Ars, who had somehow managed to get Tesfia and Alice to leave, was thrown into a daze.
　Whether this caused Loki to clench his fists inwardly in triumph, only Loki knew.


　The moon, the source of light in the darkened sky, poured monotonous light down from a single point at the top of a full circle.
　It's not just the moon but the moon as well. It's because it's the moon, not the moon, but a fake.
　The protective wall that separates you from the outside world is something that nothing can penetrate.
　So this is a cross-sectional one that was added afterwards and is not a three-dimensional object.

　I can't point out the details if you ask me if there is a distinction between the two.
　Still, I still think that Ars is different......................it's a fake. At times like these, I suddenly miss the real thing on the battlefield, the outside world.
　There was an illusion outside that those heights could not be reached, even now that they were ranked number one.

　The sound of footsteps hitting the paved ground with a steady rhythm, followed by a slight delay and even smaller sounds.
　The faint sweet scent of flowers wafted out to my nose. This was the first time it had been projected into his consciousness, even though he must have passed it many times. Ars asked, "Did it smell like this? I thought to myself, but I was still in the aftermath.

　Ars and Loki walked quietly to the main building without saying a word. It wasn't that they never had anything to talk about.
　It was the result of Ars looking up impatiently, and Loki smiling and fawning over the figure from behind.



　♢ ♢ ♢



　In the Chancellor's office, Sisti was waiting for him, fully prepared, as usual. A detailed map was spread out on the long desk, and a list of the highest-ranking mages in the school was piled up beside it. It's exactly the kind of arrangement that has been waiting for.

　I'm sure it's not left to others, but I can tell you that it's not so much a piggyback ride as it is a 70-percent leaning on the other end of the spectrum. Even if it wasn't Ars, it would make your cheeks twitch.

　However, as a result, Ars, who would be grateful to be able to get started early, did not complain.

''I'll have Loki working for me in the actual battle training.

　The chancellor nodded his head in agreement.
　That's why Arus brought Loki here. If you add her to the mix, you'll have one or two of the most talented people in the school to support you.

　In his room, Ars was planning the general plan. It's difficult to get permission from the top to change the content of the class.
　It's not a good idea to have a good idea of what to do, but it's a good idea to have a good idea of what to do.

'Let's set up our headquarters here first. Loki will be there on a regular basis for detection. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future.

　Loki's presence, with his excellent detection skills, was a crossover.
　Around the desk........this time Loki is also standing beside Ars, listening to instructions.
　The chancellor then asked you?　I shifted my gaze from the map to Ars.

"I'm going to reduce the overall number of demons. I'm not going to be able to tell the exact rate of the demons, unlike Loki's, so I'm going to crush the B and C rate demons that are trapped by Loki's detection. As expected, if it's below the D rate, I think my students can handle it.

　You can do that, right?　The chancellor's reply to the confirmation that "I'm not going to be able to take care of you to that extent," was a weak one, but I can't take care of you to that extent, so you have to make up your mind.
　The fact that this actual battle training is originally imposed on first-year students who are new to the school is itself absurd.
　I would like to complain about such a sloppy plan, but if I told that to the chancellor, it would be too much for the other victims.　

"Won't you do anything about it, Chancellor?

　It's like payback. It would be even easier if the chancellor would be out in the open.

'I have to pack the main building in case of an emergency. I'll be checking on the whole situation from time to time.

　It's to be expected.
　If the chancellor, who has the final say in the matter, is hanging around in the outside world, he's not going to be able to control the unforeseen.
　And even the chancellor wouldn't necessarily be in a situation where he or she would have to ask for instructions from above.

　Ars picked up a list of students who had been picked up for their abilities.
　Naturally, there was personal information on it, is this good?　But I was kicked off by the unfounded trust that he wouldn't say anything else.
　Is it a give and take thing?
　It wasn't equal to being treated as equal to the secrecy Ars demanded, I thought, but I dropped my gaze directly to the roster.

　Naturally, at the top of the list was Felinella Sokalent, a second year student.
　As the only triple-digit wizard in the Second Academy of Magic, she seemed to have real-world experience.
　Perhaps it was influenced by the fact that her father, Lord Viziest, held the rank of general, so it was no surprise that she had actual combat experience. It's no wonder that he's in the triple digits.

''The highest strike rate is a B?''
What about Miss Felinella?

　On the other hand, it's not as if she's difficult to handle.

'Let's turn her over to the director as normal. We'll gather a certain number of forces for the reinforcements. To lessen Loki's burden, let's differentiate the allocation of reinforcements by numbers.

　So far, no objections have been raised.
　Loki knew exactly what his role was, too.

'It's going to take a toll on Loki, but he'll do it.

　Naturally, Loki doesn't shake his head.
　Instead.

''Do I not have to go out to defeat them?''
That's not necessary. You just focus on being in control. That's all right. Somebody wants to give you some real-world experience.

　As expected, the number of demons would certainly decrease too much if two of them were to appear, because it was expected. It would be even more so since even Ars would be forced to make adjustments.
　Loki's expression does not change at that word. You'll be able to get an approval with an affirmation.
　The chancellor said apologetically in person, "Please.

''Now you can choose a supervisor, please.
The test results are in, so I'll assign the top students on campus in descending order of freshman ranking.

　Ars's throwaway cynicism about doing that much is unfounded.
　It was a bit of a slap on the shoulder, but I guess that sums up the urgent part.

'I'll go with that, okay?'
I don't mind.
Yes, sir.
'And, Chancellor, Loki may be fine, but even ostensibly, it would be suspicious if I wasn't participating in extracurriculars.
Well, I'll take care of that area over here.

　It's a simple matter to do," he said, as if to say.
　The chancellor will have to continue working after this. In particular, he needs to work on the newly added plan to get the revised plan approved by the top management.

''Well, we'll be going on our way.

　We still have a lot of details to decide on, but I think we've made a lot of progress with this for today.

Good job.

　Loki bowed deeply, while Ars just raised his hand lazily.
　Since he has gone this far, it's obvious from the chancellor, who lets out a sigh with a dumbfounded look on his face, that this attitude is also acceptable.

　Loki reverently opens the door for Ars.
　Although Ars doesn't think it's natural, he can't do it indignantly and steps out awkwardly.
　I heard a giggle overflowing behind me, but I had no choice but to ignore it.
　Just before passing through the door, Ars turned around to say, 'Yes.

You'll have to get your simple battle clothes ready over there so they don't find out.

　And a little bit of payback.

Okay, okay.

　The immediate answer made it sound like a throwaway line.



　Walking back, Loki stared at his pitch-black hair as he walked behind him on his way home. The blackness that seemed to melt into the darkness of the night was no different than the one from the night that triggered Loki's life in a big way.
　It made him somewhat happy, and even this silence was endearing.
　But unlike the way to go, this silence didn't last long on the way home.

'Loki, where do you plan to stay today?'
What...!

　This unexpected feeling is not because he was approached out of the blue, but due to a discrepancy between him and Loki because he assumed that Ars had the same thoughts as Loki.

''Can't we have it placed in Arus-sama's room?

　I can't recognize Ars's face as he walks in front of me, and Ars can't recognize Loki's complexion as he walks behind me. Only a voice connects them.
　Still, Ars isn't so sparse that he can't detect Loki's tragic and weak desires.

''Also, can't you do something about that look (...) too?''

　It's not in my nature to worry about what you call them, but if they are transferring in as equal students, that call will be publicized.
　It doesn't necessarily mean that there will be some people who will guess the wrong thing. If that happens, they will be forced to incur unwanted displeasure.

That's non-negotiable.

　He assured me as if it were a definite statement.
　He felt an unspoken pressure on his back.
　Ars walked on, his shoulders slumping as he tried to convince her that it was going to take some time to convince her.

　It was a fair assessment of single mages that Loki was like that, too. In fact, it's natural for those who know Ars to have a surname. However, if you get too close to him, the honorific title is still removed. Rather than that, though, it's also said that many of the people around Ars are not so reserved.

　After all, Loki's argument is correct. Even though the place is a place, if you know about the achievements of a single mage, you have to honor them, even if it's not right. Only singles other than Ars would be able to accept such common sense as common sense.


　♢ ♢ ♢　


　The day after the exam, for some reason, Tesfia and Alice came to visit me early in the morning.
　 It shows.

'They're a pain in the morning,'

　When I open it up with the console provided on the wall, the two men in uniforms enter while shaking their heads as if they were rummaging through it.

"----!　I knew it.

　Tesfia must have raised her voice because Loki was preparing breakfast, as he should have been.

　He was wearing a brand new uniform with sleeves and an apron over it. Standing in front of the kitchen, he was dressed a little taller, but he was still quite adept at it.

''Loki-chan, let me help you with that too.''
I'm just finishing up.

　Alice reacted differently than Tesfia and offered to help, but Loki controlled it with his hand.
　As you can see, they had been preparing it for a long time, and it was almost finished by the time Ars got up.

　When we were seated at the small (though there is seating for four) table, Loki prepared the food for Arus first, followed by his own portion at the table.

'What about you two?'

　The expression on Loki's face, not to mention the cliché courtesy gesture, didn't appeal to me in any way.
　I guess he's just taking on the body of "I'll ask you, but only in passing.

'We've eaten our fill,'
Yeah. No problem.

　He didn't have to wait for a reply to see if it was an expected answer or not, but he took a seat. Only Loki could tell if there really was enough for both of them, but if they weren't prepared, not to mention the nature of it, it was bad.

'More importantly,'

　Tesfia and Alice take their seats as a matter of course.
　It was Tesfia who tapped the table as soon as they arrived.
　That didn't stop Ars from eating, but it's no surprise that Loki, sitting across from her, glared at Tesfia.
　I wanted it to be a glare to chide her for her mealtime manners, but I have a feeling it contained other emotions.

'Where did Loki stay yesterday?'

　It was an accusatory question directed at the only man in the room.
　It was answered by the silver-haired girl sitting next to him.

'Of course, this is Master Ars's room, sir.

　What is it?　The look he gave me was intimidating, and it still seemed to say that it was none of your business, as it was yesterday.

　If you don't want to misunderstand me, after they got home last night and finished the dinner that Loki had prepared, they had a discussion (persuaded by Ars) about how to call and where to stay.
　As a result, they couldn't do anything about it in the midnight hours, so they decided to stay in the room for the first night.
　However, nothing happened. Simply sleeping in the shape of a river with no more than one foot in front of it, the situation that Tesfia and Alice are concerned about cannot naturally happen, but it is probably not a good idea in general.

　As is their habit from their time in the military, they eat quickly and arrive at school as soon as they finish getting ready.

　They have to do a lot of preparation on their first day at school, and they're supposed to pick up their teaching materials at school. It's only natural for them to arrive at school early, including a brief introduction in HR.
　When the conversation was cut short, Tesfia reluctantly followed suit.
　Naturally, the topic of conversation on the way to school is a rewinded second-guessing.

'I can't believe it. You didn't do anything, did you?'

　Tesfia glares at Ars, who walks next to her with a disdainful look, as if she were a pervert.

　She still maintains this attitude even though she knows that she is the number one. She has even begun to treat the most respected and highest ranking magician as a pervert. In a way, this is a great brazenness.
　It's getting ridiculous to be concerned about every single thing, but if you don't deny it as a man, what happens afterwards is clearer than the sight of fire.
　But one step sooner.

''For my part, I wish........''

　Loki's muttered voice caused everyone to stop moving and open their mouths with a dumbfounded look on their faces.
　You're going to be able to find out more about the best way to get the most out of your own personal life.

''Do you want to!

　It's a throwback to stupid, but I'll deny it.

'Of course it is. I mean, it's filthy....

　I take one look at this girl and see that she's not going to be able to stomach it forever. It's obvious that she's here to fry me, but in general, her arguments would have some validity between the s*xes.

'Loki, if you don't mind, you won't be in the same room with us.

　As an alternative, Alice suggested it, but her expression was somewhat laced with personal feelings.
　The dormitory was a shared room for two people. It should be cramped even for two people, but the fact that there is enough room to add Loki to the mix may be due to the invisible hand of the nobility.

　The suggestion, in addition to Alice's polite mannerisms, was a reasonable one. I don't know what he's expecting, but it would be a good idea not to point out that he's putting on a happy face.
　Still.

'Don't mind me.'

　Gently shoved away. Ars would like to see him stick around a bit longer, but the despondent look on his face seems to have demoralized him.

'You should say something too.

　I don't agree with the way you talk like an ally.

I don't care either way.
...

　Regardless of whether or not this was acceptable to the public, I found that Loki's presence did not hinder my research. Rather, it's something clever.
　I'm not sure I have a real example of a person who was actually immersed in his research, but Loki was quick to guess where to look for materials, and he was attentive enough to prepare a drink for me, even if it was only for a short while.

　It wasn't troubling without him, but it wasn't enough to make him look evil.

''........!　Master Ars says it's good, so I have no right to complain about it any more.

　For a few moments, Loki himself must have been surprised.
　He immediately folded up as if he had won.


　Even so, they couldn't accept it, or maybe they couldn't accept it, and the argument continued until they arrived at the main school building after that.
　It's not just a matter of time before you're able to persuade them.

　Alice joined in, but even the slightest bit of effort was not enough to convince Loki.
　Either way, Ars will review the results of the battle he won with Loki last night.

　No semblance of sobriety on campus, especially in front of other students, and call him by his abbreviation, Al, Frank.
　It was a blunder that took several hours of effort to win this.
　The price of what Loki's compromise gave him was the loss of advantage in his claim about cohabitation.
　Even Ars couldn't fold in a good argument about this (or rather, the generalizations didn't work).