The Academy Regressor is Obsessed

“…♪”

In the end, Asel moved his steps to the dormitory with Ena. He tried to persuade her somehow, but it was too much to break Ena’s stubborn persistence. Magicians never bend their will once they’re set on something. How much more stubborn would a great magician be?

So Asel gave up on persuading her. Instead, he walked towards the dormitory, layering perception-inhibiting magic to avoid being noticed by others. Ena seemed pleased with just that, humming a small tune.

Asel looked down at her for a while, then turned his head with a grin.

Yeah, what could happen with someone he’s known since before his hair was dry? His teacher probably has no ulterior motives, so he just needs to be careful on his side.

Thinking that, he walked side by side with Ena.

Not long after, they arrived in front of the dormitory. The atmosphere of Weasel, which he was seeing after a long time, wasn’t much different from when he saw it before. However, it still felt quite bleak as there were still no people.

Probably when the midterm exams start and there’s a large-scale movement in rankings, this place will become quite crowded too. Until then, it will continue to be quiet.

“Hm hm hm…”

A maid was sweeping the floor at the entrance. A woman with a plain impression. She hummed softly while thoroughly pushing the broom into every corner. Asel entered the dormitory, avoiding her.

The first-floor hall he was seeing after a long time. The head maid, Lacey, could be seen sitting at a table looking at documents. She was slightly frowning as if something was bothering her. Ena looked at her and muttered softly.

“…She’s pretty.”
“You’re prettier, Master.”

Asel answered without thinking, then turned to look at her with a start, worried that she might have felt uncomfortable with the sudden appearance evaluation.

“…R-Really? Thank you…”

But far from showing displeasure, Ena muttered in a tiny voice, then quickly moved towards the stairs, covering her flushed face with her hair. It was a gait that seemed happy at a glance. Asel let out a sigh of relief and called out to her.

“My room is up the opposite stairs!”
“…”

Tap tap tap tap.

Ena turned her body towards the opposite stairs.

When he placed his hand on the lock that opens by recognizing the mana pattern, a clicking sound was heard from beyond the tightly closed dormitory door.

It was the sound of the lock opening. Asel immediately opened the door and entered the room. Ena followed behind him.

The dormitory room he returned to after a long time wasn’t much different from before. It was thanks to various daily magic spells he had laid out because he was too lazy to clean, which continued to operate. The warning magic was still solid, so it seems no one had tried to forcibly intrude.

His worry that Grace might have barged in drunk again flew away. Asel threw his coat and necktie on the sofa, then smiled as he looked at Ena who was looking around the room.

“Shall I get you something to drink?”
“Yeah. Water would be fine.”
“Just a moment.”

Asel took out two cups of appropriate size from the kitchen, leaving Ena who was looking around barefoot behind.

He manifested water flow magic inside them. He filled them with water until just before they were full.

Not long after, the cups were filled with water to the point where the surface rippled. Asel brought them over with telekinesis magic and plopped down on the sofa.

At some point, Ena had taken off her coat and carefully sat down next to him.

Perhaps because she was barefoot? Her small wriggling toes were fully visible.

Asel grinned and handed her a cup. Ena took it with a small smile.

“Thanks.”

Asel didn’t answer separately. Instead, he responded with a smile and drank the cold water.

As the cold liquid went down his throat, he felt even more calm. He looked up at the shining ceiling and took off the glasses he had been wearing all day. Then a momentary sharp pain heated his eyeballs and even his brain.

Still, it’s better than before. Back then he could barely open his eyes, but now he could endure it.

Probably thanks to the number of potential magic eyes gradually being reduced.

‘All the magic eyes corresponding to types have disappeared, and now only those related to formulas or magical power remain.’

He had already grasped all the effects of the magic eyes. However, he hadn’t chosen which one to take yet. Choosing one was difficult because the effects of other magic eyes kept lingering. He wanted to bundle them all together to create a new magic eye, but that wasn’t so easy.

So he needed a little more time. To bundle the magic eyes and make them into one right now, he had to directly look into a mirror and explore the magic eyes, going through the process of picking out only the subtle principles contained within. A laborious task that takes a long time and requires enduring the accompanying pain.

But he had no intention of giving up. The thought of choosing just one had long since flown away. It was an opportunity that had finally come. He intended to be greedy for once.

Thinking that, Asel put his glasses back on. Then the pain subsided and his vision became clear.

“…Does it still hurt?”

Ena, who had been staring at him, asked. Asel smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“It’s much better than at first. I think I’ll be able to open my magic eye and heal completely before the temporary break ends.”
“That’s good. Let me know if you need help. I’ll help anytime.”
“Yes.”

Asel answered with a smile, then adjusted his position and continued speaking.

“More importantly, I’ll go down for a moment. I need to tell the head maid that I’ve returned.”
“Ah… Okay? I got it. Go ahead. I’ll take a bath.”
“Alright. You can wear any clothes from the wardrobe in the bedroom… Ah, you can just clean the clothes you wore with magic.”
“Ah, no. I’ll wear your clothes. I’ll wash these.”

Ena said while grabbing and shaking her shirt. Asel nodded.

“Alright. Do as you like. Then I’ll be off for a bit.”
“Okay. Come back quickly.”
“Yes.”

Asel answered with a smile, then left the room and went down to the first floor of the dormitory. At that moment, he encountered someone coming up the stairs.

“…Ah!”

A girl with striking deep ash-gray hair and blood-red eyes. Two sharp fangs glittered between her slightly parted lips, and her skin, pale to the point of being transparent, sparkled in the light.

She had an impression that would be loved wherever she went. Asel raised the corners of his mouth and waved at her.

“Elena.”
“Asel!!”

Elena ran towards Asel with tears in her eyes. Before Asel could say “Uh”, she hugged him tightly and looked up at him with a tearful face.

“I heard the news. You were in a lot of pain, right? Uuu… It’ll be okay now…”
“Uh… yeah.”

Asel scratched his cheek with a wry expression while looking at Elena’s crown. He had expected Elena, who usually had various emotions, to show some intense reaction, but he didn’t think she would shed tears. He hadn’t thought her empathy would be that high.

‘It would be weird if I cried along here too.’

Asel cries when he’s sad too. He wasn’t a cold-hearted person with dried-up tear glands. But now wasn’t particularly a sad situation, and his empathy was too lacking to shed tears resonating with Elena’s emotions. It was typical of a magician who relies more on reason than emotion.

So he thought for a moment and put into action the answer he came up with rationally. He patted Elena’s back as she sniffled and waited for her to calm down. Then Elena cried even more sorrowfully and hugged Asel tightly.

“Gak.”

Asel exhaled as strong pressure was applied to his abdomen. He could clearly feel his clothes getting wetter.

Clearly, it was Asel who was injured and came back, and it was Asel who was being comforted. But somehow, looking at the situation alone, it seemed like Elena was the victim. Asel felt a strange emotion as he stroked the back of Elena’s head.

As he was doing that, suddenly Elena’s body was pushed back. Asel saw the figure of a girl who had pulled her from behind and smiled bitterly.

“Ueh…?”
“What ‘ueh’. Get a hold of yourself. Someone might think you were the one who nearly died.”

Hair that looked like melted gold and pink eyes. A warrior with a smaller build than Elena, but with strength several times that.

Ellen sighed deeply and loosened her grip on Elena. Then Elena wiped her tear-stained face with her hands and sniffled.

“Sniff… But it’s moving… The tears just come…”
“No, at times like this, you should welcome them with a smile.”

Ellen said that, then grinned and held out her hand towards Asel.

“You’ve been through a lot.”
“…Yeah.”

Asel smiled back and grasped her hand. At that moment, Ellen pulled Asel strongly and hugged him tightly like northern warriors do. Then she stood on her tiptoes in an awkward posture and patted Asel’s back while whispering in his ear.

“Welcome back.”

Instead of answering, Asel patted her back with a warm smile. Ellen released him with a satisfied expression. Elena, who had wiped away most of the tears on her face, looked at her face and pouted.

“You cried too! The area around your eyes is red!”
“Don’t slander me.”
“Kyaaaack!!”

Elena threatened Ellen, baring her fangs. Ellen lightly ignored her, and Asel burst into laughter watching the scene.

Perhaps reacting to the commotion, Sierra walked up from the stairs below. She saw the three gathered people and opened her eyes wide, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Young Master Asel…?”
“Ah, Miss Sierra.”
“You’ve returned. I heard you had survived… but I thought you’d need to recuperate for a while. I didn’t know you’d return so quickly.”
“I did recuperate.”
“Is that so?”

Sierra asked as she approached the three.

“More importantly, how did you come in? I was on the first floor until just now, but I didn’t see Young Master Asel coming in.”
“I came in using magic.”
“Ah, magic.”

She nodded. Those unfamiliar with magic tend to accept and move on when told it’s because of magic.

“Then are you staying at the dormitory from today? Or are you just stopping by?”
“I plan to stay continuously.”
“In that case, I’ll clean right away. If you wait outside for a moment, I’ll tidy up neatly.”
“Ah, I’ve done everything with magic, so you don’t need to. I appreciate the thought.”
“Is that so… Then how about laundry?”
“That too, all done with magic.”
“…It’s so versatile. I can see why magicians don’t keep maids.”

Sierra grumbled softly. Asel answered with a bitter smile.

“That’s probably not true. My teacher keeps maids in her mansion, for instance.”
“…T-Teacher?”
“…? Yes. Why?”

Asel tilted his head as he looked at Sierra, who suddenly avoided his gaze.

Glancing to the side, he saw Elena and Ellen also wearing awkward expressions and avoiding eye contact.

He immediately realized the reason.

It must be because of Ena’s Academy destruction incident. It was such an overt act of destruction that anyone related to the Academy couldn’t not know her name. Moreover, quite a few people had directly witnessed her majesty nearby. It seems these three were among them.

“She’s actually very kind and cute usually. You don’t need to be too scared.”
“…She did seem to care a lot about her disciple.”
“She does.”

Asel continued speaking as he looked at Sierra, who cleared her throat.

“Ah, come to think of it, there was one thing I wanted to ask. Would it be alright if I stay at the dormitory with an acquaintance until the Academy break ends?”
“Hmm… Usually it’s not allowed, but… There aren’t many people residing in Weasel right now, and there’s no special academic schedule, so I think I can allow that much with my authority.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Not at all. But may I ask who will be staying?”

Asel answered Sierra’s question with a smile.

“My teacher.”

Clank.

Sierra’s expression froze in place.

At that time. At the point when Asel was talking with the three people downstairs.

Ena, who suddenly opened the dormitory room door at the sound of knocking, narrowed her eyes sharply at the red-haired woman standing beyond.

“Who are you?”
“Uh…”
“Who are you to come to my disciple’s room? I can’t allow it.”

Grace couldn’t continue speaking as she saw her face, which was not just familiar but even intimate. There was only one thought in her head.

‘Why are you coming out of here?’

She had knocked on the door feeling there might be someone inside, but an unexpected person suddenly popped out.

It was enough to drive her crazy.