Chapter 5 – Buried Past (1)

“Oh my… “It’s been a while since I used magic, so my stomach hurts.”

After the noisy lunch hour again today, I started cleaning.
After organizing the potions neatly, I took out a broom from the basement and pushed away the dirt and dust that had accumulated on the floor.
It was the only cafeteria in the academy, but except for a few busy peak times, there were only a few students who came here from time to time, so I was able to enjoy a fairly quiet atmosphere.
As I was spending such a peaceful time in the warm afternoon sunlight, I felt like I had made a good decision to come to Parencia.
If there is someone who tries to break this peace, then I will personally break the earthen pot.

“I’m here!! “Give me bread!!”

But it came. Even today.
I sighed and looked at Adela, who was jumping up and down with her muddy feet, soiling the floor she had cleaned a little while ago.
With a power roughly five times that of Baron Reeve, she had an outstanding talent for not only stealing bread but also creating a huge mess around her.

She was very refreshed after Ansen, who had been harassing her until recently, was taken to her temple, and her face was full of smiles.
At first, I thought they were just offering bread because they were dating.
What was it? That… Like picking flowers blooming on a cliff.
I thought it was too easy to just buy it and take it with me, so I thought I was stealing from my challenging mind. But it seems it was just a bread shuttle.

In fact, after the incident, the bright and cheerful atmosphere seemed to have influenced those around her, and the first graders’ evaluation of Count Rochear’s second daughter was not bad at all.

He’s a little lacking, but he’s a good friend.

In some ways, the academy is a jungle-like competitive society.
A nobleman from a high-ranking family who was kind and pretty but had no talent for magic was the number one likable person that other students should get along with.

“It’s there, so take your pick.”
“Hey, please give me the one that just came out, not the one I made yesterday! “There’s money here too!”

However, from this point of view, it was very annoying.
Adela must have thought that I had helped her, so whenever she had free time between lectures, she rushed all the way from the distant first-year classroom to here to kill time.
Since she already had two criminal convictions, I was always on edge, fearing that if I turned my attention to her, she might steal something else this time.

“Jean Valjean.”
“…”
“Hey, Valjean.”
“I’m not Valjean, am I? “Is this Adele?”
“Don’t you have anything to do? “Aren’t you doing homework or something?”
“Oh, can you please watch my studies?”
“…”
“If you really don’t mind, can I ask you a favor!? “I’ve never seen such amazing magic in my life!”

The more I tried to take it off, the more I felt like I was being pulled into it.
However, Adela’s help also contributed to the fact that the duel with Ansen was buried rather than reported to the student council.
Regarding the situation at that time, he testified that he choked and collapsed while eating bread with dirt on it.

“Don’t help me. Go away.”

Of course, I had no intention of wasting time with Adela, whose future was as bright as the sun I had blocked.
Her talent for magic was on par with that of Hel Zeb’s giant ant nest. It means bottom.
She heard that she gave up her hand halfway on Rosh Arga ——

No, it would be fortunate if it were to that extent.

Is it an idea that would come from a normal person to ask for a problem to be solved after seeing a 6th level sky magic, a unique magic that was hitherto unknown to the kingdom?
If you truly think that way, Adela must be a truly scary person.

“Hey, don’t do that, just tell me~. I’ll call you teacher. Mr. Lewis~”

I felt truly fortunate that the only witness present at the scene, and no one else, was this crazy wizard.

***

The Ministry of Magic’s required major class for second year students—’Practical Operation of Dark Magic’—was a very notorious subject that caused the most students to repeat the grade.
Although the Kingdom of Penheim did not maintain a very good relationship with the Holy Kingdom, it was not friendly to black magic.
However, because it is a representative form of magic that must be learned by those who pursue magic, it was included in the academy’s curriculum.

The problem was that even though it was intended to teach only the very basics, black magic inevitably required a certain amount of karma.
In the end, all the wizards in the classroom studied hard to make up for their lack of practical scores.
In order to pass Professor Glatos’ difficult exam, I had to invest more time than other subjects.

However, the state of Liv, who always did not miss the chief, was a little strange.
She was under her desk fiddling with something in her hand even as everyone else was taking notes.

“Liv, what’s wrong with you today? “I feel like I can’t really concentrate.”

Despite her friend Karen’s concerns, she just quietly shook her head.

“Nothing.”

Liv was distraught.
The reason was the blackened Litweis test paper that I had recently purchased at a store.
Was there a mistake during the manufacturing process?
However, no matter how much I remember, the paper that Lewis, the owner of the store, first handed over was white.
Moreover, since no one had touched it since it was put in the bag, it was clear whose karma the color of the test paper turned pitch black represented.

Liv bit her lip. With her brilliant mind, she already knew the meaning of the colors.

‘If it is according to what is written in the book…’

According to the doctrine of the Temple of Light, the official religion of the Holy Kingdom Monarch, humans are not born with karma from the beginning.
No matter how evil a warlock is, it is impossible to use magic with only karma and no mana.
That is why, in basic magic studies, it is said that the more karma there is, the more red the test paper becomes.
The black Litweis test paper refers to an unclean being who is not born with even a handful of mana, a blessing given by the God of Light.

‘Demons.’

There must be a mistake somewhere.
And the way to prove that mistake was very simple.
All you have to do is take a peek at the memories contained in the test paper. However, Liv was not able to make that decision easily.

“Ha…”

She sighed deeply. After thinking for a moment, she asked Karen in the empty classroom after her class ended.

“Karen.”
“Huh?”
“By any chance, Mr. Lewis. What do you think about it?”
“Who is that person?”

Ah. You don’t even know my name?

“There’s a store owner.”
“Oh~. “A guy who occasionally glances at his chest with a face that seems like he’s lived the rest of the world?”

A fairly harsh evaluation came back. I don’t think it goes to that extent.

“You don’t look like an old man… Well, twenty… “I said eight.”
“Hey, Liv. Women from aristocratic families like us become debutantes in society, and if they don’t get married within a year, they become spinsters. If a man is good at it, will he be about two years older than that? “If I’m not going to go to a monastery and live without a girlfriend when I turn 25, what else can I do?”
“Hey, I didn’t say you were a noble!”
“Oh my, then it’s even more fucked up. “If you were a commoner, you would have seven kids of that age.”
“Still…”

Karen’s mouth slowly opened at the sight of Liv, who somehow seemed to keep defending the owner of her stall.
She had watched her by her side ever since she entered the Academy, and she knew how many salons Libre Brava, who had nothing for her noble family, had been invited to many salons.
Even the strict professors, who were proud of being a wizard, constantly urged Liv to join the magic tower that was closest to them after graduation.
But the person of the opposite sex who broke that indifferent expression and showed interest for the first time was the grumpy canteen owner?
It was something that could never, ever be said.

“Live! Are you crazy!?”
“Why, what’s wrong?”

Sigh!
When Liv grabbed her delicate shoulder, her body trembled like a wary cat.
She didn’t like physical contact, no matter how close we were. But even though she knew that, Karen did not stop and continued shooting.

“Even if you are a fallen noble with no fiefdom or vassals, you are hardly the owner of a canteen! To put it bluntly, what’s the difference between that and the guard over there? No, they’d rather just be in good shape, right? Louis? “That guy isn’t like that.”

Liv asked her what she thought of Louis, but she couldn’t think of anything to say about it.
Because no one would judge a person who sees their face for about 10 seconds a day, such as a janitor passing by on the street or a servant who makes your bed, as good or bad.

Of course, there were suspicious rumors floating around everywhere.

As a long-standing tradition at Parencia Academy, there is a detailed story about the cafeteria written in the thick textbook that all students separate and collect as soon as they receive it.

The chairman of the board of directors from Merak Matap, which collapsed during repair work a few years ago, strangely takes a low-key stance toward the owner of the store.

It is said that the aerial map of the telegraph line taken from the Lighthouse of Horus had a black hole in the middle of the Academy, which was not filled in.

However, these were all just rumors with unclear sources.

On the contrary, the suspicious scandal about him further spurred the decision to stop such a cute and precious friend.

“Do you know anything about him? Do you know what he did in the past and why he joined the academy?”
“No…”
“Right? You don’t know anything! It would be just about that level. It seems like he has no home and is sleeping on the second floor of a cafeteria, but he must be living with everything dirty. Or maybe you have a lover outside the city.”
“Lover!?”
“It could be that way. “Your hair must be like dog hair and it must smell!?”
“Well, is it that much?”
“I don’t know because I haven’t been in charge of it! Anyway… Embrace your love while looking at the other person, Liv. Of course, you may think that your current situation is insignificant, but even if you rot, you are still a baron. “In my opinion, it’s too much of a waste to hang out with the cafeteria guy.”
“…”
“Okay, I’ll lend you the note I wrote today, so don’t ever bring up that person again!”

How did I hear something like this——

Liv muttered as she watched Karen leave in a huff.
I just wanted to hear his evaluation, but when I came to my senses, all that came back was nagging.

But one thing is certain. Lewis didn’t look like a demon at all.
Although I hadn’t had any special contacts since entering the academy last year, I clearly remembered the smile and small kindness he showed me every time.

So why did this reaction come from him, an ordinary store owner?
Liv didn’t have the courage to check the truth on his immediate test.

‘Okay, let’s go and ask in person first.’

It would be better that way. It’s definitely a small misunderstanding.
As Karen said, what she knows about Lewis is really clueless.
It was no exaggeration to say that I did not know everything except my name and gender.

‘But what if…’ …’

If he really was a demon——

Kuuk.

Liv held his magic wand, a small staff about the size of his forearm, resting on his lap as if it were about to break.
The only thing left behind by my now deceased father.
I just hoped I wouldn’t have to use this.