“Ugh... Nnh...”
I groaned as my eyes fluttered open.
The first thing I saw was the ceiling. Once I processed that, I took stock of my situation. I was lying in a bed as the pleasant glow of the sunset streamed through the window.
“Ray, are you awake?”
“...Master? Where am I...?”
“The academy infirmary. It seems Abby handled all the initial treatment herself.”
To the left of my bed, Master sat in her wheelchair. Carla stood expressionless behind her, and Abby was right there alongside them as well.
“So, you used it,” Abby remarked.
“My apologies. In that situation, I believed it was the only way...”
“No, I don't mind,” Abby replied. “If I had been in your position, I likely would have done the same.”
“I’m humbled to hear you say that...”
“Also, don’t worry about the Magic Area Overheat,” Master added. “You did release the lock this time, but for such a short duration, it shouldn't be an issue. If you continue to look after yourself, the day will come when the Chronos Lock is no longer necessary.”
“I see...”
I let out a long, weary breath.
During that battle, I had pushed my capabilities to their absolute limit. I was relieved that I hadn't sustained any permanent damage.
“By the way, how is everyone else...?”
“They’re all safe,” Master said. “They only suffered from mild Deficiency. They’ll recover after a bit of rest. You did well, Ray.”
She gently patted my head.
It had been a very long time since she had treated me like that.
“How many hours have passed since then? And what about Instructor Gray?”
“Allow me to explain,” Abby said, stepping forward. Master glanced at her, looking as if she wanted to say something, but she chose to remain silent.
“A full day has passed since you collapsed, Ray. As for Helena Grady, we have her in custody. Though I must say, we had a hell of a time melting that ice of yours.”
“I’m sorry for the trouble...”
“No, I’m just glad you didn’t kill her. We need to extract as much information as possible from her.”
“Was she not a spy for the Empire?” I asked.
“No. Her affiliation is with Eugenics, and we’ve concluded she had no ties to any specific nation. Or rather, we’ve reached the conclusion that Eugenics itself has no connection to any government. The organization appears to be completely independent, recruiting elite researchers and sorcerers for their own ends... though we have yet to grasp the full picture.”
“I see... Is that so.”
Then my part in this was over. I would leave the rest to the specialists.
I glanced toward the window. The burning, crimson light of the evening sun poured into the room. Seeing it, the reality finally set in—it was over.
In that battle, I had done what I needed to do. The weight of that accomplishment still lingered in my palms.
“Well, we should probably be going, Lydia,” Abby said.
“Indeed. As Abby says, the rest is for the young ones to handle. Ray, face them properly. I’ll see you again soon.”
“? What do you mean by that?”
With those cryptic words, Abby left the room, followed by Master as Carla pushed her wheelchair out.
Just as they left, I saw a single tuft of bright red hair peeking out from beside the doorframe. It was a sight I recognized well.
“Everyone...”
Three people filed into the room.
Amelia, Evi, and Elisa. All of them wore deeply worried expressions.
“Ray! Are you okay?!” Evi shouted.
“Evi, thank you for worrying. The principal says I’m fine for the most part. I don't feel anything out of the ordinary myself.”
“I see... Well, that’s a relief, but...”
I knew what was coming. Evi was concerned about my health, but that wasn't the main topic on their minds. I could see it clearly in Amelia’s and Elisa’s eyes.
“Ray... Who you really are is...”
“Amelia. Let me say it.”
I shifted my posture toward them and bowed my head.
“I’m sorry. I was deceiving you all. It wasn't that I intended to do anything malicious... but I was still lying to you.”
“Ray-kun... does that mean...”
“Yeah. I’m sure you’ve already figured it out, but I am one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers—the Ice Sword Sorcerer.”
“I see... So it really was true...”
Amelia seemed strangely accepting of the truth. Evi and Elisa looked the same.
I decided I could trust these three. My past was a collection of repulsive memories. If I could forget them, I would. But I had shown them my true power... and I wanted to be honest with these irreplaceable friends.
I steeled my resolve and spoke.
“Let me tell you a bit about my past. I was born in a small village in the east. There were no sorcerers there. My parents and everyone else were all just Ordinaries. But... we were caught up in the Far East Campaign.”
The Far East Campaign. It was the first war where sorcery was truly weaponized on a massive scale.
While sorcery had become indispensable for improving daily life and infrastructure, that was only one side of it. Humans are creatures that inevitably fight, and it was only a matter of time before they used sorcery as a tool for war. It was obvious to everyone that magic was a highly effective tool for killing.
“I lost everyone in my village and became a war orphan. I was first taken in by an organization that trained child soldiers. I honed my skills in killing there just to stay alive. I still remember the lives I took with these hands. Eventually, our organization was wiped out by the Kingdom's army... and that was where I met Master.”
“By Master, do you mean... that beautiful woman in the wheelchair?” Evi asked, likely having just passed her in the hall.
“Yes. That's her. By some twist of fate, after she took me in, my talent as a sorcerer blossomed. The potential was always there, and I decided to polish it. Master and the other soldiers suggested I be sent to the mainland, but the war was going so poorly that there was no room for such luxuries. So, by my own will, I chose to fight alongside Master’s unit. I wasn't forced into it. I was just wandering the battlefield looking for a place to die. I didn't care when it happened. I wasn't afraid to fight... I was just constantly searching for somewhere I belonged.”
I spoke of the past while staring into the void.
The memories were as vivid as if they had happened yesterday. The shouting, the screams—everything was scorched into my brain. I continued to weave the story.
“But I was welcomed by Master and the others, and I gradually regained my humanity. At the same time, my talent as a sorcerer grew explosively. Perhaps the environment of war forced that growth. But in the final battle, the moment Master was shot and lost the use of her legs... my emotions exploded. I triggered a Magic Area Overheat. I don't remember much of what happened next, but by the time I woke up, the Far East Campaign was over, and Master was paralyzed from the waist down.”
The three of them listened in solemn silence.
“After that, even though I had suffered an Overheat, I still had my abilities. I decided to inherit the title of the Ice Sword Sorcerer. Master wasn't happy about it, but she eventually gave her consent. Afterward, she introduced me to her sister, who lives in the countryside of the Kingdom, and I was taken in as an adoptee. I retired from the military and spent my time there trying to manage the Magic Area Overheat. Then one day, Master told me that it wasn't good to avoid sorcery entirely and recommended I enroll in the academy. Since it’s my own sorcery that controls the Overheat, she wanted me to have experiences appropriate for my age. I didn't really understand her meaning at the time... but I enrolled, and that brings us to now.”
I had given them the broad strokes of my life. My Magic Area Overheat is still ongoing, which is why I can’t use sorcery freely. Even when I do, I can only release my power temporarily. The current me is simply using an application of Deceleration and Lock—the essence of the Ice Sword Sorcerer—to forcibly keep my own power in check.
But there is nothing truly special about my story. I’m just a boy caught in a war who survived and ended up at school.
I may have inherited the title of the Ice Sword Sorcerer, but I don't view my past as something extraordinary. It happened because it had to happen. It wasn't a coincidence, but it wasn't fate either. I simply accept things as they are. I see no reason to be pessimistic about it.
“I see... Ray, you went through all of that...”
“Ray...”
“Ray-kun...”
Would they despise me? Somewhere in my heart, I had been afraid of them knowing my past. Even if I tried to enjoy my life here, the things I had done wouldn't vanish. The fact that I had committed countless acts of slaughter remained etched into my hands.
Then, without warning, Amelia hugged me.
“Whoa...!”
“Ray... you’re incredible... truly, truly...”
Evi and Elisa watched us, but I saw no fear or revulsion in their eyes. Instead, they looked at me with warmth and kindness, as if embracing everything I was.
“But I... I’ve taken so many lives with these hands...”
“I only know the Ray standing here now,” Amelia said. “No matter what your past was, you are still you. And we all know how kind you are.”
“Damn right!” Evi added. “I already knew Ray was an awesome guy, and my best friend to boot! Did you think some ancient history was gonna change that? Our friendship isn't that fragile! Now, let’s get back to training as soon as you’re out of here!”
“I... I feel the same...!” Elisa chimed in. “I want to stay with Ray-kun forever...! You’re still our friend... nothing has changed...!”
Hearing those words, I felt a single tear trace its way down my cheek.
“Ah... I see... So that’s what it was...”
I had lost people I loved in my village and in the war. I had protected some, but I had lost just as many. Each time, I had been consumed by regret.
But I wasn't allowed to stop. I had no time to mourn my fallen comrades; every second spent grieving was a second I needed to spend killing the enemy.
So I kept moving, kept wandering... until I reached this academy.
At first, I only came because Master suggested it—a bit of rehabilitation disguised as student life. It felt like a brief vacation. While my heart was excited by my first school, it was only surface-level. The darkness in the depths of my soul refused to clear.
But I never imagined I would be blessed with such precious friends, or that I would be able to pour out my heart like this.
I finally understand, Master. I know why you sent me here. You knew this would happen, didn't you?
You knew I would find friends who matter to me. And you knew they would be the ones to heal my heart. I’m not just here to regain my power as a sorcerer; I’m here to learn how to be a person again.
And I will keep learning, alongside my precious friends—now and forever.
“Hmph...! Hmph...!”
“Oh! Nice, Ray! You’ve really got some fire in you today!”
“Yeah! I’m back to one hundred percent!”
A few days had passed since I was discharged from the infirmary. I was fully recovered and back to early morning muscle training with Evi. My definition was looking sharp, and my bulk hadn't suffered at all.
“Well, time to head to class.”
“Hell yeah!”
A new chapter of our daily life was beginning.
Once I reached the classroom, I sat in my seat and lost myself in a book. This quiet moment in the morning was truly wonderful. I planned to visit the Environmental Research Club after school today, and tomorrow I’d stop by the Gardening Club. I was actually looking forward to trying my hand at growing some new flowers.
I realized now that my life at this academy was anything but a waste. It was becoming something irreplaceable. I intended to enjoy every second of it to the fullest with my friends.
“Did you hear the news?”
“Yeah. The teacher quit suddenly, right?”
“Apparently a replacement is arriving today...”
The other students were whispering among themselves. Instructor Gray was gone, so it was only natural that a new teacher would be assigned. I hoped to build a good rapport with them; a student’s relationship with their teacher is just as important as their relationship with their peers.
Or so I thought, right until I dropped my book in shock.
“Th-that person...”
I knew her.
She wore an outfit that was provocatively open at the chest, but her most striking feature was her flashy pink hair, styled in elegant, loose vertical curls. There was a distinct beauty mark just beneath her right eye.
She was the kind of person who was better described as "cute" than "beautiful," and I knew her all too well.
“Haro-haro~☆ Charo~☆ Hello, everyone!! I’m your new homeroom teacher, Carol Caroline! Feel free to call me Caro-chan, or Caro-caro, or even Caro-chan-sensei! Kyapi!☆”
She gave a wink so sharp I could practically hear the sound effect.
Carol Caroline.
She was an old acquaintance of mine, and for good reason. She was none other than the Illusion Sorcerer, one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers.
Why was she, of all people—the most publicly recognizable of the Seven—standing in a classroom like this?
It looked like my student life was going to stay chaotic for a while longer.