Gift

Chapter 47: A Gift

Sika seemed quite surprised to see Linton.

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

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

"I see," Sika said, realization dawning. "What books do you need this time? The Origin of Monsters and Mate Selection, or Theories of Human Anatomy?"

His response was practiced, as if he'd done this many times before.

And indeed, that was the case.

Sika was not only an ordinary professor in the Truth Society but also a teacher at the Royal Academy of Blossoms.

Linton, formerly a Necromancer, had met him by chance and hoped to borrow books that Necromancers couldn't access through him.

As a teacher, Sika naturally wouldn't refuse the request of someone eager for knowledge. Moreover, the books the Necromancer needed weren't particularly rare or valuable; it was just that Linton himself disliked being in the public eye and couldn't check them out from the library. So, Sika had readily agreed.

Thus, when Linton said he had some trouble this time, Sika instinctively assumed he needed to borrow books again.

But Linton shook his head and said, "This time, I don't know what books I'm looking for, so I want to browse for myself."

"I understand."

Sika fumbled around on himself and pulled out a small card.

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

"Thank you very much," Linton said, taking the card. He then casually asked, "But Mr. Sika, how can I get into the library at the Academy of Magic?"

Hearing his question, Sika gave him a surprised look.

"Mr. Linton, don't you know that the Academy of Magic is freely open to the public during normal times, unless there's a special festival? You're not on any wanted list, so you can go in however you please."

Linton froze.

He really didn't know.

Neither as a Necromancer nor in his current form had he ever been to the Academy of Magic.

The Necromancer had disliked crowds and didn't want to go; as for Linton, when he was a player, anyone near the Academy of Magic would be asked to show identification, and those who weren't students were not allowed in.

Iris hadn't mentioned this, perhaps because with her former status as a reserve Flower Knight, she could go anywhere without being stopped, so she never paid attention to whether the Academy of Magic was freely open.

Now, receiving the news that he could enter freely made Linton, who had subconsciously treated it as a secret he couldn't reveal, feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"I was overthinking it," Linton said, bowing slightly. "Thank you very much for clearing up my confusion."

"Not at all, it's a teacher's duty," Sika said, waving his hand with a smile. "If my students had half your eagerness to learn, they wouldn't be failing their classes."

"You flatter me."

After a few pleasantries, Linton, having achieved his goal, prepared to leave.

"Mr. Sika, time waits for no one, I should—"

"Wait a moment, Mr. Crevixil."

The sudden call interrupted Linton's words. He turned his head, frowning slightly.

He didn't recognize the person who had spoken.

"Who are you?"

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

The person who called himself William answered briefly, raising his hand and giving an object to Linton.

Linton took what he was handed.

It was a stone, entirely silver-gray, with a pitted surface. In the reflected light, a mysterious black radiance flowed faintly within it.

[Moonstone of Concealment (Epic): A magical stone, like the bright moon hidden behind cloudy skies. When worn, it can conceal information within a 0.5-meter radius around the wearer. (Level 20+ ineffective)]

Linton's mind was filled with question marks.

An Epic-grade item used to conceal personal information?

Epic grade?

He knew that his only Epic-grade item, the Scroll of Deathly Silence - Fragment, was obtained only after clearing an extremely well-hidden secret level. If it weren't for his 'heavenly eye,' it might have taken players many years to discover.

And now, someone was just giving him one for free?

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

William shrugged, his silence speaking volumes.

"Alright."

Linton, who had already anticipated this, sighed slightly, accepted the stone, and bid them farewell.

—And the moment he pushed the door open to leave, the man sitting facing the statue at the very front suddenly turned his head and glanced at him silently.

After leaving the clothing store, Linton's furrowed brow did not relax.

Who had sent this stone, and what was its purpose?

As he was thinking, Iris suddenly appeared beside him.

"Hey, are you done? I'm so bored waiting out here."

"Mm."

Linton replied casually, then a flash of inspiration seemed to strike him. He turned his head and stared intently at his doll companion.

Iris felt a prickle of unease under his gaze, making her feel completely uncomfortable.

"Why are you looking at me like that!"

"It's nothing," Linton suddenly smiled. "I was just wondering if that person saw something from the future and was trying to remind me by giving me a gift."

Under the debuff of Mental Weakness, Linton could only concentrate on one thing at a time.

Before receiving the stone, he had been focused on how to enter the magic academy's library, completely neglecting how to resolve the abnormal situation between him and Iris once they were inside.

That was a place for mages, and it was hard to guarantee no one would notice Iris's current condition.

And now, this matter seemed to be perfectly resolved?

The Kingdom of Blossoms, being the first map in the game, had generally low-level NPCs. Even in Falasong, most were ordinary NPCs in their teens or twenties. The elites of the Knights Order might exceed level 40, but they rarely appeared in the city.

It was the same for the magic academy. High-level mages usually confined themselves to their research labs, pursuing higher mysteries. No one would be wandering around aimlessly.

Other students and ordinary teachers couldn't see through the level difference of over 20 to perceive them.

"???"

Iris didn't understand his fragmented words at all.

"Alright, I can't find the answer to this problem myself, so let's put it aside for now." Linton changed the subject. "Iris, since we're going to pay a visit, perhaps we should bring a gift. It might be impolite not to."

"Does Miss Vera have any preferences?"

Seeing that he wasn't willing to delve deeper, Iris didn't press the issue any further.

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

"Mm, sweets do replenish the energy needed for intense thinking. It's indeed a good choice."

"Don't you dare call something she likes a 'transaction' you bastard!!"

The Royal Magic Academy of Blossoms was located to the west of Falasong, spanning two districts, where the city walls dividing the inner and outer cities ended.

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

"Iris, stay close to me later."

His voice was somewhat serious. Although Iris was confused, she didn't object.

The two of them stepped into the territory of the magic academy almost touching, and no anomalies occurred during the process.

—If you don't count the envious glances from other students as they sized them up.

"Do we have to keep this up even after entering?"

The contact between skin and skin made the young girl, who had never experienced anything like it, blush slightly. She felt uncomfortable all over and couldn't help but scratch her face, as if ants were crawling on her.

Thanks to the great "Huai Shi" for the reward of 100 Qidian coins, thank you very much!!