"Uuun~"
"Um, Master."
In the end, with Yurgen's approval, Ermes became Rose's exclusive servant for the duration of her stay.
Wondering what orders he'd be given, he entered the guest room alongside Rose.
Sure enough, he was made to sit on the bed, and she had latched onto him from behind, showering him with affection without restraint.
"I don't think this falls under a servant's duties, though…"
"You said 'as much as you want later,' didn't you? C'mon, just let me be spoiled! I need to replenish a month's worth of Ermesin!"
"Could you please stop generating mysterious substances at will…?"
"Oh my, are you flustered? Look at you~"
Rose teased him, poking his cheeks with her soft fingers.
Of course I'm flustered, Ermes muttered inwardly.
Even if they'd grown up like family, she was someone with no blood relation to him—and a breathtaking beauty who made everyone on the street turn their heads, at that.
Pressed this close against her, any fifteen-year-old boy would be forgiven for feeling at least a little self-conscious and tense.
"Hey, relax your shoulders, will ya? I'm gonna do what I wanna do regardless~"
If only it were that easy, he thought, even as the sensation of skin against his back threatened to steal his focus.
But he knew from years of experience that Rose was the type who never listened once she'd made up her mind. So Ermes decided to do as he was told.
"…"
What he summoned to life above his palm was the Primal Inscription.
His magic. A gift from his master, refined by his own hand—the strongest Creation Magic in existence.
He set the emerald script dancing and began his analysis as usual, directing his awareness toward the characters, the formations, and the structure in order to gain a deeper understanding of the magic.
Gradually, the world around him faded from notice.
He sank into a pleasant immersion, wholly absorbed in a dialogue with magic through the full exertion of his mind.
"…Oh? Studying Magic Inscription Liberation?"
Rose stopped the hand she'd been using to stroke his head and leaned in to whisper in his ear as she peered at what he was working on.
As expected of this magic's developer—she could tell at a glance what he was doing.
His master's expression had shifted from the relaxed warmth of moments ago to the sharp composure of a true mage. Ermes answered her.
"Yes. The other day, I had the opportunity to witness someone else's Liberation. …It really is absurdly complex, isn't it? An original magic from the Age of Gods—just reproducing it will take a long time yet."
"Even I'm still in the dark about a lot when it comes to Magic Inscription Liberation… But if you've made progress, does that mean you've found a foothold?"
"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a foothold… But I did gain a deeper sense of what drives a person to create magic."
He recalled that day of the final battle.
A situation beyond his power to change, and yet a thing he still wished to achieve—and the moment he had grasped Creation Magic through it all.
"I felt it even more strongly—the desire to learn more about magic. The feelings of the people who create it, the wishes they pour into it. I want to know more."
"…I see."
Watching his expression, Rose murmured softly.
"You've changed a bit, Erm. …Are you glad you came to the Royal Capital?"
"…Yes. Of course there were unpleasant things too—but I can say without hesitation that it's been a good thing."
His answer left no room for doubt.
Rose listened and nodded with a gentle smile.
"Alright, I'm in the mood! Erm, let's study together. Tell me everything you've learned so far."
"Really? I'd be honored—please."
Rose's expression brightened with excitement as she leaned in to look at his work, and Ermes, feeling a little happier himself, obliged.
From there, they alternated between thinking in silence and exchanging opinions.
Their positions hadn't changed, but the self-consciousness he'd felt at first had long since evaporated.
The easy, comfortable rhythm—the same as before he'd come to the Royal Capital—settled in around them.
──And peering through the gap in the door, there was one girl watching this scene between master and disciple.
"What the…"
Unsurprisingly, it was Katia.
She had been growing increasingly furious watching Rose cling to Ermes with abandon, all the more agitated by how Ermes looked slightly embarrassed by it.
And just now, seeing them nestled together exchanging views on magic, well on their way to building a world of their own, she had crumpled to her knees.
"…Um, Miss Katia. I must say, you look incredibly adorable, and personally I'd love to keep watching you like this, but…"
The maid Leila addressed her from the side.
"For the sake of propriety—I must point out that spying is not appropriate."
"I know that, but…!"
There was nothing to be done about things that got under your skin.
Because she could never have predicted this.
She had heard of Rose's existence. But based on fragmentary information and the fact that she was the same age as Yurgen, she'd assumed Rose was Ermes's master—a mother figure, essentially. Naturally, she'd imagined the kind of appearance that image conjured.
And yet, the reality was something else entirely.
A woman so young-looking that you'd more readily believe she was the same age as Ermes rather than Yurgen—a woman so beautiful that even Katia, a woman herself, was captivated.
Moreover, given her epithet of "Sky Witch" and her reputation, Katia never would have expected Rose to be this completely besotted with Ermes, clinging to him now without a shred of restraint, a blissful expression on her face. It was hard to tell which of them was the guardian.
For his part, Ermes, while clearly a bit bewildered, accepted her attentions and spoke with her in his usual manner—or rather, with an even more relaxed expression than usual.
If you had to describe the scene, "parent and child" or "master and disciple" wouldn't quite fit. They looked more like siblings—or perhaps──like lovers.
"──!"
The conclusion she'd arrived at, the relationship she'd imagined—revulsion surged through her.
And yet, from the pair beyond that door, she could undeniably feel a deep, long-earned trust between them.
Katia whispered.
"…I thought… it was me…"
It might have been arrogance, but she'd been certain that she was the one who understood Ermes best, the person closest to him in spirit and in age.
And yet that fantasy was shattered by the scene before her. Granted, Rose was the same age as Yurgen in reality, regardless of how she looked—but, well, you know how it is.
"Ugh…!"
Devastated by what lay beyond the door yet unable to tear her gaze away.
With a deeply conflicted expression, Katia stared on—until Leila once more approached with a troubled look.
"…Um. If it troubles you this much, wouldn't it be better to speak up rather than simply watch?"
"…I… that's…"
If she were being honest, she wanted nothing more than to do exactly that. She wanted to demand answers about all sorts of things. But…
"I know, but this is a precious reunion between master and disciple. Just look at them and you can tell—both Lady Roselia and Ermes have truly missed each other this past month! …I can't just… go and interfere…!"
"…I think it's truly wonderful that you can consider someone else's feelings as well as your own in a situation like this."
Thinking that, in this particular situation, she was really the one getting the short end of the stick, Leila bowed respectfully and withdrew to resume her duties.
Left alone before the door was Katia, her emotions swinging wildly, her expression alone enough to convey everything happening within──a picture of utter torment.
◆
"…Let's call it here for now."
"Agreed."
Ermes dispelled the Primal Inscription, and the emerald glow faded away.
It had been an extremely productive session. Rose's insights were invaluable—her understanding of magic ran even deeper than his own—and he'd managed to grasp several key breakthroughs.
Both of their brains were feeling the strain of accumulated fatigue, so they decided to stop for now. Otherwise, they would have happily kept going.
"Man, you're amazing, Erm. Your comprehension has improved dramatically from a month ago."
"I had plenty of excellent examples to study here in the Royal Capital. …And now that I truly understand, I can appreciate just how high the summit is where you stand, Master."
"My, aren't you sweet? You little──"
She ruffled his hair with a beaming grin.
Ermes accepted it more readily than he would have before, his tension noticeably eased──but then Rose paused and spoke up.
"Hmm… Hey Erm, is there anything you want me to do for you?"
"That's… rather sudden."
Ermes blinked, thrown off by the seemingly random question from his master.
"Well, I've been shamelessly clinging to you for a whole month since I got here… I'm a little calmer now, so I figure I should return the favor by granting one of Erm's wishes and reclaim some of my dignity as a master, you know?"
"That's probably not something you should say to the person in question…"
Also, while he always respected his master, he couldn't really say he'd ever found her particularly dignified.
"Come on, anything at all! I'd do anything for Erm!"
"Then would you please let go of me…"
"Sorry, that's the one thing I absolutely will not do, even if heaven and earth were overturned!"
"Right."
He'd sort of known it was coming, but the decisiveness of her refusal still exceeded his expectations.
Letting her rock his body gently this way and that, Ermes thought for a moment.
"…Then."
A wish born from their earlier conversation.
"Would you spar with me?"
"Spar?"
"Yes. …Since coming to the Royal Capital, I've studied magic and fought in my own way. It's a bit immodest to say about myself, but I feel I've grown considerably stronger."
So, clenching his fist, Ermes continued.
"I want to see clearly where I stand now. How much closer I've managed to get to you, Master. So──would you fight me?"
Rose heard him out, blinking in surprise for a few moments. Then, before long—
She broke into a loose, easy grin—yet one that burned with a fighting spirit.
"I see. That's a man's request, alright. ──Very well. I'll lend you my strength."
As for her earlier insistence that letting go of him was utterly impossible, she slipped away from Ermes and hopped off the bed without a second thought.
"Now that it's decided, let's not waste time. ──Hey! The girl who's been peeking from over there this whole time!"
"Eh!"
"!?"
Right on cue, a tremendous clatter erupted from the other side of the door. When it swung open from the commotion──there, just as her master had predicted, sat the purple-haired girl, having fallen flat on her backside.
"Uh—ah, Ermes, no, this is—it's not what—"
"Yes, yes. I'll be sure to give you an earful about this later."
Rose delivered that rather harsh remark with a casual smile, looking thoroughly entertained.
"Could you ask Yurgen for me? ──Is there somewhere around here where Ermes and I can go all out without causing any problems? A nice big open space, that sort of thing?"
In the end, when Yurgen hemmed and hawed, saying "There is no place in this country where it's safe for you to fight at full power," Rose overpowered him with: "Fine, just somewhere safe by Erm's standards. I won't push him too hard, and I'll set up a barrier. That should be possible, right?"
Thus, what Ermes had privately considered an unreasonable wish was realized that very same day.
Next time: Master versus Disciple. Look forward to it!