Gift

The wind grew increasingly chilly as I traversed the road adorned with colorful fallen leaves.

Lately, more and more students were wearing cape shawls over their school uniforms, me included.

With the incident on Elt Island coming to a close, discussions about demons had become commonplace between the students.

Is there a person among us who can control demons? Maybe someone like a hidden mastermind.

Thats a little much

Yeah, lets stop with the conspiracy theories.

If there was someone like that, wouldnt their mana capacity be visibly massive?

Could it be Luce? She has an S rank mana capacity.

It cant be. If it were her, theres no way she would have been attacked by demons last semester.

Its probably not the Star Witch either, since she fought against the demons.

Then its almost certain that the demons are after one of us?

Probably.

By now, most students at Mrchen Academy had realized that the cause of the frequent demon appearances was highly likely to be one of the students.

Otherwise, there would be no explanation for their dormancy while the students were on vacation.

It was a logical conclusion.

From my perspective, the constant appearance of demons was like having a meal at lunch break.

It was simply the law of the academy genre.

The evening was filled with a calm atmosphere.

Within Josena Forest, located near the Academys entrance, there was a lake densely flowing with mana.

At night, it would become even more vibrant.

I was currently seated on a stump nearby.

On the day I walked to Orphin Hall, Kaya had given me a note.

There was nothing abnormal about her.

Inside, she had written that she would like to meet me here, to properly thank me.

In addition to the note, there was also a cute drawing of the destination, Norhan Lake.

I wasnt seeking any sort of repayment, but I had agreed to meet, because we had a lot to talk about.

I had decided to fully explain myself to Kaya today.

Did I come too early?

I hurried here immediately after classes had ended, but I probably could have taken my time.

While holding a mana meter, I continually circulated mana through my hand, using the spare time to train my [Elemental Efficiency].

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew behind me.

Wind Generation (Wind Element, 1)

Whoosh

I could feel the flow of mana along with the wind spell.

Startled, I turned to see a female student approaching from a distance.

A calm smile accompanied her twin emerald braids and mysterious crimson eyes.

Shes changed personalities again.

It was Kaya the Ravenous.

[Kaya Astrean] Lv: (140)

Race: Human

Elements: Wind, Ice, Plant, Blood

Danger: X

Psychology: [Happy to see you.]

Youre already here. Sorry for being late, I thought I would get here quick enough.

Its alright, but whats that in your hand?

Kaya was holding onto a long object wrapped in a bundle, making it difficult to discern what it was.

Huhu, its a secret.

[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Excited to see your reaction to her gift.]

She had mentioned wanting to thank me further, so it seemed she had brought along a gift.

Brushing it off, I casually made an affirmative noise before turning my attention to the lake.

Kaya sat next to me on the stump, tightening her grip on the gift.

I testified as you instructed me to the Truth Investigation Committee. Nothing out of the ordinary happened.

As she had gone through the same thing as Ian, it was easy for her to fabricate her statement.

She had her guard down and was knocked unconscious by a demon, before Lisetta healed her.

That was how she explained the situation to the Truth Investigation Committee.

If nothing significant occurred during the investigation, the Truth Investigation Committee would have no reason to look further than Kayas testimony.

Thats a relief.

Did anything happen on your end? You rescued me, so Im sure they asked you a few questions as well.

It wasnt anything important, especially since they think Im also a victim. By the way, how much do you remember?

Squinting into the sky, Kaya started combing through her memories.

When I was taken by the demon I remember the blood in my body accelerating. My body felt really hot the pressure made me feel as if my arteries would burst.

Extending one of her arms, Kaya looked at the back of her hand before replying.

The sun was gradually setting.

Then, I lost consciousness. It felt like I was drowning in a deep pool of blood? I dont remember anything else besides that.

She seemed to be recalling her fight with me and her awakening as a blood wizard and demon. Those memories were likely lost when she returned to being human.

When I came to, I was on your back.

I already knew from the original story of Magic Knight of Mrchen.

She would have lost consciousness soon after.

I was really happy that Sir Isaac came to save me.

Kaya smiled brightly at me.

The next time I woke up, I was lying on a bed when Sir Isaac lewdly stroked my cheek. To think that youd take advantage of me like that, you had quite the evil intentions~

I didnt intend for anything like that.

What do you mean like that? I want you to be more specific.

Kaya tilted her head playfully, flashing a mischievous smile that resembled Dorothys. However, her smile was a little bit more inappropriate.

She sure knows how to confuse me.

I should hurry and change the subject.

You know youve changed, right?

Yes I can feel it quite often, including right now. Its probably because I was being controlled by a demon, right?

Kaya mentioned that she felt exhilarated whenever she transformed into Dark Kaya.

She would feel inexplicably confident, and there would be no trace of her usual embarrassment.

Her head would buzz constantly, as if she were traversing a detailed dream.

Afterwards, Kaya would ignore any logic or memories, acting solely on her emotions, and becoming a different version of herself.

As a result, she becomes overly honest with her feelings, unreservedly expressing her affection for me.

Well, its not all that bad. I can wield new magic, and Sir Isaac is even cooler to me now.

While blushing, Kaya stared at me intently. Her gaze was burdensome and filled with desire, something that should be aimed towards ones beloved.

Intentionally avoiding her gaze, I silently stared at the lake. The sparkling blue light scattered across the water grew increasingly vivid as the forest turned darker.

Today, I wanted to explain something.

Explain something?

When I lightly spoke in my usual manner, Kaya seemed to feel a sense of incongruity. Ive been speaking like that since earlier.

I had tried to avoid speaking kindly to Kaya.

It was mainly because I didnt know what would happen if my true identity was revealed.

By pretending to be strong, on top of acting like I had middle school syndrome, I had intended to keep my distance from her.

But I didnt want to anymore.

I knew how Kaya felt, and her alternate self was expressing that affection without hesitation.

If I were to continue acting like this even while knowing how she felt, it would be like trampling on her feelings.

Since we had the opportunity to be alone, I wanted to be honest with her.

Ive been acting a bit mean to you, but to be honest, it was quite uncomfortable for me. Was it strange for you too?

I was cringing inwardly.

??

Kaya didnt seem to understand what I was saying.

Sorry that Ive been a bit guarded. From now on, Ill be more relaxed with you, so please understand.

It should be fine to loosen my grip on our relationship.

I wasnt prepared to dismantle Kayas misconception that I was strong yet, as that would destroy our relationship. I didnt have any idea how I would explain that, anyway.

I have a goal I need to accomplish by our third year. Until then, I cant think about anything else.

Even if Dorothy, my favorite character, were to confess, I wouldnt be able to accept her feelings right now.

Back when I was a student focusing on my exams, dating problems were an obvious enemy of exam-taking. It had the power to violently shake a persons heart.

In particular, magical training required a great deal of concentration, as it was closely linked to the theory. Here, romance would be especially disruptive.

Hence, I decided to prevent and postpone any romantic developments in advance, until I defeated the Evil God.

By revealing a small part of my secret, I planned on making it clear to Kaya that I wouldnt be returning her feelings.

Youre ridiculously beautiful, but my current situation wont let me return your feelings.

That was how I planned on handling the situation.

I continued to speak.

So I hope youll understand

Suddenly, Kaya stood up.

Chu!

!

I felt a moist sensation on my cheek, along with an adorable sound.

Recalling what happened during the summer vacation, I turned to face Kaya.

She had already made her way to me, leaning in my direction with a casual smile.

Even the enchanting blue light of the lake was unable to conceal the vivid crimson in her eyes.

Ive wondered about this before.

While pressing down on my shoulders with both hands, Kaya placed her knee between my legs.

She stared at me.

There was no escape.

Why would someone like Sir Isaac come to the Academy?

I could smell a subtle yet alluring scent, accompanied by the feel of her warm breath on my forehead.

Its probably because of the demons. But why would someone like you have a goal? Is it a goal so ambitious that you cant even spare a moment to pay attention to someone else?

Kaya giggled.

By any chance, Sir Isaac, will a powerful demon emerge during our third year? Have you been planning all this time to defeat that demon? Thats the reason you entered the academy Or something like that?

Kayas accurate deduction stopped me in my tracks.

You have quite the imagination.

I calmly replied, making sure not to reveal even the slightest reaction.

What kind of reason would that be? If a strong demon was going to appear in our third year, I would have told someone else about it.

You knew nobody else would believe it, and only you realized. Your abilities are far beyond my imagination.

The resurrection of the Evil God.

It wasnt entirely incorrect to say that only I knew.

However, my knowledge was limited to what was written in the Magic Knight of Mrchen.

There was no way a weakling like me could recognize that the Evil God would be resurrected.

As I tried to explain myself, Kaya giggled before interrupting me.

What youre saying is that you have no plans of dating until you complete your goal, right?

A sense of unease traveled down my spine.

It was the same feeling I had every time Luce acted suspiciously.

I hurriedly read Kayas current thoughts by using [Psychological Insight].

[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Attempting to seduce you without holding back.]

Huh?

Her thoughts were very different from what I expected?

I had anticipated her acting like she was in a drama, asking, If I still feel the same way during our third year, will you accept my feelings then?

I had even expected her to exclaim angrily, asking me, Do you just not have feelings for me? Id rather you be honest, I hate this! Or something along those lines.

Did I just loosen Kayas restraints?

Regardless, Isaac was not in a position to date anyone.

So, she could continually seduce him until he liked her.

Ultimately, when he decided to pursue a relationship, she would make him hers.

This was likely how Kaya had arrived at her current conclusion.

I hope you dont misunderstand me.

Dont worry. I understood completely.

After Kaya giggled to herself, she grabbed the long object that had been left at the base of the stump.

Sir Isaac, did you know about this?

Kaya began gently caressing the wrapped object as she spoke.

In the Masop Forest, the Rompa tribe has a tradition of offering choices when giving gifts to their tribemates, allowing them to choose the gift they prefer. Whether its a rock or the skin of an animal

After staring in my direction, Kaya smiled brightly.

Thank you for saving me. If Sir Isaac wasnt there, I probably wouldnt be alive. Huhu, I prepared two gifts, so please choose one.

It was a wooden staff.

The gemstone at its tip had a blend of deep blue and sunset hues. It was an awe-inspiring sight.

Kaya passed the object to me with both hands.

Zhonyas Staff is a magical weapon that weve kept in our safe. You dont have to worry about it being valuable, since I use it myself. I brought it because I was planning on using a staffbut I think it suits Sir Isaac much better.

My mouth started watering, but I quickly suppressed my urges.

A magical weapon was quite tempting.

A suitable magical weapon would require a significant amount of gel to purchase, and the Frostscythe I currently had in my possession couldnt even be used properlySo a magical weapon was perfect.

Not to mention, it was Zhonyas Staff! I couldnt remember if it was a tier 2 or 3 weapon, but it was definitely a rare item worthy of being guarded in the Astrean familys coffers.

I wasnt planning on receiving a gift in return

At this point, my thoughts shifted. Her sincerity was impossible to ignore, leaving me no choice but to accept the gift.

My hand naturally moved towards the staff that Kaya was offering.

Suddenly, she withdrew it behind her.

There is another choice.

Kaya held onto the staff with one hand, while simultaneously lifting her skirt slightly with the other.

Her flawless skin shone, showcasing her beautiful features as she smiled mischievously.

The second choice is me.

I stopped.

Which do you want more, Sir Isaac?

With a voice full of charm, Kaya mischievously asked.

[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Hopes that you will return her feelings.]

The humid air of Norhan Lake filled my lungs as the cool night air started sneaking underneath my clothes.

For a long time, we stared into each others eyes.

Haa.

Letting out a sigh, I approached Kaya.

As I was seemingly about to embrace her,

Ah!?

I took Zhonyas Staff from her arms and moved away.

Ill use it well. Thanks.

Shadows covered Kayas eyes as she glared at me for the first time today, her face contorted in disappointment.

Unfortunately, I wasnt desperate enough for romance to succumb to her pitiful advances.