Chapter 26 - The Telema School Has Nothing But Holes! (2)

I was really about to leave, but they weren't to be underestimated. Before I could even speak, they offered me water, "Would you mind waiting for a moment?"

It was a calm yet charismatic tone.

If she had shown this demeanor from the start, I might have thought of her as “a young school head with firm convictions, despite being in decline”.

But unfortunately,

I had overheard her plea to the dark elf to somehow find an instructor qualification.

This school was ruined, and the remaining people were burning all official documents from the Union and pretending not to know anything.

This was not easy.

Suddenly, I felt like having a drink.

As if on cue, there was plenty of alcohol here.

"Would it be alright if I had alcohol instead of water?"

There was a lot over there.

As I glanced towards the bottles of alcohol proudly displayed in the showcase behind the bar counter, she mumbled in a small voice, avoiding my eyes, "...That's impossible."

"Well, if you're worried about me getting drunk..."

"I said it's impossible."

I'm quite good at holding my liquor, you know.

Is it because I'm not a school member yet?

I thought one drink would be fine, but they were being stingy.

Still, since Hecate was the owner here, it would be right to follow her decision if that was what she decided.

Apart from feeling disappointed, it could be the rule here.

"I apologize for the unreasonable request."

"Unreasonable? Ah, no! That's not it..."

She let out a deep sigh and then spoke clearly, correcting her previously slurred pronunciation, "It's water. There’s water in those bottles."

"They're decorations."

The dark elf's additional explanation from a distance confirmed that I had heard correctly.

"Pardon?"

So, those fancy liquor bottles in the showcase were just for show, and the contents were all water?

"I-I'm sorry."

"...It's fine."

The conversation that left nothing but hurt brought silence upon us.

I sipped the water while glancing at her, who looked dejected.

"W-well, should I introduce myself first? I'm Hecate. Hecate Clay. I'm the head of the Telema School!"

At first, she seemed to be forcing herself to speak, but gradually, her voice tone rose, and in the end, she confidently revealed that she was the school head.

As she put her hands on her hips and straightened her shoulders, a certain part of her body that was already eye-catching became even more prominent.

They're big.

It was an overwhelming size I had never seen before.

It seemed like important information about her being the school head came out in Hecate's words, but there was a certain mystic power that made it impossible to focus on her words.

"I'm Roman Sun. I recently got a temporary license, and I came for training after hearing there was a school for Devil Sorcerers."

"A Devil Sorcerer? Wow! It's been so long! To think a junior would come... Ah, no. You've come to the right place. Ahem, that's right. Our Telema School is indeed the cradle for raising excellent Devil Sorcerers as an orthodox Devil Sorcerer school."

Hecate's speech pattern was inconsistent.

It felt like she was trying hard to act like a relaxed and dependable school head, but it wasn't working well.

"Ah, found it."

At that moment, a short affirmative word came from the dark elf who was searching through a bookshelf packed with what looked like documents and various books.

Hecate, who had been anxiously stealing glances at the dark elf with an earnest expression, brightened up at those words.

"As expected of Mea! Wait, don't dust it off there..."

The dark elf, Mea, approached while dusting off what appeared to be the instructor qualification document.

Mea placed the qualification on the counter with a thud and sat down in the chair next to me, where she had been sitting originally.

"But Hecate."

"Yes?"

Mea asked Hecate, who was holding the qualification very carefully, "Couldn't we do it with school authority even without the qualification?"

"That won't work. When we become subject to re-approval, our authority gets partially restricted..."

Hecate's hand holding the qualification started to tremble.

Her head turned towards me, creaking like a rusty machine.

"Ah, no, that..."

"It's alright. I knew about it when I came."

"R-really? Phew. I thought... Huh? You knew and still came?"

"What a strange guy."

Is that something you two should be saying?

"I received a recommendation."

"Someone recommended us? Who?"

"Skyler Martin, the Director of the training center."

"...That guy."

They seemed to know each other.

That was how small to medium-sized organizations usually worked.

But it didn't seem to be an entirely good relationship, as Hecate's expression was quite ambiguous.

Hearing the Director's name, Hecate's somewhat floating atmosphere suddenly settled.

Along with it, her wavering speech and posture also found stability.

"Let me welcome you again. Welcome to the Telema School, the learning place for Devil Sorcerers."

"Yes, likewise."

"Since you said you knew everything, I'll tell you in advance. Our school's situation isn't good... Unlike other places, we'll have difficulty providing proper support. Is that still okay with you?"

Lack of support?

That's even better.

If there's nothing to receive, there's nothing to be bound by.

And, there's not much more I need to receive anyway.

Mages had three essential pieces of equipment.

Equipment that increased magic output, usually a staff.

Equipment that stored spells, usually a grimoire.

Equipment to defend oneself from attacks, usually armor.

I had all three of these.

The staff and armor were support items I received upon graduating from the training center, and I received a Blank Grimoire from the Director separately.

If I were to receive anything more, it would be consumables, but that was just a matter of spending some money.

It wasn’t like I was going on a major expedition down to the depths of the Abyss.

"It's just training, after all."

If I were joining the school, it might be different, but after training ends, we'll be strangers.

"Alright. You'll be conducting your training here with Mea."

"Hello."

Unlike Hecate, who showed all sorts of faces in a short time, the dark elf named Mea was consistent.

Surprisingly, that was her first greeting.

In response to her dry greeting, I returned an equally businesslike answer.

"I'll be in your care."

"Okay."

I thought she might say more, so I waited for her to continue, but Mea's lips showed no signs of opening again.

Are all dark elves like this?

The elves I knew, that was, ordinary elves and the newly added sample of a half-elf, weren't like this, I think.

Mea didn't exhibit the typical elven haughty attitude or the lack of self-esteem that half-elves possessed.

"Ah, hahaha. Let's talk about the training with Mea a bit later. By the way, did you find separate accommodation?"

"I used to stay at an inn in the suburb outside the city walls, but I'm thinking of moving soon."

"Then how about staying in our school building? We have plenty of rooms."

"Would that be alright?"

"We can't provide proper support, so shouldn't we at least do this much?"

Hecate added that providing meals might be difficult.

But that wasn’t what I meant.

"Are there any male members in the school?"

"Huh?"

After losing her words for a moment and sinking into thought, Hecate showed a sardonic smile for the first time and said, "Looks like we've been underestimated."

"It was understandable, Hecate."

Hecate revealed the face I saw when I first entered the building.

A face stained with pain but mixed with anger.

"Want to try if you can?"

It wasn't bravado.

Confidence stemming from sincerity, not just an act, supported Hecate's bold voice.

"If you want to find out firsthand what a Devil Sorcerer is like, that is."

A chilling aura arose.

Surprisingly, that power seemed like it wouldn't be inferior even compared to Seir's mana.

Either the rank of her Patron Devil wasn't inferior, or Hecate's skill as a mage was exceptional enough to more than makeup for any lack in rank.

As Hecate revealed her true self, the entire space seemed to become one giant prison.

I could intuitively sense it.

That my magic, Blink, wouldn't be able to manifest here.

A school was a mage's stronghold.

And the ruler who governed it was the pinnacle of the school, the school head.

Even if she seemed sloppy or amateurish, Hecate was the school head.

And until recently, of an officially recognized school at that.

My perception of the Telema School changed a little, no, greatly.

It had value.

As the Director recommended.

This place was perfect for improving one's skills as a Devil Sorcerer.

"That wasn't my intention, but..."

I summoned my mana to resist Hecate's increasing pressure.

Under the dim lighting, the magical light emanating from the friction between my and Hecate's mana grew brighter.

"I would very much like to see once. What a real Devil Sorcerer is like."

§

Tap. Tap.

Light footsteps were coming down the stairs.

Hecate, rubbing her slightly dazed forehead, asked, "Is everything tidied up?"

"All done. It was an empty room anyway."

After Roman left to pack his belongings, Mea prepared the room where he would stay.

Preparation merely involved dusting off a bit and furnishing the empty room with a few items.

"How is it?"

"Ah... it's fine. Yes. If he receives training, our performance evaluation will improve, and we'll get some support funds. We should be able to put out the urgent fire. You've worked hard, Mea. You're truly the pillar of our school! I really have no one but you~"

Hecate approached unsteadily, hugged Mea's small body, and rubbed her face against Mea while shaking her head.

Mea pushed Hecate's forehead away firmly and spoke again, "Not that."

"...I'm just a little dizzy."

"You?"

Hecate inherited the position of school head.

Not for any special reason, but literally through her blood relation with her father, the former school head.

However, that shouldn't be a reason to disregard Hecate's appointment as school head.

She was undoubtedly a Devil Sorcerer worthy of being the school head.

Among the Devils said to be as numerous as the stars in the sky, there are only a very few titled Devils.

Hecate's Patron Devil ranked among the upper echelons, even among them.

It was the mana that Hecate had raised within the school building, which was no different from a workshop.

Normally, the opponent should have no choice but to submit.

But just now, that wasn't the case.

"Mea."

"Yes."

"When you go to the Abyss, observe carefully. Find out what kind of Devil he's made a pact with and what price he's paying. My guess is... no, let's talk about this later."