TUS

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Chapter 2 Part 4

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☆★☆★☆★

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 3

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☆★☆★☆★

“It feels… so good… Ah… I can’t stand it… my voice is leaking…”

“I know, right? It feels good, doesn’t it? So good that it makes you squeal?”

No, but it really does feel good. I am really surprised that master is so skilled.

“I enjoy giving massages. But… only to beautiful boys, of course.”

“I think it’s a very intense hobby.”

“At my age, I don’t have much of a sex drive anymore. I just want to love beautiful things. That’s where the massages come in.”

“I see.”

“I’m supposed to take care of the fledglings. It wouldn’t hurt to let me enjoy the sight and feel of them in my hands.”

“It’s better if you keep quiet about it because it will cause a misunderstanding.”

And so, I got a massage for about an hour, and it really felt good.

Every nook and cranny of my muscles were loosened, and I really felt refreshed and reborn.

“All right, that’s it. You can go outside now.”

“Thank you very much.”

I then left Sasha’s waiting room and muttered, “Ahh, that felt so good” ──

── That was when my eyes met Anastasia’s, who seemed to be waiting anxiously.

“It felt… good? Master?”

“Um, uh… you got it wrong, Anastasia!”

“Um, er… M-M-M-Master… I-I……”

Anastasia ran down the hallway with tears in her eyes. No, she is running away.

“Master has… Master has…!”

“No, it’s a misunderstanding, Anastasia! Wait, please wait! Or rather, why are you running away covering your bottom!?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything about the world of Yaoi! I have no idea what was going on in there!”

You know what I mean!

But I did not want to leave her with a misunderstanding. And, just as I was about to chase after Anastasia, Maria ran up to me and patted me on the shoulder.

“E-E-Ephthal? Hold on? Um… how should I put it… don’t mind it!”

Maria, who has always been impulsive, is worried about me!?

“L-L-Look! Seems like it felt good! S-S-So it’s all good, isn’t it!?”

It was all good, huh…

“How did it go, Ephthal-sama? Your muscles have loosened, haven’t they?”

Merlin’s words caused Maria to try to keep up somehow at a furious pace.

“And by muscles, you mean buttocks muscles!?”

*Splurt* Merlin burst into laughter upon hearing Maria’s words.

She then quivered and crumpled to the ground, seemingly trying desperately to hold back her laughter. Oh, I see… So that’s what it was.

“Hey, Merlin? You knew about this, didn’t you? Including what was going to happen.”

“Yes, I was aware of it. Because if Ephthal-sama is in real danger… I would have taken action.”

“The joke is not funny when it’s overdone, you know!”

And so, with a huge sigh, I thought of the ups and downs of the training camp.

── Three days have passed.

In other words, it was four days before going for the training camp, and I heard that it would be a month-long.

So I was packing in my room at the mansion when Merlin came to visit me.

“As I said before, I’ll do the packing myself, so you don’t have to help me. Oh, and of course, I don’t need a servant.”

“No, I can’t allow that.”

She seemed to want to talk to me, so I said to her, “You may come in”.

“So, what is it, Merlin? Oh, that’s right, before that, I want to ask you one thing…”

“What is it?”

“Is Sasha also weakened by Magia Burst?”

“No, he was in hibernation at the time of the incident… In other words, he stopped the time with that secret method of his, so he is an exception. He can still use Level 10 Magic.”

Ah… I knew it.

I mean, that thing is too dangerous of existence, so he should be weakened a bit.

“Now, leaving that aside, let’s get to the real issue at hand. The man who is going to be in charge of Ephthal-sama’s group at the training camp has a few peculiarities.”

Speaking of which, I wonder if that person would be giving a trial lesson as an orientation before the training camp starts.

“Peculiarities?”

“As an instructor, he can recognize a certain level of excellence, but… he has a tendency to overdo things.”

“Hmm… Isn’t it good to be strict? Since that’s how I trained you too, Merlin.”

Merlin then shook her head.

“No, it’s not. It’s far from that. In the case of Ephthal-sama, there was kindness within the strictness… and love for nurturing the younger generation of mages. All of your direct apprentices, including myself, respect you.”

“It’s a little embarrassing to hear you say that to my face.”

“But behind the scenes, there was a stream of abusive remarks, such as ‘damn thunder nincompoop’ or ‘training regime of hell, isn’t he more like a Demon King?’.”

“That’s harsh, you know!?”

“No, no, it was out of respect. I never participated in the malicious gossip, but my fellow brothers and sisters in arms all laughed while saying such things, and it’s true that everyone thought of Ephthal-sama as a father figure.”

“Well, since it was four hundred years ago, let’s just say that it is all water under the bridge.”

Remembering everyone’s face, I naturally smiled.

When Merlin saw my smile, she returned it with another smile as well, as if she was nostalgic for the old days.

“In any case, that thing is quite different from Ephthal-sama’s strictness. He is only concerned about his own eminence, and treats his students as objects… although he hasn’t been punished yet because of the results and lack of clear evidence.”

“Hmm…”

“There are also a few allegations that he took advantage of his position to engage in sexual acts with female students.”

I thought there was nothing wrong with his conduct up until that revelation.

I thought so anyway, but I guess that is the real issue. Yeah, that is definitely a no-no.

“…He’s kind of a bad person, isn’t he?”

“That’s why he was demoted to become a staff member of the training camp. There are many signs of violence, obscenities, power harassment… and various other criminal acts, but we can’t get testimony to see if he is threatening the students.”

“I see…”

“If he’s being disrespectful to Ephthal-sama and you find him offensive, you are free to beat him up.”

“No, beat him up, you say…”

“In other words, he is problematic enough that such a thing can be expected. The academy has an extraterritorial, self-governing organization… But I will give Ephthal-sama the right to sanction and punish criminals on campus by using force. This is because he won’t reveal his criminal acts unless he’s dealing with students… that’s part of the reason.”

“That means?”

“Yes, you can really beat him up.”

said Merlin with a smile.

“Well, I’ll just wait and see what happens.”

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Chapter 2 Part 2

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Hm? Why is Merlin the only one who stayed…? Everyone seemed to have the same question as I did, and they all looked at Merlin curiously.

“I’ve invited Sasha-sama as a special advisor for the training camp that starts next week. I’ll introduce Sasha-sama to you all first so that no impertinence would occur during the training camp.”

At the very front of the lecture hall, on the platform, Merlin certainly did mention, “Sasha”.

Eh?

…Eh?

Merlin-san? What do you mean by that?

“For Headmaster Merlin to attach ‘-sama’? Sasha-sama can’t possibly be…?”

From the voice of just one student, the whole lecture hall began to stir.

“Wait, Ephthal? Is it that legendary… Sasha-sama?”

“Well, it’s probably the famous mage… from ancient times.”

“Haa,” I sighed deeply.

I mean, that is the last person I wanted to see, my master…

Well, I knew my master is still alive because the literature confirmed it.

And so Merlin called out to my master in the backstage.

“Well then, please make your appearance to everyone. Sasha-sama.”

“Hmm. My apprentice’s apprentice. Bastard, you’re just as unreserved as Ephthal that you want me to take care of the fledglings for you. Only that odd part of you makes what teacher and student alike…”

Master appeared on the platform in a gothic lolita style dress that was see-through in places to highlight skin tone. The waist-length silver hair was adorned with a black ribbon, and the eyes were gold in color.

If things had not changed since then, master would be 145 centimeters tall, weigh around 34 kilograms, and have the appearance of… a 12-year-old.

Master is not only cute but also frighteningly beautiful. A beauty that can even be described as bewitching.

Yes, that is my master, Sasha.

Sasha was originally a human, but has mastered necromancy while practicing magic during leisure time, and became a True Ancestor (vampire).

Oh, incidentally, humans normally can’t become vampires, let alone a True Ancestor.

Because there are barriers that separate us, there is a framework called ‘race’ or ‘species’, so that is a given.

Generally speaking, the only person who has ever become a vampire in human history is probably my master.

And since master is a vampire, a terribly long lifespan is a given.

On top of that, there’s also the power of the secret method that keeps master from aging during sleep. And since master is usually asleep, master has already lived for more than a thousand years, this ancient mage… no, a monster.

“U-Um, er… Master!?”

Anastasia knows that I am Ephthal.

She was looking at me with a worried look on her face as if to say, “Will it be okay if you meet an old acquaintance and get found out?”.

I’m not sure what Merlin’s goal is in bringing Sasha out here.

But even if master finds out about me, it will only have a little effect… No, with that kind of nature, it is definitely going to be a hell of a lot of trouble.

“This time, the training camp has a wonder child that even Sasha-sama will be surprised by ── so please forgive my rudeness.”

said Merlin, prostrating.

“Well, I’ll trust you in consideration of my foolish apprentice. However, if you disappoint me, you will pay for the consequences. Frankly speaking, there’s no way I would supervise fledglings.”

With that said, master is wearing a cute hat with embroidery on top of a frilly dress.

Moreover, master is also holding a doll of a girl that is also wearing a frilly dress.

Oh boy, still the same old great hobby…

One can say master looks like a necromancer, but master really is one.

“But you talk like an old holy woman. If you’re the master of the Four Emperors, Ephthal-sama, then you must have tremendous power…”

Maria’s words startled me.

Incidentally, it seems that even in this era, ultra high-level male mages are still called sages, and ultra high-level female mages are still called holy women.

So, as Sasha’s apprentice, I must immediately correct Maria’s misunderstanding.

Because master hates that sort of misunderstanding the most. No, if that’s the case, master shouldn’t have dressed so puzzlingly.

“No, that thing is a sage. Or rather, a great sage. An outrageous great sage.”

“…Eh? What did you just say that thing is?”

Maria asked me back with a straight face.

Well, I understand how she feels. I also made the same mistake when we first met a few hundred years ago.

“Like I said, he’s not a holy woman, but a great sage.”

“…E? Wha dig u jus xay?”

It was such a shocking fact that she could not even pronounce it correctly.

“Sasha. His real name is Alexandre Smirnov. A 1,200-year-old Otokonoko.” [Editor’s Note: Otokonoko basically means a guy who is quite feminine can be in looks or behavior. Another term that would fit: ‘trap’]

“E-Eh… Eeehhhh!? That thing is a man!?”

When Maria is still shocked by that fact, master teleported from the platform to where we stood… or rather, he leaped here with level 8 magic.

He was able to activate the magic formula almost instantaneously, without me even noticing him manipulating magic power?

Haha, he is so monstrous that it really is quite laughable.

Even Merlin did not know what had happened and just looked around restlessly at his sudden disappearance from the platform.

And then, master was standing intimidatingly in front of Maria and me, smirking and said.

“Hmm, that little elf over there?”

Not knowing what Maria was thinking, she prostrated herself on the ground. 

“I-I-I’m sorry! For calling Sasha-sama a thing!”

“No, no, it’s fine! More than that, are you really that surprised?”

“Y-Y-Yes, I-I was very surprised.”

“Kufufu, you are really that surprised, huh…?”

Master looks really happy, even smirking. And at the same time, I sighed.

Good gracious, if it were not for this habit of his, he would be a respectable mage.

“Yes, I’m really surprised.”

“By the way, why were you surprised?”

“Well, that such a beautiful and cute girl is a man.”

Kyahaha, master laughed happily.

“I know, right!? I’m cute, aren’t I? Well, I’m really cute, after all!”

That’s right.

This person is 1,200-year-old and is pursuing cuteness… even though he is a man.

Yeah, he really is too much. That was why I became independent as soon as I could and distanced myself from this person as much as possible.

“Anyway, I like this little elf! Magic is all about the ability to see the natural world as it really is. In that sense, you have a good chance of being able to evaluate cute things as cute!”

“Thank you very much.”

Then master took one look at my face ──

“And by the way, what’s your name?”

“Oh, my name is Ephthal Alcott.”

“…Hm? Isn’t that the same name as my foolish apprentice?”

Huh?

Perhaps this person… has not noticed me yet?

No, in that case, that would be good for me. Then let me speak to him as Ephthal-kun, not as one of the Four Emperors, Ephthal.

“I’ve always been told it’s heretical to have the same name as the Four Emperors.”

“But to go to Merlin’s academy and have the same name? I have a feeling that something is going on here…”

“Oh, no, not at all! But, like what Maria had said, Sasha-sama is really beautiful! No, you’re cute! Wow, it’s truly amazing, so cute!” 

Sasha smiled at my words, though the last part sounded monotone.

“I know, right? I’m cute, aren’t I?”

“Yes, you really are the envy of all women!”

“I know, right? Well, even when I look at myself in the mirror… I would sometimes get attracted to my own cuteness. My beauty is truly almost a crime.”

Good, I have deceived him!

As I felt relieved, Sasha patted me on the shoulder.

“Good, I like you, too!”

Well, master is still the same as always.

He is always in a good mood when you praise his appearance… However, it is only effective when you praise him as if he is really cute even though he is a man.

In other words, if you treat him like a girl, he will get angry. He has a really weird fixation, and it is a pain in the ass to deal with.

── The gap moe is important, isn’t it?

Things like that are his favorite motto that I do not understand.

Sasha then turned to look at Merlin on the platform.

“Merlin? Did you know?”

Master pointed at me.

“What is it?”

“The meaning of placing a beautiful boy under my supervision. This person… has a very cute face. It’s outrageous, really.”

“No, outrageous, you say…”

Come to think of it, my master was famous as a beautiful boy hunter.

Well, I never had a crisis of my chastity being in danger during my lifetime.

That reason being that master’s preference is for the shota type. I was 18-year-old when I became his apprentice. In fact, I was more of a handsome man.

But currently, I’m 15-year-old. And I think I have a fairly neutral face.

Wait, eh? Eeehhhh?

Eeeeeehhhhhhh? Wait! Wait! Wait a minute!

“A beautiful shota boy in front of me ── and you think nothing would happen?”

“Nothing is going to happen!”

Help me, Merlin!

I looked at Merlin imploringly ──

── Ah, Merlin is… holding in her laughter hard.

Oh, come on, Merlin! This is not the time to be laughing, isn’t it!?

“Hmm. One hour.”

“One hour, you say?”

“Just pretend you’re dealing with a woman. Shut up and keep your eyes closed. Fortunately, my waiting room is close by, and I have a bed ready. I’m famous for being a sleepyhead, after all.”

No, I know you always sleep when you have no business to attend to or when you are traveling in a carriage to prolong your life.

Then master grabbed my right hand and roughly dragged me away.

“Now, come here.”

“S-S-Stop!”

I looked at everyone else imploringly.

But Anastasia, whose eyes met mine first, averted her gaze from me with a sad expression.

── T-T-T-Traitor!! 

As for Maria, she looked down to the ground to avoid eye contact from the beginning.

── You too, Brutus!

And Merlin, as before, is still holding in her laughter, her shoulders trembling.

── Merlin! You weren’t always like that, were you!?

All the other class representatives just looked stunned, their eyes blinking.

Apparently, the fact that Sasha is a man and a lustful monster seems to have not caught up with them at all.

“S-S-S-Stop!”

With a scream, I was taken to the waiting room, where I was laid down on the bed right away. My uniform and undergarment were stripped off by force.

“It will only take an hour!”

“A-A-AHHHHHHHHH!”

My screams reverberated loudly in the waiting room.

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Chapter 2 Part 1

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Chapter 2 – My Former Master Is A Vampire

The students were gathered in a large meeting room in the academy. And the three of us were sitting at the back of the room.

As soon as we were seated, I took a look around the whole meeting room.

Hmm… this place is more like a large lecture hall than a large meeting room.

The meeting room has a gentle semicircular step-like design with desks and chairs.

There is a raised platform in the front of the room. Ten desks were also lined up in front of the blackboard.

It was probably originally used as a lecture hall. Removing the desks on the platform makes it look like a podium.

And it seems that half of the desks on the platform are for the Student Council and the other half are for the academic staff.

Oh? Merlin is sitting in the seat of honor on the academic staff’s side.

Usually, Merlin is absent from all academy duties except for the duties of being a homeroom teacher, so her presence here seems to indicate that this is an important event for the whole academy.

“So, the meeting is about to begin.”

One of the Student Council members on the platform ── a girl with purple hair ── stood up.

“All right, everyone, please be quiet. I’m Irene, the host and also the Vice President of the Student Council, will now begin today’s meeting. The agenda this time is the ‘Emperor of the Thunder God, Ephthal’ Festival, which will be a test of abilities that selected students will participate in two months from now.”

Wow…

What an embarrassing name for a festival.

No, it’s probably not embarrassing at all to anyone but me.

But this is a Demon Academy. Why would a festival be held in my name, a human hero?

“As you all know, our headmaster is the eldest of the ‘Emperor of the Thunder God, Ephthal’s’ School, a living legend. This event was initiated by the headmaster’s sponsorship five years ago ──”

I immediately turn my gaze towards Merlin.

She saw my expression and seemed to be holding in her laughter.

‘So you’re the cause, huh!?’, I slumped my shoulders in dejection.

But, well, it was five years ago.

She probably thought I was dead at the time and named the festival after me out of love and respect.

I do not feel bad when I think about it, but the way this is going, I am supposed to be a part of that festival, right?

Somehow, I would feel embarrassed… just at the thought of seeing a statue of myself in town.

“As you all know, the ‘Emperor of the Thunder God, Ephthal’ Festival is a competition between classes. We will compete in various competitions, but eventually, the top two teams will compete in a five-on-five round-robin battle in front of all the students.”

I see. I looked to the side, and for some reason, Maria was frowning crudely.

“Only the truly selected teams that have completed the training camp will participate in the ‘Emperor of the Thunder God, Ephthal’ Festival. All the third-year students have already experienced the training camp, so today, we will have a pep rally for the second-year students who are going to the training camp. The training camp, which is a gateway to success for elite magic, is so harsh that 40% of the students drop out every year. I hope that everyone will grit their teeth for the harsh training ahead.”

Maria then stood up.

“Wait a minute! We’ll also be participating ── in that training camp!”

“Well, well? Is that little elf girl a fool with no common sense? In the first place, there is no precedent for first-year students to participate in the training camp, you know?”

“That’s because the first-year students until now were unable to complete it due to their lack of abilities, so it’s natural for them to pull out voluntarily, isn’t it?”

“You should think about why this has become precedent. The training camp is held in a forest full of monsters. If you participate in the training camp with subpar abilities, an unforeseen accident could kill you, you know?”

“Hmph, this year’s first-years ── if you underestimate us, you’ll get hurt, you know?”

I mean, it looks like they know each other.

Maria and Irene-san’s gazes collide in midair, and sparks are seemingly produced.

The student with glasses sitting next to Irene-san then stood up.

“If you’ve been listening from the beginning… then you should know that first-year students can’t participate in the training camp. That should have come first. So don’t be ridiculous.”

“What, are you the General Secretary of the Student Council? Do you have a problem with that?”

“Your lineage alone shouldn’t have allowed you to enroll into this academy in the first place, let alone represent it, don’t you think?”

“My lineage? Are you saying that you discriminate against elves?”

“No, I wouldn’t say that if you were an ordinary elf. But, I’ve heard that you’re an elf of quite a lowborn status.”

I heard a snap go off in Maria’s head.

No, of course I did not actually hear that sound… Well, her face turned into that of a Hannya in an instant.

“Are you trying to pick a fight? If that’s the case, I’ll accept it! In the name of the forest spirits… I will not tolerate any insult to the Daumier tribe!”

“Trying to pick a fight? Here? It seems that you really are a tribe of lowly elves, as the rumor goes. Don’t forget that you are generously allowed to enroll in this academy.”

And then the man with glasses shifted his gaze to me ──

“Haha! And you guys have even chosen an inferior species, human, as your class representative instead of someone from the demon race? My, my, it seems that you really do have a shortage of talent.”

Maria loudly shouted back, “Fuck you!” while showing the middle finger to the man with glasses.

“He may be human, but ── he’s our ultimate weapon!”

Oh? Maria seems to be really mad at him for making fun of me.

It seems that Maria was telling the truth when she said she acknowledges my abilities.

“You should be ashamed of yourself… for having to rely on an inferior species! Are you planning to disgrace the class representatives of this academy!?”

The man with glasses sighed deeply.

“This is a magic festival named after the hero of the demon race, Merlin-sama’s master, you know? The Emperor of the Thunder God must be lamenting in his grave at the thought of such people participating.”

Well, I really do feel like lamenting right now.

“That’s why the first-year students are not allowed to participate in the training camp this year either!”

“Wait a minute. You can’t just decide that on your own!”

“You’re still saying that!? You should know your place!”

At that moment, a dignified voice rang out in the meeting room.

“It’s fine. They may participate in the training camp.”

“…Merlin-…sama? May I ask you to repeat that… again?”

“You know exactly what I have said, but you want me to repeat myself? Haha, you sure got some nerve, don’t you? I’ll remember your face, you know?”

Merlin’s cold gaze made the man with glasses turn pale as he received it.

“B-B-Bu… But, Headmaster Merlin? It is true that the training camp is dangerous, the first-year students might…” 

“They won’t get hurt. It’s impossible.”

“That’s right! Merlin-sama also knows that the first-year students lacked the abilities… eh?”

“Like I said, these people are qualified if you’re talking about their abilities.”

“…Eh?”

“Do you still want me to repeat myself?”

“But there is a certain prestige that comes with the training camp. The second-year students aside, if the first-year students… the lowly elf and the inferior species were to participate…”

“General Secretary? Don’t you know?”

“What is it, Merlin-sama?”

“My master, the Emperor of the Thunder God, is not a demon, but a human, an inferior species as you call it. And I’m not looking for your answers. You should bear in mind that I’m only telling you my decision. Surely you aren’t telling me that you don’t accept my word for it, will you?”

The man with glasses made a sour face as if having swallowed a bitter bug.

“Ug-… Ugh…!”

Then Merlin shrugged her shoulders and said:

“Oh, and explicit discrimination in reference to a particular species is prohibited. You should at least refrain from saying that in public. Your remarks will be discussed at the staff meeting, and a verdict will be issued shortly.”

“Eh? What do you mean by… verdict?”

“It means you’ll receive disciplinary action.”

“That’s… that’s ridiculous…? Just because of that?”

“You’re pathetic. To verbally abuse others in public? I figure you would be prepared to be impeached?”

“N-N-No… that’s… I-I’m… sor… sorry.”

And so, Merlin sighed deeply.

“I’ll give you a personal lecture. It’s the etiquette I once learned from the legendary Emperor of the Thunder God.”

“…What do you mean?”

“When confronted with an opponent that you absolutely can’t win against and if it’s a monster, run away with all your might. If it’s a human, don’t hesitate to get down on your knees and apologize immediately. The common denominator between life and death is speed. Speed is the only thing that counts. By the way, General Secretary?”

“…What is it?”

“It’s funny. You seem haughty to me, even though you have displeased an opponent you can never win against.”

Well, I remember teaching her to run away and apologizing upfront.

But over the last 400 years, it has become quite radical after applying Merlin’s theory. 

“I-I-I’m… sorry!”

The man with glasses got down on his knees, which was quite a sight. Merlin also nodded her head in satisfaction.

“You’ll be confined to your room for a week. Considering your future career, I’ll put you on sick leave ostensibly so that you won’t have a history of disciplinary action against you. Go cool your head.”

And with that, the man with glasses bowed his head and left the room dejected, and the matter was settled.

Then, the sound of fingers snapping, made by the Student Council President, could be heard, and the desks on the platform started to be cleared.

For some reason, only Merlin remained on the platform.

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Chapter 1 Part 2

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☆★☆★☆★

And so, three days later.

We ended up playing tag in the vast forest on the grounds of the academy.

The rules are simple. Anyone who could land a blow to the head with a mock sword without being noticed would win.

Quite a few of us may sign up for the Adventurer’s Guild in the future. So it is a kind of training to detect and erase magic presence as a countermeasure against monsters in the forest.

Naturally, I have been detecting the magic presence of everyone from the very beginning.

Incidentally, Anastasia was in the thief business, so she is very good at erasing her magic presence. Even I can’t detect her magic presence if I am fifty meters away from her.

And Maria is of the forest hunters, so she is naturally good at that. But well, she is still no match for me.

Before I became one of the Four Emperors, I was a member at the guild as an S-rank adventurer.

“Don’t underestimate an elf’s ability to detect and erase magic presence!”

Thinking that I had not noticed her, Maria jumped off from the top of the tree and swung her sword down at me at the same time.

That being said, this girl practices a fair number of martial arts compared to an ordinary person.

I am also an expert in swordsmanship, but I have been training endlessly against the likes of Fraser nii-san and Headmaster Mauriat, ever since I was a child.

So naturally, I have very little experience in sparring with less skilled opponents. And therefore if a half-baked opponent comes at me with full force ──

“Ah, you dodged it!?”

Yeah, that’s right, it is quite difficult to hold myself back.

I have been trained in swordsmanship so that my body moves in reflexively, so I guess this is another area I need to work on in the future.

*Thunk* “──── Ow!”

I knocked her out by hitting her on the head with my mock sword.

Maria fell towards me, and I held her gently as she almost fell face-first to the ground.

That is when ── the sweet scent of the Daumier elf tribe’s unique perfume tickled my nostrils, causing my heart to pound really fast.

“I’ve been wondering if we have met before… I see, so that explains a lot.”

The memories of my previous life, memories that had long been forgotten, came flashing back in my mind.

At the same time, a warm feeling started to spread in my heart.

“We even share the same competitive spirit, huh… Haha, this is really nostalgic. You were very young, but when I first met you… you had a face that looked just like this.”

I then laid my school uniform on the ground and slowly put Maria down.

As soon as class is over, the academic staff would probably come to collect her. After using simple recovery magic on Maria, I left.

☆★☆★☆★ 

And so, Maria came at me 11 times.

I won 10 out of 11 rounds ──

“Hehe. Finally, finally, I won against Ephthal!”

In the morning classroom, Maria was proud of her victory and nodded her head contentedly.

“I’m a genius, after all. Well, it’s no surprise that justice always triumphs over evil in the end.”

Anastasia is making a weary face at Maria, who is ranting and raving with a triumphant look so that everyone can hear her.

She is definitely doing this on purpose so that everyone can hear her.

I guess she wants to advertise the fact that she won, but how much does she crave the limelight. Or does she want to make herself look better…

“Maria-san just won by default. In the first place, Master didn’t participate in the magic firing test.”

“S-Shut up! Do you have a problem with that?”

“No, not at all…”

Then Maria pointed her right index finger at me, stretching out her small chest.

“Anyway, it’s true that I won against you. And it’s also clear that I’m the definite winner in the end.”

“Okay, okay, I understand, I understand. I’ve lost.”

“W-What’s with that response?”

“Like I said, I’ve lost. By the way… Maria?”

“Hm? What?”

“Why do you insist on coming at me like that?”

“First of all, you and I are class representatives. Since I need to rise to the top of this academy, I need to see for myself if you’re useful.”

“I’ve heard that before, but we don’t need to have a match over and over again, do we?”

“There’s a good reason for that, too. I don’t like you. That’s why I need to test you over and over again. Emotionally, I just can’t accept it.”

“You… don’t like me?”

“Your name! It’s your name!” 

“My name?”

“I admire the first Emperor of the Thunder God. He was a great hero who once fought to protect the elves. I used to listen to his legends as a sort of lullaby during my childhood.”

“…I see.”

Well, Maria’s Daumier tribe and I… have an old relationship.

It is also true that I have fought to protect the elves.

“So, you have the same name as the first Emperor of the Thunder God. That’s like sacrilege to our tribe, you know?”

“So that’s why you came at me?”

“Yes, I thought… I’d have to make you yelp more than once. And now it’s just the first of many.”

I see, I understand the situation.

But… hmm, it is still a pain in the ass to be constantly hounded for matches.

It can’t be helped. I just have to use the same method I used to deceive Merlin.

The made-up story of my ancestor, the Emperor of the Thunder God, actually had an illegitimate child… and entrusted all of his magic to the family.

“Err, Maria. Actually ──”

And so, I told Maria some nonsense about my lineage.

“…This must be a lie, right? Is that true?”

Well, it’s a lie.

Anyhow, Maria opened her eyes wide in disbelief.

“No, but… that’s…”

Hmm…

She seems to be dubious.

Nonetheless, I’m also tired of matches day after day. If it is because of my name, I would like to convince her right here and now.

For now, it is already known that I am a certain influential person.

And there is also the obviously unnatural relationship between Merlin and me. This fabrication makes sense from a situational standpoint and should have a certain amount of persuasive power.

I wonder if the genius elf would buy into my made-up story.

“No, but… It’s odd that you have the same name in the first place… Hmm… It’s true that you’re beyond the scope of an ordinary person… No, but… It’s a crazy story…”

Maria groaned and began to ponder ──

“Yes. I believe you. I’m convinced.”

── All right! That was easy!

I assumed a victory pose, and Maria then cleared her throat.

“Well, be that as it may… I can also acknowledge the abilities of others. I’ll admit that the battle between you and me was one of my greatest evenly matched battles.”

Anastasia had her mouth agape with a blank look on her face.

“You called that an evenly matched battle?”

I was a little curious, so I asked Maria.

“By the way, you said you were going to make me yelp a few times, didn’t you? How many times exactly were you planning to do that?”

“About thirty times?”

“That’s dozens of times, you know!?”

Good gracious, I dealt with this early. I would be horrified if I had to take her on endlessly.

Maria then tapped me on the shoulder.

“In other words, I’ll acknowledge you as my equal. From now on, we’ll act together as class representatives, and I’ll give you the number two spot. Well, you are the ultimate weapon for the team, so I look forward to working with you.”

── And so, that brings us to the beginning of the story.

Basically, from now on, we will be working as a team, “Follow Maria who’s the leader…”, and that is how it came to be.

☆★☆★☆★

The next day.

Maria, who had been in high spirits ever since this morning, said something unexpected again.

“Today, there will be a meeting to select class representative candidates. You know that this academy selects five members for each class, right?”

“They’re members who participate in mock battles between classes or against other academies, right?”

It seems that I am partially forced to be the class representative as a magic swordsman, but come to think of it, I have not heard anything about it.

“That’s right. The five of us consist of two mages, two magic swordsmen, and one priest.” 

“Hmmm.”

“Currently, you are the magic swordsman. Anastasia and I are the two mages which makes us three now. The other two will be decided after this.”

“No, no, wait a minute.”

“Eh? What?”

“Apart from me, Anastasia is joining us, too?”

“Frankly speaking. Other than the three of us, the rest in our class are useless. They’re just small fries.”

“Hm? What do you mean by that?”

“When I first entered this academy, Abe and I tried to train the other three class representatives because they were terrible. Then, unbeknownst to me, Abe kind of brought them to the brink of death… And since then, they’ve refused to go to this academy. There was nothing I could do about it.”

“Oh… I see.”

I don’t know exactly what happened, but it seems to be something troublesome anyway.

That being said, it was the right decision to expel Abe from this academy, after all. Bringing a classmate to the brink of death is…

“No, but can we suddenly make Anastasia one of the class representatives?”

“She got a perfect score on the previous exam, didn’t she? That was actually a set of difficult first-year final exam level questions. If she got a perfect score on it, then nobody will complain. Besides, both of you are on good terms with Merlin-sama, right?”

Well, I guess there is no more hiding that anymore.

“So, the three of us are going to attend the class representative meeting organized by the student council after school. And that will be my first step to becoming a legend.”

“…Legend?”

“Yes, you heard it right! It’s a Cinderella story about me, by me, for me, a transcendent beautiful genius!”

“Err, what does that mean?”

“I told you before, didn’t I? It’s the greatest honor a mage student can receive, the Grand Jade Medal.”

Maria said arrogantly to the point that her chin would point up towards the ceiling.

“My legend begins at today’s meeting! There’s also our ultimate weapon, Ephthal, over here. As for those pompous student council members ── I’m going to astound them right from the beginning!”

Yeah. This person gives me a surprisingly bad feeling.

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Chapter 1 Part 1

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Chapter 1 – The Story Of How I Got Tangled Up With A Pompous Elf

“Hey, you?”

It was that one day in the classroom after school when Maria said that to me.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Didn’t we have a test on basic fire magic the other day?”

“Oh, the test the day before yesterday?”

“Yes, that’s it. The results of that test will be announced tomorrow. So have a match with me.”

“Eh? A match? Why?”

“You’re a subject of my observation. Since you moved to this academy, there are many incomprehensible incidents that it would be absurd not to pay attention to you. I suspect that you are also responsible for Abe’s disappearance from the academy.”

Maria pointed at me, stretching out her small chest.

She has good instincts. Because, as a matter of fact, I am the one who caused Abe to disappear from the academy.

“Observation, you say…?”

“Anyway, have a match with me tomorrow. I’m telling you that I’m going to personally measure whether or not you’re capable of representing the class, so be grateful. If you are capable, then we’ll be fighting together as comrades in the class competition.”

If I remember correctly, I was chosen to represent the class as a magic swordsman.

“By the way, Maria?”

“Hm? What?”

“…I’ve been wondering for a while now, have we met before?”

When I asked, Maria tilted her head and replied, “Well”.

“I only know the Elven Forest and the Demon Academy. You’re the first of the inferior species, human, that I’ve met.”

“…Well, if we’ve never met, that’s fine.”

“Anyway, have a match with me tomorrow, okay?”

After that, she left the classroom gallantly.

“Haa,” I sighed.

── In other words, a girl who is a pain in the ass seems to be interested in me.

The next day.

In today’s morning homeroom, the results of the basic fire magic test are to be announced.

Maria, who was sitting in front of me, turned around and grinned at me.

“I’m going to test your abilities today. You seem to be hiding them. Well, even if you are, it is impossible for me, a beautiful genius, to lose.”

How should I put it? There seems to be a sense of rivalry here.

From what I heard, Maria is always at the top when it comes to examinations.

So, does that mean she is concerned about the uncertain factor of my sudden arrival that could threaten her top position?

No, that can’t be it. She said we are fellow class representatives, and she, with expectations, plans to test my abilities.

“Well then, I’ll announce the test results. As is customary practice in the academy, I’ll call you in order of your scores.”

When Maria heard this, she spoke to me in a hushed voice.

“As Merlin-sama said, the test results will be announced according to the scores. Will Ephthal be the first to be called, or will I be the first to be called… That’s right. The match will be decided by the name of the first student to be called.”

With a cough, Merlin continued.

“Here’s the test results. First place goes to two students. Tied for first place with 100 out of 100 points.”

Maria shrugged in disappointment.

“Humph, looks like it’s not settled this time.”

“Not settled?”

“You and I are tied for first place with a perfect score. It seems that our capabilities cannot be measured in this basic test. Well, I’m glad I miscalculated because I would be in trouble as the leader of the class representatives if I showed the bottom of my abilities in this basic test.”

“Huh? But didn’t you call me an inferior species?”

“I am a meritocratic person. I think humans are inferior in magic, but it’s a different story if they showed their abilities. Since you have got a perfect score on this test… you should be useful to me as a member of the class representatives from now on!”

Maria held out her right hand to me. It seems that she is asking for a handshake.

And before I knew it, all eyes in the class were on us.

Well, I guess it’s only natural when she talks this loudly.

“I feel like shaking hands now would be a hassle…”

“Eh? A hassle?”

“N-No, it’s nothing.”

I had no choice but to take her hand and shake it. Maria nodded in satisfaction.

It was at that moment that Merlin called out my name.

“The first person to tie for a perfect score was student Ephthal.”

“Oh, hey.”

I stood up and bowed my head.

Merlin and I looked at each other and smiled as if it was natural. There’s no way I could have made a mistake on a test of that level other than a careless mistake.

“Next, the second student in the tie for first place with a perfect score is ──”

Maria then stood up and brushed her hair back.

Looking at her from behind, I can tell that she has her arms crossed and a smug “Well, of course” look on her face.

“Student Anastasia. Next, student Maria with 96 points, and the next is much lower. Student Maris with 74 points. Next, 70 points…”

Anastasia stands up and bows her head. And ──

── Maria froze.

She doesn’t move an inch even when her name is called. She just stood there with her head down.

Just now, with so much assertion that she declared, “You and I are tied for first place with a perfect score.”…

── This is embarrassing.

After a while, Maria slumped down in her chair. Then she plopped her face down on the desk with her shoulders trembling.

☆★☆★☆★

A week later.

“Ephthal! I was careless last time, but this time I stayed up all night studying for many days!”

Today is the announcement of the results on the wind magic theory quiz.

Incidentally, it was just a quiz this time, so it does not seem like they will announce the names in the order of the scores.

“Hehe, how is it? My abilities as a beautiful genius have been demonstrated.”

Fluttering her 100 points answer script, Maria stretched out her small chest.

“Yeah, I’ve lost!”

Incidentally, Anastasia scored 98 points this time, which is probably just a careless mistake.

“Hehe, now that I’ve beaten all the small fries. What’s your score? Well, even if you scored 100 points, I still won’t lose. After all, I have a perfect score of 100 points.”

“Err… my score is…”

“What’s your score?”

Maria then snatched my answer script from me.

“Shoot,” I shook my head.

Maria took a look at my answer script. Her mouth repeatedly opened and closed like a washed-up fish gasping for air.

“…284 points out of 100 points?”

Merlin on the podium greatly nodded and said this in a dignified voice:

“It’s just bonus points because of how brilliant the answers were. There shouldn’t be anything odd about it, right?”

Well, unlike the previous exam, which was full of simple and straightforward questions with no room for bonus points, this quiz was, in all likelihood, Merlin’s prank on me.

In fact, these questions can even be solved with a rudimentary knowledge of magic.

However, they are questions that use constant, which was unproven in my era.

So, as a scholar, I can’t help but fall for the questions that say, <<Provided that, the Euryale constant is 3>>.

To be precise, it would be 2.997. Even though I hadn’t yet proven it at the time, but for some reason, I just know…

I challenged the quiz under the theme of proving such a curious constant.

As a result, I wrote the process of proving the constant on the back of the answer script, and I did it just barely within the time limit.

Well, I’ve read all the modern magic theories, so I responded to Merlin’s prank in the form of a complete answer.

But that aside, Maria was glaring at me with a red face.

“This is favoritism! Just because Merlin-sama likes Ephthal a little bit doesn’t mean you can be so blatant about it!? I know about the bonus points system, but that’s just an extra 3 or 4 points at best, isn’t it?”

“Student Maria, if you have any objections, then I’m all ears. But I don’t have a lot of free time either… so, can you have a look at student Ephthal’s answers properly first?”

Maria dubiously… looked over my answer script and turned pale as she looked at it.

“What is this? I don’t even know what you have written. What is this…? Just what is this answer script?”

Maria thrust the answer script back at me with a dumbfounded look.

☆★☆★☆★

So, the next day. 

We are having a hands-on training session at the sports ground on how to enchant weapons with magic.

I with a sword, and Maria with a bow. In other words, each of us is supposed to use the weapon that we are best at.

“I understand that you’re a theoretical absurdity. But magic is a world of application.”

And so Maria came at me again…

She is really a pain in the ass.

“The elves are forest folk, so naturally, I have learned hunting magic since I was a child. In other words, the same goes for archery.”

Maria smirked and then shot an arrow at the target while laughing loudly.

“Level 1: Wind Enchant.”

The arrow is accelerated by wind magic.

And then, the arrow with increased speed pierced the center of the target with great force. A powerful “Whoosh!” could be heard as the arrow hit its mark.

“Hehe, what do you think? Of all the people who can’t even use enchant magic, I, a first-year student, managed a perfect enchant… You won’t get to see it quite often, you know?”

“Err, not bad, I guess.”

It seems that everyone already knows that I’m not just any ordinary person, so it should be fine if I use level 2 enchant magic.

With that said, Maria works well as a coal mine canary, huh?

Apparently, she is the top first-year student. Therefore, the same or a step ahead of it… will tell you that this is a line where I would not stand out as an outsider. [Editor’s Note: So basically here, Ephthal is considering using the same level or one step above Maria’s enchant magic, and supposedly this won’t make him stand out too much.]

As for me, it is annoying to be told that I’m riding Merlin’s coattails of influence, but with that being said, I certainly did get special treatment. Deservingly, if I don’t show a certain level of my abilities, Merlin’s honor will also be damaged.

So, with all of that considered, let’s go one step ahead of Maria.

“Level 2: Ice Enchant”

The mock sword was covered with ice.

Good, the ice sword is now complete. It should easily break through something like a defensive fire barrier magic.

By the way, I can use level 6 or 7 enchant magic if I put my mind to it, but anything above that will be a challenge.

After all, I would like to complete the ultimate Thunder God Sword by enchanting it with ‘Level 10: Emperor of the Thunder God, Ephthal’.

“L-L-L…Level 2 enchant magic?”

“Eh? What’s wrong?”

“…I can understand if you’re an elite upperclassman. But… you’re in the same year as me? Lies… this… must be a lie… No… but that’s a real level 2 magic sword…?”

For a moment, Maria almost collapsed on the spot, but she held her ground.

“H-H…Hmph, it seems like you’ve got some abilities. But don’t think you’ve won!”

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Prologue

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It was lunch break at the magic academy.

I had bought lunch from a stall outside and was sitting on a bench devouring a roast beef sandwich.

As I was thinking that the food from the stall was delicious, my classmate Maria came to sit right beside me.

This blonde girl with twin-tail hair is an elf exchange student.

She has a cute face, a little over 140 centimeters, and has piercing eyes. But she seems to be a pretty outstanding student and is one of the top first-year students like me.

Well, she is aggressive towards those around her, so she seems to be isolated in the class.

“Hey, human? I wonder if you’ve ever heard of the Grand Jade Medal?”

She brushed one of her twin-tail hair up with her right hand, stretching out her small chest.

“Grand Jade Medal? What is that?”

“It’s a medal of honor given to only a few mage students per year at this magic academy for their exceptional achievements”

“Oh, I see”

Then Maria stood up firmly right in front of me with her feet set apart.

“You! Join me!”

“…Eh?”

She continued to speak to me in an unwavering tone.

“You have potential. And I’m not saying it’s for free. If you join me… I will certainly take you with me”

“Take me where?”

“The honor of being a mage student ── the jade realm. Well, from now on, you as a member of the class representatives and with me as the leader, you will be useful to me”

To tell the truth, normally, I would be wondering what the heck this girl is talking about.

But I happened to know what she was referring to. Because the other day ──

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Epilogue

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── And so.

That night at dinner, I asked Merlin a question that I had been wondering about for some time in the dining room.

“By the way, Merlin?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Why didn’t you use… level 9 or higher magic during the mock battle with me?”

“…What do you mean?”

I’ve been busy with changing residency, changing schools, and Anastasia’s slave crest, so I couldn’t ask her about it until now….

I mean, it seems to have something to do with the decline of magic civilization, and I felt that it would complicate things further if I were to hear about it.

But now that things have settled down, I decided to ask her.

“In the first place, why did you dabble in such an onerous technique like four Parallel Activation of level 8 magic?”

Parallel Activation takes a long time to cast.

Merlin’s four Parallel Activation were comparable to the time it took to employ level 10 magic.

The consecutive attacks style of Ephthal School that I have established is only meant to interfere with the opponent’s spell construction with two or three strikes in a row.

The tactic is to crush powerful magic with subtle magic and win without letting the opponent do anything.

── In the end, it is not an exaggeration to say that in the case of a decisive battle between great mages at the level of Merlin and I, victory or defeat will be decided by the first shot of level 10 magic.

Parallel Activation is a technique that can be flexibly adapted according to the situation of the battle.

Attack while defending or recover while attacking.

Teleport to safety if defenses are breached, or a mix of frontline and air defenses…. Well, if anything, it’s a useful technique for support.

Opening Four Gates at the same time is amazing and all, or rather, even I can’t do it, but if she’s going to attack with all gates, it’s faster and more efficient to train for level 10 magic in terms of power.

At least… it’s unsuitable to use it on me in the sense of hitting me with all of her power at the time

Then, Merlin made a sorrowful expression.

“Judging from the environment in which Ephthal-sama grew up in this life… I was wondering if you knew about it. Though if you do know about it, I’ve been careful not to tell you because I thought it would only bring back horrible memories…”

“What do you mean?”

“About that ── in conclusion, as far as I know, the only person in the world who is currently capable of handling level 10 magic is… Ephthal-sama”

For a short while, I froze.

“…Eh?”

After being in shock for a short while, I exclaimed to Merlin loudly.

“E-E-Eh!? Eeehhh!?”

“So you didn’t know, huh?”

After exclaiming for a while, I fell into a daze and just froze in shock for a while.

After I’ve recovered, I spoke again.

“Just what do you mean, Merlin?”

“To be exact, there is no one who can use level 10 magic except for Ephthal-sama and one other person. I’ll explain that little by little…. It was about four hundred years ago, ten years after Ephthal-sama’s death in your last life”

“Hm”

“One day, all of a sudden ── the existence of level 9 magic and above disappeared”

“…Like I said, just what do you mean?”

“Magia Burst”

“Magia Burst…?”

“Have you ever heard of the Magia Monolith?”

If I remember correctly, it’s a mysterious stone monument found in the ancient ruins of a super ancient magic civilization that died out more than tens of thousands of years ago.

“Yeah. I know”

“When the monolith exploded, it caused a transformation in the astral body of the humanoid species. An invisible wave of magical contaminants spread throughout the world ── we call it the Magia Burst”

“Magical contaminants?”

“Yes. As a result, humans, demons, elves, and dwarves. The brain of the humanoid species as a whole… has changed since that day. No, to be exact, the soul that is housed in the organ called the brain… or the astral body in magic terms”

The collection of brain cells becomes the cerebrum, and the cerebrum creates the individual personality or consciousness.

The depths of what we call consciousness lurks the astral body, which is the spiritual capacity or the spiritual body.

With that, mages create magic circuits in their brains through training. These magic circuits work on the astral body to produce supernatural phenomena ── magic ── through the spiritual body’s power.

“It is the very basics, written at the very beginning of the Magic Fundamentals Book. How could I not know that? So you’re saying that the astral body was transformed and weakened by the outburst of Magia Burst?”

“Yes. Magic is the use of spiritual power, but the astral body of humanoid species is no longer able to withstand the use of level 9 magic and above”

“…What happened to those who were already able to handle level 9 and above magic at the time of the incident?”

“The astral body was damaged due to the inappropriate use of power, and they became cripples who can’t use magic. Since then, humanoid species couldn’t even learn any level 9 and above magic… I’m also one of them”

Level 11 magic, called Extra Level.

Even in the case of the ritual magic that brought together the power of the Four Emperors who defeated the demon king, there was a risk that the astral body wouldn’t be able to withstand the magic as a vessel and would be damaged because it was originally magic that human beings could not handle.

So I can understand what Merlin is saying.

“But the explosion of the monolith, you say, huh… for such a phenomenon to happen…. Well, I guess that’s just the result of what happened. So, why did the explosion happen so suddenly? In over two thousand years of magic history, this has never happened before, has it?”

“I’m pretty sure there’s one person involved in all of this”

“One person?”

“Someone that you know very well, Ephthal-sama”

“Someone that I know?”

Merlin nodded.

“The day before the monolith explosion became the center of the Magia Burst, two of the Four Emperors at the time and an elite investigation team from the magic society were dispatched to the ruins, but in the end, none of them came back from the investigation”

“Did they get caught in the monolith explosion?”

“No, that’s not the case. The corpses at the ruins showed no signs of having been caught in the explosion”

“Corpses, you say…?”

“Yes, the corpses of the Emperor of the Ice God and the investigation team”

“The Emperor of the Ice God was killed!? That calm and vigilant man!?”

“And the magic that was used to destroy the monolith was Level 10: Emperor of the Fire God, Kliff… small-scale nuclear explosion magic”

I can’t believe everything Merlin said.

No, it’s impossible, isn’t it? That guy was kinder than anyone else, and he opposed the war against the demon king more than anyone else until the very end…. Even though I’m older than him, I have to admit that he’s worthy of being the leader of the Four Emperors….

“Why, just why…? No way it’s true, right?”

“I see. So from here on out, it’s just you, Ephthal-sama. The investigation team was all killed, and the monolith was destroyed by Level 10: Emperor of the Fire God, Kliff, causing the Magia Burst. And there was no sign of the Emperor of the Fire God among the corpses. That’s all I know”

“The Emperor of the Fire God… Kliff?”

“Based on the circumstantial evidence, he is certainly the cause of the Magia burst. And even now, the Emperor of the Fire God is probably… still alive”

“That’s impossible, right!? Kliff should be a normal human being… and doesn’t have any long-life demi-human blood in him, right!?”

“I don’t know how, but sightings of what appears to be him have been reported to the magic society in different eras and places”

“No, but it’s been four hundred years, you know!?”

“There are signs of handlings of level 10 magic… so it shouldn’t be a mistake. Sometimes he is a villain who has turned a frontier country into scorched land, and sometimes he is a hero who has slaughtered the Kaiser Dragon. Whether it’s curing a widespread plague or carrying out large-scale pillage… there is just no consistency in his actions”

I sighed.

“…I really don’t know what to make of this”

“Anyway, at the present time, only Ephthal-sama and the Emperor of the Fire God can handle level 10 magic”

“So, in other words…?”

“You will be a nuisance in his eyes as you’re the only one who can face him alone. So you will definitely be perceived as dangerous”

It looks like I can’t afford to stand out anymore.

I haven’t even been able to surpass the ‘me’ of my previous life. It would be absurd to expect me to fight against Kliff, who I was no match for back then.

I can’t let him know that I’m here yet.

“Also… Ephthal-sama? I’d like to talk about the magic aptitude…”

“What is it?”

“You do know that the Emperor of the Fire God originally created the method of measuring magic aptitude, right?”

“Yes, of course”

After all, I died in the worst mood because I found out something I didn’t need to know.

“Are you aware of the academic field of the Emperor of the Fire God?”

“Magic aptitude and… ah!”

Something connected in my mind.

“Research on ancient civilizations”

“Yes, it’s not a major field, and it’s not profitable. However, the Emperor of the Fire God’s aberrant commitment to his research field was the stuff of legend”

“He was ridiculed for doing research twenty-seven hours a day. Seriously, when does he sleep…?”

“I heard he was half out of his mind, though ──”

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“That’s why it’s so easy to understand. Magic aptitude, ancient ruins, and Magia Burst. There’s a connection between these three”

“Yes, perhaps there is something there that the Emperor of the Fire God wanted… to the point of making enemies of the world and weakening all of the mages”

“Magia Burst… weakening of a person’s astral body, altering it. And magic aptitude is… related to the nature of the astral body, too”

“That’s right. It could possibly be the key to solving Ephthal-sama’s magic aptitude problem ──”

Don’t tell anyone. I signaled Merlin with my right hand.

“But it looks like a troublesome man is holding the key to all of this”

For now, I’m probably still no match for him.

But that’s because my magic aptitude fetters me. 

If it weren’t for that, I’d be able to compete on the same playing field as Kliff… I don’t think all of my dedication to magic is inferior to him.

No, I don’t want to admit that. I won’t.

The summit of magic is mine to set foot on in this life. No one else but me.

“Well, in that case, I’ll have to greet Kliff someday”

── And so, with a premonition of trouble, my academy life began.

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TL Note: This is the end of Volume 1.

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Chapter 3 Part 8

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Side: Ephthal (Cont’d)

☆★☆★☆★

──  Monday, three days after breaking the contract.

Anastasia and I went to the magic academy together, and on the way there, we met a familiar face.

Abe of the Portes family walked towards us with a confused look on his face.

“Oi, Anastasia? What’s the meaning of this? No, why are you with that human…?”

“……”

“Why don’t you say something? Just exactly what’s going on here? Oi-oi? What’s this all about? You haven’t forgotten your orders, have you?”

The words freaked Anastasia out and made her shoulders tremble.

“Um, uh… er….”

Well, she has been forced to obey this family until now, so this reaction is understandable.

“Hey, bastard, you did something?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

Abe grabbed me by the collar.

“I don’t know if she seduced you or what, but are you going to get along again with the girl who stole your artifact? You still call yourself a man? Don’t you have that thing hanging in between your thighs? Oi!?”

Nuh-uh…. I shrugged my shoulders in boredom, wondering if this guy is an idiot.

What is he doing, spreading around how he’s pulling strings behind the theft of artifacts…?

“Err, it’s true that the Raikiri (Lightning Cutter) is gone, but does that mean your family led the theft?”

Hearing my words, Abe hastily released his grip on my collar.

“Huh? Theft? What are you talking about?”

“It’s too late for that… besides, how could I not have heard anything from Anastasia?”

When I said that, Abe’s mouth twisted into a grin.

“Huh? Where’s your evidence? Do you want to cast an accusation on the Portes family of the noble demon solely based on the testimony of a bitch? I’m going to crush you for disrespecting us, you bastard!”

Defiant intimidation, huh? He seems to be a scumbag to the bitter end.

Abe then grabbed Anastasia’s collar this time.

“It seems that you’re expecting something from this piece of trash when you told him what was going on… but you do understand, right? Go against the contract, and you’ll die like a ragged cloth, you know? There’s nothing a human swordsman can do anything about it!”

“……”

“Don’t just stay silent!”

“…Um, er… I… I don’t want to obey you guys… anymore”

“Huh? Have you finally lost your mind!? Or rather, we’d also be troubled if you were to be punished by death for violating the order and contract! Hey, explain! What’s this all about!? You don’t really want to die, do you!?”

“…Uh, er… Master said… I don’t have to put up with this anymore…”

Anastasia looked at me anxiously.

“Come to think of it, you seem to have had some special feelings for this human… oi-oi!? Is this some sort of love story or something where you choose to die? Seriously, give me a break!? You can at least do addition and subtraction, right!? Die or obey orders, you know which is better for you, don’t you? What kind of an idiot are you!?”

“……”

“What’s so good about him anyway? You sure you’re not out of your mind? Are you stupid? Just how stupid can you be!? This is seriously unbelievable ──”

Anastasia took a deep breath ──

── *Slap!*

A dry crackling sound reverberated.

It was the sound of Anastasia slapping Abe’s right cheek with all her might.

“…Wha-?”

With a look of disbelief, Abe rubbed his slapped right cheek.

“I won’t obey you guys anymore!”

To follow up on that ── Anastasia’s straight right landed smack dab on Abe’s nose while he was still dumbfounded.

“Gah…!”

Nice! Looks like she matured, like a child who learned to do it when they had to. This child.

Seeing that blood was flowing down from his cut lip and broken nose, Abe shouted.

“Oi, you! What’s the meaning of this, oi!?”

Abe is furious, making his vein pop out.

Without taking a step back, Anastasia glared at Abe.

“I don’t mind you insulting me. But I can’t put up with any more of your… abusive language against Master”

Abe’s shoulders began to quiver from anger.

“It seems to me that you really want to get killed”

I can see the magic power gathering around Abe’s right fist.

Ah, this guy… is going to hit a girl. And with all his power, too.

Moreover, if it’s at the magic academy’s standards, it looks like his combat abilities are high, so this isn’t good.

And so, as Abe is going to punch Anastasia in the abdomen ──

“Okay, let’s stop here”

I stepped in and, with one hand, caught Abe’s fist right in front of him.

“Inferior species!? This has nothing to do with you!”

Ah, he is really troublesome.

“To the point of being ── a really annoying brat”

So, let’s give you a little pain, shall I?

I put a little bit of pressure on Abe’s right fist that I was holding.

“Argh-…hhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

I let go of his hand, and Abe continued to grovel on the ground,  screaming, “Arghhhhh”.

He’s a dramatic bastard. It’s not like I crushed his hand.

── I could feel it creaking, so there must have been some cracks.

“My condolences. You may be in the magic swordsman department, but you won’t be able to hold a sword for a while, you know? Well, I don’t think you can hold a sword in this academy… not anymore anyway”

“Can’t hold a sword, you say!? W-W-What do you mean!?”

“I spent the weekend… investigating the ledger at your mansion. And also, your treasury”

“Huh?”

“There’s plenty of stolen artifacts, off-balance-sheets… also taking part in behind-the-scenes drug trafficking, right? It’s obvious that they’re not at the level of being a middleman, they’re handling it as a dealer. You can’t talk your way out of this, by the way. There’s plenty of stolen goods like that there, after all”

“Y-Y-You bastard!? What’s this all about!?”

Good grief, I sighed.

“I’ve always been thorough with those who antagonize me. And I usually do not fight with anyone but scumbags. If you look closely at what they’ve done, you’ll often find one or two pieces of evidence against them. Again, I was dead on this time, too. It was a blunder to leave documents that showed interacting with the Marx mafia family lying around. 100% percent sure that you can’t talk your way out of this one now, you know?”

Abe’s eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the Marx family.

“Don’t tell me… you really snuck into the mansion?”

“That’s what I’m saying, isn’t it?”

“It’s heavily… guarded, you know?”

“The security might as well be paper to me”

“Impossible… no way…”

“You can open up the treasury when you get home. All the documentation should have disappeared”

“But if you did that, then you too will be charged with theft…”

I sneered at Abe and said,

“The words you said to me earlier, I’ll just say it back to you. You have no evidence that I stole it, right? Or do you think you’ll be able to produce evidence when it seems that you guys are not even aware that the documents were stolen two days ago and are still missing?”

“…No… way…?”

“Yeah, yeah. The anonymous chivalrous thief left the proof in front of Headmaster Merlin’s room. The headmaster, who detest unjust conduct… is probably in the middle of a conversation with the noble body in the royal capital right now”

“If you do that, our family will be…”

“Yeah, that’s right”

I stuck out my right hand and made a thumbs-up gesture.

I then flipped my hand over and pointed my thumb towards the ground.

“It’s over, you bastard. I absolutely won’t forgive anyone who made my people cry. That being said, I must ask you to leave, okay?”

“No… way…”

To Abe, who was standing there, stunned, I repeated what I said again ── in a firm voice. 

“I must ask you to leave, okay?”

And so Abe fell to his knees right then and there, slamming his hands on the ground as he shouted.

“It’s all over! Damn it, damn it… damn it!!”

☆★☆★☆★

“Aah! I feel refreshed!”

“Yeah, you’re right”

As I started to walk towards the magic academy, Anastasia grabbed the hems of my right sleeve.

“Um… uh… Master?”

“Hmm? What’s the matter?”

“Can we have a talk… for a moment?”

So I led Anastasia by the hand.

At the fountain park in the Round Plaza.

The warm sunshine is pleasant in the cold morning air.

And there, we were having breakfast on a bench in the plaza. Usually, we eat at the academy’s cafeteria, but today we had to make a detour.

We were busy filling our mouths with our sandwiches as we watched people hurriedly go about their work and studies.

“Um… Master? There’s something on my mind”

As usual, she kept her gaze down with her bangs still obscuring most of her face, so I couldn’t see her expression.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Yes, my sister died in accordance to karma… and in the midst of all that, I’m the only one that’s been set freed… so I wondered if I deserved to be happy”

As Anastasia looked off into the distant sky, I shook my head.

“I think that’s fine”

“But…”

“You’ve lived all your life on rubbish heaps… dirty streets. In that case, join me and live on a beautiful street from now on, while we clean up the trash”

“But my sister is…”

“She’s probably living together with you, right?”

“Together…?”

I made a fist and tapped Anastasia lightly on the left side of her chest.

“Your sister… is alive and well in here. In your heart. If so, together with your sister… you can live clean from now on. Live on for your sister proudly, to the very end”

“…That’s just spiritualism. In reality, my sister has already… passed away…”

I shook my head.

“── It’s not a theory”

“…Not a theory…?”

“My life… as Ephthal of the Four Emperors has been a series of struggles”

“Ah, yes. I think so”

“In the Demon King’s castle, and elsewhere… many of my comrades in arms have already died. All in order to send the Four Emperors, humanity’s decisive weapons, to the Demon King without fatigue… and unharmed. Many have died at the time. However, they are… still alive and well here, in my heart”

I tapped the left side of my chest with a solid thump.

“Hey, Anastasia? The people who died so that I could live? Can you say that… I lived because of them, and now I’m living a reluctant and unhappy life? You can’t say that now, can you? That’s why you have to be happy”

Thinking for a moment, Anastasia nodded with a frail look on her face. 

“…Yes”

“Smile. From now on, for your sister’s share… smile lots”

With another nod, Anastasia stood up and stepped in front of me.

“Um… Master?”

“What is it?”

“…Master really never fails to surprise me…. You really, really… keep surprising me, over and over again… it’s bad for my heart. Are you doing this to harass me by any chance?”

“Well, I’m not trying to be mean though”

“Um… to tell the truth, I was a bit ── displeased with that side of Master”

Anastasia then move her face closer to mine ──

── Her lips gently touched mine.

“…Hehe. I hope this managed to surprise Master a little bit”

“You…”

“Um, uh… er…”

Anastasia looked up.

Perhaps for the first time since we met, she looked straight at me face to face, but ── with her bright red face.

“I love you very much. Master”

She got me, I thought to myself.

When she’s so straightforward with her affection, even I… don’t know what to do.

As I was still at a loss for words, Anastasia, embarrassed, dropped her gaze to the ground again.

“Uh… I’ve just… decided. I am… going to live my life smiling a lot more from now on. Together… with Master”

Good grief…. She totally got me.

The punchline this time is that the Emperor of the Thunder God is troubled because of what a little girl did to him.

Damn it…. If the other three Emperors saw me like this, they’ll laugh at me forever.

Well… it can’t be helped, so instead of hiding my embarrassment, I stroked Anastasia’s head briskly.

“Hehe, it’s rough, but… it’s still somewhat gentle. Merlin-sama was also happy to have this done, and I can see why now”

“Don’t be ridiculous”

Even though I can’t see Anastasia’s expression because of her drooping bangs, I know she’s probably shyly smiling with a bright red face…. That’s what I thought.

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Chapter 3 Part 7

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Side: Ephthal

The room was completely filled with magic elements. 

At the same time, there were crackles of Shiden (Purple Lightning) flashing through the room.

“It seems that the guy is angry at this forced intervention”

In total, there are four Gods called contract beasts, and usually, one of them protects each and every contract.

Judging from the slave crest, the one administering this contract is probably ──

“Hmm…. A puny human dares to attempt to intervene with the slave crest that we protect illegally?”

A slender body about seven meters long suddenly appeared, floating midair.

Its body’s diameter is about fifty centimeters and looks like a snake, or rather… a dragon.

Well, it goes without saying that the one who came this time is the Seiryu (Azure Dragon).

“I’ve always been one to use my power to get rid of unpleasant things, after all”

Hearing that, the Seiryu (Azure Dragon) opened his big mouth and laughed in amusement, “Haha!”.

“I’ll respect your brazen attitude… towards a God. Even if it’s due to ignorance”

“Ignorance, you say…?”

“The contract beast method has been widely known for a long time. In the last few hundred years, humans have been so fearful and reverent of us… to the point that there hasn’t been anyone foolish enough to oppose us…”

“Oh? Then?”

“It is still fresh in my mind when we obliterated an entire small country not too long ago. If the whole country is rebelling, it would still be understandable. However, it’s rare to see someone have the gall to oppose us all on their own. Well, I guess you’re just too ignorant to understand how terrifying we can be”

“Ignorance, huh…”

Hearing that, I chuckled.

“I see. It’s just as you say. Ignorance is a terrible thing”

“Yeah, that’s right. You do understand the difference in our power, don’t you? It’s too late to beg for your life now, isn’t it?”

He certainly has an overwhelming amount of magic power.

“Beg for my life? Why should I?”

“You’re really an imperturbable man. No, it should be clear to anyone present here that they feel terrified due to my overwhelming magic power…. I see. You’re just putting on a brave front, aren’t you? However, it would be a little more endearing if you were honestly afraid like the little girl over there”

I looked back and saw that Anastasia seemed to have felt the magic power of the Seiryu (Azure Dragon), and her knees gave way.

“Why don’t you test it out and see if I’m just putting on a brave front or not”

“Haha. Is that so? It’s been a long time since I’ve descended to this world. So I’ll show you a little performance”

“A performance?”

“Yes. To mock the prideful country bumpkin who is ignorant. After showing you the difference in our power, I’ll bite off your limbs and eat your intestines little by little while you’re still alive!”

The Seiryu (Azure Dragon) did a small nod.

Then, the naturally occurring magic power and Ki ── dissolved into the atmosphere of the room, and flowed into the Seiryu (Azure Dragon).

“This technique is…”

“Oh? So you know about it? This is a technique similar to the physical ability strengthening that you humans can do. However, its efficiency is on an order of magnitude higher”

The amount of magic power flowing out of the Seiryu (Azure Dragon) rose explosively.

Anastasia’s scream, “Eek!”, could be heard from behind.

“This is Divine Realm strengthening! You can’t even put on a brave front after being shown this amount of magic power now, can you?”

“…I see”

“Hahaha! Even at this point, you still haven’t changed your expression!? You really are an amusing human! But after having your right arm bitten off ── would you still say the same thing?”

With that, the Seiryu (Azure Dragon) opened his mouth wide and aimed at me, charging forward at great speed.

“Realize the power of a God!”

On the contrary, I deployed a physical ability strengthening technique.

Magic power poured into my muscles and increased their performance by tens to hundreds of times.

I also poured magic power into my cerebellum so that achieving inhuman reflexes are possible.

“Divine Realm strengthening, you say? It’s a high-sounding name, but in the end, it’s just a physical ability strengthening, isn’t it?”

Naturally, my physical ability strengthening has improved dramatically ever since I learned close-quarters combat in this life.

It’s a combination of my original magic power manipulation and the advanced physical ability strengthening technique that I learned from Cecilia nee-san and Mauriat, who are both considered to be swordmasters.

Inevitably, it is also not unreasonable to say that its effects are at peak levels.

That’s right, what I’m doing now is the ultimate in physical ability strengthening.

In other words, it is also ──

── Synonymous with what’s called, ‘Divine Realm strengthening’.

The large jaws of the approaching Seiryu (Azure Dragon).

He’s certainly fast, but it’s not impossible to deal with it.

No, if it were me from my previous life, I probably wouldn’t have been able to deal with it.

Well, I would be able to settle it before I was brought into close-quarters combat if it were the old me.

“── Wha-!? How can a human use Divine Realm strengthening!?”

His large mouth closed with a thump that cut through the air.

The Seiryu (Azure Dragon) opened his eyes wide as I avoided his fang attacks.

“Hey, God? A power that exceeds humans, you say?”

As a counter, I struck the Seiryu’s (Azure Dragon) face ── as hard as I could with my thunderous fist.

“Guaaaaaaah!”

He was struck with all my power and blown a few dozen meters away, sending the Seiryu (Azure Dragon) slamming into the wall of the room.

*Ker-thump* As I heard the collision, I shrugged my shoulders and said.

“I’m sorry, but I also stopped being a human a long time ago”

“A human… that can use Divine Realm strengthening!?”

“Physical ability strengthening can also be handled by humans. They just get better at it, don’t they? There shouldn’t be anything odd about it”

The Seiryu’s (Azure Dragon) entire body trembled as he started speaking in a panicked voice.

“That’s ridiculous! It’s not possible… no, it can’t be! I won’t accept this! I won’t accept this at all!!”

“I don’t need your approval to handle Divine Realm strengthening now, do I?”

But, well, half of it was that I used an unusual method. 

As it turns out, I can use Divine Realm strengthening.

Magic power manipulation is my primary profession, but the muscle and Ki relations are the domain of close-quarters combat roles.

I’ve trained quite a bit in this life, but still, the strengthening lies in a world called ‘Divine Realm’, after all.

Naturally, a much higher level of precision than what an expert in the use of body and Ki could do is required.

Honestly speaking, my current skill level in close-quarters combat is considerably higher than Cecilia nee-san… but still, it’s going to take a lot of time for me to work on that aspect along with my magic power as I tune them.

And therefore, I need several seconds of preparation to use Divine Realm strengthening.

Moreover, the physical ability strengthening is instantaneous and explosive, so it’s not always effective during battle.

It must be timed and activated at intervals.

Naturally, a technique that requires several seconds of preparation is not yet ready to be used in an actual battle.

Then why was I able to activate it right away earlier…?

Well, that’s because I’ve outsourced the control of magic power to Merlin, and now I only need to manage my body and adjust my Ki.

All the mental barriers have been opened to Merlin, and the magic circuits in my brain are being remotely controlled right now.

If she wanted to, Merlin could also do some nasty mental attacks.

Only Merlin, who I trust, can do this, and she is the only one that can control magic power to this degree in the first place.

Normally, it would be impossible to let someone else control the magic power inside your body, but that’s where my beloved apprentice comes in.

“Damn it… lowly human… don’t get carried away!!!”

The Seiryu (Azure Dragon) charged at me.

The speed was incomparable to what I had seen earlier, and even my reflexes, which are enhanced to be within the ‘Divine Realm’, could barely see it.

I barely avoided the dragon’s jaw with a side jump.

No… I couldn’t avoid it completely. My cheek was slightly cut, and I could feel the blood trickling down.

“Hahaha! The earlier attack just caught me off guard! If I took it seriously, you and the others don’t stand a chance…!”

I avoided another charge with another jump.

I narrowly avoided it this time, though. It was beyond the speed of sound, with a thunderous shockwave followed suit

“As expected of a God. Amazing speed”

The Seiryu (Azure Dragon) nodded with satisfaction.

“It’s not very mature of me to take on a human seriously. You should be honored. I’m facing you with my full power, as a ── God”

“Oh, thank you.”

And then another charge.

Just as before, I avoided it with a side jump, but I didn’t get to counterattack.

If I had a sword that could reach, I could avoid it and do a counterattack at the same time, but Anastasia had taken the Raikiri (Lightning Cutter), so right now I’m unarmed.

Or rather, I thought I could somehow handle it unarmed. Guess I’m at a disadvantage….

“Hahaha! Being defensive, huh? No, the fact that you can avoid my attacks is admirable! Be proud of your power in Hell!”

He’s indeed right. I’m on defense.

I could easily defeat him with magic, but this time I have an objective called close-quarters combat experimentation.

Now, what should I do…. As I thought about it, I sighed as if I had given up.

── I probably underestimated my opponent too much by aiming for no damage taken in close-quarters combat.

Then I will just do that thing and finish him off with my bare hands….

As I prepare myself, “I’ll show you that I’m not just defending”.

“Oh? What are you going to do?”

“Oh, I’m gonna show you some… human skills.”

The Seiryu (Azure Dragon) laughed boisterously at my words.

“Hahaha! That’s what the strong would say! The Sovereign Fist Saint who worked his way up to the ‘Divine Realm’ ── ! In respect to your training of reaching there, I promise to face you with all my power ── until your heart stops beating!”

Hm? The Sovereign Fist Saint? 

As I was still confused, the Seiryu (Azure Dragon) charged at me again, but at the fastest speed I have seen today.

Fast! It’s beyond what my eyes can follow!

But I’m not so naive as to think that a slight increase in speed after a number of monotonous attacks… will work.

It’s a half-hunch. However, I’m somewhat sure.

I can anticipate his attacks so far and take evasive action. If I can’t follow it with my eyes, then I have no choice but to move first.

So, this time I didn’t jump to the side but moved my upper body to avoid the jaws of the dragon that was quickly coming for my head. But I couldn’t avoid it completely.

“Hahaha! I couldn’t take you down in one blow, but I got your shoulder! At this rate, you’re going to bleed out and get incapacitated, you know?”

As he said, he got a bit of flesh from my right shoulder.

The blood was also gushing out and the battle can probably only last another… five minutes, huh?

But this was to be expected from the beginning. After all, I didn’t expect to be able to avoid the attack completely.

“── Wha-!?”

As soon as the flesh from my shoulder was taken away, I went horseback riding on the Seiryu’s (Azure Dragon) back.

Well, from the perspective of the others, it’s probably like riding on a serpent floating in the air.

And so, I just wrap my hands around the Seiryu’s (Azure Dragon) head a little below the cranium ── in human terms, the neck. Alright… it’s just as planned!

── Rear naked choke.

In this world, the concept of pinning techniques doesn’t exist. In other words, there is also no concept of Shime-Waza (Judo Choking Techniques). Let alone Kansetsu-Waza (Judo Joint Locking Techniques).

Although the opponent is a God, he has a physical body that has descended to this world, so naturally, he has internal organs and a ‘brain’.

As long as there are blood flow and internal organs, the Shime-Waza (Judo Choking Techniques) should be effective. However, the diameter of the neck is quite large, so it’s just barely possible.

Anyway, from this guy’s perspective, the judo techniques that I used to do before I was reincarnated in this world… the chokehold, must be like a blade from another dimension.

I use my ‘Divine Realm’ power just barely to choke the Seiryu’s (Azure Dragon) neck.

“Guhak…!”

*Thud* The Seiryu (Azure Dragon) that was floating in the air fell to the ground. Alright! It’s working!

“Splendid… hu… man…!!”

Again, I choke him with all my power.

Then the Seiryu (Azure Dragon) mustered up the last of his strength and roared.

“Still, it’s a pity, isn’t it? I am… the physical attack type… but ── I also can handle magic! Haha… hahaha… hahahaha! The Fist Saint who specialized in physical attacks… you… can’t… possibly defend against the magic attacks that I’m about to launch…!!”

The Seiryu’s (Azure Dragon) body shined, and an enormous amount of magic power began to flow.

It seems that he’s planning to launch point-blank range magic attacks against me.

But still… a Fist Saint who specializes in physical attacks? And so, I sighed.

── Haa, this guy has got it all wrong….

However, the magic power that flooded the room, is it lightning energy?

Or rather, is this idiot… going to unleash lightning magic on me, of all people?

“Hey, you… this magic power is…”

“Ha… haha… ha!! Fist Saint? Are you… surprised? I am… capable of dishing out both physical and magic attacks!”

Well, I’m extremely surprised.

I didn’t expect him not to know his place….

“What I am going to do now is… suicide attack…. I’m going to get shocked, too… but since we’re so close together… the lightning attack is going to hit you, too…!!” 

“Hey-hey, you can’t be serious?”

“Ha… hahaha! You are a physical attack specialist and I’m… much more resistant to magic than you are… an order of magnitude higher even…!!”

No, well… that’s probably an order of magnitude higher. 

I mean, he’s generating quite a considerable force field. As expected of someone who calls himself a God, he seems to use a substantial level of magic.

Naturally, I began to form my own magic to counter the lightning attack.

“Eat this, Fist Saint! Level 9: Thunder God’s Boisterous Dance, Thor’s Lance!”

Countless lightning spears came towards me and the Seiryu (Azure Dragon).

At the same time, I also activated my magic.

“Level 10: Emperor of the Thunder God, Ephthal!”

When I use lightning magic, I become the very Thunder God themself.

And naturally, there is no way that… lightning magic will work on a Thunder God, too.

‘Emperor of the Thunder God, Ephthal’ magic is also useful as lightning-related defensive magic, or rather, it completely nullifies any lightning magic that is not equal to or higher than my level 10 magic.

The logic here is exactly the same as it was in the decisive battle with Merlin.

Any magic can also be assimilated and absorbed by my ‘Level 10: Emperor of the Thunder God, Ephthal’.

Incidentally, as for the ‘Emperor of the Thunder God, Ephthal’ magic, it was unleashed towards the room’s corner.

This was supposed to be training in close-quarters combat, so there’s no point in using magic to defeat him.

And so, this is what happens as a result ──

“GWAAARRGGGHHH!”

The Seiryu (Azure Dragon) was struck by the lightning that he unleashed and seemed to have taken some damage.

Naturally, I did not receive any damage….

The Seiryu (Azure Dragon) shouted in dismay that my strength to choke him didn’t weaken at all.

“What… why? Why… isn’t it working!? What’s more, the magic that was unleashed towards the corner of this room is…!? This magic is… it can’t be… no way… could it be…?”

It seems that he finally understands the situation. And so I spoke with a sigh.

“A habitual contract breaker ── do you understand if I say Ephthal the debt dodger?”

“E, E… Ephthal, you say!? But that person should have died four hundred years ago…”

Merlin couldn’t help but burst out laughing when she heard that.

“Hahaha!! No, well, even if it’s four hundred years ago, it should still be a legend among you guys…”

“Wh-Wh-What do you mean… by that?”

“If it had been Suzaku (Vermilion Bird), Genbu (Black Tortoise), and Byakko (White Tiger) who had directly confronted him, they might have recognized him as Ephthal-sama first… but, well, it’s already too late now. Still, I never thought Ephthal-sama would do the same thing four hundred years later”

“Yeah, wasn’t that right, Merlin? That time ── when we borrowed money from an illegal loan shark and then blew up the entire contract by not paying the debt. It really was a masterpiece, wasn’t it?”

“But I wonder about donating all of that money to an orphanage or charity”

“Even though it’s dirty money, if we line up our own pockets with it, we would be no better than a fiend now, won’t we?”

“Well, that’s true…”

Anastasia spoke up with a spaced out look on her face.

“Um, er… uh… Merlin-sama? What do you mean?”

I responded with a chuckle.

“As she said, I had a go with these guys a long time ago to test my abilities”

“…Eh?”

“Well, at the time, as soon as these guys appeared, I cast my ultimate magic as an opener when I broke the contract”

“Ephthal-sama? Please don’t forget the opening ritual magic that was cast by all the inner disciples, too”

“That aside, as they showed up, the look on their faces… it was a real masterpiece”

“Um, er… Master…? Merlin-sama? What are you guys talking about…?”

“I told you, didn’t I? Don’t measure me with your common sense ── the Four Emperors aren’t bound by absurd contracts”

“…Um, er… in other words?”

“In the first place, contracts are made based on mutual trust between you and the other party. I don’t approve of someone forcing my descendants using contracts, to be responsible and bound by it for a war many generations ago. In the name of the first Emperor of the Thunder God, I won’t let such a fiend go”

At that moment, the Seiryu (Azure Dragon) that I was choking went limp and fell to the ground with foam at the mouth. 

“The Four Emperors… Eph… thal… impos… si… ble…”

“So, Seiryu-san? How does it feel to be defeated by a chattering mage with a rear naked choke?”

“…Re… gret”

Then the Seiryu (Azure Dragon) became completely limp and stopped moving.

“I only destroyed the body of a God that they used for descents, though. Well, once they find out that I’m here… they probably won’t be messing with Anastasia anymore”

I distance myself away from the Seiryu (Azure Dragon).

Then, after scorching the Seiryu’s (Azure Dragon) body black with fire magic, I dusted off the dirt on my hands.

“Well, in any case, the issue is settled now”

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