Episode 21
The wise me, realizing the undeniable concern that accidentally touching Millie’s chest during her kidnapping could shatter my sanity into a million pieces, bought thick mittens and extra cotton stuffing for them at a general store in town after school. This way, even if I touch her chest, I won’t feel it much, and I can maintain my composure.
However, with mittens that lump all fingers except the thumb together, I wouldn’t be able to use items that require fine finger movements, like blindfolds or gags. But then I realized, since I’m just going to put her to sleep and throw a bag over her head, those things are unnecessary. Smart.
And after simulating in my head the process of dousing her with sleeping powder, putting a bag over her head, and carrying her over my shoulder, it belatedly dawned on me.
What am I supposed to do after that?
I groaned and pondered in my dark, unlit dorm room, but no brilliant ideas came to mind. Or rather, maybe it’s not a problem that can be solved by thinking.
In the original story, Geld kidnaps one of the heroines, presumably Millie… and then what happens? I can’t do anything if I don’t know that.
Naturally, he’d imprison her somewhere, but the problem is where.
If the point of this event is for the protagonist to rescue the heroine, deepening their bond and advancing the story, then I could just take her to some deserted place.
However, if the purpose of this event lies in the location itself, I’ll just end up with the label of a pathetic sex offender who kidnapped a beautiful girl and couldn’t lay a hand on her.
“No, that’s not the only problem…”
All of this is based on the assumption that someone will actually come to rescue her.
What if no one comes? Wouldn’t that be incredibly surreal?
I’d kidnap her, imprison her, do nothing, and just spend my time blankly. After three or four days, when rescue seems unlikely, I’d have to release her. In that case, I might disembowel myself out of shame and ask Millie to behead me.
“In any case, if I imprison her in the same place as in the original…”
That’s right, sticking to the original story is the safest bet. Even if I can’t reproduce every detail, I should at least match the location.
But there’s no way I remember where she was imprisoned… though I do have a hunch.
To the right after entering the main gate, past the first-year school building, beyond the small forest on the grounds… the Old School Building.
That place is perfect for doing bad things away from prying eyes.
From what I saw from the classroom, it certainly had an old feel, but it didn’t seem to be severely dilapidated. Even if we end up fighting inside, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
I need to wait until the protagonist forms his harem, including Millie, anyway.
I decided to take my time and explore the Old School Building first. With that plan in mind, I finally went to bed.
The next day, I was already in a tight spot during the first class.
“Alright, let’s start Magic Studies.”
Here it comes, Magic Studies…!
The very thing that knocked me, a graduate of the prestigious Royal Ukyak Academy, down to the humiliating position of a substitute student.
When the Magic Studies test started during the entrance exam, I probably had a blank look on my face, like a clay figure.
Because I didn’t know anything about it.
It’s not just that the questions were difficult. I didn’t even know that Magic Studies was a thing.
My score on the test was probably around three or four points, assuming I got the multiple-choice questions right by chance. Out of a hundred, of course. If there had been a cutoff score for each subject, I would have failed instantly.
Shino’s face when I told her that I was so confident about the entrance exam, but I became a substitute student because there was a test on a subject I didn’t know… I still can’t forgive Magic Studies…!
“Okay, everyone probably knows this, but we’ll start with a quick review of the basics. First, the Mana consumed when casting a spell is…”
The stern-faced old man standing at the podium was talking smoothly about some mysterious concept in a surprisingly frivolous tone. It’s supposed to be the basics, but I already have no idea what he’s talking about.
“…and the energy that exists in the natural world is… um, today is April 7th, so student number seven… Geld. Do you know?”
“Huh? …Well, what could it be…?”
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
“…………”
“…………”
“Okay, then, number eight, Sanimura, do you know?”
“Yes, it’s Odo.”
“That’s right, Odo. To utilize that Odo…”
Odo? Isn’t that something from old pseudo-science…? No, if the game set it up that way, then that’s what it is in this world.
What was with that unbearable silence just now? It was like he never expected anyone not to know… Damn, do I have to study this incomprehensible subject? I don’t have time for that…
As I was crushed by the cruel reality that remedial classes and failing a year were waiting for me, I realized that the other students were leaving the classroom one after another. Magic Studies class was over, apparently.
I almost repeated the same mistake as during the Entrance Ceremony, but I managed to notice it just in time. Can I call that growth?
Not knowing where to go next, I caught up with the end of the group, pretending that I knew we had a moving class, and then I panicked when I realized everyone was holding a strange stick. I hurried back to the classroom.
“Alright, everyone, settle down. We’ll start the first Magic Practice Alpha class now.”
The place we moved to was a building shaped like a gymnasium. The floors and walls were made of stone, and there were magic circles engraved in various places.
Since it’s called Magic Practice, this must be a place to use magic safely.
The Magic Practice teacher was a slightly fluffy-looking woman in her late twenties, who seemed to be starting her lecture while looking down at the students from a small platform.
“In Magic Practice Alpha, we’ll start by learning about increasing and decreasing magic output. Um, student number seven… Geld-kun. Yes, how do you increase magic output?”
“Huh? Can you even do that?”
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
“…………”
“…………”
“…………Okay, then, number eight, Sanimura-kun, do you know?”
“By putting in more Mana.”
“Yes, that’s right. To do that, first…”
Damn it, what’s Mana? Is it like MP? How do you put in more of it? Isn’t magic supposed to come out automatically when you use it?
And why are they all picking on people based on the date? The students after number thirty-two must be bored.
And what’s up with that guy Sanimura, number eight? He could at least pretend not to know to save my face, but he answered so easily. Should I use Waslein’s influence to get his father fired from his job…? He’ll regret defying a great noble in the slums…!
“Alright, let’s actually try it. Um, those who can use ‘Pefu’ can continue as is, and those who can’t use ‘Pefu’ can work with the teacher here.”
As it’s called practice, we’re starting right away. The reason why students who can use ‘Pefu’ are left alone and students who can’t are gathered around the teacher is probably for safety reasons.
Looking around lightly, I saw that several students were already emitting lights of various sizes from the tips of the mysterious sticks they were holding. So that’s how you use this stick.
I was under the impression that magic came out of your hands, but how do you make it come out of the stick? And how do you put in more Mana?
For now, I tried using ‘Pefu’ with the stick, but only my hand lit up, and the light was weaker than the other students’. It’s just a normal ‘Pefu’. What should I do?
It’s not that I can’t do it well, I just don’t know how to do it at all. I seem to have run into a problem where there’s no sign of improvement.
“Um, you’re… Geld-kun, right? Does it seem difficult?”
“Yes, I don’t understand anything at all.”
“I see. Hmm, I have to watch over here…”
Perhaps because I’m the only one doing something different, the teacher who’s instructing the students who can’t use ‘Pefu’ noticed my plight.
However, she doesn’t have the time to deal with me, so she glanced at the students and focused on one girl.
“Um, the girl with the light blue hair over there. You’re already perfect, so come here for a bit. And teach Geld-kun.”
The one walking towards me after being told that is… Millie.
This is a terrible situation. I want to avoid getting involved with the original characters as much as possible, since I don’t know how the story might twist…
Of course, that doesn’t mean my talent will suddenly blossom at this very moment and I’ll be able to do it… Nope. No good.
“Um, me?”
“Yeah. Sorry~. The teacher can’t leave her post, so please~.”
“Yes, I will! It’s no problem at all!”
Oh. Even though it must be a pain, she accepted without showing even a hint of displeasure. What a good kid.
And Millie turned towards me—whoa, this is bad. As expected, she’s even more than Shino… No, no, there’s no one better than Shino. There isn’t… but… but nevertheless…
That’s right, they’re different types. Shino is the world’s number one beautiful girl of the cool type. Millie is the world’s number one beautiful girl of the cute type. Let’s go with that.