Chapter 333
Chapter 333
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 333
Chapter Title: A Midwinter's Night (4)
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“Then what? Do you have another way in mind?”
Lilia pulled out a totem and held it forward.
“While the spirit entity is here, I'm going to isolate this area with a Law. I need to set up a containment magic circle, so give me a hand. You know how to calculate a three-dimensional magic square, right?”
Dante shrugged as if it were no big deal.
“Well… it is my major, after all.”
As a magic circle major, he was more than qualified to assist with Lilia’s work.
But Dante was still skeptical.
Will this really be enough?
Even if they managed to isolate the spirit entity within the old castle ruins, trapping it in a sealing circle afterward was another matter entirely.
“This containment circle… think we can finish it by tomorrow morning?”
“It depends on our proficiency, but if you and I each take half, it should be possible. Why do you ask?”
Dante glanced back at the still-lit shopping district.
Countless couples were likely wandering those streets, drawn to the light like moths to a flame.
“Because I think we need to reinforce our side as well.”
* * *
After parting with Dante, Shirone and Amy spoke noticeably less than before.
However, the atmosphere hadn't turned bleak.
Taking Dante’s advice to heart, Amy was preoccupied with figuring out how to find her own style.
Shirone, too, had a lot on his mind, as he had not been able to perfectly control the incarnation of rage lurking within him.
‘That was really dangerous earlier.’
Armand had lost control and targeted someone.
It wasn't that Shirone’s mental discipline was lacking. Rather, it was more accurate to say that the magnitude of his anger had grown stronger.
Of course, it was natural for one’s personality to change over a lifetime.
But this was not the direction he wanted.
‘I need more training. I should visit Professor Etella during the break and ask for her advice.’
Having reached that conclusion for the time being, Shirone looked for the inn Shakora had told him about, the Snow Crystal.
“This is it. The inn I was talking about.”
Amy made no judgments, simply observing the atmosphere from the outside.
Shirone scanned the building’s exterior.
Just as Shakora had said, the ambiance was nice. The decorations were elegant, and he liked the view of the endless snowy plains.
Amy had no complaints about the inn either. But a question still lingered.
There was no reason for Shirone, a first-time visitor, to go out of his way to find a specific inn.
“Why were you so insistent on this place?”
“Yeah. I heard it has a really nice atmosphere. We should be able to rest comfortably.”
“I see…”
If Shirone said so, Amy saw no need to argue.
Though she was a practical person, this trip also served as a form of consolation, so she figured he must have made some preparations.
That, in a way, made her feel sorry.
On a day like today, it would have been fine to spend the night together, but her current state of mind was indescribably complex.
“Welcome to the Snow Crystal.”
As he opened the door and stepped inside, Shirone was surprised by the blindingly bright light.
Numerous lamps illuminated the hall as if it were broad daylight.
A right-angled corridor led to a spacious terrace where tourists were gathered around a hearth’s bonfire, drinking tea.
The music of a minstrel could be heard.
The lyrics spoke of the heart-wrenching sorrow of an ice queen who froze all those around her.
“A party of two?”
The employee at the counter asked with a smile.
“Yes, two people.”
While Shirone was arranging for the rooms with the employee, Amy stood a little distance away, looking elsewhere.
It wouldn't matter if they were traveling with a group of friends, but being just the two of them, a boy and a girl, entering a place like this felt strange.
“We'll take two rooms, please.”
The employee glanced back and forth between Shirone and Amy for a moment, then nodded in understanding and placed the keys on the table.
“Alright, you can have rooms 311 and 312. Take the stairs to the third floor and turn right down the hallway. The fee is payable in advance.”
After paying, Shirone looked back at Amy, who slowly made her way toward the stairs.
Walking down the third-floor hallway, Shirone said.
“Let's drop off our stuff in our rooms first. If you're hungry, we can go grab a bite?”
“No. I just want to rest today. I feel a bit heavy after walking around in the cold for so long. Is that okay?”
If she were truly tired, she was welcome to rest, but for some reason, Shirone felt she was lying.
Perhaps she was angrier than he had anticipated.
Even if she had understood Dante’s advice intellectually, emotions were a separate matter.
He felt he should have taken Amy’s side when Dante asked for his opinion during their argument about the graduation exam results.
“Amy, about before…”
Reading Shirone’s thoughts, Amy gave a small smile.
“Don't misunderstand. It's not like that. You know I don't hold grudges.”
Shirone’s heart grew even heavier.
Doesn't the fact that she even mentioned holding a grudge mean she's holding a grudge?
In any case, if Amy’s feelings were already in turmoil, no words could soothe her.
In a situation like this, what was needed was not conversation, but time.
“Okay, then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. You get some rest too.”
Amy unlocked her door and went inside. After watching her go, Shirone inserted his key into the center of his doorknob.
Upon opening the door and entering, the first thing that caught his eye was the endless snowy plain stretching out beyond the full-length glass window.
Hundreds of meters away, a small, dot-like torch was lit, where people were ice fishing.
How nice would it have been to see this view with Amy?
The thought brought an involuntary sigh.
“*Huu*.”
“*Huu*.”
Shirone and Amy simultaneously looked back at each other. Then, as if on cue, they turned toward their doors.
“W-what is this?”
There were two doors, but only one room.
And only one bed.
They stared at each other with bewildered expressions.
A moment of silence followed.
Shirone’s mind was saturated with all sorts of thoughts.
Above all, since this was the inn he had stubbornly insisted on, he had to come up with some kind of excuse.
‘Wh-what do I do? Should I ask to change rooms? But all the rooms here are probably like this. Should we just get a refund and leave? Wouldn’t Amy be upset? No, maybe the opposite? I should get a refund…’
As Shirone stood there with a pale face, unsure of what to do, Amy let out a small sigh.
She knew something was off about his uncharacteristic behavior. And now that things had turned out this way, the decision was up to the woman.
Amy went to the wardrobe and put down her backpack.
“Well, can't be helped. Let's just unpack for now.”
“Huh? Oh, right!”
Shirone was still in a daze.
He was unpacking without even knowing what was in his bag when Amy asked in a casual tone.
“Who told you about this place?”
“Huh? What?”
“There’s no way you came in here knowing it was like this. Someone must have recommended it, right?”
Shirone, swallowing his embarrassment, confessed honestly.
“Actually, your father…”
Amy wore an I-knew-it expression and grunted.
With the spy being a member of her own family, she couldn't really blame Shirone.
“He said the atmosphere was really nice. That you’d like it too…”
The night view was certainly beautiful. But for that very reason, it was a dangerous place for the two of them to be alone.
After tidying her clothes haphazardly, Amy pointed to the door and said.
“Let’s go down and get some dinner.”
When Shirone and Amy came down to the counter, the employee asked with a playful glint in his eyes.
“Are you satisfied with your room?”
Amy ignored the question and said.
“We’d like a simple meal. Where is the dining hall?”
It was around eleven o’clock when Shirone and Amy returned to the inn after sating their hunger.
They had spent as much time outside as possible, but both knew their final destination was here.
Every part of the process—washing up, changing clothes—felt completely different from usual.
Their bodies felt as heavy as water-logged cotton from the long carriage ride since yesterday afternoon, yet their minds grew increasingly alert.
Neither of them went near the single bed.
They didn't even discuss who would sleep on it.
The bed was a taboo word in this place.
The two sat side by side, gazing at the horizon of the snowy plains where the white snow met the black night sky.
For a moment, the mystique of the night view allowed them to forget their reality.
But a strange noise from the next room suddenly dragged their minds back to reality and threw them down.
Their eyes met, and Shirone’s face flushed red.
Amy averted her gaze, desperately feigning composure.
“What? Why is your face all red?”
“Y-you look a little red yourself.”
Amy realized it for certain.
No matter how she thought about it, this was not right.
If this atmosphere were to continue, she would rather spread her bed in hell and sleep there.
“Alright! Let's just be blunt about this. We’re not kids, there’s no need for this, right? We’ve ended up spending the night together in an inn, and we can hear noises from next door. And as it happens, there's only one bed. This is a very strange situation. But that’s fine. Now that we know it's a strange situation, it's not a strange situation anymore. Agreed? Now, I’m tired, so let’s sleep.”
Shirone felt much more at ease. But at the same time, he wasn't entirely pleased.
How could one just slice through emotions as if cutting a radish?
“Are you really sure? I'm a guy, you know.”
“I know. But nothing's going to happen, right?”
Of course, it wouldn't.
But his pride was a little hurt, so Shirone added in a barely audible voice.
“You never know…”
At his timid protest, Amy let out a small laugh. She then thought of her family, who were probably at home imagining all sorts of things.
‘Honestly, Dad…’
To make her share a room with a man in an inn with such an exquisite trap.
It was something absolutely unthinkable by the standards of a typical noble.
But the Carmis family, which valued individuality, boasted a liberal family tradition, even in matters of romance.
Of course, no matter how liberal, it was uncertain whether they would accept a commoner.
Nevertheless, the fact that her father had made such a decision meant he liked Shirone that much.
In any case, the thought that she wouldn't have to worry about her family’s opinion in her relationship with Shirone going forward eased some of her tension.
‘Come to think of it, he’s pretty amazing.’
The Red Eyes of the Carmis family were better than any other ability at discerning a person's nature.
But for that very reason, it was also true that they were rarely impressed by ordinary talent.
Shirone had grown at a frightening pace, enough to earn the approval of her fastidious father.
Though it was at the cost of her own failure, he had now come to stand on the same line as her, as a graduate-class student, just as they had promised a year ago.
One year.
In just one year, he had closed that enormous gap.
But she didn't feel it was unfair.
Because even if Shirone were to turn back time and start his life over, he would have ended up in this place eventually.
“To be honest… I was mad at you earlier. I was upset you didn't take my side when Dante asked.”
Shirone turned his head to look at Amy.
“I don’t know anymore. I just felt pathetic. When I heard Jocre had passed, honestly, I was so envious. I wondered what it would have been like if I had transferred too. I wonder if I was just being stubborn without having the skills. Maybe I just don't have the talent to attend a prestigious academy.”
“Amy, thinking like that is…”
“I know. I know that if I think negatively, there’s no end to it. I think that’s why I snapped at you more. I was scared to admit I was wrong.”
“But now you know what the problem is, don’t you?”
“Right. Dante's analysis is accurate. So I'm grateful for that. But… I still don’t know. If I’ll be able to graduate just by having a style. I have no confidence in anything I do.”
‘Amy…’
This was why defeat was so frightening.
The graduate class was the pinnacle of the magic academy.
The feeling of falling from the top was incomparable to the feeling advanced-class students had when they failed their promotion exams.
This was also why the probability of someone who failed the first graduation exam passing the second was lower than average.