Are MZ Shamans In Trouble In Romance Novels? - Chapter 89

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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89.

“The club establishment fee is 100 coins.”

The Academy administrative staff member looked at the group of new students with a tired expression. Judging by their distorted faces, it seemed like another round of arguments was about to begin. In fact, just this morning alone, more than ten new students had visited the administrative office.

“What? 100 coins?”

This was the tenth time seeing this reaction.

“What do you mean charging 100 coins just to establish a club?”

Calisia and the Down with Chef Alliance exchanged glances. Their expressions said ‘Have we ever seen such daylight robbers?’ No matter how much administrative processing costs there were, 100 coins instead of 10 was excessive.

“This is the minimum measure to prevent indiscriminate club establishment, so please understand.”

The administrative staff recited the prepared words halfheartedly.

“Shall I give you the application form?”

The staff’s voice carried both annoyance and urgency. There was a mountain of work to process before lunch.

“For now, give us…”

“So exactly how long will it take!”

Just then, a loud voice erupted from the next desk. It was a man and woman with measuring tapes around their necks. With dark circles under their eyes, they slammed their hands on the administrative desk with loud bangs.

“Who are they?”

Calisia asked the administrative staff.

“They’re designers from Sun Street Atelier. Something happened last night… I guess that’s why they’re like this.”

The administrative staff crossed their arms like someone watching a fire across the river.

“Now, now. Please calm down, everyone. We’re looking at about a week for now.”

The glasses-wearing staff member broke out in a cold sweat while trying to appease the complainants.

“You’re blocking the water wall for a whole week?”

“Depending on the circumstances, it could be even longer.”

The designers looked devastated as if the sky had fallen. It was because of urgent orders they had to fulfill immediately.

“Then what are we supposed to do? Where are we going to get all those pearls right away!”

A pearl dress. It was a special order from a marquis’s young lady who was about to graduate. It wasn’t something they could cancel at this point.

“We’d like to help, but the decision from above is quite firm. Hehe…”

The administrative staff gave an awkward smile while gently appeasing the designers. Since there was nothing more they could do, it was time for them to leave.

“Why exactly are you controlling the water wall? You should at least tell us the reason so we can understand!”

“Well… Last night, a ship delivering food supplies was attacked. I can’t tell you the exact details.”

“An attack? What damn bastards! Why of all times! Aaaaaaaah!”

The designers who had collapsed on the floor clutched their heads. Even if they somehow swept up all the pearls from jewelry stores, the quantity would obviously fall far short.

“That’s unfortunate.”

The staff member who had been crossing their arms handed Calisia a parchment. The alliance members visibly flinched and pretended to look elsewhere. They were the ‘damn bastards’ after all.

“Excuse me.”

Calisia, holding the application form, addressed the glasses-wearing staff.

“Yes?”

The staff member who had been patting the designer’s shoulder turned their head.

“You’re working hard.”

A girl who appeared to be a new student was approaching with somewhat middle-aged man-like steps.

“About that water wall blockade. Only entry and exit are impossible, right?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, there’s no official notice saying don’t fish inside the water wall or don’t swim, right?”

“Ah, yes yes. Well… there was no such instruction.”

The administrative staff answered in a bewildered tone. They hadn’t expected to receive such a question.

“And our dear customers?”

Calisia smiled with her eyes toward the designers sitting on the floor.

“…What?”

Half out of their minds, they looked Calisia up and down. They had neither the energy nor the mood to deal with a new student.

“You need pearls, don’t you?”

“…So what?”

“Let me introduce ourselves first. As for me, I’m the genius among geniuses who passed the entrance exam in second place! I’m Calisia Valus! That’s right. That Valus.”

Calisia winked. The designers and administrative staff looked at her with lukewarm expressions. It was because of the sudden family bragging.

“Would there only be second place? Birds of a feather flock together, so we have first place here too.”

“Lakies! Lakies! One of the four ducal families!”

Balak, who had vaguely caught on to Calisia’s strategy, quickly added. At his introduction, Ian straightened his shoulders a bit more. It was because Calisia had given him a hint.

“And this is the Titan family, unmatched in strong sword techniques! Oh my, this one is too sacred to explain. Praise Helaisi. From Hyacinth!”

The expressions of people in the administrative office changed moment by moment. The way of speaking was exactly like a con artist or snake oil salesman, but the lineup was quite impressive.

“Lastly, we’ve invited with great difficulty. Arkea’s little sun! His Highness the Third Prince. Applause!”

Clap clap clap clap clap!

People hesitantly applauded. Calisia waved her hand as if it was nothing special.

“Now, I think our introductions are finished. About those pearls. Give us just three days and we’ll get you the entire quantity you want.”

“…Pearls?”

The designers asked with half-believing expressions. How could new students get pearls when the water wall was blocked? But it was also true that they had no other options.

“…What we want are top-grade pearls. They need to be at least high-grade or better. We had cream pearls in mind for the type, but rainbow pearls or black pearls are fine too.”

“What about the quantity?”

“At least 500.”

“500?”

Calisia pretended to be serious and stroked her chin. It was a ploy to extract more coins.

“This is actually a small amount! It’s only going into the dress neckline and waist area, excluding the hem. Otherwise, we would have needed ten thousand pearls!”

The designers added more words as if making excuses. They were worried the new students might back out. This was separate from still finding them unreliable.

“Ah, I know, I know. Then shall we talk about the price? Just 500 coins. We’ll serve you cheaply.”

Calisia grinned and held up five fingers.

***

Five new students carrying old cloth bundles on their shoulders stood in front of the dock. At their unusual appearance, the guards’ gazes turned toward them all at once.

“What are those kids doing?”

“Don’t know. Leave them alone if it’s nothing serious. When have Academy students not been weird?”

“True.”

The guards who quickly lost interest turned their gazes away. Mages were originally eccentric with many peculiar aspects. Teenagers were needless to say.

“Let’s start with stretching.”

Calisia stretched her arms and legs. Ian and Balak also naturally began warming up. Izriel wriggled in some strange pose.

“…Do we really have to do this here?”

Raktar was conscious of his surroundings and subtly covered his face. He complained about why they had to be so embarrassing when they could just use the sewers.

“Why don’t you just go around saying ‘we know about secret passages’?”

Calisia pressed down on Raktar’s back, telling him to just stretch. With the water wall blocked, secretly digging for shells would actually draw more attention.

“Let’s go.”

After warming up for quite a while, the kids jumped toward the sea. At the splash sound, one guard turned his head.

“Um… shouldn’t we stop them?”

He carefully asked while looking at the senior guards who didn’t move.

“Leave them. They do this every year.”

“Every year?”

“They’re trying to escape. It’ll probably get worse as time goes on.”

The senior guard patted his junior’s shoulder, telling him not to worry. There was almost only one reason students jumped into the sea. Escape. Since it was hard to get permission to go out, they were trying to use tricks.

“I wonder if those kids will crawl out on their own…”

“It’ll be fortunate if they don’t just faint after meeting Leviathan and float around.”

The guards shook their heads.

***

Completely submerged in the ocean depths, Calisia took out the Leviathan Scale.

“Help me.”

At her call, a transparent membrane wrapped around the strike team’s heads. With their vision and breathing secured, the children began earnestly searching for shells.

“Only dig up the ones that seem particularly rich in mana! Those are more likely to contain pearls!”

Calisia said as she stuffed shells into her bundle. It was something the costume department designers had told her after hearing it from merchant contacts.

‘I’ll have to sell the shells after taking out the pearls as grilled food.’

Excited by thoughts of coins, Calisia swam around in the water. Unlike the dark dawn, the ocean depths were piercingly blue and clear.

“1 coin, 2 coins, 3 coins-.”

Calisia hummed as she dug up shells. When her bundle had become quite heavy, she looked around. She was wondering if the other kids were doing well.

“Raktar.”

Smoothly moving her body, Calisia whispered in Raktar’s ear.

“Make some noise!”

Startled, Raktar dropped the shell he was holding.

“I dropped it because of you.”

“That’s a stone. A stone containing mana.”

Calisia rummaged through Raktar’s bundle. Sure enough, glossy beautiful stones were revealing their presence here and there.

“This is a shell, and this is a stone.”

“I know that too!”

Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, Raktar snatched his bundle away and moved to another spot.

“Why is he acting like that.”

Calisia focused on digging shells again. The satisfying feel of it was quite addictive. Moreover, she occasionally spotted giant shells, which made her even greedier.

“Don’t go too deep, Valus.”

Ian, who had approached at some point, grabbed Calisia’s wrist. Even with Leviathan’s protection, the sea was a fickle and mysterious place.

“Okay.”

Calisia obediently swam up to shallower waters. Or rather, she tried to.

Saaaak-!

Until she heard a sound that enchanted her ears. Calisia turned her body and swam toward the deep sea. A very strange sensation enveloped her entire body. It was a different energy from how Water Murder Ghosts enchanted people.

Saak-!

It sounded somewhat like the sound of sharpening a sword. What was certain was that the sound was calling to her. Calisia’s body gradually became lighter. This was separate from the increasing pressure at the deep water depth.

Thud!

Then, someone grabbed Calisia with tremendous force.

“Don’t go.”

It was Izriel with an unfamiliar face.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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