Chapter 31: Provocation 5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 31: Provocation 5
As I walked toward the laboratory with Professor Idra, she suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm... were you using me just now?"
A woman as sharp as Professor Idra would have easily realized that I’d used her presence to slip past the Archen Kingdom students waiting for me.
Despite being used, she didn't seem offended at all; in fact, she looked rather pleased.
"Using you? How could you say something so hurtful when we're this close? Honestly, Professor, you wanted to find out how I enhance magic tools as soon as possible too, didn't you?"
If I had been caught by those Archen students, it would have only delayed the moment she got to see my methods.
"That’s exactly why it’s a problem. I really should give you a stern scolding for this, but I just can't bring myself to do it."
To be honest, even if I hadn't pulled a stunt like that, she would have gladly helped if I’d just asked. And even without her help, slipping away from those students would have been a simple task.
"Once we open this door, we'll be in my lab! Well, Student Loki? Are you excited? I'll give you the honor of opening it."
The real reason I had sought her help, however, was to have a conversation with her.
"I'm actually trembling at the thought of entering your laboratory, Professor."
I grabbed the doorknob, my hand shaking with exaggerated theatricality. Seeing my over-the-top performance, Professor Idra burst into a fit of giggles.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
"Ta-da! Welcome to my laboratory!"
Contrary to my expectations, Professor Idra’s lab was impeccably organized.
"Student Loki, feel free to take a look around."
"Then I shall take you up on that offer."
The lab was filled with various magic tools. Some I recognized from my days playing Croaka, while others were entirely new to me.
"Did you make all of these yourself, Professor?"
"Yes, every single one. Impressive, isn't it?"
"It truly is amazing."
I was genuinely impressed. She had crafted all of this herself.
If I recall, Professor Idra is only in her mid-twenties.
There were over a hundred magic tools in this room alone, and she likely had even more stored elsewhere. As I scanned the room, my gaze stopped at one particular spot.
"Hehe, a student like you should know what that is, right?"
Professor Idra poked me in the side, her voice bright and playful.
"Yes. How could I ever forget?"
What had caught my eye was a blue sphere. If it had been just any blue sphere, I wouldn't have looked twice.
"It’s the core of that golem from the entrance ceremony, isn't it?"
There were more than ten of those insane golem cores sitting there. This meant that if she felt like it, Professor Idra could summon ten of those monsters to fight all at once.
"Correct! Now that you've had your look around, shall we talk?"
Professor Idra said, tapping on a chair. I walked over and took the seat she indicated.
"Professor, could you lend me any magic tool? It doesn't matter which one."
Since there wasn't much time left until the next class, I decided to show her quickly. She handed me an object from her desk.
I placed it into my Pocket Dimension.
"Did you put it in a Pocket Dimension?"
"Correct. Please wait just a moment."
About a minute later, I pulled the item back out and handed it to her. Professor Idra examined the object in silence, her eyes narrowed with focus.
"It really has been enhanced."
Her voice was no longer its usual cheerful self; it was dead serious.
"How many people know about this ability?"
"So far, no one but you, Professor."
"That’s a relief. I think it would be best if you didn't tell anyone else about this."
Just as she said, things would get troublesome if word of this ability got out. Honestly, I hadn't planned on telling anyone, but I felt it was fine to share it with Professor Idra.
"Professor, would you like to make a deal with me?"
At the mention of a "deal," her eyes lit up with interest.
"Oho? A deal?"
"I will enhance any magic tool you want. In exchange, please help me with my own magic tool crafting."
Professor Idra seemed lost in thought for a moment. After a while, she spoke.
"That sounds like a proposal that only benefits me, doesn't it?"
"Having your guidance with crafting is more than enough compensation."
To an outsider, it might look like I was getting the short end of the stick, but it didn't matter. While I could easily craft magic tools using Creator’s Hand, that only applied if I already knew the recipe. With Professor Idra’s help, I would be able to create the tools I had only ever imagined.
"As a professor, my conscience would prick me too much if we left the deal like that. I'll give you a few of the magic tools I've made as well."
"Receiving tools made by you, Professor? Now my conscience is starting to prick me."
"Ahahahaha! I'm glad you hold my work in such high regard."
* * *
After all the classes were over, I walked back to the dormitory.
It was that ambiguous time of evening, but the sky had already grown sufficiently dark. The dormitory was so spacious and high-end that comparing it to the inn I had stayed at would be an insult. Of course, not all students stayed in a place like this; this dormitory was likely reserved specifically for the Special Class.
"Time to start unpacking, I suppose."
I pulled various items out of my Pocket Dimension. Among them were the magic tools Professor Idra had given me earlier. I took out everything I needed, but suddenly feeling lazy, I decided to leave the organizing for later and get ready for bed.
"Huh?"
I tried to find the medicine I had stored in my Pocket Dimension, but no matter how much I searched, it was nowhere to be found. I absolutely needed that medicine to fall asleep.
Don't tell me I'm out.
If it were ordinary medicine, I would have gone out to buy some right now, but what I needed was a special concoction made by Duke Adelian.
"Sigh."
I let out a long breath and lay down on the bed. It wasn't quite time to sleep yet, but the realization that I lacked the medicine filled me with anxiety. Just yesterday, before coming to the Academy, I had slept so much that I was late—but now I had to worry if I could sleep at all.
I can't exactly ask the Duke for more.
If I asked Duke Adelian for a refill, he would undoubtedly nag me about becoming dependent on the stuff.
— Ring! Ring!
In the midst of my worrying, a sound echoed through the room. I walked toward the source of the noise. The communication device I had received from Lucas this morning was ringing.
There were only three people connected to this device: the Emperor, Lucas, and Yerika. I had just spoken with Lucas before coming to the dorm, so it probably wasn't him. Yerika didn't really have a reason to contact me, so I ruled her out as well.
That left the Emperor. Theoretically, my deduction was perfect.
[It seems you received it safely from my brother.]
However, the result was a complete miss. The person who had contacted me was the Empire's Princess, Yerika.
"Princess, what brings you to call me...?"
[I called because I hadn't heard from you at all, Mr. Clown.]
Judging by her voice, she sounded a bit upset. Or rather, "pouting" would be a more accurate description.
"I'll make sure to be the one to call first from now on!"
As I flustered about, Yerika let out a soft giggle. Fortunately, it seemed she wasn't truly angry.
[How was your first day at the Academy?]
If you thought of the communication device like a modern cell phone, there were two options for connecting. One was a simple voice call, and the other was a video call. The call Yerika had placed was a standard one where only voices could be heard. Because of that, I could speak comfortably while lying on the bed.
"It would be an understatement to call it 'ordinary.' Quite a lot happened."
[Would you tell me about it?]
"Of course."
I proceeded to tell Yerika about everything that had happened today. Being late on the first day, the Special Class students ganging up on the professor, and how we all got soundly defeated. Of course, I left out the part about the Vermin.
[So much really did happen. But if you have to fight the professor again tomorrow, shouldn't you be getting to sleep soon?]
The problem wasn't sleeping soon; it was whether I could sleep at all.
"I'm fine. How was your day, Princess?"
Normally, asking a princess such a question would be rude, but having studied under the Emperor, I had become close enough with Yerika that this level of familiarity was acceptable.
[It was a bit bittersweet since I couldn't see you.]
Yerika spoke as if she were sad, but her voice was full of mischief. She didn't use to say things like that, but lately, she would occasionally tease me during our conversations.
"Ahaha."
I could only let out a short laugh whenever she spoke like that. If the Emperor caught wind of this, a simple beating wouldn't be the end of it.
* * *
We talked for quite a while after that. The ambiguous evening had turned into a deep, true night.
[Yawn~ I should probably head to bed now.]
Yerika said, yawning as if she were sleepy. For a princess to yawn in front of someone else was a breach of etiquette, but it was proof of how comfortable she had become with me.
"Princess, please dream of me."
Hearing my words, the Princess naturally fired back.
[When you appear in my dreams, please take off your mask.]
Yerika left one final remark before hanging up.
[Next time, feel free to just call me Yerika.]
Click—
Once she hung up, only the silence of the dormitory remained.
"Hahahaha."
Recalling her final words, I let out a loud laugh. Strangely enough, whenever I talked to Yerika, my tension would melt away and my mind would find peace.
I didn't know why, but feeling like I might actually be able to get some rest, I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes.