Chapter 82

"Is this──!?"

At the sight of the black mist spreading before her, Elysia let out a cry.

A demon was being summoned──I could actually feel the dark magic.

However, the magic was far too weak.

It only spread widely at first, but soon the black mist began to dissipate.

The black-haired girl who had released the dark magic slumped her shoulders.

"Oh, another failure..."

Meanwhile, those around her seemed relieved.

"That's good..."

"But, it might react to his dark crest next time!"

"We've seen him fail more than ten times. It should be fine."

"No, that's because he's still a child..."

Voices of speculation could be heard, but were they aware?

That this girl had, albeit slightly, released dark magic.

I could feel sweat breaking out all over my body. There was someone else who could handle dark magic besides me.

Without thinking, I stepped forward to the girl.

She was probably around twelve. She was two heads taller than me. Her long, silky black hair framed a delicate face, but...

When I looked closely at the girl's face, I noticed something. Her ears were pointed, unlike a human's.

She must be an elf from the northern highlands. They are long-lived, have high physical abilities, and are knowledgeable about magic, but their population is less than a hundred thousand due to their low fertility.

Their small population is also due to the war with the former empire. They once had settlements all over the continent, but they were defeated by the empire and driven to the north, where their population drastically decreased.

Because of this historical background with the empire, it's rare to see them even in the capital.

Sure enough, Mireas is a place where people from all over the world gather...

When the girl noticed me, she turned to me with an unhappy look.

"...What?"

"Ah, no... Your magic was amazing just now!"

It was a compliment, or at least a quick response.

But the girl quickly approached me and took my hands in hers.

"Really!? Is that so!? Isn't it!?"

The discontented look from a moment ago was gone. She was staring at me with a changed expression.

Had she never been praised by anyone before? She seemed incredibly happy. I was a bit taken aback, but if I had made a good impression, that was fine.

"Y-Yes! By the way, were you trying to summon a demon?"

"Yes. I copied an ancient magic circle on the ground and turned this powder into magic power."

The girl pointed to the magic circle drawn on the ground and picked up a bag hanging from her waist.

A magic circle is used to stabilize powerful magic. For example, when a person is granted a crest, a priest uses a magic circle to summon the crest.

The powder is probably something that gathers magic power, like crushed magic ore.

In other words, she wasn't using dark magic herself, which could lead to demonization, but was trying to reproduce it with a magic circle and tools.

"Amazing..."

I had never even thought about using dark magic before my reset, let alone trying to handle dark magic without demonizing.

However, while she had managed to summon dark magic, it was far from being a proper spell. Magic ore is valuable, so she might not be able to use it in large quantities.

The girl was probably not satisfied with the result either. She was initially delighted by my words, but soon let out a deep sigh.

"When will I get to meet a demon?"

The girl said this with a sad expression.

The demon in my head was being noisy. I felt like telling her to avoid meeting it, but also a sense of loneliness at the thought of not being able to meet it.

Could it be that this girl...?

"Have you ever met a demon?"

The girl tilted her head in surprise at the unexpected question.

"No way."

"That's right... But why a demon?"

"Demons are strong, right? So, I want to be able to summon them with summoning magic... If I could, I could protect my hometown from monsters."

The girl answered with a serious expression.

The north is a land with as many monsters as Tiars. Strong forces are always needed.

She wants to save her poor hometown. What a commendable child.

Just as I was impressed,

"I will proudly become the king... and eventually... hehe."

The girl said with a sly smile.

Is she planning a counterattack against the empire? The dynasty has changed, but I am the prince of the empire. If she knew my true identity, she would surely be angry.

"Please, do your best..."

I bowed my head and tried to leave, but she firmly grabbed my shoulder from behind.

"Where are you going? You're interested, right? In demon summoning?"

I was interested, of course. For example, if I could summon the demon in my head.

"Yes, I am."

"Right? And that mark on your hand."

The girl took my hand, where the dark crest was floating.

"You're one of Mr. Melder's new students, right? I'll give you a tour of the university!"

The girl pulled me along.

I thought Elysia would stop her, but she didn't. She looked at me with a smile and waved, as if saying it was good that I had made a friend so quickly. She seemed to be following slowly from behind.

As the girl walked briskly, she suddenly remembered.

"Oh, I didn't tell you my name. I'm Maren."

"Maren, then. I'm Alex... Maren, you don't have to hold my hand."

"No, it's not okay. The campus is big, and you might get lost."

While she said that, the surrounding gazes made me feel a bit embarrassed. From the outside, it looked like an older, pretty girl was pulling a boy, a heartwarming scene.

But some of them looked puzzled.

They might not think highly of Maren. The reason is probably...

"...Maren, why did you try to summon a demon there?"

"That's where people study holy magic. Mr. Melder said it would be fine to do it there. There's a teacher who can use incredibly strong holy magic."

"He can subdue it if it gets out of control, right?"

Those who study holy magic probably dislike demons. That's why everyone was against it earlier.

To try to summon a demon in such a place, this girl must be quite brave... The teacher is too lenient.

"Well, if I summoned it, I could definitely control it."

"...? Do you have a basis for that?"

"Yes. I may look like this, but I'm a user of summoning magic. I can make Fenrir and Undine listen to me... Well, I need some assistance with magic power when summoning them."

Summoning magic. A field of magic considered extremely difficult. What can be summoned, how much can be controlled, and whether they can be made to obey—all depend on the summoner's magic power and skill.

Fenrir and Undine are the most difficult to summon and control in summoning magic. To be able to control them at her age...

There must be a reason. Her crest might make it possible.

I looked at the back of Maren's hand, which was holding mine. There, the same dark, writhing crest as mine was floating.

"Lord of the Underworld"... The ability to handle vast amounts of dark magic and make various beings into servants.

Easier to make servants. It might be related to summoning magic. Her confidence in being able to control demons doesn't seem baseless.

However... This is the most powerful dark crest I've ever seen. If this girl could use dark magic, she might surpass me.

Meanwhile, Maren was introducing the university facilities one after another.

"That's the cafeteria! When the noon bell rings, the daily special is free! This is the magic book library! Be careful not to talk, or you'll get scolded for spitting on the books! And that's—"

"You're talking and walking too fast for me to understand!"

Maybe because she's an elf, her physical abilities seem high.

While she didn't even pant, I was already out of breath.

"Sorry, sorry. But we're almost there. The dark research building is over there."

Maren pointed to a shabby building next to a luxurious decorated building.

"Is that it? It's quite small."

"I'm the only one using that building now."

Following Maren, I entered the building.

Inside, there were not shelves of books, but furniture like chairs, tables, and bedding. The table had simple food and tools, essential for daily life. It was no different from a rural house.

"Are there no other students?"

"The other students are borrowing space from other teachers' buildings."

"They're all afraid of demons being summoned..."

"Is it my fault!?! Well, I don't understand, but Mr. Melder told me to do it, so I had no choice."

Maren puffed out her cheeks.

Dark magic can't be used because of the risk of demonization. If studying or researching something that can't be used is pointless, it's better to focus on other areas... Indeed, that would be better for the students.

"I'm sorry. But, that's how it is."

"You look disappointed?"

"Well, I'm kind of interested in demons and dark magic."

This doesn't seem like a place where serious research is being done.

Then Maren took my hand again.

"If you are, help me with my research! I don't have enough materials. You're interested in demon summoning, right?"

She's not asking me for money... I guess the budget here is low.

"Of course I'm interested... But, how can I help specifically?"

"To the south, there's a region with a forest and ruins where monsters appear. Powerful monsters constantly attack the academy from there."

I thought Mireas was a safe place, a holy land... but it's not.

Still, the habitable area must be small. There must be little food, and how do powerful monsters come to be? Many monster species grow and reproduce by eating animals and humans. I don't think Mireas is a suitable place to live.

"You mean to defeat those monsters and obtain materials. But, is it okay for a child to go?"

"It's fine. Adventurers and Mireas's knights defend, but students are allowed to participate in the hunts."

"I see..."

The powerful monsters on this small island... It might be interesting to go and see them while on a trip.

Honestly, I want to get more information about demons and dark magic from Maren. Especially about demon summoning, which I'm also interested in.

If I could recreate the magic circle, I might be able to summon the demon in my head. I need to be careful about whether to do it or not...

Of course, I have some concerns about helping Maren. Whether she will be overwhelmed by the power if she can summon demons.

To judge that, I should spend a little more time with Maren.

"Alright... I'll help you!"

"Good for you! From today, we're friends, Alex! No formalities between friends."

Maren extended her hand with a full smile.

Friends... Before the reset, I couldn't make friends at school because of my dark crest. It might be too early to call someone a friend, but she's still a child. If she declares you a friend, you are one.

I took Maren's hand and replied.

"Sure... Nice to meet you, Maren."

"Yep, nice to meet you, Alex!"

I had gained a friend in Mireas, right from the start.