Sleeping Beauty’s Sweets

TN: The POV has changed from Phyllis to a teacher at the academy.

Sleeping goods have recently become popular within the academy.
「That」 was spreading little by little amongst the female students and has now even reached the extent of becoming a topic inside our teacher’s room.

「That’s right, although I was skeptical at first, when I tried eating it to see, that day I immediately fell asleep! It surprised me.」
「Maa! Even Professor Cosaius? Recently I have been unable to fall asleep easily and so haven’t been sleeping well. On the day I ate that, I fell asleep right away.」
「One should say, it is expected, ne? The things that girl makes is always interesting.」
「That’s true! It always surprises me — the things that even my pharmacognosy can not come up with.」
「・・・Hee, that’s an amazing thing, ne? But is it really the result of「That」?」

When I interjected from a distance, Professor Cosaius and Professor Marie expressly turned around and looked at me in surprise.

「Maa! Is Professor Elias interested too?」
「This is rare! For Professor Elias who is called the Ice Magician to care about something. How will things turn out, I wonder, ne?」

It seems that this high-cla.s.s magic academy has some of the greatest credulous people as my sarcasm didn’t reach Professor Cosaius of History of Magic and Professor Marie of Pharmacognosy. As if happy that I had taken interest at all, they continued to smile at me.

「・・・I am just unable to accept that such a strange thing is circulating.」
「Ara~ ara~ maa~ maa~」

Professor Marie looked at me in surprise.

「In that case, how about trying one out to see for yourself? If you’d like, I could give you a piece.」

Professor Marie said so with a mysterious smile floating on her face as she placed 「That」in my hand.

「Surely something good will happen?」

The magicians of this world are cla.s.sified into roughly two types.
One type can cast magic without chants by using one’s own blood. Elves or families with continuous generations of magicians can use magic unconditionally and so many of them are the so-called elite magicians.
The other type invokes magic using the so-called magic square. By constructing the magic square yourself, magic will be invoked. Many of those who have come here have acquired being able to use such magic. By the way, I am of the latter type.

Since my childhood, I have been able to see the magic formula others used in their magic. Actually, I have noticed that others are not able to do this but since I do not want to stand out,  I repressed my feelings.
Talent that is too different from others will be feared. No, perhaps it is the person who is different that will be feared.
However, the result was that I have become expressionless and was given the ridiculous nickname,「Ice Magician」. Becoming conspicuous instead, I have no idea how in the world I had fallen.
But thanks to being able to see magic formulas, I have had loads of fun since I was small. I read the formula in the magic square for the first time, re-constructed and incorporated it into my own magic square. The more complex the magic square was, the better. And then, before long, I had forgotten to eat and sleep because I was gazing at the magic square.

「・・・This is a waste of time.」

I returned to my room and saw 「That」which was left on top of my desk. No matter how many times you look at it, it is just an ordinary sweet. But just to be sure, I place it once again on top of my palm and search for vestiges of magic. However, nothing has changed. Although I am interested in the topic of how she had come to such magic in order to produce this thing; well, even if there is some kind of effect that shows, this is still under the category of pharmacognosy, right?

「Insomnia・・・huh? Well, it is an unrelated story to me.」

I have never had a hard time sleeping and so I had no interest in it. Maa, but if that Professor Marie recommends it, perhaps it may contain some good herbs. And so I tossed「That」into my mouth.

And so, that day, I saw a strange dream.

「　・・・Where is here?」

There was a splendid garden. Underneath the perfectly clear blue sky, elegant topiaries stood on both sides of a pa.s.sage and the lawn underneath one’s feet was trimmed to perfection. The topiaries on both sides had white roses in an arch and hedges stretched beyond leading to a wide maze.

「I do not know such a place・・・? Is this some sort of invoked magic or is this merely a dream?」

Carefully pa.s.sing through the long maze; beyond stood an elegant white gazebo with pink roses entwined around it. And there, sitting in the middle of a bench, was a young girl who was looking a little bit down.

「・・・Who are you?」

When I approached to enquire, the child raised her head and looked this way.

「Ara, you did well to come here, ne.」

Looking at me, the child laughs delightfully with a carefree face. The young lady had fluffy light brown hair and light brown eyes. But somehow, the face wasn’t clearly recognizable. Only the face seemed to be dimly blurred.

「Why did you come here?」
「I ーーー that’s right… I wonder what I came to do… here…」

While I continue the conversation, I try to sense any kind of magic but there is no indication. It appears that it is merely a dream. I feel a bit relieved.

「Why are you here?」
「I ーーー I also do not understand it well either. But, I feel as if I am waiting for someone here.」
「Are you a lost child?」
「I also do not understand it well・・・Nee, aren’t you a bit tired? It was probably difficult to pa.s.s through that maze to come here, right? Please sit down, if you’d like.」

The young girl giggled as if she was having fun. Unintentionally lured in, a smile came out. If this is inside a dream, I may not need to hold back my expression as usual. Sitting next to the young girl, I took a good look at her face. As I stared, gradually her facial features became clearer.

「Why do you think I’m tired?」
「Because no one has managed to reach here until now. Besides, although I have seen other people in the garden and in the maze; everyone comes with their partner. A lover or together with their child・・・But you came here by yourself, right? That’s why I thought that you got lost while pa.s.sing through the maze and arrived here just like me.」
「Unfortunately, however, I didn’t get lost in the maze. There is a trick to getting through a maze. As long as you follow that, you will absolutely never lose your way.」
「Maa, really?」
「You did not know?」
「Ee! I have lost my way in this maze many times? And before I knew it, it had already become morning!」
「That is terrible.」

The maze in this garden is basic and wasn’t made to mislead people. Although there are 2 or 3 places where you should be careful, you can arrive at the gazebo in the center easily. I did not think that a person could get lost in such an easy maze and so I burst into laughter.

「Maa! Why are you laughing so hard! Even though I tried so hard to memorize the paths inside the maze!」

It is interesting how her face is turning slightly red from anger. I want to see that face more clearly and so I bring my face closer to her. Her face reddened and she immediately turned away. Is this because she is embarra.s.sed?

「Kukuku, my bad, my bad. Well then, I’ll tell you how so let me see your face more clearly.」

Saying that, I touched her cheek and turned her face towards me. Then her body suddenly starts shaking and her eyes froze and became big. Her thin lips that were slightly dyed in red opened as if waiting for something.

「Ah, ano・・・」
「The maze・・・」

I started talking up to that point until ーーー I finally understood who she was.

「・・・Phyllis Magika, it’s you!」

And then, I suddenly woke up.
The dazzling morning light shone around the bed and my body had a refreshing feeling I had never experienced until now.

TN: