CH 117

The room Charlotte showed me was decorated with a chic and elegant atmosphere.

The only thing that added a touch of fancy to the room was the cat dolls of various sizes and shapes. The faces are not realistic, but rather deformed, as if they were dolls, but as she said, she is definitely a cat lover.

This room is very typical of her. In any case, there is no doubt that it cost a lot of money.

She is a member of several guilds in Illstadt, where guilds are very powerful, and she is busy acting as a bridge between them, so it is unlikely that she has money problems.

And Souya remembered that she comes from a good family of court magicians. I had heard that her connection with them had been severed, but I was not sure if the connection had been completely lost.

“…… Souya-sama. How is my room?

“It has a nice, calm atmosphere …… Do you like cats?”

“Yes, I am. Do you know what I like about cats?”

“……. I wonder. Is it because they’re fickle?”

“That, too, could be a thing. The rest is because I’m often told that I’m a woman like a cat. Do you think so?”

That being said, she may give the impression of being cat-like.

My first contact impression was that she was also like a fox, but I did not mention that.

Even in this world, a fox must have been a symbol of cunning.

“First of all, please sit down. Let me have your jacket.”

Charlotte took Souya’s business suit, hung it on a hanger, and put it away.

“Where should I sit?”

“I think the bed would be good.”

Charlotte smiles bewitchingly. The bed was covered with pale pink sheets.

Prompted, Souya sat down on the bed. The cushions worked quite strong, as if they were of high quality.

(–Where did Shamil go?)

I have been sending telepathic messages to Shamil since a while ago, but there has been no response at all.

Is he sulking because I brought him here in a deceptive way?

“…… Souya-sama, are you concerned about Shamil-chan?”

Charlotte, sitting next to Souya, asked.

“He’s my familiar. I don’t want to be rude.”

“You don’t have to worry. I told him to go around freely. I introduced Stella, so she might be with him.”

“Stella?”

“My cat. It’s a white cat in contrast to Shamil-chan. I have a contract with Low Familiar, though ……I’d like to make a contract with Cait Sith someday. I’m sure I’ll never be able to do it.”

Normal animals can be contracted to serve by means of a magic called the Low Familiar.

However, since they do not have the ability to speak, they are greatly limited in what they can do compared to the high familiars. They can only borrow sight and hearing.

“The difficulty level is too high to say that …… if you study magic, one day you will be able to. It took me a long time to master it too.”

Souya also mastered the magic of the High Familiar, which took many long years with a space where time does not flow, under the guidance of Eris.

For a busy person like her to do it on her own, it is a tough area, no matter how high Charlotte’s magical background may be.

“Rather, there are only a few court magicians in the royal capital who can use the high familiar …… And I’m a frustrating person. I’ve been told I can do everything, but the truth is, I’m not even close to being a top-notch magician in most things.”

“I think it means that you get bored easily. It is one of the images of cats.”

“I don’t deny it …… There are many magicians who say that they don’t continue after mastering the dimension box. I am one of them …… I wonder if it would have been different if I had continued.”

“That spatial magic is really useful. It’s easy to become one goal to learn so far …… I see.”

By the looks of things, her passion for magic may not be lost. However, at her level of being able to exercise the dimension box, it may take some determination to ascend any further to the top. The theory of magic from this point onward would be a steep increase in difficulty.

However, if she was serious, I was willing to cooperate.

“……. Charlotte-kun, why don’t we start studying now? If you are serious about going up, I will help you as much as I can.”

“I’m not lying when I say I want to go up …… but if I fulfill my promise today, Souya-sama will no longer come to see me. That would be boring.”

Charlotte, sitting next to me in bed, said in a sultry tone.

“I can come over once in a while. If it’s a serious study of magic, of course, not a superficial one. I’ll leave you with an assignment each time.”　

Souya paused for a beat, then continued.

“Even if it is difficult to attain the Grand Master level, I think you have a good shot at the Master level certification from where you are …… Or are you telling me that you’re sick of magic now?”

Charlotte looked dissatisfied as Souya gave her a serious look and told her words that could be seen as an incitement.

“…… I don’t want this to be the end of it. I just have my own work to do as a member of the Thieves’ Guild and as a receptionist. Besides, half-wits like me get a lot of oppression in the Magicians’ Guild.”

Charlotte said, her mouth agape.

The reason why the Magicians’ Guild is so critical of her is not only because of her dual career, but also because of her high ability at such a young age.

She is 20 years old. She is definitely still a newcomer to the Magicians’ Guild.

The Magicians’ Guild is not a merit-based organization, but rather, it is bound by factions and seniority. Not all of them would be like that, but there is a great possibility that they would consider her as an impudent little girl.

“Then let’s do it now, shall we?” 

“Souya-sama …… will you really continue to accompany me in my studies?”

In response to Charlotte’s question, Souya nodded.

“The higher-ups in the Magicians’ Guild who take you lightly. I thought it would be fun to poke their noses …… Of course, it depends on Charlotte-kun’s motivation.”