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In the dead of night, Osnia came to find me in my room.

The reason was simple. I had instructed her to do so.

After class, I had encountered Osnia in the Opal Black Dormitory and told her to come to my room at this hour regarding a disciplinary matter.

“You’re right on time.”

Osnia nodded slightly.

She was wearing her academy uniform covered with a student cloak, adhering to my instruction to dress warmly. I also donned my instructor’s coat and took a magical lantern before heading out.

“Follow me.”

Osnia quietly followed behind me.

As we walked side by side down the hallway, I realized I hadn’t explained the details of today’s disciplinary action to Osnia yet.

She didn’t bother to ask me about it, and I didn’t feel the need to explain either.

“……”

When two people lack communication skills, this happens.

Except for the first few years of the last war, I had mostly roamed alone, so solo action had become second nature to me. Naturally, I hadn’t had many opportunities to converse with others.

For me, conversation had usually meant two things throughout my life as a soldier.

To receive orders. Or to give orders.

Although I held the rank of Captain, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army was my direct superior, and if needed, I had the authority to requisition supplies from even high-ranking officers. Presenting an order stamped with the Commander-in-Chief’s seal during wartime meant my commands were essentially the Commander-in-Chief’s commands.

Thus, there was no need to make the other party understand anything. If I commanded, they simply had to follow. If they didn’t listen, then physical force would come into play.

But this wasn’t the military, and I wasn’t a soldier anymore; I was an instructor.

An instructor surely has a necessary manner of speaking.

“I will be patrolling the campus.”

“…? Yes.”

Only then did Osnia, belatedly understanding the disciplinary action, nod her head.

Philion Academy is vast. It has trams that navigate the campus, so it’s certainly not a place where I could just sprint around patrolling by myself.

While I could do it if I wanted, the Heinkel Headmaster likely didn’t expect that of me, so my patrol area was limited to the Black Opal Dormitory and its surroundings.

As I was heading down the second-floor stairs, I ran into Saladin, who was holding a broom.

“Oops.”

I had also instructed Saladin to clean the dormitory starting today. At first, his expression seemed to say, “How could a prince like me do such cleaning…?”, appearing bewildered, but he seemed to be putting in effort, perhaps because he couldn’t disregard an instructor’s orders.

The Opal Black Dormitory is spacious, meaning just sweeping and cleaning the hallways and common areas would take several hours. He seemed to have enough stamina left to stir up trouble, so keeping him busy with cleaning should ensure some peace for a while.

“Good work.”

“…Yes.”

Saladin still seemed to harbor ill feelings toward Osnia, glancing at her with an annoyed look as she passed by.

In contrast, Osnia didn’t even spare him a glance; she appeared completely disinterested, not intentionally ignoring him.

It would likely take a while for them to become friends. No, could they even become friends? How long had the semester started, yet already I felt the weight of uncertainty about the future.

I led Osnia out of the Opal Black Dormitory. After all, I could conduct my patrol on the way back. We walked slowly along the forest path around the dormitory, relying on the flickering light of the lantern.

Osnia looked puzzled as we ventured deeper into the woods. After strolling down the much denser and darker path filled with trees, she seemed to sense something and slowly looked around.

“There’s… magic in the forest.”

“Yeah.”

Hemeim Forest. That’s what the Heinkel Headmaster had said.

If someone took a wrong turn, they could lose their way and be endlessly wandering due to the magic cast over the area. While it was fine around the Black Opal Dormitory and the back mountain, if one ventured deeper, anyone would get lost.

Thus, Hemeim Forest serves as a defense against outside intrusions. The only entrance into the Black Opal Dormitory is via the tram, which, of course, is not open to just anyone.

Even if intruders were to target students, they wouldn’t be able to pass through this forest. I heard that the other four great dormitories have similar security measures in place.

Since I’m not well-versed in magic, I just accepted that knowledge as fact; however, Osnia, being a magic major, seemed to have immediately recognized the magical presence in the forest.

The Heinkel Headmaster had asked me to periodically check the woods as outsiders or other students might enter, whether intentionally or accidentally, and get lost.

I succinctly summarized this for Osnia. After hearing my explanation, Osnia wore a puzzled expression.

“It doesn’t seem like just magic.”

“It doesn’t?”

“I can sense the presence of spirits. A lot of them. If it were Titania, she would know exactly what kind of spirit it is, but…”

Osnia gazed vacantly at the forest.

“I can feel a certain will. Like something important is being protected…”

Osnia walked forward as if entranced. But there, a tree root protruded, causing her to trip and lose her balance.

“Ah-”

I quickly reached out to steady Osnia.

“Are you hurt?”

“…No.”

Osnia seemed surprised, her pupils dilated more than usual.

I released my hold on her waist that I had grabbed to support her. Osnia felt nearly weightless. Although my strength could easily lift an ogre, she was just too small and light.

“If we go any further, we might get lost too. Let’s head back.”

Osnia silently nodded.

The way back was very quiet. I didn’t feel the need to speak, and Osnia seemed to be deep in thought about something.

As we retraced our steps along the forest path, nearing the Opal Black Dormitory building, Osnia finally broke the silence.

“That hand.”

“Hmm?”

“Is it okay?”

Suddenly asking if my hand was okay, I wondered what she meant. Her habit of asking questions out of the blue reminded me so much of her mentor that I turned to look back.

Osnia’s gaze was fixed on my right hand. It was the hand that had taken the blow from her magic during the earlier conflict. Only then did I understand what she wanted to say.

Osnia had likely been concerned about my hand since she had held on to it earlier. That was indeed my right hand.

I silently removed my glove and opened my hand.

My bare hand showed no signs of burns or injuries; it was completely intact.

“I received treatment.”

“Ah….”

Actually, that was a lie.

Due to personal reasons, my body was much stronger and healed more quickly than an average person’s. However, no matter how high one’s magic resistance is, having no injuries after absorbing magic with bare hands is odd, so I had no choice but to say that.

If one were an extraordinary being who could reinforce their body with magic, that would be possible, but it would be visually apparent. At that time, I wasn’t using any body enhancement.

Osnia hesitated, lowering her gaze.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

Osnia didn’t seem to regret using magic on Saladin.

In that case, her apology likely meant she was sorry for me getting caught up in the magic while trying to stop the fight. In reality, I hadn’t been hurt, but Osnia would think I was.

What would an instructor say in this situation?

I thought for a moment before finally speaking.

“Anger is a warrior’s weapon. Not that of a wizard.”

“…What?”

“Your mentor said that. Those who pursue the magic path fight not with their hearts, but with this.”

I tapped my temples lightly.

Hearing the word “mentor,” Osnia’s eyes widened.

“Do you know my mentor?”

“I’ve met them a few times on the battlefield.”

Not the most pleasant memories. I had once pleaded with them to just take off their helmet because they were such a pain to deal with. In the end, I was busy avoiding them later on.

Most wizards tend to be the type to obsess over things they fixate on. That person showed too much interest in my body, and if I continued to engage with them, it was glaringly apparent I would end up their subject for experiments. They weren’t a bad person, but they were exhausting to deal with.

“If your mentor were here, they wouldn’t have lost their composure even if their parents were insulted in front of them. They would have calmly smiled and turned him to ashes.”

“……”

Osnia wore a difficult expression, unable to express something. She seemed to want to deny it, but deep down, she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

“The reason Saladin received more penalties than you is that using magic on another person violates school rules, but losing one’s composure isn’t befitting a wizard.”

I lightly patted Osnia on the shoulder.

“Improve yourself.”

She was still young. Even if she was immature now, she could get better.

It was awkward, but it was my utmost encouragement encapsulating those feelings.

Osnia didn’t respond for a long while. She stared up at me blankly, looking as if she didn’t know what to say, and then cautiously nodded her head.

“Yes, Instructor.”

That was the first time Osnia called me instructor.

The two of us returned to the dormitory building. After curfew, the dormitory was incredibly quiet, and it seemed Saladin had finished cleaning and returned to his room, as the lobby lights were off.

I walked around the dormitory, but there weren’t any irregularities, and there didn’t seem to be any students who had gone out to play. It hadn’t been long since the semester started, so it seemed there weren’t any students in trouble yet, but still, I couldn’t skip the patrol.

Just as I thought I’d completed my patrol, I escorted Osnia to her room.

“If there’s no further word by this time tomorrow, come to my room. You will be helping with minor tasks for the next week aside from campus patrol.”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll head in now.”

Leaving Osnia, who nodded her head, I departed.

Osnia didn’t immediately enter her room; the light illuminating the hallway remained until I had completely left the vicinity.

 

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