Black Iron Magician

Chapter 47 Chinatsu’s Anxiety

The mock battle between Haru and Nell is over, and the knights and servants who have been watching while holding their breaths are gradually disbanding. I take out a towel and a water bottle from my bag and give them to Haru.

「Good job. I’m glad that you didn’t die.」

「Uh-huh, it was insufficient for me though…. But, I think it was a good opportunity to measure my own ability. Thank you again, Nell-san!」

「It’s okay. I also enjoyed half of it.」

Even though it’s right after that battle, the conversation between the two is very peaceful. The conversation has gone in another direction, and they are talking about something like `the store there sells delicious sweets’. They sure switched gears fast. If it was me, I’ll be thanking God that I’m still alive.

「…… Haruna, she really got stronger.」

Chinatsu murmured in a fading voice about her impressions of the mock battle. It’s a sentimental voice as if she feels relieved but also a little lonely.

「And that was just within a week. As you can see, I’m also surprised.」

「Fufu. Haruna was Haruna after all. This time I was thinking too much that I should help her, but apparently it was a needless worry.」

「But, aren’t you still stronger than her? Ah, I know about your situation because of my position. There are those who got a level 5 job among you guys, right?」

「Unfortunately, I’m a level 4 priest. Maybe Haruna has already caught up with me….」

No, she’s still at level 3. Well, it’s true that her growth is affected greatly by her efforts and the benefits of the Uncrowned Master and Disciple. Her best friend whom she tried to help has become unexpectedly stronger, so her state of mind that was worrying about her best friend is probably shaken now.

Rather than that, I had not yet confirmed Chinatsu’s power. I found out that she is a priest, but I can’t compare whether she is strong or weak with this. Since she was recommended by Nell, so at least she shouldn’t be weak. Well then――

「It’s not too late to make up for it depending on your efforts. Haru is a hard worker in physical training, but her studies are quite concerning. Thanks to that, she’s relying on actual battles for magic training. As her best friend, I’m sure you know that better than I do, right?」

「Y-Yes. Haruna is willing to study hard, but she has been bad at it.」

「Then, you may be one step ahead in studying magic.」

「Shishō, you sure understand that well. Chinatsu-chan is one of the top students in our school!」

「Ha-Haruna!?」

Haru appeared out of nowhere. She’s small so I didn’t notice her. Her way of talking was somewhat boastful.

「Ara, I’m looking forward to it. I have to drum various things into your head thoroughly.」

「Nell-shishō!?」

And that boastful story sparked a fire in Nell’s heart. This woman has been listening before we knew it.

「Well, I think you don’t have to worry about the details. Haru has her own specialty, and you have your own specialty. If you are a disciple under Nell, you will be stronger even if you don’t want to. ―――― If you don’t die, that is.」

「Excuse me. I felt like there was a line at the end that made me feel a little uneasy, though…」

Chinatsu can’t wipe out her anxiety in a different sense. The act of always going all out in everything like Haru is not something that anyone can imitate. Though, it’s possible to create a situation where you will die if you don’t do so. No, I’m sure that Nell will create such a situation. So, don’t die. If you stay alive, you will become stronger.

「By the way, Nell. I didn’t expect you to give a passing mark around there. I thought that it would take more time.」

「Ahh, about that, huh? Well, I wasn’t sure if I could hold myself back if I continued like that. From there, I felt that I would unconsciously fight back in close combat.」

「Ohh, you were thinking that far, huh? You have grown up, Nell.」

「How long are you going to treat me as a kid…」

I know that she’s not a kid anymore and now that she has an attractive adult body. But, it’s kinda an old habit. I can’t get rid of the prejudice since the memories of her rampaging are so vivid.

「Still, Haruna is more capable than I expected, so I feel motivated now. I’m going to train Chinatsu real hard. So, Deris, I leave Haruna to you.」

「You don’t have to tell me.」

Also, I hope that Chinatsu won’t be a mess.

「…!?」

「Chinatsu-chan, you’re shivering, do you have a cold?」

「N-No. I suddenly felt a chill. I don’t think I have a cold, though…」

Yep, it seems that she has a quite good ability to detect danger.

「Alright, now that we’ve met and tested our skills, we’re going ho――」

「――That’s right. Today is a memorable day when Haruna and Chinatsu reunited, so you should stay at my house today. We welcome you!」

Nell suddenly said something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After that, we were taken (forcibly) to Nell’s house and ended up staying there today. Haru and Chinatsu were surprised at the vastness of the house, partly because it was their first time coming to Nell’s house. After all, this is a mansion rather than a house. The place is also in a prime location in the Castle Town Dianna, a high-class residential area where nobles and the likes live. Among them, the largest building is Nell’s residence. Nell, who was a commoner but has risen to the rank of the leader of the Magic Knight Order, and has accumulated various achievements, is the most influential person in the country. If you think about it, it’s a natural treatment.

「「「「「Nell-sama, welcome home.」」」」」

「I’m home. I have friends staying over today, so prepare the room and meal for three people.」

「Deris-sama, welcome.」

「Yeah, it’s been a while. Sorry for the sudden visit, but I’ll be in your care today.」

「「…………」」

With a mansion this huge, it’s natural that Nell has a lot of servants. The servants are lined up and welcomed us as a matter of course. It is no wonder that Haru and Chinatsu, who are purely Japanese, are nervous because they are not used to it.

「Chi-Chinatsu-chan, do you know table manners…?」

「… Just average, I guess?」

Ah, were you worried about that?

「Ah, Chinatsu will be living in my house from now on, so please keep that in mind.」

「Eh? U-Um, I just finished moving to the knights’ headquarters…」

「I heard that you don’t have much luggage. Then, it’s fine. Well, at first I thought it was okay for you to live there. But, I changed my mind when I saw Haruna. If you are going to chase after Haruna, the training at the headquarters is not enough for you. Besides, as a disciple, you need to live the same life as your master after all. There is a private training facility here and you can do anything you want. Perhaps, it’s better for you and you’ll be stronger. What do you think?」

「…… Thank you. I will be in your care from now on.」

Chinatsu is almost crushed by the anxiety of living in Nell’s isolated residence. However, after glancing at Haru, she decided to become stronger and then thanked Nell.

「Yes, of course. I will also try my best so that you don’t break, so let’s do our best together.」

「…………」

Still, Chinatsu looked a bit anxious and almost crying.