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　-- f*ck!　d*mn it!

　The boy, overflowing with rudeness and resentment inside, was unintentionally spreading hostility around. It seems to be a very bad place for a worm. The cause of this is quite simple, and yet, for the boy, it is due to unforgivable consequences.

　With a hairstyle that looked like it had been cut into rings, and the corners of his eyes fished out underneath his bangs, he - Shults - was walking down the middle of the hallway. No other students were in his field of vision, and perhaps sensing the boy's moody aura, he avoided getting too involved.

　This was about an hour ago. Today's class, the last subject was practical skills. It's a good thing that you're not a very sociable person, but as far as the practical skills are concerned, you're ranked so highly that you're given a lot of respect. Nevertheless, because of that, it was always Main or Fiona that he had to deal with.

　However, Fiona hadn't brought her AWR since then, and she never participated in any of the classes. Even though her own AWR, which she liked so much, was maintained every day without fail.... Schulte didn't particularly pry at Fiona, who was observing alone outside the mosquito net.

　It's not that anyone liked to deal with low ranking people like the two of them.
　In a sense, it was just making a connection, and besides, two of the top-ranked sophomores, Tesfia and Alice, were connected to a single mage.
　It was too distant a connection, but it was actually fruitful - it should have been.

　The reason for Fiona's depression can also be somewhat examined. No, I couldn't even hear what had happened from the place where Shults was watching the game. However, it is certain that something happened on that spot.

　With the two of them as discarded pawns, Schulte had gone around to watch the game, and the very words told to Noir there had come true and made him angry.

　Yes, Schulte was cornered by the main guy in a practical lesson. No, rightly so, he was defeated.

'There's no way I'm allowed to fight like that. Normally I would have won.

　It was only one time that he had been unraveled by a single mage, or more importantly, beaten to a pulp.
　Nevertheless, the main thing was to distinguish between the countless magic that Schulte unleashed and the ones he could avoid. It was a discarded attack, so to speak, but Shult's aim, which was adjusting the power of the magic itself, was completely seen through.

　At the same time, it is Shult's usual practice to manifest countless magic and put enough magic power in the concentrated fire to ensure that it can be taken down. When it comes to the coordination of magic - so to speak, in terms of precision in composition, Schulte is outstanding among the first-year students. It's no mean feat to get the top grades on the entrance exams.

　Why is he taking such a roundabout way, of course, it was a tactic based on his total magical power. Other methods of dazzling and dispersing consciousness are employed by Schulte as tactics. However, at the end of the day, he leaves a trump card to ensure that his precise amount of information will bring down his opponent.

　Countless magic was avoided by the main. It was only a matter of time before it usually ended in a jittery and one-sided development. After that, the main one persists in challenging you many times.
　But this time it was different, when the main saw that it was impossible to evade, instead of defending, he counteracted it by hitting his own poor magic. If that's all there is to it, Shult won't move.

　However, the main thing is that the main focus is only on the stopping blow that Schulte had saved, and he avoided it without fail. In the end, he did damage, but not decisively, and before he knew it, Main had scraped his way to Schulte's bosom.

　It was such a humiliating end to the game that he thrust his sword out and stopped it at his neck. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for when you're in the market.

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

　It goes without saying that the winner from the side was a draw. However, Shults himself felt that he had lost completely. Fighting like that is the kind of barbarism that is typical of a magician. A mage is a mage because he or she deals with magic.
　With that.........

　--I'm not going to be able to get it right.

　Even if they are attacked a little, they still manage to get close enough to reach their own swords. However, if that was an actual battlefield without a replacement system, Schult would have lost his life for sure.
　However, if it was an actual battle, Main would have been unable to move by the time the last bit of sword was thrust at Schulte's throat.

　No, none of them would have avoided a fatal wound. That's probably why he was able to move even as he pushed through the headache. Above all, it's impossible to know whether you'll win or lose if the blow you fired with the intention of killing it for sure is avoided.
　It's not that Maine's magic and physical skills have improved rapidly. It's just that they have not changed much from before. It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to find a way to get the best out of it.

　--What on earth did you do? Don't tell me it was even Fiona........no, that's thinking too much. Shit.................

Shit!

　The next thing I knew, Shults was emotionally banging his fist against the wall. Once again, the word 'chattering' that Noir had said to him passed through his mind.
　Their rankings as magicians are separated by a huge gap. Even so, it's not a joke that you don't know if you can win or lose. I was too pathetic to laugh it off.

　It's not as if they thought the self-harm was a bad idea, or maybe they thought it was a bad idea, but the signs of people disappeared in the corridor, leaving a potted shult in the hallway.

　Right after he turned down and headed for the stairs, saying "Let's go home.


　At the corner of the bend, unfortunately, his shoulders collided with those from the opposite side. It's far from being a light collision, and Schult was forced to take a couple of steps back.
　It's not a good time to apologize. At times like this, it was often interpreted in his favor, and he glared at himself as if he wasn't at fault, with a squeak.

''----!
I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something.

　Shults choked on the apology that was released to him and his eyes widened.

'Ars, sah... hmm...'

　Schulte was startled by his own voice that came out of the snatch. Maybe it was because Fiona had called him by his honorific title before, but he was a little resistant to it. Or, more to the point, maybe he felt like he was distancing himself by giving the honorific title. Either way, it wasn't the way he had practiced calling her beforehand.

'Al, if you don't walk properly in front of me I'm sorry...'

　The silver-haired girl who peeked out from next to him made Shults gasp again. He had gotten the information about a single magician's partner beforehand, but he was somewhat unbelieving.
　He heard that a single partner or something like that had to be a reasonably competent person in the army. The highest class of detection mages in the country would be selected.

　That's one grade higher, so from Schulte's point of view, Loki is also non-standard.　

　-- although with a single, it wouldn't be surprising to have a concubine.

　To the girl who looks somewhat young, Shult says, "Duh, it's okay!　I'm sorry as well," she bowed her head with a low profile, "I'm sorry as well.
　She is a competent person who is able to compete on an equal footing with Noir, which Shults recognizes. Then there's no way to push that ranking away.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this in the next few days.

　With the insightfulness he possessed, he wickedly guessed that Shults was dimly aware of some concern. Technology in these situations is still an essential skill for a nobleman. There is a staircase at the end of the bend, and I can predict that he must have come down it. As a general consideration, he may have been on an errand for the Chancellor.

　He mended his tentative social smile.

'I'm the one who apologizes. As much as I apologize, please allow me to invite you to my home sometime.

　For a decent greeting exchanged, Shults was good enough to give himself a passing grade. Of course, that was as an aristocrat, and as an individual, the feeling of being a stranger was a bit on the nose.

''Ah~ That kind of thing is fine. And I'm not very keen on it.''
'Oh, I see. That's right. I was being rude.

　Even though he had expected that he would be rejected, Schulte's disappointment was no less. Yes, he knew that he was the only one who knew, and from the other side, he was only one of the others.

　Loki, who follows a step behind Ars as he begins to walk, gives a small bail and moves away from Shults.

　--what the hell I didn't mean to say that.

　A fist was made without a scratch on my own disappointment.

'Well, wait!　What the hell did you do to my main?　Could you please....could you please teach me as well.......please?

　As he spun, Schulte realized that the desperate plea was an awful and foolish wish. But there is something that can't be crossed by just watching and imitating the method.

　Maybe the first voice, the reason for spinning it out, was just willpower. Maybe he just wanted to break through the slander of being a chatterbox.
　But--.

　As if uninterested and dumbfounded, Ars turns his gaze over his shoulder.

No. I mean, who are you?
--!

　A jittery shoulder trembled and Schuld made his body tense like a small animal.
　Did he feel sorry for such an underclassman?

'Al, you've met him once. You were with Noir.

　Loki's explanation was a true helper for Shults. It wasn't a boat of mud or a raft made of wood. It was one voice that seemed more reliable than anything else at the time.

'Oh, you're the guy who was watching the game with Noir when he was shooing those guys away.
'Yes, he seemed to watch you often afterwards. Sneaking around.
..........

　In fact, it was true that he was trying to sneak a sneak peek, but the problem was that it wasn't the first time they met. The one who was even called a hero of humanity returned to the academy and caused a stir for a while. It had only been a few days since then, so it was still fresh in his mind.

　This was not that first meeting, but the second time as Shults. He was referring to the training ground where he had used Maine as an abandoned stone. Rather, it was very embarrassing for Shults to have been noticed.
　Shults turns over to block his gaze with his bangs.