"Ouch." Matty winced in sympathy for his lord. "Depending on your budget, you should load up on healing and magic recovery potions," he advised. "I would arrange to get them for you if my class didn't need it for our school trip as well," he said with a shrug. "The demand will outpace supply, so I suggest we go to visit the shops right after dinner."
"Okay," Luka nodded.
Chapter 58
School Field Trip (Part 2)
Luka followed Matty into Tirli City. The curious pedestrians openly stared at the rabbit in the noble's arms and the young gorilla following its master.
The escort first visited the local church. Before the group walked inside, Luka placed his pets in dimensional storage. He worried that Bel, as a demon king, would be unable to enter the building.
Matty saw a male priest and offered a friendly greeting. "Hello, Deacon Agathon! I wish to introduce to you Luka Heavensfell, the Godson of Altima."
The church official bowed from his waist. "I have long desired to meet you, young man. May Altima's Light guide your life."
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Deacon Agathon," Luka replied with a polite nod. Since his standing within the church hierarchy was equivalent to the pope, the teenager couldn't lower his head too much.
The priest straightened his white robe and asked, "How may I be of service today?"
"Our classes at the royal academy will be visiting its dungeon soon. We need to buy healing potions," Matty explained.
"Ah, I see. It's that time of the year again," Agathon remarked with a knowing smile. "You two are wise to come here early to make your purchases before our supply runs out. Unfortunately, church policy limits the sales of these items to ten per student. So I can sell you a total of twenty vials. Normally, I charge 25 gold coins each, but you get a 20% student discount if you show me your student IDs."
Matty took out his card and also his church medallion. "Do I receive an additional discount for being a church official?" he asked.
The deacon smiled again. "Yes, you qualify for our wholesale price of 10 gold per vial." Agathon turned toward Luka. "May I see your medallion? Otherwise, I can't sell the healing potions to you at wholesale."
Luka shook his head. "I don't have one. I'll buy them at 20 gold each," he replied and showed his student ID.
The church official hid his surprise because Luka's lack of a medallion meant that he wasn't an official member of the Divine Church of Light! The deacon made a mental note to contact headquarters on this issue. "Please wait a moment while I retrieve the potions from inventory." He quickly entered a small room to gather the merchandise and returned a few minutes later while holding two potion dispensers. Agathon opened the cover for each container to display the number of vials inside.
The two students confirmed each pouch contained ten healing potions and paid for their purchases.
Deacon Agathon received 100 gold coins from Matty and 200 from Luka, respectively.
"Since we're here inside the church, we'll like to pray," Matty said.
The father led them to a quiet prayer room. At the center of this small chamber was a life-like statue of Altima depicted as a young, beautiful woman with long curly hair wearing a robe and holding a hand toward her followers. Her trademark angelic wings folded closely to her back.
The two teenagers knelt and began to pray. Matty gave thanks for her guidance in his life while Luka asked Altima to protect his mother. When they finished, each guest donated a gold coin and departed.
"Since the shops are still open right now, let's pick up some additional supplies like dry rations, rope, tents, and blankets," Matty suggested.
"Huh? We're going to sleep overnight inside the dungeon?" Luka asked in shock.
The escort grinned at his companion's confusion. "Don't tell me you thought we'd be going in and leaving the same day? I spoke to senior church officials who graduated from the royal academy. They all warned me not to take the dungeon field trip lightly because we will stay there for a week. The portal will take us to a different dimension so that students won't interfere or sabotage other groups," Matty explained.
"Moreover, some floors will be small, while others will be miles wide. And the key is finding the exit to ascend to the next level. The higher your party reaches, the more points it will earn."
"The student evaluation will also factor in both the group and individual performances such as leadership and coordination, actual fighting, magical ability, decision-making, and planning. The faculty and administration will monitor us while the dungeon core will give out individual scores based on the criteria I just mentioned."
Luka frowned at Matty's words because Luka didn't expect the school would keep students under surveillance to this extent. Hence, the mage will need to think through what magic spells to reveal publicly and what should remain hidden. He felt glad to accompany Matty because Luka received critical information about the Morninglory Dungeon. Now, he could plan wisely and adjust his behavior inside the dungeon.
"How many floors are there in total?" Luka inquired.
"Unknown," Matty answered succinctly. "Only the headmaster reached the bottom and formed a contract with the dungeon core. He refused to give out this information. Also, Ladis likes to change the dungeon floors every year. So we can't rely on previous expeditions and assume the levels will remain the same," he cautioned. "One area could be a tropical forest while the next a dessert and the following an island. The headmaster enjoys confusing students with the unexpected."
"So we need to bring camping equipment and supplies to last a week," Luka summarized.
"Exactly."
The two students were walking while discussing the dungeon and soon arrived at a general goods shop.
The store employee noticed their school uniform and pointed at a corner. "You can find supplies for your dungeon field trip over there," the girl said without leaving the front counter.
Matty nodded his thanks and followed her direction. He saw that the store had premade camping bundles for sale; each package included a tent, blanket, backpack, lantern plus oil, rope, canteen, and a week's worth of dry rations for 50 gold coins.
Each student picked up a bundle and returned to the front counter. "Is there a student discount?" Matty inquired.
The girl shook her head. "The items would cost 70 gold if sold individually."
The two paid for their purchases.
"These bundles are limited in stock and selling fast. Be sure to tell your friends before we run out!" the employee warned with a sly grin.
"We will," Luka nodded before they left the shop. He briefly considered putting the bundle inside his item storage but declined. Luka didn't want strangers to know the student possessed this ability. Second, he thought the heavy pack would provide impromptu physical training. Finally, Luka wished to adjust his body to the bundle's weight and feel on his back. Thus, he wore it and returned to the academy with Matty.
The escort followed Luka back to the Larkspur residence hall and departed.
Luka greeted the dorm mother politely and began to climb the staircase. He declined to use teleportation magic to return to his room. Instead, Luka walked while accompanied by Bel and Gripper.
[Why do I have to suffer along with you?] The familiar complained when Luka refused to carry the rabbit.
Hoot! Gripper picked him up and carried the animal in his arms.
When Luka finally reached his floor, his body was dripping wet with sweat. He quickly unlocked the door and entered his room. Luka dropped the heavy pack with a loud "thud!" and took a long, hot bath. Then he did homework for the next few hours until the ninth bell rang.
Once the student completed his academic work, Luka visited his private realm to train. The mage sat on the ground and quietly considered what kind of magic to reveal inside the dungeon. Luka concluded that he should avoid using shadow magic at all costs because this would raise a concern with church officials. Moreover, he needed to minimize teleporting over vast distances or between
levels inside the dungeon.
Since Luka was the Godson of Altima, he should rely primarily on light magic to buff his melee-focused party members during combat and heal them afterward. The mage also decided not to use Divine Summoning unless his party risked being completely wiped out and failing the mission altogether.
Luka used the remaining time to train in light magic. He summoned a dozen shadow hounds and practiced buffing them simultaneously with Protection from Evil, Bless, Enhance Attributes, and Bark Skin.
Typically, these spells targeted a single person each. But the mage raised his proficiency by repeatedly casting them and slowly increased the number of targets. Luka settled on a dozen recipients because that matched the number of melee fighters within his party. Moreover, he felt that buffing everybody would constitute a waste of his magic power. Assuming that the tankers performed their roles correctly, the unbuffed students would keep out of harm's way.
Once Luka became satisfied with his enhancement magic, he moved on to practicing offensive light magic. The mage quickly encountered problems. Some spells (such as Ray of Light and Sunbeam) required sunlight to activate because their purpose was to concentrate and redirect this energy. Other magics may lose their effectiveness. Or they need additional mana to supplement the missing sun.
Luka ran through the list of offensive light spells he could use underground and finally settled on Light Bolt. This spell was the clerical equivalent of the mage's lightning bolt and caused radiant damage in the recipient. Although each bolt inflicted only 4d6 damage, the caster could create more of them with increased light magic proficiency. The spell had a ten feet range, which was good enough for his purposes. However, alert targets could dodge them.
The second offensive magic Luka chose was Blade Barrier. It conjures a wall of magical blades with deadly sharpness, which inflict 1d10 damage per second. The caster could shape the barrier to cover a particular landscape or terrain. Furthermore, this spell could target a location with a person standing there already. The only problem was that this magic had a long casting time of several minutes to activate.
Another magic the mage considered was Dancing Lights, which distracts the target and makes him miss attacks. Although this magic does not inflict direct damage, a distracted opponent is a dead enemy.
The final spell he picked was Holy Word, which could instantly incapacitate a powerful target with various status effects, including stunned, deafness, and blindness. But the primary purpose was to expel creatures from other planes and end the fight altogether.
When Luka expended 80% of his mana pool, he quit practice and returned to his dorm room to sleep.
The next morning, his usual routine came to a screeching halt when Luka faced a difficult question: should he bring the camping gear to homeroom and wear it on his back? Although the equipment was bulky and shifted his balance, it would also provide excellent benefit as a weight on his body and help Luka increase his physical strength. Furthermore, wearing it everywhere would help him adjust to the bulky bundle sooner. But then again, the pack looked awkward on campus and will undoubtedly cause other students to laugh at him. In the end, Luka decided that his desire to remain in the Elite Class overweighed his noble pride. Thus, the student wore it in public.
When Luka reached the lobby, he bade Drinara a good morning and asked her a question. "Where can I buy magic recovery potions?"
The dorm mother noticed the camping backpack but politely ignored it. She thought Luka had the right idea in preparation for the school field trip. "The Mage Guild and the Alchemist Association both sell them in affiliate stores. But I recommend Fidget's Alchemist Shop instead because the owner sells them for a discount compared to these official stores. Her store is just two blocks north of the church," Drinara explained.
"Thank you!" Luka said with a smile and a bow to her. He walked out of the residence hall with Bel sitting on top of Gripper's head. He ignored pointed stares from other students along the way and arrived at his homeroom on time.
When Tannyll began to mark attendance, the teacher noticed the bulky backpack placed at the back. "Who brought that?" the elf inquired while pointing at it.
Luka raised his hand.
"Excellent!" the teacher praised. "Please inform the class where you got it."
"I bought it from the Hamwood General Goods Store on Main Street," the student answered. "They offer a bundle containing everything you need to camp for a week. I paid 50 gold for it."
"Everyone needs to buy one for the school trip next week," Tannyll declared, "unless you plan to quit early and lose your spot in this class."
"Why?" Kherherac asked after the teacher acknowledged the student's raised hand. As a commoner, he couldn't afford extraneous expenses on top of his tuition, dorm, and other fees.
"The Morninglory Dungeon is well known for its expansive levels, and you will spend a week exploring. The city merchants know that the academy sends its freshmen class to the dungeon every year. So the astute shopkeepers prepare merchandise for you. The camping bundle is essential survival gear, and I strongly encourage everyone to buy it," the teacher explained.
"If you lack funds to make the purchase, I can lend you money," Luka offered. His mother gave him 100,000 gold coins for living expenses at the academy before the son left his estate. Luka could teleport back to the mansion and ask for more money if necessary. Furthermore, he held several platinum coins to use in an emergency. Thus, he could buy camping equipment for every classmate. Luka viewed this as an investment in the party that increased its chance of reaching further inside the dungeon.
Terrwyn rose from her seat in a huff. "I can cover the cost!" she declared in a loud, animated voice. The class representative was unhappy because she thought Luka was trying to ingratiate himself with his classmates by throwing money at them. She felt this tactic belonged to the nouveau rich instead of an illustrious duke house member. Hence, Luka misbehaved in her eyes.
Kherherac was surprised by the competing offers. "That's very generous of you. I thank you for your financial assistance." He bowed to both students.
"Me, too!" "Me, too!" Half the class raised their hands to accept the offer.
Terrwyn began to sweat because she was on the hook for 500 gold. Although she had enough money, the battle maniac was saving to buy a magic sword for the field trip. Nonetheless, the class rep couldn't back out now without losing face. "We'll go together during the lunch hour," she announced.
Luka took out a container with ten glass vials. He showed it to the teacher.
"What are they, Luka?" the elf asked with a faint smile.
"These are healing potions. I bought them from the church at 20 gold per vial. That's including the student discount I obtained by showing my student ID card. Normally, they cost 25 gold each. The church limits sales to ten vials per student," Luka explained. "I don't know if they have enough in stock now. But I can finance your purchase up to the 10-potions-limit," he offered.
BAM! Wickkuil pounded his fist on the desk. He was a bearkin who possessed coarse brown fur. Standing almost seven feet in height, he was the tallest student in the class. "Are you looking down on us, rich boy?"
Luka was stunned by the sudden hostility. "Not at all, Wickkuil. I'm merely investing in you as a partner. I'm the only healer in this room. So if each of you brings ten heal pots to the dungeon, then that reduces my burden as your healer," he explained.
The other student was shocked that Luka knew his name because the two never held a conversation before. Luka was aloof and kept to himself. Thus, he didn't have any friends in the Elite Class.
"I think Luka's suggestion is very sensible. Some classes have multiple healers. Your party will incur a distinct disadvantage if you get hurt during combat, and Luka can't heal your injuries in time. Yes, 40,000 gold coins is a lot of money to spend on healing potions. But if Luka is willing to support you, then I think you're foolish to reject it out of pride," Tannyll opined.
"I will accept your offer," Ter
rwyn declared. She did not have that much money and decided to accept the teacher's opinion on this matter since Tannyll just provided cover for the class.
During the lunch period, the Elite Class left campus and visited the church first because the healing potions were harder to obtain. Deacon Agathon checked everyone's ID cards and sold ten vials to each student, with Luka paying for everyone. Then the group visited the goods shop and purchased the camping bundle on Terrwyn's dime before returning to the mess hall to grab a quick lunch.
Matty had waited inside the cafeteria. He watched with amusement as Luka ate with his classmates for the first time and wondered if Matty would lose his escort job shortly.
Chapter 59
School Field Trip (Part 3)
During lunch, Luka released his pets from storage and fed them. The classmates watched in amazement as the tiny rabbit gobbled up a pile of meat as quickly as the gorilla.
But when someone tried to touch Bel, he slapped the hand away with a red-eyed glare and a snort.
"Ouch!" said Celyn, the guilty person. She flung her hand several times to remove the sting.
"My familiar has a mean temper," Luka warned.
"It will take a while for me to come up with the money for the healing potions, but I will pay you back," Wickkuil promised. The beastman felt embarrassed that he had to borrow 200 gold from Luka after insulting that person as a "rich boy." However, he felt pressured to purchase those consumables because the rest of his classmates bought them. Otherwise, he would slap on a home remedy to slowly mend his wounds.
Wickkuil planned to become the spearhead of the attack squad; he needed healing potions to quickly recover his injuries and resume fighting on the front line. He couldn't afford to take a breather and allow someone else (such as Terrwyn) to hog all the glory. That would disgrace his Orcarmour House! Hence, Wickkuil swallowed a bitter pill and borrowed funds from the weak-looking Luka.
"That's fine," the lender responded nonchalantly. Luka recognized his classmate's dilemma and sought to avoid inflaming tensions between the two. Wickkuil was popular among the beastmen students within the freshmen grade. Therefore, Luka had to treat him with respect, or else his followers would bully and harass Luka.
The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima Page 48
