Chapter 36

EP.36 Shield

The leaves, gradually turning into a colorful palette, were now tinged with a bluish-green hue, and the warm season was quietly approaching.

Due to the rather sultry climate, students began taking off their school jackets. I was no exception.

Yesterday was the day of the elemental flower craft practical evaluation. Although not perfect, I managed to produce a decent result, thanks to the help I received from Luce during practice.

We had a good discussion on how to get along. We agreed to meet secretly, just the two of us, emphasizing several times that it would be too noticeable if we were seen together.

She seemed quite disappointed, as the days she spent with me as a friend were very enjoyable. She had apparently been looking forward to walking to and from school together, eating together, and playing together, without caring about others' gazes.

What could I do? I was in a difficult position.

As expected, rumors were spreading about the unusual tension between Luce and me. Well, it's spilled milk. There's nothing I can do to fix it.

I need to be cautious and make sure no one is watching me. I have to act as if I'm nothing special, making people think, "Oh, Isaac is just a hopeless guy! The top student must have lost his mind!"

Even if Alice Carroll hears the rumors, I can only hope she thinks it's nothing and lets it go.

"Hey! I've been chosen to be a proctor for the first-year semester-end evaluation!"

At noon, under the bright sunlight, in a corner of the butterfly garden.

It was the weekend. I planned to focus on magic training twice as much as usual today, as I had spent a lot of time practicing magic craft.

Dorothy Heartnova, as usual, was leaning against a nearby oak tree, hindering my training with her chatter. But this time, her gossip was worth listening to, as it was closely related to the scenario.

"Senior, didn't you usually dislike such troublesome jobs?"

"Hehe, of course! But~ I want to watch our president take the exam well~. Isn't it really an honor to be a fan of hers?!"

"Ah, yes. It's an honor."

"Your reaction is so boring…."

Dorothy pouted and grumbled.

Being a proctor is not a job typically assigned to students.

However, the administration was dealing with the appearance of demons.

They decided to select the strongest students in the academy as proctors.

One of the candidates was Dorothy Heartnova.

This was consistent with the original scenario of *The Magic Knight of Merchen*.

Without Dorothy, the operation to eliminate the Brainworms wouldn't be possible, as the administration had no chance of success.

"Even surpassing the student council president…."

My head trembled.

Alice Carroll volunteered to be a proctor?

"The student council president?"

"Yeah, she said she wanted to do it too. So we had a bet, and I won."

This was different from the scenario I knew. She must have taken the initiative to find me, who deals with demons.

I asked Dorothy what kind of bet they had, and she said it was violent. I didn't ask any further.

"Thank goodness…."

It was a huge relief that the student council president, Alice Carroll, didn't become a proctor.

I muttered to myself, but Dorothy perked up her ears, wrapped herself in starlight mana, and flew over to me.

"Are you happy I got the job?"

Ah, it was just a mutter to myself.

Dorothy, as usual, leaned in close to me and asked with a lively smile.

I nodded. I didn't want to disappoint her, even if it might cause some misunderstanding.

"Yes. I'm a fan of the senior, so…."

I'm really glad it's you. That thought was sincere, as it meant the scenario wouldn't get messed up.

Dorothy let out her characteristic "niihihi" laugh and beamed with a bright smile.

*The Magic Knight of Merchen* Chapter 3, Episode 3: "Semester-End Evaluation" leads directly to Chapter 3, Episode 4: "Brainworm Elimination."

At that time, Luce's 8-star familiar, "Brainworm-Galia," becomes a demon.

Dorothy, who was supposed to be a proctor, will become a key force fighting alongside the protagonist, Ian Fairytail, against Brainworm-Galia.

Dorothy can easily defeat Brainworms in a one-on-one fight, but the battle would destroy the surrounding area.

Dorothy has to protect people while fighting, so she can't engage in a full-scale battle with the Brainworms, or everyone would die.

Therefore, the role of the protagonist, Ian, who possesses light magic, which is the weakness of demons and effective against Brainworms, becomes crucial.

"Hmm, you like the president, don't you?"

Suddenly, Dorothy narrowed her eyes and asked with a mischievous smile.

The expression was a bit ambiguous….

"Oh, did our cute junior hear such an embarrassing story?"

Dorothy smiled playfully and tilted her head toward a girl standing a distance away.

A girl with rose-gold hair and butterfly-colored ribbons on both sides of her head, with a dignified beauty. She was my classmate and one of the official heroines, Luce Eltania.

She crossed her arms and looked at Dorothy with a blank expression.

"……"

Luce was emitting a silent pressure, like a dark aura, which wrapped around my body and instilled fear.

'Oh, chills…'

Even someone as bright as Dorothy isn't an exception to Luce's social anxiety.

"It's not really an embarrassing story."

Still, Dorothy, who doesn't like me, has been using ambiguous expressions a lot today. Of course, I don't mind.

My favorite character, Dorothy, is like a lovely daughter. Of course, I've never had a daughter, let alone been married, but that's how it felt.

Dorothy covered her mouth with her right hand and smiled slyly.

"The president said she likes me? That's so embarrassing!"

"The senior said she's happy you became a proctor…? It was clearly in that context, right?"

"Brat, you really are embarrassed. How cute~. Niihihi!"

Dorothy, who is shorter than me, stretched out her right arm and patted my head.

First, thank you for the fan service.

After that, Dorothy hummed a tune and returned to the oak tree. She leaned against it again and pulled out a mysterious book from her witch hat to start reading.

I smoothed out my hair, which Dorothy had patted. She's been touching me a lot today….

Dorothy is not an official heroine in *The Magic Knight of Merchen* and can't be read with [Psychic Insight].

So, even though she's my favorite character, it's hard to understand what caused the change in her behavior. There's not enough information to make a judgment.

"Isaac, let's start."

At Luce's calm voice, I turned my head toward her.

Her expression, which had been as cold as ice when she was facing Dorothy, instantly turned into a warm smile when she saw me. It was a dramatic change.

"Sure, thanks."

[Come on, Dolde! I'll take care of you, Belo!]

[Grumble?]

Next to Luce, a small beluga familiar, Belo, was swimming busily in the air, wrapped in water mana.

Next to me, a small golem familiar, Eden, tilted its head and acted cute.

Luce had come here to help me train on the weekend. This place is out of sight, and Dorothy isn't a threat, so I happily agreed.

At that moment, Luce blushed and looked excited, even though I should be the one feeling that way.

Of course, she immediately became wary when she saw Dorothy.

Dorothy seemed a bit hurt by Luce's cold attitude but stepped back, showing understanding as a senior.

"Eden, prepare for battle."

[Grumble!]

Luce is the top student in the first-year class of the Magic Department. No one in the first year is stronger than her. Even now, she can't use her full power to suppress the Brainworms, but she's still incredibly strong.

She stretched out her right hand toward me. A blue magic circle appeared in front of her hand and began to rotate slowly.

I could feel the heavy mana, which made my whole body shiver. It was exhilarating.

I summoned cold flames, [Frostfire], in both hands and focused on Luce.

I was about to spar with her. I would cast spells at her, and she would block or dodge them.

Sparring with her would greatly improve my magical combat skills.

Soon, Luce and I began to clash with our spells.

"Ugh!"

…It was more like a one-sided beating.

* * *

'As I expected.'

Near the butterfly garden, on a hill.

A girl with glasses, 'Eva Hallov,' was hiding behind a tree, secretly watching Isaac and his group.

She was a student in the lower ranks of the D class in the Magic Department, but she had a unique skill that none of the other students in the department had.

The [Stealth] magic, which allowed her to hide her presence. Her semi-transparent body was indistinguishable from the surroundings to others.

'Isaac, there must be something special about you, right?'

The silver-haired boy. She knew who he was, as they were in the same D class.

His name was Isaac. At the beginning of the semester, he was rated as the lowest E-class in terms of mana power, but