CH815

When he got up in the morning he made a point to mention how much better he was feeling over breakfast, getting to see Mora perk up at it while Thera caught on to the deeper implication of it before they split up for all of the tasks they had, with her back to deal with hospital work while it was time for him to stop putting off a visit be needed to make, passing through the magic towers’ guild to do it.

With a side effect of his activities there not going unnoticed. People around recognized him as he walked through the streets, both from all he’d spoken to and helped teach at the library as well as for his work rushing people through jobs, with whispers going up around him and thoughts of awe in more than a few minds he passed.

All of which he tried to ignore. There was nothing about fame he particularly cared about getting when there were no real benefits to it to outweigh the expectations it created as well, it left him picking up his pace as he made his way to the library, thoughts of wearing a hood the next time he needed to go that way in his head to save him whatever trouble he could with the bit of anonymity.

The attention didn’t disappear when he got there either but at the very least it was quiet, letting him ignore the world around him as he made his way to the top floor where the friend he was looking to see was already waiting with a pile of paperwork in hand as he moved to sit across from him, eventually pulling Verbum’s eyes.

With the reaction a bit more subdued than it had been in the past. He saw the other’s eyes widen in surprise but that was it, bringing a grin to Ben’s face.

“Been a while Verbum, you seem surprisingly chill.”

“I don’t think I can keep getting shocked every time I see you but… Why are you a skill now?”

“Ah, that? Funny story. So I took on the non-affinitied tower and one of the trials created a copy of me and long story short I merged it into my soul so now I’m him and he’s me and here we are.”

“…Why?”

“Eh, I like every copy of myself I meet, I’m well-adjusted like that.”

“…Okay, whatever, what are you here for? Trying to look into all of the insane changes it looks like you’ve gone through?”

“Yes please, I even brought food as payment.”

A trade that looked like it had almost managed to capture the other’s interest until he shook his head.

“Well unfortunately for you, I actually am busy right now. I need to read all these documents by the end of the day and extract whatever information I can, I don’t have time to check over all of the insanity it looks like you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“Interesting, interesting, and if I could hypothetically help reduce your workload now and forever?”

“I can’t have you read over my shoulder and mind constantly.”

“But I can help you think more and faster if you’re willing. Come on and give it a try.”

He pulled out a circlet as he said it, quickly applying some enchantments even as Verbum looked at it critically.

“Those things you donated to the library?”

“An improved version but yeah. You tried them already?”

“I’ve heard enough people say that suffering through them wasn’t worth the benefits of using them. Pass.”

“God, Verbum, that literally hurts so much to hear. Aren’t we pals? I worked hard on this thing.”

“You enchanted it in front of me in less than a second.”

“Yeah, but what you didn’t see in that second was the years of practice and training that let me get to this point. It’s going to be one of the best I’ve made, man, at least try it before you reject it.”

He looked at the other summoned with the widest, most innocent eyes he could while Verbum rolled his own, ultimately taking it from his hands.

“Fine, but if I hate it I’m throwing it as far as I can.”

“I’d like to point out that’s mythril.”

“Which you can materialize.”

“Touché.”

Still looking suspicious, Verbum ever-so-gently placed the circlet on his head, blinking twice as Ben was left expecting to have to go off to pick it up wherever it was about to land, only to get a different reaction entirely.

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“Oh, this really isn’t that bad? Thinking five times at once and with some control over the speed I can think at, it looks like it works in tandem well with my skill so… why do you look like you’re about to cry?”

“This is just the first time someone hasn’t outright bad-mouthed my circlet effects to me after trying them. This is a special moment.”

“Okay, stop having it. I’ll take the tool though.”

“Deal, and?”

“And I’ll look at whatever you want me to, now that I have some mental leeway,” Verbum sighed. “So what is it?”

“All of my slayer titles, my current job, integrated divine body, and mythril blood, pretty please.”