TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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"Kira...?"
"Oh my."
Female students covered their mouths with startled expressions.
But Ian had no ti to look at them.
Because he felt a terrifying gaze from beside him...!
"Kira. Wait."
"When did you get here! You should've at least told you were coming! Why were you so late? Were you off exploring so new mystery again?"
Ian started to push Kira away but stopped.
He couldn't take his eyes off Kira's face as she looked up at him with a genuinely happy smile.
Whatever else, she was drop-dead gorgeous.
Ian freshly marveled at Kira's dieval celebrity-level beauty.
She really should've been born in modern tis and beco an actress.
"Kira."
"Ah, sorry!"
Stepping back with a bright smile, Kira soon introduced Ian to the other female students.
"This is my... um. Senior? that I ntioned before."
"The dark wizard Ian we've heard about?"
"We've heard so much about you!"
Their relationship was sowhat ambiguous, which probably explained the introduction.
Actually, it was closer to a master-disciple relationship than senior-junior.
But since Ian hadn't formally taken Kira as his disciple and had just helped her learn Maronius language, that introduction worked fine too.
"Is this your first day at the university?"
"There's theology class next! That's where you're headed, right?"
"Would you like to join us?"
Giggle giggle.
Ian felt dizzy as the female university students surrounded him, chattering away...!
Though they surely weren't wearing perfu or powder, he felt oddly overwheld by their presence!
'My energy... is being drained...'
As an INFP, Ian had no immunity to actual university girls' girl-talk...
"Excuse , everyone!"
That's when it happened.
Elia, who had been just glaring intensely until now, spoke up.
"Right now, Ian is my guest! Yet you barge in and chatter as you please... Have you no manners!"
"Ah... sorry, Elia!"
Though Kira apologized imdiately, Elia's expression didn't soften.
"If you have sothing to say, say it after class. Ian agreed to attend theology class with !"
"..."
For a mont, Kira looked at Ian with eyes that seed about to cry.
A face asking 'Really?'
She looked so genuinely disappointed that Ian briefly considered ditching Elia.
But that didn't seem right.
Though Ian was friendly with Kira, he'd already made plans with Elia.
Ignoring promises like throwing away old shoes didn't match Ian's personality.
Plus his counterpart was the precious daughter of the highest person in the Holy Empire.
She was the child of the Holy-Chief, so ignoring her might invite retaliation.
"Kira."
"Y-yes, Ian..."
Ian glanced at Elia and said:
"Well. That's how it is.[1]"
"!"
Kira's mouth dropped open in shock.
Th-that's how it is?!
What kind of word choice was that...!
While Kira was stunned by Ian's wizardly bold word choice, the female students whispered behind her.
'What just happened? Right now?'
'Seems like Kira has so kind of connection with Ian...'
'...But he seems closer with Elia now, don't you think?'
Kira wanted to shout 'No! Don't talk nonsense!!!' right then and there.
"Let's go! Ian!"
"See you later."
But Ian... really did enter the temple alongside Elia!
And they were sticking extrely close together!
'Really? Did they really get close?!'
Kira blankly watched the two of them disappear.
The female students were busy creating gossip behind her...
#
The theology class was quite different from the morning magic lecture.
Hundreds of students sat in the tidy temple, listening to the priest's edifying words.
This was exactly like the school classes Ian knew.
...Even down to chatting during class.
"I'm sorry for raising my voice earlier, Ian."
When Elia spoke first, Ian was slightly surprised.
Wow. Even the Imperial Princess can't resist chatting during class~
"But that was extrely rude behavior."
Elia's eyes changed slightly.
Ian was certain.
She's thinking about Kira right now.
"Even if wizards tend to be arrogant, ignoring people so blatantly isn't right...!"
Ian considered just half-listening and ignoring Elia's words.
"...Then Saint Casius said: For one without wings to rise to heaven is naturally difficult. This speaks to how hard it is for earthly humans to accumulate virtue worthy of reaching heaven..." 𝐑
But hearing the priest's 'edifying words' instantly snapped him to attention.
Father, I'm sorry but your lesson is boring as fuck...
Ian imdiately started chatting with Elia.
"I don't think Kira was ignoring you like that."
Elia looked at Ian with round eyes.
Do you really think that?!
Only then did she realize that Ian was a 'wizard' who'd spent his life studying.
"Ian, you have an innocent side."
"?"
"You trust Wizard Kira, don't you?"
A sharp question that cut straight to the point.
But it wasn't worth deep consideration.
Ian answered quietly:
"I do trust her. Because we were travel companions."
"I understand. But Kira hasn't shown you her 'real' heart yet."
"...?"
What's she talking about?
Ian tilted his head, but Elia spoke too seriously for him to interrupt.
Elia spoke as if she'd been waiting for this mont:
"Wizard Kira wears a thick mask."
"..."
"No one knows her true thoughts. Every single action is an act, a movent ant to deceive others."
Ian was genuinely surprised.
I know too! That Kira sotis goes into acting-mode when dealing with people!
But how did you know that?
"Think about what just happened. Kira clearly appeared before with her followers."
"Followers..."
"Right? Or should we call them handmaidens?"
Indeed, Elia showed aggressive reactions to anything involving Kira.
By this point, Ian was getting curious too.
What had happened between them while Ian was away from the university?
"In front of commoners, Kira blatantly disrespected . While showing off her friendship with you, she advertised the bond between real wizards..."
"No no. Wait."
"Yes?"
Ian cut off Elia's words.
He truly couldn't understand.
What? She deliberately brought commoners to pretend being close to Ian?
Ian could tell.
Kira's joy was definitely not an act.
But Elia understood Kira's actions as so kind of ans to attack her...!
"Elia. Aren't you misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstanding... you say?"
"Kira was just happy to see . She just happened to be passing by with friends and spotted . There was no ulterior motive."
"..."
Elia stared at Ian for a while with cold, lowered eyes.
Then she clasped her hands and muttered:
"Though you may be a genius at magic... you know nothing about people's hearts."
Ian couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
"Do you really think so?"
Ian thought he understood why such differences in opinion arose.
Elia didn't know Kira, but Ian did.
This was a matter of trust.
"Yes. Because you're not a woman, you have no idea about the 'ways' won use to tear each other down."
"...?"
But when Elia put it that way, Ian felt just a tiny bit doubtful.
True. Ian knew nothing about won's shadowy battles.
"Let tell you sothing definitive right here."
Elia spoke with sharp, glinting eyes.
"Wizard Kira hates . And she's the type of woman who will do anything to damage my dignity."
"..."
There seed to be so issue between Elia and Kira.
But Ian couldn't yet tell what that issue was.
'Damn civilized society...!'
Ian suddenly felt resentful toward civilized society.
Ah! If this were so rural baron's domain, they'd skip this shadowy talk and start cracking skulls!
Shouting things like 'You dare insult ?! Have at you!'
And whoever won would take everything, such a romantic thing...
'...Shouldn't happen.'
Ian ca to his senses.
His opponent was the Emperor's daughter. Fighting might not guarantee victory anyway. And why try solving things like a primitive person?
Humans have shining intellect.
And this university was where that intellect was honed.
'I should investigate first.'
He wasn't sure about Kira, but Elia clearly disliked her.
In the absolute worst case, Elia might attack Kira.
To prevent that, he needed to understand how the magic departnt operated.
That's when it happened.
"Shh. You two, no talking during the priest's sermon."
"Ah. Sorry..."
A student in nun's habit approached and whispered.
Not a real nun though.
Just a part-ti nun(?) who helped during classes.
"You need to be considerate of other students. Right? Brother?"
"...Maria?"
"Yes, it's . Hehe."
The part-ti nun(?) who smiled while placing a finger to her lips was none other than Maria, the necromancer-in-training.
---
[1. raei: the phrase is extrely casual and dismissive especially in a formal setting/polite speech. Hard to translate over to english.]
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