Chapter 86: Good News and Even Better News

The day after that headache-inducing conversation with Silina, Stella was absent, probably on sick leave. I’d been worried about Pina, but thankfully, she walked into the lecture hall looking perfectly fine.

Not only that, but after checking that no one was around me, she scurried over, a bright smile on her face, and held out her Terminal.

“[Good morning, Eliaernes!]”

“Yeah, morning.”

I casually responded while observing her closely.

“Eek…?”

Pina flinched under my intense gaze.

I held her shoulders and leaned in closer, scrutinizing her.

Close enough that our foreheads almost touched. A refreshing scent of grass and a faint, nutty aroma wafted from her.

“Eek! Eek! Eek!”

Ignoring Pina’s startled gasps against my nose, I widened my eyes.

“Look at me.”

“Eek…”

I stared into her trembling brown eyes, trying to see through to her very soul.

There were no signs of anything unusual. No trace of demonic energy, nor the unsettling feeling of mental manipulation.

…Was I just being paranoid?

As I stared at Pina, her lips trembling as tears welled up, the tension that had been gnawing at me all night slowly began to dissipate.

Still, just in case…

“Pina.”

“Huh?”

“Where were you last night?”

Pina’s lips moved soundlessly as she typed on her terminal.

“[I was at supplementary lessons.]”

“Outside?”

Pina’s eyes widened in surprise.

“[Yes. How did you know? Did you see me leave?]”

“Well, something like that.”

I wasn’t about to tell her that someone mentioned it in a community post.

“Who were you with? The professor for [Mana Manipulation B]?”

“[Yes. Since I couldn’t keep up with the class, Professor Pied Haveron gave me supplementary lessons.]”

Judging by her brightening expression, it really did seem like nothing was wrong.

“So, you have his class again today?”

“[Yes. Twice a week, Thursdays and Fridays.]”

“Hmm… Okay.”

I handed Pina the macarons I’d originally bought for Stella.

“If anything happens, don’t hesitate to tell me, alright?”

“[Happens? Like what?]”

“Well, you know… If someone’s bothering you, or if the professor does anything weird. That kind of stuff.”

Pina blinked, then her body trembled as she let out a nervous, “Ha! Ha!” before nodding vigorously with a wide, innocent smile.

It was so pure and transparent. The kind of smile that, for some inexplicable reason, made my back itch. Feeling oddly awkward, I scratched my cheek and returned to my usual seat.

The sunlight streaming through the window carried the fragrance of spring, while the cool breeze flowing through the slightly open window was refreshing.

I looked up at the clear blue sky, a sigh escaping my lips.

The weather is perfect, the sky is clear.

The sun is warm, the wind is cool.

The scent of spring and the pristine atmosphere of the academy brought a sense of calm.

“Hmm…”

Yet, I still felt… a strange emptiness.

Whenever I sat by the window like this, I’d usually hear a cheerful voice call out, “My lady!” But now, it was quiet.

A faint sense of longing lingered.

I never felt like this back at the estate.

Perhaps it’s because we’d been spending so much time together lately?

“Definitely… my personality is getting weird.”

I chuckled softly, wondering if Yurasia had arrived home safely.

***

“Oh my… Miss Eliaernes visiting me first? This is a rare occasion.”

“Yes… I have a question.”

“Hee hee. Ask away.”

After the usual morning assembly, I went straight to Adelia’s private office.

I had business with her.

“Uh… is it possible to attend a lecture that isn’t on my schedule?”

“Are you referring to auditing a class?”

“Auditing…? Uh… yes, I think that’s the right word.”

“Hmm? Which lecture are you interested in?”

“Professor Pied Haveron’s [Mana Manipulation B].”

Adelia’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Professor Pied’s lecture…? Well, it shouldn’t be a problem. But you won’t receive any credits for attending. Are you sure?”

“Yes, I don’t mind.”

I didn’t care about credits.

Today, I was attending to observe Professor Pied Haveron.

By watching his lecture, I hoped to dispel the strange unease I felt.

“Hmm…?”

Adelia tapped her desk thoughtfully, her chin resting on her hand, as she looked at me with a curious glint in her eyes.

“Why that lecture? With your abilities, Eliaernes, you’ve already surpassed the need for Mana Manipulation lectures, especially now that you’ve reached the Fifth Rank. Correct?”

“I have my reasons.”

“Oh my? If you can’t tell me the reason, I can’t grant permission, can I?”

Adelia chuckled, teasing me.

“Don’t look at me like that. I really can’t submit the audit request form without a reason.”

“Hmm…”

I could just give her a made-up reason. She knew me well enough not to expect anything genuine.

So why was she even bothering?

Just to mess with me.

This damn Black Magician.

Clicking my tongue, I blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.

“I’m lonely because I have no friends.”

“…Oh?”

“Y-Yurasia went back to her family home, and Stella, my friend from the next class, called in sick today… so I’m alone.”

Adelia stared at me, her eyes wide, before a mischievous grin spread across her face.

“But isn’t Silina also one of your friends, Eliaernes?”

“S-Silina is… difficult.”

“Hmm~?”

Her teasing hum sent shivers down my spine.

My face heated up, my fists clenched, and my heart pounded faster.

“Well… I suppose that’s a valid reason. Academy maladjustment is a common issue among new students. Hehe…”

With another sly chuckle, Adelia conjured a piece of paper into existence and swiftly scribbled something on it, filling out the audit application form in the blink of an eye.

With a loud
thump
, her official seal materialized on the document.

“Your class is [Mana Refinement F], correct? Let’s see… The instructor is Head Professor Wivir Arkand. I’ll let him know, so you can go straight to the lecture you wish to audit.”

“…Thank you.”

I took the form and turned to leave.

“Eliaernes.”

And of course, Adelia stopped me. I’d half-expected it.

There’s no way she’d let me go after witnessing something so suspicious.

Letting out a sigh, I turned back.

“…Yes?”

“I am your homeroom professor, and one of the top special instructors at this academy. Not only that, even though you seem to dislike Black Magicians, I’m also the next head of the Black Tower, you know?”

“…So?”

“If anything is bothering you, you can always come and talk to me. I’m not interested in prying into things you want to keep hidden.”

Adelia gave me a warm smile.

I simply stared back at her.

If Adelia were just an ordinary homeroom professor, I might consider taking her up on the offer to talk about trivial things.

But Adelia wasn’t ordinary.

Adelia Baros was a Black Magician.

And Black Magicians were all bastards.

Therefore, Adelia was the ultimate bastard.

The king of all bastards.

There was no way I could trust her.

Of course, so far, her actions had aligned with her words. She hadn’t tried to pry into my secrets. Instead, she had provided me with information when I needed it.

What was her motive? Who knew? Besides her occasional teasing, she didn’t seem to expect anything in return.

Which made her even more suspicious.

Kindness without a price?

Even if the Demon King disappeared and the world found eternal peace, such generosity didn’t exist. At least, not in the human world I knew.

So, I didn’t trust Adelia.

And this was something I had to handle myself.

If the Imperial Family found it, they’d claim it for themselves. If House Eustetia discovered it, they’d confiscate it as an ancestral heirloom.

And the Nameless, ultimately aligned with the Eustetia family, would retrieve it for the Duchy as well.

The only other person I could possibly ask for help was Leona, but…

Not this time.

Leona was the one in the most danger.

These items were likely left there by Arisa, her future master.

And in that illusion, I had seen Arisa leave behind a journal of some kind. If Leona were to find it, she’d undoubtedly lose control.

Well… if it ever felt like that snake bastard underground was about to steal it, then I wouldn’t hesitate to ask everyone I knew for help, but…

For now, I wanted to try and resolve this on my own.

It might seem reckless, but…

If that guy was just a 7th Circle Black Magician… I wouldn’t lose.

If he was 8th Circle… then…

I don’t know. I’ll think about it when it happens.

But I won’t lose.

I nodded vaguely at Adelia, who still had that gentle smile plastered on her face, and left her office.

***

Pina, who was sitting right beside me, stared at me with sparkling eyes.

We normally couldn’t attend the same lectures, so maybe she was happy about that.

Her tail was puffed up, her ears perked; her whole body practically vibrated with excitement.

I wasn’t sure what to say to her, so I just stayed quiet.

It was kind of amusing watching her fidget, clearly wanting to talk to me.

And…

The atmosphere in the lecture hall…

Something felt off.

I wanted to focus and observe the other students.

At first glance… they seemed normal.

But there was a subtle sense of discomfort.

Pina seemed fine.

I was fine too.

But everyone else in the lecture hall… Not just the students from Signia, the noble dormitory, but even those from Frunt, the commoner dormitory, they all seemed… off.

What was it?

I rolled a peppermint around in my mouth, carefully raising my guard.

And soon,

Creak.

The lecture hall doors opened.

“Good afternoon.”

Professor Pied Haveron walked into the room.

First impression… Well, ordinary.

His frame, visible beneath his robes, was slender and frail, just like most magic users.

But unlike most mages, he didn’t have a sharp, intimidating aura. His face seemed rather gentle.

Even his voice was soft and smooth.

Thud. Thud.

He didn’t seem to have a trained body.

His gait was uneven, his rhythm slightly off.

The very image of a typical mage.

As he stood at the podium, his gaze fell upon the audit application form I’d submitted earlier. Then, he looked up, his eyes meeting mine.

His pitch-black eyes stared at me intently.

There was no mana fluctuation.

No suspicious aura.

Just curiosity, as if he was wondering who I was.

Which, for some reason, made me even more uneasy.

Because no one who had ever looked at Eliaernes Eustetia before had worn that kind of expression.