I Want a Slave
"What the hell is this..."
"Ethan. You're my first disciple! It's a joyous occasion."
Sea said brightly.
"Let's head inside first."
The stares from around us were piercing. They weren't just glancing—they were outright gawking.
And even...
Thud!
Why hit a perfectly fine wall?
One cadet couldn't hold back his momentary rage and punched the wall with his fist.
"Gaaahhh!!!!"
It was a wall coated in mana. Punching it without a second thought was obviously going to hurt.
With that level of intelligence, he'd be a prime candidate for a Darwin Award.
What a mess.
I stuck out my tongue in disbelief and entered the lab. The first thing I saw upon entering was a party table.
"Ta-da! What do you think, Ethan? I prepared this all day long!"
Sea overtook me. Spreading her arms wide, she let out a hearty "Uahaha!"
"Let me explain each one. This table was personally sourced from the capital's finest artisan, and that sofa over there—I bought it from the Magic Tower, the one they use for receiving guests. I paid special attention to the cushioning, you know? Give it a sit!"
I scratched my head and sat on the sofa.
"Linea, you can sit too."
Linea, who had been standing awkwardly, took a seat right next to me. She inched closer, squirming, but then seemed to realize something and naturally pulled back to a proper distance.
"But the real star is this."
Sea hugged a cluster of colorful lights.
"These lights. I made them in a single day. See how they shimmer in all those iridescent colors? So pretty, right?"
"They are pretty, but... is this really the lab?"
The scene from my previous visit was nowhere to be seen. The lab looked like we'd rented out some old-school lounge straight out of a bygone era.
"Yep."
"Then where'd all yesterday's stuff go?"
"Oh, that."
Sea snapped her fingers. The scenery shifted, revealing the lab's original appearance.
Looking down, the sofa was gone. I could see the floor.
But it felt distant. Like I was sitting on an invisible chair.
"I split the space into two."
Noticing my bewilderment, Sea explained the principle.
"Hmm. To explain in more detail, this place is originally the lab, right? So this current view is the source. But I split that source in half, turning the space from singular to plural."
"You can... do that?"
It was more absurd than physically bisecting space. This twisted the very concept of the space itself.
"Look at your face. So cute."
Sea beamed and clapped her hands. The space reverted to how it was moments ago.
"If I teach you, it's totally doable. Especially for you, Ethan! Linea could do it too."
Why the stutter when mentioning Linea? Was she looking down on my number one slave?
Linea might have so little mana she couldn't even finish a cleaning spell, but she was still a genius, damn it.
"Don't tease... me."
"I'm not teasing. You're one of the kids I had my eye on, Linea. You'll definitely be able to."
"Had your eye on? You just nagged me all the time."
"That's because you didn't respect your elders."
Sea and Linea bickered. Listening to them, a strange thought suddenly struck me.
Splitting space took a day. Making those lights took another day?
I glanced over. The lights, humming faintly, glowed brilliantly.
...On these?
"Professor."
"Hm?"
"Are these lights your original idea?"
"You've seen right through their value! Purely my own creation. Want some? I can install them in your dorm if you like."
"No, that's not it."
Should I point it out? Maybe beat around the bush.
Hesitating, I squeezed my eyes shut and said it.
"They have a bit of an old-fashioned vibe. Nostalgic, like..."
Sea's eyes went blank.
"Not that—I mean... it's cozy? Like going back to those days..."
"...Take it back."
"Pardon?"
"I'm still a fresh thirty-something."
"Wait, Professor, you're in your thirties...?"
Sea leaned in with dead eyes. Normally I'd call her pretty and move on, but right now it was terrifying...
"I'm young. There's no way I've aged, right? Right?"
"Of... course. Who'd look at your face and think thirties?"
"Don't speak so formally. We're not that far apart in age—just call me by my face or whatever."
"Sure. Anyway, your face doesn't look a day over twenty."
Only then did life return to Sea's previously dull eyes.
"Right? I'm basically twenty. Hehe."
Crisis averted somehow. What was with her overreaction about age?
"Yes, the lovely twenty-something Professor Sea. So, how does the party proceed?"
"Oh, you."
Sea tapped my chest and covered her mouth.
"Ahem. Your beautiful professor will explain. First, I'll hand out homework."
"Homework?"
Like changing into party attire?
"No, you need to summarize today's lesson. Studying is all about review and repetition."
"Hold on. It's a party—why bring up study material?"
"Huh? Studying is the party."
What the hell kind of nonsense was this? I glanced at Linea, who wore an expression like she'd witnessed something bizarre.
"Professor, have you ever been to a ball or a social gathering?"
"Nope. Why would I? I've got research."
"What about dancing?"
"I've externally emitted mana and added reaction formulas to make it dance!"
Oh my god. This woman really knew nothing.
But neither do I.
I knew the rough structure of a party, but I had zero knowledge on dancing or etiquette.
Maybe Linea knows?
"I only learned etiquette from a tutor. Never actually danced."
"You must've learned it at least."
"I figured I'd never dance with a guy in my life, so I skipped it."
Total ragtag crew.
Rozril Academy professor with zero social experience. Marquis's lady who's never danced. And a random commoner.
It was a lineup that made my chest tighten.
Can't let it end like this.
It was a welcome party, damn it. All study from day one? Unacceptable.
Drastic measures were needed.
"Let's go."
Day two of academy life. Time for my second outing.
"The shops around the academy are vast. Something's gotta be there."
"Can we go out, Master?"
Linea asked cautiously.
"Curfew exists, but with the professor, it's fine."
Sea answered for me. Of course, Linea's real question wasn't curfew—it was whether it was okay to go out again after the mess she'd caused earlier.
"Yeah, like the professor said, no issue."
The place where I took down the black mages was far from the shopping district. The investigators and Katrina would all be fixated on that incident.
They wouldn't have bandwidth to care if I hit the shops again.
"Then let me guide you. I know the area like the back of my hand. Just tell me the destination."
"We're going to a bar."
"A bar?"
Her eyes said, Another bar? Why booze again? But this time, that wasn't the goal.
"Fits a welcome party, doesn't it?"
Half truth, half lie. My real aim was simple.
At the bar, spout cool lines like "the best you've got here" or "one for those eyes of yours." Last time, drunk antics were unavoidable at a tavern.
This time, no way in hell.
"Renting the whole place?"
"Nah, no need. Just a drink or two. Renting on the spot's a hassle anyway."
"Alright, then I'll take you to my usual spot."
"Perfect."
Linea, who always trailed behind me, took the lead.
Striding confidently through the shops, she stopped in front of one.
"Here."
I followed her inside. Jazz melodies immediately filled the air.
Luxurious amber lighting, different from Sea's. Dim and serene atmosphere.
This is it. Satisfied, I scanned for a seat.
Sniff... sob...
A sobbing sound came from somewhere. I turned toward it.
Isana?
Why the hell was she crying here?
*****
"Your Highness! Shall we investigate further?"
"No, this is enough."
Katrina frowned as she replied to the investigator.
The sword marks found while probing the Rosianne family matched exactly what she saw now.
And mana detection pulled up Linea's signature too. The culprits showed no intent to hide their identities.
Some grudge against black magic?
Ethan's baffling actions. She'd glimpsed a bit of the secret behind them.
His motive seemed tied to black magic. Background checks were ongoing, so she couldn't pin it down yet.
But the odds were high.
I asked why he made the Rosianne lady his slave.
According to Ray's report, even Linea—now Ethan's slave—harbored such doubts. Sadly, they got busted before hearing his answer.
Shady backstory.
Some secret she didn't know lurked there. Katrina pondered deeply, then...
A sudden hypothesis struck her.
The Holy Kingdom...?
If Ethan was a Holy Kingdom spy, all the pieces fit.
No info from background checks? A spy would have all traces erased.
Abnormal strength? If secretly trained by the Holy Kingdom, weakness would be the real anomaly.
And finally, the Sword Ghost. She had ties to the Holy Kingdom.
Not deeply, but records showed a few contacts.
That old bastard played his hand.
Katrina smirked.
Too bad for you.
She wanted him more. Ethan truly captivated her.
Having the Holy Kingdom's spy would tip the scales her way. But more than that, she yearned to dye him in her colors.
Simply put.
Katrina wanted to make Ethan her slave.