Volume 3 Chapter 29 Astella’s Room
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We arrived at Astella’s house in the residential area southwest of the capital, Lorensia.
Since all the houses in this capital are impressive, I thought Astella’s house would be grand too… but it was surprisingly small… maybe a bit smaller than my house in Grove Village?
”Is, is this Astella’s house?”
”Yeah, it’s the annex of the main residence. It’s my personal study and research room… here, I can work on Return Magic without worrying about being seen.”
(An annex… huh?)
When I shifted my gaze slightly to the side, I saw a huge house towering there. …Well, it’s about the same size as my new home.
(Wait a minute, I’m used to this size already, but I feel like I’ve lost somehow!)
And what’s bothering me is… the feeling of being watched from behind.
(Do those 2 really think they’re not being noticed?)
Since we left the school gate, Nana and Yuno have been following us at a distance, sneaking around.
Their faces peeking out from behind corners like henchmen from a villain is… just ridiculous.
I activated ‘Thought Sharing.’
(Nana)
”Wah!?”
Nana, who was hiding in the shadows, jumped in surprise at the sudden mental message.
She accidentally leaped out from her hiding spot.
(Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. …I’m glad you followed me out of concern, but at least it’s not the Demon King or anything, so it’s all good.)
Nessa is probably still watching me, and with my ‘Magic Detection,’ Astella seems like a normal magic academy student. …Of course, I can’t let my guard down.
(But… I’m really worried about you, Brother Rob. You won’t be moving from here for a while!)
Nana’s response is strangely confident. …She definitely plans to stay put.
If I leave Nana there, the fan club following her won’t be able to do anything… I guess I should head home early today.
(Understood. If there are no problems, I might ask Nana to help out. I’ll count on you then.)
”Rob? …Aren’t you coming in?”
Astella looks at me curiously as I suddenly stop and tilts his head while speaking.
”Ah, I’m coming in… I was just a bit overwhelmed by the size of the main house… Excuse me.”
Saying that, I stepped into Astella’s room.
The room was surprisingly tidy.
I thought a boy’s room would be messy with adventure gear and magic books scattered everywhere, but it was really clean and organized… It’s impressive that someone this age can keep it so neat.
Is he a neat freak? …My room? It’s a mess with dungeon items all over the place!
I sat down on the sofa in Astella’s room and looked at the Magic Circle already spread out on the table.
”This Magic Circle… is it for ‘Hero Summoning’?”
Some of the letter arrangements and shapes match those of Space-Time magic… The range for distance is insane.
And the maximum number of summons is a thousand? …This is some seriously large-scale magic.
(And most of the summoned ones lose their lives in the war against the demon race… I definitely agree that creating Return Magic is a great idea. Otherwise, it’s sad for those who don’t want to fight, even if some are happy about it.)
”Yeah… I think you know this, but this Summoning Magic Circle was given to the royal family of this country by the goddess a long time ago. So, it must be completely efficient and beautiful… sigh…”
For some reason, Astella is staring at the Summoning Magic Circle with eyes full of admiration, like he’s looking at an idol.
(Is it… beautiful? No, no. It’s definitely amazing magic, but is it really that worthy of admiration? Is he a Summoning Magic otaku…?)
I also calmly look at the Magic Circle, but I can’t quite grasp what makes it beautiful.
Sure, just finding people from another world is god-level magic.
But it feels different from “beautiful.”
”I’ve never heard that before… Is it magic created by Nessa?”
At my words, Astella shows a moment of surprise, but quickly returns to a serious expression.
”That’s right, Rob. Since it was given by the goddess, this Magic Circle has perfect beauty.”
His response makes me feel a bit uneasy.
The magic is impressive, but is it really something to be so passionate about?
Astella might actually have a strong faith in the goddess.
”…Well, anyway, I thought they (the royal) might have taught us Return Magic too.”
(When I was reincarnated in this world, I was asked if I wanted to be reincarnated… If it’s a magic that forcibly summons, then she should also teach me the magic to return to the original world, right?)
I said it lightly, but Astella put his hand on his chin, deep in thought.
”…I don’t know. But even if they were told, they might keep it a secret just for the royal family. They probably wouldn’t want the heroes to go back to their original world.”
”Yeah, if I were the king, I’d keep such magic strictly controlled and avoid using it carelessly.”
(Well… I can just ask Nessa about that later.)
”Now, I’m thinking of using this Magic Circle as a reference to create Return Magic. Is that okay? …If there’s a better way, I’d like to hear it.”
Astella looked at me again and asked.
(A better way… Asking Nessa directly would be the fastest, but I was just looking for a break, so maybe I’ll try making magic with Nana too.)
”No, I think this method is fine. …But, changing the subject a bit, I want to include my little sister. She’s better at magic than I am.”
”Ms. Nana? That’s great, but… is there a risk that Princess Yuno or the queen will find out if she joins?”
Astella frowned a little, looking worried.
”Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure to tell them to keep it a secret.”
(After all, they are my “sl*ves.” They can’t go against my orders! …Well, actually, just asking them should be enough.)
I lightly laughed to ease Astella’s worries.
”Is that so? If you say that, I’ll trust you. …If we’re going to include Ms. Nana, let’s call it a day for now. I’ll give you a copy of this Magic Circle just in case.”
Saying that, Astella handed me a paper with the Hero Summoning Magic Circle drawn on it.
”Wow, thanks! When I have some time, I’ll think about Return Magic in my own way.”
I received the paper with a smile.
”Yeah. I’ll think about it alone too, so let’s show each other what we come up with tomorrow.”
Astella smiled back.
(Great, we’ll show each other! It feels like a little competition, and it’s exciting!)
With that, I left Astella’s room.
* * *
”So, starting tomorrow, I want Nana to join us in creating Return Magic.”
I spoke to Nana, who had been waiting outside.
”…I don’t really get why, but it sounds interesting, so I’ll join!”
As expected, she agreed without hesitation.
She really is my angel (little sister), such a simple reaction.
”W-wait! I want to join too! …I don’t think I can be of much help, though.”
Yuno’s big eyes sparkled as she volunteered. But now, what should I do?
”U-umm. If Astella gives permission, then sure. It’s not something I can decide alone.”
”…Ah, okay…”
Yuno’s shoulders slumped, and she looked sad. But there were tears in her eyes, and I felt guilty… I’m sorry, Yuno.
* * *
Night came, and it was time for sleep training. I was going to sleep with Charl tonight.
This is the second time, but last time we held hands while sleeping, and for some reason, Charl didn’t appear in my dreams.
The next morning, when I asked her about it, she said, “S-sorry. It felt good──No, never mind!” Charl said something mysterious. I really don’t get it.
I call out to Charl, who is blushing beside me.
”Um, do you think you can sleep tonight? Are you too nervous to sleep if I’m touching you?”
”U-uh, I’m fine. I’m tired from fighting a lot in the dungeon today. I should be able to sleep even while touching Rob!”
Charl replied with unusual determination, a bit forcefully.
”The dungeon, huh… Is everything okay over there?”
I asked, a little worried because of the Demon King issue that Nessa couldn’t find.
”…Oh, by the way, the guild receptionist said that recently, more people who went to explore the dungeon have gone missing.”
”Seriously? …Hmm, in that case, it’s not good to let just Charl and Alice go to the dungeon alone. …Alright, tomorrow I’ll ask the headmaster if Charl and Alice can also attend the magic academy.”
I don’t want to regret anything after something happens, so I should take action now.
”R-really!? I’m so happy! Thank you, Rob~♪.”
Charl leaned in excitedly and gave me a big smile.
(…She’s too cute.)
I couldn’t help but reach out and lightly stroke Charl’s cheek.
”Hyah!? .”
”Oh, sorry…”
”N-no, it’s fine…”
”Hehe, then let’s sleep now… I’ll hold your hand.”
”Yeah… good night, Rob.”
”Good night, Charl.”
That night, Charl was able to safely enter my dream world.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.