Bear School Astartes

When Lann completed the entire morning workout plan devised by Mentos, his sweat had already soaked through his linen shirt.

Mentos monitored Lann's physiological data in real-time, ensuring each training session pushed Lann's body to a state of fatigue.

Fortunately, this wasn't an emergency situation. Otherwise, Mentos had a quick recovery plan based on the "Second Heart," designed for high-intensity, short-duration training sprints.

It was designed to enhance the learning and adaptability of interstellar humans, making it adept at such planning.

Lann returned to the dean's luxurious room, pushing the door open.

This luxurious and elegant room had its curtains drawn tightly even in the noon sunshine, turning the dazzling sunlight into an ambiguous glow.

Lann's footsteps were naturally light without any deliberate effort.

He stepped over the scattered clothes on the floor while removing his sweat-drenched shirt, heading towards the bathroom.

"It's already noon, Rita... Can the head of a Magic Academy be this leisurely?"

A muffled whimper came from the soft velvet bed behind him, where a head was buried in the blankets.

Margaret lay on the bed, wearing only a thin black veil.

The morning sweat also adhered that veil to her body, revealing a flesh color and outlining her peach-like plump curves below the waist.

"Mmph... There's really nothing much to do! Any issues... Tishaya handles them quickly. I just need to teach on time and care for the students..."

As someone uninterested in power, this female Warlock who only cared for her students and a luxurious lifestyle, saw her role in the academy clearly and carefree.

She was utterly enjoying the role of a 'nominal dean' and, as an easily satisfied slacker, had no desire to change her status.

"Wow..."

Lann marveled, not sure if he was admiring the delightful view on the velvet bed or the fact that Tishaya managed to teach such a 'slacker'.

Though Tishaya was indifferent to power, she at least pursued magic and upheld the academy's prestige.

Only when the sound of rushing water came from the bathroom did the beautiful body on the bed freeze slightly, then get up with a look that was either reluctant to leave the soft bed or anticipating what was to come, tiptoeing towards the bathroom...

"Hmm? I thought you were exhausted this morning."

"Indeed, I was very tired, but I just couldn't resist..."

The process that Lann intended to be a quick wash was prolonged due to unexpected circumstances.

-----------------

After lunch, Lann and Margaret sat in the dean's office.

On Tishaya's desk, even the dishes she used were neatly arranged.

Seeing the two enter from outside, the former dean waved lightly, and the used tableware disappeared without a trace, seemingly returned to the academy kitchen.

She gracefully wiped away nonexistent stains from her mouth, glanced up at Margaret, who had half-lying on the cashmere long chair upon entering.

"Today you arrived at the office an hour and a half later than usual."

Rarely, Lann noticed that Margaret, who usually interacted congenially with Tishaya, instinctively straightened her posture.

Like a student caught by a teacher.

"You're not a fledgling anymore, Rita. Enjoyment is a privilege for Mages, but at the same time, the relentless pursuit of magic is a Mage's duty."

"Of course, Teacher!"

The instinctive movement made Margaret refer back to her student days.

She hurriedly picked up the scattered parchment on the small table in front of the cashmere long chair, filled with geometric images and algorithmic formulas Lann couldn't understand.

It seemed to be a spell research Margaret was pondering.

Unlike Tishaya, who over a long period crafted herself into an almost all-round Warlock, Margaret's talent in incantations was the main reason she, with her laid-back lifestyle, became the dean of Airetusa.

The Demon Hunter stood aside, watching the interaction between this pair of mentor and fellow colleagues.

His teasing yet helpless gaze calmed Margaret's tense body, strained by facing the serious Tishaya.

This also brought back the whispers Lann had shared with her in the bathroom.

"Wait, Tishaya! I have something here..."

Margaret suddenly lifted her head from the parchment, her brilliant golden hair briefly lifting into the air.

But when she looked up again, she saw Lann leisurely sitting opposite Tishaya at her desk.

Tishaya wasn't surprised in the least.

She just pinched her brow with her fingers, glancing at Margaret's slightly open, plump lips.

"Rita... Rita... Every time you bring Lann along, I feel like he's the one doing the dean's work."

The Demon Hunter raised his forearm resting on the armrest, signaling with a smile.

"I'm not a Warlock, and I'm a man."

"No need to emphasize, I know."

Tishaya discreetly moved her gaze away from Lann's smiling face.

"And precisely because of this, I haven't drowned Rita in a bathtub full of East of East red wine."

The current dean buried her head of golden hair behind the parchment in guilt, while the Demon Hunter at the guest seat struggled to maintain his bright and light smile with a twitching corner of his mouth.

East of East red wine, the national treasure-level wine of the Land of Knights—Toussaint. A bottle less than five years old, from a year with favorable weather for grape growth, typically sold for about fifteen Florins apiece.

Converting Niflgaard's Florin Coin to Temerian Oren Coin, it equates to around one hundred and fifty Oren.

Lann's armor overhaul cost only two hundred Oren at the base price; one bottle of this wine equaled a full set of light armor!

Casually suggesting to drown someone with this wine... This female Warlock even uses luxury in her threats!

The rural youth Mr. Lan, once again confirmed his own poverty.

"Tell me, Lann. Last time you were here, you found a groundbreaking path for our research. What surprise do you have for me this time?"

Tishaya rested both hands on the table, seriously engaging in eye contact with Lann.

The young man, momentarily overwhelmed by the aura of wealth, pursed his lips to regain his composure.

"It's just... um... you mentioned earlier that market trends for Dimensional Steel, enchantments, and hiring wild Mages are pretty good?"

"Indeed, and this is all thanks to your 'Hunting Marquis' activities."

Lann nodded and continued.

"So let's suppose there's now a metal ingot on the market significantly outperforming ordinary steel but costing far less than Dimensional Steel... What would its market look like?"

Tishaya didn't answer immediately; instead, she extended her hand towards Lann.

"Steel from another world? Let's see it."

Having witnessed humanity's entire history of metallurgical advancements, Tishaya was either fully informed or at least well-aware of the emergence of any exaggerated metallurgical techniques.

The steel Lann mentioned couldn't have just suddenly appeared without any forewarning.

Only an otherworldly source could make sense.

Lann, having prepared, placed the Dragonbone Dagger from his waist onto the table.

Tishaya deftly unsheathed it, summoning from behind her a sword meant for wall decoration using a Floating Spell.

Scraping the sword's surface with the back of the dagger, the sword showed clear scratches, while the dagger remained flawless.

Tishaya nodded, expression relaxed, as if this steel were nothing extraordinary.

She sheathed the dagger once more and returned it to Lann.

The Demon Hunter watched her expressions with a nervous heart.

Surely not... Could Valerian Steel's performance be seen as unimpressive?

The female Warlock again laid her hands neatly on the desk.

"It's good-quality steel, how much do you have? Airetusa can take it all."

"Current stock? Not much, just a few ingots."

Tishaya frowned slightly: "So you're planning to enchant weapons at Airetusa and auction them as premium-grade?"

Lann hesitated, scratching his chin in bewilderment.

"If you want current stock, I don't have it. My idea was to..."

Tishaya raised an eyebrow: "You want to provide weapons now, have them enchanted at Airetusa, and then transform the category to auction them as high-end weapons?"

"Exactly... um... as you said before, the current markets for forbidden gold, enchantments, and hiring wild Mages are such?"

"Yes indeed, and that's largely due to your 'Hunting Marquis' games."

Lann nodded and continued.

"Then suppose the current markets for Dimensional Steel and enchantments are the same?"

"If so, what do you mean?"

Lann hesitated for a moment and scratched his chin.

"If you want the stock now, I don't have it. But what if chances are taken at Airetusa to create premium goods and they get auctioned off well?"

Tishaya frowned at this, but gave no obvious reaction.

She merely pinched her fingers at her brow, then glanced at Margaret, her lips slightly open.

"Rita... Rita... Every time you bring Lann here, I get the feeling he's the one actually running the academy."

The Demon Hunter raised his forearm from the armrest and gestured with a smile.

"I'm no Warlock, and besides, I'm a man."

"No need to emphasize the obvious, I know."

Tishaya subtly shifted her gaze away from Lann's smiling face.

"That's exactly why I haven't just drowned Rita in a bathtub full of East of East red wine."

The current dean, with a guilty look, buried her head under the parchment, while the Demon Hunter at the guest seat twitched his lips, barely holding back his broad, light-hearted smile.

East of East red wine, a national treasure wine from the Land of Knights—Toussaint. A bottle from within five years, from a good grape-growing year, costs around fifteen Florin.

Converting a Niflgaardian Florin to a Temerian Oren, that equates to about one hundred and fifty Orens.

Lann's suit of armor overhaul costs only two hundred Orens; talking about drowning someone in wine... Even when this Female Warlock makes threats, she is so lavish, isn't she?!

Rural youth Mr. Lan, once again, confirmed his own poverty.

"So, what do you want to surprise me with, Lann? Last time you came, you directed us to a groundbreaking path for the Magic, Academy's research?"

This time, Lann appeared a bit hesitant as he scratched his chin before speaking with a slight chuckle.

"Well... didn't you say earlier that the markets for Dimensional Steel, enchantments, are looking pretty good?"

"Indeed they are, and that's thanks to your 'Hunting Marquis' initiative," Tishaya said affirmatively.

Lann nodded and continued.

"Assuming that the current Dimensional Steel, enchantment, and freelance Mage markets are profitable, do you think it's possible for us to initiate some innovative research and make something extraordinary out of it?"

Tishaya reached out her hand, her eyes meeting Lann's cat-like gaze, her finely crafted features and lips subtly breaking into a smile, "The Steel from another world, perhaps? Show me what you have."

Being witness to the entire development of human metallurgy across the dimensions, Tishaya might not claim omniscience, but she's got a fair sense of the birth of any new and sensational metallurgy techniques.

Lann placed the Dragonbone Dagger from behind his waist onto the desk.

Tishaya carefully unsheathed it and casually summoned a decoration sword from the back wall with a Floating Spell.

She scraped the sword's blade with the backside of the dagger as its long blade left faint scratches, showing the incomparable quality of the Dragonbone Dagger.

Keeping her expression neutral, Tishaya handed the sheathed dagger back to Lann.

Watching her expression, the Demon Hunter felt a pulse of apprehension in his chest.

Could it be that Valerian steel performs so poorly?

The Female Warlock organized her hands again on the desk.

"It's excellent-quality steel. How much of it do you have?"

"Uhm... Not much, just a few daggers, if you want those now," Lann replied, still scratching absently at his chin with some hesitation.

Tishaya frowned: "Are you suggesting that we perform weapon enchantment at Airetusa, and then auction them at a premium price as high-quality weapons?"

"Not... well... as you mentioned, how's that plan for Dimensional Steel, enchantments, and hiring freelance Mages?"

"That's correct, and we owe it in large part to your 'Hunting Marquis' initiative."

Lann nodded, but was left feeling a little unsure.

"Look here, Tishaya. I don't have the stock right now. But... perhaps if we use Airetusa to enhance weapons, we could sell them at premium quality in auctions? What do you think about that?"

Tishaya raised an eyebrow: "So you really don't have a plan for the steel from another world?"

Lann hesitated, then scratched his chin, "Well, not exactly... but if you're interested in current stock, I might have... possibly..."

Tishaya took a deep breath and fixed her eyes directly on Lann's cat-like pupils.

Her well-tuned and delicate face, those plush lips slowly parted.

"...Huh? Every time you and Lann come, I feel like he's the one acting as the workaholic dean..."

The Demon Hunter gently lifted his forearm from the armrest and gestured with an unobtrusive smile.

"I am not a Warlock, and I'm a man."

"No need to emphasize, I know."

Without a trace, Tishaya diverted her gaze from Lann's smiling face.

"And because of that, I haven't simply drowned Rita in a bathtub filled with East of East red wine."

The current dean guiltily hid her flowing blonde hair behind the parchment, while the Demon Hunter, seated on the guest seat of the desk, struggled to maintain a bright yet gentle smile, his lips twitching slightly.

East of East red wine, the national treasure red wine of the Land of Knights—Toussaint. A bottle less than five years old, from a year with good grape production, is priced at around fifteen florin a bottle.

Lann calculated the Florin Coin of Niflgaard converted into Temerian Oren Coin, which amounted to about one hundred and fifty Oren.

Once again, Mr. Lan confirmed his modest means.

"Speak up, Lann. Last time you brought us a groundbreaking direction for our research at the Magic Academy, what delightful surprise will you bring me this time?"

There was a brief moment of hesitation, and Lann gently scratched his chin before responding with a slight smile.

"It's just... um... didn't you say last time that there are good trends in the markets for Dimensional Steel, enchantments, and trade with wild Mages?"

"Yes, and this is mostly thanks to your 'Hunting Marquis' endeavor."

Lann nodded in agreement and continued, "So, suppose the current Demonic Steel, with enchantment, and employing freelance Mages are all favorable in the market?"

"Yes indeed," Tishaya replied, her fingers rhythmically tapping the edge of the desk as she keenly peered into Lann's cat-like eyes.

Tishaya was nearly unflappable as she shifted her gaze away from Lann with seamless grace.

"And that precisely is the reason why I haven't drowned Rita yet in a bathtub full of East of East red wine."

Embarrassment caught up with the current dean, causing her to hide behind her golden mane, while the Hunting Marquis struggled to maintain a calm façade in front of Tishaya's luxury-inclined taunt.

East of East red wine, the national treasure wine of the Land of Knights—Toussaint. A bottle aged less than five years from a good grape-growing year costs about fifteen Florin Coins.

Coming from the countryside, Mr. Lan once again acknowledged his own financial shortcomings.