Visitation
In the Taboo Mansion, a night after the intense battle. On the bed in the room, there’s a single Dark Magician who can’t get up.
“……uーuu……u――――――――uu……it hurts”
That groan reverberated emptily. His body may be immortal, but what hurts, hurts. His entire body is in tatters with the muscle pain from an intense exercise and the joint pain from the golem’s nelson-hold.
“That lass……she could’ve controlled it a little more skilfully”
It was through the fact that he couldn’t feel nimbleness in the golem’s attack, that he realised Lily was putting up an act. It’d looked like she was taking the lead and attacking, but it’d actually been adjusted to the extent that Asch could avoid it.
It was the fault of this Dark Magician messing up that he ate the attack, but he shelves that for now.
“Asch-sama, excuse me. How are you feeling?”
Mira enters the room and bows.
“It’s the worst, you hear me, the worst”
“……is that so”
“Haa……can’t you say something else”
“I am a doll after all”
“……I was an idiot to have expected anything from you. In that case, I guess let’s ask something that even a doll is capable of. What are the movements of those two?”
“They made no particular moves. They may just be making it seem that way though”
“Hmm……they were stronger than I had anticipated. Especially the one called Raynes”
At that spot there, he was an even more uncanny existence than his former protégé, Delta. He’d thought that perhaps he was a taciturn warrior, but he was constantly observing Asch’s movements despite fighting with Mira.
“Yes, he was a marvellous gentleman”
!?
“……what are you saying about the enemy?”
There’s a single angry mark on Asch’s head.
“I think that individual had been holding back even during his battle with me. That individual is perhaps on a slightly different vector as Delta-sama from what I think”
“I don’t care how you feel, but I agree with your opinion that they’re on different vectors”
“……you look somewhat disgruntled though”
“Not really”
“Is that so”
“……”
If he references the butler’s opinion, Raynes should be able to control that spot. If he defeats Mira, the only remaining combatants are the students. It’s probably impossible for them, who are unaccustomed to battles, to go toe to toe against the veteran Delta and Raynes.
“Fuーu, looks like we were really the ones who got off lucky huh. However, I don’t know why”
“Isn’t it because he was a marvellous gentleman?”
“……”
‘What the hell is this doll saying’, is the Dark Magician’s thought.
“I am sure he is an individual who cannot hurt women and children”
“……well, he puts up a good fight with me in terms of looks. Anything else is incomparable though”
“Eeh, totally”
At that butler’s answer, Asch is, satisfied.
“……”
Her thoughts are, in complete contrast with him though.
“However……the students sure are a useless bunch. Their revered teacher is lying on the bed like this, and yet they can’t even visit once”
“……”
‘You are not a revered teacher, are you’, Mira, thinks.
“Well, they’re in the middle of their classes now after all……it’d be after classes if they’re going to come huh”
“Looks like the inside of Asch-sama’s head is a flower bed in full blossom1 huh”
“Fuu……I wouldn’t go that far”
“……”
The manic teacher who, occasionally, mistakes sarcasm for a compliment.
“However……speaking of a flower bed, what kind of flower do you think they will bring to visit?”
“Who knows; I, a doll, has not the slightest clue”
‘What’s this unpopular teacher saying’, is the competent butler’s thought.
“Won’t you, go and check it out for a bit for me?”
“……understood, if Asch-sama says so”
Taking a deep bow, Mira left her master’s room.
・・・
Three hours later, the competent butler returned to where her master is.
“Ho-, how were the students?”
Thrilled Thrilled. A Dark Magician who’s excited and in anticipation of the event called a visitation.
“First, Estelise-sama is also unwell and took a day off”
“Tha-, that’s worrying. So? What kind of flower did the students prepare for the visitation”
“Gabanna Flower”
“Hmm……Gabanna huh……if I’m not wrong, it’s『reverence』in the language of flowers huh……we-, well, not bad huh”
“……”
Looking happy. The worst teacher who’s looking abnormally happy.
“S-, so when are they coming? I, a gentleman, also has to get prepar――”
“No, they are not coming”
“……eh”
“Since all the students went to visit Estelise-sama”
“……”
The back view of Asch who slept facing the wall afterwards was, extremely lonely.
