After wrapping up matters in Baron Raymond Balzac’s territory and the Marquisate of Ludvecia to some extent,
– See you again soon~
I exchanged brief greetings with Marchioness Ludvecia and returned to the Academy.
Since she was expected to attend the Great Martial Tournament in the second semester as both an S-rank Grand Mage and a parent, she did not seem too concerned about this temporary farewell.
And then—
“Was the resort trip fun without me?”
As soon as we returned, we were met with an interrogation—though not exactly an interrogation.
“Even as a joke, that’s not something you should say, Instructor Kadisha.”
“Instructor Esta? Do I look like I’m joking right now?”
“…You do.”
“Yeah. It was a joke!”
We were greeted by Instructor Kadisha Allister, who had been guarding the Old School Building.
“Still, how could people who went on a long trip come back without bringing even a single gift?”
“Is a gift absolutely necessary?”
“Oh my, I was about to feel really disappointed, you know?”
“I brought some cakes and other things from the resort.”
Before coming back, I had prepared cakes and some other items specifically for Instructor Kadisha.
“Hmm, good. I really would have been disappointed if you hadn’t.”
“As if I would do that.”
It’s basic etiquette to bring something back for the person who stayed behind while others traveled.
Even in games, there are similar systems—if you leave someone behind in a location while moving elsewhere, failing to bring back a regional specialty during vacation can sometimes result in serious consequences.
Even if the system doesn’t explicitly state it, this is simply a fundamental courtesy between people.
“Oh, right, Instructor Kadisha. Here’s something else.”
“What is this? A recorded magic stone?”
“It’s a video magic stone containing the entire process of the S-rank monster, Gerrquan Wiperus, being taken down.”
“…Wow.”
If the gift is something that genuinely excites the recipient, even better.
“I did hear about it, and I wasn’t too worried… but still, I was concerned you might have gotten hurt. Come inside. But… where is everyone going as soon as they get back?”
“To the training hall.”
“The training hall?”
“Yes. Everyone is feeling competitive.”
I pointed with one hand at Instructor Esta and with the other at the three members of the special Class.
“During the remainder of the break, we plan to train by sparring against an S-rank opponent. Since the Great Martial Tournament is the top priority, after all.”
“I get that it’s important, but isn’t your training opponent a little too intense? You might as well be fighting an S-rank monster instead.”
Instructor Kadisha asked in a slightly concerned tone.
“If I were there, they could challenge in a four-person party, but right now, they just want to spar with Instructor Esta first.”
“Did something happen between you and the instructor during the trip?”
“Not at all. Let’s just say it’s the natural desire to surpass someone at a higher level.”
“Hmm. I see. Alright then….”
“Shall we go inside and talk? Instructor Esta, I leave the party in your care.”
“Understood.”
After entrusting the party to Instructor Esta, I immediately took Instructor Kadisha to her research room.
“So, what is it?”
“I was just wondering about the color of today’s panties.”
“Are you asking about mine or the one hanging over there?”
“If I said both?”
“Mine are deep purple today, and that one over there is still a radiant rainbow.”
Instructor Kadisha made a motion as if she were unbuttoning her shirt slightly in response to my question.
“So, you’re saying they match?”
“That’s just basic etiquette for an adult. Haha, were you worried?”
“Worried that they wouldn’t match?”
“No. You rascal.”
Instructor Kadisha pulled out a pair of panties stored in what looked like an acrylic case.
“What would you have done if something inside this case reacted while you were traveling?”
“Even if I was in the middle of taking down Gerrquan Wiperus, I would have immediately flown back to handle it.”
“Well… that makes sense. Angels are more unpredictable than S-rank monsters.”
A pair of angel-infused panties.
Currently, they were emitting a subtle RGB-colored glow, and light seeped out of the acrylic case.
“The mana readings are still stable. The ‘inherent mana’ isn’t leaking out strongly enough to break the barrier.”
Instructor Kadisha handed me a graph and waveform data she had drawn on paper.
“The ‘angelic power’ you mentioned is still inside the panties. That means there really is an angel sealed within them.”
Among the various waveforms reflecting seven colors of mana, Instructor Kadisha pointed at several empty spaces.
Then, by overlaying another piece of paper with a matching pattern, a complete image appeared.
“Isn’t it absolutely horrifying?”
“Anyone who steals someone’s flesh and even their clothes just to take control is bound to be like that.”
The image on the paper resembled a chaotic jungle of tangled black lines.
Rather than evoking the soft curls of an angel’s hair, it exuded a rough and unsettling aura, as if it were a conspiracy someone had woven together.
The true form of angelic power.
A wavelength that did not harmonize with the seven colors, yet parasitically lodged itself into the gaps of that mana, like an invasive parasite.
“If I were to publish this as a researcher, I’d be burned at the stake, wouldn’t I?”
“The Church of the Goddess followers in the Academy would immediately come running to put you on trial. ‘How dare you portray the angels—apostles of the Goddess—as such grotesque scribbles!’ they’d say.”
“Yeah, I suppose so. Honestly, if someone had shown me this six months ago, I never would have believed it. I used to attend church on weekends as a child, listening to sermons and all.”
If one were to ask whether Instructor Kadisha was a believer in the Church of the Goddess, the answer would be no.
It was simply that the Church of the Goddess, in its efforts to spread its teachings as widely as possible, had established Sunday schools where children under thirteen were required to attend at least once a week to learn.
People who grew up receiving such teachings from childhood—how could they possibly believe that the angels, whose depictions they had seen in religious illustrations, were in reality some kind of magical parasite, akin to a Gordian worm?
Unless, of course, they had seen the research materials with their own eyes.
“Still, don’t worry. I have no intention of showing this to just anyone, and at the same time, I have no plans of letting it wander freely outside.”
Instructor Kadisha chuckled as she lightly tapped the barrier where the angel-infused panties were sealed.
“Miss Yunia’s non-attribute magic barrier is still holding strong.”
“That’s actually something I wanted to discuss with you.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“This.”
I lightly tapped the cake box I had brought for Instructor Kadisha.
“Bringing just a regular gift seemed too ordinary, so I did something special with mana manipulation.”
“You modified a cake? Did you turn it into mana bread?”
“It’s far more valuable than mana bread, I’d say.”
I carefully removed the cake from the box and lifted the plate underneath it.
Click.
“?”
The plate slightly lifted.
With a small mechanical sound, the plate beneath the cake slid away, revealing a brilliant crystal-like object.
“…What is this?”
“Something sealed by a [Sage] 500 years ago.”
I briefly explained about the sealed dungeon beneath Baron Balzac’s territory.
“…And you didn’t call me for something like that?”
“Even Yurha Silverstar went in there and came out wrecked. What do you think would have happened to you, Instructor?”
“Hmm… I probably would have been screaming my head off. Might have even… wet myself.”
“Is it really okay for a full-grown adult to be saying things like that?”
“Would you prefer I said I ‘went to heaven’ instead? But more importantly—Ah, no. You shouldn’t touch this carelessly.”
Instructor Kadisha swiftly put on white gloves and picked up the magic stone plate, polished as cleanly as a cake dish.
“Let’s see here.”
She then put on a monocle—not just any ordinary one, but a specialized lens for observing mana patterns.
‘Huh.’
That monocle wasn’t just a fashion accessory.
It was an artifact that revealed magical patterns, and so I subtly shifted my position to the side.
‘That item isn’t supposed to appear until the second year…’
I never expected to see it this soon—
“…What are you?”
“…”
As expected.
“Why can I see your entire body’s mana pattern?”
Instructor Kadisha’s voice grew rigid. I simply pressed a finger to my lips and grinned.
“Because I’m a human entirely made of mana?”
“…”
“If you want to know more, you’ll have to fully take my hand. Just like those researchers who sell their souls to uncover the truth of the world, even if it means falling into Hell.”
“…I do enjoy figuring things out myself, as a researcher.”
Instructor Kadisha scanned me up and down before pressing the magic stone plate against the sealed angel-infused panties.
“But honestly, it looks like demons are the better choice compared to angels. Or is it just me?”
“In what sense?”
“These so-called angels—this disgusting, tangled mess of filth… Meanwhile, demons, strangely enough, have a mana pattern that feels pure, almost like the origin of mana itself.”
“Well, if you completely trust the artifact you developed, then I suppose that’s what it means.”
I split the magic stone plate in half, slid the sealed angel-infused panties inside, and pressed them back together, sealing them completely.
“You don’t have to worry about this anymore. It’s now perfectly sealed—there’s no chance of the angel escaping.”
“…”
“This is research material brought by a student. Would you like to analyze it, Instructor?”
“A student delivering research materials to an instructor, huh?”
Instructor Kadisha laughed as she picked up the sealed magic stone plate.
“Seriously… you’re the real demon here.”
