Chapter 224: The Association That Sells Information.

After learning about the arena's rules and risks, Shu Li temporarily abandoned his plan to earn money through competitive matches.

There was no helping it. They were currently disguised as Mage Apprentices, and their ranks were too low to compete in the Mages' Hall.

Besides, human magic swordsmen were exceedingly rare. Someone as exceptional as Seriu appeared perhaps once every fifty years.

If they tried to follow Seriu's path of mastering both magic and swordsmanship, it probably wouldn't work.

Wouldn't people get suspicious if an occupation that was supposed to be incredibly rare suddenly started producing practitioners by the dozen?

For now, they would have to stick to everyday assignments and simple adventuring assignments, work hard to "improve" their magic ranks, and aim to become fully qualified Mages within a year or two.

After all, gaining experience wasn't something that happened overnight.

In the stories Aisha and the other Fairies had told them, hadn't every protagonist spent a century or two traveling and gaining experience?

Take Chris, for example. He'd left the Faerie Forest eighteen years ago, and no one had heard from him since.

Thinking of him, Shu Li cautiously questioned Seriu as they rode the rail carriage back to St. Velia Magic Academy.

"Is there a student named Chris at our academy?"

With Danlov presiding over the Central Court, Fairies who ventured onto the continent generally made St. Velia Magic Academy their first stop. Chris should have been no exception.

Seriu had enrolled at the academy eighteen years ago. Perhaps he and Chris had even been classmates.

"Chris?" Seriu considered the question for a moment before shaking his head. "There have been quite a few students named Chris. Does the one you're looking for have any distinguishing features?"

"Uh..."

That question stumped Shu Li.

Fairies disguised themselves when they went out into the world. He had no idea what Chris looked like now.

The other Little Fairies exchanged helpless glances.

Under Seriu's questioning gaze, Shu Li scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Well... Chris left our village more than ten years ago. I don't remember exactly what he looks like anymore."

"We were still really little when he left," Angel added.

"He loved playing pranks," Budno said, puffing out his cheeks. "He used to make us cry all the time when we were little."

Dixio frowned. "Do you have to tell everyone something that embarrassing?"

"Hee-hee."

Siti and Nasha covered their mouths and giggled.

Budno's cheeks turned faintly pink.

Kumandi took out his notebook and quill, swiftly sketched the outline of a face, then added a few careful details until he'd recreated Chris's appearance from memory.

"He looks like this."

He turned the notebook around to show Seriu.

Although Fairies disguised themselves when traveling, they generally changed only their hair color, eye color, skin tone, and the shape of their ears. The contours of their faces and their facial features remained largely the same.

That meant a monochrome portrait could still serve as a useful likeness for a missing-person notice.

Seeing this, Shu Li gave Kumandi a thumbs-up.

As expected of their quiet little genius. That brain of his was seriously impressive!

Seriu studied the portrait on the page, his brows drawing together slightly.

The Little Fairies watched him expectantly.

Amanda had never met Chris, but he'd heard plenty about his "glorious achievements."

That prank-loving Fairy had nearly gotten Sperien lost.

Not long after Sperien was born, he'd gone to the orchard to gather fruit. Chris had gotten into a fight with a Sekern bird named Deklet.

The bird lost the fight, snapped off a branch from a fruit tree, and fled.

As luck would have it, Sperien happened to be sitting on that very branch and was instantly carried beyond the divine tree's territory.

That incident had inspired the poem Brave Sperien.

Amanda loved hearing stories about Sperien, especially since he'd once played a part in one himself.

When he was little, Dark Elves and a necromancer had stolen him from Dragon Island. If not for Sperien, he wouldn't be alive today.

As for Nasha, Siti, and Hector, the three humans were simply curious.

This Chris sounded like an interesting fellow. Even though he'd frequently made Sperien and the others cry when they were little, they still wanted to find him.

Ace glanced at the portrait, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Not bad at all.

Under the Little Fairies' hopeful gazes, Seriu finally spoke.

"I don't know him."

"Huh?"

The Little Fairies' eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you sure?" Shu Li asked, unwilling to give up. "Think carefully. Maybe he isn't quite as handsome as Kumandi drew him, but the resemblance should be pretty close."

"I'm one of the academy's disciplinary officers," Seriu replied. "I've been enrolled here for eighteen years, and I've never left the Central Court. I don't forget students I've met. If this Chris really is as fond of pranks as you say, I would certainly remember him."

People who loved playing pranks tended to have conspicuous personalities. They were also likely to break school rules frequently, making them prime targets for disciplinary officers.

Since Seriu had no recollection of anyone fitting that description, he clearly didn't know this "Chris."

The Little Fairies were deeply disappointed by his definitive answer.

"So Chris never came to the academy," Shu Li sighed.

Dixio propped up his chin. "Yeah. Why wouldn't he come here to study?"

"Could it be... because he didn't have a letter of recommendation?" Budno asked.

"That's very possible!" Angel agreed.

Chris had left in such a hurry that no one had written him a recommendation letter. Given his personality, he probably wouldn't have gone out of his way to ask Danlov for one, either.

"Chris doesn't like studying," Kumandi said, putting away his notebook.

Chris was notorious for his dislike of studying.

Among the Fairies born in his generation, he was the most talented and could learn almost anything with remarkable speed. Unfortunately, he was also restless and hated being restrained. He frequently skipped lessons, earning himself daily chases and scoldings from the Fairies responsible for teaching him.

Yet despite treating his studies like a game, he always earned the best results.

The Fairy instructors adored him and wanted to strangle him in equal measure.

Kumandi was ten years older than Shu Li and the other Little Fairies, so he knew Chris's exploits inside out.

After all, even their generation of Little Fairies had grown up being terrorized by Chris.

"He's really one of a kind... that guy," Shu Li said, rubbing his aching head.

"Then does that mean we'll never find him?" Angel asked dejectedly.

Seeing their miserable expressions, Seriu suggested, "If you're looking for someone, you can post a missing-person assignment with the Entlin Association."

The Entlin Association was an organization that traded in intelligence. As long as someone could afford the price, they could purchase whatever information they wanted.

They could also pay to post assignments requesting the collection of relevant clues.

Seriu himself had originally found his elder sister through the Entlin Association.

Even now, he and his sister used the association to communicate secretly and exchange information.

The Little Fairies were delighted. Since it was still early, they decided to make a detour to the Entlin Association and post a missing-person assignment.

Nasha unconsciously bit her lip, excitement shining in her violet eyes.

Finding missing people?

She hadn't heard anything about her elder brother for eight years and had been struggling to figure out how to find him.

She'd never expected an opportunity to present itself so suddenly.

She wanted to post an assignment to find the prince of Pedam Kingdom.

Back then, she and her brother had fled the royal capital separately, each escorted by a group of mages and swordsmen.

As they fled, her companions had fallen away one after another until only the Great Swordsman Senro remained by her side.

After enduring countless hardships, they'd managed to slip into Daoto City in the Dalia Empire. From there, they'd accompanied a performing troupe to Adilan, the empire's royal capital.

But her brother and the people protecting him had vanished without a trace.

Queen Helati had secretly sent people to investigate, yet they had never uncovered any news.

Nasha refused to believe her brother was dead.

He was five years older than her and had begun learning swordsmanship at seven. By fifteen, he'd reached the rank of Senior Initiate Swordsman.

According to the Great Swordsman who instructed him, he would have become a fully qualified Swordsman within another year.

Her brother was so outstanding. There was no way he could have died so easily.

The reason she'd insisted on coming to the Central Court to study magic was that she wanted to find him through her own efforts.

Now she was certain she'd made the right decision.

Not only had she met a group of dependable friends, but she'd also broadened her horizons.

The Central Court was so much better than that decaying kingdom with its thousand-year history.

The Light Squad entered the Entlin Association. With Seriu acting as their guide, they found a receptionist he knew and successfully posted an assignment to locate Chris.

Before posting the assignment, Shu Li signed a confidentiality agreement with the receptionist.

The Entlin Association never disclosed its clients' information, ensuring the safety of both those who bought intelligence and those who sold it.

Nasha took five hundred gold coins from her storage pouch and posted an assignment to find her brother.

Naturally, she didn't reveal the assignment's true purpose to her teammates.

She merely explained that a child from a relative's family had gone missing long ago. They'd searched for years without success, so she wanted to try asking the Entlin Association for help.

Her teammates believed her.

Only Shu Li knew Nasha's background and suspected that the person she was looking for was the prince of Pedam Kingdom.

"So selling information can be this profitable!" Angel exclaimed.

"No kidding! Five hundred gold coins just to post one assignment!" Dixio complained miserably.

The five Little Fairies reluctantly dug out the money they'd earned from yesterday's everyday assignments, pooled their funds, and paid the expensive commission.

"When we find Chris, we're making him pay us back!" Kumandi declared coldly.

"That's right! He owes us!" Budno agreed, clenching his fist.

After leaving the Entlin Association, everyone returned to St. Velia Magic Academy.

Seriu still had business to attend to. Once they passed through the academy gates, he said goodbye to Shu Li and the others and headed toward the teaching buildings.

With nothing else to do, Shu Li and his companions settled into the library to study.

Ace returned several books he'd borrowed the previous day, then selected more from the shelves to replace them.

Shu Li glanced at his choices and gave a knowing look.

Just as he'd suspected.

This human classmate of his really loved reading novels!

That evening, Shu Li returned to the Elven Kingdom once again.

He played several games of chess with the Elf cubs, then flew to Yag Forest to gather the medicinal herbs Efit needed.

Gathering herbs was time-consuming work. It took him two whole hours to finish.

He hurried back to Crystal City, chatted with the Elven King for a while, then returned to St. Velia Magic Academy to sleep.

At precisely five the next morning, he woke up and traveled through the Mother Tree to Wanaku, where he quickly completed his purification work.

Unfortunately, he didn't encounter Efit today.

He even waited an extra half hour, but Efit never appeared.

With no other choice, Shu Li returned first.

Today was the first day of classes at St. Velia Magic Academy.

Students of every rank—Mage Apprentices, Initiate Mages, Mages, and Magic Instructors—had all returned to campus.

Shu Li and his companions got up early, washed and dressed until they were all looking fresh and presentable, then ate breakfast in the dining hall before heading eagerly toward the teaching building.

Falm perched on Shu Li's shoulder, clutching a piece of fruit and gnawing on it with great enthusiasm.

His round eyes rolled about as he occasionally inspected the students passing along the road.

"Don't drip fruit juice on my mage's robe," Shu Li warned the greedy little magical beast.

"Mm-hmm."

Falm sucked up the juice, indicating that he understood.

"He's... in Class One too?"

Hector stared at Luvis as the latter entered the Class One classroom, his expression complicated.

They hadn't seen Luvis for a day, yet his personality seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.

His usual followers were nowhere to be seen. The arrogance that had once surrounded him had vanished, replaced by a cold, solitary demeanor.

Those kicks from Seriu had knocked the conceit right out of him.

"So what if he's in Class One?" Dixio shrugged indifferently. "If he dares cause trouble for us again, we'll just have another match. This time I'll go up there and beat him until his teeth fall out."

Watching Sperien fight Luvis the day before yesterday had left him itching to have a go himself.

"Don't worry. He won't dare," Shu Li said.

Friton had left that day looking thoroughly disappointed. He probably wouldn't protect Luvis anymore.

If Luvis had even half a brain, he'd know better than to go looking for trouble.

Soon, all ten members of the Light Squad entered the Class One classroom.

It was an exceptionally spacious lecture hall with tiered seating. Every row except the first was already full.

The Light Squad's arrival attracted the attention of most of the students.

Luvis sat in a corner. Hearing the commotion, he cast them a cold glance before turning to look out the window.

Shu Li didn't particularly care where he sat.

The front row was perfectly fine. It was close to the lectern, and he'd have a clear view of the blackboard.

The members of the Light Squad took their seats one after another and waited for their magic instructor to arrive.

Falm hopped down from Shu Li's shoulder onto the desk, spat out the fruit pit in his mouth, and began playing with it between his short, chubby paws.

The Mage Apprentices in the rows behind them whispered among themselves.

Naturally, they were discussing the match between Shu Li and Luvis two days earlier.

Shu Li rubbed his ears and pretended he couldn't hear them.

Luvis's expression darkened. He clenched his fists, struggling to suppress the violent anger rising inside him.

In the past, anyone who dared gossip about him behind his back would have received a vicious beating.

Fortunately, the Mage Apprentices admitted to Class One were no pushovers themselves. After a few remarks, they moved on to another subject.

"Who's going to be our magic instructor?"

"No idea. I hope it's a beautiful, gentle teacher who'll treat us kindly."

"Maybe it'll be a strict male instructor."

"I heard it's someone new."

"A new teacher? Do they even have teaching experience? Class One is supposed to be the elite class!"

"Stop guessing. We'll find out when they get here."

Listening to their classmates' speculation, the Little Fairies could only sigh.

These people had absolutely no idea how terrifying their new instructor was!

Waaah! Why couldn't they escape Ilio's lessons even after coming to the Human World?

At long last, under the expectant gazes of the assembled Mage Apprentices, Class One's magic instructor made his leisurely entrance.

Long, silky black hair cascaded down his back. A gleaming golden circlet rested on his forehead, its embedded sapphire sparkling brilliantly.

He wore an ornate, high-ranking mage's robe, with a magical badge signifying his rank as a Saint Mage pinned to his chest.

An air of sacred elegance surrounded him.

The moment he stepped behind the lectern, the classroom fell silent.

Apart from the Light Squad, every student wore an expression of astonishment and delight.

Such a young Saint Mage!

What a handsome instructor!

Such a noble bearing!

Ilio swept his gaze around the classroom and smiled charmingly.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Ilio. Starting today, I'll be your magic instructor for Class One. I hope we'll get along well in the days ahead."

The Little Fairies shuddered involuntarily at the sight of that familiar smile.

Luvis sat with his fists clenched, staring blankly at the black-haired Saint Mage behind the lectern.

Ilio surveyed the classroom, taking in every student's expression.

When his gaze met Ace's, the smile on his face stiffened ever so slightly.

He recovered his composure almost instantly.

Then, still smiling pleasantly, he addressed the class.

"Now then, I'd like everyone to leave the classroom and run three laps around the academy's main road."

"What?"

"Three laps?"

"One lap around the main road is two thousand meters!"

"A-are you joking? We're mages, not swordsmen!"

"Teacher, can I refuse?"

"Why do we have to run on the very first day of class? Who made that rule?"

"I'm not running!"

"Exactly! We came here to learn magic, not to go running!"

"Even a Saint Mage can't make such unreasonable demands!"

"..."

Ilio remained remarkably patient.

He waited until the students' protests gradually subsided, then raised a hand and pointed toward Luvis, who was sitting in the corner.

Still wearing a brilliant smile, he asked the other students, "Do you know why he lost to Sperien?"

The classroom fell silent in an instant.