"What do you want to do?" Anubis asked while walking alongside him. "Fenrir and Jinwu should be sparring not far from here."
"I'm thinking about preparing my body to absorb the cores. No, wait. Can I actually absorb the warrior class cores? Now that I think about it, I haven't really learned how to identify whether the body is strong enough to withstand the efficacy of a single core or not." Nathan frowned.
"Oh. We were too focused on your innate ability and summoning that we forgot to ask Charlotte about it."
"Yeah." He nodded. "Then again, I think it's better to ask my teacher directly. You don't have to keep me company."
"That is fine. If it's something about learning the function of a body, I should be there. Who knows? Maybe I can use that knowledge to learn new skills?" He smirked.
"Well, I don't mind…" Nathan abruptly stopped in his tracks.
"What's wrong?" Anubis was confused. There weren't a lot of things that would stun Nathan, so he couldn't help but turn around, following the direction of his gaze. And that was where they found a pair of women: one was royalty while the other one was a smart scientist with just a bit of questionable character.
"Since when are they together? It doesn't look like they have just met…"
Anubis glanced at Nathan as his smile turned awkward. "You're not thinking that Melissa is going to corrupt Flora's morals, right?"
"…" Nathan couldn't answer that question.
Melissa was slightly startled by the sudden knock on her door. "Hmm?"
"Miss… I mean, Professor Melissa, are you inside? May I come in? There's something I'd like to ask."
Melissa couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows, considering she found this voice similar. When she opened the door, she was stunned to find Flora outside. "Your Highness Flora?"
Flora politely lifted up the hem of her skirt while lowering her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Melissa."
Melissa asked, "Is it something important, Your Highness?"
Melissa thought for a moment before opening the door wide. "Please come in. We'll talk inside."
As soon as they sat down opposite each other, Melissa's expression turned solemn. "May I know what kind of pleasure I owe you, Your Highness?"
It wasn't the first time for her to deal with a royal family. However, she wasn't that friendly to the royal family, especially since her lifestyle was something a lot of people frowned upon.
Flora took a deep breath before lowering her head. "May I… learn from you?"
"En?" Melissa raised her eyebrows. "Learn from me? What do you mean? Are you trying to become my student or something?"
This was the first time a woman was trying to learn from her. In addition, Flora was a princess. If such a person learned from her, people would wonder whether she would follow her lifestyle or not.
"Whatever makes you comfortable." Flora smiled.
"I don't understand. What are you trying to do?"
"I'm just trying to become stronger. You are not only smart but also an arcane level summoner. So that I don't get left behind by others, I think it's better to learn from a capable person such as you."
Melissa frowned. While it was hard to reject Flora, it wasn't like she owed anything to her or the Azilia Kingdom.
"Your Highness…" Melissa's expression turned grim.
As if realizing that Melissa was going to refuse, Flora raised her hand, stopping her first. "This is my land. If you agree to teach me, I will prepare a plot of land so that you can do all your experiments. In addition, I will also build a research center for your personal use."
"!!!" Melissa's eyes instantly lit up. If one took a look at her house, it was similar to Vivian's house. There were a lot of scribbles both on the boards and the walls. Unfortunately, all she could do was focus on the theory for the time being and wait until she had her own workshop.
Flora's offer simply gave everything she needed. However, she couldn't help but consider whether it was worth the trouble or not.
And that was when Flora added one last condition. "As long as you don't research a banned good, the inspection will be as light as possible and you will be given enough freedom to research anything you want."
Her eyes were wide open as her body shook for a split second. That promise was like a thunder reverberating in her ears.
It was so big for her to the point where she immediately stood up, saying, "In that case, let us begin our first lesson. However, I won't be your official teacher since I believe it's not worth destroying your reputation like that."
"Whatever makes you comfortable. Besides, I want to focus on practical skills instead of research."
"I know. That's why I can absolutely say that you've come to the right person. I've long heard about your reputation, especially your intelligence, cunningness, and playfulness. This is a compliment, so please don't misunderstand.
"The reason these three are important is due to my fighting style. You might not know, but I excel at trap and formation. You can think of it as a barrier formation, but with Your Highness' elemental spirits, you might be able to utilize it differently.
"Having elemental traps where you don't know what kind of element it is will definitely be extremely useful on the battlefield, especially in controlling the entire battlefield.
"In addition, my method is not that hard. If not, I wouldn't be able to become an arcane level summoner while focusing on my study.
"Hence, your familiars can also learn from me and help you in establishing traps and formations. Besides, it won't be just elements. It can even strengthen your defense or increase your offensive power." Melissa raised one hand, forming a small yet complicated magic circle with ease. "What do you think?"
Flora smiled. "That's interesting. You've got a deal. Even if we're not in a master-disciple relationship, please don't be too formal with me since I'm learning from you."
Both of them shook hands as Melissa nodded. "I understand."