Was this a first-meeting gift for his student's student?
Ruger examined it with his mental power, giving it a cursory scan. It really was a piece of spell knowledge, apparently a minor spell related to demons, and it looked fairly complete.
He could sense Mona watching him. Now that they were closer, he could also feel more clearly the uncertainty and alarm hidden beneath Wizard Mona's smile. Clearly, her teacher's sudden appearance had badly frightened her. This might also have had something to do with the path she had chosen: something unexpected and astonishing had happened, and she might not have felt even the slightest premonition beforehand. Judging by his own remarkable experience just now, Ruger suspected that teacher had made his entrance in exactly the same way. He still remembered that eerie scene and that feeling of helplessness.
"He seems to have... given me a little gift?" Ruger said candidly, though with some uncertainty. After all, he had yet to examine it closely.
Mona blinked her large eyes, looking even more surprised.
"You didn't get one?" Ruger raised the badge in his hand.
Mona took out her own badge and shook her head again.
Ruger curled his lip.
"Maybe you didn't satisfy him, so you didn't get a gift." Ruger made an offhand joke, hoping to ease the atmosphere.
Mona froze for a moment, then nodded seriously.
Yet beneath her seemingly composed expression, her fear had barely diminished.
Ruger knew that under normal circumstances, he ought to have lost his ability to smile by now as well. Still, seeing Wizard Mona at such a rare disadvantage amused him.
"Is this very unusual?" Ruger asked, looking at her.
"Many people, many powerful Wizards, have watched this great figure for countless years-his mystery, his power, his stories and legends," Mona said,