Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 48 Your Highness
Holding the badge that "fell into Cecilia's pocket", Ritas observed for a moment.

Although he couldn't say for sure without specialized instruments, he initially concluded that the badge itself didn't possess any special powers, but was merely a token of trust.

As expected, the factors that cause emotional instability among students who join the Magic Ball seminar lie in the shadows and the "shadow seeds".

Although Ritas had never seen the patterns on the badge, he thought it might be a family crest based on the format. However, it was very different from the family crest of the Azan family, where Malik Azan belonged.

Overall, the intelligence Cecilia brought was of considerable value. However, this value might not be immediately apparent, as it would be used more in the future.

Coming back from his thoughts, Ritas saw Cecilia still standing in front of him.

Cecilia did not disturb Ritas when he was thinking. However, when she saw Ritas's eyes meet hers, Cecilia started to act.

"Professor, this time, I might have been in a very dangerous situation. The atmosphere of the entire Magic Ball Seminar venue is weird, just like a devil's cave."

"."

"Also, I must emphasize that Student Schneizer was really scary at the time. Who would have thought that he, who was usually very kind, would have such a ferocious expression~"

"."

"And there is also——"

Looking at Cecilia who was constantly asking for credit and whose inner thoughts seemed to be written on her face: "Praise me!", Ritas was speechless for a moment.

For Miss Cecilia, who grew up in a complicated family environment and could easily keep ferocious bandits at bay, would she really be scared by this level of "adventure"?
However, it was also a fact that Malik Ezan was going insane at an unexpected rate. Therefore, Cecilia might be in danger when she went to the Magic Ball seminar later.
Then, Ritas showed a serious expression.

"Well done, believer Cecilia. You have completed the task assigned to you by the Bathing Goddess very well."

Cecilia, who had a triumphant look at first, turned into a "huh?" expression when she heard the word "believer."

Apparently, she had long forgotten the existence of the Bathing Goddess.

"As the founder of the Bathing Goddess Church, I acknowledge your contribution and commend your actions on behalf of the Bathing Goddess. I also offer you the Bathing Goddess's most sincere blessing. From now on, when you bathe, your skin will become smoother—"

Ritas said this with an increasingly serious expression, stretched out his hand to the sink beside him, let his fingers get a little wet with water droplets, and then gently flicked it in the direction of Cecilia.

"Ah, it's so cool!"

After subconsciously making a slight shrill sound, Cecilia looked at Ritas and couldn't help laughing. She didn't know how Ritas managed not to laugh when he said these words seriously.

On the other hand, although it was far from what she had hoped for and was handled well by Ritas, Cecilia still muttered, "Forget it."

Because she is in a good mood today.

After all, after Ritas was suspended, his whereabouts were no longer limited to the huge academy, but spread to the entire academy's surroundings. It was not easy to find him.

However, Cecilia felt that Ritas would be in this church, and after arriving at the church, she actually saw him.

"Although, it does have some flavor of what's happened so far. But Professor, don't you think our church's blessing is really strange?"

"It would be a blessing if only the blessing words were strange. Of course, if you cannot accept it, you can leave the church at any time. And I also suggest doing so. Also, I must state that, apart from founding the church on behalf of the Bathing Goddess, I am basically irrelevant to the church. Therefore, your wording of 'our church' is inaccurate."

"Professor Mingming also added a new washbasin to the church today?"

"It's just because I don't want to waste my free time. And, that's the baptismal font to be exact."

Night time.

In the third dormitory area, Ritas's tutor assistant Adeline and Adeline's maid Ann were looking into the distance through the window of the mansion.

Followed by a sharp bang, beautiful fireworks exploded in the sky above the distant city of Spring.

It was mid-May, the day of the "Summer Festival" in the Holy Kingdom of Libera.

"Is it almost time to start? Come to think of it, we celebrate this unnecessary festival every year, but it seems we don't know its origins."

Adeline took a sip of the black tea and said casually as she looked at the fireworks that began to rise into the sky one after another.

"There is no specific and accurate explanation for the origin of the Summer Festival. However, the more favorable theory in the academic community is that the ancient people living in the Libera area relied on the Hapu tree planted in midsummer to make a living. Summer is a very important period for them. And in some beliefs, the Hapu tree has divinity. Therefore, they will hold a sacrificial ceremony for at least three days and at most seven days before and after the Summer Festival, a festival closely related to the Hapu tree."

".?"

Facing Ann, who spoke a long string of words fluently with no expression on her face and a voice without any fluctuation, Adeline couldn't help but look confused.

"Professor Ritas told me."

"I see."

Adeline seemed to be thinking about Ritas. She couldn't help but sighed and drank the tea in the cup. An, who was standing by, refilled Adeline's tea at the right time.

"Now that I think about it, when that professor came two days ago, he kept talking about cooperation and assistance. But in reality, he was just threatening me, wasn't he?"

"And he succeeded."

As they talked, both the master and the servant recalled what happened when Ritas visited them in the evening two days ago.

"Welcome, Professor Ritas."

On Wednesday evening, Adeline, who was obviously unaware of Ritas's ill intentions, opened her arms slightly to Ritas in the living room to show her welcome.

After taking his seat, Ritas nodded slightly to An who placed the tea set on the table.

"Although we can meet in the classroom when we are lucky, the chances of meeting in private settings like this seem to be rare."

As the owner of the mansion, Adeline showed Ritas the enthusiasm that a host should have. However, Adeline didn't know whether she was mocking Ritas's frequent absences or mocking herself for her own willful absences, saying that they were "lucky" to meet.

"That's a long time since we last met."

Ritas looked at Adeline with a calm expression, and then looked at the various furniture in the mansion.

Just as Ritas had noticed during his previous visit, all the furniture here was slightly different from the average furniture. For example, the furniture for placing utensils was significantly lower than usual, probably a deliberate design to make it easier for Adeline, who was in a wheelchair, to reach for them.

"However, it was really awkward for Professor Ritas to submit a formal visiting letter before visiting me this time. It's just to meet me, the tutor's assistant, so I just need to say a word casually, or ask An to pass on the message."

Adeline sometimes had a sarcastic look on her face, but it was never directed at Ritas.

"That's because, now that I'm suspended from my duties, I'm not here to visit you as a mentor at Yew Fir Wood."

"Is that so?"

Adeline continued with an interested expression,

"Then can I ask the professor to leave now on the grounds that I agreed to visit you as a mentor, not as a private person?"

The room, which was already quiet to begin with, suddenly became completely silent.

After observing Ritas for a long time and finding that there was no sign of hesitation on his face, Adeline, with a look of boredom flashing across her face, slowly spoke,
"It's just a joke, Professor Ritas. I hope you don't take it seriously."

"I don't take it seriously, and I think humor is an excellent quality. 'Your Highness.'"

Adeline, who had already raised the teacup to her lips, froze for a moment as if she had been petrified.

When Adeline slowly turned around and put down her teacup, she realized for the first time that Ritas had not addressed her normally since he entered the room.

"First of all, I need to thank you for your trust. Or rather, thank you for your trust in the dean and Earls College as a whole, Your Highness."

After a while, the unique title "Your Highness" that would not appear on ordinary days was once again heard in the reception room under Ritas's deliberate emphasis.
"I had already prepared myself to continue the negotiation even if I was tied up or had a knife at my throat. But now it seems that I had habitually anticipated the situation to be a little worse."

Ritas spoke calmly and collectedly, picking up the teacup in front of him. His movements and breathing were as steady as his "declaration", without any fluctuations.

"I'm a little curious about how the professor knew about this. I guess it wasn't leaked by the dean."

At this point, Adeline also calmed down.

At this point, she knew that it would be ridiculous to continue pretending or denying. So, she just rubbed the pads of her fingers with her right thumb and asked the question in a slightly more serious manner than usual.

".It's just based on some personal speculation."

"Hehe, where on earth are there any clues that could form a suspicion for the professor to make a series of guesses? Even a professor shouldn't be able to truly deduce anything out of thin air, right? This is the realm of divination."

To some extent, it feels like fortune-telling.
Such thoughts emerged in Ritas's mind, but he did not show it on the surface.

"Your Highness may think that you have acted carefully enough. But the more you think something is perfect, the more you will ignore its obvious flaws."

Ritas said, looking around the room.
"Your Highness, I imagine you've never been to the homes of ordinary people who are confined to wheelchairs. Or perhaps you've been familiar with the structure, furnishings, and furnishings of their homes. But you've never personally observed how they live."

"Has Professor Ritas ever observed this?"

"Yes. After all, I was suspended from work these two days, so I'm very free."

After Ritas' words, he gave Adeline some time to think, and then he spoke again.
"Moreover, once a flaw appears in something that was originally 'perfect', its overall collapse may come more easily and quickly than one might imagine."

After he finished speaking, Ritas stretched out his right hand towards Adeline, and then slowly rubbed the area around his knuckles with his thumb like Adeline did.

"It's better not to do this kind of action again in the future."

After the master and servant fell silent again because of Ritas's meaningful actions, Ritas, who sat upright and calmly in the guest seat, explained the purpose of his visit that day.

"There are dangerous assassins lurking in this academy and its surroundings. Although the assassin's original target was me, it is possible that the assassination of me was just a rehearsal for another grand assassination. I hate assassins who are outside the rules, and I believe Your Highness feels the same way. Therefore, we can work together to eliminate the threats lurking in the shadows in advance."

"I need some manpower. Of course, I won't make any presumptuous requests for guards to protect His Highness. What I need are some people who can move freely outside the academy and within Spring City, and who have certain authority."

Time goes back to the day of the Summer Festival.

It is said that fireworks were created on the day of the Summer Festival.

After the rise of magical tools, the ancient festival itself showed signs of being gradually faded and forgotten, and no longer had a public holiday. It became a day when fireworks lit up the night sky.

"A plan?"

Adeline picked up a stack of documents on the desk.
"That professor not only has the time to run around and observe disabled civilians, but also has the time to write such a thick plan. Where does he find the time?"

An did not respond immediately, but kept his eyes on a corner of the plan for a long time.

"I think that even if there really is an assassin in the academy as described by Professor Ritas, the assassin's target would not be the young lady."

"I agree. That's why I think the word 'cooperation' sounds good for this collaboration. However."

Adeline turned to look at Ann, a rare seriousness in her expression.
"An assassin who can deploy a forbidden magic field and assassinate through shadows is terrifying in itself, isn't he? So, regardless of whether the facts are exaggerated, there is no harm in eliminating the assassin."

After listening to Adeline's words, An seemed to hesitate for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Speaking of which, how much did the professor know? He couldn't possibly know the identity of the 'Third Princess' and still act in a way that resembles coercion. If that's the case, this professor who claims to hate existence outside the rules is also a rather bad person."

Listening to Adeline's slightly strange words, An just lowered his head and thought for a moment before responding,
"I still hope he won't be suspended again in the future."

(End of this chapter)