Chapter 39 - First Assignment (3)

The merchant guild Saya ran wasn’t that large in scale. However, the income it generated was quite substantial. This was possible because the main items they dealt with were related to magical studies.

The Rapid Magic Tower manufactured and sold magic tools and scrolls, but they didn't directly distribute these. As could be seen from the largest scroll shop on the academy grounds, they only provided scrolls through merchant guilds. Creating and managing shops was left entirely to the merchant guilds.

Saya's guild was one of those that had formed such a partnership.

The magic tool business recently started by the Magic Tower. Although magic engineering machines and magic tools were clearly different, there were still similarities. Saya purchased Magic Tower-made magic tools to examine them, and then visited the Magic Tower directly to make a contract.

It wasn't easy.

The Rapid Magic Tower was, strictly speaking, a group of people closer to merchants than mages. It took a full two years just to persuade them and show potential.

In the process, her mind and body were worn ragged, but seeing the income generated after starting the magic tool business with the Magic Tower healed everything. She could almost bathe in gold coins if she exaggerated the process a bit. Adding this to the money she was already earning, her situation became very affluent regardless of the guild's size.

I'll mass produce engineering machines for delivery to battlefields, and pass on magic tools to the head of the Plendia family who pre-ordered them.

Saya's business method was different from ordinary merchants.

Instead of opening a shop, she personally went around selling to a very select few while traveling here and there.

It was a method with a strong gambling element, but Saya achieved success spectacularly. This was possible because she captured the hearts of nobles with her unique speech and gestures that changed to match her counterpart.

Moreover, many of the magic tools she dealt with were related to beauty, so they were popular among noble ladies and young aristocrats.

Now there were even people who would bribe her to receive magic tools from the Magic Tower first. Every time this happened, the smile never left Saya's face.

However, recently the lack of growth in new customers was somewhat concerning. Maintaining existing customers was possible by providing various services, but the work of creating new customers had hit a snag.

This background was the reason she enrolled in the academy.

The academy was a special ecosystem where young nobles were abundant. There was no better place for attracting customers. It was also good for further studying magic engineering, and not bad for building connections, so the academy was the optimal stage for Saya.

In this respect, having an archmage's disciple in the same group was fortunate. She had already heard rumors, but this was her first time seeing him in person.

Saya thought as she walked towards the Magic Department building where he was having class.

His face is more handsome than I expected, and his tone was quite imperious. It seemed like he was deliberately putting on an act, but it's hard to tell with mages. Judging by his lack of surname, he's of commoner origin... but he didn't show any signs of being cowed.

The Magic Department building was quite far from the Magic Engineering Department building. As a result, she had to encounter many people on the way. She glanced at a red-haired girl walking nearby with an expressionless face, then quickly turned her head back.

Mages basically didn't care much about each other's social status.

While mediocre mages might care, those who had reached a certain level tended to revere magical power more than bloodlines, so they considered only one's capability as a mage important, regardless of whether they were nobles or royalty.

This underlying attitude was why Warren, despite being of noble origin, purely admired Acel's magic.

Unlike young and authoritative nobles who tended to look down on mages receiving similar treatment, for Warren, who was born a mage, status had virtually no meaning. Thanks to this, there was no major friction in his first meeting with Acel.

Quill is a former mercenary, Acel is a commoner, and Warren is a noble but has a relatively mild personality. Not a bad combination. If I can just tame Quill somehow, it might be good to continue interacting even after the assignment ends.

To be honest, Saya didn't really care about Quill either way. However, she wanted to maintain connections with Acel and Warren if possible. It was right to know as many skilled mages and spirit mages as possible. Going out to purchase items with Acel was also groundwork for gaining his favor.

First priority is getting close to Acel. Warren comes after that.

While thinking this, Saya had already arrived in front of the Magic Department building. She sat on a suitable empty bench and waited for Acel's class to end. It was boring, but watching people passing by made it somewhat bearable.

"...?"

A woman with red hair caught her eye as she looked around. It was the woman who had been walking near her until just now. Saya tilted her head as she stared at the woman leaning against the wall and tapping the sword at her waist.

She had been aware they were going to the same place, but it seemed their destination overlapped, too. Saya swung her legs back and forth as she stared blankly at the woman's face.

As she did so, the woman's identity suddenly came to mind.

Grace Bydel. One of the figures occupying the top row of the list Saya had written down of people she wanted to build connections with.

She hadn't expected to meet someone she hadn't been able to even start a conversation with yet due to lack of connection points at a place such as this. Saya narrowed her eyes and brought her finger to her lips. At that moment, students poured out of the Magic Department building.

Class had ended. Saya immediately stood up and tried to find Acel among the flowing crowd. Not long after, she was able to spot Acel with a face deep in thought. Saya approached him with quick steps.

"Acel."

"Ah, Acel!"

"...?"

"...?"

The voices overlapped. Saya perked up her ears and looked at the owner of the voice. Grace was staring at her with eyes that seemed to say, “What's this?” It was a hostile gaze, unfairly so from Saya's perspective who hadn't done anything. But instead of being intimidated, she smiled brightly and said, "Hello, Lady Bydel. I didn't expect to see you in a place like this."

"...Troublesome fox," Grace muttered. 

Undisguisable displeasure and hostility dripped from her voice.

She muttered an incomprehensible word to herself, then suddenly showed hostility towards someone she had no connection with. From Saya's standpoint, it was utterly bewildering.

"Why are you here?"

"I have an appointment."

"What appointment?"

"Why should I tell you that?"

As Grace became hostile, good words didn't come out of Saya's mouth, either. No matter how accustomed she was to adapting to others, when someone showed dislike for no reason like this, even she couldn't do anything about it.

"What are you doing?"

At that moment, Acel, who had organized his thoughts, opened his mouth with a slightly frowning face. At this, Grace's expression, which had been as cold as ice, brightened up.

Saya didn't show it outwardly, but seeing this, she inwardly thought Grace might be crazy as she turned her head towards Acel.

If the other side wasn't being nice, there was no reason for this side to tremble, either. A merchant who bowed down to the other party only suffered losses. 

She resolved to put Grace's name on hold in her list when she returned to her lodgings, and opened her mouth, "Hello, Acel. I was waiting as I said yesterday."

"For purchasing items?"

"Yes. You remember, right?"

"I do," Acel said, then turned his head towards Grace, who was opening and closing her mouth.

"Grace, is something wrong?"

"...No, it's nothing. I was just going to ask if you wanted to have dinner together..."

Saya burst into laughter at Grace's timid muttering.

"Oh my, I'm sorry. Acel has a prior appointment with me today."

"Shut up. I didn't talk to you."

"...Isn't your attitude too different? Do you have multiple personalities?" Saya asked in an incredulous voice, but Grace cleanly ignored her words. 

Instead, she took a step closer to Acel and said, "You have an appointment with the fox?"

There was no need to ask who the fox was. Acel let out a hollow laugh and glanced at Saya swishing her tail before nodding.

"We're in the same group for this assignment. We were going to prepare some things together."

"Do you know what she did...!?" Grace shouted but then realized Acel wouldn't remember anyway and firmly closed her mouth.

To blurt out the contents in her head, she would have to tell Acel about the regression. Before that, saying anything would only result in being treated like a crazy bitch.

No, perhaps even if she revealed the fact of regression, it might be the same. Grace felt a momentary sense of depression and bit her lip hard.

"Grace? Are you okay?" Acel opened his mouth while placing his hand on her shoulder. 

Grace read the worry and question in his eyes and forced a smile. She didn't want to create something for him to worry about unnecessarily.

"No, it's nothing. I just suddenly had a sad thought. I'm fine now."

"...Really?"

Acel didn't look like he believed her at all, but Grace continued speaking, "You said you have an appointment, right? Have a good time. Let's eat together next time."

She didn't wait for an answer. She showed Acel a smile, then started walking away quickly. Acel narrowed his eyes and stared at her retreating back.

A mage's intuition was telling him there was something about her, but he had no way of figuring out what it was. Unless Grace spoke about it herself, he probably wouldn't even be able to guess.

I should have a talk with her later.

As Acel thought this and turned around, Saya, who had been standing still, looked up at him and said, "Shall we go?"

"Where are we going first?"

"I already got food supplies yesterday, so we don't need to worry much about that. Now we just need to buy the rest of the supplementary supplies."

"For example?"

"Hmm... Magic Tower-made magic tools?"

Saya smiled seductively.

Acel was also quite interested in Magic Tower-made magic tools.

Magic tools that various magic towers, including the Rapid Magic Tower, put forward as their main business were as effective as their reputation. They were on a completely different level from magic tools made by mediocre people. Acel had only heard of them, but never seen them in person.

I wonder which would be more impressive compared to this bracelet.

The Bracelet of Flow, a magic tool directly made by the Witch Association. Judging by its effects and formula, it was certainly not a magic tool to be taken lightly. If one were to purchase it directly, it would probably require an enormous amount of gold coins.

Considering that the market prices of Magic Tower-made magic tools were basically insane, obtaining such a high-level artifact for free was an incredibly great thing. Acel once again realized the wealth and ability of the Witch Association as he raised his head.

A building with exterior walls painted with marble, and one wall entirely replaced with glass to allow viewing from outside. It wasn't very tall, but conversely, the waves of magical power felt from underground were large. This meant it was a building that dug deeper downwards rather than upwards.

"This is the largest magic tool shop on the academy grounds."

Saya explained while swishing her tail. As she said, the amount of magical power emanating from the building itself was quite substantial.

A shop plastered with all kinds of barrier magic and protective magic not only on the exterior walls but also on the glass and interior. Among these, only a few had directly constructed formulas. Most were the power of magical tools.

"This is a shop where all kinds of Magic Tower-made magic tools gather. It's one of the few cooperative businesses of magic towers in the empire. They tend to blatantly mark up prices so it's expensive, but the effects are guaranteed."

"...Are all the magic tools inside made by magic towers?"

"There are a few that aren't. But rather than talking here like this, shall we go inside first?" Saya said while pulling on Acel's sleeve. 

Acel obediently followed her touch and entered the store.

As he did so, the magical power felt from outside began to be sensed more clearly. A place of mystery where all kinds of formulas breathed and reacted violently to a single gesture. Acel unconsciously grabbed one of the twitching magical powers and shook it.

Along with this, one of the displayed magic tools started to run wild as if it would explode immediately. Staff members who happened to be checking magic tools nearby were startled and hurriedly clung to the trembling magic tool.

Acel was surprised, too. It was obvious to anyone that it was his mischief, so he hastily grabbed the rampaging magical power and calmed it down. Not long after, the trembling magic tool settled down quietly on the floor. The staff member and Acel both let out sighs of relief at the same time.

Among them, one staff member who happened to meet Acel's eyes opened his mouth with an awkward smile, "Um... it usually doesn't do this, but it seems to have suddenly malfunctioned. Haha, the other products should be fine. Please don't worry too much."

He said this thinking Acel's sigh was due to feeling danger from the magical tool's rampage. Acel didn't bother to correct his misunderstanding and smiled as if relieved.

Sometimes a white lie was better than the truth.