Invisible, I teleported back to Barbara, who was arduously hiking her way back to the surface access with everyone else. I let the party move ahead and hid behind a bend in the tunnel.
Before my hour was over, I changed into Haru's to use her kitsune tails for a discount on a summoning spell. Then I called a level 60 Origami Fungaloid Ogre Mage Eidolon, for 148,000 MP and an hourly maintenance cost of 10,000 MP.
The paper Ogre was comical, and I would laugh were it not for its stats. I had to remind myself it was the equivalent of a level 120 monster back when the Cap was 200 and had extra Attributes to boost. With all the Perks and bonuses to summoning, he could fight with any fourth-rank monster head-on. Adding my leadership buffs, anything that didn't fly would die of paper cuts.
It was orange for so reason, and almost flat. Like those cartoons characters that got steamrolled. Yet it had so depth and no problem keeping its balance. The folds gave it full range of movents and its fingers ended in sharp paper triangles that could both slash and puncture. It could use all abilities of the original ogre, including spawning minions, also made of origami. So long a cut-out of so faux-Italian plumber from Japan didn't hit them with a cut-out hamr or stomp on them, they would be fine. Yeah, the minions looked like origami "goombahs".
I dismissed the experint and lanted my short ti. This was not my life; it was theirs to live. I was just a special guest whenever my alter-ego, Netherbane, requested my aid. I hoped he would find a way to break the curse. They didn't have the {Mana Wellspring} to siphon MP for the curse breaking.
Despite my despair, I knew getting out of this curse was a matter of when, not if. The little counters to seven on each of my Perks said as much. Nenandil was off-grid, my dragon-golem clones still hadn’t sent notice back. They were all "alive" and out in the world, doing their thing.
I resigned myself to the backseat drive this ti. If Netherbane could score one with Lorna's new incarnation, that was also progress. The world wasn't going anywhere.
After sorting my feelings and making a log entry in the Flying book, I left Netherbane a ssage telling him to buy the [Warrior] Perk {Charge}. It would unlock yet another combination.
*
*
I ca back to my senses and imdiately tried to contact her.
I could hear her ntal sigh of relief.
She clutched her hand in front of her chest, the staff already in her hand and one of the rubies already powering up. Not only she inscribed a few more complex spells on it, but she also got better at summoning it quickly from its necklace form. How long was I away from them? Surely only a few hours, right? Not several days as it seems. Then she exhaled deeply as her head bobbed down, a warm smile back on her face as it rose again to look at .
"I'm glad you are back, but you should hide this book. Nobody should see it, Nethe!" She admonished as she picked up from mom's floating book, which vanished as I dismissed it.
I apologized.
She kissed the top edge of my cover and hugged , "It's fine. How was your adventure?"
I told her what mom's book recorded regarding her eting with Bit the God of Monsters and Dungeons. About the bios that would appear in the Labyrinth and the newest addition to my summon roster.
As we caught up with the delving party on their way back to the surface, she rubbed her chin, "I think we should tell Mrs. Blatherwick. That's huge news, Nethe!"
I added to her telepathically. "We'd rather earn academic accomplishnts for them."
Mrs. Blatherwick smiled, a rare find. "Very well. I'll make sure to recomnd a comndation to the expedition board for Miss Ambrose."
Now the mushrooms counted as a contribution to the Academy from Barbara. Much better than hard cold cash. "We are honored to help," I concluded.
After an awkward freeze, Barbara also nodded frantically. "Yes, thank you, Mrs. Blatherwick!"
The teacher's smile beca a grin. Barbara froze as she realized what was coming her way. "Well, you got yourselves an assignnt. I need you to docunt that cave, in writing with drawings."
*
*
Outside the teacher's tent, Barbara crosse the camp to her spot. Despite the nobles warming up to her, she was still the odd one out and it showed in the sleep arrangents. The girls slept together in a larger tent, Isaac Hamilton bunked alone next to the teacher as it was proper for the only male in the student group, and so did Barbara but next to the girls. Sotis they invited her to their tent, but today we needed the privacy.
She removed her hiking shoes and threw them against the corner canvas, flopping on the mattress face-first. Her tent was small for a single human, but she was a halfling. Everything was twice as big for her. After a while slling her pillow, she raised her torso and pulled in front of her, removing from my silk sleeve.
"It's a big opportunity, Nethe!" She defended herself preemptively.
"Society sees as a commoner, despite my special connection," she continued rambling. "Working for the Hamilton house will be good for . And Lord Hamilton offered very generous conditions! I won't even need to swear fealty to them!"
Isaac wasn't stupid. He knew I could sour his deal, but his timing was sothing odd. He had weeks to breach the subject and did so exactly when I was away. I felt tempted to read his mind and find what he intended but knew I wouldn't do so.
Nevertheless, the worst he could do was hurt Barbara's feelings and incur my wrath. Or worse, mom's wrath. Countries fell for less than that. With that in mind, I surrendered.
"And it will open doors to work for the nobility later. Maybe even beco a [Court Wizard]!" She went on, then finished processing what I said. "Eh? You're not..."
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