With sounds like cracking glass, the surrounding landscape began to crumble and fall away.
"The caster is dead, so this space is vanishing as well, I see," Grimo remarked.
"Well, my Grey Demon Divine Fang had already riddled it with holes anyway," I replied.
I had fired off a massive volley using Cyclic Casting. If I’d let even a fragment of him remain, he might have regenerated. Although I had optimized the efficiency, I had still used far too much large-scale magic. If the fight had dragged on any longer, I might have actually run out of mana.
The Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Army. He had certainly been a formidable foe.
"Um, Master Lloyd... I'm truly sorry. I don't even know how to apologize..."
"Hm? I told you not to worry about it, didn't I?"
Grimo was a magic body; there was no way he could have resisted being subjected to such overwhelming mana. Considering that, his betrayal was somewhat unavoidable.
"No! I turned my back on you! I can't just stay by your side like this. Please, give me some kind of punishment!"
Grimo flew out from my hand and prostrated himself, pressing his forehead against the dirt.
"I said I don't mind," I repeated.
"That will not do, Master Lloyd! A traitor must face judgment; otherwise, there is no way to maintain discipline!"
Jiriel was breathing heavily with indignation. Hmm. Albert often told me that as a member of the Saloom royal family, those who stand above others must act as a model for their subordinates.
It might have been unavoidable, but perhaps it wouldn't be good for Grimo himself if I gave him no punishment at all after he betrayed me once.
"...Alright. However, there’s no denying that we won because you turned on Vilfrey at the very end. Taking that into account, let's go with this."
I curled my middle finger and held it down with my thumb—a flick to the forehead. For a punishment, this seemed appropriate.
"I-Is that all? But..."
"Stop complaining. Here it comes."
I released the power stored in my finger against Grimo's forehead.
With a sharp thwack, Grimo was sent tumbling backward.
"Obuffuhhh!?"
He bounced across the ground multiple times, rolling until he slammed into the garden wall, only stopping once he’d carved a massive crack into the stone.
As Grimo slumped forward, a massive lump began to swell on his forehead.
...Ah. It seemed some residue from that Grey Demon Divine Fang was still on my finger.
"—I see. A punishment using the Grey Demon Divine Fang, weakened to a few thousandths of its power. For a betrayal, yet as a reward for returning at the final moment, I suppose this is a fitting sentence. A masterful command, Master Lloyd," Jiriel praised.
"...Ow, ow, ow... I thought my head was gonna split open. But I’m grateful you’d let me off with just this. Normally, I couldn't complain even if I was killed. Master Lloyd is as soft-hearted as ever... But that’s why I’m glad I came back to this side."
Grimo and Jiriel were muttering something to each other. They both seemed satisfied, so I suppose it worked out.
While thinking that, I watched the final remnants of the space collapse around us.
◆
"Aight then, since we're havin' a do-over for the tea party... cheers!"
The dry sound of clinking glasses echoed through the air. At the center of it all stood the Second Princess, Birgitte.
Sylpha and the others were there, of course, as was Albert—and on top of that, dozens of people from the academy had come as well.
"...Um, why did it end up like this again?"
The previous tea party had been cut short by Vilfrey’s interference. I had mentioned it to Albert the next day, and when he called for me today, I found this massive gathering.
Actually, with all the high-end cuisine and antiques lined up, I felt like this had far surpassed the level of a mere "tea party."
"Well, it's our job to clean up after our cute little brother's messes, ain't it?"
Birgitte answered my internal monologue from beside me.
"The tea party the other day—even if you were the host, it was still an event held by the Saloom royal family. Its failure would reflect poorly on our reputation. We gotta have a grand redo like this to wipe away any bad impressions. Albert, he really went all out, y'know? He went around callin' up everyone he knew, and that's how it turned into such a big deal. With him doin' all that, there was no way I could just sit back and not help out, right?"
So Albert had gathered the people, and Birgitte had made the arrangements.
I see. Even if I was the one hosting it, as a tea party of the Saloom royal family, it had to be something they wouldn't be ashamed of.
Normally, it wouldn't have been strange for them to stop me or force rigid etiquette on me. And yet, Albert had encouraged me so that I wouldn't feel nervous. To think he’d even go so far as to clean up the aftermath... I was truly grateful.
"...Well, I doubt Albert even sees it as a burden. He was all grins, talkin' about how he had to step up as a big brother since Lloyd finally relied on him. He's way too soft. Still, no matter how much we help, it wouldn't have turned out like this if Lloyd didn't have a certain level of popularity. As your big sister, I'm proud of ya... And besides, there's money to be made here. I'm gonna turn ya into a massive advertising tower. Later on, we'll have dramas, character merchandise—I’m gonna make a killin' off ya. For that, this much of an upfront investment is practically pennies. Nihishi..."
Birgitte was muttering something under her breath.
This was quite the gathering; she must have spent an incredible amount of money. I really had to thank her. ...She was laughing rather ominously, but I decided not to think about how creepy it was. Yes.
"Hello, Lloyd-kun."
"Hey, thanks for the help the other day."
The ones who called out to me were Noah and Gazel. Following their lead, I moved into the shadows where they were standing.
"I'm glad to see you both are doing well."
"Thanks to you. However, for you to hide such power... you're quite the trickster," Noah said.
"I'm with my brother on that. I mean, I get not wantin' to stand out, but there's a limit, y'know? ...Of course, we haven't told anyone else."
"I'm glad to hear that."
After the battle, I had descended before the two of them as they stared blankly at the sky. Jiriel had stepped in just as they were about to interrogate me, smoothing everything over. He’d had a very smug look on his face when talking to Grimo. Though, in reality, I was thankful for it.
"Regardless, thank you so much for holding such a wonderful gathering. I'm truly grateful."
"You were tryin' to get us to get along, weren't ya? Man, I can't believe you went through all this trouble just for somethin' like that."
...Come to think of it, I believe that was my initial goal. I wanted to improve their relationship so I could join both organizations and look for the Progenitor's Spell Formula, but I had completely forgotten about that.
I mean, I’d already been shown the sealing magic I was after, so this tea party didn't really have any meaning for me anymore. In fact, now it just meant I’d have less free time, and I wouldn't gain anything by belonging to the Student Council. That said, it would be hard to decline at this point. I wondered if I could just gloss over it somehow.
"Well, just like you planned, we've made up. ...By the way, brother, weren't we fighting over something regarding Lloyd?"
"We were arguing over which organization he should join."
"Oh, right, right."
Ugh, they remembered. I guess I had no choice but to apologize and ask them to forget about it.
"U-Um, actually, you see..."
"We're sorry!"
Just before I could apologize, the two of them bowed their heads in unison.
What was going on? As I stood there bewildered, they continued.
"We discussed it afterward, but neither of us has the capacity to lead someone like you."
"We were really shown how immature we are. We thought about quitting, but we can't exactly do that. We've both got our positions to maintain."
"Indeed. Therefore, we have decided to do this."
After exchanging a glance, the two of them knelt before me.
"B-Both of you!?"
"I, Noah Bordeaux, hereby pledge to serve under you from this moment forward."
"Gazel Bordeaux says the same. If there's anythin' you need, just say the word!"
As I stood there perplexed by their sudden actions, Grimo and Jiriel poked their heads out.
"It is only natural that they would react this way after being shown that incredible battle. Is this not a good outcome, Master Lloyd?" Jiriel asked.
"These two are influential figures in the academy; having their cooperation will make everything much easier for you, Master Lloyd," Grimo added.
...Hmm, Grimo and Jiriel might be right. I still have much to learn at this academy, and with their help, it would be easier to gain those opportunities. And besides, if I thought about it, there were some things I could only ask of them.
"I understand. If that's the case, I'll count on you both. ...By the way, there's something I'd like you to show me."
As the two of them tilted their heads in confusion, I spoke—
◇
"Ooh! This is amazing. I see, that sealing magic used this kind of spell formula. What an interesting way of thinking. As expected of the founder of magic."
I continued to flip through the pages with excitement. In my hands were the magic books on sealing magic said to have been written by William himself. I was currently in my room, engrossed in over a dozen of the original volumes.
"I mean, Master Lloyd, you can already use sealing magic on your own, so isn't it a bit late for this?" Grimo asked.
"What are you saying? Mine is an original that I mostly filled in with my imagination. Even if they look similar, they're completely different things."
"I think that's impressive enough on its own, though..."
Even if the effects were the same, reading the originals led to many more discoveries. Learning about them was what made it fun. Man, I was so glad those two were willing to lend them to me.
"No, no, they were quite reluctant..." Jiriel muttered.
"It seems they just gave in to Master Lloyd's persistence..." Grimo added.
Was that so? I didn't remember anything from that far back.
But even though it was ancient magic, it hadn't faded at all even by modern standards. So this was the spell formula of William Bordeaux. No wonder it could defeat someone like Vilfrey.
"...Hm, come to think of it, that guy called himself one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Army. Does that mean there are others?"
"Yeah. Ganjit Jilgadi of the Emerald, Sheraha Baleblue of the Azure, Zen D-Crow of the Black... all of them are powerhouses whose names echo through the Demon World. Since Vilf has been resurrected, there's a high chance those guys are lurking somewhere too. We might run into them before long."
"Nonsense! If it's Master Lloyd, there won't be any problem at all! The Grey Demon Divine Fang Master Lloyd created was incredibly powerful! With that, there is nothing to fear!"
"Hah, how optimistic, you shitty angel."
"You're awfully jumpy for a stupid Majin."
The two of them were arguing about something, but... hoho, so there were still three more people like that guy? That meant I’d have more chances to test out the Grey Demon Divine Fang. I’d thought it would be a waste to let it collect dust after I’d gone through the trouble of creating it.
"...But if they really have been resurrected, why are they staying hidden? Even if they're cautious of William's bloodline, they're far too quiet. Do they have some other objective? No, but..."
Grimo was muttering something, but if there was a chance to fight those guys, I’d welcome it. They say necessity is the mother of invention; I might be able to create even more new magic. And for that, there was one more thing I couldn't do without.
"Lloyd! You have a guest!"
Suddenly, Ren of the Poison Moth knocked on my door.
"Excuse me."
The one who entered with her was Connie. I had called for her.
"Hey, I'm glad you could come. Actually, I got my hands on some interesting books, and I thought you might like to read them with me."
"Oh, really...? Wha—?! T-These are the magic books of William Bordeaux?! And several originals at that... where on earth did you get these?!"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not supposed to disclose the source. But you want to read them, right?"
"Of course!"
Connie nodded vigorously, and as I suggested, she sat down in a chair and began to read voraciously.
That's right. The other thing I needed was comrades to share knowledge with. By sharing knowledge with more people, it encourages new inspirations and evolution in each person. Since Connie was well-versed in magic tool creation and spell formulas, she would likely have a different interpretation of these books than I did. By debating with her, I could gain even deeper knowledge as well.
"She's already in her own world. Lloyd, would you like me to pour some tea?"
"Thanks. By the way, Ren, how about you?"
"Ahaha... I tried reading a little bit, but it was far too difficult for me."
Ren said that and left the room.
Hmm. I wanted to hear the perspective of someone like Ren, who wasn't a mage. Still, Ren is talented. If I teach her, she should be able to understand to some extent. I’ll make sure she reads them thoroughly next time.
My academy life has only just begun. I plan to keep enjoying myself in all sorts of ways.
◆
A short time earlier. Three individuals were watching the battle between Lloyd and Vilfrey through a crystal ball.
Watching the conclusion and the subsequent disappearance of Vilfrey, all three had grave expressions.
"To think he would lose to a human, and a mere child at that... I find it hard to believe."
"Yes. Vilf was indeed from a lower-ranking noble family. He called himself the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, but his true strength wasn't that different from our own. To be defeated so one-sidedly regardless..."
"The second coming of William Bordeaux... no, he might be even more than that. I doubt even the three of us together could match him. Should we just raise the white flag? Hahaha."
Contrary to the voice, no one was laughing.
"...In all seriousness, I am not inclined to cross paths with that brat. However, we cannot raise a white flag either; humans and demons are incompatible existences."
"In that case, I suppose we have no choice but to carry out our objective before our presence is detected."
"Indeed. Which means the resurrection of our master, the Demon King—"
The man held his hand over the crystal ball, and the scene reflected within began to change.
The new image displayed was a student of the academy—Connie.
To be continued—