Mastema, who had been shaken repeatedly, was staggering.
โEven demons canโt train their semicircular canals, huh?โ
Having no other choice, I explained various things to the girl who was the headmistress.
It would be difficult to withhold information from the headmistress, considering what might happen later. Itโs better to tell her now. After all, the kingdom probably doesnโt think they can keep it hidden forever.
โIโve heard rumors about the kingdomโs incident, but did devil worshippers really summon a demon?โ
โIt was quite the ordeal.โ
โI can imagine. And the one who summoned it was promptly killed by this one here, I suppose.โ
The girl headmistress looked Mastema over from all angles.
When she tried to lift Mastemaโs skirt, Mastema chopped the headmistress on the head to stop her. Thankfully, she didnโt seem to put much strength into it.
The headmistress rubbed her head and once again puffed out her chest proudly.
โA demon, and not just any demon, but a high-ranking one with its own domain. And you defeated it and now have it under your control?โ
โThatโs right.โ
โHard to believe, but seeing a demon behaving so obediently now makes it seem like itโs true. Itโs very different from the demons Iโve seen before.โ
โItโs only like this now, but when I fought it, it was every bit the demon youโd expect.โ
โHmm. Want to see?โ
Mastema reacted.
โJust the appearance. Donโt release your magic power. Itโll draw too much attention.โ
โOkay~โ
Mastema returned to the form it had taken when I fought it. Though she didnโt release her magic power, she exuded a fitting aura. Quite the detailed performance.
โโฆOh, yes, it certainly resembles a demon Iโve seen once before.โ
It must have been quite some time ago that a demon appeared. No, letโs not go there. Itโs rude to ask a woman her age.
The headmistress now tried to touch Mastemaโs horns, but Mastema swatted her hand away.
โNow that I think about it, I havenโt introduced myself. Iโm Sepia. Sepia Sladegemil. As you can see, Iโm the headmistress of the magic academy.โ
She looked no older than a girl.
Her purple hair extended down to her shoulders.
โYou can just call me Sepia. I donโt care for the bulky surname.โ
โIโm Ahavain Orbst. And this is Mastema.โ
โHmm. The renowned Sky Knight of the Empire, huh?โ
โOh, youโve heard of me? That makes me happy.โ
โOf course, any mage who doesnโt know of the โAngel Slayerโ is a fool. Others will realize it soon enough, though they might not care, since everyoneโs so self-absorbedโฆ and the adjustments are such a hassleโฆโ
It seems I stepped on a landmine.
Despite appearances, she seems to be a proper headmistress.
โIf youโre the Sky Knight who killed an angel, it wouldnโt be strange if you had the means to defeat a demon. What about the corruption?โ
โOnce one of the cores was shattered, the link to Hell was severed and it ended halfway.โ
โI see. So the hypothesis that corruption links a demon to Hell was correct. If the core is destroyed, the value of the demon as a medium diminishes. Well, itโs also due to the worldโs corrective force at workโฆโ
She started rambling, clearly engrossed in her own thoughts.
She seems more of a researcher, even among the mages.
After a while, she finally calmed down.
โWeโve gone off track quite a bit. So, what brings you here? If it was just a greeting, thatโs quite commendable.โ
โNo, thatโs not it. Iโd like to buy a house within the academy.โ
โA house, huh? The dormsโฆ no, that wonโt do. After hearing all this, I canโt possibly have you live with the other students.โ
With that, Headmistress Sepia pulled out a map.
โThis house should be vacant. However, this is a magic academy. Thereโs no place without a curse.โ
โWhat?โ
โIn other words, thereโs a high possibility itโs cursed. There might even be ghosts. Leaving it unattended has allowed the curse to fester.โ
โSo?โ
โIf you can deal with that, youโre free to live there. Itโs a fairly decent house.โ
I see. So, thereโs an available house, but itโs full of problems. They donโt have the time or manpower to fix it.
Itโs quite logical to have someone who wants to live there solve the problem.
โAlright, Iโll take care of it. Sounds like an easy job.โ
Iโve got a demon thatโs way more powerful than any curse or ghost. Just having her there is enough to nullify them. Easy win.
โYes, and it would be helpful if you could tidy up the exterior too. With a demon around, everything should sort itself out.โ
With one problem solved, Headmistress Sepia gave a satisfied smile.
โOh, andโฆ what is it?โ
But she seemed hesitant to bring up something else.
Her tone was concerning.
โIs there something else? Iโd like to get back to the classroom.โ
โWell, itโs about the demon.โ
โPlease donโt tell me she canโt enroll.โ
โItโs not thatโฆโ
Sepia, uncharacteristically, became a bit timid.
Her youthful appearance made it seem like it was my fault for some reason.
โWe have, well, not demon worshippers exactly, but something similar here tooโฆโ
โHuh?โ
Now that I think about it, there was a mage using a familiar to spy on us. Could this be connected?
โThereโs a group of mages called the Hell Research Societyโฆ They study demons and Hell to enhance their magical abilities. Theyโve actually made some progress.โ
That name is already a red flag. Did no one point that out?
โTheyโve even started forming factions within the academy, with some instructors joining them. Iโm a bit concerned about the group, and now that a real demon has appeared, it could be dangerous.โ
โI doubt anyone could do anything to Mastema.โ
โI think so too. Once they see her, theyโll understand the difference in dimensions.โ
She told me to keep that in mind, and the conversation ended.
Leaving the headmistressโs office, I headed back to the classroom.
Mastema had returned to her mage form, gripping her thorny staffโฆ
โPut that away. Itโs dangerous.โ
โNo way. I like it; itโs cool.โ
โSighโฆ Just donโt let anyone else hold it. That alone could cause a murder.โ
โDonโt worry. I made sure it wonโt activate without my will.โ
โAlright then.โ
Upon returning to the classroom, Arnella looked somewhat flustered. It seemed something had happenedโฆ
โAhavain-sama, Noel has been challenged to a duel!โ
On the first day?