Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata ~Senjou wo Kakeru Kaifuku Youin~

If it was my world, I guess it would be like a school with a gathering of the elite.

However, I just can’t see how valuable this was to others just from this conversation.
Why would they go out of their way to undertake magic training? That’s just hell.
I speak from personal experience… You get struck and beaten down..
if you get back up, you get beaten down again..
if you somehow manage to avoid a blow, you’ll be immediately kicked.
I just can’t imagine why one would participate in this kind of training which required no thought; it was simply physical suffering.

Was it a school specifically for non-humans to get a beating?

“You’re showing an expression like you don’t understand.”

“Well, yeah.
I can’t comprehend it.”

“Even if it’s filled with danger, there are things that they must accomplish.
On the surface, Luquis prohibits the act of buying and selling non-humans but this is where students gather from all over the continent… Although there aren’t many people who discriminate against non-humans, there will always a group of people or individuals with extreme prejudice against non-humans.”

While Ark-san directed a slightly troubled smile at me, he reached over to a stack of dry wood and tossed some more into the fire.
The fire grew larger and brighter from the added fuel… The illumination was also enough for me to catch a glance of Ark-san’s faint but sorrowful expression.

“That academy is the best place to study magic, there’s no other place that would be considered more ideal.
However, it is also the worst place to be for a small number of individuals.
Honestly, I don’t like it over there.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Ah, no! You didn’t do anything wrong, Usato-dono! I really wanted to helpful to you in some way and seriously thought about being your guard when I accepted the request.”

Even so, I was still the person to make Ark-san accompany me to Luquis.
He considered it the worst place to be; I couldn’t help but feel very sorry.

“I-incidentally, what kind of impression do you have of non-humans, Usato-dono?”

“My impression? Hm.”

Different from humans? But that was obvious.
Even so, the only non-humans I’ve met so far are Amako the beast girl and Felm the demon.
Looking at just those two…

“I don’t really have any.”

It may have been due to the bad influence over me since the average non-human didn’t seem all that monster-like or scary compared to Rose the demonic Leader.
It feels like the Rescue Squad itself was a band of monsters… In fact, Felm treated them like goblins and ogres.
But what was with Ark-san’s question? The person himself seemed to pause for a moment but then in the next moment, he gave an uncharacteristically loud laugh.

“Hahahahahaha!”

“E-eeh..?”

What was so funny? Ark-san tried to suppress his laughter.
I don’t think I said anything odd..
it was just a simple and plain response with no other meaning behind it.
Even so, Ark-san laughed uncontrollably.

“Don’t really have any, you say.
It really is a statement that’s unique and something only you would say, Usato-dono.”

“Only me you say…”

“Yes, it suits you.
That’s probably why Amako was not worried about you… Someone like you who would treat humans and non-humans equally.”

Meaning that the people of this world had a much different impression than me..
so much that they would burst into laughter, I guess? As expected of me, I wouldn’t fear non-humans from how much fantasy novels I’ve read about them.

To begin with, our common sense and impressions were different as we had come from a different world.
Everything in this world already felt different after all..
whether it be non-humans or anything else.
The people in this world accepted magic as it was something ordinary and naturally regarded non-humans as dreadful existences.

“Even if you say it’s very much like me to think so, I’m exactly a good person like you think.”

“Usato-dono is a good person.
You’re just not aware of it yourself.”

“Don’t praise me so much, please.
I might get conceited, you know?”

“Hahaha, it would be better for you be a little more conceited.”

From just our recent exchange, Ark-san’s expression had gotten a lot softer.
He even had a cheerful smile.
Right now, Ark-san didn’t give off the courteous impression he gave when we first talked but rather it felt like he was being more open and honest.

Usato and Ark got on slightly better terms with each other.