In addition to the school building where the teachers' laboratories were located, there was a newly built laboratory building. One of the rooms in the building was apparently several times the size of the teachers' room. In fact, it was one floor. The fact that it was one of the new students assigned to the room did not reflect well on the faculty.

　The rule is that all students who are admitted to the academy go into the dormitory without exception. Since the governing body is the state, this is a measure to keep the scandals that will surely occur in private. For immature new wizards, magic tends to be the embodiment of selfish ideas. It is not uncommon for even the smallest of disputes to become a catastrophe. It's not uncommon for the country to change its policy on the training of wizards when it comes to the general public. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.

''The facilities are all state-of-the-art, it's annoying to be forced to enter the academy, but I can't complain about this.

　The place of graduation from the academy, or in other words, an escalator system to military service, but since I was put there, I guess that means I won't be able to escape the military after all.
　I've been raised as a magician since childhood, so I still felt free.

　I pushed my few belongings into my bedroom and quickly rifled through the bookcase. It contained all the books I had ordered. Things that were far removed from basic magic studies, not applications. Old books. He would learn from the teachings of his predecessors. It's all theoretical theories that won't be looked at, and the possibilities of magic are branched out into various forms. No matter how ridiculous they are, the possibilities and the information that can be gleaned from them are numerous. We believe that such bizarre ideas are what will lead to the progress of magic.
　You can use the library at the school for your research needs. You can't find a better place to study magic than here.

　All the books you'll be flipping through are valuable. It's not normal to have all this stuff for an individual. But Ars has submitted several papers, research findings, and has played a role or two in the advancement of magic. I'm sure the Governor was right about the prospect of a satisfying life.

　That's where I announced my arrival. A few knocks.

'Come in.'

　When I say that, a woman in formal attire enters with a smile that doesn't have an outward appearance. She is a blindingly beautiful woman. On top of that, the flowing curves of her body give her a mature, s*xy look.

It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ars.

　He is a celebrity known as a witch. You will be able to find out if you have a good idea of what you are looking for.

I know you, Sisti, the witch. It's a good idea to have a good time. As soon as I was done with it, I thought I'd come over to greet you.

　He's even retired from active duty. The reason why Chancellor Sisti is still called a witch is that she is not supposed to be young, but she looks to be in her mid-twenties by all accounts. Her lustrous brown hair falls in graceful waves down to her waist. The taut chest and bunched waist, which can be seen through the top of her clothes, do not mesh with her actual age and appearance.

　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

It's not a matter of time before you find yourself in the middle of the night. It's a bit of a stretch," he said. Also, I'm the chancellor now.
I'm sorry. That's a strange thing to say. I thought the Chancellor was single when he was working.
'It was a long time ago. It was also number nine, and the single was only for a time.

　The smiling Chancellor humbly scratched her cheeks in humility, but there would be few within Alpha who didn't know her. Since she was the leader of Alpha's protection during her time in active duty, she had a wide face within the military, and after she retired from the military, she was naturally selected as the Chancellor of the Second Academy of Magic, and she had produced many excellent juniors.


''Is it better than that, sir, we're supposed to be in the middle of the entrance ceremony right now?
I'm done with my work.

　The chancellor may have left the admissions ceremony midway through, but Ars didn't particularly interject that it was a topic he wasn't interested in.
　A former single, that alone is a student's dream. I'm sure he must have received a concentrated barrage of stares.
　Even his wrinkle-free face showed his fatigue. Or rather, it was even wacky. It's possible that they are waiting for some kind of words of thanks, but this kind of handiwork is something that will not be refrained from next time as long as you don't need it when you go out with them.
　Relatively naturally, Ars pretends he didn't see it, but it's hard to deny that it's already too late here.

If you say so, will you also be absent from the entrance ceremony, Arus-kun?

　A light tone of voice that pretends something is not happening.

''I just want to move forward with my own research, so I'm not going to go to class like the other students, and I don't have time to play nice with them.
'That's not right. The Governor has instructed me to reinstate you to the service as soon as possible if you neglect your studies.
"Hey!　What an arrogant old man.

　The Chancellor smiles, putting a hand over his mouth in a glossy way.

　It should be up to Ars to quit, but Ars knows exactly how much he can contribute to humanity. The Viceroy's idea that retirement is not acceptable is reasonable and rightly so.
　That's why he's compromised.
　I wouldn't say it was fun and funny, but since I've been working so hard, my fleeting wish to spend the rest of my life at ease was cracked as soon as I arrived.

'Don't worry. You'll be able to earn credits for your classes if you only complete the minimum attendance and report assignments, so keep that and Ars-kun's ranking a secret to prevent unnecessary confusion.

　The rankings that are proof of a wizard's power the personal information of the wizards called singles among them is ostensibly treated as confidential. So even if they are ordered to keep quiet, it will still be the same.

I have no taste for bragging about it. It's better to have no trouble.
Well then, have a meaningful student life.


　The Chancellor smiled and left the room, saying, "If you need anything, come to the Chancellor's office anytime.
　An air of quietness and uncertainty pervaded the room. It would be irresistible to let out a sigh.

'My time...'


　♢♢


　About 400 new students will be taught in classes according to the subjects they have completed. The classes are divided, but they are only gathered together for practical skills such as mock drills.

　It's the third week since the start of the class, and this is the first time Arus attended a class. There is not a single subject you are interested in, and you have been holed up in the lab for a long time.
　It was last week when I thought it was time to start showing up or else my attendance would be insufficient.
　This is the first time I've worn a uniform since the entrance ceremony I missed. The fact that it's so well made that it's no problem to wear it all the time is enough to make me groan, as expected of a state-run company. It's not the design. It wasn't that they were comfortable to wear, it was just the material. It contained far more anti-magic fibers than the work clothes he wore when he went on a mission. Even so, there is no stagnation in the rate of magic conduction from the inside. If it's not good, it might be better than the one you wore when you were working.
　I can't help but wonder if that's the case.

　I was indulging in such thoughts as I headed to the classroom for the first year.

　This is a day with a lot of practical skills, including simulated training. The first period was basic magic studies. There is no need for Ars to learn the basics now. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. Mainly in the area of deadly force, though.

　When he stepped into the classroom, friendships had already been made in the class. It's ten classes of forty students per class. Even though it's still before class, topics related to magic, such as the content of yesterday's lecture, are flying around.
　Als sat down in the back seat at random and started reading a thick book.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. This is because they don't intend to get used to each other from the start.

　It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has the same problem.

''Good morning. I'm Alice Tillake. So you're Mr. Ars.
Hmmm, oh.

　It's a good thing that you're not aware that you've been approached and you're a beat behind, but Ars's gaze is still on the words in the book.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.
　I don't know how Alice received the reaction, but she changed the subject to shake off her disappointment.

'I see you've been feeling ill, either way, I'm glad to see you're back.
No, I'm just skipping. There didn't seem to be any decent lectures on the subject, and I'd rather just go somewhere else and focus on it.
"....!　I'm sorry.

　The words, which were not clipped in his teeth, were accompanied by the sound of his true intentions on their own. In the blink of an eye, he dropped down and lowered his head. When you turn back on your heels with your shade intact, a voice from the other side of the table came out in a raspy voice.

"Who the hell do you think you are!

　The glossy redheaded female student stands up with such force that her chair collapses with a clatter.
　In an instant, the class was in an uproar and their gazes were focused on the two of them. The one who revealed her anger was the ladylike female student with her glossy red hair swinging around. She was graceful to look at, and a victorious gaze that looked down on her from above pierced Ars. It's a little bit lacking in awesomeness due to its lack of height, though.

''What is it...?''
'It's not something. Alice went out of her way to talk to you and talk to you, but you don't have that attitude.

　Ars hesitated, deciding that it was going to be a messy one in his brain. He wasn't going to get used to it, but he'd be wasting his finite time if he got into a mess and couldn't have time for himself.
　He got up from his chair and turned to Alice, who was alternately looking at Ars and the female student who was glaring at him with an amazing sword-fight.

'I'm sorry. Just don't worry about me.
'What!　I'm the one who's sorry for being so abrupt.
Alice doesn't have to apologize!

　As soon as Ars heard the response, he took a seat and began to read the book.

'I'm Tesfia Favell,'
..........

　Ars inwardly poisoned himself with a troubling thought. Just when I said to her, 'Don't worry about it,' this is it.
　When she saw no reply, the schoolgirl got a blue streak on her face and stumbled up to Ars and snatched the book away from him.
　It was the worst. I felt like I'd been bludgeoned out of my concentration.
　He was the type of person Ars hated the most. He pushed himself, forced himself, forced others to do what he wanted.

'It's Tesfia Favell!
Can I have my book back?
'I'm a nobleman and I went out of my way to say my name. It wasn't polite for you to say your name either.
Aristocrats are very arrogant in their imposition of propriety, aren't they?
...

　The book he had taken from her flipped and flew up close and personal to Ars.
　He grabbed it effortlessly with one hand.

'Thank you. I'm Ars Regin. I'm not interested in you, so please go away.
'Pshaw, I'm not interested!　Insolence?　You lashed out at me. I don't think I've ever been humiliated like this before.

　Tesfia grew even angrier at Ars, who only said his name as a thank you, but the starting time chime began to ring, and as if that had calmed the surroundings, they each returned to their seats before it stopped ringing.
　Tesfia was reluctant to be appeased by Alice, but as soon as she got to her seat, she gave Ars a glare.

　Cool-faced and bookwormed, Ars didn't even have Tesfia on his mind anymore.

　The first period teacher opened his textbook on the tabletop.
　Ars hadn't brought the textbook with him. As a matter of course, he only brought this one book. He immediately opens it and starts his own study.
　It's boring for Ars. The lectures are rudimentary, and even though he listens to them as a matter of course, they are just grating.
　If you say such things, you will attract the displeasure of the people around you and furthermore, you will be far from the peaceful life of the academy. The act of disturbing a group is recognized as a disturbing person and will be met with unwanted bite.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends.

You are given a mage license when you enroll. This is common to all mages who work for the state, but through magic the most important ranking of a mage is displayed like this. This is a ranking of an individual's fighting ability, calculated by the strength of their magic power and their personal abilities.

　The teacher put magic power into the license in his hand. Then it was projected in three dimensions while drawing the unique glow of magic power, and it was labeled as 778/119550.
　However, since the teachers are not military personnel, the color of the rankings displayed is different from the students. That's the evidence of being a "former" mage that appears after the return of the rankings.
　In other words, it is a history of being a mage.
　It's also a state-run, directly controlled military academy, so students can be identified as apprentice mages.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it.

　The rank of a mage depends entirely on this ranking. So much so that the future range of a wizard's career may depend on the rankings. In other words, rank is a report card and a status. Fighting is not the only way to be a mage. If you are a three-digit mage like this teacher, you can go on to become a teacher. On the other hand, the worse the rankings, the smaller the pay and the harder it is to get an important post.
　A teacher's three figures (triple) is enough to astonish the entire class. However, it's also proof that he is retired from the military, so this is like his personal data. He would be lumped into the category of ex-military and ex-magician.
　No wonder he's proudly showing it off forever.

　Furthermore, as everyone in the class displayed their license in hand, there was a buzz in the air.

''8867th place!
4521st place!

　The people around them shouted that there were four figures among the freshmen, where six and five figures were the norm.

''Alice and Tesfia are in four figures!
Alice, you're a very talented young woman. Tesfia, you're ranked 4521st in the House of Fevers, if I recall, which explains your ranking.
Thank you, Doctor.
''But don't be pessimistic just because your rankings are in six figures because they are based on the entrance exam. You can improve your rankings if you work hard enough in the future.

　The faculty member, who moved his gaze to look over, stopped at one point and looked at Ars suspiciously.

'Hmm?　You there, boy, what about your license?

　It's no surprise that Ars, who is doing one thing differently, has a point to make.
　The students who enter the Academy of Magic are new mages with the survival of humanity on their shoulders. Not everyone can become a proud mage. That's why they are all highly motivated honor students who have knocked on the door.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do with it.

　The eyes of the whole class turned to Ars.

''Excuse me. I lost it.''

　Of course it's true. The license could be used as a wallet for purchase, but I didn't have to. If there's something you need, you can apply for it and the Army will send you most of it.
　Anyway, the Chancellor has asked me to keep it to myself. It's not necessary to worry about the rankings, because from Ars's point of view, he came to the academy with the intention of living the rest of his life.

''Anyway, you're embarrassed to be seen. Even if it's six figures, it's nothing to be ashamed of.''

　Tesfia laughed with her nose and her voice sounded high and contemptuous.
　As if inspired, her classmates also looked down at Ars with a disdainful stare. This is what I mean by companionship being established. It's obvious which side of the fence you'll be on unless you have special feelings for someone you don't know and someone you know even if you know them.
　And it wouldn't be fun if there were a lot of good students mixed in with a bunch of unserious ones.

''Nonsense.''
'Sore losers?　Why don't you show it to me if you're frustrated?

　The higher the rank, the more dangerous the mission will be. I'm sure they are fundamentally incapable of understanding the meaning of their existence as wizards. The new wizards have never seen the monsters and hexenbiest that roam the outside world. No matter how good your fighting skills are, the ones who go out there die. That's all.

''Huh~''
Hey, you!

　Finally, I can't concentrate. It's a good thing that you only have to deal with the teacher, and it's easy because you don't have to go through the class for one person, but this Tesfia student has a tendency to bite you at every turn. Ars closed the book with a slam, got up from his seat and left the classroom.
　With a triumphant look on her face, Tesfia turned to the teacher.

'Sir, you'll be disrupting the class if you leave the unmotivated dropouts to their own devices. Please proceed.


　I didn't go back to the lab, but headed straight to the library. The library is located in the same building as the classrooms, just in time for my second period class.
　As expected, a vast pile of books covers as far as the eye can see. All of these are books on magic. There is nothing superfluous at all. From Ars's point of view, this is truly a treasure trove.

　Of course, most of the books are unlikely to be useful. Even such a book is probably all the knowledge that already exists in Ars, but the fun lies in finding the supreme gem among them. That's how they say the content gets into your head.
　It was the perfect place to get rid of the frustrations of the classroom.


　But in the end, I couldn't find the gems. In the blink of an eye, time flew by and the chime sounded mercilessly, signaling the end of first period.

'Come again?'

　I leave the library in a daze, feeling unsatisfied.