"Huh, what?"
Seria bent down and picked up the small object that had landed neatly before her.
It was a note.
She unfurled the piece of paper.
[Mana recharge needed.]
The contents of the note were written in a familiar, crooked handwriting.
One she had seen dozens, if not hundreds, of times.
'He must have written this with his off-hand.'
A clear intention of leaving no trace for her to guess his identity.
Such meticulousness.
Any other person would feel slighted, but not Seria.
She was just grateful that their connection remained unbroken.
If anything, her interest was piqued even more.
Looking in the direction from which the note had come, Seria murmured softly.
"Are you... there?"
With her words, a man dressed in a form-fitting black outfit revealed himself.
While not overly muscular, his physique was well-toned.
He wore a mask that fully covered his small face.
It was the same man she had seen a week ago.
He approached with steady steps and handed Seria another note.
The message was simple:
[Can you do it now?]
Of course she could. Even if she had prior commitments, she'd put it aside.
She had been looking forward to this moment for so long.
"Yes. There might be people nearby, and you seem to be in a hurry. Shall we go in right away?"
Pointing at the lab door with her slender, pale finger, the masked man nodded in agreement.
Seria gently smiled and opened the door to the lab.
The mana recharge was completed quickly.
It's neither difficult nor time-consuming.
Just place the hand over the mark of [Magic Cartridge] and infuse it with mana.
Feeling that the [Magic Cartridge] was now full of mana, I put back on my half-removed shirt.
Then, I handed Seria a note I'd prepared in advance that read,
[Thank you.]
After checking the note, a faint smile appeared on Seria's face.
"Do you really mean it?"
Instead of answering verbally, I expressed my gratitude with a big nod.
"Last time, you provided compensation... don't you have anything for me today?"
In response, I pulled out another note from my pocket.
[Today, I didn't prepare anything in particular. But for merely charging mana, I can't provide the same type of gift as before. However, if you charge my mana regularly, I'll ensure there's compensation.]
After reading the note, Seria responded,
"...Regularly. I see."
She smirked slightly and continued,
"So, you'll come to me next time, and the time after that?"
I nodded slowly.
I need Seria.
After the Academy Festival, first-year students of the Hero Department will actively need to seek out Aides.
Moreover, from the end of the first year, grades are assigned through team evaluations.
Seria's talents rival those of the genius mage, Andrew.
In fact, at this point, she might even surpass him.
Unlike the commoner Andrew, she, of noble lineage, had been naturally exposed to magic from birth.
Her choice of the Magic Department was due to her nature and personality, and also due to her father's wishes.
In any case, having an Aide in a Hero team is crucial.
Their importance cannot be overstated.
Perhaps it's best to think of the Hero as a squad leader and the Aide as a squad member.
Even individuals as strong as Neike or Piel would find it challenging to complete missions alone.
The power of an Aide isn't just about combat abilities.
It's their overall capabilities that matter, from information-gathering skills to their chemistry with the team.
Of course, since I lack combat prowess, it's best if I secure an Aide with strong capabilities.
Within the Academy, barring any special circumstances, a Hero is allowed up to four Aides.
One of those four should be Seria.
While lost in thought, Seria spoke up,
"Still, I'd like my reward right now."
"..."
"You know, you know quite a lot about me, but I don't even know who you are. Not even your age, whether you're a student or a staff member. Just who are you?”
"..."
I couldn't answer.
Now isn't the right time to reveal my identity.
That's why I've avoided giving any clues about who I am.
To be exact, 'for now,' I can't let her know who I am.
There's no telling what unexpected events might arise.
She also seems to be drawn to secretive and dangerous individuals.
I probably appear that way to her right now.
At the very least, I should charge my mana a few more times before coming clean.
However, right now... I don't have any compensation to offer.
Anything that can be bought with money, Seria can procure herself.
After all, she's the daughter of the Black Tower Master; money isn't an issue for her.
A reward should feel special to the one receiving it.
As I contemplated this and observed her silently, she said,
"I don't expect much. Just something you can give me right now."
It was as if she'd read my thoughts.
While I continued to look at her silently, she added,
"I won't ask to see your face. Just let me hear your voice."
Her expression was slightly melancholic.
'Just my voice...'
Well, there's no harm in that.
It would be hard for her to identify me by voice alone.
I nodded and was about to speak when she interrupted,
"Can you partially remove your mask? I want to hear a clearer voice."
"I can't,"
I replied, shaking my head.
By letting her hear my voice, I've already met her request.
There was no need to also remove my mask.
If I catered to her every wish now, she might think I'm someone easily swayed.
In a way, this is a realization I gained thanks to Siena.
The foundation of a relationship needs to be set right from the beginning.
It becomes harder to change as time goes on.
I looked straight into Seria's wide eyes and continued,
"That should be enough, Seria Lun* Hestia."
She remained silent, seemingly frozen.
Well, that should be sufficient for now.
"I should leave now. Thank you for today. See you next time."
With that, I exited her lab, leaving a stunned Seria behind.
I hurried back to the dorm.
Seria must have fully charged the [Magic Cartridge].
Also given her nature, she wouldn’t leave the academy out of nowhere...
Tomorrow, I'll have to cast [Focus] magic non-stop for Noctar and my orc friends.
'Hehe, look forward to it.'
I’ll grant them a concentration they’ve never felt before.
I’ll make them true elite orcs.
With that thought, I was about to enter my room when I felt something was off.
...Amy, who's always there to greet me, was missing.
'Did something happen?'
I left her in charge of Little Fist, so where did she go?
A divine beast and its master can generally sense each other's location.
Right now, Little Fist is nearby.
There's no reason for Amy to suddenly disappear.
I sneakily glanced at Amy's room.
Her door was slightly ajar.
Tuning in, I could hear Amy’s voice.
"Who's a good boy, Little Fist? Who's so cute~? I wonder who you take after~?"
I couldn’t believe my ears.
It was unmistakably Amy's voice.
A cheerful, high-pitched tone I’d never heard from her, who usually wore such a detached expression.
"Did you take after mommy~?"
─Pew, pew, pewww!
The dolphin-like sounds of Little Fist resonated.
He seemed rather delighted.
Unable to contain my curiosity, I stealthily approached the slightly opened door.
"Oh no, stop it, Little Fist~"
The sight through the crack made me doubt my eyes.
There was Amy, with an expression like a 17-year-old girl, fondly petting Little Fist who had leapt into her embrace.
'...She doesn’t even notice I’m here.'
And look at that overly excited pup.
Every time Amy caressed him, he nestled even closer to her chest.
I stood still for a moment, watching them.
Amy looked genuinely happy, a side of her I'd never seen in the game.
She must really love puppies.
Unaware of my presence, her bright laughter echoed.
"Hehehe, Little Fist, do you want to stay with me forever~?"
─Pew, pew, pewww!
"..."
Hmm, should I just head back to my room?
I don't need the stamina recovery effect today.
Since both of them seem happy, I should just leave them be.
Just as I was about to retreat to my room, I heard:
"Yo... Young Master?"
Amy’s voice floated from the gap in the door.
It'd be weird not to reply.
"Yes, I'm back, Amy."
Squeak─
With Little Fist in her arms, Amy opened the door and looked at me.
"Ah, when did you come back?"
Her pupils weren't just shaking; they were trembling as if an earthquake was taking place.
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*I change Rune Hestia to Lun Hestia to match the other middle names of the other characters
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