“Thank you very much……!”
“……Tch, I said something embarrassing again! That’s it for today! Now get out of here!”
“Yes, sir!”
Teacher Blood shooed me away with a wave of his hand.
He’s foul-mouthed and a little scary, but I’ve known for a long time that he’s a really good person.
I head towards the exit. And once more, I bow my head.
“Thank you very much!”
“……Ah, see you later.”
Then I open the door and leave the magic training ground.
Training with Teacher Blood is quite tough.
I’m so tired that I just want to lie down, and my whole body creaks a little with every step.
But it’s all pleasant. Probably because I feel fulfilled.
I’m really glad I was able to enroll in this academy. Everyone is so nice.
Almost everyone else is a noble, and I thought I would be looked down upon, but not at all.
Well, maybe it’s because everyone is so preoccupied with their own matters──
“───”
It’s Teacher Freya.
She emerged from around the corner and started walking in my direction.
Eh, didn’t she notice me? Am I……that inconspicuous?
I’m a bit shocked……
“───”
Hm, Professor Freya… She might be muttering something. Probably lost in thought.
In that case, it’s better not to bother her… No, ignoring her without even greeting her wouldn’t be right, would it?
I quickened my pace a little to close the distance between Freya and myself. Then––
“Um, excuse me!”
I called out in a slightly louder voice, because I thought that was the only way to get her attention.
But I think that wasn’t a good idea.
“––Pyau!”
The teacher let out a strange cry and dramatically scattered the documents she was holding.
Pyau…? What was that? No, never mind that! I’ve done it now!
I, I’ve just startled the teacher…
“––Abel.”
Amid the fluttering documents, Freya stood there calmly, her arms crossed, not showing the slightest sign of being flustered.
She fixed her cold, freezing gaze on me.
“Startling a teacher and enjoying their reaction. You have quite the hobby, don’t you, Abel?”
For a moment, I didn’t understand what she was talking about.
Unlike Freya, I was extremely flustered.
I realized belatedly that she had made a terrible misunderstanding.
“N-no, that’s not it at all! I just wanted to say hi, that’s all…”
“…Oh? So you’re saying I’m the one at fault for getting startled by a mere greeting?”
“No, no, no! It’s my fault! Uh, well, um…”
“…Nevermind. Let’s gather the scattered documents. Help me.”
“Yes, right away!”
Freya… She’s kind of scary.
She has a similar vibe to Alice, someone I’m not really comfortable with.
The teacher and I started collecting the scattered documents.
“…By the way, Abel.”
Freya spoke up, and my heart started racing.
“W-what is it?”
“Have you… heard anything from Luke? About me, perhaps?”
This was something I had absolutely no idea about.
Since I had no reason to lie, I answered honestly.
“Huh? From Luke? No, not really… Luke doesn’t really talk much on his own, you know?”
“What about the other students? Didn’t they say anything?”
Freya’s intense aura was quite frightening…
“N-no, I don’t think so…”
“I see…”
At that moment, I thought Freya looked relieved… But it might have just been my imagination.
As we were talking, we finished collecting the scattered documents.
“The ranking battle between Alice and Lloyd will be held soon. If you want to climb the ranks, even a little, you should watch it.”
“I understand.”
“Then I’ll be going. …And try not to startle teachers for your own amusement.”
“But I told you, that’s not it!”
I watched Freya’s retreating back.
Somehow, Freya is a bit scary, but I don’t think she’s a bad person.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
3
──In the Principal’s Office.
The first thing that strikes the eye upon entering is a pair of contrasting paintings.
One depicts people basking in the light of benevolence and enjoying happiness, while the other shows people struggling and suffering in the gloomy darkness.
The overall impression is not one of lavish opulence, but rather of simplicity.
Yet, there is a distinct elegance to this space.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. It’s been nearly two months since the new students started at this academy. Getting quite interesting, isn’t it, Blood?”
“Sheesh, old man, you’ve got a nasty look on your face.”
“…You’re supposed to address me as ‘Principal’ here.”
“Yeah, yeah, Principal. Geez, since there’s no one around, it’s fine, isn’t it?”
“This year, the first-year students are particularly noteworthy.”
“Ah, there are already some who’ve been given [nicknames]. They’ve gained quite the following, even though they’ve only had a match or two in the ranking battles.”
“It’s not about numbers. Those truly gifted naturally draw others to them. I find nothing particularly remarkable about it.”
The ranking battles are open to the public.
Therefore, it is almost inevitable that students who gain popularity for various reasons emerge,
be it for their strength, wisdom, or passion. Such popular students eventually come to be known by [nicknames]. And apparently, even among the first-year students, there are those who have already earned nicknames and await the next ranking battle.
──[Ice Empress] Alice
──[Azure Beast] Lloyd
──[Little Thunder God] Mia
At times, great power can captivate and enthuse people. When limited to first-year students, those at the top of the hierarchy are special in the eyes of all.
This is evident even to those with a shallow understanding of magic.
However──the ones drawing the most attention now are not them.
“Heh, ‘Hero’ Abel, is it…? Not a bad nickname,” Blood quietly chuckled.
His expression contained undisguised delight and pride.
Yes, Abel, who is no longer at the very bottom of the rankings. He has become the most prominent figure of attention.
Alice, Lloyd, and Mia.
They were clearly exceptional talents. There was no doubt about it.
However, this was Aslan Magic Academy, where those with magical abilities gathered.
Exceptional talents were common every year. Or, to put it bluntly, the audience was used to seeing them.
But then, Abel appeared.
His obvious disadvantage was that he couldn’t use elemental magic.
Yet, he had overwhelming physical abilities and swordsmanship through enhancement magic – a remarkably simple power.
In this academy, he was far from a noble of high status.
For better or worse, there were many reasons to want to root for Abel.
Abel’s ranking battle, which took place in front of the citizens, was just the first one.
It was a battle against Hugo, with whom he had a history from the entrance exam.
Against Hugo, who was unleashing flashy elemental magic with the powerful “rock” attribute, Abel stood up to him with just a sword – like a true hero.
As a result, Abel won his first victory, and his popularity exploded.
“If young master Abel can’t use elemental magic, it’ll be a bit troublesome. So in that sense, I’m relieved.”
“Ugh… I hate how the headmaster thinks like that, you know.”
“Hoh, hoh. You just need to get used to it.”
“I see. But it’s not all good, is it?… Well, this time I can kind of understand it, though.”
“…Hmm, so it’s about the transfer, huh. Can’t be helped. This academy is fine as it is.”
Abel’s victory had caused one problem – Hugo’s transfer.
When Abel enrolled at Aslan Magic Academy, most had already acknowledged his abilities.
However, it was also true that there were some who looked down on him for not being able to use elemental magic.
Hugo was one of them.
In this academy, there was no end to looking up at those above you. Therefore, having someone “below” you brought a sense of peace to the mind.
But the backlash of that was an even deeper despair. Hugo’s transfer now was likely due to the despair of being defeated by the one he had considered inferior.
“Well, he has a chance to return to this academy. It depends on his future efforts.”
“As cold as ever, aren’t you? So, can I keep an eye on Abel?”
“Of course. I’m glad I left it to you.”
“I see, thanks.”
“Hoh, hoh. You seem to have taken quite a liking to him. But I can’t have you causing trouble by taking him away.”
“No, that’s not it! I just don’t like people who lack enthusiasm. ──Well, I’m off now! I’ve got things to do!”
Saying that, Blood turned on his heel and headed for the door.
“See you later, old man.”
He closed the door without hesitation, leaving those words behind.
“Hoh, hoh. Blood is as energetic as ever. ──Ah, yes. Today, I finally get to see Luke’s ranking battle. Dark magic, how exciting~!”
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