Chapter 02: "The Arithmetic Shield or the Misreading of Courage"
A few days after the entrance ceremony at the Magic Academy.
The bustling streets of the royal capital were boiling like a huge pot‚ filled with the spring cheer and the excited heat of the new students.
In the midst of all that‚ I was quietly thinking to myself.
（……I want to go home. Right now‚ I want to return to the inn and calculate the "reflection angle of the water in the bucket" in the backyard. That's supposed to be the symbol of my peace and quiet.）
「Rui‚ look‚ look! This shop's tart is apparently praised by the palace chef!」
The one clinging tightly to my right arm and bouncing with a smile like blooming flowers is the duke's daughter‚ Serina Elferia.
In her uniform‚ she is like walking light-attribute magic.
The gazes of the surrounding men pierce my back with complex vectors blended with jealousy and murderous intent.
（Serina…… Please‚ could you stop calling my name with that "special tone"? My heart has already exceeded its arithmetic limit.）
「……Ahh‚ I want to go home. The only time I feel like myself is when I'm washing dishes at the inn.」
「No way. Rui has an obligation to eat delicious sweets with me today. Right?」
Serina tilts her head slightly‚ sealing me with her meticulously calculated "natural" cuteness.
Her grand production plan to "raise Rui to the same level as me" apparently starts from the stage of selecting sweets.
At that moment‚ Serina suddenly stopped and tightly grasped my hand.
「Rui-kun‚ wait here. I'll buy some candy that suits you. Absolutely don't move‚ okay?」
Leaving those words‚ she pushes through the crowd and disappears into the back of the shop.
It's not that she "left me behind."
She "tied me down" right there.
（……Wait a minute. Did I have an obligation to wait here?）
However‚ Serina's words "absolutely don't move" echoed like a spell that physically seals my escape route.
At that moment――
「Hey‚ missy. Nice clothes you're wearing. Come hang out with us for a bit.」
A stereotypical shout echoed from the alley.
Reflexively‚ using the "sense for finding dirt" honed from dishwashing‚ I directed my gaze into the darkness.
（……Ahh‚ this is definitely the flow where I can't go home.）
In the alley‚ there were three thuggish men.
Jangling their magic bracelets‚ they surrounded Serina who had headed to the back of the shop.
A normal protagonist would probably swoop in and release magic to rescue her right here.
But I am Rui Adel. Magic power index 0.2――the "error" in the magic world.
（I want to run away. I should go call the guards right now. That would be the most logical and have the highest survival probability……or so it should have been.）
But my eyes saw it.
The bottomless darkness spreading deep in Serina's eyes.
That dangerous fluctuation where her magic power is about to burst out as "reckless magic."
（No good. If she snaps here‚ the entire district of the royal capital will vanish from the equations.
That would be the biggest obstacle to my 'peaceful return'！）
I forced my trembling legs to move and jumped into the alley.
「S-stop it！ She……she's a duke's daughter！」
「Huh？ Hah‚ there's no way such a noble young lady would be in an alley with trash like this (0.2).」
One of the thugs points his bracelet at me.
It seems to be a magic-sensing treasure‚ and a faint light flickered.
「……No reaction？ Is this broken？ Wait‚ 0.2？ That's below a bug！」
He laughed through his nose and grabbed me by the collar.
I suppressed my throat that was about to scream in terror and began a cold calculation.
（I don't need to win. As long as I can go home alive.
The speed of the punch estimated from the opponent's magic output…….
Intentionally take the hook from the right side to disperse the impact.
Ribs won't break. It'll just be a cut lip.）
In a trembling voice‚ I unleashed my best "bluff."
「……Listen. Don't touch her.」
It's not true.
It's just a bluff.
But it was the greatest "shield" I could manage.
「Die‚ trash！」
The fist approaches my face.
I close my eyes and take on the role of the "shield" that absorbs the impact at the shortest distance.
（……Ahh‚ this is definitely going to hurt.）
A heavy impact.
The taste of iron spreads in my mouth.
The physical pain was 1.2 times the calculated value I had anticipated.
As expected‚ you shouldn't show courage. It hurts. It hurts like crazy.
「Rui！ Rui‚ stop！」
Serina's scream can be heard.
At first glance‚ it looks like she's trembling in terror――but I know.
From her clenched fist‚ magical pressure enough to distort the surrounding space is leaking out.
（……Endure it. If I keep getting beaten‚ Serina can remain the "pitiful victim."
If I don't let her dirty her hands‚ my daily life can still be protected……！）
I was slammed to the ground repeatedly and sipped muddy water.
The thugs are enjoying me‚ who has no magic power‚ as a "sandbag."
「Hey hey‚ why isn't this guy running away？ He doesn't fight back‚ just silently taking the hits.」
「What a creepy kid. ……Alright‚ shall we try that 'optimization rumored at the academy'？
Show me how your arm bones get optimized！」
The man lights up his magic bracelet and wraps flame magic power around his fist.
In my fading consciousness‚ I stole a glance at Serina.
――Behind her‚ there was a "shadow" standing one step back.
The maid with amber eyes‚ Rosetta.
（Young lady. ……The family names of the disrespectful ones‚ as well as their magic characteristics‚ have all been recorded. Leave the processing to me.）
I felt like Rosetta's lips moved silently like that.
The warmth disappears from Serina's eyes.
Her expression looked as if she had resolved to "delete the unnecessary parts of the world."
Just as she was about to permit that "processing"――at that very moment.
「That's enough.」
An overwhelming light flooded into the alley.
The one who appeared was a young man clad in silver-white armor.
The holy knight candidate with flawless beauty and overwhelming sense of justice――Leon Valks.
「I am the Holy Knight Order candidate‚ Leon Valks. Violence against citizens and disrespect toward a duke's daughter……I will immediately detain you under kingdom law.」
Leon swings his sword.
It was more like a torrent of light itself rather than magic.
The thugs' magic bracelets shattered in an instant‚
and without even time to scream‚ they were slammed against the wall and fell silent.
At that moment‚ I noticed.
Rosetta's figure had dissolved into the "density of shadows" and disappeared unnoticed.
As if she had "transferred the authority of processing to the holy knight‚" leaving only her presence behind.
「Serina‚ are you okay？」
Leon rushes over and supports Serina's shoulder.
While crawling on the mud-covered ground‚ I watched the scene with my swollen eyes.
（……Ahh‚ as expected‚ the protagonist arrives late.
Leon‚ your radiance contrasts too much with my tattered uniform; my vision seems to be failing.）
Leon extended his hand to me‚ who was lying on the ground.
His eyes were filled not with pity‚ but with deep respect.
「Well done‚ Rui.
Magic power index 0.2. You‚ who have no means to fight‚ became a shield to protect her.
Standing up even knowing you'd lose. ……You are the true hero.」
「……No‚ Leon. I just wanted to prevent Serina from going berserk and blowing away the royal capital through calculation……」
「Don't be modest. Those wounds are proof of your noble soul.
I feel like I was saved by you.」
（No no no‚ it wasn't me who was saved‚ it was the royal capital's infrastructure……！）
Leon firmly grasped my hand and pulled me up.
At that moment‚ the misreading of "Rui = true hero" within him
became irreversibly fixed‚ like a magic circle.
（……Ahh‚ another flag that prevents me from going home has been raised.）
Serina gently places her hand on my cheek.
Warm recovery magic flows in‚ and the torn skin slowly closes.
「Rui-kun‚ you're an idiot. ……Why did you push yourself like that？」
Eyes welling with tears.
But deep inside‚ for just a moment‚ the "color of possession" flickered.
She is definitely pleased by the fact that I got hurt for her――such a subtle difference was visible.
「……I calculated it. That me getting beaten would cause the least damage.」
Serina smiled while wiping her tears.
Her smile was sweet‚ and somehow cruel.
「Liar. ……But thank you. I love you‚ Rui.」
The moment I was hugged‚ my brain's calculation circuits
overflowed beyond capacity.
The equation named "return route" disappears again with one more error.
A little behind that――
In the shadow where Leon turned his back to restrain and hand over the thugs.
Rosetta elegantly bowed in an angle visible only to me.
「Rui-sama. Thank you for protecting the young lady.
……The cleanup of the listed disrespectful individuals will be perfectly handled by us.」
In her amber eyes dwelled a ruthless resolve for "optimization."
To her‚ the thugs were nothing more than unnecessary data.
（……Oh no. My miscalculation called "courage" has activated another unnecessary process again.）
The "peaceful inn daily life" that I desire
is moving one step further away again due to my own "calculated shield."
In the royal capital at dusk‚ an ominous omen like a broken plate began to drift.
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