CH 7

Chapter7 - Smile

「Why has Zeimon collapsed? I’m telling you again, Fran, explain this.」

A powerful majordomo, who was also a martial arts expert, was unilaterally defeated…

Unperturbed by this situation, Fran’s mother, Countess Adelaide Dumer, demanded her daughter to explain the situation.

She was the Countess of the prestigious Dumer family, a descendant of the hero, Bard Creed, who founded the Kingdom of Valentine.

…Adelaide was a genius who rapidly began to showcase her talent for magic when she was over 10 years old. She was also known as the “Dancing Princess” for the variety of magic she wielded and the splendid way she performed them.

At the age of 16, she entered the Valentine Magical Girls’ Academy, where she became a talented young woman and graduated in just one year instead of three.

After graduating from the same University of Magic in two years instead of four, the results of her excellent research on magic were recognized, and she was asked to become a professor as a special exception upon graduation.

She accepted the  position. Merely five years later, at the young age of 24, she was appointed president of the university, a position she held for the next 20 years until she turned 44, and was considered a super elite.

However, in the middle of her term as president of the University of Magic, the former chairman of her alma mater, the Magical Girls’ Academy, fell ill…

After much deliberation, she accepted the Chairman and Headmaster position at the school this time, which she had been asked to do many times…Until the present.

After Adelaide questioned her daughter, Fran, again…

As was her usual habit in studying magic, she began to analyze the situation on the spot.

She could measure the presence or absence of life force and the texture of matter with her innate magical eye.

In addition, she has excellent observation skills and intuition to grasp the picture. Her calm personality allowed her to assess the circumstances correctly at all times.

It was a shame that used such talent, which was superior above all others, simply for magic alone…

Her uncle, Duke Edmond Dumer, Lord of Bardland, often urged Adelaide to enter politics.

However, the number one concern in her life was magic.

For that reason, her heart never wavered…

Back to the main subject.

Adelaide further activated her magical eye and assessed the magic wave aura of the fallen Zeimon.

He was safe!

Zeimon’s magic power wave was not that of a lifeless person.

But he’s got quite a few lacerations on his abdomen and was unconscious.

The servants were standing in the distance while her daughter was surrounded by two men she didn’t recognize.

Hmm, Fran’s reaction is surprising.

The girl isn’t frightened at all, but instead is grasping the edge of the man’s clothes.

She hasn’t introduced him to me…so they must have not known each other very long.

It’s rare for her to trust a man like that.

What kind of wind is blowing today?

Adelaide couldn’t help but chuckle when she read that much into it.

With that girl’s power…

There’s no way she could have wounded Zeimon like this.

Then, that only meant that the man knocked him down.

But…I can’t feel any menace from him.

That’s probably why…Fran is sticking to him without fear.

With that thought in mind, Adelaide stepped forward with a thud.

「Ah, Madam!」

One of the servants exclaimed involuntarily.

She probably meant that it was dangerous for her to get closer.

But Adelaide ignored the warning and walked up to where Lou and Fran were standing.

Zeimon was still lying down in front of them.

Adelaide moved even closer and approached Lou unprotected.

She then peered into Lou’s face as closely as she could.

「Just a minute, Mother! You’re being rude to Lou!」

Fran must have thought her mother’s behavior was offensive.

She protested as best she could, but Adelaide was having none of it.

Mm~ So you’re named Lou, huh?

Let me see…

He’s pretty tall… I’d say, about 185 cm.

Slender but looks agile.

Black hair and black eyes…

He’s human with a chiseled face, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a face like his in this country.

He’s unique, so to speak!

Does he perhaps have a drop of the Yamato Imperial blood in him?

Still! He’s remarkable!

What Adelaide felt once more…

It was the overwhelming magic power in Lou’s body.

She sensed it earlier. This magnitude didn’t belong to an ordinary person.

Her magical eye couldn’t see through the exact depth…Bottomless was the word for it.

To top it all, what were those signs around him that transcend human comprehension?

Adelaide’s thoughts were dashed by a single word from Lou.

「Just give a minute. Can I get this guy back on his feet before Fran talks to you?」

「What do you mean?」

「I’m Lou, and I’m the one who wounded him, so let me cure him for now.」

「Hang on!」

Before Adelaide could stop him, Lou began to chant Kotodama.

It was the same restorative magic that had once healed Fran.

「O Wind that is the breath of the earth, O earth that is the foundation of the earth, O water, which nurtures life on earth, and O fire that is the vein of the earth. I extol your power! I seek your power! Thus grant me your power! Let the beloved be filled to the brim with the healing of the earth! Now, grant it to him!」

After a brief pause, a magic wave aura was released from both of Lou’s hands.

「Heal!」

A warm, pale light enveloped the fallen Zeimon.

「T-that’s…」

The healing magic that Lou cast just now was fundamentally different from the principles of magic that Adelaide and the others usually used.

Individual magic power is converted into various kinds of magic by means of Kotodama, and then shoots out in magic waves…

It’s a magic technique that I taught at the school when I was running the Valentine’s University of Magic before. 

But Adelaide, who has studied all kinds of magic and tried it out whenever she had the chance, knew exactly what “it” was.

…Lou was exercising what was called the Four Great Elemental Magic.

If the magic technique was a manual that transformed magic power into magic waves in order to reproduce a small fraction of the Great Powers exercised by gods and disciples and so forth, then…

Spirit magic was magic that was directly powered by the spirits themselves.

It was said that only a few humans could fundamentally employ spirits to invoke magic. 

Why was that?

Magical techniques didn’t waste magic power, could be easily activated, and were easy to control.

In other words, thanks to the great achievements of the predecessors, magic techniques were the most efficient way to activate and exercise magic.

In contrast, spirit magic, which directly borrowed the power of unknown spirits, was difficult to control, let alone activate.

Although there were a few who were curious and friendly, spirits were basically hard to please and couldn’t be measured by human character.

For this reason, it was very difficult to come to terms with them.

It would make sense if spirits were thought as forces of nature.

So, it wasn’t humans who were most suited to this spirit magic, but the elves known as Arlvs.

The Arlvs, who were closer to them in terms of race, lived as one with the forest and nature, so they could easily match their magic power wave wavelengths with the spirits.

Even so, it was only a comparison to the human race.

The Arlv race wasn’t perfect in their use of spirit magic.

I’ve witnessed a lot of sub-par spirit magic in the past…

I’ve only seen perfect spirit magic a few times before.

Of course, Adelaide herself has never exercised it herself.

Nevertheless!

This was the first time she felt such an overwhelming spirit magic being exercised…

Even Adelaide, as expected, was stunned for a while…

Zeimon, who was badly injured and unconscious, slowly got up.

「Oh, Madam…」

「Ze-Zeimon! How’s your injury?」

Adelaide inquired in a voice that trembled a little with excitement…

Zeimon reflexively touched the wound in his abdomen where Lou had punched him and looked surprised.

「Wha? Huh, huh, it’s healed…」

「Really? Isn’t Lou amazing?!」

Fran, who had been watching the situation, gave a thumbs up as if proud of a victory.

She was grinning with the so-called “cocky look.”

Adelaide was beyond surprised to see her daughter’s amazed expression.

You are indeed a worrying daughter…

You’re as proud of him as if he were your own.

I can tell that this guy, Lou, is not a bad guy, but…

Adelaide decided to look on the bright side.

…She couldn’t believe Fran could smile like this…

Really! It’s been years.

The corners of Adelaide’s mouth rose, albeit only slightly.

Before Adelaide knew it, her beloved daughter’s smile, which she hadn’t seen for a long time soothed her.