Episode 17: Table Duel (4)
[Hope Bank Integrated Insurance Service]
[This product takes effect when one party pays a predetermined mana, and agrees to pay a certain amount of mana or other compensation should an uncertain accident occur to property, life, or body.]
Sid frowned.
It was a very familiar style of phrasing.
Content deliberately made complicated so it wouldn't be easily understood!
"Then what does this mean?"
Unlike the boy who had previously accepted whatever the Passbook offered with a grateful attitude, the current Sid had become quite a prickly existence.
At Sid's cold tone, the Passbook paused for a moment.
Perhaps it was reminiscing about when they first met, recalling that pure child.
[It is a service that stores and preserves a certain amount of mana, and automatically provides support when a problem occurs for the customer. The notable point here is that even if the mana required for the service is not met, support is provided automatically if a problem occurs.]
"Weren't you already storing mana? You're saying you store other mana separate from that?"
Sid frowned.
Of course, the word "service" wasn't unfamiliar.
Roughly, it was what the Passbook called "magic."
Moreover, the fact that it provided "service" even if the mana required for the magic was insufficient was certainly attractive.
However, it was hard to accept that it stored mana separately when it was already storing mana.
As if understanding that doubt, the Passbook's answer continued.
[The mana withdrawn for insurance products cannot be used as your remaining mana. Insurance products are a type of paid service where you periodically consume a small amount of mana to subscribe.]
"Ah, so you mean you contract this magic in exchange for paying mana normally? It's not supported for free like the Passbook deposit and withdrawal magic. Right?"
[That is correct.]
"Then you should have said so from the start! If you said you were selling new magic, it would have been easier!"
At the simple explanation, Sid more or less understood the content.
Unlike the Passbook's 'deposit/withdrawal service' he had used until now, the 'insurance service' was 'paid magic' that had to be purchased to use.
Of course, the price was the 'mana' Sid possessed.
Once he understood the product contents, several 'insurance products' appeared before his eyes.
Semi-transparent letters containing a faint light caught his eye.
"Hmm...."
Sid leisurely focused on the sentences.
As the boy read through a few sentences that way, his eyes were stolen by a certain product, and examining the long sentence, an exclamation burst out.
Even to the eyes of the suspicious boy, that product was incredibly attractive.
"Wow, this is really good! Is this really possible?"
[It is a possible service as we have been grasping your physical condition and storing mana. Insurance services are originally meant to handle things on your behalf that you would find difficult to endure....]
"That's enough! I want to subscribe!"
As the boy showed interest, the Passbook rattled off the product explanation like a machine gun.
However, Sid, whose heart had been captured by that product, cut off her words and showed his will to subscribe.
Pleased that matters were proceeding smoothly, the Passbook continued with the next response.
[The insurance product you subscribed to will be automatically withdrawn after midnight when daily interest is calculated. And as a welfare measure, we will automatically enroll you in the
"What is health insurance?"
[It is a passive service that supports physical recovery. For every 1 coin of mana consumed, it supports the efficiency of 1 coin of healing magic.]
"It automatically supports healing magic?"
[That is correct. As the semester progresses and you use magic more frequently, the risk of damage to your body will increase. Therefore, if you subscribe to this product in advance, we expect you to receive effective benefits at a cheap price. As mentioned earlier, this product is supported at 110 mana coins per day.]
"Great. I'll take that too!"
Sid smiled broadly and nodded his head.
A healing magic provided automatically without even having to learn healing magic!
Even when facing off against Zii's 'Flame Strike' right now, the chances of getting hurt were high.
Therefore, the 'built-in healing magic' proposed by the Passbook was truly an attractive existence.
Even the price was cheap!
[You have been normally enrolled in the two products you mentioned.]
Once the negotiations ended, a message appeared stating he had been normally enrolled in two products.
They were the 'Health Insurance' proposed by the Passbook and the 'Mysterious Insurance' chosen by Sid.
Around midnight, a portion of his held mana was drained as an 'insurance premium.'
[Details] Withdrawal
[Amount Withdrawn] *1,120 (Insurance Premium)
[Amount Deposited]
[Balance] *11,893 (Eirena Academy)
"Hmm. So it drains out like this. You won't cheat me, right?"
[When have I ever cheated you?]
"It was a joke."
Even hurt could be felt in the Passbook's tone.
Sid chuckled and lay down on the bed.
He didn't mind that twice the maximum capacity had drained away.
He simply looked forward to the 'insurance' magic he had just subscribed to displaying its promised efficiency.
"Now I should sleep."
Pft!
At Sid's flick of his fingers, the crystal ball light in the center of the room died down.
Silence settled in the dormitory where everyone had fallen asleep, and the boy who had put away the book he was reading lay on the bed.
Continued academy life and his own growth.
His heart raced at the newly obtained abilities, as if to reward them.
* * *
The incident occurred the next day.
Of course, it was a cute incident.
"Siiid!"
At the high-pitched voice, the gazes of the academy students gathered.
Bright blonde hair and a pure white dress that matched it.
The girl wore a white floppy hat that went well with the dress, and it really suited her transparent skin.
The girl who had come running across the wide garden grabbed Sid's hand.
The contrast between the tanned arm revealed by a rolled-up sleeve and the white arm holding it was strange.
"Liz?"
"It's Sid, right? You grew your hair out? It really suits you! You didn't come visit, so I came to play instead! Thank you, Dad!"
"Yes, don't be a bother!"
In the direction where gazes were directed stood the gloomy-looking Vain.
When Sid quickly bowed his head in greeting, he entered the headmaster's office.
He had been invited to the academy for an alchemy class, and it seemed he had come for that matter.
Liz, who had been smiling brightly for a while, discovered the two people behind Sid.
They were the siblings Reia and Reir, around her age.
"Who are they? Friends?"
"Yeah! This is Reia, and this is Reir. They're academy friends."
"Ah, h-hello...."
The shy Reia lowered her head.
As if it was difficult to even look straight at Liz who sparkled like a princess, her lowered head did not rise again.
On the other hand, Reir who had grimaced glared at Liz.
The sharp gaze was naturally directed at the hands of Liz and Sid held together.
"Who is this, brother?"
A sharp tone that seemed to feel jealousy erupted.
Sid pulled away his sweat-dampened hand and scratched his head.
"Uh... uhh, well."
"Who is she? She's super pretty!"
"Is she talking to Sid right now? Ha... The world is so unfair."
"Birds of a feather flock together, I guess. Huh! Did she just look at me? She looked at me!"
Eyes gathered on the conspicuous girl.
It was inevitably an uncomfortable situation, just like when she had appeared on a fancy carriage before.
Sid quickly introduced Liz.
"She's called Elizabeth. You know Professor Vain in charge of alchemy? She's his daughter. I owed him one before."
"Hi? If you're Sid's friends, you guys can call me Liz too! But are you all mages? Wow, amazing!"
As if she couldn't see Reir's sharp gaze, Liz smiled brightly.
Like when she first met Sid, she was a bright girl without a single worry.
After brief introductions, Liz pulled on Sid's arm.
She seemed to have mountains of things she wanted to hear from Sid while Vain and the headmaster talked.
"Sid! Me! Me! Give me an academy tour. I want to see it!"
He thought it was good timing since he was already struggling with the surrounding attention gathered on them.
"Uh, well... okay! Then I'll get going first. See you in next class!"
"Y-yes... b-brother...."
Reir grumbled, mangling his pronunciation.
It was an unusual sight, unlike his usual self.
"Quick, quick!"
Liz was pulling Sid's arm as if she would bounce away any moment.
Reia, who had briefly met eyes with Sid, also slightly waved to send him off.
From now on, it was time to be dragged around thoughtlessly like taking a strong puppy for a walk.
"What's this? What's that? Oh come on, hurry!"
As if exploding with curiosity the moment they left the garden.
The library wrapped in ivy vines and a spire that looked like a tower of magic.
Sid was dragged around by Liz's hand as he explained various places of the academy.
"Okay, slowly! Slowly!"
Nevertheless, a smile did not leave the boy's lips.
It seemed to be great joy for Sid that a brief acquaintance was still valid.
Only after going around the wide academy once was a large waffle handed to Liz's hand.
When they sat on a bench to rest their tired legs, it finally felt real that he had reunited with Liz.
Liz nibbled on the waffle bought from the snack bar.
"Is it good?"
"Hmm... It's worse than the ones sold in the city, but it's fine!"
When it came to taste, the girl's cold assessment fell, as if she had her pride.
Even that appearance was so welcome that Sid's lips didn't come down.
Perhaps because she was a peer he met on his first day after leaving the monastery, the girl named Liz might have become the boy's first love.
"But is the academy fun? I want to enroll too, but Dad says I can't."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"I don't know. Dad hates everything related to the kingdom. But our house was given by the kingdom too, right? It's strange. Pfft!"
Liz burst into a bright smile.
Right then, chocolate cream flowed down between the folded waffle halves.
As Sid was about to be surprised at her hands getting sticky, Liz quickly licked it up.
And then she smiled bashfully, looking cute.
*Sigh.*
Sid leaned his back against the bench and watched the flowing clouds.
His hair, which had grown out moderately in a month, shook with the wind.
'It's already been a month since I enrolled in the academy.'
The shimmering hair and budding leaves before his eyes.
Looking at the girl sitting next to him, everything finally felt real.
When he first met Liz, he couldn't have imagined such a daily life.
Because it was such a familiar daily life, forgotten things rose up with a strange feeling.
"Elizabeth! Let's go!"
"Already? Oh my......."
Vain waved his hand from far away.
Stuffing the remaining waffle into her mouth, Liz made a disappointed expression.
It had been a short moment, but the parting that came again seemed regrettable.
However, the girl who met eyes with Sid got up from her seat and waved her hand.
The dress reflected by sunlight fluttered like a dandelion seed.
"See you later! Next time you have to come visit me, okay? Got it?"
"Okay. It's vacation soon, so I'll visit."
"Yeah!"
After a short farewell, Liz ran toward her father.
It was a wonder how well she ran wearing a fluttering dress.
Sid also got up from his seat and bowed his head to Vain before seeing her off.
Soon, watching the father and daughter holding hands and distancing themselves, Sid exhaled.
It had been quite a hectic time.
"Haah....... That was really hectic."
Yet a smile spread across his lips as he said this.
An emotion he couldn't feel from the Wayne siblings remained in the boy's heart.
As he was reminiscing about his meeting with the girl and walking away, a familiar voice was heard from behind.
It was the appearance of a troublesome figure.
"Wow, so that's Professor Vain's daughter? She's much prettier than the rumors?"
- To be continued in Episode 18 -