Chapter 83

The information about the book has been approved for public release. It is introduced in the "Afterword."

At the moment when the noble Kiluria called out to me.

In that instant—

"Excuse me for interrupting! A-Albert! Could I have a moment of your time!?"

Lola’s voice, a commoner, cut through the air.

For a commoner to interrupt among nobles was incredibly rude and—utterly inappropriate.

Of course, Lola knew this.

That’s why her face was clearly tense.

In other words—

Despite that, Lola still called out my name.

The noble students directed their disapproving gazes at Lola, their lips curling into mocking smiles.

Just as I was about to respond—

Kiluria, the representative, raised his hand in front of my face.

"I’m sorry, but Albert is with us, the nobles. We have not a second to spare for a commoner like you."

The nobles burst into laughter.

Kiluria continued with a pleasant smile.

"Shall you leave now?"

"U—"

Lola’s face twisted in sadness.

I pushed Kiluria’s hand away and stood up.

"Kiluria"

"Hm?"

Kiluria looked at me with a surprised expression.

I continued to Kiluria.

"Please be quiet for a moment."

Then, I stared intently at Kiluria’s face.

"I decide who I listen to—whether they are a noble or not is not important."

Those words instantly froze the atmosphere.

They were not words to be spoken to the highest-ranking person here—Kiluria Grandor.

"That’s not a noble way to speak!"

"Albert, apologize…!"

"Prioritizing a commoner over Duke Kiluria!?"

The other nobles began to criticize me.

But my resolve did not waver in the slightest.

Lola knew very well that a commoner should not interrupt nobles.

Yet, she still called out my name.

It was an incredibly heavy decision—there was no way I could ignore Lola’s determination.

"I respect your feelings, Albert," Kiluria said, looking at me.

"She is your guest. Do as you please. I have only said what a noble should say—assuming it is what you wish."

"…I don’t wish for that."

I responded and left the classroom with Lola.

As we moved toward a bench outside the school building, Lola spoke up in a flustered voice.

"S-Sorry! I thought it might be a bother, but I really needed to consult with you, Albert—!"

"It’s fine."

I nodded at Lola.

I had no regrets about my actions just now. I believed it was the perfect choice.

Lola was seeking help.

There was no reason to hesitate or regret.

We stepped outside the school building. This area, where undead had roamed last night, now seemed incredibly normal.

We walked across the schoolyard, bathed in the autumn sunlight, and sat on a bench.

Sitting next to Lola like this was something I hadn’t done in a long time. I felt a lightness in my heart.

Lola also seemed a bit flustered.

"It’s been a while since we’ve been alone like this, hasn’t it?"

"Yeah."

We had met last night, but then Filbus and Hulin were there…

"So, what did you want to consult with me about—"

Lola’s voice tightened, as if to bring the relaxed atmosphere back to seriousness.

"It’s about Liz."

"Liz? The one who collapsed in the school building last night?"

Lola nodded at my words.

"I was in that classroom last night because I was chasing after Liz."

"Is that so?"

I remembered that we had assumed Lola had fled from the library and didn’t ask her for details like Brain would have.

"…I thought you were in a different classroom from Liz?"

"I lost sight of Liz and was being chased by a Dullahan—so I fled there."

That’s why—when we were rescuing Lola and descending the stairs, she had looked down the hallway on the lower floor.

She was probably checking if Liz was there.

Lola continued.

"Anyway… the content of what Liz said doesn’t match my memory—"

"Doesn’t match?"

"Liz told Mr. Filbus that she ‘didn’t meet anyone,’ but she did meet me. We were at a distance, but I saw her walking down the hallway while I was climbing the stairs—our eyes met."

"…She didn’t recognize you?"

I had heard that Lola knew the faces and names of all her classmates, but that might not be the case for Liz.

In the dimly lit school building with undead roaming around, a mistake in recognition wouldn’t be surprising.

"I don’t think so."

Lola shook her head.

"Since the second semester, I’ve talked to Liz a lot. I don’t think she could mistake me."

"I see."

…Hmm?

That’s when I realized something.

"Sorry to interrupt, Lola… Are you and Liz ‘friends’?"

At my sudden question, Lola’s body trembled.

"Y-Yes!"

"I see… That’s good."

I nodded. It seemed that Lola had been building relationships with her peers without my knowledge.

Lola had someone her age to talk to.

"That’s true."

She smiled a bit shyly but then looked sad.

"But it hurts to suspect Liz…."

If Lola’s account was correct, Liz’s behavior was indeed strange.

In that situation, it would be normal to join up with an acquaintance.

Did she say she ‘didn’t meet anyone’ to avoid being questioned?

"Also, I’m concerned about her claim that she was running from the undead. When I saw her, she didn’t seem to be running. She was just walking."

…I see….

Meeting an acquaintance and ignoring them, and not showing any signs of running from the undead.

Lola must be worried—

"Do you think Liz is somehow involved in yesterday’s incident?"

At my words, Lola nodded solemnly.

"…Yes."

Lola said this with a pained expression.

For the kind-hearted Lola, it must be a difficult thought. But now that she had noticed, she couldn’t ignore it.

"…What do you want me to do, Lola?"

"I want to talk to Liz. …And I want you, Albert, to be there with me."

"Leave it to me."

I nodded firmly.

"Thank you!"

Lola bowed with a relieved expression.

"I’ll bring Liz to the rooftop after the ‘thirteenth hour’ today. It’s during class, but I don’t want anyone else to hear this conversation…."

"Understood."

The conversation ended.

As I was about to stand up—

"Ah, wait, wait!"

Lola spoke up in a flustered voice.

"What is it?"

"Since we’re here, can we talk a bit? We haven’t really talked much recently…."

Lola said this.

We hadn’t had casual conversations since the start of the second semester. Our conversation just now was more about exchanging information.

Talking casually with Lola.

It didn’t sound like a bad idea.

"Sure. Let’s talk."

I sat back down, and Lola nodded happily.

We enjoyed a pleasant conversation while eating the bread we had bought on the way.

It was really enjoyable—

We lost track of time talking.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

After our casual chat, we headed back to the classroom.

Just then—

"Albert, I finally found you."

A male student approached, saying this.

It was Brain.

"Sorry, but can I have a moment?"

He glanced at Lola beside me, not with the arrogance of Kiluria but with a considerate gesture.

"…Sure. Lola, I’m sorry—"

"Yes, it’s fine! I’m done with what I needed to do!"

Lola walked back to the classroom briskly.

Brain bowed to me.

"Sorry, Albert."

"It’s fine. What is it?"

"Ah—"

Brain nodded and continued.

"About the ‘thirteenth hour’ today… Could you accompany me for a bit?"

Updates are on Wednesdays and Sundays! But today is Saturday. Since it’s been delayed, there will be no update tomorrow.

【Announcement】Information about the book version of "Magic Arrow."

Since it has been published on Amazon, I’m announcing it here (you can find it by searching for "Amazon Magic Arrow").

1. Release Date

It will be released on December 28th.

Perfect for your winter break!

2. Publishing Label

It will be published by

- Futabasha

- Monster Bunko

It will be a "bunko" (pocket-sized) edition, which is wallet-friendly.

The official book title is "Mastering the Beginner Magic Arrow to the Extreme."

3. Content

It will include up to "Continuation of Father and Son (Part 2)."

This is the part where the rankings surged and everyone got excited.

"Continuation of Father and Son (Part 2)" is a significant milestone in Magic Arrow, so I thought it would be great to have it in one volume.

4. Illustrator

The illustrator is

- Mashimasaki

You can check out the reference illustrations by searching for "Pixiv Mashimasaki."

They have illustrated several light novels, and all the covers are incredibly beautiful!

Of course, the cover of Magic Arrow is also incredibly beautiful!

I’ve already seen the cover, and I was like "woahhhhhh" (fainted). I’m sure you’ll feel the same when it’s released. (laughs)

Stay tuned!

5. Character Design Concepts

These are the "Character Design Concepts" they have drawn.

These are from the initial concept stage, so there might be some adjustments by the time of release. Please understand this.

The school uniforms look like a mix of mage and military attire, which is very cool. I couldn’t have specified such a stylish and excellent design; it’s all 100% Mashimasaki’s sense. Amazing!

The atmosphere of Albert and the cuteness of Lola are perfectly captured, which is fantastic!

Truly professional work. From now on, I hope you will imagine their faces while reading the story!

The above is the first announcement. I will provide more updates as they come.

I would be very happy if you consider purchasing it!

It feels real now that the page is up on Amazon. (laughs) We’ve come this far. Thank you to everyone who has supported us!