Maydare Volume 1 Chapter 4 - Lune Ruschia Magic School (Part 4)
Updates will be pretty slow since a new semester has started
“Miss Makia O’Drielle and Miss Lapis Twilight of Room 2020, I see. Oh, I’m the fourth-year girls’ dorm leader, Nagie Medite. I’m sure Miss Makia knows me, but nice to meet you.”
The easy-going girls’ dorm leader with her deep green hair gathered back handed us our uniforms in our requested sizes while checking off our names on some kind of form.
“It’s been a long time, Cousin Nagie. I guess I should call you Senior Nagie here.”
“Although we’re cousins, I’m also the dorm leader here, you know~. Please show me some respect.”
“Yes! I’m in your care!”
Respecting the hierarchical relationships here, I greeted her with a straight back.
In actuality, Cousin Nagie was the daughter of Mother’s older brother, who was the head of House Medite, and my cousin. We have met several times before.
The Medite family was a prestigious family of magicians with its head house in the royal capital, and they also sat on the board of directors of Lune Ruschia Magic School, which apparently held great power in this school.
“And Miss Lapis is a foreign student, right? Welcome all the way here to Lune Ruschia!”
“Yes. I am much obliged to you.”
Lapis elegantly bowed her head.
“If you have any problems in the girls’ dorm, you can always come to me. We girls have a lot to deal with, especially since we’re all witches in training. And the professors aren’t going to help us no matter what happens.”
“Y-yes.”
“Well, in short, good luck, freshmen. Ahaha!”
Senior Nagie’s bright smile was loaded with meaning. What exactly was in store for us from now on…
We returned to our room and immediately opened the wrapping paper for our uniforms.
The Lune Ruschia Magic School uniform was classic, consisting of a white blouse, a long deep blue skirt, and a deep blue hooded robe, but the ribbon on the chest represented the color of one’s school year and it was traditionally named after a gemstone.
We first-years were red. Therefore, we were called Garnet first-years.
By the way, second-years were blue and Tanzanites, third-years were green and Peridots, and fourth-years were yellow and Citrines. When you graduate, that color was passed on to the next first-years, but only the graduate students, also known as fifth-years, were fixed as purple Amethysts.
“Look, Lapis. I’ve heard about it, but these uniforms really are cute.”
“...Yes.”
Lapis replied somewhat halfheartedly. Does she not like them? I wondered, and when I looked at her, I saw that she looked a lot paler than she ever had before, and there was sweat beading on her forehead.
“Are you not feeling well?”
She staggered as she tried to head towards the bathroom, but I supported her.
“...I’m sorry. I’m still not used to Ruschia’s warm climate.”
As Lapis said that, she put her hand on the washroom’s door knob, but it weakly slipped off so she quickly held her own arm. I felt a strange flow of magical power coming from there.
Feeling like something was out of place, I recalled the moment I touched Lapis’ hand just now.
It was awfully cold, and shaking. I had thought she was nervous, but…
She slowly sank down on the spot. It was as if she had lost strength in every part of her body. I sat down beside her to support her and rolled up her black sleeve.
“This is…”
And then, I slowly widened my eyes. Astonishingly, her right arm was a magical prosthetic hand.
It seemed to be equipped with the ability to mimic a normal arm, but that had come undone.
“I’m sorry...Makia. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Lapis seemed to be in a lot of pain. I didn’t know much about these kinds of tools, but I could feel the flow of magical power when I held my hand over it, and I felt that a problem had occurred with the circulation of magical power where the magical prosthetic and skin joined together. That was probably why the prosthetic stopped working.
One of her legs, which could be seen from her skirt, seemed to also be a prosthetic. Was that the reason why there was a creaking sound when she walked?
“These magical prosthetics have the latest technology in Frezier, ‘magical circuitry,’ wired through them, and it is extraordinary. However, since it is in tune with the body, I will become lethargic if the magical power is not circulating properly.”
“So it’s...something like that.”
Her trembling hands might have also been because she wasn’t feeling well to begin with.
I wondered what happened to her that caused her to have an artificial hand and leg.
I wanted to ask about it, but I held back that question for now.
“I’ve heard that Ruschia is filled with ancient magic, and it disturbs the magical circulation of people who come here from other countries. Let’s have you lie down on a bed first.”
I tried to hold Lapis up, but her magical prostheses that wouldn’t activate were very heavy.
“Please, please don’t strain yourself. They are made from a special metal, so they are extremely heavy. I’ll crawl there…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. This is what levitation magic is for.”
I cast levitation magic on Lapis. I still couldn’t use enough magic to make her float, but I could reduce her weight by doing this. Thank goodness I learned it from Thor.
Carrying a listless Lapis on my back with a “Heave ho,” I took her to a bed.
“I’ll call a teacher. Just wait a little bit.”
“There’s no need for that! I’ll be back to normal if I just sleep a little and get used to this climate.”
“Is it that...you don’t really want people to know about them? Those magical prostheses.”
She nodded, perhaps because there was some sort of reason. Actually, it would be better to show them to a doctor, but…
“Got it. Then, let’s take off your clothes. It’ll make it a bit more comfortable for you.”
While helping Lapis, who couldn’t move her hands and feet freely, I took off her shoes and black dress and laid her on the bed.
Magical power circulated through the body like blood, and it was the driving force behind the usage of magic.
A disturbance in the circulation of magical power in the body was a common occurrence in the children of magicians, and it was also likely to occur when one is exposed to the magical power of unfamiliar places, as Lapis was. One is stricken with headaches and nausea, and you also became unable to use magic well. When it becomes like that, in Lapis’ case, she wouldn’t be able to move her magical prostheses well.
I also had disturbances in my magical power circulation several times when I was little.
I remembered that at times like those, I always drank salt apple juice. Salt apples had the effect of purifying the magical power within your body and regulating the flow. Most importantly, it made you feel refreshed.
“I’ve brought salt apples picked from the Salt Forest, so I’ll make you some juice. Just wait.”
I left the bedroom and quickly opened the magic basket I brought with me.
I took out a salt apple, the recipe book I received from Grandmother, and honey, and also got ready the lemon I plucked when I came to this room and a glass that was in the room.
There was a simple kitchen in our room, and it was there I opened the recipe book to the page for salt apple juice and quickly set about making it.
First, I used【Wind】magic to enclose the salt apple in a small sphere of wind where I chopped it up and stirred it. This was also a magic Thor used often, and it was very useful.
I raised the glass to the side of the wind sphere and the murky salt apple juice made a nice tinkling sound as it poured out. I added a spoonful of honey with a silver spoon, and squeezed out lemon juice and mixed it in.
And finally, I touched the rim of the glass with my ringed fingertip and chanted.
“Mel vis makia...Magic, swirl. Like blood the color of apples.”
The second incantation was the incantation that was written in the book. Incantations for magical cooking were said to be more effective if they were carefully chanted and included the name of the ingredient.
Lastly, I borrowed a leaf from the mint plant on the balcony, added it to the salt apple juice, and took it to the bedroom.
“I made the salt apple juice. It’s one of the recipes of the O’Drielle house’s witches. Just take your time. Take a sip first.”
I helped Lapis get up and gave her the glass.
She took the glass with her left hand, not the right hand that couldn’t move, and tried to take a sip.
The salt apple juice in the glass was murky and thick, and I thought that it had a very strong taste.
“It has a strange taste. It’s not only sweet, but also faintly salty.”
Lapis took a sip and exhaled in relief after removing her lips from the glass. She drank it several more times, and she seemed to be gradually settling down, as her color improved. The circulation of her magical power seemed to have normalized.
“I’m glad it seems to be working. It would be sad if you weren’t able to go to the entrance ceremony tomorrow.”
“Um… Do you find me disgusting? With such a machine-like body.”
“Huh? Disgusting?”
I blinked several times at this unexpected question. And then I looked at Lapis’ arm and foot one more time.
They were peeking out from the blanket. A magical prosthetic hand and leg made of metal…
“Huh? Do they transform or something like that?”
“No, they don’t.”
I was decisively told that. Well, I guess they didn’t, then.
“I’ve never thought you were disgusting. I am curious about how your body got that way, but...I won’t pry at it. Witches are accomplished in the art of secrecy. It’s a form of magic.”
I put my finger to my mouth and smiled with a wink.
Lapis’ expression barely changed, but,
“Thank you...very much. Um, I might cause you some more trouble in the future.”
She drank the rest of the salt apple juice and stared at the glass as she said that.
“Mm, it’s okay. Actually, you might also have a lot of trouble coming your way due to sharing a room with me.”
I smiled brightly and put my hand to my chest.
“After all, I am a magician of the infamous O’Drielle house. The O’Drielle house are the descendants of the worst witch in the world. Well, I’m very proud of that, though.”
Lapis raised her face and intently stared at me, who boldly declared that, with her dark purple eyes.
Eyes the color of twilight, the color a bit before night, that seemed to suck me in.
“You and me are a bit alike, Makia.”
“Huh? Really?”
“You take pride in your birth without the least bit of shame. I am the same. Even if it means losing my hands and legs.”
It would be a little while before I learn the meaning of her words.
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