episode_0007

His legs felt weak. It was such a difficult meeting. Meeting upperclassmen wasn’t supposed to be that intimidating, but meeting seniors this high up… it felt different from meeting professors. Professors looked at me with ease, but the students didn’t. They were sharp. Maybe it was because she was a senior leading the students, or maybe it was just the atmosphere she exuded, like ice.

Ice, it definitely felt that way. Even though I couldn’t sense any magic when I focused my mana, there was a distinct chill, a coldness different from the chill of the ice crystals gathered at my fingertips. Just touching her, just hearing her speak, I knew I would have frozen on the spot.

The moment I saw her magic, that thought naturally occurred to me. Cerestia told me she shapes ice, and I thought that might be true. But seeing her magic made me reconsider, gave me a somewhat arrogant thought.

“I could spit out the cold… without holding it in.”

I couldn’t exactly understand her magic, but it seemed to involve summoning cold and using it. If I had given a command, ice would have been summoned from that cold. That thought made me breathless once again. I did feel fear at the difference in our abilities, but it wasn’t that kind of fear. She kept coming to mind.

Taking a deep breath, I regained composure and headed back to the dormitory. Even on the way back, I kept looking over my shoulder. Was someone watching me? Someone from the school might still be outside at this hour.

I couldn’t afford to relax. The academy is a dangerous place. Forgetting that, I might die at any moment.

“Astan?”

I turned my head toward the voice and saw a man standing in front of the academy building. He had clearly called me, and I couldn’t ignore him, especially because the insignia on his chest was black. His dark black hair was short, giving him an impression like a soldier. His expression was stern, almost like a gladiator about to fight, yet his voice seemed mature, more like a young professor than a fifth grader.

Yesterday’s memory naturally swallowed my saliva. Why is a fifth grader looking for me? At that moment, the man threw something at me.

Naturally, I deftly caught the flying object aimed at me, and the man pointed at me with his right hand and spoke.

“I heard you met Erika yesterday.”

“Erika… I’m sorry, I don’t know your senior’s name.”

“Is there something to be sorry for? It’s better not to meet a fifth grader unless it’s after causing an accident. I heard Erika made a mistake yesterday… Did I say the right thing?”

“You almost attacked me.”

“…Did you see such a crazy woman? Somehow survived, but she hasn’t completely recovered from the cold yet, so drink this. It’s a potion made by diluting frost troll blood, it will make the cold disappear.”

“It’s not perfect, but I’ve already treated the cold.”

At my words, the man’s eyes sharply changed. I felt as if I had made a mistake, and sweat dripped down my spine. Carefully, I stepped back.

“Erika treated the cold she left behind.”

“…It’s not perfect.”

“Do you use ice magic?”

“I can use it, though it’s weak.”

As I spoke, the man’s eyes turned red. It felt as if a voice in my head was telling me to run away quickly, as if I were about to be attacked. But could I escape? Maybe Seresria could somehow, but in front of a fifth-grade senior, it was impossible.

“I see, you treated it, but the coldness in the heart still remains. It seems like you used ice magic to draw out the cold. Don’t let Erica notice, if she sees it, she’ll be amazed and jump around.”

“I will remember.”

“Still, it’s fortunate. Students who faced Erica’s coldness usually froze on the spot, and it was routine for me to go around waking them up. This year, fortunately, Erica didn’t send any students to the infirmary.”

“You’ve always been such a senior.”

The man laughed at my words. His previously stiff expression finally relaxed cautiously. This senior is a good person.

“That friend doesn’t attend the academy and spends time alone. I can’t find him, he suddenly appears in front of me, says he caused an accident, then disappears again.”

“Is there a way to find Senior Erica?”

“Why do you ask?”

In response to my question, the senior looked at me with curious eyes, resting his chin on his right hand, and I cautiously spoke up.

“I want to receive instruction in ice magic.”

“In that case, you should go see Professor Zehren.”

“As you know, Senior, I believe the teachings of a professor and a student are different.”

“…As for finding Erica, it would be faster to consult the academy’s headmaster privately. You can’t find her, she appears on her own.”

“It’s difficult to meet Senior Erica.”

“If you cause an accident, you might meet her, but I’ll come running first.”

I let out a small laugh at his words. Fighting with a 5th grader after causing an accident is just absurd. It would be easier to wake up a sleeping dragon.

“Still, if you meet Erica, it would be good to tell her that Leonhard is looking for her.”

“I will keep that in mind, Senior.”

“It’s Leonhard.”

“I’ll remember, Senior Leonhard.”

“You look tired today.”

“I had a bit of a tough day yesterday.”

“What kind of work are you doing? It’s not something strange, is it?”

I laughed at Sharen’s words and tore a piece of bread.

“I work as a staff member at Ignolia’s tavern.”

“Is that possible?”

“If a family wants to survive, there’s no choice. Even though it may seem like this, there are family members who need to be supported.”

“Hmm… I shouldn’t have asked.”

I looked at Sharen again, laughing as I saw her stern expression. You’re understanding because there are many people around you, my kind friend. Still, it doesn’t sit well with me. The young lord of a noble family wouldn’t even think such thoughts.

I envy the nobles and the royals. As a commoner, these are the only thoughts I have. If I become a wizard and enter the royal palace, I’ll become a noble, and then our family will become nobility too… We won’t have to worry about making ends meet. Of course, we could make a living by farming. But I just want a slightly happier life.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you seem kind-hearted. Usually, when I talk like this, I would think that nobles wouldn’t feel any emotions.”

“Not all nobles are like that, Astan.”

Sharen said that to me, and I scratched my neck slightly.

“Well, all the nobles in my hometown were like that. I was short-sighted too.”

“If things get tough later on, come to the territory of the Tirk family, I’ll help you.”

“Are you telling me to switch over to Aralia’s citizens right now?”

She laughed as she spoke, and Sharen also laughed heartily.

“Ignolia doesn’t belong to any country.”

As she said that and laughed, Sharen seemed so bright that I couldn’t help but think she truly embodied the light. The embodiment of light, looking back now, it seems like the right thing to say.

On the second floor of the academy, there was a library available for students. In the library, anyone could come in, obtain the necessary knowledge, and leave. Magic was prohibited in the library, and making noise was also not allowed. Of course, it was possible in the lounge in the middle of the library, but students coming to the library of this academy was a rare occasion, as it was a place where moments needing knowledge gathered.

Arriving at the library and carefully walking around looking for books on ice magic, I felt tired from the sight of the books filling the surroundings.

If you can learn magic with ice spells written on it, things could change just by that, but in the end, the essential part was understanding the magic. While lost in thought about what to do, I suddenly felt a quietness around me.

There was no sound of pages turning, no sound of footsteps, nothing was audible, and in this silent moment, a sudden chill ran up my spine. Wondering what was happening, I cautiously raised my head.

Erika was standing in front of me. She was gazing at me as if she was about to say something to me, and I carefully lowered my head and greeted her.

Before I could even think about why she was here, she showed me something written on the paper she was holding.

“To the lounge,” it said.

Then she took a step into the lounge, and I cautiously followed behind her, watching her back.