Chapter 63
Now then.
Our pervert—no, that wasn't it.
Our mentor, Carla-sensei, lives in what looks like a small hut a little way from the Duke of Randall's mansion.
Rumor has it that people who study magic generally live far from human settlements.
As expected, a true professional is on another level. Impressed, I walked a little farther. Before long, a modest hut came into view.
"Excuse me!"
"...! U-kun? W-wait, you're a little early—"
When I knocked, I heard a commotion inside.
Was she getting ready?
Even so, she was one of the main heroines. I couldn't afford to be rude.
I calmed myself,
then called out, "Sensei?"
A little while later, I heard her clear her throat with an "Ahem," and the door opened.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, my dear disciple."
The person who emerged from the doorway spoke.
Silver-white hair. Sharp violet eyes.
Her slightly exposed cleavage looked like it could get her arrested for public indecency at any moment.
But her whole demeanor could only be described as cold.
It was a chill that made me feel intimidated.
I could even sense a pressure that seemed to repel people.
"The essence of magic is order and discipline. I should commend you for arriving early. Now then, let's begin today's training."
Carla-sensei said solemnly.
"Yes, I look forward to today's lesson."
She was one of the main heroines.
That was exactly why I didn't pry into anything unnecessary.
That's right. Even if I noticed her hair was sticking up from bedhead,
and thought, "This person talks about discipline, but she just woke up..."
A sensible mob character never sticks their nose where it doesn't belong.
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"Well then, let's begin today's lesson."
Carla-sensei said, folding her arms.
—Carla Orlando.
One of the main heroines of 'Last Arcanum,' and a powerful mage with the special attribute of 【Ice】.
In the original story, she was so cold that one couldn't get a word in edgewise, living up to her epithet, 【Absolute Zero】.
If you chose her route in the game, the protagonist, Sieg-kun, would grow close to her and gradually grow closer still.
And then, at the end, her smile.
—A beautiful woman, a romantic route, and a powerful character to boot. She had every possible ingredient for popularity.
What's more, as you progressed through her route, she revealed a gap in her character, being surprisingly sloppy in everyday life.
To say nothing of the fact that she possessed an Arcana and was certain to be involved in the story. Of course she'd be popular.
But.
That was only if you advanced her route and grew close to her; she only showed her softer side to Sieg-kun.
If anything, since Kuzutos had been rude to her at their first meeting, she should have loathed him like poison.
So, by showing how seriously I applied myself to magic, I was aiming for the perfect balance: not earning Carla-sensei's affection, but at least avoiding her dislike...
That was what I'd been aiming for, but...
I gazed at Carla-sensei before me.
"Got it, my disciple? Magic isn't meant for combat in the first place. There are spells that make people happy even in places unrelated to battle."
Carla-sensei, looking serious, continued, "That's why..."
"—Never pursue strength alone. When people seek only strength, they lose their way. I've seen many people like that."
Her beautiful eyes pierced me.
"..........."
"..........."
Silence.
"I-I see."
Unable to bear the silence, I desperately racked my brain in front of Carla-sensei, who was giving off the air of someone who'd just said something incredibly profound.
How had it come to this?
This was strange. Very strange.
That's right.
At least, I had been acting so that my teacher wouldn't dislike me, so why was Carla-sensei earnestly lecturing me about not seeking too much power?
Was I the one she was worried about???
...No, it's true that 'Last Arcanum' had regular corruption routes, and heroines and even the protagonist could fall to darkness if they pursued power too much.
But that was only when someone sought too much power.
In reality, I was hardly seeking power at all.
I might have been a little better than others at handling magic, and a bit more efficient, but that only put my combat ability at about Enrique's level at best,
and even with the special 【Spatial】 magic,
I hadn't developed anything beyond the perfectly sensible spell of "making a platform in midair to use as a stepstool," which might come in handy if I ever needed to reach something.
No matter how you looked at it, I clearly wasn't someone seeking power,
or a battle-crazed character who'd go, "Heh heh heh... Now I can get even stronger. Heh heh."
I wasn't stupid enough to pull something like that in this crazy world.
But Carla-sensei was different.
For instance, the other day, when I asked Carla-sensei about the original protagonist's training methods,
she'd gone pale for some reason, saying, "W-what...?"
And when I asked about 10th-tier magic,
she'd lectured me with incredible intensity: "...! Listen, my dear disciple. You must never, ever get close to something forbidden like 10th-tier magic!"
...That happened, too.
I stopped reminiscing and looked at Carla-sensei.
"The essence of magic is inquiry."
Carla-sensei nodded in front of me.
"Then let's get started. Today, we'll study support magic—not combat magic."
And so.
Forbidden from training in dangerous combat magic, I was studying magic unrelated to battle, known as 'support magic.'
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—'Support magic.'
It referred to magic other than offensive spells and enchantments that strengthened the user. Basically, useful magic that had nothing to do with combat.
Honestly, support magic was almost useless in battle. So there was no chance to use it in the game, and frankly, it never went beyond the realm of joke spells.
That said, Carla-sensei's proposal had benefits for me, too.
Sure, having combat magic for self-defense wouldn't be a bad idea. But if I used overly flashy offensive spells, there was a risk people would realize I wasn't very mob-like.
Besides, when it came to convenience in daily life, support magic should be much more useful.
For example, cleaning a room or unlocking a door. You couldn't use it that way in the game, but in this world, the possibilities were endless.
If so, there was nothing wrong with quietly learning 'support magic.'
If I really wanted offensive magic, I could practice in secret. Fortunately, Kuzutos's talent for magic wasn't bad.
It was just that my brains, personality, conduct, and character were all awful. I could manage on my own.
So, with Carla-sensei's gaze at my back, I stood before a mirror and slowly chanted.
'—Disguise'
I felt a faint sensation of my strength draining away as it passed through my body.
"..........."
I opened my eyes.
"Looks like it worked."
"Yes..."
It had worked.
No matter how many times I saw it, I couldn't believe it.
The effect of the support magic I'd chosen was—
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Carla-sensei
→ To teach the true joy of magic to her utterly bloodthirsty, deranged disciple, she deliberately refrains from teaching them combat magic.