

"The introductory stage?"

"Soul summoning."

Artian made eye contact with Leo and said.

"I'll teach you the technique to summon a spirit in an unconscious state."