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Chapter 61
Many magic design scholars tried to extract only the mana amplification formula from Winona’s remaining blueprints, but all of them failed.
This was because Winona’s design contained too many overlapping magic circles, and their connections were so tightly interwoven that isolating a single formula was nearly impossible.
The scholars all agreed that if the mana amplification formula developed by Winona had survived to the present day, the fields of magical design and magical tools would be completely different—like night and day.
No, even now, if the mana amplification blueprint were to be rediscovered, it would trigger a revolution in the magical tool industry.
“They said the mana mutation should be done in about four weeks, so it doesn’t really matter. I only got the magical tool about a week after the mutation began anyway, so it should last long enough. All I can do is hope the mana mutation finishes before the mana in the mana stone runs out.”
“Mm. I, I hope so too.”
“Anyway, thanks, Peanut.”
Adrian belatedly offered his thanks.
“Ah, no. I had fun too. I never thought I’d be able to make such a great magical tool together with Stefan.”
“Stefan was over the moon. If he’d done it alone, he would’ve failed for sure. It’s thanks to you, Peanut, that it worked.”
“I—I think so too. If it weren’t for Stefan, I wouldn’t have even thought of making a magical tool. Of course, it was also thanks to you, Adrian, for requesting it.”
Leaning back in his chair, Adrian casually tossed out,
“You need anything?”
“Huh? Not really……”
Surprised by Adrian’s sudden question, Jaeyllin trailed off. But then she realized that he wanted to repay the debt he felt he owed from this incident, and she shook her head.
“No, I—I’m really fine. You don’t need to repay me.”
Even with Jaeyllin’s repeated refusals, Adrian wouldn’t let it go. It clearly bothered him that he owed her.
Since he had seen how delighted she was to receive a mana stone, his conscience pricked at him. He felt like some scoundrel who had stolen candy from a child.
“If you need something later, just tell me. I really don’t like feeling indebted. It doesn’t even have to be something material—if there’s anything I can do for you, anything at all, I’ll do it. Got it?”
Just then, Nathan arrived at the lecture hall and, grinning broadly, cut in.
“Oh~ Adrian owes Jaeyllin a favor? That doesn’t happen every day. How about asking him to cover your attendance in a general education class?”
Jaeyllin shook her head immediately.
“That’s a bit…… If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to attend the class myself.”
“Oh. So you’re a model student, huh.”
Adrian let out a sigh so heavy it could sink the floor and glared at Nathan’s suggestion.
“Use your brain. ‘Peanut’ is clearly a girl’s name. You want me to sign attendance for her?”
“Ah, didn’t think of that. Yeah, it would be weird if a big, dark-looking guy like Adrian filled in for Jaeyllin.”
At that moment, Heren arrived with Lionel and sat down beside Nathan.
“Just imitate her voice.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Why not? In those big general education classes, they don’t even check faces properly.”
Clearing his throat, Heren suddenly raised his pitch and mimicked a girl’s voice.
“Aaaah. How’s that?”
Adrian’s eyes glimmered with disgust.
“Even for me, that look was kind of hurtful.”
“Peanut, no stand-ins for class. Anything else, I’ll do, but not that.”
Jaeyllin nodded. She had never intended to ask Adrian to cover attendance anyway.
Nathan smirked.
“Oh, the great Adrian is giving a blank check? What do you think Jaeyllin will ask for?”
“Something small. Nothing big ever comes out of Peanut’s head. She won’t ask for anything outrageous.”
“That’s a dangerous assumption. Jaeyllin, how about this?”
Nathan beckoned her closer and whispered something in her ear.
“Well? Good idea, right?”
“Uh, no…… That’s a bit……”
“What is it? What’s so special you have to whisper and keep it just between the two of you? Tell us too.”
Pressed by Heren, Jaeyllin reluctantly spoke up.
“At, at the Academy’s Foundation Festival this fall…… dressing Adrian up as a girl……”
As expected, Adrian exploded before she even finished.
“You insane bastard!”
“Ooh! Whatever it is, I’m in favor.”
Iliana had just arrived and raised her hand in agreement.
Nathan leisurely poked at Adrian’s pride.
“Hey now, just a minute ago you said you’d do whatever Jaeyllin asked. Don’t go back on your word.”
“That’s right. Don’t.”
Iliana nodded in agreement. Adrian crossed his arms and sneered.
“I said I’d do what Jaeyllin wants, not you lot.”
Ignoring him, Nathan turned back to Jaeyllin.
“So? What do you think, Jaeyllin? I say it’s a brilliant idea. Let’s take this chance to ruin Adrian’s honor.”
“Yeah, plenty of people would love to see him humiliated.”
“Right? He’s made more than a few enemies.”
“True, true.”
Nathan and Iliana exchanged grins and bumped fists.
They were perfectly in sync—just as Stefan had once said, maybe they really had dated.
“I—I’ll think about it.”
“What’s there to think about? It’s not even worth considering. Peanut, it doesn’t benefit you at all.”
“By the way, what exactly did you do that made him give you a blank check?”
Iliana, who had just joined and didn’t understand the situation, asked.
“Ah, Adrian had problems because of his mana mutation. I made a magical tool that could cool him down and gave it to him.”
Heren gave a low whistle.
“Wow, then no way just class attendance covers it. You should ask for more. The festival’s still a long way off, and it doesn’t really benefit you.”
“I-It’s fine. It wasn’t just me……”
“What do you mean fine? You should milk it while you can. How about 100,000 gold?”
“Are you insane?”
Adrian’s eyes blazed at Heren’s outrageous suggestion.
Jaeyllin’s eyes also went wide at the massive number.
“100, 100,000 gold……?”
“Yeah, maybe that’s too much. But still, if you put it on the market, you’d get at least 10,000.”
Nathan, fairly knowledgeable about magical tools, corrected him.
Even so, Adrian looked thoroughly unimpressed.
“This? Even 10,000 is too much. Who’d pay that? Maybe 6,000 gold, at most, because of the mana stone.”
Adrian wiggled his finger with the magical tool on it.
“What are you talking about? It’s worth more precisely because it’s not a large-scale combat model.”
“Who’d buy a tool that can’t even fight monsters? Unless you’ve got mana mutation like me, it’s useless.”
“Shows how little you know. Combat tools are everywhere already. But the power-to-cost ratio isn’t good, so the market’s stagnant. But this? Tools like this are rare—highly sought after for their scarcity.”
“Spending 10,000 gold just to stay cool? Only people with money to burn.”
“Of course. To improve quality of life, that’s pocket change. And hey, you’re already wearing one that’s probably worth 10,000, just because of the heat.”
Adrian’s face twisted at Nathan’s sharp comeback.
“That’s different!”
“How? Looks the same to me.”
“……”
Adrian had no reply. It was obvious Nathan had won that exchange.
As things finally settled down, Lionel, who had quietly been listening all along, smiled lightly.
“Well then, shall we start the meeting?”
***
On a drowsy afternoon, after finishing a general education class, Jaeyllin stopped by the clubroom to kill time during a free period.
Adrian, who had been glued to the clubroom sofa thanks to his magical tool, was nowhere in sight. Instead, Stefan and Sasha were there.
Seeing the table piled high with bread, it seemed Sasha had paid Stefan the Astronomy Club’s usage fee in bread.
Unlike Sasha, who sat leisurely reading the academy gazette, Stefan wandered restlessly around the room, a piece of bread stuck in his mouth, muttering strange groans.
He was so deep in thought he didn’t even notice Jaeyllin come in.
“Hmmmm, hmmmmmm.”
“St-Stefan, what’s wrong? Something bothering you?”
It was Sasha who answered her question.
He picked up a piece of bread from the table and tossed it to Jaeyllin.
“The Academy Festival’s coming up. Every club has to set up a booth, and he’s stressing over what to do.”
Thanks to Sasha’s good aim, Jaeyllin caught the bread easily.
She sat down next to him and thanked him.
“Th-thanks. Has your club already decided what you’ll do?”
“Of course. Want to see?”
Sasha put down the gazette, rummaged through his bag on the table, and pulled out a sheet of paper.
On it, tiny cramped handwriting filled the page from top to bottom.
