Chapter 52 - Chapter 50: The Magic Geek is Aghast
"Just as I expected, this has caused quite a stir, hasn't it?"
The day after the five of us learned our new spells, during the first break of the day. As my friends gathered around my desk like usual, Roche murmured his observation.
"It has… Ah, thank you. Yes, I'll continue to do my best."
The first half of my response was for Roche, the second for the classmates who had come to offer their congratulations.
In the last class, Chief Professor Azadh had announced to everyone that Ruria and I had earned the qualifications to advance to the Second Tier. The professor had handled it shrewdly. He began class as normal, and only near the end did he announce that Roche, Isak, and Lady Elisha had learned their third and fourth spells. While the class was still reeling in surprise, he casually mentioned my and Ruria's advancement to the Second Tier, and then promptly ended the lesson.
The moment the professor left, the classroom erupted with exclamations of "No way!", "Is that true?!", "I can't believe it," and "...What does that even mean?" Then, my classmates all rose from their seats and swarmed us. Just like on the first day of the academy, they lined up to praise Ruria and me with a chorus of "Congratulations!" and "That's incredible!" I was currently in the middle of dealing with the aftermath.
The line of classmates before me was arranged just as it had been before. First came the students with favorable ties to the Arcalai faction, followed by the unaffiliated students, and finally, those belonging to other factions with whom we had a more delicate relationship. That said, since Lady Elisha of the Shamir family—one of the Four Marquis Houses—had somehow joined our inner circle, the last group was vanishingly small. Specifically, it consisted of Yuli from the Katzir family and his two followers. That was it.
Speaking of Yuli, he had been frozen for some time now, his gaze fixed straight ahead. His roundish lackey was calling out "Lord Yuli? Lord Yuli?!" beside him, but there was no response. Had he short-circuited? Something must have come as a profound shock. I decided to leave him be.
And then there was Lady Elisha, who should have been in the opposing faction due to her family ties. For some reason, she was sitting next to me, happily holding Ruria on her lap.
"Ruria-sama, congratulations on reaching the Second Tier! To achieve such a feat at your age… truly, I can think of no one more suited to be Ester-sama's successor!"
"Mm."
"Thank you kindly. However, might it be wiser not to speak of such things so openly for now? One never knows what sort of rumors ill-mannered individuals might spread."
"Ah! Y-You are right. I shall be more careful!"
With Ruria only responding with a grunt or a silent nod, it was Lady Elisha who was fielding the comments. Was she playing the part of a guardian? She was even offering what sounded like helpful advice. And for some reason, everyone was just accepting it. What was going on?
"Saki-sama. Reaching the Second Tier while still enrolled is a feat second only to Ester-sama in the academy's entire history. It's truly amazing."
"Oh, not at all. I've only just earned the qualification," I replied modestly to a classmate—one of the unaffiliated students I hadn't interacted with much. "It seems the faculty has no intention of officially certifying Ruria and me as Second Tier for some time, so I must simply continue to focus on my studies."
In truth, I had reported all this to my father and grandmother yesterday, and they had briefly explained the situation. Ruria and I would likely not be officially recognized as Second Tier until graduation. Until then, we would be treated as unranked students, just like everyone else.
Still, almost the entire class, save for two people, had gathered around us. It looked like this entire break would be spent accepting congratulations. I wouldn't be able to catch my breath until the next one…
As it turned out, that was an optimistic assessment. During the second break of the day, I found both third-year Hall Heads, Lug-senpai and Idis-senpai, standing before my desk. For some reason, their smiles looked a little strained.
"Hey, Saki-kun. So you've reached the Second Tier? I was prepared for this the moment you surpassed me, but this is even faster than I expected."
"Saki, Ruria, have you two ever heard of moderation? It's not just the second-years; even the third-years are getting restless. It's a real pain trying to keep them in line."
"Hall Head Lug? Hall Head Idis?! What are you both doing in a first-year classroom?"
I asked in surprise, and Hall Head Lug answered with a wry smile.
"What do you mean, 'what are we doing'? It's just as Idis said. The news that you've qualified for the Second Tier has spread, and now even upperclassmen are flocking outside this classroom, hoping to get acquainted with you two."
"There have been people like that since you two enrolled, but Lug and I have been holding them back," Idis-senpai added with a shrug, her tone one of exasperation. "We told them you were still young and it would be a nuisance. But hearing you reached the Second Tier so quickly, it seems their patience has run out. Honestly, we're at our wit's end."
I understood why they were here now. No, actually, I still didn't.
"So, what do you two want me to do?"
"Well, honestly, we're kind of at the 'what do we do?' stage ourselves."
"How about you agree to meet them, but with a limit? Say, two people a day? If they know their turn will come, they might calm down a bit."
But I'm the one who'll have to actually meet them, I thought. Ruria would ignore them from the get-go. Why in the world should I have to suffer through sales pitches from over a hundred upperclassmen I don't even know?
I wanted to shout it out loud, but I couldn't. There were too many people watching in this classroom, and as the heir to the Arcalai Viscounty, I couldn't afford to show such a careless attitude. So, I put on a troubled expression and dodged the suggestion with a vague, "That might interfere with my studies, so that's a bit…" The two of them nodded with wry smiles of their own, murmuring, "You're right," and "True enough."
My friends and I discussed various ideas after that, but we couldn't come up with an effective solution during the break. The two Hall Heads somehow managed to disperse the upperclassmen who had gathered outside, but I was seriously worried about what to do next. At this rate, I had no doubt that as soon as I returned to the dormitory, I would be approached by one unfamiliar upperclassman after another. What a mess…
But the problem was resolved later that day when the faculty issued a directive to the second and third-years: "Contacting Saki and Ruria without reason is forbidden." I thought my peaceful school life would finally return.
"So now a whole bunch of people are probably going to start thinking they just need to invent a reason."
"Ah, that's entirely possible."
"You are both being a little naive. Next, we must be wary of the professors who do not teach the first-year class."
My friends' words nearly broke my spirit. Give me a break, seriously.
My school life, which had been jeopardized by the Second Tier commotion, surprisingly managed to continue for another month without any major trouble. We were able to focus on our classes in peace.
Of course, there were plenty of minor changes. For instance, more upperclassmen started greeting me in the academy's hallways or on the path to and from the dormitories. It wasn't anything lengthy; just a smile and a nod as we passed, or a simple "Good morning."
Still, I thought it was strange for them to be using polite language with me, a lowerclassman, but I suppose it couldn't be helped. These were the same people who had been willing to come all the way to a first-year classroom just to get my and Ruria's attention.
The academy had a pretense that social status didn't matter, and among students of the same year, things were indeed quite relaxed. However, when it came to magic, a clear hierarchy existed. Even within the same grade, a distinct caste system formed based on one's progress in learning spells. Among professors, too, the way they were viewed changed drastically depending on their Tier. Given that I was a student who had reached the Second Tier, and the heir to the Arcalai faction—the largest in the country—their attitude was perhaps unavoidable. Still, it made me feel terribly unsettled.
"So, yeah, I was wondering if anything could be done about it."
After classes ended, I returned to the dormitory and found myself in the Hall Head's office, venting my frustrations while sipping the tea Hall Head Lug had brewed for me. He sat across from me, holding his own cup, and spoke in an exasperated tone.
"You know, Saki-kun, I treat you this way because I know you fairly well, but you're supposed to be someone I can't even speak to so casually. Do you understand that?"
"For someone who says that, you have no qualms about sending me on errands or making me apologize, do you?"
"That's because what you want is a normal relationship, just a simple senior and junior. Am I wrong?" Hall Head Lug replied without a hint of concern, taking a sip from his cup. His completely natural demeanor made my face break into a smile.
"As expected of you, Lug-senpai. You get it."
"You shouldn't be happy about that. It's fine within the academy, but the moment you step outside, there are other people watching. If you act too casually then, you'll damage the prestige of both yourself and your family. I may speak to you informally now, but once I graduate and join the military, it'll be honorifics and bowing for you. You'd better prepare yourself."
Oof, he laid it out plainly. A "normal senior" like Hall Head Lug was a truly precious commodity… Well, he did say it was only for when "other people are watching," so I hoped he would continue to treat me casually when we were in private. But more importantly, I thought I just heard something I couldn't ignore.
"Senpai, has it been decided that you're joining the military?"
"Yeah, I've decided to join the Royal Magic Corps. The pay is good, and they'll continue to provide me with various conveniences, same as always."
"Did Idis-senpai have anything to say about you becoming a soldier?"
"Why are you bringing up Idis's name now? It would be strange for her to have a say in my career path, wouldn't it?"
Hall Head Lug turned slightly, averting his gaze. His tone was a little rougher than usual, and his profile was tinged with a faint crimson. Oh, how adorable.
He shot a glare at my grinning face, but then his expression softened into a mischievous look.
"Just so you know, the Royal Magic Corps is the very heart of the Arcalai faction, their staunchest supporters. After I join, I'll be humbling myself before you more than ever. A pleasure to serve you, Young Master."
"Hey, no, please don't call me Young Master!"
He ignored my cry and returned to sipping his tea, his point clearly made. He seemed to have reverted to his usual self.
"So that's the situation. The second and third-years have their reasons for acting the way they do, so could you try to forgive them? If anything, they're just showing you the respect you're due, so it would be odd to admonish them for it. Of course, if anyone gets too persistent or becomes a nuisance, you can tell me or the other professors. We'll do our best to keep you and Ruria-kun from being bothered."
"...Thank you for your consideration, senpai."
For the short time remaining until dinner, Hall Head Lug and I passed the time with idle chatter in his office. With all the commotion lately, moments like these felt incredibly precious.
Still, this situation… The androgynous and cool Hall Head Lug, inviting a young boy like me into his office for a tea party. If my female colleague from my past life saw this, wouldn't she be overjoyed? Or would she just give me a silent thumbs-up? Her face and name are hazy now, but I still remember the plots of the manga and novels she told me about so clearly.
Well, Hall Head Lug has Hall Head Idis, and I have absolutely no interest in that sort of thing, so nothing she might hope for is going to happen. Let this be a reminder to all interested parties to handle real-life subjects with care.
Around this time, Lady Elisha's prophecy was starting to come true. Professors I had seen before but never spoken to—in other words, those who didn't teach first-years—began approaching me more frequently.
Like the upperclassmen, it was usually just a few words as we passed in the main building or ran into each other on the way to and from the dorms. But whereas such encounters had been rare in the three months since I'd enrolled, they were suddenly happening all the time. They had to be doing it on purpose.
One professor in particular left a strong impression. As my usual group was heading back to the dorm, just a short walk from the main building, we were hailed by a woman coming from the direction of the academy's main gate.
"Oh? Aren't you Saki-kun from the first year?"
I turned at the call and saw a woman so beautiful she would have stood out even in the royal capital. She was tall, and I could tell she had the long limbs of a model even under her robe. Her platinum blonde hair was cut in a pixie style, and her sharp, coolly shining eyes gave her a very chic impression.
I felt Ruria, walking beside me, tighten her grip on my left arm. A sense of crisis welled up inside me, but I couldn't just ignore a professor, so I tried to form a safe reply.
"Yes, I am Saki Adoni Arcalai. May I help you with something?"
"Fufu, no need to be so guarded. I'm Batya Gitai. I'm a professor at this academy, mainly in charge of the third-years. My specialty is Magic Theory. I was just returning from outside the academy when I saw you all pass by, so I thought I'd say hello. A pleasure to meet you, Arcalai family's child prodigy."
"The pleasure is all mine, Professor Gitai. But 'prodigy' is far too kind. I am still a novice, a long way from matching my grandmother or father."
"Fufu, too much modesty can sound like sarcasm, you know. I hear that not even Ester-sama or Lord Arcalai had mastered as many spells as you have at your age. And you, you must be Ruria Sharon? Just as the rumors say, a cute little doll. It's a pleasure to meet you both. I hope we get along."
Professor Gitai said with a faint smile. But Ruria, the target of her gaze, merely stared back at the professor with a half-lidded glare filled with hostility. This was bad. She'd already marked her as an enemy from the start. It was her usual routine, but doing it to a professor was a terrible idea.
"My apologies. Ruria has always been very shy around new people."
"It's fine, I don't mind. By the way, are either of you interested in specialized research on the nature of magic? If you'd like, you could come to my laboratory—"
"Ah, Professor Gitai, there you are."
Just then, another voice cut in from the side. I looked to see who it was and found the now-familiar Professor Rehoboam Hazza, scratching his bushy head and looking apologetic as usual.
"Professor Gitai, Chief Professor Azadh is calling for you regarding the off-campus activity you proposed. Might I have a moment of your time?"
Professor Gitai's eyes widened at Professor Hazza's sudden appearance. She glanced at Ruria and me, then let out a soft sigh. Turning back to Professor Hazza, she said in a bright tone.
"I understand. I'll go see him now. Saki-kun, Ruria-san, we'll talk again soon."
"Sorry to interrupt your conversation. You kids get back to the dorm safely now."
With that, the two of them walked off together toward the main building. The five of us watched them go, and only when they were a sufficient distance away did we begin to speak.
"So that was Professor Batya Gitai, 'The Icy Maiden.' She was, well, rather intense."
"Sh-She c-completely ignored the rest of us."
"That woman was looking at Saki-san and Ruria-chan with an improper gaze. You should be careful, even if she is a professor."
"And you say that, Elisha-san? It's a shame I can't tell you about the looks you give me and Ruria every day."
"..."
We all discussed what had just happened as we walked back to the dorms. When we reached the fork in the road leading to the Gold Dragon and Red Dragon Halls, we said our goodbyes for the day and separated. Once it was just the boys, I spoke in a low voice.
"Professor Hazza showing up at that exact moment to lead Professor Gitai away, and then telling us to 'get home safely'..."
"It means we can't even feel safe on the path between the dorm and the school buildings. I felt an air about her, like she might just abduct the two of you."
"I-I don't think she'd actually kidnap them, b-but we have to be careful around professors who aren't in the Arcalai faction."
At this rate, I was probably causing more unseen trouble for professors in our faction, like Professor Azadh and Professor Hazza. A wave of guilt washed over me as I passed through the doors of the Gold Dragon Hall.
"Saki-kun, I hear Batya was hitting on you. You just can't be left alone for a second, can you?"
"Could you please not phrase it like that, Ayala-san? She just greeted me normally."
"What? But she invited you to her room, didn't she? I'd say that's a sure sign of ulterior motives."
"No, I told you, Ruria was invited too, remember? Although, I admit she might have had ulterior motives of a different kind."
The day after our encounter with Professor Gitai, Ruria and I headed to the Great Library after class. We both consistently borrowed books to read in our dorms, so we visited the library regularly to return them and check out new ones. That day, just as we were about to enter, Ayala-san called out to us from the front desk, leading to the exchange we'd just had.
Still, for Ayala-san to refer to Professor Gitai as 'that girl'—they seemed to be on quite familiar terms. I wondered if they were friends.
"She's always been the type to latch on to something she wants and never let go. I imagine she'll be clinging to you for a while, Saki-kun. You might want to prepare yourself."
Ayala-san said with a grin. You've got to be kidding me. Professor Gitai, who seemed so cool, was actually the clingy type? If a professor pursued me that relentlessly, wouldn't I eventually be unable to fend her off and end up getting "taken home"?
I was about to clutch my head in despair when I gently pushed away Ruria's forehead as she tried to bite my ear. Honestly, you'd think Ruria would understand that she was just teasing me, not being genuinely affectionate. Or maybe she did understand and was trying to punish me anyway. Whatever the case, I desperately wished she would take her complaints directly to Ayala-san.
"Well, if she gets too persistent, you can always talk to me. I'll do something about it."
"Huh? You can do that?"
The unexpected offer made me blurt out the question. Ayala-san was a librarian, so if you'll forgive me for saying so, I thought she would be in a weaker position relative to Professor Gitai. In response to my query, Ayala-san answered without losing her smirk.
"I'll tell you a few of the most embarrassing stories from Batya's student days. If you tell her those, I bet she'll stop clinging to you, don't you think?"
"In which case, I imagine every last one of your unmentionable stories would inevitably be relayed to him as well."
A voice, as cold and clear as ice on a winter lake, came from behind us. I turned in surprise to see Professor Gitai standing there, the very person we had just been discussing, her expression unreadable. The chill in her voice and her gaze seemed to radiate outwards, amplifying her cool aura.
"Well, well. If it isn't Professor Batya. To think someone so busy would chase two first-years all the way to the Great Library. You really are smitten, aren't you?"
"I came to the Great Library to do some research. Meeting them was a coincidence. A shame these two couldn't see you in your usual sleeping state, isn't it?"
"Don't underestimate me. I can sleep perfectly well in front of Saki-kun and Ruria-chan. And shouldn't you stop chasing after a boy nearly twenty years younger, just because you're lacking male attention?"
"It's a ten-year difference if you round down. Besides, you're the same age, aren't you? And there are rumors, you know. About the Head Librarian being unusually talkative with a certain first-year boy."
With me and Ruria caught in the middle, the two women displayed the strange art of trading quiet insults. I began to slowly back away from the scene. "Well, we'll be going now," I whispered, and hastily led Ruria away toward the bookshelves of the first-floor hall.
Closing the door to the reception area behind me, I let out a quiet sigh. What was it with all the women around me having such impossibly strong personalities? They were all brilliant and wonderful, but their inner characters were so... disappointing. Or rather, they were all so exhausting to be around that I could never relax.
A tug on my arm brought my attention to Ruria, who was urging me with her eyes to hurry up and look at the books. The recent scene was probably not even worth a second thought to her. As I followed her into the forest of books, a corner of my mind registered that when it came to strong personalities, my childhood friend might just take the cake.
And so, despite these minor changes, my peaceful school life somehow continued—until a piece of huge news came crashing in, blowing away all the tranquility at once. It happened on the morning of the day that marked one week until the off-campus activity. During the first period, Chief Professor Azadh finally explained the details. Hearing them, I couldn't help but doubt my ears.
"The destination is the fortress on the northern border?"
"That is correct."
Professor Azadh answered my inadvertent outburst from the podium with perfect calm. The entire class was immediately engulfed in a wave of murmurs, but one student quietly raised her hand amidst the noise. It was Lady Elisha. After being called on by Professor Azadh, she stood and waited for her classmates to quiet down before she spoke.
"To travel from the academy to Fortress Metula would take twenty days by carriage, would it not…?"
What?! Twenty days to get there? A round trip would take a month and a half! That was a world away from last year's five-day itinerary of two days travel and three days on-site. But even to Lady Elisha's doubt, Professor Azadh replied with perfect composure.
"Do not worry. We will arrive in seven days."
No, no, even so, that's two weeks of travel, and with the on-site activities, we'd have to plan for nearly twenty days. Is it really okay to miss that much class time?
Then, in the corner of my vision, I saw someone in the front rows raise their hand. Was that Prince Yuli? What could he possibly want to ask? Don't tell me he was about to launch into one of his usual, pointless, self-aggrandizing stories.
"An itinerary of that length will cause a significant delay in the lectures we first-years are meant to receive and the practical training we must undertake for our own development. I request that you reconsider."
What?! Yuli was being reasonable? And he was asking the very question I'd been wondering about, on my behalf! At that moment, I revised my rock-bottom opinion of Yuli just a tiny fraction upwards. I'd even overlook the way he flicked his hair back as he sat down this time.
But even to Yuli's appeal, Professor Azadh replied without hesitation.
"A valid point. Naturally, we have considered that as well. A week of travel does not mean you will be constantly rattling around in a carriage. We plan to hold lessons during the intervals, so you may participate without concern."
Oh, wow. That's the equivalent of turning bathroom breaks and rest stops into class and training time, isn't it? That's an insanely hard schedule. Forcing that on first-years, most of whom were still children... Professor Azadh was a monster. Wait, wasn't his nickname in the Royal Magic Corps "The Ogre Commander"? I can't believe my "Marine Corps boot camp" fears are actually coming true…
A few more questions came from other classmates, but Professor Azadh answered them all with unshakable confidence, driving home the point that the details of this off-campus activity were set in stone. As we all sat there, dejected, he delivered his final words in a lecturing tone.
"After you graduate from this academy, you will become magic users. Magic users are powerful individuals, the pillars that support this kingdom. To become one, simply excelling at magic is not enough. You must know the ways of society, and you must also know the world. By seeing with your own eyes the frontier, which constantly faces the threat of barbarians and magical beasts—a reality you cannot see from within the royal capital or this academy—and by feeling its air on your skin, you will come to understand the Hanoku Kingdom's position in the world. When that happens, you will become even more valuable assets to the kingdom. I expect great things from you."
Uh, yeah, sure. I get what you're saying, but is this really something for first-years to do at this time of year? Wouldn't it be better for third-years, on the verge of graduation, to make them seriously consider their future paths?
I don't know, it feels like his military background is showing. That mindset of hitting them hard from the start to instill discipline, believing it makes a huge difference in their future learning and training. It's probably a sound judgment born from experience, but if you asked me if I wanted to be on the receiving end of it, I'd have to say no.
And so, burdened with a vague sense of anxiety, we first-years finally greeted the morning of our departure for the off-campus activity.
We've finally reached the milestone of 50 chapters. Technically it's 52 if you include Chapter 0 and the side story. Thank you for your continued support.