While Roy turned around to rummage through something, Mia swiftly lifted her foot and silently kicked the black magic book, its cover darkened and corners curled, deep beneath the bed. She even nudged it farther in with her foot, making sure it was completely invisible from outside.
"What, you're not letting me into your room?!"
Mia spun around sharply, hands on her hips and cheeks puffed out as she shouted at Roy in mock anger. Yet her cheeks had reddened slightly despite herself.
"That's not it. It's just that this pile of junk in my room is too dangerous. I was afraid you might get hurt."
Roy pointed at the heap of miscellaneous parts scattered across the floor.
Seeing that Roy had not paid any attention to the black magic book, Mia finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, right. How did you get back?"
Mia deliberately walked over to sit by the bed, swinging her short little legs as she asked Roy.
Naturally, Roy could not say that he had learned Apparition. He merely said that school was on break, though he would have to leave again that evening.
Mia knew perfectly well what was going on and did not expose his lie, merely grumbling inwardly.
Well, well, Roy. You're only a first-year, and you already dare to use Apparition in secret.
Roy had returned this time partly to take some of the materials he had collected to make an Ancient Magic exoskeleton, and partly to visit the children at the orphanage. He spent a long time picking through the messy pile of materials on the floor before selecting some useful ones and stuffing them into his backpack.
That evening, when the children returned from school and saw Roy, they were thrilled. Roy had dinner with them, took