Book 4: Chapter 2

After Rokuna’s lecture on magic was roughly finished, Sharon’s figure was found in the Tianot Company’s courtyard activating the Amplification magic formation.

「Un, looking good. Just like that……let’s see, invoke Illumination Magic.」

「Y, yes! Light!」

Above Sharon’s head, a ball of light that was about the size of a fist and that emitted a dazzling radiance had appeared.

It was normal Illumination Magic that had no peculiarities whatsoever, but seeing the ball of light floating there, Sharon’s face sparkled.

After all, up until now, Sharon’s Illumination Magic would only create a light that was about the size of the tip of her pinky finger.

The fact that it now had a normal amount of might to it was actually something to be surprised about.

「Uwaah……! A, amazing!」

「It ain’t that amazing.」

Sitting in a chair that was placed in the courtyard and coaching her while reading a book, Rokuna, after saying that, returned her gaze back to the book in her hands.

「Jeez, wouldn’t it be fine if you praise me a bit!」

「Nnー. Even if you tell me that. If you don’t create the magic formation a bit faster, then it won’t be on a combat-ready level, you know?」

「Ugh, that’s true but……」

Sharon seemed to have gotten dejected.

Seeing that, Rokuna breathed a sigh, stood up, and placed a hand on Sharon’s head.

「Well, you did your best, didn’t you? All that’s left is to practice it well.」

「Y, yes!」

「Now that that’s done, Sharon.」

「Yes?」

After patting the cover of the book that she borrowed from Sharon and read, she replied to Sharon.

「I want to read some more books but, are there any more?」

「Ah, yes!」

Having achieved her objective for the time being and being satisfied with it, Sharon guided Rokuna to the book storage.

Although it wasn’t on the level of the Demon King castle’s Grand Library, the book storage was fairly big. Seeing the books lined up on the bookshelves, Rokuna’s eyes sparkled.

「Ho, hoーu. As expected, this is pretty good.」

「To be praised not on my magic but on our book storage……I’m kind of getting mixed feelings.」

「Don’t get bothered over the small things.」

After saying that, Rokuna took a book that was close by into her hand.

Tracing the cover that had 『Studies Related to the Divine Protections of the Gods』, Rokuna started flipping through the pages.

Even Sharon who saw that had taken a different book into her hand and started reading.

Taking responsibility as the one that guided her to the book storage, she probably thought she couldn’t leave Rokuna alone and return to her own room.

After sending a peeking gaze at Sharon who was quite earnest for her age, Rokuna immediately immersed herself in the book.

Divine Protection.

According to the book, it seemed that that was a blessing that the Gods give to life.

After obtaining a Divine Protection, affinity towards that element would rise, and effects on magic and normal livelihood would appear. Supposing one possessed the Divine Protection of the Water God, the might of their Water Magic would rise, and in regards to water──for example, their swimming would improve.

The Hero Ryuuya, who had defeated the Demon King in the past, possessed the Divine Protection of the God of Life, and even Ryuuya’s companions were said to have had some sort of Divine Protection.

And then, there were occasionally times where there was a succession of Divine Protections, and it was pointed out in the book that there was the possibility of inheriting it from parent to child.

「Hey, Sharon.」

「Yes?」

「Between both of your parents, which one possesses the Divine Protection of the God of Water?」

「Nnー, well……If I remember correctly, I think Otou-san has it.」

「Hーn.」

After nodding, Rokuna returned her consciousness to the book.

Putting aside that she thought that the Divine Protection that Sharon possessed was something that she inherited from her mother, it seemed that the contents of the book wasn’t complete rubbish.

However, the fact that she was able to confirm if the inheritance was a fact or not was pointless.

It was because what Rokuna needed was a method to obtain a Divine Protection right away.

「Um, Rokuna-sensei. Would you like something to drink?」

「Nnー, I don’t really need one.」

Replying like that to Sharon, Rokuna continued reading the page.

The book that she was currently reading seemed to mainly discuss the inheritance of Divine Protections from parent to child, and it didn’t seem like Rokuna would obtain the knowledge that she wanted.

But, there were several books related to studies on Divine Protections still to be read. If she were to read these, she might be able to obtain a clue.

After Rokuna thought that and placed her hand on the next book, the door to the book storage was suddenly opened, and Seira showed her face.

「Oh, there they are! Kain, Ein! I found themー.」

At the same time as that voice, both Kain and Ein poke their faces out from the other side of the door.

Ein met eyes with a displeased looking Rokuna, and hurriedly grabbed Seira and Kain and pulled them away.

「……Sorry for the intrusion.」

「Wait, what’re you doing?」

「Just come on and don’t bother them. Let’s go.」

Sharon saw them off while making a wry smile at how Ein ignored Seira’s protests and pulled the two of them away. And then, she quietly closed the book storage’s door.

On the other hand, Rokuna had already taken up her next book and was silently reading it.

While sending a peeking gaze at her figure, she decided to not get in Rokuna’s way……that is what she thought as she dropped her gaze on to the book in her hands.

「Nn……Let’s see. The regal power of the early stages when the St. Altlis Kingdom was founded……」

Sharon read a book composition written about the history of the St. Altlis Kingdom, and turned the page.

And then, she took a peek at Rokuna.

Rokuna’s figure as she is engrossed in a book, it’s somehow cute……that is what she ended up thinking.

It was different from her gallant figure in the middle of battle, and different from her reliable figure when she was teaching Sharon.

Having grown interested in the first person that acknowledged the part of her that she wanted to have acknowledged, Sharon continued sending peeking glances at Rokuna.

「……」

Even that Rokuna would leave once she finished her business. And she felt lonely about that.

It was thanks to Rokuna that she was able to raise her Elemental Magic to a normal level of might.

It wasn’t through some new technique or theory, but simply a combination of existing techniques, but even so, it was something inconceivable to Sharon.

She uses powerful magic, and is so dignified……and yet, she was reading various books and absorbing knowledge just like this.

「……So, cool.」

Having unconsciously muttered that, Sharon noticed that Rokuna was looking at her with exasperated eyes, and then her face turned red.

「Just when I thought that you were peeking over my way……I’ll say this now but I am a woman, you know?」

「Eh!? Ah, no! It isn’t anything like that!」

Seeing Sharon flusteredly shake her head sideways, Rokuna closed the book in her hands and breathed a sigh.

Seeing Rokuna put the book back on the shelf and take out her next book, Sharon called out to her while her face was still red.

「Th, that isn’t the case, you see. Um……Sensei?」

「Yes, yes, what is it?」

After lightly caressing the cover of the book she took out, Rokuna turned her gaze to Sharon.

Receiving that listless gaze, Sharon’s red face became even redder.

「……Wh, what should I do in order to become a cool person like you, Sensei!」

「Haa?」

Rokuna thought about the meaning of Sharon’s remark.

Cool.

Speaking honestly, Rokuna didn’t think that she had done any actions for her to be called cool.

She hadn’t done anything but do what she wanted to do, and she had no memory of acting cool like the Demon King Army’s Western General Sancreed.

That is why nothing struck home even when she was told that she was cool, and even if she was asked what should be done to be like that, she was extraordinarily troubled by it.

「……Are you sure you don’t mean Ein?」

「That’s not it, I want to become like you, Rokuna-sensei!」

From Sharon’s point of view, Rokuna was an amazing Magician.

She had control over powerful magic, had the ability to take action, and wasn’t cowardly. In the middle of battle, she sent accurate advice to her companions, and she even identified points of improvement for magic with ease. And despite all of that, she wasn’t arrogant, and didn’t shirk off in her own self-improvement.

For Sharon, she saw the idealized image of what she thought she herself wanted to become.

「Nnー……Like me, huh.」

After muttering that, Rokuna hit her own shoulder with the book while looking troubled.

「I can’t really recommend that though, you know?」

「That isn’t true at all.」

Seeing Sharon deny that immediately, Rokuna breathed a sigh for a second time.

Having been told that much, she didn’t feel bad about it.

However, as for something that Rokuna could put into practice in order to become Rokuna-like, there was only one thing.

But, since it was something simple that anyone could do, she didn’t know if something like that would become advice for what Sharon sought.

「……In that case, it’s simple. Decide on what your most precious thing is. Once you do, advance with all of your might for the sake of it. That’s all there is to it.」

「Precious thing……is it?」

「That’s right. Even a precious person would be fine.」

Rokuna’s precious person was the current Demon King, as well as the one who created her, Vermudol.

To begin with, Rokuna, who was a Mazoku, instinctively possessed loyalty to Vermudol who was the Demon King.

But, that wasn’t all there was to it.

There was something else within Rokuna.

That would always continue to whisper to Rokuna, and would stir Rokuna to move.

I want to become Vermudol’s strength.

I want to grant Vermudol’s desires.

I am the only one able to do that.

──It was something, that made her think that.

「Once you’ve decided what that most precious thing within you is, you won’t be anything to worry about. Or maybe, you might be able to see confidence by thinking about it. It might be connected to that coolness that you are talking about.」

Rokuna remembered Vermudol’s face as he anguished over the relationship between the Mazoku and mankind.

She wanted to remove his anguish.

If it was for the sake of that, whether it be the Hero or something else, she would eliminate any number of people that got in the way.

If it was for the sake of that, whether it be the Demon God or something else, she would call forth any number of necessary people.

For example, if she could remove Vermudol’s anguish right now by blowing away the St. Altlis Kingdom at this moment, Rokuna would do that without any hesitation.

There wasn’t a single hesitation in the way she lived her life.

「But, I’ll say this any number of times. I don’t think I can recommend that way of life to others. You should live the way that you want to.」

「……Yes, Sensei.」

Sharon thought “even so”.

Sharon felt that she wanted to become even stronger.

For the sake of her precious childhood friend──For the sake of Kain Stagias.