#25. Freedom

I opened my eyes.

An unfamiliar ceiling.

Had I lost consciousness?

I furrowed my brow, recalling the last thing I remembered.

“That crazy b*stard…”

He fired an anti-gravity bullet without even securing a safe distance.

It was a miracle I was still alive.

I hastily tried to sit up. But the pain assaulting my entire body forced me back down.

Now that I looked, bandages were wrapped tightly around my body. Judging by the dampness, someone had even splashed me with a recovery potion.

…Hopefully, I haven’t gotten infected? Should get an antibiotic shot.

No, more importantly.

“Where am I?”

Where on earth was this place?

“My lab.”

A reply echoed to my muttering.

A familiar voice. Shifting my gaze, a woman with crimson eyes was staring intently at me.

Ah, right.

This was Professor Cecil’s lab.

Achievement unlocked!

Successfully visited the labs of all my professors!

At this point, there must be something to it. Being so stubbornly intertwined with laboratories—there had to be.

I sighed and opened my mouth.

“…Is my grade fixed at C+?”

It was ridiculous to be asking about my grade the moment I woke up, but it was the only thing that came to mind.

“I don’t change grades easily.”

“I see.”

Even though I’d blown my chance at an A+ because of attendance, messing up the final exam still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Let me ask you something.”

“Ah, there’s something I wanted to ask too.”

“Oh? You go first.”

“Is your way of speaking… different outside of lectures?”

I remember it clearly.

Professor Cecil’s lecture style wasn’t like this.

“…I speak like that when there are many people. It’s like a habit. I was a vice-commander of the Order, you see.”

That made sense.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Professor Cecil posed his question.

“Why are you so desperate for good grades?”

It was an odd question.

Is it wrong for an Academy student to want good marks?

“It’s good to get high scores, isn’t it?”

A moment of silence stretched out.

What is it? That look in his eyes?

“I see….”

Professor Cecil’s drawn-out words and expression were as if he’d seen something strange.

No, am *I* strange?

“I’ve done the basic treatment. I can’t do anything about the torn muscles, so see the infirmary later.”

“Understood.”

“Oh, right, your grade is A+, so you know.”

“Pardon?”

“Attendance is all taken care of as well. I heard about it from Professor Felliana, so don’t worry.”

I was momentarily stunned.

Everything’s fine?

For a moment, Professor Cecil’s face seemed to radiate light.

Professor.

I, I’ll forget everything.

Thank you!

“What, why aren’t you leaving?”

There was just one problem.

“Well, you see…”

“Why?”

“I, I can’t move my body.”

It hurts too much.

Unable to return on my own, I ended up being carried to the infirmary on Professor Cecil’s back.

*

Meriel Gardner was anxious.

The reason, needless to say, was Rain Ortiz.

She was someone who wanted to pull Rain into the field of Magical Studies.

But still.

“Not even a chance to meet for a whole month, isn’t that a bit much?!”

Suddenly, Rain had vanished.

A month’s absence utterly shattered Meriel’s plans.

“I was going to spark his interest in magic…”

The plan she’d meticulously crafted around the midterm exams, a so-called ‘offer he couldn’t refuse.’

The promise of top marks, assistance with doctoral studies, and the allure of all sorts of fascinating spells… my whole scheme…!

“aaagh…”

*Thump.*

Meriel collapsed onto her lab desk.

Seriously, shouldn’t all guys in their twenties be crazy about magic?

Wanting to conjure lightning from the sky, or something.

Wanting to fly freely through the air!!

But why is *he* fiddling with machines, of all things?

*Bang!*

This time, she slammed her fist down on the desk with force.

“Owww…”

That hurt.

She heard her assistant snicker, having been watching her.

For a moment, she considered dumping all the exam grading on him, but decided against it.

She *had* made a spectacle of herself, after all.

“…”

Maybe a walk would do some good.

Ignoring the mountain of paperwork piled up on the right side of her desk, Meriel stepped outside.

The air, now slightly warmer, greeted her.

Summer soon, huh? Rather bad news for someone who disliked the heat as much as she did.

Strolling along, she saw a variety of students.

Some studying diligently for exams in the library.

Others just goofing off, exams be damned.

And then… Rain Ortiz being carried on someone’s back.

“Huh?”

Rain Ortiz?

Meriel’s eyes darted over.

Rain, draped with bandages, was being carried somewhere by Professor Cecil. The sight of it was unnerving.

Was he hurt?

No.

Before that.

He’s somehow connected with Professor Cecil, too?

…and he’s in the Engineering Faculty?

A creeping anxiety began to consume her.

Perhaps Lane even possesses the talent of a knight?

If he finds joy in wielding a sword?

“Ah, no way!”

The goal of making Lane my assistant is already abandoned. He’s not someone who would be *my* assistant.

But drawing him into the magical world is different. If Lane were to lend his strength to the magical academy, we could achieve tremendous advancements.

This isn’t just conjecture or wishful thinking.

It’s a certainty.

Meriel immediately followed after the two.

“Wait, how are they so fast?!”

And she lost them.

Professor Cecil, small as she is, is incredibly swift.

Is it even possible to run that fast with someone on your back? Honestly, knights…

“…”

Should I try that, one more time?

Meriel began calculating a spatial leap spell.

“Damn it.”

Failed.

Without knowing the destination, she can’t pursue them.

Does she have to give up like this?

“…I can’t.”

She needs to know why the two of them are like this.

Even if knowing won’t change anything, knowing is better than not knowing – adhering to her personal philosophy.

Calculation, flight magic.

Calculation, telescopic magic.

Professor Meriel soared into the sky, scrutinizing the academy from top to bottom.

“Found them.”

Professor Cecil has sharp ears. Getting too close would be risky.

Calculation, eavesdropping magic.

Setting, infirmary.

“Ah, I hear them.”

《 Are you leaving now? 》

《 Thank you for bringing me. 》

So Lane *was* injured.

《 No one but you could get this injured on the final exams. 》

《 Is that a compliment? 》

Final exams?

Ah, right.

Today was the knight department’s exam.

“…”

Was this all an overreaction?

Was Professor Cecil merely tending to an injured Lane? Was there nothing to fear of losing in the first place?

Come to think of it, Lane loathed anything physically demanding.

The entire premise of the worry was unfounded.

“What’s gotten into me these days…”

I wasn’t like this before.

I feel impatient, different.

Snooping on other people’s conversations – such a shady thing to do. I’ve become a proper beast.

Professor Meriel scratched her head roughly and moved to dispel the magic.

《Take good care of yourself… Ah, right.》

《Is there something more?》

In that instant.

《What are your plans after the semester break?》

《I’m scheduled to conduct research with Professor Rachel for a month.》

Meriel gleaned a piece of information.

《And then I have to visit my family home.》

A new plan began to form.

“Student Lane, you seemed very fond of your father…”

A home visit.

This time, the target was Baron Ortiz.

Meriel grinned darkly and returned to her laboratory.

*

What was that?

Why the sudden chill?

Is a window open or something…?

In the infirmary, one could receive proper treatment.

What Professor Cecil had done was truly ‘basic’ first aid. The kind used in emergency wartime situations…

“Professor Cecil has a slightly rough edge, doesn’t she?”

The priest stationed at the infirmary, Jip, commented.

“But she has a kind heart, she must have been quite shocked when Student Lane was injured.”

“Excuse me?”

I recalled the memory of the final exam.

I don’t think so.

“Most of the students who come here are beaten by Professor Cecil.”

Even less likely.

“Considering she always escorts you back, she must care for you in her own way, wouldn’t you say?”

I bit back what I wanted to say.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

Busted, alright.

“Frankly speaking, that’s correct.”

I don’t particularly harbor any ill will towards Professor Cecil, though.

Originally, there wasn’t, but A+ helped smooth things over.

Not that I’ve suddenly developed any fondness for Professor Cecil, mind you.

I still have my issues with her teaching style.

“Professor Cecil’s just… clumsy, is all.”

Ji-P’s gaze turned somewhat wistful.

“The way she treats students roughly… it’s probably the only teaching method she knows.”

“Is that so.”

“Professor Cecil was a former knight, yes, but before that, she was just a soldier, you see.”

That was a bit unexpected.

A soldier, huh…

So, that’s why she drills the students like that?

It did clear up some of my questions, at least.

“Thank you for the story.”

“Ah, have I kept you too long? You can go now.”

I rose to my feet.

Truly a healing magic, it seems. It banished my fatigue and made me feel light as a feather.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Farewell~ Try not to come back. See you next semester.”

Ah.

Come to think of it, the semester’s almost over.

I exited the infirmary.

Gazing at the evening glow painted across the sky, I indulged in a fleeting moment of sentiment.

And smiled.

Just endure this one month I promised Professor Rachel.

Then, freedom awaits.

Huzzah!!

[······.]

So completely unaware, Rain rejoiced.