Place of Friendship (3)

Kleio couldn’t figure out what was going on, so he decided to ask Isiel, who sat across from him.

“Guilard Eclipsi?”

“…Last year, he was a student who left that strange magical formula out, the one I falsely suspected was your work. I apologize for the trouble I caused you at that time.”

Isiel’s face slightly reddened, regretting the fact that she thought Kleio was conspiring to do something. Kleio also had his secrets, so he quickly waved it off.

“It was just a misunderstanding, all in the past.”

As if his appetite fell at what he just heard, one of the fourth-years dropped his fork and approached Mark.

“Did Guilard try summoning again?”

“Right. He ignored the warnings of illegal experimentation again!”

“After last year, he was banned from going out at night. Didn’t he even write a reflection?”

“If he could quit that easily, he wouldn’t have started in the first place.”

“So, did he bring anything out in the summons?”

More and more students were getting involved in the conversation, all wearing robes with wands in their pockets. It seemed they were all in the magic class.

“No. If there was, would it be this quiet?”

“Right. If he were a genius who would rediscover summoning magic, he wouldn’t have been taking additional tests with me every year.”

“I wrote a report on that last semester, but the summoning technique is impossible to reproduce because two magic types are empty. In the first place, humans can’t create magical formulas, but he’s trying it anyway.”

Kleio hurried to hide his expression. It was possible for a human to create a magical expression, as Kleio himself was the creator of the [Permanent Activation] formula.

‘If the prince hadn’t carefully controlled that information, the world would’ve become rather noisy. Should I say that this is fortunate?’

The issue regarding the formula was kept secret, so these students didn’t know about it. Kleio spilled a little of the wine he poured himself as he listened, and Lippi took the bottle for him.

“Lei, are you already drunk?”

“You have to stop drinking today.”

“No, that… Oh, give it back.”

“No.”

“Lippi, pour me a cup.”

“Okay, Leticia!”

The now fourteen-year-old twins shared the liquor they had snatched from Kleio. Meanwhile, the conversation between the fourth-years continued enthusiastically.

“But he’s the one being expelled, Mark; why are you upset?”

“Listen, expulsion isn’t the end. These days, the Door of Mnemosyne is active, and demons are on the hunt. They say they can’t go about school discipline like before. They’re interrogating all the third and fourth-years who took a joint class with him to investigate, summoned by the Defense Force’s magic team!”

“That’s crazy. When?”

Mark turned around the cafeteria, satisfied he had gathered enough attention. Then, with a theatrical gesture, he checked his pocket watch before he responded a beat later.

“8 o’clock.”

“Hey, what if I said I have something important to do later?!”

“It won’t work!”

“Then what about the night guard for the door? Aren’t I on duty today?”

Last year, the Defense Force had dispatched knights to the door, but after the demon resurgence, due to a lack of workforce, they had pulled back those knights and wizards. Since then, senior students had restarted the internal barriers and maintained the guard.

“The second-years are on duty today instead. Will the dean be calling?”

Arthur and Kleio looked at each other at the same moment.

***

Mark was right. Arthur and Kleio had been called by Zebedee and instructed to guard the door that night. The boy wizard and knight student took over for the two seniors guarding the door and stood watch. The senior students cursed the person named Guilard for having to head off without a chance for a break. Then, only the two remained.

The forest in the middle of the school was different than it was a year ago. The moss and dust had fallen off of the barrier stone, which was always shining, and the pale yellow peculiar to the andradite mana stone embedded in it was remarkable. It also looked rather expensive.

‘Though before we leaned against it without knowing a thing and drank together.’

Although their only light source was the gas lamp Arthur had brought, the barrier stone emitted enough light to brighten their surroundings. The internal barrier around the door wasn’t large, so Kleio had no difficulty reactivating it. As for the magic formula, [Defense] was enough. He remembered that Ezra had mixed in the [Acceleration] formula, but he had also wasted a mana stone that would be worth a lifetime’s salary.

‘It seems so long ago.’

Ezra, who had been performing outstandingly during this demonic incursion, had become rather famous. Listening to Dione, it seemed that in reality, he just liked to see the demons, so he volunteered to work overtime. As a result, he hadn’t found a chance to visit the Defense Force Institute. Aside from that, Kleio had his own work keeping him busy.

‘I’m busy every day not only taking care of my work, but contemplating all that has happened.’

It was a bit of relief when he was busy with all the chores around him, comfortable as he could focus his thoughts on the work before him.

“April’s here. If it were cold still, this would be terrible.”

Unlike Kleio, who wore his Coat of the Summer Garden, Arthur’s outfit wasn’t suited for the cold.

“If the temperature were zero, I would’ve bailed even if it required me to use my status as the dean’s research student. I’ve tasted enough of winter in Tristein’s estate. I don’t think I want to see snow for the next three years.”

“You’re trying to use that even before you produce research results? Wow! I’m disappointed with this child.”

“If you’re disappointed, what would you do?”

Kleio’s blunt expression, as if everything were bothersome, was usually what Arthur knew. In his opinion, Kleio was like this.

“Nothing to do. Still, the air is quite chilly when it gets dark, so it would be okay to have a cup to warm us up.”

Arthur pretended to lift a glass in the air and break it, the gesture so realistic that Kleio could practically see it.

‘Some distilled spirits would be nice.’

“Let’s have a quick nip.”

It was midnight. He wasn’t hungry because he had a late dinner, but the story was different when it came to alcohol. The two boys sat right in front of the barrier as Arthur quietly pulled out a paper bag from the cloth bag he was carrying. It clearly held alcohol and snacks. Arthur opened the bag, the light of the barrier stone shining brightly off the transparent glass bottle it was holding.

“Remember this?”

“I drank it a month ago, so how could I forget?”

It was the Three Springs specialty vodka from Tristein’s estate. Pulling the brown paper bag further revealed some salted pork chops made with garlic and salt as well.

“Where did you get this?”

“I have my ways.”

Arthur cut the meat thinly with his ether-injected dagger as Kleio watched on with admiration.

“It’s great. You could also use your sword like this.”

“I don’t want oil on my blade.”

It could be said to be a waste of ether, but the result was satisfactory.

‘It has to be done properly to get the right balance.’

While Arthur prepped the snacks, Kleio quickly applied [Cold] magic to the vodka bottle. Lowering the glass to a temperature where it wouldn’t shatter demanded a high degree of ether control, but he couldn’t complain about the results. Slamming back a shot of icy vodka before chewing on a piece of salted meat was indescribably exquisite.

“Kya.”

“Kyaah.”

Arthur and Kleio were of the same mind the moment the bottle was unsealed.

‘What about a cup?’

Kleio, who quietly emptied his glass, poured more for both him and Arthur.

“Oh, this. I think we’ll smell like alcohol and garlic even at dawn.”

“Use [Wash] with your magic.”

“But I can’t hide the smell entirely. Behemoth will be mad. He might scratch up the mattress this time, not just a carpet.”

Behemoth had torn through the carpet when he found out that Kleio had completely forgotten to bring back a bottle of Three Springs for him. After pouring the last cup of liquor, Arthur complained, sucking at his fingers.

“What kind of cat drinks alcohol and is as strong as a human?”

“Why are you cursing my cat? Don’t look down on him. If you feel it’s unfair, we can reorganize the pecking order.”

“Oh! What a nasty guy. Doesn’t he look down on me despite being a cat?”

“Wouldn’t anyone who sees it think Behemoth is a higher rank than you?”

“In some aspects.”

“Like belly fat…”

Kleio felt happy as he thought of Behemoth’s soft and fluffy belly.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing in my life. By that standard, Lei, aren’t you a perfect child?”

“I’m originally a small child.”

They downed the strong alcohol in a short amount of time, getting drunk, so the two quickly turned to making whimsical sounds. The context of their chat bounced around like a typical drinking conversation. Finally, Arthur licked his lips and pointed at his cheek.

“Tell me! Did you see that day? He struck me with his claws!”

“That’s why I cured you. Stop complaining. You’re eighteen.”

The battle that day had ended in Behemoth’s victory. The three wounds on Arthur’s cheek had to be healed by Kleio.

“You have a terrible habit. It’s a big deal to be bitten by a house beast.”

“Behemoth never bites me. He recognizes the source of his food well. What a great cat.”

“Wow.”

In reality, that great cat viewed him as his meal and drink servant, but Kleio couldn’t say that. He wrapped up the empty bottle and put it back into Arthur’s backpack. After destroying the evidence, all the remained was their intangible drunkenness.

“But you really won’t tell me what happened with Archbishop Istoria?”

Arthur’s face was flush with drunkenness, but Kleio wasn’t even buzzed with this amount of alcohol. His response came, completely sane.

“Uh.”