The next day after class we followed Dominic.

Dominic was heading towards the commercial area.

Secretly, we played detective to follow him.

Every once in a while, Dominic would look back, and we would quickly hide in the shadows.

It was true that Dominique was doing something…… suspicious.

Dominic suddenly started scurrying around, and then swooped into an alleyway.

“Farren, let’s go!”

“Yes!”

We followed Dominic into the alleyway.

The alley was about three meters wide between buildings.

After a while, we came to a dead end.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, ……. Where did Dominic go?”

Dominic had indeed walked in here.

It was a single street after entering the alleyway and …… there was no door to enter the building on the way.

There were only bricks in front of me.

“Hmmm …….”

I put my hand on my chin and thought.

There must be some kind of hidden door in this situation.

…… I mean, I hope there is!

That would make it more exciting.

If I put magic power into my eyes, I should be able to see some traces of magic!

I tried doing that but there was nothing.

It seemed that even if I put magic power into my eyes, I wouldn’t be able to see any traces of magic.

“Owen.  I’ve got a bad feeling about this from …… over there.”

Farren then pointed to the bricks that made the dead end.

“I don’t feel that at all, but ……”

“I can feel the same disgusting magic …… that I felt from Dominic, and I can feel it from this back here.”

“Oh, you can feel that too?”

“His magic is very specific.”

I think Farren might be a good detective.

I touched the bricks with my hand.

You think there’s a secret room ahead?

The only way to open a secret door is with a spell.

“Open sesame!”

It didn’t open….

“Owen ……?　What are you doing?”

Don’t …… look at me like I’m some pathetic child.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to open it with a password like that.

I just wanted to try it.

“Are you sure …… Dominic is in the back here?”

I said, regaining my composure and putting on a serious face.

“I don’t know that. It’s just—there’s a good chance he’s there.”

I nodded a single word, “Okay,” and touched the brick.

“Can you shut up for a second?”

“Y- yes …… What are you doing?”

“Eavesdropping.”

I put magic into my right hand.

“Let the wind guide your words.”

Magic that transmitted sound through the wind. That type of magic required magic control techniques to send the magic from a long distance.

But the amount of magic power required itself was small, so it would be easier to handle than something like attack magic.

You could imagine it like sending a voice message over wifi.

I know what a telephone is.

I am comfortable with talking to people far away.

I used wind magic to eavesdrop on the sound behind the bricks.

The target was Dominic.

I manipulated the wind magic, making sure to reach Dominic.

After a while, I heard a noise.

And then.

“……d…………sa……”

At last, the wind magic seemed to have reached the target.

But the accuracy was so bad I couldn’t hear anything at all.

“Ah ………… no …… no longer ……… …”

You can just barely make out a voice that sounded like Dominic.

I knew he was in there.

I managed to increase the accuracy of my wind magic.

“Domi …. I can’t stand it …. It is dangerous”

“Dangerous ……?　I’m not sure what to do. You …… are …… with me.”

“Hey, don’t get on the …… too …… much, you’re just a first year …… away.”

“What about the year …… in which I’m the ………… and the …… Marquis. I’m not a …….”

I don’t know what he’s saying, I can’t hear him that well.

Farren, who was sitting quietly next to me, was also tilting her head.

You’re doing something dangerous …….

I can’t get any detailed information.

And then.

“What are you doing here!”

The next thing I knew, there was a boy standing behind me.

He was a little older than us – probably a middle school student.

I stopped my wind magic and looked at Farren.

“Let’s run!”

Using gravity magic to escape was a bad idea.

I’m the only one in the school who can use gravity magic, so I’ll be exposed.

Well, I don’t know what the problem is with being found out, but …….

It’s not going to make a good impression.

“Who the hell are you people?　What have you been doing here?”

Of course, I wouldn’t answer that honestly.

If I wanted to escape without using gravity magic, I needed to strengthen my body!

“Let’s go!”

I pulled Farren’s hand and then took her in my arms.

It was something like a princess carry.

“Kya……!”

Don’t make cute noises, …….

I almost let go of her.

Next, I concentrated magic power in my legs.

I bent my knees and kicked the ground as hard as I could.

“Wha-!

I jumped over the boy’s head.

When I landed on the ground, I started running with Farren in my arms.

“Hey, wait!”

The boy chased after me, but he couldn’t seem to keep up with me when I was using my body enhancements.

Even with Farren in my arms, I could still move faster than a normal person.

I ran for a while after passing through the alleyway.

When I was sure that there were no pursuers, I slowed down.

“Um, …… Owen-san, ……?”

Farren looked down in embarrassment.

“Yeah. Sorry.”

I put Farren down and checked behind me again.

“I don’t think they’re following us.”

“Yes, I agree… is Dominic doing anything dangerous?”

“I don’t know.”

Maybe he’s just giving a cooking class in his …… secret room.

Well, I don’t think so.

There’s too much …… information about what Dominic is doing and for what purpose.

“I’d like to find out more.”

Farren said, pulling on my sleeve.

“What’s in it for me—?”

I don’t see the point in trying so hard. There’s no benefit to …… it.

It would be a wonderful thing to be able to sacrifice myself for the sake of others.

I would find a lot of things that I could do to help others.

—I could even risk my own life.

But I’m dealing with Dominic.

I can’t help it.

“It’s all for my own satisfaction. If he’s doing something dangerous, I want to save …… him. It’s for my own good.”

“I’m sure Dominic wouldn’t want that.”

“Even if he doesn’t want it… I want to do it.”

Farren said with the determined eyes she had shown before.

Those were some dangerous eyes.

“I get it. I’ll help you.”

How could I say no to that?

If something happens to her, it would be a good wake-up call.

And …… I said I’d help in the beginning.

I’ll keep my word to the end.

“Thank you very much!”

Farren’s expression brightened quickly.