102. How to Spy (1)
Her intentions were impure, but in the end it could be said that she kept her saintess’ pride.
If I had been hard on myself, I would have been able to get food from that man. However, Bell kept her conscience.
Deeply proud of that fact, Belle recalled the scene as she lay on the soft bed.
don’t know exactly what The feeling I felt the moment Aren willingly showed me a favor.
It could have been patronizing to get rid of him, or maybe he was really considerate of Belle out of pity.
so… … Aren’t you a bad person?
Bell thought of Aren while stroking her lilac-colored hair.
Even then, he shook his head. There were other things that really bothered me, rather than things like how he was and how good he was.
“It was a blessing, right… … ?”
It was a prayer like no other.
A common situation in which believers hang on and ask for blessings.
It was the same with Aren. Now that they have met a candidate for sainthood, everyone is willing to pray together and receive blessings.
Bell was willing to pray. As usual, playing a benevolent saintess.
The moment she recited the prayer she had memorized so hard, Bell felt something different from usual.
“The power of the god of light?”
I felt a warm energy.
It felt like the prayers that were normally empty shells were filled with divinity. Bell wasn’t sure or knew what it was, but she had a vague idea.
“A blessing has come, obviously.”
I could clearly feel the divinity dwelling in Aren.
Nothing had changed in the appearance of the man named Aren or in his reaction.
Why?
What was different, was the blessing given differently than usual?
I couldn’t tell. It was just the same day.
“… … I do not know.”
Bell laughed bitterly. I was hungry and lacked the energy to think deeply about anything else.
growl
As I hold on to my hungry stomach, I suddenly have a thought.
“No, wait.”
Come to think of it, the woman Aren met the night before had silver hair like moonlight.
“But today… … .”
It was a woman with hair the color of lemon gold. Although he is an aristocrat, he seems to have exercised a lot.
She was clearly a different person from the woman I had seen the night before.
“Wow.”
The exclamation that followed was directed at Aren.
“What.”
Not one but two? At this point, it wouldn’t be strange if there were three or four women he met. With a face like that, it was understandable enough, but Bell hated it.
In her own way, she was thoroughly educated on church etiquette and discrimination between men and women. Especially as a candidate for sainthood, dating was no different from a taboo for Bell.
Given the situation, of course Aren looks strange.
“Dangerous man… … !”
Bell wondered if it was okay to contact the man.
There are a lot of bad rumors, and the relationship with women doesn’t look very neat.
“Aren’t you flirting with me too!?”
Even so, considering the overflowing manners he showed today, it didn’t seem so bad.
“… … I don’t know.”
Bell, who was alone in a strange delusion, suddenly woke up at a knock he heard.
“Who, who are you?”
The meeting is over and there must be no one to come? Belle opened the door nervously, gathering her clothes and hair.
“Room service.”
“… … !”
What was waiting for Belle was probably ‘Heaven’.
* * *
The first semester of the second year began in earnest.
Combat cadets listened intently to the class.
If you don’t listen to the newly learned mana management method properly now, you will never be able to catch up.
The failing students who sit in the corner and take classes are also the ones who fell behind because they didn’t take this class properly last year. With painful memories, the failed students returned to their classes belatedly.
“Mana resides in the core. It would be more correct to view it as another organ, such as the heart or lungs.”
In the first class of the first semester of the second year, a magic professor is always invited to teach the theory of mana management.
It seems that the combat instructor, who only teaches fighting, had limitations in teaching the cadets in an easy-to-understand way.
I can’t help it because the field I deal with requires an in-depth understanding and explanation of magic.
It’s not that instructors can’t teach, but there are ‘real’ experts.
Traditionally, the professor in charge of the basic theory of magic application in the first semester of the second year is Dean Estrella Zabel, who serves as the Dean of Magic.
Even though she is an excellent witch, Estrella, who said that it is better to grow old naturally than to decorate her appearance, explained it well and easily, just like she saw in the game.
‘Even Ackerman is listening well.’
Seeing this guy who seemed to have come to his senses after the incident, who was taking classes more enthusiastically than anyone else, somehow put my mind at ease.
“Well then, shall we give a demonstration?”
Estrella scanned the cadets profoundly with wrinkled eyes and pointed at me with the words ‘I found it’.
“Cadet Aren?”
“… … yes?”
Thanks to that, I was surprised. Because I didn’t know that I would be singled out. In the game, this was demonstrated by choosing one of the failed students.
I was forced to stand on the podium.
“Chief Instructor Giliot is strong! Did you recommend it? Ho ho ho.”
She spoke in a voice that only I could hear. Even though she has grown old, it seemed that she could not erase the strange feeling unique to witches.
“Ah yes.”
I replied shyly and drew my sword as she requested.
The demonstration that followed was the work of transporting mana with a sword and visualizing it.
aka swordsman.
It can be seen as an advanced skill that envelops the sword with mana to enhance its power.
It was a piece of cake for me to develop this level of swordsmanship thanks to training every single day during vacation.
Moreover, I had the best magic instructor attached to me throughout the vacation. Although Shiana couldn’t explain it properly, she would give hints about the essence that she was instinctively penetrating.
It wasn’t that difficult for me, who knew the setting of the game world like a dictionary, to learn difficult concepts based on her words.
Once you understand it, then practice and practice again. Then you will soon get used to it.
Just like my beautiful sword that is blooming dark red right now.
“… … I’ve only heard of the dark red mana, but this is the first time I’ve seen it. be amazed.”
Estrella, who had served as a magic-related professor and dean of the academy for decades, opened her eyes wide and stared at the dark red haze that bloomed and faded.
“awesome… … .”
It was like a piece of art, enough to steal the eyes of the viewer. It gave me the feeling of seeing a nebula in a distant universe.
-Wow… … !
-It’s awesome… … .
Admiration erupted among the cadets, and soon a guy appeared who even clapped. It’s obvious, but it was Hoya.
“Hmm. Did you see the cadets? This is a sword technique that is so perfected that it can be put in a textbook.”
Estrella reached near the holy sword and touched it.
“Even though it’s cold like a cold bone… … It’s hot like a dragon’s flame. Like this, each swordsman has a unique personality hidden in it, doesn’t it?”
Estrella then smiled at me and said,
“Cadet Aren Blackfire’s personality is ‘fiery darkness.’
There was no hidden meaning in those words. It was literally like a commentary that I felt in my mana.
“This is my assignment. After you succeed in imbuing your weapon with sword energy, write down the personality of each mana and submit it. I’ll check it out and if you feel the same as me, I’ll give you a score.”
It was a somewhat subjective task, but in reality, all you have to do is succeed in creating a sword technique.
“Okay?”
“yes-!”
The cadets responded loudly. new theory. The cadets, realizing that there is no end to learning, radiated enthusiasm.
“like. Cadet Aren already has a swordsmanship that can be considered perfect. So, I won’t take any assignments. instead-“
Estrella scribbled something on the paper with a pen.
“I will give you an extra point! Oh ho ho!”
“thank you.”
It was unexpected luck. Starting from the first semester of the second year, I had to pay attention to grades, so extra points were always welcome.
There is no better reward than this if you are preparing for a large-scale sports event that will take place from the second semester of your sophomore year.
‘Is it because of Bell’s prayer?’
Even though the Luck stat only differed by 2, it seemed like I could already feel it.
Even with a lucky stat of 3, this is enough! What kind of life does 7-year-old Ackerman live?
It might have been really lucky to have boiled Eins. I don’t understand, but since he’s the main character, I can understand.
Throughout the class, I was an overwhelming honor student.
When everyone was having a hard time figuring out how to make a sword, I watched the other cadets while playing by myself.
Rarely did the cadets grab a professor or other instructor and ask questions, but Estrella told me to ask questions as well.
But as you know, I didn’t have a very good image, and I’m not an easy target to approach.
“Let me know too.”
There is only one person who came.
This is Cain who came to me even though he already knew how to do it to some extent.
“Do you know how to do it?”
“Mo, I don’t know! If you don’t want to tell me, don’t.”
“… … .”
“city… … russia?”
The sudden request was so cute that I couldn’t bear to refuse it. In the end, I coached Cain 1:1 during class.
* * *
“uh! Aren! long time no see!”
Lorena has changed a bit over the holidays.
First of all, I went to the subclass for the first time after the beginning of the semester, and the new teaching assistant was Lorena.
He said he would become a teaching assistant before vacation, and he kept his word.
“You also changed cigarettes.”
“Oh. Look at your eyes.”
Lorena switched from her usual smoking pipe to a smoking pipe. After becoming a teaching assistant, you wanted a more dignified appearance.
It seemed that there was a perception that a smoking pipe looked a little nicer.
Even though we were in class, we were busy asking each other how we were doing, rather than doing special subclass activities.
I felt very welcome when I realized that it was a relationship.
“How are you, Viktor?”
“I don’t know. He calls from time to time, but he must be busy too.”
Viktor also contacted me from time to time, but the term was too long. I couldn’t help it because I had to go through the process to become a cardinal in the future, but it was true that I felt empty without his brashness.
“therefore… … .”
We shared enough of our regards. The hot tea Lorena gave me was also cold enough to eat.
“Has there been any progress?”
I didn’t rush at all during the vacation. Although the research was entrusted to her in the first place, it was not Lorena’s duty and it was not a task with a deadline.
“Well.”
After drinking the tea, Lorena calmly set her glass down, avoiding my gaze with a worried face.
“that is… … No progress.”
“okay.”
The sea as expected. It was a philosopher’s stone that might be a rare discovery, so it couldn’t have been possible this easily.
“still! I have found something.”
As if Lorena had expected this to happen, she handed me a document with the data organized.
“During the vacation, I searched for research papers and papers on magic and divine power, and went to the Holy Church and interviewed myself… … . I’ve done everything I can There’s definitely a possibility. It is an assumption that divine power intervenes in the structure of demonic power.”
Looking at the data, I could see how hard Lorena had been during her vacation.
It was the amount of data, the content that went into it, and it was not the result that would come out unless you put all your passion and spirit into it.
“Wow… … .”
Unknowingly, admiration filled with respect came out.
“How do you look?”
Lorena waited nervously for my reaction. I worked so hard and made a pretty big discovery, but I couldn’t help but praise it.
“Awesome?”
“really!?”
“yes. According to Sister Lorena’s research, there is a structure that takes shape in divine power, demonic energy, and magical power. If only the structure could be figured out, separate or combine… … You mean you can do anything?”
The corners of Lorena’s mouth went up slightly. Was it a pretty satisfying compliment?
It was my sincere compliment and awe.
This is a setting that was not covered in the ＜Warriors Kingdom＞ setting book. So, the perfect original.
It meant that I could enter the stage where I could grasp the structure and truth of this world.
“The fact that there was no progress in the first place was all a lie, right?”
“Oh, no. that kind of thing I just did the research on my own, it was because I wasn’t sure.”
Chew.
Lorena sucked on her pipe with a weary laugh. She tilted her head and puffed smoke into the air.
It sounded like he was letting out his worries.
“I’m glad Aren said that.”
“thank you. I am. You did it this far.”
“What. I’m not really doing it for you. It is purely my curiosity.”
Lorena’s passion for learning made her the perfect partner. His skills are certain, he can be trusted, and he is passionate.
If you continue to help with the research from time to time and roll gently like this, you might really find the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’.
“Hey, Sister Lorena.”
“yes?”
“It’s just a suggestion.”
“proposal? What do you mean?”
“If you need a bigger studio, let me know.”
Lorena looked at me with curious eyes. ‘A workshop?’ I asked.
Lorena later becomes a master of the liquor industry. Having a relationship with her with this alone is a great benefit, but if you accomplish the great task of discovering the Philosopher’s Stone… … .
It’s better to pre-occupy.
It was a simple favor. Lorena will be given the tower as a workshop, and Lorena will be able to spend more energy on research.
“ah. I heard No way, are you talking about that red mage tower? There are strange rumors going around.”
“yes. Now it’s a silver top. Don’t believe those rumors.”
“but.”
I corrected it to be just a ‘tower’, not a magic tower. There was no need for only wizards to use the tower.
Lorena smiled.
“great.”
as if he had longed for it.
“Even so, research only at the academy was gradually reaching its limits. I needed a lot of things, and I didn’t have enough space.”
“Good for you. I will provide everything you need. Sister, just study comfortably.”
“Really, can I take it?”
“sure.”
It was time to spread the power of the Blackfire family to the world.
If the family that sponsored the genius alchemist who discovered the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ was Blackfire, its status would rise even higher.
I had a heartwarming imagination and had a detailed discussion with Lorena.
“Oh, can I ask you one last favor?”
“What? I took on too much… … I’ll help you!”
On weekends, he visits Abellaga.
While staying there for a day, you must collect Zeroth’s journal.
You have to get out of Abella Mansion and sneak into Tarbella Mansion, which is usually not an easy task.
“I need some ingredients.”
However, I have a black magic book 『Necrotula』 that has been handed down for hundreds of years.
Nothing is impossible.