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When morning came, and I managed to extract myself from Emma's grasp, I began preparations for the upcoming Broken Scale Trial job. I had to craft and enchant a set of weapons and armor that looked as off-the-shelf as possible, because if I showed up for the trial in my usual armor, there was a chance the wyrmling taking the trial might recognize me, think the whole thing was rigged, and not learn the lesson that even mortals can be dangerous.
And while I am doing the preparations on my side, Professor Sageira had to make her own preparations, which were mainly logistical.
Since the target of this job was a border keep in the small kingdom of Karswyn, one of the many buffer kingdoms between the big players, she had to find some way to slip me in as one of the keep's defenders, and to do that, she had to rely on her mortal connections. That mortal connection was the Steward's Guild.
Through the Steward's Guild, which had friendly connections with a number of other guilds in almost every country on the continent, they would be able to work their magic by greasing a few palms and cutting some red tape for me to become just another face in uniform among many in that keep.
And it did not hurt that the amount Professor Sageira was paying the Steward's Guild for this job (which will be deducted as operational funds from my final reward) would greatly improve my standing in the guild, given my reputation for being requested by esteemed long-standing clients like Professor Sageira and for raking in money for the guild, allowing me to take on more important and high-paying jobs at my leisure.
When I arrived at my workshop, there was an info packet waiting for me, detailing what Karswyn Kingdom weapons and armor look like so I could bring my custom equipment and fit right in. After giving the info a once-over, I realized I did not need to do much. All I had to do was change the guard, grip, and pommel of my sword. For my armor, all I needed to change were the helmet and the arms. A provided tabard would cover the rest.
The best part of all was that, since the Karswyn Kingdom was a small and not-so-well-off country, anyone with even a speck of talent moved to the bigger countries to chase better opportunities. This meant the country was experiencing brain drain and was not known for innovation. That is why the design of their army's armor was so common that I could go down to my local blacksmith and see the exact armor design hanging on their wall.
Now, I could go to my local blacksmith and buy said armor, but even as rich as I am, I am not wasting money with a war on the horizon.
I sift through the scrap, pick out a few pieces, weigh them on a metal tray, and move them over to the sandpit in a corner of the workshop I use for my molds. With some earth magic, I created a mold for a helmet, took the scrap, and used Dragon Tongue magic to [Melt] the scrap metal and pour it into the mold.
After I was confident that the molten metal could retain its shape, I dissolved the sand from the mold and reformed it to make parts for the arm armor, and the sword parts.
Within half an hour of starting, I had all the parts ready for polishing, assembly, and enchanting, and by lunchtime, all my preparations were complete. Emma handed me a wet, hot towel to wipe myself and a cold glass of water.
Naturally, she has been by my side ever since we met again for breakfast. Instead of letting her silently look over my shoulder as I worked, I got her involved and asked her to pass me tools as I worked. That meant she saw me using magic she had not learned about in the academy. Even though I trusted her and knew she would not betray my secrets, I made her swear never to reveal what she saw, even if she did not understand what she was seeing.
When I informed my parents that I was going on a job, they understood and just asked for a time frame. As for Emma, when we were alone, she asked what job I was taking. I told her it was confidential, and then she asked if she could come along anyway.
"It would not be very confidential if you came along, would it?" I asked.
"You do not need to tell me the details, I just want to come along and be useful." she replied with the enthusiasm of a puppy wanting to come along for the sake of company.
"No, Emma, this job is a dangerous one. I cannot take you along." I said to try to dissuade her.
In response, Emma flared her aura and conjured four third-circle spells in short order, each of a different element. "I can take care of myself. I have even been practicing the fighting moves you taught me. Nobody in my year can beat me in hand-to-hand combat."
Seeing her display, I was somewhat impressed. It was much better than what most Royal Academy students could do, even those from reputable families. Her aura control was still amateurish, but the flair patterns she could not contain showed her foundations were solid. As for her spellcasting, she had not mastered casting multiple spells at the same time, but she had accomplished the next best thing, fast casting while maintaining multiple spells.
I reached over, placed my hand on her head, and looked into her eyes. "Emma. This time, this is not something harmless like you sneaking into my bed. I cannot take you with me on this job."
Once again, she tried with the waterworks, but as much as it hurts to see her cry, I did not budge.
***
Two days later, I got the call from Professor Sageira, and in the middle of the night, I snuck out of Emma's hug, grabbed my pre-prepared bag with my armor and weapons inside, and headed into the woods in my backyard.
As I was waiting for my flight to arrive, I sensed something and contacted Professor Sageira. {Do not land. I got a tail. Prepare to catch me in the air.}
I then whispered the word of power into existence. [Fog]
Reality twisted, and within seconds, a hundred meters in every direction was covered in a dense fog so thick that I could barely see my hand in front of me.
{I am here.} Professor Sageira telepathically signaled. That was when I activated my Primal Aura, squatted, and pushed off the ground with all my might, leaving a web of cracks.
As I flew straight up, I felt an invisible force wrap around my body, pull me to the side, and end up in Professor Sageira's clutches.
"That is your tail? Isn't she your maid that followed you everywhere while you were studying?" Professor Sageira asked.
"Long story. I'll tell you about it later. Please put me on your back," I said, trying to change the subject. Hopefully, she does not tease me too much about this situation.