Published at 16th of February 2024 2:21 pm

Chapter 20. Finalizing A Delving Party

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All shops inside the university campus, besides eateries, closed by the sixth bell. Meanwhile, the shops outside closed inconsistently between the fifth and seventh bells. Nox wouldn’t just have to find them to conduct his market research but also haggle with shopkeepers, and he didn't know where any of them were. Exploration without someone who knew the lay would take too much time, and Nox lacked the time to recruit someone for the job.

Fortunately, he had Lillin’s help and Professor Das’s box of sweets. She scouted the city’s market and business ring, locating alchemist shops and checking their prices. Meanwhile, the gift from Woodson University’s top alchemist served as an in with the businesses inside the campus. They all had ties with the production department. Many already had identical sweet boxes on the counter. Nox guessed Professor Das had made his rounds before class, explaining the truth behind his lateness.

When Nox entered the stores, he carried the sweet box tucked under his armpit. As soon as the shopkeepers identified the container, their stiff welcomes softened. When Nox asked questions about potion costs, suppliers, material costs, and collectors, they weren’t as resistant as he expected.

At the end of the day, when Nox and Lillin got together, they had enough information to tabulate their research and figure out the best course of action.

“We need to buy from the Dungeon Studies delving parties before they sell to the shops if we want the best prices,” Lillin said as they reviewed the numbers. “Failing that, we can just buy our ingredients from shops bearing the production department’s mark. There is no better place for sales than outside campus.”

“We’ll run afoul of the production department if we only buy from them and sell everything outside.” Nox stared at the numbers thoughtfully. “I don’t want to waste time on buying from delving parties. The quality of the product and its condition is not guaranteed. We have to purchase whatever they give us, and we’ll find out its potency only after cleaning and processing. Time is as valuable a resource as money.”

“Why do you want to sell to the shops on campus, though?” Lillin ask. “You’ll lose a third of your profits.”

“Yes, but we need to maintain a positive relationship with them,” Nox answered. “It doesn’t have to be all of what we produce. Perhaps a fifth or a quarter of everything we produce and a couple of high-value brews need to go to the production department and connected businesses—just enough to keep them happy. It will make procurement easier. The rest can go to the higher bidder.”

“Fine.” Lillin sighed. “When do we start?”

“Tomorrow. We’ll have a quick lunch after dungeon combat and start straight away.”

Nox reached the cafeteria before Lillin. She didn’t want to wake up before the fifth bell to wash and then eat breakfast. Instead, she had stuffed a spatial pocket with copious amounts of food. Time didn’t flow in the shaped spaces. Hot food stayed hot, and cold stayed cold. However, all raw ingredients lost their freshness. The exposed surfaces of cut fruit and vegetables either rotted or emerged with a strange purple fuzz. None of the Trade Empire’s couple of hundred herbalists had succeeded at recognizing the fungus. The Golden Isles’ libraries didn’t help either. Raw meat fared worse. Nox theorized it had something to do with passing between dimensions with and without time repeatedly.

The spatial mage had constructed a dining room in a static pocket dimension and covered several banquet tables with food. She had bowls of soup, stews, grilled meats, roasted carrots and potatoes, and pickles. Besides the jarred fruits and vegetables, everything tasted old. Meanwhile, food in short-term storage retained its freshness. Unfortunately, they demanded active mana sources and shrank slowly without. Lillin only resorted to long-term sources when the duo got stuck during overnight material-gathering excursions, or she was desperate for a lie-in.

When he entered the cafeteria, Caitlin and her brother waved him over. Nox grabbed a breakfast of savory steaming oats with herbs and bits of salted ham, warm rye bread, and fruit preserves. He got the nameless citrus juice again and then joined the duo.

“Good morning.” Nox took a seat next to Caitlin. “I’m Nox,” he told the younger man.

“Alexander,” the young man replied, and they shook hands.

Meanwhile, Caitlin said nothing. She only nodded at Nox and continued eating. The sour expression and drooping eyes suggested she didn’t like mornings. The aroma rising from her steam mug carried notes of cocoa mixed in with the coffee.

“Did Professor Wolfhammer let you stay on?” Nox asked.

“No,” Alexander answered, his shoulders drooping. “I begged. I tried to get Great Gram involved. I brought him his favorite jerky. Nothing worked. It’s not all bad, though.” He grinned. “Professor Wolfhammer offered me an apprenticeship. Ratotaskr is a cheap summon but not the most physically gifted one. I don’t have enough planets to grant the squirrels spells, either. Professor has suffered similar limitations.”

“What are professor’s wolves? Are they part of his hammer summon?”

“He used the primary summon’s covenant to make more contracts. The wolf centaurs are born from a low-ranked wolf spirit. The hammer empowers the creature and transforms it into the monstrosity we have to fight. In the beginner course, he has us fighting ordinary wolves.” Alexander paused. “I say ordinary, but even the weaker specimens are as big as horses.”

“That’s interesting. I never really looked into covenants, contracts, or elemental summons.” Nox nodded at his scars. “These limit my mana zone. I can’t cover a space large enough to materialize the spell form and manifest the summons. Anyway. If you’re not in the intermediate class, why does Professor Wolfhammer have you up this early?”

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“The old man wants me up every morning to run laps and train with his summons,” Alexander replied. “So on days I don’t have Beginner Dungeon Combat, I need to train before my first class. It’s a pain, but I don’t mind. My control over Ratotaskr is improving. Professor has me summoning variants with different mana investments and modifications. He wants me to work with individuals and large fragmented groups, too. It isn’t easy, but I can feel myself getting better.”

“I’m sure with appropriate training, you can make the squirrels into a powerful fighting force,” Nox said.

“I’ve accepted that won’t happen for a long time. I’ll need two more planets and a bunch of moons before they can sufficiently hurt a dungeon boss. Until then, I’m having them learn how to scout, disarm traps, solve puzzles, and trip up beasts. A fang to a sensory organ is not to be underestimated either.”

They talked through breakfast, and Nox found Alex easy to like. His appearance made him look youthful, but the younger man had already reached his twenties. The Woodson family had a custom of sending their young out in the world to explore and find themselves before they started their journey as mages. Alex and Caitlin had not long returned from their journey. Nox couldn’t help but feel envious as he listened to stories about exploring Imperium cities and the mangrove forests in the southern continent.

After the trio finished their breakfast, they slowly made their way to the Dungeon Studies department’s roof. The university’s clocktower said they still had half an hour until the sixth-morning bell. Yet they bumped into Lillin as they reached the top of the stairs. She stood on the landing, just outside the entrance to the terrace. She peeked out through the doorway leading outdoors. Lillin held a pastry glazed with apricot jam. Nox wondered if it kept the contents fresh.

“Why are you—”

Lillin shushed Nox and pointed out of the doorway. All three of them joined her, curious about whatever had intrigued her. Nox expected to find Professor Wolfhammer or someone interesting practicing their spells. Instead, they found Viktor, Roque, and Annabelle locked in a heated conversation.

“Why can’t you be more useful?” Viktor asked. He poked the side of Annabell’s head with three fingers, using enough force to make her stagger.

“Just kick me out then,” Annabelle said defiantly. She glared at her brother, not flinching when he poked her again. “Good luck finding a good enough scout and trap disassembler after me.”

“Don’t you dare talk back to me!” Spittle sprayed from between Viktor’s teeth as he spoke. His voice calmed just as quickly as it had flared and continued in his usual charming tone. “I’m the Oakheart heir. When I speak, you listen.” He paused. Viktor’s crinkled face smoothed, and his lips spread into a soft smile. “When your lord reprimands you, Annabelle, you apologize and bow. Do you understand?”

Roque stood by, watching the scene. His placid expression suggested that he didn’t care.

“I’m not bowing to you. Father is coming to the city soon. I’ll have a word with him. He’ll listen. He’ll let me leave the party.”

“Fine. Talk to him. If he listens, your life will improve for a while, but you know him. Eventually, house matters will distract the old bastard, and things will return to normal. Or maybe they’ll get worse.” Viktor’s smile expanded into a twisted grin. “Father won’t be around forever, you know? You exist to serve your Lord. You will serve in my party for as long as I say. You will marry my warden as I instructed. You will give his house an heir when I tell you to."

“You’re a twisted bastard. Why can’t you just leave me alone? What thrill do you get out of harassing me?”

“Roque.” Viktor wandered away from his sister. He faced away from Ygg and looked over the sprawling city before. “Can you remind my dear sister what happens when she talks back to the heir to House Oakheart?”

Nox’s stomach dropped as Roque backhanded Annabelle. He hit the young woman across the face hard enough to throw her off her feet. She landed on her side a couple of feet away. Despite the abuse, Annabelle didn’t make a noise. When she sat up, blood trickled from a cut under her eye.

Nox didn’t waste any more time and marched out onto the terrace. Caitlin and Alexander appeared to have the same thought and followed him. Meanwhile, Lillin stayed out of sight. Nox knew better than to confront the duo. As much as he hated what he had just seen, Nox knew his interference would only make things worse. Instead, he approached Annabelle and kneeled beside her. Roque walked away and stood with Viktor. The pair whispered to one another and laughed.

“Are you okay?” Nox asked, offering Annabelle a hand.

“I’m fine,” she replied and rose without his help.

"Annabelle's martial skills need brushing up," Viktor said from behind them. "Roque has been working hard to ensure his fiance survives the dungeons. Unfortunately, she has a bad habit of Hasting without looking at what's in front of her."

“It looks like you had a bad fall," Nox said, ignoring Viktor. Annabelle flinched when he brushed her hair aside to get a better look at the wound. She stiffened further when Nox reached for his belt. “Drink this,” he said, pressing a finger-thin vial into her hand. “It’s a brew of minor regeneration. The toxicity is low, and I put honey in it, so it doesn’t taste foul.”

“Why are you giving me this?” Annabelle asked.

“A scout with an eye swollen shut is only half as effective, and I’d rather not die while delving with you,” Nox answered.

“So you’ll join us?” Annabelle’s eyes lit up. She glanced between her brother and him.

Nox felt Viktor’s eyes on him as he continued. He gathered that their hesitance to join the party had something to do with the noble heir’s wrath. “I couldn’t find a better vanguard for our first delve. Decent scouts are even harder to come by. Lillin and I would love to join if you’ll have us.”

“Of course." Annabelle unstoppered the vial and drained its contents in a single gulp. Blood ceased flowing from the cut straight away.

"Lillin has been itching to work with a good vanguard," Nox continued. "It’s when control mages get to have the most fun. Meanwhile, I need someone to watch my back while I snipe elites and boss-class beasts. You’ll serve as our rear guard, won’t you, Annabelle?”

“I will,” she answered, finally smiling. Annabelle offered Nox her hand, and he helped her up.

When Nox turned around, her twin brother and fiance joined them. “That’s great news!” Viktor exclaimed, displaying his usual charm. All signs of toxicity had disappeared. "I knew you'd see the light and join us eventually. Should we train as five today? I'm sure we can bring down Wolfhammer’s blighted summon if we work together."

"Let's."

Meanwhile, Caitlin and Alexander shot Nox confused and angry glares. They said nothing and walked away.

Nox ignored their ire. After watching Viktor and Roque's display, he couldn’t wait to delve with the trio. It confirmed his suspicions about Viktor and told him everything he needed to know about Roque. Initially, he wanted to keep Lillin away from the lordling and avoid unnecessary drama when things inevitably turned sour. Now, he no longer cared. He hoped his oldest friend would have fun seducing Viktor and then breaking him.

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