Gift

Chapter Forty-Seven: Gift

Sika seemed rather surprised to see Linton.

"Mr. Crevixil, weren't you... uh, leaving Falasong?"

"Just call me Linton. I ran into some problems, so I wanted to come back and look up some related information."

"I see." Sika nodded in understanding. "So what books do you need this time? The Origin of Monsters and Sexual Selection, or On Human Anatomy?"

His response was highly practiced, as though he had done this many times before.

And that was indeed the case.

Sika was both an ordinary professor of the Truth Society and a teacher at the Royal Magic Academy of the Kingdom of Blossoms.

The former necromancer Linton had happened to meet him, then hoped to borrow books through him that necromancers could not access.

As a teacher by profession, Sika naturally would not refuse the request of someone thirsty for knowledge. Besides, the books necromancers needed were not particularly precious. He simply disliked exposing himself before the public and could not enter the library to borrow them himself, so Sika had readily agreed.

So when Linton said he had encountered some problems this time, Sika instinctively assumed that he wanted to borrow books again.

But Linton shook his head. "This time, I don't know what books I need either, so I want to look for them myself."

"I understand."

Sika searched through his clothes and pulled out a small card.

"This is my library card. With it, you can freely read the books on the first and second floors, and temporarily use the lounge on the third floor."

"Thank you very much." Linton accepted the card, then casually asked, "But Mr. Sika, how do I get into the library at the magic academy?"

Hearing his question, Sika gave him a surprised look.

"Mr. Clinton, didn't you know that the magic academy is normally open to the public unless there's a special festival? You're not on the wanted list, so you can just walk in however you like."

Linton froze.

He genuinely had not known.

Neither the former necromancer nor the current him had ever gone to the magic academy.

The necromancer had hated crowds and had not wanted to go; meanwhile, Linton, back when he had been a player, would be asked for identification as soon as he approached the academy. Non-students were not allowed in.

And Iris had never mentioned it. Perhaps because of her former status as a Flower Knight reserve, no one had ever stopped her wherever she went, so she had never cared whether the magic academy was freely open.

Now that he had learned he could enter at will, Linton, who had always subconsciously treated the matter as an unspeakable secret, did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"I overthought it." Linton gave a slight bow and thanked him again. "Thank you very much for clearing up my doubts."

"No, no, it's a teacher's duty." Sika smiled and waved a hand. "If my students were even half as eager to learn as you are, they wouldn't be failing their classes."

"You flatter me."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Linton, having accomplished his goal, said his farewells.

"Mr. Sika, time waits for no one. I'll be—"

"Wait, Mr. Crevixil."

The sudden call interrupted Linton. He turned toward the voice, his brow furrowing slightly.

He did not know the speaker.

"And you are?"

"Just call me William. Someone asked me to bring you something."

The man calling himself William answered simply, raising a hand to pass an item to Linton.

Linton accepted what he handed over.

It was a silver-gray stone, pitted and uneven across its surface. Under the reflected light, mysterious black radiance seemed to flow faintly within it.

Moonstone of Concealment (Epic): A magical stone, like a bright moon hidden behind dark clouds. When worn, it conceals information within a 0.5-meter radius around the wearer. (Ineffective at level 20 or above)

Linton's mind was full of question marks.

An epic item for concealing personal information?

Epic?

His only epic item, the "Manuscript of Deathly Silence - Fragment," had been obtained by clearing a deeply hidden secret stage. Without opening his all-seeing eye, it might have taken players years to discover it.

And now someone was giving him one for free?

"Mr. William, may I ask who entrusted this to you?"

William spread his hands. Silence spoke louder than words.

"Fine."

Already expecting as much, Linton sighed softly, accepted the stone, and bid the two men farewell.

—And at the very moment he pushed open the door and left, the man seated at the very front before the statue suddenly turned his head and silently glanced at him.

After leaving the tailor shop, Linton's tightly furrowed brows did not relax.

Who had sent this stone? What did it mean?

Just as he was thinking, Iris suddenly appeared beside him.

"Hey, are you done? I was so bored waiting outside."

"Yeah."

Linton answered casually. Then, as though struck by inspiration, he turned his head and stared at his doll-like young lady.

Iris grew uneasy beneath his gaze, feeling uncomfortable all over.

"What are you staring at me like that for?!"

"Nothing." Linton suddenly smiled. "I was just wondering whether that person saw something from the future and decided to warn me by giving me a gift."

Under the effect of the Mental Weakness debuff, Linton could focus on thinking about only one matter at a time.

Before receiving this stone, he had been focused entirely on how to enter the magic academy's library. He had completely overlooked how to resolve the unusual situation between himself and Iris once they got inside.

That was a school for mages. It was difficult to guarantee that no one would see through Iris's current condition.

And now, this problem seemed to have been perfectly resolved?

As the first map in the game, the Kingdom of Blossoms generally had low-level NPCs. Even in Falasong, most were ordinary NPCs around levels ten to twenty. The elite members of the Knights Order might exceed level forty, but they rarely appeared in the city.

The same was true of the magic academy. High-level mages usually shut themselves away in their laboratories to conduct research in pursuit of greater mysteries. Who would run around outside for no reason?

The other students and ordinary teachers had no way to overcome a twenty-level gap and pry into their information.

"???"

Iris could not understand his abrupt, incomplete words at all.

"Enough. I can't find the answer to this myself, so I'll put it aside for now." Linton changed the subject. "Iris, since we're paying a visit, wouldn't it be rude not to bring a gift?"

"Does Miss Vera like anything?"

Seeing that he was unwilling to dwell on it, Iris did not press further.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Desserts?"

"Hmm. Sweets can indeed replenish the energy people need during intense thinking. That's a good choice."

"Don't turn liking something into a matter of practical benefit, you bastard!!"

The Royal Magic Academy of the Kingdom of Blossoms was located directly west of Falasong, spanning two districts. The city wall dividing the inner and outer cities ended there.

Just as they were about to enter the magic academy through its open gates, Linton suddenly spoke.

"Iris, stay close to me later."

There was a solemn note in his voice. Though Iris was puzzled, she did not object.

The two of them entered the grounds of the magic academy almost pressed together, yet nothing unusual happened.

—Unless one counted the envious looks the other students gave them.

"Do we have to keep doing this after we're inside?"

The contact of skin against skin made the girl, who had never experienced anything like this before, blush faintly. At the same time, she felt uncomfortable all over and could not help scratching her face, as though ants were crawling over her body.

Thanks to "_Huai Shi_" for the 100 Qidian coins donation. Thank you very much!!