Chapter 63 - Schedule

"You take one day off, one day , and look what happens!" Camilla ranted. "I can't believe it. You get attacked by some hormonal teen. Your big secret is revealed. You join magic classes! And, worst of all, you tell me that I'm going to be losing valuable apprentice time!"

Lily sighed, "I'm not happy about that either. I've really enjoyed working here ever since we started dealing with real potions!"

"As you should," Camilla snorted. "Big, big money in proper magical potions. None of that herbal remedy crap. Bah!"

Lily used her recent discovery as a lifeline in hopes of calming the woman down.

"Speaking of money, did you know that creating your own glyphs is almost forbidden! You need a license, and the entire glyph-making business is heavily regulated. I was told off for experimenting with them and making more efficient glyphs."

"I knew it! Those scoundrels!" Camilla snapped; her anger successfully diverted. "Rotten to the core, trying to extort a poor old woman of her hard-earned money. It's all one big money-making conspiracy! I bet their license is all a sham; they probably only allow their cronies to join them. The alchemical association was almost heading down that path before a kind soul sent a letter with evidence to the right people."

Lily struggled to hold back a giggle, placing her hands over her mouth in an attempt to hide it. She had expected Camilla to explode, but not this much. She also suspected that the "kind soul" was most likely Camilla herself.

The woman snapped her fingers and pointed at Lily, "When you go to that fancy magic school, Regymouth."

"Regarth," Lily corrected.

"Regarth, yes, that one," Camilla agreed and continued her overly exaggerated pointing. "You must take glyph classes and get a license. Then, if you uncover their wrongdoing, you can stop them in their tracks! Think of the good you'd do for the world, robbing those charlatans of their ill-gotten gains!"

"Uh…" Lily stammered. "Yes, I was planning on taking it. I also wanted to take alchemy."

Camilla nodded as if she had expected it, "Yes. Good. Then, you can double-check that they aren't also breeding any miscreants. I don't doubt it for a second; they haven't had a good house clean in decades!"

Lily just nodded along. She didn't want to get too swept up in Camilla's antics, but even she had to admit that she wasn't too pleased about people hoarding knowledge like this. She thought the book might explode when she briefly mentioned it to Arakil—he was furious .

He really embodies the "magic is for everyone" approach. He wants to spread magic as wide as possible while also learning about everything and anything to do about it.

Lily briefly glanced at the book carefully placed within her basket and smiled. Arakil could now listen in on these conversations if he so wished, as while the book appeared closed at a glance, they had kept it ever so slightly open with a thin piece of wood acting like a bookmark.

Lily was initially hesitant with such a suggestion, worried that it would somehow damage the pages or the book itself, but Arakil had proudly boasted that he would've never made such a pitiful grimoire. It was a crude fix, but it worked surprisingly well.

"Good, I'm glad you agree with me," Camilla said, bringing Lily hurtling back to reality.

I should have been paying more attention to what she was saying… Oh well.

"I hope you understand that I must attend a few lessons with Instructor Richardus. I need to maximize my chances of getting into Regarth, or everything will be ruined," Lily reasoned.

Camilla sighed, "I suppose so. Especially if those cretins get their just desserts."

"And I'll still make sure to come over as much as possible," Lily quickly added.

Camilla nodded, looking mostly recovered from her anger.

"Right, let's get started then, shall we?" she said as she gestured towards her atelier.

Lily nodded and eagerly followed.

***

After a long day's work, they were busy closing up the shop when Camilla started fretting. She kept counting and counting while muttering to herself.

"Have I finally lost it?" Camilla whispered, barely audible to Lily.

"Is something wrong, Miss Camilla?" Lily asked, concerned.

"Unless my mind is playing tricks on me, or I need new glasses again, I'm counting six more potions than normal."

Lily nodded, "I made six more than normal."

"What? How?" Camilla gasped. "Girl, have you really been holding out on me that much?"

Lily shook her head, "No, my Mana has grown since you last saw me. I'm still growing, and my awakening seems to have affected it. Just like with Rose, but without the added tail."

It was a little white lie that Lily had agreed upon with Arakil. Rose had received quite a substantial boost after her awakening, so much so that she was considered a hazard to someone weak like Lily until she got it under control.

Lily was still not comfortable revealing the Mana Core or Arakil to anyone but Rose, so they needed a logical reason to explain her continued growth.

"Is that so?" Camilla replied, scratching her chin with a wicked smirk. "My my, that boy should have attacked you sooner if it resulted in such a productivity boost."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Lily frowned.

"No need to pout, I'm only half kidding…" Camilla cackled softly. "Still, this is good news. It means that I don't have to worry too much about your reduced schedule if this is your new output. And you're still growing? Remarkable! I guess that explains your new clothes and such."

"As long as I get paid and can work towards more Mana potions, I don't mind," Lily responded.

"Oh, have you given up on the glyph ink already?" Camilla asked curiously.

Lily swallowed, "I haven't, but the potions are more important."

She still hadn't explained that she didn't really need the Fairymoss anymore, not since learning how to imbue the ink directly herself. Arakil had even told her she could probably use her own blood as an even more straightforward method, but Lily refused outright on principle.

"Interesting," Camilla muttered before giving a half shrug. "I suppose even you've realized the limitations of using such poor-quality glyph ink. Even with all the minute perfections and cost-saving limits you're so fond of."

Lily sighed and didn't bother fighting it. Camilla pressed her a bit more for some info about the events and what happened but was otherwise relatively normal about it in her own strangely familiar way.

Camilla even requested to witness a little bit of the magic Lily spoke of, and of course, she jumped at the opportunity to show off a little and gave the woman a little light show of her Starlight spell.

"To think I'd witness a Lagia casting spells before my very eyes," Camilla said almost proudly. "I must say you've been a real treat ever since you stepped into my shop all those months ago. To think you'd add such color to my golden years."

Lily blushed furiously, not expecting such unfiltered praise from the woman. Camilla was kind in her own way, but seeing her act almost grandmotherly was a little off-putting, and Lily nearly expected her to swing into a sales pitch for some snake oil.

Margit came to fetch Lily and, at the same time, informed Camilla of Lily's new schedule. Camilla reluctantly agreed as it wasn't too bad, all things considered. Lily would still come to the shop at least three times a week, provided she didn't fall behind on her new studies.

"The girl eats up knowledge like a starving wolf; I don't think she will fall behind for even a minute," Camilla boasted confidently.

Margit seemingly agreed with that assessment as she nodded along. She also warned Camilla not to give Lily any more books about alchemical glyphs in the future.

Camilla agreed, and Margit clearly suspected something was up, but she didn't fight it. When they left the shop, Lily took a final glance at Camilla, and the woman gave a big exaggerated wink.

She probably doesn't have any other books. Also, thanks to Arakil, I had more information than her books anyway. It was certainly nice of her not to mention that to Margit.

On their trip home, Lily and Margit discussed her upcoming schedule, which was very different from that of the other students.

"You're older than most students who start their magic lessons, and you've clearly gotten some knowledge either from books or Rose," Margit explained. "However, Instructor Richardus is concerned that you might lack some fundamentals despite performing such an impressive display. So he's compromised with you having half your lessons with beginners and half with the other students your age. The goal is to drop the beginner lessons once you've proven yourself."

Beginner lessons? After everything Arakil taught me, I think it will probably be a little boring. But maybe Arakil will appreciate learning how magic is taught today.

Of course, Lily kept those thoughts to herself and simply nodded to Margit's explanation. Once that was out of the way, they made some small talk, and Lily felt like their bond was slowly rekindling. She still felt a little guilty for keeping so many secrets from Margit.

"Um… Maybe on the weekend, we can go clothes shopping a bit?" Lily suggested. "I have some money saved up from my apprenticeship."

Margit smiled and nodded, "Of course. That sounds wonderful. If we're smart about our purchases, we can buy some slightly larger clothes and temporarily tailor them a bit smaller, assuming you're still having a bit of a growth spurt."

Lily happily nodded and then began to wonder.

How much more will I grow? I probably won't ever be proper Lagia size, but hopefully, I'll be somewhere around a short human. I should count my blessings, and at least I don't need to worry about wings and tails like Rose.

Lily unconsciously touched her rear and shuddered slightly. She couldn't imagine dealing with such a troublesome addition, even if she initially found Rose's stumpy tail cute when she first grew it.

Arriving home, Lily pulled out Arakil's book from her basket and placed it on the desk.

"So, how was your day?" Lily asked curiously. "It's pretty much your first time leaving my room since I got you back."

[It was certainly interesting. That Camilla woman, in particular, has quite the fiery spirit; if only she put it to more positive uses than hoarding wealth. Imagine if she turned her frugal nature towards Mana?]

Lily giggled as she tried to imagine Camilla and Arakil working together to save every scrap of Mana possible.

[As for your lesson plans. It's probably unnecessary, but for appearance's sake, I can't see any harm in it. I'll continue supplementing your lessons anyway; the main goal is to learn enough to pass the examination and earn your admittance.]

"That's good. It finally feels like we are making headway. I just wish I had more time in the day; it feels like every minute is booked," Lily lamented.

[Regretting not choosing Time Magic already?]

Lily almost choked; she couldn't believe Arakil was teasing her.

"Very funny!" Lily said, struggling to hold back a giggle. "I wouldn't have the Mana for it. Besides, I love my nebula cloak far too much to give it up at this stage."

[I only jest. I significantly understand our present limitations. Speaking of which, I believe we should focus on improving your more natural casting. If you love the Nebula Veil spell so much, then you should master it. If you can summon it at a moment's notice, you shouldn't have issues if another brute tries to assault you.]

Lily nodded energetically, her ears flopping wildly.

"Yes! I think I can start skipping over a few words in the chant already."

[Commendable. But my goal is for you to be able to silently cast the entire spell either before your examination or before you attend the magic academy. Even when you've gained entry, I have no doubt there will be further trials and tribulations to overcome.]

"Really? I mean, it's a school of learning; how bad could it be?" Lily asked, pausing momentarily. "Then again, Rose did mention they have a dungeon course…"

[Precisely! I don't know about the present era, but dungeons were no joke back in my day. Likewise, if Regarth is even half as good as some of the magical academies I knew of, then you could expect tournaments, crafting competitions, festivals, and perhaps even field trips to other dimensions.]

"I… I think I can pretty confidently say if they do field trips, it certainly won't be to another dimension," Lily replied.

[A pity. Those were always my favorites. The magical world truly has regressed for the worse.]