TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
Join the discord! Here
"Kira...?"
"Oh my."
Female students covered their mouths with startled expressions.
But Ian had no time to look at them.
Because he felt a terrifying gaze from beside him...!
"Kira. Wait."
"When did you get here! You should've at least told me you were coming! Why were you so late? Were you off exploring some new mystery again?"
Ian started to push Kira away but stopped.
He couldn't take his eyes off Kira's face as she looked up at him with a genuinely happy smile.
Whatever else, she was drop-dead gorgeous.
Ian freshly marveled at Kira's medieval celebrity-level beauty.
She really should've been born in modern times and become an actress.
"Kira."
"Ah, sorry!"
Stepping back with a bright smile, Kira soon introduced Ian to the other female students.
"This is my... um. Senior? that I mentioned before."
"The dark wizard Ian we've heard about?"
"We've heard so much about you!"
Their relationship was somewhat ambiguous, which probably explained the introduction.
Actually, it was closer to a master-disciple relationship than senior-junior.
But since Ian hadn't formally taken Kira as his disciple and had just helped her learn Maronius language, that introduction worked fine too.
"Is this your first day at the university?"
"There's theology class next! That's where you're headed, right?"
"Would you like to join us?"
Giggle giggle.
Ian felt dizzy as the female university students surrounded him, chattering away...!
Though they surely weren't wearing perfume or powder, he felt oddly overwhelmed by their presence!
'My energy... is being drained...'
As an INFP, Ian had no immunity to actual university girls' girl-talk...
"Excuse me, everyone!"
That's when it happened.
Elia, who had been just glaring intensely until now, spoke up.
"Right now, Ian is my guest! Yet you barge in and chatter as you please... Have you no manners!"
"Ah... sorry, Elia!"
Though Kira apologized immediately, Elia's expression didn't soften.
"If you have something to say, say it after class. Ian agreed to attend theology class with me!"
"..."
For a moment, Kira looked at Ian with eyes that seemed about to cry.
A face asking 'Really?'
She looked so genuinely disappointed that Ian briefly considered ditching Elia.
But that didn't seem right.
Though Ian was friendly with Kira, he'd already made plans with Elia.
Ignoring promises like throwing away old shoes didn't match Ian's personality.
Plus his counterpart was the precious daughter of the highest person in the Holy Empire.
She was the child of the Holy-Chief, so ignoring her might invite retaliation.
"Kira."
"Y-yes, Ian..."
Ian glanced at Elia and said:
"Well. That's how it is.[1]"
"!"
Kira's mouth dropped open in shock.
Th-that's how it is?!
What kind of word choice was that...!
While Kira was stunned by Ian's wizardly bold word choice, the female students whispered behind her.
"In front of commoners, Kira blatantly disrespected me. While showing off her friendship with you, she advertised the bond between real wizards..."
"No no. Wait."
"Yes?"
Ian cut off Elia's words.
He truly couldn't understand.
What? She deliberately brought commoners to pretend being close to Ian?
Ian could tell.
Kira's joy was definitely not an act.
But Elia understood Kira's actions as some kind of means to attack her...!
"Elia. Aren't you misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstanding... you say?"
"Kira was just happy to see me. She just happened to be passing by with friends and spotted me. There was no ulterior motive."
"..."
Elia stared at Ian for a while with cold, lowered eyes.
Then she clasped her hands and muttered:
"Though you may be a genius at magic... you know nothing about people's hearts."
Ian couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
"Do you really think so?"
Ian thought he understood why such differences in opinion arose.
Elia didn't know Kira, but Ian did.
This was a matter of trust.
"Yes. Because you're not a woman, you have no idea about the 'ways' women use to tear each other down."
"...?"
But when Elia put it that way, Ian felt just a tiny bit doubtful.
True. Ian knew nothing about women's shadowy battles.
"Let me tell you something definitive right here."
Elia spoke with sharp, glinting eyes.
"Wizard Kira hates me. And she's the type of woman who will do anything to damage my dignity."
"..."
There seemed to be some issue between Elia and Kira.
But Ian couldn't yet tell what that issue was.
'Damn civilized society...!'
Ian suddenly felt resentful toward civilized society.
Ah! If this were some rural baron's domain, they'd skip this shadowy talk and start cracking skulls!
Shouting things like 'You dare insult me?! Have at you!'
And whoever won would take everything, such a romantic thing...
'...Shouldn't happen.'
Ian came to his senses.
His opponent was the Emperor's daughter. Fighting might not guarantee victory anyway. And why try solving things like a primitive person?
Humans have shining intellect.
And this university was where that intellect was honed.
'I should investigate first.'
He wasn't sure about Kira, but Elia clearly disliked her.
In the absolute worst case, Elia might attack Kira.
To prevent that, he needed to understand how the magic department operated.
That's when it happened.
"Shh. You two, no talking during the priest's sermon."
"Ah. Sorry..."
A student in nun's habit approached and whispered.
Not a real nun though.
Just a part-time nun(?) who helped during classes.
"You need to be considerate of other students. Right? Brother?"
"...Maria?"
"Yes, it's me. Hehe."
The part-time nun(?) who smiled while placing a finger to her lips was none other than Maria, the necromancer-in-training.
---
[1. raei: the phrase is extremely casual and dismissive especially in a formal setting/polite speech. Hard to translate over to english.]