By Zephyria 
Why is she doing that over there?
Well, whatever.
There’s no one else around, so it’s a good thing.
I immediately approached her. Now that we were alone, I could fully ask about the intentions of the last incident.
“Ah….”
As I approached, the sparrows flew far away, and Newt stretched out an exclamation as if she was disappointed. I sat on the edge of the pavilion, which was made for people to sit on, and looked back at her.
“I had something I wanted to ask you.”
“Hmph, something you want to ask. What is it?”
Newt, dusting off her seat and getting up, asked back in her arrogant and old man-like tone, and looked back at me as well. I asked her directly.
“I heard that you gave me an Elixir to use when I was attacked by Balkan before… why did you do that? There shouldn’t have been any reason for you to save me.”
“Hmph. I was wondering what you were going to say, but it’s that.”
Newt let out a long breath and plopped down in the seat opposite me. She crossed one leg over the other and said.
“Because I heard a voice.”
“……?”
“The voice of my dead grandfather.”
The voice of her dead grandfather.
While I was pondering the meaning of those words, Newt, who had turned her head and looked far away, continued to speak after a moment of silence.
“I don’t know why, but my grandfather’s thoughts dwelling in the Elixir wanted to save you. The only reason I saved you was that. Otherwise, why would I have used that precious Elixir on you?”
Then Newt lowered her head and pouted her lips. Somehow, her grumbling appearance seemed very listless.
“…….”
I was lost in thought for a moment, pondering her words. Dead grandfather. The thoughts of her dead grandfather dwelling in the Elixir. And soon I realized.
‘Ah. So that’s it.’
There are several routes for the process of creating an Elixir.
One of them is to liquefy and refine the ‘Post-Mortem Mana’ that flows out when an old dragon dies and returns to nature.
However, in order for Post-Mortem Mana to be liquefied and become an Elixir, the will of the dead dragon who wants it to be so must remain strong, so no one else could intentionally create it.
So….
The Elixir that was used on me was a kind of memento of a dead dragon, and Newt Alkabas, who calls that dragon grandfather.
“You… were you a dragon?”
It was highly likely that she wasn’t an ordinary human.
“He was my grandfather, but I’m a half. A mixed-blood.”
Newt smiled and answered.
A mixed-blood. Anyway, it seemed I had guessed the origin correctly.
“…Weren’t you reluctant to use it on me? No matter how much the thoughts wanted it, there was definitely an option not to use it.”
“I was reluctant! Ugh. But what could I do? I wanted to respect my grandfather’s will…. Because he was a grandfather I really liked. And if I didn’t use it then, I felt like I would regret it for the rest of my life.”
Newt grumbled, looking very sullen.
I was silent for a moment.
The thoughts of the Old Dragon dwelling in the Elixir wanted to save me. It was a very questionable point.
We’re strangers, so why?
However, it had already been used and was gone. Now there was no way to ask or find out. She also said that she didn’t know why her grandfather’s thoughts wanted to save me.
“…It’s a bit late, but thank you then.”
“Hmph.”
“I’ll repay you soon. I also want to apologize for misunderstanding you, thinking you had other intentions.”
“Repay?”
Newt, who had been sullen until just now, sparkled her eyes. When I asked if there was something she wanted, she joked that ‘it’s not like that, but anything that’s delicious or good for me is fine.’
So, in the end, she meant that she wanted delicious food or something beneficial as a reward.
I don’t know if she’s being honest or not… Anyway. It was easier for me if she had something specific she wanted.
“Then the question is over, right? I’ll be going now.”
Newt, who had a brighter face than before, jumped up. When I nodded, she soon left the Maze Garden with light steps.
I thought about what I should repay her with and opened the Magic book.
After the sun had set and it was dark, I checked the time and closed the Magic book and went straight back to the dormitory. Herman, who was supposed to be back in the evening, seemed to have returned a little while ago and was drying his washed hair.
“Ray. Where have you been?”
“I was in the Maze Garden for a while.”
“Hmm. What’s that? A Magic book?”
Herman, with curiosity, peeked at the book tucked under my arm.
But I couldn’t find a reason to answer him, so I didn’t reply and roughly put the Magic book in the bookshelf and put the letter sent by the family of this body in the drawer.
Then Herman didn’t ask any more questions and concentrated on drying his hair again.
The next day.
When I entered the lecture room to attend the morning class, Zeon and Tom greeted us as always. What wasn’t ‘as always’ there… was Ardian sitting right behind the two of them. Tom was even sitting with his body turned towards Ardian, as if they were talking to each other.
Was that why?
Tom’s expression, when he looked this way, was brighter than usual.
“Ray.”
As I approached, Ardian gently tugged at my sleeve.
It was a signal to sit next to him.
Herman, seeing that, glanced at me with eyes that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. For a moment, a sense of tension seemed to prick my skin, but I didn’t know why.
Just because I wanted to keep my enemies close as usual and because I was annoyed by the idea of a war of nerves, I turned a blind eye to Ardian’s antics, and Herman also averted his gaze and sat next to Tom, who was empty, and the tension was resolved.
Not long after, Polargehen came in.
He put a thick book on the podium and said.
“As you all know, the festival period starts next week.”
I didn’t know.
“Wow!”
“Professor! Is the Colosseum open during this festival too?”
It seemed like I was the only one who didn’t know.
As if they had been waiting for that remark, violent reactions erupted from here and there, and Polargehen calmed the children by banging the corner of the book on the podium.
“Quiet. I’ll explain everything without being urged. First… I should explain about the Colosseum Ranking Battle first.”
Then, after a brief pause, Polargehen continued.
“The Colosseum Ranking Battle is, so to speak, a competition to pick the ‘strongest person in the school.’ Those who are in the top 3 in the final ranking will receive various benefits. Only a minimum of one and a maximum of four participants can apply based on Class A, so let’s decide who will participate today in advance.”
A competition to pick the strongest person in the school….
Then it seemed like many small humans who were good at using strength would participate.
In this two-year academy, there were humans one grade above me, so quite a few new faces would appear.
I might be able to check out other young sprouts who might become my enemies someday in advance. Thinking about it, I was intrigued.
“And there’s one more thing you need to prepare… the ‘Class Stage’ that is presented before the ball that takes place after the festival schedule is over, called the finale. All the students in the class must participate and prepare for this, and you must inform the school by this Friday what you will show, so let’s slowly match opinions from today.”
“Professor! Is the theme of the Class Stage completely free?”
“Yes. You can do a play or a performance.”
“Wow!”
“Okay, then let’s start the class now. It’s good to have fun, but the midterm exam period is right after the festival.”
Polargehen urged the children without giving them a chance to get excited. It was a story that would have caused complaints under normal circumstances, but since the other party was Polargehen, the children opened their books without complaint.
“It’ll be fun, right?”
While flipping through the pages and amidst the brief commotion, Ardian whispered in a voice small enough for only me to hear. When I glanced over, he had a beautiful smile like a fully bloomed flower on his lips as always.
After watching that figure for a while, I didn’t particularly affirm or deny it and turned my gaze back to the book.
As Polargehen wrote the class content on the blackboard and proceeded, the chaotic atmosphere gradually changed to a calm and focused atmosphere.
“You know that there are four properties of Mana. This Mana resonates with Mana Hearts that have the same properties, and that soon forms an Affinity, and there is a compatibility in this Affinity. For example, the Creation System is incompatible with the Power System. So people with Creation System Mana Hearts….”
I listened to Polargehen’s explanation.
In summary, the Creation System and the Power System were incompatible, so it was very difficult to learn each other, and this relationship was the same for the Transformation System and the Evocation System.
On the other hand, the Power System and the Evocation System were similar to each other, so it was very easy to learn, and the Creation System and the Transformation System were also like that.
As someone who handles all Affinities equally, it was unfamiliar knowledge.
At that time, I felt something catch on my finger, so I glanced over.
It was a white and slender finger, yet with prominent joints that made me think it was a man’s. When I turned my head a little more, I saw Ardian resting his chin on one hand and fiddling with my finger, not concentrating on the class.
He wasn’t concentrating on the class.
When I quietly pulled my hand inward and took it out, he smiled again as if he was so happy.
And as always, Ardian tore off the end of the note and scribbled something diligently and then slid the note to me.
[Can I try interlacing fingers?]
It was a note with content that I couldn’t understand the intention of.