Winter.
Even the Sharlia magic city of the Kingdom of
The Magic University grounds were plowed, but everything was still dyed pure white. Paths existed between buildings, but areas behind the schoolhouses required you to shovel your own way in.
That was the season.
During that time, a letter arrived for me.
The sender was "Soldat Heckler."
An S-class adventurer and the leader of the party "Stepped Leader."
Back when I was an adventurer, he'd occasionally let me join up with his party.
A group of capable fighters.
I opened it up.
"Hmm."
According to the letter, Soldat and his group were apparently in this town.
Something about a clan gathering.
The clan "Thunderbolt," to which "Stepped Leader" belonged, supposedly convened in this city once every few years.
What they did at these gatherings was hold a meeting about the clan's direction.
Over the course of two to three months during winter, they'd hold thorough discussions to decide the path forward.
When you ran a large-scale clan, that was apparently what you had to do.
Soldat and the others were S-rank and one of the executives.
So he couldn't exactly skip it and had made the trek all the way to Ranoa.
Soldat's relationship with the clan leader wasn't great, and frankly he hadn't wanted to come all the way to Ranoa.
This was going to be a boring few months.
But while thinking that, he suddenly remembered me.
Now that he thought about it, "Dead End" was also in this town, wasn't he?
Once the idea struck, it was as good as done.
Soldat decided that since he was here anyway, he might as well meet up and grab a meal for old times' sake, so he sent the letter.
We had been fairly friendly, true enough.
But we'd drifted apart, and it wasn't like we were close enough that he'd go out of his way to write a letter just to meet up.
I liked to think I'd been generous with him, but I probably wasn't the kind of person he'd specifically want to see.
In that case, Soldat's real target was probably
Fine. I'd take him to her.
And then I'd show off
With that thought, I told
I also invited Fitz-senpai along, but he made a complicated face and shook his head, saying he couldn't make it that day.
"Um, that day, I have to go out in the afternoon… for Lady Ariel's escort duty."
One of his many escort jobs, presumably.
He wasn't off just because the rest of the world was.
If anything, he was busiest when everyone else had time off.
A true corporate slave.
Oh wait, calling him a corporate slave was rude to Fitz-senpai.
Let me rephrase that as "hardworking."
Anyway, if our schedules didn't align, that was that.
So I decided to bring Cliff and Eris to the adventurer's guild.
--- Walking toward the adventurer's guild.
Even with the snow cleared, the road was pure white with packed-down snow. At night the blizzards picked up, so no matter how much you shoveled, you couldn't keep up.
If I used my modern knowledge to build some kind of device that drew water from underground, could I make a fortune?
"Hey,
"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening."
Cliff was boasting about his current situation, as he had been for a while now.
He was apparently doing research on curses lately.
To break Eris's curse.
Curses had existed since ancient times, and while research had progressed, they weren't something you could easily dispel.
Apparently, he'd made zero progress in the past six months.
"Does having no progress get to you?"
"I'm a genius, so I'll figure it out eventually!"
Cliff said that with absolute confidence.
What a guy.
I knew there were realms I could never reach no matter how hard I tried, so I couldn't push that far.
Stepping into territory no one had ever reached before—that was the work of a genius.
I didn't have that kind of talent.
"Rudeus, if you know anything about curses, would you tell me?"
"Hm…?"
Being asked that, I thought about it.
Curses.
That keyword had come up several times during my journey from the Demon Continent to here.
"Let me think."
But where had I heard about them?
Curses. Curses.
Whenever that word came to mind, my feet seemed to freeze.
That was probably because
I'd heard that from
…Come to think of it, Laplace was cursed too, wasn't he?
He'd transferred that curse onto a spear and driven the Spelled race into a history of persecution.
"Apparently, in the past, Laplace transferred his curse onto a tool and pinned it on a different race."
"A tool?"
"Yes. The spear the Spelled race wielded during the Laplace War was apparently that tool.
Because of it, the warriors of the Spelled race went mad, and their entire race ended up being persecuted…"
When I said that, Cliff's eyes went wide as he stared at me.
"The Spelled race!? Is that true!?"
"Well, it's secondhand information I heard from someone, so I can't say for certain…"
Who had I heard it from?
Hitogami again, probably.
It was a source you could more or less trust, at least.
There'd be no point in lying about something like that.
"So that's how it is… curses can be transferred onto tools."
Cliff was listening to my story, his hand on his chin in thought.
"I don't know the method, though."
"No, just having a precedent is already a huge breakthrough."
Had Laplace been the only one to ever transfer a curse onto a tool?
Well, he was the Demon God, so I'd expected he'd pull tricks like that.
But wasn't that forbidden magic or something?
I recalled that the Saint and the Curse were supposedly the same thing.
If transferring that power to a tool was possible, shouldn't someone else have thought of it by now?
"Nobody ever thought about transferring a Saint's power instead of a Curse's…?"
"Hm? Why is the Saint coming up here?"
Cliff tilted his head.
Huh?
Was there some kind of misunderstanding?
"No, aren't the Saint and the Curse the same thing?
Born with abnormal mana that gives you a strange ability.
The only difference is whether it's a positive or negative direction…"
"That's… the first I've heard of it."
I looked at Eris, and she was staring at me with a surprised expression too.
Apparently it really was news to them.
Was this not as widely known as I thought?
No, wait, I felt like someone had casually mentioned it to me before…
Ah, that was Hitogami too, wasn't it?
It was all that guy.
He'd say things like they were common knowledge when they really weren't.
"But I see… a tool, huh… I see… perhaps…"
Cliff was fidgeting, acting as if my words had given him some kind of breakthrough.
I thought you shouldn't take other people's words at face value.
Still, the word "curse" was connected to the word "god."
Hitogami. Dragon God. Demon God.
And the Saint.
Were they related or not?
"Thanks, Rudeus. I feel like I've figured something out thanks to you."
Cliff said that with a bright expression.
Also, he probably wanted me to do something about the curse he'd been hit with, too.
--- When Soldat and the others saw me, they all broke into grins.
I was being welcomed more than I'd expected.
Eris wasn't their target after all, huh?
We moved to a nearby shop and gathered around a table.
When Soldat and the others learned about Cliff and Eris's relationship, they were quite surprised.
They cracked jokes like, "A girl like you getting married? What kind of joke is that?" which sent Cliff into a rage.
Soldat and the gang laughed off Cliff's reaction, and Cliff's anger reached a level beyond furious.
I didn't know it would subside for a while.
Or so I thought, but Eris calmly soothed Cliff and steered the conversation elsewhere.
That was Eris for you.
Managing hate was second nature to her no matter the situation.
Come to think of it, I'd never seen her truly angry or crying.
I'd seen her annoyed a few times, but never clearly furious.
The only one she openly said she hated was
What on earth had Paul done to her?
The topic shifted to my outfit.
I'd come in my uniform today.
"Dead End, if you dress like that, you're gonna look just like some rookie from around here, you know?"
Apparently, some Magic University students would come to the guild wearing robes over their uniforms as adventurers.
Most of them were F to E class, so they'd never interact with someone like Soldat, but apparently there were the occasional ones who'd beg to be let into Thunderbolt.
"Well then, I'll do what I did last time and play 'bag carrier' like a proper rookie."
"So you can save our asses again? Pass, thanks."
My encounter with Soldat and his group had started when he'd mistaken me for a rookie and, in an incredibly condescending manner, invited me to carry their bags.
Nostalgic memories.
From there, the conversation drifted from reminiscing to adventuring tales.
Cliff had been sulking for a while, but as he listened to Soldat's party's stories, his eyes gradually started to sparkle.
Right, Cliff had been into adventurers at one point, hadn't he?
He was usually bratty, but that was pretty age-appropriate.
The meal ended.
Now what? I was just thinking that when a messenger from the clan arrived for Soldat.
"Soldat, sir, there's another assembly."
"Again? We just did one this morning!"
"There's nothing we can do. The leader is fired up about it this time."
Apparently they were calling an emergency meeting with all the party leaders.
"I was planning to hang out with Dead End all day today… Can't be helped. Dead End, sorry about that. Let's do this again."
"Sure. Invite me anytime."
Soldat gave an exaggerated nod and left.
Well, what now?
With the main attraction gone, the gathering was basically over.
It was a little before lunchtime. About two-thirty.
There'd still be time to kill if I went home.
"What should we do?"
"Well… I think I'll show Cliff the basics of adventuring."
"Oh?"
Eris, having heard Soldat's stories, apparently wanted to show Cliff the good side of being an adventurer.
"Oh nice, teaching the rookie the ropes."
"Can we come along too?"
The other members of Stepped Leader were on board with that.
The atmosphere shifted toward teaching Cliff the essence of taking on A-class subjugation quests.
Cliff seemed a bit annoyed at being looked down on, but he was also visibly excited.
"Rudeus, what will you do?"
"I'll… pass, if you don't mind."
I could teach Cliff how to handle himself as a multi-elemental magic user, but he probably wouldn't appreciate being lectured by someone younger.
This kind of thing worked better when everyone around you was older.
Besides, I wasn't planning to take any quests that would eat up several days.
I'd better leave a message at the very least, or Nanahoshi would get sulky.
Even though she lived like a shut-in, she apparently got lonely and got cranky if I slacked off.
If you're going to shut yourself away, at least take pride in your solitude.
Well, she did seem to miss Japan a lot, and wanting someone who spoke Japanese wasn't incomprehensible.
From my perspective—someone who'd decided to live in this world—I wanted to tell her to go outside a bit more.
"Very well. Please give my regards to the others."
"Eris and the rest of you too… since you've got a beginner with you, try not to go anywhere too dangerous."
"It's not like we're going to challenge dragons or Demon Lords."
Not like I'd picked those fights willingly or anything.
Whatever.
--- I parted ways with them and headed home alone.
From the adventurer district, I moved toward the central square of the city.
A savory smell of grilled skewers drifted over.
Looking over, I could see merchants had set up stalls in the square despite the snow piled everywhere.
Braving this freezing weather—what a hassle.
Well, I did have free time now.
Even if I went back, all I had to study, practice, and do was figure crafting.
Maybe I should have gone with Cliff's group instead of being needlessly polite.
"Well, I came all the way into town. Might as well wander around."
Muttering to myself, I ambled toward the commercial district.
Not quite shopping, but maybe I'd find something interesting.
Also, from my conversation with Cliff, I'd gotten interested in mana-infused items and magical tools.
Laplace's cursed spear would have been one type of magical tool, wouldn't it?
Before, the ones sold in stores were expensive, and I hadn't really wanted any.
But Fitz-senpai had equipped mana-infused items too.
Nanahoshi had some convenient ones as well.
In this city, right in the backyard of the Magic Guild, I might find something interesting.
Not that I was planning to buy anything…
Call it window shopping.
For the record, I'd been confused at first too, but mana-infused items and magical tools were two different things.
The difference was as follows: : Magical Tool: : Carved with a magic circle somewhere, when the user chants to excite the circle, mana flows through and the effect activates. Can be used repeatedly as long as the user's mana holds out. An artificial creation.
: Mana-Infused Item: : An object that has been imbued with mana, granting it special abilities. Performing a specific action activates the effect. Can only be used a few times per day, but mana recovers over time.
In rough terms: Magical tools had no use limit but consumed mana.
Mana-infused items had a daily use limit but didn't consume mana.
That was the gist.
In the current state of things, mana-infused items were considered more convenient because, despite having daily use limits, they required neither mana expenditure nor a process (chanting) to channel it.
However, most of them were excavated from labyrinths, and their effects were highly random.
Therefore, mana-infused items with good effects were extraordinarily expensive.
The boots Fitz-senpai had been wearing were probably beyond what my entire net worth could buy.
For reference, some items called magical swords, despite being artificial creations, possessed the characteristics of mana-infused items.
In my case, I had mana to spare, so magical tools were no problem.
Even a tool that consumed excessive mana for activation would be fine for me.
Those seemingly defective items might actually be findable here in the Magic City of Sharlia, in the backyard of the Magic Guild.
"Hm?"
That was when I spotted a familiar face.
It was Luke and Fitz-senpai.
The two of them were chatting happily in front of a clothing shop.
Fitz-senpai was looking at small accessories in the shop window with a delighted expression.
Luke had a wry smile.
A large bag hung from his hand.
It looked just like a date.
I'd heard they were going out.
But were they really okay being here together?
What happened to escorting the princess?
Well, at least I'd say hello.
"Good morning. What a coincidence, running into you here."
"You—!"
When I called out, Luke's face stiffened.
He still didn't like me, apparently.
I intended to protect their reputation, but…
Well, I'd become a bit too famous lately.
From his perspective, it probably wasn't fun.
But as long as I could get along with Fitz-senpai, I was fine.
"…Oh?"
Fitz-senpai seemed to have a different vibe today.
What was it?
Was the outfit slightly different?
No, it was more like the overall impression…
"Fitz-senpai, you seem a little different today, don't you?"
When I said that, Fitz-senpai looked surprised and glanced at me.
Hmm.
What was different?
How to put it… the demeanor?
As I was looking, Fitz-senpai turned away.
At the same time, Luke stepped forward.
"Rudeus. What is it? What are you doing here?"
He stood as if shielding Fitz-senpai behind him.
His tone was calm.
His gaze was firm but not quite hostile.
But his voice was tense.
Had I stumbled into an awkward moment?
Could Luke and Fitz-senpai be on a date?
What if Luke was secretly into guys and he and Fitz-senpai were in a passionate, wrestling kind of relationship?
If it turned out the princess's escorts were into each other like that, it'd be a huge scandal, so they were secretly meeting in disguise.
Just a joke, but somehow thinking about it actually hit me a little.
Why was that?
"No, I spotted you and thought I'd at least say hello… um, Fitz-senpai?"
Senpai hadn't looked my way once since a moment ago.
…Wait?
Was he avoiding me?
Why?
Had I done something?
"I see, I appreciate the greeting.
Fitz is not supposed to speak a word while on escort duty for the princess.
Sorry, but could you understand?"
Luke was casually trying to brush me off.
…So I had really come at a bad time.
But being completely shut out like that was something else.
"…"
Fitz-senpai wouldn't look at me.
Well, he was stealing glances, but each time he'd frown, as if to reject the idea.
The vibe was clearly: please just go away.
That was obvious.
At this point, even I could tell.
I was being rejected.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing at all. Excuse me."
I left the scene.
I like to think I kept my composure on the surface.
But inside, I was so gutted I couldn't think about anything.
Shopping was out of the question.
Let me go home.
Ahead of me stretched a slightly dirty white road.
Snow had started falling.
Cold.
--- I returned to the Magic University.
Why had Fitz-senpai avoided me?
I didn't know.
I couldn't figure it out no matter how much I thought.
I didn't remember doing anything that would make him dislike me.
I wanted to talk to someone about how I felt… no, I wanted to vent.
Linia and Pursena… they probably wouldn't listen seriously. They'd end up teasing me about it or something.
Eris, I'd just parted ways with.
Bardigard didn't seem to be at school today either.
Nanahoshi… she was usually pretty overwhelmed herself, so she probably wouldn't listen to my complaints.
I thought hard but couldn't think of anyone.
I didn't have many friends.
So I headed to the library instead.
When you felt like this, the best thing was to read a mindless book and spend time in peace.
Right, something that would clear my head.
Something heroic, maybe.
Was there a book about Kishirika or Bardigard?
Their stories would definitely have something uplifting.
Thinking that, I entered the library.
Greeted the guard with a nod.
We'd never spoken, but he recognized me enough for the face to work.
I brushed the snow off at the entrance and used silent magic to quickly dry the surface of my clothes.
With a sigh of relief, I stepped inside and headed for my usual seat.
As always, the library was empty.
In this world, students who spent holidays at the library were apparently rare.
The literacy rate was low, too.
"…Hm?"
Fitz-senpai was there.
He was sitting in the seat he usually shared with me, cheek propped on his hand, looking bored with a book.
"Ah, Rudeus-kun."
And when he spotted me, he gave his usual bashful smile.
"Welcome back. That was fast. Did you already meet your friends?"
"Y-Yeah…"
I sat down across from him and studied his face.
Same as always.
Same outfit, same atmosphere.
But there was something off.
From where I'd met him to the library.
I'd come straight here.
It was almost certainly the shortest route.
And he was here.
Something didn't add up.
"W-What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
Fitz-senpai touched his cheek as he said that.
But this feeling…
Maybe it was because I'd felt rejected earlier?
The Fitz-senpai in front of me now felt like he'd completely accepted me.
There wasn't a trace of wariness.
Different from before.
Completely different.
"Why did you ignore me earlier?"
When I suddenly asked that, Fitz-senpai's smile froze.
Then he deliberately put on a serious expression.
"Actually, when I'm on escort duty, I'm not supposed to make a voice.
I'm 'Silent Fitz,' after all. My voice is childish, so people don't take me seriously, and in public… especially while escorting Lady Ariel, I'm not allowed to make a sound."
"I see, but I didn't see Lady Ariel anywhere nearby."
"She was at a nearby shop. A trustworthy one. We're not the only ones escorting her.
The others form a tight perimeter around her, while we watch from a little farther away. That's the formation.
Oh, but don't tell anyone else about this, okay?"
Fitz-senpai answered smoothly, without a single hesitation.
As if he'd pre-planned those answers.
No, he definitely had.
"I see. I'm sorry for talking to you at a time like that."
"No, it's fine. I'm sorry for not being able to respond."
I started to piece things together.
Probably.
Probably, but…
Somehow, Lady Ariel was disguised as Fitz-senpai.
Either with a mana-infused item or a magical tool.
The reason he wasn't speaking was that he couldn't change his voice.
He might not be able to change his eye color either.
The reason Fitz-senpai always covered his eyes could be to account for the possibility that the disguise might be spotted…
Yeah, that made everything click.
The reason I'd been brushed off earlier was that if I got too close, the disguise would be exposed.
It was definitely not because Fitz-senpai disliked me.
Right. That had to be it.
I hadn't done anything that would make him hate me.
That was what I'd go with.
"Oh, so that was it. I was worried Fitz-senpai disliked me or something."
"Haha… As if I could ever dislike you…"
Fitz-senpai was scratching behind his ear.
That was his signature gesture, but lately even watching it made my heart flutter.
Why was someone this cute a guy?
…Was he really a guy?
I was curious.
Fitz-senpai was on my mind.