Chapter 11: Tsun Tsun Tsun, No Dere

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Translator: Soafp

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A few days passed after all that happened with Duke Arnal's son.

“Magic Tournament?”

“It's an event next month meant to show the power of nobles to both the kingdom and other nations. The preliminaries are a battle royale, and the main event is a tournament.”

“Heeh.”

Lunch time.

While I was eating a grilled-meat curry set in the cafeteria, my sister started talking to me.

“This time, you and I, as members of the Medicus viscount family, have been assigned to treat the injured alongside the students of the Health Committee.”

“But on the surface, the only healing magic I can use is the kind that fixes hangnails.”

“You're doing odd jobs.”

“Thank goodness.”

A magic tournament, huh.

Is it like a sports festival? No, apparently most participants are second- and third-years, so maybe not.

An academy-wide event… it might be a little fun.

“…By the way, Ask. I've heard you've been skipping classes lately.”

“I haven't.”

“I received complaints from your homeroom teacher. They say you haven't been attending classes and have been holed up in the library instead?”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“I see. If you don't understand, then it can't be helped.”

Nee-san smiled sweetly and gently squeezed my hand.

There was a sound my hand really shouldn't be making.

“Nee-san, my hand is making cracking noises.”

“It's fine, Onee-chan will hold your hand until your amnesia is cured. Gently, of course.”

“I'll confess so please let go. It's going to break.”

Still smiling, she released my hand.

“First-year classes are all basics and completely boring.”

“That's true. For us, who were drilled with healing magic—and magic knowledge in general—from childhood, first-year classes are dull.”

“That's why I'm studying on my own in the library. You know how Princess Christina gave me permission to read books from the forbidden archive?”

“Ah… the reward for helping convince His Majesty to approve breaking off the engagement between Princess Christina and Duke Arnal's son.”

“Exactly.”

Ever since entering the magic academy, I've been thinking about new healing magic that could even cure chuunibyou.

And while devouring books in the forbidden archive, I learned about two magic types that seemed promising.

“I'm interested in the mental magic and memory magic written about in the forbidden archive.”

“Stop that.”

“Why?”

“Think about why books about those two magics are in the forbidden archive.”

Hmm, I see.

“Thinking about it doesn't help.”

“…Right. You've never been good at thinking deeply about things.”

“I'm not that bad.”

With a sigh, Nee-san muttered, “That wasn't a compliment.”

Then she reluctantly began explaining the two magics.

“Those two types of magic are banned because they're too dangerous.”

“Too dangerous?”

“Mental magic, as the name implies, interferes with the mind. Depending on how it's used, you can brainwash someone or break their mind and turn them into a husk. Long ago, there was an evil woman who tried to manipulate the royal family using mental magic. Memory magic is similar.”

“Heh, there really are bad people in the world.”

But banning the magic because of that is strange.

If someone commits murder with a kitchen knife, it would be absurd to outlaw all knives.

Magic is the same.

Mental magic and memory magic—depending on the user—could provide great benefits.

Just like using a knife properly lets you cook delicious meals, these magics would be essential for healing emotional wounds.

…Maybe I should secretly learn them.

“You're making a face that says you're planning to secretly learn them.”

“Geh.”

“…You just said ‘geh' out loud. Just so you know, both mental magic and memory magic were lost ages ago. Give up on learning them.”

Now that she mentions it, I never found any detailed books on them in the forbidden archive.

Guess they really are lost.

“Alright. I'll give up for now.”

“…The ‘for now' bothers me, but anyway, attend your classes. You're becoming infamous among some students in a bad way.”

“Why?”

“You're not a high-ranking noble, yet you got into the student council through connections, tried to paint a duke's son as a boy-lover, skip classes, sleep in class… With all that, some jealousy is expected.”

“That's true.”

“Well, that part is still barely tolerable. The real problem is that some people are calling you a failure.”

Calling me a failure isn't wrong.

To the world, I'm from a famous family of healing mages yet can only use mediocre healing magic.

It's a perfectly reasonable judgment.

But Nee-san seems displeased with that evaluation.

“Don't worry, I've taught those people who called my Ask a failure the meaning of ‘fear just short of death.'”

“Terrifying. …Nee-san, don't trouble Lucan-senpai too much, okay?”

“…Why does Lucan's name come up here?”

“Because she's the one who helped sort out the problem when you half-killed Duke Arnal's underlings, right? You shouldn't trouble your friends.”

When I said that, Nee-san looked a little displeased.

“It's not… she's just my roommate, that's all.”

“Nee-san, tsundere characters are outdated nowadays. You're already socially awkward and a loner—”

“Watch your wording?”

“Ahem ahem. I mean, you're a unique, heroic, perfect existence whose thinking is too elevated for common people to understand, but still, being isolated isn't ideal, right?”

“…Well, that's true.”

Nee-san's personality is basically “tsun tsun tsun, no dere,” so it's hard for her to make friends.

On top of that, even from my perspective as her younger brother, she's extremely pretty.

Her overwhelming beauty makes people hesitate to approach her, which makes it even harder for her to make friends.

That's why I want her to cherish the few friends she does have—Christina and Lucan.

“Well, I'll keep it in mind.”

She nodded—reluctantly, but she still did.

Good, good.

“…By the way, Ask. What have you been eating all this time?”

“A grilled-meat curry set. It's super good. The Hornbull meat and curry made from the dandruff of a monster called the Spice Dragon match perfectly.”

“A bizarre dish?”

“No.”

And then—

“Fran-sama, Ask-sama. May we sit with you?”

“P-Princess Christina…”

“Mm, and not just Onee-sama. I'm here too.”

Christina and Victoria suddenly appeared in the cafeteria and sat across from us.

Servants brought in large amounts of food.

I'd heard from Gal that royalty got full-course meals in the academy cafeteria, but seeing it in person was something else.

I'm jealous.

“Mm, Ask. What's that?”

“This? A grilled-meat curry set.”

Victoria, sitting across from me, stared intently at my curry.

“…It smells delicious.”

“Do you want some?”

“Give me one bite.”

“Then give me a piece of that extra-thick steak.”

“Mm, fine. Just one slice.”

Victoria and I exchanged food and ate.

Wow, delicious. As expected of royal cuisine. This steak is insanely good.

“Fufu, Ask-sama and Victoria seem to get along quite well.”

“Y-yes, Princess Christina.”

“…F-Fran-sama. If you'd like, maybe we could exchange some of our lunch too?”

“Eh?”

“You know… it feels kind of like something friends do. O-of course, only if you want to!!”

“…No, I don't dislike the idea.”

Nee-san and Christina exchanged lunch like friends and had fun together.

…Well, Christina was the only one having fun, but still.

We enjoyed a very peaceful lunch.

And then, about a month later, the day of the magic tournament finally arrived.