After ascending to the top floor, Ars entered a hallway with a strangely calm atmosphere.
　This floor seemed to house the rooms of the senior-most students and the head of the dormitory, so unlike the youthful atmosphere downstairs, a relaxed and elegant atmosphere colored the floor.

　The furnishings and the pale red carpet created a chic interior. The colourful activity downstairs can feel hurried, but the top floor feels like a safe zone of peace.

　My footsteps have changed to a gentle one, as if I'm stepping on the faint rebound of the carpet.
　The only vases placed at evenly spaced intervals might be the only ones on this floor without the risk of being broken in an accident.


　I find the room number as instructed by the guard, and check the nameplate of Felinella, the head of the dormitory, on it. I lightly push in the intercom provided at the side and a clear tone escapes through the doorway.

　A faint voice calls out from the back of the room, "Can you wait a moment?" and Ars waits in front of the door for the first time. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Although she had escaped the difficulty earlier thanks to Illumina, it was hard to imagine that she would be able to help her in succession. She had walked in a different direction from Ars, so she wanted to avoid being found now if possible.

　She hadn't expected that the permit would be so unreliable. It had become a mere decoration worn around my neck.

　Not long after that, the door knob slid open, pointing at six o'clock. Ferrinella's face peeked out of it briefly, and her eyes widened and she stiffened for a moment.
　She didn't check to see who the visitor was. Considering that this was a girls' dormitory, the same s*x would usually make up that percentage.

　Therefore, she seemed to think it was one of her friends.

'Ars-san!
I'm sorry to bother you at this hour.

　It was still necessary to change the day. Her face was neat apart from the astonishment, and she was faintly uptight.
　A soft scent of shampoo wafted from her glossy hair. It must have been right after he had taken a shower.
　Her hair also looked as if it had been combed with a brush, and each fine strand hung straight and glistening without disturbing the rows.

　An off-the-shoulder loungewear that looked like it had been cut into rings. The milky white shoulders were smooth as if they reflected the light from the lights. A loose-fitting top and bottom, clothes that showed how well she had been raised.

　As expected of a visit to Tesfia's room, Felinella didn't have to wait even longer, as she did when she visited Tesfia's room, and she was a little embarrassed to suggest that she go inside.

'I'm sorry about the tiredness. I don't intend to stay that long.'
'I hope you don't mind. I don't feel very comfortable on my own, so if it's not too much trouble, would you be willing to talk to me?

　The slightly muffled cheeks, the smile on his face, seemed fleeting to Ars. I could tell at a glance that it was due to mental rather than physical fatigue. Felinella's eyes, which were supposed to be regular, showed that she wasn't getting enough rest.

'If it's okay with me,'

　Not being able to refuse her offer, Ars enters as he is led in. The head of the dormitory doesn't seem to be sharing a room, which may be a privilege, and the layout of the room is larger than the other students. The minimum amount of furniture and unpleasant furnishings, which may be expensive, but it's by no means on the nose. A good branded item is one that doesn't get its purpose wrong. I'm sure you'll be able to find a good deal more than you'd like.

　There are no excessive decorations, even for a single table, but rather an emphasis on elaborate design. It was as if every single thing in the room was a fragment of Felinella's sensibility.
　When you enter, it feels like a great fit to have her here.

　After suggesting a small, cozy sofa for two to sit on to Ars, Felinella walked into the kitchen.

　And there's a floral smell, as if the scent of the shampoo from earlier is stagnant in the room. I think I smelled a similar smell somewhere........

''It's a strange smell...''

　I feel like I miss it, but I can't remember. I just know this. The memory of this smell is probably from the outside world.

'Do you like it?　I found a fresh-smelling flower in the outside world once and had it made. I was told that they are a species that grows wild only in the outside world.
I guess that's why I'm so relaxed.

　Holding two cups of steam, Felinella smiled with a giggle. She bent her knees so that her hair wouldn't get in them and placed them on the glass table.

'You make it sound as if the outside world is more calming.

　What was offered to him was a tea that smelled of herbs. Loki had made me taste some of it before to figure out what Ars's preferences were, but it's a deep, bodily exiting aroma that doesn't fit into any of them. Maybe it's original.

'I'm more comfortable with that one. It's too cluttered on the inside.
It's just like Ars, isn't it?
Is that right?
Yes. Of all the places in the world, only Mr. Ars would say that.
'I didn't mean to make you wonder about anything in particular, but... well, that's a shame.

　Felinella poked at the words with so many meanings (oh, the world looks like that to him, after all) and was deeply moved and poked in her heart. On the other hand, her heart seemed to be filled with a tingle of loneliness. The joy of knowing speaks volumes about the beauty and ugliness of what he had seen in the outside world.
　The words that come out of his mouth, which refer to the outside world, which he knows so much about, say a lot of things that are not demons, and a lot of things that need to be seen.

　It even felt like a superiority that those who had seen it knew.


　Ars took a sip of his tea as he saw Felinella sitting across from him. Ars did not like to describe it as fragrant. I have a preference for tea, but I'm not that familiar with it, if I may say so. Therefore, I think I'm pretending to be a connoisseur when I talk about the aroma.

　But this time, the scent of the leaves seemed to envelop my entire body, which was quite different. While my body warmed up, I could sense the scent through something other than my sense of smell. It was as if they themselves were releasing their own fragrance.
　He could feel a lightness in his chest.

　He felt relaxed enough to assure himself that his nerves would not be in a state of shock now.

'I never knew there was such a thing as tea.
I don't have any expertise, but I do have an idea of the ratio of the tea leaves to be blended. I'm not as good a brewer as Mr. Loki, but it's just for my taste.

　After Ars, the guest, took a mouthful first, Felinella also took a bite.................holding it to warm up with both hands and bringing it to her mouth.
　As if she had enjoyed it in just one bite, Felinella let out a thin breath with a huff. In doing so, she was attempting to release the tension without being noticed.
　It was the first time in her life that she had ever let a man into her room, and when it was nighttime, her lately lonely mind would leap to her own devices.

　That's why I chose the tea leaves, which have a stronger aroma than usual. In a sense, my mood has been renewed - in a sense.

　I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it. Before she knew it, her legs were closed enough for her knees to stick together.

　She looked at Ars with a slight upward glance.

'Ars-san, I think there's more danger in the outside world... but still, would you feel more comfortable there?
'Hmmm, no, I said that simply because it would save me a lot of trouble. It's a good idea to think about it when you ask me again. But it's not simply because it makes me feel better, either, you know?


　These were words that bothered me, at least as a person who was preparing to investigate the outside world with members selected from each of the association-led academies in the future. It's probably because they think that the place called the outer world produces nothing but battle. Maybe that can be said of all magicians. The reason is that in the outside world, you have to keep all your nerves focused on the outside enemy.

　Although he himself has gone out to the outside world many times, this time he has been entrusted with the command of his troops.
　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one. She wasn't confident that she would be able to make the right decision at this point. The pressure continued to put a mental burden on her before the actual battle.

　It was also Illumina, who knew all the members of the squad and was an old acquaintance of hers to serve as her second in command. This is why if Felinella makes a mistake in her instructions, the girls will not return home until it's too late.
　The heavy responsibility of being a captain made it more nerve-wracking than Felinella thought it would be. No matter how many times she read and re-read the tactical manual from the association, she couldn't shake her anxiety.

　She imagines it every night as she goes to bed. Oh, let's do this, let's do that, at that time, at this time... but she realizes that the words she looks back on are already too late.
　

　That nightmare must have been caused by that battle - that human killing each other.

　But regardless of that, Ars lifts the corners of his mouth and starts talking about it in an amused manner.

'For example, this brewed tea, Felli said he got it from the outside world.

　He nods back and looks into his own cup once. It is small in quantity as he takes it personally.

'There are demons in the outside world, but nature is too abundant. Demons are incompatible with humans, but they are able to coexist with nature. Of course, the nature of demons is outside the order of nature, but there is no doubt that they are doing well. Demons only target humans, but strangely enough, they do not intentionally destroy nature. I don't know if there is such a thing as self-control, but during the daytime, they are quiet as long as there are no humans around. Of course, there are exceptions.
Does that mean it makes sense?

　Shaking his head lightly, Ars regains his cup.

'It's not that hard to figure out. It's just that demons might have an aesthetic sense. Maybe it's a lot like us humans.

　Ever since the demon appeared, the forest has been spreading. Its ecology has evolved to an extent unparalleled in the past, and its growth rate is already unusually fast.

　I'm not going to be able to get my hands on any of them.
　There is an unspoken rule against equating demons and humans. In such a situation, Ars only issued facts as if it were natural.

　It may be a heresy.
　Still..........

''It seems so. I'm glad to see that the demon also has the sensitivity to love flowers. Since this is how we can drink good tea.
There are people who can brew it for you, so it's perfect. The only thing you need to do is not to narrow your vision. There's a lot more to see in the outside world than just demons.

　While the calm atmosphere was soothing, Ars didn't forget what he had come here to do.

　Perhaps sensing this, the unchanging silence descended for a breath.

''Feri........''
Yes?
Thank you for helping me out the other day.
--!

　The other day, the events it pointed to were immediately apparent to Felinella. After all, it was a scene that still lingers in her mind and never leaves her.
　Hence, it still tails off and makes her think of the risks to her heavy responsibilities as a captain.

　At the situation of being bowed down to the first place in front of her, Ferrinella hurriedly placed the cup that was about to overflow on the table.

''Ars-san, please don't do this. I did this because I liked it, and besides.......I didn't want to thank you.

　If you look for the principle of action by saying it out loud, you'll still only get a simple answer. I think that the people surrounding Ars must be a group of people like that.
　I'm going to put my hand on my chest and feel it. I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world. I'm sure that the decision-making process is no longer confusing, and at the same time it is a big step forward.

　It was a decisive change in this one respect, with no self-reflection.

'I wanted to do what I could. Not for the sake of the Alpha, not for the sake of the Socarrento family, I just couldn't pretend to be a woman at heart. This is my way of doing things.
I've seen you do some crazy shit.
'Yes. The only person who can make me do something reckless is Mr. Ars so let me do something reckless.

　She tilted her head lightly and her face broke out in pride. The dialogue, which was filled with more emotion than words, put red on her cheeks. The temperature in the room was probably not only high, it wasn't as hot as it was for a cup of tea.
　But there was definitely a temperature difference that Ars and Felinella could feel.