Froese kept smiling across from him.
　Ars wasn't even allowed to hesitate.

''Huh~''

　It's not so much a sigh of resignation as a throwaway breath for something that's become a chore to think about.
　Obviously, it would be considered rude.
　Ars crossed his legs and leaned back deeper into the sofa.

'That's what I had him make. But it's just a piece of stick with the characteristics of a demon.'
'How could you do that?　Some nobleman after all.

　Froese only lifted his eyebrows at the change in Ars's attitude.
　Even though he said it himself, Froese also came to the conclusion that it wasn't true.
　When looking for her daughter's betrothed, she had carefully researched the leading nobles. Otherwise, a demon, and even if it is using A-rated materials, it is impossible for an upstart nobleman to do so, so there was no way that Froese would not know about it.
　Even though he's retired from the military, he's always getting information from the military and among the nobles.

''No, I just thought I could use it on a mission.
"Hey!　Mission.

　At that word, Froese's face changed. The cheeks that had been lifted dropped and the corner of her eye was lifted.

''Ars-kun. Does that mean you're a military man?''
Yes, sir. I told Governor Bellick that I wanted to quit, but I'm not very good at it. If you can help me, I'd appreciate it.

　Froese's cheeks screwed up as he almost twitched against Ars, who smiled fearlessly.
　Ars cut his card for the rudeness he had just displayed.
　Of course, he doesn't expect it, as he is a joker who wants to let go prematurely.

　However, the current Flosse was unable to measure what meaning there was in it. Why would a student of the academy who is about to serve in the military say such a thing?

''There are a lot of rules about getting out of the military. It is not something that can be stopped easily. The number of mages is small relative to the number of demons, so you have an obligation to contribute as a mage as well.

　Froese cowered her taut shoulders in a tone that sounded more like a child's rebuke than an ex-military man.

(Contributing....)

You're right.
Yeah.

　He gave a quizzical sidelong glance at the easy drawback, and the subject changed.

'As I recall, I also heard there's a three-digit mage in the same class named Loki Rabehel.

　Ars clucked his tongue inwardly. It was largely due to inexperience that the mask of a smile was easily removed in return.

''She's also a soldier...''

　In other words, he doubted the relationship.

'Yeah, I'm here. I have Loki as my partner.
..........!

　The narrowed eyes, as if they had come to a point, still seem to be tapping the price.
　The character of Ars is gradually taking shape within Flosse. Even at this stage, it's quite high praise.
　If it's not a related party that will have a partner, it will be a double-digit wizard or higher.
　In other words........we can expect him to be a double-digit or higher mage.
　Froese's shapely mouth draws a solitary look.

'I see.'

　One stop is made in Froese. It means you've got at least the information you need. If you know this much, you can look into it if you want to.
　And it can't be said that the reason for inviting Ars is not just out of interest. That's exactly what I'm trying to do, to really say thank you.
　I feel that I have gone a little too far, but I have no regrets. It's precisely because I think of my daughter.

''I heard that Ars-kun is putting training on Fia.
Yeah, the chancellor asked me to.
I didn't know Sisty was involved.

　I knew it was thin on the ground along the way, but I changed my mind that the military might be involved. Of course, it was an upward revision.
　That's how pleased he is with Tesfia's rapid growth.
　And then he utters what is most difficult to hear.
　I'm sure you've been thinking about your daughter, but in a way, that's exactly what I'm saying.

What do you think of that girl, Ars?　I'm not much of a magical genius and I'm in the triple digits, and I'm sure Fia is more talented than I am. No favouritism.

　What?　Even if asked, Ars is also at a loss for an answer. Even if it's three figures, it's a great enough achievement for a magician, but does that mean there's a difference in the ranking required of a nobleman?
　I decided that I should listen to the end of it, and urged him to go on in silence.

''The difference in power between the double-digit and single-digit is obvious. Then.........''
Are you the chancellor?
Well ... yes.

　He calls her Sisti, and the two of them may be close because of their proximity in class.
　His mouth opens to reminisce - Froese is in a tone that looks like he's about to start laughing.

'I've been teaming up with Sisti a lot. There was originally a gap in the pecking order, and I moved on to develop my commanding talents. You may not know this, but I was driven out during the demon progression that happened five years ago.

　This is something Ars knows. Because it was a battle he couldn't forget even if he wanted to.

'There have been a few times before when a disasterous demon was brought in by a high rate demon. That time it was an even bigger army than ever before, dozens of A-rates, a horde of over a thousand in total. The damage to the Alpha was predictable and devastating. But when I opened the lid, not a single one of them was able to crack the defensive line by Sisti. There were some casualties to the mages, but even that was less than half of what we expected.

　This was the first time that the nature of the same type of A-rated class forming a clique had been discovered.
　Five A-Rate classes. A new species that was later named [Siren]. Other equivalent A-Rate classes attacked.
　The damage Froese was referring to was not the number of magicians who worked on defense, but the number of deaths of the magicians who went to defeat the A-Rate.

''I saw Sisti at that time and I thought. A different dimension. Even if a talented person strives, they cannot reach it. That's right, a state of affairs that can only be achieved with the overwhelming talent of a celestial being and the efforts of a madman... I'm sorry to say that girl, but I'm sure she can't even come close to it.

　In part, Ars could agree with that aspect. However.

''I see.''
..........
'If you were a normal wizard, you'd be at best in the triple digits, maybe not far off in the double digits. But.....

　He spoke a prophetic vision of the future with a sharp gaze that held the confidence that he would be able to do it.

''If you complete the training I've drawn up, you'll be as strong as double digits. Fortunately, it seems like you have enough talent to follow me.

　Finally, he added in a small way, "I'd be in trouble if I didn't.

'But I suppose it will be up to him in the end.
Well.....

　Froese correctly understood the meaning of the phrase "it depends on the person himself". It's a good thing that you're the one who's pressing for a talk in the direction of preventing that from happening.
　Normally, there is no reason to believe such a child's nonsense, but it is foolish to disregard it when the results have been achieved.
　You can't help but think about it.
　I'm not going to be able to get the best out of it.
　There was no way I could come up with an answer right away.

I'll give this back to you in the meantime.
I'll give it back to Tesfia but I'm not sure I'm going to need it.
"....!　This!

　A cocktail and a nod of the head. It's one of those items that could be priced anywhere if you wanted to blow it.
　But as money and Ars isn't in trouble, the idea is that it's better than being a treasure.

　How did you take it, Flosse huffed and loosened her cheeks.

'I understand. I'll return this to my daughter from me.''
Please. If it's not any more, I'd like to be off the clock.
I don't want that. I've made you prepare dinner for three people.
..........

　I couldn't kick his kindness. Or rather, he only felt that he had been beaten to the punch.

　Ars implied that he was going to return by standing up, lightly adding momentum to his momentum.
　Naturally, there was no voice to hold him back in response. On his way to the door with a lightly folded hip, an unanswered question is thrown at his back as if he were talking to himself.

'Mr. Ars, where do you rank?'

　He turned the knob and looked back.

"I'll leave it to you to imagine.

　The door interrupts Froese's gaze as it is when he only tells her, "I'm not going to be able to do anything about it.

　There is no sign of Selva in the hallway.
　There are signs of people, so it's just that there's no one there as far as I can see, if they're not watching me.

'It's exhausting,'

　At the very least, it would be acceptable if he spat out his exhaustion as an endgame.




　The lone remaining Froese looked at the training stick. The last answer had probably told him outright that he could look it up if he wanted to know.
　As expected, it wouldn't be a matter of poking around in the bushes and getting a snake out, but he felt hesitant about whether it was something he should know.

　The fact that they - Ars and Loki - already belonged to the military made Froese think of an institution.
　There are facilities in the army that provide gifted children without parents, such as orphans - especially those with the qualities of a magician - with gifted education. Of course, not everyone can get in. Of course, not everyone is allowed in, unless they are very talented, or are children of military personnel.
　This is a training program that is only given to those who have been sifted through a sieve and desired of their own volition.
　The program is controversial even within the military, as it has a kind of compulsory force, as they are forced to make a choice immediately after a desperate situation.
　Still, the grueling training menu is too harsh for children. I've heard that it can sometimes lead to mental illness and even the loss of magical potential.

　The odds of them growing up to become a magician are virtually nil. That's why the existence of mages like them astonished Froese. The idea of training mages at the facility began when Froese was in the army.
　However, once they finished the training program, they were thrown into the outside world regardless of their age, so the survival rate of the practice was close to zero. It's not a large enough project to be a setback.
　It was supposed to have been part of the education process because many children had a desire for revenge after their parents were killed by demons in the first place.
　Still, it's a result of the children's own wishes. After the first graduates were wiped out, the next child who volunteered for education was required to sign a petition.
　The one concerning their own lives ... and the one concerning their own responsibility in the event of death.

　Some even ridiculed it as a devil's pact. No one was able to speak up, but it's also true that no one looks good. It's probably because of ethical issues, regardless of the outcome.

　If Froese wasn't a nobleman, that was the only possibility he could think of.
　Who was in control of the conversation, and now that I think about it, it was an exchange where Froese seemed to be spilling some of his hands, or perhaps extracted from it.
　That's hardly an exchange between my daughter and a boy her own age.

(Let's do a little digging, shall we?)　

　An enthusiasm that is not to say that we should be serious about it. That's the kind of thing you should avoid if it has anything to do with privacy.
　He rang the doorbell and let out a sigh. It means he was as tense as Ars.

'Selva, I'll be in touch with you in a moment so no one else can get in.

　With an awed bow, he quickly closed the door and Selva stepped away from the door and waited for him to stand in human form.
　Froese opens the line to contact his military acquaintances.
　Even now that he's retired, he still possesses a license to contact people inside the military. Of course, even as a license, it is a proof of the former general's status, not his rank as a mage. The rank is to be cancelled upon retirement from the military. In other words, he's not a mage.

　It's evening, but it won't be a bother. I hope I'm not on a mission, and I hang my hair over my ears.
　After a few rings of calls, the voice of the person you're looking for rings out.
　It sounded like a place with terrible noise, but that doesn't mean you can't hear her voice as it comes through well.

''Long time no see. What's going on, Frose-san?''
I'm sorry to disturb you. Are you on a mission?
That's right. But they're all small fish, enough for one hand, so it's not a problem.

　The caller is Letty Kultunka, one of the strongest single wizards in Alpha.
　It's a good-natured part of the good-natured, but if you think that's easy, you'll be caught flat-footed. It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time with them, because they're all single people who have monsters inside them.
　Froese's cheeks twitched as she imagined the figure on the other end of the phone.
　He was an active person, and his auburn hair was cut all the way down around his shoulders. It was such a short length, but only left long at the collar, and the sight of a thin bundle tied in a single strand at the back, extending to his waist.
　He would be twenty-four years old this year. He is Alpha's pride and joy, the seventh-ranked magician.

　I wonder if he still uses one hand to release magic without thinking about it.
　Froese is close to him because on several occasions, Letty has conducted defeats under his command even before he became a single wizard.
　It was partly because he fell in love with a certain manly side of her, but it was one thing that he was easy to talk to her about without regard to age or position. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future.

　If it were true that she was on a mission, she should apologize and call it a day, but when you imagine the scene of her battle, she really is as good as her word.
　Sisti had only been in the singles position for less than six months, but Letty hadn't surrendered her position of seventh place for several years.
　It was easy to imagine her slaughtering a demon at the mercy of something, and that was probably a needless worry.

''I have a question for you,''
"Excuse me?
Does the name Ars Reagin ring a bell?
'....of course. Al-kun is cute, isn't he?

　Her voice was so interminable that you would think she was really on a mission. In fact, Letty's face was so loose in cheeks that she could be described as hoarse.

''........!
"But you shouldn't mess with him too much, Froese-san.
"Hey!　I wonder why.

　The change in his voice sound made Flosse ask back fearfully.

''Al-kun is mine,''
What do you mean, are you guys dating?

　The dialogue was disturbing, but its tone was jocular.
　Although it was difficult to judge, Flosse was only able to confirm the facts. You can already tell from her tone of voice that it's not a simple matter.

It's not true. It's a lot easier if Al-kun is there to beat you up.
Yeah, yeah...

　There was no way to hide his astonishment, but he couldn't hide it until he was upset.
　Letty is supposed to be on a mission to retake Banaris, east of the continent of Couvent, which has just been recaptured for over six months now.

　The continents and cities that were destroyed about a century ago often have high rate demons that inhabit them. In order to retake them, we must at least defeat high-rate demons. For this reason, they have to scrape off as many of the lower-rated monsters as possible, which is a daunting task.
　If we can retake Banaris, we can work with its neighbors to expand further. It was a place well worth turning a single towards.

But all jokes aside, Al-kun is a tough kid, even for the governor, so you shouldn't spoil his good mood. It's a good thing that you're in a good mood, because the Governor said it was so easy to be a child to displease him.
So that's why you're such a valuable asset.
''You really don't know, Froese-san, do you?

　There was no sign of anger on Froese's face when he was told he was ignorant. There are probably a lot of things that Letty knows and she doesn't know. I don't really want to think about the opposite, though.
　Even though he is familiar with her, Froese doesn't know exactly what the bottom of the person Letty is.

　The sounds of battle continued behind Letty's voice, but the person in question could not see any signs of impatience.
　However, Froese felt a sense of frustration that he had to cut it off quickly every time the sound grew louder.

''His ability is....''
"I'm sorry, Froese. I'm sorry, Frose.
No, I'm sorry to be on duty.
"You're welcome to come back if you need anything else.

　Then the communication is cut off in a huff.
　Froese's mind is like a bomb being thrown to pieces at the place where he had formed his image of Ars.
　It's a matter of not knowing where he stands. The perception of him as a mere student is long gone, but that's why I can't decide how to respond to him.
　Although I poked around in the bushes, a silhouette that far exceeds one's expectations has emerged, I guess.

　I called Selva and asked her to pour me a cold drink, and I drank it down in one go.
　I was left with a question, but I smiled at the harvest that exceeded my expectations. No, in this case, I guess I should say that my expectations were betrayed in a good way.