Waahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh─!
"Uwah!"
I quickly threw myself to the side and avoided Ciel's [Fireball].
The heat menacingly grazed my side. I was terrified.
"C-calm down! I didn't come here to fight you!"
「Fireball (Fire Element, ★3)」
Then, another [Fireball] flew towards me.
Should I block it with [Ice Wall]? There was no way I could. Not only was I at a disadvantage in terms of elements, the skill gap between Ciel and I was far too great. Her [Fireball] would instantly melt my [Ice Wall], turning me into charred meat.
Once again, I dodged the incoming attack. The [Fireball] passed me and hit the ground, then turned into orange mana before it dispersed into the wind.
…If I hadn't trained my athletic ability, I would have already been hit. Thank you, Knight Department!
"Who are you…? Who are you to disturb my sleep?"
Ciel spoke, her voice still hushed. Her head was lowered, and her violet eyes only turned to look in my direction. Her expression was indifferent and lifeless, as if the world disinterested her.
"How about sleeping in your dormitory instead of somewhere like this?"
"Are you picking a fight?"
Another [Fireball] the size of a yoga ball appeared next to Ciel. I quickly panicked and raised my arms.
"No, calm down…! I came here to make a deal with you!"
"...."
"Are you good at sensing the Fell Cards?"
"Words are pointless."
Ciel's [Fireball] gradually grew in size. It was big enough to cause damage even with my reflexes taken into account.
Soon enough, the [Fireball] fiercely sliced through the air towards me once more.
"Hey, let's talk…!"
There was not enough time to activate [Frost Explosion], because it took a while to condense the mana required for it.
In the end, I used the offensive spell I was most familiar with.
「Frostfire (Ice Element, ★4)」
I coiled icy cold flames around my hands and fired them at the [Fireball] that flew towards me.
The [Frostfire] engulfed the [Fireball], but I was struck by the aftermath.
Waaaahhhhh─!
"Kkeuhak!"
The high-temperature magic and the low-temperature magic collided, causing an explosion of misty steam, which lightly blew my body away.
The [Fireball] lost some momentum from the collision but was still raging onward. It pierced through the steam before it ultimately crashed into the ground. I was saved by the steam explosion.
My body rolled around on the ground several times, and my school uniform was soiled as a result. As I couldn't completely avoid the [Fireball], parts of my uniform were burned, and I was even scratched by the sharp rocks as I rolled, tearing off pieces of my uniform and cutting my skin.
Only when I hit the rocks around me did my body come to a halt.
'Wow, I almost died for real…'
I coughed and cleared my throat, as I grabbed the rocks for support to stand up. My forearm that was scratched by the rocks was bloody. I could tell because I had my sleeves rolled up. Damn it.
"Go away. The next one will be a four-star spell. You won't be lucky enough to avoid this one."
This bitch. Would it kill you to just talk a little!
I wanted to protest, but I gave up because I was scared.
"Ha, I didn't intend to use this…"
I grumbled and reached for the magic pouch inside my pocket.
Then, Ciel gently extended her hand towards me, perhaps feeling wary. Fire mana began to gather in front of her, and an orange magic circle appeared.
I had studied that technique and remembered it. It wasn't [Fireball]; she was going to use the 4-star spell [Sea of Fire].
[Sea of Fire] was a spell that poured flames as if they were tsunamis. It was no wonder why it had such a large area of effect, and as she said before, it'd be impossible to avoid it as luckily as I had done before.
But I had a trump card up my sleeve.
Do you think I haven't figured out a single strategy for you after I'd played ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ countless times?
Before Ciel used [Sea of Fire].
I swallowed dryly, and took out my trump card from my magic pouch.
"...?"
I saw Ciel's eyes dart around, they slightly widened in shock. She was definitely surprised.
"Let's make a deal, Ciel."
What I pulled out was a navy blue 'pillow' – A pillow of the highest quality with an ergonomic design to ensure a comfortable night's sleep. It was a heroine-only item that was available at the secret shop, which could significantly boost Ciel Carnedas' affinity. The item was dubbed "The Pillow That Makes Anyone Pass Out." For Ian, it was unnecessary.
Ciel examined the shape of the pillow based on her numerous naps. As a seasoned napper, she must have noticed that the pillow was of the highest quality.
Her head, which had only glanced at me from the side, turned completely towards me and the fire mana that had gathered to activate [Sea of Fire] dispersed.
This pillow appealed to her.
She had slept against a hard tree without a pillow. Like a person without an umbrella on a rainy day, it was bound to be in demand.
"That, that… Where did you get that?"
"You want it?"
Ciel gave an affirmative answer of silence. She was too proud to nod.
"Like I said before, I'm here to make a deal with you. If you fulfill my request, not only will you get this pillow, but you will also recieve some additional benefits."
"What benefits?"
"You haven't properly detected the Fell Cards yet, have you?"
"…How do you know that?"
I asked her that earlier. She didn't listen to me at all.
Fell Cards were items that emitted a very weak trace of mana, so even Class-A students couldn't easily detect them. Ciel Carnedas was no exception.
Since she had already decided to take a nap, Ciel planned to find a nice spot where she could take a nap since she couldn't detect the Fell Card.
It wasn't a thoughtless action, however. In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Ciel awakens from her nap and joins the battle from the middle to the latter part of「Act 3, Chapter 3, End of Semester Evaluation」, which caused the difficulty level to spike. She decided to attack and loot students who already had Fell Cards, reasoning that it would be more efficient because she was stronger.
"I'll find Fell Cards for you, and give you this pillow as well."
"I know who you are. An inferior student from Class-D with Grade-E mana. How could you possibly expect to find the Fell Cards?"
"Come and see."
Ciel swept her eyes over me with suspicion.
[Ciel Carnedas] Psychology: [Suspecting you of having set a trap.]
"If you're really suspicious, just remember that you're always in a position to attack me. If you even have a sliver of doubt about my actions, then you can just eliminate me from the competition."
"...."
Ciel furrowed her brows and pondered for a moment before she got up and followed me.
Ciel's height was up to my neck. I smiled as I looked down at her. It was a capitalist smile meant to relieve my opponent's vigilance.
Of course, despite my efforts, she did not reciprocate. She simply covered her mouth and yawned, with a tired expression.
"Hurry up."
Yes, of course.
I knew where the Fell Cards were in this forest. After walking for a while, I came to a rock shaped like a raccoon's head.
Here it is. I squatted down and picked up a slightly larger rock that laid next to it.
Sure enough, a Fell Card was there.
"How…?"
Ciel appeared surprised, as evident by the widening of her sleepy eyes.
But I didn't touch the card. This was due to the fact that the person who made physical contact with the card was considered to be in possession of the card.
That's right, physical contact. Fell Cards were treated as the possession of the last person who touched them, so even if you didn't kill the opponent, you could make them your own by simply stealing the card.
But I didn't have to think that far. Because once the cards are 'exchanged', it would end peacefully. My in-game knowledge made this all possible.
"You are from Class D, right? What kind of monstrous mana perception do you have…?"
"Think of it as a trade secret."
Ciel narrowed her eyes and stared at me suspiciously.
"I sensed your mana level when our magic clashed earlier, and there's no way someone as weak as you could have this kind of mana perception. What's going on? If you don't tell me, there will be bloodshed."
I quickly pushed the pillow in front of her.
"…But it's a trade secret, so it can't be helped. Everyone has secrets they want to keep. So, what kind of deal do you want to make with me?"
I stood up and looked at Ciel. Finally, we could finally get down to business.
"I'll be your guide for the Fell Cards. Wouldn't it be better to finish this test quickly and have more time to nap? Of course, I'll even give you this pillow, but on two conditions."
I thumped my chest.
"First and foremost, you must protect me. Second, you must collect all of the Fell Cards at once and then give me five of them. So I can pass the exam."
Students would be targeted if they had a Fell Card in the end-of-semester evaluation, and the holding status was relayed in real-time, as well as the holder's location.
Moreover, there were 5 Fell Cards that I needed to collect.
In other words, if a weakling like me tried to collect Fell Cards quickly, I would only be targeted by students, and easily eliminated. If lost all the cards I collected, I wouldn't be able to unlock my bracelet, and have to attend the supplementary classes. As a result, I would be unable to prepare for The Thunderbird Subjugation.
"…Is that all?"
I nodded.
Ciel showed me her slender right palm, and I gently slapped my left palm against hers.
"Deal done. Pillow."
Ciel said calmly, held out her hand, and I handed her the pillow.
She hugged the pillow, her cheeks flushed with pleasure. Soon, her expression melted like ice cream on a midsummer day.
✦✧✦✧
With Ciel by my side, the search for Fell Cards was a breeze.
Ciel was always impressed whenever I found a Fell card. Although she didn't show it, I could tell through [Psychological Insight].
If any students came to bother us, Ciel dealt with them on her own. All I had to do was relax and act as a guide.
When we found the 5th Fell Card, mana grains popped out of her bracelet and formed a map. One of the gleaming grains pointed to a specific location, which served as the submission point.
For reference, there were a total of 10 submission points, and when we obtain the 5th Fell Card, one of these places would be displayed at random. I took that into account as I guided Ciel to a place that wasn't too far off from it.
By the way.
'Why is Luce rampaging like this…?'
I don't know why. I wonder what else went wrong with this scenario.
…In any case, I couldn't stop here. My first priority was to collect the Fell Cards as quickly as possible and pass this test. I relegated Luce's rampage to a lower priority.
"Who are you, really?"
Ciel inquired when we had found the 7th Fell Card. It was the time when we had entered the honeycomb building that held 2 Fell Cards.
It was a large central hall. The interior of the building, which once boasted luxurious facilities, was now rusted and worn with the passage of time.
Ciel walked alongside me, clutching the pillow I had given her.
With a voice as cold as frost, Ciel asked.
[Ciel Carnedas] Psychology: [Suspects that you are a strong person hiding your skills.]
It seemed that Ciel had thought about it a lot while walking around with me. Even though she said that I was weak at first.
"What is your true identity?", "You can't have such great mana perception with only a tiny bit of mana. Mana perception is directly related to the absolute amount of maximum mana that one possesses."
Isn't that too harsh? I'm level 57, a level that can compete against the top Class C students.
…Well, it wasn't unreasonable.
From Ciel's point of view, who was talented even compared to Class B students, the expression that my mana was at the level of a speck of dust could be seen as a reasonable statement.
"It's impossible to hide one's mana. But it's also impossible for you to have this level of mana perception with your mana. How can such a contradiction exist?"
Ciel shot me a cold glare.
"The only way for that to be possible is if you can hide your mana. There's no way you reached the level of an Archwizard at your age, and it's impossible to bribe the proctors because of the Pact."
"There are two Fell Cards here."
I gave out the information as a way of telling her to shut up and as expected, Ciel looked puzzled.
"It wasn't just one…? As I thought… you can sense even that…"
I shook my head.
When I first entered this building, I noticed the shape of the grass in the front yard. I washed my eyes and looked around, but there was no sign of anyone having walked on it, which meant that the two cards must still be there.
"…Tsk."
[Ciel Carnedas] Psychology: [Feels inferior to you.]
Ciel had no interest in those weaker than herself.
But now she was starting to harbor an inferiority complex towards me. She even clicked her tongue.
…I'm a background character, aren't I?
"…Let's hurry up and find the rest."
"You're walking faster all of a sudden…"
"You talk too much."
Ciel disregarded my words. I kept my mouth shut and quietly followed her will, even if this was a transactional relationship, I knew there was bound to be a certain amount of power involved.
It wasn't like she wasn't going to fulfill her obligations anyway.
We found the 2 Fell Cards in the building.
[1st place (Purple) Ciel Carnedas Fell Card +9] was engraved on the scoreboard. Even Kaya, who was in second place right now, only had two cards…
I know it was my own work, but that was some real good aggro.
"I'm done now," Ciel said after she found the ninth Fell Card.
The place where I found the card was a spacious hall reminiscent of a wedding hall. The overall atmosphere was elegant and full of dignity.
The walls were adorned with a beautiful gold and white design, with green vines that dotted along the walls, and on those vines bloomed brilliantly colored flowers that resembled passionflowers.
It was a place that hadn't been maintained, and the signs of age were evident, which gave it a distinct feel.
Ciel and I stood in front of the podium, while we faced each other. Anyone who saw us would think that we were having a simple wedding. Of course, I was currently dressed in a dusty school uniform that was far from wedding attire.
"There's one card left, right? This card is yours."
"I'll find the other one on my own."
Perhaps it was her wounded pride. Well, it was understandable when one considered the fact that the guy she deemed to be inferior to herself showed an incredible mana perception that was incomparable to her own.
Of course, that was just Ciel's speculation. I didn't mention anything about having found the Fell Cards using my mana perception.
I was in a position where I couldn't come up with any other reason, so I didn't deny it.
"For now, take this."
Ciel handed me a flimsy stack of cards.
The submission location was random. Even I didn't know where my submission location would appear, though I figured it would be best to get the Fell Cards here as soon as possible and go.
I received the stack of cards and counted them.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five. Perfect.
Outside the window, I could hear the collision of mana grains. [1st Place (White) Isaac Fell Card +5] appeared on the scoreboard engraved in the sky.
Mana grains also flowed from my bracelet, and formed a map which marked my submission location.
Luckily, it was the closest one to me. A distance I could reach in less than twenty minutes if I ran.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
Ciel nodded, and her face turned serious as she hugged the pillow I'd given her with both arms.
It must have been because she couldn't predict what kind of mayhem would unfold from now on.