Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Trust Relationship (5)

“A condition?”

“I heard from Lloyd last time. He said you were creating a curse to catch Aron, Professor.”

“That is true.”

“When that curse is completed and you go to catch Aron, I would like you to be sure to tell me as well.”

I reminded myself of exactly who the professor standing before me was.

A Grade 1 Black Mage, Dave Boris.

Until just before the war broke out between the Holy Empire and the Dark Empire, he had worked as an Instructor at Necropia.

But in this round, unlike the previous round, he had been appointed as a professor at Saengterminum.

In order to catch me, who was hiding in Saengterminum.

Among the Black Mages currently in Saengterminum, there was no Black Mage with greater recognition than Professor Dave. 

Professor Dave had surely been given a mission by the Dark Empire to catch me.

In other words, if I could win Professor Dave’s trust and learn when the curse would be completed, it would become considerably easier for me to prepare against the curse that would be placed on me.

Since Professor Dave had been an Instructor at Necropia, the academy I had attended, I would have to be careful about my behavior.

But as long as I was a little cautious about that, I could obtain clues to prepare for the curse, so it was a profitable bargain.

In that case, this was where I should use some self-disparagement.

I acted with the most determined expression I could manage.

“I will not be satisfied with merely passing information along. I want to catch Aron with my own hands.”

“Heh....... You do have courage, just as Lloyd said.”

Professor Dave’s brow narrowed at the condition I proposed.

“However, public and private matters are separate. I cannot tell you concrete details of the progress when you are still only a student.”

Well, I thought he would say that.

But I know what kind of personality you have.

He was someone who was quite thorough about give-and-take.

And I was an oddity who did not dislike Black Magic despite being a Holy Magic Department student.

There was plenty of room for negotiation.

“However, if you produce meaningful results regarding Aron, I am willing to tell you.”

In short, if I wanted to know, I had to show sincerity.

Because he still could not completely trust me.

“That much is fine.”

I nodded.

For now, it was enough to create this much leeway.

That old-fashioned curse would take more than a month to cast properly anyway.

As I was now, gaining Professor Dave’s trust within that period was not particularly difficult.

“Let us leave the private talk at that.”

“......?”

“This time, as a professor appointed to Saengterminum, I will offer you my congratulations.”

“What do you.......”

“You will know as soon as today’s class begins.”

***

As soon as today’s class began, I understood why Professor Dave had said that.

Professor Noel and Professor Dave appeared in the classroom together, stood on the classroom podium, called my name, and brought me to the front.

“Normally, license grade reassessment takes quite some time....... But these results are quite exceptional on our side as well.”

“Therefore, under the judgment of Headmaster Levia and us professors, your grade has been adjusted upward.”

I received the ‘License’ the two professors held out and checked the grade.

[Grade 3]

Grade 3.

It was not the temporary ‘Grade 3’ that Headmaster Levia had arbitrarily assigned during the Joint Class. 

I had officially become License Grade 3.

I knew my grade would be reassessed, but to think the procedure would be carried out in a single day.

“You look surprised.”

Perhaps they thought my expression looked bewildered, because Professor Dave and Professor Noel added further explanation.

“Your entrance grades were not good, but you proved your own capabilities in this Joint Class. You placed third among all those first-year students.”

“On top of that, although you had Viole’s help, you even took down Karin, a Grade 2 first-year student enrolled in the Magic Department. You competed against other Grade 2 students without being pushed back through battle sense alone. We cannot leave a student like that at Grade 7.”

CLAP CLAP.......

The sound of applause almost began from one corner of the classroom, then stopped.

Wondering what it was, I turned my gaze over and saw Yulia looking around in confusion.

‘A-Are we not supposed to congratulate him here.......?’

Her face roughly said that.

Viole, who was sitting beside Yulia, giggled and lightly brought her palms together.

CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP.......!

Like that, applause gradually spread through the classroom one person at a time.

Mmm... This was embarrassing. 

I had absolutely no resistance to this kind of thing.

After giving a slight bow, I returned to my seat.

“And as written in the curriculum, starting today, the ‘Artificial Rift’ will be opened not only to you students, but also to other visitors. Make sure to keep that in mind.......”

Professor Dave continued speaking, but most of the students’ attention was focused on me.

“Insane....... Straight from Grade 7 to Grade 3?”

“He took down a Grade 2 student too?”

“Was he in a mercenary corps or something before coming here?”

The Joint Class was a survival class in which all first-year students participated.

And since I had placed third among the current first-years, this sort of attention was natural.

That was how people’s minds worked, was it not? They wanted to rank everything and line everyone up.

That said, I was not particularly close to the students of my own department in the classroom, so most people would normally just whisper like that, but.......

“Now the other kids are finally looking at you differently.”

There were also kids like this one, who approached without hesitation.

As soon as break time came, Viole stood beside me while shaping her mouth into a foxlike smile and spoke to me.

“Hehe, how does it feel? How does it feel to become a popular guy?”

“That transparent flattery is enough.”

“Tsk, how boring.......”

Even if you pout like that.

You did not come to congratulate me out of pure goodwill anyway, did you?

“You were about to say something to me yesterday, but stopped. Is that what you want to ask about?”

“...Huh?”

Having been struck right on target, Viole’s lips opened and closed.

“That is true, but.......”

“Say that first. Do not drag it out in a strange way.”

“Why do you remember all of that?”

Seeing her smile brightly as she said that, I wondered if she was still a child after all.

Even as I said this, I could guess what Viole wanted to say to me.

“It is nothing major....... Could you teach me how to fight well?”

I knew she would say that.

Viole used blessings well, but her combat ability itself was not particularly outstanding.

In other words, if she only raised her combat ability, she would become an outstanding fighter.

She was probably aware of that herself. 

That was why she was asking me for advice.

Hmm... She was also close to Yulia, so there was nothing bad about earning points with her like this.

“Good. Then let’s take a look after class today.”

“Really?”

Viole’s face brightened.

***

After today’s class ended, Viole and I met separately at the Training Hall.

The two of us were not the only ones who came.

“...You came too?”

Yulia was standing a short distance away.

“Ahem, I was curious about what kind of teaching you would give my friend?”

For someone saying that, faint distrust was rippling in her eyes.

“You really do not trust me that much?”

“...You remember the commotion you caused at the restaurant yesterday, do you not?”

“Hey, that was self-defense. It was an insult against cocoa.”

Ah Now that I think about it again, it makes me angry.

“Tsk, I should have seen the face of the Head Chef who made that.”

“.......”

Yulia looked at me with dull eyes, but I was confident.

If someone plays around with food, one should get angry. 

Am I wrong?

Anyway.

“So you want me to teach you how to fight?”

“Yes. I thought about how I could improve in my own way.”

Standing before me, Viole confidently held out her wrist.

A bracelet that seemed to be made of hard metal was wrapped around her wrist.

Of course, it was not an ordinary bracelet.

If my memory was correct, that bracelet’s effect was probably.......

“It is an Artifact I obtained with the points I earned yesterday. Apparently, it has the effect of increasing body weight.”

“Really?”

That was right. 

I was sure it had that effect.

“Since I do not weigh much... I wondered if my power might also increase if my body weight went up.”

WOOONG.......

Viole activated the Artifact, took a stance, and swung her Mace.

WHOOSH!

My bangs fluttered in the small gust of wind that arose from the aftermath.

Certainly, thanks to more weight being put into it, the destructive power when she swung was higher than before.

Viole turned off the Artifact and smiled with quite a bit of satisfaction.

“Hehe, what do you think? When I use this, my attacks become heavier.”

“It is not bad.”

I clearly remembered that Viole had chosen that Artifact as her reward from the Joint Class in the previous round as well.

Now then... shall I check whether it lives up to its name?

The corner of my mouth rose.

“But you know, do you think that Artifact only improved your offense?”

“Hm?”

I openly pointed at Viole’s side and raised Holy Power.

“I will strike exactly there, so try blocking it.”

“...Eh?”

Confusion flashed across Viole’s face, but though Yulia seemed a little surprised, she was not flustered.

It seemed she had immediately realized what I was trying to do.

“Ah, do not worry. I will control my strength when I hit you.”

Auto-Casting.

Grace of Strength, Grace of Agility.

Using one foot as an axis, I twisted my waist.

Then I lightly sent a right roundhouse kick toward her side.

THUD!

A hard impact traveled up the top of my foot and into my leg.

That was because Viole had raised her Mace at the place I had pointed to and blocked the top of my foot.

However.

“Kyaa!”

SKIIIIID!

Viole let out a shrill scream and was pushed sideways just like that.

She somehow managed to maintain her stance, but her center of gravity shook greatly.

Ignoring that, I fixed my posture and strode toward her.

“One more time.”

“W-Wait?”

“This time, turn on the Artifact and block it.”

“No... Hey!”

THUD!

I landed a roundhouse kick in exactly the same spot as before.

“Heh, look at this.”

I let out a hollow laugh at the scene that unfolded.

Even though she had blocked my attack head-on, Viole’s body did not waver an inch.

It felt as if I had struck a rock firmly rooted in the ground.

“Normally, if you received an impact of this level, your body should have been pushed sideways like before. Even if you block an attack, a difference in weight class is not just for show.”

WOOONG.

I glanced at the Artifact making an activation hum on her wrist.

“You endured my strength perfectly thanks to the Artifact. You did choose a useful one.”

“Ahem....... It is good to experience this sort of thing personally, is it not? It reaches you faster that way.”

“Yulia, even you?”

Viole’s lips turned pouty.

“Ugh....... Even so, did you have to confirm it like this?”

“I just wondered how much like steel you were.”

“...Steel?”

“Well, there is something like that.”

I shrugged and vaguely brushed it off.

Just as Yulia had been called ‘Sword Radiance,’ Viole also had another name.

Her alias was ‘Steel Saintess.’

It was a name she had earned because she did not stop at granting blessings, but also stepped forward depending on the situation and maintained the front line like solid steel.

It might seem like quite an unusual alias for someone who had been called a Saintess, but... in truth, this alias had been softened by the Holy Empire.

Among Black Mages, myself included, Viole had been called something a little different.

What had she been called, you ask?

You will know from this point on.

“You know. You say it is unfortunate that your skill is lacking, but do you not think the weapon you are using now is more of a problem?”

“My weapon? This? You mean the Mace?”

“Yes, that.”

In the previous round as well, her combat ability had improved noticeably after she changed weapons.

If I simply changed her weapon, the combat ability she had been lacking would improve a great deal.

“But I like the feel of the Mace when I hit things.......”

“Does a clergywoman talk about the feel of hitting things?”

“I-It is my choice, is it not?”

“Ah, is that so?”

Whatever the case, I knew what weapon Viole had mainly used in the previous round.

“Give me the Mace for a moment.”

After taking the Mace she held out, I infused Holy Power into it and drew a formula.

Swoooosh.......

Holy Power surged around the end of the Mace, and the Holy Power rising from the right and left gathered together, taking form.

Holy Light Forging.

Holy Light Axe, Single Forging.

This was enough.

“Viole.”

I held out the Mace, now clad in ‘Holy Light Forging,’ to her.

It was a Mace that, due to the Holy Power, had changed into a shape similar to a double-bladed axe.

“An axe suits you better than a Mace.”

This was why she had been called not the ‘Steel Saintess,’ but the ‘Skull-Cracking Saintess.’