Immediately, I had to take care of two excellent chicks from after school.
　Needless to say, this naturally caused Ars's plans to be greatly altered. Already, sleep time has been sacrificed in Ars's brain.

　Fifth and sixth periods and classes are skipped. Of course, just because you don't go to class doesn't mean it's a sacrifice.
　Ars was in his room, going through his stuff from when he moved in.

''I'm pretty sure I brought it with me...!

　The box is so huge that each person could fit in it completely. It was packed when I moved into the academy.
　Unfortunately, it doesn't contain anything that would be of interest to people my age. No, it might be a treasure trove for those of us involved in magic.
　I've been on a mission for a long time, so I couldn't even afford to take the time to include fashion in my daily routine.
　You might say that he was not interested in Ars from the start. He can't be multi-talented, but he can't be multi-talented.
　There was something out of place in it - something that would be considered trash - that was quietly sinking to the bottom.
　It was just a piece of stick, no matter how you look at it, and that's exactly what you'd expect to find anywhere.
　If it was still on the wispy skin of the wood, I might touch it, but I wouldn't be tempted to hold this stick in my hand.

It's a good thing I brought it with me.

　The stick that you hold is the one you used to train with when you were in the army. It is not a completely private item that was issued to me.
　It's not the same material as wood, although it is a piece of wood.
　Of course, it's not even a weapon here.
　At any rate, what it is used for is made from the carcass of a demon called Sarkeloit, a demon that Ars defeated - the estimated mutation rate A -. Ars had it custom made, but this demon's outer shell had the ability to disrupt magic power. When it reacts to magic power, it has the property of vibrating slightly and diffusing the magic power it touches.

　Whatever it was, with this, it would be a great way to train Tesfia and Alice, and most importantly, Ars would gain valuable time during that time. It's a throwaway training menu, but this is indefensible.


　♢ ♢ ♢　　



　Ruthlessly, the day's schoolwork came to a close with a chime that signaled the end of the day's work.
　However, all the students in the academy are highly ambitious, so the number of students who go home at once without a sideways glance, even though the class is over, is close to zero.
　The most popular gathering place is probably the training ground. Yesterday, we had to rent the place out, so there were only three of us and an extra person, but normally it is a gathering place regardless of grade.
　Of course, you can't use it unless you reserve the place in advance. As for its priority, the third year students who are about to become wizards are treated.
　Even so, a large number of students are watching from the bleachers because the magic skills of the upperclassmen are an example for the lowerclassmen. So the majority of the spectators will be first years.

　For that reason, naturally Tesfia and Alice went to what they thought would be the training ground, but the inside of the already finely divided training ground was packed with senior students.

''Huh!''

　The two had already finished changing into their training clothes. However, they almost dropped their AWRs when they saw a place where there was clearly no space.
　They were met with a concentrated barrage of stares from those around them. It's hard to tell if it was fawning over the appearance of a beautiful girl or if it was directed at an out-of-place underclassman in a filled training ground.
　It is a fact that most of the students stopped their hands for a moment when the two appeared.

''Don't tell me that guy got away, right?
'I don't think so. Besides, we didn't have a location in mind.

　Alice quieted Tesfia, who was swearing one-sidedly, with a good argument. I can't help but smile bitterly about Tesfia calling Ars, the first-ranked one, that guy. I hope that's simply because there is no small amount of embarrassment in Tesfia's mind about calling him Al. Even if you pay respect, unlike Alice, if there was no conflict that broke out between Tesfia and Ars, she might have been able to honestly call you by your name out of respect.

''Then where is that guy?!
..........

　Alice didn't have an answer to that question. Tilting her head would have been enough to get through to Tesfia.




　A newly constructed building from this year called the Research Building. It has been built on a site that can't be held in the academy, which boasts a large site area. The location is not far from the main building, but it seems to be mainly used by the newly appointed teachers, and since there are only a few teachers in the research building, it can be said that there is no chance for students to get close to it.

　It took them a long time to reach the top floor of the building. It was more difficult than they thought to find Ars, who was skipping class.
　Naturally, they went to the boys' dormitory first and asked the receptionist for Ars's room number, but there was no such student in the dorm.
　It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to get a good idea of what you're looking for. As a student - even more so if you are a nobleman - it goes without saying that this is an unbecoming act.

　You'll be able to find out more about the best way to get the most out of your own personal life.
　If this were another student, this would not be the case. I want to believe that they must have been squeezed generously........

　After finding out where they are, they nimbly leave the chancellor's office.
　Sisti smiled off the back of the two people who were leaving in such a hurry.



''Are you sure this is the place?''

　The question to Alice would not be expected to be answered. Tesfia herself knows that there is no doubt about it.
　After all, the place that the chancellor told me about was something that couldn't be mistaken, even verbally.
　The top floor of the research building, if you ask me, is an entire floor made to look like it was custom-made for one person.
　There is only one door with the latest security, and it doesn't have a heavy, dignified feel to it. It's rather uncomfortably simple and rustic. It's an ordinary door, but the panel on the side is a lock for the security system.
　It is a type that detects magic by holding out the palm of your hand, and will not open unless you are personally identified.

　Tesfia pressed her finger against the chime at the bottom of the panel to announce her visit.
　Then the door immediately slides in a slow motion as if it were sliding.
　It seemed to be rustic in appearance, but in fact it was as thick as the palm of his hand.

　When I peeked inside, I found a device I'd never seen before sitting on the floor, and it was filled with an old-fashioned smell, even though it was newly built. If you looked, you could see several small piles of old books that were not allowed on the shelves. The overall color of the walls, which were all white, were bright, as if they were glowing in their own right.

''Tch, it's already here.''

　Such a tongue lashing made their eardrums tremble.
　The room is big enough for four classrooms that can accommodate the usual forty people.
　It's far too large to be used by one person. Although various equipment was placed in the room, there was still nearly half of the space left over.

　When the owner of the voice is found at the far end of the equipment, Tesfia's indignation is relegated to a different question.
　She called out to a figure sitting deep in a chancellor's recliner across from a long desk, "What is this place?

'What is this place?'

　It doesn't help that it's an intimidating thing to say. If someone who doesn't know where Ars stands in the pecking order sees this, they are bound to complain. In fact, there was even a direct appeal to the chancellor from some faculty members.
　That's why it's a barren explanation to the two people who know Ars's background.

"...my laboratory?　And your room.

　The reason his room wasn't coming first was probably because for Ars, his research was more important to him than his life.
　I nodded my head, wondering what was so obvious.

''Why is this guy the only one ... even I live in a dormitory?

　It's only large for research purposes, but the actual bedroom isn't much different from the dorm room. They don't cook, but the kitchen is incomparably more sophisticated, but to Ars, it's also a treasure trove.
　I guess the argument Tesfia is making is that it's not communal living.

Tesfia, Al is....

　Ars interrupted Alice, who was speaking for him. Simply for the childish reason of making Tesfia understand the hierarchy, though.

'Of course. Considering my accomplishments, this is still a small price to pay.
Shh....

　Of course Tesfia was at a loss for words. 'I don't know how much of an achievement Ars has made, because I don't need to guess that it would be lightly beyond my imagination.

'So, Al, I thought we were just going to be seen on the training ground.

　Alice switched to the main topic, probably due to the fact that time was running out. It's a snake pit, but of course the two of them have changed into their uniforms.
　There was no need for Ars to worry about the time since it was his room, but it was generally undesirable to have the girls stay late at night, and the outside world was the worst.

'Yes. I don't know how long I've been looking for you, and I won't forgive you if you say you're going to start tomorrow with this.

　Tesfia's hand was held tightly as payback. It's not that it has any effect as a threat, though. It's just how I feel emotionally (angry).
　That said, more than an hour had passed since the time switched to after school.
　In the season of enrollment, though, it's still bright outside at this time of day.
　Since Tesfia called it a dormitory, it must have a curfew.

'I know,'

　Ars wandered around and rummaged through the area, wondering where he'd put it.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for. It's a sign of the AWR that is held firmly in your hand.

This is not a good idea.
"What!

　It doesn't change what you do even if you can scream dumb.
　There was a piece of stick in Ars's hand.
　Should we share the perception for once, Ars opens his mouth.

I'm going to teach you only the skills to fight demons. Well, your rankings might go up a little bit, but if you just want to improve your rankings, it's faster to train them yourself.

　This is an ultimatum. You either do it or you don't.

"Huh?

　This disappointed look of disappointment is indeed annoying, even for Ars, even though Tesfia said she could fight.

''Tsk~!

　After acting arbitrarily and without thinking, he was hitting Tesfia's head with a stick piece.

''You're an idiot..............................In the first place, what kind of item do you think the rankings are calculated on?''

　This question is one we asked in class.

''As I recall, it's the amount of magic power, the number of high-level magic conquests, the number of demons defeated, and the rate of completion of missions and requests, right!

　The problem is too rudimentary to judge excellence on this alone, but I'd say it's a fair point.

''Demons are different depending on the rate at which they're defeated, right?

　I can say that Alice added a supplement and covered what we learned in class.

'Well, sort of. But it's not enough.'

　They both had a question mark in their heads as they remembered what they had learned in class.
　It couldn't be helped. The further supplementary information Ars said was not done in class.

'You're right about the items. Then I think we should focus on which ones we need to focus on in order to improve our rankings.'

　The two men answered immediately to Ars's further questions.

'Of course, you've got the amount of magic and the conception of magic.
Magic and witchcraft, I think.

　Tesfia is absolutely confident and takes on the sound of her voice.
　Alice was a little weak, as if she had read the back of the question, and even Ars could read her inner thoughts, such as (I guess not~).

　Ars let out a sigh at the expected answer. I wanted him to understand that I wasn't looking for such a simple answer. On the other hand, even if you guessed it, it doesn't advance the conversation.
　The point is to confirm the degree of honors that are celebrated at the academy. In that sense, Tesfia would not disappoint.
　This alone shows that Tesfia is an easygoing person and Alice is a deep reader. She may be able to guess, but whether she can put it into words is another matter.

''No, it's not. What's most important is the defeat of the demons, the rate.''
...!

　Tesfia was astonished, but Alice seemed less surprised. In other words, I guess she expected that she wasn't right.

''Even when it comes to defeating them, it doesn't matter how many mooks you take out, it doesn't matter how many mooks you take out, but your rankings will vary greatly from after you take out a high rate demon.
But that's not going to help us move up in the standings.
'Not that I can't raise it at all, but I'm not sure I can keep up with the wizards who are out in the real world.

　That's why they're excellent even in the four digits. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of good reasons for this.

I'm not going to be able to say that the technique of defeating demons will be ranked higher in the future, but if you're blinded by the rankings of the immediate future, I don't mind at all if you stop. I would even rather ask you to do it.

　The provocative mannerisms have the wind of Tesfia's rebelliousness in reverse, but Alice is willing to do it, and it doesn't make much difference if she sees one or two.

'It's not superior. I don't have a problem with it if it results in a higher ranking.'

　Ars was concerned about Tesfia, who was concerned about rankings.
　Mages who go to actual battles in the army are not so concerned about rankings. Of course, high rankings mean higher pay and a guaranteed life. Above all, it's an honor for a mage.
　However, they can be entrusted with more dangerous tasks than that. That would be a delightful way to help humanity's long-cherished desire. From Ars's point of view, though, it was nothing short of a death rush.
　Until recently, the high rate had been ordered to Ars as a priority, so he would not have been assigned to a reckless mission.

　These were Ars's personal values, and I wouldn't want to impose them on the two of them. Beyond that, it's not a place to get involved, I won't say anything unnecessary that would interfere with it.
　When Alice nodded and showed her agreement, she began to explain the training.