49 49 A Little Favor
When Wolfe arrived at the cafeteria, the table was packed full, with six Witches waiting eagerly for him.
“You took too long. Come to the room when you finish eating. We are having a strategy meeting. The seniors of the Library Club let slip some valuable information.” Cassie informed him.
Wolfe leaned over to kiss her forehead, then addressed the table. “I’ll bring snacks when I return.”
Since the Class A cafeteria was so crowded, Wolfe went to the Staff room to have lunch, letting the witches deal with the fallout from his public display of affection. The reception there seemed unusually cold, though.
The female staff were as friendly as ever, but the dozen or so men on staff were giving him dirty looks and treating him like a pariah. Wolfe wasn’t sure what that was about, but he grabbed a plate and a basket of snacks to go, then picked an empty table.
“Big plans for the night?” One of the housekeepers asked him.
“Group strategy meeting in our room. The Witches think they have discovered something that will let them get ahead of their peers.” Wolfe shrugged.
“I wonder which rumour it is this year? Are there valuable resources hidden and unaccounted for in the courtyard cellars? Maybe it will be the one about how sex with a humanoid Familiar will enhance your aura?” The housekeeper wiggled her eyebrows and giggled at that one.
“That actually works, you know. But I wouldn’t mind. Have you seen this year’s Witches?” Wolfe joked back, and he was certain he actually heard one of the men growl at him.
“Ignore them. They’re jealous of your living situation. We told them they could try being Familiars if they wanted, but they decided to pout instead.” A redhead wearing a teacher’s assistant badge on her uniform laughed.
“You know, there is a talisman in the Adventurers Handbook that is supposed to give twelve hours of unlimited physical stamina. Maybe I should be prepared before I go back,” Wolfe suggested, holding up the book with a smile.
Behind him, he heard a metal tray hit the wall, and someone stormed out with a shouted, “You all suck.”
“If we did, you’d be in a better mood.” The housekeeper snorted in response, then added something to Wolfe’s basket and left to get back to her duties.
The item she had given Wolfe turned out to be a contraceptive charm, which he pocketed on his way back to the room before anyone saw it.
“I’ve got some apple slices and pita chips plus a variety of dips. I hope that works for everyone.” Wolfe announced as he walked into the dorm room.
He was greeted with the sight of six Witches arguing over a diagram of a Winged Celtic knot with a key dangling below it.
“I’m telling you, it’s a lie. How would you even get the mana in your body, to begin with? It’s not even close to the circle for mana storage, Talismans.” Reiko argued.
“Fine, back to the rumours that we can verify.” Mary sighed, then crumpled the paper and threw it away.
One of the girls from Mary’s study group smiled at Wolfe as he set the snacks down. “Good timing. They didn’t believe me when I told them what the seniors said to me about humanoid Familiars. But we can test the one I learned from the practice hall.
A Witch with an Imp told me that there is a circle only demons can use that increases your mana flow, so Witches can use more powerful spells while using their Familiar as an Elemental reagent.”
She placed the circle on the table, and Wolfe looked it over closely. It was an Unholy Element spell, but Wolfe had no idea what it was supposed to do. It was slightly incorrect as well, but he could probably fix that.
“She told you, or her Familiar told you while she wasn’t paying attention?” Wolfe asked.
“She did. She also said not to trust her Imp because he likes to cause trouble.” The Witch shrugged, but he could see her squirm uncomfortably as she lied.
Wolfe was pretty sure the imp gave them this information, so he tried copying it out himself, waiting for the Inheritance to provide him with some clue about what he was doing so he could adjust the improper runes.
[Favor] learned. Binds a Demon to an agreement for which the price may be demanded at any point in the future.
“If I didn’t agree to help, what would you have done?” Wolfe asked.
“Likely asked the imp?” The girl answered, and Wolfe sighed.
“As a [Favor], I’ll activate that for you, agreed?” Wolfe asked.
“Yes, please.” She agreed, and Wolfe activated the spell before anyone could stop her.
A small black mark appeared on the palm of her hand, and Wolfe smiled. “That spell is called Favor. Demons use it to bind the gullible to do their bidding. Since we didn’t agree to a price, I can ask for anything.”
“No way does it work like that.” The Witch began, then looked at her hand.
“If I had asked the Imp to cast that spell, he could have done anything?” She managed after a moment.
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“Man, I had hoped it would actually increase Mana flow.” Mary sighed.
There was a way to do that. It was right in their textbook. The more mana you drew from your Familiar, the stronger the connection got. Mary must not want to wait for the bond with Pup to increase at a normal rate.
“Pup, why don’t you force some mana into her to expand the connection?” Wolfe asked Mary’s fluffy white Familiar.
Pup gave Wolfe a look of annoyance, so he assumed the dog didn’t have the ability or possibly the inclination.
“Your Call, but I bet it would have led to extra cuddles and snacks,” Wolfe told the big dog, who only whined at the lack of treats.
“Um, Wolfe, I think you should focus on the important things first.” Ella began to say but was interrupted by a distraught young Witch.
“What are you going to do to me? This mark is making me really nervous because you said you can ask for anything anytime.” The Witch who Wolfe bound with [Favor] pleaded.
“Fine, first I will ask for suggestions. What is the appropriate punishment to remind you not to underestimate Demons just because they are Familiars?” Wolfe asked the room.