"… Hnnnggg."
With one of her hands cupping her chin as she eavesdropped on our conversation, she tapped her cheek with her index finger.
She looked apoplectic, but in the end, she laughed a little for sulking and being aggressive earlier.
One smile a month was the only price for using the name of Yukline's great noble.
Her fingers curled out of cringe, but Deculein sounded honest, making the scene not entirely bad. However, Julie couldn't even answer back, causing her older sister unbearable frustration.
If it were her, she would have already caused mines to explode. "Let's wait a little longer…"
Josephine wanted to kill him. She waited for Julie to request having him killed herself, but she was such a nice kid that she couldn't even imagine her saying that. Hence, as her older sister, she couldn't stop herself from acting any longer.
"Of course."
However, the sincerity Deculein displayed today was passable.
Josephine could differentiate the color of voices apart depending on their intentions. He definitely wasn't lying when he said he had no intentions of forcing their marriage onto Julie.
She decided to let it slide this time and put it off for a while.
"… Brother, what do you think of Deculein?"
Zeit yawned on the table on the first floor, then raised his eyebrows as he replied with a question of his own. "What about you? What do you think of him?"
"I haven't thought about it. I only follow Julie's wishes. You?"
"…" Zeit's expression hardened as he massaged his temples a few times and swept his hair back.
"Josephine, in chess, the king can't move like the queen, the knights, or the pawns. I would be really disappointed if it were revealed that what I thought was a queen was a knight all along."
Zeit wasn't keen on marrying Julie off to Deculein from the start.
"But Deculein isn't just a piece. He's the chessboard himself. He might have some cracks, but that doesn't mean pieces can't stand on him."
"Go on."
Zeit looked at the window of the restaurant. The embers of war constantly blazed and raged in his eyes. "I haven't forgotten father's death yet, Josephine."
Zeit clenched his teeth. At that moment, his terrifying presence weighed down the whole place so much that the nobles at the restaurant started coughing without knowing why.
"Father was worth more than all those fucking bastards behind their desks put together, yet they treated the knight's honor as nothing more than a mana stone."
Josephine just nodded quietly.
Zeit, in times like this, was scary even for her.
"Center, Josephine. They're the center. We were at the border and had no connections to even be invited to participate in a game of chess."
Margrave Freyden.
Defending the northwest part of the empire that they managed to connect with by annihilating everything on their path was their father's last will.
However, upon suffering a defeat, they also lost the Head of their Household. "I won't allow a repetition of the past. Julie knows that too."
"Yes. I do as well."
The truth was Josephine changed into who she was now when her father died.
Since the one lined up to succeed the throne was Zeit, and there was no way for her to kill him, she gave up on the position and kept her distance from it. She was the type to lose interest in things she couldn't have, after all.
"… There are people out there whose deaths wouldn't feel satisfying even if they died having their skin and bones torn apart and shredded. I'll surely rip off his limbs one day, cut them into small pieces, and feed them to the dogs…"
Josephine shook her head. They were from the same family, but Zeit was too savage, which worried her.
Zeit was fearsome, but if Julie ever decided to leave…
Josephine swore she'd be wishing her the best of luck.
If ever that day came, she hoped Julie would be much stronger than Zeit by then so she could defeat him until he was rendered powerless. In doing so, she'd be able to soar gloriously above anyone else.
As if on cue, her little sister came down to the first floor, and next to her was Deculein. "Oho~ have you finished talking, professor?"
Zeit's expression changed as soon as he saw him.
The air between Julie and Deculein was somewhat awkward, but it wasn't as bad as before. "Haha. Hmm. Well, it seems like your talk has gone well at the very least."
"It did."
Deculein nodded in agreement.
Zeit patted Julie's shoulder with satisfaction. "Then let's go have a drink."
The four of them left the restaurant together.
Deculein intentionally walked slowly, and the three Freydens naturally took the lead.
"The food was good, right, Julie? We ate outside while you two were talking. The steak was delicious!"
"I don't know. Stop talking to me."
"Hmm? Why? Why~? You're making your sister sad…"
"Why are you acting as if you don't know?"
"What is it? Are we fighting again? Did we have a conflict when choosing your dress?"
Looking from afar, they looked like a harmonious family bickering with each other.
"I will be going back now. I have business to attend to at the tower." Deculein stopped in his tracks and bowed gracefully.
"Hmm? Already? Let's at least have a drink." Zeit said, but Josephine stopped him from insisting any further, mouthing the words 'Death Anniversary.' Noticing it, Julie also began to look at Deculein with a strange expression.
"Ah, I see. Be careful on your way. I hope we can get together like this some other time."
"I hope so, too."
Eventually, Deculein went on a different direction from them.
*****
Early in the morning of the following day…
Boom—!
The chair that was supposed to float lightly boisterously shot up. As it was about to hit the ceiling, I swiftly manipulated it through psychokinesis, allowing it to have a safe landing as it swayed softly in the wind.
"… I can't get used to this."
[Mana Quality Reinforcement (Stage 1) has been applied.]
[You can now control your magic more gently.]
Mana Quality Reinforcement.
It allowed the mana inside my body to be refined in a purer manner. Once the circulation of my mana had become smoother, my magic would produce a more superior output.
In that regard, the force of my psychokinesis, which my whole body had magically memorized, would be amplified by at least 25%. However, it was inconvenient to adapt to it from the beginning again.
"… I'll move on to my next routine for now."
The time had come to memorize [Beginner Psychokinesis] again.
My psychokinesis was just a mixture of its basic and beginner versions right now, but if I worked on it for just a week, I could expect a dramatic improvement in its beginner version.
Whooosh—
At that moment, the door of the separate building abruptly opened.
"What?"
I definitely told everyone not to enter it without permission. Who would dare—
"What are you doing? It's just me."
Yeriel.
As soon as she saw me, she bewilderedly twisted her lips as if she became a peeper.
"Why don't you wear some clothes first? I heard you were working out these days, but you're starting to look like an exhibitionist. Why did you even take them off in the first place?"
As she spoke, I noticed the parcel in her hands, to which the system immediately reacted.
[Main Quest: Bercht's Summon]
"Take this. They're holding a summoning conference at Bercht in about 15 years." I took it using psychokinesis, then read it.
What was written in it was nothing special. All it stated was that the Yukline family was being summoned and that we were responsible for our own safety.
"No, more importantly, have you been tortured? Do you have a deadly disease? Why do you look really dirty?"
Yeriel frowned as she examined me. As she said, my whole body was covered with wounds, and there were bloodstains all over.
"It's nothing."
I wiped myself using 'Cleanse,' asking her a question as I did so. "Did you come here just to deliver this parchment yourself?"
"No. I also have things to do here, so I'll be here until tomorrow."
Yeriel shrugged and answered begrudgingly, though she looked shy for some reason.
"Ah, that's right. I'll be sleeping in the room I used when I entered college, so don't even think about going in it."
"Make it quick."
"… Okay. You don't pay any attention to what I say at all. No, actually, it seems you do pay attention~ boo hoo hoo~"
Yeriel jeered and went outside.
"Give me food!"
I immediately heard her voice shouting to her attendant.
"Tomorrow…"
Yeriel would be staying here until tomorrow…. and today was the death anniversary of my ex-fiance.
I doubted it was just a coincidence.
*****
[CMRC: Common Magic Research Club]
Epherene smirked as she looked at the doorplate hanging in the club room. The first C of the CMRC was a wordplay around the word 'common' and 'commoner.'
"Ah, why do I find this funny? pffft."
She was forcing herself to hold back her laughter when the door suddenly opened. "Oh my God!"
"Ah, Epherene! You're finally here! Come in!" Julia grabbed her wrist and dragged her inside.
"Oh, Epherene's here. Hi."
"Do you want to play cards?"
There were only seven members in total in their club, which was way less than they expected, but she liked the fact that this minority depended on her as the elite.
"What do you think? It's spacious, isn't it?!" Julia twirled in the middle of the club room.
"Yeah, it is." It was much bigger than she expected. Rather, it was about the same size as the house she lived in before.
Epherene trudged along and sat on the sofa, immediately feeling its softness as her buttocks pressed on it firmly. It returned to its original shape in no time as soon as she stood, too.
She repeatedly sat on it and stood up and even pressed onto it a little harder, but it coped without problems. Sure enough, it was the best sofa she had ever sat on so far. Epherene stealthily laid across it while nobody was watching.
"Haaaaaa—" Letting out a yawn, she proceeded to ask a question. "What was the purpose of this club, Julia?"
"Hmm? Ah~ Gaining 'a practical understanding of magic and research.' If we do well with this, we can go on a field trip to the Isle of Wizard's Wealth."
Isle of Wizard's Wealth.
The entrance ticket to it was worth 10 thousand Elnes, but it was an island that wizards had to visit despite the price. There was a 'Promotion Test' going on there right now.
"No entrance fees?"
Epherene asked about the existence of possible expenses first. The 100 thousand Elnes support they got was quickly decreasing since the price of the stationaries and magic books they needed wasn't laughable. They were forced to keep a tight watch on their budget.
'I shouldn't have eaten a Roahawk boar last week… I thought they were going to give me a discount since I'm their daughter's friend, but they treated me so coldly instead…'
"Of course. It's free."
"Woah! I-I mean… I see. I see."
If so, then it wouldn't be that bad to think of club activities.
Ferit raised a question. "Don't we need permission from our class advisor for that, though?"
Epherene listened attentively while pretending she wasn't. Julia, having thought it over, finally answered. "Hmmm…Wouldn't they agree if Epherene's the one who asked?"
"What? What are you talking about? Why should I be the one to do it?"
"Professor Deculein doesn't think too bad of you. According to rumors going around these days, you're the only one he favors."
Her face swiftly reddened. She didn't even know such a dirty rumor existed. "That's insane. Why would they think anyone would do that? Have they lost their minds while studying for the exams?"
"They just can't find any other explanation. You were honestly also the one who asked for this club, too."
"…"
Epherene bit her lower lip without saying a word. Why was Deculein being so nice to her?
And why was she pathetically hoping that was the case?
She thought about it in great detail.
However, due to the problem's difficulty, she couldn't think of anything else other than the lines of 'she was pitiful.'
At least for now.
"What's your relationship~?"
"Ah shh. What relationship? We're just…" Epherene scratched the back of her neck.
For her, Deculein was a wall she had to jump over. He was her first goal and the reason why she became a wizard, after all. She tried to surpass him without disregarding modesty and humility.
But if she said it like that, it would sound almost pathetic. Hence, she gave a slightly twisted answer.
"We're rivals."
"Pffft!" The people in the room started sneering and chuckling. Her words even caused Julia to spit out the water she was drinking. "That's a good joke, Epherene."
"I'm not joking."
"Hahahaha! The way you look so serious makes it even funnier."
Clang—!
The door suddenly bent as if it had just been smashed, and a pot-like person came in panting. "You guys, what is this?!"
Relin yelled without any explanation. Surprised, the members hid behind Epherene.
"What the hell is this club?!"
Epherene felt nervous, but she bravely stepped forward. She had already experienced such opposition anyway.
"We made and submitted a club establishment plan, and we received permission to proceed with it. Hence, this club's officially established."
"What? Who in the world gave you permission?! No, wait. Now that I got a closer look at you, aren't you that beggar who received disciplinary action?"
She was called a beggar once more, causing her to glare at Relin. Was it such a buzzword among the professors in the tower?
"Ho, look at this cocky bastard. How dare you glare at a professor? Lower your gaze, you disrespectful jerk!"
Relin's face turned red. Behind the open door, his noble-blooded colleagues were grinning.
She immediately understood the situation. They were the ones who told him.
"The founding of a club requires permission from a class advisor. If you're so confident, then tell me the name of the person that gave you their permission!"
"…"
"Tell me!"
Epherene bit her lower lip as he oppressed her.
When the club was being formed, he definitely told her not to bother him.
"Ha! I understand now. You've been deceiving us all along. Such actions are enough grounds for expulsion. Even if you weren't, you clearly resisted the will of a professor. I shall make such knowledge known in the presence of the one who allowed the creation of this club!"
Relin had concluded that even if Epherene were telling the truth, the professor they joined hands with would only have a few years here, which would explain why they didn't know anything. Behaving according to that judgment, he became fully capable of confidently demanding the advisor's name.
"Now tell me! Who is it?!"
"It's…"
"Say it! I order you to tell me!"
The more Epherene hesitated, the more ferocious Relin became. Nobles continued to gather in the corridor to insult and laugh at the club founded by commoners.
"It would be best for you to tell me before I go looking for them myself—"
"It's me."
"What? What kind of guy—"
Relin froze as soon as he turned around.
"…?"
Like a criminal caught in the act of committing a crime, he blankly tilted his head and wore a naive expression.
"I heard you've been looking for me, Professor Relin."
Deculein.
"W-why is Senior Professor…? Uhh… Huh?"
"Speak, Professor Relin."
Deculein approached Relin closely and looked down at him, the difference in their heights creating the perfect scene.
"Go ahead and tell me what you were complaining about. I don't have all day."
"… Ah. Senior Professor Deculein, this club…"
"Yes, I was the one who gave them permission."
"Ah, I-I see… B-but why?"
"Do I need a reason? Should I have asked permission from you?"
His eyes kept gazing in different directions, showing his confusion. The corners of Deculein's lips twisted upwards.
"Continue what you were saying."
"Uhm, that…"
Breathing heavily, he desperately looked for a way out. His brain had been turned into a mess, and his body was beginning to tremble due to the lack of an escape route. "Isn't their room too restricting?"
Pointing to the interior of the club room, he barked. "We are wizards of the majestic Imperial University Tower! Why weren't they provided with promising equipment?! This place is too cramped for club activities as well! Even the furniture given to them wasn't of the best quality! I just couldn't help but feel infuriated because of such details. Hahaha."
Relin sighed deeply after finishing his excuse, then immediately smiled brightly. "I'll take responsibility and give them something better."
"As expected of Professor Relin, who's always so kind and thoughtful."
Deculein calmly nodded. Relin? Kind? Nonsense.
"W-well, I have a lecture that I need to teach, so… Hahaha!"
Relin left with a big smile, but the wizards in the hallway didn't seem to want to disperse.
Deculein scowled at the crowd, more specifically, at the group who urged Relin. He knew of them.
Beck, Isiah, Jupern.
"You worthless cockroaches are always doing something a cockroach would do." His blunt and gelid warning caused them to flinch and hide swiftly, truly like cockroaches.
Deculein looked at the members of the CMRC afterward, then turned his gaze to the club room's interior.
"It does look cheap."
That was all.
Deculein walked off the corridor like he was in a photoshoot.
"… Wow."
Ferit's legs gave out, and he collapsed on the sofa. Chills clawed through their bodies.
Recently, there had been rumors about Deculein's performance lacking as the Senior Professor of the tower, but the people who had been saying that clearly didn't know anything.
Upon meeting him face to face, one would immediately feel pressure heavy enough to prove to them that those rumors were nothing but a bunch of nonsense.
"Are you in a bad mood today, Professor? You're scarier than usual…"
"Shhhh."
Julia put her fingers on her lips at Ferit's words. She then whispered in a small voice. "It's her death anniversary today."
"Death anniversary?"
Ferit asked back in surprise. Epherene's eyes opened wide without saying anything. It was something she didn't know.
"Oh, make sure you don't say those words to Professor Deculein. If you mention it by mistake, your eyes will never open again. It's extremely forbidden to utter that line in front of him."
Julia intentionally spoke frighteningly. "… Pfft."
She found even her own words funny.
Epherene, forcing a smile, managed her expressions.
"Death anniversary, huh? Interesting. I didn't think he had someone he liked."
"… Hmm?"
Julia tilted her head. Deculein's bereavement might not be known, but his relationship with his current fiancé, Julie, was widely spread throughout the lands.
"Do you know who he liked?"
She didn't know if Epherene was being sarcastic or serious.
"Hey, stop acting so crazy."
Looking at the Ouija board, Rondo's eyes widened as he grabbed his hair in shock, causing Epherene and Julia's worry to grow.
"Why?"
"Professor Deculein… Just bombarded us with homework."
"What?!"
Julia, Epherene, and Rondo all applied for Deculein's lecture, which meant they shared the same responsibilities. Huddling together, they looked at the Ouija board.
On it was a list of tasks prepared by their professor.
[Conduct a magical study based on pure elements combined with three or more attributes]
[Create a research on the theory of magic's density and concentration]
[Research about the 'Quality of Mana']
"Ah wait, what is this…"
Epherene felt a dizzying shock.