16

"No that's Reflect! protect is supposed to be drawn like this." after a nice night with Athena I rested a few hours before heading to see Paglio. now learning the dragon langue I realize I am picking it up pretty quick but I don't have a cheat to perfectly memorize the langue and need to study as much as I can to learn it all.

"So it's like this?" drawing with my finger in the dirt I realize just how goofy we look. two grown men squatting in a clearing drawing in the dirt. "hahaha." Paglio gives me an odd look.

"I knew all that power would drive you crazy you finally lost it! you should have freed me before you lost it!" he has a look of indignation so I begin explaining.

"Look at us we look like idiots if someone saw us like this. who would guess you're teaching me one of the most complicated magic langue? most would think were idiots playing in the dirt." he looks around before snorting.

"Yea well those idiots can come to try to walk over and get blown up by all the explosion runes you drew trying to get illusion right." sweating a bit at that I nod before realizing something.

"Wait those are armed? I didn't put any power into them."

"Oh, yea they are even if it's only a bit they still contain the natural dragon aura that you obtained from the contract. there armed and from how many there are it would probably blow a higher demon to death." oh snap this langue is more powerful than I gave it credit for.

"Alright, let's stop here for now I need to get some rest you interrupted my beauty sleep."

"Well forgive me for trying to learn faster so we can free you sooner." he stretches and I remember that I can still work on some designs for the casino and also some blueprints for the moonshine still. "Alright Paglio I guess I will see you later if I get time." he waves as I port back home and grab my sketchbook and get back to work. including in some dragon langue for things like cooling and heating it's looking better and better I just need to find some books on smithing and crafting and I can get this stuff started. I don't trust any blacksmith and I don't want people to know I can clean the crystals off of ore yet.

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"And so the upcoming sky battle I am going to need you to help me win." Alice explains her grand plan to stomp on joseph in the next sky battle and win a lot of funds. she gained a lot of money from winning her bet that Aldas would win in the potion master coemption and now she wants to repeat it and gets a huge fortune.

"How did the competition end?"

"The challenger melted and not even bones were left. he said something like ' no way a mediocre potioneer like you can make something to compete with me. ' then he drank it and before he could even touch his antidote he became a pool of goop." laughing a bit at another young master slipping from the world.

"Ok just be prepared for Joseph to play some tricks. I want to kick Alan off his mount and watch him fall anyway." Alice shakes her head.

"You can't leave your mount or interfere with your magic or throw things it's a challenge of who's the better rider not who's stronger." feeling a bit disappointed I still agree. "good it's in a few days and we need to win to show we are better than those from red spirit estate." if I remember correctly it should happen quite a bit later. that is a bit worrying if that's the case I need to get to town Leia soon or I might miss the event to meet Catherine. it's also the same event to meet Delia for the first time I can't miss it or things will be more challenging on that front.

"Alright here take this when it's time to start put some blood on it and I will be summoned. not immediately but I will try to get there fast." Handing her one of my summoning contracts is pretty much the same thing that summoned Rias to Issei when he was dying.

"Blood? do I have to?" she has tears in her eyes when she looks back at me.

"Or someone else's blood." she cheers up at not having to cut herself to get me to show up. " Hey, Alice do you have any books on smithing or crafting?" at the word book she visibly flinches and pats her chest to calm down.

"No, but I know we have some in the palace do you want to get them now? I was headed back to eat with my sister she cleared up some of her schedule to eat with me!." she looks excited to spend time with her sister.

"Sure let's head there now and then I will get out of your hair." walking to the upstairs where no one is currently I grab her hand and teleport to the room in the palace with the magic circle.

"Wow! what was that?" stars appear in her eyes and I realize my laziness probably just screwed me.

"Uh, it's my ability. can you not tell anyone?" she puts a hand on her chest.

"Of course I Alice Lucifer swear to never share your secrets. who do you take me for I am still a princess, not some blabber mouth." that works in the demon world you can't break a vow of that kind without severely damaging yourself. "But still that was fun we should use it to go to the blue lake to get more jade dragon fruits." that's a good idea I should buy the garden and see if I can put those in it.

"Maybe next time you have to eat with your sister where are those books." she leads me out of the room and through the halls. turning a corner we bump into Shea. She seems a bit surprised seeing us together before asking what we are doing.

"Nova needs books on crafting." the sisters both mutually wince at the mention of books.

"Alright I will walk with you then we can eat together." Shea then begins to lead us and we arrive at a library she pulls out eight different books on all the crafting knowledge they keep here. "here Nova when you are done just put them back. let's go, Alice, I need to meet with some candidates today so we don't have much time." they walk off and I grab the books and take a seat and begin to read.

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[ congratulations on meeting the requirement! Read a book! ]

[ Trait unlocked - Astaroth - Devils Mind ]

A Zap and my head feel like it was split open and I black out.

"What the heck." waking up I look around and it seems not that much time has passed or if someone saw me they thought it was just sleeping. but to get a trait for something that simple? I have read multiple reports and files with Shea. did it have to be a book? how many more traits am I missing out on with such simple unlock conditions?

I haven't gotten any new circles or knowledge about how to use it, is it passive like Balam? opening the next book on smithing I begin reading and as I start to read the page appears in my mind looking away from the book I can still see it. closing my eyes and focusing it goes away reopening my eyes I begin to flip through the book and by the end I close my eyes again. trying to think about page two hundred and ten it appears. then thinking about different techniques on how to forge swords I see multiple pages appear, so that's how it works.

It allows me to recall anything I have learned as if my brain was google. but as things are I have to upload all the data because its database is empty. if this is how it worked in DxD then I don't understand how Diodora could be such a dumbass. the nun pussy got him acting up a dang fool. with this I can power through these books then when I need the knowledge I can just look it up. it will also help me memorize the dragon langue because when I want to write reflect I can see a perfect copy of it to copy. Astaroth is super useful for learning and remembering but in combat, it might just slow me down to try to google something. need to visit Paglio and learn all the dragon langue and then practice fighting and using it from memory.

Quickly flipping through the books I finish them and put them back. finding old Gauss was pretty easy he was helping organize the applicants to replace the mayor of yankou.

"Hey, Gauss can you help me get a full smithy and crafting station built in the building silva had?" He looks up at me and then nods

"Sure are you learning one of the three crafts? I can get the specific tools."

"I am going to do a little of it all. metal working, leather working, and accessories." he shakes his head.

"Of course you are, I can get the equipment but you will need to get the ore and other materials for crafting."

"Ok that works just have them set it up in the backyard of the building I appreciate it!" he waves me off and I head to bug Paglio.

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"Hey weren't you having trouble with this one earlier." the gruff dragon asks.

"I was but after you just showed them all to me again I feel like I understand it better now." smiling like nothing is wrong. he just glares before huffing.

"You must have eaten some super medicine and now can learn faster or something with your luck. now that you know all I know you on your own in that field I can't teach you more you would have to find Zola to learn more. that mad woman would probably cut you open though if I am being honest."

"Shouldn't you try to convince me to find her faster instead of scaring me away from her?" he laughs

"We share a life now so why would I send you to your death? it's better to get stronger to where you can force her to help us." seems the scars she has left on him run deep.

"Ok let's fight I need to practice some of this dragon script." jumping up and instantly trying to bully me I backpedal and begin to cast dragon script to teleport him over the pond. he smashes through it and knees me in the gut, stumbling back and trying again he presses harder.

"Going to have to be faster if you want that to work!" realizing he is right I shift into Bune dragon mode and quickly cast again and it flows from me almost like I have done it countless times. his eyes go wide as he disappears and I hear a splash.

"haha how was that?" he rises from the water in his dragon form and sends a wave of water at me with his tail. "oh crap." running back I start casting a barrier but I don't make it in time and get soaked.

"haha got you!" For the next few hours, I delve into using dragon script and calling on the knowledge of it till its second nature.

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"You have gotten pretty good at it, maybe a bit rough on the edges but most would assume your a real dragon with the way you move and cast so fast. you need more experience though instead of casting a barrier you could of used reflect then to get a counterattack in." nodding I agree with him, he is much more battle experienced than I am.

"Alright Paglio I am heading back I need to get some sleep and tomorrow I am going to start crafting if all my equipment was delivered." waving me off I wave back and teleport home to get some much-needed rest.