I dusted my shoulders and stepped over to Ier.

The air around us had turned cold from the effects of the spell. In the middle of the thicket of trees, a giant pillar of ice held the slimy chimera. I guess the Glorenstein Press Circle was going to have another new attraction to add to their pamphlets, though I doubt this one would last long.

Ier was busy staring at the ice and then at his hands as if he couldn’t believe he had done this.

I smiled and tapped his shoulders.

“Nice work, Student Ier.”

“Professor…”

He turned to me with a smile, and then his eyes widened as he recalled the fight.

“This… you…”

“Shush.”

I stopped him before he could say anything and turned to the side. Ier followed my gaze. Footsteps echoed behind the trees as Professor Denadis waded through the trees.

“Professor,” I said, waving. “Did you lose a chimera by any chance?”

Professor Denadis didn’t seem amused by the joke. It didn’t work on everyone.

Since she wasn’t in the mood for fun, I wiped away the smirk, too.

“Do you mind giving us an explanation? If not for Prince Ier here, there would have been a lot of problems.”

I emphasized Ier’s name and the professor bit her lips. None of the destruction this thing could have caused would be worse than endangering a member of the Black Rose Classroom, a prince of the Empire himself.

“I apologize… the chimera was far smarter than we had anticipated.” Professor Denadis turned her gaze to the frozen chimera. She looked disappointed. “There was a landslide yesterday. It broke into pieces like a slime and disappeared when we were all distracted.”

Landslide? Her lab was near the mountains, so it must have been a frequent event.

Ier intervened in the conversation.

“Professor. I have never even heard of a chimera like this… aren’t chimeras a mixture of two monsters at best? What in the world was this thing?”

I had similar questions.

More specifically…

“Its mana was far too immense. I didn’t notice anything odd, but this kind of mana is not found on this side of the world…” My eyes narrowed as I glared at Professor Denadis. “Not even on monsters.”

Professor Denadis gulped.

“It’s a mixture of about a dozen monsters…”

A dozen. Even a chimera made of two monsters usually collapsed when it was a transformation to this degree.

There was something off.

I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. I had to ask the question that bothered me.

“Professor Denadis… The catalyst for this chimera, what did you use?”

Professor Denadis gulped.

“Is it related to a demiurge in any way?”

“D-demiurge…?”

Even Ier was surprised at my words, but I couldn’t consider him. I had to know.

If it had been an option, I would have never given the head to someone. Unfortunately, I had to be cruel.

I was already being suspected, and it would only worsen. The moment he got a chance… that person would come for my neck. To show I was loyal, I had to follow the rules.

Professor Denadis lowered her head.

“When I was young, Professor Ethan, I momentarily got to see the true potential a chimera could attain. It was a level beyond mere monsters, beyond what we do. A human was turned into a chimera…” She shook her head from side to side as if she could see that sight in front of her. “The magic tower I was a member of was burned down within days… it was because the tower master had used a demon as a catalyst.”

Demons…

Again. These sick bastards.

“So you—”

“No!” Professor Denadis shook her head. “I only tried to replicate that effect. I didn’t use a Demiurge. You can verify it with the principal and Mr. Gladwin. I swear on the sun god.”

A sigh of relief left me.

Thank god…

If they had defiled the dead even further, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep well.

I was still a little worried, but asking Gladwin would ease that last bit of doubt, too.

When the anger and doubt washed away, admiration entered my mind.

She had made this entire thing with her skills alone, without using the twisted means of the tower she was a part of. I had heard of many such rogue magic towers and organizations sprouting up and taking advantage of the war, which was pleasantly surprising.

“It is over now, though…” said Professor Denadis.

I heard footsteps and shouts coming in from the distance as Professor Denadis approached the ice statue and placed a hand on it.

“I thought I could develop it, but it’s best if this thing is gone…”

People were coming in. Probably her lab members.

I looked at Ier and nodded. It was best to walk away without attracting attention. Ier stepped up first. He noticed my hat on the tree and gestured that he’d fetch it.

When he was gone, I reached into my pockets. The photographs were still wriggling.

“Professor Denadis…”

She looked at me. I could see her eyes glistening with suppressed tears.

“Here,” I said, holding the film out for her. “I had this made in your lab, but it was all ruined. If you could develop the film again…”

Her eyes widened as she looked at the green-tinted film. Without a word, I grabbed her hand and forced the film on her.

“I’ll let you handle that!”

The screams were coming closer. If we got caught here, Ier and I could say goodbye to sleep. Ier had grabbed my hat from the tree and was already rushing out.

I jumped away from the ice and ran off, too.

“Professor Ethan… how did you—”

“Handle it, please! The ice, too!”

“What?! Where are you going?”

“To sleep! Bye!”

***

Ier and I rushed out of the trees and the thickets. We passed by the frantic students of the Chimera Research lab and made our way back to the Black Rose Department.

I held my hands behind my head and smirked.

“You did well, Student Ier.”

Ier had both his hands out. He was smiling.

“Professor… The Kalenice family has always been a family of great mages. The first count made immense contributions in making this Empire a real empire…”

That was too much praise for us frontier nobles. The Kalenice family was once influential, their word still held weight but not as much as it once did.

“I had heard there was a member of that family who was born with immense magical talent, more than anyone had seen in years. I always assumed it was the next count. His achievements are immense, after all.” Ier turned to me, and he looked into my eyes. “And I had never even heard of someone named Ethan Kalenice… This person who was born with immense talent, is it you?”

I laughed at his words.

“If it was, would I have punched the chimera instead of using magic?”

Ier pursed his lips. “You wouldn’t…”

“Don’t think too much. I am only an ex-soldier and your professor.”

We continued walking in silence again.

As the new constructions made for the Black Rose came into view, I smirked again.

“Hey,” I said. “Are you happy with yourself?”

Ier looked at me, confused. “What do you mean?”

“You had a week to emit mana and use the spells, and you did it today. You’ve grown. Aren’t you satisfied with living up to your expectations?”

Ier stopped. His eyes wide.

“My expectations…”

“Yeah?”

He looked down in thought. I didn’t say anything and only waited, watching him with a smile.

I had said it before. I knew he wasn’t going to give me much trouble.

Ier looked at me and smiled.

“Not yet,” he said. “I am happy, but I am not done yet. I’ll reach there soon.”

“Hah… Yes, you will.”