[Alice POV]

  I've always been concerned about Yu somewhere in my mind. From the moment we first met, you were full of mysteries.

  I wonder what happened back then. Why were you collapsed in such a place, dressed like that? You tried to gloss over your ignorance, but I knew immediately. You seemed to know nothing about this world, let alone magic. And yet, you're normally knowledgeable about other things, like Arithmetic, so it feels disjointed.

  It's almost as if you lost only the memories of your life until now—or as if you are a stranger who suddenly appeared from nowhere.

  Even after all this time, you won't tell us anything important. Still, watching you, I can understand your personality. You're a bit ditzy in places, and you have cute sides too.

  I think of you as my precious friend, and I'm sure you think so too. I don't think there's any lie in that heart. I know you just have circumstances you can't talk about. But I think it's about time you told us a little. Honestly, I don't like waiting too much.

  Or rather, Yu, you always go somewhere, don't you?

  『Sorry. I have business today too.』

  That's right. You always say you have business, eat dinner early, and leave immediately.

  『Ah, welcome back. You're late today too.』 『I'm home. I'll go to the bath before it closes.』

  And just when I think you came back looking exhausted, you sleep like a log right after taking a bath. You're exasperatingly serious in class too. Before I knew it, there were fewer and fewer things I could teach you. I feel like I can't lose to you.

  But. Why do you look so desperate? You always look painful.

  What drives you to go that far? I'm sure you yourself don't realize it. I think you're averting your thoughts, looking forward, and trying not to think about it as much as possible.

  True, you said it. That you almost died back then, so you're learning magic to gain the power to live strongly. But then, it's pointless to learn so much attack magic, right? Because that's not very useful for that purpose.

  Of course, I think what Yu said is true too. But that's not all.

  To me, it looks as if you are desperately trying to gain power to protect yourself from something scary. And as if you are greedily tackling everything so you can do anything even alone.

  But I want you not to forget. You are not alone.

  With my natural cheerfulness, I'll make a place for you. I'll interact with you a lot and tease you so you can feel familiar. So more. I want you to rely on me, and I want you to smile more. I think so.

  Right now, we are in my room in the girls' dorm. After Yu went out as usual, I was talking about her with Milia.

  "Don't you think Yu is always sneaking around?"

  "Indeed. As soon as we notice, she goes somewhere."

  Reeaally, she's a lump of suspiciousness. That girl.

  "Before, she went even though she looked so painful because of that! What kind of business is it to work that hard?"

  "Exactly. I wonder what she thinks of people worrying about her."

  Then Milia smiled with a face like she thought of something.

  "Why don't we... follow her once?"

  "Hmm..."

  Is it okay? I told Yu I wouldn't pry too deeply into her circumstances, though.

  "Because... you're worried, right?"

  "That's true..."

  That's right. If mysterious actions continue every day like this, I naturally get worried. Thinking about if Yu is involved in something weird or getting caught up in something. Yeah. As a friend, I can't leave her alone after all! I wanted to know her secret soon, and more than anything, I'm really worried.

  "Alright! Let's do it! Milia."

  "Fufu. You're quite enthusiastic, aren't you?"

  "Momentum and energy are important for things like this! Shall we execute it tomorrow?"

  "Fine by me. I'll... prepare a little."

  "Prepare?"

  "It's a surprise for tomorrow."

  The next day. As planned, the Yu Tailing Operation was set to be executed. Yu went out the back gate of the school building as usual.

  "Let's go."

  "Yes."

  We carefully poked our heads out from the back gate and peeked. Yu is walking while constantly checking her surroundings.

  "She seems unusually vigilant. If we follow her normally like this, she might notice us on the way."

  "What... shall we do?"

  "Let's use magic here."

  For Milia to understand, I'll use the chanting method here.

  "Oh wind, hide our bodies..."

  I was about to go, but I was stopped by Milia midway.

  "Please, wait. Yu is good... at Wind Magic. That would be... a little risky."

  "Then what do we do?"

  "For that, I came prepared. Please leave it to me."

  Let's leave it to Milia here. Expectation.

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  "Hide our figures. 《Arlmerin》."

  Then, a veil of light softly covered us. It's a magic I've never seen. Wondering, I ask Milia.

  "What's this?"

  "I cast... a little Light Magic. It tweaks light reflection to make our figures very... hard to see. With this, Yu shouldn't... notice."

  "Ehh!? Light is Lost Magic, isn't it! Where on earth did you get such magic!?"

  "Shhh. Please don't raise... a loud voice. People around will think it's strange."

  "Ah, sorry, sorry."

  "By the way, about this magic... it's a trade secret."

  "Heh. So even Milia has secrets?"

  "I'm sorry. It's my family's... matter."

  "A clan secret, huh. Makes sense."

  Come to think of it, Milia was a child of a lower noble, right? Then it's not strange if some Lost Magic has been passed down for generations.

  Anyway, thanks to Milia's magic, the tailing proceeded smoothly without being found by Yu. And as we continued tailing, we finally witnessed Yu entering a certain building. Approaching carefully, it was a truly unexpected place for us.

  "What is... this place?"

  "Sacris Swordsmanship School: Qi Sword Arts Department..."

  A sign with those words was hung on the old building. Qi Sword Arts... I've never heard of such a thing. And I didn't know. That there was such a department and building in the school.

  But. It's weird. It's absolutely weird! Because, Yu is a mage, right? What is she doing in a place that handles swords like this!?

  "Let's go. We have to ask Yu various things."

  "Right. I've become curious too."

  Steeling ourselves, we jumped into the dojo-like building in front of us.

  "Helloooo! Huh, where's Yu?"

  "She's not... here... it seems."

  Inside, a large tatami-matted hall just spread out suddenly, and there was nothing to block the view. Only one door was visible in the back. Yu wasn't there, but instead, there was a guy who looked about the same age as us. He has a neutral, cute face that fits the description of a "boy" rather than a man. Next to him was a beautiful woman with blonde hair tied back, who gave an impression of having sharp eyes.

  Our eyes met with the guy. At that moment, I felt a strange feeling.

  I wonder why. Even though it should be our first meeting, I didn't feel like it was the first time I met him. Thinking a little, I understood the reason why I thought so immediately.

  It's weird to say to a boy, but.

  Somehow, his dignified eyes, his gentle and seemingly unreliable face, and the atmosphere oozing from his whole body resemble Yu a lot. Also, the fact that he has black hair is the same.

  That mysterious boy who felt similar to Yu was swimming his eyes abnormally for some reason. Signs of agitation can be seen from his whole body. I wondered what was wrong, but I didn't know. Then he started whispering with the blonde woman in a low voice. I'm curious about the content, but I can't hear what they are saying.

  Probably after the discussion was settled, he retreated to the back dejectedly, and instead, the blonde woman stepped forward.

  "If you are looking for that child, she is not here. She said she wanted to train magic, so I took her to a good training ground."

  "Since I can use Teleportation Magic," she added. What. So that was it. Then I understand the reason Yu comes here. Sword training would be weird, after all. On the other hand, Milia reacted to a different word.

  "Teleportation Magic. Could you be... a Nesla?"

  "Nesla? That long-lived species?"

  I heard they never come out of the forest, though.

  "Yeah. Correct. I am called Inea. I heard your names from Yu. Alice and Milia, right?"

  We nodded. We convey the purpose of coming here.

  "We came because we wanted to see Yu. Can you take us there?"

  However, Inea-san didn't approve.

  "She is someone I permitted specially. Unfortunately, I cannot take anyone else."

  Is that so... Even though we came all this way. But, in that case, I have an idea too!

  "Then, we'll wait here until Yu comes back! That's fine, right, Milia?"

  "It can't be helped... then."

  Even saying that, Milia is plenty motivated too. Then, perhaps our stubborn determination got through, Inea-san gave in easily.

  "I see. Hmm... I cannot make friends wait too long. Once I send the disciple in the back, I shall go pick her up immediately. You may wait a little."

  Waiting as told, eventually Inea-san properly came back with Yu. And leaving only the words "I will be in the back. You three can talk as much as you like," she went into the back door.

  Yu, who came back, was acting awfully suspicious for some reason.

  "I-I was surprised. To think you'd come to meet me in a p-p-place like this."

  "What is it, Yu. You're being distant. Training magic alone, huh."

  But I'm relieved. She wasn't doing anything weird. Good.

  "Or rather, why... are you so agitated?"

  A retort comes from Milia with cold eyes. True. That magnificent swimming of eyes is just like that boy from earlier.

  "I really didn't expect you to come. I was really surprised. Just that."

  Really just that? Yu emphasized while flustering. Wow, suspiciously to death. Receiving our dubious gazes all at once, she seemed to have no choice but to give her specialty bitter smile.

  "But, how did you follow me?"

  "That is~, Milia's Light Magic. We were both hiding our bodies."

  Looking over, Milia is making a slightly proud face.

  "I-I see. Such magic..."

  Yu seemed to lose strength and slumped. She is sighing heavily.

  "So. Who is that man?"

  I was strangely curious about him. Looking at Yu now, I thought again, even though the appearance is different, his atmosphere really resembles Yu exactly. That person didn't speak a word in the end. But somehow, I asked thinking he might be from the same country as Yu.

  Yu answered while hesitating over words.

  "Ah—that person is, you see, Inea-sensei's Qi Sword Arts disciple. Actually, I haven't talked to him that much either."

  "Name. What... is he called?"

  At Milia's question, Yu clearly flinched. Agitation appears plainly enough to be written on her face saying "I am hiding something."

  "Eh, no... well, I don't know. He won't give me his name at all."

  Ah-ah. This is Yu's reaction when she lies. She definitely knows the name. This guy. It was already common knowledge between Milia and me that Yu is bad at lying.

  "I wonder if that's true~"

  "Really, truly!"

  "Hmm."

  Suspicious. Super suspicious. Possibly, there's something connected to Yu's roots and she doesn't want to talk about it. Both have very rare black hair color too.

  As I was pondering, Milia must have judged that we wouldn't get anywhere. She shifted the topic.

  "By the way, what is Qi Sword Arts?"

  "Ah. That is—"

  It seems this wasn't something to hide. Receiving a general explanation from Yu, we finally understood what kind of place this is.

  Magic and Qi are paired existences. Originally, Sacris Swordsmanship School was a Qi Sword Arts School, paired with the Magic School. But partly because it was too difficult to master compared to magic, students decreased year by year during the continued peaceful era. Eventually, it wouldn't stand unless it became just a Swordsmanship School. Still, somehow, the Qi Sword Arts School remained only in form as the Qi Sword Arts Department. In the form of paying respect to the founder of Qi Sword Arts, Jilph Arise, who contributed greatly to the establishment of the learning institutions that became the prototypes of Sacris Magic Academy and Swordsmanship School. Inea-san seems to be a direct disciple of that Jilph-san.

  Currently, she is a special instructor, but students rarely come. But there, a student appeared for the first time in decades. So that was the nameless him.

  Then we heard in detail from Yu about the magic training she was doing. Still, I was surprised. Yu, working hard in such a place until late at night. No wonder she sleeps like the dead when she returns to the room. It seems there are deep circumstances, and surely she won't quit even if I tell her to.

  Then at least, what I can do is make that time a little more fun. I thought so. Besides. I like magic too. I can't lose to Yu! So, I decided to do this!

  "Yu. I'll do magic special training too! It's more fun together, right?"

  Then Yu showed a smile that looked happy from the bottom of her heart. Yu's smile is very cute, showing her honest personality, and it's truly a wonderful smile. Enough to make me happy just watching.

  "That makes me happy. Since I'm doing it on my own, it was hard to invite you."

  "Of course, Milia will join too, right?"

  "I don't like special training... or things like that..."

  "You'll join, right?"

  When I pressed her, she sighed as if resigned.

  "Haa... In the end, that is... my fate, huh..."

  Even while saying so, immediately after, Milia was relaxing her lips slightly happily. We know that you enjoy being with us and you don't dislike magic training either. If we push a little, see, just like this.

  "Then, when shall we do it?"

  "Night is a bit... Also, sometimes I train with Argus. But any time other than that is fine..."

  These casual words from Yu were the biggest shock of the day. I interrupted her words and shouted.

  "HAAAAAAH——!? What is that——!? And you call him by his name without honorifics!?"

  "Unbelievable. Since when... such a relationship...!"

  Yu was surprised by our reaction and rounded her eyes. But we are the ones surprised! Why are you saying something outrageous so casually!

  "Wait. Just by chance."

  "That! Tell us in detail——!"

  Really. I can't take my eyes off Yu. If we dig, more seems to come out. Someday, tell us all the circumstances, okay?