~ Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters on my Patreon
<><><><>
"Aoko, what are you hesitating for?"
Alice frowned slightly, looking at Aoko with displeasure.
She had already given her a solution to her mana deficiency—and yet Aoko was still reluctant. You know, this was her entire stock of mana potions.
'Of course I'm hesitating!! You're used to taking this medicine, but I've never had it before. Besides, what girl wouldn't hesitate to eat this kind of thing? And it's been refined through your mouth!' Aoko cursed in her heart.
Of course, she would never say it to Alice's face.
The difference in their magical skills was too great. She was afraid that after exposing Alice's secret, the enraged witch would punish her with her three great secret treasures.
"...Is there no other way?"
Aoko looked at Alice with a hopeful expression, hoping this little tool expert would come up with a new, 'normal' solution.
In fact, Aoko also knew that Alice's solution was the best they could do. With a large number of mana potions to replenish her depleted mana, and these eight bottles, they would have at least eleven chances to break through Beo's defense.
Compared to the previous situation, where she could only fire one shot and then leave it to fate, it was much better.
"The ways I know to replenish mana are these eight bottles of potion and a direct mana transfer. Compared to a one-time direct mana transfer, these eight bottles are more than enough. Though I estimate these eight bottles can only be used to replenish three times," Alice said in a low whisper.
Aoko frowned, her face falling. Even with the mana potions, she estimated that after using them once, Touko would notice and block their potions. So, the chances to replenish were not many.
"Aoko, the barrier has been broken. With Touko's means—she'll probably be able to set up a barrier by tomorrow morning," Alice said with a grave expression.
The guardian of a ley line was not fixed.
As long as someone set up a barrier on the ley line, reported it to the Holy Church and the Mage's Association, and paid a fee, they could become the guardian of the ley line.
As for who the previous guardian was—whether they were dead or alive—it had nothing to do with the Church and the Association. They just collected the money.
That's why wild mages often attacked cities where the ley line guardians were weak. After all, if they won, they could have a ley line that could be passed down through their family. With such a huge benefit, it was no wonder they were not jealous.
"So, I'm going to go bankrupt tomorrow?" Aoko said, her face darkening.
As the current head of the Aozaki family—Aoko was exceptionally familiar with her family's financial situation. The only thing of value was the ownership of the ley line. If it were snatched away by her sister, who had been kicked out of the family, she would have to go begging.
No, wait, she still had the option of being Haru's maid.
Aoko slapped her cheek, shaking off the thought of being a maid. She looked at the bottles and jars before her with a serious expression—a hint of sorrow on her face.
If she didn't want to go bankrupt, she had to drink this stuff. And even if she drank it, she might not win. The thought of it was really stressful.
Why did she feel like everything had been going wrong lately!!!
An awkward atmosphere filled the room.
Alice sat silently on the sofa, waiting for Aoko's choice.
"By the way, where is Touko hiding?" Aoko silently stared at the potions, her tone complicated.
"She's in the old school building of Misaki High," Alice said, her lips curving into a faint smile. She knew Aoko's choice, and her tone was slightly cheerful.
"It's a good choice for a magical base..." Aoko said with surprise.
"Time is short. I have to go repair my familiars," Alice said, slowly standing up, picking up the tableware, and leaving the room.
————
The moment Alice opened the door, she and Aoko saw Haru leaning against the doorframe.
"Finished your discussion??" Haru asked softly.
For some reason, Aoko pulled the bedsheet to cover the mana potions, her face slightly flushed as she turned her head away, her gaze fixed on the window, looking into the distance.
"Mm," Alice nodded gently and, as if to avoid Aoko hearing, she whispered to Haru, "The time should be 10 PM."
She knew that Haru would definitely intervene in secret. Since it was unavoidable, she might as well tell him the time, to save him the trouble of waiting for them to leave.
Haru was slightly taken aback, then a look of understanding on his face, he lowered his voice and said, with a hint of meaning, "I understand. But my appearance fee is not low..."
"...Mm." Alice froze for a moment, then, realizing, she nodded, her face flushing slightly, and, as if fleeing, she carried the tray and quickly walked towards the stairs.
Haru watched her retreating back until she had descended the stairs, then he turned his head and said to Aoko, "What were you hiding just now?"
"Eek!!" Aoko trembled, her expression panicked for a moment, then she feigned composure. "Nothing, just some small trinkets."
"...This seems to be my magical power?" Haru said, playing with the glass bottle in his hand, his gaze fixed on the golden gas inside, his tone strange.
"..." Aoko was silent. After a long moment, she said, her face flushed with embarrassment, "Your spatial ability is really 'convenient'."
"Thank you for the compliment." Haru gently tossed the bottle in his hand, and it passed through a series of ripples, returning to its original position.
"This thing, which is less than one-ten-thousandth of my magical power, probably isn't very useful," Haru said with a shrug, his tone flat.
"I understand," Aoko said, sitting on the bed, hugging her knees, her expression complicated.
"Is it that hard to ask me for help?" Haru said, seeing her complicated expression, a look of helplessness on his face.
"I don't want to give up, and I can't give up," Aoko said, a look of unprecedented gravity on her face.
"Hmm?" Haru raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on her, waiting for her to continue.
"True, if I ask you for help, I can easily deal with Touko or the Phantasmal Species. But if you're here this time, what about next time?"
"If you're not around, who can I ask for help? If I give up once, the second time will be easier. In the end, I'll just be a damsel in distress, always looking for someone to save me."
"I gave up a normal life and entered the magical world, not to be a freeloader," Aoko said with a look of determination.
"...You see things very clearly." Haru turned his head and looked at the hallway wall, sighing slightly.
"Of course, if I can't beat her, I'll definitely call you," Aoko said with a grin.
Haru's lip twitched, and his eyelid twitched as he turned his head and looked at the smiling Aoko.
"What are you looking at? How is a student at my age supposed to deal with a Phantasmal Species? It's normal to ask for help, right?"
Aoko said with a 'you're making a big deal out of nothing' expression, a look of disdain on her face as she looked at him.
"The only reason I chose to go on my own is because you're here to save me. With a free bodyguard, wouldn't it be a waste of resources not to try?" Aoko blinked, her azure eyes filled with a teasing expression.
"...."
<><><><>
Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)