Geometric Mage: First Spell, Circle

"Is that not Rick? He is coming toward us…"

"Huh?" Almost doubting, Lian slowly turned his head. He was afraid it might be a joke.

"Rick!!" he shouted, a happy smile spreading across his face. "I finally found you," he added as he walked toward his position.

"All is well that ends well." The boy smiled faintly before turning back to resume his intense training in spell control, mana management, and magic mastery. Serious stuff, basically.

"Hey, Lian!" Rick ran toward his friend, opening his arms in greeting.

Unlike the last time, Lian returned the embrace with a light sigh. "Where the hell have you been? Do not tell me you went off to cry over yesterday's issue?"

Pulling away from the hug, Rick stared at the grass below, his cheeks turning red for a moment. "N-no way…" he lied.

Lian looked at him, shaking his head. "You know, I found some clues about that guy! Also—"

"Really?" Rick snapped his head up, his smile vibrating with excitement as his eyes, darker than usual, gleamed with joy.

The sky above them was starting to clear as the gray clouds, a sign of misfortune, slowly retreated.

"Yes…" Lian replied distractedly. "Are you sure you are okay?" Lian could see something different in Rick, but he did not know what.

Rick simply shook his head. "I am fine. I admit I was down about yesterday's thief, but I am better now."

Lian did not respond. He made a simple gesture with his hand, and a sword very similar to the one from yesterday appeared in his hands. "You do not need to worry about anything! Look here, another artifact ready to use! And it is even better than yesterday's."

Lian laughed faintly, observing his friend's shocked reaction.

"I cannot believe it…" Rick murmured in disbelief. "Lian, how the hell did you do it?"

"I told you I am a good apprentice, did I not? Soon I will become a Rune Master, create my first artifact. Soon I will be rich!"

Lian exclaimed happily, quickly storing the sword in his spatial ring. He did not want to make the same mistakes as before; he would not display it carelessly.

"We will become rich, you mean!" Rick grinned, his eyes shaped like gold coins.

"Yeah, sure, whatever—"

The two continued chatting a bit, heading toward the dormitory, before Lian told him about accepting a mission regarding a missing artifact.

"Plammer and Flammer… if they are not the same person, I would not know what to say!" Rick said, almost amused by the scammer's name choice.

"I agree. The jerk at the reception gave me this," Lian showed the crystal. "She said I just need to pour mana into it to contact the guy from the mission, a certain Darien."

"Oh, yeah, the communication crystal. Not everyone has one; it is quite expensive…"

"So you know it?"

"Of course I do, I am not an idiot—"

Lian coughed, hearing his friend indirectly call him an idiot. "Anyway, do you also know about the debit cards the bank offers? Torin mentioned them; I had no idea…"

"Of course I do," Rick replied with a confident nod. "I am not an idiot—"

Lian's blue eyes stared at him sharply. "Not an idiot? Then how come you did not think of that little detail when our Plammer the scammer threw out his bags full of money? Is it not strange to carry around all that cash?"

Rick fell silent for a moment before a pout painted his face. "I did not say I was a genius…"

"Sigh, forget it, it is water under the bridge. Money will not be a problem from now on." A light breeze caressed his hair as the lock covering his eyes shifted gently to the side.

"Sure, the weather is really weird today…" Lian added, looking at the sky, his hair no longer obstructing his view.

"Yeah…" Rick looked up, a thoughtful expression on his face. He did not know why, but the fact that the sky had turned gray earlier seemed connected to him.

"Anyway," Rick smiled, trying to change the subject. Lian seemed sharp enough; he did not want him to discover something was different about him. "How about we go eat somewhere tonight and then check out some shops? I can show you some cool stuff too."

Continuing their chatter, the two arrived at the dormitory area. They had encountered many students along the way, many talking about trivial things, just like the duo.

Lian thought for a second. His plans for today involved creating an artifact. He had everything ready: the Runic Seal with the enchantment and the staff, the weapon to enchant. Not to mention meditation; Lian wanted to reach Bronze 5 as quickly as possible.

"Alright, let us go get ready." Despite his tasks, Lian accepted Rick's proposal willingly. He was not particularly interested in eating; rather, he was curious about the shops. He knew nothing, which made him feel a bit uneasy.

"Get ready? I am ready!"

Lian shot him a couple of glances, trying not to change his facial expression. "Buddy, I think you are a bit… dirty." Then his gaze fell on his robes.

A grimace crossed his face. "And so am I. Damn it, I am not hugging you again!"

Rick burst out laughing, scratching the back of his neck with an embarrassed expression. "Okay, okay, you are right. Let us do this: we meet at eight. I will come straight to you, okay?"

Lian rolled his eyes, but a slight smirk curled his lips. "Eight o'clock, Rick. And try not to make me wait!" With a final wave, the two parted, heading to their respective rooms.

Back in his room, Lian did not waste time. He immediately took off his clothes and took his… third shower? One in the morning before heading to the Rune Forge, one upon returning, and now the third, after going out in the afternoon. And, most likely, he would take a fourth shower before bed.

With only a towel covering his sculpted, smooth, pale body—like that of a young master who had never worked a day in his life—Lian collapsed onto the bed for a moment, running a hand through his still-damp hair.