Chapter 23

"Where am I?"

I realized I was in an unfamiliar bed.

I was still in my uniform.

"Hey there, feeling okay?"

As I tried to sit up, I met the eyes of a girl who was peering at me. She was a small, cute girl with curly eyes, about 150 cm tall, with brown hair and lovely blue eyes. She was the only senior in this dorm who had talked to us properly.

Blue? There was something oddly off. Her eyes weren't blue, they were...

"Hey, no response. Are you really okay?"

"I'm fine. Did you bring me here, Yuriko-senpai?"

I shouldn't have been so absent-minded and caused her unnecessary worry. I tried to act calm.

"Yeah, that's right. I was following you because I saw you being harassed by some scary seniors. When you chased them away and collapsed, I was really surprised."

"If you saw that, you could have helped me."

I smiled, but I felt a chill. The fact that I hadn't noticed being followed for so long was abnormal. I wasn't being conceited; I always stayed alert and was more sensitive to presence than most people.

She was a formidable opponent. More frightening than a Rank 2 senior. On the other hand, if she were on our side, she would be a great ally.

"Wow, saying that to a frail girl? I'm surprised. I couldn't have done anything in that situation."

"Two Rank 2s and three top Rank 1s. I don't think Yuriko-senpai could have done anything."

"Right, right."

She nodded and laughed.

Whatever she was hiding, she was definitely a Rank 1.

"Thank you, Yuriko-senpai, for taking care of me."

"I only did it because I felt guilty for thinking about leaving you behind."

"Is this your room?"

I looked around. As a special student, she had her own room, and it clearly reflected her taste. It was mostly pink, with cute trinkets placed around.

"Yeah, how about it? It's girly, right? It's tidy, right? Aren't you falling for me?"

She puffed out her chest, and I lay face down on the pillow, sniffing it silently.

A pillow from a beautiful girl. Priceless.

"Aah, stop it, don't sniff!"

She grabbed my body and shook me.

"Just kidding. Don't take it so seriously."

"Phew, it was a joke... but you actually sniffed it!"

"It's not like it's going to decrease."

"It will, it's a girl's precious thing."

"Then, while taking a girl's precious thing, can I also take Yuriko-senpai's precious thing?"

"No way, not even as a bonus!"

Her comeback was perfectly timed.

I didn't feel like this was the first time I met her.

I shouldn't have met her even when I thought it was a game. Why?

"Just kidding. This time."

"Almost lost my virginity to a joke. Phew, I'm a senior, you know. I'm so frustrated. The only way to make up for it is to help me with my assignment."

"Assignment?"

"Yeah. Actually, I need to create a new magic spell for a magic assignment. I'm tweaking existing spells to make them more user-friendly. You're good at that, right?"

She asked me, her eyes shining with expectation.

"I'm good at it. I don't think there's anyone in this world who knows more about magic than I do."

"More boastful than I expected! Then, take a look at this! The most widely used single-target anti-monster attack spell, Fireball! It's a bestseller that many geniuses have improved over time. It's not easy to evolve it."

She spread out a page from a magic book filled with magic formulas.

I had to memorize it perfectly and visualize it in my head without a single mistake to activate the spell. I recognized the formula.

"That's a waste of magic."

When I said that, Yuriko-senpai's face twisted.

Fireball was popular in this world because it had a simple formula, was easy to handle, and had decent power, but it was actually a waste. The creator added unnecessary magic formulas without understanding their meaning, and the processing flow was distorted. There were many duplicate entries.

In the game era, Fireball was used as a bad example, and students were told to fix its flaws as practice.

"You're really confident. I'm surprised."

"I can actually do it. Can you lend me some paper and a pen?"

"Sure, paper and pen. And no formal language, it's too ticklish."

Yuriko-senpai brought me paper, a pen, and a wooden board to write on while in bed.

"I'll stop using formal language. So, I want to finish this quickly. What do you want? To improve performance without changing the nature? Or to increase the range?"

The most important thing when customizing a spell is to clearly define what kind of magic you want to create. Without a clear goal, you can't create anything good.

"No, I want a single-target spell, so I want to make it more efficient and increase its firing rate. If possible, I want to increase its range and power."

"Good, specific instructions. Got it. Let's do it."

I closed my eyes and searched my mental database.

I selected a few appropriate methods and coated them.

Considering Yuriko-senpai would use it, I streamlined the process to the minimum.

First, I changed the magic projectile to a streamlined shape and gave it mass. Inside, I sealed a magic block with the same properties as flammable gas.

After the magic projectile was launched, it would accelerate due to the combustion of the internal gas.

Upon impact, the magic projectile would burst, and a directional explosion would occur at the front, burning the target with heat.

This way, the process would be shorter, and both range and power would be improved.

"Hey, are you closing your eyes because you're constructing the magic in your head?"

"Yeah... almost there, yeah, done."

I moved my hand and wrote the magic formula on the paper.

The process was about half, but the power and efficiency were significantly improved.

It was a good result, even though it was improvised. I would use this as my main spell for a while.

I lacked a pure long-range attack, and it would be useful until I reached Rank 2.

"Here, senpai. A completely new Fireball."

I handed her the new Fireball formula.

She read it with incredible speed.

"What is this? I've never seen such a formula or arrangement. I don't understand it at all... but I'll try it in tomorrow's practice field. I think I can activate it while looking at this. I'm excited."

"Senpai, using it in the practice field means it's a test."

"Yep?"

"I can't understand. Trusting a junior's magic formula is insane."

After all, in this academy, each test was a matter of life and death. Failing a test meant a longer path to becoming a noble.

"No, I trust you. I saw your power when you defeated those scary seniors. Do you want me to doubt you? Did you trick me?"

"It's a genuine, well-improved magic spell. But, Yuriko-senpai, you have a mysterious personality."

"Yeah, I'm often told that. So, I took care of you, and you helped me with my assignment. We're even now."

"Indeed, that's true."

"I'm feeling better, so I'm going. Everyone will be back soon, and if you don't leave by then, it will be a problem for me. If they find out I was kind to the dorm's hope and the one everyone hates, it will be hard for me to live."

She gently pushed my back.

"Thank you, Yuriko-senpai. I'll include an explanation of the magic as after-service, so let me know if you have any questions."

"Wow, you're quite generous."

"...My intuition tells me it's important to value our connection."

Exploring the underground labyrinth.

A four-person party was the best. I hoped she could be the fourth member.

"Please ask me when you're fully recovered. Oh, right. Decide a name for the new Fireball. It's completely different now, so I think it's better if you name it."

I was momentarily taken aback by Yuriko-senpai's sudden words.

But I quickly had an idea. If I were to name this magic...

"How about 'Flame Spear'? I created it with the image of a spear piercing through, not a ball."

"Yeah, it's a good name. Very 'you.'"

With that, I left Yuriko-senpai's room, escorted by her.

As I left, I heard her mutter softly.

"I see. So, your habits show in your work."

Maybe she knew something about me.

I left, thinking about that.