She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

“NOW WHERE DID those two get off to?” Mira mumbled to herself as she looked down the seemingly endless hallway lined with unmarked wooden doors.

After a few moments, she used her Biometric Scan to search the surrounding area. There were pings everywhere, and Tact was impossible to pick out from the crowd.

After a quick look around, she gave up and headed back downstairs. Sooner or later, Tact and Eurica would have to pass through the lobby.

The first-floor hall was calmer than it had been when they arrived. She let herself daydream as she walked, imagining what Tact might be like as an apprentice and how much she might teach the lad as he walked the path to becoming a summoner. What items should she give him? What spirit would they target to forge his first summoning contract? How would it be different from when she was a novice and just starting the game?

Lost in thought, she made her way through the front hall and bumped into several people without seeming to notice. 

Finally, she found a seat in the corner, sat down, and took stock of her surroundings. She couldn’t understand why she was being stared at by half the people in the office.

“Hrmm…what’s with all the attention?” she muttered, before deciding that now would be a good time to trade one source of anxiety for another. Reaching into her Item Box, she withdrew Lily’s letter and opened it. The envelope only held one sheet of paper, and on it was written:

Something I forgot to mention.

F – 2117, 9, 20

L – 2126, 8, 11

K – 2132, 6, 18

A – 2138, 1, 14

D – 2146, 5, 12

Mira stared at the paper quizzically. It contained nothing else but Solomon’s signature scrawled on the lower right-hand corner—his real signature, not the royal signature. It was a mark only she would recognize.

Hrmm. So it wasn’t from Lily at all…but what the blazes does this code mean?

Sitting with the letter on her lap, she sipped at an apple au lait. This was some sort of cipher, and she figured that her brain needed more sugar to be effective—the cake she’d eaten in Leoneil’s office was beginning to wear off.

Letting out a sigh, she checked to see if Tact and Eurica had appeared yet. They hadn’t, but she caught sight of a grandfather clock positioned on the opposite wall of the guild hall. Beside it hung a calendar, with the pages flipped open to the current month and a whimsical picture of a kitten.

I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to modern things in a fantasy setting. Mira frowned.

But as she looked at the calendar, the numbers in the letter suddenly made sense. They were dates.

The current date was May 19th, 2146, and Mira had arrived on May 12th. Next to that date, Solomon had scrawled a “D.” She reasoned that it stood for Danblf.

Flonne, Luminaria, Kagura, Artesia, and myself. Solomon mentioned checking his friends list every day, so if they aren’t listed here, they must have arrived before him.

Normally, the date alone wouldn’t help, but the Nine Wise Men she was searching for were…conspicuous. If any noteworthy events happened on or just after those dates, it was highly likely that they were somehow connected to her targets.

With that in mind, she turned back to the initials.

She glared at the paper for a while before deciding to ask Leoneil if she could pick through his records to see what she might find. But as she stood, Eurica led Tact down the stairs and into the front hall.

“Ah, there you are.” Eurica smiled as she spotted Mira. “We checked everywhere else but here. Funny how that always happens!”

“I’ve been waiting for you!” Mira said brightly. “So what’s the news?”

Eurica withdrew a piece of paper from a folder and presented it to Mira. With a noncommittal smile, she said, “Here’re the results.”

Mira let her gaze drop down to the summary at the bottom.

“Nothing for summoning, huh?”

Mira was crestfallen, looking like she was the one who had just failed a test. Tact had potential for three schools of magic—sorcery, holy magic, and divination—but her daydreams of having an apprentice were destined to stay just that.

“Well…these are all just disciplines that have formalized training programs,” Eurica quickly added. “His mana reserves are much higher than the average. You have a shining future ahead of you, Tact!”

“Can I still be like you, Miss Mira?” Tact asked, his enthusiasm suddenly tempered by the shift in Mira’s mood.

“Hrmm. Put the work in, and you’ll be a splendid mage one day,” she said with a resolute nod. Tact’s smile grew wider. Then she said to Eurica, “Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.”

“Oh, no, not at all. I’m happy to assist Danblf’s pupil in any way that I can!” Eurica offered her hand for another shake, which seemed to be her preferred method of payment when it came to Mira.

Business complete, they left the guild hall. Mira stared out at the streetlights as she tried to remember the name of the tavern where the others were holding the post-adventure party.

What was it called again? The Spring…something or other.

Unable to quite remember, she took Tact’s hand and stepped out into the bustling nightlife on the main street.

While there had been a concerted effort to clean up, the signs of the earlier zombie invasion still remained. The Knight Patrol walked the streets in force, keeping an eye on the scattered piles of corpses.

One such patrolman noticed two unaccompanied children walking the streets well after dark and approached to see what was amiss.

“Good evening. What are you two doing out at this hour?” he asked with a smile.

“Hrmm? What?” said Mira as she gave up her search for the tavern and turned to see who was addressing her.

Tact bowed politely to the armored man in a blue-and-white tabard. “Good evening, Mr. Officer.”

“Sorry if I surprised you. I’m Corporal Ewin, Knight Patrol. Can I ask you for your names?” It seemed that the police were police, no matter what world she was in.

“My name is Tact,” he replied quickly.

“I’m Mira,” came her customary response, but more slowly than usual, as she was unsure what the problem seemed to be.

“Tact and Mira.” Corporal Ewin withdrew a notepad and took down their names for his report. “So what are you two doing out so late? Are you lost? I can walk you both home.”

Ewin had a reassuring smile, and finally Mira understood what was going on. She fought to disguise her cringe as she realized she was being mistaken for a lost child.

“We’re not lost,” she huffed. Then, realizing that the man was just doing his job, she added, “But we do have friends waiting for us at a tavern around here. The Spring something-or-other. Do you know it?”

“Ah, I see. Hmmm… There’s the Wellspring, the Springtail, the Spring Flurry…”

“Oho, that’s the one! That’s the name of the place!”

“Well, then,” Ewin said with a charming smile, just before he reached down and snatched Mira’s free hand. “That’s not too far from here. Allow me to escort you.”

Stunned by the sudden and deliberate action, Mira couldn’t even find the words to protest. Furthermore, his effusive aura of virtue made it impossible for her to pull herself free as he guided the wayward children along.

“Ah, Mira, there you are! Hey!” Emella had been standing by the front door waiting for the pair; she waved and Mira simply glared in return. “Huh? Did you guys get into trouble?”

“Quiet, you!”

Emella burst into laughter and stumbled back into the dining hall to tell the others. No matter how Mira tried to spin it, her denials fell on deaf ears after Corporal Ewin remanded her to Emella’s care and wished the party a good evening.

“It was just a misunderstanding,” Mira muttered unconvincingly, glaring up at Emella and Zef.

“Oh, sure,” Emella said with sparkling eyes.

“I totally understand,” said Zephard flatly. “Happens to me all the time.”

“Hmm, very good.” Mira narrowed her eyes at the pair. Their faces twitched, but they managed to suppress their comments and laughter.

Emella and Zef both nodded in agreement. Mira’s expression relaxed, completely oblivious to the fact that the two were desperately trying to restrain themselves.

“Anyway, come on, Mira!” said Emella. “Everyone else is waiting inside.”

The first floor of the tavern was a wood-framed atrium. A number of simple but sturdy-looking tables and chairs seated a few customers here and there, all seeming to enjoy a few minutes of normalcy after the chaos of the evening.

Asval waved from his seat at a larger table in one corner of the dining area and called, “Oho, little miss and master, we’ve been waiting for you!”

“This way, Mira,” said a familiar voice, and the summoner tensed up. Like a cat stalking its prey, Flicker had moved in behind her to snatch her hand and drag her toward two empty seats at the table.

She arranged Mira in one of the chairs, but as she went to sit in the other, her cunning plan met a roadblock in the form of an elven swordswoman who’d already sat down. Emella smiled at Flicker and pointed at a seat across the table, much to Mira’s relief.

Undeterred, Flicker quickly made to sit in the vacant seat on the other side of Mira, only to find Tact sliding into the chair. With a defeated look, she crossed to the other side and flounced down into the empty seat between Asval and Zephard.

Emella spread a menu before Mira and Tact as Asval called for a waiter. “Why don’t we start with drinks? What would you like, Tact?”

“I’d like an orange juice, please.”

Asval smiled, and when a waiter appeared, he was the first to order a large beer. Emella, Flicker, and Zef followed suit before Mira ordered two orange juices.

As soon as the waiter confirmed their order and left, Zef got down to brass tacks.

“Time to divvy up the loot,” he said, spreading sixty-four Mobility Stones and the Mobility Crystal across the table while giving Mira a pointed look. “I’ll ask one last time: are you sure you’re all right with this?”

Mira rolled her eyes. “I thought that matter was settled.”

“I know, but…” Emella shifted uncomfortably in her seat, torn between the riches on the table and a sense that she hadn’t properly earned them.

Zephard simply nodded to Mira and started counting out the stones into five equal piles.

“Our vice captain’s principles would keep us in the poor house,” said Asval with a grin as he scooped his share into a pouch. “Can’t say I disagree, but a man’s got to eat.”

“Thanks for waiting.” The cheerful voice of the waiter broke in as he delivered their drinks and scurried off.

“Let’s start with a toast,” Asval said as he hoisted his mug.

Everyone took their beverages in hand and turned toward Mira.

“Hrmm…what now? You want me to do it?” Mira had always left such things to others, both in the game and in real life.

“You were the star of the show today, Mira,” Zef said with a smile, waggling his glass impatiently.

“Well, If I must.” Raising her glass in response to their stares, she puffed herself up and decided to toast the best news of the day. “To Tact, who showed aptitude for sorcery, holy magic, and divination!”

“Cheers! Wait, what?!” Flicker nearly forgot to take a drink as the news sunk in.

“Ha! Well done! Cheers!” called Asval, who then drained his mug.

“To Tact! Cheers!” Emella took a much more modest pull from her glass.

“Ah…umm. Thank you very much!” said Tact with a wide grin.

Amid the excitement, Zef waved lightly to a figure who approached the table.

“This sure seems lively,” said a young man wearing a simple burgundy vest. He was tall, with long red hair and a slightly androgynous appearance. If not for his voice, he could’ve easily been mistaken for a lady. “So I take it that this is the pupil?”

“Yep, that’s Mira,” replied Flicker exuberantly, “and the boy next to her is Tact.”

With a polite nod of his head, the man introduced himself, “I’m Cyril, Captain of the Écarlate Carillon. I owe you a debt for taking good care of my guildmates.”

“No thanks necessary. It’s always more fun to travel with a party,” Mira replied.

“Well, that’s good to hear.” He smiled at her words.

“Mira! You think so much of us?” Emella had worried that they’d been no help at all. She was touched by the kind words.

“I had fun too!” said Flicker, climbing up from under the table to sit on Mira’s lap and dote on the small summoner.

“Wha?!” 

Mira kicked her legs in shock, unseating the mage just before she landed a solid blow to Flicker’s solar plexus. The purple-clad mage slid to the ground, groaning in pain with a smile of satisfaction plastered across her face.

“I do hope that Flicker wasn’t too much of a bother on your journey?” Cyril asked with a wry grin.

“She was quite a pest,” Mira said, looking down at the lecherous heap at her feet.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“So are these the spoils from today’s adventure?” Cyril asked, looking over the stones still on the table. “That’s quite the haul.”

“Mostly thanks to Mira,” Emella added quickly. “But she says we’re all splitting it equally. Isn’t that generous?”

“Really now? And a Mobility Crystal too… Easily worth a million, a million and a half ducats altogether.” Cyril gave Mira an appraising look. “That’s a year’s salary for most folks. Or a few months of lavish spending. And I understand there’s a weapon as well?”

“That’s right, the scythe. It belonged to, well…you-know-who. Anyway, Mira says we should give it to Kilic.”

“A scythe? My, where did you get that from?”

“Uh…”

Before Cyril’s line of questioning could proceed, Emella pulled the scythe from her Item Box, and it dropped to the floor with a resonant thud.

“Well…that’s ominous,” Cyril said as he grasped the handle of the jet-black scythe.

And despite his willowy physique, he hoisted it up one-handed—and that got Mira’s full attention. Just what sort of stats did Cyril have? While he was distracted with the scythe, she focused on him and used her Inspect skill.

“Hrmm?!”

Nothing.

Her skill didn’t work on him. Had she encountered another former player?

“What’s wrong, Mira?” The sound of surprise that escaped her lungs did not escape Flicker’s ears.

“Hrmm? Oh, you’re still here. It’s nothing. I was just surprised by how easily he lifted the scythe.”

What were the customs regarding former player interaction in this world? It was something that she hadn’t thought to ask Solomon. For now, she decided to leave the matter alone until she knew more.

“That’s our captain for you. A league apart!” Asval boasted. “Even the pupil of the legendary Danblf has to admit he’s something special.”

“No, no, I’m not that special.” Cyril chuckled humbly. “But enough about me. This is quite the weapon.”

“That’s part of what makes it so hard to deal with,” said Mira. “Given the good character displayed by your guildmates, I felt it wouldn’t be used for evil if left in your hands. So if you know someone who could put it to good use, give it to them.”

“Sound reasoning…” With a wicked smile, he continued, “But if I may ask, are you sure you can trust us so freely? What if we’ve played you for an easy mark?”

“Well, then, I’d say I’ve been played. Our time together has been short, but I’ve grown fond of this bunch,” chuckled Mira. Then an idea struck her, and she stared directly into his eyes as she added, “Call it…lending faith.”

Lending faith. An old game expression for the habit of lending an expensive item to party members with the implicit faith that the item would be used to strengthen the party and not sold for a quick profit.

“Thank you for lending faith to my comrades,” Cyril responded with a knowing nod. “I’ll take full responsibility for this.”

“Please see that you do.”

The other members of Écarlate Carillon watched the exchange between the two with apprehension before heaving a relieved sigh. They were out of their depth when it came to this exchange, but they knew an understanding had been reached.

As Mira reminded them that this was supposed to be a party, they pulled up a chair for Cyril and ordered another round.