The academy was located inside a huge city several times larger than Greenhild.
This city did not belong to any country and maintained an independently developed appearance, befitting a neutral zone that embraced many countries’ cultures.
The city was divided into four districts centered around the academy, and the place Lena and I were going to today was called the Magic District.
“He-hehehe…”
Lena’s eyes began to sparkle as soon as we entered the district.
She must be happy to see magic items and ingredients since she’s a mage.
“Is there anything you need?”
“Uh. Y-yes. Some p-potions and catalysts…”
“If there’s anything else you want, tell me. I’ll buy it for you.”
“I don’t particularly n-need anything…”
“Really? Like a staff or robe…”
“I… h-have the ones you gave me, Master.”
“You’re still using those?”
“Yes…”
Lena nodded, tightly hugging the Shadow Robe and Staff of Mana I had given her.
Of course, the Staff of Mana and Shadow Robe are good artifacts, but as an Archmage of the Ivory Tower, she should be able to use better ones.
This kid has too little ambition.
“It’s not good to live too modestly. Sometimes it’s important to act according to your desires.”
“I-is that so?”
“Yeah. Desire is the driving force that makes people grow.”
Lena looked up at me and grabbed my arm.
Just like when she used to walk with me before.
Even though she was no longer a young child, Lena grabbed my arm like a child with a slightly frightened face and carefully said,
“…E-even if it’s just for today, c-can I hold your arm like this…?”
“Sheesh. Is it okay for the esteemed Colorless Archmage to act like a child like this?”
“I-it’s something I w-want to do…”
“Okay, okay.”
Lena’s face turned red when I teased her, but she didn’t let go of my arm.
Is it because she wanted to do it that much?
If so, I should let her.
With Lena holding onto me like that, I walked around the Magic District with her.
It was my first time in the Magic District, too, so there were many interesting things.
Sometimes, it seems like I need to wander around carefree like this…
“Oh? Isn’t that Master Lee?”
That’s when I heard a familiar voice. Looking in that direction, I saw two familiar faces.
“Oh… Laila? Long time no see.”
It was Laila and Sowol.
Did they come out shopping?
Walking with coffee in their hands, the two noticed Lena and me and walked over.
“Uh, ugh.”
Perhaps because of Laila, Lena gripped my arm tightly.
And she approached me from behind, almost hugging me, and pressed against me.
This kid. Her shyness is still the same.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“I’m always the same. But you were here too, Laila?”
“As a maid… I have to attend to Lady Sowol, you know.”
“Didn’t you also enroll in the academy?”
“Haha. I wish, but I have to juggle the work of the church and the Eastern Merchant Group. And I also have to support Lady Sowol, who is at the academy… I really have no time…”
It seems Laila is still taking care of Sowol.
I turned my eyes to Sowol, standing beside Laila and smiling at me.
I don’t know what’s so good, but the smile wouldn’t leave her face.
But somehow, her eyes don’t seem to be smiling.
“But why did you two come to the Magic District?”
In a way, the one who least fits with magic would be Sowol.
Why would the Church’s Sword Saint, who has perfectly mastered the Moonlight Sword, come to the Magic District?
When I expressed curiosity, she stared straight at me with the same smiling face and said,
“Just… There are some things I want to check out!”
“Some things?”
“There are such things! By the way, Lena?”
“Eek, eek.”
“Aren’t you sticking too close to Master? You’ll make Master uncomfortable!”
Lena, who was almost hugging me, stuck even closer to me as if she was scared of Sowol’s momentum.
Seeing that, Sowol was about to say something more when Laila stopped her with a smile.
“Now, now, Lady Sowol. Let’s do this later and get going.”
“Ugh. Let go of…! Geez!”
That kid. Her temper.
I approached Sowol, who was struggling while being held by Laila.
Even though I approached, Sowol glanced at me with puffed-up cheeks and a sulky face.
– Poke!
“Ah! Really!”
When I firmly pressed her puffed-up cheek with my finger, a deflating sound was heard.
Sowol shouted with a reddened face.
This side of her really hasn’t changed from the old days.
Finding it cute, I ruffled Sowol’s hair roughly.
“Saint, have you finished your homework?”
“I finished it all!”
“I’m glad you’re diligent.”
“You’re glad…! Ahem! Diligence is a virtue that a saint should possess!”
“Then read the material for tomorrow’s class as well. I’ll check on you later.”
“Do you really mean it?!”
“Of course.”
“Understood! Then please wait and trust me! Hohohoho!”
Sowol quickly became in a good mood, grabbed Laila’s arm and moved.
I waved back at Laila, who waved at me while being dragged by her. Then, Lena approached me from behind and said in a small voice,
“I… I a-also finished my h-homework…”
“Really? Well done. As expected of my disciple.”
“Eh-ehehehe~.”
Seeing her happy smile made me feel good too.
Well then, shall we look around some more?
We couldn’t go around the quite large Magic District all in one day.
Lena and I bought just the right amount of things, so we headed to a cafe that was quite famous in the Magic District.
“Uh… C-can I go in th-there?”
There were quite a lot of people in the open cafe.
Even though it was a cafe inside the Magic District, it seemed to be a famous place, so there were quite a few people who weren’t mages.
The inside was particularly noisy, perhaps because there were many lively people that Lena didn’t like very much.
“Someone told me this place is good.”
“W-who?”
“Alicia.”
She seems to know good places well since she has a lively personality and likes to wander around.
When I asked Alicia where it would be good to go out with Lena, she recommended this place.
“I-is that so? Then…”
As if she had gathered her courage, Lena put strength into the hand holding my arm.
Her spirit of challenge is admirable.
Even though she was nervous, she didn’t give up on going with me. As we entered the cafe, it happened.
“Hmm… There are no seats.”
Since there are many people, there are no empty seats.
I was looking around, thinking of just buying coffee and leaving.
“Wow! Teacher!!”
“Hello, Instructor.”
A blonde beauty and a red-haired woman sat in a good spot in the cafe. Alicia and Riina.
The two, wearing pretty casual clothes instead of uniforms and enjoying their day off, were literally as beautiful as a picture.
“Did you really come here?! I’m so happy!”
“I didn’t expect to meet here.”
“Ah. Well, Alicia said she wanted to study here…”
“Sometimes you have to study at a cafe too! And I had to go shopping!”
“Are you a cafe study addict? You’re not causing too much trouble for the store, are you?”
“Mm! We ordered a lot too?!”
Alicia, speaking in her characteristically lively tone, looked towards the cafe owner. Seeing the owner give a thumbs up, it seemed they really did order a lot.
“Really? Ah. A seat is opening up here. Can we sit?”
“Yeah! Of course!”
Alicia quickly emptied the seat next to her.
I wonder what they bought since they said they went shopping.
Peeking inside the paper bag, I saw things like potions and catalysts.
“Earlier, it seemed like Sowol also came to buy potions and catalysts. Are you preparing for the next class?”
“Yep! It’s a basic magic defense class.”
“It might be a boring class for an Archmage.”
“Oh, n-no. It’s a class where you can r-reconfirm the direction of magic. I… I-I’m looking forward to it too… But. Um. Miss Alicia…”
“Huh?! What?!”
“D-didn’t you say you were going to the library today…?”
“Ahaha~ Change of plans!”
“I-I see…”
While nodding with a somewhat regretful expression, a waiter approached.
I was looking at the menu, wondering what to order, when Lena slightly leaned towards me.
“M-Master. I want to try this.”
What Lena chose was a fluffy-looking pancake with a neat and pretty decoration that girls would like.
I didn’t know Lena liked this kind of thing. Next time they sell something like this, it would be good to buy it for her separately.
“Oh. It’s a couple’s menu. Then this and… two cups of coffee should do, right?”
“He-hehehe. Yes!”
“Couple’s menu…”
Then I heard Alicia’s small voice next to me, so I turned my head and saw that her usually smiling face had become expressionless.
“Alicia?”
“Huh? What?”
Did I see it wrong?
A smile that suited her pretty face well was on her face.
Hmm, yeah. I must have seen it wrong.
There’s no way Alicia, who’s like the sun, would make an expression that reeks of that slimy energy earlier.
“If you two want to eat something more, order it. I’ll treat you.”
“Wow! Really?! Thanks! Teacher!”
“Thank you!”
When Alicia and Riina, who were happily looking at the menu, were choosing this and that, the food we ordered came out.
Hmm. This definitely looks delicious.
I was about to drink a sip of the bitter coffee and eat the pancake when Lena, who had already cut the pancake, hesitated and held out a piece of pancake with lots of whipped cream, stabbed with a fork.
“M-Master.”
“Yes?”
“Ah, ahhh~.”
She’s excited.
Is it because we came outside?
I was about to open my mouth with a smile when I felt a gaze staring intently at me.
Once again. The smile had disappeared from Alicia’s face.