The new uniform was a darker shade of navy than the one from the Elementary School Division. On the shoulder sat the insignia of the Magic Sword Arts Department—a design featuring a crossed sword and magic circle. This emblem changed depending on which department a student chose to enter.
"...Why on earth did I choose this place?" I muttered to myself.
Looking at magic alone, I was below average. So I’d thought: what if I combined it with something else? That logic had led me away from the Magic or Sword Arts Departments and straight into the Magic Sword Arts Department. It was a specialized course not available in the Elementary School Division, reserved only for high achievers.
Swinging a sword around sounded heavy, but I’d done a bit of bodyweight training, so I figured I’d manage somehow. (I might have been being a bit too optimistic.)
Today was our first actual class for the Magic Sword Arts Department, so we had been told to gather outside. This was the point where I had to part ways with Yuka. I followed the directions I'd been given and found myself at a vast outdoor training ground. Magic lamps were spaced at regular intervals, and a large magic circle for exercises sat in the center of the stone-paved floor.
Right! I read about this in a book. If I recalled correctly, the area within that magic circle reinforced the magical power surrounding those inside, making it harder to get seriously injured or something like that.
While I was enjoying my solo tour of the grounds, I noticed the crowd’s chatter shifting. I could feel eyes turning my way.
"...Is that the one everyone's been talking about since the entrance ceremony?"
"The commoner with ties to the royal family, right?"
"I heard he was in a team with the Duke’s house and performed well in the exams."
Is there really such a monster here? I wondered. How interesting. I'd love to meet him, but I definitely don't want to get involved with him. (The logic was sound, even if it was a total contradiction.)
It made sense, though. I just wanted to live a quiet life. Once I realized I wasn’t going to be some "Overpowered Protag," I lost all interest in interacting with "named" characters—or any famous people, for that matter.
Unfortunately, my wish wasn't meant to be granted.
"Yo. We're in the same year again, I see."
I turned around to find Cedric Eisenwald.
Commonly known as Cedric. He’d been pestering me since our first year in the Elementary Division; at this point, he was basically my best friend. Actually, no—I definitely didn’t need him.
His blonde hair was slicked back perfectly, and his sharp brown eyes pierced right through me. His uniform was impeccable, and his fashionable gloves were, as always, present and accounted for.
"...What a coincidence," I said.
"It is no coincidence. This path was an inevitable destination for both of us."
He hadn't changed a bit. Then, another voice spoke up from behind him.
"Are you the rumored Master Luka?"
I turned. The speaker had a brown buzz cut and sharp copper eyes. He was tall, with broad shoulders.
"I'm Dario. I'm a commoner, for the record."
Huh. I couldn't have been less interested.
"I’m good with a blade. Magic is... so-so. Good to meet you."
He offered a hand. I had a few mental notes about his delivery, but his first impression wasn't too bad. The guy next to him, however, was a different story.
"Heh~, so this is the guy?"
His voice was the epitome of a playboy’s—forgive my prejudice. His hair was messily styled, and his narrow eyes crinkled with amusement.
"I'm Kyle Levan. Only son of a Baronet house~"
Supposedly, social rank didn't matter within the Academy, and everyone was treated as an equal. But most people still cared deep down. I’d never seen anyone ignore decorum as thoroughly as this guy.
"I was curious about the man who stood up to Lord Cedric."
Excuse me? Is that lèse-majesté I hear? Off with his head. (I was feeling a bit like a tyrant.)
"...Quiet down, Kyle."
And there were more? Who were these people? At the sound of a dignified voice, I turned to see a girl with deep green hair tied in a high ponytail. Her eyes were a transparent, pale green. Looking at her, the "green ratio" was so high it felt like it could cure the motion sickness I was getting from the other three. Despite her lovely features, her expression was stern.
"Clarice Raynard. I am from a Viscount house, but..."
Her back was perfectly straight. She was radiating an "honor student" aura.
"This department is a meritocracy. Pointless chatter is unnecessary."
Was she trying to help me? She was clearly the class representative type, so I decided to be grateful to her anyway.
I was starting to realize the atmosphere here was completely different from the Magic Department. There was a sense of bloodlust—or maybe just raw intensity. Also, the basic level of decorum was honestly non-existent.
Suddenly, a small shadow came running from the entrance of the training ground.
"Master Luka!"
A nostalgic voice. The moment I turned, she dove into my chest.
She had long, pale chestnut hair and large, jade-colored eyes that were currently brimming with tears. This girl looked like she was on the verge of crying every time I saw her.
"It has been so long...!"
This was Lene Gladio.
Since we were in different departments, I rarely saw her. During the joint exam with the Sword Arts Department, Elysia had insisted that Lene be the one to fill the final slot on our team. After a series of events, Lene had essentially turned into a small animal whenever she was around me. I didn't quite understand why.
"Ah, um... have you been well?"
"Yes! I have been waiting for you this entire time!"
Yes, a small animal. Cute. Very cute.
Kyle seemed to agree, as he was smirking nearby. "Heh~, she's pretty cute for a commoner."
Cedric's gaze sharpened. Clarice cleared her throat. Dario gave a wry smile.
Kyle... were you perhaps the class outcast?
As I was worrying about Kyle’s social life, the instructor’s voice boomed across the field.
"First-year Magic Sword Arts Department, fall in!"
It was sudden, but as expected of the elite, everyone lined up in perfect rows. I faced forward, standing beside Lene.
This was the place to master both the sword and magic. It was far stricter than the Elementary School Division. And yet, I found myself unexpectedly excited for a moment like this.
The instructor stepped forward. He was tall with short, grey hair and sharp, hawk-like black eyes. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. His epaulettes were trimmed with gold. You could tell at a glance he was the real deal.
"I am the instructor in charge of the Magic Sword Arts Department, Gaius Lowen."
His voice was a low rumble; I was certain I’d wet myself if he ever actually shouted at me.
"By virtue of being here, you are all high achievers."
So I'd heard; I only realized that after I'd already applied.
"However." He took a step forward. "The Magic Sword Arts Department is not a place to train excellent mages." He drew his sword. The silver blade caught the sunlight. "—It is a place to train mages who can fight in close quarters."
The air grew heavy.
"Nobles who rely solely on their high magical capacity..." He glanced at Cedric.
"Commoners who are only confident in their sword skills..." He looked at Dario.
"Here, you are all nothing but half-baked."
...And they were already being singled out.
"Handle both magic and the blade simultaneously." He held his sword ready. "First, I will evaluate your basics. Step forward in order."
Eh, already? No warm-up?
The student at the front stepped forward hesitantly. He swung his sword while trying to shroud himself in magic. His movements weren't terrible; he managed to parry the instructor’s blade to some extent. However, he couldn't convert his magic into an attribute.
Gaius’s wooden sword knocked the boy’s weapon away in an instant.
"Simply too slow. Do you have no intention of using magic?"
"Next," the instructor said, waving the student away.
"You lack weight. Don't rely so heavily on your spells."
Next.
"You aren't handling your magical power correctly."
His words were merciless, cutting straight to the core of their failures. Handling magic while trading blows with an opponent was clearly no easy feat. I could see the struggle in the other students.
Lene trembled slightly beside me.
"M-Master Luka..."
"It's okay, it's okay. You'll probably—"
"It looks so much fun!"
The "small animal" cut me off with a beaming smile. As you can probably tell, she was a battle maniac. A pretty intense one, too—it was one of the reasons I’d tried to keep some distance from her.
"I want my turn soon! Master Luka!"
I could practically see a tail wagging behind her, but the sheer intensity of her words cut her cuteness in half.
Before long, it was Lene’s turn. She practically skipped to the front. The instructor took his stance.
"Come."
Lene took a deep breath. She extended her right hand and quietly began her incantation.
"—Aqua Ball."
A basic Water Attribute spell. It was the first time I'd actually seen Lene use magic. A thin, sharp sphere of water shot toward the instructor.
Wait, was that even a ball? It looked more like a bullet. My eyes could barely track it. It was incredibly fast, but Gaius parried it with ease.
But the water didn't stop. The moment it was parried, it lost its shape—and then immediately began to reform.
"Hm?"
The water converged at the instructor’s feet.
"—Slipstream."
The water crawled across the ground, entangling his ankles. A restraint spell—similar to ice. Gaius forcibly tore himself free. Naturally, he was a monster too.
In that instant, Lene's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
"—Now!"
Her sword stroke was so sharp I could only assume she was legitimately trying to kill him. When she was blocked, she instantly adjusted her angle and struck again almost simultaneously. I couldn't keep up; it was either my eyesight or premature aging.
The instructor parried blow after blow, appearing to still have the upper hand. But for a split second, his footing was still wet.
Lene lunged.
"Excuse me!"
The water remaining at the instructor's feet compressed violently.
"—Aqua Ball!"
A point-blank Aqua Ball launched from directly beneath him. Even for a man like Gaius, it was the limit of human reaction time. The impact of the water pressure slammed into him.
The instructor’s stance crumbled. He stumbled back one step, then two. For a moment, the spray of water obscured everyone’s vision.
When the mist cleared, two figures emerged.
Gaius was down on one knee, and Lene was pressing the edge of her blade against his throat.
A heavy silence fell over the training ground. Everyone stood there with their mouths hanging open.
Hmph. For Lene, this much is expected. I thought, mentally crossing my arms in the back like a proud mentor.
Only the sound of the wind whistled through the field.
The instructor slowly raised his head. "...Splendid."
Lene bowed politely. "Thank you very much."
Seriously... I never want to face her as an enemy.