漫画大王

Chapter 222

She didn’t understand the purpose or reason behind it.

“Why that all of a sudden?”

“Well, from what I know, isn’t dimensional magic considered the highest form of magic?”

“More accurately, dimensional concepts are involved in several specific fields of magic. For instance, a lot of spatial magic and Summoning magic deals with dimensions,” Louis Ankton said, jumping into the conversation.

Harriet nodded in agreement with him.

“And you know that such spells are typically among the highest-tier incantations, right? Think about Teleportation, warp gate systems, and summoning spells that open dimensional portals,” Louis continued. Magic related to dimensions generally belongs to the highest tier of spells. So there isn’t a field solely dedicated to dimensional magic itself.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

While there were spells that use dimensional concepts, there was no field of magic dedicated solely to dimensions.

“Well, then, we’ll create it,” I said, staring intently at Harriet.

‘If it doesn’t exist yet, we’ll make it exist.

What seems impossible, we’ll find a way to make it possible.’

“You are a genius,” I said.

“Wh-What?”

“You can do it, Thick-Skull.”

“A-Are you seriously calling me that while giving me the hardest job?!”

“That’s how much faith I have in you.”

Harriet’s face, which was starting to flush with anger, seemed to take on a different hue, one of embarrassment. Her lips quivered slightly.

“You can do it, right?”

“Y-Yeah... I-I’ll give it a try...” she said with a subtle nod, sweat beading on her forehead.

Researching dimensional magic... I honestly didn’t know how this would turn out. Therefore, I didn’t know what outcome Harriet would reach either.

“S-So... Why dimensional magic...? Just because it seems like it would be possible if I tried?” Harriet asked, her face still tinged red.

To be honest, I didn’t have a solid excuse.

“I want to visit another world.”

So, I ended up blurting out a sincere yet nonsensical reason.

“Wh-What?”

The room fell silent as everyone processed my unexpected declaration.

***

The Gate Incident...

The warp gate that connected to another world...

The primary countermeasure would be to destroy all warp gates across the continent. However, such an act might only be a temporary solution.

The next approach in combating it was to develop powerful magical items in advance to enhance individual combat capabilities. If successful, these items wouldn’t just be used by the Royal Class, but could be supplied to the entire Temple and possibly the entire continent.

Of course, this might lead to complications due to an overproliferation of power, but I had yet to figure out a solution for that.

If it seemed problematic, these items could be used secretly within the Temple, or just among the Royal Class.

However, if Harriet achieved tangible results in the previously non-existent field of dimensional magic, new possibilities would arise.

As long as there was a future in which our world was connected with another, that world had to already exist.

So, instead of waiting for an invasion, we could potentially invade the other world ourselves.

In conclusion, my three requests were:

Create the Power Cartridge.

Make Moonshine.

Research dimensional magic.

As the price for making me president of the club, these kids had to follow my seemingly absurd commands.

Of course, they obeyed not just because I was the president, but because they realized again how insane I could be and feared what might happen if they did not comply.

Anyway, it seemed like they were planning to use this lab not just during club meetings, but as their main research space, at least for the first-year magic majors, since this place had far better equipment than the dorm research labs or personal rooms.

In that case, these magic majors would be able to do their work smoothly.

If Moonshine was produced, progress in Mana Reinforcement would accelerate significantly.

If Ellen used it, she might even reach the rank of Swordmaster within the year.

In any case, dragging my sore body around exhausted me.

Those who wanted to stay in the club estate stayed, while those who wanted to leave left.

Harriet and I headed back together first. Despite acting indifferent to it, it seemed like Harriet was worried about me limping around on crutches.

“Do you really think another world exists?” Harriet asked, seemingly baffled by my obsession with another world.

Whether it existed or not, from my perspective, the world I was in at that moment was another world.

“I’m just saying we should find out if it does or not.”

“Why?”

“Just because. Because I’m curious, I guess.”

I had no better excuse than that.

“You really are a strange one. And what I hate the most is that you dump your curiosity onto others.”

“Oh is that so? Well, you should have thought carefully before making me president, then.”

“Seriously! I regret making you president the most!”

Harriet seemed deeply disappointed with her choice, as she now had to research dimensional magic, something she’d never intended to do. She crossed her arms in frustration.

“Anyway, since I’m working under your orders, I’ll call on you whenever I need you,” Harriet said.

“What can I even help with?”

“I don’t know! But I’ll call you whenever I can! You’re doing whatever you want, so I’ll do the same!”

‘This kid. She thinks she now has some right to call me anytime, doesn’t she? Now that I’m thinking about it, it seems like she’s actually starting to enjoy this dynamic even more the longer she thinks about it.’

“Oh yeah! We should visit the warp gate this weekend then!” Harriet said.

“Why the sudden interest in the warp gate?”

“Since there’s no such thing as dimensional magic per se, researching a permanently open dimensional portal like the warp gate would obviously help in studying dimensional magic. You should come along too,” Harriet said, giving me a mischievous grin.

‘Don’t lie! You just want to go out and have fun!’

“Are you ignoring the crutches I’m on?”

“Oh, right...”

Harriet looked apologetic. It had finally dawned on her that she was suggesting dragging an injured person out over the weekend.

‘Seriously. Sometimes she has a really thick skull, which makes her even cuter.’

“Hey, if you’re really sorry, how about you carry me? I’m exhausted.”

“Wh-What?! Wh-What kind of crazy talk is that?!”

“Anyway, carry me, Grand Duchess. Lift this humble beggar.”

“A-Are you serious?! Ugh!! Why are you the one bringing up status? Have you lost your mind?”

I was amused by Harriet’s flustered outburst, and she actually tried to carry me just to shut me up.

Unlike Ellen, who didn’t give in the last time, Harriet bent down and let me get on her back. The look on her face was priceless.

However, she genuinely couldn’t lift me. She struggled and eventually couldn’t get up.

“How weak, Grand Duchess. You can’t even carry this humble body.”

Frustrated by my teasing, Harriet finally exploded with a yell of exasperation.

“Y-You! You’re really...! You’re really the worst! I hate you! I seriously hate you for real!”

***

Now that the showdown between the Royal Class and Orbis Class during the festival had been canceled, all related challenges had also been scrapped.

Since I’d had no intention of participating anyway, it was a good thing. It freed up more time for other things. The Magic Research Club could go full speed ahead.

Still, the idea of the entire Orbis Class being shut down... I didn’t wish for that.

Although I soon managed to ditch the crutches, my body was still in terrible shape and physical training was utterly impossible.

I couldn’t participate in the early morning endurance sessions with Adriana or the usual training with Ellen.

The phrase “climbing the walls” took on new meaning. I knew time wasn’t flying by pointlessly, but the inactivity was driving me insane.

“Still hurting?”

“It’s improved from ‘pain so bad it feels like I’ll die’ to ‘pain so bad it’s making me go crazy.’”

“...”

It was night, and Ellen had just finished her training and washed up. She looked all fresh and clean.

Whenever we met, Ellen asked if I was still in pain.

Hearing me say that I was feeling crazy instead of dying this time, Ellen stared at me closely.

For a moment, she looked slightly annoyed.

Perhaps it was because I had been in pain for so long.

Or perhaps because I hadn’t been to the practice grounds for quite a while. Maybe it was that.

“... Are you mad?” I asked.

“No,” Ellen replied curtly with a shake of her head as she looked away.

“It’s not like being in pain is your fault,” Ellen said, sitting by the window, avoiding eye contact. “But if you keep getting hurt like this in the future...”

“...”

“I’ll really, seriously get mad.”

Ellen wasn’t actually angry at me.

It was a strange feeling—terrifying yet heartwarming.

“Hey, I can’t exercise, but I can still eat.”

“...?”

“Let’s have something to eat. I’ll make it.”

Just because I couldn’t use my body much didn’t mean I couldn’t do some light cooking. Besides, I was feeling a bit better.

“No.” Ellen shook her head. “I’ll make it.”

So, being injured had its perks after all.

“You gonna feed me too?”

Ellen shot a sharp look at me, warning me not to push it. “You can eat on your own now.”

***

Ellen sat across from Reinhart, both of them eating the cream risotto she had made.

She had considered making something subpar, but ended up giving it her best since he was injured. The taste was excellent. The Temple provided them with the best ingredients so it was hard to go wrong, and Ellen had a knack for cooking anyway.

“You’ve gotten good enough to handle this on your own,” said Reinhart.

She was afraid he would be disappointed or sulk if she demonstrated that she could cook better than him, but he seemed relieved to have one less chore.

“Only until you’re fully recovered,” Ellen insisted.

She made it clear this special treatment would only last until he was healed. Reinhart, who usually had something to say, just nodded.

Reinhart’s injuries were more severe than the ones she’d sustained, and his recovery was slow. Instead of taking the time to rest properly, though, he kept wandering around, itching to do something.

“How’s the Magic Research Club?” Ellen inquired.

“Oh, I checked out our club space today. It’s pretty nice. We got an entire lab instead of just a room.”

The Magic Research Club...

Ellen almost couldn’t believe it when she heard Reinhart was the president of such a club.

‘Magic, too? Is this even possible?’ she thought.

After learning of the details, though, it made more sense.

Reinhart had merely suggested it because it seemed beneficial for the magic majors to do some research together. He hadn’t intended to join, let alone become the president.

Ellen figured that it was likely because of Harriet.

Seeing Harriet’s delighted expression whenever she talked about the club when she was around Reinhart made it obvious.

Harriet liked Reinhart. Ellen was aware of this.

However, since Harriet was a magic major while Reinhart’s skills were in combat and other disciplines, their classes and daily lives did not overlap much.

Since Reinhart spent most of his time on the training ground, Harriet didn’t have many opportunities to see him. That was why Ellen suspected Harriet might have dragged Reinhart into the club.

However, Reinhart had willingly taken on the role of Magic Research Club president, even though it didn’t seem to benefit him.

What could that mean?

“Ugh... Even eating is exhausting.”

Ellen glanced at Reinhart, who was struggling to eat his risotto.

She was busy enough with her own activities, yet Reinhart was taking care of the magic majors and handling the duties of club president.

Why would he do that? He was in pain, barely able to move around with crutches, yet he was constantly running around.

He wasn’t doing it for himself, but for someone else.

For Harriet.

That could only mean one thing.

Reinhart had feelings for Harriet de Saint-Ouen.

“Why the long face?” Reinhart asked.

“... Huh?”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Is someone dying?”

Ellen wasn’t aware of her own expression.

‘What kind of face was I making?’

She couldn’t tell.

“It’s not that it tastes bad. It’s just hard to move my jaw,” Reinhart said, trying to reassure her as he continued to eat slowly but steadily. He seemed to believe that his slow eating was making Ellen upset.

Reinhart hadn’t been to the training grounds lately. He literally couldn’t go.

And Ellen knew that.

Once he recovered, Reinhart would return to the training grounds, swing his practice sword about, bicker all day, and complain about being sore.

But Ellen couldn’t shake the feeling that she was losing something she’d never really had.

It wasn’t hers, so nothing was being taken away.

There was no reason to think that way.

However, Ellen couldn’t stop those uninvited thoughts from surfacing.

In the end, she left her risotto half-eaten.

***

Though attending classes was a relief, I couldn’t participate in any practical lessons.

However, I could join Ellen in the newly-added Mana Reinforcement training.

Instead of practicing Mana Manipulation, I mostly received a chi-like treatment from the yoga master teacher. It felt refreshing, as if a certain energy was being channeled through my body.

I could imagine that proper Mana Reinforcement would feel somewhat like that.

At this rate, though, I was worried about failing my midterm exams. While I didn’t particularly care about grades, I didn’t want to flunk out either.

Of course, I was aware that there could be people who wanted to try something on me while I was weakened.

However, everything seemed to be resolved for the moment.

There were four who truly disliked me: The Hopeless Trio, and Heinrich.

Heinrich seemed to have mellowed somewhat after the Edina Archipelago incident. We weren’t close, but he no longer openly scorned me or avoided me.

As for the Hopeless Trio, despite how the fight turned out, I had fought on behalf of Erhi and had been severely injured in the process. They still seemed to fear me, but the animosity had diminished, and it was clear they no longer openly disliked me.

In short, my relationships with those who might be considered my antagonists had settled themselves.

It wasn’t that they disliked me, but feared me instead. That wasn’t a positive relationship, but at least that sort of relationship wouldn’t result in any more conflicts arising.

Because of my injury, I couldn’t focus on training even if I wanted to, so I directed more attention toward the Magic Research Club.

Of course, I couldn’t contribute directly to the research itself.

My role was to manage what I could as president. Things like the budget, for example.

“So, you want to triple the budget for your club?”

“Yes.”

I was, at that moment, attending a Royal Class club meeting.

“... You do know that your current budget is five thousand gold coins, which is already exceptionally high, right?”