Chapter 17
Following behind, a blonde student approached where Ethan and Bien were and lifted the rabbit by both ears. This part was rough. It also caught his eye that she was quite tall, taller than Bien but shorter than Ethan. Ethan recalled that this student was originally from a knightly family lineage. She let her hair, braided into three strands, hang forward over her left shoulder. There were no special decorations, so it wasn't flashy, but it took a lot of effort. To prepare this from the morning, she would need to be diligent or have someone help her. It was aristocratic. It was actually one of the traditional hairstyles in the Kardien royal family.
Maiya Onyx hugged the rabbit and said,
"Ah, sorry. Did my familiar interrupt your meal?"
The brown rabbit chewed its mouth and spoke in a husky voice.
"May you all be cursed."
Maiya smiled awkwardly and patted the rabbit. The rabbit burrowed into Maiya's embrace.
"Weavre, you shouldn't say such things."
"I am the void."
"Okay. I'm sorry. I'll give you a snack when we go back to the room."
"The flesh of life will wither and dry."
"Yes. Dried apples."
Maiya said,
"He's a bit of a chatty familiar."
Bien couldn't ignore it and pointed out,
"It doesn't just seem like he's chatty."
"It's because the familiar isn't properly attuned. I'm not skilled at handling familiars."
"Hmm, that's not true. Not many people in our year handle familiars. You should have confidence in your own abilities."
"Thank you."
Ethan said,
"My father also had a familiar that wouldn't listen. I often saw that familiar while helping with the family chores. That familiar disliked people and would bite guests, so it was usually kept locked up, making it hard to see unless it was next to my father. But there was a time when it escaped during a festival, causing a commotion. After that, my father didn't make me do chores."
Maiya asked,
"You? Why?"
"Because I let that familiar loose. I didn't want to do chores."
Maiya laughed.
Bien said,
"Why did you do that? Looking at your magic skills, wouldn't being a scribe be better than coming to a magic school?"
"What are you talking about? I'm a man who passed Basic Magic Practice."
"You're a man who would fail Basic Magic Practice. How can you pass Basic Magic Practice with only Body Enhancement Magic?"
Maiya laughed even louder.
"This is Bien, and you're... Ethan, right?"
"It's the first time we're formally introducing ourselves, Maiya."
Bien also bowed his head.
Maiya looked at Ethan and Bien with narrowed eyes.
"Seeing you two together is unexpected. Were you originally close?"
It was rare to see the top student of the year and a failing student candidate together. And Yurmus Magic School students knew who was close and who wasn't after half a semester. If there was no explanation, it would be awkward.
Bien glanced at Ethan. Although it wasn't obvious from his appearance, Ethan knew it was a look asking for help.
Ethan put his arm around Bien's shoulder and said,
"I decided to join the Combat Magic Society following Bien. Right?"
Ethan had not yet discussed this with Bien. It was an unagreed-upon statement, and Bien seemed surprised but answered while adjusting his glasses.
"That's right."
"Combat magic, huh? Not very aristocratic."
Along with that remark, a Quest window popped up before Ethan's eyes.
[Quest Activated!!]
[Quest: Find evidence that Maiya Onyx is a black mage (C)]
[Quest Activated!!]
[Quest: Become close with Maiya Onyx (D)]
To find evidence that Maiya was a black mage, he naturally had to increase opportunities to interact with Maiya. And to increase opportunities for interaction, he naturally had to become close with her. Ethan knew this was a chance to dig deeper.
Ethan said suggestively,
"Are you sure about that?"
"What do you mean?"
Ethan said,
"There comes a time when a mage must inevitably use combat magic."
"For example?"
"Family Wars."
Among non-mage nobles, especially royalty, a struggle fierce enough to be called a war often occurred to maintain their lineage and power. Despite this, it wasn't called a family war. This was because everyone knew about it, but outwardly, they pretended such things didn't happen. While discussions about the power struggle might occur in social gatherings, audience chambers, or private quarters, they weren't officially documented. However, mages were different.
Unlike typical nobles where the position of minor head of the household was passed to the eldest son or daughter through 'eldest inheritance,' within a mage family, each mage was eligible to inherit the headship. Why? Because, unlike non-mages who had roughly similar talents, the difference in power between siblings in a mage family was not symmetrical. Just like in non-mage families, if everything was inherited by an untalented eldest sibling, it could cause dissatisfaction from a younger sibling with strong power. The head could give the minor headship to the strongest younger sibling, but not all mage siblings had such biased talents. Therefore, the Family War was introduced as an official procedure for conflicts between siblings or relatives within a mage family.
It aligned with the interests of non-mage nobles, led by the king, as it reduced the power of mages, and mages could also protect their right of succession within the family. Above all, there was an agreement that the Family War format could prevent greater chaos and damage.
Family Wars differed depending on the family and the rules set by the head, but generally, one had to kill, subjugate, or expel all other siblings. In this case, combat was unavoidable.
Maiya slightly shook her head at Ethan's words.
"No. I won't have a Family War. There's too much age difference between me and my other siblings. When my younger siblings are old enough, I plan to find good marriage prospects for them."
There were various ways to expel siblings, and marriage was the gentlest method. Since not all mages were ambitious, Family Wars could end peacefully if there was a large difference in power between siblings. Of course, Ethan knew about this aspect as well.
'The Family War was just something I brought up to start a conversation.'
Ethan said,
"That's fortunate. But even if that's not the case, mages often face threats. Non-mage nobles covet the land and resources mages possess and constantly pick fights, and royals fear mages and send assassins. Above all, challenges to steal fellow mages' secrets are a problem."
For these reasons, just as knights learned horsemanship, spearmanship, and swordsmanship, mages also had a certain level of aptitude in self-defense magic. However, such self-defense magic was only a part of combat magic.
"I also have enough ability to protect myself. That method doesn't necessarily have to be combat magic, does it? If it's disadvantageous, it's better to choose fleeing than confronting."
Self-defense magic assumed escape, defense, and duels between individuals if fighting occurred. Mages tended to consider situations beyond that unnecessary.
"If a mage has to fight against many enemies, it must be because that mage didn't handle themselves properly. A great mage knows where they are and where they need to go. They mustn't get lost."
It was a sound argument. If Maiya had been an ordinary mage, Ethan wouldn't have thought about trying to pique her interest in combat magic any further. But Maiya wasn't an ordinary mage; she was a black mage.
"Maiya, are you confident you won't get lost?"
"What? Of course..."
Maiya, who was about to respond like that, trailed off and looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping.
<Indeed, a black mage wouldn't be so confident.>
<Is that born from experience?>
Of course, Ethan had no intention of probing Maiya about being a black mage at this moment. Maiya would naturally deny it, and he would arouse significant suspicion.
"Combat magic is useful in times of crisis. For example, learning methods to overcome a situation where you're being chased by numerous enemies. If you don't prepare in advance, you'll be helpless."
Bien asked, looking puzzled.
"In life... does such a thing happen?"
Ethan and Maiya said simultaneously,
"It does." "It probably does."
Ethan added by way of explanation,
"For example, the Kardien Kingdom where the Onyx family resides is constantly under pressure from the Arnesia Empire. Although it doesn't seem like they're facing war yet, you never know. If the King of Kardien requests it, the Onyx family will be summoned, and perhaps even Maiya, as the minor head, might have to go to the battlefield."
Ethan would have thought it an excessive imagination in his previous life, but knowing that Imperial spies were hidden even in Yurmus, he speculated it would naturally be even worse in Kardien, which bordered the Empire. It didn't necessarily have to be true. Maiya was a black mage, and as a black mage, being tracked by the Council of Mages, even if not the Empire, was something that could happen at any time.
Maiya said,
"...That's an unpleasant assumption, but considering bad situations isn't necessarily bad."
"Right?"
Ethan said,
"If it's okay, how about you also join the Combat Magic Society?"
"Well... I'll think about it."
After Maiya left, Bien said,
"Do you think Ms. Maiya will join?"
"Well. But trying won't have a negative impact, will it?"
"More than that, Mr. Ethan, how do you... are you confident you can join the Combat Magic Society?"
"What do you think it looks like to you?"
"I think it'll probably work out, but Senior Rinave Promorus, who is the society chairman, is a fickle person, so I can't be sure. She's very playful and sometimes changes her words depending on her mood."
Ethan said,
"Don't worry."
∞
After finishing their meal, the two headed to the Combat Magic Society's communal workshop. As it happened, the society chairman Rinave, characterized by her long blonde hair that seemed to flow down, dark skin, and a rhombus-shaped mark on the bridge of her nose, was in the workshop.
When Ethan stated his purpose of wanting to join the Combat Magic Society, Rinave said,
"No."
Her stance was firm, unlike in his previous life, so Ethan was somewhat taken aback.
"Why?"
Rinave said,
"You're using Body Enhancement Magic, aren't you? There are many mages who also use Body Enhancement Magic, but there are no combat specialists who only use Body Enhancement Magic. Basic Magic Practice is a test that evaluates a mage's minimum capability, and using Body Enhancement Magic there proves you have no aptitude for other magic. How is that any different from a knight?"
"Well, you make a valid point. But can't I even take a test?"
"...Hmm."
Ethan didn't think Rinave's attitude was peculiar. While no mage disliked Body Enhancement Magic itself, a mage was recognized for their value by being distinct from non-mages. To those who thought this way, if someone did something that non-mages could also do, they weren't really a mage. Perhaps, in his previous life, when he passed the Basic Magic Practice test with fireworks, she must have pitted him against an automaton simply out of curiosity to see how Ethan would win.
'She's a person with a bad personality.'
Ethan judged that if he pushed a little harder, he might be able to fight the automaton as he did before, but he quickly changed his mind.
"Then let's do this, Senior."
"How?"
"Let's make a bet. We'll bet on whether the proposition 'Ethan Dora Charasen joins the Combat Magic Society' is true or false."
"What are you talking about? That's not even about whether you join or not."
"You say you don't want me to join, but I think I will join. If your thought isn't wrong, you'll accept the bet, and if not, you won't."
"Whether you join is something I decide, though?"
"I know."
"What do you want? By the way, I don't particularly want anything from you."
Ethan mentioned the cake his sister Arka sometimes bought as a gift in Yurmus city. Rinave seemed to know about it.
"You mean 'Corner Bakery', right?"
"I don't particularly know the name of the shop."
"If Arka mentioned it, that must be the place. It's on the corner of the city square, so it's the Corner Bakery. It's run by a baker and a cook from the south. All the ingredients are also brought in from the south."
"Let's make it about buying a cake from there."
Yurmus Magic School and Yurmus city were three hours away on foot one way. Taking a carriage was an hour and a half round trip, but even excluding the horse and carriage rental fees and driver's wages, getting bruises on one's backside from the rattling carriage was quite an ordeal.
Rinave said,
"Bien, your friend is smart. To use a cake as a bribe. If I were to claim that 'Ethan Dora Charasen joins the Combat Magic Society' is a true proposition, I'd be forced to let you join the Combat Magic Society just to get the cake. But you underestimated me too much. A fresh cream cake made with fresh Yurmus ingredients and mysteriously puffed up dough from the south, layered with various fruit jams and topped with candied fruits, is certainly incredibly delicious, but I am someone who can separate public and private matters. I will say that you cannot join the Combat Magic Society. In this case, the bet itself won't be established, will it?"
"No. I will argue that 'Ethan Dora Charasen joins the Combat Magic Society' is a true proposition, so the bet is established."
"...You're just going to buy me a cake without even being able to join?"
"What are you going to do?"
Rinave looked at Ethan suspiciously and said,
"Alright. Let's do that. And since I won't let you join, you'll have to buy me a cake."
"Before that, I should check... Ah!"
Ethan saw the person he was going to look for opening the workshop door and appearing, and waved.
"Professor Rebilton, hello!"
Rebilton responded with a smile.
"Ah, young Ethan. Did you come to join the Combat Magic Society?"