Chapter 6 TIKR Vol. 1 Chapter 1 Part 5

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The magic butterfly led him to a massive, ornate concert hall.

The space was vast and open, with a soaring ceiling that looked as though a single voice would echo endlessly. Facing the fan-shaped auditorium was a grand, brightly lit stage. Upon it, dozens of young women in white robes stood in perfect formation, like a holy choir.

This was the headquarters of the White Whale Academy of Magic, <Noah>.

“…Uh… hi.”

Arl, having been guided onto the stage, felt completely overwhelmed. The young women stood bolt upright, not moving a muscle, their eyes fixed on him as one.

Did I get it wrong? Just as Arl was beginning to panic in the ear-splitting silence, a lone figure emerged from the wings.

She had silvery-white hair that shimmered in the sunlight streaming from a high window, scattering motes of light with every step. Her gaze was quiet and intelligent, yet held a hint of melancholy. She was beautiful enough to have been captured in a masterpiece painting. This was the ‘Saint of the Academy,’ a girl who perfectly embodied the mystique of her title.

The pressure in the room was almost physical. The Saint slowly opened her mouth…

“…’Sup, Master.”

She gave a lazy little wave. Her expression remained completely deadpan, her face as still and beautiful as a portrait.

“Thanks for coming. …Hm? You look… tired. Oh, right. You were getting chased by <Fenrir> and <Blacksmith>. Poor Master.”

“…I’m fine.” If anything, he was just completely floored by the whiplash between her ‘Saintly’ appearance and her flat, low-energy personality.

So much for a solemn atmosphere. The robed women around them, however, began to tremble with emotion.

“Oh, our Saint!”

“To see her so excited for the Master… it’s divine!”

“My faith… it’s overflowing!”

It was a completely different brand of fanaticism from Rosetta’s black-suited subordinates.

Kirsi reached out and gently caressed Arl’s cheek. “You’ve come a long way. Welcome back, Master.”

“—Right.”

Master. As in, an instructor or teacher. Another ‘Master.’

Just as I thought. After the last two, it was obvious what was coming. This time, however, Arl was determined to get ahead of it.

“It’s been a while, Kirsi. You’re still practicing magic, then?”

He’d saved countless people and couldn’t remember every face. But Kirsi was different. He had a clear memory of rescuing her, five years ago, during an Imperial Knight mission.

—‘One who cannot defeat monsters is no mage.’

It was a common saying on the continent. Mages were specialists who wielded magic to fight humanity’s natural enemy: monsters. Because the threat was so great, skilled mages were highly valued, many belonging to the noble class.

Kirsi was one such mage. She was the fifth daughter of the Astron family, the most prestigious magic house in the Empire… and a runaway. Arl had rescued her while she was being held captive by her own family, allowing her to finally escape.

“It’s been since I got you out of the Astron… your family’s estate, hasn’t it? I taught you a bit of magic back then, but I never imagined you’d build an organization this massive.”

“You… remembered me.”

Kirsi’s eyes widened just a fraction. It was a tiny change, but the clear joy in her voice told him she was deeply moved.

“I was… a little worried you might have forgotten.”

“Of course not. You were my best student. I remember you well.”

He had been completely blindsided by Prima and Rosetta. This time, he was in control.

“Oh, good. Then…”

His faint hope of controlling the situation was immediately shattered. Kirsi slowly spread her arms wide.

“Come on, Master.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ll give you a big hug. I’ve… grown. I’m sure it’ll be nice and comforting.”

He couldn’t bring himself to ask where she had ‘grown.’

A familiar, dreadful premonition hit him. Still, clinging to one last shred of hope, he asked, “…By any chance… I didn’t say anything… weird to you back then, did I? Like, I didn’t… make some kind of idiotic ‘wish,’ did I?”

“Hmm…?” Kirsi put a finger to her lips, then shook her head. “Nope.”

Salvation! Arl felt a wave of relief so profound it was almost divine. Thank God. Thank God! I didn’t say I wanted a maid, I didn’t say I wanted to be a kept man! I’m safe!

Then Kirsi added, “You just want a girl to pamper you and spoil you. That’s not weird. When you’re tired, it’s totally normal.”

“—.“

Arl’s soul left his body. He turned to white ash, and the Saint just smiled down at his remains.

“You saved me when I was in trouble, Master. So I want to save you, too. I want to grant your wish. That’s… that’s why I made <Noah>, the White Whale Academy.”

The memory lid blew off like a geyser. And inside was his sin. The great sin of words spoken five years ago in a moment of pure exhaustion.

—”Teacher… you look so tired. Let’s stop training…”

—”Sorry… I’m fine.”

—”But… you look so stressed. Is your knight job hard?”

—”Not really… I just… haven’t been sleeping well.”

—”Oh. Then… here. Squeeze.”

—”…Kirsi? Why are you… hugging me to your chest?”

—”The book said this is comforting. It said a bigger chest is more comforting. Sorry… mine are small…”

—”We need to talk about that book. You’re too young for it.”

—”Really? …Is it… not comforting?”

—”…No. It is. Thank you.”

—”Ehehe. I’ll do it for you anytime.”

Please let that just be a sweet, innocent memory, Arl prayed. But reality was cruel.

“Master,” Kirsi said, completely serious. “I’m… bigger now. So… here. Go ahead.”

“…”

There’s a man who imprinted his shameless, exhausted desires onto a grateful little girl. His name is Arl. He is a sinner. He covered his face. For the third time, Eilfina’s face appeared in his mind. This time, she looked horrified. ‘The… responsibility… uh… you… you gonna be able to take that one…?’

“Your Highness…” Arl despaired. “Please, just execute me. Execute my past self!”

“! Master’s exhausted. He needs comforting. Immediately.”

Kirsi, misunderstanding his breakdown, moved to embrace him. It would have been the final blow, but she was interrupted.

“Saint-sama! There you are!”

One of the robed women ran up, out of breath. Kirsi looked annoyed at the interruption, but her expression turned serious when she saw what the woman was carrying. It was a small, unconscious child, breathing in ragged gasps.

“My apologies! My skill isn’t enough to break the curse, I was hoping you…!”

“Mm. When did it start?”

“We… We found her like this in an alley. She has no family… no one noticed what was happening to her.”

“I see… Master?”

“—Right. A monster’s curse.”

Arl’s focus snapped into place. The child’s face was flushed with fever, her breathing shallow. But it was more than just sickness. There, sprouting from her forehead, was a small, sinister horn. It was the telltale sign of a monster.

“What’s your assessment, Master?” Kirsi asked.

“‘Horned.’ We’re seeing signs of ‘monsterification,’ but no scales on the skin. I’d say it’s mid-stage. But in a body this small, the curse will spread fast.”

The true terror of monsters was their curse. Anyone wounded by one would have a toxin poured into their body—a toxin that didn’t kill, but remade its host. It forcibly assimilated them, turning them into a monster. It was how they reproduced, and why they were humanity’s natural enemy. There was no antidote. The only counter was mankind’s answer to the threat: magic.

“—Open,” Kirsi chanted softly. “Azure Score: First Movement, Third Verse♪.”

Mages are often compared to musical instruments, and their magic to a melody. A healing light washed over the child, and her breathing steadied, just slightly.

“Healing magic?” Arl said, stunned. “That’s… incredibly advanced.”

“Mm. This will buy us time. But it won’t break the curse itself. We need to perform the ritual. Prepare for the Chorus Magic—”

As Kirsi began to give orders, the child suddenly convulsed—KAH!—and a black mist began to erupt from her body. Something inside was trying to get out.

“Saint-sama!”

“She won’t make it to the ritual. Put her on the floor. I’ll perform the dispelling here—”

The black mist exploded outward, plunging the stage into darkness. She’s not going to make it, Arl’s instincts screamed. In an instant, his left eye flared with magical light. A sudden gale tore through the hall, instantly scattering the black mist and clearing everyone’s vision.

“A chantless spell!?”

“The curse is accelerating because her life force is fading,” Arl stated, as if reading from a textbook. “In this situation, you first isolate the curse from the patient to secure their safety.”

Arl stared hard at the curse. A black, hazy form was pulled from the child, hovering in the air. It struggled, but Arl’s eye flared brighter, and with a sound like a popping balloon, the haze simply vanished.

“He… dispelled it!?”

“Just like that…?”

“This… this is the Saint’s ‘Master’…!”

Arl ignored them, checking the child. The horn was gone. Her pained breathing had softened into a peaceful sleep.

“Master… wow.”

Kirsi applauded softly, her eyes shining with childlike admiration. Arl, finally realizing what he’d just done, flushed. It was all habit, a professional reflex.

“…Sorry for interfering. I overstepped my bounds, doing that in your Academy. I’ll accept any punishment.”

“That’s what you’re worried about…? You saved her, Master. Thank you.”

Embarrassed, Arl tried to deflect. “It only worked because your first move was perfect. You stabilized her and bought us time. You saved her.”

“You think so? Ehehe… I’m happy. If I can get praise from you, it was worth building <Noah>.”

“Don’t be so…”

“Nope. <Noah> exists to comfort you. It’s why I studied healing magic. So… you can let me spoil you anytime.”

“…”

Right. That. He’d almost forgotten. Arl’s gaze went unfocused again.

Just then, another robed woman ran up and whispered to Kirsi, who nodded.

“Master. There are some bad guys rampaging in the city. I’m going to go… quiet them down.”

“…This city’s crime problem is really something. Will you be okay?”

“Mm. Leave it to me. I won’t lose to <Fenrir> or <Blacksmith>.”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

She’d taken his concern as a challenge. Arl sighed, but then had an idea. Stop their rampage. Eilfina’s order. He was the Master of all three. Bizarre motives aside, their loyalty was absolute. He had to do this.

“Kirsi, I know the three organizations are fighting each other to spread my name. I appreciate the thought… but the city’s safety comes first. Why don’t all three of you… cooperate on this?”

“Master… you’re so nice.” Her smile was full of pure affection. “You’re worried about them, even though they’re not needed.”

No… it was too full of affection.

“<Noah> is your castle, Master. If we cooperate, it’ll just dilute your fame. You’re the only one. The only name this capital needs to know is <Noah>. You’re the only one who needs to shine.”

“Wait. But… the Master of the other groups is—”

“Just wait here, Master,” she said, cutting him off. “<Fenrir> and <Blacksmith>…”

…I’ll go take care of them all.

The words themselves were soft, but the intent behind them was like molten iron—heavy, scorching, and dangerous. Kirsi turned, and leading her robed followers, swept out of the hall.

“…But… I’m the Master for… all of them…?”

Arl was left standing alone on the vast, empty stage.