Chapter 64

"Good afternoon, Magilka."

Upon arriving at the academy and entering Areyos' parlor, I greeted Magilka, who was sitting in a chair with a serious expression, reading a book, as usual with a ladylike bow.

"Good, good afternoon, Lady Mary..."

Magilka greeted me with an indescribable, subtle expression, so I tilted my head and placed my finger on my chin.

"Is something wrong?"

Following my movement, there was a clinking sound, but I ignored it.

"No, the fact that a full suit of armor is making such a ladylike gesture is so out of place that it's even scary."

"Well, you know... It's hard to suddenly change the manners I've been taught."

I placed my hand over my mouth and laughed, then allowed Tütte to pull out a chair for me, and I sat down gracefully.

(Yes, I don't think I look good in full armor. I know that, but there's nothing I can do about it.)

This is the result of my upbringing since childhood; the manners of a young lady have seeped into me. I should probably act more like a knight in full armor, but since I've never observed a knight, I don't know how.

"...Wearing that armor to the academy means the effect hasn't worn off yet. I explained it to the headmaster yesterday, so I think the teachers understand. You should be able to walk around the campus in that armor without any problems."

"Thank you, Magilka. It's good to have friends, isn't it? ♪ By the way, I don't want to wait for the effect to wear off; I want to find a way to cancel it. Do you have any ideas?"

I thanked the efficient Magilka and brought up the main topic.

"...There's no specific method at the moment. After all, there are no cases of people trying to cancel such an effect."

Magilka sighed. Well, her point is valid. Why would someone who wants to enhance their charm try to cancel it? Also, there are no examples of such a strong effect. However, I can't just sit idly by; the longer it lasts, the more suspicious everyone will become of my magic.

"I see... That's a shame."

I slumped in my chair, hunched my shoulders, and let my hands fall between my thighs, looking dejected. I'm sure it looks very out of place from the outside, but thanks to the helmet, my field of vision is limited, and I don't notice the situation around me.

"Anyway, let's consult with the teachers and think about it. For now, please bear with the armor."

"Yes, I understand. I'll do my best as a young lady... in armor, until we find a solution!"

"No, you don't have to try so hard."

I snorted and made a fist inside my helmet, telling Magilka, who then sighed deeply.

"Then, let's practice casting the explosive spell today."

Master Fried, who seemed kind and gentle, was giving a lecture to the students. Today was a practical magic lesson, and we had gathered in a dome-shaped training ground. I stood out among the students in various outfits, but I didn't care; if I cared, I would feel like I had lost, so I acted confidently. The teacher also seemed to have heard from the headmaster; he was a bit nervous when we first met, but afterward, he ignored me as if nothing had happened.

"Even though it's a basic attack spell, it's extremely difficult and dangerous to grasp the space and make it explode, so we'll do it one by one. Please line up."

When Master Fried said this, we responded and started lining up. While we were doing this, the teacher prepared a scarecrow-like target in front of us.

"Then, let's begin."

One by one, we cast the spell under the teacher's guidance. As the teacher said, it was difficult to grasp the space, and everyone made the explosion go in the wrong direction; no one managed to make it explode in front of the scarecrow. Incidentally, it goes without saying that some of the young ladies were completely charmed by the handsome teacher's sweet whispers and step-by-step guidance.

"Burrrrrst!"

*BOOM!*

In response to Magilka's powerful words, the spell activated beautifully in front of the scarecrow, blowing it away.

"Yes, excellent. As expected of Miss Magilka, there's no problem at all."

The teacher's praise was met with a chorus of "Oh~" from the surrounding students. Magilka, feeling good, stepped aside to let me take her place, as if challenging me: "Well, can you do it?"

(Alright, I'll accept that challenge. This armored lady will show you how a knight can shatter the target.)

Feeling like a knight, I stepped forward. I elegantly drew my legendary sword (laughs) and crouched into a thrusting stance.

"Miss, Miss Mary?"

The teacher asked me, slightly anxious, about my combat stance.

"Armored Lady Mary! I will charge forward!"

I shouted, fully immersed in the role of an anime knight (laughs). To be honest, I gradually started to enjoy it, and I confess that I was having fun.

I dashed forward in a low stance, thrusting my legendary sword (laughs) into the scarecrow's chest as I closed the distance.

"Burrrrrrrst!"

The moment it pierced, I activated the explosive spell at the tip of the blade.

*BOOM!*

The scarecrow exploded from the inside, flying apart. I enjoyed the aftermath, then slowly drew my sword with a *whoosh* and sheathed it gracefully.

"Ah~ Yes... Excellent. Well, it's not quite the way a mage would use it, but..."

Despite being a bit taken aback, the teacher still smiled and praised me, so I bowed to him in a ladylike manner. Magilka, placing her hand on her forehead, sighed, and the other students were stunned into silence.

(I'm starting to feel like a knight... I mean, I'm starting to understand what it's like to be a knight.)

Feeling elated, I continued the lesson, and by the end, I had discovered a very useful phrase. It was:

"Excellent, Lady Mary. Such agile movements are rare to see."

"Hehehe, it's all thanks to this armor."

"To be able to cast that spell so accurately, you are truly remarkable, Lady Mary."

"Hehehe, it's all thanks to this armor."

After the lesson, in the parlor, while talking with the young ladies in my class, I found this very convenient phrase. If I overdid something and made a mistake, I could blame it all on the armor. The luxurious and divine-looking full suit of armor, which emitted magic due to the white ore, had a convincing power. Additionally, since it was a masterpiece by the kingdom's top blacksmith, Deodora, everyone believed that all my slightly reckless actions were due to the armor's benefits.

(Excellent! The comfort of moving without worrying about others' eyes! The ease of blaming everything on the armor! Maybe I can be an armored lady forever!)

Feeling elated, I continued to take classes one after another, but as time passed, I began to realize that this idea was a bit too sweet.

After all the classes were over, I locked myself in the old school parlor and roughly took off my helmet.

"It's so hot! It's stifling! I want to take a bath!"

"Of course, it is."

Tütte, who picked up the helmet I had thrown on the ground, nodded with a knowing look.

"Besides, it's difficult to use the bathroom, and it's hard to drink water! I can't eat or drink tea! Ahhh~!"

I acted like a spoiled child in the room with only Tütte, sitting in a chair and flailing my arms and legs, causing the armor to clink.

"I'll solve this problem as soon as possible."

After throwing a tantrum, I straightened my posture and became serious.

"Didn't you say you were fine being an armored lady?"

While polishing my helmet, Tütte looked at me with half-closed eyes, and I choked, unable to say anything.

"Ahem... I'm a duchess's daughter; I can't be a ridiculous armored lady."

"Yes, you'll have to endure for a while, my lady."

"You're right, thank you... Tütte."

I looked at Tütte, who encouraged me with a smile, with teary eyes, and she put the helmet back on me without asking.

(I guess I was at my limit. Sorry, Tütte.)

While I was adjusting the helmet, there was a knock on the door, and Tütte went to answer it.

"Miss Magilka and the others are here."

I checked my armor and, seeing that it was fine, invited them in. Magilka entered and said happily,

"Lady Mary, I found a way to cancel the effect!"

I cheered inwardly and thanked the gods.

Thank you for reading this far.