Chapter 174

Chapter 174

[You bastard, traitor, piece of trash, son of a bitch, vermin!]

‘Come on, I already said I’m sorry.’

[I will *never* speak to you again, you filthy scum!]

Even after my apology, Airsya was still fuming, hurling insults without stopping. The dragon-shaped spirit, normally blue, had turned a deep navy in her rage.

‘Calm down. Nothing really happened in the end, right?’

[What? Nothing happened? Ha! Do you have any idea how terrified I was, trembling every second, wondering if I’d be erased?]

Airsya flew up close to my face, demanding an answer. Sighing, I finally nodded.

‘Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through.’

[Ugh, I can’t forgive this!]

Still spinning in anger, Airsya vented her frustration, and I let out a sigh before turning to Jamie.

“Is there anything wrong?”

“No, I’ve checked multiple times. The ‘Orb’ is perfectly fine. But this bracelet…”

Jamie glanced at the bracelet I had acquired, the one that had protected me from the attack by Shador, the shadow organization’s elder.

“There’s definitely something hidden in this, but no matter how much I investigate, I can’t figure out what it is.”

Even Jamie, the Yellow Mage, couldn’t uncover its secrets?

What *is* this bracelet?

“My guess is that it’s an artifact crafted either for a specific individual or using ancient magic,” Jamie continued.

I studied the bracelet again, considering her words. Then she added, “But there’s no need to worry. It doesn’t seem to harm you or carry a curse. It saved your life last time, right?”

“Yes, it did.”

“Then keep it safe. Since you’re only a half-baked mage, protection is crucial for you.”

“Yes, Master.”

Nodding in agreement, I packed away the bracelet and the ‘Orb’ ring.

But then—

“Hm?”

Jamie’s eyes were now fixed on my neck, and she spoke in a slightly cold tone.

“What’s that around your neck?”

Her gaze locked onto the silver necklace I was wearing, adorned with a red ruby.

“Oh, this?”

“Hmm, hold on…”

Jamie stepped closer and leaned in, examining the necklace closely.

And then—

*Sniff sniff.*

‘What the hell?’

Jamie started sniffing around the necklace like a cat.

“I think it smells like a stray cat.”

‘Aren’t *you* the one acting like a cat, Master?’

[Isn’t it more like a dog? Dogs usually sniff things…]

Even Airsya, who had been throwing a tantrum earlier, was now watching us curiously.

Ignoring her comment, I explained to Jamie, “I got this from the Academy vault. It was a reward from the ‘Novice Challenge.’”

“Really?”

Jamie, with her signature green hair, tilted her head slightly as she looked at me.

“Yes. So now I’ve got a set—ring, bracelet, and necklace. What’s next? A crown and earrings, maybe?”

I shrugged, trying to sound casual, but Jamie’s gaze darkened as she switched between looking at me and the necklace.

“Hmm.”

Then she gave me a strange smile.

“Well, let me check it out. Hand it over.”

“Huh?”

“Give me the necklace. I need to check something.”

Her tone had an unsettling undertone, and I started to wonder if she had figured out that Beatrice was involved.

‘Does she have the nose of a bloodhound or something?’

I froze for a second, unsure of how to respond, and Jamie spoke again.

“As your master, I should know what kind of artifact my disciple is using.”

“Is that really necessary right now?”

*Hiss.*

“Hand it over.”

Her voice was firm, and she held out her hand, leaving me no choice but to comply.

“Alright, just a second—”

*Knock knock.*

At that moment, someone knocked on Jamie’s office door.

“Hm?”

It was Isabelle, the Academy’s steward, speaking from outside.

“Professor Genjin, are you in?”

“Tch, what now?”

Jamie scowled, clearly irritated by the unexpected visitor.

Seizing the chance, I quickly bowed to her.

“Master, I’ll take my leave. We can talk about this later.”

“…Tch.”

Jamie clicked her tongue, clearly displeased, but gestured for me to go.

Then, as if flipping a switch, her appearance changed from a green-haired young girl to a middle-aged man with a balding head.

*Creak.*

“I’m sorry. I was in the middle of a student consultation.”

“A consultation? Oh, Kamon?”

“Hello, Isabelle.”

“Yes, hello.”

“Well, I’ll leave you two to it. Excuse me.”

I made a quick escape, hurrying out of the office.

[What was that all about? Is there something hidden in that necklace?]

‘No, not really.’

I just didn’t want Jamie to find out that the artifact had been crafted by Beatrice.

‘I’d rather avoid unnecessary stress.’

Jamie and Beatrice were like oil and water, always clashing whenever they met.

It wasn’t as if they outright hated each other or wanted to kill one another, but they definitely didn’t get along. They were like two forces that couldn’t mix.

And Master had always been particularly wary of Beatrice’s interest in me.

[Hmph, pointless. It doesn’t seem like a big deal.]

Airsya circled around me, shaking her head in frustration.

‘So, what were you doing while my master was inspecting things?’

[What do you think I was doing! Like I said, I was trembling in fear, wondering if I would disappear at any moment.]

‘Well, you didn’t disappear, so it’s fine now. Want something to drink? Grapefruit juice? Watermelon juice? How about a drink on me?’

I offered a carrot to calm her down, trying to lighten her mood. Airsya, the spirit of jealousy, pretended to reject the offer at first.

[Do you think I’d fall for such a cheap trick? Huh? What’s that? That pile of fruit, cream, and what looks like chocolate?]

‘Oh, that? It’s a new chocolate parfait they just released.’

[That’s the one. I want that.]

“Alright, let’s go for that,” I said with a smirk, successfully soothing her temper with the promise of a chocolate parfait.

“Phew, that was close,” Beatrice exhaled deeply, collapsing onto a sofa.

The necklace she had given Kamon had many functions, but the most important one was—

“Seriously, that old man’s still sharp.”

The necklace allowed her to eavesdrop on Kamon’s every move. While she couldn’t monitor him 24/7, with a specific spell, she could hear everything he said, as well as any nearby conversations.

That’s why—

“Does he talk to himself?”

Sometimes, while listening in on Kamon, she would hear him muttering as if he were talking to someone else.

It was strange, as if he were conversing with another person.

“Sigh, what is this sneaky guy hiding now?” Beatrice muttered with a grin, stretching out on the sofa and kicking her feet up onto the desk.

Her gaze drifted to the documents on the desk, and she murmured to herself again.

“As long as I find my master, I don’t care what crazy stunts he pulls. It’ll all be worth it.”

On the top of the document, only one title was visible:

[Request for the Selection of the Investigation Team for Vishran Hot Springs Field Trip]

***

Time flew by faster than I expected.

Just like everyone else, I entered the final exam season and breezed through subjects like Herbology and History.

Of course, not through hard work or study…

“How about strawberry cream parfait this time?”

[Add a chocolate parfait to that.]

“Deal.”

I made excellent use of the invisible spirit, Airsya.

Luckily, these subjects were written exams rather than practical, so I simply had Airsya peek at the answers of the smart students and copied them.

Some might call it cheating, but who cares?

If you have a skill that lets you cheat without getting caught, wouldn’t it be foolish *not* to use it?

Having finished my written exams with flying colors, I started preparing for the practical ones.

“Alchemy is easy since I’ve already prepared everything in advance. The real problem is swordsmanship…”

The biggest issue was that my sparring partner for the swordsmanship exam was none other than Kyle.

How was I supposed to score any points against *him*?

If I showed up and got thrashed by Kyle, like during the midterms, I could very well fail.

‘If I fail even one subject, I might get expelled.’

Thinking about the suspension and disciplinary actions I faced last semester, I knew I was still on thin ice. I needed to find a way, fast.

‘Should I request a substitute test? Or maybe I could ask Kyle for a favor?’

With my current skill level, nothing seemed feasible. I considered every shortcut I could think of but found no solution.

As the swordsmanship final approached, I was still stuck.

Then, one day—

“Kamon!”

I saw Kyle cheerfully waving at me from a distance.

“…Oh, Kyle.”

I was in no mood for pleasantries after days of stressing over our upcoming match, so my response was less than enthusiastic.

But, as always, Kyle beamed brightly and spoke.

“Didn’t sleep well? You look tired.”

“Yeah, a bit…”

‘It’s because of you, you jerk. I keep dreaming about getting expelled!’

I screamed in my head, but then Kyle spoke up again.

“Kamon, I’m sorry.”

“Huh? For what?”

I tilted my head in confusion at his sudden apology.

“For the swordsmanship final. I don’t think I’ll be able to participate. The professor said I’ll pass automatically, but he asked me to help with the seminar preparations instead.”

“…What?”

“But don’t worry! The professor will assign you a substitute partner, so you’ll be fine.”

“……”

“I wanted to be your partner until the end, but I’m really sorry, Kamon. I didn’t mean to mess things up.”

“No, it’s fine. Good luck with the seminar.”

“Huh? Oh, thanks, Kamon! I knew you’d understand.”

Kyle smiled brightly, and I couldn’t help but shake my head, thinking to myself.

‘No, thank *you*, Kyle. Really.’

The stress and pressure that had weighed me down for days melted away instantly. I felt like my legs might give out from relief.

As long as Kyle wasn’t my partner, I was confident I wouldn’t fail!

Finally, the swordsmanship exam day arrived.

*Whoosh, clank!*

I sparred with my newly assigned partner and fought through the duel.

And eventually—

“Kamon, you passed! Good job.”

“Yes! Nailed it!”

Even the subject I was most worried about—swordsmanship—ended up with a passing grade, just barely clearing the mark.

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