LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 31
✦ Chapter 31 ✦
「Translator – Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
As we made our way to the lab, Professor Idra suddenly spoke up.
“Hmm~ Did you use me just now?”
She knew, of course. She saw right through my tactic of using her presence to evade the Kingdom of Archen students. Surprisingly, she didn’t seem offended in the slightest. If anything, she appeared rather pleased.
“Using sounds so harsh between us. Honestly, Professor, you’re eager to learn how I enhance magical artifacts as soon as possible, aren’t you?”
It was true, after all. Had I been waylaid by those students, it would have only delayed Professor Idra’s discovery of my unique talent.
“Which is why it’s a problem. I can’t rightfully scold you for it even though I should.”
In truth, even if I hadn’t orchestrated this scene, Professor Idra would have helped me gladly if I had asked. Escaping the students without her help wouldn’t have been a difficult task either.
“Just open this door, and you’ll be in my lab! How do you feel, Loki? Excited? I’ll let you have the honors of opening the door specially.”
Despite that, I chose to involve Professor Idra to have a conversation with her.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to open the door to your lab, Professor.”
I dramatically shook my hand as I grasped the doorknob, making her laugh.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
“Ta-da! Welcome to my lab!”
Contrary to what I expected, Professor Idra’s lab was incredibly tidy.
“Loki, feel free to look around.”
“Then, I won’t refuse your offer.”
The lab contained various magical artifacts — some I recognized from my Croaka days, and others I had never seen before.
“Did you create all of these yourself, Professor?” I asked, my voice hushed with awe.
“Yes, I made every single one. Impressive, right?”
“Truly impressive.”
I genuinely admired the fact that she crafted all these tools.
‘Was Professor Idra in her mid-twenties?’
To think she had single-handedly created hundreds, if not thousands, of magical artifacts in such a short span of time… it was simply mind-boggling.
As I browsed the collection, my gaze settled on one particular item.
“Hehe, knowing you, Loki, you recognize that, right?”
Professor Idra nudged me playfully, speaking with a cheerful voice.
“Yes, how could I forget?”
My eyes were drawn to a cluster of cerulean orbs displayed prominently on a pedestal. Had they been merely ordinary orb, my attention wouldn’t have lingered for a second. But these were far from ordinary.
“Those orbs… are those the cores from the golem during the entrance ceremony?”
The very memory of that chaotic entrance ceremony, with its seemingly invincible golem, sent a shiver down my spine. To possess over a dozen of those cores meant that Professor Idra could, if she so desired, unleash an army of those golems during the fight.
“Correct. Now, if you’ve seen enough, shall we have a conversation?”
Professor Idra tapped the chair beside her. I walked over to the chair she had indicated and sat down.
“Professor Idra, could you lend me any magical artifacts, just for a moment?”
Since there wasn’t much time before the next class, I decided to quickly demonstrate.
Professor Idra handed me an item from her desk. I placed it into my [Subspace].
“Did you store it in your subspace?” she inquired.
“Just a moment, Professor. This won’t take long.”
About a minute later, I retrieved the item and handed it back to Professor Idra. She silently examined the object I had given her.
“It’s… truly enhanced,” she finally said, her usual lighthearted tone replaced with a newfound seriousness. “Tell me, Loki, how many others know about this ability of yours?”
“As of now, besides you, Professor Idra, no one else.”
“That’s good to hear. It’s best to keep this ability a secret.”
As she mentioned, if others knew about this ability, it would become troublesome. To be honest, I had no intention of revealing it to anyone else, but I didn’t mind telling Professor Idra.
“Professor, how about making a deal with me?”
Professor Idra’s interest piqued as she heard the word ‘deal.’
“Oh~ a deal?”
“I’ll enhance any magical artifacts you want! In return, I need your assistance in creating magical artifacts.”
Professor Idra seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before she spoke again.
“That sounds like an offer too good for me.”
“Since you’ll be helping me with making the artifacts, it’s quite fair.”
Others might think I was getting the short end of the deal, but I didn’t mind. While I could easily create magical artifacts with [The Creator’s Touch], that was only if I knew the crafting method.
However, with Professor Idra’s help, I could materialize the artefacts I had only imagined.
“To make it a bit fairer, I’ll give you some of the magical artifacts I’ve made.”
“Receiving magical artifacts made by you, Professor? Now, that’s making me feel guilty.”
“Hahahaha, I’m glad you think so highly of my creations.”.
.
.
With classes dismissed for the day, I made my way towards the dormitory. The sky had begun its descent into twilight, casting long shadows across the academy grounds.
The dormitory was so spacious and nice that comparing it to the inn I stayed at before would be an insult. Of course, not all students stayed in such dormitories. This dormitory was most likely assigned to the Special Class students.
“Time to unpack, I suppose.”
I began taking out various items I had stored in my [Subspace]. Among them were a few magical artifacts that Professor Idra had handed to me earlier.
Even though I took out all the necessary items, I felt too lazy to organize them, so I decided to leave the organization for later and just prepare to sleep.
“Wait a minute.”
I reached for the vial containing my medicine, the familiar coolness of it always a comfort. However, my fingers met only empty air. I rummaged through my belongings, panic starting to rise within me.
I couldn’t sleep without it.
‘Could it be that I’ve run out?’
If it were ordinary medicine, I would have gone out immediately to get more, but the medicine I needed was a special concoction made by Duke Adellion.
“Damn it.”
I sighed as I lay down on the bed.
Although it wasn’t quite bedtime yet, a wave of unease swept over me. I had overslept just yesterday, arriving late for my first day at the academy. Now, without my medicine, sleep felt like an impossible dream.
‘I can’t just ask the Duke for more.’
Even if I did ask Duke Adellion, he would only lecture me about not relying on the medicine.
*Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!*
While I was worrying, I heard a sound.
I walked towards the source of the sound.
The communication orb Lucas had given me that morning was ringing.
There were three people connected to this orb — the Emperor, Lucas, and Yerika.
Since I’d talked with Lucas until I arrived at the dormitory, it wasn’t likely to be him.
Yerika had no particular reason to contact me, so she was out as well.
That left the Emperor.
My reasoning was theoretically flawless.
[It seems my brother delivered it well.]
But the result was completely off the mark.
The person contacting me was the imperial princess, Yerika.
“Your Highness? To what do I owe the pleasure…?”
[I couldn’t get through to you, so I decided to call myself.]
From her voice, she sounded a bit annoyed.
No, rather than annoyed, it was more like she was sulking.
“I apologize, Your Highness. From now on, I’ll be sure to be the one to contact you first.” I couldn’t help but fidget under her perceived disapproval.
A soft chuckle echoed from the device. It seemed my apology had appeased her.
[How was your first day at the academy?]
When one thinks of the communication orb as a modern-day phone, there are two options for connecting through it — one is just a regular call and…
… the other was a video call.
The call Yerika had made to me was a regular call, where only her voice could be heard and not her face; therefore, I spoke comfortably while lying on my bed.
“There were quite a few things that happened; it wasn’t what I would call an ordinary day, Your Highness.”
[Do tell. I’m all ears.]
“As you wish.”
And so, I regaled her with the day’s events. My tardy entrance, the Special Class’s ill-advised attempt to challenge the professor, and the inevitable beatdown that followed—all recounted in vivid detail. I conveniently omitted any mention of the arrogant jerk, however.
[Quite eventful for just one day. But if you plan on picking fights with professors again tomorrow, shouldn’t you be resting up?]
The problem wasn’t about going to bed early, but being able to fall asleep at all.
“I’m fine. How was your day, Your Highness?”
It was generally considered improper to inquire about a royal’s day. But my bond with Yerika had grown stronger through my time with the Emperor, making such formalities seem trivial.
[Well, it was a tad dull without our esteemed Clown to brighten up the palace.]
Yerika’s voice was tinged with mischief, even though her words sounded regretful.
She didn’t talk like that initially but had started making such remarks as we conversed more.
“Haha.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle briefly whenever she spoke in that manner.
If the Emperor found out, the punishment would be severe.
.
.
.
After that, Yerika and I had a wide-ranging conversation.
What was once an ambiguous time of night had now turned into true nighttime.
[Haa~ I should start getting ready for bed now.]
Yerika yawned as she spoke. Yawning in front of others was normally against etiquette for a princess, but it showed how comfortable she felt with me.
[Your Highness, dream of me tonight.]
Yerika naturally replied to my words.
[When you appear in my dreams, please take off your mask.]
With those parting words, she ended the call.
[Feel free to call me Yerika from now on.]
*Click.*
The silence that followed was deafening, punctuated only by the phantom ringing in my ears.
“Ahahaha…” Yerika’s parting words echoed in my mind, and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
There was something innately calming about conversing with her; it eased the tension that constantly coiled within me. For a moment, the knot of anxiety that had been tightening in my chest loosened its grip.
Maybe, just maybe, sleep wouldn’t elude me tonight after all. With that hopeful thought, I settled into bed and closed my eyes.
END of CHAPTER
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