I didn't dare to bring up the subject with the chancellor so as not to rehash it, but I'm not worried about it because I've already taken the matter to the chancellor's lips without a word about what Arus did to Loki.
　While indulging in such thoughts, I leave the main school building.
　The reddish-brown sunset had also dipped more than halfway to the horizon. Ars paces along, towing the lengthening shadows.


　Something else from Loki's prohibition........
　It was the method Ars used to help Loki. Even if you look at it from the side, it's not explored to the exact point. So the things the Chancellor saw can only be understood as the result of a phenomenon.

　Strictly speaking, the method that Ars took to help Loki was to replace all the magic power in Loki's body with Ars' magic power.
　I'm sure Ars himself is more than aware that this is more than taboo and should be avoided.
　It is doubtful that it can even be called a born abnormal ability (although it is questionable whether it can be called).......it is the fact that Ars's magic power has the property of eating magic power. The magic power it eats becomes its own food, just like a demon.
　You can control it now, but the reason why you had to control it in the first place is because of the nature of this magic power.
　It means that there are two types of magic power inherent in Ars.
　One is magic power as an energy body that everyone has.......and the other is.　
　The stirring magic power of Ars that Loki and Sisti saw during the battle - the form of Ars' original magic power - is -- which undoubtedly has an independent will.
　It carries only one craving desire........predation, and it feeds greedily on magic. In that one point, it wriggles with its desire.
　Only Ars and the Governor know how much training it took to bring it under control.

　The reason why they used that power this time is because the situation was unavoidable. It's also because it was Loki (...).


　While eating Loki's magic power with this xenomorph, at the same time, the magic power of Ars, a different energy body from the xenomorph, was poured into Loki's body. It was a gamble as to how it would turn out.
　If he showed a rejection of Arus's magic power, there was a possibility that he would be killed on the spot.
　However, the result was familiar (although it might not be appropriate to say). The magical power of Ars that entered Loki's body quelled the symptoms of depletion.
　In other words, it was able to replace the lack of prohibition.

　The expectation was that the remaining Ars magic power in Loki's body would degrade in information over time, and the impurities that remained should leak out of his body as the residue was pushed out by the newly generated magic power in Loki's body.
　Whether or not this action will turn out to be a good thing depends on Loki in the future, but Ars has been confused about the reason for his actions since he entered the academy.

　This is because the behavior that would have been impossible when he was in the military was continuing. In the first place, he would have resolutely refused to even go along with Tesfia and Alice's training before. He could have rejected them.
　Because although Ars doesn't adhere to being number one, he does enjoy the full benefits of being number one.
　That's not something that can prevent him from being the Chancellor. I've never wanted to protect humanity. The selfishness of the idea that I should just survive and take it slow seems to be fading.

　I'm adapting to these changes, and I'd rather stay on the sidelines than feel uncomfortable, so I even feel as if I'm not myself.
　I don't know if I would call this growth. However, there was one aspect of this unreasonable busyness that was fulfilling at the moment.
　Ars's goal remains the same. As long as he can make himself comfortable, that's fine. The others don't matter.
　But for now, he headed to the lab to see if he could keep going.


　♢ ♢


Hey, my lab is not a hangout.

　The disdain mixed with dismay is for the three of us who sit down to say that the fun time is just beginning.
　I almost regret that the authentication registration I did just recently to unlock and lock the door using the two of them's magical information was premature.

''I'm sorry, Lady Ars.''

　Loki jumped up and bowed deeply.
　It wasn't that important, but Ars was distressed that he and Loki should talk about it once, including how to call him.

'That's fine. We were getting to know each other pretty well.'

　Tesfia placed a hand on her head next to Loki and stroked her silver hair.
　Her eyebrows twitched for a moment, but the only person who noticed it would be Ars standing in front of her.

''Loki-chan, you're so cute~''

　Alice, who stood behind her, pushed Tesfia's hand away from her and pulled her into a hug.
　In response, Loki only raised his eyebrows slightly and kept his face expressionless. Like a doll.

　Ars would be greatly appreciated, but that was only if it was outside of Ars' lab.
　As long as they are here, if they don't train, they should be asked to leave the girls sooner rather than later.
　However, Ars didn't throw a straight shot.

　That's a superiority that should be made known to Tesfia and Alice.
　Arus raised the corners of his mouth slightly in a grin.

'I'm telling you, Loki's highest ranking is 100th.
...

　They finally realized what they were getting themselves into.
　Alice froze, her eyes blindingly wide open and her smile never faltered.

''Bullshit~''

　And Tesfia's trembling voice.
　If he hadn't known that Ars existed, he would have been able to laugh.

'Loki's done a lot of real battles, he's not even close to double digits in terms of ability.
You sure?

　Loki is being held awkwardly next to her and Tesfia turns her head.

''Compared to Ars-sama, I'm a dabang, not much more than a foot in the door.

　That's when Loki's expression changed to a softer one for the first time. On the surface, he feigned humility, but he lowered his eyes with emotion at being recognized for his efforts.
　Ars used this fact to blast away.

''Loki is one year younger than me, but the chancellor has allowed us to transfer in the same grade, so that means you guys are the next best after Loki.

　Tesfia froze, as if she imagined her ground would be shaken. It's at times like this that aristocratic pride gets in the way.
　Although Alice, as far as I can tell, has a happy face at the fact that she's going to be incorporated, the tussle between acting on it and acting on it was balanced.

'I know you guys are good at this, but there's no reason for me to go along with you outside of training, so at this rate I'd rather spend my time with Loki.
...


　I don't think it's the least bit mean. In fact, I'm sure Loki is more likely to lead us to a future where we can help Ars. Now that they've chosen the path of a partner, though, it's kind of a half-closed door.
　It's up to the girls themselves to accept that as a fact and decide how to act, but if their hearts are broken at this level, they wouldn't have asked for it in the first place.
　If that's the case, the intention was to ask them to follow me, even if it's just to have them follow me reluctantly, but it seems to have worked.

'We were just taking a short break,'

　I roll up my sleeves as if I had just been training until now.

''.......Right. Let's have a discussion with Loki about granting magic power and deepen our knowledge another time.

　Alice still stroked her hair carefully, not leaving Loki. That seems to be a departure from what she's saying and what she's doing. Even though she knew in her head, the irresistible urge seemed to outweigh the one against Loki's rank.　

'We don't have time for this, so just get on with it and go home.

　And then it was back to the usual scene. Alice was hesitant to let go of the too-cute doll, but she moved on to training, her shoulders slumping as she moved away from Loki's side.
　Ars recalled the exam the two of them had been talking about this morning.

'Come to think of it, how did you guys do on the afternoon exam?

　An innocuous question, not that it bothered me that much, but I wanted to see how the difference in rankings chastised the two of them. Quite simply, it would fall into the harassment category.
　The two of them reacted with a momentary jolt, and their magic power dissipated.

''..........''
'Hahaha....'

　At the rate he was going, he wasn't going to win.

　The senior student who served as Tesfia's examiner was Delka Bais, who had come up in the conversation just before the exam. The result was a disastrous defeat.
　For all his breathlessness, he wasn't even a little bit close. A whole range of magic was unleashed and then prevented, and her signature [Icicle Sword] was avoided. Once that was done, the rest was forced to turn to defense, and it was a defeat with no way to strike, a complete defeat.

　Alice's opponent was Felinella, who was the most talented person in the school, except for Ars.
　She challenged him with the intention of borrowing his chest, but no matter what he did, he was lightly mocked, and when it was over, Felinella said "good job" with a generous smile and urged him to leave with a cool face.
　There may have been some selfish assumptions, but I guess the result was that both of them were made to lick their bitterness.
　Just knowing that was a hard experience for the two of them to get.

　When Als finished with just the confirmation, he sat down at his desk and unfolded the map.
　Right next to her is Loki, who has taken half a step back, waiting for her. She seems to want to make this area a fixed position in her mind.
　It wouldn't break Ars's concentration, but it was too unnatural to be with him at all hours of the day, even if they were partners.

''That's the magic grant........''

　Loki blurted out a question in a whisper.
　I returned it, dropping my gaze to the map.

'Looks like I'm the reason you've lost your peace.

　Loki did his best to deny it as his question turned into one of blame for Ars.

'Master Ars has saved humanity, so the lack of a sense of danger is self control. It is by no means Arus-sama's fault. And moreover, the reason why the population of Alpha continues to increase is because of Arus-sama's activities, the girls don't understand that...

　Ars glanced at Loki out of the corner of his eye as he looked at him with a sadness that passed through him in exasperation.

'I suppose that can't be helped but there's nothing the Alpha can do without me, so let the S-Rate come along, it won't last more than a few days, will it?'

　That's exactly what the big man fears. The self-protective ideology could now create an opportunity for Ars to change that by offering to retire.
　It is also linked to taking up Ars's time, but it can be said that the actual battle training is a measure of concern for the future of this country.

''I don't care what happens, but we have to do something about that concern if we want to live quietly,''

　Loki found out why Ars wanted to leave the army and immerse himself in his research.
　So Loki asks a series of questions to resolve the puzzling question.
　He shifts his gaze from Ars to the girls. Loki had done similar training when he was in the military, but the training in sight was haphazard with little success.

'And that's why these girls are so useful?
I don't know. I hear you're one of the best in the academy.

　Ars adds lines and markings to the map with a red marker.

'Then why do you want to unravel them to the girls?

　Loki's voice sounded indifferent, more unconvincing than questioning.

'The chancellor just pushed me into it. Besides, it's one way to do it.
What?
'At least a double-digit wizard would be a little easier, right?

　It may be a long time before it budges. Still, Ars thinks it's only an insurance policy.

'Are you suggesting that these girls have that talent?
You know.

　There are always barriers that cannot be crossed by talent or effort. Ars believes that it will be the person's attachment to life that will allow them to cross it.

In the end, it's the ones who survive that get to the heights.

　Loki, who had experienced actual battles, could somehow understand what Ars meant.
　No matter how strong and talented you are, it only takes a moment to die. There are many factors such as surprise attacks, encounters with mutants that have never been confirmed, to name a few.

　Both Ars and Loki have seen such mages. They have seen and learned too much to dislike that there is never a glamorous end, only victory or defeat, survival or death.

　Ars tapped his finger on a point on the map a few times at the end.

'We'll find out soon enough about that too,'
..........

　Loki didn't know what it was, but he still didn't think he could share Ars's intentions.
　It was an overreaching act. I'm a partner, and if I can help Ars, that's all I need to do. I don't want more than that from the start.
　I was going to be a willing pawn, even if it was a throwaway.

　Instead of changing the subject, I will make my intentions clear in words.

'I will follow Ars-sama.
Well I understand Loki's decision.

　This was enough to satisfy me for this exchange.
　---- but.

''Then you'll have to learn to be worthy of me.

　It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to find out what's going on.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that you are not going to be able to get your hands on any of these things. Still, as a partner, I have high hopes for Loki's future.
...

　The true value of the statement was that it put Loki in jeopardy, but he didn't even flinch; he made up his mind.

'I will definitely live up to my expectations.'

　His expression didn't change a bit.
　Still, I guess it goes without saying what Loki thought. That's exactly what the word means, nothing more or less than that. It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to get your hands on any of them.


"Loki has a range of about a kilometer, right?

　It's not a confirmation. It was seen through.
　I nodded in affirmation.

'It depends on the situation myself, but that's about it.'

　For a supporter who specializes in detection, the level is high enough to put into actual battle. Since the time Ars was in the military, there was a rumor that he could detect them as a reason for not choosing a partner, but now that it's been confirmed by him, Loki's inner turmoil is evident.

'I need Loki to be able to detect it at least up to five kilometers away.

　There were only so many of these levels that could fit in one hand, even with a single digit of exploration. Loki understood how reckless that was, even more than Ars, Loki understood how reckless it was.
　Still--''

''I understand.''

　I never said it was impossible. For Loki, what he could or could not do was a heavy thing that lost the meaning of life.

　It wasn't hard to imagine how difficult this would be for Ars, either. But it is also true that otherwise it would be difficult for Loki to be useful to Ars in battle.

''Of course, I'll have you improve your fighting skills, but I'll give priority to improving your detection abilities first.

　Ars drew a semicircle on the map approximately one kilometer away.
　That means that Loki is not involved in this matter.
　Of course, I won't tell you more than that. That's probably because the girls are still in the room.
　Arus cut it off when it was time to go.

I'm not going to be able to do that today. I have some business to attend to with the chancellor.''

　It must have been quite responsive. Tesfia gives him a frustrated look, as if he was interrupted on the way, but Ars ignores him, as if to tell him to go to his room and do it on his own if he wants to.

　Alice is also unconscious, as if she's trying to keep her senses in check, and I'm not sure if she accepted Ars's cut-off.


　He let the two of them arrive home a little too forcefully.

'What are you doing?'

　Tesfia threw a questioning look at Loki across the door.
　Tesfia and Alice are standing outside the room, and Ars and Loki are standing inside the open door.

　Tesfia and Alice were going home to the women's dormitory, but this suspicion was natural since Loki, who had become a student of the academy, also had to enter the women's dormitory.

''Loki-chan?''

　Loki would be transferring in as of today, so the room wasn't ready or anything, but they didn't realize it.
　Rather, they are probably not allowed to leave a girl in Ars's room, or in other words, a man's room.

'I'm Als-sama's partner, so it's only natural for me to sleep and eat with him, and the two of you don't mind.

　I don't see an element of embarrassment in Loki. She says it flatly, as if it were natural, and even Ars was troubled by her.
　From Ars and Loki's point of view, it's not an unusual thing. Even if they spent time under the same roof, nothing would happen.

'Loki, it seems they're usually separate.

　This is a different perception growing up in the military. It's inevitable in Loki, which lacks general education. This is the first time that Ars learned of the separation of the boys' and girls' dormitories at the academy.
　Although there is a division in the military as well, I never saw it because private rooms were assigned to the two outstanding men, and I never cared about it because it was none of my business.

''...........''

　Loki kept his mouth shut. It didn't show on his face so others wouldn't know, but right now Loki was in the process of taking a vote in his brain.

'I refuse.'

　For the first time, Loki disagreed with Ars for the first time. Ars's instructions as a key requirement largely carried weight in Loki's mind, but there is always a reversal.
　It was Loki's desire to focus on it as the most important. That one point of being able to help Ars was even more bloated.

　The meaning of "help" has been widely revised.
　Until then, it had been intended to help against Ars's goals, such as combat, but now that it had been revised, it was applied to a wide range of things from everyday life.
　The result was unanimous. No one disagreed. All the expected concerns had been put to rest by this.

'But isn't it inconvenient in some way?'

　Alice glanced over to Ars and wrapped her eyes in an ostracism.

'It happens all the time in the military. There's nothing inconvenient about it if you're Master Ars.

　The only people who understood what that meant would be Tesfia and Alice, who were flushed.

''No, absolutely not!''

　Tesfia makes an objection as if she has cut her ties, but Loki doesn't seem to be willing to give in, either.

'It's none of your business,'
..........!

　Neither Tesfia nor Alice could find the words to reply to this.

'Then why don't the two of you also sleep and eat in Lady Ars's room?

　The irony is that he knows he can't do that. It's hard to tell if he's serious or joking just because of his blank expression.

　They raised their gaze to Ars.
　And then.........step back.

　Ars didn't care how they looked at him, but frankly, it was only regrettable.
　Nevertheless, if this was the case, he would only be wasting his time aimlessly.
　For now.........

"For now, you guys go home, Loki will have to come to the chancellor's office anyway.

　I guess this still didn't convince them, but the word "chancellor" was in effect and they reluctantly turned on their heels.

''Pervert!''

　I don't know if Ars heard the insult-laden small talk from Tesfia.
　But it's unfortunate that Loki didn't hear it, that's for sure.
　The reason is that he must have been fed on it without a doubt. If not, if you had heard it, you would not have been able to overlook it.