CH 13

1st Year, Class A in the afternoon, it’s just me and Anthony-sensei.

“Sensei, what should I do?” I asked.

Ah, Anthony-sensei just averted his eyes.

“No, umm, you’re the only one who can use Light magic, Makoto-san,” he said.

“Right,” I said.

“Therefore, there is no such thing as a Professor of Light Magic,” he said.

“Right,” I said.

“So we’re stuck,” he said.

“This is exactly my problem!!” I yelled.

“For the time being, let’s do some self-study,” Anthony-sensei said. “That’s right, why don’t you look up the history of Light magic in the library? Please submit a report on the weekend.”

Mnnnn.

“Makoto-san, a young lady doesn’t make walnuts underneath her lips,” Anthony-sensei said.

Apparently, this is their version of “making umeboshi on your chin” from Japan, the wrinkles that form when you pout.

“Makoto-san, who did you learn Light magic from back in the temple?” Anthony-sensei asked.

“I’m self-taught with Holy Maria-sama’s textbook,” I replied.

“Is it the same as the one over here?” Anthony-sensei said. “But that doesn’t mean theres’s nothing to do, should you mix with the other attributes during magic practice.”

“What will happen to the solo magic practice test and all that?” I asked.

“… You’re effectively an unconditional pass,” Anthony-sensei said.

There is no such thing as competition.

“I wonder if I can go to the temple in the afternoon and play with the orphans,” I said. “Ah, I might even consider registering as an adventurer and delving into a dungeon.”

“That, that would be a problem, don’t leave the school grounds,” Anthony-sensei said.

“I’m in trouble if I don’t have anything to do,” I said.

“Well, for now, go to the library for today, and from tomorrow I’ll think of something,” Anthony-sensei said.

“I’m counting on you, Anthony-sensei,” I said.

For the time being, I went to the library and tried to find literature on Light magic, but all I could find was a children’s picture book called “Holy Maria-sama” and a biographical book called “Saint Bianca, Her Light and Her Darkness”.

Now, what kind of report should I write?

I had no choice, so I read Bianca-sama’s biography.

“Holy Maria-sama” is a book that I read to children at the orphanage, so I can’t bring myself to read it now.

I skimmed through the biography.

Bianca-sama, you were going overboard.

That’s all.

Bianca was originally from the aristocracy of the former Appleton Kingdom, and at first she did good deeds, but later she became arrogant and extravagant, started surrounding herself with handsome, then all her luxury and waste caused the old Appleton Kingdom to fall apart then reform again (under a different royal family, all by selfishly doing what she wanted.

I think Bianca-sama was probably lonely.

Bianca-sama seems to have reached the point of resurrecting the dead with her overflowing talent, so I guess she thought she was a real goddess or something.

Overwhelming healing power, the resurrection of the dead, reduction of aging, those in power won’t let go of Bianca-sama.

It’s just like Otou-sama’s theory that power corrupts.

I have to be careful not to let this happen to me.

When I closed Bianca-sama’s book, the chime for the end of the 6th period rang.

When I returned to the class, everyone was talking about their impressions of magic practice, and I felt a sense of alienation.

Damn, damn, everyone is having such a nice time.

“Makoto, how was your Light magic training?” Carol asked.

“It was self-study in the library,” I replied.

“Oh, it sounds like you worked hard,” Carol said.

“You and Elmer don’t have anything to learn in magic training, so what are you two doing there?” I asked.

“Helping out the senseis, maybe,” Carol said.

“I’m jealous that you can make yourselves useful,” I said.

“You are going to be someone in the future, Makoto… the Light attribute does only appear once in every 100 years,” Carol said.

“Dark magic appears once every 50 years, right? I wonder what people like that do,” I said.

“As for Dark magic, it seems that an old magician will look for disciples and teach them magic techniques,” Carol said.

“I will make a textbook in the future…” I said. “But Holy Maria-sama’s textbook is well done, so I wonder if there is anything to add to that.”

“Unusual attributes are a lot of trouble,” Carol said.

“If I don’t think about how to spend my afternoon, I’m wasting too much of my youth,” I said.

The end of homeroom begins.

“Everyone, you all took your first classes today after entering the Academy, how was it? But wait, there is still a lot of work to be done during school, but please don’t let up and keep going with your preparations and reviews.

“Also, there were complaints that some of the female students were flirting with the male students, causing a disturbance in the Academy’s public morals.

“Your sensei does not necessarily deny dating between men and women, but I would like you to moderate yourselves and keep your professionalism in the school.”

Someone must have pointed us out to Anthony-sensei.

It’s troublesome.

“Also, Makoto Kimball-san, please think carefully about your actions and be as careful as possible,” Anthony-sensei said.

“Did you have to call me out by name?!” I yelled.

We stood up, bowed, and today’s class was over.

Somehow, even though this world is generally Western-style, there are some Japanese school flavors mixed in here and there.

Anyway, it’s after school, hooray.

From now on, you will have free time until dinner time at the dormitory.

In a real Western dormitory, getting a permit to go out of school for even a little bit is a lot of work, but at Appleton Academy of Magic, it’s pretty lax.

You can go to the royal capital as much as you want until the dormitory curfew, have dinner outside, and if you have money, you can play around.

“Do you have any club activities, Carol?” I asked.

“No, I’m not planning to, I have to earn money with alchemy activities after school,” Carol said.

“Huh, are you paying your own school fees?” I asked.

“That’s right, our territory is poor, so it’s too painful to spend tax money on me,” Carol said.

“How lovely, you’re like a truly admirable lord,” Carol said.

“Father travels around the country to collect rare alchemy ingredients and is often absent, so I am practically the lord,” Carol said.

“Since you’re so busy after school, I really wished we could have done club activities together,” I said.

Carol is so reliable, she feels like the noble among nobles.

My best friend is cute, strong, and a great person.

By the way, Carol said that Albright Territory was poor, but that was a complete lie.

It is famous as one of the richest regions in the kingdom for its Albright-branded potions and various high-end medicine trades.

They are poor in the sense that they’re very modest, or maybe it’s because of a sense of responsibility that they want to use their territory’s tax money that’s usually for road maintenance, flood control, and infrastructure development.

Since they have money, Albright territory is very safe and taxes are low.

In the Kingdom of Appleton, Falnegard, the capital of Albright territory, is at the top of the cities I want to live in.

I want to go to Falnegard next time.

“Makoto…if you’re free,” Elmer said.

“What is it, Elmer?” I asked.

“Would you like to… join the Magic Research Club? I’m going to,” Elmer said.

“Magic Research Club, huh, what should I do?” I asked.

“It’ll be fun… perhaps,” Elmer said.

“Wait, Makoto, join the Swordsmanship Club with me,” Curtis said.

Why does Curtis travel to Class A every day?

If you have time like that, take care of your fiancée, Elsa-sama.

“Your current strength only relies on you getting a surprise attack in,” Curtis said, “so let’s improve your skills and have you be able to do frontal combat, too.”

“Swordsmanship huh~?” I asked.

In truth, I’ve trained my dagger arm only to use it as a magical guidance tool.

But that’s a sports club.

I thought it would be tough, but with the physical strength and motor nerves of this winner at life, swordsmanship might be fun.

“Let’s aim to be the strongest in the kingdom together with me,” Crutis said.

“Let’s unravel the abyss of magic… together with me…” Elmer said.

Goodness, they’re going in unison.

Both Curtis and Elmer are in different directions, but they have one thing in common: they are singularly-focused people.

A Sword-Brained Idiot and a Magic-Brained Idiot.

“Is now a good time?”

Oh, Kevin-ouji arrived.

In the distance, the gazes of the noble ladies steadily drop in temperature.

It’s an eternal blizzard.

My heart perishes.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Kimball-sama, does Light magic have any enchanting spells?” Kevin-ouji asked.

“It does not,” I said.

He’s getting kind of heated.

“Vivian-sama has put forward testimony that she saw you, Makoto Kimball-sama, use enchanting magic to captivate Curtis-kyou and Elmer-kyou.”

“It’s groundless,” I said.

“However, Curtis-kyou and Elmer-kyou, who had no interest in schoolgirls when they were in secondary school, are now showing flaunting such disgraceful sides of them to you now, aren’t they?” Kevin said.

“That’s so cruel to Curtis and Elmer,” I said.

“That’s insane, Kevin-ouji,” Curtis said.

“This is unprovoked… unjustified slander,” Elmer said.

“But no matter how you look at it, isn’t this strange?” Kevin said. “Is it possible for a man and a woman to get along like this in just one day? Moreover, the kingdom’s #1 warrior and the kingdom’s #1 magic otaku, it’s natural to suspect something.”

Curtis-onii-chan shook his head.

“I’m afraid, Ouji, that your looking at her as a woman is giving birth to unnecessary suspicions,” Curtis said. “Makoto Kimball-sama is a saint, a descendant of a goddess. In other words, she’s an object of faith, a fascinating angel.”

“Fuah?” I gasped.

“My family the marquis… a family of devout believers of the Sacred Heart… it wouldn’t be strange to get close to the saint. Above all… Makoto is fascinating… as a rare specimen, not as a woman…” Elmer said.

You guys, why are you silently removing the possibility of seeing me as a woman?!

And don’t laugh, Carol!

“Upupupupu,” she snickered, “I’m sorry, Makoto.”

“Then, does that mean there are no feelings between as men and women have?” Kevin asked.

“No way in hell,” Curtis said.

“… She’s a woman, but she’s just a friend,” Elmer said.

“A rare specimen, huh…?” Kevin said.

Shame on all three of you!

And then, Carol covered her mouth and trembled.

“My, my, so that’s what the two of you believe,” I said.

“What the?” Curtis asked.

“What’s wrong… Makoto?” Elmer asked.

“Well, I have an idea about that,” I said.

“Sto-Stop that, Makoto, I’m getting a bad feeling,” Curtis said.

“It-It’s no good… this is, you shouldn’t… be acting like a proper lady?”

Give me a break.

“I, too, was able to enroll in the Magic Academy that I had been dreaming of, and there were situations when I got a little too hot-headed,” I said. “So then, shall I continue acting like a proper lady until graduation?”

Translation: If you don’t apologize, I’ll continue to treat you like this until I graduate.

I’m going to intimidate them with my eyes, then I’m going to smile and curtsy.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I was wrong, I said a little too much, forgive me,” Curtis said.

“I want you to stop… Makoto, that attitude is… it makes me sad.”

“Makoto, are you going to do that to me too?” Carol asked.

“Ah, I don’t want to do that to you, Carol, you are my best friend.”

“What a relief,” Carol said. “I like you the way you usually are, Makoto.”

“In other words, this is all because it’s so rare for Curtis-kyou and Elmer-kyou to take a liking to a girl and talk to her so casually,” Kevin said.

“That’s right,” Curtis said, “this girl, it’s the first time I’ve met her, and yet though I am the son of a margrave, she’s the only person who doesn’t call me that or treat me like it, there’s no one else like her that can do the same.”

“I feel like I’m familiar with her, but…” Elmer said, “it doesn’t bother me because she’s as harmless as an innocent child…”

“Fumu, when you look at the speed at which you guys get along well, it looks like enchanting magic,” Kevin said. “Albright-sama, you must have met Kimball-sama for the first time yesterday, and now you seem to be best friends, isn’t that too early?”

“I’ve always felt like I’ve been friends with Makoto for a long time, but it’s true, we just met yesterday,” Carol said, chuckling.

I’ve always thought of Carol as a close friend.

No, it’s only after we met in the game.

“But when I was in a lot of trouble yesterday, the only one who helped me was Makoto, Kevin-ouji,” Carol said. “On top of that, Makoto defeated Michael-sama with a single blow and whispered, ‘Serves you right.’ At that moment, my heart trembled. My heart was pounding and I couldn’t stop being excited, and I naturally thought, aah, I want to be friends with this girl.”

After saying that, Carol smiled softly.

Damn, she heard me go “Serves you right!”

Hiii!

I’m so embarrassed.

By the way, I said “Serves you right.” when Mike’s vomit splattered on Vivian-sama’s skirt, but it’s not a big enough mistake to correct.

“Is that so?” Kevin said. “Hmm, it’s a misunderstanding of everyone who saw the rapid deepening of your friendships. My apologies.”

“Well, it’s just that we get to know each other quickly, and I’m a rare specimen, so I won’t be as sexy and tempting as you think, hence you don’t need to worry, Kevin-ouji,” I said.

“No, don’t sulk, Makoto, I’m sorry,” Curtis said.

“Forgive me… I beg you,” Elmer muttered.

“While I’m already being so rude,” Kevin said, “might I ask about the accusations of you two being homosexuals, Albright-sama and Kimball-sama?”

“Nope, I’m not,” I said.

“… You’ve got it wrong,” Carol said.

I am not gay.

I’m an ordinary fujoshi who loves to appreciate male homosexuals.

Carol’s answer was a little vague.

Does this mean she has feelings for me, or is it something like that?

Ummnn…

Honestly, my chest is beating kind of fast.

My cheeks feel hot.

But if it was with Carol, I would be with Carol.

Sexually, I may be able to do various things.

That kind of thing, this kind of thing.

Ah, Carol must be cute with that expression on his face.

I want to hug her so tight.

I can’t stand it!

“That face makes me think you’re thinking something strange again,” Carol said.

“That is not a good look for a noble lady,” Curtis said.

“Somehow… that face makes me feel disgusted,” Elmer said.

“… You don’t need enchanting magic, I was all worried, but it seems like I was a fool,” Kevin said.

Fuh, fuh, fuh.

N—No, can’t, can’t do this, I have to restrain myself.

Seeing my expression, somehow, everyone pulled away.

Hold up, I love Carol too much, it feels real funny.

Fuah!