The Mysterious Black Magician

"Kiko, bro, we must do something about that Toadman, we had yet to get our revenge!" Marco, who was walking beside Kiko and their friends, said in regrets. He really wanted to see that guy in a sorry state after what he did when they fought with the golems.

That's why they were delighted when Kiko finally came back. But to their surprise, their friend seemed to be acting low key. It was strange to see Kiko acting like this.

"Heh, I don't want to waste my time in garbage like him. Anyway, that person will never last long in this academy." Kiko replied with a glint in his eye, followed by a wicked smile.

Who said that he would let that froggy go easily? After what he did to him? That guy almost killed him. That's why he made some preparations while in the hospital.

Kiko suddenly stopped on his feet and glanced on his hand and said, "For now, let's just focus on getting stronger. I must become an ace in this academy." He added with a smirk and a cold gaze.

"Hahaha, right, don't get too excited about that guy, Marco dude! I'm sure, Kiko dude already planned something for that Froggyman." Bruno laughed while resting his arms on Kiko and Marco's shoulders.

"Yeah, and after that let's have a party when Kiko and Miss Almina started dating!" One of their friends shouted.

"Ahaha, sure thing!" Bruno screamed.

Kiko smiled. That was already in his plan.

They continued walking towards the barracks. When they arrived at the doorsteps. They were greeted by a solemn atmosphere.

Yet Kiko did not mind it, although his friends had puzzled expressions on their faces. They already went here and took their individual mission yesterday. And that time too many fledgling trainees were taking their mission. So they did not notice the somber aura inside the barracks.

Some junior trainees were loafing inside. Sitting on the chairs with the table in front. It was located on the left side of the door.

Suddenly, one of the people sitting in one of the chairs stood up when he noticed Kiko and his group.

"Young master, Sun," said the person as it bowed slightly in front of Kiko.

"Abel," Kiko called.

Abel is one of the people sponsored by the Sun family. And Kiko was a young master of the Sun family that's why. He was so respectful towards Kiko.

"Let's go to the VIP room, Young master," Abel said, to which Kiko replied with a nod.

Marco, Bruno, and the others had an understanding look on their faces. They could only wait for Kiko as the two of them went to the VIP room to talk for something important.

Around this time, Yman was searching for the book about Mana Channeling. Yet it's already 15 minutes of searching but he could not find it.

The library here was bigger than the public library in Sitona Town. But the books here are well-arranged on the bookshelf with their names in alphabetical order.

Yman tried to change the order of searching from Channeling, Mana Channeling, Magic Channeling, Ability Channeling, or Talent Channeling. However, he could not find it.

He went to the librarian's desk and asked the nerd looking girl. Probably a bookworm person. She was reading a book with reading glasses on her eyes. In front of her was a pile of old books, amassing on top of the table.

"Uh, Miss," Yman called out but the girl seemed to be unbothered.

She was having shoulder-length brown curly hair and a white headband. Like him, she also was wearing the uniform of Middle Region Magic Academy. Seemingly a trainee as well.

However, she looks a little older than him. He believed that the girl was a junior trainee. Although she looks cute and timid.

"Uh, Miss!" Yman purposely increased the volume of his voice and succeeded in attracting her attention.

The girl seemed to be surprised to see a person in front of her. She was deep into reading the book in her hand that she lost connection in her surroundings.

And now, suddenly there's a thin-looking person in front of her which she assumed was a newbie.

She pushed her eyeglasses and fixed her sitting position.

"Y-You need some help?" She asked shyly.

"Yes, about a book for Mana Channeling." Yman directly told her what he was looking for.

He noticed the librarian girl stared at him with doubt. Probably, it was the most unexpected thing to happen that someone would be looking for such a book such as Mana Channeling.

"A-A Book For Channeling Mana? Uh — wait..." she said and took a journal book. Then she scanned it.

"Shelf number 21," she said after a minute.

"Hmm... that 's weird," Yman said while scratching the back of his head.

"Why?" The librarian girl asked.

"I already searched all the shelves but I could not find that book," Yman said dejectedly.

"I-Is that so? Uhm — erm... give me a second." The librarian girl took another journal and flipped over the pages.

After several seconds of waiting, the girl knitted her brows in bewilderment, then she looked at him and said, "S-Sorry, that book — someone borrowed it, and had yet turned-over." The librarian girl said while shyly scratching her face.

"S-Someone borrowed it?" He repeatedly asked.

"Y-Yes." The girl nodded.

"Uhm, may I know who the borrower was?" He asked her. Not willing to give up. He needed that book. For his guidance in understanding about his mana channeling talent.

But what the girl's reply stunned him for a second, "Hmm... I-I advised you to give up looking at that book."

"....."

"W-Why I have to give up?" He was puzzled by her words.

"The person who borrowed is somewhat a mysterious person." Her reply was somewhat vague for him.

"What? May I know who that person is?" Yman asked her. No matter who it is, he must find that person. And borrowed the book.

"M-Miss Ice."

"Ice?" Yman frowned at the name. This name sound familiar to him. He tried to scan his memory and was successfully remembered where he heard it. It was yesterday inside the barracks. Some junior trainees were gossiping about the name Lady Ice. So it must be the same Miss Ice that the librarian girl mentioned.

"Ah, may I know where I can find that person? Do you know that person's address?" Yman asked.

"Sorry, but you can't find her."

Yet her reply surprised him again. "Why can't I?" But he needed to know. Wait, if he remembered correctly, weren't those guys in the barracks talking about how that person went into seclusion for three months?

As expected the librarian said that Miss Ice was gone for three months and no one knew where she was currently.

Yman left the library dejected.

Since the book was not there, he decided to go back to the hotel room. But before that, he must go to the market first. He needed to buy some stuff and food.

Yman rode on a carriage. After several minutes, he went down and paid 5 gold points to the coachman via the trading system.

Every Magic Tool Mobile Device has such a Wallet Section and Trade System just like a magician's Cyber Screen. But for ordinary people, they use this MTMD or Magic Tool Mobile Device. Even some magicians were using this device. Yman was one of them. Since he sometimes left Sistela to look after his sister.

Yman first went to a buy and sell store.

He saw a few people leaving the store with solemn faces. Each of them was wearing the uniform of Middle Region Magic Academy.

He assumed that they were Junior students because of the color of their badges. They were wearing silver-plated badges. While the fledgling had bronze, and gold for the senior trainees.

"Tsk, if this continued like this, the academy's defeat will be a sure thing," said one of the juniors in a dejected voice.

"That is if Lady Ice would not return." Replied the person beside him.

"Tsk, it was already three months. Yet no one knows where she went." Added the third person.

"You guys are such sissies. What's the purpose of coming to this academy if you're too dependent on others." Yelled the fourth person.

"Yeah, and I heard there are many talented newbies this year." Said the first person.

"Man-up dude! I just said not to depend on other people. What's the use of being a magician if we can't stand on our own feet? Let's get our revenge later and hit them hard!" The fourth guy shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, but no matter what you said, we still have no match against those magicians from the other academies." Replied by the third guy.

"And they always steal our loot. Hah~" sighed the second guy.

"....."

Yman was just listening to their conversation as they passed by. He knitted his brows. He wondered why the juniors seemed to be troubled.

Regardless, he must finish his business here. So that he could go home already.

When he stepped inside the store, a lack of vigor 'Welcome' from a middle-aged man at the counter, greeted him. When the man saw him, he frowned and thought.

'Tsk, just another weakling again. For sure this young man will sell his low-quality materials only. Such a waste of time.' He thought while twitching his face.

"Hah, this shit, what's your business?" Such a rude way of asking.

However, Yman just ignored it. Although he did not like it. But what else could he do? He came here for business.

"I wanted to sell some monster materials," Yman replied normally.

The man in front frowned in disgust as he thought, 'As expected. A seller of trash materials again. Just the same as those groups of idiots who came just now. Those fools in the academy could not even produce a talented magician.

I have to start packing my things and go back to the empire. Not only academy magicians will sell their monster loots there, but also some of the adventurers. Even the soldiers of the empire did too.

Compared to the empire, the business rate in this place is the lowest. Pwe!

And look, this magician from that academy looks unhealthy and sick. Can this boy even be able to kill a worm? Tsk, tsk, HAHAHA... Are they starving their magicians? What a joke! In that case, that academy is good to be shut down together with this place!'

The man shook his head and laughed.

"50 gold points to all your materials. No excess and no price offer!" The man said blatantly.

Yman scratched the back of his head and thought, |Is this store a fraud?|

A monster core of rank D+ Wanderer already cost not lower 5,000 GP. Yman wanted to laugh at the man's price. And he also had a fragment of the monster core from Mustang Spider. Which might sell for 2,000 GP. Plus the other parts.

He already checked the official price of these materials before coming here.

"Uh, Mister, do you think this monster core(inner core) only costs 50 gold points? What a swindler!" Yman said while showing the purple color hard rocky objects. That glistened when lights hit on it directly.

"A p-purple monster core?!" The man widened his eyes.