Chapter 17 – Permit to Return
“You got a lot better.”
Alex said such things a while later.
I felt that the sword I used was too light and it was about time to change to a slightly heavier one for now.
“Thank you for the compliment”
I laughed jokingly. It didn’t really feel any different even though he said I got a lot better. Because Alex was as good as ever in swordplay, that I understood.
“Not really cute, huh? Even though I praised you with so much effort.”
Alex left the dome while grinning and stretched lightly.
“Please tell me I’m cute when I’m back to being a girl”
I also left the dome.
“Even if you tell me something like this now I won’t be happy about it”
“I get it, I get it”
And as my daily life continued like that Elizabeth turned up on the practice grounds. As she was rushing up to me she wore a glistening smile.
“They finally gave you permission to use magic!”
Elizabeth took my hands and swung them around buzzingly. Her tension was as high as always.
“Permission to use magic……you said”
I pulled myself together and swung her hand around as well.
“I can finally say goodbye to the days of only readingー!”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
Elizabeth was just as happy as if it was something happening to her.
“I’ll work you haaard!”
“Huh?”
As I stopped my hands she puffed out her chest and continued.
“I’m going to be your teacher! You may call me master!”
“Uwaa”
I said out loud. Alex laughed at this display from the rear.
And Claire who waited at the side sighed like always.
Elizabeth tightened her expression a little and looked at me.
“First, please come to the bureau chief’s room. Because in order for you to use magic a new seal has to be put on your body.”
A new seal, is it?
I frowned a little, but I decided to leave the practice grounds according to her words.
“I’m sorry that it took so much time.”
The acting bureau chief stood up from his chair and walked towards me as I entered the bureau chief’s office.
I merely nodded in silence.
“The central guys take so long just to decide on something. Well, it’s good enough that they granted you the permission, right?”
He urges me to sit down on a chair in the corner of the room while smiling wryly.
Though Elizabeth and Claire came to the office together with me to observe this, those two were standing.
“The central……”
I thought out loud. Even just saying that made me feel bad.
“Did they say anything about me?”
“About what?”
“No, ehm. Me not having regained my memory yet and the things about Gray’s movements……”
“Yeah”
The acting bureau chief nodded lightly.
“Well, Gray stays missing without getting any new victims after all. Since there are no new clues we’re helpless. Since Howard skilfully reported about your case, well, it will be fine.”
“Skilfully?”
“Something about letting you regain your memory naturally to not cause any severe mental damage.”
……I see.
I’m thankful for that.
“Anyway, could you take off your jacket?”
As the Acting bureau chief said this I took off my jacket and shirt.
I looked down and saw the pale glowing carved seal on my skin. It looked very conspicuous.
The acting bureau chief put his hand on top of it and started to chant the incantation.
Then magic language signs appeared in the air and converged on my chest.
After that, it changed its form into a small magic formation.
“This is kind of amazing.”
When I muttered this to myself, Elizabeth nodded.
“This is really complicated. There are only a few people who can see through this.”
“See through……”
“If people look at it, they would see the seal of permanent revocation, but now a different seal has overlapped with it, changing it into something completely different. Because it’s likely that someone will see it when you return to a normal life.”
“I see.”
Before long the acting bureau chief lowered his hand.
Then he looked at the new seal and nodded knowingly.
“Well, this will do”
“Thank you very much”
After I gave my thanks then I put on my clothes again.
I could try real magic at last. I was a little excited.
“If you are able to use magic to a certain extent you are allowed to return home.”
The acting bureau chief said calmly.
“You should give it your all”
“Yes!”
Naturally, my lips loosened. When I looked towards Clair she smiled relieved.
It’s because I already spend a long time here.
However, from there on it got hard.
In Elizabeth’s spare time I would learn the basics of magic from her.
My sword practice with Alex stayed the same as before.
Time flew by.
Once I memorised the basics I found the magic language rather interesting. As Elizabeth told me I moved things without my hand and manipulated fire and water.
“Let’s try to finally decode the magic language used by another party and nullify it.”
Elizabeth taught me various things in high spirits. Though this was just something hard for a beginner, I desperately tried my best!
Because I would finally be able to return to the mansion!
Though, it was quite a long time before I was given the permission to go home.
After all, magic is difficult and can’t be understood so easily. In that sense, swordsmanship was easier.
Though it didn’t feel like it was a long time since I saw Father and mother, simply because they diligently came to visit me, but they both knew that I was irritated that the permission to return home wasn’t granted yet.
――I’m sorry, learning magic is difficult.
I repeated those words several times.
However, I didn’t think I would possibly spend a year in the Judiciary Station.
The New Year’s Eve party in the Judiciary Station was fun in its own way. It was a somewhat small party.
The food line up in the dining room was grand and there were people drinking liquor. Of course, I and Claire toasted with juice.
All the slightly intoxicated investigators were cheerful and had fun exchanging jokes with people who rarely talked.
Matilda and Edgar were able to enjoy seeing off the old year as well for a bit aside from working.
However, on the day the permission to return home was granted I didn’t have a meeting with the acting bureau chief but “the bureau chief” who came over after all.
On the morning I was given the permission my tension was high.
The Judiciary Station communicated to father and mother that they were allowed to pick me up with the horse carriage on that day! And Claire restlessly gathered our baggage.
“By the way, does your mansion have a magic use permit?”
The acting bureau chief spoke to me while watching the anxious me with amazement.
“Magic use permit?”
As I look puzzled, the acting bureau chief smiled and continued.
“Didn’t you know that you aren’t allowed to use magic just anywhere? If you use it at places without a permit the fine will amount to a lot of money.”
“I will ask father.”
Not being able to use it in the mansion would be difficult. I was still studying magic and wanted to practice it. I had to find a place where I was allowed to use it.
“Also even if you find a place with a permit you don’t have an official magic license yet. You’ll probably have to take an exam at school to get one……”
“I’ll be careful that nobody sees me when I use it.”
“Yeah”
The acting bureau chief nodded slightly.
However.
Something I was much more anxious about than that.
What do I do about sword practice?
In fact, this may be the biggest problem.
There is no one at the mansion who could teach me. Didn’t Rachel say there would me swordsmanship classes at school? Still, it’s hard that I wouldn’t be able to practice my swordsmanship until I entered.
The person send to pick me up arrived at the Judiciary Station and I said my goodbyes to the acting bureau chief and Matilda.
Well, even though I left the Judiciary Station I would still have to go to the counselling so I would come regularly but appreciation was important. I was taken care of a lot.
Alex returned to his post as an undercover investigator after some time.
“Even if you see me outside, it’s our first meeting.”
He said so and disappeared from the Judiciary Station. I was able to convey my thanks for the lessons but I wished I was able to properly say goodbye to him.
I wondered when our next encounter may be.
Chapter 17 – Permit to Return
“You got a lot better.”
Alex said such things a while later.
I felt that the sword I used was too light and it was about time to change to a slightly heavier one for now.
“Thank you for the compliment”
I laughed jokingly. It didn’t really feel any different even though he said I got a lot better. Because Alex was as good as ever in swordplay, that I understood.
“Not really cute, huh? Even though I praised you with so much effort.”
Alex left the dome while grinning and stretched lightly.
“Please tell me I’m cute when I’m back to being a girl”
I also left the dome.
“Even if you tell me something like this now I won’t be happy about it”
“I get it, I get it”
And as my daily life continued like that Elizabeth turned up on the practice grounds. As she was rushing up to me she wore a glistening smile.
“They finally gave you permission to use magic!”
Elizabeth took my hands and swung them around buzzingly. Her tension was as high as always.
“Permission to use magic……you said”
I pulled myself together and swung her hand around as well.
“I can finally say goodbye to the days of only readingー!”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
Elizabeth was just as happy as if it was something happening to her.
“I’ll work you haaard!”
“Huh?”
As I stopped my hands she puffed out her chest and continued.
“I’m going to be your teacher! You may call me master!”
“Uwaa”
I said out loud. Alex laughed at this display from the rear.
And Claire who waited at the side sighed like always.
Elizabeth tightened her expression a little and looked at me.
“First, please come to the bureau chief’s room. Because in order for you to use magic a new seal has to be put on your body.”
A new seal, is it?
I frowned a little, but I decided to leave the practice grounds according to her words.
“I’m sorry that it took so much time.”
The acting bureau chief stood up from his chair and walked towards me as I entered the bureau chief’s office.
I merely nodded in silence.
“The central guys take so long just to decide on something. Well, it’s good enough that they granted you the permission, right?”
He urges me to sit down on a chair in the corner of the room while smiling wryly.
Though Elizabeth and Claire came to the office together with me to observe this, those two were standing.
“The central……”
I thought out loud. Even just saying that made me feel bad.
“Did they say anything about me?”
“About what?”
“No, ehm. Me not having regained my memory yet and the things about Gray’s movements……”
“Yeah”
The acting bureau chief nodded lightly.
“Well, Gray stays missing without getting any new victims after all. Since there are no new clues we’re helpless. Since Howard skilfully reported about your case, well, it will be fine.”
“Skilfully?”
“Something about letting you regain your memory naturally to not cause any severe mental damage.”
……I see.
I’m thankful for that.
“Anyway, could you take off your jacket?”
As the Acting bureau chief said this I took off my jacket and shirt.
I looked down and saw the pale glowing carved seal on my skin. It looked very conspicuous.
The acting bureau chief put his hand on top of it and started to chant the incantation.
Then magic language signs appeared in the air and converged on my chest.
After that, it changed its form into a small magic formation.
“This is kind of amazing.”
When I muttered this to myself, Elizabeth nodded.
“This is really complicated. There are only a few people who can see through this.”
“See through……”
“If people look at it, they would see the seal of permanent revocation, but now a different seal has overlapped with it, changing it into something completely different. Because it’s likely that someone will see it when you return to a normal life.”
“I see.”
Before long the acting bureau chief lowered his hand.
Then he looked at the new seal and nodded knowingly.
“Well, this will do”
“Thank you very much”
After I gave my thanks then I put on my clothes again.
I could try real magic at last. I was a little excited.
“If you are able to use magic to a certain extent you are allowed to return home.”
The acting bureau chief said calmly.
“You should give it your all”
“Yes!”
Naturally, my lips loosened. When I looked towards Clair she smiled relieved.
It’s because I already spend a long time here.
However, from there on it got hard.
In Elizabeth’s spare time I would learn the basics of magic from her.
My sword practice with Alex stayed the same as before.
Time flew by.
Once I memorised the basics I found the magic language rather interesting. As Elizabeth told me I moved things without my hand and manipulated fire and water.
“Let’s try to finally decode the magic language used by another party and nullify it.”
Elizabeth taught me various things in high spirits. Though this was just something hard for a beginner, I desperately tried my best!
Because I would finally be able to return to the mansion!
Though, it was quite a long time before I was given the permission to go home.
After all, magic is difficult and can’t be understood so easily. In that sense, swordsmanship was easier.
Though it didn’t feel like it was a long time since I saw Father and mother, simply because they diligently came to visit me, but they both knew that I was irritated that the permission to return home wasn’t granted yet.
――I’m sorry, learning magic is difficult.
I repeated those words several times.
However, I didn’t think I would possibly spend a year in the Judiciary Station.
The New Year’s Eve party in the Judiciary Station was fun in its own way. It was a somewhat small party.
The food line up in the dining room was grand and there were people drinking liquor. Of course, I and Claire toasted with juice.
All the slightly intoxicated investigators were cheerful and had fun exchanging jokes with people who rarely talked.
Matilda and Edgar were able to enjoy seeing off the old year as well for a bit aside from working.
However, on the day the permission to return home was granted I didn’t have a meeting with the acting bureau chief but “the bureau chief” who came over after all.
On the morning I was given the permission my tension was high.
The Judiciary Station communicated to father and mother that they were allowed to pick me up with the horse carriage on that day! And Claire restlessly gathered our baggage.
“By the way, does your mansion have a magic use permit?”
The acting bureau chief spoke to me while watching the anxious me with amazement.
“Magic use permit?”
As I look puzzled, the acting bureau chief smiled and continued.
“Didn’t you know that you aren’t allowed to use magic just anywhere? If you use it at places without a permit the fine will amount to a lot of money.”
“I will ask father.”
Not being able to use it in the mansion would be difficult. I was still studying magic and wanted to practice it. I had to find a place where I was allowed to use it.
“Also even if you find a place with a permit you don’t have an official magic license yet. You’ll probably have to take an exam at school to get one……”
“I’ll be careful that nobody sees me when I use it.”
“Yeah”
The acting bureau chief nodded slightly.
However.
Something I was much more anxious about than that.
What do I do about sword practice?
In fact, this may be the biggest problem.
There is no one at the mansion who could teach me. Didn’t Rachel say there would me swordsmanship classes at school? Still, it’s hard that I wouldn’t be able to practice my swordsmanship until I entered.
The person send to pick me up arrived at the Judiciary Station and I said my goodbyes to the acting bureau chief and Matilda.
Well, even though I left the Judiciary Station I would still have to go to the counselling so I would come regularly but appreciation was important. I was taken care of a lot.
Alex returned to his post as an undercover investigator after some time.
“Even if you see me outside, it’s our first meeting.”
He said so and disappeared from the Judiciary Station. I was able to convey my thanks for the lessons but I wished I was able to properly say goodbye to him.
I wondered when our next encounter may be.
