The lunch break went by in a flash, and the next thing I knew, afternoon classes had already started. It meant that he was so focused that he couldn't hear the chimes.

　Ars didn't hurry and headed to the classroom with a book in hand that he was about to read with a backward glance.

　By the time he arrived at the classroom, the class had begun to turn around in his ample, time-consuming steps. Even if it's for my own good, I have the decency to avoid bothering people.
　He opened the door without making a sound and settled into an empty seat that he could see. Even so, there are many people who will notice if one person enters, and the gaze directed at Ars is so intimidating that you can even hear the tongue click.
　I take it in with a patient demeanor, but the swearing is flying around as if it's a known anguish with Tesfia.
　Already the whole school knows about Tesfia and Alice's ranking.
　And so it would be. The surprising four-digit ranking for a freshman is enough to make people expect more from them in the future.
　Both of them are beautiful girls, and their good looks, which can be called beautiful girls, will further spur them to become popular.
　Tesfia is noble and beautiful, and her winning eyes give her an extra layer of dignity. She is short in stature, but there is a hint of loveliness in her.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of your time with the help of a good friend.
　The two of them must look picturesque side by side.

　If Ars is spotted in opposition to such two people, it is like turning the entire first year against them. What's more, even a single attitude towards the class was like stroking a serious student.
　It's not something that can be explained from the point of view of Ars, who is not bothered by it.
　It's not so much that he is not tolerant as he is of the students who look to others for their individual motivation. That's what I call a waste of effort.

　As long as it is whispered about behind the scenes, Ars doesn't get involved. However, if this becomes a situation that interferes with Ars's time, he has no choice but to move.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of it. Of course it was the result of ducking.
　If this is Tesfia's order, she intends to repay the debt after school, but Tesfia, sitting on the other side of the room, is concentrating on the class as if she is devouring it like she has no control over it. It seems that they don't seem to pretend to ignore it. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　Alice noticed, but didn't get around to raising her voice.

　If I do this back, things will only get worse. As expected, even Ars isn't so brazen as to not let things hit him and break his concentration. That's more of a flaw in its own right. It's because you have to have keen senses in fighting as a magician at all times.
　Even if you go on a mission to the outside world, there is no such thing as a day trip. Since they have to sleep and eat while enduring the fear of being attacked by demons, Ars is trained to the point where they don't even miss a noise.

　So they are looters of Ars's time.

　Ars picks up the scraps of paper that flew at him and shreds them into several pieces and rolls them into a small ball.
　He passes magic power through the bean-sized pieces of trash on the palm of his hand.
　The technique of covering with magic power is a rudimentary skill, but there is a lot of reliance on the senses, and if you stumble upon it at first, it's difficult to advance. Even so, once mastered, it can be remembered as a sense, so it is not likely to be forgotten.
　You can also use it as a reminder of the magic that covers the scraps of paper with just a light reminder. This is also used for weapons. The sensation of covering an object is that the object is perceived to be part of your body. A magician can perceive the magical power generated from within the body. So, although there are differences in skill level, they should originally be able to consciously circulate it to parts of the body. However, once the magic power leaves the body, it is difficult to recognize it. The only thing that can be recognized by a phenomenon embodied as a magical invocation is the magic that has been reconstructed from magic power through a magical formula. There is no doubt that magic power passes through it, but it is not magic power itself.

　When you hold them, which are thinly coated with a film, you play them with your thumb without anyone noticing.
　They bounced off the classroom wall and struck the necks of five students. After a moment of jittery reflection, they all fall on their desks in unison.

　That was just a mere peashooter. It was only a little bit of reinforced paper scraps that had hardened, but because it hit the base of the neck precisely, it was able to stun them. As for power, it's about as powerful as a sword in the back of the neck where the nerves are concentrated. There is no trauma and the only evidence is a scrap of paper that no one has noticed.

　Even Alice, who was cowering, didn't seem to notice, only relieved that it suddenly stopped, rather than wondering.



　Then, until after school, Ars was able to spend two periods of classes in a meaningful way. They still showed no signs of waking up, but of course they hadn't stopped breathing.
　When the HR was briefly over, they finally woke up. They rubbed their eyes as if wondering why they had fallen asleep, but the look on their faces when they realized they'd missed the class was still a sign of their high ambition.
　It's not about ambition though, when you mess with Ars, it's not about ambition.


　And whether this is a daily routine or should I say natural, the students who were supposed to be working hard on returning home or practicing on their own were the first to gather under Tesfia and Alice. The conversations that could be heard leaking out were all about magic. During class, Tesfia was an honors student who was a picture of seriousness. Not that this is why, but I'm sure they're also very smart.
　Of course, it's their personalities that attract people to them.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about it. It's an exaggeration to say that they'll be wound up in a long line of things, but it makes me wonder if they're not aiming to improve their rankings. Those who aspire to become a magician are structured to be bound by rankings, so perhaps that's inevitable.

　Neither of us had forgotten about our plans after this today.

''I'm sorry. I have a few things to do after this.

　Tesfia softly declined and Alice followed suit.

'We're both being called in by the doctor, I'll see you tomorrow.

　Tesfia prompts me with her gaze. The powerful eyes are meant to remind you not to forget or to run away again.


　There is no one to stop it from coming out for the good reason of being a teacher, a teacher.

'Can't I wait until it's over?'

　The female student who voiced this is holding a textbook of basic magic in her hand. Her petite and adorable appearance reminds me of a small animal, but that only works for the boys.
　Why don't you go ask the teacher directly?　But even there, Ars thought, the wizard society is showing its face. The point is that this is a way to get to know these promising girls. Of course, there is also the line that he simply wants to get along with them.


'I'm really sorry. I don't know how long this will take. I plan to finish it as soon as I can.

　It contains some thorny words, but only Ars and Alice can notice them.

'I'll take some time after school tomorrow,'

　Tesfia gently quieted him, half apologetic and half compensating, saying that tomorrow would be fine.
　The schoolgirl smiled a big smile at her words and happily said, "Thank you," and picked up her bag.

''Let's go Alice,''

　Alice, who looked uncomfortable all the time next to me, nodded with a sigh.







　Normally, a single student wouldn't be able to rent out the training grounds.
　That's why even though it's Ars, it's probably a special treatment only for this time. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.
　Even if he says he's hiding, Ars is probably aware that he's been noticed by them. In other words, it's a consideration to avoid being noticed by Tesfia and the others.


　And one more thing.
　There's also the gaze I felt during the mock battle. In other words, I was just about to say that the chancellor's eyes were on me.

''You don't really think I'm going to screw this up?

　It must mean that the Favell family is that powerful, if not unreasonable. Tesfir himself has shown enough rank to support that.
　Magic power and magical skills do not depend on bloodlines. The children of an excellent mage are not always excellent either. The opposite is true as well. A certain amount of talent may be inherited, but even so, if you have excellent magicians as parents, they are always given gifted education from an early age. The total amount of magic power is different from the foundation. The better they are, the more know-how they can instill into them, which is why they are usually elite even if you don't have any sense or talent.

''You've kept me waiting.''

　Tesfia, who has finished changing into her training clothes, comes in with a sword in hand.
　Ars has already finished changing clothes as well. Normally, there is no need to even change clothes. However, it was expected that it would only be a waste of time if there was another dispute over it.

　Noticing that no one was there, Tesfia and Alice took a glance at their surroundings and tilted their heads slightly.
　The chancellor should have locked all the entrances and exits with the actors in place by now.

'It's so rare that no one is here.

　He overflowed with such things, whether he used them on a regular basis or not.

'Oh well. Let's just get on with it.

　This time there was no need to divide the training grounds, so they could be used up to the fullest extent, but Ars decided there was no need to even do that, and Tesfia also smiled mockingly at the result of crawling to the ground in an instant, illusory and mocking smile.

　Gradually, however, the smile morphed into a sullen one, blue streaks raised and eyebrows raised. Tesfia's gaze was directed to a lowered position.
　He saw the booklet in Ars's hand and blamed it.

'What are you doing?'
Don't worry about it.
You're going to poke fun at people and...

　Alice stands in the middle of the two and takes some distance between them.

'Before we begin, I have a condition. If I win, don't mess with me anymore.
If you win. I can watch you study if you want.
No, thanks. And if you win?
Of course you owe me an apology.
Okay.

　He had already apologized once, but apparently it was a matter of good faith.

　A high-pitched buzzer sounded inside the large training ground due to Alice's manipulation to announce the start.


　--At the same time, Tesfia ran in a straight line while drawing her sword. There is a difference in physical skills alone when compared to the male students he faced in the practical skills class.
　Ars rounded up the pamphlet in his right hand and covered it with magic power.

　There are standards of competence in evaluating a magician. One of them is the AWR (Aura). The AWR has a strong meaning as an auxiliary weapon, but that weapon is made from rare minerals without a single exception. It is an excellent conductor of magic power. This can be mixed into the core of the weapon to increase its conduction efficiency. In addition, by writing the magic formula directly on it, it can also be used to assist in the exercise of difficult magic.
　The paper bundle of Ars is also covered with magic power, but it's not that you can only pass magic power through AWR, it's just that it's difficult to do so. Of course, there is no magic formula carved into it, so it has no role in assisting in the exercise of magic.
　It's called conduction, but this one needs to be covered with magic power like Ars did with the paper scraps, but it also increases the strength of the weapon. The stagnation and formation of the magic power covered therein can be a guide to measure a certain amount of skill.
　However, this will only be useful as a guide up to three digit mages. A two-digit wizard must be able to manipulate magic power perfectly, rather than a two-digit wizard.
　So in this case, it's still a great way to gauge the skill of a four-digit Tesfirer.

　I've already confirmed this during the mock battle.
　Tesfia's sword is of pretty good quality as they say. However, Tesfia's skills have not yet caught up with it. In the current situation, it's a treasure.
　The magic power attached to the sword was only better than other students. The amount of magic power is also probably high for a four-digit number. I'm not going to be able to get it right.

　I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do with it. On the contrary, it's like exposing their inexperience because their sharpness is reduced. I'm not going to be able to get any more than that, so I'm not going to be able to use it unless I use my magic to sharply shape the blade.
I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.
　You can't use it in the outside world, even if it's AWR, with a sword that has lost its shape.


''Haaah!

　Ars didn't bother to respond to the sword swung down from the upper level without avoiding it.
　Right after his cheeks lifted with a grin--.

''----!

　Tesfia was astonished that the blade she was supposed to be able to swing was stopped in the middle. The same is true for Alice, who is watching from a distance.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. And that too without being able to make a single scratch.

　Ars waited a moment for Tesfia to come to herself.
　Tesfia must be punished for carelessly handling her precious materials. That's why the Academy's pamphlet is just fine.

　After recovering from the shock, Tesfia took a big leap and got away from him.

''You're lying!　.... that's not just any paper!
No, it's just paper. You got a pamphlet from the academy.
--!

　Ars unfolded the pamphlet and showed it to him. It showed the institute's building on the cover.

'It's a lie!　It's not just a piece of paper that will stop them.
I prevented that from happening.

　My hand tightened its grip on the sword as I clenched my teeth.

''Impossible!''

　A mere piece of paper has a limit to its durability no matter how much magic it wears, and even Tesfia's sword, which has turned into a blunt instrument, will be pushed aside. That is also if an ordinary magician did it.
　It's very difficult to even get magic power to travel through a bunch of paper that doesn't even have AWR. Each of these out-of-the-ordinary techniques made Ars a single-digit (single) magician.

　Immediately Tesfia ran again, drawing his sword.
　But no matter how many times she tried to swing her sword, it was all blocked by the pamphlet that Ars held.

　Then he swung at the large upper level.

''..........''

　Tesfia, who was trying to take a big swing in front of me while I was fighting a close fight, was no more than a gap.
　Ars's temperament is not long enough to take it in.

''-----!

　With a bash, the Ars pamphlet hit Tesfia's cheek in a grand manner. A sound that tore through the tense air echoed through the training grounds.
　It was not paper, but a heavy, cold blow, like a blunt instrument.
　Tesfia was blown right off to the side and fell, rolling on the ground. Her red hair, which was clothed behind her, hung on the ground in disarray.

''Fear!

　Alice screamed unbearably at Tesfia, who finally stopped after rolling a few times.
　It wasn't just the power of a paper roll. Tesfia's frail body was easily blown away by the power that was comparable to a demon's attack.
　Alice, who was the only one here watching from a third party standpoint, was convinced that this was not a magical attack. There was no chanting, nor was there any sign of magic flowing.
　Nevertheless, the paper bundle was powerful enough to send a human being flying lightly.


　He felt guilty for slapping the woman's face, but it was all converted into psychological damage within the training grounds, so it didn't leave any scars or marks. Most importantly, for an aspiring mage, there is no difference in power between men and women. He may take it easy on her because she is relative to him as a mage, but he does not distinguish her because she is a woman.