Someone once said that life is like walking on ice.

You stumble along, sometimes slipping but getting back up again. The image of moving forward slowly but steadily resembles walking on ice, or so I remember the saying.

I find it quite relatable.

Though if there's one difference, perhaps it's that unlike ice, when life cracks, it makes no sound.

When ice breaks, there's a loud crash, but when peaceful daily life begins to go awry, there's no sound at all.

Instead, only an unsettling silence lingers.

It had been two weeks since I began studying under Meredith.

She insisted I use old-fashioned terms like "master" and "discipleship," and would annoy me endlessly if I didn't comply with her expectations.

Perhaps those who habitually call others old-fashioned are themselves old-fashioned at heart.

Despite her personal quirks, Meredith was excellent as a teacher.

She was particularly skilled at assessing her student's abilities.

Her eye was so precise that the assignments she gave for each lesson required every spare moment I had to complete.

Yet when she saw my submitted work, she would click her tongue and call me intense.

And so I transformed from a little nun into a college student buried under assignments.

For the first few days, Amiel couldn't hide her disappointment. Perhaps joining me for morning prayers had been her own little happiness.

I wanted to join her when possible. But prayer consumed too much time, and I couldn't afford to spend it based on sentiment alone.

Besides, her disappointed looks didn't last long.

Seeing me pour all my free time into assignments and collapse into bed exhausted each night, she seemed to develop a sense of sympathy.

When I sat at my desk struggling, Amiel began quietly leaving snacks like cookies, candy, or fruit in the corner.

The sweetness I tasted when eating those treats was surely her affection.

It seemed like these uneventful days would continue forever.

◆

"Hazel, would you like to go to the Academy?"

"What...?"

It was a sudden question.

Meredith asked as we were cleaning up after our lesson.

I turned to look at her. She was wiping ink from the tip of her pen with a dry cloth.

Her attitude was casual, as if she hadn't said anything important.

"Ah, perhaps you should start with the affiliated school first? Though if I were you, I'd find spending time in regular school a waste."

Meredith continued speaking. She remained half-turned, her gaze fixed on the pen in her hand.

I was confused. The content was clearly important, but her casual manner made it seem like she might be joking.

"Tuition can be covered by scholarships. You'll need to maintain your grades, but Hazel, you could do it with half the effort you're putting in now.

I'll badger all the old fogies I know to get you recommendation letters. Those old-timers will be so impressed by you they'll be begging, 'Please accept my recommendation letter.'"

She paused briefly before continuing. Her voice seemed to tremble slightly.

"It's fun, isn't it? Learning magic. Your guardian will have one less mouth to feed, so that'll be easier for them. You'll be separated for a while, but it's not like you'll never see each other again."

The pen was already clean, but Meredith's hand didn't stop.

I raised my gaze. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Only then did I realize this behavior was her way of hiding embarrassment.

"Hazel. You're a genius. You're not meant to just live as an adventurer in a place like this until the end."

She turned to face me.

Our eyes met.

Her pupils were calm without a trace of trembling. Yet they were passionate.

"This is... this is too surprising."

At my response, the strength drained from Meredith's expression.

She was looking at me, but seemed to be seeing something else.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up so suddenly."

She said that and fell into thought for a moment. I heard her tapping on the table.

"There's less than a month left. Think about it carefully until then. It's a truly important matter."

Then, as if she'd just thought of an amusing joke, she smiled and continued.

"Right, your assignment. Solve this before our lessons end."

And so I received my final exam substitute assignment.

◆

My mind was in turmoil the entire way back.

It would be a good opportunity.

I didn't fully grasp how prestigious the Academy was, but with "Imperial" in its name, its status couldn't be insignificant.

If I were a free citizen, I might have accepted on the spot without hesitation.

With no way to return home and having to live in this world forever, it would make sense to go regardless of other considerations.

It would make sense.

But when I heard the proposal, two people came to mind.

Amiel, and the protagonist.

Meredith said it would be temporary, but I'd likely be separated from those two forever.

There probably aren't many suitable jobs for Academy graduates just anywhere. Places that want such highly skilled people must be limited.

It would have to be in a major city of the Empire, or perhaps the capital.

Amiel, being a clergy member, couldn't freely relocate.

And the protagonist, being the protagonist, would have things they needed to do.

I don't know. My head was too complicated.

Rationally thinking, going would be the right choice, but...

I'm the protagonist's slave to begin with, so I can't decide freely anyway.

Was it because my worries clouded my vision?

I failed to avoid someone walking toward me and bumped into them. Unable to withstand the sudden impact, I fell flat.

I didn't hurt myself by landing on my tail, but there was a tingling sensation in it.

"Watch where you're going!"

A hooded woman said.

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

"Whatever, just be more careful."

The woman said that and turned sharply to continue on her way.

I felt my tail drooping as I became intimidated.

I was so lost in thought that it was affecting my daily life. It was somewhat shocking.

Just as I was about to turn and take a step, it happened.

"Hey, squirrel."

A husky voice came from behind. It was that woman I had bumped into.

When I turned around, something came flying at me.

I caught it reflexively and saw it was my coin purse that I carried around. It was a special one with embroidery that Amiel had done herself.

"You dropped this. Don't be so careless."

Yellow light shone from beneath her hood.

After saying that, she lightly jumped and disappeared from sight.

She was a person I couldn't tell was rough or kind.

Did I drop it when I fell?

As I was about to put it in my pocket, I felt something strange. Opening the purse to count, I found some coins missing.

My already light purse had become even lighter.

I'd been had.

My energy drained completely.

◆

A shopping district slightly removed from the city center. Just passing through here makes me feel excited.

It's like that feeling on a holiday when you've traveled a long, unfamiliar road home and finally see the familiar scenery in front of your house—that "ah, this is really my home" feeling.

Walking through this shopping district naturally gives me that feeling.

Past the shopping district, on a path where people become scarce.

Turn into a secluded alley there, and you'll find a small shrine.

Amiel was standing in front of it.

However, she wasn't waiting for me, but talking with someone else.

My first impression was of someone gleaming brightly. They wore metal armor covering their entire body, so well-maintained it shone.

The brass decorations embedded throughout the armor were stylish. The armor alone seemed to say, "I am someone important."

With a large person wearing such attire, the intimidation factor was tremendous. The long sword on their back contributed to the pressure.

Isn't the blade bigger than me?

My gaze wandered until it landed on the brass emblem on the armor, and then I realized.

Ah, this person must be a holy knight of the shrine.

The emblem matched the symbol of the deity worshipped at the shrine.

A holy knight must be quite a high-ranking person, right?

I knew enough to understand that knights weren't abundant in this world.

Even near the inn where Meredith stayed, horses weren't common mounts, and people wearing full plate armor were rare.

To see such an important person talking with Amiel—it was beyond unusual, it was unprecedented.

Standing rooted to the spot watching them, I made eye contact with the holy knight.

The knight glanced at me, gave Amiel a slight bow, and left.

Amiel, sensing my gaze, turned to look at me.

As she waved to me, her expression seemed complicated.

All day, Amiel wore a serious expression.

So much so that I couldn't even think of saying something like, "They want to push me into the Academy as a scholarship student!"

And so night came.

Amiel lay down on the bed first and tapped her arm.

Relieved by this normal behavior, I lay down facing her, resting my head on her arm.

It was a bit uncomfortable, but she liked it, so I liked it too.

She held me tightly in her arms and breathed lightly with her nose against the crown of my head.

Her breath tickled my hair.

I don't understand it myself, but Amiel says this is the happiest time of her day. She says I smell nutty.

I nuzzled my face against her chest. There was a pleasant scent of skin.

Since becoming Hazel, this kind of skinship had become easy.

After wracking my brain all day, I felt like I would fall asleep quickly.

As I was nodding off, Amiel spoke.

"Hazel. Shall we eat something delicious tomorrow evening? Yes, let's invite Mr. Jun too."

It was an ordinary statement, but there was a strange intonation.

Her arms tightened around me.

Silence fell.

As if she had never said anything at all.