Chapter 2 (1/2)

Chapter 2

TN: The POV has changed from Phyllis to a teacher at the academy.

Sleeping goods have recently become popular within the academy.

「That」 was spreading little by little amongst the female students and has now even reached the extent of becoming a topic inside our teacher’s room.

「That’s right, although I was skeptical at first, when I tried eating it to see, that day I immediately fell asleep! It surprised me.」

「Maa! Even Professor Cosaius? Recently I have been unable to fall asleep easily and so haven’t been sleeping well. On the day I ate that, I fell asleep right away.」

「One should say, it is expected, ne? The things that girl makes is always interesting.」

「That’s true! It always surprises me — the things that even my pharmacognosy can not come up with.」

「・・・Hee, that’s an amazing thing, ne? But is it really the result of「That」?」

When I interjected from a distance, Professor Cosaius and Professor Marie expressly turned around and looked at me in surprise.

「Maa! Is Professor Elias interested too?」

「This is rare! For Professor Elias who is called the Ice Magician to care about something. How will things turn out, I wonder, ne?」

It seems that this high-cla.s.s magic academy has some of the greatest credulous people as my sarcasm didn’t reach Professor Cosaius of History of Magic and Professor Marie of Pharmacognosy. As if happy that I had taken interest at all, they continued to smile at me.

「・・・I am just unable to accept that such a strange thing is circulating.」

「Ara~ ara~ maa~ maa~」

Professor Marie looked at me in surprise.

「In that case, how about trying one out to see for yourself? If you’d like, I could give you a piece.」

Professor Marie said so with a mysterious smile floating on her face as she placed 「That」in my hand.

「Surely something good will happen?」

The magicians of this world are cla.s.sified into roughly two types.

One type can cast magic without chants by using one’s own blood. Elves or families with continuous generations of magicians can use magic unconditionally and so many of them are the so-called elite magicians.

The other type invokes magic using the so-called magic square. By constructing the magic square yourself, magic will be invoked. Many of those who have come here have acquired being able to use such magic. By the way, I am of the latter type.

Since my childhood, I have been able to see the magic formula others used in their magic. Actually, I have noticed that others are not able to do this but since I do not want to stand out,  I repressed my feelings.

Talent that is too different from others will be feared. No, perhaps it is the person who is different that will be feared.

However, the result was that I have become expressionless and was given the ridiculous nickname,「Ice Magician」. Becoming conspicuous instead, I have no idea how in the world I had fallen.

But thanks to being able to see magic formulas, I have had loads of fun since I was small. I read the formula in the magic square for the first time, re-constructed and incorporated it into my own magic square. The more complex the magic square was, the better. And then, before long, I had forgotten to eat and sleep because I was gazing at the magic square.

「・・・This is a waste of time.」

I returned to my room and saw 「That」which was left on top of my desk. No matter how many times you look at it, it is just an ordinary sweet. But just to be sure, I place it once again on top of my palm and search for vestiges of magic. However, nothing has changed. Although I am interested in the topic of how she had come to such magic in order to produce this thing; well, even if there is some kind of effect that shows, this is still under the category of pharmacognosy, right?

「Insomnia・・・huh? Well, it is an unrelated story to me.」

I have never had a hard time sleeping and so I had no interest in it. Maa, but if that Professor Marie recommends it, perhaps it may contain some good herbs. And so I tossed「That」into my mouth.

And so, that day, I saw a strange dream.

「　・・・Where is here?」

There was a splendid garden. Underneath the perfectly clear blue sky, elegant topiaries stood on both sides of a pa.s.sage and the lawn underneath one’s feet was trimmed to perfection. The topiaries on both sides had white roses in an arch and hedges stretched beyond leading to a wide maze.

「I do not know such a place・・・? Is this some sort of invoked magic or is this merely a dream?」

Carefully pa.s.sing through the long maze; beyond stood an elegant white gazebo with pink roses entwined around it. And there, sitting in the middle of a bench, was a young girl who was looking a little bit down.

「・・・Who are you?」