Episode 164 – Going Out (4)

Going Out (4)

[A Glass of Whiskey]

A quiet bar where the rhythm of the record gently flows, always quiet due to the lack of customers.

The owner, Kanya, placed a glass of whiskey on the table with a thud. I took a sip. Kanya, observing my reaction, blurted out.

“…Sir Mage. I’m asking just in case.”

I already had an idea of what she was curious about.

I handed her a few pieces of paper across her table. They were evidence against a villain named ‘Berrieda Ren Casano’.

“He was a puppeteer in the underworld.”

“…What?”

Kanya hastily grabbed the papers.

They were letters exchanged between ‘Beltrino’ and Master Cartel.

“Master Cartel… Beltrino? Who is Beltrino?”

“Berrieda’s real name. Master Cartel, specifically ‘Fontana’s’ hotline.”

“…”

She touched her chin with a somewhat shocked face, but soon folded the papers with a resigned look.

“It’s vague evidence. You can’t actually prove that ‘Beltrino’ is ‘Berrieda’.”

It’s because of the evidence destruction system.

But it doesn’t matter.

Whether there’s evidence or not, I would’ve killed him. The most certain evidence is saved in my head, in the 「Notepad」.

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

It’s not that─ The underworld’s Master Cartel had a close relationship with Libra.

The current head, Sherlock, rapidly expanded Libra’s power, thanks to the secret pact with Master Cartel.

“So… Sir Mage.”

Kanya tapped the letter.

“So, Sir Mage got this evidence and escaped, and Berrieda Ren Casano was held responsible for losing the evidence and was killed by Master Cartel. Is this how I should understand it?”

She poured more whiskey into the glass.

“Or is Sir Mage a bad guy who kills bad guys?”

She meant she would accept my words rather than the truth of the situation.

“Think what you will.”

I gulped down the whiskey.

The poison burned in my stomach, but suddenly, in my still cold head, a question arose.

[Client: Anonymous]

An anonymous request.

“…Kanya.”

“…Huh?”

Kanya furrowed her brows slightly.

“You’re calling me by name all of a sudden. Out of the blue.”

I know Berrieda Ren Casano.

However, his reputation will not be shattered for years to come, but will become even more solid. As the beacon of C-Section, a philanthropist who embodies sacrifice and dedication.

It’s strange to even doubt him now.

…Surely.

“Do you know who the client for the background investigation is?”

Who is this client, what for, and how did they doubt Berrieda?

Kanya waved her hand.

“I don’t know. They came wearing a robe. But the color of the robe itself looked good?”

“…”

I thought quietly.

There must be someone.

I don’t know who it is, but they know something.

“But. Sir Mage.”

Kanya tilted her head slightly.

“Do you have any other Magic Spells you’ve invented?”

“…There might be one coming soon.”

“Really?!”

I’m getting the hang of combining Magic Spells. Of course, today I implemented it through the ‘legendary wand’ that Akane gifted me.

First, I combine the Magic Spells stored in the 「Notepad」 Database, verify their compatibility, and then release the content to the outside world.

“When will it be?!”

“It’ll take another 1-2 months.”

I must produce a result that will sell well. In this field, releasing just anything can backfire.

“1 month, 2 months… Great! Make it happen!”

Kanya clenched her fist.

* * *

[Grawl Research Institute]

Before leaving for Planarium, I visited the Grawl’s Research Institute. Construction materials were piled up on one side, and the skeleton of the building was almost up.

─You’ve arrived, Master?

Grawl approached, his mana core necklace jingling.

─What do you think?

“It’s neat. The rest is going underground, right?

─Yes. We’re only going to build up to the second floor on the outside.

“Alright. Let’s go inside then.”

─…What?

Grawl blinked. He looked troubled.

“Why.”

─…There’s nothing inside yet~ You don’t have time, just go~

“I still want to take a look.”

─Ah.

I entered the building. Grawl followed with slightly anxious steps.

As he said, there was nothing inside yet.

No, there was something.

“…There seem to be too many cat towers.”

Cat towers. Almost all the walls of the building were cat towers. Too long, high, and numerous for one to use. Cat beds, sofas, cushions were also abundant.

“Are you planning to settle down?”

─No way.

Then it happened.

Meow-

A small, white kitten appeared from somewhere. It was a very tiny kitten.

“….”

─….

Cold sweat formed on Grawl’s forehead. He wiped the sweat with his front paw and said.

─It’s, it’s a stray. I adopted a dying kitten from outside. It’s a baby.

“…Do whatever you want. Just take good care of it.”

─Wow! As expected of Master!

Grawl smiled brightly.

Then, he fidgeted and looked up at me.

─So… can I stay here?

“…Stay? You want me to go to Planarium alone?”

─Yes. But I’ve stored part of my abilities in the R-elix. So, you can use my abilities too.

He pointed at my right forearm.

─Of course, you won’t be as proficient as me, but if there’s a problem, I’ll advise you through telepathy.

“Telepathy?”

─Yes. Telepathy.

“That magic.”

─It is when used between others. But we’re connected~ So it’s much easier to use. Since telepathy is communication of the soul, if you talk to me like you’re talking to yourself, I can hear it.

“Is that so?”

I put my hand on my arm. I thought for a moment.

‘Can you hear me?’

─Of course~

Grawl smiled.

“Well then… do as you please. But, this research institute needs to make some money.”

─Don’t worry. I have a lot of SNS ads coming in.

“…Ads.”

─Yes. And I’ve also changed your messenger settings.

What messenger?

I turned on my smartphone. The profile of [Shion Ascal] messenger was my face.

“What the hell. Did you take this?”

─I did. You should manage it too. What will you do if you get interviewed later?

I took the picture down again.

“……Anyway. I’m leaving. Make sure everything is ready by the time I come back.”

─Yes! Say goodbye, NyangNyang.

Meow-

Grawl’s NyangNyang also said goodbye.

The more I see, the more absurd it is.

“Take care.”

I went outside.

* * *

Train station.

I’m sitting in the waiting room, waiting for the train and the group going to Planarium.

“Haahhhhhhh…….”

I’m yawning because I’m tired,

Click-

Unnecessarily, only his footsteps were clear.

Wow- Wow-

Not only that, but the admiration that usually flows around when you see celebrities.

Elise, whose presence precedes her appearance.

I looked in her direction.

“……Are you going to the South Pole?”

Elise was dressed in a huge backpack. Two hoverboards were attached to the sides of the backpack, and she even wore a headset on her head.

“……”

She glanced at me and passed by without acknowledging me.

Well, what.

It’s a bit embarrassing to acknowledge her.

I walked to the station following her.

……

Inside the train.

We are sitting in the same car, but quite far apart.

There’s no good in taking a picture together.

Elise received countless requests for autographs and photos, and I slept the entire time.

When the number of people decreased and the train car was empty.

“Hey.”

Elise looked at me.

“Aren’t you studying?”

“……Ah.”

I crossed over to her.

“I don’t know why you suddenly wanted to learn Magic Spells.”

Elise took out a book from her backpack.

[Collection of Lower Rank Magic Spells]

“Levels 1~3 are lower. 4~6 are intermediate. 7~8 are advanced.”

“What about levels 9 and 10?”

“Each is supreme and heavenly, but it has nothing to do with you.”

“……Ah, yes.”

Elise turned the pages of the book quickly.

“Level 1 is practically a Magic Formula, so I’ll skip it. If you can’t even do that, you don’t deserve to learn from me.”

“I can do levels 1~3, so let’s start at intermediate.”

“First, you need to understand the levels of Magic Spells. It’s not usually judged by the number of Magic Formulas, right? If three Magic Formulas are linked, it’s a level 3 Magic Spell, if four are linked, it’s a level 4 Magic Spell. But ‘scale’ is also important.”

Elise didn’t even listen to my words.

“If the ‘scale’ of the formula increases, ‘segmentation’ is essential for acquisition, so it’s much harder than other Magic Spells with the same number. So the way to segment is also important-”

“No. I can do up to level 4, okay?”

“……”

Elise narrowed her eyes in what seemed to be dissatisfaction.

It seems like she’s telling me not to interfere with the lesson she prepared in advance.

“Shut up.”

“No, really. Look.”

I snatched Elise’s book.

「Wind Sphere」.

A level 3 Magic Spell that condenses wind into a sphere and shoots it out.

I spread my palm and implemented it in an instant.

“?”

Elise’s eyes widened as she watched.

But soon, she snorted and crossed her arms as if amused.

“……Well, it seems you can do it. Congratulations. Are you bragging about your achievement to me?”

“No, it’s not bragging. I don’t understand the principles well. I just do it intuitively.”

Again, my method of unfolding Magic Spells is pure intuition.

Applying the operating principles of various Magic Spells accumulated in the 「Notepad」 to other Magic Spells and ‘implementing’ them.

But with this method, I can’t respond to entirely new variables.

What I want from Elise is that ‘variable’.

“I understand what you mean. You don’t know why ‘Wind Sphere’ is level 3?”

“Because there are three Magic Formulas.”

“That’s true, but ‘scale’ is also important.”

She raised her fingers.

‘Calling the wind’ is the first.

‘Condensing’ is the second.

‘Ejection’ is the third.

“The key here is the Magic Formula of ‘ejection’. It’s used in almost all attack formulas. If you add ‘scale’ to this ‘ejection’, it becomes a level 4 Magic Spell.”

“Because it shoots out stronger?”

“Roughly correct.”

“Oh~ Then how do you add that scale?”

“There are two ways. First, theoretically strengthening the Magic Formula of ‘ejection’ itself. Second, adding a magic circuit when using it in practice.”

I nodded.

“The first is strengthening the constant, and the second is setting a variable?”

“If you have to express it, yes. The first method is strictly verified in the Magic Tower, but the second method has a high failure rate. It’s correct to call it a variable.”

Elise handed me a notebook and pen.

“Well. Since you’re not a complete ignoramus, I’ll start the lesson from there. Take notes diligently. The note is also important……”

* * *

“Let’s end here for today.”

At the same time as the arrival at the terminal station, the private lesson ended.

Elise packed all her belongings.

Shion spoke to her.

“You teach well. Teach me every Monday.”

“……Did you schedule a lesson?”

“I’ll give you the same as I gave to Kain.”

“……”

Elise, who was getting up from her seat, stopped abruptly.

She pursed her lips as if hiding a happy expression and asked again.

“You mean a priority pass – and a discount coupon -?”

“Yes.”

“……It’s insufficient as a tuition fee. But your restaurant has enough value in the special environment of Planarium. I’ll accept it.”

“Okay. Deal.”

Shion also got up from his seat. Then he grabbed Elise’s backpack, which she was about to sling on.

“What are you doing? Let go.”

“It’s too big for you.”

“Too big, what……”

Elise suddenly looked up at him. Their eye levels didn’t match at all.

He had grown so tall without her noticing.

“I’ll carry it. You brought it because of me, didn’t you?”

He snatched the backpack with a chuckle. Elise quietly handed it over.

The backpack, which had taken up nearly half of her body, fit him perfectly.

“Let’s go.”

They got off the train.

The scenery was as beautiful as ever.

“How do I use this?”

Shion asked as he put down the hoverboard. Elise mounted the hoverboard first.

“Infuse it with magic. You can easily control the output of magic with your feet. Just like using One Belt, Four Lines.”

“…Wait a minute. Isn’t this a hoverboard Proarcane?”

Hoverboard Proarcane (Provision).

It’s a much more expensive item with many more features than a regular hoverboard, making it much harder to handle, but once you get used to it, it’s much more versatile.

Elise tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

“That’s right. There’s no need to thank me-”

“Why would you bring this? You should have brought a beginner’s one.”

Shion frowned. Elise was momentarily irritated.

Even if you buy him something, he complains.

“I don’t even know how to ride it.”

He got on the hoverboard. Elise glared at him and said,

“Do you have nothing in your brain? Just infuse it with mana. If you’re at the College Board level, you’ll pick it up quickly.”

“Mana… Woah!”

Suddenly, his hoverboard shot up high. Elise caught it with telekinesis as it tried to bounce away.

“…Sigh. Pathetic. Try moving slowly. I’ll hold it for you.”

“Uh-huh.”

Shion infused it with mana. As someone who had no experience with One Belt, Four Lines, fine control of magic was difficult, but he moved it moderately by feel.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-

“Keep going like that.”

The two of them moved slowly. At first, walking was faster, but gradually they sped up.

“It’s surprisingly easy.”

“Are you an idiot? Don’t let your guard down.”

“…But what’s this? A launch function?”

“That is-”

“-Eek!”

As soon as Shion activated the ‘launch’ function, the hoverboard charged forward. Elise hastily activated her telekinesis, but it changed direction and flew towards her.

Bang-!

The two hoverboards collided.

“Kyaa!”

“Ugh!”

Roll, roll, roll─ The two of them rolled in the bushes with their hoverboards.

“Ugh….”

Elise, buried in the rough grass, groaned. Her face was scrunched up in pain. Anger surged up rapidly.

She looked to her side. Shion’s face was right in front of her.

“You really-”

“Ahahahaha.”

But he was laughing out loud. His mouth and eyes drew a clear arc. His golden eyes sparkled transparently in the sunlight.

“….”

Suddenly, Elise closed her mouth. The anger that had surged up melted away like snow.

“Hahaha.”

His innocent laughter.

The heart-pounding sensation she felt from his childlike demeanor, from his wave-like smile,

Thump- Thump-

The trembling of her heart.

Shion laughed for a long time, and Elise watched him for a long time.

“Ah, this is fun.”

He dusted himself off. He also brushed off the leaves that had stuck to his shoulder.

Only then did Elise come to her senses.

“…What are you laughing at?”

“It’s fun, isn’t it?”

Shion, who got up first, took Elise’s hand and helped her stand. Caught off guard, Elise leaned on him.

“Sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have turned on the booster.”

“Just stop trying to learn. You have no talent, absolutely none.”

She pushed him away, needlessly harsh.

He climbed back onto the hoverboard.

“No, I’ll learn quickly. I was born to drive. It’s just that this isn’t driven with a handle.”

“Ugh…”

Elise also sighed and got on the hoverboard.

Whirr-

They moved side by side.

At a moderate speed. Through the landscape of the mountain path. Under the soft sunlight.

Elise stole a glance at his profile.

Nothing special.

Just focusing on the hoverboard.

Thump-

But it’s strange.

Thump-

Why won’t this pounding heart calm down?

Is it arrhythmia? Heart disease?

It keeps growing every time I look at him…

Then Shion looked back at her.

“Hey! Look ahead!”

“What… Ahh!”

─Thud!

Elise’s face hit the surface of a tree.

“Ouch…”

Elise fell down, lying flat on the ground.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

Shion asked. She quickly clutched her face.

More than the pain, it was embarrassing.

“…fine.”

She spoke, covering her face.

“Are you sure? Hey, let me see.”

“I said I’m fine!”

Elise shouted in frustration.

“Go ahead.”

“Hey, but-”

“Before I kill you.”

“…”

It’s not that, it’s just that my nose is too hot right now.

“If you go ahead, I’ll follow on my own…”

This is definitely a nosebleed…

* * *

Meanwhile, in Petra Senator’s office.

In the place where fragmented sunlight flowed through the blinds, Ken Petra received a report from a close confidant of the family.

“Ascal… the kid from that time.”

“Yes. He’s currently settled in the top 100.”

The confidant handed over a document.

A scouting report and related documents on a senior named [Shion Ascal].

Tapping the document, Ken twirled his cigar.

“If he’s in the top 100.”

“He’s a stable force in Edsilla Magic University. The scouts are also keeping an eye on him. He seems to be attracting curious attention because he suddenly rose to prominence.”

Huuuu…

His large mouth exhaled thick smoke.

“Leave him be until the entrance exams are over.”

“Until the entrance exams, you say. The election season is almost upon us.”

The confidant seemed worried. Ken, who glanced at him, stood up.

“Elise is a strong candidate for valedictorian at College Board. There’s no need to stir up trouble in this batch.”

He straightened his suit, which had ridden up on his corpulent body, and looked out the window.

“However.”

His office had a clear view of the Edsilla Parliament.

He should have been here four years ago, but damn political maneuvers delayed him by four years.

There’s no more time to delay.

Ken Petra stroked his thick beard and continued.

“In the worst-case scenario, we should think of a suitable way to handle it.”