Becoming a Shadow in the New World

"Little Roseweather, I'd like to ask what the pricing standards are for Netheril."

Hearing the lesson from Norse mythology, the students realized they couldn't shirk their responsibility, so they asked how much they needed to pay. If it wasn't much, they wouldn't mind paying.

"A single mage obtains a corresponding usage license based on their own level and the fees paid for the spells they use. The lowest usage license costs 500,000 Zenis per month, and the higher the level, the more expensive it becomes. After a certain level, the fee is charged as a percentage of personal income or expenses. Large spells that cannot be used by one person and the research fees for spells of various factions are calculated separately."

As she uttered those words with trembling hands, Roseweather was on the verge of fainting. As an S-rank, she was taking the highest amount of fixed damage.

"hiss--"

Upon hearing this, all the magicians on the field gasped in shock.

I'm so sorry, Professor Roseweiser. I never imagined that those former terrorists, now Netheril attack sorcerers and witches, had set up this scheme a year ago. If I had known earlier, I would never have opened the library to them. As for now... what's done is done. Just think of it as spending money to become stronger in a game. I'll pray that the amount you have to pay won't be too much.

While everyone was shocked by the news, Sid silently prayed for Roseweather.

Chapter 45 Blue Feather Asagi's Strange Luck

"Gulp... So strong."

Looking at the black figure on the screen that easily crushed the Fourth Progenitor, Lan Yu Qiancong sighed.

"It's very strong, but the photographer's technique is a bit lacking. Here, they could have transitioned to a close-up, using the Fourth Progenitor's perspective, to express the oppressive feeling of the shadows. And oh, here..."

"Stop, stop, stop! Are you treating this like a movie? You're even giving your critique."

This is the world's top-tier battle footage, and not like the aesthetically unappealing, one-hit kill fight between the Netheril Emperor and the Forgotten Warlord. This is a battle that fully showcases the power of both fighters; it's a treat to watch.

Listening to Sid's comments next door, Lan Yuqiancong's lips twitched and she started to complain. These comments had ruined the atmosphere.

"...Indeed, it's just a shame that such a battle couldn't be perfectly recorded."

Turning his head away so that Asagi Aiba wouldn't see the expression on his face, Sid didn't think he would show any expression that might reveal his identity. But after reflecting on his actions, Sid decided to play it safe and strengthen his training as a background character.

"What are you thinking about? Get ready and go eat. If you don't go to the cafeteria soon, you'll be late. Don't lose to me again this afternoon, it'll be embarrassing."

It's not shameful to lose to you. It's really not shameful for a cheater like you who can beat two or even three different classes in deathmatch to beat a nobody like me.

Sid glanced furtively at Asagi, who was packing her backpack, and couldn't help but mentally complain.

He came to Itogami Island because he felt that the merging of the three worlds would create various crises and provide a stage suitable for those with the strength of a Shadow.

As is well known, where there is a villain, there is a protagonist, and Asagi Aiba is one of the candidates he suspects to be the protagonist.

Asagi's luck is too strange.

During a previous combat training session, he was paired with Asagi Aiba.

Don't complain about why a mage would be matched with a magic swordsman in the training ground. The school's explanation is that "it's precisely because the enemy will prioritize eliminating you in battle, so you must have experience fighting magic swordsmen."

As a warlock, he thought this made sense, so he worked through the night to create several automatic defenses, short-range spatial teleportation spells, and reflect magic spells for the witches of Gamma and Netheril.

As for him, he doesn't need any of that. Even if someone manages to break through his magic and get close to him, he wouldn't mind smashing that person's head with a single punch.

Getting back to the main point, when a warlock fights a magic swordsman, it's hard to say at a high rank, but at a low rank, the magic swordsman should win no matter what.

Then, during that battle, he discovered the strangeness of Asagi Aiba. His attacks on Asagi Aiba were always corrected by a mysterious force in a strange way, preventing Asagi Aiba from suffering any major damage.

That mysterious power was very strong, extremely strong. It was able to help Aiba Asagi cheat in front of Nagatsuki-chan, so it must be at least an SS-rank.

He could certainly ignore that mysterious force and forcefully pull his attack back on track, but that was something Sid, the extra, couldn't do, so he chose to let that force modify his attack.

After observing it, he concluded that the power was a protective spell involving fate and luck, but it seemed that Asagi herself was unaware that she had been placed under a protective spell.

He has a mysterious identity that even he doesn't know, hides his power, has an official employment relationship, and his combat performance is mediocre, just like his own. In addition, he has the strength of C+ or B- that he achieved in one year of training.

With this setup, even if she's not the main character in a light novel, she's at least a female lead.

Here he has to complain a bit: Aiba Asagi and Akatsuki Nagisa's talents are truly like cheat codes, allowing them to rival the descendants of gods and demons as humans, especially Akatsuki Nagisa.

Gamma had shown him the school's evaluation of students' talents, in which it was said that Akatsuki Nagisa and Aiba Asagi had similar talents.

However, in reality, Akatsuki Nagisa's talent is one level higher than Aiba Asagi's. It's just that for some reason, Akatsuki Nagisa's spiritual power always seems to be less, as if it's being absorbed by something, which is why Akatsuki Nagisa's talent is considered to be similar to Aiba Asagi's.

It's not that Lan Yu and Qian Cong have poor talent. Both of them have exceptionally high talent, the kind that even without much training, they can at least reach an A or A+ level in the future. Even pure-blooded mythical races with poor talent probably can't compare to them. So... how exactly did they manage to be ordinary people before the worlds merged? The merging of worlds doesn't enhance talent.

"Wait a minute, let me pack my backpack... Uh, Asagi, you don't need to wait for me, you go eat first."

"Hey! Why?"

Hearing this, Asagi, who was walking in front, turned around to look at Sid, only to find that Sid was looking down out the window with a fake smile on his face.

Subconsciously following Sid's gaze, he saw a long-haired woman with black hair standing at the end of Sid's line of sight, radiating a powerful aura, smiling and beckoning to Sid to come over.

"Zi-"

A zipper sound reached Lan Yuqiancong's ears. Turning her head, she saw Sid take out a set of formal attire that looked very high-end from his backpack.

"Sid, what's going on?"

"My sister is taking me to meet someone and wants me to dress formally."

Sid gave a perfunctory reply and turned to leave.

That's...your sister!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Sis, who exactly are you taking me to meet? Isn't it a bit much to keep me in suspense like this?"

Following Claire towards the back of the school, Sid looked at the magic circles scattered all over the place and asked curiously.

Yesterday, he reviewed the intelligence Gamma had recently given him. According to Gamma, the area behind the school was the gathering place for various teams, since it was impossible for all the members of a team to be from the same class.

In other words, this place is now an amusement park for the children of high-ranking officials, since it's impossible for ordinary people to gather a whole team at this stage.

Didn't I tell you?

Claire made a questioning sound.

Sid met her gaze and blinked, and Claire blinked back.

"Sis, you didn't say anything earlier, were you just trying to keep me in suspense, or did you simply forget about it?"

"Again."

"I forgot, so could you please tell me again, sister?"

"I think so too."

Nodding in satisfaction, Claire spoke as she walked.

"Listen up, Sid. The person we're going to meet this time is Rias, the heir to the Gremory family, a lineage of demons from the underworld."

"Actually, I only met her yesterday. I didn't know her before that."

"Huh? So how did you meet her?"

Sid looked puzzled.

"She was introduced to me by her brother, who is one of the four great demons of the underworld. He once helped me on a world battlefield."

So after she returned from the battlefields of the world, her brother heard that I was coming here and recommended his sister to me, hoping that I would give her a chance, considering that he had helped me once before.

"Chance?"

"Yes, he wanted me to be his sister's spouse."

At this point, Claire showed a smug expression. After all, this kind of behavior, where a familiar chooses a king, usually happens because the familiar's potential is too great and many people are vying for it.

The fact that one of the four great demons allowed her to do so indirectly proves just how amazing her potential is.

"Hmm...that's suspicious."

Sister, have you been scammed?

I'm not trying to belittle you, but what do you have that makes you worthy of being treated this way by the heir of a demon family?

"What do you mean by this, Sid? Are you saying I don't deserve this treatment?"

Hmm... well, anyway, you don't need to worry about that. Just know that I'm that strong.

"Alright, alright, but since her brother recommended you, why did you bring me here? I wasn't recommended by her brother. You're not just trying to show me how amazing you are, are you? I can go back now."

Sid frowned; Claire's sudden return seemed ominous no matter how you looked at it.

"Hmph, but I recommended you. I told her that if she wanted me to join, my brother had to join too."

"Sid, if you can seize this opportunity, you'll have no problem finding a good job, or even a new noble title."

Sid's expression changed.

"Hey hey hey hey!!! Sis, you don't need to worry about me so much. I've already thought about my future. In the future, in the future, in the future... I'll go to the world battlefield and fight to protect this world from the other world."

Claire stopped when she heard what Sid said in a hurry.

Seeing this, Sid, who thought his previous words were going to work, was about to speak again when Claire's hand pressed heavily on Sid's shoulder. Sid could clearly feel the terrifying strength of the hand pressing on his shoulder, as well as the terrifying control that, despite using such great strength, did not harm him in the slightest.

"Sid, I know you're kind and want to fight for this world, but promise me you won't go to the battlefield. Leave the responsibility of fighting the enemy to your sister, okay?"

Claire's aura pressed down on Sid, a breeze picked up, and her deep voice reached Sid's ears, her eyes seemingly filled with anger and sorrow.

Under the oppressive aura of that terrifying presence, coupled with that voice filled with genuine emotion, an ordinary person's mind would probably have gone blank long ago, and they would have agreed to Claire's request. But Sid just blinked.

"Sigh! I knew all along that I couldn't persuade you with your personality, so why was I so stupid?"

The oppressive aura surrounding her dissipated, and Claire began to sigh.