Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: What Happens on That Island (2)
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“Arma Cruise.”
As soon as we returned to the room, Theodore and Arthur, who had arrived even before us, greeted us.
Makina was also there in the room, already changed into her own clothes... but now fully back to her senses, she was resting her chin on her hand at the desk with her usual composed expression.
‘She looks a bit tired... but that’s about it.’
Arthur sat still, hands resting on his knees, as if trying to gauge Makina’s intentions.
“Sorry for vanishing without a word. I should’ve said something before leaving.”
“No—no, I’m just glad nothing happened. Arthur, now—”
“Don’t go up yet. Wait. There’s something we need to hear from President Makina.”
At my words, Theodore, who had been about to drag Arthur upstairs, sat back down.
After disappearing for three days—four if you counted last night—Makina had regained her charisma as student council president.
Her hair was already dry, and dressed neatly in her uniform, she glanced around the room and spoke.
“But why Cookie?”
Hearing her name, Cookie bolted toward Makina like a bullet.
Fortunately, I didn’t let go of the leash and managed to stop the dog from slamming into Makina, who was perched on the desk.
Makina stroked Cookie, who was wagging her tail furiously and acting all cute, while waiting for our response.
“I heard she’s not trained for search and rescue, but I thought she might still be able to help, so I brought her along.”
Makina nodded at Judith’s curt reply.
“Ah.”
I handed Cookie off to a servant with a embarrassed look, as she practically climbed Makina’s back in excitement.
Even to the end, Cookie rubbed her face wildly against Makina’s lap, then headbutted my stomach as a farewell before vanishing with the servant.
“You must have been worried when I suddenly disappeared. My apologies.”
Makina spoke lightly, as if she’d only been gone for ten minutes or so.
The omitted parts were far from light: three days and two nights with no contact, tumbling into a well, and suffering a fatal rebound injury.
“Isn’t there more you need to explain?”
Judith flopped onto the sofa and unfastened her sword belt with a clatter.
Leaning the sword against the side like a staff, she crossed her arms and stared straight at Makina.
“Exactly. The reason I went missing was because I tried to attack Cadet Arma Cruise. As you all know, she has a powerful guardian.”
“…Huh?”
Makina smiled, showing no sign of hiding anything or holding back.
Judith’s eyes widened into a terrifying glare, but Makina met them head-on and continued her explanation.
“To be honest, up until then, I thought it was just Arma Cruise’s delusion. Even if what she said to me wasn’t a lie, if it was a delusion, that changes everything.”
“Why take that attitude...”
I grabbed Shirley, who was starting to rise in anger, and pulled her back down.
Theodore and Arthur were showing their displeasure at Makina’s words as well.
Why was *that* Makina Christie continuing like this?
Her actions carried a sense of half-resignation that grated on me.
“The easiest way to draw out the guardian angel. I figured attacking Arma Cruise would do it.”
“Haven’t we told you enough? It’s absolutely not a delusion. The other four here can vouch for it.”
“I only believe what I’ve seen with my own eyes.”
Makina cut me off with a tone that felt almost cold.
“Why take out your anger on the wrong people when your cheek got slapped by the guardian angel?”
As the conversation dragged on, Shirley’s voice tone dropped lower and lower.
I pressed on with the precarious discussion, hoping Theodore wouldn’t get angry after Shirley and Judith.
“Anyway, could you explain just how you planned to attack... and why you ended up collapsed in that place in that state?”
“Understood. I had no intention of hiding it. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it... my thoughts got tangled up. Please forgive me.”
Makina tapped the desk with her fingers a couple of times before speaking.
“Two days ago, I entered Cruise’s room, knowing it was rude because she seemed to be having terrible nightmares.”
“Guh.”
“Ah, so that happened... But back then, didn’t you just help wake her from the dream?”
I’d been so grateful at the time, but to think she’d come to assassinate me...
A hollow feeling settled in, but Makina, unaware of my emotions, continued.
“You’ve learned the basics of magic, right? A magic circle fixes a spell into an ‘immediately usable state.’ There are two cases where you chant without a circle: routing through an already-made one, or reaching a level where you can skip it altogether.”
This much I knew.
Anything beyond into deeper theory, and I’d lose the thread.
Makina tapped her own chest with her thumb nonchalantly.
“I just tried using what was there.”
“…”
Theodore’s magic circle still lingered on my chest.
It wasn’t in perfect form anymore, but it hadn’t been fully erased either.
“Since it was inscribed on the body, I thought it was for protection and didn’t hesitate much. But it must have been read as an attack intent—I’m guessing that now.”
Hearing that much, Judith shot up and grabbed my collar.
“Judith! Judith, this isn’t right!”
Makina’s words had unintentionally turned into a full exposure, causing a brief commotion in the student council room.
Theodore, culprit of the incident himself, stepped in as reinforcements.
“It’s related to the <Promise>. Digging deeper would be dangerous, I think.”
“Ha.”
Judith frowned, sighed, and sat back down.
As sorry as I felt for worrying her like that, I couldn’t tell Judith about the magic circle on my chest.
The moment my memories were fully explained, the guardian angel would become something on a higher level—the existence of “Ebon.”
‘Good thing Theodore wrote it so only he could read it...’
Only three people knew the circumstances of when the circle was inscribed: me, Theodore, and Arthur.
Makina, Judith, and Shirley had learned of it now, but not its meaning.
‘That was close.’
We’d narrowly averted disaster.
I wiped the sweat from my palms on my pants and spoke.
“Anyway, if that’s true, you were unlucky. Who’d have thought rebound could happen that way.”
“If the opponent is evil-aligned, it’s reasonable to see it as an attack. In other words, you were right.”
Makina paused briefly.
That short silence felt like a millennium.
“If holy power rebounds this strongly, Arma Cruise—whatever’s eroding your soul must be endlessly close to pure evil.”
I’d known it, but having that fact hammered in from an unexpected angle left no room to avoid the heavy feeling.
“Then it’s time for me to keep my promise. You wanted to make the guardian angel public, right? No dragging feet—let’s go straight to Chancellor Reynolds now.”
“…Right now, immediately?”
“The sooner the better, isn’t it? He’ll decide whether to call in dispatched priests or notify the mainland. I’ll back you up to push for what you want as much as possible.”
Whether going to the chancellor right away was part of the plan, Makina stood abruptly and threw on her winter coat from the spare chair.
Urged by her, I stood as well and headed to the central building where the chancellor’s office was.
.
.
.
What followed was smooth sailing, unbelievably so after all the previous stagnation.
Makina laid out what I’d told her and what she’d seen and experienced herself in chronological order, then fell silent.
In the chancellor’s office thick with cigarette smoke, we awaited Sir Reynolds’ response.
“What nonsense is this.”
*Tap, tap, tap.*
The tapping of Sir Reynolds’ signature pipe grated on the nerves.
In the pitch-black office, only the monocle over one eye reflected a sharp glint.
“Not even underclassmen, but cadets playing at ghosts. Nothing more to say.”
“I’m telling you it’s not mere ghost games.”
“Do you know how many cadets like you there’ve been? Not every year, but every other, one pops up seriously claiming ghosts or demons.”
But his response made all our prior worries feel pointless.
Unlike me, Makina calmly countered as if she’d anticipated his reaction.
“Didn’t I just explain how we verified what happened to Cruise?”
“Ha, right. And in a way, that’s the biggest issue. Makina Christie. You know attempting magic on a fellow cadet warrants severe punishment?”
“Wait—”
“Yes.”
The conversation veered strangely in an instant.
As a party to the incident, I had no intention of publicizing Makina’s magic attempt on me.
Before I could interject, Sir Reynolds twitched the cheek under his monocle and spoke first.
“Regrettably, with winter remedial classes, the semester hasn’t ended yet.”
“Understood.”
“I don’t want President Makina punished over this!”
I hurriedly cut in between them, but Makina kept her dry expression, and Sir Reynolds stubbornly shook his head with a venomous look.
“Fights between cadets are tolerated to a degree, but magic involved makes discipline inevitable. No more words. Both of you, out.”
“……Sir Reynolds, why only target President Makina like—”
“Enough, Arma Cruise. My apologies for the rudeness, Sir Reynolds. We’ll accept the disciplinary outcome.”
Makina gave a light bow and turned away without waiting for his reply.
“Makina.”
Embarrassment at escalating things and guilt swirled quickly within me.
Makina checked the door was closed, then shrugged.
“This might tack on another semester if luck’s bad.”
“I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”
“Forget it. Another term as president? Fine. Once you taste power, hard to let go.”
She’d said before she didn’t want it...
But I knew this was her way of considering me.
I walked silently beside her down the long, long corridor.
Sir Reynolds’ overt hostility and his strained relationship with Makina.
It wasn’t hard to see from that short exchange: the chancellor wasn’t on the cadets’ side.