Chapter 122. But What’s the Problem?
Before long, the long-awaited vacation arrived.
The academy students were thrilled beyond measure for the break they had been waiting and waiting for. Even the city of Hazen was stirred up in the fever, while Aster stood in front of the Warp Gate Administration.
It was to see off Demian and Chenbi, who were returning to the Blando family.
“Friend, won’t it be lonely being alone?”
“Not sure.”
“Vacation is long. You might get bored. Then, just contact me anytime. I’ll tell Lancy to come and bring you.”
“Yeah, I’ll just take the thought.”
Unlike Demian’s warm invitation, Aster’s reply was soulless. However, among the Blando family’s retainers present, no one made an issue of that attitude.
They merely…
— “Hehehe, Young Master Demian has become so dignified.”
— “The lord must return from his travels soon and see this sight…!”
They could only wipe away tears of emotion at Demian’s changed demeanor.
But for Aster, it was hell.
— “Friend, you know what? Vacation lasts about two months. Pretty long, right? Then, you might get bored. That could happen. So if you ever have nothing to do, definitely contact me. Anytime is fine.”
Morning greeting, once. Each recess, coming over to his desk, again. Lunch, dinner… no, whenever it crossed his mind, he’d bring it up.
The repertoire always ended with: vacation is long, being alone is boring, if you really have nothing to do then contact me, anytime is fine. Not quite an invitation, not quite coercion, not quite a suggestion… anyway.
‘A clingy monster.’
That was Demian.
“Hoo.”
Anyway, after some parting words with Demian and Chenbi, who were returning to the Blando family…
“Young Master Demian, Young Sir Chenbi. It’s time. Please enter.”
“Already?”
It was the curt servant Lancy announcing that the warp gate time had come, and Demian visibly showed disappointment.
For reference, Chenbi would also be staying with the Blando family this vacation. Lady Bianca had even invited Chenbi’s entire family to Blando.
“Friend, vacation is long! If you get bored, definitely! Contact me! I’ll tell Lancy in advance!”
“Aster, let’s meet after vacation. And, if you have time… please come visit. My parents say they want to see you too. You don’t have to feel pressured, only if you have time. Yes, if you have time. Don’t feel pressured.”
The two left their last words and walked into the Warp Gate Administration.
The Blando family’s retainers followed behind. Because Demian kept glancing back, Aster waved until the two were completely out of sight.
In a moment…
“…Gone?”
Gone.
‘Finally…’
On his colorless face bloomed a trace of color. His departed soul returned.
“…Vacation!”
Finally, vacation had begun.
But the joy was short-lived.
Beeeep! Beep-beep!
The smile on Aster’s face withered at the approach of Breakfast No. 1 flying from afar.
Beeeep! Beep!
“…Can’t I rest a little?”
Beep-beep! Beep!
Perching on his head like its own home, flapping its wings, Breakfast No. 1.
Aster let out a deep sigh at the bird’s angry gestures.
Thud!
Breakfast No. 1 thrust out its foot right before his eyes. Whether such a posture was even possible for a bird’s body aside, he had no desire to open the note tied to its ankle. But if he didn’t, the upperclassman principal backing Breakfast No. 1 would hardly stay still.
“Huuu…”
Rustle!
Though he knew well what would be written, he unfolded the note. As expected, the message was exactly what he thought.
It’s study time. Stop slacking and come to Lafiter.
In truth, Demian’s persistence wasn’t fatal to Aster’s soul. The real killer was the word ‘study’ written on the note.
But why suddenly study?
The cause went back a few days, right after he had obtained the Fragment of Heaven’s Reversal.
— “That’s… not magic.”
— “Then what is it?”
— “It is literally the ability of Heaven’s Reversal. Even though it’s Heaven’s Reversal… I never thought such a thing possible.”
The library director Teheman’s excited face. That much was fine. Whatever it was, he thought he had obtained something useful. But that was only for a moment. His swelling joy shattered in conversation with Teheman.
— “Seems to be an ability used not by logic and calculation, but by intuition. Is that right?”
— “Yes, for now it seems so…”
— “Then, there is much you must learn.”
— “…?”
It’s used by intuition, so why study?
He tilted his head, but Teheman only said, ‘Wait a moment,’ and soon rummaged all over Lafiter’s upper levels.
That was when Aster first realized Tthat the standard of “not much” differs for each person.
— “Here, study just this much first. The amount isn’t much. Less than you think.”
— “Thud!”
With surprising strength for an old man, he dropped the pile of books he had carried, and the ground trembled.
— “This… is little?”
— “Why, is it much?”
— “……”
A stack of books up to his eye level.
The titles were bizarre.
<Space and Magic>, <Space and Liquids, Solids, Gases…>, <The History of Ancient Magic and the Philosophy of Space in Various Cultures…>
Space and Magic, sure, but what? Space and solids and gases…? The history of magic and the perception of space…?
Even the titles alone were suffocating.
But the real problem came next.
— “Rest assured. This is only the basics.”
— “…”
He couldn’t help but ask.
— “Do I really… have to learn all this?”
— “Fools sometimes think intuition, or ‘insight,’ is an inborn talent, but it is not so at all. The richer the foundational knowledge, the richer the insight. Therefore, you must…”
Since he was to handle ‘space,’ he had to immerse himself in all philosophies and studies regarding space.
…So said Director Teheman for the defense.
“…Damn it.”
Thus sighed the defendant Aster.
Beep-beep-beep, beep-beep!
“…Fine. Let’s go, let’s go.”
Director Teheman, contrary to his appearance, was nothing if not persistent. The one day Aster skipped, the director immediately called the upperclassman principal.
Since then, Aster lived under the surveillance of Breakfast No. 1.
“To think I’m studying at this age…”
The lament of an academy first-year.
* * *
Upper levels of Lafiter.
The study sessions under Director Teheman only ended around midnight.
“Hoo… this really is killing me.”
I rubbed my dry eyes as I left Lafiter.
Though I had entered in broad daylight, it was already dark outside. The sun had long since yielded to the moon.
Truly exhausting days.
‘Have I ever studied like this before?’
Of course, I had.
When creating techniques like Collision Formula and such, involving mana operation, I had done even more. Once I grabbed a book, I would bury myself in it for days.
But was it as hard as now…? Hardly.
‘Now is harder.’
Several times harder.
Why? Probably because this was forced studying. That’s how people are. If it’s something you want to do, you can go for days. But if there’s no interest, even an hour is unbearable.
Still, did it produce no results…?
‘Not exactly.’
I glanced around to make sure no one was near, then conjured spheres of mana.
Sss, sss…
Three or four spheres lit up the air. They began to move.
Flash!
Without leaving a trace, the spheres shifted position, blinking where they stood. Soon after…
Babababababam…!
They switched places in midair, again and again.
“Indeed, it seems to work.”
On the first day I barely managed to move one. Now I could handle three or four. Even consecutive moves like just now.
A level I could never have imagined before. However…
‘…Still limited to mana spheres.’
A fireball conjured in the air fizzled out, for now, space movement was limited to mana spheres.
‘Compression doesn’t work either.’
It was frustrating, but not useless.
Space movement… Blink… was limited to mana spheres.
‘But that’s only when moving things other than myself.’
When targeting myself, the story was different.
Like now…
Zuuuuuung―!
With a strange sound, the scenery shifted. It wasn’t me moving, but space itself switching. Like a theater backdrop changing.
‘Now… even the destination setting works decently.’
On a whim, I set the coordinate to the academy woods.
The scenery changed in an instant. I stood among thick trees.
This too was a control impossible just days ago. When I first tried exiting spiral stairs, I mis-set the destination and bounced out.
If something was already at the destination, I got repelled. Once I did it twice in a row by mistake, really…
‘…Well, once you get used to it, it’s convenient.’
Anyway, seeing results like this, the studies with Teheman were useful despite my dislike.
According to the director… What did he say…?
— “Before learning ancient magic, this is foundational study. Using ‘insight’ is the same for ancient magic as well.”
Yes, he had called it the foundation for learning ancient magic.
Hearing that, I thought to myself. Good thing I was born in the modern age. If I had been born in ancient times, I would never have studied magic.
“Anyway…”
Tap!
After blinking out of the academy, I walked on.
I slipped into an alley, donned my mask from subspace, and cast a mild perception-interference spell.
Why the sudden disguise in the middle of the night? The reason was simple.
Crunch! Crack!
The pouch at my waist. Inside it, summoning orbs were breaking one by one.
One had shattered an hour ago, then another every ten minutes or so.
“What on earth is so urgent.”
Clicking my tongue, I headed toward Professor Parun’s estate.
Arriving at his office…
“This time you came quickly. A fortunate thing, for both you and me.”
“…?”
Professor Parun’s gaze was sharp. Not that it had been long since I last saw him. I had glimpsed him briefly during the vacation ceremony earlier.
But now, his gaze was sharper still.
“What now? What’s the matter?”
At my question, Parun rubbed his furrowed brow and spoke.
“Information just came in.”
“…Information?”
“Yes. Lorrel and Deculan have decided to trade.”
In other words, Lorrel had decided to sell the Infinite Chain to Deculan.
“And?”
“…Do you not grasp the seriousness? That means the Infinite Chain is about to fall into Deculan’s hands.”
“So what?”
I couldn’t see what was so serious.
“Has Deculan already received the Infinite Chain?”
“…No.”
“Are they trading today?”
“…No.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“…?”
Parun’s brow wrinkled again. I spoke.
“Why don’t we just rob them first?”
