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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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A week had passed since Allen’s class began.
The students’ skills were steadily improving, but there were noticeable side effects.
“I think I’m going to die… I’m so tired…”
“…I agree, but could you please not cling to me?”
Ariana pushed Sena away, who was whining and clinging to her. Sena’s eyes widened in mock hurt, and she promptly latched onto Amy.
“That’s mean. Amy, I’m wounded~”
“Ha… It’s a rare day off. Can’t we just relax quietly?”
Too exhausted to push Sena away, Amy resigned herself to her fate. Sena snuggled into Amy’s embrace, a smug smile on her face.
“See! You should be more open-minded like Amy! That’s why you’re so small!”
“Are you serious?! Look who’s talking…!”
“Kyaa! Amy! Save me!”
“Sigh…”
The three of them had come to the shopping district to enjoy their day off, but the unexpected heat had forced them to take a break at a cafe.
“I didn’t realize how important days off were.”
Ariana leaned back in the plush chair, sipping her peach iced tea. Sena nodded in agreement, sipping her iced chocolate latte.
“Tell me about it~”
“That professor doesn’t seem to realize we have other classes to attend.”
“Exactly. He’s so scary. But… maybe that’s why I’m drawn to him…?”
“…You need to see a psychiatrist.”
Amy, who had been listening quietly, lifted her cup of Darjeeling tea.
“Still, our skills are definitely improving.”
Ariana frowned.
“Wouldn’t it be abnormal if they didn’t improve, considering how he pushes us?”
“Haven’t you received this level of training from your family?”
“Well… no, but…”
Amy took a sip of her tea and said confidently,
“Aside from my father, this is the best training I’ve ever received. Even the other professors, who said I was nearing my limits and that only time would bring further improvement, are surprised by my progress.”
“He’s definitely… better than those incompetent ones.”
Ariana reluctantly agreed. It was unfair to the other professors, though.
The Royal Class was comprised of the most talented students, and Amy and Ariana were considered among the best in history.
There was little the professors could teach them, and even that had dwindled as they approached graduation.
Naturally, the professors, having never taught students more talented than themselves, had advised them to simply gain experience with time… but Allen was force-feeding them that experience.
“Hey~ It’s too much to call them incompetent.”
“Sena, you can’t deny it either.”
“…No comment.”
Sena buried her face in Amy’s chest, defeated.
Her proficiency in divine magic had also significantly improved. Amy contemplated whether she should pry Sena off of her.
“Sigh… huh?”
Glancing out the window, Amy spotted an unexpected figure. Professor Allen, the very subject of their recent conversation.
“Did you see something interesting? Ah…!”
“What is it…? Oh!”
“…Was that synchronized reaction really necessary?”
Amy gave them a deadpan look. Sena shrugged.
“We were surprised, weren’t we?”
“Yeah. To think that he takes breaks.”
“I thought he’d be out searching for training materials even on the weekends.”
“What do you two think Professor Allen is, exactly?”
The two replied in unison.
“A cold-blooded professor.”
“A cool and handsome man?”
“…I’ll tell him that when I get the chance.”
“Ooh~”
“The model student awakens~!”
They teased Amy in unison. Sena, quickly losing interest, shifted her gaze.
“By the way, do you think Professor Allen has a girlfriend?”
“Cough…!”
Amy choked on her tea, surprised by the sudden topic change. Ariana smirked.
“What’s this, Amy~? Are you interested in Professor Allen?”
“What? Really? Oh my~”
Amy glared at the teasing Ariana and the overly excited Sena.
“…Shut up, both of you.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
“Sorry…”
Seeing Amy channeling her magical power, ready for battle, they quickly backed down. Amy, finding it difficult to see her friends so dejected, decided to give them a little leeway.
“Sigh… well, I am curious how he spends his free time.”
“Right, right? Aren’t you curious too, Amy?”
“…You’re unbelievable.”
Ariana was taken aback by Sena’s rapid change in attitude. Amy shook her head in agreement. Undeterred, Sena jumped up, her eyes sparkling.
“I know! Let’s follow him!”
“What~? Are you serious? You want to waste our precious day off like that?”
Ariana protested, but Sena’s determination was unwavering.
“We’ll prove our skills by following him without getting caught until we return to the dormitory!”
“What if he increases the difficulty of the class because of this?”
“…I-It’ll be fine! We just have to avoid getting caught!”
Listening to their conversation, Amy suddenly remembered a conversation she’d had with Eil. It had been a while since Eil’s condition had stabilized enough for visitors.
‘What did you do to relax? Relax? On the battlefield?’
When she’d asked if there were any days off, Eil had replied firmly.
“No. You never know when the savages will attack, so even when you’re resting, you’re not really resting. I don’t know about other units, but we’d at most maintain our weapons or do some light training. I didn’t want to die of exhaustion from swinging a sword.”
There had been no emotion in Eil’s eyes as he’d said that if he couldn’t use magic, he had to be able to wield something.
She hadn’t forgotten that empty gaze.
Even after recovering, Eil couldn’t sleep soundly.
According to their mother, who had nursed him in the hospital, he would wake up at the slightest sound, channeling his magical power.
Even though the pain of channeling magic in his weakened state was excruciating…
Eil couldn’t break the habit, their mother had said tearfully.
So, what about Allen, who had fought in the war even longer than Eil? Amy couldn’t even begin to imagine. Impulsively, she decided.
“Let’s do it. Let’s follow him.”
“…What~? Are you serious, Amy?”
Amy didn’t waver, despite Ariana’s shock. She quickly came up with a plausible excuse.
“We might get a hint for the next class.”
“Come to think of it… the exam is coming up soon, isn’t it?”
Ariana realized the midterm exam was in two weeks.
Sena exclaimed, as if she’d also forgotten,
“Ah~! Professor Allen’s class started mid-semester because it’s a special class, right? But the schedule after that is the same as the others, isn’t it~?”
“…Why are you suddenly speaking in an explanatory tone?”
“Just felt like it?”
“Never mind…”
Although Allen’s class hadn’t been part of the original curriculum, a significant number of top students, including them, had enrolled.
Assuming they didn’t mess up their other exams, Allen’s exam had a high probability of determining their overall ranking this semester! Ariana was shocked after doing the math.
“You thought that far ahead, Amy?! You’re really obsessed with grades!”
“…Yes.”
It wasn’t true, but Amy decided to go with it. Sena, sensing their decision, quickly grabbed their arms.
“Let’s go! We’ll lose him!”
The three of them hurried after Allen.
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“Your concealment magic is reliable, right, Amy?”
“Of course. Just be careful not to go out of range.”
They were about 100 meters behind Allen. They wanted to get closer, but considering his uncanny senses, this was the best they could do. Sena narrowed her eyes, observing Allen, then blinked.
“What’s he carrying around?”
Several large packages were floating behind Allen, the result of his visits to various stores. Ariana was impressed by his skillful use of telekinesis.
“He’s truly amazing. What’s his specialty, anyway?”
“Judging by his close combat skills, he’s better than most martial artists… and he’s not bad with bladed weapons either. And now telekinesis? Could he be… much older than he looks?”
Amy immediately refuted Sena’s thoughtful deduction.
“I don’t think so. According to Eil, Professor Allen is definitely ‘human’.”
“Hmm, maybe he’s just more talented than us?”
Although they hadn’t seen Allen’s true strength, Ariana’s instincts told her he was far more powerful than he appeared. She’d even considered the possibility that he was a Master, but she shook her head.
“Anyway, that’s not important right now. The question is, where is he going with all that luggage…? Huh? Isn’t that…?”
Allen was headed towards a familiar store, one they frequented. Venus, a store nicknamed the “forbidden zone for men” in Minerva’s shopping district. As the name and nickname suggested, it sold only women’s lingerie.
“Does he really have a girlfriend…?”
Sena muttered, dazed.
The other two were equally stunned by the unbelievable sight. Several minutes passed. They only snapped out of it when Allen emerged from the store.
“H-He… he bought lingerie for his girlfriend… he’s such an amazing man…?”
Ariana’s voice wavered as she spoke, her words disjointed. Sena urged her friends forward.
“L-Let’s follow him! We don’t have much time left, so we should be able to see his real destination.”
“Wouldn’t we be interrupting if he’s going to see his girlfriend…?”
Amy muttered dejectedly.
“Come on! We’ve come this far! We have to see this through!”
“D-Don’t push…!”
They continued to follow Allen. He didn’t stop even after leaving the shopping district.
“He lives quite far away.”
Ariana tilted her head as they passed a sign indicating the outskirts of the city.
“Was there a residential area this far out?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been this far.”
Amy was equally puzzled. Did people actually live this far from the city center?
“Is this… could it be…?”
Only Sena seemed to have realized something.
“Do you know something?”
“This is where I volunteer…?”
“Volunteer? Then, could it be…?”
Just as they finally realized Allen’s destination, he spoke.
“Yes, that’s right. This is where the Imperial orphanage is located.”
“…!”
“!!!”
“?!”
They turned around stiffly to see Allen standing there, his signature refreshing smile on his face. Amy, feigning composure, cautiously asked, “…How long have you known?”
“Since you… ah, I almost slipped up. I knew from the beginning.”
Allen muttered, as if his words were tangled, then smiled brightly.
“More precisely, since Amy cast her concealment magic. It was quite advanced, but… not quite as good as a Shadow Serpent’s. If you want to follow me again, try adjusting your magical power to the level of an ordinary person.”
“Hide the tree in the forest, you mean.”
Ariana looked at Amy, who was still learning even in this situation, with a mixture of exasperation and admiration. She then pointed at the luggage behind Allen and asked, “So, you were carrying all that to donate to the orphanage?”
“Yes, that’s right. I usually send a portion of my salary, but since I’m at Minerva, I thought I’d visit.”
“T-Then, the lingerie…?”
Sena asked cautiously.
Allen shrugged.
“They said they were short on underwear for the girls. I bought all sizes. Isn’t Venus the most famous store for that?”
“It’s a luxury brand…”
“Really? It was certainly expensive. Anyway…”
Allen patted the luggage and smiled at them.
“Since it’s a precious day off, why were you following your professor?”
It was the same smile, but it held a sharp edge. The three of them couldn’t meet his gaze, intimidated by the sudden shift in atmosphere.
“W-Well…”
“You came to volunteer together, right?”
Allen threw them a lifeline, and Sena quickly nodded.
“Y-Yes! We definitely weren’t curious about your girlfriend, or trying to get hints for the exam, or anything like that!”
“…!”
“Y-You idiot…!”
Amy and Ariana paled at Sena’s unexpected self-sabotage. They looked at Allen hesitantly, and he simply hummed, a playful expression on his face. Realizing their future classes would be even more grueling, they vowed to punish Sena later.
Allen chuckled, looking at his adorable students.
“Come on, let’s go. The children are waiting eagerly.”
“Alright…”
The three followed Allen, feeling like cattle being led to the slaughterhouse. And so, they spent their precious day off having a “happy” time at the orphanage.
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