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"…Piste?"
"...."
"Student Chloe Piste?"
In a classroom in the magic department of Grandis Academy.
In the Rank 4 Magic Theory class, a class that only a very small number of top students could enroll in…
Chloe, who usually had a model student attitude even if she didn't in private, was spacing out despite the professor's words.
From the professor's perspective, it was a blatant act of defiance, but Chloe Piste was no ordinary student.
She was a Rank 5 mage and the disciple of the Archmage, the Tower Master of the Empire. Moreover, she usually maintained a perfect model student image.
The professor, assuming that she must be tired, switched targets to another student and continued the lecture.
During that process…
'Honestly. Huh, seriously.'
'....'
'Is being good-looking everything? He's acting all cool because he's a faculty member, how absurd.'
'He could at least take the smile out of his voice.'
'It's mockery, mockery. Did I really fall for such obvious flirting in the future? There's a reason why you become so shy in front of Adam, huh.'
Chloe was conversing with the adult Chloe.
It wasn't the usual magic lessons or prying about the future, or a subtle mental battle.
It was a one-sided conversation where Chloe was speaking to the adult Chloe.
'Anyway, you're worried that I might have fallen for him in that short time? Don't worry, I'll keep my word. Unlike the unsightly future me, there's no way the current me would fall for Adam!'
'…You, you're calling him Adam now?'
'Uh, huh?'
'You used to call him Finance Director. It seems like the way you address him has changed.'
'Well, of course! To get closer to Adam, I have to, even though I hate it, really hate it, build a relationship with him, right? It's just part of that! I have absolutely no personal feelings!'
Although she was visibly flustered when the adult Chloe scoffed…
It was Chloe who was relaxed, and the adult Chloe who seemed upset.
Chloe, after making various excuses, cleared her throat and looked at the adult Chloe in her mind.
'Anyway! I'm the one who wants to ask. Originally, weren't you going to possess my body and watch the fireworks with Adam? Didn't you tell me about that spot for that reason?'
'That's not wrong. It's just that there was something more important.'
'Something more important? There was something you considered more important than Adam?'
'It's nothing much, I just changed one of the futures I knew. It's not a bad thing, anyway.'
Changed the future, she said.
The adult Chloe was a spirit, but she was a mage who had almost reached Rank 7. She could probably exert a significant influence through means that Chloe didn't know. Was she using that?
No, more importantly…
'Hmm, is that all?'
'…What?'
'I was just wondering if changing the future or something was more important than meeting Adam… Ah.'
'Where did the girl who said she wouldn't fall for Adam go?'
'I'm not in love with him! It's just that, uh, your goal is related to Adam, right? Then meeting Adam is practically the same as changing the future! It's a matter of efficiency!'
Along with the adult Chloe's voice, which seemed to be clicking her tongue, Chloe's inner voice grew louder in embarrassment.
After arguing back and forth a few more times, they were pulled out of their mental conversation by the sudden sound of a bell.
It was the signal that class was over.
'Then, ahem! There's no next class…'
'You want to go see Adam?'
'Why? I'm just trying to help you quickly.'
'I didn't say anything about that. Anyway, go to the bathroom and fix your makeup and clothes.'
'Of course I have to.'
Chloe, skipping her usual greetings to the professor for the sake of image-making, hurriedly ran to the bathroom near the classroom and quickly fixed her makeup and clothes with magic.
She made her hair glossy, restored her dark circles and slightly rough skin, and applied makeup just enough to not be noticeable.
After quickly finishing her preparations, Chloe used teleportation magic to go outside the classroom building.
'Where will he be today?'
'He must be working at this time. But about two days out of ten, he works outside at this time.'
'Last time it was the professor's research complex, and before that, it was the club headquarters building. Should I go to the professor's research complex again using the excuse of meeting Dean Billend?'
'First, scan the surroundings with detection magic.'
She used detection magic non-stop while talking about Adam's whereabouts as if she was familiar with it.
It was a routine that Chloe and the adult Chloe repeated every day after cooperating with Adam for the summoning ritual incident a month ago.
However, despite their efforts, they didn't gain much since Adam spent most of his time in the office.
Still, thanks to that, she was able to get a chance to meet Adam during the hair loss agent incident.
'There's… nothing. It seems like it's a bust today.'
'You're more proactive than usual?'
'What are you talking about? It's all for the contract with you, isn't it?'
'You used to act annoyed and grumble, but that clearly disappeared after the last day of the festival?'
'…It's your imagination.'
Anyway, it was her imagination. There was no way she had actually fallen for Adam.
It's just that she thought of him often, the face she saw under the fireworks kept appearing in her mind, and she repeated the words Adam said every night.
That was all, and yet, love? Is this why her future self was so shy? She was practically an amateur when it came to love.
Of course, the current Chloe also had no experience with romance or love, but that's what she thought anyway.
Therefore, the reason she was feeling down now wasn't because she couldn't meet Adam. It was nothing special, just a coincidence.
Chloe, who had a frown on her face after searching all the places Adam frequented with detection magic, came down to a nearby street.
Chloe felt that the surroundings were noisy.
'Something feels off…'
She felt like this before.
Since there were students gathered, she teleported to the top of a nearby building.
'…The Headmistress.'
'This is similar to last time.'
Along with the adult Chloe's chilling voice…
Chloe recalled the day she met Ruth because of the dream. Come to think of it, Ruth Spero told her it was a meaningless dream and to just erase it with Forget magic, was that also intentional?
Anyway, he was a Rank 6 swordsman and a Regressor who came from the future to the past. Since he once disguised himself and targeted her, she had to be careful.
However, being too wary could also raise suspicion, so instead of acting, which she wasn't good at, she simply avoided meeting him.
She was currently learning long-range vision magic and magic to hide her presence from the adult Chloe for that purpose.
Even while contemplating how to deal with the Regressor, the adult Chloe's thoughts were consistent.
'That bitch.'
'First of all, I'm asking, you're reacting like that because the Headmistress took Adam away from you, right?'
'It's a much more complicated story.'
'Complicated, my ass. But does that even make sense?'
'What?'
Despite the somewhat irritable response from the adult Chloe…
Chloe asked the question that had been on her mind.
'So, you're saying that Adam and the Headmistress were really in love? Really?'
'...….'
'Common sense dictates that the age difference… uh… you know.'
Of course, there were no legal age restrictions or anything. But it was a matter of common sense beyond that.
The Headmistress was even a generation older than Chloe's master, the Archmage. Literally a person from 100 years ago.
And that person fell in love with a man in his early twenties? And he accepted it?
If it were a calculated move, it would be understandable, but for it to be because of pure love.
Even Chloe, who had no experience with romance, found it hard to understand.
'Moreover, the Headmistress is Adam's boss at work, the one who makes him work overtime and all-nighters every day. And he loves that kind of person…? Even when I was at the Magic Tower, I wanted to beat up all those senior bastards.'
'That's what I want to say! It's so pitiful that Adam accepts the absurd actions of that old hag, the Headmistress! She should know her place…!!'
Of course, she wasn't telling Adam, a Rank 1 commoner, to know his place. She was telling the Headmistress of Grandis Academy, a hero of the kingdom, a Rank 8, and one of the wealthiest people in the kingdom, to know her place.
It was an absurd statement, but Chloe naturally agreed. Of course, she couldn't hand Adam over to someone like the Headmistress.
It wasn't at the level of a princess being kidnapped by a monster. Considering the age difference, it was practically child molestation.
As Chloe and the adult Chloe were in the midst of slandering and criticizing the Headmistress…
A voice came from behind them.
"Student Chloe Piste, is that you?"
"…Headmistress."
"This is the first time I've seen you. To think that Piste had a disciple like you."
The Headmistress, who was walking down the street surrounded by students just a moment ago…
…stood right behind them without any difficulty, despite their distraction and the perception of Chloe, a Rank 5 mage, and the adult Chloe, a Rank 7 at the peak of her power.
Rank 8, the pinnacle of strength an individual could reach. And the one and only martial artist on the entire continent.
Although she wondered why she was dressed like a mage when she was clearly a martial artist, she accepted it, thinking that there must be a reason if the Headmistress was doing it.
Moreover…
"My master asked me to give his regards to the Headmistress."
"Piste did? Please tell him I'm grateful. It's been a while since our journey together, and I'm thankful that he remembers me."
The person Chloe's master, the Archmage, addressed with utmost respect.
Among the ten Rank 8s in the Empire, the Archmage, the Tower Master of the Magic Tower, was among the top three in terms of influence. Her master, with his white hair and beard, who looked benevolent and was respected even by other Rank 8s, addressed this person as if she were the Emperor.
…Of course, the Headmistress's influence wasn't actually comparable to that of the Emperor of the Empire. It seemed like the reason the Archmage acted like that was because of a trauma from his youth. There was a bruise on his wrist that hadn't faded since decades ago.
Although she had been cursing this person in her mind just moments ago, Chloe was completely overwhelmed when facing her directly.
The Headmistress had no hostility towards her.
However, that was only from Chloe's perspective.
The adult Chloe was a bit different.
'Look at you. Did you not sleep well?'
'What? What are you talking about?'
'You don't need to know the details. Simply put, I sent a special gift to that woman. She's probably going crazy right now.'
A gift to the Headmistress, to that monster?
Should she call it bold? Or arrogant?
Seeing the adult Chloe, who wasn't overwhelmed or intimidated by the vast difference in their strength, but rather scoffed at it.
Chloe, gaining courage for no reason, faced the Headmistress.
'This is an opportunity.'
'Hmm?'
'An opportunity to get closer to Adam!'
The Headmistress was Adam's superior and practically the only person who could order him around.
The Headmistress probably knew that Chloe was helping Adam with his work. She saw them together in Circe's lab.
However, Adam was pushing Chloe away (?). To be precise, he was using her in completely different places like construction sites or for investigations, instead of keeping her close.
And with the Headmistress's help, she could shorten that distance in an instant.
'It would be better if you don't do that.'
'Why? Are you saying the Headmistress would be jealous of me? For getting closer to Adam?'
'....'
'You have to say something that makes sense. I know you hate the Headmistress, but this is too much.'
At least in Chloe's common sense, there was no reason for the Headmistress to be jealous or wary of Chloe. In the first place, the premise that the Headmistress was in love with Adam was ridiculous.
Leaving the adult Chloe, who was silent for some reason, Chloe spoke with a triumphant smile.
"If it's not too much of an intrusion, may I ask you a favor, Headmistress?"
"A student's concern is also my concern. Speak comfortably."
"A few days ago, during the festival, when I met Adam, no, the Finance Director…"
"…What? What did you just say?"
"Ah, to be precise, it's about the last day of the festival. I happened to meet the Finance Director watching the fireworks on the roof…"
Chloe, who was about to talk about the fireworks she saw with the Finance Director…
…couldn't help but stop mid-sentence, just like the Headmistress, who had frozen.
More than the Headmistress's gaze, which had turned somewhat hostile, it was from her lips that…
'…That's Adam's trace.'
'Didn't I tell you? She's a fucking bitch.'
…the detection magic reacted.
Detection magic wasn't about finding a person, but about finding traces. A high-level spell to directly find a specific target was something Chloe couldn't use yet, being a Rank 5 mage.
That meant that the target who reacted to the detection magic had been in contact with Adam, and…
…the detection magic wouldn't react unless it was a deep trace.
Lastly, why did it react to the Headmistress's lips?
It was a very simple deduction.
"...…"
"...…"
On the rooftop of the building…
The Headmistress and Chloe's eyes met.
It was a gaze filled with suspicion and hostility.
—————–