“Ugh… you believe my sleepy ramblings that much?” Will rubbed his head. Fortunately, Teacher Liya was short, so her shoulder wasn’t that high.
However, waking up asleep on Liya’s shoulder was quite a shock for Will. Liya hadn’t been close to him just now; her distance was such that she wouldn’t normally touch his shoulder. Will had even felt like she was deliberately avoiding him. That made sense, though. Anyone would want to avoid being locked in a warehouse with a student after acting foolish.
But… after sleeping for a while, his head had somehow teleported onto Liya’s shoulder?!
“In my d-dreams, you still dislike… dislike me for not being cute… I’m even sadder now!!”
“Who interprets it like that!” Will sighed. “But why did you suddenly move so close?”
“You seemed to be… asleep because you were too cold. Your head was nodding, and you were about to fall over. And… I chose a magic circuit that branches into fire attribute among the witches, so this environment is very… very advantageous. Therefore… therefore, I used your shoulder to borrow it.”
Liya seemed genuinely a bit angry. What she did seemed like a good deed. This made Will feel a little guilty. It felt as if he were the one who had done something wrong! Wait, wait, wait… Even though he was talking in his sleep, he had indeed found fault with the shoulder he was borrowing.
“Ah… I’m sorry!!!! Teacher Liya is the cutest in the world!”
“Ew… Don’t be so fake. It’s disgusting.” Liya buried her face in her arms, hugging her legs, covering half of her face. “If… if you’re still cold, then lean closer. I, I’m not asking you to. Mmm… Never mind, I hope you don’t catch a cold. As I said, I’m not afraid of the cold. I can sit here all night, but what about you? It would be awful, right?”
Seeing Liya switch back and forth between tsundere and directness felt like a battle raging inside his own head. Even after all that, she still wanted him to lean on her for warmth, which made Will feel even more awkward.
—In that case, he had no choice but to lean closer.
“…Mm… Ha…” As Will leaned in, the mouth beneath her arm seemed to let out a soft gasp, and her body trembled slightly.
Huh? So sensitive?
Wait a minute… The timing of this encounter was too sudden and not part of Will’s plan, so much so that Will had completely forgotten… he was carrying that coin from today!
This meant… Liya hadn’t said anything to him earlier not because she was embarrassed, nor because she still retained a bit of her tsundere personality, but purely because… she was still reacting to the Blood Mint Essential Oil on him, which made it difficult for her to speak in front of him. Even so, she still came closer to him?
Wow! She was getting closer and closer to being the proactive type he imagined. Not bad.
However… wouldn’t maintaining this state for too long be problematic? Liya tried to suppress her brain while calming her magic circuit. Although it was a bit more stable than usual, any proximity to Will still caused a vibrating reaction. Coupled with several sleepless nights, her mental state was akin to someone who had pulled several all-nighters, with the appearance of having just chugged a large cup of coffee. Even though her brain told her to rest more, her body was as excited as if it had been injected with stimulants. This was an even greater torture for her spirit.
But… she still didn’t want her student to catch a cold. After they got out, she would definitely deal with those students who bullied Will. Just as Liya was forcing herself to hold on…
“Ah, I wasn’t careful, and it fell.” She heard the clinking sound of coins hitting the ground near her ears. Looking up, she saw Will toss the coin in his hand.
“Wait—” Just as she was about to grab it, Will interrupted her.
“It’s okay, will this make you feel a bit better?” And so, she could only watch as the coin, which was already quite round, slid several meters on the ground before coming to rest at the bottom of a cabinet. It wasn’t far, but the distance did make Liya’s physical state feel a little more comfortable.
“You… you noticed?”
“I’m not blind, stupid, or a block of wood. Of course, I noticed. But it’s okay, I have plenty of that stuff.”
“You… you have plenty?!” Liya was astonished, her eyes widening as she looked at Will. She had thought such a magical item would be as rare as her Witch Coin. She had lied when she said the coin was coated with some catalyst because she had never heard of any catalyst that could be so potent with such a small dosage. Yet, he casually said he had plenty.
Will was pleased with her expression. “Think about it. When you used it, you must have noticed that the quality of these coins themselves is very poor. They break with just a touch, unlike the ones you used to use.”
“That’s right.” Recalling her first experiment, Liya nodded. “But… it was indeed very effective.”
“So, if it were a precious item, I wouldn’t let such a fragile thing be easily stolen by you, right?”
“…Is that so? So, its magical ability doesn’t come from the coin itself…” Will marveled that she, a professor witch, had such a sharp mind.
“Wait, are you not going to tell me and just let me guess here?” Liya stopped mid-sentence, seeming wary of him.
“It’s nothing to hide, really. If I want to cooperate with you, perhaps it’s better to explain more clearly?” Will smiled.
“If it’s something plated or coated on the surface, would that explain it clearly?”
“It really is like that? It’s not that I haven’t thought about it, but it seemed impossible. How could such a small dose have such a strong effect? The function…”
“Hmm… I wonder if the cute Liya has heard of something…” He said mysteriously, lowering his voice. Even though there were only the two of them, he spoke as if describing a great secret.
“Blood Mint.”
“…” Liya was silent for a while. Then she spoke in a childish voice: “Never heard of it~”
“…Alright.” Will put his hand to his forehead. Considering that in the original work, Liya only remembered this at the final battle, perhaps such an item was intentionally kept hidden from her by her mother.
“I’ve looked up some information. It’s a plant that can make your witch’s magic circuit more active and stimulate more potential. I soaked these imitation coins in the essence, letting them absorb the flavor. Moreover, Blood Mint, after refinement, has a very high concentration. Even a small amount is very effective.”
“I see. From a rational perspective… it’s possible. Ancient texts also mention many similar situations…”
“So… your research isn’t actually stuck on the material ratio, but on your own inability to support this magic. If you cooperate with me, I’ll give you some Blood Mint Essential Oil. You can research the most suitable dosage, and you’ll be able to handle the competition in four days.” Will snapped his fingers.
“Oh, and I still have a little money left from my father. Although I got the Blood Mint Essential Oil I have now through free channels, I can buy more if I need it later. Also, I’m only borrowing the book ‘Ice Array (Attack)’ to read its content, not to study its paper or origin. If you need the original text, I can have someone make a copy.”
Liya’s ears and face were still red. She hugged her arms and thought for a while. Honestly, she had initially thought Will was just a lucky person who had stumbled upon an incredible treasure. Now, it seemed he did have some skills. Not only was his analysis logical, but he also had considerable experience in transitioning from theory to practice.
Liya felt her mind becoming clouded and drowsy. It wasn’t because she was cold; she had been enduring the fatigue of her body and the mental shock from the coin for quite some time, so she was naturally tired.
“Mmm, Teacher Liya, it seems like throwing the coin away didn’t change your state… I have an idea you can try.”
“Hm?” Will smiled and used a brooch on his magic robe to pull Liya’s finger.
“It’ll hurt a bit, bear with it?”
“Wait… what are you doing…” While Liya was still thinking, Will had already pricked her index finger with the needle.
“Ow…” Will was truly… too forceful! How could there be such a student?! Then, before Liya could react, Will put her index finger into his own mouth.
