Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 8

Eighth Chapter 

Broken Memories 

Just when was that... 

No, thinking about it now, it had started before she became aware of her surroundings. 

The Element Factor Separation Project had been a major junction in her life. The young Alice’s memories were almost all of that research facility. 

Her parents came to visit every day. Her father was a pleasant man, her mother beautiful and gentle, and while they only met for a little while each day, the time was spent with bright smiles. 

All of the memories she could remember were full of those smiles, or they were supposed to be. 

When the time was up, they would always say, “We will definitely see you again tomorrow,” waving their hands to her as their visit came to an end. 

That was only natural for Alice. Which was why she wasn’t terribly upset, and simply waited until she saw her parents again. 

Having been born in a poor commoner family, Alice still brought her parents happiness. The family of three wasn’t well off, but they were happy. 

But shortly after Alice turned seven, she took ill in an epidemic and received detailed testing at the hospital. That expense, far from cheap, became a major burden on the Tilake family, who had little in terms of margin in their finances. 

Of course, Alice’s parents didn’t regret their decision. But if there was a problem, it would be that the facility Alice was taken to wasn’t a major hospital run by the government. 

It was far too cruel to call it fate. 

The results of the detailed testing revealed that Alice had a rare affinity for an element. She also happened to be an ideal test subject for the country’s newly-begun plan. There were very few with an affinity for the elements, and back then there was hope that they would hold great power to oppose the Fiends and become a symbol of humanity. 

Before long, the country approached her parents about taking custody of Alice for the sake of the nation and humanity. 

It was clear as day who’d leaked the test results to them. 

Alice quickly recovered from the epidemic via a wonder cure, but the cure proved to be very expensive. As it couldn’t be mass produced, the cost was something a poor family could never hope to pay. It was an extraordinary expense, far exceeding the general market price. This pressing situation couldn’t be blamed on anyone. 

“Please don’t worry. We will only carry out a detailed examination of the girl’s body and her special talents, such as the wavelengths of her mana,” a government official said, having received word about Alice from the hospital. His glib, well-practiced words were stock phrases he and his colleagues used to persuade parents. 

Alice’s parents were presented with a large lump sum of money in exchange for their cooperation with the research. It would be enough to pay the astonishingly high hospital expense and still have money left over. Enough for her parents to never have to work again. 

However, the offer left her mother speechless, and her father angrily smashed his fist into the table in front of him. “It’s not a matter of money!” 

The government official calmly continued, brushing aside the father’s anger: “It’s not like we’re slave dealers. You’re right. It’s not a matter of money, it’s a matter of humanity’s future. Your cooperation might be what helps to save humanity. The girl’s disposition might be what’s necessary to save us from our predicament. If you agree to our proposal, we can guarantee her a future as a Magicmaster, even if the examination results aren’t what we’re looking for.” 

Not even Alice’s parents could oppose that right away. At that time, humanity had managed to stop the Fiends’ advance, but was still weak, and there was a risk of another major offensive. 

Only a few accomplished Magicmasters existed, and as such the path to becoming one of the nation’s renowned elite had opened up. Alpha was already training new Magicmasters and establishing a national system. 

In fact, with the qualities Alice had, the chances of her growing up and not being involved with the Magicmasters were slim to none. 

“The period will only be for three years, and I can guarantee you visiting rights of one hour per day,” the government official said, putting down a bundle of papers on the table full of data that detailed the project in question. 

Alice’s parents desperately read through the documents without even knowing the technical terminology, in an effort to understand everything. In reality, though—the moment a government official arrived at their house, they likely had no way to refuse. 

After anguishing for a full week, their entire grace period, they finally made up their minds and reached a painful decision. 

Alice’s parents shook hands with the satisfied-looking government official and the contract was signed. 

At the same time, they received a large amount of money. But they didn’t quit their jobs. They only used the bare minimum to meet their expenses, leaving the rest of it untouched. 

However, being unsophisticated people, they didn’t know what the world was like. A research group like this one had used inhumane methods in the past. While the system that had allowed those abuses was now regulated under strict rules, it was true that research on Fiends was not as ethically strict then as it was in the present time. Using the excuse of the looming threat of the Fiends, organizations crossing the line were often overlooked. 

Even using practically illegal methods, the research facility had been established for the sake of saving humanity, and was expected to achieve great results. 

Unaware of that darkness, Alice had spent a full year at the facility. 

Research on the Element Factor Separation Project, with its goal of reproducing the element factor, was at an impasse. The entire project was at risk of collapse. All the magic—that went beyond the level of what could be considered humane—they’d tried on the limited number of test subjects had ended in failure. 

But when the ethical brakes were removed “just this one time,” under the excuse of it being for humanity’s sake, they were easily removed time and time again. 

The experiments gradually escalated, and the scars from them clearly remained on Alice’s body. Fortunately, none caused internal damage, but these experiments could by no means be called ethical. 

When the head researcher stared down at Alice lying in bed, he always whispered, “Don’t worry, it will be over soon” into her ear, as the anesthesia was administered. His unhealthy, thin face practically screamed ‘researcher.’ 

An unbridled, inquisitive spirit resided in his and the other researchers’ sharp eyes, making Alice feel like they overlooked her while peering straight inside her body. She felt like she was only seen as material for experiments, and with a strict gag order in place, she could only act bravely in front of her parents. As her parents’ visiting rights were held over her head, all she could do was obey. 

“Mama, when can we live together again?” 

“Very soon, dear. Just bear with it a little more. Mama is waiting for the day we can live together, too,” her mother said with a smile. 

“She’s right, you know. You’ll be so surprised when you come home. There are so many stuffed animals this big in there.” Spreading his arms wide, her father tried to cheer her up. 

But in reality, she could no longer remember what their house looked like, or exactly where it was anymore, like those memories had been stripped away. 

Alice smiled, trying to rely on that wonderful hour each day. She didn’t recall what kind of toys she had at home, but that wasn’t a problem. That she would return home one day, and the three of them would once again live together, was her only support. 

However... Her parents, who’d been coming to visit her every day, suddenly stopped coming shortly thereafter. 

The personnel at the facility told her that they were busy with work. 

Since Alice was a child, she couldn’t accept it, but she could at least understand. Or rather, she pretended to understand. If she were to say something selfish, her parents would surely be troubled. 

Her mother might get angry. And then her doting father would side with her, but ultimately be called overprotective and forced to sit down with Alice in their cramped kitchen as her mother scolded both of them. 

Telling herself that if she just endured the pain and loneliness a little longer she could live with her parents again, Alice was able to hold it all in.

A certain girl taught her about hope and how to truly bear the situation. 

The way children were managed in the facility was that everyone had their own room. While a private room might sound nice, to the children it didn’t feel like a personal space, but more like a prison cell. 

There was only one hour for visitors. 

After that, it was back to their blood being taken and having some kind of machine examine every part of their bodies. 

The examinations gradually escalated until the children suddenly started receiving shots and waking up in their own rooms. Fear took hold of them as strange things happened to their bodies and their memories began to fail. Once the anesthetics wore off, they felt pain and nausea. 

They received healing magic treatments, but to Alice it was like a personal hell. 

One day, Alice woke up from the pain and felt a fresh scar on the back of her neck. The scar was a thin red vertical line, and when she pressed down on it with her small palm, she had to hold back the urge to throw up. 

“It hurts... it hurts so much...” 

It was pain she could endure. However, seeing that creepy scar scared her and heightened her sense of pain. She suppressed her feelings of unease, letting out a quiet sob. 

One week later, things began to change again. 

The research facility had been a cruel place, but now a playroom had been set up. The girl Alice met there was a little strong-willed, but she called Alice’s hair color beautiful and wonderful. She constantly concerned herself with Alice. 

Alice was able to make it through her days in the facility thanks to always being with this girl. Just like the time with her parents, staying by her side became a pillar of support for Alice’s mind. To the young Alice, this girl was the only one she could depend on, like an older sister. At the very least she was someone Alice could share her pain and loneliness with. 

After that, Alice was able to smile just a little. 

However, those days came to an end sooner than expected. 

One of the test subjects passed away. 

It was clear that it was a result of the experiments. Realizing that, the nation sent out an inspection team to visit the facility. The truth came to light, and the Element Factor Separation Project was canceled before the end of its projected three-year term. 

Alice was taken into custody by the military, but due to the shock of everything that had happened, she didn’t remember much that went on during that time. ...That said, she clearly remembered the first words the soldier that took her into custody said. 

“Your parents have passed away.” 

She didn’t yet grasp the concept of death, but she understood that she would never see her parents again. 

That was the moment when something broke inside of her. 

The colors disappeared from the scene before her, and the man’s voice distorted, as if he and their surroundings weren’t even from the same world. 

It felt like everything important in her heart had been torn out. Her heart felt hollow, her face turning as white as paper. No, perhaps it was the world that now felt hollow. 

Trying to calm Alice down, the soldier spent a long time telling her the full story. What she picked up from what he said was that a man forced his way into her parents’ house and stabbed them with a knife. His goal was the vast amount of money that they were rumored to have received. 

The culprit had already been caught, but most of the money was gone, having been wasted on gambling and the like, leaving only a little left. 

Alice let the man’s words go in one ear and out the other, indifferent. Once he finished, traces of the tears she’d unconsciously shed remained on her cheeks. She had kept her eyes cast down at the table the entire time, not even looking at the soldier. 

She desperately tried to keep her parents’ faces fresh in her mind. 

She burned her memories of them into her mind, all the while feeling like she would drown in her muddled stream of emotions. 

The soldier told her all kinds of things that were actually military secrets in a roundabout way, out of pity, so she could continue on without her spirit breaking. He must have felt the same pain she did with every word he spoke. 

But even then, as someone left behind, Alice had to continue struggling against this unreasonable world. 

That’s why the soldier continued speaking, as if to carry her pain, feeling guilt and regret over being unable to save her from her harsh situation.

Alice, age 10. 

She had no relatives, and only the small amount of money left by her parents. 

But since she was too young to live on her own, the nation placed her in a state-run orphanage. 

The money left behind by her parents was used for her room and board, with an amount being put into savings for her future. However, that guarantee of a future she couldn’t see would never help support her. 

She had gotten used to a world with no one around. There were kids her age in the orphanage, but their existence didn’t register with her. 

What changed her was her reunion with the girl that had taken care of her at the research facility. 

Alice only had a vague memory of the girl, not even recalling her name. But she seemed to recall her name sounded like a flower. The girl had mentioned it when they talked in the research facility’s garden. 

Their reunion took place in the orphanage, and they were only together for a short time, because the girl left the orphanage shortly thereafter. Alice must have heard the girl tell her she was leaving, and the girl had made a promise after that... 

However, this all happened when Alice was wandering on the boundary between her own colorless world and the real world, which was finally starting to regain its colors... and when she tried to remember it, the scene would disappear into a sepia-colored haze. 

The girl sat down with Alice on the bench in the orphanage’s garden, and said something before embracing her. 

But Alice only remembered the sound of the girl’s heart as she was hugged for what felt like an eternity. It was like her mother’s affection and her father’s kindness wrapping around her. At the same time, it reminded her that she really had experienced those happy times with her parents. 

Embraced by the girl, Alice let out what she’d been enduring for so long, and cried out loud. 

Afterward, Alice felt like a heavy weight had fallen off her shoulders, and she fell into a deep sleep, still in the girl’s embrace. 

That was surely preparatory work to turn her pain into memories, to store away in a precious box deep inside her heart. 

When Alice woke up, the girl had already left the orphanage.

A few years passed after that. 

In the end, Alice striving to become a Magicmaster was inevitable. Her affinity was unpleasant and hateful, but it was the only thing she had left that her parents had given to her. That had supported her far more than her inheritance, which had decreased quite a bit while she was in the orphanage. 

Moreover, it was a necessity for her to be successful in the magical nation of Alpha. That’s why she didn’t hesitate. 

Alice transferred to an orphanage close to a military base. That was also due in part to the influence of the soldier who informed her of her parents’ deaths. Being a military base, it also had a military arts training facility called a dojo. And that was where she was taught spearmanship for the first time. 

Initially, she had wanted to practice magic, but she quickly fell for spearmanship. When she took a stance and focused on swinging her spear around, while keeping her core from shifting, time just flew by. 

She didn’t have any ideals like protecting humanity as a Magicmaster. She was fine with using her powers and living on her own. 

Alice met Tesfia when she was twelve, when she was in the military dojo. Tesfia was dazzling to her, as she walked down her own path without deviating, as if to inspire Alice. 

Shortly thereafter, they would reunite again, at a private training school for those seeking to become Magicmasters. 

Being with Tesfia again would greatly change Alice’s life. It brought out the tender smile she inherited from her mother, and helped her to regain her original gentle disposition. 

* * * 

“Will you really be able to tell anything with this?” 

It was after school, in Alus’ research laboratory. One week had passed since the extracurricular lesson. And when Alice saw the device before her, she had asked Alus the question with an incredulous expression. 

“Yeah, as long as you don’t move.” Alus’ reply was simplistic. 

Right now, Alice was wearing a thin hospital gown and lying down on the padded top of the machine. She was, of course, holding down the cloth so that it wouldn’t come off... over a certain abundant part of her body. Any fasteners would throw off the research results, or so Alus had said, inconsiderately. 

“Don’t worry, Alice. If Al tries anything, I will punish him,” Tesfia said sharply, sitting on a chair and flashing her katana. 

“Fia...” 

“Don’t you mean that you’ll be punished?” The moment Alus said that, he felt the pressure of Tesfia’s glare on his back. He shrugged his shoulders, before staring at the liquid crystal monitor in front of the machine that displayed the status of the examinee. 

Alus’ new research had only just begun. It concerned the light attribute that Alice had, and was distinctly different from her training. That said, Alus wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it, thinking it might be useful for research or creating new spells at best. 

Those who had an affinity for the elements were rare, and little research was done on them, making it a relatively important topic of research. 

“The measurements are done, so that’s enough.” 

After Alice slowly rose up, she and Tesfia took a peek at the monitor. 

“Will you be able to find something out with this?” Alice asked Alus. 

“Will you even be able to understand it?” Tesfia said obnoxiously. 

When it came to this redheaded girl, the moment Alus went as far as to teach her the basics of Mistlotein’s structure, her attitude changed. She’d sometimes be strangely meek... but even taking her concern for her best friend into account, she was being quite insolent. 

As such, Alus completely ignored Tesfia and addressed Alice. “What I’m examining is your body’s mana, and your affinity to it, as well as the condition of your qualia. Or perhaps calling it synchronization and its tendencies would be easier to understand.” 

Question marks appeared in the two girls’ expressions. 

Since it was these two he was talking to, Alus roughly summed it up. “In other words, I’m analyzing the information that your mana contains. Mana doesn’t just contain your experience and your tendencies, but includes much more. So first, I need to get a clear understanding of that.” 

Tesfia sighed, as she brushed his explanation off. 

“I see!” Alice exclaimed, but it was clear she was just feigning understanding. Perhaps she felt bad about taking his time because she really didn’t get it. 

“The tea is ready.” 

“Ah, good.” 

The tea that Loki made on her own with tea leaves was now Alus’ favorite. It was a good time to take a break and change gears, though that was mostly because he was tired due to being exasperated over the two girls’ lack of studies on Magicmasters. 

“Thank you.” 

“Thanks, Loki dear.” 

Today, Loki had prepared enough for these two as well. Lately, it seemed that her antagonism toward them had decreased. 

The next moment, Tesfia’s brows furrowed as she took a sip, and she shouted, “It’s so bitter!” 

“You think so?” Alice said, with a puzzled look. 

Behind Alice, Tesfia could see Loki smirking. She’d made just her tea extra strong. 

I just hope it stays at this level, Alus thought. 

Glancing at Tesfia sticking her tongue out with a blehh from the bitterness of a Loki Special, Alus took a sip of his own tea and slowly closed his eyes. “Now that we’ve had a break, let’s move onto training.” Stopping for today just after the examination would be getting their priorities backwards. Especially since only Alus could analyze the gathered data. 

“Then I’ll go change,” Alice said, as she stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. 

Alice had developed quite a bit, but wasn’t improving as quickly as she had during the first phase of their training. She was weak at controlling the direction, but that was something she’d just have to spend time to solve. In terms of difficulty, it was like having different conversations with multiple people at the same time. Like replying with suitable answers to every topic, she needed to focus on all of her mana and make several adjustments simultaneously. 

Once Alice changed back into her usual uniform, Alus muttered, “Next, I guess we’ll try it at the training grounds.” The reason was simply because he’d concluded that, at their current rate, they wouldn’t finish their training before the first year was over. 

Expressions of joy appeared on the two girls’ faces. They must have had things on their mind since battling Fiends during the extracurricular lesson. 

Moreover, Alus could see how impatient they looked having to continue with their plain mana control training. It seemed they’d built up quite a lot of frustration, and while they’d stick to the usual training menu for today, he figured they could try some mock battles so that they could move their bodies.

Some time later... 

Having finished their training with the stick, the two girls began heading home, as it was starting to get dark outside. That much was the same old... however... 

“Hey, why are you leaving these behind?” 

“Eh?” 

“Hm?” 

Taking the training sticks back with them was one thing, but why were they leaving their Institute bags behind? 

That was something that had been on Alus’ mind for the past three days. There was, of course, an underhanded method among students known as ‘leaving your textbooks behind,’ but it was hard to imagine the two brightest stars of the first year doing something like that. 

Of course, Alus should have brought it up when he first noticed it three days ago. 

“Well... there’s a lot of lectures tomorrow, right?” Tesfia said. 

“She’s right,” Alice chimed in. 

So let us leave them behind, Tesfia seemed to imply. 

Alus just wanted to confirm it with them, and had no intentions of pursuing it any further. Leaving their bags behind but taking the training sticks with them showed how passionate they were about training. And it spoke volumes about them practicing on their own at the girls’ dorm. 

“I don’t mind you being so eager to train, but there’s a test coming up.” He was, of course, referring to the first semester exam. Not that he himself particularly cared about it. 

“...!” “...!” 

All of a sudden, aghast expressions appeared on the two girls’ faces. They were dumbfounded, with Tesfia going so far as to drop her training stick. 

“Hey, I said those things are extremely rare...” 

“What am I going to do? My mother will be so angry.” Seemingly ignoring Alus’ warning, Tesfia looked astonished. 

Shockingly enough, Alice and Tesfia had been toiling away at their mana control training and had completely forgotten about the test. 

Alus stopped himself from retorting, “So it’s already hopeless, huh,” and decided to help them with a tidbit of information. “So you forgot. But there’s still two weeks left.” 

But Tesfia only hung her head upon hearing this. “You mean only two weeks...! What am I going to do if I get a bad score... if I get a bad grade...!” she muttered, as if she was casting a curse with that gloomy face of hers. 

But the way she quickly changed gears as she came up with a method to escape her predicament was just like her. “Alice! Please teach me!” Tesfia turned puppy eyes on her best friend. 

“U-Uhm... I’m not very confident I can.” 

“No way...” 

Hearing the two complain, Alus said, “I thought you two were supposed to be honor students.” He’d convinced himself that they were capable in every subject. They seemed to be listening to the lectures like the other students, and unlike Alus, they actually attended class. Surely they’d done enough to secure their credits by now. And if they were aiming for high marks, a high score on the test would be necessary. 

“Hah, so you’ve got the ambition but your head can’t keep up,” Alus said while laughing. 

Tesfia retorted, “But who knows if you’ll get the credits, even if you get a good score!” 

“...” Alus fell silent, as he quickly calculated in his head all the conditions to get credits. He ultimately reached the conclusion he was in a risky situation as well. 

However... “You think I’d fail? I’m the only one who’s contributed this much to the Institute. Don’t underestimate the principal’s power. Former or not, she was a Single Digit.” 

While conceding it was pathetic to rely on others to succeed, all Alus really wanted from the Institute was time to devote to his research. Besides, Sisty owed him for his work on the extracurricular lesson, so she’d need to at least help with something like that. 

“That’s unfair! Nobody expects a top-ranked Magicmaster to be skilled at bargaining and cheap tricks! Don’t destroy people’s dreams by using connections to make dodgy dealings!” 

“Hmph... Who cares what someone who has to study for a low-level test thinks?” 

Seeing Tesfia fuming and Alus bragging, Alice decided to try and change the topic. “I wonder what will happen with Loki?” 

“Won’t she just be exempt for this term?” Tesfia asked. 

“No, when I enrolled, I was told the results of my test would be used as a basis for my credits,” Loki said, looking quite undisturbed. 

“Y-You sure look composed...” Tesfia said, unable to hide her unrest. 

It appeared Loki was the first to drop out of the imaginary ‘students struggling against the test’ group that Tesfia was trying to create. 

“I’ve already studied everything up to and including the third-year curriculum.” 

“Wha—?!” 

“Oh, Loki dear, you’re so smart!” Alice patted Loki on the head in a praising fashion. Loki brushed her hand away, furrowing her brows as if to say she wasn’t a kid. 

But for some reason, she directed her anger towards Tesfia instead of Alice. She smiled coldly at Tesfia. “That’s why I don’t care what someone who struggles with a first-year curriculum thinks.” 

“Urk...!!” 

Alus intervened and put an end to Tesfia’s and Loki’s unproductive exchange. “What do you mean, ‘Urk’? If you understand, then get to studying. I’ll cut down on the number of training days until then.” 

“Eh, you’re not going to cancel them...?!” 

“I could. If you’re fine with all your training so far going to waste. When it comes to mana control, if you skip out on training for several days just before you get the hang of it, it all goes to waste.” 

“...!!” 

“I was kidding... it was just a joke.” 

Tesfia looked nonplussed, while Alice nodded repeatedly. 

Alus may have exaggerated, but mana control was a delicate technique that was easy to lose at this stage in their training. While they wouldn’t have to start over from the beginning, it would take quite some time to get back into form after a two-week gap. 

“Then this might sound strange, but... can you please teach us, Al?” 

“Nice one, Alice!” Tesfia gave Alice a thumbs-up for raising the embarrassing topic. 

It certainly wasn’t nice, and the situation was developing in a strange direction. It was likely a ploy to keep him from cutting back the time he spent on them, but frankly put, Alus felt they were being overly brazen. 

“Will the two of you just...” Loki, unable to take it anymore, raised her voice; but there was no need for it. 

“I refuse! I’m busy, you see. I promised to help teach you how to defeat Fiends and to train you... but like I’ve said many times before, I’m not spending any more time than that on you.” 

He’d only been saying the truth, but the dejection could clearly be seen in Alice’s eyes. “Besides, even if I teach you about magic, if you’re stupid you won’t even be able to use the spells that you could. In the end, you’ll just have to put in the work by yourselves.” Alus had intended this to be encouraging, but his tactless words invited misunderstandings. 

“T-That’s true...” The atmosphere around Alice immediately turned gloomy. 

“Alice...” Even Tesfia, patting Alice on the back to cheer her up, had a sorrowful feel to her. 

Alus found himself scowling as the two exchanged words like, “Let’s do this together” in a low tone he’d never heard before. 

“It was only a little. It wasn’t like I was asking you to help me get full marks... I just wanted you to teach us the tricks for studying what the test would cover... but it’s already too late for that, right... so don’t worry about us.” Wiping her tears away, Tesfia embraced Alice and Alice hugged her back. 

“These girls...” Alus’ cheek twitched as he witnessed this ridiculous farce. 

Tesfia being so cornered that she needed to go this far was the truth. However, seeing that her sob story didn’t have the desired effect, a bright (to her) idea popped into her head and she started renegotiating from a different point of view. 

“Now that I think about it, you said you’d teach us how to defeat Fiends, but by that logic isn’t knowledge necessary too? I’d say that in a broad sense, studying for a test is part of learning how to defeat Fiends.” 

Alus had indeed agreed to take the two on while not making the line clear. Technique alone wasn’t enough to kill Fiends, but that said, the knowledge taught at the Institute alone wasn’t enough either. In fact, just learning spells required a fair amount of knowledge. It was necessary to be able to take apart spells at their construction stage, as it was important to fully understand magic formulas. 

Of course, there was a vast difference between the learning level Alus asked for, and what the Institute asked for. 

“So, please?” Tesfia said, making a fair argument and pressing her hands together as if praying. Just looking at her meek appearance, you couldn’t blame a boy weak to beauties for falling for her, but to Alus who knew how she was normally, she was being awfully shrewd. 

“...” 

Loki felt the same way Alus did and slightly reacted, but he stopped her with a glance. 

Well, this was just par for the course. Alus pressed his thumb and forefinger against his forehead, sighing as he bent over for her entreaty. “Fine. But I’ll only teach you about things regarding mana and Fiends,” he said, thinking it might be of some use for their training. But if he was being honest, he was hoping she would say she already knew all about that. 

Loki was surprised, but didn’t say anything to stop him. 

“Thank you!!” Alice said with a beautiful smile, her attitude from before having completely changed. 

“Please take care of us, T-e-a-c-h.” Tesfia looked really happy, and she bowed slightly, bashfully. 

Alus would’ve liked to complain a little, as he felt he’d been played. But for some reason, he didn’t feel too bad about it. 

Well, I guess I can overlook it today, he thought, while the two girls smiled and shook hands.

Alus closed his eyes and took a sip of tea. He instinctively let out a sigh as he smelled the rich fragrance, feeling somewhat melancholy. 

“That was pretty soft.” 

“I thought it was strong.” 

Hearing Alus’ quick-witted retort, Loki sulked and fell silent, as she kept her eyes on him. “... You are being too kind,” she muttered under her breath, wearing her feelings on her sleeves, but Alus heard her. 

With a bitter smile, he was about to reply when he suddenly hesitated. His past self wouldn’t have acted like this. 

Once Tesfia and Alice left... the laboratory was always quiet, but the atmosphere was never normally this iffy. 

Facing Loki, who still had that gloomy atmosphere to her, Alus said, “... That’s true.” He had to admit he was too soft and too kind. The reason his answer was delayed was because he himself was confused by it. 

But the clever Loki quickly understood, and asked him, “Sir Alus, do you have expectations of those two?” 

“I wonder...” 

He was a little shaken. It wasn’t like she’d hit the nail on the head, but when he looked at those two... Though it sounded like excuses... “At the very least, they have the aptitude for it, so it’s not a complete waste. But, well, it might take some time. And whether I invest more time in them is up to them.” 

Still unable to accept this, Loki opened her mouth, but Alus was even faster. “Either way, thinking of it as the price to pay while I’m at the Institute, it’s not all that high. On top of that, as long as it doesn’t end up as wasted effort, it’s not a terrible way to spend time.” 

“But even then... I...” 

Loki being unable to express what she wanted to say made the vexing feelings inside of her appear on her face. If anything, she was hesitating over saying anything unnecessary. 

She was here for Alus’ sake. That wasn’t just because she was his partner, but so she could give him all of her life and time. She knew that he’d accomplished countless harsh missions on his own, and that he had the power to do so. 

So when she heard he was enrolling in the Institute, she’d rejoiced that he’d finally be freed from that cruel everyday life. 

That was why... she felt so strongly about it, that Alus had the right to prioritize doing what he wanted here. That was why she clashed emotionally with those two girls who were getting in the way of that wish, and why she was unhappy with Alus just accepting it. 

Loki knew saying it out loud would be overstepping her boundaries. But her unbearable emotions could be seen in her eyes. 

“...?!” Suddenly, she felt a hand on her head. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not a bad feeling. You called me soft, but I don’t feel that in the slightest. In other words...” Alus slowly closed his eyes as he searched through his feelings, reminiscing about the busy days since he came here... 

After a little while, he opened his eyes, seeing Loki in front of him, seriously waiting for what he had to say. And with a smile, he said, “A new environment can be surprisingly refreshing.” 

There wasn’t much surprise or hesitation. He simply wasn’t used to school life yet. It was unlike anything he’d experienced in the military that would sometimes bring about something unexpected. Things not going his way made for a different stimulus compared to battles with Fiends. 

Unlike in the Outer World, his life wasn’t on the line. Instead, there were differing opinions over trivial things that gave rise to incoherent feelings as the days passed. Like hearing a slight grinding and whistling from finely-assembled gears. It was unreasonable and unpleasant, but also impossible to predict what would happen next. 

“That said, I’ll pass on just wasting my time. If they prove to be useless, I will discard them... That goes for you, too.” 

Loki was unable to tell if he was serious or joking from his tone, but it was the kind of statement she could expect from him. 

“That’s why I’ll spend some more time on them. You make sure you live up to my expectations, too.” He lightly smacked her head with a faint smile. 

“Y-Yes. I won’t let you down.” Loki hurriedly lowered her head, while considering herself lucky that she’d been able to hide her red face. If that’s what Alus had decided, she would obey. She was already as happy as could be that he had expectations of her. 

Despite knowing she was being too simplistic, her expression was overtaken by an irresistible happiness. Fortunately, Alus couldn’t see her grinning face. 

But by the time she raised her head, Loki clearly asserted herself. “However, I dislike those two.” 

Alus opened his eyes wide in surprise at that. While it was something he’d picked up on, hearing it said to his face gave him a different impression. 

“Okay. I won’t force you to get along. But do try to restrain yourself,” Alus said, trying to keep Loki in check, knowing that sometimes she got too emotional and created explosive situations. 

Aware of that herself, Loki grimaced for a moment, ashamed of her own immaturity, before giving him an affirmative answer. “Understood.” 

Of course, Loki was only reflecting on giving Alus needless worry about something unnecessary. She had no intention of getting along with those two, resolute that she bore no blame in that, as she returned to her usual emotionless expression. 

Sensing that the atmosphere had softened a little, Alus suddenly had an idea and asked Loki the same question he had asked Tesfia and Alice. “Loki, don’t you have to study?” 

Considering Loki’s earlier back and forth with Tesfia, that may have been superfluous worry, but he decided to check just in case. His question wasn’t about whether she’d manage to get the necessary credits, but instead if she wasn’t aiming for the highest marks. But perhaps even that was redundant. 

“It’s okay. Aiding you is more important, Sir Alus.” 

As expected, his partner had already turned into a housewife. Then again, that wasn’t something that had started just now, so he didn’t think much about it. 

However... “Then put that time into training.” 

“But...” Loki feared that doing this after Alus trained the two girls would only end up eating even more of Alus’ time. 

“Don’t worry. It’s training that you can do on your own, after it gets started. And I’ll use that free time on my research.” 

“If that’s the case, then please take care of me.” Loki deeply bowed to Alus in gratitude. 

Alus felt she was exaggerating, but said nothing. That was his way of paying respect to her. At the same time he could feel a wall between them. 

* * * 

Loki’s training was primarily focused on increasing her detection range. 

There were already artificial mana generation devices set up at 50 meter intervals, 1 km outside the Institute. The principal had already given her approval, of course. 

Incidentally, humanity had succeeded at the artificial generation of mana through their research. Unfortunately, the power of science was only able to create an imitation of mana, and it wasn’t possible to use it as energy for spells. 

Instead, artificial mana was seeing use in daily life functions. Even the street lights in the Institute ran on artificial mana. 

Moreover, the devices set up outside the Institute were originally intended for that purpose, and as such, the generated mana was self-contained. 

After doing some modifications to the devices, Alus allowed the faint mana generated to leak outside. “First, give it a try on your own,” he said, tossing a remote with dozens of buttons on it to Loki. 

“I understand.” Easily catching the remote, Loki closed her eyes and pushed a button. 

A common method among spotters was to use their own mana as a form of sonar, sending out waves of mana to detect enemy locations. There were many other methods, but the mana sonar was the orthodox one and was also the method Loki used. 

There were also methods of vibrating the ground to determine the number of individuals, and it was also possible to use sound, or the vibration of the air. 

That said, using the mana sonar and identifying the wave that returned after contacting a Fiend’s mana was reliable, and it was also possible to detect the Fiend’s class, making it useful in most cases. Also, each practitioner required an aptitude for it. 

Detection magic was usable regardless of attribute, and worked by turning mana into waves and analyzing the reflected information. As such, an aptitude for using techniques to prevent the deterioration of information, as well as sharp senses, were necessary. It was said that mastering detection magic was like being able to project your own senses. 

There were other spells that didn’t rely on attributes, among the biggest example of which was healing magic. It was inaccurately labeled as magic, but in reality it was technique. 

Healing magic worked by applying mana on a cellular level, activating the cells and promoting the individual’s regenerative abilities. It was a form of incredibly detailed mana control, and users were very scarce. 

That aside, the training Loki was doing was using the remote to activate an artificial mana generation device and then accurately locate it. 

Alus had made the preparations, but after adjusting the output and explaining how to use the remote, he didn’t have to do anything. He could just leave the rest to Loki. She wasn’t going to cut any corners. If she could locate all the devices, she passed. 

Leaving Loki to focus on detecting all the machines, Alus returned to his research. And for the first time in a while, he devoted himself to it for a period of time. 

* * * 

When constructing a spell, Magicmasters needed to run through the magic formula in their minds. 

More precisely, they needed to go through each structural step in order. After that, they relied on the AWR and their own power to trace through the construction, as the caster supplied the mana and held a clear image of the process in their mind. As such, they needed a good understanding of the magic formula. 

For example, a person doesn’t need to fully understand how a useful formula works to be able to apply it to solve a complex calculation. 

The primary elements of most magic formulas consisted of attribute, power, scale, shape, direction and modifications, as well as molding the spell and converting the mana. 

In other words, in order to become a Magicmaster, there was a bare minimum amount of knowledge one needed to have. 

“How many times do I have to explain it for you to get it?” 

“Grrr...” 

They were in Alus’ laboratory. Tesfia and Alice had come not for their usual training, but to study for the test. The two were seated at a table with their materials spread out on top of it. On the other side was Alus, resting his chin in his hand. 

Behind him was Loki respectfully preparing refreshments. 

Right now, Alus’ head was hurting from how shallow Tesfia’s understanding was of magic formulas. 

He didn’t know what the standard level was for a first year, but if the test was going to be derived from the materials he was seeing laid out before him, Tesfia, whom he was in the midst of scolding, was far away from the level of understanding to reach his ideal. 

She had a decent amount of knowledge, but seemingly lacked the confidence to take the next step and put it to practical use. Then again, considering Alus was asking about more advanced topics than their materials, it wasn’t entirely her fault. 

“Just calling that studying is impressive. There’s no point in just memorizing the character strings in magic formulas.” 

“Why not?” Tesfia said. “You repeat it when using magic.” 

“The teacher said that basic magic formulas were important for the test too,” Alice said. 

After a short pause, Alus said, “I see. Fine, then. Continue.” 

He’d told them to carry on as they pleased, but seemed to imply something more, which distracted them. 

“If there’s something you want to say, then why don’t you say it? Why is there no point?” Tesfia argued, staring at Alus, having run out of patience. On top of her competitiveness, she had a genuine thirst for knowledge. 

“That’s because it’s useless in combat. Loki, explain the disadvantages of tracing magic formulas.” 

The question was suddenly thrown to Loki, but having been close and listening in, she answered without missing a beat. 

“Even if you remember everything about a magic formula for a spell, there’s a limit to how many you can remember. A Magicmaster with a normal memory can only remember a few dozen advanced spells, and no more. That’s inefficient. While it can be important when incanting the spell, in this day and age where AWRs are commonplace, completely memorizing a magic formula is a waste of time. In fact, it only helps supplement the construction of modifications by a tiny bit. Everyone knows that incanting the spell makes it manifest more clearly, but using just its name is enough.” 

Loki was more or less correct. Even simple magic formulas had over 50 characters. The problem was understanding the necessary construction components in a magic formula, and it was no exaggeration to say that everything was integrated into it. 

Alus brought his black tea, poured by Loki, to his mouth, and praised Loki’s fluent answer. “That’s correct. On top of that, as the AWR is assisting with the construction, tracing the formula yourself is no different from incanting it.” 

“That’s true...” Tesfia said. 

“AWRs have only become widespread lately, so the current teachers probably studied by memorizing formulas.” 

Alice tilted her head and asked, “Then, do we not have to do anything when the spell is manifesting?” 

If that were the case, the essential elements constructing a spell would be missing, even with the assistance of an AWR. While young Magicmasters were expected to have a flexible way of thinking and pose bold questions—unlike the teachers stuck in the old ways—that question was enough to astound Alus. “If that was enough to cast spells, things sure would be easy.” 

Alice’s face turned red as Alus sent an exasperated and somewhat cold glance her way. “In the process of constructing a spell, casters need to have a clear understanding. That’s why, while the AWR renders assistance, you need to decide the power, scale, and so on of the spell you want to use on your own, alongside the multi-stage construction process.” 

It was a bit like an intricate jigsaw puzzle. In exchange for the AWR’s assistance in creating the pieces of the puzzle, determining their shape and color, the caster had to put them in their right place. And once the spell’s picture had been filled in, it could finally be used. 

“If you can do that, then you won’t even need one second from construction to manifestation.” That was something that often decided one’s fate in the Outer World. 

“Then what we’re doing right now is pointless? It won’t make a difference in live combat?” Having lost the string a little, Tesfia looked down at her textbook. 

“That’s why you’re stupid. Think about it a little, will you?” To Alus, Tesfia was like the embodiment of those caught up in the notion that modern magic was no better than the old. It was proof she hadn’t properly understood the blessing of the AWR. 

No matter how much Alus’ research contributed to the world, if it wasn’t properly used it would go to waste. He felt like he could see a dark future where humanity’s situation didn’t change for the better in the slightest. 

What a troubling matter. 

That said, neither Tesfia nor Alice were defensive or angry at his words. They were sincere students enthusiastically listening to the lesson with closed mouths. 

“I pass my eyes through magic formulas as well. However, the constructional components involved are combinations of existing ones. As long as you have a grasp on what’s generally needed, such as attribute, shape, power, direction and modification, the assistance of your AWR will deal with the rest.” That didn’t require the memorization of character strings, but the knowledge to read the structure of magic formulas. 

“But I don’t understand a single character.” 

“Me neither...” 

The biggest flaw was that the Institute’s curriculum didn’t include lectures on how to decipher magic formulas. Alus seriously contemplated making a direct appeal to Sisty. “How much do you grasp, Loki?” 

“I only know my own attribute.” 

She’d probably learned the patterns through repetitive practice. By using the exact same spell, it was possible to remove any lag time using reflexes. However, learning through repetition had the disadvantage of not being able to adjust power or shape depending on the situation. 

If even Loki was only at that level, most Magicmasters probably learned through repetition, but as Alus’ partner she could only be described as incomplete. 

“You take a seat over there too...” 

Thus Alus’ special lecture began, with Loki included among the students. 

It was unrelated to the test at hand, but he determined it was necessary for Tesfia and Alice striving to become Magicmasters, as well as Loki, who needed to have combat capabilities as his partner. 

* * * 

The time for the exam, which would determine the outcome not only for Tesfia and Alice but all the students, had come in the blink of an eye. 

Today was the third day of the semester exam that everyone from first to third year took part in. It was also the last day of the exam, with an academic exam in the morning followed by a practical exam in the afternoon. 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most of the weight was placed on the practical exam. In fact, practical lessons took place six times per week, and three times the credit was awarded for them. 

That’s why the practical exam would have a considerable impact on whether or not a student advanced in grades. 

Incidentally, that was also the exam Alus struggled the most to prepare for in advance, the reason being the examiner this time around wasn’t Sisty. Then again, it was probably inevitable, considering how irregular the results of Alus’ last practical exam had been. 

As for holding back, it was one of the things Alus struggled with when not using his AWR or relying on his own attribute-less spells. 

Alus’ affinity was attribute-less, and while he could use advanced spells of other attributes, that was thanks to his AWR. 

Either way, Alus was able to use magic at a high level, but simply couldn’t make subtle adjustments. 

It wasn’t that he was weak at it. He assumed his attribute-less disposition was at fault. Due to his circumstances, the majority of Alus’ mana had a certain anomalous characteristic. That’s why he was attribute-less, and he had his AWR make up for his lack of control over magic. 

However, he was reluctant to bring his AWR to the exam. An AWR attracted attention, and Night Mist’s shape brought about curious stares. It would be a pain if it drew questions from onlookers. 

That said, it was no excuse to blow up a measuring device, nor could he hold back to the point of the spell misfiring and lose credits. After all, he didn’t have enough attendance days. 

This practical exam didn’t have the same partitioning as last time. This was likely because every person could use whatever spell they liked. The intensity, power and precision of even first-rank spells was dependent on a person’s capabilities. As such, the skill at magic was also included in the scoring, causing Alus additional worry. 

“I’m at a loss.” In the end, Alus couldn’t come up with countermeasures. The exam had already begun, and as the students advanced one after another, he still hadn’t gotten any bright ideas. The unexpected lack of partitioning on the exam grounds only pressured him more. 

Incidentally, Alus had only realized the severity of the situation a moment ago. 

“What are you going to do?” Loki asked, having appeared next to him at some point. Her own practical exam was scheduled to take place just before his. 

“I bet the AWRs here can’t handle the output.” The AWRs lined up against the wall were mostly orthodox, and without any strange peculiarities, their specs were low. 

On top of that, the only formulas engraved were basic attribute ones, and to Alus those AWRs lacked the ability needed. He threw a glance at the countless training AWRs and scratched his head. 

“Would you like to use my AWR?” 

“Hmm, lightning attribute, huh... it could probably handle the output, but the control’s a different matter.” 

Seeing Alus so lacking in confidence, Loki’s expression eased up. 

“What?” 

“I was just thinking that there are things even Sir Alus can’t do.” 

“Of course. Considering who I was dealing with, I wasn’t expecting this situation.” 

“That’s true,” Loki said in a cheerful voice, with a mischievous smile and her hands behind her back as she gazed at Alus’ perplexed expression. With those gestures, it sure didn’t look like she was worried. Though Alus didn’t have the room to care about that. 

However, the sight of Loki smiling attracted all the students’ eyes, male or female. In place of her usual expressionless face, the adorableness of her smiling was exceptional. 

The male students in particular seemed completely robbed of their senses, there in body but not spirit. 

The students only returned to their senses when the next person called to the exam, Tesfia, came forward. 

Tesfia used her specialty, Icicle Sword. Perhaps due to her confidence from the extracurricular lesson, or maybe her daily training, the spell’s vivid appearance, now sharper than ever before, brought about loud cheers. 

“She sure loves to stand out,” Alus said disinterestedly, to which Loki glanced over at Tesfia and the cheering students before looking back to him. 

While Alus was still thinking, Loki’s turn finally arrived. Once she stepped up, all the students gulped, as they had with Tesfia, and observed her every move. 

“‹‹Lightning Bolt››” 

Her reason for speaking the spell’s name out loud was because the exam required it. 

Of course, as even the name alone was an incantation, it had the effect of strengthening the casting process so it wasn’t a fruitless effort. 

If the student used an attack spell, they were instructed to target the sandbag-like training dummy in front of them. 

Loki’s Lightning Bolt manipulated a sphere of lightning. Responding to her voice, three spheres appeared, suspended in the air around her. Swinging down her knife like it was a conductor’s baton, she set the dummy as her target. 

The spheres were sent flying at high speeds, and before long they created electric fields forming a net of lightning. 

As the attack struck the dummy, a thunderclap rang out while an electric discharge bright enough to dazzle a person wrapped around it. 

The dummy was charred black, while Loki struck a beautiful pose. 

An atmosphere of mute amazement filled the area, with the only one able to speak being the female examiner. “Well done, Ms. Loki.” 

“Thank you very much.” 

In terms of rankings, Loki was above the examiner, but their standings were different in the Institute. Loki, being faithful to order and regulations, was well aware of the relationship between teacher and student, and kept up appearances with her thanks. 

“Amazing!” 

“In an instant!!” 

“A Fiend would die instantly if it got hit by something like that!” 

The students let out voices of amazement, and the training grounds were in an uproar for a while. 

Loki walked back proudly with a cool face, puffing up her chest. Eventually, she arrived back at Alus and looked at him with expectant eyes. 

“You’re looking stable. I see you’ve improved.” Sensing what she wanted, Alus gave her some praise. But internally, he sighed in exasperation. 

Before long, her face was full of delight... her normally emotionless expression only changed for him. “Thank you very much.” 

After she’d thanked him with a truly happy bow, Alus’ name was called. In the end, his turn had come without him managing to think up a countermeasure. 

His classmates gave him all kinds of looks. Most of them seemed to be evaluating his strength, but some of the male students looked at him with scorn, convinced he wouldn’t be able to manage anything impressive. 

Aware of those looks or not, Alus called out to the silver-haired girl before stepping forward. “Loki, can I borrow one of your knives?” 

“Of course.” Without wasting a breath, she reached for her waist and in an instant, more than ten knives were held out before Alus. “Let’s use this one. Yes, this one will do. This is the only one.” She specially selected one of the knives. 

To Alus, the knives didn’t look all that different, but Loki seemed to have clear criteria in mind that only she understood. 

“Yeah, thanks.” Taking the knife, Alus moved to the designated spot. 

The dummy that Loki charred black had already been exchanged for a new one. “You may begin,” the examiner said in a stately voice. 

Alus normally used magic casually, but this time he was starting to get strangely nervous. As long as I slowly and gently trace through the formula, there won’t be any problems. 

He shallowly gripped the knife, his index finger resting on the spine of the blade. As he poured mana into it, the formula began glowing. 

Alus slowly went through the steps to construct a first-rank spell in his mind. Very thoroughly going through power, shape, directionality... once everything was done, he activated the spell. That took all of a fraction of a second. 

“‹‹Lightning Arrow››” 

The spell he spoke aloud without hesitation was the most basic of basic spells in the lightning attribute. 

Hearing that, his classmates snickered and any tension they’d felt disappeared. Alus had been an unknown in the class, but now his evaluation had been decided. 

However... 

Due to an oversupply of mana, Alus’ Lightning Arrow forcibly compressed the mana to its limit, and hovered in the air in an unstable state. 

“Ah...” Alus let out an exclamation that sounded like an oops, as the power and propulsion built up in the Lightning Arrow were set loose, and it disappeared in an instant. At the same time, a burnt smell floated in the air. 

One beat later, everyone turned their eyes to the dummy. 

A large hole had opened up in the middle of it. The edge of the hole was completely charred. 

Beyond the dummy was a wall that now had marks of the Lightning Arrow on it, but fortunately it hadn’t taken any serious damage. Being the wall of the training grounds, it had been built to be very sturdy. 

Alus wordlessly shrugged. The knife in his hand was still sparking with remnants from the spell. “I’m sorry. I messed up. I’m ashamed to not be able to handle a spell on that level,” he turned around and said, as if to point out that the outcome was a coincidental accident caused by his own ineptitude. 

“T-That’s true. It was a little unstable.” 

Once the examiner said this, Alus bowed to her and left the training grounds. 

He knew there was no way it could be covered up as an accident. If the examiner took the time to calmly think about it, she might be able to figure out what was behind what just happened. 

But as for now, it was safe to say Alus had pulled it off. Probably. 

Meanwhile, as for his classmates... Some of the students were saying, “He failed like I thought he would.” 

If only everyone was that simple. 

“But can you go straight through like that if you failed...? In fact, can you even call that a failure?” There were other students that still hadn’t processed what happened before them. 

In the end, it seemed that Alus’ evaluation temporarily settled on a conclusion of, I don’t get it, but he’s weird and was put aside for now. Or rather, it was more because of how unsettling it was. 

To the students, a failure meant magic not manifesting. In Alus’ case, however, the spell had manifested but he’d been unable to control it, and it had far more power than the first-rank spells the students knew of. 

After that, the exam continued as if nothing had happened, and students were called up one after another until it was finally the last person’s turn—Alice. 

The problem was that Alice used the fire attribute spell Fire Arrow for her exam. That was probably because there were no arrow spells among first-rank spells in the light attribute. But because she didn’t have the affinity for it, Alice’s spell was weak and her control wasn’t good. 

The examiner seemed to be aware of that, as she simply gave Alice a “Good work” and left it at that. 

Alice’s face was pale as she left the exam with slumped shoulders. That was only obvious, as the spell she used was even weaker than a five-digit Magicmaster’s spells. 

That said, the physical exam had been exciting despite the tension, compared to the written exam. 

* * * 

After the exam came the holidays, also called the exam break. While they had a few days off, it only meant there were no classes, and students often studied of their own accord. 

Incidentally, while the exams were being scored, the main building was off limits during the holidays. 

Today, Alus visited the training grounds together with Tesfia, Alice and Loki. Since they’d made the reservation yesterday, they were able to get to training from the morning onward. 

The training menu for today was a practical one, focused on the application of magic. 

As for Tesfia, she was desperately trying to activate Mistlotein. She wasn’t going to use all of her training time on it, but whether her efforts would be rewarded was still unknown. 

Meanwhile, the steady Alice and the logical Loki were taking turns sparring with Alus. 

Unlike the exam the other day, the partitions were back. But without any restrictions on who could enter, Tesfia and Loki would normally be stared at by curious onlookers. However, Loki’s special circumstances enabled them to darken the partition to prevent anyone from seeing inside. 

The reason was because Triple Digit Magicmasters and above were allowed to conceal their spell training. Taking into consideration the fierce competition between high-ranking Magicmasters, very few chose to put their abilities on display. 

By contrast—the magic of four-digit Magicmasters and below was mostly well-known, and it was an unspoken rule that there was no need to conceal it. 

“Haaaa!!” 

Dealing with Alice’s slash, Alus kicked the handle end of her naginata’s shaft, sending the weapon flying out of her hands. 

“Ah!!” 

That created an opening, which Alus used to drive a roundhouse kick to her abdomen. Alice was sent flying backwards, but managed to recover in midair and land on one knee. 

“Don’t stop moving just because you lost your weapon.” 

“Yes!” A hint of frustration was mixed in with Alice’s forceful reply. Against Alus, not even her Reflection had much meaning. With the skill gap between them, Alus accurately aimed for the minor openings in her naginata-swinging where her Reflection wouldn’t help her. 

Alice was vexed, thinking she’d be able to put up a better fight and use more varied tactics if she knew more spells. 

“Next. Loki.” 

Without even a signal to begin, Loki took off running. 

Putting her speed to use, her hands dragging behind her, she zigzagged freely in an attempt to confuse Alus with her erratic movements. 

However, he easily dodged the knife thrown from his blind spot without even looking. The AWR Alus currently used was an inferior training weapon, but it was more than enough since he wasn’t going to use magic for real. 

Using the wall as footing, Loki jumped up high above Alus. 

In the next moment, five knives stabbed into the ground around him. A magic circle appeared with him at its center, lightning surrounding him. 

Staring at Loki in the air, Alus let loose the sword in his hand. 

Of course, it wasn’t aimed at her. His target was the edge of the magic circle, flicking the knife in the ground away with the sword and nullifying the circle. 

“—!” Loki was shaken for a moment, but swiftly threw more knives from the air. 

Alus easily caught them between his fingers, and threw them right back just as he’d done before. 

“—!!” 

And sure enough, with no way to escape in the air, Loki had no choice but to block them. She wasn’t able to do it unharmed either, though the damage taken was converted into mental damage by the training grounds’ system. 

Loki landed on the wall on the other side, her face distorted in pain from the converted damage. With her stance broken by Alus, she was unable to kick away from the wall, and landed on the ground. 

And at the same time she landed— 

“Don’t jump around for nothing. You should have read three steps ahead,” a cool-headed voice said from behind her. 

“I give up.” 

Before she knew it, Alus had recovered the sword he’d thrown and was now pointing it at her from behind. 

“But that’s a Triple Digit for you,” Alice said in admiration, having recovered from her fatigue. 

“No. I’m still inadequate as Sir Alus’ partner.” 

“Well, you won’t get strong that fast,” Alus said, but it was directed more towards Alice than Loki. 

“That’s true...” Aware that she was definitely lacking something, Alice’s eyes wavered for a moment. 

“It’s not good to be too biased towards magic... like her,” Alus said with exasperation, pointing to the side of the training grounds. 

Over there was Tesfia repeatedly firing off magic at the wall. However, she was simply wasting her time, as she wasn’t seeing any improvement. 

Alice put on a bitter smile, while Loki didn’t even bother looking at Tesfia. 

“In the Outer World, running out of mana leads to death. But, unfortunately, that’s something that happens. That’s why, in the end, stamina and close combat skills can have the final say in critical situations.” That was the simple truth, and Alus didn’t mean it to be a comfort. 

“Yes...” 

“Then again, magic does completely change situations. The way you are right now... I’m sure I don’t even need to say it, do I?” 

Alice raised her head at that, the bitter smile still on her face, but she looked like she felt cornered. 

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. I said I’d make it so you can fight Fiends. I’ll watch over you, including your spells.” Perhaps out of habit in dealing with Loki, Alus put his hand on Alice’s head. 

When Alice’s eyes turned moist, Alus realized what he’d done. “Oh, sorry. It’s just a habit,” he said, pulling his hand back. It was at times like these when Alus thought he was becoming too easily moved. He found it easier to deal with a giant Fiend than when someone as cheerful as Alice had tears in her eyes. 

“No, it’s not that...” Alice used a finger to wipe away the teardrop, but her tears didn’t stop coming. “T-This is strange... why won’t they stop. It’s so...” 

But after she said this, Alice realized why. She’d had a flashback to when she was young. Yet despite knowing that, the oncoming waves of emotion wouldn’t stop, making her feel strange, even though she’d already come to terms with that time. 

“Hey!! What did you do to Alice?!” Seeing those tears, Tesfia ran over, and pushed herself in between Alice and Alus. 

Having a third party who’d been busy firing spells at nothing misinterpret the situation was vexing, so Alus took the necessary precautions. “I haven’t done anything.” 

“Yes. It’s not Al’s fault. I don’t really get it either... Sorry, but I’m going to take a little break.” 

“That’s a good idea. Go calm down,” Alus said. 

Seeing Alice that worked up about something, Alus had an unexpected thought. Because he was someone who had more than enough, he’d faintly begun to realize the truth of the world—that he must be overlooking something. 

Those who had a lot were oblivious to the hardships of those who didn’t. 

That brought about a big misunderstanding, but nobody aside from Alice knew there was another reason for her tears. 

“I wonder what happened,” Tesfia muttered, as Alice left the training grounds to take her break. While she’d stopped suspecting Alus thanks to Alice’s testimony, she was still worried about her in her own way. 

“She seems to be worried about it too... Well, the path should open as long as she tries. I’ll need to proceed with my own research to figure out her strange affinity, too.” 

“To think you’d concern yourself with other people, Al. I was sure you were indifferent to me and Alice.” 

“I don’t care what you think, but I said I’m going to take care of you, so I can’t just abandon you.” 

Tesfia intentionally opened her eyes wide as if to show her surprise. “I see. So you’re worried... Good!” 

Alus looked at her with furrowed brows as if to ask what that was supposed to mean, but she responded with a happy-looking expression. 

And as if she’d come up with something, the edges of Tesfia’s lips curled up. “Then, while you’re still being nice, teach me how to use Mistlotein... please!” Tesfia said, begging with her hands put together in front of her face, and sticking her tongue out a little in a cute manner. 

Suddenly, a quick soft thud rang out on Tesfia’s head. 

“Ow.” 

“I told you it’s still too early for you,” Alus said, in as dignified a manner as he could, having landed a chop on her. 

Mistlotein was about on the same level of difficulty as Niflheim, the perfected version of Freeze. And being asked to help her be able to use that all of a sudden was nothing short of reckless. 

“If you don’t take the right steps, you’ll never be able to use it.” 

“No waaay...” 

Loki nodded behind the disappointed-looking Tesfia, to which Alus let out a sigh and began explaining. “Fine, try casting Freeze.” 

Tesfia did as she was told and stuck her katana into the ground, after distancing herself a little. She was able to do it without any incantation, but in order to improve the effect of the spell, she shouted out its name. 

“‹‹Freeze››!!” 

“That was awful...” Alus said, completely by reflex, upon seeing her spell. 

“Hey! I’ve gotten a lot better, you know,” Tesfia said unhappily, as she pulled her katana out of the ground, undoing the spell and turning it back into mana. 

“Your setting of the effective range is too naïve. I’m amazed you think you’d be able to reach the heights that are Mistlotein with skills like that. Frankly put, it’s laughable.” 

“Wha-! Don’t you know that it’s common sense to encourage someone through praise nowadays? ... I did my best, too...” 

Well, taking into account that she was still a student, it was well done, but she was far too carefree if she thought she could use Mistlotein with that. Hearing her weakly peter out at the end of her complaint, Alus sighed and answered her, “Sheesh, well, I’ll give you that you tried... I’m sure you’ve gotten better. But you’re still far away from trying Mistlotein.” 

Tesfia’s shoulders drooped. Where did her usual competitiveness go? Alus thought. But he did feel she had grown, and he’d conveyed that to her as well. Though the fact that she was inadequate remained unchanged. By telling her that, she was finally able to begin her journey. 

Alus had no intention of giving her comfort by saying she’d be able to do it one day depending on her efforts. At best, she had a possibility if she followed the right procedure. That depended on Tesfia’s talents and senses as well, but all of the training she’d done so far was on mana control. And this was the first time he’d instructed her on the use of magic itself. 

“... If you still want to learn, you should start off by mastering Freeze.” 

“...!!” A light of hope started burning in Tesfia’s eyes, as if she’d found her way out of the pit of despair. Her dispirited look went away, a passion flared up inside of her and in the end she pushed him to continue. 

Alus was now routinely overlooking these lightning-fast changes of pace of hers. But at the same time, he realized how easy she was to handle. 

“You should think of doing that in stages, too. If you can freeze more targets simultaneously, your effective range will naturally increase, and once you’re able to do that you’ll finally be at the starting line.” 

“Hmm, I see.” 

“...” 

She looked like she might bring out a notebook at any moment. Being passionate was fine and all, but when Alus thought he’d need to look after everything, he suddenly started feeling fed up. “Either way, I’m going to make you first-rate Magicmasters capable of fighting Fiends. For starters, I’ll check out the results of your training, so get ready.” 

“...?! Uhmm.” Surprised, Tesfia’s eyes opened wide, and she looked off into nowhere. She must have seen Loki and Alice fight Alus, and get completely beat up. She wasn’t so much averse to losing face as she was being timid. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll hold back.” He walked to the center of the field, turning around as the edges of his lips curved into a smile. 

“O-Of course you will!!” Tesfia, following behind him, nervously shouted back. In her mind were the memories of his cold stare when she saw him up on the roof, and his fierce fighting in the Outer World. 

That cold-eyed boy was now smiling at her sarcastically, yet somehow cheerfully. 

Just which was his real face? As she thought about that, her chest felt painfully tight. 

“What’s wrong? Time’s not going to wait for you to decide.” 

The voice brought her back to her senses. He was right, she didn’t have the time to waste. She’d decided to see things through. So she would slowly climb up the stairs before her. 

Reaching her resolve, she shook her head to clear her mind and stepped into the center of the field with serious eyes.

The sparring continued until the training grounds closed for the day. 

Partway through, Alice recovered and came back, and they had all kinds of mock battles, including two-on-one and three-on-one. 

Once they left their partitioned space, Alus and the other three were the only ones there. 

Alus walked down the darkened street some steps behind Tesfia and Alice. Loki was with him as well, but today he was escorting them back to the girls’ dorm, surprisingly. While it was unusual, that was mostly because he usually didn’t get the chance to. 

“Fia, will you be going home for summer vacation?” 

“That’s right... bringing my report card with me,” Tesfia said with a bitter smile. The two good friends casually chatted, walking ahead of Alus and Loki. 

After the semester exam and exam break came summer vacation. During that time, many students took the opportunity to go home, while the other students remained at the Institute and spent their vacation there. 

Normally a summer vacation was something to look forward to, but the students weren’t overly excited. It was like the other days off; in other words, they would be studying on their own, as there were no lectures being held. 

Incidentally, Alice was looking forward to summer vacation the most out of the entire student body. While not everyone was going home, many were, and the Institute would be a lot calmer. Especially with Tesfia leaving. 

“I see. Then I’ll finally have the time to focus on my research.” 

“Uhm, Al? I’ll still be here.” Since he sounded so happy, Alice felt a little awkward about announcing her plans to stay. 

“That’s fine. I’m sure I’ll be able to make progress with the noisy one gone. Besides, I wouldn’t want my test subject to go anywhere during the precious time I have for research.” 

“Urgh...” 

As tears appeared in Alice’s eyes, the redhead walking beside her began to stir. She turned around on the spot and shouted, while pointing at Alus, “What’s that supposed to mean?! Just so you know, if you use your research as an excuse to do strange things to Alice, you’ll pay for it!” 

“It’s for Alice’s sake too. Well, partially. Besides, she has an interesting affinity that has a lot of possibilities. I’d like to grab some more measurements and samples if I can.” As Alus said this, his stare happened to fall on Tesfia’s chest. His sharp eyes had only spotted some dirt that showed up under the moonlight. 

“...!!” “...!!” 

However, the timing was most unfortunate. 

A short pause occurred, like the calm before the storm. 

“T-That’s some courage you have there.” Tesfia’s hands automatically reached towards the katana at her waist. “You pervert Magicmaster!” The blade peeking up from its scabbard glinted in the moonlight. 

But before the Fable family’s treasured sword could be drawn, another bomb dropped, freezing Tesfia. 

“Uhm, Sir Alus... if there’s something you’re not satisfied with... you could just tell me...” 

“Huh?!” Despite the dim lighting, Loki’s cheeks were so red that even Tesfia could see it. 

But Alus tilted his head as usual. “No, I think you’re doing enough.” 

“I-I see...” Loki’s words gradually grew weaker. 

“...!” 

“Don’t tell me you even made a move on Loki...” 

Who knows what they imagined, but Alice was red in the face, and Tesfia had a stern look like she was staring at a criminal. 

Shortly thereafter, they quickly moved away from Alus. Alice even went as far as to grab Loki and hold her tightly, as if protecting her from something. 

Alus wasn’t sure what that ‘even’ was supposed to refer to, but he vaguely realized that a misunderstanding was giving way to more misunderstandings, and things were headed in a disturbing direction. “Just so you know, I’ll only be taking measurements on affinity and blood samples. As for Loki, I am satisfied with her daily work.” 

“That had better be true.” Tesfia was still on guard and, following her lead, the girls distanced themselves from him and continued moving while huddled up. Loki glanced back from time to time, but Tesfia urged her to move on. 

All the while Alice looked his way, as if to say that she wanted to believe him, and Tesfia stared right through him. 

Alus walked towards the girls’ dorm, thinking to himself that being treated as a suspect was probably going to continue for a while. He wondered if this kind of conversation was considered normal for students. 

Tired of their strange treatment, Alus plodded behind the girls. 

However... 

“Okay, it’s fine. I can put up with being Loki’s replacement...” Alice said, having made up her mind after mulling over something. 

Though that remark only made the situation worse, and the strange mood would go on for a little while longer. 

* * * 

The exam break lasted three days, and attendance was taken on the fourth day. That said, there were no lessons. It was pretty much just for announcing the exam results. 

Information on the top scorers for every subject was displayed on the screens all over the Institute. 

The report cards for the semester weren’t handed out by the teachers. Instead, they were given out when you placed your license on a device. More precisely, two pieces of paper were printed out with the information. 

The students lined up in the hallway, waiting for their turn. The devices were installed in three classrooms. Students would step into the classroom in an orderly fashion, get their results, and go back out. 

In the hallway were students cheering at their results, and students with slumped shoulders. 

Alus feigned composure, as if he wasn’t worried in the slightest, as he grabbed his results. 

He had just barely passed. 

The written exam aside, with his questionable practical exam and low attendance, he’d actually been nervous. At the very least, he was relieved to see that he’d gotten credits for all subjects. To be honest, he found it pathetic that he’d only just grazed by. As doing too well would attract attention, he’d taken the exam while adjusting his score. While he’d made an unexpected mistake during the practical exam, he’d still passed. 

Following the crowd into the hallway, he was greeted by a lively Loki. “How did it go, Sir Alus?” 

“I managed.” He didn’t ask how it went for her. If he had gotten full credits, it was hard to imagine that Loki would drop any. 

But Loki still would’ve wanted him to ask. She already held the papers showing perfect scores against her chest. 

As Alus gave the disappointed Loki a puzzled look, the screens in the hallways and classrooms changed. The screens that had been showing the high scorers all sounded a loud fanfare. Having grabbed the students’ attention, a notice appeared that the top 10 scorers were going to be announced again. 

The names of the top-scoring students began to be displayed from bottom to top. 

Alus wasn’t very interested, and began walking with Loki. But with so many screens in the Institute, they caught his eye no matter where they went. 

Third place brought up Alice Tilake. Second was Tesfia Fable. The difference was likely because of their practical exams, meaning that Alice had likely scored above Tesfia in the written portion. Alus knew this, having taught them himself. He guessed the result was due to Alice knowing few offensive spells, since there was no real difference in their capabilities. 

That aside, it was surprising to see they were only second and third. They should have been at the top of their class year. 

So there was someone even better than them. 

The screens changed again, displaying the words TOP SCORER in big letters, and the name Loki Leevahl was written below. 

“...!!” As with his own test, Alus had convinced himself that he wasn’t particularly interested in Loki’s test. So he instinctively stopped at seeing the result. 

She doesn’t mess around, he thought to himself, realizing why she’d acted so strangely before. She’d been able to tell she was first by looking at her own report. So that was why she had a strange expression when he’d ignored her results. 

“That’s impressive.” It wasn’t until now that he turned around to put his hand on Loki’s head. 

“Thank you very much.” The somber expression on her face disappeared, and was replaced with a smile. 

Her reacting this straightforwardly makes it hard to praise her, Alus thought, but he didn’t find it all that troublesome. 

But thinking about it, his action would clearly attract attention. The Institute’s top scorer was having her head patted by some guy not even in the top list. Moreover, with Loki’s bashful rejoicing, suspicious stares and indignant expressions were turned their way due to their lack of understanding. 

The two moved along, unfazed by the stares, until someone called out. 

“How about it!!” the voice said, just as they’d started walking again. 

Ever since Alus saw the announcement, he’d had his apprehensions. However, he couldn’t help but want to complain at this boorish world where those expectations so easily came true. 

A report card was held out in front of Alus’ eyes by Tesfia with a triumphant look and pose. As she was shorter, it was held slightly above her head. 

Even Alice, who held her report card against her chest, smiled with pride. 

Being second and third in their class year was a praiseworthy result. Perhaps having accepted that Loki coming first was unavoidable, they had bright yet somewhat expectant expressions. 

With this following Loki’s act, Alus felt like saying a cynical thing or two. “Sheesh, you girls... what do you want me to say?” 

“You can praise us for doing well,” Tesfia told him, a little embarrassed... but managing to hold back her self-consciousness was a sign of improvement. Her fixation with her score before the exam was partly due to her pride as a noble. Either way, she was likely excited to come out of the exam—her greatest worry—with the second-best result. As could be seen from her cheeks that were redder than usual. 

In an attempt to cool her hot head, Alus sarcastically said, “That’s wonderful. So you can do it if you try,” and patted her on the head like he did with Loki. He was sure she’d object to this treatment. 

Tesfia’s expression loosened just a smidge. However, with the reaction from the surrounding students stirring, she snapped back to her senses. Her face exploded into a blush, she knocked Alus’ hand off, and backed away from him. But the lack of her usual shouts of abuse made it feel anticlimactic. 

She’s not used to being praised, is she... Though exasperated, Alus smiled as if he’d found a fun toy. 

Meanwhile, Tesfia put her hand on her head in a daze, as if to confirm the sensation. She then stared at Alus with a red face. Next to her, Alice still held her report card, as if waiting in line. 

“D-Do... don’t get full of yourself... w-w-who do you think you are?” 

“And who the hell do you think you are? Besides, you’re the one who brought it up.” Using a sound argument, he shut Tesfia up. 

That’s when Alus heard their surroundings turn even noisier. 

With the three top scorers gathered in one place, students would naturally start flocking around them. There was Loki, the Triple Digit Magicmaster, the first year’s rising star, as well as Tesfia and Alice, both objects of envy. 

And with an unmotivated male student who barely showed up to class mixed in... all of the students staring at them was inevitable. 

Alus started walking, trying to get away from there. While he had Loki with him, he was doing his own thing, but the other two girls just tagged along without saying anything. 

Alice seemed to be full of expectations, as if to say that she hadn’t gotten her turn yet, but unfortunately for her that wasn’t going to happen. 

Having gotten out of the building, Alus dropped his pace a little and called out to Tesfia, “When are you leaving?” 

“Could you not say that like you want me to leave as soon as possible?” 

That had been precisely Alus’ intention, but rephrasing himself was a pain, and he had no reason to fire her up. “Well, I don’t mind you leaving anytime, but make sure you don’t slack on your training.” 

“I know.” 

“It was a week starting tomorrow, wasn’t it?” Alice said, giving Tesfia a helping hand. 

“Yeah. That’s the plan... but...” Tesfia’s expression suddenly clouded over, and she turned her eyes away. She seemed to be hinting at the possibility that her plan to go home might fall apart. 

“Well, Fia’s mother is very strict.” 

Tesfia sighed. “That’s true...” Her energy from before was gone. 

Seeing that, Alus once again realized how dramatically her expressions always changed. “You know her, Alice?” 

“Yes. I’ve visited their house a couple of times.” Those words must have made Alice remember something she’d rather not, as her face twitched and her eyes trailed off like Tesfia’s. 

“I’m sorry about that time.” Tesfia’s sudden apology was likely because she still felt indebted about something. 

“Ah... it’s fine, it ended up being beneficial, actually,” Alice replied with a bitter smile, but Alus honestly had no idea what they were talking about. 

“What happened?” Alus instinctively asked. Loki, who was walking next to him with her eyes down and feigning ignorance, cast a meaningful glance his way. 

“I went over to play... but Fia’s mother really worked me over.” That bitter smile was probably all Alice could muster. She’d chosen to leave the details out, but Loki seemed to get it right away, and Alus smiled dryly too. 

Tesfia’s mother must be a true woman of the Fable family. The two of them must have received some rather strict guidance. 

“She sounds like a strong-willed mother,” Alus said. 

“When my mother was active, she served as an academic advisor. Even now that she’s retired, she still seems to have some influence in the military.” 

In other words, she was former military personnel. And with her noble status, she must have had a high position. Hearing that, Alus felt like he’d heard the Governor-General mention the Fable name, but couldn’t remember when. 

“I see, so when you go home your mother is going to work you over.” 

“Urgh...” Expectations and unease suddenly appeared on Tesfia’s face, as she must have recalled some unpleasant memories. 

However, she didn’t really have any resistance to receiving guidance. As it was something she’d received since childhood, she was used to it. And her result as the second in her class year was likely enough to be acknowledged. 

In fact, Tesfia wasn’t hopeful that her mother would praise her over her results, but she at least wouldn’t get mad at her... probably. 

Her fear was that her magic skills were sure to be tested when she went home, and that fact made her dejected. Grades are one thing, but I’m sure she’ll get angry over that. Tesfia was aware that no matter how much she improved, her mother would never be satisfied. When she mastered Icicle Sword, her mother had told her it was something anyone in the Fable family should be able to do. 

After her second sigh, Tesfia found her resolve, knowing she couldn’t avoid it either way. “I have to pack for tomorrow, so begin without me.” As she said that, she began running toward the dorm as if to shake off her doubts. 

“See you later.” Alice waved goodbye to Tesfia, who certainly didn’t look cheerful as she ran off. But there was a tinge of envy in her expression. Going against her family’s wishes, Tesfia attended the Institute as a self-supporting student, and she had her own struggles, but Alice didn’t even have a place to return home to. 

Alus stared at Tesfia’s back disappearing into the distance and muttered, “Make your preparations ahead of time, will you?” 

With no lessons scheduled, the day was over once they’d gotten their report cards, and it wasn’t even noon yet. 

Alus, along with Loki and Alice, headed toward the laboratory. Holding off on training until Tesfia returned, he would take the time until then to use Alice as a test subject. 

He had her change into a thin hospital gown, then readied the state of the art equipment he’d ordered from the military. And with Loki serving as an assistant, the examination proceeded smoothly. 

Finally, when he was about to draw her blood... 

“W-Wait...” Alice suddenly stopped them. 

Alus figured she might be scared of needles, but her face was abnormally pale. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m sorry... I’m just feeling a little sick.” She didn’t look like it was something so minor. Alice’s face was practically white, like she would pass out any moment. 

In terms of research, cerebrospinal fluid was more certain, but this laboratory didn’t have the large-scale equipment needed for that. Lately, just a blood test was enough to get detailed data, so Alus had been relying on using that. 

Either way, a blood sample was inevitable, but seeing Alice’s reaction he had no intention of forcing it. “Does it hurt anywhere? I can request a healing Magicmaster from the army.” 

“You don’t have to do that...” Alice shook her head. Either she was traumatized by needles, or she was afraid of examinations themselves. 

“So what now? Want to stop? You’re looking the worse for wear.” Before, he’d jokingly called Alice a test subject, but he wasn’t going to force her to do something she didn’t want to do. 

However, Alice answered firmly, “I’m all right. Please continue.” But just looking at her complexion, she seemed like she might collapse any minute. 

“Then that’s what I’m going to do... Loki, put your hand over her eyes.” 

“Understood.” 

“Huh?” 

“You’re probably better off not seeing your blood get taken. And having someone else cover your eyes should be easier than closing them yourself.” 

“Ah?!” 

A calm flow of mana came from Loki’s hand covering Alice’s eyes. The mana only covered the surface, but it conveyed Loki’s warmth through her hand. She’d decided that her body warmth would help ease Alice’s fear. 

That said, due to their different kinds of mana rejecting each other, Loki couldn’t pour it directly into Alice’s body. It didn’t have any medical effect, but it gave her peace of mind. 

And then—“It’s done.” 

“Really?” 

By the time Loki’s hand covered her eyes, the needle had already stabbed into her. 

Alus continued the examination in a familiar manner.

After noon, the examination was done, and only the analysis of the results remained. 

“I’ve got everything I need, so I’ll handle the rest from here,” Alus told Alice, as they sat down at the table. Loki was in the middle of preparing lunch. Alice had offered to help, but Alus stopped her, having her sit down so he could explain things. 

“Just so you know, the information that can be extracted from your mana is related to your mana factor’s structure. So don’t worry about any personal information being exposed.” 

“All right.” 

That was Alus showing consideration to prevent any ethical problems from arising. “And the various data will be securely stored. On top of that, I’ll restrict my research to your affinity and to help enhance light attribute spells. Once this goal has been reached, the collected data will be erased. The same goes for you, if you want to stop at any point.” 

“...” Alice stared at him with her jaw dropped. 

“What? If you’re fine with it, then sign this.” Alus had already prepared a document with a checklist and place to sign, and he casually pushed it towards Alice. 

“... I get it, but isn’t this a little formal...?” 

“What are you talking about? This is only normal for magic research with test subjects.” 

Alice seemed impressed, and smiled. 

Magical technology was making advancements in all kinds of fields, including the medical field, and because of those developments many medical treatments had improved. But even then, some treatments or experimental research couldn’t be performed without the subject’s consent. There were some who operated illegally without such consent, and leaking personal information gained through research was subject to punishment under law, a result of the laws keeping up with the advancements being made. 

While how strictly they adhered to those guidelines depended on the researcher, it was common to draw a clear line at violating professional ethics. As for Alus, he was excessively thorough. 

By the time Loki finished preparing the food, Tesfia was done with her packing and joined them for lunch. She rejoiced at her timing, and relished Loki’s cooking before it was time for afternoon training. 

Thanks to their continuous training, the two girls were finally starting to get the knack for mana control. That said, since there was still mana leakage, they needed to take regular breaks. 

Moreover, Loki was doing her own training as well, the goal being to extend her detection range. She wasn’t getting substantial results, but detection training was a little special, and Alus wasn’t expecting any improvements right off the bat. 

Alus was analyzing the data he received from testing Alice. Normally Loki would assist him, but with Alice’s privacy being a concern, he couldn’t have her help him. 

When he glanced Loki’s way, he saw her eyes were closed, focused on her training. She’d had a composed expression at first, but the more she focused, the worse she looked for wear. 

“Loki, you take a break, too.” Seeing his chance, Alus ordered Loki to rest. If he gave her a choice, she’d definitely choose to continue. But training wouldn’t be meaningful if it forcibly continued under exhaustion. 

“Yes.” With an order, Loki had no choice but to nod her head. Alus also took the opportunity to take a break himself. 

Even though he’d told her to rest, Loki was faithfully making tea. Since she probably wouldn’t listen even if he stopped her, Alus let her do as she pleased. And considering she was bringing cups for Tesfia and Alice, her treatment of them must have eased up a little. 

Aware of that change or not, Tesfia and Alice sipped on their hot tea. Alus also thanked Loki and brought his cup to his lips. Having confirmed that, Loki finally followed suit. 

It was a moment for relaxation. In the corner of his eye, Alus saw the automated program he’d set up to analyze Alice’s data was wrapping up. It’d only be a few minutes now. And as expected, a short time later, the screen was filled with characters showing the result. 

Cup in hand, Alus scrolled down the text, going through it all. 

The mana factor in her genetics is probably the cause. So this is the reason that affinity for the light element is inborn, huh. 

Alus’ conjecture was nothing short of a confirmation. According to previous research, an affinity for the light attribute was formed in the process of the DNA of the two parents being mixed together in the child. 

However, the conditions for that were unknown, and nobody knew the trigger for giving birth to someone with the affinity for light. While there were theories, there wasn’t enough research to consider any of them reliable. 

Next, Alus analyzed the mana data he’d gotten from Alice’s blood sample. Mana occurred from objects in the blood known as mana spheres. Unlike red blood cells, it was the human heart that created these mana spheres, the heart of course being an extremely vital organ keeping the person alive. 

Ironically enough, it worked very similarly to Fiends and their cores. That was also the reason why some people shrank away from magic, criticizing it as something evil. 

I guess I should try to figure out why her mana reacted to attribute-less magic, Alus thought, and got to work. 

Thus, the brief break came to an end. Alus devoted himself to his research, Tesfia and Alice worked on their training, and Loki trained on her own. A typical day at the laboratory.