Spirit affinity is closely related to the wavelength of magic.
In infancy, a human’s magical wavelength is pure.
Uncontaminated natural magic manifests as it is.
However, depending on what feelings one harbors and how one grows during the developmental process… a person’s magical wavelength changes.
“How could someone live with such low spirit affinity?”
Sion looked at Estroja with a pitying gaze.
Unaware of the sympathetic glance directed at her, she was engrossed in the spirits that had gathered around Sion.
Estroja was extremely anxious about approaching the spirits, worried that they might flee if she got too close.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
– Kyu?
Sion raised the spirits that had gathered nearby onto his palm.
Two or three spirits clambered onto his hand like hamsters.
Careful not to drop them, Sion approached Estroja.
“Sion, why are you suddenly…”
“Please touch them.”
“…What?”
“It should be fine now.”
Estroja looked down at the spirits with trembling eyes.
The spirits were huddled together like fluffy dumplings.
They looked cute, resembling tiny SD characters all gathered closely.
It seemed that Estroja felt the same way.
“Can I really touch them?”
“Of course.”
“Then, I… can really touch them? Right now…?”
“I’m telling you, go ahead.”
“Then…”
After a conversation that could lead to some misunderstanding, Estroja’s finger slowly moved.
And then…
Tok.
“…!!!”
Estroja’s index finger touched the soft cheek of a spirit.
With fear in her eyes, she worried if the spirit would dislike her.
However, the spirit remained indifferent and just stared blankly.
‘Is the spirit affinity… offset?’
Spirit affinity is a type of magical wavelength.
High spirit affinity means a good wavelength, while low spirit affinity signifies a bad wavelength.
So, what happens when a good wavelength and a bad wavelength meet simultaneously?
‘It must be plus-minus zero…’
In terms of spirit affinity, Sion and Estroja were at the extremes.
They had spirit affinities of S rank and F rank, respectively.
When the two met, it resulted in a spirit affinity around the middle value of C rank.
That alone was sufficient for the spirits to have no reason to flee.
“Look! The spirits are yawning right now!”
“Indeed.”
“They’re so cute… how can such beings exist?”
Estroja giggled like a child.
Her careful actions of stroking the spirit’s cheek with her index finger sparkled her eyes as if she had been awaiting this moment.
“Maybe because it’s a wind elemental spirit, they can do this.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Like this.”
“Huh?”
Tok.
Sion repeatedly lifted and lowered his palm slowly.
As he did so, the wind elemental spirits lazily floated down onto his palm, like soft cotton.
As if carrying an airplane, he gently lifted the spirits into the air.
– Kyu!
– Kyu kyu kyu.
– Kyu~.
The spirits seemed satisfied, laughing and enjoying themselves.
They twirled in the air, responding to Sion’s playful antics.
Before long, a smile appeared on Estroja’s lips.
“They’re adorable…”
“Do you want to try it?”
“Me…?”
“Come on, quickly.”
“Uh, um… ah…”
Before Estroja could refuse, Sion poured spirits onto her palm.
Startled, Estroja caught them with both hands.
Naturally, the spirits simply stood on Estroja’s hand, looking dazed.
“Can I really do this…?”
“You can when I’m here.”
“Then… huff!”
Tok.
The spirits bounced on Estroja’s palm, as if jumping on a trampoline.
In contrast, Estroja’s face was extremely serious.
She focused, worried that even one spirit might fall to the ground.
‘They really are cute…’
Sion’s gaze was not on the spirits but rather on Estroja.
Rather than her usual demeanor, masked by her awareness of others’ gazes…
This pure appearance was much more delightful.
It was a moment that made sense of why the maids in the mansion followed her.
“W-what are you staring at?”
“…You know it sounds strange to get angry now, right?”
“Be quiet. Are you really pleased just because I let you touch the spirits? I’m a daughter of a Marquis!”
Noticing Sion’s gaze, her fair face turned slightly red.
With a sulky expression, Estroja pouted.
Sion playfully reached out his hand.
“Then are you taking the spirits away?”
“…!!”
Sion spun around as Estroja turned and blocked his hand.
Her glare showed a hint of resentment.
“Where would you give and take them back?!”
“They’re right here.”
“I’ll run away!”
“If you run away, the spirits will slip from your hands again, won’t they?”
“…Ugh!”
With no way to go either way, Estroja stomped her feet.
Sion chuckled and lowered his hand.
He had no intention of interrupting her long-awaited communion with the spirits.
Noticing this, her cheeks puffed slightly.
“…Sion, the more I see you, the more I realize you’re really mischievous, aren’t you?”
“Is that so?”
“It’s not ‘is that so’…!”
Just as Estroja was about to get angry, a scream echoed.
Hiyaaaah—!!
“…!”
Sion’s head snapped around.
A woman’s scream pierced his eardrums.
The direction was… east.
‘If it’s east, it’s either the divine beast or a rocky area…’
Sion was located in the western waterfall region.
If the scream came from the east, it was likely from the divine beast in the center or the rocky area to the east.
However, the voice sounded relatively close for it to be from the eastern rocky area.
There was only one woman at the divine beast.
“Lunia-san…?”
“Sion, that scream just now…”
“Estroja, follow me.”
“Y-yes?!”
Grabbing Estroja’s wrist, Sion started running.
The spirits that had been in her hands fell to the ground, but…
Being wind elemental spirits, they floated down lightly as if made of feathers, getting no harm.
‘Something… feels off.’
Sion ran toward the divine beast with Estroja.
*
About ten minutes before the scream was heard.
Professor Lunia was sitting alone under the divine beast, crouching.
“…Sion, you’re such an idiot.”
Scratching—
She was doodling in the dirt with a stick she had picked up from somewhere.
The drawings looked like something a child would create, all crooked and rough.
However, it was clear she was drawing something.
The subject of her drawing was a boy with messy hair dressed in a uniform… Sion.
‘Thank you… I’m so grateful that I’m sorry.’
Lunia felt the happiest she had been since becoming a professor.
Until now, no matter how hard she tried, her students had never looked back at her.
She could not get closer to the professor’s title she desired.
She felt like she was floundering in a swamp, unable to hide her heavy heart.
‘Sion helped me…’
It was Sion who gave her invaluable advice.
No one had ever passionately drawn her out like this, especially since she rarely interacted with others.
So, Lunia blindly followed Sion.
Anyone observing might have thought that it was an act undermining the authority of a professor to take a student’s word so strongly.
But such things did not matter at all.
As a result, she was able to get closer to her ideal professor.
‘So… I want to repay him too.’
The way her students looked at her and their classroom demeanor changed.
Other professors even contacted her first.
In the past, this would have made her jump for joy, but such things were of little importance.
Lunia’s character did not suit simply receiving.
‘…Is it unreasonable for a professor to directly invite a student to meet on the weekend?’
Since she had never been close to a student, she had no idea how to approach it.
While her heart wished to approach Sion actively…
She worried whether it would be a burden to Sion, making her hesitate.
‘Human relationships are hard…’
Sigh.
With a deep sigh, Lunia buried her face in her knees.
Should she request help from her only close friend, Professor Huain?
Since Huain had recently been interested in Sion… it was a bit awkward to request assistance.
“Ugh… I’m such a fool…”
With her shoulders drooping, Lunia poked her drawing of Sion with the stick.
So absorbed in staring at the ground, she did not see something sticky and black descending towards her.
– Caught.
“…!!”
Swish.
A sticky black goo flowed down from the divine beast and covered Lunia’s body.
At first, it was her mouth, then her hand holding the staff, and… her feet.
Even as she tried to resist, being a non-physical substance made it impossible to escape.
– Hahaha! The academy professor is nothing much, is she? As long as you block the mouth, that’s game over, right?
“Ugh… uhh…”
– You should have kept a better lookout~.
The black goo continued to cover Professor Lunia’s body.
It was difficult to cast spells without chanting when being attacked like this.
Moreover, she felt something sapping her magic power away from the goo.
Even while her strength was fading, Professor Lunia pressed her hand to her mouth.
She tried to rip off the goo covering her mouth, tearing and pulling it away.
Finally, she shouted.
“Hiyaaaaah—!!”
– Oh my, then you can’t use it.
“Ugh…!”
Swish!
As soon as she screamed, the sticky goo went directly into her mouth.
Professor Lunia rose slowly into the air, hands and feet bound.
How embarrassing to be lifting herself up in a spread-eagle position.
‘Someone… please help…’
Tears welled up in Professor Lunia’s eyes.
