Chapter 85 - 13. The Entity

Chapter 85: 13. The Entity Martha’s dinner skills had improved, and even Renie, who was not particularly fond of eating, had downed several bowls of mushroom soup before lying down on the sofa in Fisher’s room as if completely exhausted, not wanting to move an inch. Fisher, on the other hand, turned on the desk lamp and opened the window. He liked to sit there and enjoy the night breeze, especially on rainy nights in Saint Nali. The pitter-patter of the rain unexpectedly calmed his mind. Of course, this was also because he liked to smoke cigarettes while writing his papers, so as to not let the room become stuffy and filled with smoke.

Fisher picked up the quill and began to write on the letter paper.

"Why are you writing again? Isn’t your thesis completed?"

"I am writing a response."

"To that Elizabeth?"

Renie perked up her head but, because she was too full, she then flopped back down onto the sofa, unable to get up, and turned in a way that allowed her view of Fisher’s back.

Fisher nodded, then said,

"It’s just official business. I’m not that acquainted with her, and I don’t want to get too close."

"Gedelin, the Royal Family... With a wave of her hand, you could lie down and live a worry-free life. Countless gentlemen dream of such a situation, yet it’s within your reach. Just quietly rejoice..."

Renie waved her hand, her voice mixed with sarcasm, making it hard to discern her true feelings.

Fisher didn’t bother to engage her and simply wrote a brief response, slipping it into an envelope. Given his financial situation, he didn’t consider using the golden paper and fire-sealed envelopes that Elizabeth had sent; his normal work envelopes would suffice.

Most of the other letters were informational documents that did not require individual responses from Fisher, but unexpectedly, in addition to Elizabeth’s letter, there was another personal one from Saint Nali University.

Opening it, he was surprised to see that the letter was from Ken, the president of Saint Nali University, stating their shortage of outstanding teachers and inviting Fisher to consider a professorship and to visit the university located in the suburbs for further discussions.

Fisher’s fingers tapped on the desk as his brain recalled information about Saint Nali University.

To discuss Saint Nali University, one must introduce the two political parties currently in the Council.

First was the surging Exploration Party, or the New Party, whose members were mostly up-and-coming nobles and entrepreneurs. Their policies were known for being aggressive and revolutionary, and with substantial personal and business assets, they had the backing of the Nali Exploration Company, which swayed many legislative decisions in the company’s favor.

The other party was the traditional Griffin Party, or the Conservative Party. A stalwart presence since the inception of the Council, its members were largely nobles and traditional intellectuals. Although currently weaker, they still had considerable clout in many situations.

Ken, the president of Saint Nali University, was a renowned scholar devoid of political background. Three years ago, the King personally appointed him to establish Saint Nali University, a process that required the approval of the Royal College, a stronghold of the Griffin Party. Additionally, funding for the university was provided by the Nali Exploration Company, which equipped the institution with the finest facilities and libraries in Nali.

Both parties had given their assent, a rare unity Fisher had last witnessed during the war with Schwali. This agreement between the parties meant that the King had taken a strong stance, compelling them to present a unified front, at least superficially, on the matter of the university.

Accepting the teaching position could be a good choice, since Ken had spared no expense to attract excellent scholars outside of the Royal College. It was easy to find teachers for new theories like steam engines and chemistry, as they weren’t recognized by the people at the Royal College in the first place. However, teachers for traditional theories, akin to Magic disciplines, were often connected to the Royal College, so it was normal that suitable candidates were hard to find.

It wasn’t unexpected for Ken to reach out to Fisher, but he needed to consider whether taking a professorship there was the right move, such as whether the university was on its way to becoming another contentious assembly like the Royal College.

After some thought, Fisher decided to meet with Ken and discuss the matter, especially since his financial situation was indeed dire and he needed a job to alleviate some pressure.

"By the way, when are you leaving?"

Renie had previously mentioned leaving to head south of Kado to continue searching for her family, but Fisher was unsure of her specific plans, so he asked.

"I’ll probably leave tomorrow. I’ve already spent a long time with you, and I’m bored."

Her words were a retort to Fisher’s previous disregard for her, as if implying their friendship had grown cold and Fisher no longer bothered with her. However, she suddenly wondered if Fisher’s inquiry was his way of creating some pleasant memories before her departure, like inviting her to a theater performance...

Surprised at Fisher who seemed to have a flair for romance, she mused that maybe he hadn’t been completely devoid of progress after all.

She smirked mischievously, propping her cheek with her hand and laying attractively and alluringly on the sofa,

"So, Mr. Fisher, do you have any plans?"

"None." Fisher turned to look at her, pointing to the hand cane beside him, "The Magic Power from before is depleted. Some High Ring Magic is bothersome to inscribe, so I’d like your help."

"I’m sleepy, goodnight, see you tomorrow."

She slumped back onto the sofa immobile, her pale feet curling up and her black curls obscuring her face, giving off an air of sulking.

Seeing her revert to her old ploy of feigned petulance, Fisher silently chuckled,

"I’ll take you to the Theater tomorrow to watch a play as a farewell gesture."

Only then did Renie lift her head, and after a moment’s thought, she smirked,

"Alright, see you tomorrow."

"I’ll set off tomorrow morning, so let’s forget about the theater..."

"So soon?"

"Please, I’ve spent over a month with you. Some people just can’t seize the opportunity. It’s a shame."

Her fingers traced her body, and those purple eyes made one want to indulge in their allure as if it were fine wine, "But it’s not impossible to help you engrave magic... Tell me about you and that Elizabeth, quickly!"

Sure enough, was she actually concerned about Elizabeth’s letter?

"I was in the same class with her at the Royal College. We’re alumni and classmates, that’s all."

"That’s all?"

"That’s all."

Fisher took a sip of his coffee, his calm demeanor made Renie suspiciously size him up for a long while before her body relaxed again. She pointed to the window in front of Fisher and the door behind him,

"Humph, alright then, lock up the window and the door to avoid attracting the police while we’re engraving magic."

As mentioned before, Renie is a "Witch," which is a type of demi-human unique to the Western Continent.

Let’s now revisit the human definition of demi-humans: "Demi-humans are the general term for all humanoid creatures." These creatures range from those similar to humans to ones that are vastly different. Witches are similar to humans, but at the end of the day, they are not humans.

Witches share a common trait of powerful magic power. Moreover, being non-human means their Magic Circuits are vastly different from humans. When using magic or displaying their trait, their differences become entirely apparent.

Fisher nodded, closed the window and the door in front of him, and locked them, along with the room door, telling Martha not to disturb him for a while. She was old, and it wouldn’t be good if Renie frightened her into a heart attack.

Renie floated up and took the Handcane from Fisher’s hand, looking at him,

"What should we engrave? With just one night’s time, we probably can’t do many. You can handle the Low Ring yourself. Let’s work together on the High Ring now..."

"Um, just a Gravity Sky Ring and Space Refraction. I’ll handle the rest myself."

Renie nodded, her eyes, deep as the starry sky, began to dilate instantaneously. At that moment, her body was swallowed by the bright, vast Magic Circuit, turning into an entity like a purple galaxy. Her figure seemed to be covered in feathers — each one densely packed with the Magic Power volume of three or four humans.

Visibly, the Magic Circuits at the tips of the feathers continued to grow. When Renie lit up her Magic Circuit, a feather fell to the ground and in the blink of an eye, it became a purple lark tilting its head, looking at Fisher in front of it.

Outside in Saint Nali, in an unknown corner, atop pipes and rooftops, hidden within the night, the eyes of larks also lit up with purple light, seemingly responding to their master’s Magic Circuit.

This immense magic power, every time Fisher witnessed it, it left him in awe. They were truly beings born for magic.

Fisher clutched the Handcane, and Renie’s feather-like hand also touched the top of the cane. An upside-down purple ring was instantly engraved — the Ring Head of the Gravity magic. Fisher was already engraving the Main Ring magic. This segmented engraving method reduced the risk of engraving and the magic power output. Many large-scale High Ring Magic required this type of cooperation to complete.

Renie’s celestial form constantly tumbled in the air, her engraving unabated by space. In no time, intricate emblems started to surface on the Handcane, as beautiful as the most delicate piece of art in the world.

Engraving High Ring Magic took a long time. Even with the combined efforts of Fisher and Renie, engraving two High Rings nearly consumed an entire night. When Fisher finally exhaled, having completed the last ring tail, the sky over Saint Nali was already brightening.

Renie’s galactic form didn’t pause even for a second. It retracted into her body and returned to her usual beautiful appearance. After a big yawn and stretching, she floated onto Fisher’s bed,

"So tired...so tired... Had I known, I would’ve fled as soon as disembarking, saving me from engraving magic for you."

"That’s my bed."

Renie hugged the bedding Fisher usually used, then pointed to her lips with her finger,

"Please, I’m leaving anyway. I have to leave some scent on your bed, so when you gallivant each night, you’ll return and sink into guilt... ’Oh God, how could I do this! It’s so unfair to Renie! No, I must reform!’ and then you will repent and become a proper Nali Gentleman."

"I’ll strip that bedding and wash it tomorrow, it doesn’t matter whether you sleep on it."

"Hey, Fisher, would you die if you played along with what I say?"

Just as Renie was about to fly up and hit him on the head, she yawned instead and continued to lie on his bed, her voice growing fuzzy, "Just be mad at me, when I wake up I’ll leave, and you’ll never see me again! You’ll regret it!"

Fisher, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, watched Renie murmuring with her eyes closed, smiling and nodding,

"Sleep, you’re nearly dead on your feet."

Outside, Saint Nali began to stir to life again, the room filled with the faint scent of the Witch. She lay on his bed, the newly born Hart Bird yawning and settling in Fisher’s hands, closing its eyes just like her.

Fisher prepared to doze off for a bit, so he stroked the Hart Bird’s head – but didn’t realize that Renie in the bed and the Hart had adopted similarly comfortable expressions.

It was time for him to rest.