Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard

Chapter 275

TL/Editor: raei

Status: 5/week mon-fri

Illustrations: none

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At that moment, their eyes met.

Thinking it would look weird to keep avoiding eye contact, Ian held Kira's gaze.

The problem was, Kira had the exact same thought.

Naturally, Ian and Kira ended up staring at each other for a while.

There wasn't any particular meaning behind their gazes.

It was more like casually looking because the other person was there, because a face happened to be in their field of vision.

'Hmm...'

When Kira stared at him intently, Ian felt a strange competitive spirit rise.

Oh ho, challenging me to a staring contest!

Challenge accepted!

Ian decided to observe her thoroughly, matching her stare for stare.

Long red hair and large eyes.

Slender shoulders, rounded chest, and smooth waist.

Hmm. Drop-dead gorgeous - definitely our Kira.

Ian suddenly thought how similar Kira and Liria felt.

Not just because of the red hair.

Their shy demeanor and soft voices were quite alike.

"Ian."

Suddenly, Kira called his name.

"Yeah?"

When Ian asked what was wrong.

"...Just felt like calling you. You still feel like Maronius to me..."

Kira said with a bright smile.

Ian smiled too.

He'd just been thinking of Liria while looking at Kira.

"Kira. Thanks for helping today."

"It's nothing. I'm happy to help with requests like this anytime."

Ian nodded.

It hadn't been a difficult favor, so he didn't feel burdened either.

If she needed compensation, he could get her a gift later.

And since Kira was a wizard too, maybe examining Maronius's memories would help her?

"Hehe. You two had amazing performances."

Maria gracefully approached and said.

"I especially loved the part where Kira hugged Ian and shouted that she loved him. It gave me chills somehow."

"..."

When Maria looked at Ian with sticky eyes, Ian felt his usual slight creeps.

Your eyes are what's giving me chills right now...

Ian gave Maria a slightly annoyed look.

Ian and Kira had just put on a short performance.

Though it was in a memory world with just one audience member.

It was just acting.

They'd acted as lovers to show Maronius's soul.

"What are you saying? That was Liria and Maronius."

"But you two did the acting, didn't you?"

Maria was a girl before being medieval.

Meaning she was crazy about romance between men and women.

Ian clicked his tongue.

Even if Maria loved romance, trying to pair up Ian and Kira?

Lucy would jump in shock if she heard this while eating at home.

"Ian, if Maronius's soul agrees to guide us forward, will you keep acting as lovers with Kira?"

"Probably? If that's what he wants to see."

Regardless of Ian's wishes, they'd have to act if Maronius's soul wanted to watch.

Otherwise they'd have to break through increasingly tough security magic.

The security level was low for these worthless young memories, but once they reached the period when he started creating magic in earnest, the security would be incomparably tougher.

"Aah- I see-! I'm so looking forward to it."

A blush rose to Maria's cheeks.

Though he wasn't sure what she was looking forward to, she should separate the roles from the actors.

The lovers were Maronius and Liria, not Ian and Kira.

That kind of thinking would be rude to Kira-

"I'm... looking forward to it too."

"?"

When Ian turned his head, he saw Kira smiling shyly.

The smile on her delicate face was completely genuine - not a trace of acting.

"Looking forward to what? Seeing Maronius's memories?"

"Maronius's memories... those too. But..."

Kira lightly scratched Ian's hand with her fingernail.

Ian's shoulders twitched.

"Acting with you. It was fun."

"...Yeah."

"Thanks for calling me today. I'm going now."

As Kira stood up, Ian belatedly called out:

"Ah. Let's have dinner together!"

"Okay! I'll wait at the main gate."

A sweet scent tickled Ian's nose. It was the fragrance Kira left as she passed by.

Hmm. Has she started wearing perfume? Since she's always hanging out with other girls, she might have picked up some tips.

Ian blinked blankly for a while.

Something... something was.

His feelings felt a bit strange.

"Hehe..."

"Why are you laughing?"

"I'm happy. It's like I can see Kira growing..."

What's she talking about now.

Ian shook his head.

Instead of useless thoughts, he should focus on figuring out how to mine Maronius's memories.

"Let's have dinner together too."

"Yes~ I'll wait happily."

Ian's magic research wrapped up for now.

#

Ian didn't immediately summon Maronius's soul.

He figured it needed time to think and consider.

'Can't just keep doing the same research anyway.'

Ian's days flew by busy.

Though he only taught a few classes, he had to absorb experience points by attending other wizards' lectures in his spare time.

And quests rolled in occasionally.

"Professor Ian! Someone from the village came saying they saw a ghost!"

"Can't you ask a priest to handle it?"

"What are you saying! We need to document necromancy research!"

"..."

Come on, I'm not even majoring in necromancy.

Since necromancers were so rare, Ian had somehow become like a youth chairman(?) in the field of necromancy.

When Ian exorcised ghosts and documented it, it became case studies in textbooks passed down to later students.

"Fine. Let's go."

The magic professor from Imperial University deploys to exorcise a village ghost!

Though it was a very fantasy-like situation, Ian felt indifferent.

"It's not a ghost, it's a branch."

"What? But it was definitely a ghost! It made woooo~ sounds!"

"That ball of fur rolling around. It was caught on that branch until recently. Left behind when a monster was shedding."

"I-I see...! As expected of Professor!"

Obviously, ordinary people couldn't distinguish between real ghosts and fake paranormal phenomena.

Once something spooky happens, they immediately decide it must be a ghost!

That's why 99% of requests that came to Ian were fake.

'Not this crap. Where's some real mystery?'

Though it might be asking too much, Ian secretly hoped to encounter truly mysterious phenomena.

Of course, mysteries weren't likely to gush forth daily in this tiny patch of land.

'So this is why wizards travel.'

Though he hadn't wanted to, Ian understood why Inglan and Eredith wandered the empire...

For wizards seeking to advance, travel wasn't a choice but a necessity!

'Better not mess with Maronius's memories right now.'

Since the mysteries villagers occasionally brought were nonsense like "I think Satan possessed my dog~"

Ian started missing his days traveling the empire.

He'd encountered plenty of mysteries then-

"Ah. Ian, there you are."

A gentle voice came from somewhere.

"Professor Demonite?"

It was the summoner Demonite.

And the woman standing beside him was someone Ian knew too.

"Hello~"

"Princess Elia is here too?"

Imperial Princess Elia had appeared as a set with Demonite.

Ian thought briefly.

He'd vaguely heard that Elia was learning summoning.

But was she good enough to hang around with a real summoner?

"I brought her."

Demonite said with a smile.

"Elia seems very interested in summoning. Specifically, she wants to make contracts with small animals."

"Small animals?"

Elia smiled brightly.

"Like rabbits or squirrels. Or maybe cats~"

"I see."

Ian let Elia's words go in one ear and out the other.

Since coming to university, he'd learned that summoning was incredibly popular magic regardless of age or gender.

The reason was simple.

You could get your own pet!

Wow! Pets! Familiars!

Like some instinct carved into DNA, people loved having something to command.

When starting summoning, you could tame small animals like RPG pets.

That's why summoning lectures were always popular.

ONLY popular.

"But making contracts with small animals is pretty difficult, you know."

"What?"

"They don't know Maronius language. Instead of direct communication, you need to use expressions that convey will. Princess Elia, have you memorized all 220 emotional expression characters?"

"..."

Separate from popularity, summoning was still magic.

Meaning it was fucking hard.

When Elia closed her mouth, Ian realized.

Ah ha, she hasn't memorized them.

"Well, Professor Demonite said he'd teach me the contract phrases~"

Phrases? Phraaaases?

You think you can make summoning contracts with just one memorized phrase?!

Ian was dumbfounded.

"What can you do with just that one?"

"Well, first make the contract, then study step by step..."

"How's that gonna work?"

Let's say familiar contracts are like job recruitment.

You'd need to calmly introduce yourself and explain "I'm this kind of person. Would you be interested in this kind of work?"

But what if someone who barely speaks the language comes and says:

'Oh. You vely stwong~ I give money, work with me~'

Would you take that job?

Unless you had borderline intelligence issues, you wouldn't fall for such broken speech.

Especially if that person could only say that one phrase.

"If you say phrases you don't understand well, other mysteries might get attracted and just kill you."

"..."

"Stop with the silly ideas and go study."

At Ian's facts, Elia pouted.

Demonite chuckled and cut in.

"I'm not trying to make Elia do magic. I just thought I'd show her how contracts are made."

"Aren't you giving her false hopes?"

"Let's call it motivation instead."

Ian couldn't understand, but female students had suspiciously strong fantasies about cute pets.

Though Ian didn't like them approaching summoning with such casual attitudes.

Demonite disagreed with Ian.

He thought that desire could become motivation, fertilizer for studying summoning seriously.

"But why me..."

"Ah. I wanted to see you make contracts too, Ian."

Demonite said.

"After all, we have different views on summoning."

"Hmm..."

That was certainly true.

Demonite preferred more aggressive methods than Ian.

His way of contracting with small animals would likely differ from Ian's too.

"Since we don't know which style Elia might have talent for, I thought we could show both."

Ian nodded.

Since Ian handled all sorts of magic, other professors often came seeking his opinion like this.

"You have a small animal too, don't you?"

"You mean Oberon?"

"Yes. How about telling us the story of contracting with that animal?"

Ian tilted his head.

Oberon was just something he'd picked up?

Though it probably wouldn't help much, since Demonite asked, Ian was about to call Oberon.

But just then, someone approached calling out:

"Ah, everyone's here!"

It was Inglan.

He urgently addressed Ian and Demonite:

"You two. Quickly pack your things and head to the village hall."

"What's wrong?"

Inglan shook his head and answered:

"Missing persons."

"...Missing?"

"Two children who went playing in the forest haven't returned after a full day."

Inglan added:

"Seems some mystery is involved."

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