"Steal!"
As Gut shouted out the incantation, Serie instantly sensed that something was wrong.
"This... this feeling!"
"How is it possible!"
It was a magical wave even she had never seen before! What kind of magic was this?
No—this wasn't magic. It was a curse!
Just before Gut's spell could land on Serie, she surged with overwhelming magic at the last moment, narrowly managing to cast Anti-Curse Magic, reflecting the spell right back at him.
"Not good!"
Seeing the returning magical wave, Gut knew it spelled trouble. He hadn't expected that his Steal Magic (Kazuma-Type Lock-On Technique) could be perceived by Serie as a curse and reflected back.
No matter how much he tried to dodge, directional magic like this couldn't be avoided.
And Gut wasn't Serie—he didn't possess a wide arsenal of anti-curse techniques, nor did he have Anti-Curse Magic himself.
So he could only watch helplessly as the reflected spell hit him.
The next moment...
Serie raised an eyebrow, expecting something to appear in her hand.
But—nothing did.
Aside from a faint, indescribable scent, there was absolutely nothing in her hand.
Confused, Serie looked at her disciple Gut and asked, "What exactly was that magic? Where did you learn it?"
"Uh…"
Gut paused, then explained in terms common people could understand:
"It's called Steal Magic. Its effect is to randomly steal an item from the target."
"As for where I learned it... the principles are a bit like Goddess Magic—they rely on an 'Outer God' and not just the caster's own magical talent."
"I see."
Serie nodded, understanding that while Gut was still hiding details, the Truth Detection Magic showed no signs of lying. She also reconfirmed: Gut wasn't a demon.
That was enough.
But…
"If it works like you said, then reflecting the spell should've made me take something from you."
"So why didn't I?"
Serie stared at her empty palm and questioned further.
"Because… eagles should not be caged!"
"???"
Serie frowned. Something definitely felt off.
But her instincts told her: don't dig deeper into this.
After Gut's "quirky" magic, it was now Lernen's turn.
Compared to Gut's ridiculous trick, Lernen's magic was definitely more "normal."
Even before he fully cast it, Serie had already identified it—it was Statue Manipulation Magic.
There weren't any statues in the grand hall, but Lernen skillfully raised one by manipulating the floor's stone tiles.
"Not bad."
Serie nodded. After learning the specialties of both disciples, she gave them an address and instructed:
"Come to this place two hours before the exam tomorrow. I'll give you each a gift as part of your initiation."
"You may go now."
"Shouldn't we introduce ourselves?" Gut asked Serie.
"There's no need. You'll get to know each other in time."
"But if you're curious, you could go have a drink at the tavern in town?"
"I never interfere in my disciples' daily lives."
With that, Serie vanished into the shadows.
After she left, Gut nudged Lernen and asked if he wanted to go for "a couple drinks."
"Ah? I…"
Lernen hesitated but realized it'd be rude to refuse his senior. Typical introvert behavior.
Gut patted his shoulder and said, "C'mon. I haven't even explored Äußerst properly. It's about time."
"Well... okay."
Despite the nerves, Lernen had a sliver of excitement—nothing to do with being introverted or extroverted, but the basic human desire for companionship in a new city.
The two stopped at a lively tavern. Gut chose it for one reason: a very spicy barmaid in revealing clothes was inviting customers at the door.
This world may lack technology, but its people weren't conservative.
Here, churches were more about helping than judging. Their Spell Book taught people to restrain themselves, not to impose laws on everyone.
Thus, in a street full of nightlife, you'd find both scantily dressed barmaids and shirtless male models drawing in crowds.
Lernen clearly wasn't used to the excitement—his eyes kept dodging.
Gut, meanwhile, had long yearned for noise and warmth after sleeping alone in a ruined monastery for so long. This felt like his soul was finally full again.
A cat-eared bartender asked, "What'll you two be having?"
"Something festive," Gut replied.
"No problem, sir." The bartender turned to Lernen. "And you?"
"Just a beer, please."
Soon, a bunny-girl waitress brought their drinks and two plates of snacks.
Before leaving, she blew a kiss at the bashful Lernen, making him blush before even touching his beer.
Gut watched with amusement.
What could he say?
Maybe every bunny-girl loves to tease the "pure-hearted ones."