Chapter 006: How Many Children Would Be Nice?
I set the bracelet back down on the priest's palm.
"You didn't say anything about the size. So I made it large for now."
Sseu—
The dust filling the monastery began to clear.
Thanks to that, the cracked tile floor became clearly visible.
The hidden space beneath the floor revealed itself as well.
Hwiiing—
The wind carried the dust down through the tile floor below.
A basement.
A basement packed full of bookshelves.
"There's an underground archive."
"...Pardon?"
The priest still seemed to be in shock—his responses were a beat behind.
"The basement. It looked like books were stacked in there."
"Ah... yes... that's correct."
He didn't turn his head toward me.
He only peered up close at the cross pillar I had made.
Then he stretched his hand out a little to try touching it—
Pajik!
The moment his hand drew near, the radiant cross pillar discharged a flash of light as if in warning.
"Such high-purity divine energy... just what are you...."
"I'll take that as a pass on the examination."
I ignored the priest's words and dropped down through the gap that had opened in the floor.
Walking through the dim underground archive, the priest followed awkwardly, squeezing himself through the gap behind me.
"Might you perhaps be someone from the Order's Central Authority?"
What is he on about.
He's jumping to his own conclusions.
"Even if I were a Central Authority Inspector, I wouldn't be able to confirm it for you."
"Ah, that... is true."
I withdrew the gaze I had briefly rested on the priest and surveyed the books on the shelves.
Annotated editions of scriptures arranged by era caught my eye first—but that wasn't the kind of useless thing I was looking for.
The spell tome given to clergy who pass the examination.
A spell tome from which even a beginner can easily learn healing magic.
I looked around the shelves and did find a spell tome—but.
"This one won't do."
It was a textbook from over 20 years ago, so I gave up and set it back. Since revised editions seemed to come out steadily, a newer textbook would be better.
I continued scanning the underground archive.
However, the more freely I rummaged around, the more hurried the footsteps of the priest trailing behind me became.
"Shall I just... find it for you?"
"A moment ago you said you couldn't give it to me."
"It seemed like you were going to make a mess of the archive until I found one for you anyway... I mean. You're doing this on purpose, aren't you."
I hadn't expected to come across as that much of a reckless troublemaker... but if he was offering to cooperate, there was no need to refuse.
"In that case, I'll leave it to you."
The priest nodded as if he had been waiting for that, then snapped his fingers.
Ttaak!
A magic that creates light.
The light the priest made flew around between the shelves this way and that.
Soon, the light stopped in front of the books lined up on the highest shelf.
About 20 books with identical covers.
It was a textbook titled <Healing Magic Introductory Spell Tome 1.0>.
What a name—sounds like a tutoring center textbook.
"This is the textbook given to apprentice clergy who pass the examination. It's this year's revised edition, so a characteristic of it is that it's written to be easy to understand."
"You sound like a book peddler."
"...In any case, this is the spell tome we use."
I received the book the priest held out with 1 hand.
Palang—
I lightly flipped through the pages.
Just as the priest said, simplified magic diagrams and terminology caught my eye.
Being a basic spell tome, it seemed like Esther—who already had magical knowledge—would pick it up in no time.
I closed the book and gave a small smile.
***
006
Academy class time.
Esther sat blankly, chin in hand, staring out the window.
Lately, Esther had been unable to focus in class.
You don't need to control it. You're already perfect.
It had started from that moment.
Even if she couldn't control her magical energy—if she only learned healing magic, she could become a fine mage.
She could even become more superior than other mages.
Having heard those words not long ago, it was perhaps only natural that the regular classes weren't reaching her ears.
Hyaa....
The reason her grades were at the bottom was not a lack of talent.
Born into a mage family, she had been honing magic since childhood.
She grasped the academy's lessons with ease, and when it came to theory, she even surpassed the other students.
The problem was practical application.
The academy's Magic Division didn't want a student who studied well—it wanted a superior mage.
Under the academy's principle of replacing examinations with practical tests, she simply could not earn favorable evaluations.
Just as at the entrance exam, she did not give her full effort.
In the past, the trauma of having set her hometown village on fire had imprisoned her.
If she failed to control her magical energy again, she might injure someone.
Esther always kept her hand on the brake.
She had enrolled in the academy to find an answer to fix her condition—but had still not found a breakthrough.
The 1st semester of 1st year, with her confidence only eroding.
A bleak period of consecutive days in which the man she liked refused to even treat her as a person.
To a girl like her, Daywin had become a source of hope.
Healing magic has no side effects even if magical energy overflows.
Give up on all other magic and learn healing magic.
The approach was different, but it was an answer.
I'd like to try learning healing magic myself, but....
Esther knew as well.
Sacred magic was original to the Order—a subject not in the academy's curriculum.
If she enrolled in the Order and followed the clergy path, she could learn healing magic—but the price was 2 years of her time.
And even after those 2 years ended, a final examination awaited.
As an alternative, she considered obtaining a spell tome on the black market or receiving lessons from a corrupt clergyman—but.
No matter how desperate I am, I can't break the law....
It was too reckless after all.
It was no different from the acts of a dark mage.
Esther imagined herself saving people with healing magic.
The image of herself in that vision still felt hazy.
I suppose I'll have no choice but to try after graduating from the academy. It would be a waste to give up when I've only just enrolled... and if I leave the academy, Raword would also... hm?
Raword.
That name shifted her train of thought.
Come to think of it, Raword was trying to become a holy knight....
A holy knight.
The reason Raword strove every day.
And at the same time, the reason Raword despised Esther.
He might know something about sacred magic.
Esther resented the Order and the goddess that had stolen Raword's heart—but looking at it from a different angle, a brilliant scheme came to her.
She had been in a semi-forced period of rest after the lunch box operation's failure—but this time, success was clearly within reach.
Esther covered her delicate face with her hands and laughed lightly.
She had a good feeling.
If 10 strikes don't bring it down, she'd strike 11 times.
Was there anyone more attractive than someone of the opposite sex who shared the same interests?
***
"...What? What did you say?"
Break time.
The 1st-year building corridor.
Esther asked back with wide eyes.
"I said I obtained a spell tome for you to use."
Daywin held up the spell tome so the title was clearly visible.
<Healing Magic Introductory Spell Tome 1.0>.
"This is...."
Esther's trembling pupils scanned the book cover from top to bottom.
"Isn't this... the textbook the Order uses?"
When Esther asked, lowering her volume, Daywin nodded.
"That's right—I obtained it myself, so there's no mistake. And I think I said this a moment ago as well."
"Something this precious... is it really all right for someone like me to receive it?"
At Esther's question, Daywin's eyebrow twitched.
She's still like this.
He had thought she would be fine with time—but the Esther he had seen in the game had still not returned.
Esther, overflowing with confidence and bold—yet in truth, delicate and easily embarrassed.
That Esther had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only a fragile girl.
"On the contrary—if you don't accept it, things won't be all right. Well, at least it's reassuring that you know something is precious."
"When you say you worked hard to obtain it...."
She suddenly recalled the thought she'd had a moment ago.
The only ways to obtain a spell tome without becoming a clergyman were to visit the black market or hand a bribe to a corrupt clergyman.
"Perhaps."
Esther looked up at Daywin with a suspicious gaze.
"Might I ask... how you obtained it?"
"Mm."
Daywin paused for a moment.
Telling her about causing a ruckus at the monastery... might be a bit much.
He couldn't afford to throw away the image he'd built.
Daywin mulled over his answer in various ways—and ultimately decided to simply stay silent.
Speech is silver, silence is golden.
Besides, it's troublesome to make something up.
After brief deliberation, Daywin opened his mouth.
"I can't tell you that."
In an instant, Esther's expression went blank, as if she had been struck.
As I suspected—he obtained it through... inappropriate means...!
Suspicion became certainty.
At the thought of being implicated in a crime, her heart began to pound in a wild rhythm.
A spell tome obtained through underground channels... is it all right for me to use? Is there n-no problem?
Esther imagined herself being dragged before the Order's inquisitors and locked behind iron bars.
That image alone was vividly clear.
What frightened her most of all was Daywin's completely unbothered face.
Daywin had broken the Order's law, and yet—his expression, his manner of speaking, his complexion—none of it had changed in the slightest.
He was calm, as if nothing had happened.
As if things like this were familiar to him.
...He's a frightening person.
She had thought so from first impressions.
Probably because of his red eyes.
And probably because of his sharp gaze and the corner of his mouth curved like a fox's.
Their first meeting. She had found herself unconsciously holding her breath until Daywin opened his mouth.
And yet Daywin, unlike other nobles, had approached with a gentle tone of voice—smiled easily—and knew how to say considerate things.
She had thought he was a kinder person than he appeared—but.
He really was... a frightening person.
"Esther? Why aren't you saying anything?"
"What? Ah, I'm sorry."
Esther gave a startled lift of her head.
"Is it... you did this for my sake, didn't you, Patron...? That's not normally... like you, is it?"
"I'm not sure what you mean—but this isn't the time to be fastidious about methods. I want you to grow quickly."
"Methods...."
Daywin gripped Esther's wrist, leaving her to mumble blankly.
"Hi—hieek!"
She had been thinking he was frightening in the first place, so the sudden contact of skin startled her badly.
That lasted only a moment.
Tuk—
"Don't be scared. You'll do fine."
When she came to her senses, the spell tome had been pressed into her hand.
The feel of the thick book cover brought her thoughts to a stop.
Esther froze on the spot with an expression devoid of soul.
T—touched. From this moment forward I'm an accomplice and will end up in prison after all....
She tried to hurriedly return the spell tome—but he had already turned and walked away.
As if to say he wouldn't hear another word, he left of his own accord.
"I accepted it...."
After Daywin disappeared from sight.
Esther, left standing alone in the corridor, looked down at the spell tome.
"......."
She still didn't know what kind of person Daywin was.
If anything, this had made him even more unknowable.
Even so—had there ever been someone who said they would stop at nothing for her sake?
How long had it been since she had last heard the word I believe in you?
Would someone like that appear again?
Daywin was still full of mysteries and frightening—but his intent to help Esther seemed unchanged.
Even if it turned out not to be true, he was someone she wanted to believe it of.
"Ah."
She also realized something.
......She no longer had a reason to talk to Raword.