A New Encounter (5)

Certainly, Tess had a dazzling figure that complemented the robust Rian well. Her arms and legs were long and slender, and her waist had deep curves, perhaps due to her height.

On the other hand, Amy was like a mage in anyone's eyes. She was of average height and had a fairly slender build for her age.

Of course, the beauty of the body isn't everything for attractiveness, but Shirone couldn't help feeling inferior compared to Tess, who stood a head taller.

"No, we're just friends too. She agreed to come only at my special request."

"Oh, I see."

Tess didn't immediately believe it. The mere fact that a first-class noble girl came as a companion to a commoner suggested it was an extraordinary emotion.

Rian felt the same way. In fact, the biggest concern when planning this trip was that Shirone might not find a partner.

There was also a status issue, but his personality was introverted, so he worried that Shirone might get hurt.

However, when he opened the lid, it brought forth a beautiful girl who was so stunning that even he, who had no interest in women, was surprised.

Rian had always thought that a woman should possess a tenderness that triggers a protective instinct like Amy's.

On the other hand, Tess possessed skills that exceeded his, so there was no chance of feeling romantic emotions.

Even if it was just Esauema's ability, not many men are attracted to women who are stronger than them.

"Well done, Shirone. I will actively support you."

While Rian was planning a strategy, the carriage that had finished its preparations arrived. The four individuals with their luggage headed toward the carriage.

That's when—

"You bastard! Rian~!"

A tremendous, loud voice spread from the mansion. Rian presumed that everything had been discovered just by the sheer willpower transmitted through the sound.

"Damn it! Guys, run!"

"What? What about the carriage?"

"If you go by carriage, it's too late! Look back! You must climb the wall!"

The three looked back at the mansion. A whirlwind of yellowish-brown color was approaching and rising into the sky.

Without even understanding the situation, Shirone and the others began to run.

"Rian! What happened?"

"Damn it! It seems my report card has arrived! I actually ranked last! Dad is going to kill us!"

"Really? Are we really going to die? Let's be honest and split up. What's this for a trip?"

"If you're confident, try it. I'll stay behind! You guys go to the island first and have fun!"

The faces of the three drained of color. Tess activated Esquema and leaped forward, followed by Amy.

Shirone, who had fallen behind, felt his heart pounding forcefully. He was definitely running forward, but the wind was blowing from behind.

Running while pushing the air meant Bischoff's speed exceeded human limits.

"Rian! I think they'll catch us!"

"I can't help it! I'll stay! You guys go!"

That was more than enough for Rian. But you can't abandon a friend and go on a trip. Even amidst chaos, Shirone came up with a solution.

"Amy! Let's teleport! Rian, don't move!"

Shirone grabbed Rian and cast a Photon Magic. The bodies of the two seemed to sparkle and shine, immediately turning into a flash and leaping forward.

Rian, who experienced teleportation for the first time, felt dizzy. The field of vision became extremely narrow, and it felt as if the entire landscape was rushing towards him.

It was the vision of a magician.

Amy also grabbed Tess and teleported her, as if understanding Shirone's words.

Two rays of light pierced through the guard at a dizzying speed. It was a situation where they could break by hitting the cover, but Shirone and Amy didn't allow the slightest mistake.

Shirone, thinking they had come quite far, looked back. But in the end, he had to grit his teeth, suppressing the feeling that he was about to burst into tears.

The whirlwind was approaching. It was destroying everything in its path.

Naturally, the symbol of Ogent, the great sword, came to mind.

"Amy! Over here!"

Shirone made a sudden stop amidst the dense forest and shouted. Then, Amy also canceled a turn and closed the distance with Shirone.

The whirlwind cutting through the forest was approaching from 100 meters away.

Tess stomped and yelled.

"And now what? Are you just going to be caught?"

"Hold onto me! Let's fly!"

Shirone expanded the radius of his Spirit Zone to the maximum. Still, they couldn't leave the forest, but there was a way.

If they couldn't win in speed, they just needed to disappear from the coordinates for an instant.

"Here we go!"

When their friends arrived, Shirone searched for a safe spot through his synesthesia. He never thought he would have to use the magic he thought he wouldn't need to cast for such a combat situation

When he cast Spatial Movement targeting the forest's edge, their bodies lit up and were absorbed into the sky.

At the same time, a tremendous wind rushed in with their afterimages, sweeping past their previous positions.

Bischoff clenched the hand that failed to grasp Rian's remorse. It was a narrow escape.

"This...!"

Bischoff turned his body 180 degrees and braked with both legs, sliding back about ten meters as if gliding on ice.

A mound of earth, amounting to 20 times his weight, rose upon his heels. It was a spectacle to witness the physical strength his body possessed.

Bischoff awkwardly surveyed the path he had taken. The ground was plowed, and the trees were haphazardly cut.

It's all Rian's fault. How dare he deceive his father?

"Imagination Scheme?"

He pulled out the report card with trembling hands. The more he thought about it, the more he could only sigh.

But, on the other hand, he felt sorry for his good-for-nothing son. How much training must he have done to possess physical strength equivalent to an Imagination Scheme user?

He should think of it as a reward for effort.

Anyway, it seemed that Shirone had already learned Spatial Movement. Considering it's a magic even professionals find difficult, it was tremendous growth in just half a year.

Shirone and Rian. Bischoff pondered the future of the two children bound by fate.

Their talents and tendencies were as different as night and day, but perhaps the number of steps they took was the same in the name of their best efforts?

"It'll be a good memory, this too."

Bischoff tossed the report card over his shoulder and retraced his steps toward the mansion.

***

Shirone's group, having jumped over the fence of the Ogent mansion, had used all their power to escape from the noble district.

Thanks to the use of Spatial Movement, they were outside Bischoff's expected coordinates, but it wasn't a safe situation. This was because the movement adherent to the scheme had an activity radius similar to that of a beast from which it was impossible to escape with a considerable amount of instantaneous movement.

It was only after entering the city center that Shirone and the others breathed a sigh of relief. They still vividly remembered Bischoff's face.

Although Shirone didn't think he would harm his son, there was a deadly energy about him as they approached, stirring up a whirlwind.

Shirone sighed and said, "What are we going to do now? We've come this far and can't turn back."

"It doesn't matter, does it? We've received enough money for the trip."

There was nothing to fear for Rian as long as his father wasn't there. Of course, he would eventually be in trouble, but it wasn't the time to dwell on such gloomy thoughts with an exciting journey ahead.

The place they reached was a stable on the outskirts of the city. They sold horses to travelers and also provided transportation services, hiring coachmen to take customers to their destinations.

If they were to catch the boat on time, there was no room for leisure, so Rian rented a four-seater carriage ready to depart immediately.

Rian and Tess sat side by side, and Shirone and Amy took the seats in front of them. As these were seats normally used by commoners, the interior was cramped, and they had to sit close together.

The carriage began its journey amidst an uncomfortable atmosphere, but the fresh wind coming in through the window soon eased the tension.

Tess wiped the sweat off with a fan and glanced at Shirone.

Although she had never learned magic, she knew how difficult it was to teleport through a dense forest. As expected, he was a mage of a considerable level.

However, if they were simply looking for someone skilled in magic, there were many among the nobles. She still had doubts because he didn't seem strong enough to justify a knight's oath from Rian.

"Right. But what was that second spell? It felt weird for it to be Teleportation."

"Oh, that was Spatial Movement. Space curves along the time axis, so you might have felt a bit dizzy."

"What? That was Spatial Spatial Movement?"

Tess was startled. None of her friends who attended the magic academy had mastered spatial movement.

Because it's not a spell one can simply learn in theory. It was a matter of mental resilience, an area that could only be conquered with time and effort.

"That's impressive. Did you have a special opportunity or something? Oh, I'm not dismissing you, but I know Spatial Movement is a spell used only by professionals. Isn't it challenging if you don't learn magic from a young age?"

Tess assumed Shirone had entered the world of magic in childhood through some extraordinary talent. Otherwise, there was no way for commoners to learn magic.

Shirone nodded agreeably. It was halfway true and halfway not, but it wasn't a particularly important issue, so he didn't feel the need to correct her misunderstanding.

"That's right. I wouldn't have been able to go to the magic academy without Rian. The Ogent family helped me enroll."

"As expected. Oh, but I think that alone is impressive. Since you were young, you competed with nobles, so you must have had a lot of stress beyond studies."

"Haha! That's how it was at first. But it's fine now. Amy also helped me a lot."

"Hmph, what did I do? You didn't even talk to me about it."

Amy huffed and turned her head. Though not showing it, she was frustrated with Shirone's humble response.

It seemed Tess didn't think Shirone, who was just a commoner, had mastered advanced magic through his own efforts.

It was a natural reaction since they hadn't known each other for long, but she didn't like Tess dismissing Shirone's hard work with the word 'talent'.

It was Rian who scratched Amy's itch.

"Anyway, that was just half a year ago. Shirone has only been learning magic for half a year."

"What, half a year?"

Tess looked at Rian enough to break her neck. Even she was stunned this time.

Spatial movement couldn't be mastered in half a year in any way. This was common sense among noble society, regardless of knights' mentality.

Tess looked the other way. Shirone was smiling, but Amy continued to sulk, not even making eye contact.

Then Tess realized her mistake.

Because swordsmen and magicians often had opposing personalities as they pursued different directions.

While knights talked and listened as they felt, magicians deduced numerous meanings from the subtext of words. From Amy's perspective, it was likely she saw Tess's attitude as belittling Shirone.

"Oh goodness, I'm sorry. I didn't know any better and kept wandering senselessly. I didn't mean to offend you. I would've been angry too if someone treated my partner like that."

Amy's face turned red. Tess certainly knew how to handle language better. However, that's why they were as vulnerable as newborns to this kind of direct apology.

"I-I didn't say anything! And we're not partners! We're just friends."

Although she responded abruptly, Amy's expression was much more relaxed than before.

"Since we met for the first time, it's natural that we don't know each other. Tess might be straightforward, but she doesn't mean any harm to you. Please understand. Feel free to talk about whatever you want in the future."

Rian spoke directly according to his personality. In contrast, Shirone and Amy tensed up, unable to respond.

For them, being cautious and calculating was their norm.