Nothing Beats Home
In real time, two weeks had passed, but in reality it was a return after only three days. Still, upon coming back home after so long, Kain thought that nothing beat being at home. 'As expected, leaving home is pure suffering.'
He had felt the same back when he wandered the outside world at age thirteen, but this occasion let him realize it clearly once again. Excluding the uninhabited northern regions, house prices were expensive across the entire continent for good reason. Just why did people abandon the homes they bought with such exorbitant money only to obsess over travel or whatever else? Perhaps it was the aftermath of the spectacular puberty he had endured that no one could compare to, leaving him utterly weary of the world and its affairs.
Lying sprawled on the sofa and staring blankly at the ceiling, Kain looked exactly like the epitome of a hopeless adult.
......
He had truly done nothing but lie there the entire day. From the moment he returned home yesterday evening and became one with the sofa until this very instant the following evening. It wasn't because he felt particularly tired or exhausted. A sudden, intense wave of annoyance had simply washed over him after the long-distance activity.
'The body of an absolute being is nice in this regard.'
True to a frame that had transcended humanity, going a day without food didn't make him hungry. In fact, if he put his mind to it, he could live without eating at all by absorbing nutrients through other means. Just like the ice phoenix of the north that went without so much as a sip of water for nearly years at a time.
In many ways, a convenient body that had left humanity behind. Kain thought he had done well to become an absolute being in such strange aspects.
If Arina hadn't pestered him to eat together after returning from school, he might not have gotten up until he set an unofficial world record for becoming one with the sofa.
"Done!"
On the other hand, fortunately Arina—who took after none of her uncle's personality—suddenly burst into a cheer right in the middle of the living room. Aside from the hours she spent at the academy today, she had stuck to Kain's side like glue the whole time. Even now, as she clung closely beside him, the assignment from Professor Scape rested in her palm.
The number displayed on the magic tool read '19.9'. After several months of grueling effort, her mana operation capacity had finally entered the double digits.
"Not bad."
Arina straightened her shoulders as if to show off and thrust the device in front of Kain's eyes. A bright smile bloomed across her face at his casual praise.
"So when did you say the test was again?"
"......"
But at Kain's next question, Arina's face instantly crumpled into a tearful expression. The drastic shift was reminiscent of bipolar disorder. As he always felt, unlike himself who remained consistently indifferent and irritated, she was a child with truly rich emotional expressions.
"......It's next Monday."
"From what I remember, it was probably first period."
That meant only the two weekend days remained for practice, excluding today. Considering that climbing from eleventh place to tenth was far harder than rising from two-hundredth to one-hundredth, the situation was utterly hopeless.
"Think you can pass?"
"......I'll have to manage somehow."
She too seemed aware of how bleak it was; her voice had lost all strength.
"Still, I've finished all the other assignments, so now I can focus solely on this."
Fortunately the situation wasn't completely bleak. While Kain had been in the underworld, Arina hadn't wasted her time either. After receiving intensive tutoring on spell formulas from Marily, she had successfully cleared Professor Magnus's assignment. On top of that, she had roughly completed the one Professor Karlsen had announced in advance.
Thanks to that, the entire weekend could be devoted to Professor Scape's assignment.
"I've got a rough feel for it now."
Above all, this was what mattered. She had desperately worked to sense how to move her mana, even using the mana restriction cuffs Kain had obtained for her.
Arina already possessed exceptional mana sensitivity. Now that she had grasped the feel to the point she no longer needed the cuffs, her future progress would accelerate rapidly.
"I see."
Whether she planned to wear them only as a fashion accessory without activating them anymore, the mana restriction cuffs on her left wrist jingled energetically in time with her fighting pose. Attached to the end of those cuffs was the emerald turtle keyring Kain had bought her this time. The combination of gloomy handcuffs and an innocent green turtle was the pinnacle of imbalance, but when she insisted she couldn't miss even one of the gifts he had given her, Kain eventually gave up and let out a deep sigh.
'Later I'll buy her so many gifts that she won't be able to wear them all on her body.'
Then she wouldn't do that bizarre fashion that even she herself would find ridiculous. Thinking so, Kain left Arina—who had once again immersed herself in the assignment—picked up the smartphone on the side table.
......
His finger moved toward the news section as always. But the text from Jealousy caught his eye first. The content said that since yesterday, Anna Gibbernoon had stopped coming out of her room. It seemed the curse from yesterday had taken hold more strongly than expected. Her fear of Kain had crossed the limit, to the point she couldn't even leave the room.
Of course Kain had not the slightest interest in her current state. Rather, he frowned, wondering why something like this was even being reported, and clicked his tongue.
'As long as the kid doesn't find out, it's fine.'
After glancing at Arina, who was absorbed in her assignment, Kain casually ignored Jealousy's message and opened the news section.
'Huu.'
His master had checked his message. At that fact, Jealousy unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
From the moment Kain's smartphone had died and contact was cut off until now, he had been unable to hide his anxious heart. How could he lift his master's mood? That single thought had kept him up all night.
'Insomnia is the skin's enemy.'
After sending all sorts of texts to his master throughout the night and begging to improve his mood, his master had finally read the message.
The truth was that after sprawling on the sofa all day he had only just picked up the newly charged smartphone for the first time, but Jealousy—unaware that Kain had already forgotten the incident—felt relief and all strength drained from his body.
"Professor Clara. Are you listening?"
"Ah~ Yes~ Of course~"
What snapped Jealousy back to attention was Professor Vivaldi's voice calling from the front.
"So what were you saying~?"
"......As expected, you weren't listening at all."
Busted. Seeing Professor Vivaldi's shoulders slump slightly as he grew dejected, Jealousy clicked his tongue inwardly.
'Why did this guy come looking for me when he wants to go home? So annoying.'
He didn't like it. Therefore he had even less desire to hear the business that brought him here. But that differed from the personality of the Professor Clara he was portraying. So, hiding his true feelings, Jealousy smiled sweetly.
"Sorry~ An important message came in~"
"No, it's my fault for visiting so suddenly."
At least he knew he was at fault. Jealousy's twisted inner thoughts warped even further. Behind the sweetly smiling Professor Clara loomed the figure of a man flipping his middle finger in a furious fuck you while glaring at Professor Vivaldi with murderous intent.
"Then I'll explain again."
Completely unaware of that fact, Professor Vivaldi began repeating exactly what he had said before.
"In July, during the academy vacation, there will be a recital at our family estate."
The Vivaldi Viscount family. A prestigious elite house of the Ellemental Kingdom that had produced numerous outstanding scholars for generations. Though their title was only viscount, their influence and connections were such that even most count families could not treat them lightly. It was a house that could not even be compared to the Gibbernoon Viscount family, who had only recently risen from the provinces to the capital.
As the legitimate son of such a family, Professor Vivaldi usually enjoyed quite a few refined hobbies. One of them was classical music. Beyond merely listening, he was rather famous as an excellent performer.
"This time I've been invited as pianist by the Lenny Orchestra. So if you have time, could you and Professor Karlsen come together?"
Saying so, Professor Vivaldi carefully held out a pure white ticket before her. The reason he had specifically invited these two was likely his desire to look after the new professors who had just joined the academy.
Anyone else would have gladly accepted the kindness, but for Jealousy wearing the skin of Professor Clara it was merely annoying.
"I'm fine with it~ But did Professor Karlsen say he has time~?"
Perhaps that side would refuse first. At Clara's question carrying that faint hope, Professor Vivaldi unconsciously let out a deep sigh. The conversation he had with Professor Karlsen before coming here flashed through his mind.
"Yes? Of course! Even though I have a mountain of things piled up during vacation—like activities with the Good Dark Mage Volunteer Group, my parents' death anniversary, and the wedding of the guy who ostracized me as a kid saying I felt unpleasant—I can't possibly refuse Professor Vivaldi's invitation. I will definitely attend."
"No, no—if you have such important matters you really don't have to come......"
"Yahoo! It's my first time receiving an invitation from a friend, so I'm thrilled. I'll go right away to Professor Magnus and brag about it."
"Don't cause trouble for Professor Magnus...... Hey, I said don't go!?"
He realized after receiving the problem from Professor Magnus wishing the recital to go smoothly.
That bastard really went.
"......Yes, it seems he'll somehow make time."
Enduring the throbbing headache, Professor Vivaldi let out another deep sigh. Perhaps because of that, he failed to notice Professor Clara failing to control her expression and clicking her tongue in displeasure right before him.
"Yes~ I'll make sure to attend later when I have time~"
But soon she managed her expression again and answered in Professor Clara's usual languid tone, all while hiding the thought that she would later claim she definitely wouldn't have time so she couldn't go.
'Anyway, I'm in a position where I can't leave the young lady's vicinity.'
While half-listening to Professor Vivaldi—who was happily chattering on about the recital—Jealousy fell into his own thoughts. What he was thinking about were the other Seven Deadly Sins who were probably terrorizing churches in other countries on their master's orders right about now.
'This is better.'
Of course that side would be fun in its own way. He too felt joy in massacring those weaker than himself. If the 7 Cardinal Virtues stepped forward directly, tearing off those arrogant faces would be entertaining in its own right.
But unlike the battle-crazed Wrath, he knew very well that there were far more interesting things in this world than fighting. So he had refused to participate using the young lady's escort as an excuse. During vacation the master would also be near the young lady anyway. It was the perfect chance to legally slack off and rest.
'Above all, going back into those two countries is absolutely disgusting.'
Born in Yggdrasil and raised in the Fan Empire. From Jealousy's perspective—having lived the worst possible life until reaching his current position—those two countries were horrible places he never wanted to set foot in again, on par with the royal palace of the Ellemental Kingdom.
That was why even during his days as a thief he had operated only within the Ellemental Kingdom.
'Of course, that's exactly why I ended up caught by the master like this.'
Still, he did not regret entering under the master. Sometimes the master was more terrifying than anyone in the world, but beyond that he was a being more worthy of loyalty than anyone else.
"So the Lenny Orchestra is a place where......"
"Oh my~ That's really amazing~"
"......You haven't even started the explanation yet. Are you sure you're listening?"
"Of course~ So you said Professor Karlsen is going too~?"
"You didn't hear anything until that part? Then I'll explain again."
"No~ You really don't have to~"
I don't want to hear your story at all, you bastard. At this point just take the hint. Please.
With Professor Vivaldi's never-ending talkativeness, Jealousy let out an inward sigh, earnestly praying only that this tedious time would end quickly.