The Unexpected Visitor
The time was not long after the commotion in the training ground had subsided. Celia returned to the director's office and picked up the letter that had been placed on the desk. It was the item that the staff member had come to deliver to the training ground earlier. The familiar family crest was stamped on the front of the envelope, and the paper inside was only one sheet. The content was short.
[Senior Celia. I'll visit tomorrow.]
After reading the last sentence, Celia placed the letter back on the desk with a thud.
“Haa… I don't really want to see that face…”
On the opposite side, Hermann was sorting the documents that had been approved and the ones that hadn't been checked yet.
He showed no particular reaction, as he already knew who the sender was.
“After all, this is what was going to happen anyway. Since the day Iris was brought into the White Magic Tower.”
“True, but…”
Zenith Meyrud.
A junior he had known since the magic academy days, and Iris's older sister.
In school, she would follow Celia from afar calling her "senior" whenever she saw her.
After graduation, when each went their separate ways, contact became infrequent, and it had been quite a while since she had seen her face directly.
That wasn't a problem.
“The problem is that I've been hearing that Iris and Zenith's relationship is not good at all…”
Celia stared at the letter and then shook her head.
“…No. Rumors can't be trusted. I'll have to tell Iris about it later.”
“Rumors always spread based on facts, you know.”
Hermann lightly tapped the edge of the paper against the desk.
“About the director and Leon's matter too.”
“Th-that's not true at all…!”
Celia, who had been slouched in the chair, straightened up immediately.
Hermann finally looked away from the documents and stared at her.
“Who said that?”
“…”
Celia pursed her lips and picked up the teacup.
She had already sipped the lukewarm tea, but her fingers fiddled with the handle for a while.
It was true that nothing happened last night.
Really.
Nothing.
But.
“…Still, there might be a slight interest…”
The voice got smaller towards the end.
Celia, who had unconsciously twisted her fingers, suddenly looked up.
Hermann was staring at her quietly.
“…Don't look at me with those eyes.”
Hermann let out a deep sigh and unfolded the documents again.
“Get to work.”
“I'm already doing it.”
“The letter has been stared at for 30 minutes.”
“…Shut up.”
Celia roughly folded the letter and pushed it under the documents.
Zenith is coming tomorrow.
Before that, I should at least say something to Iris.
A while later.
I came back to the director's office upon Celia calling me.
When I opened the door, Celia was sitting alone behind the desk.
Hermann is not here.
Thinking about how she emphasized 'just the two of us' in the training ground today, it probably is about that.
I pulled the chair opposite and sat down carefully.
“What should we name the baby?”
“…?”
Celia, who was looking at the documents, slowly raised her head.
“Since I don't have a surname, how about using the president's surname—”
“N-not because of that…?!”
Celia leaned forward with both hands on the desk.
“Ah, right? It's not like the result would come out in just two days…”
I was too hasty.
In modern pregnancy tests, the result can't come out that fast either.
Probably?
Since I haven't tried it, I don't know the details.
Anyway, it seems not.
“Huu… Good.”
I leaned back in the chair and let out a sigh of relief.
But Celia was looking at me with a strange expression.
“…Good?”
“I was worried. That you might really be pregnant.”
Celia's eyebrows twitched.
“…You mean the kind of thing where you say you hate me right now?”
?????
“Why is the conclusion like that?”
“…Okay.”
Celia turned her head away with a snap.
Seeing her profile staring at the window, it seemed I had made a big mistake in speech.
“Ah, no… I-I like the president! Eh?!”
I hurriedly leaned my upper body forward.
Celia's eyes glanced sideways.
“…Where?”
“First of all, she's incredibly beautiful… and has a great figure…”
Her personality is a bit weird, but let's not mention that.
“Most importantly, she's incredibly young! She looks like she's in her early 20s on the outside, right?”
Celia's lips curled up.
A bit of blush rose on her cheeks.
'She seems really pissed…?'
It was a mistake. I probably praised only her external appearance too much.
In dramas, in such situations, they usually retort 'Do you only see my looks?' or something.
I hurriedly changed to another excuse.
“Ah, no. The president has a broad mind! She's very kind?”
“…Uwi.”
“Uwi?”
Celia suddenly pushed the chair back and jumped up from her seat.
She walked briskly around the desk to in front of me without warning, and without any notice, hugged my head with both arms.
Thud.
My vision darkened.
“Uyu… This little one! Why are you making cute sounds again?!”
“Uuep…!!! W-wait! I-I can't breathe…!!!”
“Puhuhu… Ah~ I might really get serious…?”
“I can't breathe!!!!”
I tried to turn my face sideways, but because Celia added more strength to her arms, I was buried deeper.
“Before long, you'll really take me for the first time?!”
“…First time?”
I barely pulled out one eye and looked up at Celia.
“We already did it. What are you talking about?”
“Ah…!”
The arm holding my head suddenly relaxed.
Ah, right.
“So, since I took it then, this time I'm supposed to defend, right? If that's the case, anytime—”
Celia immediately let me go.
Then, as if nothing had happened just now, she quickly turned around to behind the desk and sat on the chair.
She brushed her messy hair behind her ear and even picked up one document from the desk in front of her.
“…Anyway, the reason I called you now is different.”
“Got it, my wife.”
“…”
Only Celia's eyes rose above the documents.
Her expression was serious.
“Ah. It's business hours now, huh.”
I straightened up and placed both hands on my knees.
“Yes, President. Please speak.”
“…What was that magic earlier?”
“It's a newly made magic. I threw about 30 propulsion spells at it with lightning attribute.”
50 was pushing it.
Celia slowly put down the document she was holding.
“…Is that even possible…?”
“It was possible.”
“…”
Celia stared at my face for a while as if checking if I was joking.
There seemed to be a lot of words she wanted to say.
But since it was done, what can I do.
“…Anyway.”
Celia raised her finger and pointed towards the training ground.
“From now on, you're prohibited from using the training ground. If you keep doing that, the White Magic Tower's operating costs won't be left.”
“Then where do I practice magic?”
“You can go to the tower. There, even if you shoot with full power, no one will complain. Whether you break the walls or blow up the floor, they'll be repaired automatically.”
I looked out the window at the tower.
A massive structure rising from the heart of the city to the edge of the sky.
Thinking about it, if it's inside there, no one would demand repair fees even if I destroy anything.
Moreover, there are monsters, so there would be plenty of targets to actually test the new magic on.
This is a good trick.
“Thank you, my wife.”
“…”
“Thank you, President.”
After a while.
I spread out the bag on the floor of the dormitory room and picked up the necessary items one by one.
“Bread 20. Dried meat 37…”
The words are exaggerated, but actually almost all were food.
Since I don't know how many days I'll be roaming inside the tower, it would be better to have as much food as possible.
Water can be made with magic.
Sleeping too, as long as I don't die, I can sleep anywhere.
I pushed the last dried meat package tightly into the corner of the bag and scanned the contents.
“Hmm. Preparations seem to be done.”
“…Leon.”
I looked up at the voice from beside me.
Iris was standing near the bed.
She had been watching me pack my bags since I entered the room for the first time, and as time passed, her expression seemed to darken a bit.
“Are you really going alone?”
“Yeah. I also want to make the Black Flame Dragon once.”
“Black Flame Dragon…? Like before, what exactly is that?”
“It's a super strong and super dark magic.”
“…”
The reaction wasn't very positive.
“How do you make that…?”
“By mixing fire and darkness well and making it into a dragon.”
Or not.
I grabbed the string at the entrance to tie the bag.
But Iris was still standing next to the bed without any intention to move.
“What's wrong. Why are you still like that. Do you have something to say?”
“…I heard from my classmates during lunch break.”
Iris hesitated for a moment and looked at me.
“That the director and you might be lovers.”
Ah, so it didn't get hidden.
Rumors spread disgustingly fast.
Iris was quietly waiting for my answer.
There was no reason to lie, and I couldn't explain the incident at the inn from beginning to end.
I could only reveal what I could.
“No, well… it seems like that happened.”
Iris's pupils shook a bit.
“…So, the rumor that you both slept in the same inn two days ago…?”
It spread that far?
Who the hell spread the rumor.
“…It's true.”
“…”
I stared at Iris while holding the bag string.
“…Yeah. I see.”
Iris slightly pursed her lips and looked down at the floor, then slowly turned her body.
“Me… I'll go now. Take care.”
“Yeah.”
Iris, who had placed her hand on the door handle, stopped for a moment and opened the door as it was.
Her steps had no strength.
“Hmm.”
I squatted on the bed and watched the back of the guy.
'Seems like it's confirmed.'
She seems to have interest in me too.
I don't know when I flirted, but anyway, the president and Iris.
This is really a harem, isn't it.
I wanted to shout cheerfully 'You should be my wife too!!!' but…
But flirting isn't done that way.
What is flirting?
The act of appropriately pushing and pulling to capture the other person's heart.
As seen on the internet.
I should have dated to know.
But this body is a person who is adored as a genius.
I made magic, so why can't I flirt?
[Negative. AI's role is more than 80%.]
“Iris.”
“…?”
Iris, who was about to go out the door, turned her head.
I naturally smiled and opened my mouth.
“Will you do it with me once?”
“…?!”
Ah. My inner thoughts came out.
Slap―!
“Shit”
My head turned to the side due to the shock.
A bit later, the entire left cheek started burning.
I slowly turned my head.
Iris was standing in front of me again, I don't know when.
One hand was still slightly floating in the air, and tears were welling up in her eyes as if they would fall soon.
“…Worst.”
“W-wait…!!!”
Iris turned her body and ran out of the room.
Bang!
The door slammed shut hard enough to shake the door.
I held my cheek and stared at that door for a while.
“Ah, shit… I made a mistake here…”
The words I was supposed to say weren't this.
It was just a polite, high-class 'Would you like to have a hot night with me?'
…No difference?
Anyway, it's a bit awkward.
But if I go after her now and catch her, it might get better.
“…I'll apologize after I come back.”
I still rubbed my tingling cheek and slung the bag over my shoulder.
“Then… Shall we go!”
And I left the dormitory door.
That night.
Iris was squatting in one corner of her room.
She was leaning her back against the wall next to the bed and hugging both knees.
Only one small magic lamp was lit in the room, so after the window became completely dark, even the shadows hanging on the floor were faintly visible.
Even after sitting like that for a long time, the words from the day didn't leave her mind.
“…Will you do it with me.”
Do it with me.
I don't know if it's a local dialect.
But no matter how I think, the meaning was clear from the context.
“…You asked if I have no intention of mixing bodies with you.”
There, in front, there was definitely the word 'you too'.
That means she had already done such acts with Celia.
The time she spent alone with the director in the office just now might be an extension of that.
But now, that Leon is saying such words to her.
Iris leaned her forehead on her knees.
“…It's too sudden.”
If you're going to talk about such things, you should at least give some time to prepare your mind.
What to say when you hear such words suddenly.
Then, suddenly, Iris released one hand that was hugging her knees.
It was the hand that had slapped Leon's cheek during the day.
The sound was louder than expected.
Because Leon's head turned.
“…”
I hit pretty hard.
Leon seemed to have realized immediately what he said and froze.
“…Sorry. It wasn't my true intention.”
However, there was no one to accept the apology here.
Iris stared at her palm for a while and then hugged her knees again.
“…I'll apologize when I come back.”
When I come back from the tower.
Then, I can talk properly.
Probably.
The next morning.
Clunk.
A carriage that was running on the wide road in front of the White Magic Tower slowly reduced its speed.
After the wheels rolled over the grooves in the floor once, it completely stopped.
“We have arrived.”
The coachman turned around holding the reins.
A moment later, the door in the back opened, and a woman got off the carriage holding a small travel bag.
She first looked up at the gate of the White Magic Tower.
The high white stone wall and the magic tower buildings beyond.
It was a landscape seen after a long time, but there was no particularly sentimental mood.
“You can go now. And come back in three days.”
“Yes. Understood.”
The coachman pulled the reins.
The two horses turned their bodies, and the carriage slowly returned the way it came.
The woman briefly watched the scene and then slowly headed towards the main gate.
After a few steps, one guard came forward.
“Wait. Identify yourself.”
The woman stopped walking and alternately looked at the guard and the firmly closed gate, tilting her head slightly.
“Ah, the senior hasn't said anything yet? This is a bit disappointing.”
“…Senior?”
Instead of answering, the woman took out only the palm-sized identification tag from inside her robe and held it out.
“Here.”
The guard accepted it.
The family crest engraved on one side of the tag.
And the name written below it.
“…Y-you're…!”
The guard looked up with a surprised face.
The woman took the identification tag from his hand and put it in her pocket.
“Move aside. If you don't want to die.”
The guard hurriedly moved his body to the side.
A moment later, with a heavy sound, the main gate of the White Magic Tower began to open inward.
The woman passed through the gap as if waiting and entered inside.
Zenith Meyrud.
She had arrived at the White Magic Tower.