Endless Leveling Done Right!
Chapter 145: The Heart Moves Where The Heart Wills [Part 1]

Chapter 145: The Heart Moves Where The Heart Wills [Part 1]

The group headed to the best tavern in the city, which the Headmaster of the Academy had booked for his staff, his guests, and the trial takers who had passed the trials.

Even Renard, who initially declined Alex’s invitation, had no choice but to go since Rowan had personally invited him.

Efa and Elaine thought of leaving first since they felt like outsiders, but Ramza insisted that they stay and join everyone for the celebration.

After all, they had played a role in helping Alex, Charles, Lavinia, and Cairo survive the Dungeon of Beginnings.

In the end, the two Adventurers yielded because Alex and Dim Dim wished for them to come celebrate as well.

"Can I have my four sigils back now?" Rowan asked Dim Dim, who was currently eating some pudding. "Since they weren’t used in the tournament, I would like to take them back."

Dim Dim blinked once, then twice, before tilting its head to the side.

Clearly, it was pretending to have no idea about what Rowan was talking about.

Ramza chuckled from the side, amused by the scene.

"It’s like you’re trying to steal candy from a child," Ramza commented in a teasing tone. "Since you want something back, shouldn’t you offer something in exchange?"

"But... they’re mine to begin with," Rowan grumbled.

"Not anymore." Ramza smirked.

As Alex observed the two old men bantering, he couldn’t help but sigh due to Rowan’s personality.

The Headmaster of the Academy was one of the thirteen Paragons of the world.

The Dimensional Gatekeeper, Rowan.

He held the ability to control and manipulate space, making him a truly powerful being.

However, his down-to-earth nature sometimes made people forget just how strong he really was.

Alex watched as Rowan adjusted his glasses before shifting his attention back to Dim Dim, who had resumed eating its pudding.

"I’ll exchange 100 gold coins for each sigil," Rowan said. "Do we have a deal?"

Dim Dim shook its head innocently.

"No," Dim Dim replied, still focused on its pudding.

"200 Gold Coins."

"No."

"300."

"No."

"Okay, 500 gold coins each," Rowan said firmly.

Dim Dim ignored the old man and continued to eat. Clearly, it knew that the sigils were more precious than mere 500 gold coins each.

The Dim Sum God knew everything there was to know about Arcana. To others, the sigils might be nothing more than special tools that trial takers could use to escape the island and pass the second trial.

But in truth, they held the power of space.

Their main use was to instantly teleport anyone to the plaza of Frieden Academy.

What did this mean?

It meant that no matter where one was in the world, as long as one of the sigils was activated, its holder would instantly be sent to the plaza of the academy without fail.

That was the power Rowan had imbued the sigils using his space magic.

In short, the sigils could be life-saving tools Alex could use to escape dire situations.

Dim Dim understood this very well, so it didn’t plan on returning them no matter what!

Seeing that the little squishy bun was ignoring him, Rowan reached out to give its cheek a light poke.

But before the old man could touch its cheek, Dim Dim used its little spoon to block his finger.

It didn’t mind if Alex or any of its friends poked it. But being poked by an old coot?

No, thank you!

"Dim!" Dim Dim said angrily as it pointed its spoon at Rowan like a sword.

This made Ramza laugh louder. After all, there were very few people in the world who would defy a Paragon.

"Dim Dim, those sigils are very precious, you know?" Rowan tried to pacify the little bun, who was glaring at him. "Returning them to me is the right and proper thing to do. Okay, let’s settle this with 1,000 gold coins per sigil. Do we have a deal?"

At this point, even Alex was tempted. He was about to tell Dim Dim to accept the exchange, but the Dim Sum God was firm.

"No!" Dim Dim replied, which made Rowan sigh.

He wanted to get the little bun to see reason and return the sigils to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to bully such a cute creature!

Especially if that creature was giving off a subtle but unmistakable aura of divinity.

As one of the Paragons of the world, Rowan could see more than others could.

While he was unable to see the threads of fate, he was certain that Dim Dim was a creature the world of Arcana loved.

"Fine, you can keep them," Rowan replied. "Just make sure to use them properly."

"Dim!" Dim Dim nodded and resumed eating its pudding.

The party continued until late at night.

Since the Headmaster had already rented the inn, his guests and the successful candidates were free to use the rooms as their lodging.

As for him and his staff, they had their own rooms in the academy.

Still, Rowan offered to accommodate Ramza and his entourage in the guest rooms of the academy.

Ramza didn’t reject his old friend’s offer and bade Alex and his friends goodbye.

Lavinia hesitated a bit, but she still followed her grandfather and brother to the academy.

Efa and Elaine were also given their own rooms, so they didn’t need to look for another inn to stay for the night.

"Dim Dim, can we sleep together?" Elaine asked.

"Dim!" Dim Dim nodded.

Elaine was one of Alex’s first friends, so Dim Dim didn’t mind staying with her.

The young man didn’t mind either and only thought that Elaine wished to squish the Dim Sum God’s cheeks or treat it as a plush.

A sigh escaped Alex’s lips as he closed the door of his room.

He was quite tired from his recent adventure and wanted nothing more than to rest. However, he first decided to take a bath to wash away the dirt and grime on his body.

His broken left arm made it difficult for him to remove his clothes. Luckily, his clothing was loose and practical, so he didn’t have to struggle for long. The young man then made his way to the shower room.

Cold water fell on his head, making him shudder. However, it also brought relief, soothing the aches and soreness in his body.

As he was about to take the soap to wash himself, another hand reached out to grab it.

Alex’s eyes widened in shock when he realized that he wasn’t alone. But his main concern was that he hadn’t sensed anyone until now.

"Don’t worry, it’s me."

A familiar voice spoke behind Alex.

The young man was surprised because he made sure to lock the door of his room before he went to the bathroom.

But, Efa once told him that lockpicking was one of her specialties.

This trait was also boosted by her new Job Class, Shadow Scout, allowing her to infiltrate locations stealthily as long as it was dark.

"I know it’s difficult for you to wash yourself, so I have come to help you."

A pair of hands started to lather the soap on his back, scrubbing every nook and cranny.

These hands were rough, proof that their owner had spent a lot of time wielding weapons instead of taking care of them like any noble lady did.

They weren’t soft like those of a pampered girl, for they belonged to the hands of someone who risked her life as an Adventurer.

Alex didn’t know what to do, so he simply allowed Efa to wash his back without saying a word.

The young man wasn’t like those isekai protagonists who were dense to a stupid degree and couldn’t tell what others felt about them.

Efa would act playfully around him and didn’t mind touching his hand, hugging him, or giving him a kiss on the cheek.

At first, he had thought that this was just her way of showing her appreciation after he had saved her from the goblins.

But as time went by, he understood that the lady, who was three years older than him, didn’t see him as a child.

She was treating him as a man, and this action of hers confirmed it.