Ch.128Soul School (2)

After visiting the castle that the Soul School had established as its headquarters, we were planning to stay for about a day.

Given our current schedule, it was likely that by the time we finished our business, it would already be dark, so we wanted to spend at least one night sleeping in comfortable accommodations.

Therefore, we intended to rely on the Metal School’s hospitality in this place, which we wouldn’t leave until tomorrow after spending the night.

To be precise, the Metal School branch had arranged for us to use the Tower’s guest quarters on their behalf.

“Thank you, Lord Falten.”

“Haha, this is nothing at all.”

The Tower does maintain its own accommodations for visiting families of studying students or important guests.

However, the Tower, which is far more closed off than most people realize, never opens these accommodations to ordinary outsiders, only allowing them to be rented under authorization to those who have some connection to insiders.

In fact, this organization called the Tower is fundamentally similar to a boarding school, though each division has its different orientations.

It’s inevitable that the entry of outsiders and other minor freedoms would be controlled.

Anyway, with the help of Lord Falten and the Metal School, we were able to enter the premises. After unpacking our belongings at the lodgings, we decided to head outside.

“My lord. I will stay here to guard our belongings.”

“…Are you sure that’s all right?”

Contrary to our original plan of exploring together, “Red Meteor” Droop Bazirite volunteered to remain at the lodgings to watch over our belongings.

Naturally, I asked him about it, wondering if he was concerned about the gazes of others, and fortunately, his answer was far from the worst scenario I had imagined.

“Yes. Actually, I don’t really care for noisy places….”

“…Ah.”

After conversing a bit more, I came to understand Droop Bazirite’s personality—far from sociable or extroverted, and though it might sound a bit cringeworthy to express it this way… he enjoys solitude.

“I understand then. I’ll make sure to bring back plenty of food when we return.”

A typical introvert. Since his preference for quiet over noise was certainly worthy of respect, I gladly expressed my respect for his wishes and prepared to go out with the other three.

I would be accompanied by Charlotte Mainster, who had studied abroad at the Soul School and was serving as our guide, and Pierre, who seemed like the type to cause trouble if left alone.

※ ※ ※

Our current outing had two main purposes.

One was, naturally, sightseeing in this mysterious space we had finally managed to visit, while the other was to help Charlotte, who was accompanying us as a tour guide, take care of her personal business.

Since I personally prefer to handle business matters first and then enjoy myself with peace of mind, I prioritized helping Charlotte Mainster with her personal affairs between these two tasks….

Therefore, we were moving through the streets with the intention of visiting some institution within the Tower where Charlotte had business to attend to.

And the interior landscape and streets of this Tower branch, the stronghold of the Soul School in this ancient castle, aside from being composed of objects that strongly evoked a medieval fantasy atmosphere….

‘….■■ University?’

The atmosphere strongly reminded me of the campus of ■■ University that I had attended on Earth in my previous life.

Roads paved with carved stone bricks wound and branched in various directions. Carriages pulled by automata, seemingly the work of the Metal School, caught my eye.

But apart from these details, the city here might be better described as resembling an old European street.

Buildings of similar size and form lined the streets, while black streetlamps were installed here and there, hanging lamp-like “magic lights.”

Amid the rows of buildings with an antique and elegant style—though I’m not well-versed in this kind of architectural knowledge, they nonetheless gave off a luxurious and aristocratic atmosphere—we visited the very building where Charlotte Mainster had business to attend to….

“I’m sorry! Did you wait long?”

“Not at all, it didn’t take much time.”

Her “business” apparently concluded, she emerged with a visibly delighted expression, carrying several thick books and a mirror. As we exchanged pleasantries about whether it had taken long or not….

‘So that’s it….’

Looking at the books and that magical mirror she had brought out, I could roughly deduce the nature of the “business” she had mentioned.

First, those books clearly possessed no magical power whatsoever, and their covers mostly described “soul magic,” which the Soul School specializes in.

As for that mirror…. In fact, the most common use for mirror-shaped magical tools is none other than communication, similar to video calls.

Based on these observations, I guessed that she was probably trying to challenge herself with magic again through remote education, and to avoid embarrassment in case I was wrong, I phrased my question as ambiguously as possible….

“Are you… planning to try again?”

“Yes. Before… I actually gave up too quickly and easily.”

Fortunately, it seems my guess wasn’t wrong enough to cause embarrassment.

“You mean dropping out of the Tower?”

“Yes. At that time, I couldn’t keep up at all, and I didn’t understand anything the professors were saying…. No, that’s not right. Those are just excuses.”

“Excuses….”

“Excuses I made up afterward to justify running away without properly focusing, and then failing. That’s all it was.”

Though she was speaking to me, somehow it felt like her words were directed not at me but at herself…. so I carefully ventured a question.

“What were you like back then?”

“Back then, I was… a person without conviction.”

“Without conviction?”

“Yes. A person with no desires, no goals. Then I met Lord Alzar, saw how dedicated he was to something, became impatient, and impulsively went to study abroad at the Tower….”

“…And you couldn’t adapt.”

“Well, that’s right.”

As I listened intently to this glimpse into Charlotte’s past that I was hearing for the first time… I suddenly found something in her words that bothered me and voiced it directly.

“But at that age, isn’t it actually normal not to have any particular standards or direction?”

“That’s… true. After all, I wasn’t even 15 years old at the time….”

“Right. Anyone would lack conviction at that age. I was the strange one for having my own standards.”

As I said, honestly speaking, there are plenty of people who live without personal convictions even as adults, going wherever life takes them. In such a world, there was no need for her to blame herself for lacking conviction as a mere child.

“Thank you, Lord Alzar. …No, Young Master Camille.”

“It’s nothing, really.”

Perhaps she found courage in my words. Only then did a bright smile finally bloom on her face, which had been downcast until now, and I awkwardly smiled back in response….

Anyway, now that Charlotte’s personal matter of registering for remote magic education was complete, we could finally enjoy our exciting tour of the Soul School’s stronghold.

The basic population living in this Soul School stronghold, the Tower branch, is probably around 5,000 people.

Naturally, among them, magicians and students number no more than 1,000 at most, and the remaining population is probably… mostly simple laborers who manage the city.

And among them, there were also those who conducted business targeting the less than 1,000 core consumers.

A delicious meal is better than anything else at boosting human morale. In other words, to prevent students from becoming frustrated or mired in feelings of defeat, the Soul School provides quality meals as a form of welfare….

Thanks to this, I felt like I was experiencing some of the most abundant days since arriving here.

Even the simple roast beef was evenly cooked and generously seasoned with spices, and all the bread was made with yeast, making it fluffy and soft.

Add to this the primitive carbonated drink (carbonated water mixed with honey and citrus fruit juice) that I happened to try in passing, and it truly made for a fulfilling time.

But—tranquility, in other words, tends to stand out more in contrast to the chaos that follows.

‘…Huh?’

A powerful warning from my intuition, something I had never experienced before. It flooded into my mind like a violent current reminiscent of waves.

And, as if to confirm that my intuitive warning was correct—

[—■■■■■■■■■!!!]

A majestic roaring sound that seemed to penetrate and spread through my very soul. Feeling it directly, I instinctively became aware of something.

The fact that formidable enemies had appeared in this Tower branch.