"Awakening!"
A week passed by quickly. After lying in bed for a week, Naoki's high fever, caused by a foreign object entering his magic circuit, finally subsided completely.
Seeing him healthy and running around again, Waver, who had dark circles under his eyes, impatiently threw a notebook at him: "You're up now, hurry and catch up on the week's worth of lessons you missed. Do you know how much you've fallen behind?"
Receiving the notebook, Naoki's smile from recovering quickly turned into a frown: "Do you have to be so strict? Are you my mother?"
"I'm your teacher. Also, there's another alchemical material transformation experiment due after Halloween. Hand it in to me for grading."
"..."
If looks could kill, Naoki was sure Waver would be lying dead by now.
For the past week, he had been lying in bed like a disabled person, unable to do anything, enduring tough days! Finally recovered, and this person didn't even offer congratulations, instead dumping a pile of work on him—What kind of Spartan teacher are you!
"Waver..."
"What is it? If it's nothing, I'm going to sleep. I'm exhausted from staying up all night writing reports last night..."
"Ah—"
Seeing Waver stagger back to his room, Naoki was about to call out to him when someone pressed down on his shoulder from behind.
It was Merlin.
"Let it go, let it go. He's been working hard this past week, try to understand." Merlin explained. "Besides, while you were bedridden this week, several Black Dogs appeared sporadically. Although not as large as the one you encountered before, they were enough to give the Clock Tower a headache. He was also dragged into working overtime for several days."
"So that's how it is..."
So, Waver was exhausted from overtime but still managed to organize these notes?
Tossing the notebook aside, Naoki couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, let him sleep soundly then. More importantly, what's there to eat? I'm starving now, haven't eaten properly for a week. Make something fancy."
"Even if you say that, it's already evening. There's only leftover fried rice from lunch. Want to eat that first? You can have something delicious tonight. After all, tonight is Halloween night."
"Tonight—ah, that's right."
Today is October 31st, precisely the night before Halloween.
Glancing at the calendar, Naoki then asked: "By the way, you mentioned Black Dogs earlier, right? Those creatures appeared again?"
"Yes, but they were quickly dealt with by the people from the Clock Tower. Professional Magus are indeed different from you, a half-baked one. They handle things quickly and cleanly."
"I'm half-baked, sorry!" Naoki rolled his eyes, "The leftover fried rice is in the fridge, right?"
"Yes. Oh, after eating, remember to buy some groceries at the supermarket. The kitchen supplies at home are running low."
"Why don't you go?"
"I have things to do. Besides, you're not going to start studying and doing homework today, are you?" Merlin smiled, "Grab all the spices on the shelf, just one of each kind. I'll reimburse you later."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah~"
Quickly finishing lunch, Naoki went to the supermarket as Merlin had said—along with Gray.
Carrying a large bag, seeing Gray also carrying a large bottle of cooking oil beside him, Naoki felt a bit embarrassed and said: "Sorry, Gray, to trouble you to accompany me out. If it's heavy, I'll carry it."
"No, it's not heavy. I'm strong."
Gray shook her head. Although just a six-year-old child, she is actually the next tomb guardian chosen by Bersac. She has been receiving training for tomb guardians for a long time, and since tomb guardians sometimes need to fight spirits, physical enhancement Magecraft is a compulsory course.
The reason Gray can lift a bucket of cooking oil is partly due to some physical enhancement Magecraft.
Walking behind Naoki, Gray looked around at the street scene.
"The streets are very lively, even with pumpkin-shaped lanterns and people dressed like ghosts."
"Well, it's Halloween. For those of us in this field, Halloween is a very important holiday, but in modern society, such holidays have turned into days for merchants to make money and for people to gather and have fun."
As Naoki spoke, he pointed to a shop not far away.
"See there, in front of the shop, there's a Halloween promotion board, right? It says 30% off storewide, but actually, as long as they can attract enough customers, even with a 30% discount, they can make as much profit as without a discount, or even more. Then make some decorations that fit the Halloween atmosphere, set up some small promotional activities, like giving gifts if the total spending reaches a certain amount. I'm all too familiar with these merchant tactics."
"Brother... You're really an expert."
"Because the place I used to work at was like this too." Naoki smiled, "If I were still in Japan, I wouldn't be free like now to go shopping on a holiday."
Japan.
Gray sometimes saw the name of this place in some books. It's an island country at the eastern end of the Asian continent, separated from England by the entire Eurasian continent.
Also Naoki's hometown.
"Japan...?" Gray murmured, then asked: "Brother, do you... sometimes miss Japan?"
"Eh? Why do you ask?"
"Because that's your home, right? If you haven't been back for a long time... Don't you miss home?"
As she said this, Gray's hand holding the oil bucket clenched slightly.
Pausing for a moment, Naoki smiled: "A little, but just a little. Honestly, I don't have much feeling towards the place called Japan. My real home isn't there either. More accurately, I miss some friends there."
Brother real home isn't in Japan?
Gray frowned in confusion: "Then where is your home?"
"Isn't it here? The apartment where you, Waver, and Mary live, that's my home now."
"Brother..."
Gray's face immediately turned red, like a steam engine, she blushed and lowered her head. If she weren't carrying things, she would definitely want to pull her hood over her entire face.
Seeing her adorable appearance, Naoki smiled slightly: "Alright, Gray, let's go. We've reached the intersection, the light's green."
"Ah, okay, Brother—"
*BUZZ!*
Before Gray's voice finished, a feeling like sinking into water instantly penetrated both of their bodies. Their magic circuits almost reacted simultaneously, and Add, hanging on Gray's robe, immediately shouted—
"Hey hey hey! Not good not good not good! Dangerous people are coming!"
"Enough."
Even without Add's reminder, Naoki had already sensed it.
This was the same situation as a week ago.
"Am I cursed? Why do I always encounter something like this every time I come to an intersection?"
Although not the same intersection, nor a stormy weather, the creature still appeared before Naoki—right in the evening, as dusk approached night.
"GAAAA...."
"Black Dog..."