Chapter 17
Following behind, a blonde student approached where Ethan and Bien were and lifted the rabbit by both ears. This part was rough. It also caught his eye that she was quite tall, taller than Bien but shorter than Ethan. Ethan recalled that this student was originally from a knightly family lineage. She let her hair, braided into three strands, hang forward over her left shoulder. There were no special decorations, so it wasn't flashy, but it took a lot of effort. To prepare this from the morning, she would need to be diligent or have soone help her. It was aristocratic. It was actually one of the traditional hairstyles in the Kardien royal family.
Maiya Onyx hugged the rabbit and said,
"Ah, sorry. Did my familiar interrupt your al?"
The brown rabbit chewed its mouth and spoke in a husky voice.
"May you all be cursed."
Maiya smiled awkwardly and patted the rabbit. The rabbit burrowed into Maiya's embrace.
"Weavre, you shouldn't say such things."
"I am the void."
"Okay. I'm sorry. I'll give you a snack when we go back to the room."
"The flesh of life will wither and dry."
"Yes. Dried apples."
Maiya said,
"He's a bit of a chatty familiar."
Bien couldn't ignore it and pointed out,
"It doesn't just seem like he's chatty."
"It's because the familiar isn't properly attuned. I'm not skilled at handling familiars."
"Hmm, that's not true. Not many people in our year handle familiars. You should have confidence in your own abilities."
"Thank you."
Ethan said,
"My father also had a familiar that wouldn't listen. I often saw that familiar while helping with the family chores. That familiar disliked people and would bite guests, so it was usually kept locked up, making it hard to see unless it was next to my father. But there was a ti when it escaped during a festival, causing a commotion. After that, my father didn't make do chores."
Maiya asked,
"You? Why?"
"Because I let that familiar loose. I didn't want to do chores."
Maiya laughed.
Bien said,
"Why did you do that? Looking at your magic skills, wouldn't being a scribe be better than coming to a magic school?"
"What are you talking about? I'm a man who passed Basic Magic Practice."
"You're a man who would fail Basic Magic Practice. How can you pass Basic Magic Practice with only Body Enhancent Magic?"
Maiya laughed even louder.
"This is Bien, and you're... Ethan, right?"
"It's the first ti we're formally introducing ourselves, Maiya."
Bien also bowed his head.
Maiya looked at Ethan and Bien with narrowed eyes.
"Seeing you two together is unexpected. Were you originally close?"
It was rare to see the top student of the year and a failing student candidate together. And Yurmus Magic School students knew who was close and who wasn't after half a sester. If there was no explanation, it would be awkward.
Bien glanced at Ethan. Although it wasn't obvious from his appearance, Ethan knew it was a look asking for help.
Ethan put his arm around Bien's shoulder and said,
"I decided to join the Combat Magic Society following Bien. Right?"
Ethan had not yet discussed this with Bien. It was an unagreed-upon statent, and Bien seed surprised but answered while adjusting his glasses.
"That's right."
"Combat magic, huh? Not very aristocratic."
Along with that remark, a Quest window popped up before Ethan's eyes.
[Quest Activated!!]
[Quest: Find evidence that Maiya Onyx is a black mage (C)]
[Quest Activated!!]
[Quest: Beco close with Maiya Onyx (D)]
To find evidence that Maiya was a black mage, he naturally had to increase opportunities to interact with Maiya. And to increase opportunities for interaction, he naturally had to beco close with her. Ethan knew this was a chance to dig deeper.
Ethan said suggestively,
"Are you sure about that?"
"What do you an?"
Ethan said,
"There cos a ti when a mage must inevitably use combat magic."
"For example?"
"Family Wars."
Among non-mage nobles, especially royalty, a struggle fierce enough to be called a war often occurred to maintain their lineage and power. Despite this, it wasn't called a family war. This was because everyone knew about it, but outwardly, they pretended such things didn't happen. While discussions about the power struggle might occur in social gatherings, audience chambers, or private quarters, they weren't officially docunted. However, mages were different.
Unlike typical nobles where the position of minor head of the household was passed to the eldest son or daughter through 'eldest inheritance,' within a mage family, each mage was eligible to inherit the headship. Why? Because, unlike non-mages who had roughly similar talents, the difference in power between siblings in a mage family was not symtrical. Just like in non-mage families, if everything was inherited by an untalented eldest sibling, it could cause dissatisfaction from a younger sibling with strong power. The head could give the minor headship to the strongest younger sibling, but not all mage siblings had such biased talents. Therefore, the Family War was introduced as an official procedure for conflicts between siblings or relatives within a mage family.
It aligned with the interests of non-mage nobles, led by the king, as it reduced the power of mages, and mages could also protect their right of succession within the family. Above all, there was an agreent that the Family War format could prevent greater chaos and damage.
Family Wars differed depending on the family and the rules set by the head, but generally, one had to kill, subjugate, or expel all other siblings. In this case, combat was unavoidable.
Maiya slightly shook her head at Ethan's words.
"No. I won't have a Family War. There's too much age difference between and my other siblings. When my younger siblings are old enough, I plan to find good marriage prospects for them."
There were various ways to expel siblings, and marriage was the gentlest thod. Since not all mages were ambitious, Family Wars could end peacefully if there was a large difference in power between siblings. Of course, Ethan knew about this aspect as well.
'The Family War was just sothing I brought up to start a conversation.'
Ethan said,
"That's fortunate. But even if that's not the case, mages often face threats. Non-mage nobles covet the land and resources mages possess and constantly pick fights, and royals fear mages and send assassins. Above all, challenges to steal fellow mages' secrets are a problem."
For these reasons, just as knights learned horsemanship, spearmanship, and swordsmanship, mages also had a certain level of aptitude in self-defense magic. However, such self-defense magic was only a part of combat magic.
"I also have enough ability to protect myself. That thod doesn't necessarily have to be combat magic, does it? If it's disadvantageous, it's better to choose fleeing than confronting."
Self-defense magic assud escape, defense, and duels between individuals if fighting occurred. Mages tended to consider situations beyond that unnecessary.
"If a mage has to fight against many enemies, it must be because that mage didn't handle themselves properly. A great mage knows where they are and where they need to go. They mustn't get lost."
It was a sound argunt. If Maiya had been an ordinary mage, Ethan wouldn't have thought about trying to pique her interest in combat magic any further. But Maiya wasn't an ordinary mage; she was a black mage.
"Maiya, are you confident you won't get lost?"
"What? Of course..."
Maiya, who was about to respond like that, trailed off and looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping.
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