"Cats are unique creatures that are unpredictable and never end up playing as you expect them to."
The classes conducted by the Monster Studies Senior Professor Flubin were very popular. The materials you learned were both plentiful and useful, so there was quite a bit to learn. Plus, he was very generous when it came to grades. Because of that, every semester—without fail—his classroom had a long line of students waiting to take his class.
"When you try to get closer to them by petting them, they will act stubborn—like they don't have the time to be messing with you. However, if you act like you're not the slightest interested in them they will come up next to you and play… It's ridiculous that they will only treat you like their master when they feel the need to."
His appearance was rather like a dandy's, with moderately long hair and a clean-shaven chin. There was a reason he was so popular with the female students.
While conducting classes, if he noticed that the atmosphere was rather down, he would come up with a story to tell the class and raise the atmosphere. In of itself, that was a skill that showed just how experienced he really was.
"In the first place, that's just the type of species cats are. So, if you want to handle them as you wish, the most important thing is to get their attention. Amongst you students there must be some of you that want to properly create a contract with a cat or even a magical creature… If you come across any cats or other animals, you should try giving it a shot. Rather than trying to be friendly and gain their favor, try to stop paying attention to them and take a stance that anything is fine… Surprisingly, they will try and come up to you first. I guess you could say it's even harder than dating."
The students started to laugh and clap their hands at that comment. The atmosphere seemed to have been raised in its own way.
"Surprisingly, within this monster ecology course there are many examples related to cats and other creatures… Let me give you an example…"
With all of the students concentrating, the rest of the lecture passed quickly. As expected, there was no one that could compete against Professor Flubin when it came to teaching the monster ecology course.
Anyway, I had completely caught up in terms of my course curriculum, so I was studying ahead of the regular course curriculum.
My grades, which were originally stuck in the lower ranks, had risen quite a bit. As long as I could raise my writing courses a bit more, there wouldn't be many students that would rank higher than me.
But I couldn't let my guard down. If I didn't have a sufficient basis in terms of my writing grades, I wouldn't be able to get good grades in practical either. That was why I concentrated on everything during Professor Flubin's lectures.
"…I'll end today's class here. In the next lecture, we will consider the differences in ecology between a gremlin and an ogre. As for the related materials, please bring the third book on monster ecology theory… You can either borrow it from the student library or buy a copy of it for yourself, either is fine with me."
As I was fully concentrating, I didn't even realize the speed in which the class had already come to an end. However, before the class ended Professor Flubin added one more thing.
"Ah, that's right. Ed, can you come to my lab once the lecture finishes?"
I've never had a good experience being personally called on by a professor. I had a bad feeling, so I was going to ask the reason first, but Professor Flubin ended up answering.
"A notice came from the academy, so there's something I needed to ask you in relation to the academy's scholarship program."
It ended up being news that I was rather glad to hear.
* * *
"Are you familiar with the academy's scholarship program? Besides Anise and Leon, there are about ten other second year students that are a part of it."
"I believe it is a program that will reduce a certain amount of your tuition fee in exchange for contributing to the academy's workload in some way."
"Yes, that's correct. You are already well informed."
Unlike his easy-going and dandy appearance, Professor Flubin was unexpectedly respectful to the students. He even chose to speak formally, regardless of who he was talking to.
Thanks to that attitude of his, he had an image that everything he did was clean and neat. But looking around his laboratory, it was a complete mess. Barely anything was organized, so I started to think that wasn't the case. Anyway, he was a person whose appearance and attitude didn't match.
I couldn't tell if he was a quiet and calm person, or someone who was easy-going and free-spirited. Just looking at him, I felt like it wouldn't be surprising for him to speak informally to me.
"Recently, there have been some financial issues with the academy. Right now, it's not particularly urgent, but… we are quite short in terms of manpower. I was thinking of recommending you, since they are planning to recruit more students for the scholarship program. It also seems like something you might be interested in."
"I am fine with doing anything if it means the burden of my tuition fee can be lessened."
"I see. Then I will recommend it to you. Right now, since we are lacking in manpower, everything is quite busy. Once all of the urgent issues have been handled, things will become a lot easier. Since we can't replace any of the previously picked scholarship students, if you take care of a few errands then you can still receive a decent benefit to your tuition instead."
For one semester or so, I could pay the tuition off from my transaction with Lortel. However, it wasn't a long-term solution.
Hearing the story, it seemed that the sale of the Sage's Seal had been carried out as planned. If that was the case, the question about what Elte Company would do with the Seal now that it was in their hands remained.
I was going to have to figure out how to take care of that right away… They wouldn't sell it to Krepin within a day or two, so I still had some time. It seemed like there was another reason to go and visit Lortel again.
"Anyway, this is an opportunity for you, Ed."
The supply and demand of manpower was not always able to meet the required workload.
Even when they were fully staffed, there was no way that they would be able to easily and safely manage academy operations during the busiest period.
That was why Professor Flubin was encouraging me to take the opportunity now and to take advantage of the tuition benefits as much as possible.
Even though it might not seem like it… He was a professor that kept track of every student's personal situation and did his best to help them out.
"Is there not enough manpower within the academy these days?"
"That's not particularly an area that a student should be worrying about… But either way, there does seem to be a pretty big vacancy."
Hearing him say that, it seems the large vacancy would be coming from Professor Glast, as expected.
It might have seemed like he was only concentrating on his research of Celestial Studies, but in fact he was a senior professor that made sure to never neglect his duties… From research, education, and even academic administrative work, only a few people like him were able to do it all on their own.
"Right now, Assistant Professor Cleoh is taking over his duties as a substitute, but… in the first place, an entry-level professor with a short career wouldn't be able to completely take over Professor Glast's position. The academy has been trying to give some of the other veteran professors part of her work, and they are also assigning many assistants to her out of consideration."
Professor Flubin reached out his hand towards a corner in the room, where a steel cage had slowly opened.
Inside it was a grayish-brown snake that had crawled out, its tongue hanging out as it climbed up Professor Flubin's arm. My eyebrows furrowed a bit, but I didn't express any complaints. After all, he was a monster ecology professor, so there shouldn't have been a reason for him to be unable to control a snake like that.
"Assistant Professor Cleoh must be going through a lot right now. But the assistants she has in charge of helping her are quite capable, so that should relieve her workload a bit."
"Does that mean I will also be one of Assistant Professor Cleoh's assistants?"
"A student that receives a scholarship is a bit different than a regular assistant. In particular, you won't belong to a certain professor's laboratory… Anyway, it's easier to think of it as being similar to outsourcing to help the academy with their work."
"What kind of work will I have to do, specifically?"
"Of course, you will mostly be doing things related to the academy's work. Naturally, to not negatively affect the students' personal studies, none of the work being requested will be too intense… In my case, I sometimes ask them for help with paperwork or assistance in a field survey."
Professor Flubin lifted the snake, its tongue hanging out as he checked around it to see if it had any health-related issues.
"Since Assistant Professor Cleoh ended up taking over all of Professor Glast's work… Well, I guess first off, once end-of-semester evaluations are completed, she will also be responsible for making the conference's agenda for the break… Also, before the break ends she will have to be in charge of the incoming student's class assignment examination. Though, usually the other professor also helps with that."
"Is that so?"
"That's right. So, for the time being you can help out with things like that. You will be in charge of doing operational work, which will not negatively affect your studies. If you happen to run into one of the incoming students, please don't discipline them. These days people are quite sensitive to that. Also, there are many important people in that year."
I shook my head, agreeing that I definitely would not. After all, I had no intention of making contact with any of the other students more than necessary.
Well, since I was in Silvenia, I also had a desire to make all sorts of valuable personal connections, but… I wondered if I even had the mental strength to focus on making those connections at the moment.
Taylee was already completely on the right track. The start of it all was a bit nerve-wracking, but unless another problem occurred, Taylee's growth would almost be as high as an exponential function graph.
The problem was that it was hard to gain that elasticity. However, thanks to having a protagonist's growth trend, once he started to pick up momentum he wouldn't be able to stop growing even if he wanted to. In fact, that was also the case during the Glast Subjugation. Despite numerous unexpected events taking place, everything was eventually completed just like the original story.
Pretty soon, his Swordmaster's Skill would be fully complete. Then he would become a proper Swordmaster and start to distinguish himself amongst everyone else.
I started to wonder if I could finally worry about other things besides him… But suddenly, I started to feel a sense of anxiety creeping up on me again. There was nothing wrong with taking care of everything thoroughly.
"There are a lot of things we need to be careful about, especially when it comes to the incoming first years. More than anything… They are saying that a saint from the Telos Religious Group is going to enter the academy."
Professor Flubin let out a deep sigh.
There was bound to always be one student in each grade that would gather the most attention. That was different from their individual strengths.
Within the current first years, it was Princess Penia of the Kroel Empire that had gathered the spotlight. And next year's first year that will do the same was Clarice, from the Telos Religious Group.
The person that takes up the final seat as one of the four heroines in
"In fact, all of the attention has been gathered on the saint that will be entering next year, but aside from her there are all sorts of other interesting incoming first years. Ed, since you are also somewhat affiliated with the academy now… it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to check them out, right?"
After saying that, Professor Flubin grabbed a document and began to quickly skim through it. No matter how much they tried to keep it within the academy's faculty, it seemed that already information regarding the incoming freshman had been leaked out.
I supposed that, from the academy's point of view, they would start to feel some sort of pressure. In addition to last year's, this year's incoming first years… It was a generation where there was an extreme number of students with a natural-born talent, or those that came from an honored bloodline. The more that became the case, the more the academy's burden grew heavier.
"But when will you, as their upperclassmen, have the opportunity to stand in front of all these brilliant talents? The only son of the commander in charge of the Northern Border Corps, the descendant of the disaster alchemist, or even one from the most powerful houses in the continent…"
After saying that, Professor Flubin suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
It looked like he was worried that he was talking too comfortably in front of a student such as myself. He ended up slipping up, despite how an intellectual professor should have behaved.
I guess he thought it might be a sensitive subject for me, since I was excommunicated from that family, after all.
I glanced up and looked at the report Professor Flub had received. Sure enough, it was exactly what I had expected.
There was no reason for a professor to feel self-conscious about what he said to a student, but… Still, it wasn't like their words wouldn't hurt a student.
Seeing him being considerate of my position of being someone that had been excommunicated by my family and forced to live on the streets, I could tell for certain that he had a good heart.
"It's okay, Professor."
The picture imprinted with magic was an image of a single girl. She had plentiful blond hair that wrapped around her upper body, almost like folded wings.
Along with her sharp eyes, her distant facial features resembled someone else exactly. You could tell her grace was suited to a duke's daughter… but I couldn't lie and say that she left a good impression.
-x-X-x-
Leaves flew up with every step she took.
Partially floating, before she realized it she was already halfway up the mountain.
Sitting on top of a random needleleaf tree, she looked down at the mountain. The forest used to be full of colors, but now it was rather dull.
The late autumn leaves started to disappear, one by one, as the mountain prepared for the next season.
The girl looked up at the sky with a blank expression on her face.
After sniffing through her nose and breathing in deeply, she found that the stickiness of the humidity stuck to her lungs.
"It's going to rain."
Quietly, she kept repeating the words to herself. Compared to her normal voice, it felt much younger and clearer.
Since the girl was quick-witted, she recognized it the moment she heard her voice.
Ah, this is just a dream.
Looking down at the clothes she was wearing, it wasn't the school's uniform that she would usually wear. Instead, it was an old blouse that she had worn while she would walk through the mountain in the past.
The scenery in front of her wasn't Acken Island.
Instead, it was the Lamelin Mountain Range, which was located in the northern part of the Empire. The place she had spent her childhood. Looking through the gaps of the tree's spread branches, she could see an old cabin.
Why was she dreaming of her childhood now, of all times?
She wasn't a girl that was thoughtful enough to analyze such things. However, while she was dreaming, she wanted to reminisce on her good memories.
What came to mind was the owner of that cabin, right in her field of view.
He had a shaggy beard, his face full of wrinkles. His waist was also slightly bent, but he was an upright person with a strong will.
A self-proclaimed scholar but also a first-rate magician. Normally, he would be chopping firewood, reading books while sitting in his armchair, or playing an instrument while blankly staring at the fireplace.
Everything she remembered about what he did wasn't all that memorable.
By the time the girl was even born, he was an archmage that had reached the autumn years of his life. Just what kind of life he had lived was completely unknown to the girl.
While I'm dreaming, I should get a look at the old man's face.
That was what that girl thought as she gently put some strength into her legs, kicking off from the tree.
The sound of the wind cutting through the sky and the edge of her blouse flapping about was ringing in her ears.
The girl, who had quickly flown over to the front of the cabin as if it were second nature to her, stopped and landed.
Seeing that same old cabin from her memory, it felt as if she had just returned to her hometown.
Looking through the window on one side of the cabin, she could see a shadow rocking back and forth. It wasn't difficult to picture the back of that old man sitting in his chair, waiting for the girl in front of the warm fireplace.
Excited, the girl quickly walked up to the cabin. Unlike her usual self, her heart was beating with excitement.
Drip, Drip Drip.
But there was a fact that the girl had forgotten about. The humid air touched her chest, wetting her heart. As if paying back what had been foreshadowed before, soon the rain started to pour down.
"..."
The rain quickly became worse as the girl got wet. Because she had gotten wet, her clothes began to stick to her skin. Even a few strands of her hair stuck to her cheeks, as if to show its presence.
Looking up at the pouring rain for a moment, the girl turned to the cabin again and swallowed her breath.
Just then, the cozy light of the cabin had shut off. The campfire that she had seen through the window had disappeared in just a few seconds.
The eaves were covered in cobwebs and the once clean doorknob was covered in dust.
Ah, this is a nightmare.
Even though she realized that fact, she couldn't help but move her body.
Quickly opening the door and looking inside of the cabin… Just like always, there was still someone sitting in the chair.
A dark interior. In the humid air, the old man turned his head, little by little.
It was a skeleton without any flesh. It snapped its teeth at the girl.
As if time had passed, the bones had already crumbled and a centipede crawled through the hole where his eyeball should have been.
It kept snapping its teeth as it whispered to the girl. Why didn't you save me? Even though you had the opportunity, why did you act like you didn't know me?
There was no change in the girl's expression. As usual, she stared back blankly at the skull.
The skeleton cast a curse on the girl.
Don't think the things around you will last forever. One day, just like me, you will be crushed to death by the waves of time. There will be a day where you will die alone, and that loss will come and find you without any warning. Just as you already know.
After saying that, his teeth stopped chattering and he left a creepy smile, enough to cause goosebumps to raise on one's skin.
Still, the girl didn't move one inch. The skeleton gradually turned to powder, disappearing.
The entire skeleton had lost its shape. Only the clothes it wore remained, falling onto the chair.
Flick!
Lucy opened her eyes and sat up.
"..."
She was in room 204 in a previously abandoned building.
The academy was still working hard to restore Ophelis Hall, but it seemed that the soonest the students could live there again would be next semester.
Until then, the abandoned building that was used in the past was decorated as luxuriously as possible and was being used. Still, it couldn't be as luxurious as Ophelis Hall before it was destroyed.
Since the situation couldn't be helped, most students didn't have a choice but to accept that fact.
Still, the amazing skill set of the Ophelis Hall Maid's stuck with them. So, besides the fact that the building wasn't all that great, it was generally still tolerable for them.
Lucy wiped her cold sweat as she kicked off the blankets and stood up. Right after she opened up the window, the refreshing early morning air dried her cold sweat.
She could see the outskirts of the commercial district and the entrance to the education district.
The curfew of the dormitory had just passed. It was still late at night, but Lucy quickly put on her witch hat and jumped out of the window without taking off the frilly pajamas that the maids forced her to wear.
There was a massive amount of magic power around her body. In an instant, she cast an advanced Spatial-Type Magic.
She didn't know why, but she wanted to go straight to the northern forest. In an instant, she reached the northern forest and landed right in front of that old cabin.
"..."
She swallowed her breath as she took a look inside. Right in front of a flickering fireplace, she saw Ed Rothstaylor on a crude bed, covered in a shabby blanket as he slept.
She didn't know why, but she let out a sigh of relief. Lucy then sat, leaning against the outer wall of the cabin.
Where she was, she was able to see the entirety of the camp. Lucy, who had taken her naps in all sorts of different spots, could immediately see that the camp was slowly losing its life.
The amount of firewood that was being saved wasn't increasing. The same could be said of the food. One of the workbenches legs was broken, but still hadn't been repaired. It had been a long time since the smoker had last been used, and all the traps that should have been set up throughout the forest were just being displayed in the camp.
Now, even the owner of this camp… he was preparing to say goodbye to it.
Strictly speaking, it had nothing to do with Lucy. And yet, she still felt a bit empty as she sat alone with her legs crossed, looking up at the sky.
The gloomy sky looked down on Lucy.
"It's going to rain."
There was no one around to respond to that relaxed comment of hers.
* * *
[ Magic Skills Details
Grade: Proficient Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
܀ Fast Casting Lvl 9
܀ Mana Sense Lvl 9
Fire Element Magic:
܀ Ignite Lvl 15
Wind Element Magic:
܀ Wind Blade Lvl 14
Spirit-type Magic:
Spiritual Resonance Lvl 13
Spiritual Understanding Lvl 13
Spirit Manifestation Lvl 3
Sense Sharing Lvl 3
Resonance Level: 3
Spiritual Efficiency: Good
Innate Skills:
܀ Blessing of Fire Fortune (Temporary Immunity to Fire)
܀ Explosion (Low-level Explosion)
܀ Increased Ability of Fire-Type Magic
"You'll soon be able to make a contract with a mid-ranking spirit, Ed. Merilda said she wants to make a contract with you quickly. And at this rate, that could actually happen."
The days had gotten a lot colder.
The final evaluations for the end of the second semester were about to start, as well. I had already applied for the academy's scholarship student program, but since I still wanted to receive a scholarship for my grades, I wanted to spend even more time focusing on my studies.
With that being the case, I couldn't get lazy and not put any effort into studying other fields. In the end, the importance of managing my time had come up once again. Luckily for me, I had a really good teacher that excelled in the area of spiritual studies.
"Ed, your growth is really amazing. Your spiritual resonance level is already above that of an average beginner Elementalist, and your mana resonance level—which is the basis of it all—is also quite high."
In front of the crackling fireplace, I sat on a tree stump practicing Elementalism.
Being coached properly by Yennekar, I repeatedly practiced manifesting a spirit and sense sharing with Mugg until I had become completely proficient.
A skilled spiritualist could share all five senses with a spirit, but there really wasn't a practical need to ever go that far… They said that it was more efficient to only train the most important of the senses to share: vision.
Sense Sharing wasn't very efficient in terms of mana, and if you maintained it past a set amount of time, the efficiency dropped tremendously. Even Yennekar didn't use it unless it was really necessary… So, it sort of felt like a waste to practice.
Even so, I needed to get used to everything that I could.
[It's worthwhile to constantly implement spiritual magic into various objects to gain experience, young master Ed.]
Mugg sat on Yennekar's shoulder, fluttering around. She didn't look like she was completely happy, though. It seemed as if she was hesitant, as if something was bothering her.
"Uh… Lucy… Did I do something wrong…?"
Yennekar still had her bright smile like always, but… there was no way she wouldn't be bothered in that situation.
I had no idea just what was wrong with the girl, but Lucy had been sticking next to me and staring daggers at every person who came close since that morning.
Normally, Lucy wouldn't move unless the sun was high in the sky or if she got hungry. But today, for some reason she came and sat down in a corner of my camp in the early morning.
Normally, the maids of Ophelis Hall clenched their teeth trying to maintain her neat appearance. However, today she was wearing a light frill dress that looked like pajamas. It was as if she had escaped from the dormitory early in the morning.
I guess there were certainly those days in your life where you suddenly became diligent for no particular reason. It seemed like Lucy, who had a good fate, had those types of days once or twice a year.
Not thinking too hard about that, I was planning on doing the work I needed to get done. However, she had suddenly grabbed my collar and started to follow me around.
"…What is it?"
"..."
Looking at me like she had something to say, she maintained that dazed look, as if she had taken a vow of silence. That also meant she wouldn't let go of my collar.
It would be sort of strange to grit my teeth and try and shake her off, so I just ignored her and went about my morning.
Since it was a long-awaited weekend, I decided to spend it training early in the morning.
Now that the foundations to master intermediate magic had been prepared, I spent the morning carefully reading over books related to intermediate magic and the process of moving magic power around.
Meanwhile, Lucy had laid her stomach on my lap, kicking her feet in the air like she was in the middle of some type of protest. Surprisingly, she didn't fall over.
When I went to have an early lunch, she climbed on my back. After that, I went to go practice Elementalism by myself, sitting on a tree stump nearby, and she sat right behind me and leaned against my back while looking blankly at the sky.
Even without having to deal with all of that, I was already busy on the weekends.
After all, with my academy schedule, I had more free time on the weekends than the weekdays. All the work that I had put off doing over the week, I had to take care of over the weekend.
She didn't show up at all when I had time after classes or during my breaks… but all of a sudden, when I had a lot of work to take care of and I was pressed on time, she was sticking right next to me like that. I started to wonder if it was just her own strange way of making fun of me.
Then, when someone else would appear, she would suddenly change her appearance and stand up.
When Ziggs had come by on his jog, she made a strange noise at him so that he wouldn't come any closer…
Though, when Bell Maya came up holding her neat uniform and accessories to change Lucy's clothes, she had unexpectedly obediently listened to her.
Thinking that the girl might have eaten something bad, I put my hand to her forehead to check her temperature. It wasn't hot. Actually, it was rather cold.
"I-If I did something wrong, I apologize… Hm…?"
Being in that strange state even past lunch, when Yennekar had come to visit to help me train in Elementalism, Lucy had been even more on edge.
With a cold sweat, she stood up to block Yennekar from approaching any closer… If you asked her why, she would just shake her head.
She looked at Yennekar as if, should she get within a few meters of me, she would bite her. It was impossible to know just what in the world the girl wanted.
It had already been a few days since Lucy started acting hostile towards Yennekar, which was completely unfair.
Naturally, if you were to be treated like that it would only make sense to get angry, but Yennekar's nature was kind. Seeing Lucy act so oddly out of the norm, she had no idea what to do.
"She really must have eaten something bad. She's a fickle kid, so I'm sure she'll get rid of that hostility soon enough."
I really had nothing else to say besides that.
Lucy, who had now stuck to my back like a cicada, kept on staring a hole straight through Yennekar.
Seeing her wave her arms in the air as if she was telling her to go away, it was just like a little kid trying to stop someone else from stealing their toys.
Yennekar tilted her head a few times with an uneasy expression and let out a sigh soon after before leaving the camp.
* * *
The intermediate fire magic Point Explosion.
It is an intermediate magic that comes from the spell Ignite, which concentrates and grabs a hold of magic power within your field of view and casts small explosions.
The firepower and scale of it is proportional to the amount of magic power, so there are even occasions where it can burn the user. There are also times where archmages can bring down an entire building with this magic.
Compared to the spell Ignite, it might seem like a much smaller spell. However, it isn't considered intermediate magic for no reason. The advantage of Point Explosion comes from its overwhelming versatility.
It is easy to deal with Ignite because it takes a long time to cast, and you can clearly see the flames that spread from it.
However, Point Explosion generates a flame at a certain target point in an instant. The level of impact it has is overwhelming, and if you can't quickly grasp the flow of magic power, you won't have enough time to defend yourself. You can be hit in an instant with it.
"I guess I can't acquire the basics in just one day's time… I can definitely feel the increased difficulty of learning intermediate magic."
As my body had very little talent in terms of magic, it was going to take quite a while to learn intermediate magic. I prepared for it to some extent during Elemental Studies, but that was all I could do.
For nearly the entire day, I'd been training with optimal efficiency. However, it still wasn't popping up in the skill window. At that point, I was getting tired.
Before I knew it, the sun had started to set. Since there were no results to show for the day, I started to feel a bit empty inside.
"Haaah… Let's go eat."
I closed the elemental studies book and tossed it on the nearby ground.
I then lifted up the luggage that was on my lap.
Lucy didn't even think about moving, so she sat in my lap the entire day as I kept reading the elemental studies book and researching the flow of magic power.
"…Eughak…!"
Lucy stretched out her petite frame. Soon after, with her usual dazed expression she spoke that classic line of hers.
"…I'm hungry."
"Just go and eat already. Pretty soon the mealtime for the Ophelis Hall students will be over."
"Yeah."
Surprisingly, Lucy stood up from her seat without much resistance. Getting ready to jump in the direction of Ophelis Hall, she suddenly fixed her posture.
Standing on top of the tree stump, she looked back at me and asked.
"You know."
"What?"
"What are you going to do after I go?"
The fact that Lucy had asked such a strange question was a big deal.
As I was slowly getting ready to eat my meal by gathering some firewood for the campfire, Lucy stared at me.
"I'll just eat and take care of the work I have to do afterwards?"
"Work?"
I turned my head and looked at the simple wooden table. On top of it was the key to the secret safe that Professor Glast had given to me.
The academy's investigation was about finished, and the entrance to the secret laboratory that Professor Glast made without permission was now closed.
I was going to go in through the hole that Lucy had made to enter the library.
I was planning to go in there and check the state of the library… and check just what the contents of that safe were.
It was a bit iffy to postpone it any longer, so I was planning on making my move that night.
"Before that, I should check on the campfire and fireplace. Soon, the temperature at night could drop below zero. If I make a mistake, I could really freeze to death."
It was the season where winter break was right around the corner.
Even though I would be fully layered in clothing, once the sun set you could start to see your breath. For the time being, I intended to use Mugg's flames and keep it at a level where I would be moderately warm. There was no reason for me to use a large amount of magic power, so it was smarter to do that and save the firewood for now.
If I ended up entering Dex Hall, I wouldn't have to worry about things like that.
Entering Dex Hall or keep living in the cabin? The arms of the scale swayed back and forth like reeds. At the very least, before the break started I definitely needed to decide on what I would end up doing.
I didn't know if she knew about my worries, but that was what it seemed, looking at Lucy's expression…
"Let's go together."
She ended up saying such a strange thing.
-x-X-x-
Winter's night air was strangely different from that of spring or summer. There was no feeling of dampness in the forest. The chilly air, which went straight into my lungs, was rather refreshing.
The crunch of the leaves as I walked through them tickled my ears. I fixed the position of the rope hanging from my shoulder. At first, I had thought about making a crude ladder. However, since it was deeper than I had originally thought, it would have ended up taking at least a full day to make it. Instead, I prepared a rope to go down.
"Why are you still following me?"
I thought her condition today was especially strange.
Still clutching my sleeve, Lucy didn't have the slightest change in expression or appearance.
After coming all the way to the outskirts of the forest, I could finally see the hole that Lucy had made.
It wasn't something you could call magic. It was closer to her simply gathering magic power within her body and brute forcing her way through the ground.
Thanks to that, the hole's entrance wasn't that big.
Lucy's figure was already small, so no matter how much magic power she might have compressed inside her, there was a limit to how big the hole could be.
I tied one side of the rope to a nearby tree and threw the other down into the hole that led underground.
The rope unraveled itself nicely as it fell down through the hole and opened up a new path to take.
I tugged on the rope a few times just to check that it was tightly secured.
"We could just go down with my magic, though."
"It's fine. I told you before we got here, but I'm not planning on going down just once. So, I need to personally check whether or not I can go up and down with this rope alone."
I couldn't bring Lucy with me every single time I went to the library.
After telling Lucy to use her own magic in moderation to follow me, I grabbed the rope as I made my way through the hole.
Slowly inching my way down the rope and kicking off the wall, I went down further into the hole.
In case the rope ripped, or it wasn't long enough, I concentrated so that I was prepared to catch myself with both arms against the inner wall. Though, the rope was pretty sturdy. I didn't think I would actually have to do such a thing.
She could have just used Spatial-Type Magic to head down first, so it was strange seeing Lucy follow me by grabbing onto the rope as well.
After what seemed like a long time of creeping down the rope, I finally made it to the main hall of the library.
There were barely any light sources in the hall of the dark library. I had to wait a bit until my eyes got used to the dark.
Eventually, I was able to see the aftermath of Lucy's Magic Power, which had completely collapsed the entire area.
Everything was mostly buried in the marble that supported the inner wall, but… there were still quite a few magically engineered items and recipes that seemed to be fine.
There was no need for me to feel the need to take every single item I saw right away. Either way, the entrance to the secret laboratory had already been closed off, so there wouldn't be anyone that could find the library right now. I had plenty of time.
I headed straight over to the table that was in the center of the library.
Moving the table out of the way, I found a strange crack on the floor. Looking through the gap, I saw a keyhole.
Lucy, who was still following behind me, gripped my sleeve tightly and tilted her head.
"Why did he put a secret safe in such a place but held onto the key separately?"
"I'm not sure."
I took the key out of my pocket and put it into the keyhole. Turning the key clockwise, it made a clicking sound and the marble floor began to spread apart.
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
From inside, a gust of wind shot up.
All of the magic power that was concentrated in such an enclosed space had released all at once as it opened up.
After dealing with my shock, I tried to clear my vision once more… In the small underground space, there was a golden magically engineered item. The size of it was no bigger than a thumb.
***
"Haaa, haaa…"
It should go without saying, but there was no way the amount of stamina needed to go up and down the rope would be the same.
As I continued pulling on the rope and kicking my feet away from the ground, I began to sweat profusely.
Lucy had offered to help, but I refused. What was the point of checking whether I could go up and down with the rope if I didn't even try to go back up on my own?
Far above me, Lucy had one hand holding on to the rope. Maybe it was because of all the Weight Lightening Magic she had applied, but it looked like she wasn't holding on at all. Rather, it looked like she was just grabbing it.
"If it's just this much… I can manage going up…"
How far down the library was located wasn't actually as deep as I had originally thought. All of the vitality training I had continuously put myself through over the last year wasn't going to waste. Even though it was a bit difficult, it still didn't feel like I was completely overdoing it.
Even though I started to lose some strength as I continued to go up, I still held onto the rope tightly and took a break by lying down on a protruding part of the wall.
No matter what I thought, it was still a little too much for me to go up the rope all the time. For the time being, I'd have to keep on using the rope. However, as expected, I would have to eventually make or buy a proper ladder.
Also, pretty soon I should be getting the materials for the magically engineering items that I had asked Lortel for… I wondered if she would be willing to throw in a decently sized ladder for free.
That was what I had hoped for, but… Realistically, I didn't think she would be giving something like that away for free. After all, no matter what, she was still a merchant.
"You're almost there. You'll be outside soon."
"Yeah… I know… Haah…"
Wiping my sweat, I took out a phoenix-shaped ring from my pocket.
A golden phoenix ring that was reforged with Celestial Magic.
It was clearly Professor Glast's life's work, something that he had probably spent years making.
"So, what is that thing?"
Far above me, I could hear Lucy's voice. Before I even realized it, Lucy was already waiting for me at the entrance of the hole.
[ Glast's Golden Phoenix Ring
—
A magic tool that twists the line of time to gather and bring magic power from your future self back to the present you.
The Legendary Grade magic engineered item 'Golden Phoenix Ring' contains both Celestial Magic Power and the power of Advanced Time Magic.
Temporarily greatly increases the wearer's magic power. You can use magic that consumes more than the amount of magic power in your body only once.
When using magic that requires more than the maximum amount of your magic power, your magic power will be suppressed for a time proportional to the amount of the excess magic power used.
Once the suppression of magic power begins, the power of the ring is not available until after the suppression is lifted.
—
Grade: Legendary
Number of Uses: No Limit
Production Difficulty Level: ●●●●◐
Resonance Owner: Ed Rothstaylor ]
"I think I know the reason he had secretly hidden away this magically engineered item in the library and held onto the key separately."
I looked up at Lucy. I wondered if she was also curious, or if she was still uninterested in anything else like usual.
If you could use your own future self's magic power in advance, then in theory I could even use advanced magic right now.
However, if I did that, I'd be unable to fight for a time equivalent to the amount of magic power I had borrowed. If I used it rashly, the price to pay could be massive.
Ultimately, if you were going to use the item during combat, it was a finishing move that you should only take out when you were put in an extreme spot.
However, it was a completely different story if you didn't use it in combat.
If I simply followed the structure of using mana that surpassed my own limits purely to strengthen my specs, and slowly paid back that borrowed magic power over time… then it could actually be extremely beneficial.
For example, with spirit contracts.
It now made sense how Professor Glast, who was relatively lacking in terms of spiritual resonance, was able to handle such a large number of spirits.
After all, the key to spiritual resonance and spiritual understanding was 'Magic Power Efficiency.'
Both were just a means to measure how efficient your individual magic power was in terms of Spirit-type Magic.
Yennekar's level of magic power and her resonance level were already high, so by synergizing the two she was able to handle a ridiculous number of spirits. That was just the nature she was blessed with.
The main reason that beginner Elementalists weren't able to make contracts with spirits of higher levels was ultimately because of the lack of magic power within their bodies. No matter how high you increased your spiritual resonance and magic power efficiency, it would never amount to the sheer importance of inherent magic power.
In other words, if I used the power of the ring well, the entry barrier could be minimized.
By using that magic tool to temporarily use magic power from the future and create a contract… The excess amount of magic power that I received in advance to do so would slowly recover over time.
It was a simple and reckless calculation, but my guess was that if I gave up on using magic power for a month or two, I'd be able to make a contract with a high-ranking spirit immediately. Of course, as a magician the risk of not even being able to use beginner magic for a month or two was too great. All of my grades in practical courses would probably drop to the floor.
Luckily for me, winter vacation was coming up soon. The risk would be relatively lower if I did it then.
To put it bluntly, it was just like taking out a loan. Doing it wasn't any different than taking a loan from my future self to be able to use magic in the present.
It felt like, while everyone else was struggling to buy a house with cash, I was buying one with an interest-free loan… Was that metaphor too much of a stretch?
In the end, it was all because of the power of Celestial Magic, which could twist the flow of time itself. Obviously, that was something that not just anyone could do.
It was the best piece of treasure, one that could be used as a means of enhancing my specs as a last stand in the case of an emergency.
If I went scourging through the entire library, I probably wouldn't find anything more valuable than that.
"This ring is a magic tool that allows you to use more magic power than the amount you naturally have. Of course, there is a risk to it. You can't go around using it recklessly."
From the beginning, that stubborn professor's actions all had a clear purpose.
"It's a sin to support and push those with uncertain talent, and it is my life's mission to polish those gems born with natural talent… Even though he always said that, behind everyone's back he was making something like this."
I was wondering why there happened to be so many magically engineered production formulas laying around in the library… But it was all for his research.
Maybe the key Glast had taken out while he was dying wasn't for me… but instead for Myuri.
The last gift to his daughter, who had reached the wall of her talent and ultimately ended up dying.
Thinking about things now, it was like the pieces of the puzzle had finally come together.
However, in the end the ring never reached its rightful owner. More than anyone else, Glast himself must have expected that result to some extent.
"If he had time to make something like that, it would have been better to…"
"Don't talk about meaningless things, Lucy."
I cut Lucy off.
"It's all in the past now."
***
"You know, I once had the button here on my sleeve fall off."
It was so freaking difficult.
I hadn't realized it would be that hard to climb up the wall while holding onto the rope.
Actually, when I imagined doing it in my head, I thought I would be able to manage it somehow. But it was just ridiculous. I really needed to get a ladder quickly.
"The button at the end of this sleeve here. I don't even know when I lost it. But it was uncomfortable without it, since the sleeve had become too loose.
So, I kept thinking."
I was almost done with my climb up.
Honestly, I was thinking of asking Lucy halfway through to carry me up, but I was so close… I was determined to finish by myself.
Seeing Lucy at the top of the hole, talking about this and that, was an unfamiliar sight to see. Did she always talk so much?
"Is that so?"
"The Ophelis Hall maids repaired it for me, and everything was fine. Afterwards, I was careful to make sure not to damage my sleeve when I used any magic that makes me float."
Lucy sat absentmindedly at the top of the hole, looking up at the sky. Through the clouds, a passing star glistened off of Lucy's eye.
"I often experience just how important things are after they are gone… I thought it wasn't anything special, but actually it was quite amazing."
"That's a surprisingly common story, you know. Doesn't that message show up in fairy tales and such?"
"Yeah."
It really was nothing more than a small thing.
Eating a few meals together, sitting next to each other absentmindedly, exchanging a few words back and forth, greeting each other, and meeting up to hang out together whenever you're bored.
The daily life that you shared with someone was ultimately just a collection of small things.
A relationship that developed smoothly from a wonderful opportunity was something that only happens in dramas.
There was a crisis, adversity, and the volition to overcome it. Then there was the act of saving someone or being saved instead.
The establishment of such a beautiful and splendid relationship was certainly romantic, but not something you could call realistic.
That isn't really something I should be judging who it suited more. However, I did think that it was something better suited for Taylee than me.
Heroic actions, the life of a protagonist, the hardships of the world, friendship and effort, and then victory. The beautiful relationship that bloomed from all of that.
For ordinary people that lived regular lives, building a relationship with another wasn't something as exaggerated or flashy as that.
It was all more dull than one might have thought. However, you couldn't judge the merits and demerits between the two.
The roses that bloomed splendidly and the pleasantly simplistic lilies were all beautiful, and we didn't necessarily judge the values between the two of them.
I didn't know how Lucy felt when she lost Glockt… and I couldn't simply make a guess about it.
"There was actually something I wanted to ask you, which is why I followed you."
At that point, with just a few more kicks off the wall I would have reached the surface. I could already start to feel the fresh air from above.
"Are you going to Dex Hall?"
A question that hit hard.
I looked straight up above me at Lucy, who was sitting around by the entrance.
I was either going to end up entering Dex Hall or continuing my life at the camp.
The scale weighing the two was still neutral.
Entering Dex Hall would definitely make my life easier. I could disregard all of the rules of living in the wild that I had already gotten used to. I would simply live my life according to my academic schedule, focusing purely on my studies but also limiting my freedom.
However, if I maintained my lifestyle at the camp, I would have a relatively larger number of things to worry about. I would also have less restriction on how I used my time. It was also a good environment for training my vitality and production skills. I might be used to it now, but… the conditions that came with living in the wild were still inadequate.
I could invest in the long-term by making further improvements to the camp's environment, but those were all products of effort. Soon enough, I'd be getting even busier, so I worried over whether that would even be possible to do.
If I couldn't decide between the two and the scale never fully tipped in favor of one side… It would end up coming down to the smallest bit of weight to make my choice.
No matter how small or trivial that might be, if it weighed in its favor… People would always end up choosing that direction.
"Could you not go?"
That phrase popped out of Lucy's mouth.
I couldn't help but doubt what I had just heard.
However, it wasn't that I wasn't convinced… I could fully understand what she was saying when I looked up at her expression.
"Entering Dex Hall… No matter what, it will be more comfortable to live in. I would have to be out of my mind to try and continue living out here in the wild during the cold winter."
Saying that, I felt like I had completely run out of breath and needed to head up to the surface immediately.
I squeezed the hand gripping onto the rope as I pulled myself up.
Lucy, who was listening, looked up at the sky quietly.
The stars in the sky were visible from time to time, but most of the sky was covered in dark clouds.
"I guess that's true."
It was as if she had given up on something, or as if she had cut off any line that she was holding onto inside of her.
As usual, her expression didn't waver at all.
Strangely it felt as if she was shying away.
It was a sky full of dark clouds, one that she had seen many times over.
Lucy fixed her hat as she repeatedly whispered to herself.
"It will rain."
I was so completely dumbfounded by her remake that I answered back.
"No, it won't."
"...?"
"It's not the season for rain."
Soon after I finally reached the surface, I laid down on the dirt.
Looking up to the sky and taking deep breaths, snow started to fall on the bridge of my nose. Thinking about it, that was the first snowfall of the year.
Already, the time for rain had already passed. Naturally, that made sense, given how cold it was.
Like a ghost, Lucy had sensed from the dark clouds up in the sky and the moisture she felt on the tip of her nose that it was going to rain, but… it wasn't something that would always work.
Unless the raindrops actually fell from the sky above, you could never be completely sure.
However, after a long rainy season one would unconsciously think that it would rain. Even if it was past the season where it would rain, your senses had grown accustomed to it already so you might be mistaken.
The number of snowflakes that gently fell to the ground started to increase, more and more.
When rain drizzled down, it felt awful and chilly. However, when it was snow that fell, it felt rather cozy and warm instead.
While some might consider the act of rain turning to snow to be somewhat romantic… in fact, it has another meaning besides that.
Anyone could tell that the rain that fell on your body and the snowflakes that gently laid on top of the world were obviously different.
"Well, that's that."
I spoke to Lucy, who was standing still while she absentmindedly stared up at the falling snow.
"I have had too many things to take care of recently, so I haven't been able to secure enough firewood to survive the winter."
Saying that, Lucy quickly turned her head as she stared right at me.
"I don't think I can manage it all by myself, so help me out when you have time. It's just like you had told me before. I don't have enough firewood."
"Really?"
Fwoosh!
Bam!
She climbed on top of my stomach as I laid on the dirt. She fixed her hat and leaned her head towards me.
"Really? Really? Really?"
"I've already completely adapted to living in the camp… So, if I just improve the environment a bit more, there will be way more benefits in continuing to live at the camp."
"..."
Hearing that, Lucy lifted her upper body once more… looking up at the snowy sky.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
Regardless of the scene, it was a Lucy that I had never seen before… with the corner of her mouth lifted all the way up in a smile… I couldn't help but be left completely dumbfounded.
***
After finishing Act 2, we were now in Act 3, where the hardships grew.
Closing my eyes while thinking about it, it hit me like a truck.
The Benevolent Princess Penia, who became disillusioned with the academy's corrupt inspection department and tried to grab ahold of new authority within the academy by becoming the academy's student president.
The distrustful saint Clarice, who wished for the destruction of the Telos Religious Group, and even Claude, the disaster alchemist that drank the blood of an evil god and became corrupt… Each and every one of them was a formidable opponent, but in the end the girl that was standing at the end of the stage was none other than her.
The final boss of Act 3. Lucy Mayreel, 'The Awakened One'.
Once everything was over, we could greet each other again.
Obviously, if we were both still alive and healthy.
***
Thud.
The stack of documents that was placed down on the table was quite thick. Over the course of the week, there were quite a number of issues that needed to be dealt with.
"Haaah…"
Assistant Professor Cleoh sat in her private lab, sipping on a cup of coffee.
The vacancy of a professor was bigger than she had thought. Just how he was even able to conduct research on the seal while dealing with all of that work was a complete mystery to her.
Though, most of the work had already been completed. As long as the conference agenda was settled, the only thing left for her to do was the first-year class assignment exam that would take place over break.
The notice for it had already been written. It was already issued to the addresses of every incoming student. A notice that they should come to Acken Island over winter break to take the examination.
She was worrying quite a bit about what to do for the exam. Like last year, she thought about having them just search for the marbles. However, if the exam's contents ended up being identical, the second-year students could end up leaking information on it. She ended up thinking that she needed to spend more time trying to figure something else out.
"Hmm~ Even so… I'm still short on manpower."
Assistant Professor Cleoh sighed deeply as she scratched her head.
"As expected… I'll have to ask the academy for more scholarship students that can help. I'm sure the academy will be okay with that, right? Well, these days… I have the image of being the youngest professor that has been given all this work… so it feels like everyone is doing their best to help me with whatever favors I ask of them…"
She knew that it wasn't a completely good situation to be in, but she needed to take advantage of it while she could.
Anyway, her assistant Anise—who was in charge of dealing with the current workload—was doing a great job, so… all she needed was another student to take care of a simple supervision job.
Hoping for a hardworking student to come her way, Assistant Professor Cleoh fell right back into the pile of work left to do.
-x-X-x-
If a human's life was like the four seasons, then a spirit's life was—without a doubt—a long winter.
Watching everything around them cease to exist, the massive wolf of wind guarded the forest.
***
"The problem is that you are too good, Yennekar."
Laplace Bakery, located at the entrance of the commercial district, was a tea shop that shared a long history with Silvenia Academy.
The large store could be seen as you went towards the education district. Even though the Elte Company was eating away at all of the stores in the commercial district, the bakery was still able to survive on its own.
Considering Yennekar's age, when Clara had offered to treat her to Laplace Bakery, she couldn't help but follow along.
A three-layered tray of desserts was filled with all sorts of fancy colored cakes. With ecstatic, brightening eyes, she accepted being poured some black tea.
"It's good to put effort into everything. However, if you're too good, it becomes difficult. Do you know what I mean, Yennekar?"
"H-Hm?"
"When it's necessary, you also need to know how to take a break."
Yennekar's best friends, Clara and Anise, looked the same as usual. Strangely, thought, it felt as if they were more determined that day.
It was the complete opposite of the relaxing atmosphere that had overtaken the academy now that winter vacation was right around the corner.
"Wh-What do you mean…? Clara? Why are you suddenly so serious?"
"Clara is going back to her parents' house this break~ She's just worried about what's going to happen while she'll be gone~"
Anise took a sip of her black tea with a pleasantly cheeky expression.
"Is that so? I know how you feel. Last year, I went back home during break to help my parents with their work… and being far away from school, I was also quite nervous about what was happening here while I was gone. I totally get what you are feeling."
"That's not it, Yennekar! It's not my academic schedule that I'm worried about, it's your love life!"
There was not a hint of hesitation in Clara's voice as she spoke so directly.
Yennekar, completely taken aback by what she had just heard, gasped. Clara continued to berate her.
"To be blunt, you have gone head over heels for Ed Rothstaylor."
"Clara! Saying it like that is too straightforward."
"I've already made up my mind today, Anise. Don't you know why I spent so much preparing all the finest refreshment here at Laplace Bakery? If I wanted to lure in Yennekar, who seems to have been extremely busy over these past few days, I at least needed to be willing to use this much as bait."
"B-Bait… Saying it like that it sounds like you caught her."
Strictly speaking, using the term 'caught' was the most accurate, but Anise didn't need to say such a thing so frankly.
"A-And my love life… Just what do you mean…"
"Yennekar, since you have already come this far you can't give up. I think that you're slowly reaching a dangerous point."
Yennekar might have thought that her love life had been kept completely hidden from others, but for Clara and Anise—her best friends—that was not the case. It was as if they had a transparent window that allowed them to see everything hidden inside of her.
"D-Dangerous point?"
"Yeah. Yennekar… To be honest, you are a great 'friend'."
Clara spoke starkly, her arms folded, while Anise's appearance remained elegant as she sat next to her and sipped her tea.
"If you suddenly compliment me like that… I can't help but get confused…"
"It is a good thing, but… It's not a compliment."
Clara responded firmly, looking at Yennekar with a serious expression on her face.
"Seeing you fall head over heels for the first time, for a person like Ed, was extremely frustrating for me… However, as time went by and everyone's impression of him started to change, I decided to accept it. And in doing so, somehow the situation ended up like this, right?"
"C-Clara…?"
"At this point, it's meaningless for you to be blushing and acting embarrassed like that, Yennekar. I've been bearing with it for so long now, but I think it's honestly fine for you to keep doing what you want."
Only then did Yennekar realize it was all a trap set up by Clara and Anise.
The reason they had booked the most expensive private terrace at Laplace Bakery was to bring Yennekar to an enclosed space, just in case there were people nearby that could overhear them.
"But Yennekar, your relationship as a good 'friend' has to end now… You are just following a loser's golden pattern when it comes to a relationship at this point."
It was as if she heard an auditory hallucination,
one that sounded like thunder crashing.
"Wh-What do you mean, Clara?"
"Recently, was there a moment when you were
with him and your heart pounded so fast that you
couldn't speak? Or, maybe you couldn't look him
in the face."
"Why are you saying that all of a sudden?"
"Did you?! Answer me!"
Wasn't that too direct of a question to ask
Yennekar, who didn't have a way to defend
herself?
Anise, who was sitting still and listening to the
conversation, also felt worried. However, she had
chosen to not intervene right away.
"Th-That's…!"
Yennekar swallowed her breath.
Right. Compared to when she had first met Ed
Rothstaylor, she had definitely shared a lot of time
with him… When she sat next to him nowadays,
she felt warmth and comfort rather than being
excited and nervous. It was a feeling of security and healing. Thinking back to how she was when she had first gotten involved with him, it was safe to say that things had changed dramatically.
It wasn't a particularly negative feeling, so she didn't think of it as being dangerous. In fact, she actually thought that it was an improvement.
"Do you know what they call such a comfortable and trustworthy relationship? They call it being family or a best friend. Yennekar, this is just a relationship that helps you as you want!"
"Th-Then… Is that bad…?"
"Ughh, you moron! Just what is the point of exchanging emotions if it only goes one way? You have to make him think anxiously about you, too! Is a relationship between lovers one where only you skip around while talking about how much you like him? That's just a relationship where you're following him around!"
Those words stung like a dagger flying right into Yennekar's chest.
All of a sudden, there was the sound of applause and the cheers of animals started to erupt. Clara couldn't hear it at all, but Anis, who had a spiritual resonance to some extent, was vaguely able to hear it.
The low-ranking spirits that had signed a master and servant contract with Yennekar must have had a lot to say, even though they couldn't. This must have been a great relief.
"All this time, you've been thinking about it from the wrong approach, Yennekar. The charm that you have comes from the fact you are always gentle, bright, and nice. Of course, trying to play hard to get so suddenly would just work against you. Certainly… for something like this, Ms. Bell's opinion would have been more appropriate."
"Just what kind of conversations and opinions were you exchanging without me…?"
"Well, just forget that, Yennekar. Either way, it's already winter break. At this rate, you'll just get caught like a sitting duck. He is decently good looking and strangely popular with girls, so you can't drag this on any longer. We need to slowly start making some progress. But during such a crucial time, I have to go back home. How could I not be nervous? Hm?"
In front of Clara, who was venting her pent-up frustrations, Yennekar could only sit quietly and listen.
She couldn't figure out why Clara was so upset, as if it had happened to her, but since the atmosphere made her seem like a sinner she stayed sitting.
Plus, above all else, Yennekar trusted Clara.
"C-Clara. Since you know a lot… and you are skilled with these types of relationships… what you're saying must be true…?"
"That's right, Yennekar! So, listen well!"
All the worries Clara had over going back home had reached their limit.
"Anyway… Seeing you recently Yennekar, I started to think… you are hopelessly untalented when it comes to playing hard to get. No matter what, we need to change your strategy."
"Oof…"
Yennekar was left speechless and unsure of what else to say.
The skill of throwing bait out at your love interest to go on the offense at a critical moment, playing with their heart and making them feel anxious… from an image standpoint, Lortel was much more likely to be proficient in that than Yennekar. After all, she was a girl whose job involved playing with other people's feelings.
She understood that she couldn't expect similar results by poorly following her steps.
"So, in that sense, you're going to have to change your approach… Like I said at the start, you are good at everything, Yennekar."
"Just what are you trying to say…?"
"Listen, Yennekar. You have to act like you are at least a little bad."
When people first saw Yennekar and how bright and lively she was, they expected her to be childish or clumsy. In fact, that was partially true. She was terrible with directions, and in some strange way was fairly timid.
However, when it came to important things, she was surprisingly sound and astute.
Either way, she was definitely good at managing herself, put effort into everything, she was altruistic, and also quite versatile. She was popular for her cute looks and being at the top of her year. And one couldn't forget just how strong she is.
She was proud to have someone so perfect as her as a best friend, but… Being so perfect wasn't working as an advantage!
"Listen carefully and follow along, Yennekar."
Clara got serious and began to pronounce, syllable by syllable, as she kept her eyes fixed on Yennekar.
"Protective Instinct."
"P…Protective…?"
"Protective Instinct."
Yennekar, who gulped down her saliva, repeated the words with difficulty.
"Originally, guys all have the same type of mentality. Do you think they would like to have someone like you, Yennekar, who is reliable and always helping them? No, they don't. Actually, what you have to do instead is constantly make sure to show them that you're struggling. Your weaker side. 'Oh, I'm helpful to this girl. She's depending on me, and she's relying on me emotionally.' You have to make sure that he is constantly thinking about these things. That way, his self-esteem will grow and his protective instincts will kick in."
Anise was deeply impressed.
Clara didn't have a lot of dating experience, but surprisingly, what she said was straight to the point…!
After reading and 'learning' from all sorts of fantasy love stories and romance novels… that was the intuition that had blossomed…!
"Rather than hopelessly trying to play hard to get, this is more suited for you, Yennekar."
"I… I'm not sure about this…"
Unlike she usually would have reacted, Yennekar ended up disagreeing with what Clara said. When Clara had asked what she meant, Yennekar started to squirm around and fiddled with her fingers. She was having a difficult time explaining it all.
"Uhm… So… Actually… I kinda am already leaning on him emotionally, though…?"
The reason she could feel relieved and healed, even while walking on thin ice while dealing with her academy life and living at Dex Hall, was because Ed had always greeted her the same way at the campfire whenever she visited his camp.
Hearing the news that Ed had withdrawn his plans to enter Dex Hall, she was disappointed. But at the same time, she also thought, Isn't this still fine…
"But isn't Ed Rothstaylor completely unaware of that fact…?"
"M-Maybe… I'm sure that Ed is already tired, having to maintain his academy life and camp life at the same time…"
That was also one of her major problems.
Because he was living his life like an iron man, there was no time for him to even think about love. The fact that Bell Maya had previously pointed out was exactly right.
"Then it's just a lack of stimulating him. Show your inner self and take his comfort! Don't you have any particular concerns, Yennekar? Something that's like… Wow, without having you here to help me this would have been too difficult on my own?"
"There's no way I would just wake up one morning with that type of concern…! Most of mine have already been settled to some extent!"
"You can just make one up, then…! If you make a concern that you don't have, it will just become real!"
"But then I would feel too sorry for having made up a lie that worried him!"
Previously, when she exaggerated the truth Ed would bow his head and sincerely apologize. She had decided to stop doing that.
Yennekar's conscience couldn't stand telling such an absurd lie. However, if she did have a sincere concern, she would normally be able to solve it herself since she was quite competent.
"B-But I guess if I did have a concern…"
"If you did, then…?"
As Yennekar thought it over, she eventually ended up confessing it all.
"These days, Ed has been planning to use some kind of expedient to sign a contract with a high-ranking spirit…"
"..."
"Before, when I made my contract with Taken, for a few days after I was stuck in bed. For Ed, who is still lacking in resonance, wouldn't he just end up ruining his body if he were to make a contract using such a method…? But Ed is someone that has a lot of greed when it comes to his own individual growth… Also, it could end up working out well… So, since he has made up his mind, the right thing to do is to resolutely push him forward in support… I don't know if bringing up my opinion would just end up getting in his way… I was just a little worried about that…"
Hearing her speak so seriously in her own way, Clara leaned back and tapped her forehead with both hands.
Anise let out a deep sigh as she drank another sip, bringing the cup to her mouth. In the end, hearing the story and how things had turned out, that girl would always be the same. Just what could they do when her nature was like that?
That innocent girl tilted her head as she looked back at Clara and Anise. Thinking back on the fact that they had all become friends because they actually liked that side of Yennekar, they just couldn't be upset with her.
"I'll think about it a bit more."
After eating a bunch of high-end refreshments from Laplace Bakery with satisfied expressions, they said goodbye to Yennekar. Clara and Anise walked side-by-side as they headed off to the commercial district.
Clara didn't think Anise's words were completely out of the blue. That was because Clara also had her own intuition to some extent.
However, the fact that Anise didn't say a single word in her conversation with Yennekar was quite unusual.
After all, the three of them would always chat together… But Anise had only calmly sipped her black tea.
Unlike Clara, Anise actually had a decent amount of knowledge when it came to the relationship between a boy and girl, yet she was the last one that had noticed that Yennekar was in love with Ed.
It was all because she was busy with her work as an assistant, and her grades that were on the edge, so she was out of her mind.
Clara, whose face was full of freckles and had protruding hair, looked like she was overflowing with vitality. However, her family was actually unexpectedly well off.
On the other hand, Anise had a higher-end aura and elegant appearance to her despite coming from a poor environment. That was why she couldn't neglect her duties as an assistant.
"I'm sure you know this well, Clara…"
"Yeah. Yennekar really seems to be really emotionally bothered."
Was it an issue with her life at Dex Hall? Or was it for another reason?
Once in a while, they started to feel like Yennekar was overdoing it. Thinking about the last time, where—during the Glasskan Incident—she couldn't hold it in anymore and exploded, it was highly likely that Yennekar's concerns hadn't been fully resolved yet.
The difference was so subtle that an average person wouldn't be able to tell, but Anise and Clara could definitely feel it.
If there really was some kind of reasoning, then she could end up reaching her limit again… It felt as if the source of her concerns hadn't been fully resolved yet…
Though, they could also tell that it felt as if she was being treated regularly. It was as if her mental stress was being lifted somehow.
And the one responsible for that must have been Ed Rothstaylor.
Even though they were such close friends, it was rather heartless to not open up about such worries or rely on them mentally. Even though they had deliberately set a date to have her open up about her worries to them, in the end she couldn't open up to them simply because of her personality. However, that wasn't something that could be considered Yennekar's fault.
However, Anise's opinion was somewhat different from Clara's.
"Clara, you were the first to find out about Yennekar's love interest. You got in contact with Ms. Bell and other faculty members from the academy, which eventually led you to change your opinion about him, but… my opinion is different."
Only then did Clara finally understand what Anise was thinking.
The reason she didn't say anything special while drinking her black tea as Clara and Yennekar argued back and forth.
"I'm not sure if I can completely trust that man yet."
"Is that so…? I guess it can't be helped. It is a bit uneasy, seeing the way his reputation is improving so suddenly."
"Well, that's true, but… The main reason is actually…"
Anise raised her thumb and index finger on both hands making a square. Then, looking through them, she put the faces of those passing by inside the square.
"His countenance."
"..."
"When you look at him, he definitely looks like a playboy. If Yennekar ends up relying on such a fickle man, in the end she will be the only one that gets hurt."
She debated on whether she should say 'isn't it too much to judge him purely because of the way he looks…' It was true that, when you thought of Ed Rothstaylor's appearance, it was a fact that was hard to refute. The truth was the truth.
"But even then, it's still too much to judge him just on his face…"
Maybe Anise had happened to read Clara's heart, as she answered back right away.
"I think I will definitely need to do some investigation into him. At the very least, I need to make sure he is not a man that takes advantage of girls."
"How are you going to do that?"
"What method is better than this?"
Anise loosened the ribbon from her hair, her straight, grayish-brown hair falling across her shoulders. Blinking with her moderately long eyelashes and casually smiling with a sly expression.
"Wow. Are you serious? Isn't this going too far? You're not even someone that can act so shameless."
"Well, just what type of particular skills would you need for something like this anyway? If he really is that type of man, he'll fall for me with just a bit of flirting, right?"
"What if he really makes a move on you, and you're sure that he is actually that type of man?"
Anise gave a distinct aristocratic type of laugh, as if it were all too natural for her.
"If that ends up being the case, then I'll have to take responsibility and make sure he splits up with Yennekar."
…Terrifying.
Clara and Anise's opinions weren't always right, but no one expected them to be that determined. Though the way they thought about Yennekar was always the same, the difference in their methods as they went about helping her was another thing.
"Anise, you don't even have much contact with him. Plus, I heard that since he doesn't live in the dorms, he just appears and disappears all the time…"
"Well, just because I won't see him often doesn't mean I won't be able to seduce him, but… it is easier to do if you spend a lot more time together. Don't worry, Clara. Because I've thought of it all."
When Anise had that level of confidence, that was when you should be most nervous.
You shouldn't get fooled just because her appearance made her look like an elegant and graceful person.
"You know the professor that I always help with, right?"
"Assistant Professor Cleoh?"
"Yeah. She decided to use the support from students that are a part of the academy's scholarship program since there is quite a heavy workload. Compared to before, we are way busier in the lab and don't have enough people."
Anise was Cleoh's best assistant. Since they had been together from the first semester of the first year, Assistant Professor Cleoh had a lot of confidence in Anise.
"I also heard that he applied to be a part of the academy's scholarship program. If I recommend him to the professor, we can take him as a member of our lab. The academy seems to be giving us a lot of helpers these days as well, so it should work out."
"..."
"We already have too much paperwork to take care of in regards to the conference, and we don't have enough people helping out for the incoming first-year class assignment examination that's taking place over the break… So, this all kind of ended up working out. Two birds with one stone."
Saying that, Anise nodded with a determined expression.
Clara looked back at Anise nervously.
Was it really a good decision to go back home over the break? After the break ended and she came back, there wouldn't be any drastic changes to their relationship, right?
Was it really okay to bring Ed Rothstaylor into Assistant Professor Cleoh's laboratory for such a trivial reason?
She couldn't get rid of that thought.
***
[ Newly Finished Product
Lumber Wall
After making a groove into the plywood and fixing it together by interlocking it, it was tied once more with rope and stood upright.
It prevents wild animals from being able to get any closer to the camp and blocks the draft to some extent.
Production Difficulty Level: ●●◐○○ ]
[Production skills have increased.]
Winter had come.
With all the snowflakes that first appeared cozy starting to pile up, it soon became a disaster.
After waking up in the morning, I had to clear away all the snow that had piled up in the camp and raise up the walls to block the draft. Then, before I knew it, the sun was already up in the middle of the sky.
It had been quite a while, since I decided not to push myself too far even if I have a lot of work to do.
Until late in the afternoon, I would lay down in the cabin with the intent of resting. After enjoying the heated room for a while, I would then stand up and head outside.
Once it became nighttime, it became extremely cold… I decided I should finish preparing the firewood and food by dusk. The cold weather had even ended up improving the preservation of the food itself.
I had been called over to take care of some work regarding my job as a student of the academy's scholarship program the next day. He said that they wouldn't make me do anything physically difficult, and I could finish the work without wasting too much of my time.
He also said it would be fine if I took the paperwork back to the dormitory to take care of… Well, I would be able to manage the work and my moderate lifestyle out in the wild somehow.
There was a lot of work to do.
I need to go to the Elte Company's branch in the commercial district to check on the situation with the magically engineered items, and I still need to check my grades from the end of semester exams.
There weren't any issues with my lifestyle at the camp right then, but… Periodically having to clear away the snow was decently hard labor.
With the roof of the cabin, the shelter outside, and other simple facilities, if I made a mistake and the weight of the snow built up too much, they could have ended up collapsing. I had to make sure to check their condition constantly.
But even then… with the scholarships from the academy, I was able to be exempt from a partial amount of my tuition. Plus, for the rest of the money I needed to pay, I was able to negotiate giving up my right to enter the dormitory for a tuition benefit. With that, I somehow managed to solve the tuition problem for the next semester.
Just that fact alone felt like a major mental liberation, so my shoulders had been feeling very light.
I'd spent some of my money on replenishing supplies. There was even room for me to spend my time at the camp leisurely. I no longer had to live like a crazy bastard, planning out every single minute of the day while working just like I had at the start of it all.
I stopped dividing the day into hours. At that point, I only divided it into five different parts. Morning, Lunch, Afternoon, Dinner, and Night, making a somewhat broader schedule. Well, I was still somewhat busy, but… now that I had grown accustomed to my lifestyle than I had been before, it wasn't a big deal.
When I opened my eyes in the late afternoon, Lucy was lying on top of the blanket.
She was lying diagonally on top of me, sleeping in a somewhat cross shape. Hearing the sound of her light and peaceful breathing, I didn't want to wake her up.
"..."
I picked Lucy up and thought about throwing her back into the wooden shelter outside that was reserved for her, but… I then started to think that throwing her outside in the freezing cold weather wouldn't be right.
Though, with all of the protective magic she was wearing, the cold wouldn't be that big of an issue for Lucy anyway… But still, I didn't feel right about it.
I ended up throwing Lucy on the bed in the cabin, opened the door, and walked out into the cold air to wake myself up.
Taking in a deep breath, as I exhaled I could see my breath. The fresh air of the forest in the winter woke me up all at once.
"…Should I get started?"
There was going to be a risk no matter when I decide to do it.
And if I hesitated and missed the timing, I would only grow more uncertain.
There was no better timing than now.
I reminded myself of that over and over as I took out the golden ring, which was carved with the shape of a phoenix.
And with my fist clenched tightly, I brought it up to my chest.
"Are you listening?"
I didn't know if she was even there, but I boldly called out her name.
"…Merilda."
The wind blew by. Even in the cold winter, it felt strangely warm.