Side: Poppuri Lancer

"Mmm—delicious~!"

I was spending a blissful moment savoring the incredibly delicious, high-quality candy I got from my dear friend.

Ah, you really are a dear friend, Eris.

"...To me, it looks more like you've been fed and completely domesticated."

Lara glared at me as she said that, but it had absolutely no impact.

Because...

"I might actually take you seriously if you weren't eating cake yourself, Lara."

That’s right.

Lara had also received special cakes from Eris, and she had been devouring them nonstop.

She'd alternate between two whole cakes of different flavors, washing each bite down with Eris's specially blended tea while wearing the happiest expression imaginable.

"T-These cakes were a gift from my dear friend, Eris-san."

"Oh?"

"Cakes don't last very long. I'm only eating them because I have no choice. Allowing a precious gift from a friend to spoil would be unforgivable. That's completely different from a certain headmaster who keeps popping long-lasting candies into her mouth like they're water."

Hmph, nice spin on things.

We'd both been completely won over. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

We're 'best friends', after all!!

"Phew... Still, we really owe a debt of gratitude to Eris-san."

After finishing off the two cakes, Lara said that with genuine sincerity.

"I agree, but what exactly are you grateful for? The cakes you just demolished?"

"No, not the cakes. Well, I am grateful for those, but I meant the important matter. Even after defeating us in the duel, she still taught us that little trick."

"Oh... that."

Right. I lost that duel.

It's not that I unleashed my full power while disregarding collatoral damage, but I put forth as much power as I could within the confines of the dueling arena, and all of it was neutralized.

To make matters worse, it was neutralized using the exact same magic.

How was it even possible? She cast after I did, matched my spell perfectly, and adjusted the output precisely enough to neutralize it. Even if I had ignored all collateral damage and unleashed my full power... I'd probably still have lost.

It brings back nasty memories... Like the Holy Sword wielders and Guardworld.

Those guys basically have rule-breaking skills that reduce magic damage. They are the absolute worst match for me. Well, I did manage to devise a countermeasure, but it’s literally a countermeasure exclusively meant for Holy Sword wielders and Guardworld.

In a serious magic duel, I probably wouldn’t stand a chance against Eris.

...Anyway, my thoughts wandered.

Back to the real topic. The clause I'd wanted removed after the duel: "Do not interfere with the actions toward us transfer students".

At first glance, it looked ridiculous. Like meaningless wording. But once you examined it carefully, it became the single worst clause imaginable—for us.

Had we interpreted it only at face value, the academy would have become Eris's playground. Well, in reality, it seems she had no intention of doing anything like that... If anything, we'd been the ones at fault for disturbing the lives of newlyweds.

Yeah, even I have to admit it was a huge blunder on my part not realizing it until Eris had tears welling up in her eyes, shouting at us to apologize.

Well... I’d be furious too if my newlywed life was disrupted and I was buried in work. I don't have a partner myself, but if someone interfered with a spouse they love as deeply as Eris loves hers, anyone would snap like that.

Now, back to the main topic.

- 'Do not interfere with the actions toward us transfer students'.

However, as Lara mentioned earlier, Eris taught us a loophole.

Since the agreement had been confirmed before an official witness, overturning it would have seriously damaged my credibility as headmaster.

So changing that clause was impossible.

So, Eris, with whom we had reconciled, smiled and said:

'That treaty applies to the Headmistress and her associates—in other words, the Academy. Therefore, while you cannot interfere in your capacity as the Headmistress or as personnel of the Academy, it is entirely possible for you to intervene as a friend.'

Eris casually declared something like that.

It might sound like sophistry, but it doesn't violate the treaty in any way, and since the person who had written the agreement herself said it was acceptable, there’s no problem whatsoever.

In other words, using the contract she established with us as a reason—or rather, as a shield and a decoy—Eris can thoroughly re-educate any problematic students or teachers.

This Academy’s Magic Department is merit-based, so many people misunderstand that having that ability = being superior. Thus, they cause various problems. Bullying is a given, but they also pick fights and go on rampages in town. To make matters worse, those types of people tend to act meek in front of us Headmasters and the top-tier students.

On our end, we want to haul them in right away, but all we have to go on are rumors. The victims invariably keep their mouths shut. They're probably being threatened.

No matter how much we say we'll protect them, we can't guard them 24/7. From the victims' perspective, we're no different from the students and teachers causing the problems, so they can't trust us, and they're terrified of retaliation.

That’s where the clause Eris mentioned comes in handy.

As friends—no, as dear friends—we can have them help solve the Academy's problems.

Because of the contract with Eris, we cannot interfere from the position of Headmaster or Vice Headmaster. In other words, against the opponents we want to arrest, Eris and the others can take action, invite trouble, and we can arrest them in the act.

Ah, incidentally, looking at our aspect as Headmasters, those idiots who caused the problems will speak badly of Eris and the others. If the testimony is only from them, they’ll use various methods to claim Eris and the others are wrong, seek help from us, and threaten Eris and the others.

However, this is where the clause stating I cannot interfere as Headmaster becomes useful.

That’s right—even if they ask for help in my capacity as Headmaster, I cannot offer assistance as Headmistress due to the treaty with Eris. Therefore, even if I don't help them, I am not at fault at all.

Then, we just have Eris and her group punish those fools until they confess to their crimes, and afterward, ask them as best friends to release them.

Yup, absolutely perfect.

It’s truly a cheat tailored just for me.

Well, this is just one way to use it.

While there are many situations where I shouldn't step in as Headmaster, there are also plenty of circumstances where I have to step in precisely because I am the Headmaster.

And by putting Eris and her group in the middle, we can refuse those.

Furthermore, if someone dismisses it as "just a promise from a duel," it would be an insult to the Academy, allowing us to push them even deeper into a corner.

Kukuku, I’ll return all the hardships of having to bow my head until now.

"Headmaster, you're making a very sinister face."

Lara remarked with her usual calm expression.

"Well, coming from you, saying that with a completely expressionless face is even scarier. So, are those the documents you're holding?"

"Yes. These are the small fry who are abusing magic behind the scenes, acting high and mighty, and ruining the Academy's reputation."

Saying that, she handed me the documents.

"Fumufumu... wait, these are 'small fries'? There's even a Duke's son in here."

Scanning through them, I saw the son of a Duke listed—someone in the same political standing as Samantha, making him difficult to touch politically.

This Duke's son has above-average talent in magic, but his growth has stalled recently. In the beginning, he studied diligently at this Academy, but due to his recent stagnation, he’s turned rotten and become an idiot who wields his authority around.

This became even more pronounced after he lost to student, Eoid, who possesses a unique skill.

Personally, he probably wanted to beat Eoid to a pulp to feel good about himself, but he looked down on Eoid—who possesses Mana Manipulation—as a thief, and lost.

And lately, he’s been acting even more reckless... If we don't put a stop to this somewhere soon, he won't just face punishment from the Academy; he’ll have to be judged under the law. If that happens, there's a high chance our relationship with his father's country will sour.

I’d like to resolve this as quickly as possible, but even if I step in as Headmaster, he knows how to conduct himself as a Duke's son, so he slippery-slopes his way past my warnings and continues to rot.

"He's still small fry. He's just a spoiled brat taking out his frustrations on other students."

"Well, yes, but the opponent is a Duke's son, you know? Entrusting this to Eris might be a bit..."

"Throwing her into it immediately would be inappropriate. But if we explain the circumstances properly, I'm sure she'll understand. Besides, Eris and the others aren't merely transfer students."

"Right. Yuki-san is related to the Jilva Royal Family of Enaria, wasn't he? That certainly surprised me. Even without succession rights, that's effectively equivalent to a Duke."

"Yes—and officially recognized by two major nations. Taking them on isn't something a mere duke's son can handle. In fact, it's stupid to even try. And since Eris-san is Yuki-san's wife..."

"That does make her the ideal candidate. Though... she'll probably demand something outrageous in return."

"...Well, I think that's much better than an international dispute arising from a clash between that Duke and us."

"True. If we can avoid that just by suffering a little damage ourselves, it's fine. Besides, it’s our responsibility for failing to take action until now, so I suppose it's a necessary expense."

"Indeed."

While having that conversation and eating hard candy, the office's door was slammed open.

"H-Headmaster, we have an emergency!!"

A middle-aged male teacher with a frantic expression—and whose hairline was receding—burst in, causing me to accidentally swallow my hard candy.

Well, I couldn't help it! He came in with an intense face and a thinning scalp!

"Ngh! Cough, cough!"

No matter how small it was, a solid, hard object passing down my throat was dangerous for my tiny, delicate body.

Oh crap, dying because I swallowed a candy while holding back a laugh would be way too stupid a way to go!

"Headmaster, please calm down. Have some of this tea."

Lara immediately rushed over to me and brought the tea to my mouth.

T-Thank goodness. As expected of Lara!!

I drank the tea and somehow managed to wash the candy down into my stomach.

"Phew! I-I thought I was going to die!"

"Haah, what a relief. So, what happened?"

"A-Ah, right. Actually, a Wyvern has been spotted in the Forest of Monsters!!"

"Wait, we already know there are Wyverns there from our observations."

Wyverns are a species of flying dragon, said to be the weakest in strength among them.

Well, back in my active days, they certainly were weak.

But that was only because our strength was out of this world; both then and now, bearing the name of 'dragon' means they are considerably powerful. Honestly, if things go wrong, a castle or a town could fall.

Nowadays, Wyverns are only seen near the Academy. They live deep inside the Forest of Monsters, in the mountain range. We know from recent observations that they occasionally fly down near the forest. As long as you don't mess with them, they won't attack, and there's no way to reach something flying in the sky anyway.

We've strictly ordered the Monster Subjugation Guild not to engage even if they find one, and since we teach Academy students about the dangers of monsters, I don't think any idiot would mess with a Wyvern, which is near the top of the food chain.

"The thing is, the Wyvern appeared today near the first-year students' monster subjugation field trip..."

"Huh? It appeared in a shallow area like that!?"

"Yes. And according to the students who fled back, it descended right where screams were heard!"

"This is bad!"

I don't know why a Wyvern appeared in such a shallow area, but there's no time to think about that right now.

I immediately grabbed my staff and threw the window wide open.

I don't know which species of Wyvern it is, but it's not an opponent first-years or the accompanying third-years can handle.

"Lara, prepare for the worst-case scenario! Organize a rescue team and dispatch them immediately! I'll go ahead, and if I make it in time, I'll save them!!"

"Yes! Leave things here to me."

As expected of Lara, looking at me with eyes full of straight trust makes me happy.

Receiving that gaze, I leapt out of the window.

"H-Headmaster!?"

"There's no need to panic. Have you forgotten the Headmaster's title?"

I heard a voice like that behind me, but I didn't even have time to reply. I poured mana into my staff, deployed wind magic, and shot up into the sky all at once.

It’s been a while since I used high-speed aerial movement magic, but it feels completely natural. Should I pick up the speed even more?

"S-So that's the Tiny Great Archmage, Poppuri..."

I heard an unnecessary comment from behind, so I lobbed a spell back at him.

"Gwaaah!?"

"...Calling the Headmaster 'tiny' is considered an insult. Please be careful."

Now then, will I make it in time?

I increased my speed further, rushing toward the Forest of Monsters.

"If Samantha-chan's group or Eris's group were the ones attacked, I think they could hold out, but..."

As I moved, I recalled the groups assigned for today's monster subjugation.

Among them, there was only one group capable of repelling a Wyvern.

The group with Samantha, who is in the top ten of the Academy, and Eris and her group, who defeated me.

"...I really don't want to see the remains of little kids."

I've lived a long time, but nothing breaks my heart more than the sight of deceased toddlers or children.

Before long—in just about five minutes—I arrived above the Forest of Monsters.

"Where is it!?"

I looked around, but there was no obvious smoke rising.

Damn it, is it not a fire-breathing type of Wyvern?

Using fire magic in the forest is forbidden due to the risk of wildfires, so at this rate, I have no way of searching...

ROAAAAAAAAR!!

A massive roar echoed out, and I instinctively turned toward the source.

There, I saw Samantha, Eris, and the others shielding the first-year students behind them... facing off against a Wyvern and a Black Wolf of unbelievable size.

That's bad...!

Feeling the mana emanating from the Black Wolf against my skin, I thought from the bottom of my heart.

To feel this much mana from such a distance means it possesses an extraordinary amount of power. Even the Wyvern waiting behind the Black Wolf didn't radiate mana I could feel from this distance.

"...Is it a remnant from that era? But I've never seen that type before."

In fact, if my estimates aren't wrong, it looks like it might even surpass the Holy Sword wielders and Guardworld.

But there was no time to think. The giant Black Wolf opened its mouth, and the mana I felt surged even higher.

It intends to launch an attack.

There is no way Samantha and Eris's group can block an attack with that much condensed mana while protecting the first-years.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on my students—!!"

Instantly, I unleashed the greatest chantless magic I could muster: extreme heat, refining fire to its absolute limit and elevating it into a blinding flash.

Samantha and Eris's group might take a bit of collateral damage, but if I worry about that now, I definitely won't be able to draw that Black Wolf's attention.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!

A tremor shook the ground, and a cloud of dust blew up, blocking the view.

A complete surprise attack from the sky. It was powerful enough to take down a Wyvern in a single hit.

It should have done some damage. In that opening, if the students can just run away... However, that thought proved far too naive.

Because before the smoke even cleared, that Black Wolf flew up into the air, locked its eyes on me, and came to a complete stop mid-air.

"...What kind of joke is this?"

Flying through the air and stopping dead in place is something only Wyverns, aerial-specialized monsters, or Lich-types who have mastered magic should be capable of.

An animal-type monster classified as a four-legged beast shouldn't be able to perform such advanced mana control.

That's why I could only call the sight before my eyes a joke.

"...O little magic user. Why did you attack me?"

And then, that Black Wolf spoke.

This has completely surpassed my understanding.

The only thing I know for sure is that if I don't bring this thing down, forget the students—the Academy and the town will be wiped out.

In other words, if the strongest military power on this continent falls, it means...

"Answer me."

The monster before me raised its voice, sounding as if it echoed from the depths of the earth.

Right. If the Academy falls, there will be no one left to stop this monster.

"Good grief... To perish before the Holy Sword wielder's plan even comes to fruition, what a tragic joke."

I’ve held on this far for the sake of my promise to that person, but for both options to end in total destruction before an answer is reached... that's just too sad.

"...I shall ask once more. Why did you attack me?"

"Shut up! I'm taking you down!"

Either way, engagement is unavoidable.

Even if we exchanged words, this strength isn't something that can be dealt with given time.

So, I have to defeat it right here and now!

A surprise attack, aimed at this close range!!

RUMBLEEE!!

A thunderous sound echoed through the air.

"Everyone, run!! I'll hold it off here!!"

Using the brief moment I bought, I shouted down to everyone on the ground with all my might.

They seemed to be shouting something back at me, but I didn't have time to listen properly.

From within the smoke, that monster leapt out and slammed its giant body straight into me.

"Guh!?"

For a moment, my levitation magic broke, and I almost fell.

Damn it, it blew right through my mana barrier!

Honestly, if it weren't for a mana barrier of my level, I would have been turned into meat paste already.

"I shall question you no further. Regret harming my body as you die."

As the monster roared, countless ice spears suddenly appeared and shot toward me.

No way, it can even use magic?!

I desperately dodged while launching my own attacks, but with every blow I landed, I could feel my spirit breaking and crushing inside me.

It wasn't working at all... Ever since my initial surprise attack, my magic hadn't worked in the slightest.

The more I attacked, the more I was forced to realize the absolute gap between myself and this monster.

We were in completely different leagues of sheer power.

The only thing I had going for me was combat in the air.

The opponent was a four-legged beast. Because it wasn't accustomed to fighting in mid-air, I was able to maneuver around it with an advantage.

"Haff, haff..."

I no longer had any breathing room; all I could do was desperately evade to avoid taking a single hit from the monster.

If I could see my own face right now, I wonder if it would be dyed in despair, just like back then?

And then, this tightrope walk came to a sudden end.

Raising its front paw, it brought it crashing down, slamming me into the ground.

"Gah, guh, cough..."

I managed to mitigate the impact at the last moment, but I only reduced it.

My right arm, which took the brunt of the front paw, was snapped, and the sound of my ribs breaking echoed from the impact of the fall. I coughed up blood, likely from an injured internal organ.

"Hhh... hhh..."

I noticed my breathing sounded strange, but my body would no longer obey me.

My consciousness began to fade.

...Is this how it ends?

...But in a way, maybe it's fitting.

So, I won't close my hazy eyes on my own. I'll gaze at this world until the very end.

"—STOP!"

Before I realized it, a little girl who had come along with Eris and the others was standing before my blurring vision, facing off against that monster.

Tears welled up at that sight.

They weren't tears of sorrow for a little girl about to die.

For some reason, the shadow of that person who saved me on that day overlapped with her.

Ah... you saved me just like that, didn't you?

To think I can die while remembering happiness at the very end...

And with that, my consciousness slipped away into darkness.

* * *

Side: Aslin

"Geez, Kuro-chan!! You can't do that! Picking on the weak is bad!!"

I am angry right now.

I think Kuro-chan was a good boy for coming out to persuade the Wyvern-san.

But after that, he got into a fight with the Headmistress-san.

Kuro-chan's appearance is scary if you're not used to it, so he shouldn't get mad over a little attack like that.

"B-But, Princess! This little girl scorched the body that the Princess brushed for me?!"

"It's only scorched a tiny bit!!"

While saying that, I applied recovery magic to the injured Headmistress-san.

...I checked her over during my examination, and she was really severely injured.

If Rurua-oneechan and Elju-oneechan hadn't taught me medical treatment, I might not have been able to save her.

She was in a truly dangerous state! I need to call Onii-chan quickly to have him treat her!

"B-But it was very important to me..."

Even so, Kuro-chan kept making excuses.

Now, I was getting really mad.

"Bad boys don't get brushed today!!"

When I said that, Kuro-chan flipped his giant body onto his back, taking an absolute submission pose...

Kyuuuuuun.

And cries sadly.

But no means no. Bad boys need to be punished.

Later, he's getting a scolding alongside Wy-chan the Wyvern!