Chapter 32 : Chapter 32

Chapter 32 : Spell Books and Spell Slots

In the end, the commotion died down.

Ying Shiqian and the manager reached an agreement, and I, watching from the sidelines, got quite the eyeful.

So, in the end, it was all about recruiting someone, right?

The target was this year’s perfect-scoring genius.

Once I understood the core of it, everything else suddenly made sense.

So, this bakery was just a front, and its real business was selling “services” under the guise of red velvet cakes?

The cakes were the medium, the notes were the requirements, and the staff would confirm or fulfill those requirements in person.

Thinking about it, my role as a cashier really didn’t have any high requirements, since this wasn’t the main source of income.

Who would’ve thought a small bakery like this was running such a business?

Did that mean any unassuming shop in the academy could be doing something similar?

That was a bit too terrifying, wasn’t it?

Tang Yihan’s explanation was that it was about offering differentiated services and creating a unique brand.

According to her, the manager’s philosophy was to make red velvet cakes, the bakery’s signature, so people would associate them with the shop’s premium services.

With the manager and Ying Shiqian heading out, only Tang Yihan and I were left in the bakery.

Though there weren’t many customers, I diligently played my role as a staff member.

After all, the pay was pretty good.

“Xiao Han, want to try being a baking apprentice? I noticed you seemed interested in baking during your interview,” Tang Yihan said.

“Huh? Really?”

Her sudden question caught me off guard.

I had indeed considered it—learning a skill would be great.

But after officially starting, I realized all the cakes, cookies, and bread were made by Tang Yihan, leaving me with nothing to do.

She hadn’t shown any interest in teaching me before, and since I had no experience, I didn’t dare step in to help.

Now that she was offering, I wasn’t going to refuse.

“Of course. You can try. If you don’t have the talent, just give up,” she said.

“Yes! I definitely want to try!”

“Great.”

A slight, relaxed smile appeared on Tang Yihan’s lips.

“Since you want to learn baking, let’s start with the basics!”

“The basics? Like memorizing recipes?”

I eagerly followed her to the kitchen.

“No, no, no. Start with washing dishes!”

Tang Yihan turned and pointed to a pile of used tools—trays, molds, and all sorts of oddly shaped utensils.

“Huh?”

“These are all yours. Oh, right, I forgot—you’re a freshman and can’t use spells yet. So, wash them by hand for now. If you don’t finish, you can leave them, but make sure they’re clean. I don’t want greasy tools in my hands.”

Tang Yihan pushed me toward the sink, and I was still processing.

What happened to the easy job?

How did I suddenly become a manual laborer?

“Sorry, since Ying Shiqian’s gone, we’re short on hands. Just make do,” Tang Yihan said, with rare sincerity in her tone, making it hard for me to refuse.

“But… I don’t have much experience…”

“I’ll make it up to you with a raise!”

“Experience isn’t something you’re born with. I’m all for trying new things. I’ve done similar stuff before leaving the dishwashing to me!”

Hearing about a raise, my attitude flipped.

No manual labor was too tough if a raise was involved! If it was, just double it!

Tang Yihan was momentarily stunned by my turnaround but relieved to see my enthusiasm.

“Xiao Han, you’re so sensible. You’re way better than Ying Shiqian. Getting her to wash these is like asking for her life, and she knows cleaning spells but still won’t lift a finger.”

“Mm! Mm!”

I nodded eagerly, scrubbing even harder.

“Keep it up, Xiao Han. If you do well, I’ll ask the manager to get you a cleaning spell book.”

“Mm…”

I nodded instinctively but quickly caught myself.

“Wait, what’s a spell book?”

“What’s with spell books? Don’t know what they are? Oh, right, you’re a freshman, and school hasn’t started. Your teachers haven’t explained yet. A spell book is a tool that lets you use spells. Think of it that way.”

“Really? But my mental strength isn’t enough to manipulate magic power yet. Even with a spell book, I wouldn’t be able to use it, right?”

Plus, school was still a while away, and I didn’t know when my teachers would teach me to use spells.

Was she just dangling a carrot?

“You’re worried about that? Manipulating magic power with mental strength is tough. That’s not something a freshman can touch. Most Witch Academy students can’t do it in their first three years. Don’t overthink it.”

“But spell books are different. By the way, have you opened your personal data?”

“You mean the personal info generated after linking the student card to the phone?”

That was the only thing that came to mind.

Yup, that’s it. Your guide told you about that already?

I didn’t learn about it until my teacher explained it in class.

Anyway, it’s the data on your phone.

There’s something called a spell slot.

“Is there?”

I didn’t recall seeing it.

I pulled out my phone to check again—nope, nothing.

“No?”

Tang Yihan instinctively leaned over to help, but I pulled back slightly, not letting her see.

I remembered Bai Yu telling me not to show it to just anyone.

“Uh… sorry, that’s personal privacy. I shouldn’t look,” Tang Yihan apologized, realizing her mistake.

“If it’s not there, it’s probably because you haven’t encountered spell slots yet, so it doesn’t show.”

“What’s a spell slot? Does it have to do with spell books?”

I asked immediately.

“Of course. Once you use a spell book, your spell slot will display the corresponding spell and its description,” Tang Yihan explained.

“That sounds familiar,” I quipped, though my hands kept washing dishes.

“It’s weird, right? It’s like those low-budget games out there. Get a skill book, bam, and the skill appears in your skill slot.”

“Apparently, those games came after spell books. Rumor has it, a lot of games borrowed their mechanics from spell books.”

Hearing Tang Yihan say this, I was floored.

I’d thought it sounded like a game, but was it the other way around?

Games were inspired by the supernatural?

An unexpected twist.

“So… as long as I have a spell book, I can bypass the mental strength requirement for

manipulate magic power and use spells directly?”

“Pretty much.”

“Alright.”