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Chapter 3 Part 2

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After getting out of the bath, Elria finally regained full consciousness.

“…Reid, are you feeling tired?”

“Well, no… don’t worry about it.”

As they were on their way to the classroom, Elria peered at Reid with a worried expression.

After all, it had been tough even after getting out of the bath.

Elria had fully awakened only after being instructed to wipe off the water from her body, dry her hair with a warm-air magic tool, and put on her underwear and school uniform.

During that time, she coaxed Reid to wipe her body dry, held the warm-air magic tool backward saying that the wind wasn’t blowing, and complained that her skirt’s zipper wouldn’t stay up, so he had to do it all for her… It was quite a lot of work.

Since all of this was done while blindfolded, it was also exhausting.

“Did I really… act like a child?”

“Yeah… you were in a pretty weird state.”

“I-It only happens when I’m really tired or nervous…! It’s not something that usually happens!”

After hearing Reid’s impression, Elria desperately tried to justify herself.

Incidentally, Elria had no memory of what had happened during that time. She probably felt like she was just half asleep. But if Reid were to tell her about what happened in detail, she might faint, so he decided to keep quiet about it.

With that decision in mind, Reid entered the classroom with Elria.

When they approached Wiesel and Millis, who were sitting in the same seats as yesterday, they raised their hands lightly in greeting.

“Good morning, you two!”

“You’re pretty late. It’s almost time for class to start.”

“Well, there were a lot of things going on…”

“Y-Yeah… a lot of things happened.”

As they sat down and said that, Millis smirked.

“Oh my, what were the engaged couple doing last night?”

“What do you mean… we just went to bed normally.”

“Is that so? Then, let’s have Elria-sama answer that!”

Millis approaches Elria with sparkling eyes.

“Tell me straight up, how was last night!?”

“Well… yesterday, Reid and I made dinner together and stroked each other’s head.”

“Wow… you guys seem really close!”

“And then, we slept in the same bed.”

“W-Wow! So, how did it end up!?”

“We slept soundly, and when we woke up, it was morning.”

“…Huh?”

Hearing this response, Millis turns her face toward Reid.

“Wait, nothing else happened?”

“What are you expecting?”

“Well, you know… I’m also at that age, so I thought I could use it as a reference for my own sexual experiences in the future.”

“Are you stupid? We’re just ‘engaged’!”

Reid and Elria had only promised each other a future marriage, as in being ‘engaged’, and they were not yet in a relationship where they had exchanged vows.

In other words ――

“It’s impossible to have premarital sexual relations with someone you’re engaged to.”

“Oh… I’m from the countryside, so I didn’t know. Is that true?”

“Depending on the situation, it could result in the death penalty.”

“Is it that serious!?”

However, Wiesel, who was listening to the conversation, interjects.

“I have heard of that as an old tradition. During engagements, physical relationships were forbidden until the marriage was officially solemnized because engagements could be broken for various reasons. It’s a story you don’t hear much nowadays, but it could be possible for a family as distinguished as the Caldwens.”

“What, it was an old story…? So, people could get the death penalty for that? The people back then who were in love must have had a hard time…”

Millis nodded solemnly as if she had understood, but the parties involved tilted their heads in confusion upon hearing it.

“What? Is that really how it is now?”

“…I thought so too, but we won’t know unless we ask Mother.”

“Well, even if we ask, I still have the same old mindset, so it doesn’t really matter.”

“I’ve never been interested in anything but magic, so I don’t really know either.”

“For now, we should just carry on as usual.”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

“Well, I think your way of spending time together is more than just being an ‘engaged’ couple, isn’t it!?”

Millis interjected as if she had been eavesdropping on their conversation. It seemed that even the concept of chastity had changed after a millennium had passed.

Reid was somewhat aware of it, but for now, there are plenty of other priorities, such as graduating from the academy and uncovering the cause of their reincarnation. He could think about those things after everything else is settled.

“Come to think of it. The homeroom teacher should be coming today, right?”

Looking at the clock in the classroom, the homeroom teacher had already missed the start of class.

The new students had been carefully allocated into classes based on their examination scores, origin, and family background. And they remember being briefed the day before that a homeroom teacher would be assigned to each of those classes. However, the homeroom teacher had yet to appear.

“It’s already past the start time. Could there be some kind of problem?”

“Could the homeroom teacher be lost or something?”

“It can’t be that since Millis came without getting lost.”

“Don’t say it like I’m some idiot!!”

“It’s alright. Millis is a clever child.”

As they exchanged such banter, Elria patted Millis on the head, but then ――

The classroom wall was blown away with great force.

The sudden sound of crumbling debris and the cloud of dust caused several screams to arise from within the classroom.

Amidst it all… a figure emerged from the cloud of dust.

“―― That was close! I almost got here late. Elise would be angry.”

The figure paid no attention to the surrounding screams and made their way to the podium with the sound of their footsteps.

It was a woman with flowing black hair, probably in her mid-twenties. Her movements were impeccable and refined, a testament to her vast experience.

The woman with black hair turned her golden eyes toward the students and said in a light tone ――

“―― I will be in charge of this class. Nice to meet you all.”

As soon as she spoke, the students looked at each other in surprise and started to make a commotion.

“Isn’t that Lady Alma Kanos of the <<Black Flag>>…?”

“But… didn’t Alma-sama just receive orders from the king to go on a large-scale operation to the east and take down the dragon’s nest…?”

“I’ve never heard of a special rank mage becoming a homeroom teacher.”

The students’ words were filled with respect and awe. Mages are classified according to their level of ability. They started at fifth rank upon receiving their qualification and were assigned to handle the magical beasts or Kaijus based on their rank. Their promotions are based on their achievements and skills.

Among them, special rank mages numbered less than ten. This is an honorary rank given to those who use tenth tier magic and carry out the subjugation of super-sized magical beasts alone. They were not assigned by the Mage’s Association but rather by the decree of the king of Vegalta. Their main duty is to deal with large to super-sized, or unidentified magical beasts that are difficult to subjugate.

Most of them guarded designated danger zones determined by the country or traveled around various places to handle magical beasts. Even if it was a national matter, they rarely appeared publicly.

If the ‘Sage’ was a legendary figure who laid the foundation for magic, then special rank mages are living legends of modern times. Therefore, it was unimaginable for someone like that to become a homeroom teacher.

Perhaps anticipating the students’ words, the black-haired woman… Alma, clapped her hands.

“Alright, alright, stop making a commotion. I’ll answer. I was requested by both the king of Vegalta and the academy’s headmaster to be the homeroom teacher because there are two students who are outside the norm, and they needed someone who can handle things when something happens.”

“Um… what happened to the dragon’s nest that was recently ordered to be subjugated?”

“Oh! I exterminated it a while ago and came back.”

Although she said it casually, the dragon’s nest is classified as a large magical beast.

The fact that they built a nest meant they had entered breeding season and become more aggressive. And the fact that it was a large-scale operation meant multiple dragons were involved. Usually, this would be the case that the country would have to devote a considerable number of resources such as money, time, and thousands of personnel to handle.

“I delegated all the cleanup work to the other guys, so it will be a little while before it’s officially announced. And when I reported it to the king of Vegalta, he asked me if I would be interested in becoming a homeroom teacher to take a break from all the heavy lifting I have been doing lately. Therefore, I accepted.”

After explaining the situation, Alma turns to the students again.

“Well, I’m also a graduate of this academy, so I know a thing or two, and as you know, I have confidence in my magic combat ability. So, you can count on me for some guidance.”

Seeing the confident smile, the students also showed excitement and expectations on their faces.

After looking at them with satisfaction, Alma nodded greatly.

“Well then, let’s finish the tedious explanations of what we would be doing and get on with the flow of things first.”

Taking the chalk, she wrote large letters on the blackboard.

“First of all, the new students are divided into five classes of thirty students each. Then, the individual and class evaluations are added up, and a certain number is calculated every year. Those who exceed that number are qualified to graduate as a mage.”

After emphatically writing out the bold characters, Alma turned to face the students.

“What’s important here is the class evaluation. Even if you get the highest individual evaluation, you cannot become a mage if your class evaluation is low. This is because, as a mage, the emphasis is placed on group performance rather than individual performance.”

The duties of a mage mainly involve dealing with crimes related to magic and subjugating the magical beasts or Kaijus. However, it is not just a matter of simply dealing with criminals or subjugating magical beasts. It also involves evacuating nearby residents, securing safe zones and evacuation routes, and rescuing individuals stranded in dangerous areas.

Very few individuals are capable of handling all of these tasks alone. For example, individuals like Elria or those known as special rank mages may be able to do that. However, not all mages are of exceptional talent.

That is why mages usually operate in teams composed of several individuals, or units of several dozen people for large-scale operations, in order to respond to various situations and circumstances. Class evaluation is done to determine if they can function properly as a group, not just as individuals, and to see if any problems may arise when they act as a team.

“Individual evaluation is conducted once a month through practical and simulated ‘conditional examination’ that assumes various real-life combat situations. And class evaluations are conducted four times a year through a ‘comprehensive examination’ that imposes various conditions, which may include other classes and other academies. Remember that these two evaluations are directly linked to all evaluations.”

As she finished explaining, Alma suddenly furrowed her brow.

“And, uh… please wait a minute. As I recall, Elise gave me some kind of teacher’s manual, so I’ll go over it and explain it briefly.”

After saying that, Alma reached into her pocket and took out a notebook-like object, flipping through its pages.

“Let’s see… In the classroom, we teach the theory and knowledge of the six magic systems, the habits, and characteristics of the magical beasts to be subdued, the importance of basic abilities such as physical strength and magic power required to operate as a mage, efficient techniques for using magic, and ――”

Muttering the contents written in a small voice, Alma closed the notebook with a snap.

“Screw it! It’s a pain to explain all this stuff. You’ll learn by doing it yourself during practical training!!”

Throwing the notebook aside, Alma reached into her pocket once again. From there, she took out a silver handbell with engravings.

“―― First, let’s move to a place where we can rampage.”

With a smile, Alma lightly shook the bell, and in that instant, Reid and the others’ vision distorted. The scenery before them changed drastically.

Endless blue skies and grassland stretched out before them. They not only felt the wind brushing their hair and skin, but also the smell of grass, trees, and soil wafting around them. In other words, this was not simple illusion magic that only obfuscated their vision.

“This is a different space generated by a magic tool created by Headmaster Elise. You can’t get out until I release it, and anything you do inside won’t have any effect on the outside.”

Alma explained while carrying her own magic equipment on her shoulder.

It was a battle axe with wide blades resembling wings. Its tip was adorned with a long black cloth, fluttering like a banner.

“Well, if it’s an explanation, I guess seeing it for yourself is better. Is there anyone who wants to volunteer as my sparring partner?”

asked Alma lightly, but the students looked at each other with confusion.

After all, the opponent is a special rank mage, and while the students had some knowledge of magic, few had actual combat experience.

“Come on, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to go easy on you and not hurt anyone, so even beginners and inexperienced students are welcome!”

Alma smiled and said, but her persuasive power was not helped by the sight of her swinging the deadly battle axe in her hand.

However ――

“―― Then, let me be your opponent.”

With those words, Faregh stepped forward from among the students.

“I can handle up to seventh tier magic. I’ve trained my mind and body to become a mage since I was young, and I’ve also been trained in magic combat.”

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

“Not at all. As a son of the Welminan family, it’s only natural.”

Faregh proudly puffed out his chest in response to Alma’s honest praise.

“I know three types of magic and am above average in all of them.”

“Well then, can I get a little serious, too?”

“…Eh?”

But getting carried away was a mistake.

“Um… about that, I thought you said you would go easy on us?”

“Yes, that’s right. But if you’ve been training for magic combat since childhood, you should be fine, right?”

“S-Specifically, how serious are we talking here…?”

“Let’s start with breaking a few bones, shall we?”

“Wait a minute! What do you mean by breaking bones!?”

Hearing Alma’s words, Faregh paled and recoiled slightly.

At that moment ―― Alma’s gaze shifted. It was to the raised hand of the person standing next to Reid.

“I want to try it.”

“Oh? So, you’re volunteering too, little lady?”

“Yeah, I want to fight with Sensei.”

“Heh, you’re more confident than that boy. What’s your name?”

“Elria Caldwen.”

“I see… You are the exceptional child the headmaster talked about. I heard you are only allowed to use up to fifth tier magic, so I’ll match your level ――”

“Mm… It’s okay. You don’t have to hold back.”

While deploying her own magic equipment, Elria calmly replied.

“More importantly… will you be fine, Sensei?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Alma squinted slightly, and Elria nodded softly before asking ――

“―― Should I go easy on you?”

In that instant, a jet-black wind blew fiercely in front of Elria.

The shockwave caused Faregh, who was standing nearby, to roll on the ground, and the other students screamed while covering their faces.

“I see ―― You really have confidence, don’t you?”

Alma grinned, wielding her black-winged battle axe.

Emerging from Alma’s shadow are massive skeletal arms dyed in black ink. The skeletal arms created by Alma’s magic were draped in the black wind, producing an eerie noise similar to malicious laughter.

It was a surprise attack using magic before the opponent could recognize it. If it were a fight under predetermined rules, such as a match, Alma’s attack would have been criticized as a dirty attack by others. However, there are no rules in actual combat.

Elria understands this more than anyone else.

“You easily blocked my pretty strong punch.”

said Alma, looking at the shining light silver shield before Elria.

Elria stood behind the shield with a calm expression.

“Wow… What’s that? It not only withstands physical impact but also deflects magic attacks by diffusing the magic power. You’re really good at doing such fine work.”

“Yeah, this kind of thing is my speciality.”

“It’s interesting. Can you do other things, too?”

“…Do you have any requests?”

“Anything is fine. Just make sure you’re trying to knock me down.”

said Alma while pointing her battle axe at Elria with a daring smile.

“Same here. Let’s see how many bones you can break.”

Immediately after those words, Alma’s shadow began to stir. High-pitched, grating sounds of bones rubbing against each other echoed throughout the grassland as innumerable black ink-colored skeletal arms emerged from the shadow, resembling those of a giant serpent.

However, even with such a sight before her, Elria did not even flinch. She rotated her staff and fixed her gaze on the group of massive skeletal arms.

“Well then, I’ll use everything I got as well.”

As the two of them entered their fighting stances, Reid called out to the students nearby.

“Now, those of you who can move, help the ones who are unconscious or unable to move because of their injuries. They might get hurt by the aftermath.”

“Y-Yes…! Understood!!”

Upon hearing Reid’s words, the students returned to their senses and called out to those who had been blown away and unconscious, such as Faregh, and helped them move away from the area.

After confirming this, Reid calls out to Wiesel and Millis, who are nearby.

“What about you guys? This is getting interesting, so I’m going to watch it from here. But if you don’t want to get hurt, you should step back with the others.”

“No… I want to watch it, too. Not only do I get to see the magic of a special rank mage up close, but I’m also interested in Elria’s skills in countering it.”

“Hahaha… I don’t think I can run away with both of my legs trembling like this, you know…!?”

“Hide behind me. If anything happens, I’ll take care of it.”

Millis nodded at Reid’s words with her trembling legs.

“Nonetheless… that’s a special rank mage’s magic. It’s truly incredible.”

said Wiesel as he put his hand on his magic tool glasses and carefully observed the two.

“The system… is mainly dominated by ‘black’, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s also mixed with ‘blue’, I guess.”

The original system of magic is classified into six ‘colors’.

‘Red’ uses magic power to cause and emit objects or events.

‘Blue’ uses magic power to transform objects or events into different properties.

‘Green’ uses magic power to manipulate objects or living beings.

‘Yellow’ uses magic power to rewrite concepts or laws.

‘White’ uses magic power to enhance inherent properties.

‘Black’ uses magic power to grant non-inherent properties.

By primarily choosing a system that matches their own magic power quality and stacking the magic of the six colors according to their intended purpose, a magic formula is created.

Thus, what is commonly referred to as summoning magic, strengthening magic, spatial magic, teleportation magic, and other types of magic are created through this process. In the case of mages who specialize in studying magic, they first make a rough classification based on the original six colors system.

The choice of which of the original six colors system to use as the primary one is influenced by the individual’s magic power quality, and most people have the aptitude for only one color, at most, two or three colors in most cases.

However ――

“―― Ugh, come on! Are you really going to use everything? That’s cheating, isn’t it!?”

“Yeah. I said I’d do that.”

―― This does not apply to the founder of magic, the ‘Sage’, Elria.

Her style of fighting is best described as constantly changing and unpredictable.

Trapping the approaching skeletal arms with the roots of a large tree, and while dodging the strike that was aimed at her with a wall of air, she pushed forward the front line with a wall of light, and then taking advantage of the gap created, attacked Alma with a flame in the shape of a beast.

This is a highly versatile magic that could only be performed by someone who could master all the original six colors system, as the caster herself had declared that she would.

“Amazing… Elria-sama is keeping up with a special rank mage…”

“Yeah… It’s not just the fact that she can activate and handle all that magic simultaneously, but the precision at which she does so is nothing short of astounding.”

As the two of them murmured their thoughts, Wiesel furrowed his brow.

“However, according to what we heard earlier, Lady Elria’s ability to use magic is supposed to be limited, right? What Alma-sensei is using is clearly magic that goes beyond that limit, so it should be impossible for her to fight back properly.”

“But… she’s pushing back normally and even destroying Alma-sensei’s magic, isn’t she?”

In response to their question, Reid calmly asked them.

“Do you know how many magic Elria is using right now?”

“The number of magic… you mean?”

“It’s hard to believe, but based on my magic tool alone, she’s definitely using dozens of magic simultaneously…”

Addressing the two people who were observing Elria, Reid calmly spoke up.

“She’s using over a thousand magic.”

“……What?”

“That’s how many magic she’s using. To be precise, it’s even more than that.”

“What, hold on… over a thousand…?”

“The magic you’re seeing right now is made up of countless delicate magic that would normally be undetectable by most people. What Wiesel observed with his magic tool was only the number of completed magic.”

“Wait, does that mean ――”

Each of those magic is no more than fifth tier magic.

However ―― if there are as many of them as there are stars, then the situation changes dramatically.

“She isn’t using magic power, but forming magic with magic,”

However, by deploying those countless magic and adding, stacking, and combining them all together, they turn into ‘magic formed by magic’ rather than just magic power. This overwhelms the expected cancellation of magic by using an overwhelming amount of magic.

It is a feat that ordinary people cannot achieve.

“I think it was called ―― ‘Weighted Multiplication Deployment’. It’s kind of nostalgic.”

While watching Elria waving her staff as if dancing, Reid recalls the heroic figure he saw on the battlefield in the past.

When he muttered such words, Wiesel asked with a slightly trembling voice.

“…Reid, can you see all of that magic?”

“Of course. Isn’t it obvious?”

While answering so, Reid did not take his eyes off Elria.

Her beautifully refined techniques.

“I’ve been so focused on her all this time.”

The exhilaration he felt was like when he looked up at the night sky and saw the twinkling stars.

The man who was called a ‘Hero’ was captivated by her existence as a young boy would ――

“―― She’s so straightforward and much more dazzling than anyone else to the point that I get lost in her.”

Reid declares with a gleaming and happy smile.

At that moment, there was a change in the back-and-forth battle between the two.

“Haa, this isn’t working either?”

“To be able to hold against everything, I really think Sensei is amazing.”

“I’m not sure how to feel about being praised by a student of mine…”

“That said ―― you’re still not serious, right?”

As soon as she heard those words, Alma’s expression changed.

“Well… based on this situation, it would be rude not to take you seriously, right?”

With a smile on her face, Alma stuck the pommel of her battle axe into the ground.

The black cloth attached to its tip fluttered like a black flag warning that there was no turning back.

“―― Now, it’s time to ‘march’.”

As if in response to Alma’s words, the skeletal arms that had crawled out from the shadows began to tremble.

They wriggled and jostled, pushing aside other skeletal arms as they reached out towards the outside world, eager to be the first to head towards the battlefield.

“―― Let’s begin the battle, <<Undead Brigade>>.”

What appeared from Alma’s shadow were not just skeletal arms, but also towering giant skeletons made up of massive bones.

Using their own skeletal arms, which lacked any flesh, they crawled out one by one from the narrow shadow.

Not only the giant skeletons but also numerous armed skeletal soldiers appear.

Combat engineers riding in bone-built tanks, dragon knights riding on the back of dragons with decayed wings, cavalry riding on headless skeletal horses, beast hunters commanding their beasts to capture those who are running away with their sharp fangs and swift feet, and field musicians playing military music that would make the listeners tremble ――

The army of the dead crawling out from the literal depths of hell started filling the grasslands.

Alma raised her battle axe, adorned with a black flag, to lead the army of the dead.

“Now… with me going all out, you’d better be ready, little lady.”

said Alma gazing at the enemy before her with her golden eyes and a fearless smile.

“―― If you dare to cross this ‘Black Flag’, come at me prepared to lay down your life.”

Her heavy, crushing words were directed at Elria, who, for the first time, showed a change in expression.

“―――― Eh?”

With a small murmur, Elria’s eyes flashed with agitation.

“Why do you… know those words?”

As Elria constructed her magic, she directed apparent hostility toward Alma.

“Oh my, does what I said bother you?”

“Yeah… because there’s only one person in this world who can say that.”

Using her magic tool, Elria deployed numerous formations around her, surveying the army of skeletons.

“I want to ask you a lot of things, so I’ll take this seriously.”

“Yeah ―― I’m planning on doing the same!”

Alma set the giant skeletons into motion with her battle axe that swung like a massive conductor’s baton​.

A single flash of light was then emitted with a swing of the massive sword held by the giant skeleton. It was a devastating blow that would not spare even the allied army, obliterating everything in its path.

“―――― !”

Elria tried to cast more magic to stop that blow, but then ――

The giant skeleton’s sword stopped without a sound.

“―――― Huh?”

The next one to show surprise was Alma.

A massive swing that could mow down everything. Yet it was being caught by the hand of a human.

“―― I’m sorry for spoiling the game.”

Perhaps sensing the abnormality that the gripped sword did not budge, the giant skeleton began to struggle.

However, the sword shows no sign of moving. It was held by Reid, who restrained it with pure force.

“But… I can’t just stay put when someone uses ‘my words’.”

At the moment Reid put strength into his right hand, the giant skeleton was knocked down along with its sword.

With a thunderous crash, its massive body was slammed onto the ground.

But that was not all.

With great force, he swung the giant skeleton around, crushing and scattering the surrounding skeletal soldiers with the sound of breaking bones. With that, a part of the ‘Army’ deployed by Alma’s magic was crushed.

A cloud of dust spread in the vast grasslands, covering the surroundings.

Witnessing this sight, Alma’s eyes narrowed in alarm.

“You must be… the other abnormal one, huh?”

“I’m Reid Frieden. Nice to meet you, Sensei.”

“Well, this is another bothersome or rather incomprehensible child… You clearly didn’t seem to have used magic, so how could you have stopped my magic?”

“I have a question for you, too. If you answer it, I’ll tell you.”

The black cloth attached to that battle axe. Because the crest was scraped and almost gone, Reid noticed it late.

However, Reid was convinced by Alma’s earlier statement. It was something Reid had mentioned on the battlefield.

A dead country that once existed but perished in modern times.

A country where a man called a ‘Hero’ once lived ――

“―― Why are you waving the ‘Military Flag of Altein’?”

Reid calmly asked while glaring at Alma.

However, Alma did not show any change in expression even after hearing those words. She was brimming with fighting spirit in her golden eyes.

“Well… I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you’re not going to answer first, then I don’t have any obligation to answer either ――”

said Alma as she returned to a fighting stance.

But at that moment, a thunderous voice echoed throughout the space ――

‘―― WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!’

The two confronting each other instinctively covered their ears at the deafening noise.

“Oh no… could it be that Elise can see us, too?”

‘I CAN SEE YOU AND HEAR YOU!!’

Elise’s booming voice reverberated throughout the entire space.

‘I was curious about the two of them, so I peeked to see what was going on, but what’s this? Alma-chan is trying to use tenth tier magic on a student!?’

“Ah… I thought it would be rude if I didn’t take it seriously, too.”

‘That’s out of the question!! In the first place, it was the academy that placed magic restrictions on Elria-chan!! Isn’t it shameful for you as a teacher to use tenth tier magic!?’

“Well. Anyway, can we resume the battle now?”

‘Of course not!! Tenth tier magic wasn’t designed to be used here, so if it’s used, my magic tool will be destroyed, too!! If that happens, I’ll be really mad!!’

“Okay, okay, I get it…”

Alma sighed and stored her giant skeletons back into her shadow.

“Well then, Elria-chan, we’ll have to postpone our match for now, okay?”

“Mm… that’s too bad.”

“Well, with your skills, you’ll definitely be able to become a special rank mage in the future, and we can have a rematch then without Elise finding out.”

“Yeah, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

‘I hope you can refrain from making a duel declaration in front of me!!’

Upon hearing Elise’s voice, Elria and Alma exchanged wry smiles with each other.

“Is it okay if we settle this matter later, Reid-kun?”

“…Well, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to take the time to talk to you later. But as a teacher, I can’t just leave the other students alone.”

Turning to where the students are retreating, Alma claps her hands and raises her voice.

“Alright, the mock battle is over! Come back, everyone! And if someone’s unconscious, splash them with water and wake them up!”

Upon hearing the call, the students who had evacuated began to gather gradually.

“Now, if you continue to train hard as a mage, you’ll also be able to have intense battles like us, so do your best to become a mage, okay!?”

Alma thumped her chest with a hearty smile, but the students, having caught a glimpse of the pinnacle of a mage’s battle just now, had dark expressions as if they had lost confidence.

“That was a battle of a special rank mage… It’s just too different from us…”

“I was a little excited because my grades were good on the entrance examination, but… I’m losing confidence that I can become a mage…”

“Yeah… we were just a little capable of using magic…”

Upon hearing the students’ words, Alma pouted like a child.

“What’s with that line of thought? You all worked so hard to get into this academy, right? Don’t give up before you even try. If you don’t have confidence, you won’t achieve anything, you know?”

“Well… that may be true…”

“Besides, you guys will be learning from me for the next year, remember? You should understand the significance of learning directly from someone who showed you a battle like the one earlier.”

Saying so, Alma smiles with a smirk while carrying her battle axe.

“You can become stronger than anyone else, so believe that and stick with me.”

It was the smile of an overwhelmingly strong person, and the words of a strong person who walks ahead of everyone else, cuts through the path, and leads the way.

With that reassuring smile and words that give confidence ――

“―――― YES!!”

The students raised their voices in response.

Seeing that, Alma nodded with satisfaction.

“Alright, that’s a good answer! Then, from now on, you all will undergo training to solidify the most important foundation for a mage!!”

Upon hearing that, the students straightened their posture and waited for the next words.

And then ――

“―― Now, you all keep running until you collapse!!”

With a beaming smile, Alma gave them such a crazy training regimen.

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Prologue Part 1

1

Unwanted and tragic voices continued to echo in my head.

It was the heartfelt cries of those who had been scorched by the never-ending nightmare of war. Even if they were to perish, their voices were etched into my mind like a curse, never to disappear.

‘Al, even if it’s just you, please survive…’

My best friend died protecting me. The scent of his blood lingered on my hands…

‘Run away. I’ll buy you some time to escape!’

She had been braver than anyone, facing countless enemies that approached her, but she never returned. Despite her usually sharp tongue, her bright smile in her final moments remained etched in my mind.

‘Ahh, before I could even fight Al, this happened… Haa, that’s really pathetic…’

She fell before my eyes… and never got up again. She was never one to seek conflict. It was her own country’s soldiers who had caused her death, and only sadness was left in my heart.

‘Aldia, I entrust everything to you.’

The boorish hulk of a man who had been guarding the fortress sacrificed himself to help his comrades escape.

All of my precious friends had died.

I could do nothing but watch their final moments without being able to help them.

Why…? Why do I have to experience such pain over and over again? I should have been able to do something to save them.

‘So… this is where I am going to die… Without me… will that person be okay?’

One of the enemy generals had remained proud until the very end and had been more empathetic to us than her own comrades. However, we were not allowed to mourn her death properly.

The enemy princess… smiled at me with all her heart as she was dying.

‘Aldia… Thank you. I’m glad I could speak to you before I die.’

She was glad to be able to speak to me even though she knew she was going to die? I wish… she had not said that.

I had developed forbidden feelings for her, but it was at the last moment of her life, and she passed away.

―― I, who was powerless, could not save anyone. I was just a fool who could only fight and kill enemies on the battlefield in front of me.

What kind of knight am I if I could not protect a single important person?

I could only take lives, but I couldn’t produce anything else.

Repeatedly piling up a history full of mistakes and then dismantling it, I had finally realized, only when it was too late to undo what I had done.

‘What have I been fighting for all this time…?’, I finally asked myself.

Ah, I was truly a fool.

The smell of blood that was so deeply ingrained in me that I could not wipe it away was deeply etched into my body. After losing so much, I began to wonder if there was any meaning in living.

But even so, I continued to kill.

Because I had already come too far to turn back.

And because there was no other choice but to move forward.

…That choice was a big mistake.

I should have stopped somewhere. If I had ―― maybe my future would have been different from what it is now.

“The defendant, Aldia Graetz. You are suspected of treason against the kingdom. Do you have any objections?”

―― Ah, I suppose I am going to die, too.

Terribly cold air flowed within the Supreme Court of Kingdom Leshfeld. The name, Aldia Graetz, called calmly by an elderly man, referred to me.

Accused of treason against the kingdom, I am facing a scene of one-sided condemnation in a sham of a trial. Any objections or counterarguments were never recognized from the beginning.

The charge of treason was predetermined. All that remains is for me to acknowledge the charge, and the punishment will be decided.

“………”

“Aldia Graetz. Your silence means that you acknowledge the charge of treason… is that correct?”

―― What a stupid farce. Even if I said something, someone in this court would interrupt me and not allow me to make any claims! I was thoroughly fed up with the air that did not even allow me to sigh.

I looked around with empty eyes. See… there is no one on my side. The gazes of the kingdom’s people surrounding me were all full of malice.

―― Even though the war is already over, they haven’t changed anything.

It might have been better if the war had continued. I thought something inappropriate like that.

The Kingdom of Leshfeld had been at war just a few months ago. The enemy in the war was the great northern power, the Vulcan Empire.

Until their defeat in the war against the kingdom, the empire was the largest country in the world. However, the various countries that had fought alongside the empire in a united front invaded Imperial territory, and the empire fell.

Even in such an empire, there were people who I thought should live. They were much kinder than the heartless people of the kingdom and were the ones who cared most about the future of the country.

‘Valtrune von Felsdorf.’

She was the late Imperial Princess, and I had once been saved by her. She had snow-white hair and strikingly strong blue eyes. Unfortunately, she is no longer in this world. She ended her short life by execution. Although she was the princess of a defeated country, she maintained her noble and dignified expression until the very end.

―― I wanted her to live even for just one more second.

During the war, amidst the battlefield where sparks flew and scattered, I encountered Princess Valtrune several times. We were enemies, destined to kill each other, but by chance, I was able to catch sight of her several times.

At first, I had wanted to kill her from the bottom of my heart. I was trying to defeat the Imperial banner for my country. However, that plan was not easy to accomplish.

‘Take this…!’

‘You’re in the way! Get out of the way!’

‘I won’t let you pass.’

‘Ugh…!’

The Imperial Army was heavily fortified, and I suffered countless wounds before reaching her. My hand was torn messily, and even gripping the sword was painful. My face was covered in blood, and my vision was also impaired. Every part of my body was in excruciating pain. I must have looked no different from the dead as I took one step after another while enduring the pain.

‘U-Ugh…!’

I dragged my feet forward.

The marching speed had become astonishingly slow, and I could not stop spitting blood. None of the comrades I had fought with on the battlefield were alive anymore. They had all died.

And when I finally reached the Princess… I was also in a near-death state from the countless wounds I had received from the Imperial soldiers.

My consciousness was hazy. My mouth was filled with the taste of blood, and tears of fresh blood dripped from my eyes. To top it all off, the blood of enemy soldiers had splattered all over me, and my black armor had been stained red.

I could not swing my sword as I wished.

…Sluggish as I have become, my sword never reached her neck.

‘I still… can’t…’

I was filled with vexation. But I could not do anything.

‘…You still can’t die. Is that what you want to say?’

She squatted in front of me, looking down at me.

‘…Yes. I still… haven’t achieved anything.’

Looking back now, I wonder why I was so determined to live. I did not have any purpose. I only thought about killing my enemies, yet I was saying such grand things as ‘I still haven’t achieved anything’. I must have been completely delusional.

‘Haa… I can still fight…’

My mouth moved, but my body could not move properly. The short conversation I had with the Princess would be my last words. Even so, I desperately tried to stay conscious.

‘Ah, damn it…’

My vision suddenly narrowed.

Would I also become a member of the dead, swallowed up by the darkness? I could not move… I could not see… I could not feel anything anymore. I still had a lot of regrets. But I felt that this was the end of my life.

―― However, my life did not end there.

‘I will never let you, who wish to live, die. Be strong. I’ll cast a healing spell on you now.’

She reached out her hand to me, a soldier from the enemy army.

Her beautiful white hair, which sways slightly, was reflected in my eyes.

‘…Why are you… helping me?’

I asked in a dry voice for her reasons.

‘That’s… well. I’m just returning a favor from the past. I have no other intentions. Besides, you still can’t die, can you? It should be a benefit for you, who wants a future. You should accept it gracefully.’

After saying that, she finished my treatment and left the place.

Her back looked much larger than her figure.

We hardly had any contact. When the relationship between the kingdom and the empire was not yet bad, we exchanged a few words for just a few minutes at the military academy in the royal capital… that was all.

I do not remember doing her any favors. That was why I felt like I owed her more than she owed me.

‘We meet again. What do you want to do? Kill each other this time?’

As I traveled through the battlefield, I often ran into Princess Valtrune.

She did not have any guards with her.

Using her high physical ability and magic power, and command abilities in the army, she fought on the front lines. It was hard to believe that she was a princess of a country. However, because even the half-hearted soldiers could not even put a scratch on her, such behavior was allowed.

In addition, the Imperial Army led by Princess Valtrune was overwhelmingly strong, as evidenced by their successive victories over the kingdom’s army in various places. Originally, as an enemy, I should have defeated her as soon as I found her. However, I had completely lost the will to do so.

‘I don’t intend to kill you. I’m not so shameless as to point my sword at someone who saved my life.’

When facing her, my turbulent emotions naturally calmed down.

‘You’re surprisingly kind to the enemy princess.’

‘That’s my line. I’ve never seen or heard of an enemy princess who heals enemy soldiers…’

‘Hehe, I suppose that’s true.’

Looking at her face, even if it was on a harsh battlefield, my impulse to kill instantly subsided.

―― It was a strange feeling.

Even before being a benefactor, the gentle aura that Princess Valtrune carried around her was comfortable, and there was always a sense of release from the tense string that was stretched tight. It was probably because her gaze toward me did not contain any malice.

‘You haven’t changed at all since before. You’re still kind.’

‘I’m not kind. I’m just a murderer…’

I said so, but she shook her head and smiled gently.

‘You’re kind. When we were in the academy, I only talked to you for a moment before the entrance ceremony and at the end of graduation. However, I certainly know you’ve been making an effort every day… That’s why I wanted to help you.’

‘…Even though we’re enemies?’

‘Yes, even though we’re enemies, I still wanted to help you.’

Her words remained in my mind.

‘But, I don’t regret helping you.’

Her dazzlingly gentle eyes were fixed on me. I will never forget being captivated by her beautiful blue eyes… Even if my life were to end, this memory would never disappear. This feeling will last forever.

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Chapter 3 Part 1

The next day, Reid woke up as usual.

When he moved his neck, he saw that the clock hands were pointing to 6 o’clock in the early morning.

However, Reid frowned at the unfamiliar sensation he felt.

“Something feels heavy…”

As he tried to get up, he realized the cause of the discomfort.

“Mmm…”

He could hear Elria’s small groans next to him.

……………

…………………

He had completely forgotten.

The pillow she had held against her chest before going to bed must not have suited her, so it had been pushed to the edge of the bed, and in its place was Elria hugging his arm.

She must have tossed and turned quite a bit in her sleep, as her neatly arranged one-piece pajama was now disheveled, and the hem was pulled up to reveal her bare white legs.

Moreover, as Reid tried to extract himself from this troubling situation…

“Mmm…”

Elria sleeping next to him, clung to him tightly and wriggled around.

“…Hmph.”

Then, seemingly satisfied with her position, she began to breathe calmly again with a peaceful expression.

Her figure is completely defenseless, and Reid can tell she is really sleeping soundly.

However, he could not just leave things as they were.

While there may have been some thoughts upon seeing Elria’s vulnerable appearance, as the two of them are in a position of ‘engaged’, there’s a line he should not cross.

“…I’m glad I turned into a grandpa once. That was helpful.”

Muttering to himself, Reid shook Elria’s body.

“Hey, wake up. It’s already morning.”

“Mmm…?”

Thanks to the shaking sensation and the voice, Elria’s eyes opened slightly.

And then ―― slowly closed again.

“Don’t try to go back to sleep without saying anything.”

“Nooo…”

As Reid tried to pull her up forcibly, Elria pressed her face against his arm and shook her head.

Just like Elria herself had said, she seemed to have a terrible case of sleep inertia.

“You should take a bath or something. That should wake you up.”

“A bath…?”

Hearing the word ‘bath’ seemed to have somewhat awakened her, as her eyes opened halfway. But those eyes were still unfocused and hazy.

“It’s still early in the morning, so If you want to take a bath, that’s fine with me.”

“If it’s a bath, I’ll go…”

“Okay then, go ahead. I’ll change and prepare breakfast while you’re in there ――”

“…Together.”

“…Huh?”

“I want to go together.”

As she said that, Elria clung to Reid’s arm again.

Certainly, she still seemed groggy, and it would be dangerous to let her go alone.

Reluctantly, Reid stood up with a sigh.

“…Alright, I get it. I’ll go with you, so don’t fall over.”

“…Mmm.”

While emitting uncertain cries that may or may not have been an affirmation, Elria followed Reid obediently while gripping his shirt.

Along the way, Reid took out the uniform that had been provided and tried not to look as he took underwear from her bag and headed to the bathroom… where he began to fill the bath using magic tools.

In the room, there was a magic circuit that operated via the stored magic power in the magic storage unit, which Elria had filled with her own magic power upon entering the room. Therefore, Reid did not worry about destroying it as long as he did not use his magic power.

“Come on, I’ve filled the bath, so get in.”

“…Why?”

“I’ll be troubled if you look at me with a puzzled face there.”

Elria stared at Reid while tilting her head greatly. However, seeing her like that, he understood what she said yesterday.

‘I become lethargic when I wake up.’

In other words, this was the state of being ‘lethargic’, and it was probably one of the reasons why Alicia had left him in charge of all matters concerning Elria.

Without noticing Reid’s distress, Elria tugged on his shirt.

“…Let’s go in together.”

“…Wait, that’s definitely a no.”

“But… you said you understood earlier.”

Pouting slightly, Elria glared at him with half-opened eyes.

“I said I got it, but…”

Elria repeatedly tugged on his shirt while puffing out her cheeks.

Perhaps no matter what he said to Elria now, she would not listen. As long as she did not fully wake up, this state would likely continue for some time.

For a while, Reid struggled with himself ――

“I’ll hold your hand even while we’re in the bath, so please let go of my shirt…”

“Mm.”

Upon hearing Reid’s response as he slumped down, Elria nodded satisfactorily.

Then, when the sound of rustling clothes was heard next to him, Reid turned his face away and wrapped a towel around his eyes.

“Eh…? Why are you covering your face with a towel…?”

“I have a habit of covering my eyes with a towel when I take a bath.”

“But then you can’t see anything, can you…?”

“Don’t underestimate a hero. Even if I can’t see, I can still perceive my surroundings.”

“Wow, that’s amazing…”

With a soft voice, the sound of clapping hands can be heard. It is easy to imagine Elria nonchalantly clapping her hands.

In her current state, Elria would probably be convinced even if he said something random.

“Here, I’m holding your hand so come on in.”

“Mm… okay.”

As they took a few steps forward, the sound of water splashing was heard.

“It’s so warm…”

“Well, that’s good then.”

“Yeah… I’m happy…”

A soft exhale can be heard from Elria.

“It’s so warm… I’m really happy.”

“Well, your whole body is submerged in the hot water.”

“Mmnn… that’s not it.”

After answering, Elria squeezed Reid’s hand with some strength.

“It’s so warm.”

As she repeated those words, she continued to squeeze his hand.

Surely, Elria must have had a truly happy smile on her face right now. It is a shame that he cannot see it.

While having such thoughts ――

“Yeah.”

Reid returned her words with a smile on his face.

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Chapter 2 Part 4

☆★☆★☆★

It seems that the classes before the training camp have become a special curriculum. Specifically, it is called ‘orientation’ and is held for three days just before the camp.

So, the three of us are isolated from the regular classes because we are considered special. We also use a classroom in an unused building on the academy grounds, which is not normal.

“My name is Ash. I’ll be conducting the orientation for the next three days, so be grateful.” 

said the bald education officer standing guard at the front of the classroom.

“Listen up, you guys. Before you speak with that dirty mouth of yours, make sure to say ‘May I speak?’ and end with ‘That’s all’. This is not a soft place like the academy. First, understand the hierarchy accurately!”

As expected, the bald man lived up to his reputation and had quite a personality.

“May I speak, education officer?” 

I asked, and the officer nodded.

“Permission to speak granted, student Ephthal.”

“So… the orientation means that the education officer will conduct classes for three days until the training camp starts. Is that correct? That’s all.”

The officer nodded again.

“Yes, that’s right. The purpose of the orientation is to inform the students about the severity of the training camp and eliminate any weaklings. You don’t need to say ‘May I speak?’ or ‘That’s all’ anymore. It’s frankly troublesome and makes the conversation longer.”

How troublesome! Well, I understand that it cannot be helped if the conversation gets too long.

“That was like a ritual. Starting with that is the best way to make little brats like you understand how to speak to adults.”

Ah, I see. So it was just a stupid act to take advantage of the situation. It seems that Merlin was right about him being a problematic person.

“In other words, I am the absolute authority figure in this classroom! I will dominate the undisciplined stupid brats with fear and teach them how to become decent mages! So be grateful!”

── And so, about thirty minutes had passed since the class began.

The first hour is a lecture on the basic theories of magic physics.

The education officer was writing magic formulas on the blackboard when I became curious and decided to ask him a question.

“Education officer?”

“What is it, student Ephthal?”

“You’ve made a mistake in your calculations.”

This is the process of deriving a formula for the distance to the target and the power in fire magic, but it is completely wrong. It may not be directly useful in actual combat, but this kind of foundation is important.

For example, the angle that is suitable for long-range throwing as a simple physics problem is forty to forty-five degrees diagonally upward. However, there is a big difference between knowing it by feeling and knowing it accurately through knowledge.

Naturally, I cannot let Anastasia and Maria learn the wrong formula derivation method.

In response to my words, the education officer chuckled and said, 

“I made a mistake, you say? Hey, you! Who the hell do you think you are talking to? Do you even understand this advanced formula derivation method as a first-year!?”

“…If you check it properly, you’ll see. You were deriving the formula without looking at any reference books, right?”

In fact, in the first year, we would only learn the results or the formula itself. Why the formula is like that and how to prove it is probably taught at the University of Magic.

Well, anyway, the education officer is probably trying to make us freak out by giving us difficult classes right away, but ──

“When you reach my level, that kind of thing is completely in my head!”

“Anyway, please check it.”

In response to my words, the education officer opened a reference book for teachers with a smirk.

He probably intends to confirm that it is not wrong and come back to assert his authority.

As he checked the reference book, his expression instantly turned blue. The education officer stood on the podium for a while, clearing his throat.

“W-Well… I guess there are two ways to do it.”

And then he seemed to realize that we were staring at him with cold eyes, so he banged his hand on the blackboard.

“I just taught you my original calculation method! It’s not written in any textbooks, so be grateful!”

He probably intended to intimidate us, making a grim expression and glaring at me.

“Hey, Ephthal Alcott!”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Just because you’re lucky to be here even though you’re a worthless piece of garbage with no magic aptitude, don’t get too full of yourself, okay?”

This person is a real pain in the neck.

As I’m feeling perplexed, he yells with veins popping on his forehead.

“Don’t disrespect your elders! You happened to know the proper derivation method, but you’re here only because you’re favored by Headmaster Merlin, right?”

“……”

The education officer then steps forward and grabs my collar.

“What are you trying to do…?”

“Hey, you’re one of those jock types, right? You don’t understand anything.”

Hm? What is this person talking about?

“The world of mages fundamentally follows a jock system. It’s a hierarchical world! It’s also my duty as an education officer to teach you that!”

Well, I cannot deny that there are aspects of relationships between mages that are like that. That has not changed since four hundred years ago. The education officer then whispers to my ear.

“Listen, you little brat. It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. When you’re pointing out a senior’s mistake, just ignore it at the time so as not to embarrass them, and then quietly tell them later.”

Hearing that, I finally snapped.

That might be valid in a ‘jock system’, but it is unacceptable for a mage. Correctness… or rather, twisting the truth is a way of thinking that a mage cannot accept. It’s true that there is a jock-like aspect to the organization of mages.

── But before that, we are seekers of truth.

That is the first thing a mage learns in the first year at the magic academy… 

And so, while still holding onto my collar, the baldy half-drags me toward the entrance.

“I’ll teach you the jock’s rules, you impudent brat. Be prepared to suffer a little!”

Taken to the training room for mock battles, I am given protective gear.

Then, the education officer grins maliciously and says,

“What we’re going to do now is a little practical training. I’ll be standing twenty meters away and spamming level 2 wind attack magic. You are allowed to use magic to defend yourself, but no counterattacks.”

“What do you mean by repeatedly using attack magic!? And he can’t even counterattack…!? I’ve never heard of such a mock battle!”

Maria protested, but the education officer just grinned in response.

Well, it is not like these kinds of people would listen anyway.

“We’re just training for long-range combat in magic battles. That’s why he is given protective gear, isn’t he?”

“But wouldn’t that make it one-sided, like being a punching bag? Ephthal might get hurt, you know?”

“Defense magic is allowed, right? If he gets injured, that means it was his own ability that was only up to that point. Besides, I’m here because I heard that you guys have the same ability level as second-year selected members, so if he has that much ability, he can easily resist my attacks.”

“But being constantly beaten like that is unfair! That’s terrible!”

At that point, the baldy almost burst out laughing but held it back and said, 

“Then how about this? We’ll start at a distance of twenty meters. I’ll allow unarmed attacks other than magic. If this brat can dodge my attack magic and manage to knock me out, then it’s over.”

“That’s not fair for a mock battle!”

“I told you from the beginning that this is not a mock battle, but a practical class for long-range magic combat, didn’t I?”

“But earlier, you said to prepare to suffer, didn’t you!? I understand that it can hurt during a mock battle, but isn’t safety first the golden rule!?”

“Huh? Did I say something like that? My memory has gotten so bad since I’ve gotten older.”

At that point, the education officer finally burst out laughing.

“Haha, it’s always fun to put an impudent brat in their place.”

It seems like he has no intention of hiding that this is a form of punishment.

“It’s okay, Maria. Thanks for worrying about me. Anyway, I’ll do it.”

Saying that, I started walking towards what I assume is the starting line twenty meters away.

“Then we’ll start in ten seconds.”

“Yes, understood.”

I arrived at the starting point and faced the baldy at a distance of twenty meters.

The baldy began counting down.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four ── Level 2: Wind Strike, Wind Attack!”

How dirty! He fired off the attack with three seconds left on the count!

Well then, it is my turn to start, too. However, I am not running. I am just walking slowly toward the education officer.

“Haha! Take that! My combos are no joke! There isn’t a brat in the third year who doesn’t scream after taking this!”

Even though he said earlier that second-year students could resist this…

Well, the baldy was coming at me with Wind Attacks one after another with incredible force.

“Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack!”

And I continue to walk without dodging the onslaught of Wind Attacks. Straight ahead, calmly, slowly, and casually.

“Haha! Can’t handle the combos? Can’t even cast defense magic!? What’s the matter!? Is that all you got!? Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack!”

It is not that I cannot cast defense magic. I just do not need to because the passive resistance that I always cast on my body can automatically nullify level 2 magic.

“Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Huh…?”

Ten meters away.

Finally, the baldy seems to have noticed that I am steadily approaching him.

“Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack! What the hell is going on…? There are no new special moves being used, and you’re not even casting defense magic, so how come… my magic is being resisted?”

Of course, there are no new special moves being used. After all, this is a defensive technique that I always cast on myself.

“W-Wh-What!? What are you!? What is this!? What’s going on!? What the hell is going on!?”

I keep moving toward the baldy, unhindered by any magic attacks, with slow and calm steps.

Finally, the baldy’s expression began showing fear.

“Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack!”

I take another step and then another toward the baldy. All the attacks touch me and just disappear.

“What is this!? What’s going on!? What the hell is going on!? Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack!”

There are about five meters left.

I swing my right hand around and show an enthusiastic posture, getting ready to punch him as hard as I can.

“W-What are you!? What the hell is this? This doesn’t make sense! Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack! Wind Strike, Wind Attack!”

When I was about two meters away, the baldy smiled maliciously.

“Take this! Level 4: Crushing Wind Formation, Dead Pressure!”

Um, I thought he would only use level 2 wind magic? And this is probably the highest level of magic that the baldy can use. Is he trying to kill a student…? Well, I do not need to hold back, either. For now, let’s use defense magic.

“…Output Increase.”

There was no need to cast new defense magic. However, my passive resistance cannot automatically nullify level 4 magic. So, instead of activating new defense magic, I increased the output of the constantly activated defensive technique to counteract the baldy’s level 4 magic.

“This also disappeared…?”

It did not disappear. I made it disappear.

Well, the baldy does not seem to understand what is happening and is panicking hard right now. 

And so, I approached the baldy with my fist raised.

“Hahaha! Too bad! My grandfather was from a samurai family in the East! I have confidence in my unarmed combat skills!”

How much of a dirty person is he?

Or rather, at this point… his thought process is closer to that of an animal than a human. In that case, like training an animal… it is necessary to grasp who is actually in charge accurately.

“My magic seems to have been nullified by a mysterious force, but my physical attacks are real!”

After spitting in my general direction, the baldy came at me with a punch. Along with the saliva, I dodged his right straight widely.

Hmm, he is certainly quite fast. However, he probably cannot even catch Cecilia Nee-san’s shadow. Of course, there was no way he could catch me with just this speed.

“Alright, that’s enough.”

I got behind him and struck him with a chop.

“Gua… agh…!”

It seemed like the baldy had a concussion and collapsed on the spot.

He should now understand that I am not just an ordinary brat. 

While dusting off the dirt off my hands, I was thinking about such things, but at that time, I did not know that our education officer’s thought process was way too unpredictable.

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Chapter 2 Part 5

◆

After finishing dinner, the two of them briefly discussed their future plans. However, the only thing they really talked about was how to use the bathroom.

Basically, Elria took priority in using the bathroom, mainly with the reason of changing clothes and because Reid thought, “You’re shy around people, so you’ll be more relaxed in the bathroom where there isn’t anyone watching.”.

“Okay… I guess that’s all we need to talk about for our daily lives.”

“Yeah, thank you for today.”

After finishing their discussion about the future, Reid flopped onto the bed. They had both already bathed and changed into their sleepwear, so they could go to sleep at any time.

Elria’s memories of Reid were mostly of him in armor, and she had only seen him in his everyday attire at the Caldwen estate, so seeing him in just a shirt and pants for their room wear was quite refreshing.

As Elria gazed absentmindedly at him, she noticed Reid’s gaze was on her.

“Mm… what’s the matter, Reid?”

“Oh, it’s just something that’s been bothering me.”

Hearing that, Elria looked around to check her own appearance, looking down at her calming green-colored dress and the thin cardigan that she wore over it. However, she could not find anything strange.

Noticing Elria’s confusion, Reid pointed out.

“Why have you been holding onto the pillow since earlier?”

“…Just because?”

Holding the pillow with both hands, Elria tilted her head.

“I always hold something when I sleep.”

“Ah, so it helps you sleep better?”

“Yeah. Holding something makes me feel safe.”

On the battlefield, she always slept while hugging her staff, her constant companion, so it had become an unconscious habit to hold something while sleeping.

Even when she spent time in the mansion, she held a stuffed animal while sleeping, but she could not bring it with her this time, so she was using a pillow instead.

However, Reid, who had been watching her, handed her his own pillow.

“In that case, use mine. It’s better to use a proper pillow when sleeping.”

“…But what about you, Reid?”

“I use my arm as a pillow, so having a real pillow actually makes it harder for me to sleep. If it bothers you, I’ll go buy one on my day off, so don’t worry about it.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Smiling, Reid interlocked his hands behind his head.

On the battlefield, he had a rough and uncouth image, but now that they were spending time together, she noticed that he had a surprisingly delicate and considerate side to him. He even suggested the idea of the bathroom after understanding her personality.

She felt a little sorry for making him worry, but she was happy to learn about Reid’s good qualities that she did not know before. If she had the chance, she would secretly brag to someone about it.

“Well, I’m going to sleep now, so I’ll leave the lights to you.”

“Okay, good night.”

After watching Elria wave her hand, Reid closed his eyes quietly. And soon… the sound of him sleeping could be heard. Probably not even a minute had passed.

Reid had slept on the battlefield many times, so his body was capable of sleeping as soon as it demanded rest.

“………”

Elria stared at Reid’s sleeping face for a while.

“………”

She then approached Reid.

Reid was already in a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking up. She leaned in closer than usual and peered at Reid’s sleeping face.

“………~~~~!”

However, her face gradually grew hot, so she pulled back. Feeling guilty for doing something wrong, she slapped her cheeks as a warning.

“But… someday, I have to tell him properly.”

Since the night she talked to Alicia about their engagement, Elria had set one goal for herself. And that is to confess her feelings to Reid. To tell him that she loves him without feeling embarrassed and to look him straight in the eyes.

After Reid had become a mage and achieved the goal of ‘settling the score’ that they made in their previous life, and after finding out the cause of their reincarnation… there would be no reason for him to stay by Elria’s side.

That is why she had to tell him properly. She had to say that she wanted him to stay by her side forever.

However ――

“~~~~!”

Her face grew hot just by looking at him, so Elria shook her head. She hated herself for it, but it was just her nature.

“…Even if it’s just a little bit, it counts in making progress.”

Encouraging herself, Elria clenched her fist tightly.

While having such thoughts, she suddenly remembered something from the past.

Back when magic was not even recognized yet, and Elria was not even called a ‘Sage’.

It was when Elria first met Reid.

“You’re using something incredibly powerful, aren’t you?”

Reid said that with a smile to Elria, who was his enemy.

Even though they were in a position to kill each other as enemies, Reid had an innocent, childlike smile on his face.

Elria had poured her knowledge, wisdom, and painstaking effort into creating magic, a technological skill. However, even her own mother, let alone those around her, dismissed it as something ‘useless’.

Reid was the first person to appreciate her work and praise her for it. He understood her, even though nobody else did, and she fell in love with him unconsciously from that moment on.

That’s why Elria continued to strive for improvement after that. She wanted to be praised with the same words and smile the next time they met.

Thanks to Reid, Elria became known as a ‘Sage’.

A person much like herself but stronger and more amazing than herself. He was the hero who saved Elria from her loneliness.

That’s why ――

“―― Reid is truly amazing.”

While staring at her personal ‘Hero’, Elria smiled and praised him.

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Bonus Story

Bonus Story – The Search for the Lost Kitten

“Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild! What can we do for you today…… ehhhhhHHHHHH!!”

With Lara and Marise, I went to the guild and placed some magic stones we obtained from the <<Treasure Labyrinth>> on the reception desk to find the receptionist’s eyes widened in surprise.

“The stones are not in the best condition, and I know it’s not much, but can we exchange them for money?”

“With this many magic stones, there’s no way you can’t exchange them! I’ll call the Guild Master! Please wait a moment!”

The receptionist hurriedly walked to the back.

“Why was she so surprised about just a few magic stones?”

I asked Marise and Lara next to me.

“There were three hundred magic stones… and all of them were about the size of the palm of your hand, so of course she’s surprised!”

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s why I said we should exchange them a little at a time…”

Marise and Lara spoke to me in a reproachful tone, which was surprising.

── Since then, we’ve been diving into the <<Treasure Labyrinth>> regularly and bringing the items we obtained there to exchange for money at the guild. However, we have only gone as far as the upper floors of the labyrinth.

The magic stones we brought this time did not contain much magic power, but in this world, which has declined over the past thousand years, they were still important.

“Once again, you’ve brought something outrageous.”

After a while, the Guild Master, Angelica, came out from the back and looked at me with a bewitching gaze.

“Can you wait a bit? It’s not easy to exchange so many magic stones for money. I think it’s going to be a huge sum of money.”

“We’re not in a hurry, so it’s okay. Please call us through the academy when it’s ready.”

“Understood.”

Looking at Angelica’s seductive figure, I felt like I was getting caught up in that strange situation again.

I thought of leaving the guild at once, but then ──

“You are searching for a lost kitten…? That’s a problem. At the moment, the guild isn’t accepting that kind of request.”

At the table next to us, I saw another receptionist attending to a client.

Their expression seemed troubled.

“Oh? Are you worried about the lost kitten?”

Perhaps noticing this, Angelica smiled at me as she spoke.

“What’s that…? Doesn’t the guild handle a wide range of tasks from monster hunting to finding lost children?”

“Well, yes. But quests like finding lost kittens have low rewards and can be quite troublesome, so they’re not popular among adventurers. Right now, the guild is busy with quests related to monster subjugation, so they can’t afford to take on those kinds of requests.”

Hmm, even in this era, it seems that no one wants to do mundane jobs.

Looking over to the next table, the client seemed to be quite troubled. It must have been a kitten they had raised with great care.

The client gave detailed characteristics of the cat in order to somehow get the guild to accept the request.

“Kurt…”

Lara looked worried as she glanced at the client, then turned her face towards me. Perhaps she was thinking of helping to search for the lost kitten.

But still… I couldn’t help but be bothered by the words Angelica had spoken earlier. She had mentioned that finding the kitten could be troublesome, but ──

“This kind of request could be completed in a second, though.”

As I spoke, I cast a magic and summoned the lost kitten right in front of the client.

The sudden reunion with the kitten surprised the client, who raised both hands in joy.

“E-Eh? What just happened?”

“Kurt… what did you do again?”

Lara and Marise looked at me in shock.

“It’s nothing, really.”

In that instant, I used detection magic to find all the cats within the Royal Capital, while still in the guild. Then, I found the cat that matched the description and used teleportation magic to bring it here.

“It’s amazing!”

“Really! All the cats in the Royal Capital, you say… Just how extraordinary is your magic?”

However, the reason why I was able to find it so quickly was because the client had described the characteristics of the cat in detail. That was how much the client loved their cat. Therefore, it was resolved so quickly.

── Meow~.

Hm?

“Oh? It seems to have taken a liking to Kurt.”

Before I knew it, the cat had let go of the client’s hand and was rubbing its head against my leg.

Lara squatted down and patted the cat’s head.

“To think it’s taken a liking to me…”

A thousand years ago, even animals wouldn’t come near me because they feared my magic power, let alone monsters.

I scratch my head at this unfamiliar feeling.

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Short Story

Short Story – Childhood Memories

I am Abel, a magician who has been reincarnated in a world two hundred years in the future.

In the previous world where I lived, my amber eyes were a symbol of discrimination. Even during the subjugation of the demon king, I was subjected to prejudice, discrimination, and various forms of persecution.

It’s easy to silence them with force, but that method, similar to a reign of terror, doesn’t solve the problem. That’s why I reincarnated in this world two hundred years later, with the goal of living in peace without being persecuted for the color of my eyes.

Well, life after reincarnation is, for the most part, peaceful. However, it’s impossible to lead a trouble-free life, no matter how much I desire peace. Recently, there has been an annoying guy sticking to me.

“Abel! Let’s play!”

A boy with burnt amber blonde hair and a slightly round face, Ted, bursts into the room with bandages and splints wrapped around his foot. He fell off the roof and got injured. To be honest, I’m partly to blame for the cause of his injury. I used magic to heal him, so he should be able to walk by now. However, his doctor forbade him from strenuous exercise and wrapped his foot with bandages and splints.

“Fine with me. What are we going to do today?”

It would probably clear Ted’s mind a little if he moved his body a bit. And I was thinking of doing some light exercise anyway.

“Oh, I know! Let’s go to the forest behind the mansion today!”

Hmm, the forest. I have never been there before. I’ve been surprised by many unknown cultures since coming to this world, and I haven’t had the opportunity to explore outside the town.

“Okay. Let’s go there.”

“Yay! Let’s get moving then!”

Haa. This guy has completely forgotten that the doctor told him to rest. Although I healed his injury, he still doesn’t listen to others.

“Abel-sama. I think it’s best not to go into the forest today.”

As she says that, Lilith, a beautiful woman with long silver hair, enters the room. She’s the owner of this house and a demon. She wanted to repay me for helping her two hundred years ago, so she has been waiting for me.

“…Any reason for that?”

“There was a report last night that a magical beast appeared in the forest.”

I see. Magical beasts, huh? So even after two hundred years, magical beasts exist in this peaceful era.

“W-What!? A magical beast has appeared!? That’s amazing! I want to see it!”

For some reason, when Ted heard the word ‘magical beast’, his eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Why do you want to see a magical beast?”

“Eh!? Because the magical beasts look so cool!”

They look cool, huh?

When I tilted my head, Lilith cleared her throat and explained.

“Most of the magical beasts were defeated by the heroes a long time ago. Therefore, their numbers have been drastically reduced, and their emergence itself is rare nowadays.”

I see. So that is how it is. Maybe it was because I defeated many of them before my reincarnation. These magical beasts lived in abundance two hundred years ago, but nowadays, they seem to have become a rarity.

“And that’s why, please don’t go outside today. The same goes for Ted-sama.”

“Ehhh. If Lilith says so, it can’t be helped.”

said Ted with a reluctant look on his face and left.

After Lilith closed the door, I spoke up.

“But why am I not allowed to go outside, too? Do you think that I would lose to a magical beast?”

I asked in a low voice.

If that were the case, even though I had taken on a younger form, I would be offended.

“I swear that’s not the case, Abel-sama. Currently, in this world, there are very few people who can defeat magical beasts.”

I nodded in understanding. 

The quality of magicians in this world has somehow declined tremendously.

Maybe it is because there are no more wars with the demons, or maybe it is because the technology of magic tools has developed, but for some reason, most of the magic records of the world I was in before have been lost.

Anyway, the level of magic in this world is at its lowest. But magic is effective against the magical beasts.

I see. So that is why it must be hard for people to deal with magical beasts nowadays.

“In short, if I defeat the magical beasts, I’ll stand out too much, won’t I?”

“That’s right. The soldiers from the Royal Capital will arrive tonight, and they will start repelling the magical beasts from tomorrow.”

Repel? Not subjugation, but to repel?

I sighed at the level of the magicians who could only do that.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to fight a magical beast, too.”

“I would have loved to see Abel-sama’s majestic figure, but let’s wait and see what happens this time.”

said Lilith with a smile on her face. 

Yeah, I might as well.

I nodded and looked out the window towards the ridge line.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

On that night, Langobalt’s territory was a little lively.

It wasn’t the kind of liveliness that you would expect on a festival day, but rather a sense of excitement that comes before a battle, which I know all too well.

Through the window, I could see soldiers making camps. They seem restless and are chatting with their comrades.

To me, most of the magical beasts are not worth mentioning. However, in this world, they are a considerable threat.

They engage in meaningless conversations to hide their fear and tension of possibly losing their lives in battle.

Soldiers from any era are the same.

While feeling nostalgic, I let out a sigh.

The magical beast that appeared today is Kamui, a bear-type magical beast. It is a low-level magical beast that is extremely weak against fire and will flee quickly when fire magic is cast. Even today’s magicians could repel it without much difficulty.

As I started to feel thirsty, I moved to the first floor.

Lilith is not at home today. She is personally guarding people in the town to prevent any harm from coming to them. She has always been too kind-hearted.

While I was brewing tea, someone knocked on the door. I wonder who it could be.

“I’m sorry. Could you open the door?”

I recognize the low voice of the man. I furrow my brows before opening the door.

“Is Lilith here?”

A muscular, stern-looking middle-aged man with a burnt amber-colored beard that resembles a lion’s, a pair of stunningly beautiful burning eyes that sparkle like polished jewels, and high-quality clothes befitting that of a noble appeared.

He is Ted’s father and the lord of Langobalt’s territory, Evans.

“Lilith is currently outside.”

“I see, Abel-sama. Sorry to bother you, but have you seen Ted?”

Hmm. He looks troubled. After the incident with Ted’s older brother, Bass, I have been treated well by Evans.

“No, I haven’t seen him. May I know what happened?”

Evans nodded with shortness of breath.

“Ted is not in the mansion.”

“Could it be…?”

“Yeah. Ted might have gone to see the magical beast. If Lilith isn’t here, there’s nothing we can do. I’ll request reinforcements from the soldiers.” 

Evans bowed and closed the door.

Ted went to see the magical beast, huh? He did seem interested in it. But the magical beast is a wild beast. A child like him could get killed.

I went back to the second floor.

Even without him, I will be just fine. In fact, he’s been bothering me every day and cutting into my reading time, but… Well, losing a convenient workout partner would be to my detriment.

And if the lord’s son were killed, that would be troublesome, too.

After putting on my coat and wrapping a muffler around my neck, I opened the second-floor window and activated body strengthening magic.

This allowed even a young body to gain extraordinary physical strength. I then leaped toward the ironically beautiful starry sky.

Standing on the roof of a house, I looked at the forest. Every time the wind blew, the night forest rippled like the sea.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

Rejecting even the moonlight, the night forest was engulfed in darkness like spilled ink.

That said, there was no need to wander around the forest aimlessly.

Body strengthening magic has different applications. It is strengthened by concentrating magic power on specific parts of the body. For example, by concentrating magic power in the eyes, it is possible to enhance one’s vision like binoculars.

<<Body Strengthening Magic ―― Vision Enhancement, Night Vision>>

If the enhancement is further refined, it is possible to detect hidden magical beasts and humans through their body heat.

I found a small heat source. It belongs to Ted. There is another large heat source nearby. It probably belongs to the magical beast. I deactivated my vision enhancement and jumped into the forest.

“Ted.”

“A-Abel!”

Ted was squatting and crying. He looked a little depressed.

I see. He must have gotten lost, not knowing where to go after injuring his leg from a fall. There were scratches but no traces of being attacked by a magical beast.

“For now, let’s go back.”

“Okay.”

Ted wiped away his tears as he stood up. At the same time, the sound of broken trees was heard.

Good grief. It has to show up at the worst possible timing.

In an instant, the monster known as Kamui, resembling a pure white bear, broke through the trees.

The biggest difference between it and a normal bear was the third arm on its back, which looked like a scorpion’s tail. Although it’s not poisonous, that long arm has enough strength to blow away an adult easily.

“Wow! I-It’s a magical beast!”

“Don’t shout too much. It will get agitated.”

Well, it’s already agitated.

Kamui lay down on all fours and charged straight ahead at us.

I held Ted and jumped to the side, narrowly dodging Kamui’s third arm.

“A-Amazing! That’s so amazing!!”

“Ted, please be quiet for a moment.”

Kamui stood up and thrashed around with its strong arm, causing the ground to be gouged and trees to fall from their roots. Of course, its slow attack would never hit me.

I then circled behind Kamui.

“Double・Fireball!”

I deliberately aim my attack to the left and right of Kamui. With its surrounding area lit up, I could tell that Kamui flinched in fear.

“Let’s stop here. If we continue fighting, I’ll have to eliminate you seriously.”

Kamui’s eyes met mine.

It is impossible for a wild beast to understand words, even if it is a magical beast. However, because it is a beast, it should be able to tell the difference in our strength.

Kamui then growled in response.

Hmm. This is a little surprising. Is it still going to fight? As a beast, its own life should be the most important.

I observed Kamui and discovered something. An arrow was stuck in it. A fox hunting arrow with a decoration attached was lodged in its thick hind leg. I see. So that’s why it was so agitated.

I let go of Ted and slowly approached Kamui. It was making threatening noises, but I didn’t avert my gaze because a beast might do something unexpected when you look away.

“It’s okay. I am not going to eliminate you. I just need to get a little closer.”

I slowly approached Kamui. 

“A-Abel!”

Ted’s voice made Kamui flinch. I sent a look to Kamui, assuring it that there was nothing to fear.

“Ted, just stay right there and be quiet.”

I touched Kamui’s body, and it continued to growl. Normally, I would have been bitten at any moment. Well, even if I were bitten, I don’t think it could break my body strengthening magic.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. I’ll apply healing magic now.”

The magic syntax flows into Kamui’s body. Then, I numb the leg where the arrow was pierced and remove the arrow. Blood flowed out, but I immediately stopped the bleeding with healing magic. The treatment was finished in a matter of seconds.

“How’s that? It doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

Well, the result is somewhat apparent. Kamui stopped growling. Instead, it rubbed its nose against me.

“Is this your way of thanking me? You don’t have to worry about it.”

I lightly stroked its forehead. Kamui let out a small voice, then got up and slowly entered the forest’s depths.

After seeing it off, I turned to Ted.

“All right. Let’s go back, Ted.”

Ted looks at me with his mouth open in a daze. Seriously, what is wrong with him?

With these thoughts in mind, I carried Ted on my back and descended the mountain.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

The next day after the incident with the magical beast, I met with Lilith and Evans after coming down from the mountain.

After explaining the situation, Evans widened his eyes in surprise and suggested we hold a commendation ceremony in the town. However, I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself and explained that to Evans. He agreed, saying that they would handle the aftermath properly.

I closed my book while yawning. I was feeling a bit sleepy today. Perhaps my young body didn’t have enough magic power. After all, activating healing magic consumes quite a bit of magic power. I used a lot of magic power to heal Kamui, whose body is twice as big as a human’s.

Suddenly, the door was opened with great force again today. Honestly, I wish he would open it quietly. However, Ted looked different than usual today.

“Hey, Abel. About yesterday… thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I only acted based on my own convenience.”

As I shifted my gaze back to the pages of my book, Ted leaned over and looked at me with a smug smile.

“Hey! Abel! As a reward for yesterday, I’ll let you teach me magic personally!”

“Hmm?”

What is he talking about? Why do I have to teach Ted magic? I don’t see any merits for myself. It seems like a punishment to me.

“No thanks. It’s too much trouble.”

“Whaaaat? W-Why not!? I’m personally asking you to teach me, you know!?”

“I don’t want to. If you understand, then go somewhere else.”

I kicked Ted out of my room and locked the door quickly.

“Wait, Abel. Wait a minute! Teach me magic, pleaseeeee!!”

From that day on, Ted started begging me to teach him magic. At first, I refused, but eventually, I got tired of saying no and found myself teaching him magic without realizing it.

And that’s how Ted ended up becoming my apprentice, although that’s a story for another day.

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Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Announcement of Successful Examinees

The day after the tumultuous entrance exam, we spent the night at a nearby inn and decided to go see the announcement of successful examinees.

That said, I didn’t have to do anything. The announcement at the Arthurian Magic Academy was in the form of representatives from each household going to the reception desk to receive an envelope containing their pass or fail notice. In other words, I just had to wait for Ted’s report while drinking coffee at a nearby café.

“Master! Sorry to keep you waiting!”

With a thud, Ted, a slightly shorter boy with burnt amber blonde hair than me, entered the café.

“Please take a look! I passed the exam! What do you think!? I did my best, you know!?”

said Ted, holding out a piece of paper with ‘Passed’ written in large red letters.

Haa. He’s such a noisy guy. He’s so uncouth even though I was enjoying the taste of coffee in the city.

In the era two hundred years ago, coffee was called ‘the demon’s drink’ and was only enjoyed by a few enthusiasts. However, in modern times, it seems to have completely permeated society.

“Hehehe! You also want to check your results, right, Master?”

While peeking at my facial expression, Ted said with a grin.

“There’s no need for that. I probably passed anyway.”

“Eh?”

To Ted, who had a look of confusion, I explained part of my reasoning.

“It’s a simple trick. The seal has been opened, albeit slightly. Considering your personality, you wouldn’t have bothered to ask that question if I had failed.”

“Ugh. A-As expected of Master. You see through everything, as always…”

Good grief. You’re two hundred years too early to try to outmaneuver me.

Ted seemed upset that I had hit the bull’s eye.

“So, Ted. Who’s that customer over there?”

It is something that I have been wondering about for a while now.

At the same time that Ted entered, there was an impudent person who sneaked into the café and eavesdropped on our conversation.

The person seems to think they have hidden themselves well, but I could see some of their hair bouncing off the top of the sofa. With the distinctive scarlet hair, I suppose it’s not suitable for covert operations.

“Um, well, you see…”

Ted avoids my gaze as if it’s difficult to answer.

I see. Based on my assessment, Ted seems to have noticed her presence but intentionally acted as if he didn’t notice.

Well, that’s understandable. Nothing is more awkward than pointing out to someone who thinks they’ve successfully tailed someone, ‘I can see you, you know?’.

“Oh, you’re the one from back then!”

With a theatrical voice, a familiar face peeks out.

‘W-What a coincidence to meet again in a place like this. I love the cupcakes here.”

Haa. Could she not think of a better excuse? I checked the menu a while ago but could not find anything like cupcakes anywhere.

“Drop the act. What do you want from me?”

Needless to say, Eliza’s ancestor, who is the Hero of the Fire, Maria, and I was friends two hundred years ago. And that is why I want to build a friendly relationship with Eliza, too. However, it is a different story when the other side is hostile. If she is persistently sniffing around us, I will have no choice but to be cold with her.

“I-It’s nothing like that…”

When I pursued the matter, Eliza started to interlock her fingers restlessly.

“I was curious about which class you are in.”

“…What do you mean?”

“B-Because… you’re one of the few people I know. So I thought I’d gather as much information about the academy as possible before entering…”

Hm? What is she talking about? What can she get by knowing about my class? I don’t think it’s worth risking anything to obtain such information.

However, when a person lies, there’s usually some sign that appears, but I don’t see any of that from her right now.

“Master, she’s going to find out sooner or later anyway. So why don’t we just tell her now?”

“Yeah. I don’t mind at all.”

“Master and I are in the same Class A. It would be nice if Eliza-san were in the same class, too.”

Even Ted started saying incomprehensible things. Is there any advantage for the three of us being in the same class? It is just going to be noisy, and I will not be able to concentrate on my own studies.

“So! You’re in Class A, huh…! Alright, then!”

After hearing that, Eliza left the café with a spring in her step.

Good grief. In the end, what did Eliza want? The expression on her face as she left looked energetic as if she had something to be happy about.

“It’s going to get busy from here on out!”

“We’ve got to start preparing to move first.”

The Arthurian Magic Academy has a dormitory. It is not realistic to commute from the house to the Royal Capital by horse-drawn carriage, so it is inevitable that we have to use the student dormitory.

“Come to think of it. Master lives with Lilith, right? Is it okay for you two to be separated from each other?”

“I don’t know. But I’m sure she’s got it all worked out.”

I wonder why.

I had no particular reason to believe this, but I was absolutely certain that it would happen.

“As expected of Abel-sama. You understand me very well.”

As I was thinking about this, Lilith suddenly appeared before us.

“L-Lilith-san!? Why are you here!?”

Seeing Lilith appear in front of us while concealing her presence, Ted seemed to be in a complete panic.

“So, what’s with your outfit?”

When I asked, Lilith raised the rims of her glasses as if to say, ‘I’ve been waiting for this.’.

“Yes. I have a report for Abel-sama. As of today, I’ve been hired as a teacher at Arthurian Magic Academy. Therefore, I have made a change to my appearance.”

Haa. That is what I thought.

Lilith’s outfit today is certainly somewhat intellectual and teacher-like.

It’s frustrating that she looks good no matter what she wears because she is good-looking, to begin with.

“EEEHHHHH!? At this timing!? So conveniently!? What kind of magic trick did you use!?”

Unable to accept the reality of the situation, Ted seemed to be in disbelief.

There is nothing to be surprised about. If Lilith feels like it, she could easily manipulate the hiring process at the Magic Academy. After all, she has lived a longer life than most people.

“From now on, I will support Abel-sama’s life as a housemaid-turned-Magic Academy teacher.”

said Lilith with a big smile on her face, as if it were their first reunion.

Good grief. It seems that my daily life surrounded by noisy companions will continue for a while longer.

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Chapter 9 Part 2

～～～～～～～～～～～～

The situation has turned for the worse.

Until now, the entrance exam had been proceeding smoothly without any major problems, but at the very end, a big hurdle awaited me.

Somehow, I ended up in a duel with the feisty Eliza.

“Now, draw your weapon! I’ll defeat you with my magic!”

Good grief. What an impatient girl.

Standing before me, Eliza picked up her weapon and seemed to have entered a fighting stance.

“Sorry, but I won’t be using any weapons. I’m not very good at fighting with a magic tool.”

“Heh. Any special reasons for that?”

I don’t really have one. For me, it is faster to construct magic from scratch rather than depending on a magic tool. My fighting style is not the emotionalism represented by ‘obsession’, but is the result of my pursuit of rationality. Of course, people would not believe me even if I told them that.

“I can’t tell you the reason. But I can assure you that I will not disappoint you.”

Perhaps my words pleased Eliza, as she showed a slight grin.

“So, you prefer the old-fashioned way of fighting. But well, I don’t hate that either.”

With a fearless smile, Eliza draws her sword.

*Whoosh*

The next moment, she charged straight at me like a bouncing rubber.

I see. She is truly fast.

Even in this world where magic has declined, there are still people of this caliber left. It’s a little surprising. However, naturally, for me, stopping Eliza’s sword strike is the same as killing a fly.

After stifling a yawn, I decided to get behind Eliza.

“WHA ―― !?”

Eliza’s expression twisted in shock as I took her by surprise. However, she was still able to keep up the pace.

She is truly outstanding. If she had to stop every time she is surprised by her opponent’s actions in the middle of a battle, there would be no end to it.

“Flame Edge!”

In response to that, Eliza immediately casts magic with her magic tool as she turns around.

Flame Edge is the same basic fire attribute magic as Fireball, but with an additional syntax of ‘Sharpness Enhancement’. For me, it is the most basic magic among all the tens of thousands of magic I have made.

Let’s see… Avoiding her attacks is easy, but repeating the same thing is just boring.

“Flame Edge!”

Compared to Eliza’s magic, I decided to activate the same magic with twice the power, perfectly timed to counter her attack.

“EH ―― !?”

Eliza, who was overwhelmed by the counterattack at an incredible speed, had a look of despair on her face.

*Bang!*

*Zagagaga!*

With the sound of air combustion, my Flame Edge engulfed Eliza’s magic. For a moment, the sound of an explosion erupted.

It seemed that Eliza managed to avoid the attack somehow, but the ground was cratered by my magic.

Hmm, maybe I went a little too far.

It is easy to break Eliza’s spirit by demonstrating the difference in our abilities but ending the match too quickly is not very interesting.

In this kind of mock battle, the elegant way of winning is to draw out the opponent’s full potential and win.

“TAKE THIS!!”

However, it seems that I underestimated Eliza’s abilities a little.

Even in the face of an overwhelming difference in our abilities, Eliza did not flinch. She disappeared into the smoke, waiting for the perfect chance to strike back.

“That’s a good one, commoner! If you want to catch my attention, become stronger than anyone else. I am not interested in anyone but the strong.”

At that moment, I remembered the words that Eliza had said to me when we first met.

I see. It seems that Eliza’s respect for the strong is genuine.

Even in a situation where one would feel despair, Eliza seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

Good grief. It seems that I have also been caught up a little in her enthusiasm. It’s been a while since I’ve found fighting against others to be interesting, even if it’s only a little bit.

However, deliberately holding back and prolonging the fight against an opponent who is seriously coming at you is also in poor taste.

“The plan isn’t bad, but you met the wrong opponent.”

“WHA ―― !?”

I avoided Eliza’s attack and quickly constructed a magic syntax.

The next magic I chose was the intermediate magic I had been using for the longest time in actual combat.

“Burning Bullets!”

From what I have seen so far, I have a rough understanding of Eliza’s abilities. She probably won’t be able to avoid the next attack at this range.

Although I adjusted the power to the extent that it wouldn’t kill her, even with the barrier magic, continuing the fight would be difficult if she were to take this attack head-on.

This should be the end. Goodbye.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

In the midst of pressure that could cause her to lose consciousness at any moment, Eliza was swinging her sword mindlessly.

(This guy…! Is strong…!)

That was Eliza’s honest impression of Abel.

Firstly, his speed for constructing magic was abnormal. At first, she thought he might be hiding some magic tool, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. He was fighting completely barehanded. It was truly unbelievable.

Being able to construct magic quickly was the biggest advantage of magic tools. But with this, she was losing sight of why she was using magic tools.

Next was the extraordinary power of his magic. Normally, when the power of magic is increased, the amount of information that needs to be processed also increases, making it more prone to defects.

But in this person’s case, no matter how much he increased his power, the quality of his magic was impeccable. It was too strong, to the point that it didn’t make sense.

However, the overwhelming difference in their abilities has ignited the fighting spirit within Eliza. Gradually, she began to enjoy the hopeless situation she was in.

“Burning Bullets!” 

At that moment, a total of 12 Fireballs appeared in front of Eliza. She intuitively understood that he was trying to put an end to this battle. The energy contained in each of the Fireballs is incredible. It would be a tremendous feat for an ordinary magician to produce even one Fireball of this magnitude.

On the other hand, Abel showed no sign of using his full power and still seemed to have plenty of energy left. That’s why it’s terrifying.

(…It seems that I have no choice but to stop holding back.)

This attack is completely impossible to avoid. However, if she tried to take the attack head-on, even her consciousness could be blown away along with the barrier magic she had on her.

After much deliberation, Eliza chose the third option, which she had intentionally kept sealed until now.

The Forbidden Technique ―― <<Rose Madder Sky>>.

It is the ultimate technique inherited from her ancestors after enduring rigorous training.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

*Zagagaga!*

*Dodododoooooon!*

A massive explosion occurred due to my <<Burning Bullets>>, and smoke rose up with a deafening sound.

Hm, I’m a bit surprised.

It seems that even after taking that magic, Eliza is still unharmed.

As the flames weakened, the field of view opened up. Immediately afterward, I saw Eliza’s silhouette crouched in the white smoke.

“Hey! Are you okay!?”

The examiner, who was worried about Eliza, rushed over.

“Your barrier magic is destroyed! Please abstain now!”

“No. Not yet.”

Eliza, who was acting stout-heartedly, took one look at the examiner who had rushed to her aid.

Seeing her determination, the examiner couldn’t help but shake his shoulders.

“I have certainly lost the match. However, we are still in the middle of a personal duel.”

She’s an incredibly sore loser. It’s enough to make me laugh.

Needless to say, the rule for this mock battle was ‘whoever’s barrier magic is destroyed first loses’. However, the situation would be different if this were a ‘personal duel’ unrelated to the exam. The match would continue until one of us was incapacitated. In other words, Eliza abandoned the match and came to win in the ‘rules of her own making’.

“I… I will prove that I am stronger than anyone else…!”

Using the magic tool in her hand like a cane, Eliza stood up.

The damage from the previous magic must still remain. Her steps are so weak and feeble that they seem painful to watch.

“Can I ask you one question? Why are you so obsessed with ‘strength’ in this peaceful world?”

In the era two hundred years ago where I lived, such a strong-willed girl like Eliza would not have been rare, but in this era, it is unusual.

The rich kid of nobility (older brother), Bass, once said, ‘In this peaceful era, we can live happily even without using magic’.

“The word ‘peace’ is nothing but a lie.”

Eliza muttered, as if spilling water.

“A time of peace… a hundred years without conflict…. is that really true? The neighboring Kingdom Kurdrhea is steadily strengthening its military in preparation for a great war that may happen someday. Besides, are the demons really extinct? A few years ago, there was an incident involving the demons. However, the public is not informed of it. Just so they could protect the word ‘peace’.”

Perhaps fueled by the overflowing words, Eliza’s eyes gradually regained their strength.

“Will there be no war because of international treaties? The demon king’s soul has perished, so it will never be resurrected again? Who decided that!? I absolutely don’t want to sit on the sidelines of a false peace!”

I see. There’s some truth to this girl’s words.

It’s true that we are currently in a peaceful era, but not all threats have completely disappeared. The seeds of war are steadily taking root all over the world.

If a full-scale war were to break out against the demons, the weak magicians of this era would surely be swept away.

“That’s why I will become stronger! And I will definitely rebuild the house that raised me!”

said Eliza, her eyes slightly teary.

To rebuild the house that raised her, huh?

Perhaps the old ways taught by Eliza’s family were no longer relevant in modern times. Those who say ‘prepare for war’ in this peaceful era are simply dangerous individuals.

Alas, that is the sad truth. Humans have a tendency to recognize those with different opinions as enemies. That is why Eliza’s family could not keep up with modern values and fell.

“Forbidden Technique ―― <<Rose Madder Sky>>!”

The next moment, Eliza shouted loudly, and magic circles appeared around her body.

Is that a kind of body strengthening magic? I immediately began analyzing it.

It’s a complex magic circle. Indeed, this magic seems to exceed the level of a student.

“<<Physical Flare>>!”

Ah, I see. I’m a little surprised. So, ‘that woman’ left behind this magic two hundred years in the future?

I can imagine the kind of family environment Eliza grew up in from this magic.

Various questions were answered at the same time, and I felt relieved.

Perhaps the reason why Eliza was able to withstand my ‘Burning Bullets’ earlier was because she was clad in this flame armor on the spur of the moment.

“Brace yourself! I’m completely different now!”

Hmm. It certainly is a good sight to behold in its own way. Although she has a sharp tongue, Eliza is quite good-looking.

In front of me is a girl clad in flame armor. Everyone present seemed utterly captivated in the face of its divine appearance.

A moment later, two wings sprout out from the flame armor, propelling Eliza high into the sky.

“I-I can’t believe it! She’s flying!”

“Flight magic!? Wasn’t that just a myth!?”

Everyone is in uproar as they watch Eliza fly through the air.

Certainly, ‘Flight Magic’ requires a certain skill level as a magician. Not many people could handle this magic even two hundred years ago.

This is because constructing ‘Flight Magic’ requires the ability to handle multiple attribute magic in a well-balanced manner.

It might be possible for someone like me with amber eyes, but for a magician like Eliza with the <<Burning Eyes>> to handle ‘Flight Magic’, it would require an effort that would make blood spill.

“I bet you have never seen this magic before ―― !”

That is not true. For me, that magic is something I’ve grown tired of seeing.

I never expected that the unique magic that existed two hundred years ago would be passed down in exactly the same form.

Perhaps Eliza’s family, for generations, have all been ridiculously serious.

“―― Analysis complete. <<Dispel Magic>>.”

It goes without saying that the fact that I’ve seen that magic many times before means that I can use <<Dispel Magic>> to analyze and nullify my opponent’s magic. When facing magic that has already been analyzed, it can display unparalleled convenience.

*Crack!*

A sound like shattering glass echoed.

Eliza’s technique and her flame armor shattered into pieces.

“Eh? Eehhh? EEEEHHHHHHH!?”

Eliza, who had become an ungraceful mess with her wings torn in mid-air, screamed while holding her skirt down to prevent them from being rolled up.

Good grief. She is like a helpless princess.

I predict the falling point and successfully catch Eliza’s body.

“You must be a descendant of the Hero of Fire, Maria.”

“―――― !?”

Hearing that, Eliza looked shaken, as if to say, ‘What’s going on here?’.

“You’re pretty good, just like that muscle-brained woman. Keep up the good work.”

Haa. Is this girl really the same age as us? I feel like she may already weigh more than Lilith at this point. Unfortunately, I have no obligation to give her a princess carry.

*Rumble Rumble*

I let go of Eliza, and she messily rolled onto the ground.

“The winner is examinee number 27, Abel-kun!”

The examiner who had been watching our match declared my victory.

At that moment, everyone erupted in cheers, like a bomb had dropped.

Haa. It seems that Eliza’s ancestors have inherited the magic developed by Maria perfectly, thank goodness.

Originally, <<Rose Madder Sky>> is a magic that significantly enhances combat ability by burning the caster’s own life force. If the battle had dragged on, it could have caused fatal after-effects on the caster’s body.

“What’s going on…? What the hell is he…?”

To Eliza, my existence must seem quite mysterious.

As she lay on the ground and looked up at the sky, she wore a dumbfounded expression.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

The time had advanced about three hours since Abel and the others took the entrance exam.

“This year’s examinees are quite interesting.”

This is the staff room of the Arthurian Magic Academy.

As usual, the staff room is abuzz with talk about this year’s examinees.

“Oh, you must be talking about the G3, right?”

“What’s G3?”

“The Genius Three. It means three geniuses. Everyone’s talking about them, that there are three geniuses in this year’s examinees.”

Among the staff, the names of Ted, Eliza, and Abel had become a hot topic. The three stood out among the more than two hundred examinees and had become the focus of attention from the teachers who served as examiners.

“Heh. This is a good opportunity. Hopefully, this will raise the level of our students a little…”

“Absolutely. I hope we can make it to the top three in this year’s inter-school competition…”

The Arthurian Magic Academy was once known as the top Magic Academy in the country, but that was in the past. In fact, the recent results of inter-school competitions had been declining, and the academy’s former glory was fading.

“…What G3? That’s just nonsense.”

There was one man who spewed venom as if to throw cold water on the conversation among the teachers. His name is Emerson. He is a slender teacher with curly hair and round glasses. 

Emerson, who could express his own opinions without being swayed by others, is known as the ‘eccentric teacher’.

“There is only one true genius, and that’s Abel-kun.”

said Emerson with a clear and confident look on his face.

“When you say Abel, you mean the commoner with amber eyes, right? His magic abilities are certainly formidable, but…”

“If we’re just talking about sheer ability, Eliza-san is not inferior either.”

“………”

Emerson, who had overheard the teachers’ evaluation, sighed with a look of disbelief.

The future looked bleak with the teachers responsible for training future magicians acting like this.

Emerson, who is currently grading Abel’s answer sheets, shuddered as he realized the extraordinary ability that Abel possessed.

(What a surprise! I never thought a student could solve the ‘Final Theorem of Depolnix’ perfectly…!)

In fact, the ‘Final Theorem of Depolnix’ that Abel solved was an extremely difficult question that most of the existing magic researchers don’t even understand.

The reason why the question was used in the students’ exam was mainly due to Emerson’s mischievous spirit.

Of course, Emerson, the questioner himself, did not expect anyone to answer correctly.

(No, this is not just perfect. It is more than perfect…!!)

Upon closer inspection, Abel’s solution was not just simply imitating the existing ‘Final Theorem of Depolnix’.

Compared to the usual Depolnix, it was a solution with improvements everywhere.

If this fact were made public, it would be a feat worthy of national recognition.

“Hohoho. It seems like there’s a lot of excitement around the topic of this year’s examinees.”

“““H-Headmaster!?”””

An old man steps into the noisy staff room.

His name is Mikhail, the academy’s headmaster, and he was renowned as the greatest magician in the kingdom in his younger days.

Mikhail was not only an excellent magician but also possessed the ‘Hero’s lineage’ and is the academy’s symbol. He also had a strong influence both inside and outside the country.

“He’s truly amazing!!”

“Hohoho. To have the brilliant Emerson-sensei praise him that much… It seems that the student you were speaking of has great talent.”

Emerson is one of the most accomplished magicians in the Arthurian Magic Academy.

Even though he is still young, he has acquired several patents in the field of magic tool development and is well respected by the teachers around him.

“Yeah. His name is Abel, a magician with amber eyes. He will become the best magician to lead this country in the future. I guarantee it!”

“EHH ―― !?”

The headmaster, Mikhail, was shocked when he heard Emerson’s words.

“H-Headmaster!? Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry, Emerson-sensei, but could you please tell me his name again?”

“Yes! It’s Abel. Abel-kun! He’s the most brilliant genius in the academy’s history, with perfect scores in both the written and practical exams!”

“………”

Mikhail was holding his head in his hands. And that is because he is the only one in the staff room who recognized the name ‘Abel’.

“Um, perhaps the headmaster knew Abel-kun?”

“No, that’s not the case… I’m sorry, Emerson-sensei, but could you tell me more about him in detail?”

If this was a bad dream, Mikhail wanted to wake up from it. With a bad feeling, Mikhail tried to extract as much information as possible about Abel from the teachers.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

In the darkness where nothing could be seen ahead, the only reliance was the light from the lamp in hand.

Mikhail headed towards a staircase that led to the basement of the academy.

(Abel… That Abel!? No way. It can’t be…!!)

He shifted his gaze to the stone statue of a knight holding a sword placed in the underground passage. Tracing his finger over the crest on the hilt, the stone statue moved to the left, revealing a hidden door.

What was hidden behind the door was the headmaster’s office, which only a limited number of people in the Arthurian Magic Academy could enter.

“Let’s see… I’m sure I kept it around here somewhere…”

Mikhail opened the locked wooden desk drawer and took out a carefully wrapped envelope.

Inside the envelope was a worn-out letter that had been discolored by the sun and the passages of time.

“To my descendants,

Listen well. I’ll tell you the truth about this world.

People call us, the four magicians of Fire, Wind, Water, and Gray, including myself, the ‘Four Great Sages’ who defeated the Demon King.

However, that’s not the truth.

The only one who actually defeated the Demon King was an amber-eyed magician called Abel.

The four of us were powerless in the face of the Demon King.

In fact, Abel defeated the Demon King all by himself.

This is the truth buried in the darkness of history.

That’s why, don’t ever get carried away when people call you the ‘Descendant of the Hero’.

The only true hero was Abel.

Keep that in mind.

Sincerely,

Roy,

Hero of the Wind.”

Mikhail’s hands trembled as he reread the letter.

There was a story that his grandfather, who passed away long ago, had often told him until it was ingrained in his memory.

―― Among the ‘Four Great Sages’, there was a ‘Lost Fifth Person’.

It is said that because that man had the same amber eyes as the demons, he was severely persecuted by the world, and despite his overwhelming power, his name did not remain in the annals of history.

Even the hero, Roy, who continued to leave behind brilliant achievements even after the defeat of the Demon King, apparently remained concerned about Abel’s whereabouts in his later years.

“Haa. Can I really regard this as a coincidence?”

Of course, dismissing it as a story from over two hundred years ago is easy.

No matter how great a magician one may be, living for over two hundred years into the future is impossible.

That’s right. It would be impossible for the Abel that Hero Roy spoke of and the Abel being discussed in the staff room to be the same person.

However, for some reason, Mikhail, who had lived for years as a descendant of the hero, is filled with a vague sense of unease from his experiences.

“I need to investigate and determine whether this boy’s abilities are genuine…”

Mikhail muttered solemnly and sat down in the armchair in front of the desk, adjusting his white beard under his chin.

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Chapter 9 Part 1

Chapter 9 – Final Exam

After having successfully completed the ‘Power Test’ exam, we moved to another hall to take the next exam.

“Master! I did great, didn’t I!? I got the same Grade A as Master!”

‘Grade A’. There was no higher grade than that, but it was still sad that Ted and I were grouped together.

“Oh! It looks like the waiting room for examinees who received a ‘Grade A’ is behind this door.”

Ted had been emphasizing the ‘Grade A’ since earlier. Perhaps he was so happy to have been recognized in the practical exam.

With a click, I turned the doorknob and opened the door.

Inside, there were a little more than twenty people. They were mostly nobles and seemed to know each other from before. Even though we were still in the middle of the exam, they appeared relaxed, chatting with each other.

However, as soon as they made eye contact with me, the examinees fell silent and looked awkwardly away.

Hm? What is this all about?

“Perhaps… it’s because rumors about Master destroying the dark matter have spread.”

“I see.”

It was uncomfortable, but there was nothing to worry about. And so, I sat down on a chair and let out a small sigh.

Most of the examinees gathered in this hall were probably prideful elite nobles. Some may have felt frustrated for losing to a commoner, while others may have thought that commoners were bothersome. And then, there were those who probably thought that there was no way they could lose.

“Hey, you.”

A girl approached me.

It was the same girl with scarlet hair that I had seen in front of the school gate. Seeing that it was her, I let out a small sigh and remained silent, avoiding eye contact.

“Hey! What’s with that attitude!? I went out of my way to talk to you, so look at me!”

“Good grief. As a commoner, I’m not good at flattery, so I’m just trying to remain silent.”

I didn’t really hold a grudge, but I didn’t want to get involved in any trouble either. If ignoring her would prevent me from having anything to do with the scarlet-haired girl, then that would be for the best.

“That’s very thoughtful of you. But let me clarify for the sake of my reputation. I’m not someone who upholds noble principles. I just happen to hate weaklings.”

said Eliza, puffing out her ample chest, which was disproportionate to her age.

I see.

Come to think of it. This girl has said before, ‘I’m not interested in anyone but the strong.’.

Although there are excellent magicians from commoner backgrounds, the ratio is still relatively low compared to nobles. And that’s why, in this girl’s mind, ‘I’m not interested in anyone but the strong’ and ‘I hate commoners’, are probably similar but different.

“I see. That’s good.”

I flipped through the pages of the book in my hand and exuded an atmosphere as if I were ignoring Eliza.

“Anyway! Is it true that you smashed a dark matter target to pieces in the practical exam?”

“………”

The girl, who introduced herself as Eliza, sat beside me without hesitation and asked her question immediately.

“Well, I wonder.”

“How did you construct the magic? What is the additional syntax? In the first place, I heard that amber-eyed magicians could not handle magic. So, is there some kind of attribute that you are good at? Did you perhaps train under a famous magician?”

Good grief.

It seems that this girl, Eliza, is not the type to read the atmosphere around her, especially when it comes to magic, her eyes suddenly light up. Of course, I could answer her questions, but personally, I’m not very enthusiastic about it. Above all, I dislike troublesome things. I have a feeling that getting involved with her here could lead to more trouble later on.

But luckily, the heavens were on my side.

“Everyone, please be seated. I will now explain the rules for the final exam.”

A female teacher who seemed to be in charge of this exam came into the waiting room through the door.

Her eyes were gray.

Seeing that she is wearing a white coat indicates that she is a healer magician.

“That’s too bad. I guess we’ll have to continue our conversation some other time.”

“Hmph. Well, that’s fine. Trying to dodge the questions is pointless. After all, everything will become clear with the results of this exam.”

After leaving behind some meaningful words, Eliza returns to the seat where she originally sat.

Hm? What is she talking about?

Apparently, Eliza knew the contents of the exam that the academy had prepared beforehand. The meaning of her words became clear as the contents of the final exam were explained.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

The examiner in a white coat began writing the explanation of the final exam on the blackboard.

―― The nobles have fought for various things since ancient times. It can be anything from a woman, territory, or even their own lives. This was also the case during the war against the demons. I remember how often the nobles fought among themselves over things. Whenever such disputes occurred among the nobles, they often resorted to a tradition called ‘duel’.

“The final exam is a practical exam that simulates a duel. But please keep in mind that the result of this duel will greatly affect your final result.”

Despite the upcoming duel, the atmosphere in the hall was quieter than expected.

I see.

The content of this final exam seems to have not changed much over the years as the examinees calmly accept the words spoken by the examiner.

“Now, I will explain the three rules.”

The three rules presented were easy to understand.

First, the duel must be one-on-one.

Second, the duel is decided by the state of the barrier magic deployed by the examiner.

“We will now cast barrier magic on all of you. While it can withstand a few hits of low-power magic, please keep in mind that it can be destroyed with a single blow if subjected to high-power magic.”

As the examiner explained, she began casting barrier magic on herself.

Hmm.

Well, I guess it is necessary for an exam that simulates a duel. The problem is that the barrier magic deployed by the examiner is not very reliable, but still, this level is probably sufficient for a battle between the students.

“Lastly, I will explain the third rule. Your opponent has been selected based on the results of the previous exam, as someone who is ‘close to your own abilities’. I have written your opponent’s examinee number on the paper I am about to post, so please check it.”

Let’s see… My opponent is examinee number 86, huh? It does sound familiar, but I don’t remember who it belongs to specifically. I haven’t been checking on the other examinees since I don’t have any interest in them.

“Once again, is it okay if I sit beside you, Abel-kun?” 

Just as I was thinking of looking for my opponent, I was approached by an all too familiar girl.

Oh, I see. So, that is what this is about.

The girl with scarlet hair, Eliza, had a plate on her chest showing the examinee number 86 on it.

“Hey, look at that!”

“It seems like the rumored inferior eyes and the scarlet-haired girl are going to fight each other!”

I see. Our battle seems to be one of the highlights of this exam. The examiner said that they chose opponents who are ‘close to your own abilities’. Perhaps, in the previous exam, Eliza and I passed first and second, respectively.

“Come, let’s dance together. I’ll see what you are capable of.”

With a confident statement, Eliza reaches out her hand toward me.

Good grief.

All I really wanted was to graduate from this academy peacefully, without attracting any attention or notice. But it seems that life doesn’t always go according to our plans.

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