> that greedily drinks mana. The extent of training Arus underwent in order to control that mana is something only he and the Governor-General know.
Using that power then was unavoidable. He had to for Loki.
At the same time Arus had his inhuman power consume Loki"s mana, he poured his other mana, the mana that naturally derives from the energy within the human body, into her. It was a complete gamble. Had his mana been rejected by Loki, she would have probably died on the spot. The outcome, however, was one familiar to him. Although saying that might not be appropriate.
Arus was able to treat Loki"s mana exhaustion by pouring his mana into her body. In other words, he was able to subst.i.tute for the deficit brought about by that taboo. The mana he injected into her body will deteriorate over time along with the information it carries. Anything that remains should then slowly be ejected from her body as her mana replenishes and replaces it. As for whether saving her life was good or bad will be determined by Loki. Although I still can"t figure out why she"s being enrolled into the academy.
Since she"s part of the military, enrollment shouldn"t have been possible. Even for him, had he still been in the military, just something like training Tesfia and Alice would have been rejected. Her application should have been denied.
Although Arus doesn"t care for being the first ranked magician, he does enjoy the benefits it brings him. It isn"t something the Director can prevent either.
Arus never considered himself humanity"s protector. He was only trying to survive. Now, however, that self-interest is slowly fading away. Yet instead of finding the change uncomfortable, Arus feels as though he"s a spectator to it. To him, the entire process feels like nothing more than an illusion.
He doesn"t know if that is what is known as growth, but it is keeping him unreasonably busy. Still, there is one satisfying aspect to it and while his objective remains unchanged, there is nothing wrong with enjoying himself along the way. The rest is irrelevant.
As such, he heads for his laboratory to check whether that situation has changed.
–One n.o.ble diamond, two, three n.o.ble diamonds in a row–
Arus"s shock is laced with disdain as he speaks to the three enjoying themselves around a table. "Hey, my lab isn"t a hang out." He only recently registered the mana signatures of Tesfia and Alice into being able to lock and unlock his door, but now he wonders if that decision was premature.
Loki hops to her feet and gives a deep bow. "My apologies, Arus-sama."
It isn"t important, but I seriously need to set some time aside and discuss with Loki on how she should address to me.
Tesfia stands next to Loki and strokes her silver hair. "Don"t say that. We were deepening our friendship."
Loki"s eyebrows shoot up for an instant, but only Arus who stands in front of her notices.
Alice brushes Tesfia"s hand aside as she approaches Loki from behind and embraces her. "Loki-chan is su~per cute."
Loki"s eyebrows once more rise up, adding color to her expressionless face.
She looks just like a doll.
Those thoughts, however, only apply for outside his laboratory. If they aren"t going to train, then they should leave.
Arus, however, doesn"t express himself with a straight ball. It should be clear to them once they understand their actual worth.
A small yet suggestive grin spreads across Arus"s face as he says, "I"ll say this, Loki"s highest rank was 100."
Looks like they finally realized how much of a mess they"re digging themselves into.
Alice"s eyes widen as her smile grows stiff.
Tesfia"s voice quakes as she says, "Liar~" Had she not known of Arus"s existence, she probably would have laughed.
Arus says, "Loki has plenty of combat experience. She won"t lose against a double digits magician."
Tesfia turns towards Loki who is awkwardly being held by Alice and says, "Seriously?"
Loki"s expression changes for the first time. It softens as she says, "It"s an insignificant number unable to even hold a candle against Arus-sama."
While she comes off as humble, the emotion br.i.m.m.i.n.g from her eyes says otherwise. Arus uses that to lead off his following words. "Loki is a year younger than both of you, but the Director authorized her transfer into our cla.s.s. Your standings will be second next to her."
Tesfia"s footing appears to waver at the news. Looks like her aristocratic pride can"t handle this.
Alice accepts the news with a smile, but the smile is delayed due to internal conflict.
Arus says, "Other than for training, I have no obligation for a.s.sociating with either of you. However, the two of you are excellent magicians. Go ahead and use this time with Loki.[1]"
Arus doesn"t consider his method particularly nasty. Instead, he"s certain that Loki will be very helpful in the future. Since she chose to be his partner, she"s already halfway there to being so.
How Tesfia and Alice will respond to Arus"s words is up to them. If that is enough to crumble their spirits, then they should have never requested his training in the first place. They can squander their opportunity if they want, but the intention is that they choose otherwise.
Arus"s ploy appears to work. Tesfia rolls up her sleeves as though she had been training up until then and says, "I was just taking a short break."
Alice continues to stroke Loki"s hair as she says, "…that"s right. Let"s save having a deeper conversation about Loki and her life as a magician for next time." Her words and actions are in complete disconnect to each other. Her impulses exceed her awareness towards Loki"s rank.
Arus says, "Since you don"t have time, hurry up and get back to it," before turning away.
Alice falters on separating from the cute doll known as Loki. Once she does, she returns to training with drooping shoulders.
Arus then recalls Tesfia and Alice telling him they would be undergoing exams that morning. "Thinking about it, how did the two of you do in the afternoon trial?"
He doesn"t ask that thoughtless question so much as to hear their answers, but to confirm the degree of punishment they received upon facing someone of a higher rank. Simply stated, his question is a form of hara.s.sment.
Tesfia and Alice jolt at the question and their concentrated mana scatters.
"Ha ha haa…"
Judging from their conditions, they completely lost.
Tesfia"s examiner was the upper cla.s.smen they talked about just before the examination, Delca Beis. She recounts her match with heaps of pa.s.sion despite not even coming close to putting up a fight[2]. All of her spells were avoided from the start. Even her ace, [Icicle Sword] was circ.u.mvented. Afterwards, she was forced into a defensive battle for the rest of the exam. Unable to land a single hit against her opponent, she was completely and overwhelmingly defeated.
Alice"s opponent was the strongest student of the academy, after Arus, Ferinella. She went against her with the intention of practicing against someone more skilled than her, but everything she tried was casually sidestepped. Up until the end, Ferinella wore a carefree smile and even went so far as to give a nonchalant, "Thank you for coming."
Others might get the impression that Arus is forcing the two to relive their bitter experiences for his own satisfaction[3], but both of them understand that those battles were rare experiences.
Arus, upon finishing his review of their battles, gets up and relocates to his desk. He then spreads a map across it. Loki stands ready half a step to his side with the full intention of claiming that spot as her own. Furthermore, the location she selected ensures that she won"t break Arus"s concentration. Even if they are partners, them being together all the time would be unnatural.
Loki speaks in a low voice towards Arus. "Is that a paranormal a.s.signment…?"
Arus returns his gaze down onto the map and says, "Looks like my efforts have made the higher-ups complacent about peace."
Loki for some reason rejects Arus"s self-depreciative reply with all her might. "That we"re incompetent on managing emergencies because you, Arus-sama, saved humanity isn"t your fault. Such a thing could never be your fault. That"s to say nothing of Alpha"s population which was only able to flourish thanks to your efforts. Those girls don"t understand…" Beyond the indignation wafting across Loki"s eyes is sorrow. Their edges glitter as her words trail off.
"That too is probably inevitable… Alpha will no longer be able to survive once I"m gone. Anyway, I don"t think this S rank should arrive until few more days."
That is what big shot-san is concerned with after all.
Due to the desire of self-preservation, Arus"s retirement from military service prompted a reform on the cultivation of magicians. Their manual is to now include combat training. While it also leads to Arus"s time being stolen away from him, it also speaks volumes about how the country"s previous policy left it feeling anxious about the future.
Arus adds, "It"s not like it has nothing to do with me. I need to eliminate it for the sake of my peaceful life."
Loki is well aware as to why Arus left the military and is now immersing himself in research. Therefore, for the sake of resolving an incomprehensible doubt, she"s harboring many questions. She looks from Arus to Tesfia and Alice. Back when she was in the military, she also received similar training where her vision was restrained, but the results of those two are meager and unsightly[4]. "Would you say those two are useful?"
Arus places a red marker on the map and draws a line off of it while saying, "I wonder. Apparently, they"re at the top of their cla.s.s here at this academy."
Loki"s tone is detached. "Then why are you teaching them the basics?" More than doubting his decision to teach them, she isn"t convinced he should.
"The Director merely pushed them onto me along with this other task."
"What is it?"
Tesfia and Alice might need a lot of continuous training in order to bud, but Arus still considers them as potential insurance. He says, "You were almost a double digits magician. Where you able to enjoy the privileges of one?[5]"
"Do you mean to say those two have hidden talent?"
"Well," Arus is well aware that talent and effort don"t always overcome barriers. The endeavor to surpa.s.s him could possibly lead to a lifelong obsession. "In the end, those who survive are the ones who continue to make progress."
Loki, as someone with actual combat experience, somehow or another comprehends the meaning within Arus"s words. No matter how strong or talented a person is, it becomes meaningless at death. While surprise attacks or chance encounters with unconfirmed mutant mamono are the main reasons for casualties, the possibilities are as numerous as there are stars in the sky.
Arus and Loki both have overseen such magicians. Their last moments before death weren"t spectacular. Victory or defeat, survival or death, that"s all they had on their minds[6].
Arus then taps at a point on the map several times with his fingers.
"That"s also something I instantly understood."
Loki doesn"t understand what Arus refers to by "that." Despite not knowing, she doesn"t think she can share in his thought process. She is his partner. Becoming able to a.s.sist him is enough for her. She never desired anything more than that. If he were to sacrifice her like a p.a.w.n, she"d gladly accept the role. Therefore, instead of inquiring what he meant, she doesn"t change the topic, but expresses her intentions. "I will stay by your side, Arus-sama."
"I see… Your determination is crystal clear to me."
That exchange fully satisfies her, however, Arus then adds, "In that case, I need you to acquire abilities appropriate for me." He leans back on his chair and directs his attention onto Loki. "I won"t take you as my partner if you can"t. Still, I"m antic.i.p.ating a future where I have you by my side."
The value of what Arus is asking of Loki places her in a pinch, but she displays her determination without flinching. "I will meet your expectations without fail."
Her expression is steady. As for her thoughts, nothing needs to be said about them. They are as clear and free of anxiety as her composure. Nothing more, nothing less.
Arus says, "I believe your detection range is about 1km." He isn"t asking for confirmation, he is seeing through her abilities.
At Loki"s nod, he adds, "Mine is the same, depending on the circ.u.mstances."
For a supporter who specializes in detection, that level is plenty for combat deployment. Back when Arus was in the military, the reason he didn"t select a partner was rumored to be because he could also detect. Now that Loki hears him personally admit it, she"s finds herself facing heavy internal turmoil.
Arus says, "Loki, I"ll be troubled if you can"t increase your detection range to at least 5km."
The number of magicians with that level of detection can be counted on one hand. Arus might not understand how reckless his request is, but Loki does. Yet, despite that, she says, "I understand."
Loki didn"t say it was impossible. For her, failure comes with the heavy price of losing her reason for living.
Furthermore, Arus doesn"t have any trouble picturing difficulty of his task. However, the fact is that unless Loki can accomplish that task, being useful to him in battle will be hard.
Arus adds, "Of course, you"ll also need to raise your combat abilities, but for now prioritize on raising your detection ability." He then draws a, roughly, 1km half-circle on the map.
That circle means Loki isn"t unrelated to the current situation, yet as expected, he doesn"t give her anymore information. Because those two are still in the room.
Arus then looks towards Tesfia and Alice to say, "We"ll end here today. I need to meet with the Director."
He receives a considerable amount of resistance from Tesfia. Irritation towards being interrupted is on full display as she turns towards him. Then, as though to ignore him, she turns away.[7]
Alice recalls the sensation of absent minded consciousness she experienced during her training. She too can"t understand why she should accept Arus concluding their training.
Tesfia and Alice are forcibly made to return home. Once outside, Tesfia is confused to see Loki still on the other side of the door standing next to Arus. "What are you doing?"
Alice says, "Loki-chan?"
Tesfia and Alice are to return to the woman"s dormitory for the night. Loki, now a student of the academy, also needs to stay at the dormitory. The doubts the two feel are natural. Neither of the two realize, however, that since Loki just enrolled that day, a room has yet to be prepared for her. What they do know is that Arus is a man. To them, a girl cannot stay in the room of a man.
Loki speaks without a trace of bashfulness. "As Arus-sama"s partner, sharing habitation with him is only natural. The two of you do not need to mind it."
The natural composure with which she replies even makes Arus uncomfortable. Regardless, this situation between Arus and Loki isn"t an uncommon one. Even if they spend a night under the same roof, nothing would happen. He says, "Loki, apparently the common practice is that we separate."
People raised by the military develop different standards. That Loki received a chipped general education can"t be helped. Arus too only discovered that dormitories were segregated by s.e.x upon arriving at the academy.
The military is also segregated, but a private room is a.s.signed to the top pair. Arus, however, didn"t care since it had nothing to do with him[8].
Loki shuts her mouth. Her flat expression doesn"t let the others realize, but internally, she"s in the middle of casting her ballot. She then says, "Rejected."
For the first time, Loki rejects Arus"s opinion. Obeying Arus"s instructions is an essential requirement of Loki and therefore is a heavy matter to her. Despite that, her yearning to give her attention to him is more important. As such, her sole desire to support him grows even larger.
Her definition of "support" is broadened. Up until that point, she understood it to mean a.s.sisting Arus in combat. Now, she"s widening it to apply towards daily living conditions.
The decision is unanimous with no one objecting. With it, all the antic.i.p.ated concerns are dismissed.
Alice glances at Arus as she says, "But, won"t this be inconvenient."
"This is normal in the military. There won"t be any inconveniences staying with Arus-sama."
Only Tesfia and Alice who understand the hidden implications of those words blush at Loki"s response.
Tesfia"s emotions flare as she says, "No way! Absolutely, not!" She refuses to allow Loki to stay.
"This doesn"t concern either of you."
Niether Tesfia nor Alice can find words with which to reply. ""……!!""
"Or would the two of you also like to share habitation with Arus-sama? There wouldn"t be any trouble if you do.[9]"
No one can tell if Loki is being sarcastic. Her lack of expression both, makes her appear serious, and makes telling if she"s joking difficult. As such, Tesfia and Alice look towards Arus and then take a step back.
Arus doesn"t care for the opinions of others, but honestly finds their response regrettable. Saying anything, however, would just be a waste of time. Instead, he says, "For now, the two of you should return home. At any rate, I need Loki to accompany me to the Director"s office."
I might not be able to convince them, but mentioning the Director should at least get them to give up.
"Pervert!"
Whether Arus heard Tesfia"s scorn laced scolding is unknown, but Loki, for both better and worse, certainly failed to hear it. Arus, however, must have heard it. The only way for him to overlook the outburst is by having heard it.
T/N: Thank you M4LDD1CT10N for sponsoring this release! That said, this chapter is now done. It wasn"t hard per say, but it had a lot of small areas that were hard. By that, I mean about 4-7 paragraphs that would stall me for half an hour. Actually, that"s a sign of progress if I think about it. Before, they would stall me for an hour~
This chapter was a bit slow, but I for one am grateful to the detail. What I"m really looking forward to is Loki"s introduction to her future cla.s.smates and how those cla.s.smates will react upon seeing her respect to Arus. Fufufu, I can"t wait.
Tell me what you think,
~Gandire Alea
[1] 「お前達が優秀なのはわかったが、訓練以外で俺が付き合う義理はないんだからな、この調子ならロキに時間を割いた方がマシだ」
[2] 息巻いていた割りには少しも惜しくはなかった。
[3] 勝手な思い込みもあっただろうが、結果として二人とも苦汁をなめさせられたということなのだろう。
[4] ロキも軍にいた頃に似たような訓練をしたことがあるが、視界に収まる訓練は成果の乏しい無様なものだった。
[5] 「少なくとも二桁魔法師ぐらいならばいくらか楽ができるだろ？」
[6] 決して華々しい最期などあり得ず、勝つか負けるか、生き残るか死ぬかだけだということを嫌というほど見て、知った。
[7] 途中で邪魔をされたというようにテスフィアが不満気な顔を向けるがやりたきゃ自分の部屋で勝手にやってくれと言いたげにアルスは無視する。
[8] 軍でも分けられているにはいるが、優秀な二人には個室が宛がわれていたため目にすることがなかったし、自分には関係ないと気にしたことがなかったのだ。
[9] 「でしたらお二人もアルス様の部屋で寝食を共にすればよいのでは？」
3.3 A Countermeasure and Counter Plan>