It was such a blunt answer that Stella faltered. “Excuse me...?”
“You may not know this as a commoner that got into Antohsa by luck, but the affairs of the academy are determined purely by merit. It is tradition for students unskilled in miracles to wait upon the honor students. It is forbidden for students to disobey their superiors.” Quinza pointed an ornate fan at the iron box—at Feena. “That girl is furniture within my room, yet she did not obey my instructions. That is why I am giving her a natural punishment. She must learn to obey the traditions of this academy.”
“You’re insane...!” Stella pulled a rat off her and slammed it onto the ground. “I reject everything you just said! Quinza, it’s about time you got what you deserved! We’re attacking. Winaria Sein!”
Roger. But just as I was calling to the spirits, one of her lackeys started to chant.
“The road turned to a bottomless swamp, stalling the magibeast’s chase. Aquaria Sein!”
Stella’s body plopped down.
“I’m sinking down...?!” Stella ended up buried to her knees, as if trapped in a swamp. She couldn’t even lift her legs. That, in turn, meant she’d hardly be able to fly.
The horde of rat magibeasts leaped now that Stella couldn’t move. “Ngh, these stupid rats...! Ow! Don’t pull my hair...!” They were thronging all over her.
Unforgivable!
I moved to activate my divine power, but I noticed a critical problem—the rats were attached to Stella, which meant my beam would likely end up hurting her. That was probably why she hadn’t tried shooting out fireballs.
Quinza cackled. “Oooho ho ho! ‘What I deserve,’ you say? It is you who are getting what you deserve, Stella! How dare you—a commoner without any political support whatsoever—oppose one of the ducal houses such as myself? I shall teach you what happens when you do not know your place!”
Gah, what do I do?! I need to at least get rid of this swamp...!
I started to plan, and that’s when a girl cut through the corner of my vision. It was Feena.
She had dissolved her iron walls and was running toward Quinza. Due to all the magibeasts swarming Stella, she wasn’t in any danger.
Quinza looked at Feena as she might a meddlesome bug. “What? Hurry and sketch the magibeasts. Now is your best chance with Stella distracting them.”
“Stella has nothing to do with this,” Feena grumbled, practically growling as she faced the ground.
Quinza lips curved into a malicious grin. “What was that? You are talking back despite being capable of only the most meager of miracles?”
Feena looked up. She was trembling and pale, but even so, she spoke.
“...Iron wall. Terararia Sein!”
A thick iron wall appeared over Quinza’s gang. It was far wider than usual. It was more of a box than a wall. Feena swung down her staff with determination.
“HYAAAH!” she cried, and down came the chunk of metal.
Quinza’s gang balked. They raced away and fell onto their butts, but several more walls appeared in the air and rained down on them.
“Eek!” cried one of the lackeys.
In that moment, the swamp keeping Stella trapped disappeared. They’d lost their focus, which left them unable to maintain the miracle.
“Good job, Feena!”
Stella, now freed, ran with the horde of rats clinging to her. She ripped one off and threw it at Quinza as hard as she could. It hit her fan with a thunk.
“Listen up, ’cause I’m only gonna say this once—roommates aren’t your slaves. Just because you’re good at miracles doesn’t mean you get to bully students who aren’t.”
Rat after rat hit Quinza and her lackeys. They shrieked in fear and disgust as the creatures hit them.
“I don’t care about status, tradition, whatever. Just try and bully me or Feena after this. I’ll go a lot further than throwing a few rats at you!”
Stella panted heavily from throwing all the magibeasts. The rats were slumped on the ground, exhausted from being thrown.
And while both Stella and Feena felt like their job had been done, Quinza slowly rose to her feet. “You two... Do you think you can go back home alive after doing this to me?”
Her fan was in tatters, and her uniform was covered in mud. Her previously well-coiffed red hair was all over the place, leaving her almost unrecognizable. But despite that, her eyes burned with clear malice.
She threw aside her fan and lifted her staff.
“I shan’t hold back this time. O Spirits of Fire, grant me blazes to burn mine enemies away. Ignaria Sein!”
Everything lit up red. An uncountable number of fireballs filled the air, blocking out the sky.
I see... So this is how miracles are supposed to look. Good to know.
Stella and Feena both balked at the extraordinary number of fireballs.
“Say hello to the Goddess for me, you two,” Quinza said, expression murderous, then swung her staff down. The fireballs rained down...
“Run! Winaria Sein!” Stella hopped onto me. I started to do my thing, but then I noticed her extending a hand to Feena.
“Wha?” Feena said, looking between Stella’s hand and face.
“Grab on already! You’re not good with Wind, right?”
“Right!” Feena exclaimed, grabbing Stella’s hand.
SPIRITS OF WIND! GOOOOO!
Once Feena was on me with Stella, I launched up into the air. I dodged fireballs for a bit, then ended up high in the sky, far above the forest. Feena spoke first.
“Ah, um, um, um, Stella. I can go on my own now. Lady Quinza’s miracles aren’t following us.”
Feena had been pale for a while now. Apparently flying this fast was scary for her.
I lowered my speed while Stella raised an eyebrow. “Won’t you fall if you let go of my hand here?”
“It’s not as if I cannot fly at all. O Spirits of Wind, grant me wings in the name of the Goddess supreme... Winaria Sein!”
Feena let go of Stella’s hand as soon as she finished chanting.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
“I told you!”
Feena’s height plummeted, and she began zigzagging side to side. On instinct I called to the spirits.
Support Feena too, O Spirits of Wind!
“Oh? The wind has suddenly gotten kinder... Is this your doing, Master Otaku?” Feena asked, looking at me once she stabilized.
“Most likely. Didn’t know I could impact people other than Stella like that.”
This was a new discovery. Feena giggled with a smile as she straddled her own staff.
“You were right after all, Stella.”
“About what?”
“I can just throw my walls at people.”
“Hmph,” Stella sniffed with pride. “It was nice seeing them freak out.”
“Still, with this I will soon be expelled from Antohsa.”
“Wha?” Stella glanced to the side.
Feena was facing straight forward, a peaceful breeze blowing through her hair. “With Lady Quinza so angered, I will surely be removed from her room, and I have no hope of keeping up in class without their aid.”
“Just move to another room. There’s gotta be someplace better than Quinza’s group.”
“You do not understand Lady Quinza’s influence, Stella. Anyone who welcomes me into their room will incur the same wrath she now directs at me. No room would welcome me with such a risk.”
“One would... It’s mine, though.”
This time, Feena looked our way. Stella was looking away. “Wait, does that mean... There would be no problem with me moving into your room, Stella?!”
“Of course there’d be a problem! I’ve had the room all to myself up until now. Everyone just left because they didn’t want to room with me.”
“Of course, my apologies... I would not like to burden you fu—”
“Hold it, Feena. You have to listen to Stella all the way to the end,” I interjected hurriedly. I had seen this pattern countless times before. Everyone would always leave before Stella could finish.
“Since Quinza’s had it out for me to begin with, that risk you’re talking about is nothing to me. If you desperately want to come to my room, I-I mean, sure, I can be generous and let you come. I’ve got a whole bunk bed ready and waiting. But it’s not like I kept it clean hoping I would get a roommate someday, okay?!”
Stella managed to say all that while maintaining a wondrously sour pout.
Feena abruptly hugged her. “Stellaaaa! Thank yoooouuu!!!”
“Eep eep, not while we’re flying!”
Fear not. I had been yelling at the spirits to protect this scene with all their might!
“There’s nothing you need to thank me for. I-I’m just saying this because I need your Earth miracles too. That’s all there is to this!”
“Aha ha, if you insist.” Feena let go and looked at Stella. “You yelled at Lady Quinza for my sake, no? I would like to use my miracles for your sake in turn.”
Stella inhaled sharply. She turned away from Feena’s smile and shrugged. “Do whatever you want.”
“Indeed I shall.”
“Otaku! Let’s go back to the professor already. Full speed ahead! Winaria Sein!” Stella declared with a point of her finger. It seemed she was so embarrassed she wanted away from Feena as soon as possible.
I understood this completely, so I...slowed her down considerably.
“Huh?! Why are you going so slow?!”
“I’ve gone full speed too many times today. Dang, I’m just so tired...”
“THAT’S OBVIOUSLY A LIEEE!” Stella bent her mouth into a frown while Feena smiled on.
There was no sight more dazzling than the two of them flying together in the big blue sky.