Chapter 73
“Huh?”
Lloyd turned his head at the faint presence he sensed behind him, and his eyes widened.
He was surprised because Jade, whom he had naturally assumed was going to the restroom, had returned with a disheveled girl.
And Lloyd was not the only one; the others were just as surprised.
But instead of explaining, Jade called for the chancellor.
“Chancellor.”
“Y-yes!”
After suffering one defeat after another in both the individual and team matches, the chancellor had been wearing a hollow expression as though the world had ended. At Jade’s voice, he hurriedly composed himself and turned around.
It was because, no matter how devastated he was, he did not think he could show such a state to Jade or the crown prince’s party.
“I’d like to take this child with me.”
“That child……”
The chancellor, who had been covertly signaling to the head of the Department of Spirit Studies, who was doing a far worse job of controlling his expression, belatedly looked at the little girl clinging to Jade’s hand.
She was emaciated, as though she had not been properly fed, and her clothes were dirty as well.
The chancellor’s eyes filled with questions at the sight of the girl’s clothing, which clearly marked her as someone who had done odd jobs around the academy.
“As you can see, she was working at the academy. She was cleaning the garden.”
“You intend to take her with you?”
“Yes. I intend to make her my disciple. For the record, this is notification. I will not tolerate refusal.”
“……!”
At the two words “my disciple,” everyone, including the chancellor, was startled.
Although Jade had traveled through his territory and taken in talented children, he had never called anyone his disciple.
Yet he had called a girl he had met for the first time today his disciple without a hint of hesitation, and everyone stared at Della in stunned disbelief.
“You didn’t even pay attention to her, did you? If not for me, you wouldn’t even have noticed her.”
-I noticed her too! I sensed her first!
-We’re alike.
The two spirits perched on Jade’s shoulders chattered.
At that, Della, who had been hunching her shoulders under the gazes of people who all looked like important figures, raised her head without realizing it.
She had instinctively responded to Silestin and Elestra’s voices.
“B-but she belonged to the academy……”
“Why? Now that I’ve said I’m making her my disciple, are you getting greedy?”
“No! That’s absolutely not what I meant!”
The chancellor flapped his hands in panic as he met Jade’s crystal-clear eyes.
The faint anger lurking in those transparent eyes had sent chills down his spine.
Just as he had said, Jade only needed to notify them.
Though he was the chancellor of the Royal Academy, he had no right to stop him.
“It would be best not to give in to pointless greed, Chancellor. Della has already given her permission.”
“……Yes!”
His voice had been calm, without a trace of killing intent, but to the chancellor it sounded more terrifying than anything.
Thus, the chancellor swallowed nervously and lowered his head.
“I hope you understand that, considering what Della has suffered until now, simply letting this go is unacceptable. If I were to act on what I’m feeling……”
Grrrrrr!
Though Jade had briefly left the training ground, a new spirit appeared before the intermediate spirits of the four elements that had remained silently in place.
Noes, a massive high-ranking earth spirit in the form of a rhinoceros, had revealed himself.
Moreover, as though reflecting Jade’s current mood, he radiated a menacing presence from every inch of his body.
“Uuuugh……”
“A-a high-ranking spirit!”
The students and even the professors froze stiff at the high-ranking spirit’s sudden appearance.
Even they, with considerable experience, had never seen a high-ranking spirit before.
On top of that, its aura was so ferocious that everyone stood frozen like statues, swallowing dryly.
Everyone was instantly overwhelmed by the aura emanating from the high-ranking spirit.
“I want to turn everything upside down, but Della—not me—gets to decide whether to take revenge.”
Fsssh……
Noes, who had been exuding terrifying energy as though he might cause an earthquake, vanished in an instant.
At Jade’s command, he had returned to the spirit realm.
Yet even after the ferocious aura disappeared, no one could bring themselves to move.
“Ugh!”
“You don’t have to lower your head anymore. From now on, other people will lower their heads to you.”
Jade gently stroked Della’s bony hand and met her gaze.
And Whid also licked Della, as if telling her not to be nervous—the same gesture Whid had given only to Jade, Silestin, and Elestra.
“So that’s where you suddenly went—you went to fetch this child?”
“Yes.”
“No wonder Jade ran there in such a hurry. To think a human could have this much spirit affinity.”
Although they had not been summoned, sylphs, undines, and gnomes were gathered around Della.
And she had not even formally formed contracts with them.
If Della learned a mana cultivation technique and properly trained in spirit arts, it seemed she would be able to summon high-ranking spirits in no time.
“I have someone like that, too.”
“That’s true. With Jade around, it isn’t strange for a child like Della to exist.”
“Is Della really that talented?”
Even Arellia could not hide her astonishment, so Lloyd asked with curiosity filling his expression.
Rainy and Haynes had not asked, but their expressions were the same as Lloyd’s.
Meanwhile, deep regret showed on the faces of the chancellor, the department head, and the professors.
They felt both self-reproach and regret at having failed to notice that the academy held a talent that had impressed none other than Jade, the kingdom’s greatest spirit summoner, and Arellia, an elf.
“Yes. Enough to casually eat most elves alive? Besides, her master is Jade.”
“That is a fairly important factor.”
“Talent is important, but so is having a master who can bring it to fruition. If not for Jade, this child probably would have lived quietly without ever discovering her talent, then returned to nature.”
“Uu.”
“By the way, Della can’t speak. It seems she has had a problem with her throat since birth.”
Perhaps because she was still used to it, Della could not meet the eyes of the others.
Seeing her lower her head almost instinctively, Jade moved Whid behind him and lifted Della into his arms.
He thought it might help her make eye contact, even this way.
“Did you think I wouldn’t have noticed that? I knew from the beginning. But how old are you?”
“Ten.”
“Huh?”
Like Jade, Arellia’s eyes opened wide.
Her build was far too slight for a ten-year-old.
The children were surprised by her answer as well.
“She looks like she’s done nothing but work and hasn’t been fed properly.”
“That’s awful.”
“It’s not their fault. There must be someone else who manages the servants and maids.”
Arellia glared sharply at the chancellor, the department head, and the professors.
At that, everyone cleared their throats awkwardly and looked away.
“It seems the people she worked with were the ones who actually hurt her.”
“We should probably take her around the academy in her current state.”
A mischievous glint appeared in Arellia’s eyes.
Her face had taken on its characteristic impish expression.
“I was going to the Department of Magic anyway.”
“The territory is short on mages, after all. This position wasn’t part of the plan.”
“Ahem! Khm!”
Lloyd, feeling guilty, cleared his throat and gauged their reaction.
He was the one who had arranged this visit.
But Lloyd had wanted to show them this at least once.
The Department of Spirit Studies had been created because he had witnessed Jade’s power and realized the potential of spirit summoners.
“How did the matches turn out?”
“A clean sweep. Including both the individual and team matches.”
At Arellia’s words, Farzali, the nine children, and the spirit summoners who had come from mercenary backgrounds all grinned.
As if victory had been only natural.
In contrast, the students of Class One, who had lost every match despite being the academy’s finest spirit arts students, could not raise their heads.
They had all been crushed by the enormous difference in ability.
“Confidence is good. But you must not become arrogant.”
“We’ll keep that in mind.”
Perhaps because they were still young, they all wore expressions of intoxication with victory.
It was only natural in a way, since they had overwhelmed the Department of Spirit Studies students not only in spirit arts but also in physical ability.
But confidence could turn into arrogance in an instant.
‘Well, there’s nothing wrong with basking in it for a little while. Sweet fruit is necessary for growth.’
Alfredo and Ged looked slightly puzzled when Jade, who could have lectured them, said nothing, but neither asked him about it.
They trusted that Jade had a reason.
Unlike at the beginning, the mood in the Department of Spirit Studies had turned gloomy, and Jade left it and headed straight for the Department of Magic.
Since that had been his original destination, he moved there without delay.
“This is the Department of Magic.”
As with the Department of Spirit Studies, the chancellor guided them through the Department of Magic.
Since he knew the Royal Academy better than anyone, he had taken responsibility for guiding them to the very end.
But despite his enthusiastic explanations, Jade did not pay much attention.
He was too busy checking on Della, whom he held in his arms.
“She keeps flinching.”
“She must be seeing familiar faces.”
“She’ll need some time.”
“It’s only natural that both Della and I need time.”
Della had initially found it strange to be held in someone’s arms, since she had never experienced it before, but now she rested quietly in Jade’s arms.
Whid, who had given up the spot to her, did not fuss either.
However, Della shrank back from time to time because of the people they encountered as they walked.
“I-isn’t that the mute girl?”
“What’s going on? Why is a cripple being carried in Marquis Kang’s arms?”
Della trembled especially whenever she heard whispers.
She was afraid Jade might hear them and be disappointed.
So Della could not even bring herself to clutch Jade’s collar.
She was afraid the happiness that had come to her like a miracle might vanish like smoke.
Swish.
But that was a needless fear.
Instead, Jade cast a cold gaze at the people whispering.
He looked icily at those who had tormented Della by throwing around their minuscule authority without even bothering to ask her name.
At that, every one of them lowered their heads.
They did not dare meet Jade’s gaze.
Some even trembled like aspens.
“Just turn everything upside down. No one can blame you if you do.”
“Um, that might be a bit much……”
The chancellor cried out in alarm at Arellia’s words.
Jade’s air was already ominous enough, and it seemed she was only adding fuel to the fire.
But even though Jade sent them a chilling look, he did not take action himself.
He thought they would pay a sufficient price for tormenting Della without him needing to get involved.
‘Besides, it isn’t my place.’
Jade tightened his hold on Della, who had been too kind even to argue or protest, and withdrew his gaze.
Yet even after he looked away, those who had been whispering did not dare raise their heads.
They could not forget the gaze that had been directed at them, as though it had been branded into their minds.
“Whew!”
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Although the situation had nearly reached a breaking point, Jade fortunately did not act, and the chancellor headed toward the main hall with a sigh of relief.
Even so, the chancellor kept checking Jade’s mood.
He was worried Jade might explode and go on a rampage along the way.
‘Just the appearance of that high-ranking spirit……’
The chancellor swallowed dryly.
Today, he had felt keenly why the word calamity followed Jade like a label.
Jade truly was capable of bringing about a calamity.
Thus, the chancellor opened the main hall’s doors with a tense expression.
Murmur, murmur!
The gazes of the Department of Magic students filling the main hall all turned toward the front at once.
They had all instinctively realized it.
That the person they had been waiting and waiting for had appeared.
“Originally, I intended to summon only the sixth-year students who are graduating at the end of the year, but so many students wanted to see you, Marquis, that the number grew considerably.”
“It looks like everyone is here.”
“You may assume that is the case.”
The main hall fell silent in an instant.
The students, who had been murmuring until the doors opened, all fell silent at once.
At the same time, hundreds of pairs of eyes turned toward Jade and his party.