Witch's Embrace

Thinking about this, Hawthorne suddenly felt a bit troubled.

In the game, there were mainly two ways to make money in the early stages. The first was through gold-generating buildings in the convent, like a sewing shop, to produce and sell items like clothes for gold coins.

However, relying solely on this method required a nun to work there continuously, and the income was very slow, not really solving the problem.

It was necessary to reach level two and build gold-generating setups like a blacksmith shop and trade stations that could handle large orders to see any real improvement.

But that goal was undoubtedly distant and unreliable at the moment.

The other method was to undertake bounty missions from the administrative halls in each district and then go out to fight monsters and level up.

But this path...

Hawthorne knew many early-stage shortcuts and strategies, but they were designed for player characters. For instance, sacrificing some attribute points to level up quickly, like starting as a level 3 Warlock, immediately learning the second-level spell Aganazzar's Scorcher, taking on goblin-clearing tasks, then heading to the mountain in the northwest Rubble Zone to exploit terrain and wipe out all goblins with a single blast.

In the end, you might even rush inside and not only gather a heap of treasures but also save a talented and powerful yet trapped beautiful Female Knight from a goblin ambush...

Ahem!

But that was the path for the game's protagonist, which he couldn't take. Currently, his attributes, while having slightly higher charisma, were overall lower than the lowest starting player character attributes.

Moreover, he's only level 1 and, apart from the first-level, non-combat spell Create/Destroy Water, he doesn't know anything else.

Even with Heidi's help, he didn't dare venture into the Rubble Zone now; this was the real world, and enemies wouldn't just stay in one place waiting for him. If they went up the mountain only to fall into a Goblin trap, or encountered Centaurs, Minotaurs, or similar creatures on a rampage, they would have no place to cry.

With only one life, Hawthorne didn't plan to take such risks without absolute certainty.

But because of that, the money issue remained a heavy burden on his shoulders.

Alas, in any world, even a single coin can trouble a hero...

Actually, as an eroge, there was a third way to make money in the game, which was even the right path, as it unlocked the most CGs.

However, having studied all sorts of strategies and even pulled all-nighters just to complete the game with pure love, Hawthorne was even less likely to choose this money-making path.

Forget it, I won't think about it. The money problem can be dealt with later. Right now, I should understand these two books at hand.

Shaking his head to clear away those troublesome thoughts, Hawthorne opened the "Introduction to Quantitative Analysis" to get a glimpse of the specific content of the Grimoire.

Heidi leaned in as well, seemingly intent on reading alongside him. At that moment, the witch by his side with her delicate fragrance filled his senses, stirring a fire within him.

However, this time, he forcefully suppressed the urge to turn and pin Heidi down using sheer willpower. With a troubled expression, he said, "Thank you, Heidi, but when I'm studying, it's better if you give me some space."

"I always feel that if you stay here, I might lose control again and spend all my time on, uh... the fun we have together..."

He seemed somewhat embarrassed and guilty, asking her to leave right after she brought him the books. Reflecting on it, he thought this behavior felt a bit like a scoundrel...

Fortunately, Heidi didn't seem to mind. She lowered her head and gave him a light kiss on the lips, then said, "Mm, I will wait by the door. Whenever you need anything, just call me, and I will immediately come in to attend to you."

With that, she turned and gracefully walked out. Hawthorne watched her leave and couldn't help but reflect: is this what having a personal maid in high society feels like?

Being just an ordinary guy, it was hard for him to truly adjust...

Setting aside these thoughts, Hawthorne refocused on the Grimoire, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Among the five major colleges of Straylight University, the College of Quantitative Analysis focuses on mathematics, using mathematical knowledge and computational skills to cast certain spells.

As everyone knows, the average mathematical ability of Westerners...

Pfft.

Talking about math just makes me laugh.jpg

Though Hawthorne wasn't a specialized mathematical theorist, he was at least a competitive student back in his previous life, an "East Asian exam machine." To him, those math problems made by foreigners didn't seem difficult at all!

Ha, then, now, let's start solving problems!

With enthusiastic ambition, he turned open the "Introduction to Quantitative Analysis" and began immersing himself in deep study and research...

Meanwhile, after leaving the room, Heidi wandered through the convent lined with sycamore trees, her expression showing a bit of worry.

Master's study of magic will inevitably require a large amount of money. So, how can she quickly get the money?

Before now, she hadn't had any real experience in making money, since her existence hardly needed financial support: she fed on the souls of humans, so when she felt hungry, she would just grab some unfortunate soul from the slums, and that would suffice for a long time—buying food was unnecessary.

And as for this convent, it was acquired through efforts by the strongest Fate Witch, Selene; Heidi hadn't contributed much financially in that regard.

The money used to buy Grimoires for Hawthorne came from incidental gains over the years—such as capturing people with a lot of cash on them—and she thought it might be useful in the future, so she saved it up gradually.

She had always lived like this, and now, suddenly trying to find ways to make money, she was at a loss.

What would be the quickest way to get money?

Hmm, there seem to be a few more gangs that have sprung up in the slums of the South Harbor District recently, likely small-time thugs from other areas banding together into new factions.

These gangs should have some money?

Maybe she could kill them all, take their money, and disguise it as a gang clash?

Ugh, the issue is that too many deaths at once might cause too much commotion. Being scolded by her sisters would be manageable, she could brush that off, but if it really draws the attention of the Black Staff Tower, then Master might genuinely be in danger...

She fell into a troubled contemplation, and just then, a gentle female voice suddenly came from behind her: "What are you thinking about that's making you look so worried, Heidi?"

Hearing this, Heidi turned and saw a slender, graceful nun with a black Nun Robe, exquisite features, and black hair and eyes, standing behind her, smiling at her.

It was another powerful witch from the convent, the Memory Witch, Die.