After the brief commotion settled, I asked Hans.
“So, we’ve split into teams. What are we planning to do?”
I was testing the waters a bit. Hans shrugged and gave the most predictable answer.
“Nothing weird. Just preparing exactly as you wrote in the plan. You said we’d use illusion magic to play war games, right?”
“Ah, that…”
Guess it’s not that weird after all. I finally felt my worries ease.
Sena, who heard Hans’ answer, looked surprised.
“You actually prepared for it.”
“Well, if we’re told to prepare, what else can we do? We had to.”
“Honestly, I wrote that half as a joke. Even if we didn’t prepare, no one would’ve said anything.”
“…True.”
“That’s kind of shocking.”
Hans looked a bit awkward, but he didn’t seem like he was going to stop preparing.
Well, he put in the effort, so we should at least appreciate it.
If I knew it would come to this, I would’ve written something more relaxed. If it were a battle, we could’ve just had some tea and chilled. Kind of regretting it now.
“Anyway, wait for a bit. There’s a lot to prepare.”
While Hans was drawing a magic circle in the center of the clubroom, the three of us quietly watched. When I asked Sena if she needed help, she said she was clueless about illusion magic, so she couldn’t help.
If even Sena can’t use it, it must be really difficult. And here we are, using such high-level magic just to play war games. I sighed deeply, feeling a bit empty.
Then, Sena looked at me with a puzzled expression. Guess I made her worry again.
I blinked for a moment and then spoke in a light tone.
“Does splitting into teams mean we’re fighting each other?”
“Probably feels like that.”
“Kind of sucks.”
“Are you scared? Don’t worry, I’m here with you.”
“Well, I’m not scared because Sena’s here. It’s just…”
I twirled my hair and muttered.
“I made the observation club to watch, but now I have to participate. It’s a bit…”
“Ah, haha. That’s so like you, Princess.”
“…That’s not a compliment.”
I shot Sena a slightly resentful look as she burst out laughing. Sena smiled faintly and gently removed my hand from my hair. Then, she started smoothing my hair with her hand.
“It’s not a compliment, but personally, I like that side of you, Princess. You’re like a lazy cat—it’s charming.”
What kind of answer is that? Still, I could feel my expression softening.
Am I too easy? It’s a bit alarming how quickly I’m affected by just a few words. Though, regardless of the alarm, the corners of my mouth were already curling up.
“…Well, whatever.”
Sena chuckled softly and poked my cheek. It was a bit embarrassing, but I didn’t pull away.
“You’re really cute, you know.”
“Ugh…”
It’s annoying and embarrassing, but I kind of want more, which makes it even more annoying. I’m starting to resent myself for reacting like this more than her.
Anyway, since I wanted something, I lowered my head and slowly leaned closer to her.
Sena seemed to know what I wanted. She wrapped one arm lightly around me and started stroking my hair with her other hand. Her touch wasn’t just on my hair—it also brushed against my cheek, neck, and jawline. It felt like she was petting a cat.
This feels nice…
“Eek?!”
“!? What, what’s wrong?”
Just as I was relaxing, I felt her hand slip through my hair and touch the back of my neck. I jumped in surprise and buried myself deeper into Sena’s embrace.
When I turned my head with slightly teary eyes, Hans was standing there with an awkward smile, his hand outstretched. What was he doing? It didn’t feel like a normal touch—more like he planted something there. Double the discomfort.
I glared at him while rubbing the back of my neck.
“…What are you doing?”
“Uh, just marking you.”
“Marking…? Like dogs do?”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
Hans looked annoyed and denied it, then continued.
“Mana marking. When you enter the illusion, your consciousness and body separate, and sometimes you can’t find your way back. If you follow the mark, it’s easier to return.”
“What are you talking about? Illusion magic is…”
Sena, who had been glaring at Hans with a very displeased expression, was about to retort with a cold voice when he cut her off.
Hans smiled faintly and spoke in a calm, reassuring tone.
“You know, Blomberg. This is important. It’s like preparing for a potentially dangerous situation.”
Hans flicked his fingers, then flicked them again a bit to the left. Sena seemed to recall something as she watched his gesture.
A look of conflict appeared on her face, which had been filled with distrust. I’m not sure what she was conflicted about, though.
I just quietly watched the conversation between the two, even though the topic was about me.
“If it gets dangerous, either you or I can go in directly.”
“…Ah.”
“You’ve seen what I did in front of you. It’s not weird. If you’re suspicious, you can check right now.”
“…….”
After a moment of deep thought, Sena concluded in a subdued voice.
“…No, it’s my mistake. I forgot. It’s a necessary step.”
“It’s fine as long as you remember now.”
Hans smiled and turned his gaze to me. Smooth, polished words flowed from his mouth.
“Anyway, Remia. For a while, before using illusion magic, we’ll mark you like this, so don’t be too surprised. It gets more effective if you stack them.”
It felt a bit off. Too smooth, like he had prepared this before coming here.
The words seemed almost scripted.
It felt like something out of a screenplay.
Even I could tell something was up at this point.
There’s definitely something going on here.
It’s like Hans convinced Sena or something.
But even if I noticed, being clueless about magic, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what the problem was.
The only way to figure it out was to confirm it with the one person I could trust.
“Don’t you think this is really weird, Sena?”
“Yeah. It’s like insurance.
It’s not a bad thing to have.”
Sena’s expression was calm as she answered.
I couldn’t tell if she was lying.
Even if she was, there wasn’t much I could do about it.
I trust her, my only friend.
As deeply as the ocean of depression I often fall into, as firmly as the thawing of my heart before she melts it.
That’s why if she confirmed it, I couldn’t doubt her.
Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to treat each other as friends.
To me, a friend is someone like that.
A relationship deeper than family, with the certainty that they’ll never betray you.
It must be flawless, but once someone is inside that fence, they deserve unlimited trust.
No, they *must* be given that trust.
I forced a bitter smile and nodded.
It seems I’ve fallen back into the swamp of human relationships.
Even if anxiety about her arises, I’d forcefully deny it and bury it because this relationship is terrifyingly addictive.
“Alright… I got it.
I’ll try not to freak out.
Just don’t suddenly touch me like that again.”
“Ah, right. Sorry.
I’ll let you know before I do anything next time.”
“Then it’s fine.”
Even putting all that aside, I get it.
I know better than anyone that forgiveness is easier than permission.
Thinking that, I sighed and buried my head in Sena’s lap again.
It felt a little off how easily I convinced myself.
***
Not long after, a magic circle large enough to fill the clubroom floor was completed.
Following Hans’ guidance, we all gathered behind him.
After warning us that it might be a bit startling, he took a deep breath and clasped his hands together.
“Let’s begin.”
Hans condensed a small amount of magical energy and threw it toward the magic circle.
Instantly, a whirlwind of magical energy swept through the entire clubroom.
When the compressed energy reached its peak, just before exploding, he calmly declared,
“Self-Awakening Illusion.”
The incantation acted as a trigger, creating a miracle.
At that moment, reality blurred.
The boundaries of the clubroom disappeared, and an endless grassland stretched out around us.
Before I knew it, the horizon was all that remained in my field of vision.
When I came to my senses, we were standing under a clear blue sky, with no clouds, on an endless, flat green plain.
Honestly, it was breathtaking.
A gasp of admiration escaped my lips without me realizing it.
“This is amazing.”
“Right?”
Hans turned to me, smiling with satisfaction, as if that was the reaction he wanted.
Oh, he was next to me.
Looking around, Yohan and Sena were also nearby.
Sena was crouched down, curiously touching the grass.
Yohan, as usual, was staring at the horizon with an unreadable expression.
I watched them for a moment, then took a deep breath.
Unlike the stuffy late-summer air in the clubroom, the air here was clear and refreshing.
This wasn’t just a visual illusion.
I slowly knelt and brushed my hand over the grass.
It was cool and smooth, well-maintained grass.
The texture felt completely natural.
Suddenly, a strange impulse made me pluck a blade of grass and put it in my mouth.
It tasted like grass.
Even taste was faithfully recreated.
It’s fascinating how there’s no awkwardness at all.
No wonder it took so long to prepare.
At this level, it’s practically a new world.
No wonder the academy is known for its expertise in illusion magic.
Brushing off my hands, I stood up and noticed Hans looking at me with a strange expression.
Did I look weird?
It’s not like I have a habit of eating grass.
When our eyes met, he hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking,
“…Uh, are you hungry?
Should I create some food illusions?”
“What? No, I’m fine.”
Feeling a bit awkward, I quickly changed the subject.
He’s twisting his hair again.
This is going to become a habit, isn’t it?
“…So, what can we do now?”
Hans answered with confidence.
“Anything you want.”
He flicked his finger, and a flaming sword fell from the sky, embedding itself in the ground.
“You can become a hero wielding a legendary sword.”
He flicked again, and this time a staff adorned with multicolored gems rose from the earth.
“Or a sage who controls the world’s magic.”
Next, golden particles swirled in the air, quickly forming thousands of armored soldiers.
“Or a general commanding an army of your desired troops.”
Hans spread his arms wide and smiled at us.
“Fantasy based on dreams is omnipotent.
This world is for you, so feel free to shape it as you wish.”
Right on cue, the sun rising beyond the horizon made it look like Hans had a halo.
It’s so flashy it’s almost annoying.
As expected, Hans is still Hans.
