Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Companion

◆  

Vespa Luciana, having returned to her quarters, blankly stared up at the ceiling.  

Lately, she had been extremely busy.  

As always, she assisted Gray, diligently attended her recently enrolled magic classes, and studied for periodic evaluations…  

“…….”  

Yet, even amidst such a hectic schedule, the first thing that came to mind was what had happened last.  

The study session with Miss and Carlisle.  

In her mind, she replayed the scene from earlier.  

Gray dragging Carlisle around, doing this and that.  

To be precise, it was closer to her forcibly keeping him by her side, as though she couldn’t stand seeing him with others.  

Though she had served the Miss for quite some time, this was the first time she had seen her so obsessively fixated on something.  

And.  

For some reason, seeing that—  

“…….”  

How should she put it?  

It was uncomfortable.  

She couldn’t tell whether this feeling was directed at the Miss or at Carlisle.  

But one thing was certain—seeing it hadn’t made her feel good.  

“……Ugh.”  

Letting out a weary sigh, she buried her face into the pillow with all her might.  

Whether it was Miss or Carlisle, both were precious to her.  

The Miss, needless to say, was the one she had served the longest, and Carlisle was the first person she had ever met whom she could truly rely on.  

Honestly, thinking about it, it was strange.  

It didn’t feel like she had known Carlisle for that long, yet at some point, he had become someone irreplaceable.  

‘He’s an amazing person.’  

Being around him was reassuring.  

Unlike her, who rushed to handle things as they came, he meticulously planned everything from start to finish, leaving no gaps.  

She had often relied on his help when dealing with Gray’s absurd requests, and the more time they spent together, the more her trust in him grew.  

And above all—  

“…….”  

A faint blue mist gathered before Vespa.  

He was the one who had convinced and helped her—a once ordinary maid no one paid attention to—discover and develop this talent of hers.  

Thanks to that, her relationship with the Miss had improved dramatically.  

So, he was a good person. A precious person.  

Gray was also someone like that to her.  

But.  

Why?  

Why did her chest feel so tight when she saw those two precious people together?  

“…….”  

……What was this?  

She didn’t know.  

In truth, she knew nothing.  

Why was she feeling this way?  

With her face still buried in the pillow, Vespa groaned and continued her train of thought.  

After agonizing over it for a long time, the conclusion was clear.  

‘……I should just sleep!’  

With that thought, she immediately pulled the covers over herself.  

Yeah. Dwelling too deeply on this kind of worry would only torment her.  

‘With Carlisle—’  

……For the time being, she should be careful not to let these thoughts resurface.  

As much as she felt sorry toward Carlisle, maybe she should keep a bit of distance for now.  

◆  

Some time ago, Headmaster Sear Whiteburn had once suggested that Carlisle learn how to wield the Holy Sword.  

Though he had readily accepted, there were times Carlisle regretted that decision.  

“—!”  

Mainly at moments like this.  

When the magic circulating within his body set his entire being ablaze.  

“Oho, looks like you’re thoroughly cooked.”  

“…….”  

Watching steam rise from Carlisle’s entire body, the Headmaster chuckled and emptied his cup.  

Then, he grabbed a water bottle beside the cup and poured its entire contents over Carlisle’s head.  

It might have seemed insulting, but for Carlisle, it was a welcome relief.  

His body felt like it was melting from the heat, and this made him feel much better.  

“You’re tough to endure that. Must feel like a bomb’s gone off inside you.”  

“I’ve had some training in magic circuit construction.”  

“Doubt you’ve ever trained in such a brutish way, though.”  

That was true.  

The process of assimilating the Hero’s magic emitted by the Holy Sword into one’s body was not something an ordinary person could withstand.  

In that sense, overloading the body until steam rose from the magic circuits was far from a normal method.  

Had the Headmaster not been there to monitor and finely adjust the process, things would have gone horribly wrong long ago.  

‘……Still, if I can pull this off.’  

magic circuit construction was the most basic training for Imperial knights learning body enhancement techniques.  

It was the foundation for storing and carrying a certain amount of magic in the body at all times.  

Since it directly affected the body, its impact on one’s ‘constitution’ was said to be profound.  

Most knight aspirants, especially those from prestigious families, would undergo this process from a very young age using rare elixirs or secret techniques if they had the means.  

In that regard, Carlisle could consider himself extremely fortunate.  

Under the guidance of the former Hero, the Headmaster, he was able to assimilate magic with high affinity for all types of magic.  

[This is definitely an opportunity with high potential.]  

Even the Holy Sword chimed in.  

[Well, you won’t match the original owner of this magic—me—but… You should at least be able to mimic it to some degree.]  

Channeling the Hero’s magic through the Holy Sword was far more inefficient than it seemed, he’d heard.  

Most of the abilities the original Hero could wield had been sealed off due to that inefficiency.  

In that sense, this training wasn’t just about making Carlisle stronger—it was about drastically expanding the range of abilities he could access.  

“Still, didn’t think you’d follow instructions to the letter. Who in their right mind would actually do something this insane?”  

“…….”  

“I wouldn’t be surprised if some places adopted this as a torture method. Not that I should be saying this as the one who suggested it, but you’re clearly not sane either.”  

……This old man.  

Carlisle glared at the Headmaster, who was marveling at him with a grin.  

“Well, at this rate, you should be about done.”  

“Huh?”  

Ignoring Carlisle’s question, the Headmaster placed a hand on his shoulder as he knelt, gripping the Holy Sword.  

Carlisle felt the Headmaster’s magic seep into the circuits he had painstakingly constructed amidst the burning agony.  

And in the next moment—  

“……Oh.”  

Carlisle let out an involuntary gasp.  

The Holy Sword, which had always taken the form of an ordinary longsword, had now transformed into a shield small enough to wield in one hand.  

“Remember that sensation. That’s how you’ll be able to use this.”  

“How did you do that?”  

“Mithril is the metal most intricately responsive to magic. If your synchronization is high enough, you can shape it freely by imbuing it with magic.”  

As he spoke, the Holy Sword continued to change forms.  

From a shield to a dagger, then to twin blades.  

“Just being able to do this should spare you from suspicion. People usually assume the Holy Sword is a longsword.”  

This is a technique I developed myself, you know.  

Watching the Headmaster shrug proudly, Carlisle nodded.  

“How far can its form be altered?”  

“Hmm… That depends on your mastery of magic manipulation. You’d need a clear mental image first. Why not try flexing your imagination?”  

Imagination.  

Imagination, huh?  

Truthfully, something had already come to mind, so he didn’t need much help in that regard.  

“Headmaster.”  

“Hm?”  

“Can the Holy Sword take a form resembling a ‘human body’?”  

“…….”  

The Headmaster stared at Carlisle, aghast.  

“……What are you planning? Some kind of weird hobby?”  

“……That’s not it.”  

“Ah, youth. So full of vigor—”  

“It’s not like that.”  

……It took a while to clear up the misunderstanding.  

“Well, it’s theoretically possible. But it’s no ordinary feat. It’d be like creating a living being out of magic. Doubt even I could pull it off.”  

“……Hmm.”  

I see.  

Giving the Hero a new body clearly wasn’t something that could be done quickly.  

If even the Headmaster said it was beyond him, it might be outright impossible.  

But.  

‘I’ll make it happen somehow.’  

[……Is there really a need to go that far? Even the Headmaster says it’s difficult.]  

‘I want to do it for the Hero.’  

[……Are you an idiot?]  

‘It’d make my life easier.’  

[…….]  

‘Please, Hero, just get a body and save the world already.’  

[Shut your mouth.]  

The Holy Sword grew irritable.  

Carlisle snorted and got to his feet.  

Well, at least he now had a clear goal for this ability.  

He also understood exactly why he needed to train his magic.  

As he mulled over this, the Headmaster suddenly shrugged and asked,  

“By the way, how’d your written exam go?”  

“Well, somehow.”  

He had barely magicged to avoid failing.  

After days of grueling study that nearly broke him.  

“Good. The practical will be even tougher.”  

“……Huh?”  

“You and your friends will be taking a… Special format exam. Hope you find it fun.”  

“…….”  

Why would you do that?  

“Be grateful we’re letting you off this easy. By the rules, you should’ve been expelled for missing so many classes.”  

“……Thank you.”  

“Besides, you and your friends seem like the type who’d thrive in live combat anyway.”  

“Huh?”  

“You always seem to be at the eye of the storm, Carlisle Belfast.”  

“…….”  

“Like you attract trouble wherever you go.”  

“Could you not say such ominous things?”  

◆  

A day later.  

Carlisle found himself renewing his respect for the Headmaster.  

Ah, so this was why the title of ‘former Hero’ wasn’t earned lightly.  

From the perspective of someone who attracted trouble, the Headmaster’s foresight was undoubtedly sharp.  

The situation Carlisle found himself in shortly after the exam began was proof enough.  

In a dark forest—clearly a dangerous place—only Carlisle and Vespa stood together.  

“……Ehehe.”  

Vespa scratched her cheek awkwardly, forcing an uncomfortable smile.  

She didn’t seem used to being in such a situation either.  

“Um, I think—”  

She glanced around before continuing.  

“—we might have to stick together like this for the whole night.”  

“…….”  

“……We might even have to sleep together, uh…”  

“…….”  

“……Is that… Okay with you?”  

Well, it was magicgeable.  

Vespa wasn’t a bad person. Staying close wasn’t a problem.  

As long as they kept certain boundaries, it’d be fine.  

However—  

-System Message  

▶ Event related to target ‘Vespa Luciana’ is in progress.  

▶ The outcome will affect the ‘Trait – Archmage’s First Love’!  

“…….”  

Staring at the ominously window, Carlisle pressed his lips together.  

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