Chapter 22 - Chapter 21: Mika's Disposition 2
(Kifrod, Rada... Can I trust these two?)
Mika closed his eyes and struggled with his thoughts.
Should he trust them, or should he handle it all on his own?
Even if it were the truth, there was nothing he could do if the other party refused to accept his claim that "I learned magic on my own, and I don't know what chanting is."
Moreover, unfortunately, Mika didn't even know if that claim would improve the situation or not.
If his claim were accepted, the fact remaining would be "Mika can use [God's Miracle] without using chanting."
Whether that leads to a resolution of the situation, or a more thorny path, he did not know.
Mika slowly opened his eyes.
Looking at Amalia, she was looking at Mika with sad eyes.
Just a moment ago she was so happy, but those eyes eloquently spoke that making the wrong "move" here would lead to a sad result.
Loretta had red eyes, appearing to be desperately holding back tears.
(......It's impossible.)
Amidst everyone's attention, Mika let out a quiet sigh.
Mika gave up.
On solving it by his own power.
(............Well, this is the only option left, isn't it?)
When Mika jumped down from the chair with force, a loud clatter rang out.
That sound echoed loudly throughout the large meeting hall where everyone was watching with bated breath.
Since Mika suddenly stood up from his seat, a slight murmur of confusion arose.
"Mika..."
"Mika!"
The voices of Amalia and Loretta calling out to Mika reached his ears, but he did not turn around and walked straight ahead.
And he came to where Kifrod and Rada were.
"...What is it?"
"Mika-kun..."
Although surprised by Mika's sudden action, the two looked straight at him.
"I will trust you both and entrust myself to you. This way."
Saying that, Mika headed toward the back of the meeting hall without waiting for a reply.
Not knowing what Mika was trying to do, Horatio calmed down the Village Head who was starting to make a commotion.
"Fuu~mu... Wait a moment, will you? First, Rada and I will listen to your story. Nothing will move forward without hearing the story."
Saying that, Kifrod stood up from his seat.
Rada also walked toward Mika following Kifrod.
(......If I can't trust these two, there is nothing else to be done.)
It would be impossible to solve this on my own anymore.
If that is the case, I have no choice but to ask someone who seems capable of resolving it.
Rada serves the villagers without distinction.
In fact, that is how Mika was saved from death.
And that was not because Mika was special.
Many other people have been saved by Rada.
Without asking for any return.
Kifrod has been a pillar of support for the villagers for decades.
That is probably not as simple as it sounds in words.
A person who just preaches arrogantly would not be loved by the villagers to this extent.
It is because he has always been close to the hearts of the villagers and supported them.
(If I can't trust these two, then all is lost.)
Mika had no choice but to steel himself.
He would have to just go with the flow, making a claim that might turn out to be good or bad.
If that is the case, he should rely on someone who understands the situation well and will side with Mika.
Thinking so, he decided to entrust them to the two.
Upon arriving at the back of the meeting hall, Kifrod and Rada stood on both sides, with Mika in the middle facing away from everyone.
"So, what is it that you want to tell only us?"
"Mika-kun..."
Kifrod lowered his voice and asked Mika so that no one else could hear.
"This way."
When Mika raised his left hand to his chest area, the two leaned in to look at his palm.
Mika moved his mouth slightly, whispering in a voice that made no sound, "Limiter Off," "Waterball."
At that moment, a lump of water appeared on Mika's palm.
"Ugh!? T-this is..."
"!?!"
It was a small lump of water the size of a marble, but the two stared at that suddenly appearing lump of water as if eating it with their eyes.
Kifrod seemed to be careful not to let his voice get loud, even though he was surprised.
As for Rada, it seemed she couldn't even make a sound, her eyes wide open in speechless shock.
"...I do not need chanting. So I was never taught by anyone."
Mika slowly crushed the "Waterball" he had created.
And when he opened his hand, water droplets fell onto the floor one by one.
He looked at Kifrod.
He had been staring at Mika's wet hand with eyes wide open in surprise, but then he grunted "Uu... Mu," making a difficult face.
Looking at Rada, she was similarly frozen while staring at Mika's hand, but after a while, she seemed to notice Mika's gaze.
Her expression was one of surprise, and perhaps fear.
It was an expression so serious that one could not imagine it from the woman Mika nicknamed "Laughing Virgin Mary."
Mika stared fixedly into Rada's eyes.
Then Rada made a troubled expression, closed her eyes, and made a pained expression as if struggling with something.
For a while after that, a heavy atmosphere hung in the air.
(......So, showing this to these two was a mistake after all?)
But he could not think of anyone else who had some influence and seemed likely to side with Mika.
Judging by the attitude up until now, the Village Head was out of the question.
Diego might have some influence as the leader of the Vigilance Committee, but it was doubtful whether he was suitable for the role of persuading everyone.
He might be able to push through with momentum, but whether that would be effective here is unknown.
It would be effective as a last resort, though.
Horatio might also be expected to have some influence, but it is unclear if he is suitable for the role.
There is no doubt that he is favorable to Mika, but could Horatio handle this matter well?
It felt like a difficult request for Horatio, who is not good with conflicts.
Ninetiana attended the meeting, but it is unclear how much influence she has.
The same goes for Nanzaro and Mechitlte; above all, Mika has only met these two during the fire.
Therefore, he cannot even judge whether he can trust them.
For Mika, there was no other choice but to rely on these two, whom he had some acquaintance with and understood their character to some extent.
"............Hhh..."
Amidst the heavy silence, a faint whisper was heard.
It seemed Rada said something, but Mika could not hear it clearly.
Mika looked up at Rada, and her expression had become soft and kind.
"I understand, Mika-kun. Please leave everything to me."
Rada's eyes, which made that declaration, conveyed a strong determination.
"W-wait, Rada. What are you deciding on your own——"
"No, I have decided. I have already decided."
Saying that, Rada squatted down and hugged Mika.
"You told us very well. It must have taken a lot of courage... But it's okay now. I am with you, Mika-kun."
Rada looked straight into Mika's eyes.
Strong will resided in those eyes.
(......Rada.)
Rada smiled as usual, but that smile was very reassuring and heartening to Mika.
Seeing Rada's state, Kifrod let out a deep sigh.
"...Really. You haven't changed a bit since you were little. Once you say something, you won't listen."
Kifrod muttered as if giving up, "Oh dear..."
The conversation from there was quick.
Something was being discussed in a low voice above Mika's head, but in the end, based on the content that leaked out slightly, he had no idea what it was about.
All Mika could do was resolve to "definitely let me hear the full picture of this later."
Once the meeting ended, the three returned to the table where everyone was waiting.
When Mika took his seat, Amalia pulled a chair close to Mika and put her arm around his shoulder.
Loretta also pulled a chair close and held Mika's hand.
Kifrod began to speak.
"Ah... Sorry for keeping you waiting. It became a somewhat complicated matter."
Saying that, Kifrod turned his gaze to all the participants.
Everyone waited with bated breath to see what Kifrod would say.
"To put the conclusion first... This meeting today is over. Dismissed."
It seemed everyone did not understand the meaning of Kifrod's words, making dazed faces saying "Huh?"
"W-wait a minute. What are you suddenly——"
"P-Priest-sama! Even if you are Priest-sama, that is——"
Everyone raised their voices, unable to accept Kifrod's sudden exercise of authority.
Well, it would be unreasonable to expect them to accept this.
Voices demanding an explanation rose up one after another, but Kifrod silenced them with his hand.
"I understand what everyone wants to say, but I cannot speak about it here, including the reason."
Of course, no one could accept that, and protests began to rise again.
"This is not a problem that can be discussed here. If I say it like this, will you understand a little?"
At Kifrod's words, everyone's faces stiffened with a start.
Only the Village Head, with a pale face, still threw a question at Kifrod.
"Priest-sama... Please tell us the reason why you made such a judgment. I am the Village Head of this village. For the sake of the village, I must know——"
"There is something the Village Head must know. The report to the Lord is not within our jurisdiction."
Kifrod added to the Village Head, "Come to the church later."
At the word "Lord," everyone present lost their color and fell silent.
Amalia's body trembled, and Loretta's hand was shaking too.
Mika placed his hand over Amalia's hand on his shoulder, conveying, "It's okay."
"B-but, the Lord, such a..."
Amalia and Loretta were greatly agitated, and Rada, unable to bear it, hurriedly ran over.
"Both of you, calm down. It is certainly not a bad story. It is just that it is no longer something we can handle on our own, so we must report to the Lord. That is all."
"...But, reporting to the Lord, such a thing..."
Rada tried hard to calm them, but the agitation of the two did not subside easily.
"Hmm. To make sure everyone does not misunderstand, I will say it clearly: this is certainly not a bad story. However, there are parts we cannot judge, so we decided to have the Lord make the judgment. Of course, I will also inform the Bishop and ask for his help."
After that, Kifrod instructed everyone to keep it secret and declared dismissal again.
Whether they accepted it or not did not matter; since it was no longer something that could be discussed here, everyone had no choice but to accept the dismissal.
Thus, the meeting was dismissed, but Amalia and Loretta were greatly agitated, and Rada accompanied them home.
As they were leaving, Horatio, Nanzaro, and Mechitlte came to Mika and conveyed their thanks for the fire incident.
It seems Horatio and the others had visited Mika several times over the past week to offer thanks and visit Amalia.
But that did not happen.
Because they were turned away by Loretta.
After Amalia became mobile, she also turned them away.
She wanted to be left alone for now.
Although the reason is still not very clear, it seems certain that Mika's position was quite precarious.
Therefore, Amalia and Loretta were quite nervous.
Perhaps that is why they were glued to Mika for this past week.
Maybe they were in a daze or half-mad during the fire because they realized how precarious Mika's position was.
Not only did they jump into the fire, but even if they had been safe, they despaired and lost hope at the fact that they would end up in a precarious position afterwards.
That is why they were so shocked.
It is just a guess, but I feel it is probably correct.
(......They mentioned "escaping the Academy," right? When I hear Academy, the only one I've heard of before is the Magic Academy.)
For Mika, the Magic Academy was his first choice.
Instead of escaping, he was so worried about how to get in.
However, now that he can use magic himself, if asked if he wants to go that far, a question mark appears.
(......Well, for now it's self-study. But if I can be taught, I would like to be taught.)
There might be amazing magic that Mika cannot even imagine.
Regardless of whether he can use it or not, just knowing about them would be worth going to the Magic Academy.
Mika parted ways with Horatio and the others and returned home with four people, including Rada.
Rada stayed at the Noisheim house for a while and encouraged Amalia and Loretta.
Thanks to that, the two gradually regained their composure.
"...I cannot say for certain, but I think Mika-kun will go to the Magic Academy in the capital next spring when he turns ten years old. It is sad, but..."
"The capital...?"
Rada explained to Mika and the others what would happen in the near future.
"If one's mana reaches a certain amount at age seven, they go to the Magic Academy in the Leventein Marquisate. However, Mika-kun does not fit this, so the next measurement is at age nine. It is impossible for Mika-kun, who can already use [God's Miracle], to miss this. Therefore, Mika-kun will stay in the village until he is ten years old."
"Ten years old..."
Amalia listened to Rada's words with a dark face.
"So, going to the capital at ten means the current 'escaping the Academy' is really okay, right?"
Loretta seemed more concerned about what was right in front of her than things a few years away.
Rada patiently explained that they would somehow handle the current problem.
"In fact, the current situation is far better than the situation I was thinking of before the meeting. But, I also learned things I never expected... Regarding his handling, we have to be very careful."
(......That he doesn't need chanting, right?)
At Rada's explanation, cold sweat flowed down Mika's back.
Mika never thought it was such a big deal.
After all, the trigger was magic just popping out on its own.
(......Well, it's useless to say that now.)
Mika quietly remained silent so as not to interrupt Rada's story.
As they listened to various stories, the two calmed down quite a bit.
Then, by Rada's instruction, Mika was sent to the bedroom alone.
It seemed there was a discussion about Mika's future handling.
(Oh my, hiding it from the person himself and whispering... I think that is not good.)
He raised a protest in his heart, but he had no choice but to obey quietly.
In this matter, he really caused trouble for Amalia and Loretta, and since he decided to trust and entrust himself to Rada, going against her instructions would be against his integrity.
Reluctantly, Mika jumped onto the bed and stretched out flat.
(......In the end, I didn't get the chance to hear the details of this "escaping the Academy." Maybe I'll go to the church next time and ask them to tell me.)
What should be prioritized now was to reassure Amalia and the others.
Mika has his own concerns, but he cannot prioritize them and put Amalia and the others aside.
Waiting quietly like that, after a while, Loretta came to call him.
Since Rada was leaving, everyone saw her off, and then they had a slightly late lunch.
■■■■■■
[Kifrod's Perspective]
"Oh, you're back, Rada. How was it? How are Amalia and the others? Have they calmed down a bit?"
Rada, who had stopped by the Noisheim house after the meeting at the meeting hall, returned, and Kifrod looked up from the letter he was writing.
The Village Head had come to the church just a moment ago, and the two had discussed the report to the Lord.
Kifrod was unable to explain all the circumstances to the Village Head, and it was a struggle to appease the Village Head who was not satisfied with that.
He had conveyed the necessary things for now, and it was decided that the Village Head would go to report to the Lord tomorrow or so.
However, if this matter is reported incorrectly, Mika could be punished as "escaping the Academy," so care must be taken in how the report is made.
If the Lord judges it as "escaping the Academy," the Village Head would also be subject to punishment.
"Mages" are precious to the country as a whole, and if one escapes their duty improperly, severe punishment will be handed down.
Moreover, the burden extends not only to the family but also to the Village Head.
It is natural that the Village Head, who manages the village, should be aware of the children of the village.
Kifrod understands why the Village Head is desperate and even feels sorry for him.
"I am sorry for the delay. I will prepare lunch immediately. As for Amalia-san and the others, I think they are fine for now. I told them well that they can consult with me anytime if anything happens."
"Please do that... They were so stubborn, I never thought they would be like that."
"Oh? She is a mother and a sister. Is it not natural to try to protect one's beloved family? Rather, I was truly touched by the depth of Amalia-san and the others' love in this matter. I think they are a wonderful family."
Seeing Rada in a blissful state, Kifrod let out a sigh, "Oh dear..."
Kifrod intended to hold the meeting regarding the suspicion of Mika's "escaping the Academy" much earlier.
While Amalia was unwell, it could not be helped, but after she recovered, he intended to hold a meeting promptly and report the facts to the Lord.
If there was any fraud in the mana measurement, there would be nothing to be done, but if not, revealing the correct facts and conveying them to the Lord would protect Mika and the others.
However, as time passes, speculation calls for speculation, and rumors far removed from the truth might reach the Lord's ears.
If that happens, Kifrod and the others would be unable to do anything.
However, fearing the villagers who spoke of the "worst result" with irresponsible speculation, Amalia and the others plugged their ears.
The Village Head and Kifrod persuaded them repeatedly, but they would not listen, and finally, yesterday Rada persuaded them to participate in the meeting.
"We also want to help Mika."
Kifrod returned his gaze and continued writing the letter addressed to the Bishop.
He struggled with how to write the fact that [God's Miracle] does not require chanting, which is impossible by common sense, and eventually gave up writing it.
It is difficult to predict how it will be received. He decided to keep this from the Lord as well, so he did not tell the Village Head either.
The boy who reported to Rada the other day obtained [God's Miracle] on his own.
Therefore, suspicion of "escaping the Academy" fell upon this boy in the village, but there is no such fact.
If the Lord tries to punish the boy, the Church asks for protection.
The boy's qualities are rare and will surely benefit the Church.
After finishing writing these, Kifrod put down the pen and waited for the ink to dry.
But then, he suddenly thought of something, picked up the pen again, and thought for a moment.
Then, he added one line at the end of the text with a swish... and put the pen down with satisfaction.
"It is the selfishness of an old man with a short life left... Let it pass."
Kifrod muttered, quietly stood up, and decided to head to the dining room where lunch preparation was almost ready.
At the end of the letter, it was written as follows:
'Did you memorize Chapter 16, Verses 7 and 8 of the God of Wind?'
More than 40 years ago——
Before the young Kifrod stood a novice even younger, his face pale.
It was an important exam for promotion to Deacon, and he had to recite several parts considered particularly important in the scriptures.
However, due to extreme nervousness, the young novice forgot the parts he usually recited without difficulty.
The priest in charge of the exam asked the pale-faced novice, "Is it over?"
Kifrod was one of the examiners.
Kifrod knew that the novice was very serious and worked very hard every day.
Therefore, he couldn't help but lend a hand.
He moved his lips slightly without making a sound, reciting the beginning of the part where the young novice got stuck.
40 years later, the young novice of that time had become a Bishop through his efforts.
A Bishop in charge of the diocese including Rish Village, under Baron Limpēre.
After lunch, as Kifrod was thinking about Mika's future handling, Rada placed a cup with a clink and asked.
"What do you think of Mika-kun's power, Kifrod-sama?"
"...What do you mean?"
There was no need to ask back.
Mika had shown that he could use [God's Miracle] without chanting.
But Kifrod deliberately asked back.
To correct Rada's thinking.
"Of course, that [God's Miracle]! The power that extinguished that fire during the fire incident! Just that is amazing, but not even needing chanting! How much must one be loved by the gods to be granted such power!"
As Kifrod expected, Rada ranted excitedly.
While sighing in his heart, Kifrod answered quietly.
"Mika will go to the Academy in the capital when he turns ten. There, he will learn the true [God's Miracle]. ...A mage attending the Magic Academy using [God's Miracle]. It is a natural thing."
Saying it as if it were nothing, Kifrod took a sip of water.
At Kifrod's answer, Rada's eyes widened.
"...Do you ignore such power, Kifrod-sama?"
"I am not ignoring it at all. Guiding lost children to the right path is our duty. In another two and a half years... if they spend it without incident, Mika will be properly evaluated as a Mage."
"But..."
Rada did not seem convinced.
"Oh dear... If it is like that, I am getting anxious about recommending Rada as 'Substitute Priest' as is."
At Kifrod's words, Rada's expression tightened with a start.
"Get serious. You want to continue in this village succeeding me, don't you? If you are not recognized as a Substitute Priest, someone else will be sent as a Priest... You won't be able to do as you please as before."
The Church of Light places a Priest in every village.
Considering Kifrod's age, it would not be strange if he were called to the gods at any time.
In that case, a Priest to replace Kifrod would be sent.
Rada only has the qualifications of a Deacon.
However, in reality, there are not enough Priests to be dispatched to every village.
The exceptionally recognized system is the "Substitute Priest."
This is a system that recognizes those with Deacon qualifications to perform rituals as a substitute Priest only in a specific village after a certain period and experience.
If recognized as a Substitute Priest, one can continue as before.
However, if someone other than Kifrod is dispatched as a Priest, that will not be possible.
Rada's actions follow the teachings of the Church of Light, but often deviate from the Church's arrangements.
Giving [Heal] without asking for donations is one of them.
"Rada's faith is correct. I will acknowledge that. That is why I said nothing about it. However, the Church will not accept it. Did you not run away from the convent because of that?"
At Kifrod's words, Rada lowered her head.
Rada's faith was pure and too strong.
So much so that it was incompatible with the Church.
That was a concern for Kifrod.
"You are too blind. Do I always tell you? It would be good to look at things stepping back just a little, just one step."
Saying that, Kifrod stood up from his seat.
Rada also stood up following him and bowed to Kifrod as he left the dining room.
Kifrod stopped there for a moment and called out to Rada as if remembering something.
"...Regarding this matter, it might be better to inform Lord Wagnare as well."
"To Lord Wagnare?"
"I will have the Village Head take it along with my letter to the Bishop. Please write it."
"I understand."
Kifrod felt a slight unease that the content of Rada's letter might become mere praise to the gods or something overly embellished with words.
Should he give a single word of warning?
But if it is Wagnare, he would not be confused by such content and would understand correctly.
Thinking so, he decided to return to his private room without saying anything.