CH 25

── “I’m disappointed in you”.

The moment he said that, I felt a floating sensation as if the ground fell out from under me.

I’m falling, falling.

I knew that no matter how I reached out, I would never be able to see that beautiful, beautiful “light” that illuminated my heart again.

Everything in front of me became pitch black.

I don’t want to.

I don’t want to, I don’t want to.

I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to. I don’t want to───. 

＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋

“…”

“… hic.”

Hey, you’ve got to be kidding me.

Why are you crying?

I don’t understand.

“I, I know I’m not the best… But, just let me stay by your side… please… I’m begging you…”

“…”

Mia clings to my feet and appeals to me with tearful eyes.

What the h**l is this?

How did this happen?

“Well, listen. First of all, you have to do it on your own. If not, you won’t know what you can and can’t do.”

“… uuu.”

“Don’t try to rely on others from the beginning. Training is a conversation with yourself. It’s something to do on your own. Especially magic… Well, I showed you the way already.”

“P-please forgive me. I’ll do my best, I-I’ll do my best… so please don’t abandon me…”

“… I get it, so just leave me already, you’re annoying.”

“D-don’t say that… Please, don’t say that…”

“…”

What is this?

What in the world is this creature?

How did this really happen?

… Ugh, I can feel my stomach churning.

Damn, why do I have to bother my head about this?

“I’ll give you one piece of advice.”

“… Hic—?”

“───Heal yourself as soon as you feel pain. Keep healing. Increase the rate of healing over thunder. You understand?”

“… Un. I-I understand.”

“…”

I don’t understand why anyone would cry at this level.

I’m kind of tired already.

Maybe I should just go home and sleep?

… No, wait.

“I was out of line.”

“…”

I gently put my hand on Mia’s shoulder.

For some reason, I realized, strangely enough, that I should.

Sometimes I have that feeling.

It is a moment when I feel something like a certainty that this is the way to go.

“I’ve spoken too harshly because I have high expectations of you, so forgive me.”

“… aa… oo”

Mia’s mouth was wide open.

I felt the darkness swirling behind her eyes grow deeper, but I ignored it for now.

“I am always right. even when I choose you. But the choice is yours… can you do it?”

“Un… I can… I can do it…”

Mia nodded her head, at my words.

Haah, I’m tired…

Seriously.

For a while─── let’s not add any more “pawns”.

“I’ll be on my way. Good luck.”

“Uh, Un…! I’ll do my best…!”

I felt a strong will.

In her eyes.

… Was it good enough?

No, not exactly.

But I’m tired… So I’ll stop thinking about it.

And I walked straight toward the exit.

“…”

That’s when I sensed.

Someone was looking at us.

But before I could get a good look, the figure disappeared in a panic.

I thought it might be Alice, but it was not…

“… Who?”

I said briefly as I left the training grounds.

Although there was no one in sight even when I looked around, there shouldn’t have been enough time to go far away.

I didn’t feel any big magic power either.

So, they’re most likely still nearby.

However, there was no place to hide here.

Well… there is a large locker for cleaning supplies.

My constantly activated “magic perception” was telling me that someone was hiding there, as if it were pushing me despite my exhaustion.

It seems that they were trying to hide with magic, but they were not completely concealing their presence, perhaps due to agitation.

“Come out. I know you’re hiding there.”

“…”

There was no response.

Apparently, they don’t want to come out.

“I see. Then I’ll just open it.”

I put my hand on the handle and opened that double-opening locker vigorously.

And then─── I saw it.

“… Ha?”

The least expected suspect came to sight.

“─── What a coincidence that we met in a place like this. Luke Wizaria Gilbert.”

Hiding in the locker in a strange pose, carrying a number of cleaning supplies, was the first-year homeroom teacher, Freya.

It doesn’t make any sense anymore.

I’m tired of Mia, but why do these incomprehensible things keep piling up on top of each other?

Why is our teacher in a place like this?

Why is this woman in this situation acting calmly, as if it’s a normal day?

The endless questions that flood my mind know no bounds.

“You must be thinking right now, Why? But that’s a foolish question.”

“…”

“A teacher is hiding in a locker that holds cleaning supplies. The probability of this is not very high, but it is by no means zero. There are no more facts out there, and this is the reality and the truth.”

“…”

“I’ll leave you to it. I still have some work to do… well then.”

“…”

My brain had stopped thinking.

Events that I couldn’t understand kept happening to me.

I guess it can’t be helped.

“Ah, I heard it from my sister, but as expected, you’re excellent. On top of that, you can also care for your classmates. I’m impressed.”

“…”

And with those words, Freya left.

She showed no signs of agitation throughout, and had a very dignified attitude.

That only adds to the strangeness of the situation.

“I’m tired already…”

I’ll sleep all day today.

That should be better for efficiency.

I put my thoughts aside and concluded.

＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋

───Around Aslan Magic Academy.

Late at night.

When there was no artificial light and only moonlight illuminating the world.

There were two people there, a man and a woman.

The two were dressed in all black, with no skin exposed at all.

“I know. Just scouting today. Only looking.”

“If just what you say… but don’t go too far, okay? You understand?”

“Understood. But if I can grab it, I will.”

“Ha… why is this girl so bloodthirsty───?”

In an instant, the two of them jumped back.

Something fell from above them.

“Wow, you dodged it. Amazing physical ability. Is it magic? A magical tool? Or something else?”

His hair reflected the silver moonlight.

A man appeared smiling fearlessly.

───It was Yolande.

At that moment, the two people dressed in black felt it.

That this man is too dangerous.

Their instincts were ringing like alarm bells.

It appealed to them to run away immediately.

“…”

“… You know what I think.”

“… I know. I’m not so full of myself.”

Don’t fight.

We should withdraw.

There was no difference in their conclusions.

“Iyaa, I did think that it would be about time for you to come around soon. I didn’t expect it to be now. Perhaps ─── I’m really lucky.”

A moment later, Yolande kicks the ground.

And was accelerated by “magnetic force”.

He closed the distance between them at once at a tremendous speed.

If they had been in Yolande’s range, the victory would have been decided.

However,

“───”

Smoke screen.

“What is it for, huh?”

A mere puff of smoke can be blown away by Yolande’s “magnetic force”.

But it was different.

There was some kind of mechanism in place that caused magic interference.

This caused a slight lag before he could blow away the smoke screen.

That little lag was more than enough for the two to hide from view.

The smoke cleared and he looked around, but there was nothing there.

“Uwa… can’t even track magic, huh. That sucks… they got away.”

Yolande was understandably disappointed.

“… Hmm, well, okay. ─── but it’s ‘beastman’, right?”

He muttered quietly.

“The kingdom recognizes those without complete magical power as inferior species. From my perspective, I think there are many uses for them even without magic. They may not have magic, but their physical abilities are outstanding.”

Yolande floated softly into the sky through “flight”.

“I’m sure it’s Luke they’re after. After all, his manifestation of the ‘dark attribute’ is well known around the world. We could at least keep it hidden until he grows up. But this country is weak in information systems because it focuses too much on magic… “

Haah, he sighed.

Then a shadow approached him.

“Yolande-sama, I’ve got the whole squad looking for them───”

“Good job Goldova. Sure. It’s a nuisance not to have magic, right?”

“I understand…”

“Hmm, it’s too straightforward to think of the assassin as being from the ‘Autonomous Region of the Beast Kingdom’. Could it be a disguised operation by another country using beast people…? Our country isn’t that well-liked. Well, I don’t care. Whatever it is, we’ll just deal with it.”

And then Yolande and Goldova disappeared into the night sky───.