Chapter 30

And so, on the day of the ceremony.

After a somewhat formal opening ceremony, I and Amu, holding the parchment, entered the Rodnea Forest, escorted by the faculty, guests, and some of the upperclassmen.

"..."

"..."

We walked in silence.

The path to the temple ruins was well-trodden and easy to walk on. It seemed to be regularly maintained.

This Rodnea Forest is part of the school grounds, naturally within the walls of the fortress city of Rodnea.

A city structure with a forest inside the walls is, frankly, insane. It reduces living space and makes it harder to defend against enemies because the walls are longer.

However, since the beginning of Rodnea was a place of learning built near this forest, it was inevitable.

Moreover, I had heard that this place was more livable than the densely populated imperial capital.

Perhaps, like the nobles of my previous life who recreated mountain landscapes in their gardens, having nature nearby has its benefits.

It apparently takes about two hours to get to the temple and back.

We can't dawdle if we want to be back by the end of the ceremony.

"Hey."

Suddenly, Amu spoke to me.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why did you participate in such a farce?"

I smiled and answered.

"Someone of status has to do it. Even in a merit-based school."

"Lie."

"..."

"That smile of yours is so fake. You think the ceremony is just garbage, don't you?"

"Is that really how you see me?"

Actually, I don't think it's that bad.

"Besides, you don't usually talk to your servants like that. And that kid was being overly submissive too."

"..."

"Have you been watching us more than I thought?"

"You two are always together, so it's hard not to notice. You two are all over each other in public."

"I don't think that's true..."

No, really.

"Why did you go out of your way to draw attention with such a farce?"

"Until now, it was always Amu who drew attention. I thought it was unfair. You've been fighting for us, putting your body on the line."

"Huh? What are you talking about? I didn't..."

"Also, I wanted to talk to you more."

Amu looked at me as if I were trash.

"Is it because you're not satisfied with just the big-breasted slave and are now trying to get your hands on a classmate?"

"Wait... That's a misunderstanding. And I'm not like that with Eifa."

"You're still doing dirty things, even if you're not in that kind of relationship."

"I'm not."

"You're suspicious."

Amu snorted.

"I know. The lord has the right to the first night, right? Nobles really think the worst."

"That can be waived with payment, so it's essentially a marriage tax. Lords would be in trouble if they were told not to waive it because the money wasn't paid."

"Even so, they still take advantage of the women in their domain."

"If they did, the people would flee, and tax revenue would drop, making it a matter of life and death."

"Hmm."

"Why are we talking about such lewd things so freely?"

"Hey, I don't know! You started it, didn't you!?"

"No, didn't you start it...?"

I sighed.

"Anyway, as I said before, I just want to be friends with you."

"Why me?"

"It was easier to approach someone who also stands out."

"Don't you feel pathetic saying that?"

"Then... how about because you're strong?"

"What do I gain by being friends with a weakling like you?"

"I'm better than you think."

"Better?"

Amu drew the sword from her waist.

Without much of a preparatory motion, she thrust it at me with a sudden, powerful strike.

"..."

The tip of the sword grazed my ear and pierced the slime that had leaped at me, accurately hitting its core.

I glanced sideways at the slime, which was dissolving into a puddle after its core was shattered.

"I wouldn't call someone who gets caught off guard by a common monster 'better.'"

"..."

I silently put away the humanoid figure I had been trying to capture.

More than that, I was curious about Amu's ornate sword.

"Is that sword a replacement for a staff?"

"A staff-sword. Haven't you heard of it?"

"I think... it's a weapon for magic swordsmen, right?"

In my understanding, a mage who is also a swordsman is nonsensical, but such a class exists in this world.

They use both swords and magic. The staff-sword is a weapon for such warriors.

"I've always thought it would be inconvenient to use regularly. How did you even bring such a dangerous thing to school?"

"What are you talking about? A staff is dangerous enough. I just want to use the tools I'm used to. Is that bad?"

"No, not at all."

Actually, it's not a good idea to be so attached to cursed tools.

The essence is not in the tool. Whether it's a staff, a staff-sword, a talisman, a seal, or a mantra, they are all unnecessary.

The essence of a curse is the words in one's consciousness. That's all.

But this girl will likely figure it out on her own.

"Anyway, don't dirty the parchment. I'm not here to protect you."

Amu shook the slime's fluid off her sword and sheathed it.

Then, her body wavered.

She was holding her head, as if in pain.

"..."

"Are you okay?"

"It's nothing."

"You don't look fine. Shouldn't you have declined this task?"

"Just... I'm not feeling well. There's no need for you to worry."

After a while, her headache seemed to subside, and she started walking with a steady pace.

For now, let's just get this event over with.

We walked in silence for a while.

When I thought we were about to reach the temple, I felt a faint flow of power and stopped.

"..."

Amu also seemed to sense something.

In the direction of her puzzled gaze, a faint bluish-white light was visible through the trees.

"..."

"I'm going to check it out. Wait here."

"Hey, wait!"

We left the path and pushed through the underbrush to a clearing where the trees had been cut down.

In the center was a large tree stump, with a bluish-white magic circle painted on it.

It was similar to the one I saw during the demon incident.

The tree stump was relatively new.

Around it, many small white flowers were blooming, but some were trampled and broken.

It seemed this space had been artificially created.

"What is this? A magic circle...?"

Amu, who had followed me, muttered as she looked at the magic circle.

She took a step into the clearing.

"Hey, it's fine to get closer, but don't touch the magic circle."

"I know, I know—"

Amu, looking annoyed, stepped into the clearing.

At that moment,

A massive magic circle appeared across the entire clearing.

"What the—!"

Amu cried out in alarm at the sudden appearance of the magic circle beneath her feet.

The flow of power exploded.

This is bad, it's...

"Amu!!"

I grabbed Amu's hand.

For a moment, I was also caught in the range of the magic circle.

And in the next instant,

My vision went dark.