Away from the studio, under the somewhat worried gazes and care of everyone, I huddled in the softest sofa in the corner of the hall for a while before finally getting a little rid of the multiple overlapping symptoms of discomfort. Then, from my suddenly arriving tutor, I understood what had just happened.
"Ask me a question first," my tutor, who seemed to have shrunk again, nestled in my lap, though I could only feel a slight pressure on the surface of our bodies. "Would you like to hear the correct explanation, or something less plausible?"
"How come there are unreliable versions?" I exclaimed, wide-eyed.
"Then let me ask you, do you feel chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness, nausea, and unbearable itching on your exposed skin, as if you're about to break out in a rash?"
I hesitated for a few seconds, nodded, and then corrected myself: "The last two items are not included."
The mentor waved his hand dismissively: "It's all the same, it's all the same."
"Anyway, excluding the interference of factors such as magic, from this perspective alone, you are probably just not used to being in a confined space and being exposed to a certain amount of turpentine vapors. This stuff is slightly toxic, but fortunately it's not a big problem."
"...And what about the correct version of the explanation?"
"The correct explanation is: you stupid disciple, you pulled your intuition to the highest level that you were not used to, and after releasing your perception, you immersed yourself in a state of exploring the outside world. As a result, you ran into this little girl's painting. Or rather, it was a subconscious out-of-control technique."
The mentor, who resembled a sloth, yawned lazily, then stretched his limbs like a rabbit and tossed his long hair: "And then, as you've experienced before, this girl's main skills lie mostly in the realm of illusion and reality."
"Since you dared to try to explore and analyze its core without completely abandoning your mental defenses, it's no wonder you were subsequently misled. But then you subconsciously tried to resist, and it was inevitable that you would suffer an even stronger shock after failing to resist."
She turned slightly to the side, squinted, and poked my chest hard, her eyes crinkling at the corners: "In conclusion, this is definitely the trouble you brought upon yourself by being lazy! My dear disciple! Wouldn't it have been better to learn from your beautiful and omniscient mentor how to improve your spellcasting skills? That way, you wouldn't be afraid to encounter the same problem again in the future!"
Stop yelling, stop yelling, I'm about to cry.
Covering my face with a soft cushion, I almost wanted to pull open the nearest door and crawl inside to escape this awkward situation immediately.
But this won't work.
No matter where I ran away from my mentor, it would always lead to the same result—being ruthlessly caught and brought back, subjected to a stern lecture, and given the most profound reprimand in the gentlest tone.
Yes, mainly academically.
"And you, you stupid disciple, why do you always forget to use the useful tools you have?"
I pulled off the pillow I was using to cover my face and tossed it aside, only to be caught by Hikari, who was ready. My mentor then pressed one hand against my shoulder and leaned in with an extremely forceful posture, while reaching for my left ear with her other hand.
With a flick of her fingers, a tiny bit of magic easily pierced through the senses and subconscious defensive spells that I had always covered my body with, and struck the earrings hanging below.
A subtle tremor came in an instant, and the input magic vibrated continuously in the slender, hollow, light silver earring, which then rippled through my mind, producing a clear and melodious sound like the chiming of a wind chime.
It felt as if I had put Ryukakusan (a type of Chinese herbal medicine) or a mint-flavored ice cube in my mouth. The cool chill rushed into my mind in an instant, and at the same time penetrated deep into my lungs. It quickly dispelled the chaos and discomfort that had accumulated there, and also eliminated the chest tightness and dizziness that had been lingering in my body, making it hard to breathe.
Okay, I had actually forgotten about that.
Ever since my mother gave me the left half of these [saint's earrings] that originally belonged to her, I have remembered to wear them every day to relieve my longing, completely forgetting their original purpose, which was to calm and soothe my mind.
"However, I really did see quite a few good things." Having finished that move, the mentor still smiled and glanced at me sideways. "My dear disciple, you really know how to charm those young ladies!"
I looked away: "...Let me make it clear beforehand, I didn't kidnap anyone."
The cat, which had jumped onto the sofa, chimed in softly.
"Relax, relax, I didn't mean to criticize you. After all, it's okay for a young guy like you to like a few more girls. Just remember to call me at the end!"
Does this perverted, voyeuristic teacher even understand what she's saying?
Before I could even utter a complaint, she turned to the other side, beckoning and calling out, "Come here, little Lena, don't run away, come over here and let me see you."
I looked in the direction my mentor was looking, and as soon as I looked up, I saw a little girl who was less than half my height, following closely behind the busy doll maid, trying to avoid being seen and sneak away.
She was wearing simple overalls with a loose white shirt, and her light pink curly hair was tied into two pigtails that looked like two separate pigtails from a distance. Her face and body were covered in oil stains, and it was hard to tell whether to describe it as disheveled or as a sign of high professionalism.
Also, the boss's disguise and stealth skills were probably not up to par. Even with the advantage of her petite figure, and even if she tried her best to hide behind the doll maid, she could be easily discovered with just a glance.
When she realized that her presence had been directly called out, the leader of the gang froze for a moment. She tried her best to look surprised and happy and wave to everyone who was looking at her. Then she quickly ran over to them.
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