After washing off the sweat at a public bathhouse, I headed toward the city where the university was located, carrying my permit.
This administrative district was known as Mehina State, which bordered the capital where we lived. In the center of its capital city stood a university dedicated to the study of magic.
The Glaus Republic National University of Magical Sciences.
The buildings were made of beautiful marble, and well-maintained trees lined the campus. There were lecture halls, research buildings, student dormitories, cafeterias for meals, and libraries for gathering materials. Other than the absence of machinery, it didn't look much different from a modern university.
Apparently, in the past, only noble men were allowed to attend here. But after the revolution, even commoners and women were allowed to study. As I walked through the campus, I noticed several female students walking around.
However, all of the professors were still men. That remains an issue to be addressed.
I made my way to the research building. As I walked through the hallway, I saw panels displaying various research achievements.
On the visualization of spirits
Creation of agricultural water using Pure Water: Cure Water
The curse of the evil magic sword Beze
The missionary work of Saint Aria and its regional distribution
…And so on.
There was no way someone like me could understand the content, so I didn't even try to read them.
I entered Suzuna's lab.
It was a mess.
Documents, test tubes, and all kinds of unidentifiable glass equipment were scattered around. I don't know if she had light-sensitive chemicals or something, but the curtains were closed, and the room was dim.
"Hey, Takumi."
Sitting in a chair at the back of the room was a girl. A beautiful young woman in a lab coat worn over her uniform—another person from another world like me.
Onamaru Suzuna.
In her hand was a sheet densely packed with printed text and diagrams—probably something for her research.
It had been a while since I last talked to her.
Of course, back in the day, she had been working at the hero's mansion as a maid, under the temporary title of my slave. She had handled her maid duties efficiently, I think.
However, after the republic was established, she had enrolled in this university. I, restricted from leaving the city, could only come here when summoned.
"I came because I heard you called for me. What's this about?"
Suzuna wasn't hostile toward me like Tsugumi used to be. Still, she wasn't the type to summon someone for no reason.
"Thanks to your assistance, the Promoter has been completed."
"Completed? What do you mean?"
"It means it can now handle light magic."
What?
You can use light magic now? But… but that's my specialty! That's what made me valuable enough to have a steady stream of jobs at the Adventurers' Guild!
With women being roughly half the population, the number of S-rank adventurers could potentially double. That means my rarity drops, and so do my rewards… Could I still support myself and Nao?
"…"
"You look troubled. Worried someone might take your job?"
"…You hit the nail on the head. Yeah, something like that."
"You're jumping to conclusions. Technology doesn't spread that quickly. Preparing similar Promoters will take time. Besides, even if every woman could use magic, only one in ten thousand qualifies as S-rank. And even then, it takes time to build skill and experience. According to my calculations, it'll take three years before a woman appears who could rival you. I factored in both the social status and the time needed to master magic. Your standing is secure for the time being. Feel better now?"
So she even prepared a whole explanation for me, huh? It's like she read my mind.
Hmm… Things are no longer tense between me and Tsugumi. If I keep fighting strong monsters, I'll keep improving too. That worry might go away eventually… right?
"You missed your chance, you know."
Suzuna's voice cut into my thoughts.
"If you'd played your cards right, you might have ended up in Tsugumi's place."
"You mean I could've led the revolution and become king? How exactly was I supposed to pull that off?"
"There were plenty of people suffering under oppression. If you had gained their trust and started a rebellion, you could've done it. Not just Tsugumi—you could have. You Should've made your mark with a dramatic performance. Ah, though if I say 'prove your manhood,' Tsugumi would probably scold me."
So she's saying I could've ended up in Tsugumi's position now, hypothetically.
Give me a break. Who would even think of starting a revolution? I'm just a regular guy. At most, I only ever considered fighting demons.
"If you had, you could've had a harem of classmates in this other world. Even Kazusa, even Tsugumi, and all the other girls might have…"
"What about you, Suzuna?"
"Human emotions are uncertain. I wouldn't say I could never fall for you."
That's just her scientist brain talking. Like how you can't disprove something, so you don't completely deny it.
Well, I've got Nao, so it's fine.
"Anyway, sorry for going off on a tangent. Let's get to the main topic."
So all that was just the preamble. Come to think of it, I still don't even know why I was called here.
"I want to study someone with real S-rank potential. That's why I called you. Would you mind wearing this bracelet and using magic?"
So it's an experiment with the new Promoter.
Yeah, sure, my status might take a hit. But Suzuna is doing this for the benefit of all women in this world—which means she's basically justice itself.
So getting in her way isn't even an option.
"Alright, will it take long?"
"Hmm, it'll take a bit of time. But I'll make sure you're well compensated. I'm benefiting from this too, after all."
Ugh, it's gonna take time?
Will I be able to get back to Nao today? I want to see her. She's probably making dinner and waiting for me. And last night… well, we weren't quite finished yet.
Nao Nao Nao Nao…
As I sat there brooding, it seems Suzuna noticed. She pointed her index finger at me and said:
"You're thinking about Kazusa… or maybe Nao, right?"
What the…
"Damn, you're a genius! You read my mind!"
"Ah, no, that wasn't some amazing deduction or anything. I just guessed. I know you often think about Kazusa and Nao. That's literally the only basis I had. Was I right?"
"…Yeah, you were."
Well, that was anticlimactic.
"Don't worry. When I said it'd take a while, I meant around two hours."
"That's a relief."
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