Chapter 42: In That Case, Come Work at the Imperial Magic Academy!
Chapter 42: In That Case, Come Work at the Imperial Magic Academy!
“Looking for a job? Mr. Lin Wei, are you planning to stay in the Imperial Capital for good!?”
A job referral? That’s what he needed help with?
Yalis, already brimming with confidence, brightened instantly at his words. She barely hesitated before blurting out her offer.
“How about coming to work for my family, Mr. Lin Wei?”
“There’s nothing special you’d have to do—just share some of your adventure stories with me from time to time, and maybe sneak off with me to explore a dungeon or two. You could act as my escort, or something like that.”
“I’ll make sure my family pays you a very generous salary. You definitely won’t lose out!”
Working for the Saintess’s family, huh?
Honestly, that sounded pretty tempting.
With the Saintess as his cover, staying at her estate would ensure no one suspected him. He’d also be able to get familiar with the capital much faster. Even if the Hero’s party from Lotai tracked him down, they wouldn’t dare cause trouble in front of the Holy Church’s Saintess. And, to be frank, working for an easygoing beauty like her was far more appealing than taking random jobs elsewhere.
Even Lin Wei had to admit—he was just a little tempted. But after a moment, he shook his head and refused without hesitation.
“I’m afraid that won’t work. Do you have any other recommendations?”
“Huh? Why not!?”
Yalis, who had been overflowing with anticipation a moment ago, suddenly grew anxious.
Mr. Lin Wei was her only adventurer friend—a man with a wealth of experience who had even saved her life. No matter what, she couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
“Is it about the pay? Don’t worry, my family’s loaded! I can easily get you a top-tier salary for an escort job.”
“And you don’t need to worry about the workload, either. Most of the time, I’m either at the Holy Church or attending classes at the Academy. Even if I do sneak out for an adventure now and then, it’s not like it happens all the time… At most, I’d only trouble you twice a month. How about that?”
Yalis held up her soft little hand, tentatively displaying two slender fingers. Her face scrunched up in hesitation.
Her clear, innocent eyes and delicate expression—paired with that beautiful face—made her almost impossible to refuse.
… Which, ironically, was exactly why Lin Wei couldn’t accept the job as her “escort.”
Looking at Yalis, Lin Wei let out a silent sigh.
To be honest, if this job had come from her father—if it was her family hiring an adventurer to protect their daughter and accompany her on adventures—he’d have accepted on the spot. As long as the pay was reasonable, he could easily stick it out for two years or more.
But since this offer was Yalis’s own idea, that changed everything.
If he just followed her home and met her father under these circumstances, he doubted he’d be greeted with a generous salary. More likely, he’d be hauled off by the guards and tossed into the sea before midnight.
“If you want to go adventuring, I can tag along to a dungeon or two when I’m free.”
“But it’s not that I think it’s too much trouble—I just want to spend some time in the capital and get to know the city better.”
“So, do you have any other job recommendations? Something a little more… ordinary? I’m not really looking to be a noble’s escort or anything. I’m just a regular adventurer—so as long as the pay’s reasonable, I’ll consider it.”
Yalis wanted to keep persuading him, but Lin Wei’s tone left no room for doubt. She realized that no amount of pleading would change his mind.
She decided it was best to respect his wishes and think it over carefully. After all, he’d already promised to accompany her on adventures if he had the time—that was more than she could have hoped for.
“Hmm…”
With that, Yalis fell into thought once more.
A moment later, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she’d just remembered something.
“Oh, that’s right! I just remembered—our Academy is hiring assistants right now… Why don’t you apply there, Mr. Lin Wei?”
“Assistant?”
A path he’d never considered suddenly opened up before him.
Lin Wei was caught off guard. Even he hadn’t thought about that kind of job.
“That’s right! You’ve at least heard of the Imperial Magic Academy’s reputation, haven’t you?”
Hand on her hip and face full of pride, Yalis couldn’t help but feel a surge of confidence—even in front of Lin Wei.
“I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know much about it…”
After all, the last time he’d heard the name was from that wild adventurer, Weiss—the one who’d shouted “For the honor of the Imperial Magic Academy!” as he tried to take Lin Wei down with him.
Lin Wei looked at her, curiosity written all over his face.
Being stared at like that, Yalis’s earlier confidence faltered a little. She quickly let go of her hip and fiddled with the edge of her hood, pretending to fix her hair.
She cleared her throat, then launched into a serious explanation.
“The Imperial Magic Academy has a history stretching back a thousand years—it’s the greatest and most prestigious academy in the world!”
“Even though it’s called a magic academy, we offer classes in swordsmanship, alchemy, potion crafting, dungeon exploration—you name it. From combat training to theoretical studies, we cover it all.”
“But because of that, we’re always a little short-handed each year. There just aren’t enough professors for every field… So we regularly hire assistants to help out—mostly to support the official instructors with their classes, or to cover some of the less popular subjects.”
As she spoke, Yalis snuck a cautious glance at Lin Wei, worried he might turn her down again. She hurried to add, “Of course, being an assistant is actually pretty relaxed most of the time.”
“Those less popular courses aren’t scheduled that often, and the pay is excellent… So, what do you think, Mr. Lin Wei? Are you interested?”
This actually sounds kind of interesting.
Lin Wei stroked his chin, lost in thought.
As the Demon Lord, the breadth of his knowledge was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine. Even without using any supernatural powers, just teaching as a substitute would be a breeze for him.
But the most important point was that, for someone in his position, an academy was practically the perfect safe haven.
Compared to the “ordinary adventurer” label, having both “the adventurer who solved the goblin disaster” and “Imperial Magic Academy teaching assistant” attached to his name would make him look a lot more respectable.
“But my Imperial Capital residency is still under review. Is that going to be a problem if I apply at the Magic Academy?”
“Huh… Mr. Lin Wei, you’re not an official resident yet?”
Yalis looked at him in surprise.
“When did you arrive in the Empire? If we’d met earlier, I could’ve had my father sponsor you as a citizen right away… But it’s not really an issue. Many of our teachers come from all over the world.”
“As long as you have a guarantor, you’re set! And I’ll be your guarantor, Mr. Lin Wei!”
With the dual status of Church Saintess and duke’s daughter, vouching for an adventurer at the Academy was more than enough. Even if Sister Meilin found out, she’d never blame her—in fact, she might even offer to sponsor Lin Wei herself.
Of course, Yalis wanted to claim the credit for herself this time!
“So, want to give it a try?”
“Hmm… Let’s go check it out first, then decide.”
At this point, it wasn’t as if he had any other jobs worth caring about anyway.
Lin Wei nodded, accepting the invitation on the spot.
“I’ll be counting on you to handle the guarantor business then, Miss Yalis.”
“Hehe~ Leave it to me! I’ve got this covered!”
The duke’s daughter nodded earnestly, her clear blue eyes shining with excitement and pride.