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　Ars, who was reading through a vast amount of material in his lab, suddenly looked at his watch. It was almost time to leave the school, or in other words, it was time for Tesfia and Alice to come in for training as before.

　It was a week after Ars and Loki returned to the academy that the commotion had died down. Every day the students gathered in front of the research building to be warned by the staff.
　There were even guide rods installed on the first floor.

　Although it may not be a substitute for this, I often asked for advice whenever I passed a faculty member in the research building. Many of the staff here have the nature of researchers, and compared to when I moved here, I'm sure they've done a better job of building a friendly relationship with each other. The most telling point is that researchers are more or less the same as each other.


　It was surprisingly quick to quiet down thanks to the rumors that already spread within the academy that Ars wasn't on campus. The reason for that, though, was that he had only been holed up in his lab for the past week.
　In fact, Ars had been more engaged in the work of advancing knowledge than he had been holed up in his room doing research.

　The pile of materials the Governor had arranged for him was what could be called a valuable old book collected from various countries. It might have been a small token of gratitude, but either way, it was useful to Ars.
　Many mages and researchers have a deep-seated tendency to look to the realm of survival and how to protect themselves, to be on the defensive. In fact, most of the outside world is still unexplored territory.

　That's where Ars alone has hope, and that's where the world leads to Loki's hope.

　So the limited time is not so long.
　And for that reason.

''Well, it's time to move on to the next step.

　He carefully closed the huge book, which looked like it was about to tear at any moment. The old book, which should have been kept tightly locked away, spat out an antiseptic smell as it closed.
　This is one of the few surviving maps of the world. Of course, there are subtle discrepancies among the many, so none of them seem to be right or wrong.

　Currently, in a corner of Ars's laboratory, there is a shelf with valuable, if not strictly sealed, books. These are newly replenished, and since they have been borrowed, they will have to be returned eventually.
　A few items among them were of interest - and even concern - to Ars. That was the vast amount of research material seized from the Tower of Babel.

　Currently, the Tower of Babel is in the midst of analyzing its materials and structure at a rapid pace. However, due to the secrecy of the tower, its progress is unlikely to be good. After all, it is such a huge structure.
　We're still only learning about the protective barrier it was generating, and the actual research is still a mystery. Most of all, the simple question is, what was the location of the subject who was administered Kronos' bodily fluids, the only place we know of where it was disposed of is the one Crockel described. It is possible that the Hydrangee had a hand in this behind the scenes.

　However, the location of the discarded test subjects before that time has not been determined because they were not initiated by Crockel. He only took over the research.
　We'll only know so much at this point.

　After a moment's closure, a new tea set is placed on Ars's desk and Loki pours the tea on the spot. It's good that he likes it, but unfortunately, Loki bought it with his own money. Of course, we both chose it.

'Good job, Al.'
Thank you. It's nice of you to lend me all this literature, but it's a bit careless. I'll just return them as soon as possible.
Is that why you were in such a hurry to read it?
It happens.
Anything else?

　To avoid overflowing the tea, Ars leaned back deeply into his chair.
　I'm sure you'll be able to get a glimpse of that profile while you lean against the desk. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're going to do with your money.

'Hmm?　It's a different day.
'Yes, it has a distinctive fruity aroma, and it seems sweet enough without the sugar, so I thought it was just right.

　A broken cheek, Loki smiled softly across the steam.
　He must have bought the tea set with him when he bought it. At the word "just right," Ars looks down as he brings the cup to his mouth.

　I have to take my hat off to this kind of attentiveness. If you're going to let a man down, grab his stomach, they say, but in Ars's case, I get the feeling that he's already under her control.
　This silent teatime is also a moment of peace.

I'm sure there's more to it than that. The first step is to get those two to become decent wizards, as promised.
Well no, I suppose so.

　Loki's voice, with a hint of chuckle, melted into the steamy air as it fluttered. His voice is not sharp as a thorn, but soft and tuneful.

　Tesfia and Alice aren't just chicks who know nothing anymore. It's a subtle change that can be noticed because it's Loki who has seen Ars and the two of them up close. It's also in no small part because they are of the same gender.

　That's why Loki is willing to say that he should make it clear. It's somewhat obvious that he cares for himself. He shouldn't be more of a concern to Ars than a drag in the fight. Perhaps even against Hazan, even if Loki's abilities were superior to his own, he would surely tell him to run if he was in danger.

　The prospect of death, which has caused so many to die right in front of your eyes, is an insurmountable part of Ars, and it's not something that Loki would want to deal with. That does not sit well with Loki. On the one hand, she wants to stay by his side, but on the other hand, she must not let her existence be an impediment to him.
　You don't have to be the only important person to stay by his side. I feel that he needs someone to support him in case of an emergency.
　So.

'Al, I don't care what number it is,'
..........

　After blowing on it for a moment, Ars meets Loki's gaze and immediately guesses. Although it is already known in part, the results of a study that the children of excellent mages have their latent qualities inherited from Rusalka have been published. Of course, it was not widely publicized, but it was enough to overturn the previous research findings of irrelevance.

　Of course, Loki believed that the women who gathered in front of the research building day after day would be aiming for the seats that were available to those with the most power at any given moment.

　This is what he heard from the former head of Lithia when he stopped by Rusalka. Therefore, Ars was able to immediately guess it as well.
　Although it was a sudden topic, he had a feeling that it would be dug up in the near future, so Ars was surprised to the extent that he was surprised to see that it had come.

'What number or what do you think I am?'
But...
'Well, even though we're no longer bound by the military, we're still in the framework of being magicians. There may be a courtship of sorts. Do I look like such a handy person, though?
Of course.

　While it's true that Loki's immediate response is overrated, it's also true that he's actually a necessary part of Ars.
　After working with him for the past few months, I've learned something new. It's also why he still doesn't have an answer in his mind. Loki was becoming more and more concerned about how much he really understood, even in terms of providing for them.
　I am sure that he has not been able to get a clear answer to those feelings that he cherishes and cares for. He is hesitant to delve into the depths of his heart.

　Ars, who has led a life that is far removed from love and affection, is still lacking in a fatal flaw. This was before Park Nenin. Loki thinks that this is why he has never mentioned it.
　However.

''Are you okay with that?''
..........!

　I'm going to give up the term "before Park Nenin" and move it up to Park Nenin. If you ask him if that's a good thing, Loki has no choice but to return to his roots.
　I'm not at a loss for words. There is nothing wrong with Ars wanting and being that supportive, if he is happy. Just the desire to be in the midst of it, though.

'Yes but if you can, please don't go too far,'

　His gaze, laden with anxiety, turns to Ars.

'That's exactly the kind of worry I don't need,'

　With that, Ars stood up and moved to Loki's front and gently placed a hand on his silver hair to remove the worry.

'Are you sure?'
You're the one who needs to stay out of sight.

　Without changing his expression, Loki stares straight back at Ars. His lips are at a distance that could be reached if he stood taller.
　But the words that came out of Ars's mouth must have been sincere, but at the same time, Loki couldn't get his toes up because he felt like they were a little far away from love and affection.

　He could go back to where he'd always wanted to be, but little by little something was changing so that time would not stop.

　Just when the conversation couldn't get any more expansive, today, as usual, Tesfia and Alice would visit the lab. Loki knows that the signs of that change include them.
　How will they spend the small amount of time Ars spends in the academy?

　If he ends up working out as Ars says he will, that would be fine. But some kind of answer will surely be sought from Tesfia and Alice.
　As the only one in the know, Loki is not going to interfere with their answers. He's already deeply involved and turned into a necessary part of Ars' life.