Chapter 32: Raid (1)

“Lu… Luke Richter!! W-what about the last commission? Were you satisfied?”

Monica, known for her cynical attitude, was so shocked that even her words came out stammering.

There’s really no need for her to be that worried.

It’s not like I actually plan to reveal her secret, and I didn’t come all the way here for that purpose anyway.

Threatening someone only works as a one-time thing; if overused, it just backfires.

For building trust, one well-timed threat is enough. After that, it’s crucial to gradually build a relationship based on mutual trust.

My relationship with Monica is strictly win-win.

In other words, it’s a business relationship.

“Of course. I was satisfied, which is why I even recommended you to my friend.”
“Fr-Friend?!”

Aisha looked visibly shocked at the word “friend.”
Monica glanced between me and Aisha with a suspicious look in her eyes.

[ “Hoo.” ]

At the same time, zelus, who was resting on Aisha’s shoulder, let out an intrigued sound.

[ “For a human, she’s got quite the skills.” ]

zelus started bouncing around, hopping from shelf to shelf, examining the displayed items.
Monica, witnessing this scene, was visibly taken aback.

“A spirit?!”

The higher-ranked spirit, zelus.

It’s no wonder Monica would be shocked.
Spirits are extremely rare, and forming a contract with one is no small feat.

The reason I came here today is because of that little guy.
To properly utilize the spirit, Aisha needs specialized equipment.

The type of equipment varies depending on the spirit, so giving the job to a random craftsman could result in wasting a lot of money.

That’s why I came to Monica. She’s the only one who can craft the perfect specialized equipment for Aisha.

“As expected of the Rustichel family. Possessing such a rare spirit… Aisha, you’re truly remarkable.”
“Ah, actually, I was only able to make the contract thanks to Luke.”
“W-who?!”
“The person right here—Luke.”

Monica staggered backward, seemingly unable to believe what she just heard.
Is it really that shocking?

I planned to entrust the commission to Monica. In theory, there shouldn’t be any problems, but there’s still one major hurdle left.

The problem is that specialized equipment for spirits is practically an unknown concept at this point in time.

Nobody knows how to craft it, and hardly anyone is even aware it exists.
Of course, it won’t be long before Monica successfully creates it and becomes one of the most renowned craftsmen.

“Actually, I came here to place a commission.”
“A commission? What now…?”
“This time, it’s for Aisha.”
“You came to place a commission, customer?”

Was she planning to yell at me just now?
Must’ve been my imagination.

“I want you to make some specialized equipment for the spirit.”
“…What? Specialized spirit equipment?”

That term must sound completely unfamiliar to Monica.
But that will change today.

Discovering spirit-specific equipment will be a groundbreaking event that will elevate Monica to the ranks of the top artisans.

What I need to do here is simple.

I just have to drop some hints about crafting specialized equipment.

If I give her the right clue, Monica will definitely piece it all together.

————————————————————————

[ Accessing the Artifact Design and Blueprint Category. ]
[ ▶ Weapons ]
[ ▶ Upper Body Gear ]
[ ▶ Lower Body Gear ]
[ ▶ Specialized Equipment ]

———————————————————————–

Dropping hints is no problem for me.
All I need to do is use the Sage’s Glasses to access the basic design, and the rest will follow.

In the game, these blueprints were practically useless.
But now, in reality, their value is almost immeasurable.

“I’ve got a brilliant idea. Wanna hear it?”
“A brilliant idea? From you?”

Now all I need to do is spoon-feed the crafting method to Monica.
Despite her abrasive personality, Monica is someone who never misses a good opportunity.

“It’s a design method for specialized equipment that converts a spirit’s natural energy into mana and amplifies it…”

If I want to keep using Monica as my personal crafter, I need to give her something valuable.

The explanation was over.
But Monica remained silent, her head lowered, not moving an inch.

Even Aisha was quiet, though her eyes seemed a bit wider than usual.

“Monica-senpai?”

Did she not understand it?
If that’s the case, I wouldn’t mind explaining it again.

The silence dragged on, and just as I was about to ask her directly out of frustration…

“Luke Richter.”

Monica finally broke her silence.

“Who… are you?”

Her voice was trembling, and her eyes were wavering like turbulent waves.
Looks like she’s pretty shaken.

“What do you mean? I’m just a student.”
“…This isn’t something a mere student would come up with.”

Well, she’s not wrong.
But I don’t exactly have a logical explanation to convince her.

Guess I’ll just have to play it off.

“Maybe I’m just a bit… unique?”
“I can’t accept that.”
“So, are you going to do it or not?”
“…”

Monica would never refuse this offer.
She’s the type to seize any opportunity, not pass it up.

“Why are you giving this to me?”
“As you saw, the design I showed you earlier is incomplete.”
“But why me, specifically…?”
“Because, out of everyone I’ve seen, you’re the most skilled.”

The information I gave Monica was fragmented at best.
It’s essentially a puzzle that only she can piece together.

“You’ll do it, right?”

I gave her a faint smile.
Monica lowered her head again, mumbling in a small, timid voice.

“Fine… I’ll give it a try…”

She muttered a small “thanks” at the end.
Instead of replying, I just chuckled softly.
Watching the situation, Aisha hesitantly raised her hand.

“Um… about the commission fee… how much would it be?”
“This one’s free. I’ve already received plenty in return.”

Monica declared the commission to be free of charge.
Looks like the charm offensive is already paying off.

“Since establishing the theory behind spirit-specific equipment is a priority, I can’t promise how long it’ll take.
But it shouldn’t take too long. Once it’s ready, I’ll come find you.”

Once the specialized equipment is complete, Aisha’s combat efficiency with Jelus will skyrocket.

The only downside to spirits is their excessive mana consumption.
If that problem is solved, not only will the mana efficiency improve, but the output will significantly increase as well.

In other words, it’s an essential upgrade.

“To craft it, I’ll need to analyze the spirit’s mana wavelength and natural energy attribute.
Since it’s a custom-made piece, I don’t need to take Jelus with me.
Just a sample like the ‘Tear of the Spirit’ would suffice.”

“Tear of the Spirit? Does that mean we have to collect Jelus’s tears?”
“There’s no need to hand over the entire spirit. Just a single tear will be enough for analysis.”

Tear of the Spirit?
Perfect.
Nothing’s easier to collect than Jelus’s tears.

[ “W-What?! Tears?! How dare you, lowly human, covet my noble tears…!!” ]

Hearing the word “tears,” Jelus bristled, baring his teeth.
I twisted my lips into a grin and approached him.

“Jelus, let’s not make this difficult, okay?”

Whoosh—!
Flames flared up at my fingertips.

[ “I-Insufferable!!!” ]

Jelus scrambled backward, finally collapsing onto the floor.

[ “Contractor! Defend me at once!!” ]

The flames at my fingertips grew even fiercer.

“Defend you from what?”

[ “If you retreat now, I shall graciously forgive your insolence!” ]

“It’ll sting just a little.”

[ “Hiccup…!” ]

Come on, just hand over your tears.

Meanwhile, in Professor Louise’s office.

Despite the late hour with the sun fully set, Professor Louise was still buried in paperwork.
But she didn’t mind.
After all, it was her job.

“Urgh!”

She stretched her hands above her head, fingers intertwined.
A satisfying crack echoed, spreading a soothing sensation throughout her body.

The mountain of documents on her desk had noticeably dwindled.

“Just one more hour, and I’ll be done.”

She planned to finish up quickly and then relax.
Louise sighed softly and picked up her pen again.

As she did, a particular student flashed through her mind.

“Luke Richter…”

She’d known from the beginning that something was off about him.
Back when the rift incident happened, she had a feeling he was involved.
If her deduction was correct, Luke was the one who took down the demon that emerged from the rift.

Of course, it was just a theory, but considering the principal Stella’s attitude, it seemed likely.

“What on earth is he?”

His boundless magical talent, unpredictable actions—everything about him was shrouded in mystery.
But regardless, he was her student.

To ensure he didn’t stray down the wrong path, it was crucial for her as a teacher to intervene.

“I should schedule a counseling session before the break.”

Just then—

Beep—!

The lights in the office went out.
No, it wasn’t just her office—the entire academy was swallowed by darkness.

“What…?”

Louise’s expression darkened.

“No way…!”

She felt a slimy, sinister mana crawling nearby.
The overwhelming murderous intent made her skin crawl.
And it wasn’t just one presence.

At least three distinct, malevolent mana waves entered Louise’s sensory range.

No doubt about it.
Someone was attacking the academy.