Senior, I've Come to Visit - Chapter 18

“You’re so cute….”

Fingertips approached gently and tucked my hair behind my ear. Startled, I reflexively glanced around. There was no one on the path circling outside from the outdoor training grounds to the laboratory, but you never knew. Someone inside the building might see us by chance, so I widened the distance between us a little, as a precaution.

“Let’s just hurry and go.”

“Okay.”

By the time we hurried our steps and reached the lab, we saw Lupina, Mireille, and the countless reagents our team had made. The moment she saw the demonic beasts, Lupina recoiled in fright and quickly created a barrier around herself.

“We’ll drive the beasts into the inner section first.”

“Got it!”

The laboratory was endlessly high and wide. We herded the demonic beasts into the separated inner area and closed the door. Watching them through the magically reinforced glass, we talked about how we’d conduct the experiments.

“We’ll separate the beasts one by one and test every reagent on each individual, checking the reactions.”

I nodded at Mireille’s suggestion.

“Okay.”

“The three of us will go in and experiment, and Senior Lupina, you can stay out here and record the results.”

“No, Mireille! I’m going in and experimenting just like everyone else!”

“There’s no need for everyone to go in, is there? We need at least one person to handle the records anyway.”

“Then Eloise doesn’t need to go in and can record! Or Nardi.”

“I’m fine, I’d like to go in.”

“Me too. I’m practically friendly with demonic beasts at this point.”

When Nardi and I spoke up one after the other, Lupina looked troubled. She clearly didn’t want to go into the space with the demonic beasts, but her sense of responsibility about sharing the danger made her hesitate.

“If you get hurt even by accident, it’ll only make things more complicated.”

“Why would I get hurt? I’m a wizard of the Magic Tower too!”

“Even Safety Department wizards are injured during subjugations.”

“That’s why the juniors should handle the recording and we should be the ones to go in!”

“The person in the most danger here is you, Senior Lupina.”

“That’s not true!”

While Mireille and Lupina bickered, I half-listened and stared blankly out the window.

Not only my personal research requested by the Queen, but our team’s joint research was also currently in the experimental stage. The magic potion we’d begun this time was technically a magic potion but closer to a magic tool: a “potion that blocks the approach of demonic beasts.” It used plants and minerals that had properties to repel demonic beasts as ingredients, and we amplified their effectiveness with magic.

We’d made several different reagents by adjusting the ingredients, the ratios, and the amount of magic. We had to test each one on every demonic beast at least once. Even with the same magic potion, the reaction could differ depending on the beast’s species.

If we developed the optimal magic potion through experimentation, it’d likely be very useful later. During subjugations, when camping at night, at least one wizard had to stand guard or set up a barrier in case of a beast attack, but if we sprinkled this around the perimeter of the campsite, there’d be no need. It could also be used in areas or villages that suffered frequent damage from demonic beasts.

The problem was how to lower the cost….

If it required rare ingredients and a lot of magic, the price would inevitably be high. If we wanted it to be accessible to more people without burden, we’d need to use cheaper ingredients, so those cost issues had to be considered too. I was pondering it seriously when my eyes met Nardi’s through the glass.

“…..”

He’d been looking at me and gave a small smile.

What if Lupina or Mireille sees….

Since he was someone who smiled easily by nature, it didn’t seem like they’d suspect anything.

Maybe I only felt guilty because of what happened yesterday.

Still, just in case, I kept my expression blank, and just then the two of them, apparently finished bickering, came over.

“Ahem, ahem. I’ve decided I’ll stay out here and handle the records.”

Lupina scratched her hair awkwardly.

“That’s a good decision. We’ll go in now.”

“Be careful, Eloise! Nardi and Mireille too.”

“Don’t worry.”

Mireille answered bluntly, picked up a reagent case, and took the lead. I gave Lupina a small smile, then grabbed the remaining reagent cases and followed after Nardi.

Passing through the door and into the inner space beyond the glass, we began the real experiment. Since there were three of us, we decided that with reagents 1, 2, and 3 we’d do one round, then 4, 5, and 6 for the next round, and keep repeating like that, and we each took our assigned reagents and spread out.

In the space as wide as a training ground, the demonic beasts thrashed on one side, bound in chains, and the three of us stood on the opposite side, each spaced apart.

“With the first set of reagents, let’s draw circles.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

At Mireille’s instructions, Nardi and I answered at the same time.

I opened the lid of the first reagent, a sealed glass bottle. A generous amount of dark green liquid sloshed inside. As if drawing a magic circle, I poured it onto the lab floor and drew a round ring encircling me.

Would this liquid really keep demonic beasts from approaching?

My heart pounded as the time came to confirm the magic potion’s effect.

After checking that we were ready, Mireille set up a magical wall to confine seven of the demonic beasts, leaving only one outside.

The first test subject was a giant, four-legged purple monster. On either side of its lion-like face, three pairs of huge, sharp horns jutted out, and from its mane, black toxic energy flickered. Its thick, long tail looked like a snake, and at the end, a viper’s head was attached, flicking its tongue and hissing, shiiik.

“Then I’ll undo the chains.”

With a light wave of his hand, Mireille removed the chains binding the beast. Freed in an instant, the beast immediately roared and rampaged. It charged across the wide interior toward us, its targets of rage and prey.

Thud, thud, thud, thud-

I tensed slightly, ready to throw up a barrier at any moment. If I raised a barrier from the start, the magic of the barrier could affect the experimental results, so if the magic potion turned out ineffective and the beast rushed us, only then would I have no choice but to quickly throw up a barrier.

Kueeeeek-

As it ran, the enraged beast twisted its head to check its prey. Then it shifted course and started charging straight at me.

“….”

Do I look the tastiest?

Compared to the tall Mireille and Nardi, I was probably small and skinny and looked weak.

With my nerves taut, I stared at the beast charging toward me without blinking once. The distance shrank in an instant, and I stepped back inside the circle and raised one hand.

The beast suddenly faltered as if it sensed something, and its speed noticeably slowed.

Was it the magic potion’s power?

Without relaxing my guard, I felt a growing sense of anticipation. With eyes that were pitch black without any whites, the beast flared its disgusting nostrils and sniffed. It came right up to the edge of the circle around me, but didn’t step inside and instead prowled around it. It circled around me along the ring, and I turned on the spot to keep facing it as we confronted each other.

Grrrrr-

A foul stench stabbed at my nose.

During subjugations, we usually kept our distance when attacking, so they were never this close. The sudden stench washing over me was disgusting and gave me chills. Bad memories that showed up in my nightmares just when I was about to forget them kept surfacing again and again, and my mood sank into darkness.

The demonic beast was enraged. It looked like it wanted to attack me right away and tear me apart alive, but it seemed unable to cross the boundary of the magic potion. The snake at the end of its tail quietly stretched forward and lowered itself, probing the magic potion on the floor… then the beast’s head and the snake’s head turned in the same direction. Toward Nardi and Mireille. Ignoring me, the beast dashed off in search of other prey.

“Whew….”

Nardi let out a sigh of relief.

Was he worried about me?

Even though the beast was heading his way, he actually looked relieved. He didn’t seem tense at all, practically welcoming the beast with open arms. Maybe because he’d made a sound, the beast immediately charged at Nardi, but just like with me, it couldn’t cross the boundary line.