Summoned and Unwanted

506 Odd gifts or a common practice between couples?

This was the excuse the five opposing Vincent’s team came up with to lose, unfortunately, and not enter the top ten easiest teams to beat.

They tried a different tactic against the same opponents and lost because they were unfortunate to have woken up under the weather.

However, what happened next shocked them. Vincent believed they we trying to win and shouted Wild Blow while accurately throwing rocks at their hands with pinpoint accuracy.

Nick rushed with Vincent’s ranged support like the previous time. He went up close and prepared to attack the gravely injured opponents.

The reality was different. The five chose to fake a horrible injury and surrender in front of Nick’s blade as the arena’s protection buff protected them.

In the eyes of everyone watching the live broadcast, Nick made five mages of the fourth-year surrender. Nick gave the impression of being far stronger than he looked.

The winners teleported to the small, confined room. The doors opened, and in front of them was the royal soldier. His arms were crossed, and a frown was on his face as if he found the match suspicious.

“Congratulations. The first-year team ten has achieved another flawless victory. However, I hope there isn’t going to be a third time.”

[This royal soldier is quick on the uptake. We better heed his hidden warning.]

.....

“We were fortunate their plan didn’t work.” Vincent glanced at the students gathered and sent them a message indirectly, “We are weak with only two combatants, yet we won the first time through sheer luck and the second time through determination to stop being at the center of attention.”

“Center of attention? I wonder what you are referring to, Vincent Lionheart.” The royal soldier spoke as he was suspicious about the challenges Vincent’s team has received thus far.

The students averted their gaze when the royal soldier moved his head to look around. “I do not know what you are talking about, Vincent Lionheart, but be sure to report to me if your team gets coerced to accept a challenge.”

Vincent smirked and said, “Most certainly. We feel grateful to have your support.”

“But now we are very tired as the stress of so many eyes watching us took a toll on our nerves.” Vincent held Lilith’s hand and continued, “We want to rest for the day, so we regrettably will leave this hall and stop thinking about fights. ”

Vincent said this in front of the royal soldier and the students behind him. Now, the students couldn’t challenge Vincent’s team today as it would be seen as a coerced match.

The royal soldier nodded and moved aside, letting Vincent, Lilith, Nick, Clair, and Jun Ye Rim leave the arrival hall without anyone speaking a word to them.

Nick and Clair went to the mail room while Vincent and Lilith went to the library.

Jun Ye Rim didn’t mention what she was going to do. She soon felt her hand being grabbed. She was pondering in a daze when this happened. As she moved her gaze, she saw Lilith with a beaming smile on her face.

“Let’s go together, my book friend.”

Jun ye Rim blushed and couldn’t say no. “I feel tired after the match. I was thinking of reading a book in peace in the library even if you weren’t going to invite me to join you.”

“...” Vincent still couldn’t get used to Jun Ye Rim’s acceptance through complaints.

Later that day, Vincent flipped through many pages of an unimaginable amount of books. Only one had some valuable information. However, it was a true story about love. A forbidden love between a human noble and a beautiful mermaid.

Unfortunately, only the romance genre with branching subgenres exists in the world. In this story, many of the usual cliches, such as nobles, can’t be with commoners. Moreover, nonhumans were the main part of the story.

However, as Kazumi once said, a person can learn a lot from a story. This time, in the story, were many fantasy elements, such as a Glyph Array that could give those inside it the ability to breathe underwater.

The story had the words “True Story” written on it multiple times, yet it had “The names of the people involved are fake for their and decendents’ protection.” at the beginning and the end of the story.

In Arena Island, Glyph Arrays worked hand in hand with Runes. Now the previous puzzling question of what it was like for a human to visit the fish people’s kingdom was now mainly solved.

Vincent and Kazumi had a lot to think about when returning to the island. Visiting the underwater kingdom of the fish people wasn’t as impossible as they thought anymore.

*Day 151 – 06 November – Friday*

*Day 152 – 07 November – Saturday*

Friday passed swiftly, and with it, Vincent completed writing the book for Ester.

Vincent asked Gusto and his wife if they could bind a couple of papers into a book, but they didn’t he the tools. They suggested visiting a bookstore as they normally offer the service Vincent requires.

The morning of Saturday dawned brightly today.

Iris requested Vincent’s presence. He followed her to the garden, and he was surprised to see Zero have another growth spur.

Zero had become two feet tall, yet it was very skinny, and it looked fragile. The color of the vines looked normal now.

Zero noticed Vincent, and it moved out of the shade. The plant skin faintly now glittered under the sunlight, giving the impression of having a more stable constitution.

Vincent lowered to his knee and extended his hand. Zero, who was walking slowly like a baby that had recently learned how to walk, reached Vincent’s hand and grabbed it.

[It feels like Zero is a baby.]

-Yeah.- Vincent responded telepathically with a smile.

“Hu...” [Hungry. Thirsty.] Said Zero.

“Hungry and thirsty at the same time? Now, this is new.”

“Zero, I have a tasty magic seed for you.” Iris offered when Vincent was still acting surprised.

Zero took the seed from Iris’s hand and put it inside the hollow darkness of its head. Shortly, they heard a sound similar to a gulp.

Zero now looked at Vincent and said, “Th...” [Thirsty.]

Vincent was worried that Zero had so few vines that it looked thin. He made a small scratch and let Zero drink some of his blood.

Zero didn’t drink much blood. It stopped, removed its vines, and went to bask in the sun.

“I guess Zero is satisfied. ” Vincent said while using a piece of cloth to wipe the blood off.

Iris looked at Zero and wondered, “I wonder if this is how it feels to have a child.”

“Maybe.” Answered Vincent.

Later that day, Vincent went to the library alone as Lilith and Jun Ye Rim wanted to do something else today.

Lilith stayed with Ester because the contents in the copied pages had a couple of difficult words. Even Lilith was surprised to see such words being used. The words suggested that the man who wrote the book might have been a noble for some time during his life.

Lilith was also interested in the experiments the author intended to achieve. Lilith hoped that by helping Ester, she could one day succeed in awakening her second spell.

The second person who didn’t join Vincent found a peaceful place and stayed there with Plow. Jun Ye Rim and Plow were becoming closer by training near each other and playing for a while before resting. This process was repeated multiple times until it got dark.

Vincent removed his hair tie and let his hair down. He made the uniform a little disheveled and teleported to the arrival hall.

Vincent didn’t think no one would notice him at first glance. He brisked his way to the exit door and left the arrival hall.

Vincent sighed in relief when he wasn’t caught and challenged to a practice match. He looked around and didn’t see many students loitering around. As he guessed, most of the academy’s students were behind the door.

Vincent headed to the library, but fate didn’t give him an ordinary day.

As Vincent passed by a classroom with the door open, his gaze saw one group of female students and one group of male students exchanging small silver sheening coins.

Vincent swiftly passed the classroom in fear of being discovered. “What... why am I acting like I am spying on them?” Wondered Vincent in a low voice.

Vincent soon realized the reason why he felt this way. Kazumi had already left his body, and she was invisibly and curiously listening to their conversation.

Vincent made some distance from the classroom’s door and waited for the curious Kazumi to return.

-What have you found out, detective Kazumi?-

[Nothing much. They spoke cryptically. Heh... it sucks to start overhearing the last part of a conversation.]

[Based on what I have gathered, they aren’t offering a dirty service. It makes me wonder what the male students are buying from the female students.]

-Maybe they are paying for some information for a ranking match. you know, maybe to beat a girl-only team.-

[Maybe they are buying the information of which team will have girls with period...]

-Let’s not go there, shall we?-

[Yeah. Let’s have a pleasant day.]

Both agreed, yet Kazumi was still wondering what was happing in the classroom. The curiosity was killing her.

Vincent later met with yet another strange-looking couple. The male student was a classmate, and he glared at Vincent when he didn’t recognize him as he passed them by casually.

“I better ask Lilith because I want to know if giving money to the person they are dating is a common practice only nobles do. ” Vincent murmured as he hurried to the library.