Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

"What?"

Eustace was taken aback by the unexpected invitation.

Joining the Order of the Enlightened Threads was supposed to be an opportunity reserved for special Summoners who had mastered specific summoning arts or possessed unique summons. The invitation to him came out of nowhere!

"Aren't you being too hasty with the invitation? You barely know anything about me…" Eustace responded, his gaze directed at Nerissa with a hint of skepticism.

He wasn't sure what she was planning so he had to be careful.

"Haha... I understand your concern. However, the Order consists of several squads. You would be placed in the Special 19th Squad. Apart from the Captain, its members are Summoners who didn't graduate from the Academy but possess remarkable Summoning Talents that can rival or even surpass those who did…" Nerissa elaborated as she sipped from her tea.

Hamlet, recognizing the merit in Nerissa's proposition, chimed in. Now that Nerissa had made the invitation to Eustace, he could only try to help his senior.

"What she said is true. You can't underestimate this squad at all. While they may not have learned the two Spells called Familiar's Blessing and Summoner's Boon since they are exclusive to the Academy, they boast an incredible array of Spells and Summons that will not lose out against the graduates."

Eustace nodded thoughtfully, feeling intrigued by the prospect of meeting other Arcanists. However, he hesitated to take on another commitment after gaining newfound freedom.

It was too early for him to be tied down once again.

"I'm sorry... I don't think I want to be tied to any organization just yet. The Arcanist Guild offers a great deal of freedom, so I plan to remain there for the time being." Eustace replied.

"Furthermore, I have a companion. I can't simply leave her behind to join your Order." He added, emphasizing his attachment to his partner.

Nerissa recognized that convincing the young man would be a challenging task.

She suspected that Eustace might believe he was special and strong due to his success in defeating the entity that the Torrent Squad had failed to capture. She felt that Eustace simply lacked experience or perspective and did not fully comprehend what would be best for his future.

'So, you want to negotiate... That's not a bad approach.' Nerissa thought, surmising that Eustace might be seeking additional benefits or simply lacked insight.

"Ahem... I haven't mentioned the benefits of joining the Order yet. Aren't you curious why Summoners who have graduated from the Academy and rogue Summoners wish to be part of the Order? Do you think they just want to be tied down and earn some weekly salary from the Faction?" Nerissa posed the question, aiming to shed light on the advantages.

"Ah... That's true. Please tell me the benefits." Eustace responded with a smile as he indulged in the pastries served to them. He didn't mind staying with these two for a while since he had basically finished his today's task and just thought of looking around the city.

This time, it was Hamlet who answered Nerissa's signal.

"Apart from the salary, which exceeds the minimum, you'll receive a mid-grade Spirit Pearl monthly. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to bathe at the Sacred Arcane Spring owned by the Faction once a year. You'll also gain access to special areas where you can conduct a Summoner's Contract Ritual. There are many more benefits, but what may interest you most is the Trading Market for Summoners. You are aware that we can transfer familiars or summons, right? If you have a familiar you no longer use, you can trade it for something else…" Hamlet explained.

"That's right... With so many members, there's no way you can't find a summon you desire." Nerissa said as she looked at Eustace with a smile.

"Take me, for instance. I previously had a random set of Summons. They were all average and quite difficult to maximize their potential. However, after joining the Order, all my Summons are now Flying Type familiars. My affinity with this type of familiars is the highest, so I chose them. It's better to excel in one field than to be a master of none." She added, highlighting the personal benefits she had experienced.

Calling upon Flying Creatures to be your Summon was quite difficult. You had to prepare some expensive Rituals which she wouldn't be able to afford in a short amount of time with her salary.

However, with the option of Trades, she could lower the price of the Flying Creatures with the Summons she no longer needs.

"Oh... So all the Summoners in the Order have their specialties considered and build their set of summons or familiars from that?" Eustace asked.

"That's right... If you haven't checked the Summon Affinity yet, we can help you with that. Ahh... Do you mind if I ask if your summons are creatures or not?" Hamlet inquired.

"I don't mind. My summons are all living creatures." Eustace replied.

"I see... Then that's even better. More than 70 percent of Summoners are actually those who can only summon objects. They could be normal objects or even types of furniture to some extent. But those who are quite talented could at least summon weapons like swords, staff, or even a bow and arrow. Oh... These people weren't at the end of their path yet. If they managed to get stronger Grimoires, they could also trade with other Summoners." Hamlet explained.

'So those with weak Grimoires can fail with the Transfer, huh…' Eustace mused as his knowledge about the Summoners had expanded once again.

Nevertheless, Eustace still decided not to join the Order of the Enlightened Threads.

"Thank you for the offer, Seniors. I will think about it. I need to ask my partner's opinion as well. Do I have a method to contact the two of you?" He asked innocently.

Eustace had already noticed that Nerissa and Hamlet had informed their superiors about him. He could see a couple of crows and a dozen bees following him around. They were definitely from Summoners.

With his Spirit Vision, he knew that he was already marked and would be followed. After all, they couldn't just let a strong Arcanist do as he pleased in a city filled with ordinary people.

Nerissa nodded at Eustace's response.

"Ahem… This Tea Shop is one of our bases of operations. Just ask the one at the counter for a hot tea of Thread if you need our help." Nerissa revealed with a hint of embarassment.