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“W… What in the world is going on…?”

The one who muttered this was a female priestess-warrior.

Apparently, she was a mage, and it seemed she could see the magical light radiating from Tatsumi’s entire body.

“L… Lady Calcedonia… Could the golden magical light radiating from Tatsumi possibly be…?”
“Yes. Mas… no, Lord Tatsumi’s magical affinity is… Heaven.”
“Heaven…!?”

A murmur of shock spread among the soldier priests surrounding them.

A magical affinity said to have existed in the past for only one person—one that was practically legendary. If told that such a thing existed right before their eyes, anyone would be astonished.

“T-Tatsumi is of the Heaven lineage…?”
“B-but when you say Heaven, isn’t that the legendary…”

The soldier priests around them began to speak their minds. It had been quite some time since they’d begun their training as soldier priest apprentices. The senior soldier priests were fairly familiar with the five apprentices, including Tatsumi, and would sometimes serve as sparring partners for them.

Even so, the senior soldier priests had no idea that Tatsumi possessed magic of the Heaven lineage. In fact, they didn’t even know he was a mage.

During training, Tatsumi always wore a magic-sealing device, so even the mages among the soldier priests hadn’t noticed his mana.

Amidst all this, only the other apprentices—Barse and the others—remained completely unfazed.

Presumably, they had heard about his mana from Tatsumi himself before.

Now, the four apprentices were staring intently at the match between Tatsumi and his instructor, Oujin.

That was because, for them as well, this match was by no means someone else’s problem.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye at the reactions of the soldier priests and the other apprentices, Calcedonia also began to focus on the match between Tatsumi and Oujin.

.

Right now, Tatsumi wasn’t teleporting.

He had come to a complete stop and was simply unleashing a barrage of sword strikes.

However, Oujin, who was blocking those attacks, was on the defensive the entire time.

This wasn’t because Tatsumi’s swordsmanship surpassed Oujin’s skill. It was simply because the speed at which Tatsumi swung his sword was abnormally fast.

With superhuman speed, Tatsumi continued to swing his sword.

Oujin was somehow managing to block Tatsumi’s sword with the hilt of his battle axe. No, it wasn’t that Oujin was blocking it. It was that Tatsumi was aiming his sword specifically at the hilt of the battle axe.

As proof of this, Oujin couldn’t even see Tatsumi’s sword as it swung. He was simply gritting his teeth and enduring Tatsumi’s relentless assault.

If Oujin’s earlier attack was a tornado, then Tatsumi’s attack was more like a rock drill.

A single spot on the handle of Oujin’s battle axe. Tatsumi swung his sword, aiming solely at that one point.

Even though it’s a sword with a blunted edge for training, if you keep striking a wooden handle with a metal blade, the handle will gradually sustain damage.

The handle of the battle axe—as thick as a child’s arm—is being whittled away before his very eyes under a barrage of attacks at an abnormal speed.

“D… d-damn it…”

Of course, Oujin is well aware of this fact. No—Oujin clearly understood that Tatsumi’s goal was to destroy his weapon.

As the master who had taught him martial arts, he couldn’t just stand by and let Tatsumi have his way. But Oujin, unable to keep up with Tatsumi’s speed, was powerless to do anything.

He could probably leap far back and escape from this spot. However, Tatsumi had the ability to teleport. No matter how far Oujin fled, it was obvious that Tatsumi would instantly teleport back into striking range.

Precisely because he knew that, Oujin stopped in his tracks and was desperately trying to withstand Tatsumi’s attacks. To be precise, that was all he could do.

.

“That… isn’t just… physical enhancement, is it?”
“Yeah… what is that…?” ”

The soldier priests, having witnessed Tatsumi’s abnormal speed, exchanged such remarks.

And naturally, that question was directed at Calcedonia, who was the most knowledgeable about magic among those present and who knew Tatsumi personally.

“Lady Calcedonia… Tatsumi’s abnormal speed… what could that possibly be?”

In response to the soldier priest’s question, Calcedonia smiled warmly but asked a question in return.

“How much do you know about the Heaven lineage?”
“Huh? Heaven? Speaking of Heaven, I’ve heard it’s a special lineage considered almost legendary… a lineage that ranks above even Light and Holy, and one that manipulates spacetime…”

The Heaven lineage is the one that governs space-time. There’s no doubt about that.

As the name implies, spacetime refers to both Time and Space.

The Instant Teleportation that Tatsumi used earlier is, quite literally, a magic that manipulates space to allow movement.

And now.

The magic Tatsumi is using belongs to time, not space. It is a spell that interferes with the flow of time within himself, intentionally accelerating only his own time.

Giuseppe named this magic Acceleration.

Of course, this is yet another spell made possible precisely because Tatsumi is an Outer Element User. Since mana is constantly consumed while Acceleration is active, anyone other than Tatsumi would run out of mana in the blink of an eye.

Through his ongoing magical training, Tatsumi has become quite accustomed to casting spells. While not yet perfect, he can now use three spells with reasonable freedom: “Instant Teleportation,” “Acceleration,” and “Mana Blast,” the latter involves storing mana in his fists or other parts of his body and then unleashing it explosively.

Conversely, these are the only three spells Tatsumi can currently use at will; the only other spell he can cast is “Self-Healing”—a healing spell that, as the name implies, only works on himself—which still takes a considerable amount of time to activate.

Furthermore, thanks to his parallel training in martial arts, his physical stamina has increased, so the current Tatsumi should be able to withstand the physical strain of using magic quite well.

“Both myself and Grandfather… I mean, Supreme Pontiff Chrysoprase used to believe that Heaven was the highest rank above Light and Holy. However, after actually witnessing Lord Tatsumi’s Heaven magic up close… it seems the Supreme Pontiff has come to believe that might not be the case.”

The reason Heaven was thought to be superior to Light and Holy was due to its effectiveness against specters.

Exorcise is said to be the magic most effective against specters. This spell belongs to the Light and Holy schools.

Furthermore, according to historical texts and legends, Heaven was said to be even more effective against specters than Light and Holy.

Perhaps this is an exaggerated account of the achievements of Tiet Zamui, the sole practitioner of Heaven of old, but Tatsumi has, in fact, defeated a particularly powerful specter. Based on this, there is no doubt that Heaven is more effective against specters than both Light and Holy.

“In fact, both the Instant Teleportation and Acceleration that Lord Tatsumi uses are related to movement, and are completely different from the healing and light-based spells found in Light and Holy. Based on that, it seems the Supreme Pontiff came to the conclusion that Heaven is an independent school.”

Among the spells Tatsumi uses, while Mana Blast and Self-Healing are not movement-based, Giuseppe seemed to view them as secondary abilities—much like how Light exists within Fire and Healing within Water.

Having heard Calcedonia’s explanation, the soldier priests turned their gaze back to Tatsumi.

And it was precisely at that moment that Tatsumi’s sword—which had been chipping away at the handle of his battleaxe like a rock drill—finally cut through the handle completely.

.

“All right, that’s enough!!”

Timing it perfectly with the moment the battle axe’s handle shattered, Oujin took a few steps back and signaled for him to stop.

Obeying the command, Tatsumi straightened his posture—though he was still panting heavily—and bowed to Oujin.

As expected, using Acceleration for such a long period had taken a considerable toll on Tatsumi.

Oujin looked at Tatsumi with satisfaction, then tossed the shattered battle axe at his feet and approached him with a rugged grin.

“Very well. I’ll acknowledge your graduation from apprenticeship. Starting today, you are no longer a soldier priest apprentice, but a full-fledged soldier priest.”
“Yes! Thank you!”

That’s right. Today’s confrontation with Oujin wasn’t just a training exercise or a mock battle—it was, in essence, a “graduation exam” that would determine his promotion to soldier priest.

The reason Barse, Nitz, and his brothers were watching Tatsumi and Oujin’s battle so intently was that they, too, would soon be taking the same “graduation exam.”

When Oujin reached right in front of Tatsumi, he quietly held out his right hand.

“You’ve worked hard up until today. But just because you’ve been recognized as a soldier priest doesn’t mean your training is over. Besides, your goal isn’t just to be a soldier priest—it’s to become an Exorcist, isn’t it? Exorcists are assigned even tougher tasks than regular soldier priests. Don’t slack off on your daily training from now on, and keep your eyes firmly fixed on your goal!”
“Yes! Thank you for everything up until today!”

Tatsumi gripped Oujin’s right hand firmly.

From behind him, he could hear voices of congratulations rising from Barse and the other senior soldier priests.

Just as Tatsumi turned around to respond, something platinum and white burst into his field of vision.

“Whoa…!?”

The platinum-and-white figure that had rushed in embraced him, pressing his head against her ample bosom.

“Congratulations, Master! I believed you would definitely pass!”

Tatsumi nearly suffocated against the platinum-and-white “something”—Calcedonia’s chest—but managed to survive just in time when she released her embrace.

As a result, with Tatsumi and Calcedonia now facing each other in an embrace, the surrounding soldier priests called out to them with a mix of teasing and congratulations.

Even Oujin seemed willing to turn a blind eye just for today, gazing at the two of them with a somewhat gentle expression.

“Th-that’s why, umm…”

Calcedonia, her face flushed, looked up at Tatsumi from close range. Meanwhile, Tatsumi inwardly tilted his head in confusion at her somewhat aloof demeanor.

“Th-this is, um… a celebration, or rather, a blessing to mark your graduation from your apprenticeship, Master…”

Chalcedonia looked away from Tatsumi’s face, yet she still kept glancing back at him.

“Once again… congratulations…”

As if she’d made up her mind, Calcedonia smoothly pressed her body close to Tatsumi’s, stood on tiptoe just a little, and gently brushed her delicate lips against his.

“C-Chiiko…!? W-What was that just now…!?”
“Hehehe. I went ahead and did it.”

Caledonia stuck out her tongue playfully. Realizing what she’d just done, Tatsumi turned bright red—so red it almost seemed like it would make a “pssh” sound.

Just then, a series of blows struck him from behind.

“Damn it, you b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲! Don’t go showing off like that!!”
“I’m not going to say anything about your relationship with Lady Calcedonia at this point, but do that kind of thing somewhere out of public view!”
“Is that a dig at me? Is that a dig at me, who’s never had a girlfriend in my entire life!?”

While some of them looked like they were on the verge of tears, the gazes of the senior soldier priests surrounding Tatsumi and Calcedonia were very gentle.

And, of course, within that circle are Tatsumi’s peer—friends he feels completely at ease with.

“L-Lady Calcedonia… w-well… if we pass today’s trial too… w-well… could you give us a little peck… just like you did for Tatsumi… no, right here…!?”

The three Nitz brothers’ faces glowed with anticipation. Among them, Nitz pointed to his own cheek with his fingertip.

Beside him, Barse looked troubled and shrugged his shoulders. And then.

“No.”

With a smile. Yet, firmly.

It had been only a faint hope, but even so, being rejected to their faces left the Neeze brothers visibly dejected.

“…Yeah. I knew it. I knew it, but still…”
“Once again… I envy Tatsumi…”
“U-um… If a kiss on the cheek is out of the question, w-well… just stepping on me would be fine, too…”

He wasn’t quite sure if he’d actually heard those ominous-sounding words at the end.

In any case, there was no doubt that Tatsumi had taken a step forward toward his goal.

.

“So? What did your investigation turn up?”

In an elegantly furnished room, an elderly woman listened to her subordinate’s report.

“Yes, Your Grace. Regarding a man named Tatsumi Yamagata, there were no strange rumors about him. He’s well-regarded in the neighborhood where he currently lives, and he gets along very well with Lady Calcedonia; people say they make a fine couple.”
“I see. Well then, has he been frequenting any suspicious places?”
“I looked into that as well, but there are no brothels, taverns, or gambling dens that this Tatsumi frequents. Naturally, there’s no courtesan he’s particularly involved with either.”

Unlike modern Japan, this world generally offers few forms of entertainment.

Occasionally, people might enjoy a performance by a traveling theater troupe or listen to stories told by a wandering minstrel.

But even so, when it came to the typical pastimes of commoners—especially adult men—they were, after all, “drinking,” “gambling,” and “visiting prostitutes.”

Alcohol, gambling, and prostitutes. While things were different for the nobility, these were the quintessential pastimes for commoners, and going out for a drink with friends or coworkers after work was their greatest pleasure.

Even the old woman had no intention of overly reproaching a young man like Tatsumi for dabbling a little in these pastimes. However, it would be a different story if he were a frequent visitor to brothels or had let himself go so far as to ruin his life through drinking or gambling.

In the past, there have been countless examples of men—whether commoners or nobles—who ruined their lives through alcohol, gambling, and women.

However, according to my inquiries, it seems this young man named Tatsumi has not indulged in any of those things at all.

Every morning, he goes to the shrine at a set time, and after fulfilling his duties, he heads straight home. It seems he occasionally goes shopping at the town market or elsewhere, but since most of what he buys is food, he might be doing it at Calcedonia’s request.

“…This Tatsumi boy—he seems rather stiff for his age, or perhaps just too serious. Could it be that he’s deliberately trying to give that impression…?”

Indeed, there is a significant difference in mentality between the people of this world and those of modern-day Japan—especially when it comes to a minor. To an elderly woman who cannot grasp that difference, Tatsumi’s behavior must seem strange.

“No, at least to those around him and his close friends, he seems to be regarded as a sincere young man.”

Barse and the three brothers, who don’t live at the temple, sometimes invite Tatsumi to the town tavern after their training is over. But Tatsumi has never accepted their invitation.

“Also, this isn’t directly related to the young man named Tatsumi, but…”

With that preface, he continued.

“It seems someone other than us is investigating him as well.”
“Oh my, who exactly is investigating Tatsumi?”
“W-well, from what I’ve found out, it appears to be Larlaik Galgadon, the eldest son of the Count of Galgadon.”
“Larlaik… Ah, that’s the man who keeps proposing to Calcie, undeterred by being rejected time and time again, yes?”

The elderly woman, too, had heard about Larlaik Galgardon’s actions. Including the fact that Larlaik was obsessively fixated on Calcedonia.

“……I have absolutely no intention of letting Larlaik marry Calcedonia… but couldn’t we use this to our advantage to investigate Tatsumi?”
“As you wish.”

With that brief reply, he quietly left the room.

Listening to the soft thud as the door closed, the elderly woman—Elisia Kwallot, the former Duchess—turned her gaze toward the cityscape spreading out beyond the window.

“…………At least, he doesn’t seem like a bad person… Perhaps I should meet him in person once…”

Elysia’s words faded quietly into the room, unheard by anyone.