Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Sun Parrot's Temptation
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It was still too early for classes to begin.
The classroom wasn't even half full yet, but a girl with deep chestnut hair and sharply defined features was studying with a serious expression.
From the castle-shaped hairpin—the symbol of the Warden family—one could easily guess her name: Christa Warden.
How long did that early morning quiet last? Suddenly, the classroom door opened, and in walked Rain Ludwig, the top student of the midterms.
"Oh, Christa. What're you up to this early?"
"Don't talk to me. Since when were we friends? Aren't you and I rivals?"
She tossed the sharp words at her yawning rival without even glancing his way, then tried to focus back on her studies—only to feel a warm presence and turn her head, spotting something bizarre.
"Huh...?"
Feathers glistening fresh in the sunlight... a crest unfurling like a sunflower. Christa blinked in disbelief.
"A sun parrot?!"
"Oh, you recognized it right away."
Ever since the sun parrot appeared in Grand Mage Lin's tales as Fride's companion, it had become, in the slang of female mages, an "item"—a must-have creature.
Christa had once considered using her family's wealth to acquire one, but there hadn't been a single one for sale anywhere on the continent, so she'd given up.
And now, this guy shows up with a sun parrot as his pet? Where in the world did such an enviably absurd story come from?
'I want to touch it...'
She wanted to see if it could really mimic human speech perfectly. She wanted to hold it just once. But, ugh, but...
"Don't talk to me?! Since when were we friends?! Aren't you and I rivals?!"
"Why's your line the exact same as before? Though a bit more intense this time."
"Sh-shut up! I said don't talk to me!"
Just when she thought her iron will had shaken off the devil's temptation, the real trial began in earnest—right as all eyes turned their way.
"Wow, it's so cute!"
"Wow, it even dances?!"
"It talks so well, for real!"
It was because cadets had swarmed around Rain, kicking off the sun parrot's little show.
I want to see it too.
I really want to see it... But turning my head now would feel like admitting defeat... I can't hold out, I just can't...
'No, Christa! Don't give in! This is the pivotal moment—don't fall for that Rain guy's scheme!'
Hoo, hoo, hohohohoho.
She won.
She'd kept her head turned away and held firm. She'd conquered that tiniest desire! Just as she was about to cheer inwardly—
"...?!"
Something warm with the morning sunlight's glow settled on her shoulder. What was this maternal touch-like warmth...?
"Huh, looks like Peach took a liking to you."
Peach?
What the...?
She glanced sideways, and her heart nearly stopped. The sun parrot was right there in front of her, cocking its head!
"Stroke from the forehead to the crest gently. It's the part it can't reach itself."
Don't mess with me.
You think I'd fall for that coaxing? Me, Christa Warden, falling for that...
But unlike her thoughts, her body was honest. Her hand was already reaching out, trance-like, to carefully stroke its head.
'What is this feeling...?'
It was like caressing a blanket perfectly dried in the sun... so comforting it made her body shiver faintly.
"Ah, but what now? If you become my enemy, you'll have to be Peach's enemy too?"
She snapped her eyes open from her reverie, and there was her infuriating rival smirking. Christa's face flushed beet red, ready to explode.
"Th-this, this isn't fair! Don't you know 'when whales fight, the shrimp's back breaks,' you idiot?!"
"?"
He'd probably meant "when whales fight, the shrimp's back breaks." She's totally fallen for Peach's charm. Better stop teasing now.
"You've got an owl, right?"
"Of course."
"So, you know where to buy cages and that kind of gear?"
"Hmph, you think this is Christa Warden you're talking to? I've got the top routes for the best shops."
She answered Rain with an arrogant look, but then melted into a dopey face as she stroked Peach's head.
"Whoa, for real? Then this weekend, take Peach out and pick up some gear for it."
He had no intention of bringing Peach to the black market. It was a gathering of the continent's weirdest collectors with obsessive hobbies—no need to make enemies needlessly.
"What? Me? Why?!"
"I'm swamped with student council stuff. And I gotta ask someone I trust. Whatever, if you don't wanna hang with Peach, forget it. I'll ask someone else."
The moment he moved to take Peach away, Christa jerked her shoulder back defensively, raising both hands.
"?"
"Wait! Who said I didn't want to? I was just asking why it has to be me!"
"So you'll do it?"
"Remember this, Rain Ludwig. This isn't for you. It's just that if a scion of a great magic house uses cheap gear, it tarnishes our family's reputation too."
"Awesome! I'm counting on you."
Gertrude Fenton, seated in front of them, covered her face with both hands and sighed deeply into the floor.
'Why is she so careless...'
Being that sloppy means no amount of posturing makes you look cool...
* * *
A massive creature descended onto the front yard of the Ludwig Marquess's estate in Bellwin, kicking up dust radially and brushing over the tulip garden.
It was a griffin, a fantastical beast with a fierce lion's body and eagle's wings.
A man in winter gear strapped to the saddle slid smoothly to the ground.
As the rider massaged his thighs, stiff from the long flight, Swan—the guardian knight at the estate's main gate—approached.
"This is the lord's castle of Richland's noble house, Ludwig Marquess. What business brings you?"
The griffin rider pointed to the bag at his waist as if that were his answer. It was stuffed with letters sealed in wax.
Griffins served as humanity's air force in wartime, but in peacetime, they were often used for mail delivery.
Of course, the cost was exorbitantly high, reserved for the elite... The rider pulled a letter from the bag and handed it to Swan.
"It's straight from <Delaiten>."
"The magic university?"
"Our Wiuru flew non-stop till it was on the verge of collapse because the client was making such a fuss. So, could we get some food? We'll pay."
Food... He'd need to consult the lord on that. As he turned to go, a voice rang out.
"All who enter our territory are our guests. No need to pay. We must treat them properly, of course."
Swan immediately knelt, and the spear-wielding guards followed suit.
A dignified figure absorbing the sunlight deeply: a black robe, matching black hair, and crimson eyes gleaming beautifully beneath.
It was the current lord, Kevn Ludwig. Trailing behind were his young daughter Seri Ludwig and four-year-old Bran Ludwig, toddling along.
"Bran, that's a griffin!"
"Oo, woo-ah!"
"What kinda Ludwig man gets scared of that! Try to be more like big brother Rain!"
As his daughter and son cautiously approached the griffin, Kevn smiled faintly.
"Is it okay for children to touch?"
"Of course. Wiuru's really gentle."
While the rider answered, Swan lowered himself further and presented the letter to Kevn. Seeing the sender's name, Kevn raised his brows in delight.
"From Elin, eh? Good news?"
The rider shrugged.
"Dunno if it's good or bad, but I can tell you the magic capital's in an uproar over it."
* * *
Student council clerk sounded nice, but no matter how you looked at it, it was just grunt work.
Paper, paper, paper.
Buried in an endless mountain of papers, he had to keep his hands and eyes moving without rest.
- Pick out the decent proposals from the cadets' submissions and put them on the agenda.
Senior grunt Triwis had advised. A second-year with a smaller build than Seri, gray hair, and emotionless eyes.
At first, she'd seemed so robotic he mistook her for a doll.
- Do agendas come in like this every time?
- Nah, it's piled up from exam period. And with the holiday coming, it's worse.
- So you rushed to drag in a junior to clear the backlog?
- Yup. Happened to me too. Tradition.
- ....
- Just hold out till the next top student takes over as exec.
She was really hard to deal with.
With a quiet sigh, Rain looked up at the clear spring sky unfolding brightly.
"Ugh... such a pain, seriously."
He was taking a break on Delaiten's campus grounds now. Amid the fresh green leaves, pink cherry blossoms stood out vividly.
Leaning back deeply, neck craned to stare at the sky—when a head suddenly popped into view.
"What're you doing out here?"
Logan.
The name was plenty familiar now. He held a volleyball, probably heading to play.
"Just cooling my head for a bit."
"Isn't this student council time?"
"It's just menial stuff anyway—no big deal if I'm gone. You?"
"Headin' to club activities now."
Hmm, magic volleyball's a royal club, huh... Guess even Logan, a late-term student from one of the Eight Great Academies, was in it.
Christa had dashed off to the magic volleyball club with Gertrude right after school too.
"That fun?"
Logan smirked, like what kinda weird question is that.
"Is there any sport where you sweat and move that isn't fun?"
"My bad for asking you."
He gave a wry smile when a flutter of wings sounded, and a warm weight settled on his forehead. He grinned happily.
"Pipi, sleep well?"
"Slept, slept, slept."
Pipi spun its head, flaunting feathers that reflected the sunlight brilliantly. Logan narrowed his eyes.
"Pipi?"
Oops, shouldn't have used that name. Logan squinted suspiciously, scanning Pipi up and down.
He was about to correct it to Peach when Logan whistled, eyes gleaming.
"That body... body fat under 1% easy. A beast, yet what pinnacle of training is this?!"
He extended a hand solemnly for a shake. Pipi offered a wing, and they clasped. Rain blinked in bewilderment.
'Chaihak mages, huh...'
Simple enough to bond with beasts like that. Doesn't even know it's a sun parrot. Friendship blooming from muscles?
"Guess I'll head out—time's up. Don't overdo it, young master."
"Yeah, have fun."
He waved to Logan walking away, then listlessly picked up the stack of files by the bench.
Unbelievable, but he had to check all these by end of day. Cadet proposals to student council... lots, but mostly pointless.
[Campus couples have multiplied so much lately, it's giving me self-loathing vibes. Please stop them, student council.]
With what law?
Tell me too. Solo self-loathing prevention tips?
[What type of girl does the student council president like?]
Hey, dude.
Ask him yourself.
[What about type of guy?]
Who the hell is this?
Some were normal, though—who knows why they went to student council.
[Campus cleaning looks too tough.]
Run a campaign for proper trash disposal? No clue why they care.
Delaiten doesn't make cadets clean. They're precious talents who should focus on studies, not waste time on menial labor.
Page family butlers and maids handle it... That's when a paper slipped from his grasp by external force.
"Good proposal you're reading."
He startled and turned to see Student Council President Valensidis examining the document with his usual sneer.
Still that lethal mana.
Pipi sensed it too, shrinking warily from Rain's head to his shoulder.
"Here to check if I'm slacking?"
"Nope."
"But what's good about it? Not something cadets can fix, and the staff handles it fine."
"That's exactly it. I'm here to correct that outdated noble mindset of yours."
"?"
"If it's something the staff will handle anyway, cadets aren't needed... then what's the point of magic existing?"
He faltered for a second.
Talking to this guy always makes me feel like some massive villain. And I'm an orphan—never been trapped in noble thinking.
"So assign one cadet per cleaning with magic support? That's unrealistic."
"Right. But you can at least think about it. Magic for normals to use lightly during cleaning."
That...
Was something Rista once said to me.
"Sure, modern magic makes it impossible. Studies and runes are way too complex."
"...."
"But if it ever happens... when 'miracles' are equally accessible to everyone—that's when the true golden age begins, don't you think?"
Valensidis smiled with pure innocence as he said it. Though it vanished quickly.
"Pass this to the 'Rural Development Magic Club.' Even if minor, it might yield meaningful results."
Rain watched him hand back the paper and leave, his mind a whirlwind. This guy was even more inscrutable.
Who the hell is he?
What picture is he painting? What kind of mage is he aiming to be? And why dabble in black magic?
'Now I'm even more curious.'
About Tureina's movements... With the holiday starting in two days, I have to snag that book at the black market.