Eiji vaguely remembered that the old man was an incredibly powerful figure, and he also recalled how the max-level Kaleidoscope was truly a game-changer—definitely worth all the money he'd poured into it!
"So, to summarize, you were taken in as an apprentice by that person, taught some magecraft, and then he just left?"
Aoko Aozaki stared at Eiji with a frosty gaze.
"Then what's the deal with your magecraft?"
She didn't outright dismiss his story.
Most magi were capricious individuals, and there were plenty of powerful ones who operated outside the Mage's Association, wandering the world freely. It wasn't unusual for some magus to randomly take on an apprentice or two when inspiration struck during their travels.
But there were still too many inconsistencies.
"Magecraft? I know magecraft?"
Eiji's face lit up with excitement, his grin stretching so wide it nearly reached his molars.
"What kind of magecraft? Tell me more!"
"?"
Aoko mentally typed out a question mark.
Shouldn't this be the part where he panics about being exposed?
Why was he suddenly so thrilled? That smile of his—anyone who didn't know better would think he'd just witnessed a stone weeping.
"Don't you know mental interference?"
Aoko frowned, suspicion written all over her face. "And on a massive scale at that—effective on anyone?"
"?"
Eiji froze, his expression gradually cracking.
"...Why do you look like you're about to cry?"
"It's nothing... It's just... innate."
Eiji hugged his knees.
So cold.
This vast world couldn't even spare him a shred of warmth.
The sky is blue, outside the window are paper cranes~
"Innate?"
Aoko's face twisted in disbelief, as if to say, Don't lie to me.
"I didn't even use magical energy. Go ahead and check if you don't believe me..."
Eiji listlessly extended his hand, offering it for inspection.
Aoko gave him a strange look.
His reaction was... intense.
It was as if he'd suffered a massive blow, utterly crestfallen?
She hesitated for a moment.
Then, she reached out and took his wrist.
The moment her fingers touched his skin, her mind instantly wavered, her focus scattering.
She hurriedly steadied herself, entering a meditative state.
For magi, meditation was a fundamental skill—one that could be used to construct basic mental defenses.
Once her mind was stabilized, Aoko carefully channeled a trace of her magical energy into Eiji's body.
This was an extremely risky move.
But the risk wasn't for Aoko—it was for Eiji.
Magical energy was, in essence, a form of life force. Allowing another person's life force into your body required absolute non-resistance.
But the moment foreign magical energy entered, the other party could wreak havoc at will. For the person being inspected, this was incredibly dangerous—which was why magi rarely allowed others to probe their bodies.
That said, this actually made Aoko relax a little.
Eiji's willingness to let her do this at least indicated he bore no hostility.
Of course, it was also possible he simply didn't realize how dangerous it was—but if that were the case, it would mean he wasn't a proper magus, which would lend credibility to his story.
Aoko focused, guiding her magical energy through Eiji's body in a full circuit.
Indeed.
Just as he'd said.
There wasn't the slightest trace of active magical energy.
"Could it really just be an innate trait?"
For a moment, Aoko even felt a pang of jealousy.
As a woman, she wasn't overly concerned with appearances, but she'd always taken some pride in her natural beauty.
And now, here was a man standing before her, essentially declaring, I was born a hundred times more attractive than you. For any woman, that was hard to swallow.
If he cross-dressed, he could probably topple nations. The thought filled her with an intense sense of defeat.
"Whatever. In any case, I understand now."
Aoko let go of his hand, her expression sour.
For a brief moment, she even felt reluctant—but she quickly shook her head, banishing the thought.
That said, the hostility she'd been radiating had completely vanished.
"I'll tentatively buy your story."
The weight on her shoulders lifted, and Aoko's demeanor relaxed.
Whatever the reason, this guy's charm was clearly innate—maybe an awakened Origin, maybe a blessing from the gods.
But the fact that he wasn't an enemy? She was mostly convinced.
She'd initially pegged Eiji as a magus because of his unnatural allure—something so potent it rattled even her, a trained magus, to the core. That level of charm was downright aberrant.
But if it was natural... then there was no issue.
No—in a way, that made him even more dangerous!
If he'd been an enemy, she could've just steeled herself and killed him. Problem solved.
But he wasn't an enemy. Instead, he was a fellow student council member—someone she'd have to see every day. Which meant she'd be subjected to his charm on a daily basis... That was way too hazardous!
I need to quit the student council!
Aoko made up her mind in an instant.
As much as she'd miss the student council's lenient attendance policy, for her own sake, she had to get out of there!
...Then again, staying wouldn't be so bad?
The moment that traitorous thought surfaced, she shuddered and ruthlessly crushed it, swiftly changing the subject.
"Alright, explain this to me—why did you kill those starling familiars?"
"Right, I was about to talk to you about that..."
Eiji snapped out of his daze.
He quickly brushed aside the desolation of hope lost and despair regained, turning to face Aoko with a serious expression.
"Hey."
But before he could speak—
A cold voice cut in from the direction of the infirmary door.
"How long are you two planning to loiter here?"
The voice was low.
Devoid of warmth.
Though human, it carried an odd dissonance—as if the tone didn't quite match.
Both of them turned toward the door.
A young man in a white lab coat stood there, his figure etched into their vision.
His orange hair was tied back in a simple ponytail. His features were soft, but his expression was rigid. He wore a plain white coat over what appeared to be a green-tinged uniform, his hands clad in white latex gloves.
"This is the infirmary. If you're healthy, leave."
His words dripped with distaste, his face utterly impassive.
"...Fair point."
Aoko's eye twitched slightly.
She felt like everyone she'd encountered this entire weekend had been infuriating in their own way.
"Let's take this outside."
She motioned to Eiji, then headed for the door.
"My apologies, Professor Romani."
Eiji froze mid-step as he got off the bed.
Who?
Romani?
The high school's health teacher is him?
And this personality—you could call it outright cold...?!
***
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