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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The war was over.
Lorraine’s head was immediately sealed within a vacuum-sealed barrier. It was a gruesome trophy we needed to present to the Emperor.
The suppression force spent the day parading through the four castles, replacing the rebel banners with the Imperial standard.
There were no incidents of sabotage or assassination attempts. It seemed Lorraine had instructed his followers to refrain from any further resistance.
The captured rebel soldiers, after a brief and largely symbolic interrogation, were released.
It was simply impractical to house and feed such a large number of prisoners.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes.”
I was packing my belongings when Pelaine appeared at the door.
It wasn’t so much leaving as it was escaping. I knew the post-war administrative tasks would be overwhelming, and I wanted no part in it.
As a mere volunteer, I could simply slip away, leaving the mess for others to clean up. I had wielded considerable power as the Commander-in-Chief’s advisor during the war, but now, I could shirk all responsibility.
It felt rather cowardly, even to me.
“The Holy Knights will likely remain stationed here for some time, maintaining order until the suppression force is officially disbanded.”
“I see. They will have to continue their hard work.”
“It’s nothing. Thanks to you, we achieved a miraculous victory. So much has happened in the past week that I still feel like I’ll wake up and find it was all a dream.”
“It’s not a dream. I can assure you of that.”
“What happened in the bathhouse that day… that wasn’t a dream either, was it?”
Clank.
I felt a presence behind me, the sound of armor shifting. Pelaine’s arms wrapped around my waist.
I turned to find her pressed against me, her gaze fixed on my face.
She closed her eyes and leaned in, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Mmm…”
I gently stroked her head, eliciting a soft moan.
Her warm laughter was infectious. The feeling of her large, twitching ears brushing against my hand was… pleasant.
Like petting a large, affectionate animal.
“That wasn’t a dream either. You can always rely on me. I will always be on your side.”
They were words I would never say to anyone else.
I would encourage them to stand on their own, not offer comfort or support. But with Pelaine, a woman of unwavering strength and resilience, I felt no such hesitation.
She would cry, perhaps, but she would pick herself up and carry on. She wouldn’t lean on me, and wouldn’t become dependent.
At least, not the Pelaine of this world.
Tap…!
“Ehem!”
Hurried footsteps approached the door. Someone had been eavesdropping.
Pelaine quickly pulled away, her expression reverting to its usual sternness. The playful, affectionate woman of moments ago was gone.
“Regardless, thank you for your hard work, Schlus. Safe travels.”
“I’ll be going then.”
I shook Pelaine’s hand, a smile playing on my lips.
I knew this wasn’t goodbye.
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Kane’s elaborate farewell procession only lasted until we reached the edge of the city.
Once we were outside the castle walls, the carriage fell silent.
Erica was asleep, drooling on Iris’s shoulder. Ainz was slumped against me, practically unconscious.
Iris, sitting upright, appeared awake, but her eyes were closed. It seemed I was the only one still conscious.
They had all exerted themselves during the victory celebrations, attending countless events as honored guests.
I was about to close my eyes when—
“Schlus, Schlus. Isn’t now a good time?”
“Hmm?”
Trie whispered in my ear.
A good time for what?
“You promised to teach me magic after the midterms. We’re already a week behind schedule. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to catch up?”
“Now…?”
I was exhausted, but Trie’s eager expression made it difficult to refuse.
There was no guarantee her enthusiasm would last until we returned to the capital. It was best to strike while the iron was hot.
“Trie, I believe you have a solid foundation in magic.”
“Really?”
“But everything is… basic.”
Trie’s magical abilities were rarely on display, but from what I had seen, this was an accurate assessment.
She understood the fundamentals, but that was all. She could replicate spells I taught her, but she lacked the ability to create her own.
Developing this skill was crucial.
“Let’s start with the basic structures of spells and their combinations.”
“Eh? I already know that. I learned it as a child. Can’t you teach me something from Professor Ludwig’s advanced elemental magic course?”
Let me correct that.
Her understanding of the basics was… lacking. With this attitude, any attempt to teach her more advanced concepts would be futile.
I needed to break her arrogance first.
“Have you ever heard of magical tug-of-war?”
“The children’s game?”
“Yes. That one.”
Magical tug-of-war was a game where two mages would create a simple spell and compete for control over it.
Without restrictions, the mage with the larger mana pool would always win.
So, we would limit the amount of mana that could be channeled, making it a test of computational ability.
“I’ve already mastered such childish games.”
“Did you just call it a childish game?”
“Of course. There are only a few possible outcomes. It’s all about who goes first.”
“You’ll regret those words. I will use only one channel. You can use three.”
“Really? Are you sure? This will be over quickly.”
I drew a simple circle in the air, a basic spell that simply circulated mana, with no additional effects.
Trie looked at me as if I were joking, but I ignored her and proceeded.
I connected a single channel to the spell, preparing to interfere.
Trie connected three.
“Give me a signal when you’re ready.”
“Okay. I’m—”
“Begin.”
Since I was at a disadvantage, I resorted to a slightly underhanded tactic.
The moment I said “Begin,” I attempted to sever Trie’s connection to the spell. But her mana, flowing in from three directions, blocked my attempt and surged towards me.
Despite my superior computational abilities, I was overwhelmed. The simple circle was quickly reversed, and my connection was nearly severed.
“Huh?!”
The circle began to sprout branches, becoming increasingly complex.
I had modified the spell, increasing its complexity and security.
At a basic level, magical tug-of-war was like tic-tac-toe, with a limited number of possible moves. But by manipulating the spell’s structure, the possibilities expanded exponentially, like transforming tic-tac-toe into a three-dimensional game.
This was likely Trie’s first encounter with this style of play.
“Ugh! How am I supposed to reverse this?!”
“You should have maintained control. With only one channel, my spell’s complexity is limited. Your best strategy was to take the initiative and increase the spell’s complexity yourself.”
“Again!”
Frustrated, Trie raised her voice.
I obliged, but the outcome remained the same. After ten rounds, Trie had yet to win a single match.
Every time she attempted to modify the spell, I would quickly reverse it and regain control.
“I’m not playing anymore. You’re cheating.”
“Cheating? Don’t be absurd.”
“Then why do I keep losing? My spells are more complex, and my mana flow is faster!”
“Trie, the spells you create lack complexity. You know the basic structures, but you don’t know how to combine them. Simply arranging basic structures in parallel is less effective than using a single, well-designed spell.”
“But…”
“You claimed to have mastered the combinations. Why aren’t you using them?”
Trie fell silent.
The reason was obvious.
She didn’t know what the combinations would produce.
Once she lost control, she had to reverse-engineer her own spell, a task she clearly wasn’t confident in.
Reverse-engineering one’s own spells was a fundamental magical exercise.
Trie’s lack of practice was evident.
“Knowledge itself is not important. It’s how you apply that knowledge that matters. From now on, you will relearn everything you thought you knew.”
“Fine…”
Her arrogance finally broken, she was ready to learn.
Now, the real lesson could begin.
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