Time flew by, and before he knew it, Li Mo had been at the Clock Tower for three months.
"You want to find a girl named Touko Aozaki?"
After the Department of Lore Monarch Class at Clock Tower headquarters, Brishisan looked Li Mo over with a mischievous grin, an unreadable glint in his eyes.
Could this kid have taken a fancy to her?
Li Mo nodded, but said he had no such messy thoughts. He merely wanted to learn how to make puppets from her.
"I want to learn Puppet Magecraft from her!"
Rebellious disciple! As a Clock Tower Monarch, don't I know Puppet Magecraft? Why do you insist on learning from an outsider?
Someone I've never even heard of—could she be some hidden master of magical puppetry?
Even if you don't learn from me, the Clock Tower has the Department of Creation. Isn't Monarch-level Puppet Magecraft good enough for you?
Taking off the glasses he used for class, Brishisan stared at Li Mo like a tiger eyeing its prey. "The Puppet Magecraft you mentioned is really that impressive? At the Clock Tower?"
Li Mo scratched his head uncertainly. "Probably..."
Who the hell knew whether Touko Aozaki had come to the Clock Tower yet? He only knew the rough timeline!
His expression shifted, and Li Mo chuckled. "I've been cultivating in the spiritual vein lately. I feel like the mana in my body is almost full, and I've finished most of the courses Mystic Code taught me, so I wanted to find this person and learn from her."
For some reason, Li Mo, whose talent for learning in his original world had been rather mediocre, seemed like an entirely different person after coming into contact with magecraft. Everything came naturally to him, and nothing stood in his way. The Department of General Fundamentals courses that ordinary people needed two or three years to complete had taken him only three months. He had even basically mastered the Flower Magecraft Merlin gave him; all that remained was becoming proficient in casting it.
As for Flower Magecraft, it actually had only three stages. Each stage counted as an individual spell, though the higher the stage, the more effects it possessed.
The three spells were Healing, Mana Replenishment, and Purification.
As the name implied, Healing restored the body's vitality and repaired injuries. Mana Replenishment was even easier to understand: it replenished mana. But it was not replenished in the manner of certain jokes; it absorbed the free energy in the surroundings, rendered it harmless, and only then used it to replenish mana. As for Purification, in professional terms, it removed abnormal statuses.
Although Merlin had deliberately set conditions, only unlocking the knowledge of the next spell after the previous one had been mastered, he had still greatly underestimated Li Mo's talent. In less than three months, Li Mo had learned them all.
Was that so?
Brishisan nodded in satisfaction. Because of Li Mo's talent, he had allowed Li Mo to cultivate in his own spiritual vein these past few months. He had not expected Li Mo's mana to fill up so quickly.
It had only been three months, yet the mana in Li Mo's body had already reached a level he himself could not match. What about after a few more years?
Tsk, this old man had taken in a genius!
Coming back to himself, Brishisan looked at Li Mo, who was still grinning foolishly, and scolded him with a smile. "I know you're a genius, but your teacher knows Puppet Magecraft too. Are you looking down on me, or are you looking down on the Clock Tower?"
Li Mo was speechless. What kind of thing was that to say? If I dared say that, wouldn't I get beaten to death?
With a bitter face, Li Mo said to Brishisan in a muffled voice, "She's a Grand Puppeteer. Is it wrong for me to learn puppetry from her?"
Brishisan froze. A Grand Puppeteer?
He had never heard of that. When had the Mage Association produced another person qualified to be bestowed a Grand title?
Could this kid be making it up to fool me?
Anger rose in Brishisan's heart. He raised the magecraft notebook in his hand and swung it at Li Mo. "Rebellious disciple! Where would the Clock Tower get a Grand Puppeteer?
"If you look down on my puppet-making skills, can't you just say so? Why did you have to make up someone like that to fool this old man?"
Li Mo: ???
Why are you yelling so loudly?!
When did I ever dare fool you?!
And you're even calling yourself an old man. You look so young—where did all those years come from?!
Li Mo covered his head with both hands. "Teacher, please listen to my explanation!"
After a while, Brishisan looked at Li Mo's resentful gaze and said awkwardly, "You should've said earlier that she would appear in the future. You weren't clear, so wasn't that how the misunderstanding happened?"
Li Mo remained resentful. Yes, yes, everything you say is right...
Brishisan chuckled. After beating Li Mo up, he felt incomparably refreshed. In high spirits, he said, "Going by what you said, I don't know whether she has come to the Clock Tower yet either. But if she's a puppeteer, she'll definitely attend Einolai's classes. You'll know once you go take a look."
Li Mo paused. The Department of Creation Monarch?
Was Touko Aozaki's teacher at the Clock Tower the Department of Creation Monarch?
Li Mo scratched his head, admitting that he had no impression of it at all.
However, that Monarch looked like a kindly old woman and seemed easy to talk to. Should he just go ask her directly?
"Hello, Professor Einolai. I'm Brishisan's disciple, and I want to learn Puppet Magecraft from your student?"
Shaking his head, Li Mo decided that if he really said that, he would probably get beaten so badly he'd shit himself.
It was one thing not to seek out the teacher, but learning magecraft from her student? Wouldn't that be slapping her in the face?
Fine, he would wait for the Department of Creation Monarch Class!
Three days later, at Clock Tower headquarters.
"Hello, is anyone sitting here?"
Li Mo looked at the packed classroom, then at the man in a black overcoat sitting before him with his head lowered, and asked somewhat awkwardly.
As one of the Clock Tower's Twelve Departments, the Department of Creation naturally could not compare to the compulsory Department of General Fundamentals in terms of the number of mages taking its classes. But this was a Monarch Class!
Perhaps it was because the Department of Creation specialized in art, while mages... most of them stubbornly believed themselves to be artists?
As a result, by the time Li Mo arrived at the Baru-ye classroom, there were almost no seats left...
"No one. Help yourself."
The man's lips moved slightly. After lifting his head to glance at Li Mo, he lowered it again, seemingly studying the magecraft notebook in his hands.
Li Mo froze. What a pale face, full of bitterness and deep hatred!
Since when were there middle-aged mages studying at the Clock Tower?
As if sensing Li Mo's gaze, the man raised his head and said, "Is there anything else?"
"Uh... no, no," Li Mo said, waving his hands frantically. After looking around, he had no choice but to squeeze past behind the man's seat and drop into the seat beside him.
Li Mo had not intended to speak, but the man seemed to suddenly take an interest in him. He turned to Li Mo and said, "Department of Creation, Souren Araya. Which department are you from, sir?"
Souren Araya?
Li Mo was startled. Holy shit, wasn't this the guy who plotted against Ryougi Shiki?
This guy seemed insanely dangerous. I just wonder whether he's awakened his Origin yet?
But he really was at the Clock Tower, and he was Touko's classmate too...
Seeing Li Mo spacing out, Souren Araya's heart stirred slightly, though his expression remained unchanged. Calmly, he said, "I was presumptuous. If you do not wish to say more, then forget it."
He isn't going to hold a grudge against me, is he?
Fine, fine. Li Mo rubbed his nose and put on a foolish grin. "I'm Li Mo. I'm currently still with Mystic Code. I merely thought of some past events just now. My apologies."
Can't afford to offend him, can't afford to offend him. This guy's heart is as dark as a ghost's. After class, I should never see him again!
Li Mo did not want to continue talking, but Souren Araya instead latched onto him. Watching him with great interest, he said, "That eastern nation? Could you be from that organization across the sea?"
Was there an organization across the sea?
Li Mo had no idea. He genuinely did not want to get involved with this guy!
Other mages were merely obsessive, but this guy was a genuine lunatic, okay?!
"Professor Einolai is here!"
Luckily, someone beside him spoke up and rescued him in time.
Spreading his hands, Li Mo looked helplessly at Souren Araya. "Mr. Souren Araya, the teacher is here."
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