Snare

In the Grand Library in the Inner District, Renato leafed through a book on Dragonkind: A History of Reptilian Evolution-The Modern Era.

Unlike the Monster Guide, with its wealth of illustrations and annotations, this book was crammed with terminology and knowledge Renato had never encountered. Reading it gave him a headache.

Renato had not come here to read. He was waiting for someone.

A door suddenly glimmered, and Perly hurried out through it.

She ignored Renato's greeting, took out the little notebook tucked against her chest, and began writing at a furious pace.

Ten minutes later, Perly finally let out a long breath and bounded excitedly toward Renato.

"I wrote it all down! Renato, I wrote it all down!"

"I saved a silver coin! How about that!"

Her black eyes sparkled like those of a kitten waiting to be fed. Renato resisted the urge to stroke her head and praised her with a smile:

"Perly, you're a genius. I never thought someone could master a brand-new first-circle spell without a teacher, studying for only an hour a day."

"Of course I'm a genius! I was born to be a Mage. They were too blind to see it, and they actually..."

As she spoke, Perly's excitement faded into dejection, but she soon rallied and looked at Renato.

"Thank you, Renato. It's all thanks to the ten silver coins you lent me. Once this job is done, I'll pay you back right away."

To give them a better chance of completing the job, Perly had decided to learn a new spell.

But even a thoroughly annotated spellbook containing only a single first-circle spell cost more than Renato and Perly could currently afford. Their only option was to pay one silver coin a day to borrow it for an hour, letting Perly study on her own.

In truth, this magical knowledge had never been intended for adventurers from outside the city. The exorbitant prices were merely a baseline. Mages who joined the Mage Association received steep discounts at the Grand Library and did not have to pay nearly as much.

Although Renato did not know just how difficult learning a spell was, the intricate formulas and models Perly had written down from memory were enough to impress him.

He had wanted to lend her a few more silver coins so she could study for another hour each day, which would also improve their chances on the job.

But Perly had refused. She said one hour a day was the most efficient approach, and there was no need to waste money.

Renato had been somewhat skeptical, but he had never expected her to learn it so quickly. Now he genuinely believed Perly was a genius.

"Can you tell me exactly what this spell does? Ring toss?"

"It's 'Snare'!" Perly corrected him. "It uses rope as a material to create a magical trap on the ground with a radius of five feet."

"Ordinary people can't see it, but as soon as a creature of small size or larger steps inside, the trap triggers and hoists the intruder into the air. Unless they break free, they'll stay suspended until the magic wears off..."

"Well? Isn't magic useful? Now we won't have to worry about him escaping on horseback."

"That's a huge help, Perly. What would you like to eat? Dinner's on me tonight."

Perly shook her head and refused.

"Don't waste money. We just got all that free white bread from the guild. We can't let it go to waste." She pulled A History of Reptilian Evolution-The Modern Era back off the shelf where Renato had put it and placed it in his hands.

"You paid to borrow this too. I'll wait on the steps over there. Make sure you use every minute!"

That night, Renato tended to the Silent Lady.

He took out a piece of soft leather and wiped the small stains off the blade, then carefully inspected its edge. After making sure there were no chips, he applied a little grease to keep it from rusting.

Meanwhile, Perly sat at the table diligently preparing her spells, reinforcing her memory with her pen while chanting under her breath.

The two of them had scouted the terrain north of the city during the day and drawn up an ambush plan.

As time passed, the lamplight began to dim. With the oil nearly gone, the wick gave off faint crackles.

Perly closed the book and stretched.

"Finished preparing your spells?"

"Yes. Two Snares and one Magic Missile."

"You can memorize three spells at once now?" Renato raised an eyebrow. "Just make sure nothing goes wrong tomorrow."

"Hey, I'm only trying this so the job succeeds!" Perly sounded disgruntled. "You're not the one who'll suffer the magical backlash. If I only prepare two Snares, what happens if you can't take him down? With one more spell, at least I can support you from a distance..."

"I'm worried you'll get hurt," Renato rephrased, trying to reassure her. "Are you sure preparing three first-circle spells at once is all right? Don't push yourself."

"I know my limits. I've gone over them in my head several times, and the spell models are very clear... Maybe preparing two identical spells makes it easier. Anyway, I feel fine."

"Good, then." Renato let the matter drop. He could not cast Perly's spells for her, after all, so there was no point in dwelling on it.

"Renato, what are you planning to do once you get this money?" The oil lamp went out completely, and Perly lay down on the bed, asking softly, "Don't tell me you're going to buy some land and retire straight away?"

Resting his head on his arms, Renato answered with a smile:

"Become a farmer? Other people might think that way, but I'm no good at farmwork."

"I'll probably eat, drink, and enjoy life... Though it's pretty boring here. There's not much to do for fun..."

An unfamiliar world, an unknown future.

Renato had not felt this lost in a long time, not since graduating from university.

He forced those spreading thoughts to stop. Thinking about such things now was pointless and would only add to his worries.

Changing the subject, Renato turned the question back on her.

"Never mind me. What about you, Perly? I can tell you really want to earn money, and it's not to enjoy yourself. What do you want to do?"

"I want to become a Mage," Perly said quietly. "A true archmage."

"I refuse to spend my whole life as someone else's apprentice, begging for handouts while they look down their noses at me. I want my own Mage Tower. I want to learn spells that can destroy heaven and earth. I want to show everyone who looked down on me..."

In the darkness, Perly's voice grew quieter and quieter. She turned her face, sneaking a look at Renato's expression.

"Do you think I'm terribly arrogant... and terribly stupid?"

"Why would I? Perly, you're the most gifted Mage I've met in this world."

"That's because I'm the only Mage Apprentice you've met." Perly pursed her lips. "You don't have to comfort me, Renato. I grew up in Spatia. I've met the descendants of those tower masters. They're the real geniuses. I know how far behind them I am..."

"No, I don't mean learning spells. I don't understand magic, and I've never studied those formulas and models."

"But there's one thing I've seen with my own eyes. Perly, your courage goes far beyond that of ordinary people."

"Even alone, even facing a Dragon, you didn't falter. Your spells stayed steady."

Renato meant every word. The young girl before him was the most reckless person he had ever met-only an apprentice, yet she had dared to set a Dragon's backside on fire.

"I believe in you, Perly. You'll become an archmage."

Hearing Renato's frank praise, Perly felt her cheeks burn and buried her face in the blanket.

"You've never even met an archmage. Honestly... Stop talking. I'm going to sleep."

A little while later, just as Renato thought she had fallen asleep, he heard a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.

"Good night."