I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 43

“Were you practicing practical skills?”

“Ah.”

“You’re really diligent. Is someone chasing after you or something? Practicing even on a holiday.”

I had been practicing defensive barriers before he arrived. The ordination exam was really close now, so I was feeling a bit anxious.

“Even so, the results are recorded permanently, so I can’t just slack off.”

It’s not like I want to do this. I have to do it to make a living.

Even if I return to the secular life, the grades I get as a novitiate often contribute to my future career. That’s why Pete, who suggested I seriously learn healing magic, was making me do extra studies.

Of course, I couldn’t deny that I naturally found myself preparing for the exam once I got my act together.

Remembering my previous life, where I was steeped in rote learning, made me shiver. Maybe, as he said, there’s a meaningless inertia mixed in with my diligent studying, as if someone were chasing me.

Keene examined the orb and asked curiously.

“Aren’t you preparing for the ordination exam? This won’t be enough.”

The orb given by the temple was a magical tool that emitted an electric spell of a set value, allowing for practice with increasing difficulty.

However, the magic orbs that could be used for personal practice without supervision were very limited in strength. To get a good score on the actual exam, one had to withstand much stronger attack spells, so for someone who had already shed the beginner label, it wasn’t very useful.

I agreed with a voice lacking confidence.

“I can’t really tell if I’m doing it right. But it’s better than not practicing at all…”

“Should I help you?”

“What?”

I widened my eyes at his sudden offer. Keene put the orb he had picked up back on the table and smiled brightly.

“I think I could be the perfect practice partner for you.”

“……”

There’s nothing more effective than personal guidance in defensive magic. However, one-on-one guidance was a luxury in classes with many students, and practicing with other novitiates was forbidden because they couldn’t perfectly control their power. Asking senior priests for help was also awkward because they were too busy.

So, I couldn’t help but waver.

He was undoubtedly an outstanding mage.

“…Really?”

Keene smiled as usual. It was the same confident, even arrogant expression I always saw, but this time, it somehow felt reassuring.

I should have remembered that he wasn’t a man to be taken lightly, despite his frequent jokes. I ended up making a choice I would deeply regret.

* * *

“Ahhh!”

It was only seconds ago that he asked if I was ready.

And I thought I was. I had formed a perfect hemispherical barrier and was waiting for his attack to fall…

“Are you okay?”

“You’re too much!”

Not only did my barrier break and I got half-flung, but I also accidentally hit a low shelf, causing it to collapse. Fortunately, Leila’s cherished cactus pot was unharmed, but the small stones inside were scattered all over the floor.

Even that was thanks to Keene catching me with magic in mid-air. If he hadn’t, my body would have broken instead of the shelf, and I would have landed in a humiliating heap.

“I’m a beginner among beginners, how could you not control your strength like that!”

Do you think I’m a mage on par with you?

Keene, while awkwardly helping me up, looked somewhat dissatisfied. He muttered in a strangely subdued tone.

“My dear Du is too weak.”

“…Don’t you think you were too harsh?”

“With your barrier, you wouldn’t even be able to stop common beasts, let alone monsters. The Magic Tower could attack at any time, and this won’t do.”

“……”

Do I really have to listen to this from a spy of the Magic Tower?

“It seems you need special training.”

“…What?”

Unfortunately, he was quite serious about that statement.

His eyes, which were unusually bright today, sparkled with determination as he grabbed my shoulder. Before I could even ask what he meant, he teleported us.

“W-Where are we going!”

Even in my dizziness, I managed to ask, and he replied in an unfeeling tone.

“To a place where you can train.”

“What?”

Startled, I looked around as soon as my feet touched the ground, trying to stave off the nausea.

This place, which looked like a cave, had spiral walls extending to the ceiling, making it seem like the eye of a storm. The ceiling was also extremely high and pointed, making it look more like a tower than a cave from the outside…

Wait a minute, a tower?

“Is this place…?”

Just as I formed a hypothesis and looked at him with anxious eyes, I heard someone entering from the entrance.

“Oh? You’re back already, Ma…”

But before the unidentified man could greet us, Keene struck him with a merciless blow. He cast a terrifying attack spell, and the man, hit directly by the whip-like beam of light, was sent flying back the way he came before I could even see his face properly.

Ignoring this, Keene closed the device that served as the door with his magic, leaving me in a state of shock.

“Are you crazy? Wasn’t that a person just now?”

“We need to use the training ground now, so we can’t have any intruders.”

“What if he died!”

“That’s a cute thought. If he were that weak, he wouldn’t have been able to enter this place in the first place. Don’t worry.”

“T-That means this really is the M-M-M…”

Unable to finish my sentence, he grinned and completed it for me.

“Welcome to the Magic Tower’s third training ground, Du.”

“….”

Oh, dear God.

The first thing I cried out was for God, and then for my parents.

Mom, Dad. I really wanted to live as a good citizen. I never wanted to set foot in the Magic Tower. I mean, I’m a novitiate, so how did I end up in the Magic Tower?

Barely holding onto my sanity, Keene snapped his fingers in front of my eyes as if to bring me back to my senses.

“Focus, Du. We’re going to walk from now on.”

“Walk?”

What does he mean by that? Why are we suddenly walking?

But soon enough, I understood what he meant.

“W-W-Why is the ground moving!”

The mysterious circle engraved on the floor started emitting light, and then it suddenly created a belt of light. It lifted me gently into the air, a couple of spans above the ground, and began to move slowly.

“C-Can’t you let me down?”

“It’s not high, so you don’t need to worry about getting hurt if you fall. I’ll catch you before that happens.”

“But still…”

I have a feeling this is going to speed up!

It was moving in a way that reminded me of a treadmill from my previous life, which didn’t bode well. I used it as a clothes hanger rather than running on it!

“Didn’t you say you wanted to do well on the ordination exam?”

“Well, I did say that, but…”

“Of course, I don’t mind if you don’t become a novitiate. Why don’t you just live with me in the Magic Tower?”

“I really want to pass on that.”

At my firm tone, he chuckled. He then said, ‘That’s too bad,’ without a hint of sincerity and snapped his fingers again.

“Five minutes of fast walking starts now.”

“What?”

Even though I wasn’t very high up, I felt precarious with nothing to hold onto. As I began to feel short of breath, I anxiously shouted.

“I-I’m scared, can’t you let me down?”

“I’ll catch you before you fall. Don’t worry.”

“No, why are we doing this all of a sudden!”

He then levitated himself with magic, meeting my eye level. His face was so serious that it was hard to see this as a prank.

“Holy power is ultimately another form of magical power. Then what do you think is the source of magical power?”

“I don’t know. What is it?”

He snapped his fingers again. The belt started moving even faster. Completely ignoring my small scream, he calmly gave a delayed answer.

“Stamina.”

“……”

“Many people overlook this obvious fact. A mage with weak stamina will eventually hit their limits. Even if you don’t use weapons like knights, building your body is essential.”

“……”

Oh, no wonder he’s so fit.

I finally understood why I felt he was well-trained whenever I accidentally touched him. He looked slender but was surprisingly muscular.

“I’ve never seen anything like this at the temple!”

“That’s why the Holy Kingdom is weak. They don’t stick to the basics and only try to take shortcuts.”

“So, do all the mages in the Magic Tower do this kind of stamina training?”

“Of course.”

“Really? Even the high-ranking ones? Even the Master of the Magic Tower?”

Keene curled his lips into a smile at my incredulous question.