Louis placed the Phoenix’s feathers in the pillowcase with a sense of accomplishment.
“Just one was supposed to be enough.”
Naturally, one feather was not enough. While pondering how to proceed, Louis held the Phoenix’s feather and infused it with mana.
Most of the problems in this world could be solved with magic, so it was a natural course of action.
“Wow.”
Fortunately, he was right. The Phoenix’s feather doubled in number.
Louis continued to multiply them. After about three minutes, he had collected a pile of Phoenix feathers.
“But I wonder if these feathers are suitable for a pillow material.”
The Phoenix’s feathers had a unique appearance, distinct from ordinary bird feathers. They appeared as if blue and golden flames were intermingling.
They weren’t hot, but the idea of using them as pillow stuffing seemed a bit off-putting due to their fiery appearance.
However, since he had brought them, he decided to give it a try. Louis gathered the scattered feathers and placed them inside the pillowcase.
Thankfully, the pillowcase did not catch fire.
“It seems a bit lacking.”
Thinking that he needed more feathers than expected, Louis infused mana into the pillowcase again.
Blue flames erupted a few times, and soon the pillowcase swelled to the right size.
Louis began applying various magical treatments to the fabric, including water-resistant magic, frequent washing magic, and increased durability magic.
“Is this enough?”
With several overlapping enchantments, Louis admired the pillow. Beyond the white fabric, the mixture of blue and golden colors emitted a faint glow, making the pillow quite beautiful.
“Hmm…”
Louis reached out his hand and added another spell.
It was a warmth spell, inspired by the idea of the burning feathers. Perhaps it would have a soothing effect like a massage?
Gulp.
Louis swallowed his saliva.
The warmth felt around his neck was like a soft cotton candy. The Phoenix’s feathers were as soft and supportive as he had hoped.
A feeling of floating on clouds, as if he were levitating in the sky.
The verdict on the Phoenix’s pillow was…
“Zzz…”
No words were needed.
**
In the meantime, completely unaware of the commotion he had caused, Louis was all smiles.
“This is amazing. A real treasure.”
He lovingly caressed the pillow made from the Phoenix’s feathers.
It was a magical pillow that put him to sleep instantly.
Louis felt grateful to the professor and decided that he would buy a gift for him later as a token of his gratitude.
“Louis Christopher Windsor! Are you there?!”
The voice of Hython pierced through the forest.
Curious about who could be making such noise, Louis looked in the direction the voice came from.
Shortly after, a red-haired girl with a determined expression approached him.
“Who are you?”
“…Minerva Hersy.”
Seeing Louis, who seemed harmless, Minerva was taken aback for a moment, but her anger did not subside just because the person in question was somewhat good-looking.
“You! Do you have any idea what you’ve done…?”
As she was about to speak in an angry tone, Minerva’s gaze fell on the colorful, shimmering pillow.
“W-What is this?”
Minerva approached with disbelief written all over her face.
Louis subtly hid the pillow behind his back, thinking, ‘Why is she here?’
Minerva Hersy was a familiar name.
She was one of the main antagonists in this novel, playing a significant role in the early events.
‘Gotta send her away quickly.’
“That, um… Are you asking if the things inside the pillow are… Phoenix feathers?”
“Yes.”
“Right.”
Minerva’s expression was hard to believe.
“The thing is… those things inside, they are… they’re not Phoenix feathers, right?”
“They are.”
Hersy let out a frustrated sigh.
“Using the ‘Magic Report’ that is known as Phoenix’s feathers for something like this?”
“Magic Report?”
“Magic Report?!”
“You’re out of your mind!”
Hersy staggered and attempted to snatch the pillow from Louis’ hands.
Louis skillfully avoided her attempts, and for a moment, they engaged in a comical struggle. Hersy reached for the pillow and Louis tried to hide it, making for a ludicrous scene.
Hersy caught Louis by the collar and with an exasperated expression, she asked, “Do you even know what this is?”
Louis wondered how to handle Hersy. He preferred to avoid getting involved with major characters if possible because it would likely lead to a lot of trouble in this novel’s setting.
“Why did you come here?”
“The headmaster confiscated the Phoenix. You stole the Phoenix’s feathers without following the proper procedure!”
“Oh, that’s why you’re here. Sorry about that. You can go now.”
“Huh? Is that all you have to say?”
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Louis acted like he was about to fall asleep any moment now, losing interest in the matter.
“But…”
Hersy was left speechless as Louis had little to say.
She had admitted her mistake and apologized. There was nothing more to be done. The decision about Louis’ actions would be up to the headmaster, not her.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“No, well, that is…”
However, leaving now would feel like a defeat, and she didn’t like that feeling.
Hersy bit her lip.
Thinking about it, she didn’t even know why she had come here. Would venting her anger change anything?
“Change…?”
In that moment, a feather brushed through Hersy’s mind like lightning.
Louis’ pillow.
Inside it were undoubtedly the Phoenix’s feathers.
“Hey…”
“Yes?”
“I need the Phoenix’s feathers too. They are for a much more important purpose than being used in that pillow.”
Louis wanted to get Hersy off his back as soon as possible. But this request was tricky.
He really loved the cozy pillow he had made.
“Tell me what you want. I am the daughter of Duke Minerva Hersy, and I have the ability to pay any price.”
Hersy said that much and then closed her mouth.
She thought about the man standing before her.
… He was the only adopted child of the imperial duke.
There was nothing he lacked.
“…Even money.”
“What do you need the feathers for?”
Louis tried to listen to her explanation.
Being disliked was not a pleasant feeling. Especially since Hersy was a significant character. In trying to avoid immediate inconvenience, he might end up with endless trouble.
“…There’s a magic exam in a week. You might not know this since you’ve never attended any classes.”
“A magic exam?”
“Half-allocation evaluation. It’s a crucial assessment that determines the class for the next year.”
The Imperial Academy was a place where people from all over gathered. Naturally, each individual had different abilities, and the classes were tailored accordingly. The quality of education varied greatly depending on the class, and every magician wanted to be assigned to the top class.
“I was working on crafting a personal weapon for the exam. It was in the final stages… but I lost the Phoenix’s feather.”
“You lost it?”
“Yes, I think someone stole it.”
Hersy pleaded with Louis, her eyes filled with desperation.
“I absolutely need it. To pass the class allocation exam and to avoid my father finding out about the fact that I lost it… please, give me the feather.”
Hersy bowed her head.
Louis looked troubled.
“It turned out this way, huh?”
Hersy Minerva seemed like a typical villainess straight out of a painting. She was the type to be jealous of the protagonist and her entourage, resorting to all sorts of actions to steal their adoration. She publicly shamed them, openly insulted them, and used her family’s power to harass them. She committed countless wicked deeds.
And the rift between Hersy and the protagonist began in this episode.
It was the protagonist who took Hersy’s feather.
Of course, from the protagonist’s perspective, they had merely picked up an interesting-looking feather on the roadside.
But from Hersy’s perspective, she believed that the commoner-like protagonist had stolen the feather intentionally.
Naturally, they became antagonistic towards each other, and Hersy began to harbor strong negative feelings towards the protagonist.
In other words, this feather was the trigger.
The problem now was that the one receiving Hersy’s resentment was not the protagonist but himself.
“I almost got into big trouble. I’m glad I didn’t act impulsively like usual.”
Sometimes you had to tread lightly on thin ice.
Now, if he handed over the feather, Hersy wouldn’t see him as an enemy like she saw the protagonist.
However—
“If you give me the feather, I’ll help you get placed in the expert class.”
Louis couldn’t easily let go of the pillow, no matter what.
