Chapter 31
“Young Lady, you should unpack your luggage first.”
“Oh, right! I’ll be back!”
The Young Lady, who had been in the garden for a while, headed inside the mansion, saying she would unpack.
Did she come straight here without unpacking?
Well, she *was* wearing her Magic School uniform.
“Whew…”
I sat down in the garden, thinking I could finally relax.
*Thud…*
Whitey was sitting next to me.
He’s dozing off, probably because he just woke up.
Honestly, I was a little nervous.
What if the Young Lady’s eyes suddenly lit up like that time before and she chased me away?
I haven't seen it much lately, but those strangely glowing eyes are bizarre and creepy the more I think about it.
I think those eyes are probably the reason why she treats me like a dog.
I just don’t get what she sees or what she's thinking.
Considering how she ran to me as soon as she arrived at the mansion, she’s just like any other girl.
But before she went to Magic School, she was acting all moody and adolescent, but it seems like she’s gotten a little better.
Or maybe she's just that happy to be back? Judging by how excited she was earlier, she must have been looking forward to coming to the mansion.
Anyway.
“It’s been a while since you've worn that.”
“Yes, well, the Young Lady is here.”
Since the Young Lady arrived, I put the Dog Leash back on.
Come to think of it, I haven’t been wearing it at all lately.
It doesn't really feel like anything though.
Compared to the Collar I wore when I first arrived at the mansion, it's nothing.
Thinking about it now, why did they even have something like *that*?
It’s a Restraint strong enough to bind even a powerful Aura User, probably an item used to restrain captured Knights during war.
Its effect is so powerful that even if I wore it again now, I don't think I could break it.
How did Alden break out of that Collar and Escape from the Colosseum?
That was already five years ago? Time flies.
“Doggy!”
Just like that, after wearing the Leash and waiting for a while, the Young Lady came back out.
Her clothes… they're closer to active wear than her usual dress.
“Young Lady, what are you planning to do?”
“Training! I learned Magic.”
“Aha.”
She went to Magic School, so of course she wants to show off the new Magic she learned.
“Yes, let’s go.”
I was also curious about the Magic the Young Lady learned, so I headed straight to the training grounds.
“This place is the same!”
The training grounds we arrived at were empty.
Unlike the recent leisurely atmosphere, everyone is probably patrolling tightly around the mansion today since the Young Lady is here.
Everyone will vividly remember the mansion burning down two years ago, so no one would let their Guard down while the Young Lady is here.
“Um, tell me right away if it seems like you'll get hurt, okay?”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
We arrived at the training grounds, found a spot, and warmed up lightly.
Actually, it's closer to Sparring than training.
After Terra taught the Young Lady that training in the form of Sparring was good, she trained like this until she went to Magic School.
“The first one is a Magic that makes the ground disappear! Don't fall, okay?”
“...Don’t worry.”
Well, it seems like she learned a lot of Magic, but I still don't think I'll get hurt.
It hasn't been that long since the Young Lady went to Magic School.
It’s probably just the basics.
And so.
I finished preparing and stood in front of the Young Lady.
“I’m using it now, okay? Focus here!”
A magic circle immediately glowed in the Young Lady's hand.
Unlike the usual red magic circle, a slightly dull, earthy-colored magic circle appeared.
It's a different magic circle than what I’m used to seeing.
Since she said it makes the ground disappear, I guess that’s what it is.
I waited for the Magic to activate, using Track to see what it would be like.
And then.
The light that sprang from the magic circle flowed down to the ground.
*Thud!*
The ground I was standing on instantly disappeared.
“Whoa.”
…It was *this* powerful?
I lost my balance as my feet felt a floating sensation.
Of course, since I was using Track, I landed on the bottom without any problems…
“Doggy, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
I'm fine, but I was a little surprised.
Because the ground caved in much deeper than I thought.
Around waist-deep, maybe?
The range is quite wide too.
Imagine the ground suddenly collapsing during Combat. That's terrifying.
It looks useful enough that I want to learn it too.
“Okay, then the next one is…”
I also experienced the other basic Magic spells the Young Lady said she learned.
“This is a double barrier.”
“Double?”
“Yeah! Hit it! It definitely won’t break!”
*Crash!*
“Uh…”
“…It broke.”
Of course, some of the spells weren’t that powerful.
“Light!”
*Whoosh!*
But there were also quite a few spells that would be useful in actual Combat.
…Did Terra not teach her any practical stuff and just made her shoot fireballs?
Do I really have to go to school to learn properly?
The Young Lady seemed excited after showing off her new Magic.
“How was it? I learned a lot, right?”
“Yes… but do they usually teach this much?”
Besides that.
How did the Young Lady learn this much in such a short time at Magic School?
Considering that Magic, even the basics, isn't that easy, I imagine the amount of studying must have been enormous.
I wondered if other students also learned this much, so I asked.
“Huh? They teach a lot if you learn well.”
It seemed like that wasn't the answer the Young Lady was looking for.
Well, she *is* the genius of the Void Family, the one they're pushing. She’s bound to excel at Magic School.
“Alright then…”
Now that I’ve seen all the new magic…
It’s time to see how much her existing magic has grown.
*Whoomph.*
A crimson magic circle appeared in the Young Lady’s hand, followed by a ball of fire that ignited in the air.
It was almost as big as her torso.
Seems bigger than the last time I saw it.
Terra isn’t teaching her this stuff for nothing. It feels on a completely different level than the other magic she showed me.
“I-Is it okay to shoot this? It's been a while, are you sure?”
“Yes, don't worry.”
The size and the power it exudes are different, but…
She confidently told me to fire away.
*Sigh*…
Ever since that fight with the Masked Person in the sewers, I've been focusing a bit more on Guard and Rush during training.
Looking at the fireball, I drew the sword I'd brought with me.
Usually, I’d borrow a sword from the Mansion for this, but I need to get used to this one.
Honestly, it's easier to channel Rush with it too.
“So, I’m doing this? It's different from before, are you really sure?”
“Yes. Don't worry.”
And so…
“Here it comes!”
*Whoomph.*
Still sounding worried, the Young Lady launched the fireball.
Watching it fly towards me, I gathered my Aura.
Not using Track or Fleet.
Just lightly using Guard to protect myself, then slamming Rush into my sword.
And then…
*Whoosh!*
As the fireball filled my vision…
I swung my Rush-infused sword at it.
And then…
*KABOOM!!*
The fireball exploded on the other side.
A perfectly clean magic reflection.
“Wow-!”
I sheathed my sword, hearing the Young Lady’s impressed gasp from the other side.
More importantly, I’m completely unscathed.
When I practiced this before, the borrowed swords would get all mangled after each deflection.
It really pays to use a good sword.
“Good boy, Dog!”
Then the Young Lady came running over, clapping, and patted my head.
“Let's go back!”
We left the completely wrecked training grounds.
…The servants will clean up the ruined training ground.
Judging by the way the faces of the excited servants who had come to watch stiffened, they're probably on clean-up duty.
Anyway…
Training's over, so I returned to the garden where my doghouse is.
The Young Lady, seemingly intent on playing with me all day, followed me all the way back to the doghouse.
“Hm? He’s wandering around?”
“Ah, yes, he’s starting to get more active now.”
Just then, I spotted Whitey, who was wandering around the garden, attracting the attention of all the maids.
“Hmm, he's not quite a baby anymore, is he?”
“He just opened his eyes recently.”
Intrigued by Whitey, she strode over to him and…
“Hee… He's cute.”
She said, carefully picking Whitey up.
“Where did you find him?”
“I found him in the mountains.”
“Hm? The Kain Mountains? Hmm…”
The Young Lady tilted her head, seemingly pondering why I was there.
“Are his parents dead?”
She then casually dismissed it and continued examining Whitey.
“Yes, they were dead when I found him.”
I answered, feeling a slight tension.
…Why am I feeling tense?
She’s just a carefree teenage girl.
“Hmm…”
It’s all because of those red eyes.
Usually, they just look like ordinary, jewel-like eyes, but sometimes they glow strangely.
“So you brought him home as a new family member?”
Like now, for example.
‘Oh no.’
It’s not the reflection of sunlight; it’s a strange, almost luminescent glow.
She looked at Whitey with those glowing eyes and then…
“Who said you could?”
She suddenly spoke in a chilling voice.
Everyone around froze at her glowing eyes and uncharacteristic tone.
Me, Whitey, the other servants and maids who had followed us.
She might look like a cute teenage girl on the outside…
But sometimes, when she’s like this, the Young Lady has an undeniable power that commands the room.
“Young Lady.”
But, when Lowell, seemingly unaffected by the situation, spoke…
“Haha! Just kidding!”
The Young Lady said that with a bright smile and put the now-trembling Whitey back down.
“Hmm, is he cold?”
She then took off her coat and draped it over Whitey. Nobody dared to speak.
That was genuinely chilling.
She seems even more unsettling than before.
…Is it because she’s learning magic?
No, that’s probably too simplistic.
Well, whatever the reason…
*Whimper… Whine…*
Seeing Whitey completely terrified of the Young Lady, the hierarchy seems to have been firmly established.
He’s so scared it’s hard to believe he's a Spiritual Being. I almost feel sorry for him.
I should give him some snacks later.