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Chapter 45 – Part 2

TRANSLATOR: Artemis

EDITOR: Ryunakama

「Oh, so it’s the same as me. The investigation request recruited only a small number of people. It wouldn’t be strange for multiple students to accept the same request. However, I didn’t expect I would be working together with you.
I thought I would be working on my own for this investigation.」

「I see, so then there might be other students who also accepted this request. Even so, when I saw you were here, I thought it might be that you were being overprotective again, so I was surprised. We told Fatima and Nell that we’d be going to Solania, but we thought it was strange that we couldn’t find you. But you were preparing for the investigation. So that’s why we weren’t able to meet with you」

「Most likely. It’s the first time that I am able to go to the Sky City since coming to the Magic Academy, so I ended up preparing many things, and it took up a lot of my time」

The rucksack at Christina-san’s feet was smaller than even mine, so it seemed like she had put together quite a small amount of luggage. She had probably taken a moment to calm down, and think back on her experiences of travelling, so the way she had packed her bag like this was the result.

Luckily, it seems that Christina-san working on this investigation together with us really was just a coincidence.

However, it was probably rude even to Christina-san, if I were to so obviously put a hand to my chest with a sigh of relief and say, ‘thank goodness.’ So I refrained.

Christina-san and Selina began to talk, and while we were thinking about the still faraway ruined city that wanders the sky with no direction, and the time for our departure drew ever nearer, the people we were waiting for, Professor Edward and his assistant, finally showed up.

At the age of 30, Professor Edward was a young archaeologist. He had neatly arranged blonde hair, and wore light blue glasses, which all gave him the air of a gentle and delicate young man.

But based on the shape of his body under the clothes he wore, which were made from a magic beast’s pelt, and seemed suited for outdoor activities, I perceived that he was someone strong, as if he were made of bundles of countless interwoven wires. Just from the sound of his footsteps, I could tell he was a fearless warrior who had traversed many dangerous lands during his investigations of historical ruins.

「Hey, hey, good morning! You people must be the students who’ll be helping out with the investigation. Oh, you’re Christina! Even someone as lazy as me has heard of you.
And you’re Dran? The lamia next to you must be your familiar, Selina, right?
Man, until now I’ve only ever been attacked by lamia, to think I’d get to work together with one! This will become a valuable experience, thank you, thank you」

Even though it was early in the morning, the professor spoke clearly and energetically, shaking hands with each of us one by one, and with great vigor. He had a friendly smile on his face as he called out to us.

He was even able to approach Selina, a lamia, and grab her hand without any hesitation or causing any sort of incident at all. Maybe it was because he was considerably tolerant, or maybe he just had the kind of personality that didn’t care about anything outside of his investigations of ancient civilizations.

I just end up easily liking people with this type of personality. Actually, just from our first meeting, I have already taken a liking to this young professor.

And then behind the professor, there were the figures of two people. One was a young woman. However, she wore an outfit that couldn’t possibly be considered fitting for a journey in the Sky City: a black dress with a white apron on top. She was wearing a maid outfit.

Her hair was a rich blonde color, and was worn with a simply made barrette. Compared to Selina’s hair which made one think of warm sunlight, her hair was a blonde that gave a somewhat cooler impression.

Although it was inferior to Christina-san, she had a very feminine and tall figure, and she stood straight as if her spine had been replaced by a steel rod. She had a cold atmosphere which held no openings, and her facial expressions seemed to never change, so I even considered that this woman wearing a maid outfit might have been a golem, or even an automated doll (an automata).

While shouldering a backpack big enough to stuff two full grown men inside, the maid lightly pinched the hem of her skirt, and provided a perfect role model example of a curtsy, as she bowed her head to us and began to introduce herself.

「It is nice to meet you. I am Professor Edward Bramnoch’s assistant and caretaker, my name is Eliza. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.」

Similar to the professor, the maid named Eliza had a perfect demeanor that held no weak spots.

She had impeccable manners that were only fitting of her elegance and refinement, which showed that she held us, the receivers of her words, of the utmost importance. This behavior of hers seemed to have been built and prepared down to the smallest of details, but it can not be said that that was all there was to her. Also included within her behavior, was the lack of any meaningless actions, showing that she was also good at combat.

Just what kind of battlefields have this man and woman faced in the process of investigating the historical ruins of ancient civilizations?

There was no mistake that she had learned from many magic beasts and man made creatures that guard such places, and placed her own life on the line to fight in conflicts involving all sorts of traps and deceit from competitors in their profession.

「The pleasure is ours, Miss Eliza. Please call me Christina」

「I am Dran-san’s familiar, Selina. As you can see, I am a lamia」

「And I’m Dran. I expect our time together can become a very valuable experience. By the way, Miss Eliza, Professor Edward, who is this woman over here…?」

Left behind and standing a short distance from Miss Eliza and the professor was the second person, and she was looking away from us. When I moved my line of sight over to her, the professor exclaimed, startled, and began to introduce her to us.

「She is the final student who’ll be helping me for this time’s investigation. Wow, it’s really the first time I’ve ever had four students all accept a request of mine before.
There’s hardly anything that could make me happier than this. Now then, don’t just stand there all shy, go and greet everyone, Lenia」

「I already know them. There’s no need to introduce myself」

Despite being encouraged by the professor, this second person — a Divine Magical Beast reincarnated, Lenia, continued to look the other way as she responded with an attitude that held no respect toward her elder.

I thought the same thing when I saw that Christina-san was here, but here comes the same question again. Why are you here, Lenia?

The investigation this time seems to be heading toward a bothersome direction. I couldn’t help but think that as, this time, I wasn’t able to hold back my troubled sigh.