Three lives left.
Three more Fs, and a disciplinary committee would be convened.
Once that happened, he would be expelled. Game over.
Four classes remained.
Introduction to Artemis Archery.
Classical Exorcism Theory.
Introduction to Healing Sacred Arts.
Combat Magic.
There was nothing he could do about Introduction to Healing Sacred Arts.
He didn’t even know who taught the class, and he possessed no divine power.
He had to assume it was a guaranteed F.
As long as he avoided an F in two of the other three classes, he would survive the week.
At the very least, he could avoid the failure penalty for the Side Objective.
‘This is basically my last chance.’
Introduction to Artemis Archery, Classical Exorcism Theory, and Combat Magic.
He knew the general settings for all three professors.
‘The archery professor has some serious personality issues… That leaves Classical Exorcism Theory and Combat Magic as my best chances.’
He immediately purchased Mana Sensitivity from the Talent Shop.
A twisting sensation rippled across every inch of his skin.
Then a strange current settled over his body, clinging to his skin and mingling with every breath.
The instant he felt that current flowing through him, instinct supplied the answer.
‘So this is magic power. And the amount I have right now is… Huh?’
Fortunately, purchasing Mana Sensitivity had also changed his stats.
『Base Stats
Vitality: 1.0 [increased by 0.3]
Intelligence: 1.0 [increased by 0.1]
Agility: 1.0 [increased by 0.3]
Magic Power: 0.5 [increased by 0.4]
Luck: 0.1
Charm: 0.1』
Thanks to all the training he had done so far, his Vitality, Intelligence, and Agility had finally reached the level of an average person.
On top of that, gaining Mana Sensitivity had raised his Magic Power to 0.5. It was an extremely encouraging development.
‘Thank God. I almost ended up unable to cast anything because my Magic Power was too low.’
The knowledge of how to move his magic power came to him naturally.
He formed a faint mass of blue magic power over his palm and began putting together a plan.
‘I need to learn at least a few usable spells before Combat Magic.’
He recalled the concept art from the setting guide Elysia had given him.
The shapes of the numerous magic circles he had seen in those illustrations returned to his mind.
They were identical to the magic circles used in this world.
If he could reproduce them, he should at least be able to create a passable imitation.
‘I’m glad my memory came back. I might as well give it a try.’
He pictured the simplest magic circle he knew, the circle for the tier-1 spell Magic Arrow.
Holding its pattern and structure in his mind, he began feeding magic power into it.
He failed more than a dozen times, but each attempt taught him a little more.
‘The direction has to be exact, and the flow has to remain steady…’
Just as he was beginning to grow accustomed to the sensation—
Fwoosh—!
A blue arrow formed in midair.
It was crude and unstable, but it was unquestionably magic.
“Good…! This should be enough to pass Combat Magic.”
All that remained was to dredge up every spell he could remember. The concept art he had received as a sample contained numerous spells ranging from tier 1 to tier 3.
‘This should be enough for now…’
As he continued recalling one spell after another without a moment’s rest, a sudden thought struck him.
‘Come to think of it, I still have this.’
『Item Shop
Lowest-Grade Health Potion (F): 10 points
Broken Iron Sword (F): 50 points
Mystery Gift Box (F): 10 points (50 remaining)』
The Mystery Gift Boxes he had yet to purchase.
He could buy the item a staggering fifty times.
Anyone who saw that name would immediately recognize it as a gacha item.
Considering how thoroughly the system was steeped in malice, ignoring it would have been the sensible choice.
Ex shook his head.
‘This isn’t the time to play it safe. I need to chase every possibility I can find.’
He still had 850 points remaining.
Even if he bought all fifty boxes, he would have 350 points left. There was no reason not to try.
Ex immediately purchased all fifty.
He desperately hoped that something capable of breaking the current deadlock would appear.
If there was a god, surely he would receive at least one item worth the 500 points he had spent.
A system window appeared before him and began revealing the results.
『Item obtained from Mystery Gift Box (F)!
— Worthless Scrap Metal x1
— Worthless Scrap Metal x1
— Rotten Wood Chunk x1
— Rotten Wood Chunk x1
— Rotten Wood Chunk x1…』
Garbage came clattering down in front of him.
It was actual garbage, completely useless for anything whatsoever.
“Ah, fuck! I knew this was gonna happen…!”
He had deliberately postponed buying them because his Luck was so low.
Sure enough, the overwhelming majority of the results were worthless.
Still, not all fifty pulls were complete failures.
Around five items looked as though they might actually be useful.
『Items obtained from Mystery Gift Box (F)!
— Vitality Booster x1
— Agility Booster x1
— Magic Power Booster x1
— Magic Nullification Oil x1
— Presence Concealment Agent x1』
“…Did I hit the jackpot?!”
Boosters, nullification, concealment—the names alone sounded incredible.
Items capable of increasing his Base Stats were always welcome.
And stat-boosting items were best used as soon as they were acquired.
Ex hurriedly checked the information for each item.
“…They’re all single-use!”
Unfortunately, they were nothing like what Ex had imagined.
Each booster only increased the corresponding stat by 1 for ten minutes.
The oil nullified a single spell and disappeared afterward.
The Presence Concealment Agent erased his presence for only a brief moment.
“I just burned all those points for nothing…!”
God was dead.
***
The faculty office for Elyon Academy’s first-year instructors.
Several professors were enjoying tea together in the adjoining lounge.
A group of dignified female professors chatted among themselves.
“Professor Amanda, today is your first Combat Magic class, isn’t it? How does it feel to finally begin teaching here? This must be your first time dealing with so many members of the high nobility.”
A woman whose eyes curved into pleasant crescents asked the question.
She was a beautiful woman whose sleek black bob suited her perfectly.
Michelle Eve, professor of Support Magic.
Amanda looked at her and answered.
“Professor Michelle, they’re all students once they enter my classroom. Social rank doesn’t mean much within the academy.”
Michelle smiled at the answer and studied Amanda.
She was a woman whose restrained clothing, rimless glasses, and neatly pinned-up black hair perfectly complemented her immaculate bearing.
Amanda Lansbury, professor of Combat Magic.
Michelle continued with an amused smile.
“Even so, it’s difficult to ignore their noble backgrounds entirely. There are princes and princesses from several kingdoms among the students. We even have the Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess.”
“I agree that a certain amount of caution is necessary. Even so, I intend to treat every student fairly.”
Only then did Amanda take a closer look at Michelle’s clothing.
It was remarkably provocative.
The outfit seemed expressly designed to attract attention and entice anyone who looked her way.
‘Why would anyone dress like that at an academy…? How shameless.’
Naturally, no one else knew what Amanda was thinking.
A woman who had been quietly listening beside them suddenly spoke.
“Oh, right. Have either of you heard the rumor?”
She wore enormous magnifying spectacles.
With her lightly tanned skin and the unmistakable air of a lifelong researcher, there was no mistaking what sort of person she was.
Luwendolin Brilly, professor of Understanding Spellcasting.
Her loosely tied hair swayed as she launched into the rumor.
“You know the student who screamed during the entrance ceremony? Apparently, Professor Maria has taken quite an interest in him. I heard she’s been going around asking questions about him.”
Michelle’s eyes widened.
“Really? You mean that student they call Screamweed? He couldn’t even sense magic power. You have no idea how awkward it was when he showed up in my class…”
“I’m not sure. I heard the two of them had a rather serious conversation.”
Amanda listened quietly as she considered the matter.
She knew that student would be attending her class as well.
She still remembered how terrified she had been when Roxwell, his supervising professor, had appeared out of nowhere and pressured her.
‘Even so, I’ll evaluate him fairly…’
Michelle interrupted Amanda’s thoughts.
“From what I’ve heard, the student will be facing a disciplinary committee soon. Apparently, he’s received far too many Fs for class conduct. His attitude wasn’t particularly good in my class either. How was he in yours, Professor Luwendolin?”
“Was he really that bad? He stayed fairly quiet in my class. Of course, he couldn’t keep up because he wasn’t capable of casting magic. He isn’t a student I find particularly interesting.”
Amanda pictured the boy as a typical delinquent.
The idea that such a student occupied a place at the empire’s finest academy was outrageous.
Michelle subtly leaned closer to Amanda.
“Professor Amanda, if you give him an F for class conduct as well, that should be enough to convene the disciplinary committee. The committee is called once a student receives twenty Fs from elective classes, correct? He must have at least nineteen by now.”
“…I’ll decide after observing him myself. It’s far too early to evaluate a student based only on rumors.”
“I also heard that he’s a commoner with no influential family behind him. Even if you give him an F, there probably won’t be any consequences.”
“…”
Dong— Dong— Dong—
The bells signaling the end of class rang through the building.
Michelle and Luwendolin rose from their seats.
Michelle gave Amanda a meaningful look and added one final remark.
“Think it over. That student is attending every elective class offered by the academy. Everyone would be happier if we removed just one student. The count resets next week, so opportunities like this don’t come often.”
“…”
“Good luck with your first class.”
Michelle left the room.
Amanda understood why she had said all of that.
Michelle must have struck some sort of deal to create an opening for a noble student.
Roxwell forcing Ex into the classes had thrown a wrench into those plans.
‘Even so, I have to evaluate him fairly…’
That was what she believed, but Michelle’s words continued circling through her mind.
Unable to reach a conclusion, Amanda sighed and headed for the classroom.
***
Introduction to Artemis Archery: F.
Classical Exorcism Theory: D.
Introduction to Healing Sacred Arts: F.
The results were exactly what he had expected.
The professor of Classical Exorcism Theory had been as reasonable as Ex remembered.
Fortunately, he was the only decent human being among the professors responsible for sacred arts courses.
‘Next is Combat Magic. Amanda Lansbury. She treats students fairly, regardless of their social standing.’
She was one of the professors frequently mentioned in the original story.
‘I bought Mana Sensitivity specifically for this class. Unless something goes seriously wrong, I should be able to avoid an F.’
When he entered the classroom, a woman with rimless glasses and pinned-up hair stood behind the lectern.
She calmly observed the students entering the room as she prepared for the lesson.
Her personality was evident in both her appearance and her conduct.
“Peasant! Hurry up and come over here!”
Sure enough, Lola was already waiting for him.
“What’s with the scabbard at your side? Aren’t you trying to become a mage?”
“You gave me enough grief for not being able to use magic, and now you’re complaining about this too…? It’s a precious gift from my benefactor. I plan to make it a family heirloom.”
“I suppose a magicless peasant insisting on taking this class really did come here because of me. Have you finally realized what an honor it is to serve me?”
“I can use magic.”
He produced a small flame above one finger.
It was the result of practicing like a madman during every spare moment he had.
Lola’s eyes grew round when she saw it. Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly.
“H-How? You couldn’t use magic!”
“…People our age sometimes awaken to magic power without warning. We’re still growing, after all.”
“I’ve never heard of anything like that! What sort of trick are you using?”
“Keep your voice down…! This isn’t something I want announced to the entire academy!”
He already attracted more than enough attention without her help.
Fortunately, the other students didn’t look their way.
“…”
Except for Circe.
She had seen Ex use magic, and her eyes had widened just like Lola’s.
Then her expression sharpened, and she stared at Ex with a penetrating glare.
Time passed, and the class began.
Several students entered the lecture hall late, and Amanda immediately issued a warning.
“Anyone who arrives late will lose points from their class conduct grade, regardless of the reason. Write your names here before taking your seats.”
She was every bit as strict as Ex remembered.
In the original story, the hero’s party had suffered because of that strictness more than once.
Amanda’s gaze swept across the students.
“We will now begin Combat Magic.”
***
“Combat Magic is the study of every form of magic intended to attack or subdue an opponent. In other words, you will be learning how to use magic in battle.”
Spheres of elemental energy floated around Amanda.
Any one of them looked powerful enough to put someone in the ground.
“When people hear the term Combat Magic, they often think of elemental magic. However, the true variety of combat spells is far greater than most of you imagine. You there. Tell me what types of Combat Magic you know.”
Amanda dismissed the spells and pointed directly at Ex.
The look in her eyes made it clear that she was testing him.
Ex calmly organized his thoughts.
“Illusion magic and curse magic.”
“…Good. Then what is the fundamental premise of Combat Magic?”
“It requires a target to produce a meaningful result.”
“Isn’t that premise flawed? Elemental magic can still be manifested without a target, just as I demonstrated a moment ago.”
“But doing so only wastes magic power. The spell was manifested without fulfilling its intended purpose.”
Amanda studied him with a sharp gaze and fell silent for a moment.
His answer was far more coherent than she had expected. For a moment, she wondered whether she had selected the wrong student.
“Your name is Ex, correct?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“You possess more knowledge of magic than I expected. I heard that you were incapable of using it.”
“I can use it now. I awakened to magic power today. I’ve always liked magic, so I studied it even before I could cast spells.”
Suspicion flashed through Amanda’s eyes.
She clearly didn’t believe his explanation at face value.
Amanda continued questioning him throughout the lecture.
He couldn’t answer everything.
He handled the conceptual questions well enough.
The problem was anything involving detailed formulas and calculations.
“Use this formula to derive the result according to the imaginary-dimensional equation.”
“…I don’t know.”
Of course he didn’t.
That information had never appeared in the setting guide.
His Intelligence stat had only just reached average, so performing the calculation itself was beyond him.
Every time he gave such an answer, Amanda’s eyes narrowed.
It didn’t take Ex long to realize why she was acting that way.
‘It must be because of my Infamy. With her personality, she probably already dislikes me. I need to stay focused.’
His conduct grade was probably wavering somewhere around the middle.
Even ordinary mages sometimes made mistakes in detailed magical calculations.
He should still be fine.
‘Whew… At least I should be able to avoid an F.’
The lesson proceeded smoothly, and the theoretical portion of the class came to an end.
“We’ll begin the practical portion now.”
Amanda instructed the students to stand.
Then she used magic to transform the lecture hall into a sparring arena.
“Pair up and complete a total of five sparring matches. Apply as much of what you learned during the theoretical lesson as possible. I’ll determine your class conduct grades by observing how you fight.”
“Professor, what happens if someone loses all five matches?”
“I’ll be watching to see whether you apply what you learned in class. If you failed to learn anything and did nothing but lose, it would be difficult to award you a good grade.”
That was what she said, but Ex knew she would evaluate anyone who showed genuine effort favorably.
There was no reason to feel pressured.
Ex paired up with Lola and entered the sparring arena.
Since he had the opportunity, he intended to test the spells he had learned.
“Don’t complain if I attack you.”
“I happen to be a tier-3 mage, you know. Someone like you could never—Eek!”
Lola reacted immediately to the Magic Arrow flying toward her.
Although her response came half a beat late, she raised a barrier and blocked the arrow.
Contrary to Roxwell’s description of her, she had cast the spell without chanting.
“W-What was that? You cast a spell without chanting?”
“You cast Shield without chanting too, Lady Lola.”
“That’s because Shield is a basic tier-1 spell…”
Using a spell without chanting meant that the caster had mastered it.
With even a little effort, using chantless casting for a basic tier-1 spell was perfectly normal.
Ex continued experimenting with spells such as Flame and Shield throughout their matches.
His sparring sessions with Lola taught him far more than he had expected.
‘Is this because of my swordsmanship talent? Deflecting magic with a sword is surprisingly manageable… Ah.’
Before he could finish the thought, he failed to deflect a Magic Arrow Lola had fired.
It struck him squarely in the torso.
A blue veil surrounding his body vanished on impact.
It was the sparring arena’s protective enchantment.
“That makes four victories in a row! Don’t underestimate me!”
“Hmm. Blocking several at once is difficult.”
He might have managed it if he had reacted more quickly, but this wasn’t swordsmanship practice, so he didn’t dwell on the failure.
“Flame blocks more of my vision than I expected.”
“Your senses are more easily disrupted than you’d think.”
The two analyzed the results of their four matches and accumulated a surprising amount of practical knowledge.
Then, just as they were preparing for their final match—
“You. Spar with me.”
“…Circe?”
Of all people, she had to be the one to approach him.
He couldn’t claim that he hadn’t expected it.
Recently, Circe had been directing an inexplicable hostility toward him.
Still, she was someone he couldn’t afford to become involved with, so he had to reject her immediately.
He pointed toward Lola beside him and offered an excuse.
“Sorry, but we’re already in the middle of our matches. We can spar next class. Or we can meet separately after class is over.”
“…That won’t work for me.”
Circe’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
She didn’t appear willing to back down.
Ex had wanted to avoid getting entangled with her, but it seemed unavoidable.
Only one sparring match remained anyway.
If he indulged her this once, she might stop bothering him.
‘Winning or losing isn’t what matters here…’
He was about to accept when Lola suddenly shouted at Circe.
“If you spar with him, who am I supposed to fight? Find someone else if you need an opponent!”
The unexpected interruption had irritated Lola as well.
She had finally begun enjoying the lesson, only for someone to barge in and ruin it.
If Circe had no intention of showing courtesy, Lola saw no reason to remain courteous herself.
As the classroom grew noisy, the other students turned to watch.
It was clearly an emotionally charged confrontation, so their curiosity was only natural.
Amanda’s sharp gaze also turned toward them.
Circe’s expression darkened further.
“I only want to spar with him. Move.”
“Who do you think you are, ordering me around like that…?”
“Fine. Then I’ll spar with you first.”
Circe waved one hand and moved her magic power.
Ten arrows formed from bitterly cold ice crystals.
She had produced ten Ice Arrows simultaneously without a chant.
It was a tier-2 spell, and that single display revealed just how skilled she was.
Circe extended her hand like a conductor issuing a command.
The ice arrows shot toward Lola in an instant.
“Eek…!”
Lola gasped and hurriedly cast a defensive spell.
The screech of ice arrows striking her barrier tore through the air.
Amazingly, however, they failed to penetrate it.
‘A barrier’s strength should be proportional to the amount of magic power poured into it…’
An ordinary amount of magic power wouldn’t have been remotely sufficient to block all ten arrows.
Circe knew that as well, and her face twisted into a frown.
“You’re better at barriers than I expected. But if you think that’s the end of it, then you have no talent for magic.”
Circe immediately began casting the next stage of the spell.
A tier-4 spell naturally took shape around her.
While Lola hurried to prepare another spell, the ice arrows embedded in her barrier began trembling violently.
The instant the vibration reached its limit, fractures spread through the ice like cracks racing across shattered glass.
Lola, oblivious to the danger, prepared an offensive spell.
This time, exactly as Roxwell had claimed, her casting speed was painfully slow.
Circe clenched her outstretched hand as though crushing an insect in her fist.
“This is getting annoying. Let’s finish it.”
The ice arrows exploded.
Razor-sharp fragments scattered in every direction like countless blades.
They surged through the other side of the barrier, threatening to tear Lola apart.
The attack had already exceeded what the sparring arena’s protective enchantment could withstand.
Just as the blades of ice swept toward Lola—
“You’ve got to be kidding me…!”
Ex threw himself forward and snatched Lola out of the way.
Thanks to him, she narrowly avoided the attack.
If he had failed to grab her, the fragments would have sliced across her face.
Instead, several small shards of ice lodged themselves in Ex’s back.
‘Damn it, that hurts like hell…!’
Ex had raised a barrier of his own, so the damage wasn’t severe.
However, some of the fragments had forced their way through, drawing blood.
The sight of actual blood finally made Circe realize her mistake.
‘…Did I go too far?’
Lola’s barrier had been stronger than expected, so Circe had used a spell that was far too powerful.
She had assumed her opponent could withstand it.
In that moment, she had forgotten that Lola was only a student.
“What exactly is going on here?”
The moment the sparring match turned bloody, Amanda intervened.
After assessing the situation, she confronted Circe.
“Student Circe, this appears to have gone far beyond the level of an ordinary sparring match. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
“The situation was fully under control.”
“Does this look controlled to you? I told you to spar. I never gave you permission to draw blood!”
“So what? Are you going to lower my class conduct grade?”
“…I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
While the two of them argued—
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Ex set Lola back on her feet.
Only then did she seem to understand what had happened.
She looked at him in alarm.
“Y-You’re hurt?”
“It hurts, but I’m fine. I can have it treated with healing magic.”
“Why… Why did you do that? The arena already has protective magic…”
Lola’s voice trembled.
A shard of ice must have grazed her pale cheek, leaving behind a thin line of bright red blood.
Of all things, the sight dragged up ‘that scene’ from a year ago.
‘My daughter was about this age when she died.’
Lola looked nothing like his daughter.
Even so, the fact that she was the same age had bothered him from the moment they first met.
‘At least she wasn’t badly hurt…’
A drop of blood fell from Lola’s cheek and landed on the back of his hand.
She hadn’t completely avoided the fragments after all.
“…”
He felt something boiling up inside him.
The memories he had thought were buried clawed their way free and began raging through his mind.
‘Stay calm. As long as I keep my head down, I can avoid an F.’
Amanda would deal with Circe.
If he quietly let the matter end here, the incident would be over.
Once he survived this situation, he would avoid the F and escape expulsion.
“Come to think of it, I still have one match left too.”
He forced himself to think about the situation more rationally.
Even if he avoided Circe now, another confrontation between them would happen eventually.
In that case, it might be better to give her what she wanted.
He didn’t understand why, but Circe wanted to see what Ex was capable of.
Then it would be better to show her now.
Ex stepped into the sparring arena and stopped in front of Circe.
“Fine. Let’s spar, since you want it so badly.”
He deliberately ignored the way his hand tightened around the sword’s hilt.
–TL Notes–
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