The atmosphere of the lavish dinner was not good, to be honest. It was supposed to be a buffet-style affair, with a variety of dishes consisting of several varieties. But the food that the players brought to their mouths was reminiscent of the nourishing work they'd have to do to prepare for tomorrow.

　Also, the table of senior students gathered in one corner creates an even more gloomy atmosphere. They tended to be hesitant to even touch it, and the way they looked down was like a defeated soldier fleeing for his life.

　That's exactly what they are, and they must be the losers. You can't help but wonder why they're so discouraged, but they've prepared until today, and the defeat in the first game has probably ripped away their efforts and significance.
　Ars concluded that the mood of the members of the Second Magic Academy, regardless of who won or lost, is not good. The morale was so low that it could be said to be the worst in the outside world. With this, even if there was only a low rank, it's hard to feel like stepping into a world overrun with demons.

　Even so, the only saving grace would be the table of first-year students who are underclassmen. There was a sense of leeway in the air as this brought about a result that could be called excellent. After returning to the hotel, a meeting was held immediately.
　At the meeting, the first thing they were told was to announce the results of the day, and they had already expected the results.

　First of all, there were 9 first year students who had a white star in their first game. This unusually good performance could be said to be lucky, even if you subtracted Alice from Ars, Loki and Tesfia.
　Five sophomores did very well, though the unexpected loss of a player who, by some estimates, was expected to make it to the third round or higher, could be corrected.
　The problem is the third year students, the most senior students. This ended in a disappointing loss of two wins, far short of the five wins I had planned. This is what has created the current atmosphere. Part of the reason for this is that the third year students were originally called up for a training period, such as for military training, so they were not able to secure the players they had planned for.

　Alpha's overall performance is off to a good start, currently ranked third out of seven countries.
　The problem is the No. 1 wizardry school, which is ranked No. 1. The biggest problem they have been having is still ongoing, and it's a tournament they can't seem to recover from. They can't afford to take a step back and forth.

"What are we going to do about it?

　So, although Ars takes a glance at the destination of Tesfaye's shuffling, he cannot say so, so he is in constant agony. I'm sure that if you go out into the outside world with that, you will be caught in the crossfire.
　To tell the truth, there are no words to say to the loser, much less watch the game.

How about you guys go suck up to them?
'I think that's going to hit a nerve in reverse.
Is that how it works?　If the two beautiful girls would pour you a glass of wine, you'd be more energized than before you lost...?　Juice, though.

　Tesfia and Alice, sitting opposite each other, looked back at me blindingly.
　When their eyes met, they averted their gaze, and a thin layer of red seemed to appear on their cheeks.

　Ars brings the meat dish to his mouth as if nothing has happened. Loki seems to be clattering his fork, though.
　He doesn't try to open his mouth, but he doesn't seem to have any intention of carrying another dish instead either.

''Well, well - you can't call her a beautiful girl.
'Let's at least be humble there, Fia. It's embarrassing for me too.

　This one has a delicate air about it, but Ars isn't telling a lie.
　I'm not confident in my own aesthetics, but I just understand very well that the boys' gaze is directed at me. That's why I just called her a beautiful girl.

''That's no longer necessary, is it?''

　Now it was Ars's turn to shuffle.
　If they all peeked halfway through the room, there was a scene worthy of a leader. There was a figure of Ferrinella - although not pouring - talking to each of them.

　I know as well as I can.
　Gathering information is the foundation. Those who fail to do so deserve to lose.
　The reason why the tournament assumes a real battle may be because the emphasis is placed on such situations. In other words, the representatives of the college are regarded as a unit, and each one of them should be able to see the whole thing through without being dogmatic. It's a good idea to be able to have the same kind of skills as the captain who brings it all together. It's a choice that is sometimes discarded, and it's the best choice to achieve victory. The ideal member of the team is the one who understands this and accepts it with an indulgence. This may be a mock drill of the lesson that those who act in their own self-interest will affect the whole.

　It's not a matter of individual skill on how to defeat the monster, but rather the best that can be done at the time. Of course, it's a moot point if it's not accompanied by competence.
　Ars belatedly realized that there was an aspect of the code of conduct in the outside world, not the practice of defeating demons.

(And that doesn't change what I do. And if I interfere, it could undermine the significance)

　The silent will to leave the rest to them was replaced by the willingness to bring the food to their mouths.

　Although not divided by table, it was inevitable that they would be divided by grade level, and in the case of the first-year students, it was also because Ars and his party sat tightly together.

　Nine underclassmen, for whom this tournament was the first time, had advanced, and a harmonious atmosphere enveloped the table. It's true that it's too early to be happy if you think you're going to keep winning, but you can't help but feel lighthearted because you've won the tournament with all the attention in the world, even if it's a fluke.

　Even if they lose in the second round tomorrow, they will be happy with that. Even the boys who were the only losers don't seem to be dragged down by the defeat.

If I had won, the first year would have been perfect," he said with a light click of his tongue.
　And then, naturally, the conversation turned to a boy. It's not a coincidence that he's been waiting for someone to speak up because he's always had a face that's been frustrated by the difficulty of getting it out.

'I didn't see your match, Ars, but is it true that you have five seconds?　Loki said 13 seconds too.

　Ars wonders how to respond to Ciel, who is the topic of conversation here. It doesn't seem to be possible to get away with putting down the fork.
　You can see that more than a few of the first years seated at the table are listening, if not all of them.　

It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. I'm a first year, and moreover, I thought it would be better to set it up as soon as it started, rather than waiting for it to come out. I didn't think I'd get one shot, but I guess I got lucky.

　There is no one here who can lightly say something like "what luck?". It's true that the upperclassmen had played a caustic match from the first game, but compared to that, I can see why the first year students were at a lower level... there was no way they were going to be able to say that...
　They were similar first-years themselves, and there wasn't enough difference between them to win overwhelmingly, no matter which combination they were assigned to. At the very least, the academies of other countries should have selected the best students on campus.

　Most of the people here had stopped their hands from wondering.
　Since they hadn't seen the shortest victorious Ars training, their abilities were unknown. Maybe he's actually strong with the rumors on his tail.　That's about the extent of it. Aside from Loki, who is at the top of the school year, it is most likely that he is as strong as Tesfia and Alice.

　Those who do not have the mouths to respond to such a response are the ones who do not have the mouths to respond. So the topic continued and Loki took over and Ars, who has an unknown number of powers, was pushed into a corner for once.
　Is it because Loki, if only because he's a strong man who follows Felinella in the pecking order?

''It's like that for me too. The magic I released as a checkmate hit me and I was looking at the situation, but I just fell down.''

　Loki, who had ordered a cup of tea, tipped his cup all the way up.
　It's a clear answer to the question of the difference in ability between the two sides. Most of us would like to ask Loki a variety of questions and learn from him, but he does not open his mouth lightly.
　I'm not sure how many hands are on the plate.
　Even Ciel couldn't escape a wry smile as he spoke. Only the three people who have no emotions at all are moving their hands.

''But, as Felli-senpai said, didn't the calculations go quite wrong?
'I suppose. I certainly don't want to think that I can't get it back so much as I can't win it.

　The concerns of the top-performing Alice and Tesfia were propagated to the players in the place, causing them to be bitter that they couldn't soar because they had bypassed and won.

''Fool, if you're only looking at the first day, it's only a minor injury.

　Another guffawing gaze slides to Ars. The gleam in his eyes contains a brilliant one that asks to hear the details. As I thought, the first rumor to come up about the man named Ars was that he skipped class and then showed off his knowledge that was as good as a teacher's on the first day of school.
　The Tesfia also made a pouting face as it seemed to be in total denial.
　As if to interrupt Loki's crisp sink eye, Ars opened his mouth a little forward - not to mention that he was a bush snake.

'Initially, we calculated that the first year students would go up by about five, so if it's +4, there's no margin of error in the calculation of points. But the more we win, the more we may get beaten up, and considering that only four of us will be able to play in the main tournament, the more impact a loss has on us. So we just have to make sure that we can keep this group together tomorrow and three of us will be in the main tournament. The rest........will be Felli-senpai.

　Ars turns the contradiction towards the approaching person himself.
　Felinella seemed to be going around the table in order, and the next one was the first year who performed well.

''What?　Mr. Ars," he said at the question of his own name being raised, "hmm? Felinella tilts her head in a small way.

No, we're talking about the sophomores raising the bar.
'Well, I'd like to see a surefire winner at some grade level!

　Those pleasing eyes shot through Ars's eyes.
　Ars replied in silence, but it wasn't an affirmation (maybe I should have told him that he couldn't be on the way out), but a concern. Well, I'm talking about the possibility, but it would be hopeless if he was going to be absent before the main game.
　Ferinella, who probably took that as an affirmation, raised her gaze and held all the first-years in view.

''Thank you for your hard work today. I'm honestly surprised at the better-than-expected performance. This is probably due to everyone's unflagging efforts.

　It's probably because she's a Felinella that her expression changes to one of embarrassment and relaxation. The way she spontaneously stretched her spine, I could tell that she wasn't nervous. His expression was soft, but I could feel his enthusiasm for tomorrow.
　Ars ignores the exertion and returns to the conversation.

''Isn't it most realistic to say that Felli-senpai will be the winner?
'I don't know. It's not going to be easy, but of course I'm going to go for the win.

　I don't know about Ars, but the last time he won the tournament one year, it was Felinella. It would have sounded humbling to those who know that. But one of the reasons why it's so hard to win back-to-back championships at a time like this is because other schools are taking precautions. It's not hard to imagine that the winner of the last tournament will also participate in this one. Then there is a possibility that they will make a selection to compete with Ferrinella's lineage, the wind.

''And then there's Illumina, so it should be fine.

　Ars had no idea what the name was that he'd never heard before, and he couldn't reply right away. As expected, who was it in front of him?　I can't ask.
　Felinella put those worries to rest.

'She's sub-leader of the team,' reminded Ars. She's a serious-looking female student who always wrinkles her brow beside Felinella. She is an intellectual type with an impression of reasonableness in appearance.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. The seat next to it is empty, so it must be Felinella's seat. She looks thin and would be told she should eat more.
　But Ars withdraws at the mountain of items on his plate.
　And the moment he brought it to his mouth, his reasonably rigid expression loosened without a shadow of a glance. Then, after a beat, he straightens his posture, trying to pretend he didn't see the switch to wrinkle his brow again.

'She's used to fighting with that one,' he says, and in a volume that only Ars can hear, he tells her, 'It's me and her in the thick of the main battle.' As soon as he says it, he pauses for a beat and then corrects himself for some reason. 'I'll do my best to stay behind.'

　Reflexively, I give him a reflexive "Oh, yeah.
　After all, it is the first year students that will determine the winner. And it is important that they do not let the first witchcraft academy's slot go to the main tournament. They want to avoid a defeat in the match against No. 1 Magical Academy.
　You will be able to find a lot of people who will be able to help you. It's hard to predict how the face that didn't crawl up on the strength of its own will turn out, but the ones that Ars coached had to win at the very least, or they wouldn't be able to compete anymore.

　All of the players, with their stomachs reasonably full, finished eating and turned back to their rooms. The faces of the losers have already been switched by Ferrinella and their footsteps are light.
　The eyes of those who seemed to have found another battlefield, not the hero and not the heroine, but the one that would blossom as a supporting role, were already looking ahead to tomorrow and beyond.

　Ars also finished his meal at something like an eighth degree of hunger. It's not that the high-class food wasn't to his taste, but he wasn't satisfied with it. That's probably why I've been saying this.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you.

I'm going to rent the kitchen and prepare only Al's separately, starting tomorrow!

　My enthusiasm took a strange turn. I'm going to make it stop impatiently.
　It's obvious that if you let a player do such a thing, they will look at you with a white eye. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　This is because this is also the selfishness of Ars.

''Even so, you never know what's going to happen, right?
I heard they've combined it with players with known lineage tomorrow, but you might want to be on your guard and skip it from the beginning.

　The voices of these two reached me from behind.
　Since there is nothing to say from Ars in particular, I shut my mouth and looked down from the second floor to the front desk and let out my impressions of "a lot of mages in a bad way" and so on.

　However, it soon occurred to me. As I recall, I've heard that this top floor is reserved for the Alpha's retainers to stay in. It is possible that Cicernias, Beric and Letty are staying here.
　As expected, I don't want to think that the two highest-ranking people are staying there, but as long as Ars is there, it's the safest place to stay.

(If they're there, I wouldn't want to run into them.)

　As you can imagine, it's very likely that he's already up by another route to avoid confusion, but if we were to bump into each other, I'd probably make a reluctant face.



I'll see you tomorrow.

　Climbing the stairs, Ars quickly returned to his room. His voice was bare, probably because he was getting caught in various thought mazes. It also has a messy quality to it, as if it were just a voice that had been released.

'Al, would you like tea in your room?　I'm glad I brought a spare in case this happens.

　Lost in thought. It's Loki's daily routine to prepare a well-timed cup of tea for Ars. He even does the nifty thing of making it a little sweet.

'Oh, yes. But you're in the wrong room, go back.
But...
'No, I'm going to bed soon too. It's not too late for me to relax.

　It might have been disturbing if the other players had heard it. It's not like he can do anything, as he only brought some of his research with him and only looked at the material. Although it's during the tournament, it's as good as a vacation for Ars.

''Speaking of which, are those two training in their rooms?
Yes, but not for long.
All right. Well, tell him to cut me some slack, all right?

　The daily routine is what is important. However, as long as there is a consumption of magic power, it doesn't necessarily mean that it won't interfere with the next day.
　At Loki's weak nod, Ars warned, "You too!
　There's no proof of this, but Loki's personality makes it hard to believe that she'll neglect it. The fact that his eyebrows reacted slightly as if he could see through them seemed to indicate that he was right.
　He grabbed Loki's slender shoulders and flipped him over.
　Across from them were two dumbfounded figures who must have come to look for Loki, who had been gone for some time.

'Hurry up or we'll go on ahead.

　Where is this?　I think it's because it's Loki and I know where it's going.
　If you're going back to your room, there's no problem, but if you say that it's honestly depressing to go to the place Tesfia suggested, it could be taken as an excuse to use Ars as an excuse. Of course, Loki doesn't intend to do that.
　In terms of priorities, he thinks that no matter what, taking care of Ars is the priority - especially in this case.

　That's why he uttered a similar presentation as a rebuttal to the force that Ars pushes him back.

'Would you like to come with me, Al?　I heard there's a large bathroom on the first floor.

　Thinking. It was also a search for an excuse to say no, but since I'd said I was going to bed, I had time. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for. There is a bath in the room, so if you boil it, there is no problem.
　It's not as much of a problem as a showerer, and although it's not as long as the raven's bathing water, it's the nature of the bath that doesn't take long.
　This is also because he was in the army. It's because he worked so hard that he didn't have time to soak slowly, and he hasn't diminished to the point where he can say that he smells like a father figure soaking through his body.
　A simple conclusion, it was inevitable.

'All right. Get ready and I'll come with you.
Then I'll meet you on the stairs.

　The melancholy was nowhere to be found, and it was still Ars that cleared Loki's dark clouds.

　It was five minutes after they arrived at the meeting place that the three of them appeared holding a bag containing a set of clothes. In addition, Ars got ready in a minute.
　He greeted them with a look that said they were finally here because they weren't small enough to make an eye sore, but Tesfia had a frown on her face.

　It's not a mixed bathing experience as expected, but if it is made to look uncomfortable, it is likely to be an angry one, but as expected, Ars is also used to it. I'll do my best to ignore it.

　The large bathroom is supposed to be at the back of the first floor. I didn't notice it when I came, but it was firmly marked by an arrow.
　There seems to be a little entertainment facility on the street as well. If you look, there's not only a souvenir shop, but also an Iberis AWR catalogue and even an AWR testing ground. It would be inevitable for Ars to be more interested in that one because of his profession.
　He turns his head as he walks away.
　A wry smile leaked out from next to me at such a sight.

''Al's really keen on research, isn't he? I mean, I'm interested in being able to make an AWR that awesome.''
'Of course. Each country has its own characteristics, to a lesser or greater extent, and manufacturing methods vary slightly. Besides....

　Tesfia's sigh interrupted the heat that was about to be generated by Alice's ride. There was certainly something different about going to the big bathhouse and explaining it at length.

'Well, I'll take a quick peek at the hot water,'
After all that, you're peeking.

　The redhead who was all in one place jumped at the other's tweets.
　He dived under the curtain that separated men and women from each other to see which culture it was. Perhaps it is because of the mixture of various cultures due to the shrinking of the human race's survival zone due to the invasion of demons, but even Ars, who knows it as knowledge, felt a novelty.

　The military also had large bathrooms, but most of them were basically showered, so the fact that there were no people at all didn't make him feel particularly uncomfortable or open in itself. Even if the user was Als alone, he was undaunted and resolute.

''Indeed, this is quite...''

　The steam of hot water coming out of the stone statue elegantly rises, and the tub is surprisingly large, not only with a stone enclosed tub, but also a medicinal bath, a yuzu bath, a water bath and a sauna.

　Ars wraps a towel around his waist and washes his body. It's not because he wants to get out of bed early that he naturally moves his hands quickly, but because of his childish curiosity to try them all.
　
　Ars has been hit by the sensation that permeates his entire body. It's impossible to describe in words that feel good. It seems to ooze out all the impurities that have been stored up until now.
　I'm not going to be able to get a lot of heat from the bath, but I'm going to be able to get a good bath so that I don't inadvertently accumulate heat. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one.

''There's even an open-air bath........hmm!

　The description of the open-air bath is on the sign, and if you look at the name "Demon Bath" written on it, there is not the slightest hesitation in the feet that step out. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands dirty.
　It's not that he was expecting it, but it's far from a spectacular view, and since it's on the ground floor and not on a hillside, the only view is the night sky. It is surrounded by a wooden fence, but the atmosphere has a greenery that makes you feel like you are in a forest.
　Pristine nature was harmonized well.
　Although the open-air bath with a sense of freedom is narrow, there is not an oppressive feeling.
　And then Ars put one foot in the bathtub "demon bath" that he found the one he was looking for.
　The color is dark green and has a poisonous smell, but there is no smell.

''...!　Oh.

　There is a slight tingling and rebounding sensation in my legs.
　It feels equally repulsive as I slowly soak my whole body in it. It's tickling and it even feels like it's unraveling my muscles just enough to make it a habit.

'Is it loaded with magic?'

　When you scoop up the hot water, the water that was green turns clear. However, it was a strange liquid that turned into a green color when dripped from above, which was ars and strange.
　I don't know how it works, but the repulsion caused by magic power is probably the reason for this pleasant feeling. The question of being able to maintain the magical power that is supposed to degrade easily dissipates from the pleasantness.
　At that moment, a colourful and familiar joyful voice came from the other side.

''Whoa!　At the sound of the "disgusting" voice, Ars inwardly said, "Where! I would argue that.


　The stall bath has a partition separating the men and women. It seems that Tesfia, Alice, and Loki were going around the baths in the same way across the street from it, in order. And the last bastion they ended up in was the Demon Bath.
　However, even the three of them, who were feeling buoyant because they thought there were only three of them, had the decency to look at the figures in the open-air bath.
　It could be called manners.

　The woman was manly rather than arrogant, and had both arms spread out on the stone wall. The top of her head was covered with a small, tucked-up bun.
　In terms of hair volume, it's not much, but if it's only part of the hair in the back, it's understandable. It's easy to see that it's only grown there. Did you notice the one who came in, "Hmm? And then the woman turned around.

　The noisy faces had entered. Tesfia and Alice could hear the heavy bass voice that sounded offended.

'I'm sorry to have disturbed you, s-sorry,'

　When Tesfia took the initiative to apologize, the woman generously raised her hand and said, "It's fine. It's not like you're renting it out," she said in a friendly tone as if her earlier voice was a lie.

You are a student of the academy? You know you'll be coming to the bathhouse.

　The three of them had a similar impression of the woman who placed the towel on their heads - a bun - and flipped it around and recommended, "This is the most powerful one, so have at it! She is a beautiful person.
　When I first saw her, the section alone was breathtakingly lustrous. The thin, smoothness of her arms, wet with hot water, makes you feel inferior.
　However, the opponent is an adult. I tell myself that victory or defeat is something I want to see in the future.

'I see that Letty-sama was staying here as well.
It's been a few hours, Loki.