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Chapter 174 Part 1

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Translator: “Ashita”                             Editor: “Weasalopes”

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The Royal Magic Academy, which lies East of the Royal Castle.
In a room within its building that is built out of white marble. In the Thermano research room, there are the figures of a middle-aged man who is sitting in a chair with his face covered, and students who surround him.

「I will go and call the Academy head」

One student from among the three male students said and left the room.
The sound of his footsteps as he ran down the hallway grew softer and softer with each passing moment.
The gaze of the two remaining students went back and forth between the professor who is sitting on the chair and the space between a small bottle that is on the appraisal table.

「Academy head! Here it is」

After waiting a while. Along with the student who opened the door with much vigor, the Academy head leaped through it.
A gentleman with silver-gray hair that has been hardened stiff by gel. He seems to have ran here as his shoulders moved up and down as he heaved.
The student, whose cheeks are flushed from his excitement, pointed at the appraisal table as he shouted.

「Please have a look at these indications! And that faint white light! There is no doubt that it is an Elixir!」

The academy head runs up to the appraisal table without even giving himself time to catch his breath.
And with his head almost sticking to the end of the table, he stared at the small bottle. A voice of amusement leaked out from his mouth that is slightly open.
Looking at this, the student declared with his chest puffed out.

「Finally, the research that Professor Thermano has been conducting for many years has finally bore fruit and the Elixir is complete!」

(Eh?)

The expression on the face of Explosive Onee-sama suddenly changes.

The figure of her controlling herself so as not letting her joy show on her face has disappeared with that single voice.
She immediately turns her face to look at the professor while the slim middle-aged man looks down as-is and does not move.

「As expected of Thermano-kun. I knew that if it is you, you will be able to accomplish it one day」

The academy head says these words with a smile on his face. However, Thermano did not react to those words.

「……Thermano-kun?」

No, it is not that there was no reaction from him. Upon closer inspection, he is quaking slightly.
It is as if he is holding back the wave of emotions he is experiencing with everything he has.

(Can it be)

The occasion he recalled to. He who has that recollection panicked as he looked around.
What he saw is a male student who has a proud expression on his face, the Thermano who does not raise his head, and a fidgety Explosive Onee-sama who has a pale face.

(Is that it!)

The academy head understands the situation after a moment. He shifts his gaze to Explosive Onee-sama and opens his mouth.

「You, could it be the one who creates the Elixir was–」

However, it was too late. Thermano exploded before that.
Thermano jumped up from his chair as if it has been fitted with a spring and used both of his hands to grab the male student, who has pride written all over his face, from the front.
Then came one word. The mouth that slants downwards said it swiftly.

「Die」

Immediately after that, while he pulled the back of the head closer in order to hold it in his arms, he thrust his right knee upwards.
The student who took a blow straight to his face staggered backward. His crimson red hands grasp on thin air as he fell on his back.
A little while later, the sound of several white broken fragments hitting the floor can be heard.

「Do you plan to frame me for stealing?」

As Thermano lands, he uses his eyes to look at the other two.
A pale face and suspicious eyes. The male students feel pressure from that appearance and could not move due to that.
The student that fell face-up on the floor has blood gushing out from his crushed nose and his mouth that had broken teeth.

「Know that this is the action that shows the most shirking of responsibility」

He then changed the direction he was looking at and steps forward. He got down on one of his knees in front of Explosive Onee-sama.

「My disciples have done something unforgivable」

Explosive Onee-sama froze up as she could not keep up with the events that conspired all of a sudden.
With his knee still on the floor, Thermano called out to the academy head.

「That lesser (lower grade) Elixir is something created by her hands. I did not contribute anything to its creation」

The academy head replied with a troubled expression on his face.

「In my eyes, is this not a misunderstanding by the students who have declared as such? There is no way that your disciples do not know of what their master detests」

The students at both sides nod fervently.
Seeing this, Thermano probably also realized his own failure. He closes in on the student who has white in his eyes, place a hand on him, and starts to chant an incantation.
A compact magic circle deploys on the floor and it starts healing the injuries sustained by the student.

「Seems like a spell one grade above is required」

A frowning Thermano takes the broken white fragments held out by the other students and places the hand holding them against the mouth that is full of blood.
Chanting a longer incantation than the one earlier, he deploys a larger magic circle.
It restored everything including the front teeth and crushed nose.

「You know, Thermano-kun has had his achievement stolen by a professor of a research room during his younger days」

The silver-gray gentleman, who walked up to where Explosive Onee-sama was, said that to her.

「That is why he hates stealing the achievements of others more than anything」

This time the shock from the lesser Elixir is so huge that it seems to have blown his rationality out of the window. After saying as such, the academy head closes one of his eyes.
The sound of footsteps with much hesitation can be heard as a person approaches Explosive Onee-sama who is nodding.
When she looks over, she saw the student who had his teeth and nose healed but still had blood all over his face.

「I am sorry. I jumped to the wrong conclusion」

After he regained his consciousness, he immediately came to Explosive Onee-sama to apologize.

「Are you alright?」

Explosive Onee-sama takes out a handkerchief with a worried expression on her face and wipes his face.

(Uuu……)

The student felt like his heart had been stabbed by short swords made of crystalized sugar.
The Big Three, that are known as the super high class. The sidelines of those are comparable with that of famous actresses who are beauties.
Seeing that he himself is reflected in those large and clear pupils has him feeling like his soul is being sucked out.

(……Goddess)

She is one of the students that is attending the magic academy. However, feeling like the worlds they lived in are different, he has not been able to get close to her.
But now, the distance between them is so short if he pushes his face out ever so slightly, he may just be able to kiss her. There lies her honorable face and she is showing concern for him.
In this situation, his nose bleed, which has supposedly stopped, started once again.

「Do not overexert yourself. It will be good if you give yourself some time to rest」

Explosive Onee-sama kindly holds his nose with the handkerchief.
That voice spreads from his ears to his heart, completely captivating his heart.

(I will seek employment)

He has never regretted as much as now that he has no savings.
Noting that the time for graduation is near, he could not decide whether to stay on campus or to work outside but this one moment has had him come to a decision.

(I will earn money and visit her store. For sure)

With his new goal in life, he can feel energy welling up within him.
By the way, the handkerchief he got from this event became his treasure but that is for another time.

「Everyone! I would like you to listen」

The student and Explosive Onee-sama. After seeing that their conversation has ended, Thermano said in a loud voice.

「This lesser Elixir is her creation. All the achievement goes to her」

He then took in a huge breath and winced.

「I feel jealous of her result. I do not want to admit it but there are whispers in my mind telling me to steal her achievement. Even at this very moment!」

He grabs his own chest and spat out those words.

「I have motives. My nature is vulgar, prideful, and filled with jealousy. That is why I ask of you, please look at me using eyes that are filled with suspicion」

He looked downwards and did not say anything for a while.

When he raised his head once again, the suspicion from earlier has disappeared and the air has become refreshing.

「Congratulations. You have accomplished the feat of shaking the world with your creation. That name of yours will no doubt be craved into the etches of history」

Thermano smiles and lifts one of his hands up to seek a handshake.
Although Explosive Onee-sama is nervous, she stretched out her hand and shook his hand.

「……Thermano-kun. You seem to never change no matter how much time passes. You will always remain as one with too much seriousness」

The academy head says these words with a gentle expression on his face.

「To go as far as using others to seal your own escape route, you are the same as before」

He brought his face closer to Explosive Onee-sama’s.

「It seems like he has let you gone through an unpleasant experience. This somewhat of a ritual for Thermano to come to terms with reality. However, to the others surrounding him, this is but an extremely troublesome matter」

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