The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 937: Knowledge of Titles

A knock sounded on the door of the mysticism office, located at the edge of the treetop recreation area.

Professor Haig, who was preparing teaching materials for the next day, was met with a visitor who both surprised and delighted him.

"Oh, Lu Li, sir... Please, come in. Have a seat."

Lu Li, who had come alone to see Professor Haig during dinner, explained his purpose: he was hoping for some private instruction.

"No, I can't do that..." Professor Haig, who seemed to revere Lu Li, refused him.

"I agree with the dean and Professor Kris that one shouldn't study a Cursed Title directly. You should think of it like building a house: you can't start with the roof."

This was precisely why Lu Li had been advised to enroll as a student when he first contacted the Academy of Giant Trees to study Cursed Titles.

Rapidly mastering the power of a Cursed Title was impossible; it required the support of various fields of knowledge: mysticism, alchemy, and a bit of divination. Furthermore, mysticism had to be combined with lessons on anomalies and the In-Between, while alchemy needed to be paired with botany.

Even so, officially mastering the method of [releasing a Cursed Title] only happened in the middle courses.

"You could wait twelve weeks. The mysticism department will begin its courses on Cursed Titles then."However, Professor Haig understood Lu Li's urgency.

"Tomorrow, in mysticism class, I will prepare an introduction to Cursed Titles... You might find something in sector three on the second floor of the library... Just don't tell anyone I told you."

Professor Haig couldn't help himself, lowering his voice to reveal a few hints to Lu Li.

"Thank you."

"You're too kind."

After bidding farewell to Professor Haig, Lu Li headed for the mixed zone—

It was the only area connecting the lower courses and the lower levels, and the only path for "night excursions" for the junior students. The library was located there.

Walking down the corridor, Lu Li soon saw the library's intricately carved, massive door. It was shut tight, and a gatekeeper in a standard short brown cloak was dutifully standing guard.

"And where might you be headed, 'legendary exorcist,' sir?" a thin gatekeeper asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"The assembly hall is the other way."

"I'm going to the library."

The firmly shut library door made Lu Li realize something.

"The library is only open to junior students until six. It seems you aren't a very diligent student," the gatekeeper's obnoxious tone confirmed Lu Li's suspicion.

"No one told me. I'll come back tomorrow afternoon."

Lu Li paid no mind to his unfriendly attitude, answered calmly, and left.

From within the inconspicuous patterns on the wall, a black beetle faithfully observed the entire exchange.

...

"I'm furious!"

At the long table for the mysticism department in the assembly hall, Fudot, dressed in exquisite black lace, slammed her spoon back into her wooden bowl.

Across the long table, Dogmeat lifted his head from his own bowl and asked in confusion:

"Why? There's more food here than anyone can eat..."

"Because you, you damn filthy, lowly piglet, ate my precious beetles!" Fudot shrieked hysterically.

If she had still been holding the spoon, she would have undoubtedly used it to knock out all of Dogmeat's vicious teeth.

"I didn't know they were so important to you..."

Dogmeat stuck out his tongue and licked some pumpkin filling from the tip of his quill.

"I'll make it up to you tomorrow..."

"And what could you possibly replace them with—"

"Lu Li, I saved you some pumpkin pie!"

Dogmeat interrupted Fudot's impending tirade by jumping up and waving toward the entrance. Lu Li was entering the assembly hall through a side door next to the tightly shut main one.

After he sat down, Dogmeat pushed an entire pumpkin pie toward him.

The sweet and tender pumpkin was a favorite among the young students, not to mention it was a vegetable.

"Thanks."

Dogmeat was thrilled by Lu Li's gratitude, but his spirits soon sank again as he stared at the empty space before him.

His eyes fixed on a plate of fried chicken legs next to Fudot's hand, which she hadn't touched yet.

"Is that for Lu Li?"

"No," Fudot snapped, just as she had been about to discreetly push the plate toward Lu Li.

"Can I..."

"No!"

Fudot punctuated her protest with action, grabbing two chicken legs and stuffing them into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out like a quail's.

"Oh..."

Dogmeat looked as dejected as a puppy, his ears seeming to droop, until Lu Li slid the plate of pumpkin pie back to him. The illusion of drooping ears was instantly replaced by that of a wagging tail.

He reminded Lu Li of Prusius.

"I'm... almost full... just a little bit," Dogmeat stammered, trying his best to resist the temptation of the food.

"I don't care for sweets," Lu Li said, pouring some meat gravy over his mashed potatoes.

"Lu Li really is as great as the legends say!"

Dogmeat, having secured his pumpkin pie, exclaimed happily before burying his face in the plate once more.

Lu Li had arrived very late, and many students had already eaten and left. However, all of them made a point to walk past Lu Li and greet him.

This situation, at least, would likely continue for some time.

Lu Li ate in peace, listening to the conversations of the students around him.

Most of the students who had entered the Academy of Giant Trees felt joy and pride, as well as a sense of happiness from the prosperity here.

Two students from the neighboring alchemy department were whispering, discussing the wonders of the Academy of Giant Trees: bright and warm lodgings, clean and delicious food, and their hopes for the future.

Fudot finished the entire plate of chicken legs, barely restraining herself from clutching her bloated stomach, and gracefully departed.

Soon, Lu Li finished his meal, but Dogmeat was still battling at the table. He always stayed until the very end, his stomach seemingly a bottomless pit.

Lu Li returned to his room and had a quiet night. The next dark morning, after breakfast, the junior students headed to the mysticism classroom to begin their first lesson.

The classroom, before the professor's arrival, was always filled with noise. The chatter died down briefly when Lu Li entered, but soon the quiet buzzing of whispers swelled back into a clamor.

Until Professor Haig walked in.

A sudden scream pierced the quiet classroom.

Dogmeat was holding half a cockroach in his palm and presenting it to Fudot. It was still alive, its disgusting insides writhing in his hand.

"I'm repaying you... it's the same size as the other one."

"Get away! Don't come near me!"

Fudot, still screaming, forgot how to reply and simply recoiled as far as she could from Dogmeat, pressing herself against another female student.

"Alright... maybe this isn't suitable."

Under the disapproving glares of the other students, Dogmeat regretfully tossed the half-cockroach into his mouth.

"Mr. Dogmeat... alright, please don't eat in class... it disturbs the other students," Professor Haig sighed as he approached the lectern.

Lu Li noticed that the book tucked under the professor's arm had been switched from "Introduction to Mysticism" to "The Origin of the Cursed Title," and in his other hand, he held an hourglass filled with fluorescent sand.

"Professor Haig, aren't we continuing with 'Introduction to Mysticism'?"

An observant student asked curiously, prompting even more curious glances.

Except for those nearing the end of their school year, the other students had not yet encountered this subject.

"Yes," Professor Haig replied. After setting down the hourglass and the book, he raised his head and looked around the lecture hall.

"This knowledge is relatively dangerous. If you feel any discomfort, please raise your hand."

Under the watchful eyes of all the junior students, Professor Haig placed the hourglass on the table. The sand did not fall.

"And now, the mysticism lesson begins."