Chapter 22

(Kifurodo, Rady... Can these two be trusted?)

Mika closed her eyes, struggling with her thoughts.

Should she trust them, or should she try to handle everything on her own?

Even if it were true, if her claim that "I learned magic on my own and don't know any incantations" was not accepted, there would be no way to deal with it.

Moreover, the problem was that Mika couldn't even tell if her claim would improve the situation.

If her claim were accepted, the only fact that would remain is that "Mika can use [Miracle of God] without incantations."

Mika couldn't tell if this would lead to a resolution or a more serious thorny path.

Mika slowly opened her eyes.

When she saw Amalia, she was looking at Mika with sad eyes.

Her eyes eloquently spoke of the sad consequences that would follow if Mika made a mistake here, despite her joy just a moment ago.

Loretta had red eyes and was trying hard to hold back her tears.

(…It’s impossible.)

Amid the attention of everyone, Mika quietly sighed.

Mika gave up.

On solving it on her own.

(…There’s no other way.)

Mika got up from her chair with a thud.

The loud noise echoed throughout the large assembly hall where everyone was watching in tense silence.

A slight murmur arose as everyone wondered what Mika was doing.

“Mika….”

“Mika!”

Mika heard Amalia and Loretta calling her, but she didn’t look back and continued walking straight ahead.

She approached Kifurodo and Rady.

“…What’s going on?”

“Mika-kun….”

The two were surprised by Mika’s sudden action but looked at her straight.

“I trust you two and will entrust myself to you. Follow me.”

Without waiting for a response, Mika headed towards the back of the assembly hall.

Not understanding what Mika was trying to do, the mayor started to protest, but Horayshio calmed him down.

“Hmm… Can you wait a moment? First, let Kifurodo and I hear what he has to say. We can’t make any progress without hearing it.”

Kifurodo got up from his seat.

Rady also walked over to Mika, following Kifurodo.

(…If I can’t trust these two, there’s no way out.)

Mika couldn’t solve it on her own anymore.

If that was the case, she had to rely on someone who could solve it.

Rady served the village people without discrimination.

In fact, Mika was saved by Rady in that way.

And it wasn’t just Mika; many others were saved by Rady without expecting anything in return.

Kifurodo had been a pillar of support for the village people for decades.

It wasn’t as easy as just being a preachy figure.

If he were just a preachy figure, he wouldn’t be so respected by the villagers.

It was because he had always been there for the villagers, supporting them.

(If I can’t trust these two, then there’s no hope.)

Mika had no choice but to make up her mind.

She had to proceed with a claim whose outcome was uncertain.

If so, she should rely on someone who understood the situation and would support her.

That’s why she decided to entrust herself to the two of them.

When they reached the back of the assembly hall, Mika stood in the middle with Kifurodo and Rady on either side, facing the audience.

“So, what do you want to tell us alone?”

“Mika-kun….”

Kifurodo lowered his voice so that the others couldn’t hear and asked Mika.

“Here.”

Mika raised her left hand to her chest, and the two peered at her palm.

Mika moved her lips slightly, whispering “‘Limit Release,’ ‘Water Ball.’”

Instantly, a ball of water appeared in Mika’s palm.

“Huh!? This….”

“!?”

It was a small ball of water, about the size of a marble, but the two stared at it intently.

Kifurodo was surprised but careful not to raise his voice.

Rady, on the other hand, couldn’t even speak, her eyes wide with astonishment.

“…I don’t need incantations. That’s why I didn’t learn them from anyone.”

Mika slowly crushed the “Water Ball” she had created.

When she opened her hand, water droplets fell to the floor.

Kifurodo looked at Mika.

He stared at Mika’s wet hand with wide eyes, then muttered, “Hmm…,” with a troubled expression.

Rady, similarly, stared at Mika’s hand, but after a while, she seemed to notice Mika’s gaze.

Her expression was a mix of surprise and, perhaps, fear.

She looked so serious that it was hard to believe she was the woman Mika had nicknamed “Smiling Madonna.”

Mika stared intently at Rady’s eyes.

Rady’s expression turned to one of distress, and then she closed her eyes, as if struggling with some internal conflict.

For a while, a heavy silence hung in the air.

(…Was it a mistake to show this to these two?)

But she couldn’t think of anyone else with the influence to become her ally.

The mayor was out of the question.

Diego, as the head of the vigilante group, might have some influence, but it was questionable whether he could persuade everyone.

He could probably push through with force, but whether that would be effective in this situation was unknown.

It might be effective as a last resort.

Horayshio might have some influence, but it was unclear if he was the right person for the role.

While he was certainly well-disposed towards Mika, it was uncertain whether he could handle the situation well.

It seemed like a difficult task for Horayshio, who was not good at conflict.

Ninetyana was present at the meeting, but it was unclear how much influence she had.

The same applied to Nanzaro and Mehitrute, and Mika had only seen them during the fire.

Therefore, she couldn’t even judge whether they were trustworthy.

Mika had no other choice but to rely on these two, whom she knew to some extent and understood their character.

“………”

In the heavy silence, a faint whisper was heard.

Rady seemed to have said something, but Mika couldn’t quite hear it.

When Mika looked up at Rady, her expression had softened into a gentle one.

“I understand, Mika-kun. Leave everything to me.”

Rady’s eyes, which declared this, were filled with strong determination.

“Wait, Rady! What are you deciding on your own—”

“No, I’ve decided. I’ve made my decision.”

Rady said this, then knelt down and hugged Mika.

“Thank you for telling me. It must have taken a lot of courage. But now, it’s okay. I’m with you, Mika-kun.”

Rady looked straight into Mika’s eyes.

Her eyes were filled with strong will.

(…Rady.)

Rady smiled as usual, but her smile gave Mika a great sense of reliability and strength.

Seeing Rady’s demeanor, Kifurodo sighed deeply.

“…You haven’t changed a bit since you were a child. Once you decide, you don’t listen.”

Kifurodo sighed, as if giving up.

From there, the conversation moved quickly.

A whispered consultation took place above Mika’s head, but she couldn’t understand what was being discussed from the few words that leaked out.

All Mika could do was resolve to hear the full story later.

When the consultation ended, the three of them returned to the table where everyone was waiting.

When Mika sat down, Amalia moved her chair closer and hugged Mika’s shoulder.

Loretta also moved her chair closer and held Mika’s hand.

Kifurodo began to speak.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. The discussion got a bit complicated.”

Kifurodo looked at all the participants.

Everyone waited in tense silence for what Kifurodo would say.

“To cut to the chase… Today’s discussion is over. We’re adjourning.”

Everyone looked confused, saying, “Huh?”

“Wait a moment! What are you saying all of a sudden—”

“Priest! Even if you’re a priest, you can’t—”

Everyone protested against Kifurodo’s sudden authoritarian move.

Of course, it was unreasonable to expect them to accept it.

Voices demanding an explanation rose, but Kifurodo silenced them with a hand.

“I understand what everyone wants to say, but I can’t discuss the reasons here.”

Of course, no one could accept that, and protests began to rise again.

“This is no longer a matter for discussion here. Can you understand that?”

Kifurodo’s words made everyone’s faces stiffen.

The mayor, with a pale face, still asked Kifurodo a question.

“Priest… Can you explain why you made this decision? I am the mayor of this village. For the sake of the village, I need to know—”

“The mayor needs to know certain things. Reporting to the lord is not our responsibility.”

Kifurodo added, “Come to the church later.”

The word “lord” made everyone in the room pale and fall silent.

Amalia’s body shuddered, and Loretta’s hand was trembling.

Mika placed his hand on Amalia’s hand on his shoulder and said, “It’s okay.”

“…But, the lord… That’s…”

Amalia and Loretta were greatly shaken, and Rady, seeing this, hurriedly came to their side.

“Both of you, calm down. This is not a bad thing. It’s just that we can’t handle this on our own anymore, so we need to report to the lord. That’s all.”

Rady tried to calm them, but their agitation didn’t subside easily.

“Yes. To avoid any misunderstandings, I want to make it clear that this is not a bad thing. However, there are aspects that we can’t judge on our own, so we’ve decided to let the lord make the judgment. Of course, I will also inform the bishop and ask for his support.”

Kifurodo then warned everyone not to speak of this and declared the adjournment again.

Whether they accepted it or not, the discussion was over, and everyone had no choice but to accept the adjournment.

Thus, the discussion ended, but Amalia and Loretta were still greatly shaken, and Rady accompanied them home.

On the way back, Horayshio, Nanzaro, and Mehitrute came to Mika to thank him for his help during the fire.

It seemed that Horayshio and the others had visited Mika several times over the past week to thank him and visit Amalia.

However, it didn’t work out.

Loretta had turned them away.

After Amalia could move, she also turned them away.

They wanted to leave Mika alone for now.

Although Mika still didn’t understand the reason, it was clear that his position was quite precarious.

Therefore, Amalia and Loretta were very nervous.

The fact that they had been with Mika all week was probably due to this.

Perhaps the shock and despair they felt during the fire were also because they understood the precariousness of Mika’s position.

Not just the act of rushing into the fire, but the fact that even if he survived, he would be in a precarious position afterward.

That’s why they were so shocked.

While it was just a guess, Mika felt it was probably correct.

(…They were talking about ‘escaping the academy’ or something. When they say ‘academy,’ I think of the magic academy I’ve heard about before.)

For Mika, the magic academy was his top choice.

He had even been thinking about how to get in.

However, now that he could use magic on his own, he wasn’t sure if he still wanted to go.

(…Well, I’m still learning on my own. If someone could teach me, I would want to learn.)

There might be amazing magic that Mika hadn’t thought of.

Whether he could use it or not, just knowing about it would be worth going to the magic academy.

Mika parted ways with Horayshio and the others and returned home with Rady and the others.

Rady stayed at the Noisheim house for a while, encouraging Amalia and Loretta.

Thanks to her efforts, the two gradually calmed down.

“…I can’t say for sure, but I think Mika-kun will go to the capital’s magic academy in the spring when he turns ten. It’s a sad thing….”

“The capital…?”

Rady explained to Mika and the others about what would happen in the near future.

“At seven, if a child’s magic power reaches a certain level, they go to the magic academy in the Leuthein Marquisate. However, Mika-kun doesn’t qualify for this, so the next measurement is at nine. Since Mika-kun can already use [Miracle of God], it’s impossible for him to be overlooked. Therefore, Mika-kun will stay in the village until he turns ten.”

“Ten….”

Amalia listened to Rady with a dark expression.

“Going to the capital at ten means that the current ‘escaping the academy’ is really okay.”

Loretta seemed more concerned about the immediate situation than what would happen in a few years.

Rady patiently explained that they would handle the current situation.

“In fact, the current situation is much better than what we were thinking before the discussion. However, we’ve learned some unexpected things… We need to be very careful about how we handle this.”

(…No incantations needed, huh.)

Mika’s explanation made him break out in a cold sweat.

Mika hadn’t realized how serious it was.

After all, it all started when magic just came out on its own.

(…Well, there’s no point in saying that now.)

Mika remained quiet, not interrupting Rady’s explanation.

As he listened to various stories, the two gradually calmed down.

Then, at Rady’s instruction, Mika was sent to his bedroom.

It seemed they were going to discuss how to handle Mika in the future.

(Oh, discussing things behind my back… I don’t think that’s right.)

Mika protested in his heart but had no choice but to comply.

He had really caused trouble for Amalia and Loretta, and since he had decided to trust Rady, it would be a breach of trust to go against her instructions.

Reluctantly, Mika jumped onto the bed and lay down.

(…In the end, I didn’t get a chance to hear the details about ‘escaping the academy.’ Maybe I should go to the church and ask for an explanation.)

The priority now was to reassure Amalia and the others.

While Mika had his own concerns, he couldn’t put them first and leave Amalia and the others waiting.

So, he obediently waited, and after a while, Loretta came to call him.

Rady was leaving, and they all saw her off. After that, they had a late lunch.

■■■■■■

【Kifurodo’s Perspective】

“Ah, you’re back, Rady. How are Amalia and the others? Have they calmed down a bit?”

After the discussion at the assembly hall, Rady had visited the Noisheim house, and Kifurodo looked up from the letter