Staring into the murky, bottomless depths of the Thames, Wayland felt a mountain of pressure. As someone who couldn't swim to save his life, the situation was daunting.
A specific spell quickly surfaced in his mind.
Water-Repelling Magecraft (Level 1): Creates a spherical barrier with a two-meter diameter around the user, holding enough oxygen for ten minutes of immersion.
"The duration is too short," Wayland murmured.
The Thames wasn't exceptionally deep, and ten minutes was more than enough for a quick trip to the bottom and back. But if he ended up in a fight with those ghosts while underwater, ten minutes would vanish in a heartbeat.
'Buy a wetsuit? No, that won't work. A standard wetsuit can't protect against magecraft.'
Wayland considered his options. There was only one real solution: Use magical materials to construct a temporary bounded field to strengthen the Water-Repelling spell, extending its duration and stability.
But that brought him to a different problem.
Money.
Magical materials cost money. Unless you were conducting an officially approved research project with Clock Tower funding, or happened to hold a patent for a new magical formula, you had to pay out of pocket.
For an apprentice who hadn't even been in the Clock Tower for a week, neither of those was a viable option.
"Forget it. I'll head back and ask Krisy if he has any ideas."
Wayland let out a sigh, deactivated his detection spell, and committed the surroundings to memory before turning to leave.
"Krisy."
It was Saturday, and Krisy had pulled a wicker chair into the garden in front of the dormitory, basking in the morning sun.
He didn't even open his eyes when he heard Wayland's voice. "What is it now, kid?"
"I wanted to know how to make some money. We're magi, but we're not allowed to use our skills to serve 'ordinary' people. My own level is too low to work as a magus killer, and even if I could, I'd just get laughed at. If a student needs funds for research, what do they usually do?"
"They borrow it from the school."
Wayland let out a soft sound of surprise. He hadn't realized that was even an option. "What's the procedure?"
"There isn't much of a procedure. You just need to find a guarantor. Someone with status who will be held responsible if you fail to pay it back. But let me give you a piece of advice: don't even think about asking Lord El-Melloi II. He won't sign for you."
Wayland's expression slumped. He didn't exactly know many lecturers at the Clock Tower yet.
The September sun in London wasn't particularly harsh as Wayland walked through the streets of the Modern Magecraft district. After leaving the dormitory, the first name that came to mind was Wenzel, the lecturer from the Astronomy Department.
Following Krisy's advice, he had already ruled out Waver. While there was a saying that 'a man with many debts feels no pressure,' adding more to Waver's plate felt like a step too far.
After Waver, he ruled out the three lecturers he'd met in General Fundamentals; he hadn't spoken more than a few words to any of them, let alone enough to ask for a guarantee.
That left only two real possibilities.
Hishiri Adashino and Wenzel.
Wayland chose Wenzel without hesitation. If it hadn't been for Hishiri, he wouldn't have missed his enrollment ceremony in the first place. Besides, Wenzel had always been far more approachable.
"...Then I'll be going."
Wayland, lost in thought, suddenly caught the faint sound of speaking. The voices were distant, but one of them was unmistakably familiar.
"Hishiri Adashino?"
At the next intersection, Wayland saw two figures parting ways. One was indeed Hishiri, dressed in her signature floral kimono. The other was a man in a tailcoat; he couldn't see his face clearly, but even from a distance, he could feel a faint, oppressive pressure radiating from him.
He looked like a high-ranking aristocrat from the upper echelons of society.
Wayland's lip twitched. 'What kind of luck is this?'
Without a second thought, he turned to walk the other way.
But he didn't get far. His body stiffened as he came to a dead stop.
"Little brother, aren't you going to say hello to your sister?"
Hishiri Adashino had suddenly appeared directly in front of him. She was smiling, her voice sounding deceptively warm and gentle.
"Oh, hi! I... I just saw that you were busy, Sister. I didn't want to interrupt."
"Is that so?"
Hishiri stepped closer, her eyes shimmering behind her glasses.
For some reason, Wayland was immediately reminded of a serpent's gaze. He instinctively took half a step back.
"You're breaking my heart, little brother."
Hishiri noticed the movement and let out a dramatic sigh.
"..."
Wayland felt like he was sitting on needles. He didn't know what to say.
"Fine, I won't tease you. You look like you have something on your mind."
The smile returned to Hishiri's face.
"Is it that obvious?"
"I could see you from all the way down the street, walking with your head down and looking absolutely miserable."
'Is your eyesight really that good?'
And he'd actually thought he could run away.
Wayland gave an awkward laugh and didn't try to hide the truth. "I was thinking about applying for a loan from the school. I need a guarantor, so I was heading toward the Astronomy Department."
Hishiri blinked. "In that case, you can just ask me."
"Ah?"
"Is your sister not good enough to be your guarantor?"
"You can? Of course you can!" Wayland nodded vigorously.
"But there's a condition." Hishiri's tone shifted. "Magi always follow the principle of equivalent exchange. I'm taking on a significant risk for you, so it's only fair that you give me something in return. Wouldn't you agree?"
'I knew this woman wouldn't be this helpful for nothing.'
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]