Three magical girls gathered outside Teacher Haihara's office, staring at one another.
They had no idea how it had happened, but the distilled liquor they needed seemed to be in Teacher Haihara's office.
But if Teacher Haihara was inside when they went in, how would they explain themselves?
And what would they do if Teacher Haihara caught them taking the liquor...
Just as they fell into thought, a voice as lovely as a gentle breeze reached their ears—
"Do you ladies need something?"
The three turned around and saw a tall, slender girl with black hair standing there, calmly looking at them.
There was no doubt about it: the black-haired girl was the student council president of this school—Kazama Kiriori.
Why was she here...
"Uh..." Kirishima Ai froze awkwardly in place, her mind racing.
"Well, the three of us ran into a problem while studying, and we really wanted to know the answer right away, so we thought we'd come ask Teacher Haihara while we had the chance."
It wasn't a very convincing excuse.
After all, except for her, the other two were at the very bottom of the class academically.
Kazama Kiriori smiled.
"Is that so? But isn't Teacher Haihara a Japanese teacher? What kind of problem is it?"
It seemed like they were about to be found out.
Kirishima Ai thought of a more suitable excuse and quickly changed her story.
"No... Actually, the three of us are really close, and we wanted to ask her about our seats."
That excuse was passable.
Kazama Kiriori didn't answer right away. She simply looked at Takanashi Shiori—and at the little wand and mirror in Takanashi Shiori's hands.
Takanashi Shiori looked down at what she was holding, then awkwardly put it away.
"They're toys, just toys..." she explained.
"Then may I ask why the student council president is here?"
Kazama Kiriori nodded.
"I have something to discuss with Teacher Haihara too. Sorry for the trouble, but please let me open the door."
The three girls moved aside without a fuss.
The student council president glanced at them without a word, stepped forward, and opened the door. The room was quiet, though; no one was inside.
Teacher Haihara wasn't in the classroom or the office.
Where could she have gone?
Kazama Kiriori turned to look at the three girls behind her, who were blinking at her.
It seemed they didn't know where Teacher Haihara was either.
She was curious about what these three Problem Children were up to, but meeting her mother was more important right now.
"She's not here... Then please excuse me."
Kazama Kiriori closed the door again.
Before she left, she looked at Sakaki Chika.
"Are you settling in at school, Sakaki?"
As student council president, she made a point of checking in on students who were a little unusual.
Sakaki Chika paused, then said shyly, "Yes. The campus is wonderful, and the teachers are wonderful too. Um... the teachers are really wonderful."
After she said that, her face inexplicably turned red.
Kazama Kiriori looked a little puzzled, but still gave her a polite smile and nodded.
"Is that so? Good."
Something felt a little off.
Was it just her imagination?
She was probably just overthinking it...
"That startled me. Why does that student council president keep showing up here?"
Kirishima Ai breathed a sigh of relief.
Since they had the chance, they needed to hurry into the teacher's office and see if they could find the distilled liquor required for the summoning ritual.
They had Sakaki Chika keep watch by the door, then the other two went into the teacher's office. They'd been called in for lectures so often that they knew Teacher Haihara's office like the backs of their hands.
They couldn't find any liquor on the desk or in the corners of the office.
"Hey, isn't it a bit much to go through the cupboards..." Kirishima Ai said as she watched Takanashi Shiori open one.
But when Takanashi Shiori opened the cupboard, they found it packed full of liquor jars.
Kirishima Ai blinked, stunned.
Was this for real...?
Takanashi Shiori took out two jars and sighed.
"I'll find a way to make it up later... I've never done anything like this before, either."
She didn't know why their mentor this time needed distilled liquor.
She couldn't remember any mentor at the academy who liked to drink.
At any rate, this meant they could summon the magical girl mentor from R'lyeh to Earth.
They carefully rearranged the bottles in the cupboard, then shut the doors, doing their best to make it look as if no one had been there.
Takanashi Shiori handed a jar to Kirishima Ai.
"Help me carry one. That way, if we get caught, we're both accomplices."
"You really don't hold back..."
Kirishima Ai could only stuff the jar under her coat like Takanashi had, looking as sneaky as a burglar.
Though, to be fair, they were doing something like burglars.
But why was there so much liquor stuffed away in Teacher Haihara's office?
She'd never smelled alcohol on her before.
In any case, they managed to get the liquor without incident. Next, they could perform the ritual and summon the mentor from R'lyeh.
They chose a relatively secluded spot: the same dim, isolated classroom where Kirishima Ai had eaten before.
After taking a Magic Crystal, Takanashi Shiori used the two jars of distilled liquor to set up the summoning ritual. She placed the mirror in the center and set the Magic Crystal on top of it.
Kirishima Ai and Sakaki Chika had no idea what Takanashi Shiori was doing.
Before long, the Magic Crystal began to melt, turning into a luminous, crystalline liquid that seeped into the Magic Mirror.
"Now, close your eyes," Takanashi Shiori said, then immediately turned away.
The other two followed suit and closed their eyes.
The incredible phenomenon lasted only an instant. The next moment, dazzling light burst from the Magic Mirror.
Even with their eyes closed, the glare hurt.
Once the light faded, they managed to open their eyes and saw the elegant, beautiful outline of a girl floating above the Magic Mirror.
Countless star-like lights surrounded her, slowly drifting down like dust and settling one by one into the girl's hazy, layered clothes.
"Oh, this really is excellent liquor. Well done, Shiori."
The voice was gentle and lovely, its charm equal parts mature and youthful, as mellow and sweet as red wine.
Once the light had faded, the others could make out the girl's appearance.
She was dressed in a somewhat old-fashioned, elegant style, though not entirely. She wore a loose, heavy white men's suit that fell to her ankles. Countless star-bright gems adorned the silver-white outfit, while her two slender, pale legs were left bare.
The girl had brushed her silver hair back, tying it into two low ponytails at the ends.
At the sight of the magical girl who had appeared, Takanashi Shiori stood there, dumbfounded, staring at her in disbelief.
"Y-You are..."
"What is it, Shiori? Are you surprised to see me?"
The girl in gentlemanly attire lightly touched the gold monocle over her left eye.
Her eyes were different colors: her right eye was dark gold, while her left was a dull, lifeless silver.
"Dean Eldritch... Why did you come?"
Takanashi Shiori looked so frightened that her face had gone pale.
The magical girl before her was adorned with all kinds of gems, extravagantly and opulently, yet on her, it all looked elegant and perfectly fitting.
She was no ordinary mentor.
She was a grand duke appointed by Her Majesty the Queen, head of Moon Academy, a being beyond the Holy Domain, the Sage of Gemstone Magic, and a magical girl second only to one and above countless others.
The Gemstone Duke—Roland Eldritch.
Dean Roland cheerfully held the liquor jar and smiled.
"I just had a feeling something interesting would happen."
"Besides, this jar seems to have an intoxicating scent."
Chapter 28: Teacher Lilith
Though she didn't know why Takanashi Shiori had reacted that way, it seemed they'd summoned quite the important figure this time.
Kirishima Ai looked at the magical girl who had appeared before them and sensed a power beyond description. No magical girl or Monster she'd met before had ever made her feel this way.
Was this one of the Magic Academy's mentors?
The magical girl known as Dean Eldritch turned to look at Kirishima Ai and Sakaki Chika.
"You two must be the magical girls from the human world. You may call me Roland."
"As you can see, what I love most are dazzling gems, so I'm also known as the Gemstone Duke."
Roland smiled, her manner like that of an opera singer, elegant yet touched by an indescribable flamboyance.
"Hello..." Kirishima Ai greeted her, a little at a loss.
When Sakaki Chika heard Roland's words, she looked thoughtful.
"The Gemstone Duke... I think my grandmother told me about that name."
Kirishima Ai and Takanashi Shiori looked at Sakaki Chika.
Roland also turned to her curiously.
"Who is your grandmother?"
Kirishima Ai remembered Takanashi Shiori mentioning before that Sakaki Chika might be descended from a magical girl who had once stayed on Earth.
So it was her grandmother?
"Her name is Tachibana Aeru. When she used to tell me fairy tales, she mentioned you."
The name Sakaki Chika mentioned surprised both Kirishima Ai and Takanashi Shiori.
After all, her idol name was Tachibana Aeruru.
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