Are you sure this is the right area?
Yeah.

　The chancellor must not know from the way he answered nonchalantly.

''It's an area where the lowest-ranked demons appear, but since B-rates rarely appear here, it's a bit farther away, but it's better this way.

　He points to the map in the document and slides it to the side.

'Of course, that still doesn't mean it's safe.

　The chancellor knew what that meant. I think it's only because he was a person in the field.
　A reminiscent nod is a bitter one.
　Unexpected and unexpected events are an everyday occurrence in the outside world. It is not an exaggeration to say that only the unexpected always happens. In the outside world, there is a constant need to build a strategy for the unexpected.

　Even so, high-rate demons can be detected for tens of kilometers from the defense line. The further away they are, the less reliable they are.
　It's not perfect, since it's just a set of stationary detection magic, but it can detect disaster-grade demons very quickly.

I think the supervisor should be the one to improve this, especially since the B-rate can fail to detect it. You can't just send a regular wizard, of course.
It must be difficult.

　Valuable mages had to be on standby, ready to move at any time (whenever).
　It was hard to imagine the military sending them to be part of the class.

'Then we'll just have to assign the top guys in the school to supervise. Or maybe two or more people. You could also have a teacher. The organization is left up to the school, right?

　I think he knows that. That's why the Chancellor seemed to be getting a headache now.

'That would be five people, one group, plus at least one supervisor.
Now, good luck with the rest.

　With that, Ars turned on his heel. After concluding that he had nothing more to advise her on, the chancellor made a disgustedly curt voice.

''What?!''
Anything else?

　Ars's response was a full-on hassle.
　That didn't make this witch so straightforward as to pander to his face.

''You forgot to serve the tea.

　What a thing to say, and then he begins to slink into action.
　Even Ars was hesitant to ignore it and leave unthinkingly, even if it was Ars.
　Still, it was clearly a mental health measure to change his expression.


　The two of them continued to search for a solution to the problem until the dopey dawn. For what it's worth, Ars lends a hand because of a word from the chancellor.

It's hard to do it because he smiles like he's eating people, saying things like, "If we can get through this, it looks like we're going to have excellent mages growing up.
　On the other hand, it was also a factor that helped that Tesfia and Alice's aptitude as mages could be assessed, so it must be useful.
　Of course, hoping that they would bend their knees in front of the demons.

　And so the debate between single mages and former single mages was meticulously conducted.

　Every night, after watching Tesfia and Alice train, Ars would be called into the Chancellor's office.
　He didn't even have the energy left to swear anymore.
　Ars lamented the waste of his precious time. Still, he managed to maintain his mental equilibrium by forcing himself to tell himself that this would eventually help him.

　But it was also true that there was a limit to how much he could do within the allotted number of days. All I can say is that I am chronically lacking in real-world experience. It's kind of unreliable for a supervisor to be a novice.


　♢ ♢ ♢ ♢


　And on the day of the first exam for the new students.
　Before going to school, Tesfia and Alice had visited Ars's lab.
　That was also because for the past few days, Ars had hardly attended any classes.
　If he was absent, he would have to retake the exam and his evaluation would be lowered. If he failed a credit, there was a possibility that he would be retained, and the two of them were concerned about that and came to pick him up in good health.

''----!

　On the other side of the door, Ars's complexion was at its worst. The circles under his eyes were clearly showing signs of discomfort.
　I could tell at a glance that he hadn't slept for several days, if not both of them.

'You didn't sleep after all those times I told you to,'
This is my time, I'm not here to take orders from you.
You forgot, Al, you have an exam today.

　It was as if I was thinking about something, and it was above me.
　Normally I wouldn't have forgotten it, but I could barely remember it.

'Did I?'
Go wash your face!

　When Tesfia took one look at the clock on the indoor digital screen, she flipped Ars over and pushed it back hard.



''Ha~''

　This is the first time the three of us are going to school together, and Ars is missing so much that he can't hold it in his hands. The school's designated bag is an unnecessary product. It's not as barren as carrying an empty bag, since you don't even bring textbooks to begin with.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

''Was Alice able to prepare for the exam?''
I don't know. I'm just going to review it.

　They alternated their gazes, textbooks in hand.
　'What?' questioned Ars, which made their efforts meaningless as a result.

'It's a practical skill, so it's not something you can do right away.
'What!'
If you knew about this, you should have told me now!

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do with it.
　--It's not a problem, of course, even if you are sleep-deprived, it doesn't matter, and you can easily catch it with one hand.
　The skirt of his uniform was not very short in length, but the skirt slid up to his thighs on his high turned feet, and the thin silk slip he would have been wearing inside showed through his white thighs.
　A moment's stagnation, and Ars never showed any interest in that secret garden.
　Still, it's inevitable that Tesfia's face is going to be flushed as she looks up.

'#%&$@&#!

　A fist clad in Tesfia's magic power flies to Ars without hesitation. That doesn't double its power, but the unconscious magical power transfer shows that it is an iron fist from the heart.
　I push and duck the leg I was holding on to. Naturally, I immediately let go of my hand.
　If it's done poorly, it looks like magic is really going to fly out.

''Did you see that?''

　Tesfia, staring upward with slightly moist eyes, gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.

'You see!'

　I didn't actually see it, and I wondered if it wasn't too much since I wasn't high enough to see it from the side, but I didn't need to expect the magic to fly if I mentioned it.

　Congeniality?　Spend the rest of the school day doing something other than exams. Needless to say, I was just about to be late.




　Today's classes have been cancelled due to exams. It means that today's day is only exams.
　In the morning, the main menu is the release of magic power and the exercise of all the magic you have mastered.
　Several teachers will be supervised in the training field and record precise data.
　Therefore, the training grounds, which are compartmentalized to avoid magical prying, are dyed pitch black to prevent the double injustice of not knowing the content of the exam.

　Since they're going one class at a time, one class at a time in order, it's no wonder that it would kill the morning on its own.


　Once we finished changing into our training clothes, it was time to take our turn.
　Tesfia and Alice are also in a state of waiting for their names to be called, but it's Tesfia who can't sit still at a time like this. She's distracting herself with magic manipulation, but I feel it's a little different from nervousness.
　Then I remember that she is a nobleman.
　After all, the rankings are required to live up to the family name. Even though she has already indicated a four-digit ranking, if the staff in charge told her before the exam that the rankings at the time of admission were not accurate.......she would be worried.
　However, although it's hard to imagine that the rankings will change significantly, it's highly doubtful that they will be listened to when they say that. Therefore, Ars draws his mouth shut.
　Alice was also pouring magic power into the loaner AWR and checking it for any glitches.

　So the scene that is often seen in the vicinity of an exam is prevalent in the training grounds.
　The first person to be called by name after arriving at the training grounds was Ars.

　Naturally, Tesfia and Alice are nearby. They limped languidly to the ninth training ground, hoping that this wouldn't become a fixture.

　The two of them don't tell Ars to do their best, etc. It's because they know it's useless. The hand holding the AWR (Aura) was filled with strength, with a face that was rather full of himself.

　The only person who doesn't have an AWR, even if you include a loaner item, is Ars.
　The gaze directed at Ars was a complete change from the one at the beginning of his admission to the school, and it had become an odd one.
　As expected, it's no longer called gossiping behind the scenes, but the insouciant gaze will still be the same.
　The fact that I don't even have a book with me today (or simply that I've forgotten) called for an even more quizzical stare.

　When I stepped into the pitch-blackened section, the dubious training ground, there was the Chancellor standing there, just as I had planned in advance.

''Oh, you didn't bring your AWR with you,''
Are you going to do it?

　That was just as well, and Ars didn't care what the rankings were, and it was too late now.

'Of course not,'

　He crosses his arms and says with scolding dismay as he gets his equipment set up quickly.

'I can do without the AWR, though,'
Well, then, the first thing to do is...

　The chancellor pointed to the box next to him.

　It's just enough to hold one person.
　This equipment was also used by the military to measure the amount of magic.

'Stand there.

　Once inside, all but the front is covered by a steel plate suitable for sensing.

'Let your magic out.

　Ars is already emitting magic power.
　The idea is that the iron plate detects the magic power that has gone out of the body, even in minute amounts, and measures the amount of magic power it possesses.

''Yes, OK.''

　The Chancellor looked down at the display on his desk.
The screen floated up with words in the middle of the measurement, informing him of the progress in percentages.

'----!　Eh!

　It's another familiar response. So I can tell you without looking. It would be a pain in the ass if we had to start over.

"It's not broken, sir.
But....

　If it weren't for the Chancellor, this would not have been enough.

Shall we move on?
Yeah, yeah...

　He gave a sharp reply, which was unbelievable even for him.
　The first thing he did was to lie about his reasons for doing so.　

"I've always been on the front lines," he said.
Yeah, of course.

　Even though Ars was on the front line, he was not early enough to be a struggling shura. So, this amount of magical power is inborn. Hence, it would be more than enough reason to be one of the causes of being taken over by the army.

''Well, next........''

　I think he's still upset. It wasn't a good move for the Chancellor.

''I need you to use the magic you've mastered...''

　The equipment is being attached to Ars's limb.

'That kind of measurement has passed muster in the military, sir.
Why?

　The chancellor tilted his head, no small amount of curiosity leaking out.

'The power output of the magic you're exercising goes over the meter.
Well, it's all right.
You'll break it.

　I pointed to the equipment, which is not cheap, and reminded him.

　This chancellor's eyes sparkled as if he was more curious than he was measuring.
　Ars thought with disgust that the Chancellor was also a wizard.

''As expected, I don't think there are hundreds of spare planes, so let's just have one.
Yeah.

　The Chancellor leaves to the screen where the measurement data is sent.

'If it's offensive magic, put it right there.

　Directly in front of Ars was a cone-shaped piece of equipment pointing to the bottom. It was hollow inside, and it would release magic into it.
　This is also familiar to Ars, and by releasing the magic inside, the affinity material will absorb the magic power. Even if it exceeds the absorption power, it is designed to escape to the back, gradually absorbing the magic made into a cul-de-sac.
　Naturally, Ars had a story of failure with this equipment.


　♢ ♢ ♢


　Alice's name was called out not too long after Ars's exam began.

'Good luck, Alice.'
Tesfia.

　The two encourage each other. Alice made her way to the second testing area, and Tesfia focused on getting ready for her turn.

　At that moment, Alice, who was walking, stopped as the ground shook slightly.
　It was an uncomfortable feeling that was just a small tilt of her head, but it quickly turned into a conviction.

　The shaking was getting stronger.
　Earthquakes have become a familiar part of humanity. They are not uncommon on a continent that has experienced major tectonic shifts due to the appearance of demons.
　The students were well prepared for this kind of situation.

　At the same time as they moved into action, that was the moment when Alice was convinced of the tremors.

''What----!

　The sound of an explosion echoed through the training grounds and a thud erupted.
　No one immediately forgot to evacuate and their gaze was drawn to one place.
　This was because the black smoke that was leaking out of the air was coming from the Ninth Test Center.

　Teachers from the other testing centers immediately came out to find out what was going on, but it was the one from the ninth testing center who opened their mouths, "It's nothing serious.

''It's nothing serious, please continue with the exam as it is,''

　The one who came out from inside was the Sisti Chancellor clad in magic power.
　A quizzical voice springs up at the fact that the examiner is the chancellor, but it's only for a moment.
　It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time.
　Then the overflowing black smoke is sucked into the air above the chancellor, swirling around him.

　No one can remove their gaze. With the state of being glued to the ground, it was impossible to resume the examination.

　Eventually, it continued until the chancellor, who had brought all the black smoke together, drove the smoke outside.

　They were all glued to the admired wizard until Alice, who had come to her senses, asked Tesfia what had happened.

'What the hell happened?'
Come on, but they're...

　Alice turned her voice over as she remembered and ran into the Ninth Test Room.

'Al, are you alright!'

　Ars looked at the pieces of equipment that were scattered about in pieces and looked regretful.

'Alice or what a waste of time.

　You let go of the parts you picked up.

What have you done?
I didn't expect this. You're so out of character.

　Following Tesfia, the Chancellor, who had returned from behind, said with a slight twitch in his cheeks.
　It's because he's the highest ranking magician that there isn't a single soot on him in that black smoke.

　Tesfia and Alice blackened their eyes at the way he said it as if nothing had happened, and opened the way for the Chancellor.

''More importantly, you two are still in the middle of your exams.

　After seeing that they were safe, they were forced to leave the examination room.

　The ninth examination room that was left alone.

"But even so, the magic now is ........ spatial interference magic?

　Ars was blindsided by this answer.
　As expected of a former single mage, he said, he was just a former single mage.
　Normally, it's an unspoken agreement between mages not to pry into magic. Even if it's the Chancellor, there are no exceptions.

''Your honor, sir.''

　I couldn't help but admire the core answer and return the compliment.


'And the added heat, I wonder if that's melting.

　The explosion wasn't magic, it was generated from the equipment as a result of the force applied to it.
　Ars lowered his eyes and indicated that he was right in his estimation.
　It was because it was more convenient for him to do so.

　It was correct that the magic used by Ars was spatial interference magic.
　But it shouldn't be known beyond that, even if it's the Chancellor. In the first place, there is no such thing as magic that directly interferes with space. I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more information on this.
　It has been proven as an event that it can interfere with space, though. That's why Ars mixed and confused melting. The phenomenon of melting is the essence of magic, and interfering with space as a side effect.
　So far, it would still be possible.
　But the only person who knows more than this is Governor Belig Saarebianu, who is closely associated with Ars, even within the military.
　Too much power is often awe-inspiring. And there will be many who will try to use it to their advantage.


　But--.

'Then, with all that power, what would be your nature?
...

　It would be a casual question, simply a thought. The Chancellor indulged in a finger to his chin. Melting is found in magic that is classified as a fire system, and is a difficult magic. So while a simple intuition would lead one to believe that it is a fire system, this former single seems to be convinced that it is not a fire system.

　Magic can be classified into several properties. Among them, there are properties that are compatible with individuals, and they can always be classified as ice for Tesfia and light for Alice. Of course, it doesn't mean that it's the only one that can be used, it's simply a degree of compatibility, but it greatly affects the use of magic.

　The nature of Ars, that is nothingness. Precisely because the property of nothingness does not exist, it is more correct to say that it is not applicable in the case of Ars.
　It's not that I'm not a fan of this, but I'm a fan of the fact that it's a good thing that I'm not a fan of this.

　And that too is something that should not be known.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're going to do.

''Chancellor!''
Hmm.........!

　

''Well.........''

　To switch the air, Ars took over the rest of the examination.

'So, what are you going to do about the exam?'
It says it's not an error, it says it's unmeasurable, so it should be reflected in the highest value.
Okay.
For now, that's it for the morning exam, is there anything else you want to ask me?
Not particularly.

　The Chancellor, who had regained his tone as if the bleakness from earlier hadn't existed, said, "Good job," and changed it to a signal for the end.

　After watching Ars's back as he left the examination hall, Chancellor Sisti monologued with a hint of remorse.

''Huh~...''

　That sigh was bypassed and a self-mocking smile flooded his face.