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“So, when your friend wakes up,

he starts thrashing around like a madman,

and you were tying him up to prevent any danger?”

“Ugh. Yes! That’s what I said!”

“Ah, I see?”

“…Stella…”

I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?

He did knock me out as soon as he got up…

Why are you looking at me with such pity?

“Just understand, sweetie.

At that age, it’s normal to overlook mistakes…”

“No way!!”

“Yikes! My hair! Don’t pull it, you witch!

Can’t you see the Lord of the Magic Tower is here?”

Oh no, I realized that my master was still in shock.

“It’s my mistake… If I only taught him magic,

I should have also taught him about…

the birds and the bees…”

“Master! That’s not it!”

“By the way, tying him up and playing like this is quite a… unique taste.”

“I respect that, Stella!”

Ah, I seriously want to die right now.

*

I desperately tried to convince the three of them to clear up this misunderstanding.

That wretched girl kept making fun of me,

blaming it on her boyfriend until the end,

saying she might pluck all my hair out before leaving.

“So, is there any injury?”

You’re quite the worrywart, aren’t you?

“I’m fine! You know I’m tough, Master.”

“…Well, I’m glad to hear you’re not hurt.

How’s your academy life going?”

“It’s fun! Of course, I made good friends.”

“Hehe.”

Why are you laughing? Am I the only one who thinks of them as friends?

You said I was a fan, so friends… right?

“Right… Hmm? That kid…”

My master noticed Nova lying down and showed a knowing reaction.

“I see. So that’s why you suddenly wanted to go to the academy…”

Wait, are you under some huge misconception?

“W-Wait! That’s not it!”

Oh wait, why did I even enter the academy?

If I think about it, maybe it was because of Nova too…

“Ah, is that so?”

Oh damn.

“So after saying you wouldn’t go for so long,

you suddenly want to go because of a guy?

Eek, ha-ha!”

As soon as she said that, Erica lost it and started laughing uncontrollably.

“Then, go ahead and laugh.”

I’m seriously going to kill that girl today and head straight to hell.

“So, you’re saying…

you acted like you had no interest in guys,

but now you’re full of action? I see a new side of you!”

“Ugh… just sit down.”

“…Yeah.”

In a moment of rage, I nearly shoved my staff down her throat.

But then I heard another sound, someone trying to suppress their laughter.

“Pfft, no way… Stella came in for that reason?”

Hah? When you think about it, it’s your fault.

You provoked me and now you’re messing with me?

“…! Eek! I’m sorry!”

Bingo!

“Yikes! What are you looking at with those dagger eyes?

Did I teach you to glare at your friends like that?”

“Master?”

How unfair! There’s no one on my side here…

*

“Hey, we need to talk alone for a moment.”

With those words, I understood they wanted to discuss something important.

“Understood, Shia, just a moment.”

“Yes, take your time.”

“And…”

As I was staring hard,

Erica responded with an innocent face.

“Hmm? I’ll stay here and talk to your friend a bit.”

“Don’t talk about useless things.”

“Yeah, yeah! Just hurry up and go!”

I’m seriously anxious about this.

With her talking like that,

it’s been 20 years since I’ve been a maiden.

*

Clatter, clunk.

…Did they leave?

Still, there are two left.

“Now that the nuisances are gone…”

Hmm? Is it just my imagination,

or does it feel like someone’s coming this way?

“Wow… surprisingly handsome, huh?

Didn’t expect that from her.”

“Actually, it’s said that those two are childhood friends.”

“Really? I didn’t know that!

Wow~ a love nurtured over seven years?

So sweet~ so sweet it’s sickening…”

After that, I thought maybe I should try to find someone nice too.

When should I stop pretending to be asleep?

“Well, is it wrong to eavesdrop on the girls’ conversation?”

!…Did I get caught?

“Eh?! You were awake!?”

At that, Shia jumped up in surprise, looking at me.

“If you keep pretending to sleep, I’ll block your nose!”

Crap, I got caught! When I opened my eyes,

I saw a brown-haired lady looking like a mage with a ponytail.

“Uh… Hi? Are you Stella’s companion mage?”

“Yep! I’m Erica, Stella’s senior, like her sky. So, what’s your boyfriend’s name?”

“His name is Nova.”

Then Shia poked me with her elbow and said, looking incredulous.

“How can you be so nonchalant about this, Nova?”

That’s because I can actually hear what’s being said.

Hmm. Is it okay to confess now?

Then Shia looked at my face and sighed dramatically.

“Well, it seems you’re already smitten, so it must just be a matter of time.”

“Yeah, that’s a relief! Seriously.”

Erica looked somewhat comfortable saying that.

“I was worried she might be single forever.”

According to Senior Mage Erica,

Stella was a solitary example of someone no one dared to approach in the Magic Tower.

When I heard that, I was surprised.

The Stella I’d seen all along was bright and lively, even if she was a bit prickly.

“Impossible! She’s such a handful!”

“Right? We both know she’s just trying to act tough.

She’s actually quite lively… I mean, she’s annoying in a good way.”

…It seems like there’s a lot built up in Erica regarding Stella.

“Well, she’s not a bad person deep down.”

“Stella is not bad!

That’s outrageous!

She continuously did charity work even during the war,

how can you say she’s anything but kind!”

I’ve been thinking this for a while now, but it seems like Shia really likes Stella.

That’s not a bad thing.

It’s good that Stella has a same-sex friend.

But I don’t know how to describe the closeness between women,

but it feels a bit too clingy…

Could it be that liking someone has different meanings?

“Of course, I know that for a mage,

doing such things is astonishing.

Most mages wouldn’t behave that way.”

“That’s not quite the case, is it?”

“AH! It’s not that mages are garbage.

What do you think of when you think of a typical mage?”

At that, Shia answered, looking puzzled.

“A mage? Shooting fire? Spraying water?”

But wait, Shia, you can do that too!

“Well, that’s not wrong,

shooting fireballs, stabbing, breaking things—

most mages typically use their powers in battle,

but she used her magic more on healing the victims of war.”

“Yeah…”

“Typically, that kind of work is what priests or clergy do.

When mages do it, the overall effectiveness drops,

as the mana used for healing magic is overwhelmingly high.”

Oh, that’s a revelation for me.

“Ordinarily, people would get expensive healing from the Holy Kingdom,

but she traveled through war-torn areas to treat victims.”

Is that what made her known as the Saint of the Magic Tower?

“She’s a fool, honestly; she used all her magic until she collapsed,

thinking ‘this is for my training!’

Even if it’s annoying, I can’t hate her.”

Though they’ve made fun of her a lot,

it’s clear that they sincerely care for Stella.

This person seems pretty good-hearted.

“Still, I thought the part about a guy was a lie; I can’t believe it’s real… so jealous…”

At that, Shia asked, seeming unable to comprehend.

“Don’t you think someone as pretty as Stella would have a boyfriend?”

“I already told you, she was anti-social!

While she definitely had guys clinging to her because of her looks.”

“Ah… boys?”

Where do they find the audacity to covet her?

“Nova… your eyes are scary…”

“And what are their names?”

“Well, all the clingy guys

she turned down previously are now dead, so don’t worry, boyfriend.”

“Oh yes.”

Definitely! Our Stella couldn’t fall for those lowlifes!

Shia shook her head vigorously, saying.

“Ugh, this foolishness…”

“Well, I hope you stay close to Stella!

She might be a bit sharp, but it’s just her tsundere side, so cut her some slack.”

“Who’s a tsundere?!”

At that moment, Stella barged in.

“Just like the saying goes, talk about the tiger and it’ll come… is the conversation over?”

“Yeah, it’s over, you wretched sister.

Did you think you could leave nicely today…?”

In that instant, Stella’s eyes met mine.

“Nova, when did you wake up?”

“Uh… hey there? Good morning.”

“It’s afternoon… so when did you wake up?”

Why is she so persistent in asking…

It must be because of that…

“You… you were awake earlier too…”

At that moment, I sensed a sinister aura around Stella.

“W-Well, I just woke up! Just now!”

Erica seemed to realize something and clapped her hands.

“Ah! So you were awake when she climbed onto your bed earlier…”

Ah please, no…

Then Stella started to chuckle ominously as Shia had apparently vanished without anyone noticing.

“No, I said if you opened your eyes, you’d poke them out…!”

Crash!

Because of the chaotic state of the patient room,

I got thoroughly scolded by the health teacher.

And Sister Erica ended up spending the day in the hospital with me.

 

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