"… Oh?" Balir let out a sound of surprise and turned around. "You realized that it’s a magic circle engraved on my arm?"


    She looked somewhat pleased, giving off a scent simr to Owen''s.


    "Well, there isn''t much else it could be. By the way, Eliza-san is researching magic circles, so she probably also recognized it at a nce."


    "Eh?! Ah, y-yes! I-I had a feeling!" Eliza, surprised by the sudden mention, responded hastily.


    Not only Balir, but even barta and Cameron turned their gazes towards her.


    "I see. Considering the diversity at Fiddiq Academy, the study of magic circles must be quite extensive. This is bing a fascinating discussion. In that case, let''s prepare a ce where we can talk in more detailter. We will hold a formal negotiation there."


    "Thank you." I expressed my gratitude to her.


    Balir turned her eyes to barta. "barta-dono, thank you for bringing such an interesting visitor. Please be present when we have our discussionter."


    "U-understood."


    Satisfied with barta''s response, she next turned to Cameron. "Cameron, you heard the discussion, right? We''ll use the west rooftop as the venue. Please make the preparations."


    "The west side?" He seemed surprised by her words but quickly fell silent when her gaze sharpened.


    "That''s all. Please follow Cameron''s guidance from here."


    After confirming Cameron''s eptance, Balir concluded the conversation, and we exited the principal''s office.


    As soon as we stepped into the corridor, barta let out a relieved sigh.


    "Aoi-dono, that was nerve-wracking…" he said with a resentful look on his face.


    Wondering what he meant, I looked at Strass and the others to see Strass with half-closed eyes.


    He turned to Eliza, who looked exhausted, and said. "… Balir-dono and Aoi are quite simr, particrly in your directness and forwardness."


    "Even though your way of speaking ispletely different, you are strangely like sisters." Eliza agreed with a wry smile.


    I tilted my head in confusion. "I''m not sure what you mean. I don’t think we’re simr at all."


    Aside from her appearance, Balir seemed like a verymunicative woman, theplete opposite of me, who was often quiet and didn’t like to stand out. I admired people who could speak up atrge gatherings like parties. Balir definitely fit that type of person.


    This was what I thought, but it seemed neither of them shared my opinion.


    "No, it felt like a sh of strong-willed women." Cameron, whom we had just met today, agreed with them.


    I looked at barta. He nodded in agreement as well.


    I realized I was outnumbered.


    Reluctantly, I decided to drop the futile discussion and change the topic. "By the way, Cameron-san, you seemed surprised earlier when you heard we were going to the west."


    Cameron hesitated for a moment but quickly exhaled and walked towards the window. From the window, a small courtyard and the wall of the academy building at the entrance could be seen.


    Pointing to the white wall, Cameron exined, "This academy has a treatment ward at the entrance so that injured people can be brought in immediately. Beyond that are the ssrooms for intermediate and higher-level magic lectures. This central building is considered part of the east side. On the west side are the faculty dormitories, libraries, and researchboratories. The west rooftop is difficult to see from the outside, making it ideal for developing and testing confidential magic. In other words, the west side contains many confidential facilities on par with the magic researchbs in the Holy City…"


    "That''s convenient." I inadvertently spoke my thoughts aloud. After all, it seemed like the perfect ce to gather all the materials I needed. It would be an efficient ce to learn about healing magic.


    But Cameron and barta exchanged uneasy nces.


    "… Is that alright?"


    "You must be worried, right? I understand your concern." barta nodded deeply in agreement.


    ―――


    Passing through the courtyard, we moved to the western buildings at the back. It seemed Cameron had given up on thinking and guided us while exining the important facilities along the way.


    "This is the library essible to general teachers, and beyond that are thebs for general teachers. Next is the library for senior teachers, along with theirbs. Currently, the only senior teachers are healing and water magicians. There used to be senior teachers researching fire and wind magic, so there are some vacant rooms now."


    "Are there not enough teachers?"


    "No, it''s just that few teachers meet the principal''s standards, but the number of teachers remains the same. However, there are currently no senior teachers avable to teach advanced fire, wind, or earth magic."


    After candidly discussing the current state of the Holy City Magic Academy, Cameron nced at me.


    I tilted my head at his gaze.


    Eliza clung to me. "We''re not giving Aoi to anyone."


    Cameron responded with a dryugh and pointed down the corridor. "I didn''t mean that. Now, the stairs to the rooftop are ahead. Please, follow me."