Ch.13Chapter 13

“Advanced Applications of Mana Circuits” looked like a difficult subject just from the title. Given the year level, I figured they’d be learning something like this, so I slightly raised my head.

“Those who have taken related courses in previous years should understand this quickly. Just like a wristwatch needs intricate components to function, when all the essential elements mesh together properly…”

It reminded me of that finger lecture Sera had taught me. It was similar to when she spun her finger around and then suddenly grabbed it, explaining how magic circles wouldn’t work if blocked.

As I sat quietly watching, the professor’s explanation seemed endless.

The professor suddenly moved the blackboard and grabbed a white chalk, drawing a perfect circle.

“‘Circulation.’ The most basic element of magic circles. And within this, we’ll place our magic circle. How many circulations will we create? And how can we inscribe them sufficiently without excess? We will draw the world through geometric forms.”

“Wow, I thought we’d just finish with orientation today.”

When the professor began lecturing in earnest, Sera let out a sigh. The person sitting in front seemed to agree, nodding to themselves.

Everyone seems to be listening.

As I watched quietly, Aria grabbed her pen and quickly wrote something in her notebook. Just as I thought she was taking notes from the professor’s lecture, she tore out the page and handed it to me.

“I wrote down my name and number.”

Seeing how she whispered while passing the note, it seemed Aria wasn’t really paying attention to the lecture either. I stared at it with a blank expression, then carefully folded it and put it in my pocket.

I figured I should continue what I was doing before.

Ourr, Ourr, Ourr. The white paper was covered densely with my name. I desperately racked my brain, thinking I should at least know how to write and read my own name.

I memorized the two characters quickly. Somehow, thinking of it as a name made it easier to remember. So I diligently practiced writing Sera’s and Aria’s names as well.

Each time I wrote someone’s name, they reacted beside me.

When I wrote Sera’s name, she chimed in with “That’s right.” When I wrote Aria’s name, she nodded and gently patted my head.

Hey now, touching without permission?

“…Sorry for touching without asking.”

When I glared at her with narrowed eyes, Aria withdrew her hand and apologized. But I hadn’t glared because I didn’t want to be touched.

“It’s fine, but let me touch you too.”

“My hair? Sure.”

“No, your ears… I wanted to touch them.”

Speaking quietly so as not to disturb others during the lecture, Aria hesitated. She seemed reluctant, as if she didn’t like having her ears touched.

With her lips pressed tightly together, she gave a barely perceptible nod. It was such a slight movement that I wouldn’t have caught it if I hadn’t been staring.

“…Just don’t touch too much, they’re sensitive.”

I paused momentarily at her whispered words. I wasn’t that insensitive, so I just wiggled my fingers.

Pretending not to hear, I went back to writing. The professor’s voice seemed to fill the lecture hall completely. The paper was now filled with names.

The lecture ended. After the professor left, groans erupted from all around. It seemed the students had suffered an unintended mental attack when what they thought would be a quick session turned into a full lecture.

I couldn’t hide my satisfaction since I had accomplished something during class time.

Toward the end of the lecture, I had even practiced writing the professor’s name to show off later, so now it was time to see the professor’s reaction.

As I was straightening my papers with light taps, Aria didn’t even put her books away and glanced at me. We exchanged awkward looks before she voiced her question.

“Aren’t you going to touch my ears?”

“You said they were sensitive…”

“It’s okay.”

Aria’s pale hand lightly grabbed my sleeve. I relaxed my arm and let her guide my hand toward her ear.

I moved closer. Long, pointed ears. I had wanted to touch them once. This was completely different from fake costume ears, so my gaze was fixed on them.

“Oh…”

“Mmh.”

As I touched her ear with wonder, a small moan escaped Aria’s lips.

They were soft and warm. Being ears, they weren’t that warm, but feeling the warmth of the cartilage was strange. Ears are generally like that, but maybe because she was an elf, they felt more delicate toward the tips.

It was a fascinating experience. I’ve had many new experiences since coming to this world, but who would have thought I’d get to touch an elf’s ears?

As I was marveling and wiggling my left hand, Sera, who had finished packing up, grabbed my shoulder from behind.

“What?! Aria, you told me you’d blast me with elven secrets if I touched your ears! What’s going on here…!”

“I have nothing to gain from you. Touching people is boring, but touching a Demon God is a rare opportunity.”

Despite Sera’s loud voice, Aria responded in a calm, quiet voice.

To Aria’s rebuttal,

“Then how about my chest? I’ll let you touch it!”

“…Not interested. You’re smaller than me.”

“Ugh…”

Sera’s comment was quite explicit despite being in a lecture hall with people still present. For a moment, I wondered if we were really in a classroom, but Aria casually dismissed it and focused all her attention on my hand.

Sera groaned and pressed herself against me, and I felt the sudden added weight while still fiddling with Aria’s ear.

“So, how is it?”

I let out a small moan at Aria’s question.

“It’s just, different from my ears so it’s interesting… and soft…”

“Is that so? As long as you’re satisfied.”

Aria’s face was slightly redder than before, making me feel awkward. As soon as I removed my hand, Sera clung to me and tried to touch my ears.

“Then I want to touch Ourr’s ears.”

“Huh? Wait… eek?!”

I shuddered at the sudden touch. Goosebumps rose from my lower body, making me tremble. Despite this, Sera didn’t stop touching my ears.

Every time her finger traced my earlobe, my waist involuntarily jerked back. I tried to escape with a groan, but there seemed to be no way to escape from Sera who was hugging me from behind.

As I groaned with furrowed brows, Aria reached out her hand. I thought she was going to help me, but she started touching my other ear.

I couldn’t understand why they were so curious about touching ears, whether demon god’s or human’s—they seemed pretty similar to me.

After spending quite some time like that, I took out my phone from my inner pocket. Time had flown by while I was studying hard and then being tormented between Aria and Sera.

I shook my head at the touches I had somewhat grown accustomed to. Since they weren’t holding me tightly, I was able to shake off their hands with a slight head movement.

“I think it’s time to head back.”

I gathered the papers scattered on the desk. Seeing the evident disappointment on their faces, I declared this, and Sera nodded as if she understood despite her reluctance.

“Alright, can’t be helped. I wanted to play more though.”

“…Shouldn’t we not be doing this during lecture time?”

“This lecture is just reviewing what we learned in first and second year, like orientation, so I already know most of it.”

Sera shrugged as if it was no big deal. The way she spoke about not needing to focus on what was already in her head made her seem far from being a good student, let alone an honor student or model student.

Anyway, our conversation was over. I headed to the professor’s research lab with Sera’s guidance. There, I found the professor working.

“I’m back.”

As I bowed my head in greeting, the professor waved at me.

“Welcome back. How was the lecture?”

“It was kind of difficult. So I studied writing instead.”

I tried to show the papers I was holding. Having forgotten that I had rolled up my sleeves for comfort while walking, the papers slipped from my grasp and scattered across the floor.

“Ah…!”

Alarmed by the papers fluttering in all directions, I immediately crouched down and started picking them up.

My sleeves kept falling and covering my hands. As I struggled to roll them up again, Sera, who was watching from behind, started helping me gather the papers.

“Th-thanks…”

“This is nothing.”

For every one sheet I picked up, Sera swiftly gathered four and handed them to me. I fidgeted with them before showing them to the professor again.

Then I slowly pointed to the characters and explained.

“This is my name… this is Sera, and this is Aria.”

“Aria?”

The professor tilted her head at the unfamiliar name.

“Ah, she’s a classmate in the same department. An elf.”

As I hesitated slightly about how to explain, Sera helped from behind. I nodded and turned my head slightly.

Seeing the glass board and marker attached to the research lab wall, I uncapped it and started writing in black. After writing, I felt a bit embarrassed by my poor handwriting.

“I memorized it diligently.”

“My goodness, you really did work hard.”

The professor smiled warmly, then stood up. She gave me a gentle hug while reciting what I had written.

“That’s right. She even stood on her tiptoes to write, so she really did work hard.”

Sera chuckled. I pouted and glared at her. The professor didn’t seem to notice my expression and just kept patting my head, saying how impressive I was.

My head felt like it was spinning.