Chapter 21
“HERE, TAKE these with you.”
“Thank you very much. Generous as ever.”
Cleos had reported that the school was running low on blasting stones, so Mira got right to work refining more to replenish the lost stock. The kind of blasting stones the school needed were easy to make, so she refined nearly a hundred of them in no time flat.
Cleos placed them gingerly in a bag and put away the refining desk he’d set out for Mira’s use. Taking advantage of their short break, Mariana brought out something that looked like a black plate and placed it on the cleared table.
Hmm? What could this be? Actually, I recognize this…
There was a hole on the surface, with a magic circle engraved on the bottom. It didn’t look familiar, exactly, but Mira knew she’d seen it somewhere. She gazed at it, racking her brain to try to remember.
Mariana went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot, which she placed on top of it. Suddenly, Mira’s mind honed in on a memory: she’d seen this item when she was looking around a shop for adventurers once upon a time.
Mira gasped in surprise. If I recall correctly, this is an all-purpose cooking plate with adjustable heating! And it’s the high-grade kind that uses special magic to save more energy than the average product! Wasn’t this 800,000 ducats? I gave up on it at the time. To think we have one right here in my tower…
One could’ve mistook her inner monologue for a sales pitch.
The all-purpose cooking plate was such an impressive item that even Mira—a very poor cook—wanted one. It seemed the main course of their dinner would be a one-pot dish made on the plate. Mira’s beloved deep-fried foods lined the table as well, each on special platters that kept the dishes from getting cold. This came as another surprise.
Mariana brought out prepared ingredients one after another.
Can the three of us eat all this? Mira wondered as she excitedly watched Mariana cook. Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Mm? A visitor?” Mira looked up.
Before she could stand, Mariana announced, “I’ll get it,” and turned.
The summoner took this opportunity to snatch a fried morsel and toss it into her mouth. “Delicious!”
When Cleos returned from putting his refining desk away and saw Mira sneaking food like a little kid, he chuckled to himself and smiled.
Then, in walked Luminaria and her aide, Lythalia.
“Welcome back, Mira,” Luminaria greeted her. “I came running as soon as I heard you were here.”
“It’s been too long, Miss Mira.” Lythalia had been shocked when she’d first learned that Mira was Danblf, but it seemed she had adapted. She remained composed even when she saw the young summoner.
“Mm, it’s good to see you too. What business brings you here?”
“Nah, we’re not here on ‘business.’” Luminaria walked right over and plopped down next to Mira. She claimed that Solomon had told her Mira was home, so she just came to visit, and Lythalia tagged along.
But Lythalia was busy gazing at a long robe in the corner, murmuring, “So this is Master Danblf’s…” After overcoming her initial shock, her faith in the Wise Man was unshaken.
Never missing a chance to state the obvious, Luminaria looked over the table and finally said pointedly, “Sooo, you’re having dinner, huh? Hot pot? Nice.”
Mira realized that she’d come precisely to mooch a meal. This was a common technique of hers, so Mira replied, as usual, “If you haven’t eaten, would you two like to join us?”
“Aww, what a sweet offer. We’d love to.”
“Thank you for allowing us to join you.”
They replied without hesitation, as if they’d planned to do this from the start. Luminaria then took a few items, mainly seafood, from her Item Box and said, “Let’s throw these in too.” They were all delicacies that made Mira’s eyes sparkle.
“Allow me to help, Mariana,” Lythalia offered.
“Thank you. I’ll grab another pot.”
The two aides began preparing a seafood pot with the ingredients Luminaria had brought. They knew each other well, and they acted in perfect sync, finishing preparations in no time. Cleos seemed uneasy around two Wise Men, so he joined the chefs to busy himself.
While they worked on the second pot, Mira and Luminaria got right to chatting after not seeing each other for so long.
After summoning Sanctia and bragging about her for a while, Mira suddenly remembered the Sword of the Crimson Lotus King in her Item Box. “Oh, right. I finally got that thing you asked me for!” It was her ticket to Luminaria’s Encyclopedia of Skills.
“Ooh, good job!” Due to her position as a Wise Man, Luminaria was naturally overzealous about all things sorcery. She snatched the sword from Mira, gazed at it with starry eyes, and said, “Yeah, this is it!”
While Luminaria confirmed that it was real, Mira said, “Incidentally, what became of that Yggdrasil Chip I gave you? Did you manage to turn it into charcoal? If so, I would say my job is done. Hand over the item.” Now that she’d fulfilled her side of the deal, the Encyclopedia of Skills was rightfully hers.
“Yeah, we did it. They kept saying it was a waste and all, but I’ve got charcoal now.” Luminaria held a hand out to hold Mira back while she retrieved her Encyclopedia of Skills. “Here. The item. Take good care of it, got it?” she warned Mira before finally offering it to her.
The Encyclopedia of Skills contained abilities that could be used for evil in the wrong hands, so it wasn’t widely circulated. Moreover, one needed to be trusted by the author in order to obtain it. It was among the most priceless of player-made goods.
“But of course!” Mira agreed wholeheartedly, grinned like mad as she imagined the thirty years of progress within, and took the book. “Finally, I have you…” Mira cradled the tome in her arms. She gazed at the cover and opened the book.
There was yet another knock at the door.
“Nrgh… What now?!” she grumbled.
Just as before, Mariana rushed to answer it. Mira closed the book and hugged it tightly.
“I wonder,” Luminaria answered, wholly uninterested, as she squatted in a corner of the room. She had placed a sheet with a magic circle drawn on it on the floor, then put the sword and ashes on top.
Luna had curled up on the end of the couch. She glared with evident hostility at the book in Mira’s arms. Cleos seemed unbothered; he was absorbed in placing the silverware for their meal together.
The visitor was Amarette, Acting Elder of the Tower of Necromancy. She wore an outfit worthy of the title gothic lolita. Amarette surveyed the crowd and said, “I heard Mira was here, but I didn’t expect to find a party.”
“Right, we’re all just about to have dinner. Why not join us?”
“Hot pot at this time of year? Odd. I’d be glad to have some.” Amarette glanced at the table and answered with a smile. Her eyes turned to Mira. “More importantly… Mira, is that outfit new?”
She ran over right away, looked the outfit up and down, and touched it all over. “The embroidery is just wonderful. And the lace is perfect. Wow, and even the inside is so intricate!” Amarette got deep into Mira’s personal space as she got a look at every inch of the clothing. After checking the inner collar, she murmured in amazement, “They even paid close attention to the contrast of the parts you can’t see…”
It seemed this new, all-out creation by the maids was perfect enough to impress even the most fervent enthusiasts.
I can’t read like this…
Unlike with Flicker, Mira was reluctant to tear Amarette off herself, so she let her have her way as she looked down at the book in her hands. However, it had to be said that she didn’t mind a gothic lolita girl getting up close and personal with her. Not one bit.
Suddenly, a red gleam filled the room.
Feeling a wash of intense heat for just a moment, she turned to face Luminaria and asked, “I presume it went well?”
“Yeah, just about perfectly,” Luminaria answered with a big grin. She added proudly, “It’s just a shame I can’t show you here. Everything would turn to ash.”
She had used elementary fire magic to burn the paper with the magic circle that had reacted to the catalyst. This process was how sorcerers learned magic. And given her attitude, it must have been powerful magic indeed.
“Ho ho, you sound confident. But my new summoning techniques are quite something, too, you know. By the time my enemy realizes their power, they’re already in the ground.” Apparently infected by Luminaria’s pride, Mira talked smugly about her own magic. Unfortunately, since Amarette was in the middle of flipping up her skirt, her gravitas was somewhat diminished.
The two Wise Men grinned fearlessly at each other. Cleos panicked, wondering how things had come to this. Lythalia showed no signs of caring as she prepped ingredients. Amarette began examining the coat Mira had left on the couch. Luna seized the opportunity to jump into Mira’s lap.
And in the middle of it all, Mariana struggled to carry a big pot into the room. The scents of broth and seafood spread through the air, and everyone loosened up at once.
“I’ll bring the remaining ingredients. Everyone, please take your seats,” Mariana said as she placed the pot on the all-purpose cooking plate and returned to the kitchen.
“Mm, that looks delicious. Maybe seafood hot pot isn’t so bad, after all,” Mira mused.
“Right? I know you eat nothing but red meat without me, so take this opportunity to have some real food, all right?” Luminaria teased.
“Excuse you. I eat a very balanced diet.”
“Pssh, yeah, right.”
Mira and Luminaria took their seats as directed. In front of the pot, the contents of which simmered enticingly, they argued like old friends. Their rivalry from before was all but gone. Relieved by the sudden calm, Cleos sighed and took a seat. Such contests of pride were all too common between those two.
Before long, additional ingredients were brought to the table for everyone to pick as they pleased, and the whole group sat down to enjoy a big summer hot pot party.
The deliciousness of eating with friends made Mira forget all about the Encyclopedia of Skills. For now, she savored the flavor of the present.
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