Mr. Death in the Steam World

And so, the lively dinner party finally came to an end.

Arthur put down his fork, and a silvery light flowed from his fingertips, covering everyone like a thin veil.

Moen felt a cool breeze flow down from the top of his head, and the slight intoxication and heat from before disappeared in a few breaths, and his mind became clear again.

Emily also shuddered, blinked, and her face turned bright red to her ears.

"I...I..."

She shrank back like a startled squirrel, hiding behind Phils, revealing only her bright red ear tips.

Phils turned around, patted her on the shoulder, her expression a mix of helplessness and amusement.

Moen was somewhat surprised. From yesterday's breathtaking manor adventure to tonight's dinner party, the young lady had always given him the impression of being fearless.

So this young lady does know what it means to be shy.

"cough."

Arthur coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention back to the center of the table.

"Alright, that's enough chit-chat."

He took out a neatly folded parchment from his pocket and spread it out on the table.

It was a mission notice issued by the academy, with the sword and book emblem of St. Alice Magic Academy printed on the paper.

"Now that we have all the personnel, it's time to get to work."

Moen moved closer, his gaze sweeping over the notice.

"Class C Team Mission - Exploration and Recording of Newly Discovered Relics".

"The mission location is in the desolate mountains northwest of Kansas City, where a site was recently discovered."

"According to the survey, this site has been buried underground for more than a thousand years and is relatively well preserved."

"The mission requires you to enter the ruins to explore them, record their structure, inscriptions, and any containment items or other valuable objects that may be found within."

"If the contents can be safely retrieved, the college will provide additional academic credits and material compensation."

"Legacy..." Moen murmured.

A well-coordinated team can't be formed just by having a meal together. A moderately difficult C-level mission is perfect for practice.

Moreover, if he could find a few containment items in that ruin, it would mean more essence and greater power for him.

"Then it's settled." Arthur folded the notice again and put it back in his pocket.

"A week later, we gathered at the church, and I arranged for a carriage to depart from there."

"During this period, everyone should make preparations, replenish any necessary medications, and check any equipment that needs to be checked."

Everyone got up and left their seats to pack their belongings.

"By the way, everyone, regarding the ruins from this mission, the people from the academy's intelligence department told me that the residual aura in those ruins is most likely related to Vulcan."

Vulcan?

Moen frowned slightly and began searching his memory for information about this deity.

Although the original owner knew nothing about the extraordinary world, he still had some impression of well-known myths.

In his remaining memories, Vulcan seemed to symbolize integrity and passion, the guardian of the furnace and forging, and the protector of travelers trekking through the night.

In short, he is a deity with a positive image.

But Moen is not prepared to let his guard down because of this.

He remembered clearly that the Queen of Hearts had once said that those things called containment objects were essentially "children of God," the legacy left behind by the gods in this world.

Putting everything else aside, just one level 5 "Alice's Mirror" almost killed the three of them in the fairy realm. This time, they were facing relics related to the gods, so they couldn't be too careful.

For the next two days, in preparation for his first mission, Moen continued to practice using magic.

It must be said that although his experience at Emily's house was quite exhausting, thanks to it, his proficiency with magic has clearly improved significantly.

After the sun sets, night quietly descends.

According to Arthur, today is the day the academy will deliver the textbooks.

As a so-called "key talent to be cultivated," the college's vice dean would also have to meet with him.

He pulled a dark gray suit from the closet, straightened his collar in front of the mirror, and after making sure his attire was appropriate, began to decorate the room according to the steps Arthur had taught him.

First, draw the curtains tightly to ensure that the moonlight and streetlights from outside will not interfere with the ceremony.

Then, four white candles that had been prepared beforehand were placed in the four corners of the room and lit one by one. Four straight lines were drawn on the ground between the candles with chalk, connecting them to form a neat square.

Then place a pinch of sea salt at the midpoint of each of the four straight lines, symbolizing the balance and stability of the four elements of earth, water, wind, and fire.

Once all preparations were complete, Moen stepped back to the center of the square, clasped his hands in front of his chest, closed his eyes, and began to infuse magic into the ritual circle beneath his feet.

The moment the magic surged from the magic circuit, the candle flames at the four corners simultaneously shot up a little higher.

The sea salt made a soft rustling sound at the edge of the magic circle, and a few grains even seemed to bounce slightly.

Immediately afterwards, a gust of wind suddenly rose in the sealed room, and specks of light appeared above the candle flame.

In the wind, two figures appeared out of thin air on the chairs that had been prepared beforehand.

Moen steadied himself, and before the light of the magic circle completely dissipated, he had already clearly seen the appearance of the newcomer.

Facing him was an elderly man wearing crescent-shaped glasses.

He was extremely tall, even when sitting, he was more than half a head taller than the average person. He had broad shoulders, a straight back, and an air of dignified authority.

Her full head of silver hair was meticulously combed back, revealing her full forehead and two thick white eyebrows.

The old man's gaze fell on Moen, and after a brief look, he nodded slightly.

"Agnice Serides, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts at St. Alice Magic Academy."

Sitting next to Professor Celides was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties.

Unlike a professor, she wasn't serious or solemn; a few stray hairs fell beside her ears, making her appear gentle and approachable.

Her eyes lit up when she saw Moen.

"Good evening, Mr. Marcus. My name is Anna Wise, and I am the secretary of the college secretariat."

"According to regulations, when college professors communicate with correspondence students outside of teaching hours, the secretariat secretary must record the conversation and archive it. This is to protect you and also to protect the college's secrets."

"I understand." Moen nodded, then gestured for the two guests to enter.

"Well then, Professor Celides, Miss Weiss...would you like some tea? Thanks to a friend, the black tea here is of pretty good quality."

As he spoke, he placed the tea set that had been prepared beforehand on the table.

A white porcelain teapot, matching teacups and saucers, and an extra small dish of sugar cubes and a small pot of milk were also provided.

He had specially prepared these things a few days ago to deal with this kind of situation.

Anna's eyes brightened even more.

"Then I shall gladly accept your offer, Mr. Marcus. To be honest, working overtime at the Secretariat this late, being able to have a cup of hot tea is simply—"

"Wise".

Professor Celides spoke calmly, and Anna immediately stopped talking, smiling somewhat embarrassedly at Moen.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but we shouldn't delay any longer today. Let's get straight to the point."

"First of all, congratulations on joining St. Alice Magic Academy. After receiving your application and related test results, the academy has a very high opinion of you. We hope you can grow into the person we expect you to be."

Moen bowed slightly, without saying anything more.

"Then, the first thing—please summon your Destiny Seat."