Chapter 37: New Friends at the Forbidden Magic Research Society

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Translator: Soafp

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After somehow surviving the “No-Face Capture Operation,” a few days passed.

I wanted to find out something, so I treated Gal to a döner kebab in the academy cafeteria.

“You want to know about the Forbidden Magic Research Society?”

“Yeah, I got a little curious.”

“So that's why you forcefully treated me to a döner kebab today.”

Gal munched on the döner kebab and then swallowed.

Then he spoke in an unusually serious tone.

“I'm telling you, don't do it. Nothing good will come of getting involved.”

“It's rare for you to speak that negatively about something.”

“…Look.”

“Hm? …what—”

Gal showed me his tail.

Even though he told me to stop, I kept brushing it every day little by little, so it was incredibly fluffy—wait, what!?

“Your tail hair got super long!!”

“Yesterday, Kainsetts-senpai dragged me along to interview the Forbidden Magic Research Society. Maybe they got fed up with the senior's pushy questioning, because they used some unknown magic as a counterattack. And that damn senpai used me as a shield.”

“Isn't the senpai more of a problem than the research society?”

“That's true, but… using magic to counterattack is also a problem.”

“True. …Can I touch it?”

“You're already touching it before even asking. Seriously, having long hair is ridiculously annoying.”

O-oh, wow.

Gal's fluffy tail had become silky smooth.

That's… actually kinda nice.

“It feels like a waste, but if it annoys you, can't you just cut it?”

“…If I could, I would. Go ahead, try cutting it.”

I took out my scythe and tried cutting Gal's tail hair with full force—

“Whoa whoa whoa!! What are you trying to do!?”

“Eh? You said to try cutting it.”

“With scissors!! Why a scythe!? And why do you even HAVE a scythe!?”

“For self-defense.”

“Who the hell carries a scythe for self-defense!!”

I'm sure someone out there does. Probably. I dunno.

After convincing Gal, I cut his tail hair with the scythe.

“Huh? It's tough. Not cutting at all.”

“They say each strand turned into something like metal. Apparently it'll go back to normal eventually…”

“Fluffy but with the hardness of metal… that's amazing.”

My curiosity about the Forbidden Magic Research Society grew even stronger.

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And so, I arrived at the old school building where the Forbidden Magic Research Society's clubroom was located.

Gal tried to stop me, but hey, when you get an idea you should act immediately.

The moment I stepped into the old building, dust floated in the air.

Back when the magic academy was temporarily occupied by that chuunibyou group, the students holed up here, so there were lots of footprints left behind.

Among them were two fresh sets of footprints.

Gal didn't know where exactly the clubroom was, so I decided to follow them.

“Do you have business with the Forbidden Magic Research Society?”

“Whoa, you scared me.”

A voice suddenly came from behind.

When I turned around, there was a glasses-wearing girl with short black hair and a beauty mark under her eye.

She must be from the Forbidden Magic Research Society.

“Sorry for the sudden visit. My name is Ask Medicus.”

“Ask Medicus… ah, from the student council. Did our club president cause trouble again?”

“No, nothing like that. I just found your club interesting, so I came to—”

“You should stop right now!!”

The glasses girl stepped forward all at once.

“To put it bluntly, our club president is a hardcore lunatic!! Getting involved won't bring you anything good—”

“Who are you calling a lunatic?”

Someone stood behind the glasses girl like an apparition.

A girl with deep blue hair.

Her face was pretty, but she wore a cardigan over her uniform, giving off a slightly plain vibe.

“G-geh, President!?”

“What do you mean ‘geh'? …So, you—are you interested in the Forbidden Magic Research Society?”

“I am.”

“…I see. Then follow me.”

According to the glasses girl she was a hopeless maniac, but she didn't seem like that at all.

And also…

Sniff sniff… this smell…

“…Ah, I was so busy with research that I haven't bathed in two or three days… sorry if that bothers you.”

“No, it just reminds me of my grandma.”

Not the grandma from this life, but the one from my previous life.

She was an outrageous person who once told bedridden me, “Let's bet on who dies later.”

She wasn't a bad person, though.

When my parents saw me connected to tubes in pain and muttered “He might not make it,” she apparently snapped.

She literally hospitalized them in retaliation. I honestly didn't know how to respond to that story.

“Well… I'll take that as a compliment. We're here.”

We arrived at what used to be a library inside the old school building.

I'd been frequenting the academy's main library, but I didn't know there was another similar place here.

“First, introductions. I'm Elisto Bauern, president of the Forbidden Magic Research Society.”

“Ask Medicus.”

“So, what brings you here?”

She sat down on a chair that belonged to the library and faced me across a table overflowing with books and notes.

“I want you to teach me about mental magic.”

“…Where did you learn about that? No—Her Highness the First Princess recently granted student council members special access to the forbidden archives. So that was you.”

“That's me.”

“…Very well. I'll give you the research material for mental magic. Study it on your own.”

Erist stood, pulled a book from a shelf, and handed it to me.

Just as I reached for it—

“But I have one condition.”

“What is it?”

“If you know anything about ageless magic, immortality magic, or resurrection magic, tell me.”

Ageless magic, immortality magic, resurrection magic…

“What are those?”

“…They were said to be passed down through the Duke Lepios family, which went extinct about two hundred years ago.”

“Ohh, I see.”

“The Medicus viscount family traces its origins to a branch of the Lepios dukes. It wouldn't be strange if you inherited one of them.”

“I seriously don't know. And even if such magic existed, I'm not the heir, so no one would've taught me.”

Judging by the names, they're probably magic that stops aging, prevents death, or revives the dead.

…Resurrection magic sounds kinda interesting.

Ageless immortality is… unhealthy, so I don't need that. But being safe from anything except old age would be nice.

“I see you truly know nothing. That's unfortunate.”

Elisto sighed and handed me the book.

She seemed to lose interest in me and turned back to the table.

“You're pretty normal, actually.”

“…Where did that come from?”

“Well, the glasses girl earlier said you were insane. And I also heard you tried to steal an artifact from the Disciplinary Committee not long ago.”

“Ah, that. I needed the artifact for my mental magic research. I failed in the end, though. And that's a rude thing to say, Vice President.”

The glasses girl flinched when the topic shifted to her.

“B-but President, you frequently perform human experiments!! And on yourself!!”

“Would you prefer I experiment on other people?”

“No!! That's not the point!! Human experimentation is the problem!! Do you even realize you've half-stopped being human!?”

“Experiments on my own body are efficient. Being labeled a lunatic for that is unfair.”

“Then let's ask for an objective opinion!! Medicus-sama, experimenting on yourself is insane, right!?”

“Uh, experimenting on your own body lets you understand the exact effects of the magic, so I think it makes sense.”

“…What?”

The glasses girl froze.

I mean, that's how I improved my healing magic too.

“Oya, so you're on my side. I didn't expect to find a like-minded friend.”

“Eh? Eh? I'm the weird one here!?”

““Yeah.””

And just like that, I gained a new friend.