Chapter 24: Professor, Let's Make Up
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: Professor, Let's Make Up
An incident that would keep the first-floor lobby of the Magic University buzzing for weeks had just occurred.
The notoriously eccentric Professor Meldini had thrown down with the sensational new freshman!
The whole affair started like this:
When the freshman came to the university to report his party formation, the professor suddenly grabbed him by the wrist and yelled.
“Hold it right there! Are you a Possessor? You just used Possessor knowledge to bind three new grimoires, didn't you? Do you take me for a fucking fool, you punk?”
Ah.
He had taken the bait.
Checking his hourglass, which was faster than the hand and quicker than the eye, the student retorted.
“Do we really have to do this the hard way? Fine. I’ll bet my freeman status and my life that I’m not a Possessor. Fold if you don’t have the balls!”
Following in the grand tradition of legendary gamblers, the man who might as well be called ‘Meldini the Maniac’ turned purple with rage.
“Bind them both!”
And so, after both were bound by a Lie Detection spell…
With every professor and student present as a witness…
Alright, let’s see what we’ve got!
Ta-da, ta-da, dum-da-da, dum-da-da.
He flipped the cards and… what’s this?
He’s a freeman! A freeman!
Pfft.
All sorts of insane jokes were popping into my head.
Meldini…
Don’t make a bet if you’re not sure. Didn’t anyone ever teach you that?
*
[University Emergency Magic Treatment Room]
I was now lying in a hospital bed in the place they called the treatment room. It was where you received first aid and recovered from accidents during magic experiments.
If the injury were serious, I’d be transferred to a temple, but for something like this, a nap would do the trick.
“Caleb.”
Just as the rash was subsiding, Professor Isilof came in.
He had been on his way to lunch when this massive incident blew up. He looked completely drained, as if he’d aged several years in a matter of moments.
“Are you feeling any better?”
“Yes. I think the spell has worn off now.”
The feeling in my tongue was back.
“Whew. You really gave me a scare.”
“I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“All the professors and assistants outside are in an uproar. They’re all saying you’re one tough bastard. You really gave Meldini a piece of your mind, didn't you? Even the grad students are scared of him. Your temper reminds me of myself when I was young.”
“It’s too late to regret accepting me into your club. You can’t kick me out now.”
“Haha.”
Isilof burst out laughing and patted my forehead.
“Why would I do that? A wizard needs the courage to stand up to a superior to protect his pride. In fact, I like it even more.”
When we first met, he had been formal and polite, but now Isilof had dropped the honorifics completely, as if cementing my status as his club member and disciple. To be honest, I was more comfortable with this.
“Frankly, I also suspected you might be a Possessor at first.”
I knew it.
Just how dangerous of a tightrope had I been walking?
“But to think you don’t even have to worry about getting on the other professors’ bad side… For me, it feels like I’ve just found a diamond in the rough.”
Thank you, Professor.
From now on, I’ll hold you up like my own personal nuclear umbrella and diligently hone my skills in your shadow.
“How is Professor Meldini?”
“He skipped his meal and locked himself in his lab.”
“…”
“He may be a bit eccentric, but he’s a professor respected among skilled wizards. I respect him as well,” Isilof said.
“He’ll probably come to apologize within the day. And he’ll be sure to compensate you properly.”
I thought for a moment before replying.
“I’d like to apologize to Professor Meldini, too.”
*
I’d just landed a solid punch to his jaw, so now it was time to shake hands.
And in situations like this, I’m the type to extend my hand first.
I had a feeling that as long as I played the part of a non-Possessor well, Meldini would become an ally. It was better to resolve this quickly.
Besides, I actually felt a little bad.
Because if I were in Meldini’s shoes, I probably would have been hunting for Possessors with fire in my eyes, too.
Though I wouldn’t have gone around slaughtering them indiscriminately, of course.
Knock, knock, knock!
I went to Professor Meldini’s office and knocked on the door.
There was no response from inside.
“Professor, it’s me, Caleb.”
As soon as I identified myself, I heard a stir from within. Something clattered to the floor.
I didn’t have sound mapping, but I could practically see the flustered panic inside.
Click.
The office door opened slowly.
I’d seen that look on the Halfling professor’s face before. Where was it…
Ah.
It was the same expression Yernil had when the slave department assistant, Jacob, was doing a sword dance with the scale weights.
The same look she had when the five-gold sentence was handed down.
“Come in.”
Meldini’s voice was heavy with gloom as he let me inside.
“Professor.”
I sat down on the sofa across from him and apologized as politely and sincerely as I could.
“I’m sorry.”
“What…?”
The apology was so unexpected that the professor’s shoulders flinched.
“I got too heated and acted out of line. I could have just calmly explained that I wasn’t a Possessor, but I was disrespectful. I sincerely apologize for my behavior.”
“…”
“I think I lost control of my emotions because it brought back some old memories. Please, don’t be upset.”
Having been beaten to the punch, Meldini was suddenly overcome with emotion and lowered his head.
“You…”
The professor let out a small sigh.
“You make me ashamed of myself, Caleb.”
Then, Meldini also offered me a sincere apology.
“I am truly sorry. I knew what you went through in Wyndham, yet I acted so rashly.”
“…”
“I sincerely apologize. I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”
His face clearly showed he was at a loss, genuinely sorry for what he’d done.
“I won’t try to avoid this. I will pay the price. I have something for you. Wait just a moment.”
Good. That’s more like it.
Fiery people like him who never back down are usually one of two types.
The stubborn old-timer type who can never admit they’re wrong.
Or the type who takes full, passionate responsibility, even for their subordinates’ mistakes.
I had bet on Meldini being the latter, and I was right.
‘What’s he going to give me?’
As I waited with a pounding heart, Meldini took a small compass out of a drawer.
‘Huh?’
I recognized its design.
Wait a minute.
“The Compass of Greed.”
He’s giving me that?
“It’s one of the Legendary Grade magic tools I own.”
In the game, items came in four grades: Normal, Magic, Treasure, and Legendary.
According to the lore, the Magic University appraised items. If an item had no abilities, it was Normal. If it had a special ability, it was Magic. If that ability was exceptionally powerful, it was Treasure.
So what was a Legendary Grade item?
It was a Treasure Grade item that was believed to have additional, unidentified abilities.
But no one knew what those abilities were.
Legendary Grade items were objects that surpassed the appraisal capabilities of the Magic University.
“It’s a compass that finds treasure chests in the Labyrinth.”
That was the compass’s first-level ability.
“But this compass must have other powers. Perhaps someone like you might one day be able to unlock them.”
“…”
Ah.
Shit, is this a trap, too?
In the original game, you couldn’t get an item like this until the mid-game at the absolute earliest.
The reward was so huge it was actually making me nervous. I was expecting to get an accessory with a few points in Wisdom, at most.
Even if he felt he was in the wrong, could a professor just toss a legendary magic tool at a student out of the blue? He couldn’t have that many of them, right? Giving away such a treasure just because he was sorry?
“Caleb.”
But now I saw that wasn’t the reason.
“This compass is something I truly want you to have.”
This wasn’t compensation for his mistake. Meldini was now…
“Because you are going to be the greatest wizard in the Magic University’s future.”
He was starting to have some strange fantasy about me!
He originally despised Possessors and loved virtuous native wizards.
In his mind, there were only two kinds of wizards.
1. Possessor wizards who deserved to be killed.
2. Good, non-Possessor wizards.
Now that I had U-turned from a rampaging number 1 to a genius number 2…
“I have tremendous expectations for you!”
Meldini had become my biggest supporter.
“Due to the Labyrinth Eruption 12 years ago, the Magic University is experiencing an unprecedented slump. We are desperately short on wizards, and the faculty is too old. But now! I am certain. You will be the new beacon of the Magic University!”
Whoa, hold on a minute…
“When I heard from my assistants about everything you did in your first Labyrinth, one thing stood out. What happened in the Venomic Spider’s exit room.”
The professor continued.
“Ten thousand gold coins, plus the chance to immediately escape the Labyrinth, become a freeman, and transfer to a high-ranking party. You kicked all of that aside to stay with a comrade you had known for only a day? That is not an easy decision to make!”
It certainly had been a tough choice back then.
“You have considerable integrity. I think I finally understand how that Dwarf adventurer felt. After an incident of this magnitude, you came to me yourself and apologized first, didn’t you? You have the character of a first-rate wizard, without a doubt! This is the mark of a true leader!”
“…”
“From now on, I will give you my full support. It will be more than what Professor Isilof gives you! It doesn’t matter that you’re not in my club! As long as we can protect the Magic University and the city of Sohen from the Possessors and the Labyrinth Eruptions they cause, you are on my side!”
Spittle flew from the excited Halfling professor’s mouth.
“So take the compass! It’s something I only occasionally lent to my assistants, but for you, I don’t regret giving it away! Use it to find treasures and grow into a powerful wizard! I’ll be watching you, Caleb!”
“Th-thank you…”
It was a bit much, but I could tell he was sincere.
I took the compass and bowed, but as I left, the professor followed me, showering me with encouragement.
“Let me know if you run into any trouble!”
“Yes…”
“Let me know if anyone bullies you!”
“…”
“Let me know if you need help with magic research or training!”
Stop it! The pressure is killing me!
*
Meldini the Maniac didn’t offer up his wrist, but he did give me an awesome legendary tool.
Of course, its abilities would unlock in stages, so it wouldn’t be incredibly efficient right away.
‘Still, the outcome was better than I expected.’
Now, on to the last task of the day.
About a kilometer south of the Adventurer’s Guild in the Labyrinth City of Sohen, past the bank and down an alley next to the restaurant district, stood a row of tightly packed houses.
He lived in one of them.
The tragic Monk party leader who had lost two members to death and one to becoming an exit boss, forcing him to tearfully disband his party.
Aimus Renick.
The man, who would soon celebrate his 46th birthday, received a slightly absurd proposal.
From me.
“Let’s have a sleepover!”
“A sleepover… you mean? Starting tonight?”
“Yes. Is that okay?” I asked, glancing over Renick’s shoulder at his wife, who was listening in on our conversation.
“We can practice our skill combos and plan strategies. Have a drink, see if anyone snores. We’ll have to camp together in the Labyrinth anyway, right? It’s a chance to get in sync beforehand.”
Of course, people didn’t normally practice sleeping together.
But I had a reason.
Hey, Monk!
I need to see your stats!
Based on my experience with Yernil in the slave quarters and when I fell asleep in the library, I knew I couldn’t see someone’s status window if we were too far apart.
The system probably considered the party disbanded.
So I had to take the Monk with me tonight. How else was I supposed to plan our strategy for tomorrow?
“Let’s just stay together for one night.”
“Hmm.”
The Monk hesitated, glancing at his wife. She was the one who spoke up.
“Do you really have to do that? You want to take my husband for an overnight stay?”
Whoa, hold on, ma’am.
When you put it like that, it sounds like I’m some young man asking to take your daughter on an anniversary trip.
“To be honest… I thought my husband would be rejected when he applied for that party. I don’t know much about it, but I heard it was being recruited by a very famous wizard?”
“That famous wizard is me.”
“Oh… really?”
Her expression was full of doubt. I got it. After looking at a dependable, bear-like Monk all the time, she probably had no faith in a scrawny kid who looked like a dried fish.
“We’ll just stay together for one night, have a little party to celebrate our formation, and I’ll send him back safe and sound tomorrow morning. I promise.”
“…”
Renick’s wife thought for a moment, then asked.
“Are there women there?”
“There is… but don’t worry. She’ll sleep in another room.”
Trust me, no one but you is interested in a balding, bearded, 46-year-old muscle-bound Monk (married, with two sons and a daughter).
“And there’s an undead, too.”
“An undead?”
Her expression plunged deeper into anxiety and confusion.
“Honey, what kind of party did you get yourself into…?”
Even I had to admit, our party was a bit strange.