Chapter 24: Motive A week after I started my self-training at the 3rd Knight Order.
I felt like my casting time was faster now compared to when I first started, thanks to my efforts during and after lectures.
Of course, it was more effective as well.
According to the knights, the intervals between magic castings had shortened, and the recovery amount had increased.
Moreover, the Head Magician also noticed this and praised me.
"You"ve made a lot of progress."
"Thank you."
"You"re improving faster than I expected. Did you practice outside of lectures as well?"
The Head Magician laughed as if he knew what I was up to.
It seemed that the fact that I was practicing at the 3rd Knight Order was exposed.
I also laughed mischievously.
"Only a little."
"You seem to be working very hard. Do you have any goals?"
"Goals? Not really……" I said and dodged the subject.
My goal was to be taken just a little bit seriously by the Head Magician, who was casting magic aloof from the world, next to me.
After that……
"And a request for subjugation a.s.sistance might come……" I said, and the Head Magician widened his eyes.
This came up when I talked to the Director before. When I thought about the results from the subjugations I had partic.i.p.ated in, it seemed highly likely that this would happen.
My magic manipulation had improved, and partic.i.p.ating in subjugations would be the best way to see my results.
If I cast magic like I did last time at the hospital, then there was no need to cast it quickly.
"Do you intend to partic.i.p.ate in a subjugation, Sei-sama?"
"Yes, but only if I"m requested."
"If you"re requested? How about for other purposes?"
"Other purposes? I don"t have any……"
"Well, what about for the other benefits?"
Benefits?
I tilted my head at the Head Magician"s words.
What benefits?
Would I receive some kind of special reward because it"s not normal work?
However, I was surprised. Wasn"t the Head Magician training me to go on subjugations?
The reason why they had the current system was because he thought it was pointless to only practice magic manipulation.
The Head Magician was training me in a way that was useful to combat so I thought that he wanted me to partic.i.p.ate in the subjugation. Was I wrong?
I asked, and this time the Head Magician tilted his head.
"You didn"t train me to go on subjugations?"
"Yes, that wasn"t my intention……"
"Then, what are you training me for?"
"It can"t be helped if one of the reasons was to only manipulate magic, but it"s impossible to observe your magic like that, Sei-sama."
"Really?"
"Yes."
It was surprising for him to answer as if it was the most natural thing ever.
He wanted to observe my magic……
I certainly had heard that he was going to observe my magic during the lecture but I didn"t think that he was really doing it.
I felt unexpectedly drained.
"But surely, a request will come for you in the future," the Head Magician said while I was pondering.
Somehow, I couldn"t say that I had dug my own grave.
"So one will come?"
"There are some people in the Court Mage Division who can use holy magic, but theirs isn"t as strong as yours."
"Can you also use it, Head Magician?"
"I can use it, but I usually use offensive magic during subjugations."
That"s right.
There"s probably no one with more powerful holy magic than me.
Somehow, the Head Magician gave off the impression of being a muscle head.
This person was the best in the Court Mage Division, wasn"t he?
Did he not command the mages if he"s attacking most the time?
"If a request comes for you, it"ll probably be at the West Forest."
"At the West Forest?"
"You shouldn"t have any problems at the West Forest at your level, Sei-sama."
"But, that appears……"
I frowned when I heard the destination.
The West Forest was where the Salamander had appeared, and it was the place where a lot of people got injured during the last subjugation.
"The miasma in the West Forest is dense. I"m interested in how much your magic would affect the miasma there, Sei-sama. And also……"
My anxiety was not even on his mind, the Head Magician was already thinking about conducting research at the West Forest.
A lot of people got injured from there on the last subjugation. I was scared to go to the West Forest.
However, judging from his appearance, it didn"t seem like the Head Magician regarded the West Forest as anything special.
Even according to the knights, they didn"t normally receive that much damage at the West Forest, so it probably wasn"t a dangerous place, right?
But it is said that something that happens twice would happen again……
"What seems to be the problem?"
"No…… Mhm……"
I looked at the grumbling Head Magician while thinking, and our eyes met.
He noticed my gaze.
Should I tell him that I feel uneasy going to the West Forest?
I was at a loss for words, wondering whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing to tell him.
It must have shown on my face, because the Head Magician started talking about the West Forest.
"As I mentioned earlier, the subjugation at the West Forest will be an easy affair at your level, Sei-sama."
"Really?"
"Yes. I"ve been there many times but it been ridiculous lately……"
"Hah?"
"A large quant.i.ty of demons have gathered in the meantime. It would have been fun if I was able to partic.i.p.ate before, but I was unfortunately in a coma."
"There was that thing that happened last time, so the next subjugation will happen soon. The number of demons would be the same as usual, or it may be less than usual. It"s just right for your first battle, Sei-sama."
He concluded, and smiled as if to rea.s.sure me.
The Head Magician, who said that he would have fun, even though so many people had received damage, was probably really strong.
I wasn"t satisfied with that explanation because I had seen the knights after that subjugation.
However, I could agree with his guess about the next subjugation.
The demons had acc.u.mulated because some time had pa.s.sed since the last subjugation.
Given that, the next subjugation would happen soon.
While I was silently collecting my thoughts, the Head Magician probably thought I was still worried, and said:
"It"ll be fine. I"ll be joining in the next subjugation."
"You"ll be coming along?"
"Of course. I"ll protect you. I won"t let you get hurt at all."
I smiled ambiguously at the Head Magician"s words.
Other people would probably be on cloud nine if the Head Magician told them, "I"ll protect you."
But, I won"t accept it.
It"s not wrong for me not accept it.
Because, "I won"t let you get hurt at all (because you"re important for my research)," felt like what he wanted to say.
Translator: Blushy