Cockroach
Cockroach
Had it been because I spent the day fairly busily—talking with Siegfried, then going home to warn Asilie that things might get noisy thanks to those demon worshippers? The day flew by in a flash, and before I knew it, the time to launch the cockroach extermination operation was approaching.
That didn't mean I moved out at the crack of dawn though. Unlike Siegfried and me, the students had classes to attend. No matter how big the undertaking, skipping class would've wrecked their standing later, and I had loose ends to tie up in the remaining time anyway. That was the reason for the decision.
And now, as the appointed hour drew near, Seneran wiped her glasses clean and asked me a question. She had just finished an individual tutoring session that she'd cut extremely close.
"I've been helping since you asked for intensive instruction... but what exactly are you planning to do with this? You haven't even learned magic yet."
The theory I'd been cramming intensively over the last few days had produced extremely satisfying results after multiple rounds of verification and experimentation. Ever since the day I'd heard from Eselua that this might be connected to demons, I'd practically been rushing through the content, asking both my teacher and Seneran to help. Fortunately, I'd already managed it even without the knowledge or a Magic Organ, so there hadn't been any real stumbling blocks in learning it.
If anything, it had been far easier—maybe thanks to that sparring match with Siegfried the other day. Thinking that I might just be the type who learns best by throwing my body into the mix, I picked up the sword sitting beside me and attempted a Magic Power connection. It linked up so naturally I couldn't even compare it to before.
"It's perfectly suited as a technique for dealing with demons."
There was no particular reason to hide it now, so I answered flatly. My teacher, who had been reviewing the notes I'd compiled while studying, tilted his head and asked.
"Magic Power diffusion? Even at best, that's only good for tracking."
"Hmm, it'd be faster to show you... That'll do. That thing, the apple."
Seeing it firsthand seemed like the quickest route, so I pointed at the apple I'd bought for a snack while still holding the sword. Seneran's and my teacher's gazes naturally followed. In the middle of it, Seneran's eyes started gleaming, even though she didn't know what I was about to do. That woman really gets fired up over anything related to Magic Power.
"It's a method I used to take the head off a member of the Demonfolk I met after going through that gate in the Empire... You link Magic Power separately to the scabbard and the sword, then use that linked Magic Power as a bridge to interfere with the body and head of the target you're using it on. It produced some interesting results."
Just pushing the cross guard slightly with my thumb made the sword slide out without any real resistance. And almost simultaneously, the apple split in half with a sharp crack!
"Since this is just an apple, it worked easily without much resistance. Demonfolk are a bit more..."
"Hold on. Just wait a moment."
Just as I tried to continue the explanation naturally, Seneran cut me off with an urgent voice, wearing a deadly serious expression as she looked back and forth between the apple and the sword. Then she suddenly approached the table and started earnestly touching the other apples, reacting exactly like a spectator trying to uncover a magic trick's secret. Finally, she slowly turned back to me.
"Is that real?"
"There's no reason to suddenly lie about something like this."
Was it that strange? I glanced at my teacher just in case, and he actually looked even more shocked than Seneran.
"This... what in the..."
...So it was strange. I didn't even have a moment to adjust to their reactions before Seneran shouted.
"What kind of insane world is this! You're exerting physical force using nothing but Magic Power, and it's not even Magic-Armament Alloy?!"
"Uh... I'm not sure I follow, but it might be a little different. It's not like gripping and tearing with an invisible hand—it's about linking Magic Power to Magic Power, you see?"
It seemed there was a misunderstanding, so I spoke up to correct it, but that only backfired. Seneran looked at my teacher with a dumbfounded expression, and this time my teacher muttered like a man who'd just heard the world was ending.
"Interfering with... external Magic Power using one's own Magic Power, without a spell...?"
Whatever it was, it clearly wasn't something they could just gloss over lightly.
◈
In the end, I only got out of the faculty office after a massive ruckus, and I arrived at the meeting spot about five minutes later than the designated time. I walked up waving casually at the ten or so familiar faces gathered off to one side of the well-tended garden. Sheryl, wearing a sulky expression, spoke.
"You're late."
"Something came up."
The urge to say I was late because I got held up by people who'd sold their souls to research surged up fiercely, but for the sake of their honor I decided to take the blame myself. Still, I was getting something for free out of this, so I should let this slide.
Maybe it was thanks to her speaking up first, but the others didn't really press me. Perhaps they didn't even have the composure to, since their nerves were quietly on edge without them consciously realizing it. I first spoke according to the script we'd set up beforehand to shift the mood.
"Sorry I'm late. You've already heard the situation from Sheryl. Normally, I think something like this should be left to the military or the holy knights... but since academy students are caught up in the incident, it can't be helped. For everyone's honor."
Unlike the Imperial Academy, the overwhelming majority at the Kingdom Academy were nobles or people of equivalent wealth. To them, honor was an immensely important factor, and Sheryl had used that as a basis to move the students and diligently lay the groundwork so it wouldn't seem strange for Siegfried and me to act.
"Still, we can't just send you alone into those underground waterways where who knows what's lurking after the demon worshippers went into hiding. So I decided to ask the Hero, with whom I'm personally acquainted, to accompany us. This decision was made because he can also face demons, so I hope no one takes offense."
The five gathered there—lined up exactly according to their practical skills ranking—nodded with an 'Ah' of understanding, as if they only just grasped why the Hero's party was present. Only then did Siegfried, who had been maintaining an awkward distance between them while feigning discomfort, raise a hand appropriately to greet them. I left the specific plan explanation to Sheryl and approached Siegfried, speaking quietly.
"Guess all that time playing the rogue back in the Empire paid off. You act pretty well."
"Of course. Look at how many bastards I swindled there. This much is nothing."
Even while nonchalantly bragging, the guy kept his expression as sullen as ever. He showed a meticulous side, pulling out his greatsword and slinging it over his shoulder to hide his face before breaking into a good-natured grin.
"But will you be alright? We don't even know what kind of demons we might run into."
"If we split up and move as planned, we'll at least have enough breathing room to retreat and make contact. I also plan on moving a bit faster than the others."
That was the very reason I'd split the Hero's party and the six students into two teams. Honestly, I toyed with the idea of just attaching the Saintess to Siegfried and forming another team, but I held back, worried that the hot-blooded students might not know their place and charge headlong into the wrong area. Whatever else could be said, the Hero's party had its reputation, so they wouldn't try a reckless charge while ignoring those two.
But apparently, that wasn't what the Hero was worried about.
"No, not that. Your little companion. I’m asking if you'll be alright on your own."
Laika had barely left my side lately, to the point that it felt stranger not to have Laika around, but this time I'd sent Laika home to contact Asilie. So, just as Siegfried said, I was moving alone for the first time in a while.
"I'll be fine. If anything, half-assedly moving together would just slow us down and put the students in danger."
The only thing I felt was a vague sense that it might be a bit lonely; I wasn't anxious. It had just happened that I'd been traveling with so many people lately. I'd originally trained a lot more in moving solo.
After all, I had no plans to share the journey to the Demon King's territory with anyone. Resting might be a pain, but there was no other issue. On the contrary, traveling with someone else was more troublesome because it increased the chance of my Magic Power usage being exposed.
"So don't worry about me and please take good care of those students."
"...Fine, don't worry."
Siegfried had no way of knowing those inner circumstances, but he nodded without much argument, maybe because he trusted my skills. In the meantime, Sheryl, having finished her talk with the students, gestured to me, and I joined them along with the Hero's party.
I knew Griwills and even Kalits, who ranked 3rd in practical skills, by name, but I couldn't remember the rest for the life of me. I just knew they were 4th, 5th, and 6th in order, but no matter how calmly I racked my brain, unknown things remained unknown.
"Sheryl, Griwills, and Kalits will accompany the Imperial Divine Council's Saintess and Entiere. 4th, 5th, and 6th. The three of you will follow the Hero and Her Highness Princess Eselua. I'll go in first."
So I just pushed ahead with the same brazen attitude I'd shown in class. Unlike the students, who basically just had a reaction of 'So what he said back then was for real,' Siegfried's eyes flew wide open. He looked horrified, staring at me like I was some absolute piece of trash in the world, and opened his mouth.
"Little brother? Happiness isn't ranked by grades!"
"What the hell are you on about now?"
"You should at least remember their names!"
"I'm just keeping my word."
Maybe because they were used to my act of a friendly fairy-tale knight, the Hero's party tilted their heads, feeling a disconnect. But this wasn't the place to explain, so I just pretended not to notice and winked at Sheryl. She understood with uncanny speed, smoothly took the lead in the conversation, gave the students' gear one final check, and then started going over the scouting positions and rendezvous points with the Hero's party.
Since there was nothing extra I needed to know, moving alone as I was, I left them behind and stepped into the waterway entrance that looked like a manhole.