One of the cute waitresses I hired came to deliver the pizzas. I would have admired her figure but all my attention was taken by my stomach, which was grumbling in anticipation.

FOOD.

I was a little surprised when I saw the trio standing there against the criminals. It turned out they too were heading the same way and heard the scream.

I should have taken the chance to instruct that poor woman to the dangers of shady alleys. Well, maybe she’s figured it out anyway.

I devoured my first slice of pizza. My stomach greedily accepted the long-awaited reward. The pang of hunger was quenched.

「Allen: So, my teacher says I’m a natural at projecting Fear…」

I said cheerily. My friend raised their eyes at me.

「Grastel: That illusion was quite…」

He made a disgusted face.

「Ellin: Gross!」

Ellin completed the sentence with another disgusted face.

「Namrick: Creepy too, with all that mumbling about food.」

Namrick said, raising his eyebrows for a moment before taking another bite.

Good ol’ Namrick, he doesn’t let something as little as an illusory abomination spoil his appetite.

「Allen: Hmm, yeah that was Vargas’ fault, he started telling me his food tales. For hours… made me hungry too.」

I said munching another bite.

「Ellin: I thought you were bad at illusions.」

She said, now focusing on her pizza.

「Allen: Well, I am. The illusion basically did it all by itself, I only offered a few suggestions. I had to be careful to stay underneath.」

I just need to think about my cool nightmares to get inspiration for spooky stuff. Then it works out by itself.

The problem begins when I need anatomically accurate stuff.

I should have studied Loomis.

「Namrick: Well, we have to thank you, you made our job easier. We had almost defeated them, but then they took the woman hostage.」

He shook his head in distaste.

「Allen: Glad to have been of help. I was dying to try that out, mixing illusion and emotion magic.」

I puffed up my chest.

「Ellin: So, what are you doing with Khalkear?」

Ellis asked with curiosity. I winced at the thought.

「Allen: He taught me how to harmonize spells. I spent most of the time trying to enchant a practice ring correctly. It was exhausting.」

I said with a grimace. Then I took another slice of deliciousness.

「Allen: … It looks like I had been doing enchantment the wrong way all this time.」

If I had known some stuff earlier I could have saved myself some headaches. But my perseverance had still brought results.

「Namrick: Did he show you any cool magical tool?」

He asked and downed his mug of… wait, is that an alcoholic beverage?! You’re too young for that stuff, Namrick! I tried not to scowl him to death.

「Allen: Huh… yes, he had plenty of stuff.」

I made a recap of what Grohm showed me during my visits.

「Grastel: Uh… what could you possibly teach to that man?」

Grastel asked wide-eyed, after hearing about Grohm’s awesomeness.

「Allen: Information Technology. It was the closest thing to magic in my homeland, I tried to explain to you guys but you always interrupt me.」

I scoffed. They’re too afraid of technical terms.

「Ellin: Can you blame us? You just throw weird words in the air and never explain what they mean!」

Ellin pouted. I grunted in reply.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I’m a tech guy, I was never great at explaining to normal people.

「Allen: Grohm said the same.」

I shrugged my shoulders.

「Allen: Well, I’ll teach someone who can teach it properly.」

I really don’t have the patience to become a proper teacher.

PTSD about trying to explain to old men how to operate the printer or clear the cache from the browser resurfaced in my mind. Never fucking again.

Teaching to newbies sucks.

I wonder if that’s why Violet always seemed angry.

「Grastel: Anyway, we’re still waiting for our cool new enchanted items.」

Grastel said with a grind. Clever Grastel, planning to exploit our friendship.

I smiled.

「Allen: I’ll have you beta test them, but I can’t do anything really useful yet.」

Don’t worry dear Grastel, I’ll turn you into my guinea pig.

「Grastel: What about your radar thing?」

He aimed too far. I shook my head.

「Allen: I had to cast almost a thousand spells to make it. It’s too slow. Grohm has a better way, but he has yet to teach me. In the meantime… give me something to enchant and I’ll see what I can do.」

I offered, looking at everyone. Ellin shot me a quick glance and seemed to want to say something, but her mouth was stuffed full.

「Grastel: Deal!」

I don’t know what he’s expecting, my magic knowledge and skills are still pretty low. Whatever, they’ll be my guinea pigs. Hahaha.

「Ellin: Almost a thousand?!」

She asked me in disbelief.

I nodded.

「Allen: I made do with the tools I had. If you can’t use the wrong tools to get the right result, then you’re not a real developer.」

I said proudly. I can’t even count the countless ugly workarounds I devised during my working career.

Can’t be helped, you gotta go fast to meet the deadlines.

As I thought at the face of those who would inherit that code my smile only got more wicked. Haha, suckers!

「Namrick: What’s so funny?」

Namrick asked me. Damn, I let my mind wander.

「Allen: Nothing. I just remembered something. Ignore me.」

I said in dismissal, clearing the wicked smile from my face.

He shrugged and turned to Ellin.

「Namrick: Okay… Ellin, do you have any news from Edward?」

Hearing the question made Ellin lose her smile.

「Ellin: No…」

She leaned forward to whisper.

「Ellin: His father told me he sent Edward to get military training under a fake name.」

It makes sense, they’d tried to kidnap him after all. I’m sure the crucible will let him grow some backbone.

As long as he doesn’t get involved in Vallachio’s training grounds.

In that case, the only thing he’d grow is the grass over his grave.

But Edward doesn’t like magic, so he’s probably safe.

「Ellin: I’m a little concerned…」

She put her hands on her lap with a downcast expression.

「Grastel: I’m sure he’ll be fine, they fight as a group in there.」

Grastel nodded at me since I was the one who had told them about how the training happened.

「Ellin: But what if they get attacked by demons?」

I reassured her.

「Allen: It shouldn’t happen, our drill sergeant guaranteed us we’d be out of the conflict zone during the training. Besides, since he’s a noble I’m sure his father made extra arrangements for his safety.」

Ellin still looked concerned. It was time to change the topic.

「Allen: So, did you guys learn any new tricks? Look at this!」

I tossed a piece of paper on the table, and stared it down intensely, trying to move it with telekinesis.

「Allen: You see? It moved!」

Grastel puffed at it sending it flying away.

「Grastel: Woaaahhh! Look at that! I’m a great magician!」

I made an offended face while everyone else chuckled like idiots.

Good, I lightened up the mood.

「Allen: You’re lucky I’m out of mana or I’d have had you piss your pants with Fear. Now that would have been hilarious.」

I retorted with a flat laugh.

「Ellin: I’ve been practicing to detect enemies, positions, and numbers. Beside that I also learned Confusion, I’ve tried it on the thugs but it didn’t seem to do much. I need more practice.」

Ellin recovered her smile. She turned to Namrick.

「Namrick: Well, I’ve been practicing sword techniques. I’ll show you in battle, next time. I can cut at a distance!」

He said, scratching his head.

「Allen: So you learned some magic, huh?」

I looked at him in contemplation, cocking an eyebrow.

Suddenly Namrick stood straight and serious.

「Namrick: No, it’s a sword technique from my master.」

He said flatly.

「Allen: Does it use mana?」

I asked him. If it does then it’s magic.

「Namrick: We swordsmen don’t use magic, we have techniques.」

He slapped his chest and raised his chin.

「Allen: Does it use mana?」

I repeated the question.

「Namrick: …」

Namrick stared at me.

「Allen: Namrick. If it uses mana, it’s magic.」

It’s all mana and magic in this world.

「Namrick: No.」

No?! I stared flatly at him.

「Allen: …」

I turned my eyes at Ellin and Grastel for support.

「Grastel: Don’t look at me, I’m open-minded.」

Grastel said while Ellin was fidgeting pretending not to pay attention.

「Allen: Really? Guys? Namrick, you even use mana infused strength.」

I said baffled.

「Namrick: You must mean battle spirit. We, swordsmen, use the vod, our inner strength.」

He said with a final tone.

Bullshit, I’ve looked into it. There are too many similarities. It’s just another word for magic.

「Allen: Mana.」

I said defiantly.

Namrick crossed his hands and refused to budge.

I narrowed my eyes.

Why is Namrick being so stubborn? Is there some kind of rivalry between swordsmen and mages? He looks almost butthurt or something.

「Allen: I see… I suppose you would say I’m mistaken even if I shoved you into an ocean of proofs. I give up.」

From Ellin’s reaction, I can assume this is an old argument.

Now I knew how to push Namrick's buttons. Eheheh. I smiled.

「Allen: What about you, Grastel?」

I looked back at the smug kid.

「Grastel: The usual. Bows and knives. I can shoot two arrows at once. Sadly my quiver drains twice as fast if I do…」

No shit.

「Allen: I see, the cruel curse of arithmetics.」

「Grastel: Indeed.」

Grastel and I nodded in agreement.

Ellin looked outside the window.

「Ellin: It will be winter soon. That should slow down the war.」

She said with a faraway look.

「Namrick: Winter… I hope we’ll have enough food to get by, the demons destroyed a good chunk of harvest.」

Namrick reclined back to his seat, his face serious.

「Allen: Did they announce food shortages?」

I asked I don’t really pay much attention. I’m always too focused on my stuff.

「Namrick: No, but they’d likely keep it under the rug not to cause panic.」

He downed the last contents of his mug.

I see. I bet there are gonna be some happy merchants ready to rub their hands when they raise the prices.

I don’t want to starve to death.