Niuniax
Hello, a few words before today's chapter.
First things first, I wanted to thank you so much for reading the story. Your comments and feedback helped me in more than a few ways. I'm really happy people enjoy my work.
Following that, there's only a week left until the MDA Volume 3 book goes live on amazon. That also means I will have to take down all the chapters of Volume 3 from public sites due to the book going exclusive on KU. So, if you had been saving to read, now is the time to get into it. Also, you might be saying which one is the last chapter of Volume 3? There are only a couple left and I will upload the rest before Friday, so you can read it.
Finally, it's Christmas next week. Yey! Happy times... for those who will get more gifts than they had to buy to give away anyway. :D In any case, since it will be Christmas week next week, I won't be posting new chapters. We all need a break now and then. :) However, there's a surprise coming after Christmas. The thing is, I started a new story and I will start putting it up for reading after the New Year. Exciting, woohoo. But don't fret, I will be continuing with Magic Dungeon Academy with no changes in the schedule. The other story will be an addition, and I am not sure how many chapters I will be able to write a week. I'd say one or two at best to start with, but we shall see how it goes.
So, these are the news from me. And now, enjoy today's chapter. :)
{later in the evening the same day the results were announced}
“Now that’s quite an outstanding result. Wouldn’t you say so, Nalitta?” Louneus Vilmanos asked, sitting at his table.
“Sir,” Nalitta bowed her head.
“Oh? You don’t agree with me, Nalitta?” the Elite Magicians club’s president turned his head to face her, adding a seemingly genuine smile too.
“If you meant the Centurian Conquerors team’s result, I would have to agree with you, sir,” his personal assistant responded.
“But of course. Who else could I’ve meant? After all, getting over two hundred points for a first-year student dungeon exploration test is quite an achievement… isn’t it?” Louneus turned his head back to face the other people in his office. His cold gaze sent the shivers down everyone else’s spines. “So, tell me, how is it that the academy’s number one student club’s team managed to get only half of what the top team on the list got?”
“Eek… S… sorry sir. We… we have beaten so many monsters and… and we have found four treasure chests, sir. We… we thought we’ll be at the top of the list, sir…” one of the students responded timidly.
“And what does that mean exactly?” Louneus Vilmanos pierced the student who answered with his cold stare.
“Ah? Wha… what does… that mean?” The same student repeated the question, confused about it.
“So sorry. Let me rephrase my question,” Louneus leaned on the table with his elbows, placing one of his hands inside of the other. “What I was trying to ask was… what do you mean by ‘you thought’?”
“S… sir, I… I’m sss… sorry, sir…” the same student suddenly became stiff and tense, and was having difficulty to speak.
“Sorry? What good does that do in the current situation? Does you saying… ‘sorry’… add any points to your team’s current standing?” The club’s president had his charming, yet frightfully intimidating smile on his face. “I am really amazed by your incompetence. You were provided with a map of the Magic Dungeon’s first floor and yet… you weren’t even able to find the boss monster’s lair.”
“Ah- That is… sorry sir. It’s just that… our guide was Professor Zeanlor and… there wasn’t a single chance for us to… to take it out without being noticed and check where we needed to go in order to…” the other boy student, who was probably in charge of the map, tried to explain himself.
“Is that so? And why would you do that?” Louneus asked the student.
“Why would we…” the same student lifted his eyes up to face the president. “To… to check which way we… needed to go.”
“Why would you take the map with you into the Magic Dungeon?” Louneus Vilmanos rephrased his question, ignoring the student’s answer.
“Huh? If… if we could’ve looked at the map, we would’ve… found the boss monster’s lair for sure and…” the student in charge of the map reasoned.
“And what were you doing a day before when the map was delivered to you?” Louneus asked him again.
“A day before?” The student was too nervous to think straight, so couldn’t answer the question right away.
“What Mister Vilmanos is trying to say is you should’ve studied and memorized the layout of the map before entering the Magic Dungeon.” Nalitta stepped in to explain what the club’s president was trying to say.
“Eh? Memorize? But… but the whole dungeon floor is so huge and… there were so many paths… It… it was really confusing. I… I wasn’t able to…” the same student tried to explain himself.
“Are you saying you didn’t appreciate Mister Vilmanos offering his help?” Nalitta was the one asking questions now.
“Eek! N… no, of course not. I just… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” the boy started to apologize, as well as became really nervous and frightful.
“We… we would’ve found the boss monster’s lair for sure if not… if not running out of food and water,” a girl joined in, trying to add a reasonable excuse for why they had failed.
“Y… yes, that’s right. The Supply Points that we came across had no supplies in them. If… if we didn’t run out of food, we would’ve…” the first boy student joined in to support the girl’s words.
“You ran out of food you say? That does sound like a legitimate reason…” Louneus tilted his head to the side, adding that charming smile of his on his face too. Charming for those who didn’t know what it actually meant.
“Thirty eight Magic Crystals, Four Crystalized Molds, of which one was red rarity, one Soft Steel Ore, one Two-Sided Bone Needle, one Water Stone from a Crystal Snatcher Bug, one boss monster’s Magic Crystal and one Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur. Those were the items the top team on the list brought back with them. Not to mention, they have discovered two Supply Point rooms and left some supplies behind.” Nalitta unloaded a list of the top team’s achievements, emphasizing the part about leaving some supplies behind. “These are only some of the achievements of what Centurian Conquerors’ team did.”
“Wow, they have found a Crystal Snatcher Bug?” One of the students exclaimed.
“A Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur? But… it’s such a rare drop,” a girl student was impressed.
“They have found four… huh? Aah… s… sorry,” the third student was about to comment about something as well, but suddenly realized why Nalitta has listed all those achievements.
“Water Stone from the Crystal Snatcher Bug and Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur. Quite a treasure, wouldn’t you say?” Louneus asked in a calm voice.
“Y… yes, sir. It is,” the first boy student agreed.
“Of course, sir,” a girl added timidly.
“The boss monster dropping the fur is quite rare indeed. They must’ve fought the highest level Fanged Whitemane Wolf. And their team must’ve had a capable tracker if they were able to find a Crystal Snatcher Bug. Unless it was a pure luck, sir,” Nalitta added her own observations.
“Do you really believe it was luck, Nalitta?” The club’s president asked, after adjusting his sleek glasses. Only then the other students realized his first question wasn’t addressed to them in the first place.
“Of course not, sir. They must’ve taken it into account when they were forming a group,” the blonde girl assistant responded.
“Indeed. But going back to the issue at hand…” Louneus turned to face the group of students in front of him, when they heard a knock on the door. “Oh, a visitor at this hour? Who could it be?”
“Should I tell them you are busy, sir?” Nalitta asked.
“But of course not. It must be important. Please,” the club’s president motioned with his hand.
“Right away, sir,” Nalitta went to open the door. She was visibly surprised to see who the person on the other side was. Nalitta opened the doors wider to invite the person to come in.
“Emilia Frizz? What a pleasant surprise to see you,” Louneus Vilmanos was equally surprised to see her enter his office.
“Good evening, Mister Vilmanos. I am sorry for showing up unannounced, but… Oh? It seems you are busy. I… I can come some other time, sir,” Emilia stepped inside the room and quickly noticed something was going on.
“No, no. Please, do come in. It would be rude of me to refuse to see you. After all, there must be a very important reason for you to come see me,” Louneus motioned with his hand, inviting Emilia to come closer. “Hmm? What is it that you have in your hands? A letter? You are becoming quite bold, if I may say so?”
“Well… it is a…” Emilia was feeling somewhat nervous, even if she tried to stay calm. The Ice Princess took a deep breath in to help her relax, and strengthen her resolve to do what she intended by coming here. Emilia stepped closer to the table and passed to her club’s president a piece of paper folded in half twice. “I wanted to give this to you personally, Mister Vilmanos.”
“Why thank you, Emilia. I never expected you to…” the Elite Magicians club’s president looked almost pleased to receive it, but his facial expression changed as soon as he unfolded the paper and read what was written inside of it. The air in the room changed suddenly, and everyone, including Nalitta, could feel a frosty chill gathering around them. Except Emilia maybe. She stayed calm and composed, and didn’t shiver even once. “That is… not what I expected to receive from you, Emilia?”
“I’m sorry sir, but… I have made up my mind. Please accept my gratitude for taking care of me. Again, I apologize for disturbing your meeting. If you excuse me,” Emilia Frizz bowed down, her snow-white hair leaving a frozen trail behind her when she walked out of the room.
“Sir?” Nalitta was puzzled about Louneus Vilmnos being so quiet all of a sudden.
“Oh, please do forgive me, Nalitta. It was… quite unexpected news, even for me.” The club’s president extended the piece of paper Emilia gave to him.
“What do you mea- huh? What!?” Nalitta’s eyes widened after she read what was written in the letter. “Ahem… The meeting is over. You’re all excused.”
“Huh? Ah, thank you, sir. Goodbye, sir. Have a pleasant evening, sir,” the students didn’t need to be told to leave twice. They bowed and left the office as quickly as they could, leaving Louneus and Nalitta by themselves.
“I have clearly underestimated him, haven’t I? And not only once, but twice,” Louneus wasn’t particularly upset when he said that.
“Him, sir?” Nalitta was puzzled.
“Narias Talrone… I mistook his lack of communication as his lack of ambition. It turns out… he is very ambitious after all,” Louneus Vilmanos stood up, placed his hands behind his back, walked towards the window, then fixated his gaze on something into the distance.
“Narias… Talrone, sir?” It was unusual for Nalitta to hear Louneus speak about someone else like that. It even sounded like a praise.
“Nalitta,” Louneus turned his head to face her. His eyes told her she better be paying attention to what he was about to say. “I would like to know more about… Narias Talrone.”
“Sir,” Nalitta bowed her head, affirming she has heard what he had said. “And… what about the Magic Dungeon exploration test results, sir?”
“What about them?” He was gazing through the window again. “The results are as they are. There’s nothing we can do to change them. That being said, we will need to find some competent people… to replace the incompetent ones.”
“Yes, sir,” she knew exactly what he meant.
“Hmm… I think I will be willing to accept their offer, after all,” Louneus suddenly said.
“I’ll arrange a meeting with them first thing on Monday morning, sir,” Nalitta announced.
“Wonderful. I am so glad I can count on you, Nalitta. Now then, we still have one meeting to attend to today. Shall we go?” The Elite Magicians student club’s president stepped away from the window.
“Yes, sir,” Nalitta bowed her head, and then followed Louneus out of the office.
{the next day at the campus gates}
“Good morning,” Ileena greeted the others.
“Hi, Ileena. You look lovely today,” Narias greeted her.
“Yo’, Ileena,” Flavia was very cheerful.
“Hello everyone,” Emilia looked like she was sparkling all over.
“Wow, you look really happy, Emilia. Did something happen?” Flavia was curious.
“I’m just… happy to… have you all as my friends,” Emilia answered with a bit of a blush.
“Hah, you said it, Emilia. I’m happy about it too,” Flavia agreed, grinning wide.
“The transport is here,” Ileena interrupted the chat, informing it was time to go.
“Yey, let’s go,” Flavia seemed to be more energetic than usual.
“You’re in a very good mood too, Flavia. You must be very happy about us going to Madam Froxen’s shop?” Narias noticed an unusual excitement in her eyes.
“Oh, yeah. For sure,” his bunny girlfriend added a suspicious smile on her face.
“Psst… ~whisper~ How did it go?” Ileena whispered to Emilia, slowing her tempo.
“~ whisper~ I was so scared, but… ~whisper, whisper~” Emilia whispered something back.
“I see… ~whisper, whisper~ We’ll have to…” Ileena and Emilia were whispering among themselves.
Huh? They’re all acting a little strange. Hmph… Maybe they’re just excited about us going to Madam Froxen’s shop? Narias noticed his girlfriends were acting somewhat strange, but dismissed it as an excitement due to them going to pick up the garments that Norella Froxen crafted out of the Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur.
The city was nothing like it was when Narias visited it on Monday. The streets were packed and it was even worse at the Mazaar Shopping District. The group had to stick really close to each other, which the girls didn’t mind really. Each and every one of them wanted to be as close to Narias as possible. Even Emilia wasn’t so shy anymore and wanted to hold hands with him. That became quite a challenge since they were three girls and Narias had only two hands.
“Here we are. It is that shop over there,” Narias pointed out.
“Whaaa…” Flavia gasped at the line of people waiting to get inside. “What’s with that line? It is almost as long as the one to get into the Fabs & Swirls restaurant, if not worse.”
“It can’t be helped. We will have to wait,” Ileena commented, being ok with it.
“Humph…” Flavia pouted her lips, but knew there was no way around it. She followed the rest of them to stand in line.
Even if the line was long, it was moving much faster compared to the one to get into the Fabs & Swirls restaurant. The customer service was exceptional, and before they knew it, the group was greeted by a familiar face. Familiar to Narias, that is.
“Good day to you. My name is Aila. Welcome to Norella’s Enchanting Garments shop,” a young half-beast female assistant greeted them.
“Hello there. My name is Ileena.” Ileena greeted her back. Emilia and Flavia said hello as well.
“Hi, my name is- huh? Wait, aren’t you…” Narias was about to greet the shop assistant himself, but then recognized who it was.
“Mister Talrone, greetings. It is such a pleasure to see you again,” the same bunny woman that Narias was gloating about the last time he saw her greeted him with a light bow. “I hope you have been well?”
“Ah, yes. I am… doing fine,” Narias rubbed the back of his neck, averting his flushed face away.
“We have come here to pick up our order,” Ileena addressed the shop assistant, extending a slip of paper to her.
“Oh, that order?” Aila smiled with a hidden excitement. “This way, please.”
The group was led inside the shop and then into a room Narias hasn’t been before. It was decorated in a similar fashion like the guest room Narias had tea with Madam Froxen at, only it had less furniture inside. The reason was, the room was filled with all kinds of garments, mostly on the display stands. Most of them were covered, but some were open for everyone to see.
“Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll go call for Madam Froxen,” Aila, the half beast bunny woman, bowed down respectfully and then left.
“Do you know her, Narias?” Ileena noticed how Narias was looking at the woman before she left.
“Ah… well… I met her… when I visited the shop earlier this week,” he wasn’t lying when he said that. Although, his burning cheeks might’ve been hiding something.
“Greetings to you all. And Mister Talrone, it is such a pleasure to see you again,” Madam Froxen showed up only a few minutes later, accompanied by another young woman by her side. “This is Roxyna. She works as my assistant here.”
“Good day to you all,” the half beast white fox girl greeted them with a bow.
Hey, she was… number seven. Narias recognized her right away.
“Hi Roxyna. The name’s Flavia. Hey, your dress looks really pretty,” Flavia wasn’t shy to express what she thought.
“Why thank you, Flavia,” Roxyna tilted her head with a smile.
Ileena and Emilia exchanged their greetings as well.
“Roxyna…” instead of getting down to business right away, Norella Froxen addressed her assistant in a fairly stern voice.
“Oh, yes. Right away, ma’am.” Roxyna made a step forward to face Narias, then bowed down in front of him. “Mister Talrone, I apologize for my indecent behavior the other day. I hope you can forgive me.”
Wha… What does she mean? And why did she have to use that specific word? Narias wasn’t expecting Roxyna to say that.
“Indecent behavior?” Ileena eyes pierced Narias’s through.
“Hey, what does she mean by that, partner?” Flavia gave him the look as well.
“Narias?” was all Emilia said.
“Ahh… I…” Narias didn’t know what to say.
“Please forgive Roxyna for her choice of words. She… interrupted our meeting with Mister Talrone the other day, and so I had her come here apologize for it,” Madam Froxen saved the day by adding an explanation.
“Oh, in that case…” Flavia backed off.
“It’s ok. I… didn’t mind… I mean, I… I’m sure Roxyna wanted to help, that’s all,” Narias was somewhat stuttering.
“Thank you, Narias. Sorry, Mister Talrone,” Roxyna bowed down again.
“Thank you for such kind words, Mister Talrone,” the shop owner added with a smile. “Now that that’s out of the way, let us get down to business. I am certain you are curious to see how it turned out, don’t you, ladies?”
“Yes, definitely,” Flavia jumped in excitement.
“I’m curious to see it too,” Emilia added with a smile.
“Well then, Roxyna, if you please?” Madam addressed her assistant.
“Yes, ma’am,” Roxyna walked to where a number of covered display stands were. She brought one over and placed it on the table. “Here it is.”
“Woah,” the girls gasped at the sight after Roxyna uncovered it.
Wow. It looks incredible. Narias was impressed as well, but then he noticed something was off.
“Excuse me, but…” Narias was confused about the garment on the stand.
“Is something wrong, Mister Talrone?” Norella Froxen had a suspiciously cheeky smile on her face.
“I’m sorry, I thought… I thought that you’ll make three different garments from the Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur, but this looks like…” the garment he was looking at was completely different from what he expected it would be.
“So sorry, Mister Talrone, but your girlfriends insisted on keeping it a secret,” the shop owner hid her face behind her fan.
“What… do you mean by that, Madam?” Narias was even more confused.
“Sorry, partner, but we wanted it to be a surprise,” Flavia smiled at him.
“Huh?” he stared at Flavia for a brief moment, then at Ileena, then lastly at Emilia. “But why? All three of you wanted to get something?”
“That would’ve been such a waste, Mister Talrone,” Madam Froxen answered his question instead.
“What? A waste?” Narias looked at her.
“Of course. You see, Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur is no ordinary fur. It has magical properties. It would’ve been a waste to craft some ordinary garments out of it. That is why… after speaking to the three young ladies here, and explaining what the fur could be used for, they instantly agreed that the magic armor I suggested to be crafted out of it should go to you, Mister Talrone,” the shop owner explained.
“Magic armor?” Narias was dumbstruck by the news.
“Yes. Whitemane Leather Armor. The fur is magically enchanted you see, giving its wearer a moderate protection from piercing and stabbing attacks. The bracers are extra sturdy too. They have an additional layer of fur sewed in them, which can withstand certain slashing and biting attacks,” Norella Froxen provided additional details about the armor and then added. “Would you like to try it on, Mister Talrone.”
“Of course he would. Come on, partner, go change,” again, Flavia was the loudest with how impressed she was.
“It should look good on you, Narias,” Ileena brushed her hair to the side, averting her eyes away.
“I’d be curious to see how it looks on you as well,” Emilia caught a mild blush too.
I guess… I don’t have much choice. I wonder if it fits, though. Narias wasn’t against it, but since it was a surprise gift, he didn’t know if it fit.
“Would you like some help putting it on, Mister Talrone?” Roxyna asked, right when he was about to go change.
“Aah… I think… I should be fine,” the offer took him by surprise.
“I can help you change, partner,” Flavia quickly followed up with her own suggestion.
“I could help as well,” Ileena offered.
“No, no. I think I’ll be fine,” Narias responded before Emilia could say something as well. He quickly picked up the armor and hid himself inside the changing room.
“How charming,” he heard Norella Froxen comment with a chuckled.
“Wa… woaaah,” Flavia gasped after Narias stepped out of the changing room. The other girls, including Roxyna were in awe how astonishing Narias looked.
Whitemane Leather Armor consisted of sleeveless jacket, bracers and pants. Surprisingly, Narias felt extremely comfortable wearing it. He didn’t expect it to fit him so well.
“You look totally cool, partner. Look at that glow,” Flavia didn’t hide how amazed she was.
“It… suits you well, Narias,” Ileena’s cheeks were glowing red.
“I think… you look very handsome, Narias,” Emilia was in awe.
“That is quite a view. Wouldn’t you say, Roxyna?” Norella asked her assistant.
“It is indeed. He looks so… stunning,” Roxyna’s eyes were sparkling.
“I just don’t understand one thing,” Narias finally commented.
“What is it, Mister Talrone?” Madam Froxen asked.
“Well… the armor fits me better than I thought. Actually, it fits me very well. I’m amazed Madam was able to craft it so well without taking my measurements. That is… I mean…” Narias realized he blurted out something unnecessary.
“But of course I did. How else could I craft the armor that would fit you, Mister Talrone?” The shop owner covered her face with a fan again.
“Really? But then…” Narias was looking at his girlfriends, waiting for them to say something.
“Since it was supposed to be a surprise gift for you, I had to do it in a way so it won’t make you suspicious, Mister Talrone. So, I had my assistant Pirela help me with that. I must say, she did an excellent job. After all, the armor fits you exceptionally well,” Norella Froxen looked at him from top to bottom, with her gaze briefly stopping somewhere around his waist.
Pirela? But when did she… Wait… don’t tell me Pirela was taking my measurements during the… But I was also… Narias started to feel very hot all of a sudden.
“Excuse me, but… I think I will go change back. The Whitemane Leather Armor fits me well, so…” Narias wanted to hide from the embarrassment.
“That’s good to hear,” the shop owner added with a smile. “Now then, how about we take care of the outstanding balance in the meantime?”
“Yes, certainly, ma’am,” Ileena responded.
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Niuniax
Hello, a few words before today's chapter.
First things first, I wanted to thank you so much for reading the story. Your comments and feedback helped me in more than a few ways. I'm really happy people enjoy my work.
Following that, there's only a week left until the MDA Volume 3 book goes live on amazon. That also means I will have to take down all the chapters of Volume 3 from public sites due to the book going exclusive on KU. So, if you had been saving to read, now is the time to get into it. Also, you might be saying which one is the last chapter of Volume 3? There are only a couple left and I will upload the rest before Friday, so you can read it.
Finally, it's Christmas next week. Yey! Happy times... for those who will get more gifts than they had to buy to give away anyway. :D In any case, since it will be Christmas week next week, I won't be posting new chapters. We all need a break now and then. :) However, there's a surprise coming after Christmas. The thing is, I started a new story and I will start putting it up for reading after the New Year. Exciting, woohoo. But don't fret, I will be continuing with Magic Dungeon Academy with no changes in the schedule. The other story will be an addition, and I am not sure how many chapters I will be able to write a week. I'd say one or two at best to start with, but we shall see how it goes.
So, these are the news from me. And now, enjoy today's chapter. :)
{later in the evening the same day the results were announced}
“Now that’s quite an outstanding result. Wouldn’t you say so, Nalitta?” Louneus Vilmanos asked, sitting at his table.
“Sir,” Nalitta bowed her head.
“Oh? You don’t agree with me, Nalitta?” the Elite Magicians club’s president turned his head to face her, adding a seemingly genuine smile too.
“If you meant the Centurian Conquerors team’s result, I would have to agree with you, sir,” his personal assistant responded.
“But of course. Who else could I’ve meant? After all, getting over two hundred points for a first-year student dungeon exploration test is quite an achievement… isn’t it?” Louneus turned his head back to face the other people in his office. His cold gaze sent the shivers down everyone else’s spines. “So, tell me, how is it that the academy’s number one student club’s team managed to get only half of what the top team on the list got?”
“Eek… S… sorry sir. We… we have beaten so many monsters and… and we have found four treasure chests, sir. We… we thought we’ll be at the top of the list, sir…” one of the students responded timidly.
“And what does that mean exactly?” Louneus Vilmanos pierced the student who answered with his cold stare.
“Ah? Wha… what does… that mean?” The same student repeated the question, confused about it.
“So sorry. Let me rephrase my question,” Louneus leaned on the table with his elbows, placing one of his hands inside of the other. “What I was trying to ask was… what do you mean by ‘you thought’?”
“S… sir, I… I’m sss… sorry, sir…” the same student suddenly became stiff and tense, and was having difficulty to speak.
“Sorry? What good does that do in the current situation? Does you saying… ‘sorry’… add any points to your team’s current standing?” The club’s president had his charming, yet frightfully intimidating smile on his face. “I am really amazed by your incompetence. You were provided with a map of the Magic Dungeon’s first floor and yet… you weren’t even able to find the boss monster’s lair.”
“Ah- That is… sorry sir. It’s just that… our guide was Professor Zeanlor and… there wasn’t a single chance for us to… to take it out without being noticed and check where we needed to go in order to…” the other boy student, who was probably in charge of the map, tried to explain himself.
“Is that so? And why would you do that?” Louneus asked the student.
“Why would we…” the same student lifted his eyes up to face the president. “To… to check which way we… needed to go.”
“Why would you take the map with you into the Magic Dungeon?” Louneus Vilmanos rephrased his question, ignoring the student’s answer.
“Huh? If… if we could’ve looked at the map, we would’ve… found the boss monster’s lair for sure and…” the student in charge of the map reasoned.
“And what were you doing a day before when the map was delivered to you?” Louneus asked him again.
“A day before?” The student was too nervous to think straight, so couldn’t answer the question right away.
“What Mister Vilmanos is trying to say is you should’ve studied and memorized the layout of the map before entering the Magic Dungeon.” Nalitta stepped in to explain what the club’s president was trying to say.
“Eh? Memorize? But… but the whole dungeon floor is so huge and… there were so many paths… It… it was really confusing. I… I wasn’t able to…” the same student tried to explain himself.
“Are you saying you didn’t appreciate Mister Vilmanos offering his help?” Nalitta was the one asking questions now.
“Eek! N… no, of course not. I just… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” the boy started to apologize, as well as became really nervous and frightful.
“We… we would’ve found the boss monster’s lair for sure if not… if not running out of food and water,” a girl joined in, trying to add a reasonable excuse for why they had failed.
“Y… yes, that’s right. The Supply Points that we came across had no supplies in them. If… if we didn’t run out of food, we would’ve…” the first boy student joined in to support the girl’s words.
“You ran out of food you say? That does sound like a legitimate reason…” Louneus tilted his head to the side, adding that charming smile of his on his face too. Charming for those who didn’t know what it actually meant.
“Thirty eight Magic Crystals, Four Crystalized Molds, of which one was red rarity, one Soft Steel Ore, one Two-Sided Bone Needle, one Water Stone from a Crystal Snatcher Bug, one boss monster’s Magic Crystal and one Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur. Those were the items the top team on the list brought back with them. Not to mention, they have discovered two Supply Point rooms and left some supplies behind.” Nalitta unloaded a list of the top team’s achievements, emphasizing the part about leaving some supplies behind. “These are only some of the achievements of what Centurian Conquerors’ team did.”
“Wow, they have found a Crystal Snatcher Bug?” One of the students exclaimed.
“A Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur? But… it’s such a rare drop,” a girl student was impressed.
“They have found four… huh? Aah… s… sorry,” the third student was about to comment about something as well, but suddenly realized why Nalitta has listed all those achievements.
“Water Stone from the Crystal Snatcher Bug and Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur. Quite a treasure, wouldn’t you say?” Louneus asked in a calm voice.
“Y… yes, sir. It is,” the first boy student agreed.
“Of course, sir,” a girl added timidly.
“The boss monster dropping the fur is quite rare indeed. They must’ve fought the highest level Fanged Whitemane Wolf. And their team must’ve had a capable tracker if they were able to find a Crystal Snatcher Bug. Unless it was a pure luck, sir,” Nalitta added her own observations.
“Do you really believe it was luck, Nalitta?” The club’s president asked, after adjusting his sleek glasses. Only then the other students realized his first question wasn’t addressed to them in the first place.
“Of course not, sir. They must’ve taken it into account when they were forming a group,” the blonde girl assistant responded.
“Indeed. But going back to the issue at hand…” Louneus turned to face the group of students in front of him, when they heard a knock on the door. “Oh, a visitor at this hour? Who could it be?”
“Should I tell them you are busy, sir?” Nalitta asked.
“But of course not. It must be important. Please,” the club’s president motioned with his hand.
“Right away, sir,” Nalitta went to open the door. She was visibly surprised to see who the person on the other side was. Nalitta opened the doors wider to invite the person to come in.
“Emilia Frizz? What a pleasant surprise to see you,” Louneus Vilmanos was equally surprised to see her enter his office.
“Good evening, Mister Vilmanos. I am sorry for showing up unannounced, but… Oh? It seems you are busy. I… I can come some other time, sir,” Emilia stepped inside the room and quickly noticed something was going on.
“No, no. Please, do come in. It would be rude of me to refuse to see you. After all, there must be a very important reason for you to come see me,” Louneus motioned with his hand, inviting Emilia to come closer. “Hmm? What is it that you have in your hands? A letter? You are becoming quite bold, if I may say so?”
“Well… it is a…” Emilia was feeling somewhat nervous, even if she tried to stay calm. The Ice Princess took a deep breath in to help her relax, and strengthen her resolve to do what she intended by coming here. Emilia stepped closer to the table and passed to her club’s president a piece of paper folded in half twice. “I wanted to give this to you personally, Mister Vilmanos.”
“Why thank you, Emilia. I never expected you to…” the Elite Magicians club’s president looked almost pleased to receive it, but his facial expression changed as soon as he unfolded the paper and read what was written inside of it. The air in the room changed suddenly, and everyone, including Nalitta, could feel a frosty chill gathering around them. Except Emilia maybe. She stayed calm and composed, and didn’t shiver even once. “That is… not what I expected to receive from you, Emilia?”
“I’m sorry sir, but… I have made up my mind. Please accept my gratitude for taking care of me. Again, I apologize for disturbing your meeting. If you excuse me,” Emilia Frizz bowed down, her snow-white hair leaving a frozen trail behind her when she walked out of the room.
“Sir?” Nalitta was puzzled about Louneus Vilmnos being so quiet all of a sudden.
“Oh, please do forgive me, Nalitta. It was… quite unexpected news, even for me.” The club’s president extended the piece of paper Emilia gave to him.
“What do you mea- huh? What!?” Nalitta’s eyes widened after she read what was written in the letter. “Ahem… The meeting is over. You’re all excused.”
“Huh? Ah, thank you, sir. Goodbye, sir. Have a pleasant evening, sir,” the students didn’t need to be told to leave twice. They bowed and left the office as quickly as they could, leaving Louneus and Nalitta by themselves.
“I have clearly underestimated him, haven’t I? And not only once, but twice,” Louneus wasn’t particularly upset when he said that.
“Him, sir?” Nalitta was puzzled.
“Narias Talrone… I mistook his lack of communication as his lack of ambition. It turns out… he is very ambitious after all,” Louneus Vilmanos stood up, placed his hands behind his back, walked towards the window, then fixated his gaze on something into the distance.
“Narias… Talrone, sir?” It was unusual for Nalitta to hear Louneus speak about someone else like that. It even sounded like a praise.
“Nalitta,” Louneus turned his head to face her. His eyes told her she better be paying attention to what he was about to say. “I would like to know more about… Narias Talrone.”
“Sir,” Nalitta bowed her head, affirming she has heard what he had said. “And… what about the Magic Dungeon exploration test results, sir?”
“What about them?” He was gazing through the window again. “The results are as they are. There’s nothing we can do to change them. That being said, we will need to find some competent people… to replace the incompetent ones.”
“Yes, sir,” she knew exactly what he meant.
“Hmm… I think I will be willing to accept their offer, after all,” Louneus suddenly said.
“I’ll arrange a meeting with them first thing on Monday morning, sir,” Nalitta announced.
“Wonderful. I am so glad I can count on you, Nalitta. Now then, we still have one meeting to attend to today. Shall we go?” The Elite Magicians student club’s president stepped away from the window.
“Yes, sir,” Nalitta bowed her head, and then followed Louneus out of the office.
{the next day at the campus gates}
“Good morning,” Ileena greeted the others.
“Hi, Ileena. You look lovely today,” Narias greeted her.
“Yo’, Ileena,” Flavia was very cheerful.
“Hello everyone,” Emilia looked like she was sparkling all over.
“Wow, you look really happy, Emilia. Did something happen?” Flavia was curious.
“I’m just… happy to… have you all as my friends,” Emilia answered with a bit of a blush.
“Hah, you said it, Emilia. I’m happy about it too,” Flavia agreed, grinning wide.
“The transport is here,” Ileena interrupted the chat, informing it was time to go.
“Yey, let’s go,” Flavia seemed to be more energetic than usual.
“You’re in a very good mood too, Flavia. You must be very happy about us going to Madam Froxen’s shop?” Narias noticed an unusual excitement in her eyes.
“Oh, yeah. For sure,” his bunny girlfriend added a suspicious smile on her face.
“Psst… ~whisper~ How did it go?” Ileena whispered to Emilia, slowing her tempo.
“~ whisper~ I was so scared, but… ~whisper, whisper~” Emilia whispered something back.
“I see… ~whisper, whisper~ We’ll have to…” Ileena and Emilia were whispering among themselves.
Huh? They’re all acting a little strange. Hmph… Maybe they’re just excited about us going to Madam Froxen’s shop? Narias noticed his girlfriends were acting somewhat strange, but dismissed it as an excitement due to them going to pick up the garments that Norella Froxen crafted out of the Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur.
The city was nothing like it was when Narias visited it on Monday. The streets were packed and it was even worse at the Mazaar Shopping District. The group had to stick really close to each other, which the girls didn’t mind really. Each and every one of them wanted to be as close to Narias as possible. Even Emilia wasn’t so shy anymore and wanted to hold hands with him. That became quite a challenge since they were three girls and Narias had only two hands.
“Here we are. It is that shop over there,” Narias pointed out.
“Whaaa…” Flavia gasped at the line of people waiting to get inside. “What’s with that line? It is almost as long as the one to get into the Fabs & Swirls restaurant, if not worse.”
“It can’t be helped. We will have to wait,” Ileena commented, being ok with it.
“Humph…” Flavia pouted her lips, but knew there was no way around it. She followed the rest of them to stand in line.
Even if the line was long, it was moving much faster compared to the one to get into the Fabs & Swirls restaurant. The customer service was exceptional, and before they knew it, the group was greeted by a familiar face. Familiar to Narias, that is.
“Good day to you. My name is Aila. Welcome to Norella’s Enchanting Garments shop,” a young half-beast female assistant greeted them.
“Hello there. My name is Ileena.” Ileena greeted her back. Emilia and Flavia said hello as well.
“Hi, my name is- huh? Wait, aren’t you…” Narias was about to greet the shop assistant himself, but then recognized who it was.
“Mister Talrone, greetings. It is such a pleasure to see you again,” the same bunny woman that Narias was gloating about the last time he saw her greeted him with a light bow. “I hope you have been well?”
“Ah, yes. I am… doing fine,” Narias rubbed the back of his neck, averting his flushed face away.
“We have come here to pick up our order,” Ileena addressed the shop assistant, extending a slip of paper to her.
“Oh, that order?” Aila smiled with a hidden excitement. “This way, please.”
The group was led inside the shop and then into a room Narias hasn’t been before. It was decorated in a similar fashion like the guest room Narias had tea with Madam Froxen at, only it had less furniture inside. The reason was, the room was filled with all kinds of garments, mostly on the display stands. Most of them were covered, but some were open for everyone to see.
“Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll go call for Madam Froxen,” Aila, the half beast bunny woman, bowed down respectfully and then left.
“Do you know her, Narias?” Ileena noticed how Narias was looking at the woman before she left.
“Ah… well… I met her… when I visited the shop earlier this week,” he wasn’t lying when he said that. Although, his burning cheeks might’ve been hiding something.
“Greetings to you all. And Mister Talrone, it is such a pleasure to see you again,” Madam Froxen showed up only a few minutes later, accompanied by another young woman by her side. “This is Roxyna. She works as my assistant here.”
“Good day to you all,” the half beast white fox girl greeted them with a bow.
Hey, she was… number seven. Narias recognized her right away.
“Hi Roxyna. The name’s Flavia. Hey, your dress looks really pretty,” Flavia wasn’t shy to express what she thought.
“Why thank you, Flavia,” Roxyna tilted her head with a smile.
Ileena and Emilia exchanged their greetings as well.
“Roxyna…” instead of getting down to business right away, Norella Froxen addressed her assistant in a fairly stern voice.
“Oh, yes. Right away, ma’am.” Roxyna made a step forward to face Narias, then bowed down in front of him. “Mister Talrone, I apologize for my indecent behavior the other day. I hope you can forgive me.”
Wha… What does she mean? And why did she have to use that specific word? Narias wasn’t expecting Roxyna to say that.
“Indecent behavior?” Ileena eyes pierced Narias’s through.
“Hey, what does she mean by that, partner?” Flavia gave him the look as well.
“Narias?” was all Emilia said.
“Ahh… I…” Narias didn’t know what to say.
“Please forgive Roxyna for her choice of words. She… interrupted our meeting with Mister Talrone the other day, and so I had her come here apologize for it,” Madam Froxen saved the day by adding an explanation.
“Oh, in that case…” Flavia backed off.
“It’s ok. I… didn’t mind… I mean, I… I’m sure Roxyna wanted to help, that’s all,” Narias was somewhat stuttering.
“Thank you, Narias. Sorry, Mister Talrone,” Roxyna bowed down again.
“Thank you for such kind words, Mister Talrone,” the shop owner added with a smile. “Now that that’s out of the way, let us get down to business. I am certain you are curious to see how it turned out, don’t you, ladies?”
“Yes, definitely,” Flavia jumped in excitement.
“I’m curious to see it too,” Emilia added with a smile.
“Well then, Roxyna, if you please?” Madam addressed her assistant.
“Yes, ma’am,” Roxyna walked to where a number of covered display stands were. She brought one over and placed it on the table. “Here it is.”
“Woah,” the girls gasped at the sight after Roxyna uncovered it.
Wow. It looks incredible. Narias was impressed as well, but then he noticed something was off.
“Excuse me, but…” Narias was confused about the garment on the stand.
“Is something wrong, Mister Talrone?” Norella Froxen had a suspiciously cheeky smile on her face.
“I’m sorry, I thought… I thought that you’ll make three different garments from the Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur, but this looks like…” the garment he was looking at was completely different from what he expected it would be.
“So sorry, Mister Talrone, but your girlfriends insisted on keeping it a secret,” the shop owner hid her face behind her fan.
“What… do you mean by that, Madam?” Narias was even more confused.
“Sorry, partner, but we wanted it to be a surprise,” Flavia smiled at him.
“Huh?” he stared at Flavia for a brief moment, then at Ileena, then lastly at Emilia. “But why? All three of you wanted to get something?”
“That would’ve been such a waste, Mister Talrone,” Madam Froxen answered his question instead.
“What? A waste?” Narias looked at her.
“Of course. You see, Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur is no ordinary fur. It has magical properties. It would’ve been a waste to craft some ordinary garments out of it. That is why… after speaking to the three young ladies here, and explaining what the fur could be used for, they instantly agreed that the magic armor I suggested to be crafted out of it should go to you, Mister Talrone,” the shop owner explained.
“Magic armor?” Narias was dumbstruck by the news.
“Yes. Whitemane Leather Armor. The fur is magically enchanted you see, giving its wearer a moderate protection from piercing and stabbing attacks. The bracers are extra sturdy too. They have an additional layer of fur sewed in them, which can withstand certain slashing and biting attacks,” Norella Froxen provided additional details about the armor and then added. “Would you like to try it on, Mister Talrone.”
“Of course he would. Come on, partner, go change,” again, Flavia was the loudest with how impressed she was.
“It should look good on you, Narias,” Ileena brushed her hair to the side, averting her eyes away.
“I’d be curious to see how it looks on you as well,” Emilia caught a mild blush too.
I guess… I don’t have much choice. I wonder if it fits, though. Narias wasn’t against it, but since it was a surprise gift, he didn’t know if it fit.
“Would you like some help putting it on, Mister Talrone?” Roxyna asked, right when he was about to go change.
“Aah… I think… I should be fine,” the offer took him by surprise.
“I can help you change, partner,” Flavia quickly followed up with her own suggestion.
“I could help as well,” Ileena offered.
“No, no. I think I’ll be fine,” Narias responded before Emilia could say something as well. He quickly picked up the armor and hid himself inside the changing room.
“How charming,” he heard Norella Froxen comment with a chuckled.
“Wa… woaaah,” Flavia gasped after Narias stepped out of the changing room. The other girls, including Roxyna were in awe how astonishing Narias looked.
Whitemane Leather Armor consisted of sleeveless jacket, bracers and pants. Surprisingly, Narias felt extremely comfortable wearing it. He didn’t expect it to fit him so well.
“You look totally cool, partner. Look at that glow,” Flavia didn’t hide how amazed she was.
“It… suits you well, Narias,” Ileena’s cheeks were glowing red.
“I think… you look very handsome, Narias,” Emilia was in awe.
“That is quite a view. Wouldn’t you say, Roxyna?” Norella asked her assistant.
“It is indeed. He looks so… stunning,” Roxyna’s eyes were sparkling.
“I just don’t understand one thing,” Narias finally commented.
“What is it, Mister Talrone?” Madam Froxen asked.
“Well… the armor fits me better than I thought. Actually, it fits me very well. I’m amazed Madam was able to craft it so well without taking my measurements. That is… I mean…” Narias realized he blurted out something unnecessary.
“But of course I did. How else could I craft the armor that would fit you, Mister Talrone?” The shop owner covered her face with a fan again.
“Really? But then…” Narias was looking at his girlfriends, waiting for them to say something.
“Since it was supposed to be a surprise gift for you, I had to do it in a way so it won’t make you suspicious, Mister Talrone. So, I had my assistant Pirela help me with that. I must say, she did an excellent job. After all, the armor fits you exceptionally well,” Norella Froxen looked at him from top to bottom, with her gaze briefly stopping somewhere around his waist.
Pirela? But when did she… Wait… don’t tell me Pirela was taking my measurements during the… But I was also… Narias started to feel very hot all of a sudden.
“Excuse me, but… I think I will go change back. The Whitemane Leather Armor fits me well, so…” Narias wanted to hide from the embarrassment.
“That’s good to hear,” the shop owner added with a smile. “Now then, how about we take care of the outstanding balance in the meantime?”
“Yes, certainly, ma’am,” Ileena responded.
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