The Wise Man's Grandson Volume 2 Chapter 3

Ren

 Chapter 3 The joint training is full of twists and turns


As expected, Schtrom was alive.


The explosion caused by that [Concentrated Sunlight] spell must have been his doing after all.


And now, he had created a horde of demons, not to attack the kingdom, but to bring down the Empire.


While his exact motives were unforeseen, I wasn’t entirely surprised that he was still alive—I had a gut feeling about it.


Still, a massive number of demons? That’s something else.


Kurt was probably used as a test subject for this demon transformation process.


Schtrom had said, “The experiment in the capital is complete,” and now we have this outbreak of demons. It’s hard to think it’s a coincidence.


When I heard from Aug about Schtrom’s survival, he also mentioned that monster numbers had been increasing even before the demon incidents began.


Now, it’s believed that this, too, is a result of Schtrom’s experiments.


Those experiments likely involve forcibly turning creatures into monsters… or something like that.


Apparently, in the past, the increase in monsters was so subtle that no one noticed for an entire year. But recently, their numbers have been visibly surging.


The kingdom suspects that the monsters are multiplying in the Empire—or rather, the former Empire—and spilling over into our borders.


As for the former Empire itself, no official statements have been issued.


Some optimists argue that if there’s no activity, we should avoid provoking them to prevent trouble. But Schtrom once declared that humans are insignificant to him. There’s no telling when or how he might act.


He could very well start slaughtering humans like insects.


Everything is just a “maybe,” making it hard to prepare properly.


For now, the plan is to coordinate with other nations and monitor the former Empire.


As for us, all we can do is boost our combat strength as much as possible. Training sessions at the Ultimate Magic Research Society have become even more intense.


“Alright, let’s check how much you’ve improved your mana control,” I said. “Gather as much mana as you can, up to your current limit.”


With that, everyone began focusing their mana.


Until recently, the amount of mana they could gather was limited, but thanks to the mana control training we started before the war, everyone’s mana capacity has noticeably increased.


In this world, “mana capacity” refers to the amount of mana one can control. Humans don’t have an organ to store mana, so to cast powerful spells, you need to gather mana from your surroundings and control it.


That controlled mana is what we call mana capacity.


“Good, that’s it. Now, deploy a [Mana Barrier],” I instructed.


At my command, everyone unfolded their [Mana Barrier]. Hmm, these barriers are thicker than before. This should be sufficient.


“Alright, everyone, release your barriers. Nice work. With this, you should be able to cast spells as you envision them.”


“So, does that mean you’ll finally teach us [Gate]?” someone asked eagerly.


“Not quite yet,” I replied. “If you focus only on [Gate], your attack and defense spells will end up half-baked.”


“That’s fine. I’ll learn them all,” Lynn declared.


As usual, Lynn’s enthusiasm for magic is unmatched.


“Then let’s start with attack spell practice,” I suggested.


“That’s fine, but… what about the training grounds?” Aug pointed out. “We didn’t reserve a slot.”


“I know a great spot,” I said. “It’s where I used to train. You can unleash any spell there without worry, so we can practice as much as we want.”


“Oh? Shin’s training spot?” Maria said, intrigued. “If Shin says it’s fine to go all out with magic…”


“Indeed,” Thor added. “If it’s a place that can withstand Shin-dono’s magic…”


“It’s gotta be indestructible, right?!” Alice chimed in.


…Huh? Is something off about their assessment?


“Anyway, let’s go,” I said. “I’ll explain things with some hands-on practice there.”


With that, I opened a [Gate] to a familiar wasteland.


“This is where Shin-kun trained…” Sicily murmured, looking around.


“Uh, isn’t this place… abnormally cratered?” Maria asked, wide-eyed.


“Indeed. Cratered,” Lynn echoed.


“There are craters… and traces of something melted…” Thor observed.


“It feels as though we’ve stumbled into another world,” 


Everyone was looking around, taking in the scarred landscape. This place is perfect—no need to reserve a training ground for attack spell practice. Gotta say, this was a brilliant idea on my part.


“Now, before we practice attack spells, what do you all imagine when you cast magic?” I asked.


“Imagine?” Maria replied. “Normally, you watch a teacher cast a spell and base your image on that.”


“Come to think of it, the Sage-sama said Wolford-kun’s way of imagining is unique,” Aug recalled.


“Right,” Sicily agreed. “Shin imagines the ‘process’ instead of the ‘result.’”


“Exactly,” I said. “If you only imagine the ‘result,’ you’re limited to that specific spell. I want you all to learn to imagine the ‘process.’ That way, you can expand the range of magic you can use.”


“But the ‘process’?” Thor said, puzzled. “I haven’t the faintest idea what that means…”


“That’s what I’m going to teach you before we start practicing,” I said.


I pulled a desk, a candle, and a beaker from [Extra-Dimensional Storage].


Let’s start with fire.


“First, I’ll light this candle,” I said, igniting it with a [Kindling Flame] spell.


“Naturally, it catches fire and burns,” I continued, as everyone nodded.


“Now, how do you extinguish it?”


“Huh? Just blow on it, right?” Alice suggested.


“That works, sure,” I said. “But if I cover it with this beaker…”


“…Oh! It went out!” Alice exclaimed.


“Why do you think it went out?” I asked.


“Why? I don’t know!” Maria said, frustrated.


“You know that fire needs fuel to burn, right?” I prompted.


“Well, yeah, without fuel, it won’t burn,” Aug agreed.


“For this candle, the fuel is the wax, right? But that’s not all.”


“Uh… I don’t get it. What do you mean?” Alice asked, confused.


“For example, when you stoke a furnace, you light the coal or charcoal and then do something, right?”


“Oh! You use bellows to blow air!” Mark answered.


“Exactly. There’s something in the air that helps fire burn.”


“Huh, but blowing on it extinguishes it, doesn’t it?” Maria pointed out.


“That’s only for small flames like candles or kindling. Does a big fire, like a wildfire or bonfire, go out from wind or breath?”


“Hmm, true, it doesn’t,” Aug conceded.


“I’ll explain more later if you’re curious, but for now, focus on this. The air contains a gas necessary for combustion. When that gas is used in burning, it produces a non-combustible gas. When you burn the candle inside this beaker, it consumes the combustible gas, and the non-combustible gas builds up. As a result…”


I lit the candle again and covered it with the beaker.


“…I see,” Thor said. “If the non-combustible gas increases…”


“…It goes out,” Sicily finished, watching the flame extinguish.


“This is the basic mechanism of combustion. Now, back to magic. First, I produce a flame.”


I created a small flame at my fingertip. Everyone stared intently.


“Then, I imagine supplying that combustible gas to the flame…”


“…The flame… it’s turning pale blue…” Maria whispered, awestruck.


“And when I shoot this flame…”


I fired it at the nearby ground.


Boom!


The ground melted.


“This is the kind of magic you can use. The spell I used during the entrance exam was this flame, spun rapidly and shot at high speed.”


I monsterstrated, firing a [Flame Bullet].


Kaboom!


It struck, scattering a massive cloud of dirt.


“So, what do you think? Want to learn this?” I asked.


Everyone stared solemnly at the impact site.


“Amazing,” Aug said. “Having Wolford-kun start this research society was definitely the right call.”


“It’s amazing, but… it’s so amazing it’s kinda scary to learn,” Maria admitted.


“Shin-kun, does healing magic work on a similar principle?” Sicily asked. “Our uniforms have incredible healing enchantments, but you can’t enchant them without knowing the spell, right?”


“There is a principle for it, yeah,” I said. “But we’ll cover that another day. Today, we’re focusing on this fire spell.”


Thus, I established a format of lecturing before practice. I’d do my best to teach and help everyone level up.


Then Alice piped up.


“Hey, Shin-kun, instead of lecturing here, wouldn’t it be clearer to explain in the classroom with a blackboard and then come here to practice?”


“….”


She’s got a point.


From then on, I started giving lectures in the classroom using a blackboard before heading to the training site. The blackboard made things much clearer, and everyone’s water, wind, and earth magic progressed steadily.


As our research society activities significantly boosted everyone’s skills, one day after class, during homeroom, Alfred-sensei made an announcement.


“Listen up. The kingdom has issued a directive: ‘As the intentions of the demon Oliver Schtrom remain unclear, we cannot establish concrete countermeasures, but we must strengthen our forces. Not only the military but also students must enhance their skills in preparation for emergencies.’ In short, you students need to be ready to fight if the worst happens.”


Alfred-sensei’s words left everyone uneasy, except for Aug’s group, who seemed unfazed. They must have known about this.


Still, a directive specifically telling students to prepare for combat? That’s…


“This is unprecedented,” Alfred-sensei continued. “Even during past wars, no such directive was issued.”


That’s how dire the situation is.


“To that end, you’ll need to learn to coordinate with knights and mages. A joint training session with the Knight Training Academy has been arranged.”


“Joint training, huh…” I muttered.


Sounds like a good idea, right? But everyone else looked uneasy. What’s up?


“I get why you’re making those faces,” Alfred-sensei said. “But coordinating with knights and swordsmen will be essential in the future. It’ll definitely be a valuable experience.”


With that, Alfred-sensei ended the class.


“What’s with everyone? Why the weird faces?” I asked.


“Oh, right, you wouldn’t know, Shin,” Maria said.


“Know what?”


“Well, at the Magic Academy, we focus on strengthening magic, so we don’t train our bodies much, right?”


“Yeah, that’s true.”


“On the other hand, the Knight Academy focuses on physical training, and they don’t use magic.”


“Complete opposites,” Aug added.


“And, well… the Knight Academy students mock Magic Academy students as ‘bean sprouts,’ and Magic Academy students call Knight Academy students ‘muscleheads.’”


“…So, the two academies don’t get along?”


“Exactly,” Maria confirmed.


What’s that about?


“Come on, seriously? In this crisis, you’re worried about that?” I said, exasperated.


“We know it’s a crisis, but…” Mark trailed off.


“Being called ‘bean sprouts’ by those guys is infuriating,” Alice grumbled.


“Yeah, it really gets on my nerves,” Maria agreed.


Wait, “bean sprouts”? They have those here? I’ve never seen them.


“I’m fine with it,” Sicily said calmly.


“I was on their side until recently, so…” Tony shrugged.


“I have no words to offer,” Juilius added.


Juilius, yeah, that makes sense. Tony mentioned his family is a knight lineage, so he probably doesn’t feel strongly about it.


“But why’s there such bad blood?” I asked.


“Because, in terms of combat strength, magic is obviously superior!” Alice declared.


“And yet they act like they’re stronger,” Thor added disdainfully.


“Both sides have strengths and weaknesses, don’t they?”


“But all the heroes are mages. The Sage-sama, the Guru-sama, Wolford-kun…”


“That’s just a coincidence.”


“Speaking of, Shin, you can use a sword too, right? Did a knight teach you?” Maria asked, her tone speculative.


She’s spot on, but…


“Yeah, but why?”


“It’s just rare for a mage to defend knights.”


Oh, that’s why Sieg-niichan and Kris-neechan don’t get along.


…No, wait, that’s not it. Their issue feels more fundamental, like they just don’t mesh.


“Michel-san trained me in a lot of ways… I saw hell more times than I can count,” I said, my gaze distant as I recalled Michel-san’s brutal training.


Noticing everyone staring at me, I snapped back.


“What’s up?”


“Michel-san… you mean Michel Colling-sama?” Aug asked.


“Yeah.”


“The former Knight Order commander?”


“He mentioned that, yeah.”


“I see. That explains your swordsmanship, degozaru,” Juilius nodded.


“Taught magic by the Sage-sama, magic tool crafting by the Guru-sama, and swordsmanship by the Sword Saint-sama… what an enviable environment,” Tony said wistfully.


“Sword Saint-sama?” I echoed.


“You didn’t know, Shin-kun?” Sicily asked. “Michel Colling-sama is unmatched with a sword and is called the ‘Sword Saint’-sama.”


“…To me, he was just a monsteric instructor…”


Sword Saint? He was called that? No wonder his training was so brutal.


“But if the Sword Saint-sama taught you swordsmanship, the Knight Academy students won’t have anything to say about you, right?” Alice said optimistically.


“Not necessarily,” Tony countered. “They might get jealous and say, ‘A mage, trained by the Sword Saint?!’”


What’s that? Sounds like a hassle…


“Anyway, I think this joint training is necessary,” I said. “It has a clear purpose, so just ignore whatever they say.”


“No way!” Maria protested.


“Sigh…” I muttered.


This is gonna be a mess, I can feel it…


A few days later, the day of the joint training with the Knight Academy arrived.


Four students from each academy, eight in total, would form a party for the training.


It doubled as a monster subjugation mission, making it a practical exercise.


We gathered at the capital’s gate, meeting the Knight Academy students for the first time.


As expected from daily sword training, they were noticeably more physically toned than the Magic Academy students.


The groups were divided based on entrance exam rankings, with the Knight Academy using the same method. This was because, among advanced academy students, the skill gap from top to bottom isn’t significant, and the goal is to further train the top performers into elite forces.


Since it was our first time meeting our Knight Academy counterparts, we started with introductions.


“I’m Kreis Lloyd, first-year top rank at the Knight Training Academy,” a student announced.


“I’m Miranda Wallace, second rank,” said another.


“Noin Curtis,” a third introduced himself.


“Kent McGregor,” said the last.


For some reason, the Knight Academy students seemed grumpy during their introductions.


Kreis was a handsome blond with blue eyes and thick arms—a classic knight archetype.


Miranda, a woman with black hair tied in a ponytail, gave off a… solid impression. Her arms were muscular.


Noin, with brown hair and eyes, was slimmer than the first two, his narrow eyes making him seem like he was glaring. Maybe he’s a finesse fighter?


Kent, with short blond hair cropped close, was a hulking figure wielding a massive sword.


“I’m Shin Wolford, first-year top rank at the Advanced Magic Academy,” I said.


“I’m August von Earlshide, second rank,” Aug followed.


“I’m Maria von Messina,” Maria added.


“Um… I’m Sicily von Claude. Nice to meet you,” Sicily said politely.


Maria seemed a bit annoyed, but the rest of us greeted them normally. Aug doesn’t care about these rivalries, and I’ve never seen Sicily look down on anyone.


“That’s the hero’s grandson, huh…” Kreis muttered.


“Just a mage,” Miranda scoffed.


“But His Highness is with them…” Noin whispered.


“Yeah, that makes things tricky,” Kent agreed.


The Knight Academy students, Kreis and the others, were muttering among themselves. They seemed to want to look down on us but were hesitant because of Aug’s presence.


What’s with that?


“Hey, before we start training, can I ask something?” I said.


“…What?” Miranda, the apparent spokesperson, replied.


She looks physically strong and strong-willed…


“Have you guys ever fought monsters?” I asked.


“What? Trying to brag because you beat a demon?” Miranda snapped.


“Huh? Why would I brag about that? That’s not what I mean. We’re about to go subjugate monsters. If you’re hung up on this knight-versus-mage nonsense…”


“Then what?!” Miranda interrupted.


“You’ll die,” I said bluntly.


I threw in a little intimidation, hoping it might make them more cooperative.


“Sh-Shut up!” Miranda retorted. “If it were up to us, the Knight Academy students could handle monster subjugation alone! But you mages had to butt in! Just stay out of our way!”


“Miranda’s right,” Kreis, the top-ranked student, added. “Make sure you don’t drag us down.”


Not just Miranda, but even Kreis was pushing back. Do they not understand the point of this training?


“Is that really how you’re approaching this training?” Aug asked, his tone sharp.


“N-No! I didn’t mean Your Highness is in the way or anything…” Miranda stammered, backtracking.


“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Aug said. “This training was designed to ensure smooth coordination with existing units in real combat. It’s not a competition to see who can kill more monsters between the Knight and Magic Academies.”


“Th-That’s…” Miranda faltered.


“You understand but can’t accept it? Fine, then. Shin,” Aug called.


“What?” I replied.


“You don’t need to subjugate monsters in this training. You don’t need the practice, right? The goal is to train coordination.”


“Yeah, I was planning to hold back anyway. So what?”


“The Knight Academy students claim they can handle monsters on their own. Let’s let them try.”


“Huh? Your Highness, what do you mean…?” Kreis asked, confused.


“Subjugate monsters without mage support, just once,” Aug said. “Then you’ll understand the purpose of this training.”


“If Your Highness says so…” Kreis reluctantly agreed.


They’re still not convinced, even after all this?


Honestly, I’m nothing but worried…


With tensions high, the joint training began.


As the top-ranked group, we were assigned to venture deep into the forest to subjugate monsters. Lower-ranked groups were assigned progressively shallower areas, with the lowest at the plains.


Additionally, instructors from the Knight Order and Magic Division were dispatched to oversee both sides, but…


“Hey, Shin,” a familiar voice called.


“Looking forward to working with you today, Shin,” another added.


Of all people, it was Sieg-niichan and Kris-neechan.


“You two are the instructors… Please, don’t fight, okay?” I pleaded.


“Only if this guy doesn’t start something,” Kris-neechan said.


“As long as she stays out of my way,” Sieg-niichan retorted.


“…”


“…”


“Huh?” they said in unison, glaring at each other.


“I’m telling you to cut that out!” I shouted.


Sigh… Is this training really going to be okay?


As I fretted over the future, I noticed everyone looking at them with sparkling eyes.


“U-Um! I’m Maria, Shin’s classmate! Siegfried-sama, c-could I… get a handshake?” Maria asked, blushing.


“Hey, that’s not fair!” Miranda exclaimed. “Can I get one too?”


Sieg-niichan’s popular with the girls.


I get why Maria, a mage, is excited, but even Miranda, a knight, is blushing and asking for a handshake. She doesn’t seem like the same person who was snapping at us earlier…


Aren’t knights and mages supposed to hate each other?


“I… I mean, I’m Kreis Lloyd,” Kreis said, stepping forward. “It’s an honor to meet you, Christina-sama. Could I… have a handshake?”


“I’m Noin! Please, watch my valor today!” Noin declared.


“I’m Kent. You’ve gotta see my fighting!” Kent added.


Kris-neechan’s popular with the guys.


“What’s going on?” I muttered.


“Fufun, how’s that, Shin? This is my charm at work,” Sieg-niichan bragged.


“What do you think, Shin? I’m not half bad, am I?” Kris-neechan added smugly.


“Sieg-niichan, I always figured you for a playboy, so this tracks, but Kris-neechan, you surprised me,” I said.


“Surprised? How rude,” Kris-neechan huffed.


“Hey! Playboy?” Sieg-niichan protested.


“You are a playboy, aren’t you?”


“Pfft,” Kris-neechan stifled a laugh.


“What’s that, huh?” Sieg-niichan snapped.


“Shin’s got a good eye,” Kris-neechan teased.


“I don’t need a sour-faced woman who’s surprised she’s popular telling me that,” Sieg-niichan shot back.


“Huh?” Kris-neechan glared.


“Oh?” Sieg-niichan glared back.


“Sigh… Just do whatever,” I muttered, exhausted.


As the two started bickering, I felt eyes on me.


Maria and the Knight Academy guys were glaring.


“If you’re that close, you could’ve introduced me to Siegfried-sama…” Maria grumbled.


“So chummy with Christina-sama!” Noin growled.


“Unforgivable!” they said in unison.


Why’s Maria on their side?!


After introductions and self-promotion, I explained the situation to Sieg-niichan and Kris-neechan.


“What? The Knight Academy students are subjugating monsters alone first?” Sieg-niichan asked, incredulous.


“Yeah, it’s their request,” Aug explained, recounting the earlier exchange. “Words alone aren’t enough for them to grasp the training’s purpose.”


Both Sieg-niichan and Kris-neechan looked exasperated.


“Sigh… The petty pride of students who’ve never seen a battlefield,” Sieg-niichan muttered.


“What are you thinking?” Kris-neechan demanded, turning to the Knight Academy students.


“We’re the top of the Knight Academy!” Miranda declared. “We can subjugate monsters without mage support!”


Reprimanded by the two instructors, the Knight Academy students, perhaps too stubborn to back down, insisted on subjugating the monsters themselves.


“That’s not what this training is about!” Sieg-niichan snapped.


“Enough, Sieg,” Kris-neechan interjected. “As His Highness said, if words won’t get through, let them learn through experience.”


“But still!” Sieg-niichan protested.


“This is the first time we’re conducting this kind of training,” Kris-neechan continued. “It’s common for newly enlisted knights and mages to resist relying on each other’s support.”


“Sure, it’s common, but…” Sieg-niichan grumbled.


“Think of it as that phase happening a bit earlier. In such cases, this approach is often taken.”


“…So, if they experience it as students, it’ll save trouble when they join the military, huh?” Sieg-niichan concluded.


“Exactly. Plus, Shin’s here. There’s no chance of anything going wrong.”


“Yeah, you’re right.”


Whoa, Sieg-niichan actually agreed with Kris-neechan.


Because of me…


I’m not entirely thrilled that they only agree when it’s about me, but for now, it was decided that the Knight Academy students would take on the monsters first.


“The Magic Academy students don’t talk like that,” Sieg-niichan noted.


“Though one of them doesn’t seem too happy about it,” Aug added, glancing at Maria.


“W-What?” Maria stammered.


“I was just wondering if Messina truly understands the purpose of this training,” Aug said.


“I get it, okay?” Maria huffed. “After seeing that twice, I know I can’t do anything on my own without the support of knights or swordsmen… It’s frustrating, but I get it.”


Maria’s response, though reluctant, showed she understood, prompted by Aug’s question.


“Oh, right,” Sieg-niichan said. “Maria-chan, was it? You saw Shin fight that demon, didn’t you?”


“Y-Yes! That’s right!” Maria replied, her face flushing as Sieg-niichan called her by name.


Ugh, Miranda’s looking jealous.


“So, even if you’re not thrilled, you understand because you witnessed Shin’s battle,” Kris-neechan said.


“Yes,” Maria nodded. “Only someone like Shin, who can use both magic and a sword, could pull that off.”


“Hmph! It’s probably not even that impressive!” Miranda scoffed.


“Just a mage, after all,” Kreis added.


Miranda and Kreis were even rebelling against the fact that I can use a sword.


…Why are they so hostile…?


“Kukuku, that’s the usual reaction,” Sieg-niichan chuckled.


“They’ll understand soon enough,” Kris-neechan said. “We can’t stand around here forever. Let’s move out.”


At Kris-neechan’s command, we finally headed toward the training site.


To think it took this long just to get started… This doesn’t bode well…


We arrived at the forest and ventured deeper inside.


The deeper you go, the less human intervention there is, so stronger monsters tend to linger. Our targets today were medium to large-sized monsters.


I used [Search Magic] as we walked, but since entering the forest, everyone had grown quiet.


“What’s up? Why’s everyone so silent all of a sudden?” I asked.


“That’s only natural,” Kreis replied. “It’s their first time fighting monsters. It’d be weirder if they weren’t nervous.”


“Even you were nervous the first time you fought a monster, right, Shin?” Maria asked.


Nervous? Hmm…


“…Was I?” I mused.


“Oh, I heard about that from Merlin-sama,” Sieg-niichan said.


“So did I,” Kris-neechan added.


“Huh? What’s the story?” Maria asked, intrigued by their exchange.


“…You’re better off not knowing,” Sieg-niichan warned.


“You’ll definitely lose confidence,” Kris-neechan agreed.


“Now I’m more curious!” Maria insisted.


“We want to hear it too. Please tell us,” Miranda added.


Despite their warnings, even Miranda was hooked. Maria seemed genuinely curious, but I got the sense Miranda didn’t want to lose to me…


She’s a knight, right? Why’s she so competitive with a Magic Academy student?


“…You know Shin was living in a forest even deeper than this until recently, right?” Sieg-niichan began.


“Yeah, I’ve even been to his house,” Maria said.


“We’ve heard the stories…” Miranda added.


Huh? Miranda knows about it too? Is that story that widespread?


“Living in such a deep forest requires hunting skills,” Sieg-niichan continued. “Once Shin got good enough to take down big game, Merlin-sama decided to teach him monster subjugation. So, right after teaching him [Search Magic], they found a monster.”


“And what did Shin do?” Maria pressed.


“When Shin spotted the monster, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He just dashed straight toward it,” Sieg-niichan said.


“No hesitation?!” Miranda exclaimed.


Back then, all I could think about was taking it down quickly.


“There was that incident before that story, huh, Shin-kun?” Sicily said.


“What story? We don’t know it!” Miranda demanded.


“The monster Shin ran toward…” Sieg-niichan turned to me. “Shin, what kind was it?”


“It was a red-furred bear monster, about three meters tall,” I replied.


“That’s…!” Miranda gasped.


“No way… a Red Grizzly…” Kreis muttered.


Miranda and Kreis looked shocked. Was that monster that strong…?


“I heard it straight from Merlin-sama, so it’s true,” Sieg-niichan said. “Even Merlin-sama was thrown off by the situation. It was the worst possible opponent for a first monster subjugation… but this guy…”


Sieg-niichan glanced at me, and Kris-neechan picked up the story.


“Without a shred of hesitation, Shin charged at the Red Grizzly monster, leapt at it, and sliced off both its arms and head, killing it instantly,” Kris-neechan said matter-of-factly.


“A Red Grizzly is something even the military needs a team to take down…” Sieg-niichan added, his gaze distant.


“S-Sliced off?!” Miranda shouted, incredulous.


While Kris-neechan spoke calmly, Sieg-niichan looked a bit haunted. Miranda’s loud reaction showed she could hardly believe it.


“So… he took it down with a sword, not magic…?” Kreis asked, stunned.


“A Magic Academy top student who’s also a master swordsman?” Noin added.


Kreis and Noin seemed more shocked that I used a sword than the feat itself.


“And…” Kris-neechan continued.


“There’s more?” Miranda asked, sounding exasperated.


“Shin was ten years old at the time,” Kris-neechan said.


“T-Ten?!” Miranda choked.


Aug and the others weren’t too surprised since I’d told them before, but the Knight Academy students were speechless.


Yeah, maybe taking down a bear at ten was a bit much…


“So, that’s why I’m guessing Shin’s never been nervous about monster subjugation,” Sieg-niichan concluded.


“Well, yeah…!” I admitted.


As we were talking, my [Search Magic] picked up a monster’s presence—and it was heading straight for us.


“Sieg-niichan,” I called.


“Yeah, I know,” he replied. “Alright, Knight Academy students, it’s your time to shine!”


Tension rippled through the group at Sieg-niichan’s words.


We’d let Miranda and the others handle it first. Of course, I’d be ready to step in if things got dangerous.


“It’ll appear from behind that thicket any moment now. Get into combat positions,” Sieg-niichan instructed.


The Knight Academy students drew their swords and took their stances. Then…


“Buuooohhh!!”


A boar, about two meters long, burst into view.


If it weren’t monsterized, it’d probably taste pretty good. What a waste. When creatures become monsters, their mana alters, making them inedible.


“Shin, you’re thinking something weird, aren’t you?” Aug said, eyeing me.


How’d he know?! Aug’s intuition is getting scarily sharp.


The Knight Academy students, trembling with fear, steeled themselves.


“Don’t chicken out!” Miranda shouted. “We’re the top of the Knight Academy! Show them our strength! Let’s go!!”


“Raaah!!” they roared.


At Miranda’s command, the Knight Academy students charged at the incoming boar.


…Wasn’t Kreis supposed to be the top student…?


They aimed to land a hit as they passed, but the boar was faster.


“Buuooohhh!!”


“Uwaaah!!”


None of them could dodge in time and were sent flying. It looked like being hit by a car, but at least it wasn’t a direct collision.


The boar, having knocked Miranda and the others aside, turned and locked onto those who had brandished swords against it.


Still reeling from the impact, Miranda and the others couldn’t recover in time.


The boar charged again, and all they could do was watch with despairing expressions.


Have they learned their lesson yet?


I stepped in front of the charging boar, drawing my [Vibration Sword]. Dodging its charge, I swung the blade upward from below, aiming for its neck as we passed.


The boar’s head was cleanly severed, and its body slid across the ground, stopping right in front of Miranda and the others.


“Eek!” Miranda squeaked.


“O-One hit…!” Kreis gasped.


Since Miranda and the others were too stunned to move, the monster boar’s corpse sliding toward them freaked them out.


“When did he…” Noin muttered.


“As expected,” Aug said.


“W-We need to heal the Knight Academy students!” Sicily cried, starting to move.


“Wait, Sicily-san,” Kris-neechan said. “Let me lecture them while they’re still in pain.”


With that, Kris-neechan approached Miranda and the others.


“Pathetic,” she said. “That was a weaker medium-sized monster, and yet, after all your big talk, this is the result.”


Miranda and the others wore pained expressions, their confidence shattered.


“Do you understand now?” Kris-neechan continued. “You may pride yourselves as the top of the Knight Academy, but that’s only among students who’ve never seen a battlefield. Join the military, and you’ll be the weakest—outranked even by last year’s recruits.”


Miranda and the others sank deeper into despair.


“Even so, with mage support, you could defeat a monster like that. Engrave your weakness in your hearts and participate in the rest of this training.”


“…Yes,” they mumbled, barely audible.


Miranda and the others looked like they were about to cry. Isn’t this a bit too harsh?


As they wallowed in their gloom, Sicily rushed over.


“U-Um, I’m going to cast healing magic now, so please stay still,” she said.


She began casting [Healing Magic].


“…Thanks,” Miranda said, her expression complicated.


“Even though we looked down on you…” Kreis added, surprised.


“I don’t mind,” Sicily said with a smile as she continued healing. “We’re in the same party now, so this is only natural.”


“You…” Miranda murmured.


Sicily’s bright smile as she cast [Healing Magic]…


…What’s with the way Kreis and the other guys are looking at her? It’s ticking me off.


Once healed, Kreis stood and turned to me.


“…You saved us, Wolford… Thank you,” he said.


“No big deal,” I replied. “Like Sicily said, we’re a party.”


“Hmph, true,” Kreis said. “Still, to take it down in one hit… I’m ashamed of how jealous I was of you.”


“N-Next time, we’ll coordinate properly…” Miranda added.


“Yeah, we will,” Kreis agreed.


They’re talking about jealousy? Oh, right. Since a mage took down a demon this time, it must’ve rubbed the knight trainees the wrong way.


Then they turned to Sicily.


“You… you’re like a saintess,” Kreis said.


“I’ve never been treated so kindly by a girl…” Noin added.


“The girls around us are…” Kent started.


“What? What’re you trying to say?!” Miranda snapped, glaring at them.


“N-Nothing…” they mumbled, quickly looking away and addressing Sicily again.


“My eyes are open now,” Kreis said. “From now on, I’ll fight to protect you.”


“I won’t let a single scratch touch you!” Noin declared.


“Speaking of, your name is…” Kent prompted.


“Sicily von Claude,” she replied.


“Sicily, I’ll protect you!” Kreis vowed.


“What’re you talking about? I’ll protect her!” Noin countered.


“No, I will!” Kent insisted.


“W-Wait! What are you guys saying… You never said anything like that to me…” Miranda muttered, dejected.


…Looks like they’re not used to kind girls. Sicily’s kindness has them all smitten, and now they’re vying to protect her.


Poor Miranda…


Even though they’re finally ready to coordinate, what’s this irritation I’m feeling?


Unaware of my growing frustration, the Knight Academy students’ attitudes softened considerably.


“Still, Wolford’s swordsmanship is incredible,” Kreis said.


“Did the Sage-sama teach you that too?” Noin asked.


“Nah, my grandpa couldn’t handle that,” I replied. “I learned swordsmanship from Michel-san.”


“No way! The Sword Saint-sama?!” Kreis exclaimed.


“What? For real, Wolford?!” Kent gasped.


“Learning magic from the Sage-sama and swordsmanship from the Sword Saint-sama… That’s not fair!” Miranda complained.


Miranda’s still got a bit of a competitive edge, but at least we can chat and move forward now. That’s progress, but…


“There’s a monster reaction ahead. Everyone, get ready,” I warned.


“Alright, Sicily, stay behind me,” Kreis said.


“What’re you talking about? I’m protecting Sicily!” Noin countered.


“I won’t let a finger touch Sicily!” Kent declared.


“U-Um, I’m fine, really!” Sicily protested.


…Every time a monster appears, it’s “Sicily, Sicily, Sicily.” They’ve somehow started calling her by her first name like it’s nothing.


The coordination is going well so far. We cast spells to slow the monsters, and they finish them off with swords.


As a coordination exercise, it’s going great. Really great, but…


“Sicily, you okay?” Kreis asked.


“No injuries, Sicily?” Noin added.


“I’m protecting you, so no way you’d get hurt, right, Sicily?” Kent said.


“U-Um…” Sicily mumbled, flustered.


They’re fussing over Sicily at every opportunity. She’s clearly overwhelmed and doesn’t know how to handle it.


It’s not just during combat. When pushing through thickets…


“Sicily, watch out,” Kreis warned.


When crossing fallen logs…


“Here, Sicily, take my hand,” Noin offered.


After walking a bit…


“Sicily, you tired?” Kent asked.


“I’m really fine, honestly,” Sicily insisted.


Sicily, Sicily—quit being so overly familiar, you guys!


“Shin,” Maria called.


“What?” I snapped.


“Come on, stop getting so irritated,” she said.


“I’m not irritated…” I muttered.


“You totally are,” she teased. “If you’re that irritated, just say it: ‘Sicily’s my girl, so back off!’”


“W-What?!” I sputtered. “Don’t say that!”


“If it’s not a big deal, there’s no need to get so worked up,” she pointed out.


“…” I had no comeback.


“Guys like that fall hard for any girl who’s nice to them,” Maria continued. “If it was a Magic Academy girl… well, there’s one right here…”


A dark aura started emanating from Maria.


“Heh… I’ve been with her all this time, you know…” Miranda added, exuding her own dark aura.


“What’s different about us and Sicily? Her chest? Is it because we don’t have enough chest?! Is that all guys care about?!” Maria demanded.


“Is it my muscles? Are buff girls not feminine enough? Do they only want cute girls they feel like protecting?!” Miranda growled.


The two, shrouded in dark auras, locked eyes… and firmly shook hands.


W-What are they bonding over?!


“N-No, that’s not it… Calm down…” I stammered.


“You fell for her there too, didn’t you, Shin?!” Maria accused.


“All guys are the same, aren’t they?!” Miranda piled on.


Now both Maria and Miranda were ganging up on me.


“No, if anything, it’s her face—wait! What am I saying?!” I caught myself.


That was close! I almost fell for their bait!


“Hey, you lot, another monster’s coming!” Sieg-niichan called. “Stop flirting and get ready!”


I was so irritated I missed the monster’s reaction.


No, I’m not irritated… Argh! Damn it, I am irritated!


I refocused and cast [Search Magic] again.


There’s definitely a monster reaction from the right. But this…


“Sieg-niichan, isn’t that a lot of them?” I asked.


“Yeah, this… might be bad,” he replied.


“Is it really that many?” Sicily asked, worried.


“Sicily, stay behind us,” Kreis said.


“Um, I need to fight too for the training…” Sicily protested.


“Just stay back. I’ll protect you,” Noin insisted.


“No, I mean, the training…” Sicily tried again.


Even now, these guys! Are they playing knights protecting a princess or something?!


Oh, right, they are knight trainees. Damn it, what a stupid thought—wait, hold on.


“Hang on, there’s another reaction ahead of the monsters,” I said.


“Hm? You’re right,” Aug confirmed, casting his own [Search Magic]. “Could it be… someone being chased by monsters?”


His guess was probably correct.


Moments later, another group burst through the trees.


“Sieg-senpai! Kris-oneesama! Run!” one shouted.


“Kris-sama, Sieg-san! It’s bad! A ton of monsters are heading this way!” another reported.


The students from both academies, panting heavily, reported to our instructors.


“How many are we talking about?” Sieg-niichan asked.


“At least a hundred!” they replied.


“A hundred…?!” Kreis gasped.


“That many?!” Miranda exclaimed.


That’s a sizable monster horde.


“Sieg-niichan,” I called.


“What’s up, Shin?” he replied.


“Can I handle this?”


“…Yeah, can I leave it to you?”


“N-No, Siegfried-sama! Shin-kun can’t take on a hundred monsters alone!” Sicily protested.


“It’ll be fine if you leave it to Shin, Sicily-chan,” Sieg-niichan reassured her.


“Honestly, he’s leagues stronger than us… I’m not even sure why he’s bothering with this training,” Kris-neechan added.


“Hey! You lot sitting around, get back!” Sieg-niichan shouted. “Don’t get in Shin’s way!”


Sieg-niichan and Kris-neechan started herding everyone to safety.


Then, the monster horde became visible through the forest depths.


I’m a bit ticked off, so let’s blow off some steam!


The horde included boars, wolves, and even bears.


“S-So many… Shin-kun!” Sicily cried.


The monsters were closing in, but my spell was ready. Sorry, but you’re all going down!


I unleashed an [Explosion Magic] spell, compressing high concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen.


Oh, crap—I was so irritated I misjudged the amount and compression.


I hurriedly deployed a double-layered [Mana Barrier] just as the [Explosion Magic] detonated with a deafening roar. Whew, that was close. I almost blew myself up with my own spell.


When the dust from the explosion cleared, every monster in front of me had been blasted away.


The area ahead was completely cleared out.


Just to be safe, I cast [Search Magic] to check for any surviving monsters.


Yup, they’re all gone.


“Shin-kun!” Sicily called out.


Sicily rushed over to me as usual, patting my body to check for injuries.


“You saw, right? I’m not hurt at all,” I said.


“Really?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry. “You used such an incredible spell, and you properly shielded yourself from the blast?!”


“The blast didn’t even go your way, did it?” I pointed out.


“We were pretty far back!” she countered. “You were right in front of it, using… using…”


Sicily glanced behind me and continued.


“Using a spell that blew away everything like that!!”


Yeah, I might’ve overdone it. The trees around us were flattened as far as the eye could see, except for an unnatural patch where my [Mana Barrier] had protected the ground, leaving the trees intact. Talk about wrecking the forest.


Beyond that, everyone who had “evacuated” stood with their mouths agape, utterly stunned.


“Are you sure you’re not hurt anywhere?” Sicily pressed.


“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you,” I said.


“I mean it, Shin-kun! You’re too reckless! Think about how worried we get!” she scolded.


“…I’m really sorry,” I said, sheepish.


As Sicily scolded me, we walked toward the others, who finally snapped out of their stupor and started talking.


“W-What was that?!” shouted a female mage from the Magic Division, one of Sieg-niichan’s juniors who had fled from the monster horde earlier.


“That’s… Shin Wolford…” Miranda muttered, still in a daze.


Guess I earned a bit of respect, huh?


“Huh? What’s this? The scenery’s completely different now!” someone exclaimed.


“Why’s a guy like him even in this training?” another grumbled.


Those who hadn’t seen my magic before, aside from Miranda, murmured among themselves.


“This… it’s even more insane than last time, isn’t it?” Aug said.


“He was probably holding back a lot back then too,” Kris-neechan added.


“As reckless and absurd as ever…” Sieg-niichan sighed.


“Well, it’s Shin, so…” Maria shrugged.


Even the ones who’ve seen my magic before are being harsh.


“More importantly, what’s going on here?” I asked.


“Yeah, what’s the deal?” Sieg-niichan echoed, turning to the instructors from the other group.


“Huh? Oh, right!” one of them replied. “We were training in a shallower part of the forest. It seemed like we could handle going a bit deeper, so we pushed further in. Then… out of nowhere, a massive horde of monsters came rushing in from beyond the range of our [Search Magic]…”


“They closed in to visual range in no time,” another added.


From beyond [Search Magic] range, all at once… That means…


“Sieg-niichan,” I said. “Something’s deeper in there.”


“Yeah, no doubt about it,” he agreed. “And there were large ones like bears mixed in. This gives me a really bad feeling…”


Sieg-niichan cut off mid-sentence. My [Search Magic] had picked it up too.


“N-No… No way… This can’t be real!” a Magic Academy student screamed.


“What is that?!” another cried.


The Knight Academy students, like Kreis and Miranda, who couldn’t use [Search Magic], were left confused.


“What’s happening? What’s going on?” Kreis demanded.


“Hey! Don’t just nod among yourselves—tell us!” Miranda snapped.


“Sieg, could it be…” Kris-neechan began, her voice tense.


“Yeah, the worst-case scenario,” Sieg-niichan confirmed grimly.


“Then we need to retreat, now!” Kris-neechan urged.


“Too late!!” Sieg-niichan shouted.


His cry coincided with its appearance.


From the edge of the blasted forest, a monster emerged.


It was… a monsterized tiger, about five meters long.


“A tiger… monster…” someone whispered.


“Why? Why’s something like this here when it’s just us students?!” another wailed.


“N-No! I don’t want to die! I’m not ready!” a third sobbed.


This was the monsterized tiger, a creature on par with the monsterized lion that had traumatized Alfred-sensei—one of the most terrifying existences in this world.


Its threat was so great that even the military would need to deploy significant forces and brace for heavy casualties to face it. Even a successful subjugation often left soldiers with lasting trauma.


The lion, with its overwhelming power and iron jaws.


The tiger, with its unmatched speed and razor-sharp claws.


Due to their danger and sheer size, these monsters were classified as Calamity-class.


There were other Calamity-class monsters, but these two were considered the pinnacle.


To novice hunters or students, they were opponents that inspired nothing but despair… or so I’m told.


Looking at the others, their faces were indeed etched with hopelessness.


“Sicily! Get over here!” Kreis shouted, grabbing her arm and trying to pull her away.


“Let go!” Sicily protested.


“Sicily! What are you saying?! We need to run!!” Kreis insisted.


“If you want to run, go ahead by yourselves. I’m… staying,” she declared.


“What?! What are you talking about?!” Kreis exclaimed.


“I’m staying in case Shin-kun gets hurt,” she said firmly.


“Are you insane?! That’s a Calamity-class monster! Even Wolford can’t beat that!!” Kreis shouted.


“People who don’t know Shin-kun should just be quiet!” Sicily snapped, raising her voice—an unusual outburst for her.


Her shout seemed to snap Aug out of his panic, as he muttered as if remembering something.


“Hmph, right. For Shin, this is probably no big deal,” he said.


“He did say before that demons were ‘stronger than tiger monsters but too weak for demons,’ didn’t he?” Maria recalled.


“Come to think of it, I heard that in a report too,” Sieg-niichan added.


“…The trauma from past tiger monster subjugations made me lose my cool,” Kris-neechan admitted.


Kris-neechan has trauma from tiger monsters too, huh? Also, can you all please back off already?


“Alright, everyone, ‘evacuate’ again!” Sieg-niichan ordered.


“Hurry up!” Kris-neechan added. “Shin’s holding the tiger back with magical pressure right now!”


“Christina-sama! If Wolford’s fighting, I want to—” Kreis began.


“No,” Kris-neechan cut him off. “Even Sieg and I would only get in the way. Are you overwhelmingly stronger than us?”


“N-No… not at all…” Kreis stammered.


“Then let’s go,” Kris-neechan said firmly.


Kreis seemed to want to stay and impress Sicily, but Kris-neechan convinced him to evacuate.


“Shin-kun,” Sicily called.


“Yeah?” I replied.


“Please don’t do anything reckless, okay?”


“Got it. I’ll take it down quick, so just wait a bit.”


“Okay. I’ll be waiting,” she said with a nod.


With that, Sicily joined the others in retreating.


Now, the lion’s all about power, but the tiger’s about speed. So, the approach is…


I dispersed the mana I’d been using to pin the tiger down and cast [Physical Enhancement Magic], boosting not just my muscles but my bones too.


Freed from the magical restraint, the tiger let out a furious roar at the one who had held it back.


“Grrroooaaar!!”


It charged straight at me, but…


“Quit yowling like a damn cat!!” I shouted.


Using the boost from [Physical Enhancement Magic], I launched forward and drove a knee strike right into the tiger’s jaw from below.





“Gaaahhh!!” it yelped.


The tiger, struck under the chin, flipped backward in a full rotation before landing with a thud.


Huh? The impact didn’t quite connect. Not much damage, maybe?


No, wait, it’s hurt. The tiger’s legs are trembling. I countered its charge with its own momentum, so it took a solid hit.


When fighting a tiger monster, it’s better to use [Physical Enhancement Magic] and physical attacks. Magic can miss since they’re so fast. The lion’s the opposite, though.


I drew my [Vibration Sword] and approached to finish it off, but the tiger, still growling menacingly, glanced at the group behind me.


It must’ve thought they were easier prey, because it tried to bypass me and head toward them.


“No way I’m letting you do that!!” I shouted.


I’d already read its intentions from its gaze. Catching up in an instant, I leapt onto its back and swung my [Vibration Sword], severing its head.


It got about halfway to the others, but since I stopped it, I didn’t put them in danger, right?


No recklessness either. A solid subjugation, if I do say so myself.


Feeling pretty good about it, I headed back to the group, only to find them staring at me with exasperated expressions. Why?


“Shin-kun… can I ask you something?” Sicily said.


“Sure. What’s up?” I replied.


“Is that how you take down a tiger monster?”


“Yup. Tigers are fast, so using [Physical Enhancement Magic] and physical attacks is the most efficient way.”


“I see… and the knee strike?” she asked, her tone pointed.


At that, the others started chiming in.


“A knee strike…” Kreis muttered.


“That’s not normal…” Noin said.


“That huge tiger did a full flip…” Miranda added.


“It’s just…” Aug began.


“Utterly insane,” Kris-neechan finished.


Wait, what?! The knee strike was a bad move?!


I glanced nervously at Sicily… and saw her cheeks puffed out in a pout.


“Ugh! I told you not to do anything reckless!” she huffed.


“Whoa! Sorry! I didn’t think that counted as reckless!” I said, panicking.


“Even if I trust that you’ll be fine… when you charged at a tiger monster… my heart nearly stopped…” she said, her eyes glistening with tears.


“I worried you again, huh… Sorry,” I said softly.


“…I’m just so glad you’re okay…” she murmured.


“Yeah,” I nodded.


“Oh… right,” she said, perking up.


“Hm?”


“Welcome back, Shin-kun. Good work,” she said with a bright smile.


“I’m back,” I replied, grinning.


“And thank you for saving us,” she added.


“You’re welcome,” I said, placing a hand on my chest and giving a playful bow.


We locked eyes and burst out laughing.


“Hey, Maria-chan,” Sieg-niichan whispered to Maria. “Are these two dating?”


“No… not yet, somehow…” Maria replied.


“Seriously?!” Sieg-niichan exclaimed.


“For real,” Maria confirmed.


“I can’t believe it,” Kris-neechan said.


“They should just get together already,” Sieg-niichan muttered.


The peanut gallery’s too loud!


…Well, at least nobody ended up traumatized like Alfred-sensei or Kris-neechan, right?


“Listen up, everyone,” Kris-neechan said sternly. “This is Shin being abnormal. Do not take this as a reference. Calamity-class monsters like tigers or lions are ones the military faces with desperate resolve and barely manages to defeat. Don’t look at this and think ‘tiger monsters are weak.’”


“Yes, ma’am!” the group responded.


Even the instructors from the other group chimed in.


“Shin-kun’s subjugation method is too extreme to be a reference,” Sicily added.


“Really? Not useful, huh…” I said, a bit deflated.


“But having you in the training makes us feel safe,” she continued. “Knowing you’re here lets everyone train boldly. I think that’s why we can push ourselves.”


“Isn’t that supposed to be Sieg-niichan and Kris-neechan’s job?” I teased.


“Oh, hehe, right,” she giggled.


Sicily’s trying to cheer me up. She’s so kind. I wish she’d save that kindness just for me… but that’s probably impossible with how naturally sweet she is…


“Alright, we had a bit of a hiccup, but we’ve still got some time before we’re due back,” Sieg-niichan announced. “We’ll train a little more, then head out.”


After parting ways with the other group, Sieg-niichan declared we’d continue. A Calamity-class monster had shown up, but since everyone just watched, we could keep going, apparently.


“Um… Wolford…-kun,” Miranda called out.


“Hm? Oh, uh, what’s up, Wallace-san?” I replied.


“Just call me Miranda,” she said. “Um… I’m really sorry for all the rude things I said.”


“Huh?” I blinked, caught off guard by her apology.


“I… I was jealous and frustrated because you’re in such an amazing environment,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to lose to you, no matter what…”


“Oh, yeah, I guess it might look enviable from the outside,” I said.


I’ve heard “enviable” plenty of times from my classmates too.


“Earlier, I honestly thought we were going to die,” she continued. “But then you took it down in no time… I finally realized we’re on completely different levels.”


“Really? If you train hard, you’ll be able to take one down eventually,” I said encouragingly.


“Only you would say that, Shin-kun,” Sicily interjected, joining the conversation.


“You think?” I asked.


“Definitely,” she affirmed.


“Um, Sicily…-san,” Miranda said, turning to her.


“Yes?” Sicily replied.


“I’m sorry for picking a fight with your boyfriend,” Miranda said. “That must’ve been uncomfortable for you.”


“Fweh?! B-B-Boyfriend?!” Sicily squeaked.


Whoa, hold on! We’re not there yet! Sad as that is!


“And our idiots caused you trouble too. I’m sorry,” Miranda added.


“N-No, it’s fine! I don’t mind at all!” Sicily said, flustered.


“…Thank you,” Miranda said, before heading back to the Knight Academy students.


Yeah, my teachers are the Sage-sama, the Guru-sama, and the Sword Saint-sama. It’s probably impossible not to be jealous.


In name, at least.


But they don’t know… the hellish training Michel-san put me through!


I got lost in memories of that brutal regimen, my gaze distant, when the Knight Academy guys approached. Miranda had just gone back to them—why not talk to her instead?


“S-Sicily? Stay with us…” Kreis began.


“Y-Yeah, we’ll protect you!” Noin added.


They’re at it again, hitting on Sicily.


They tried to drag her away to escape earlier…


“No, thank you,” Sicily said firmly. “If we’re talking about safety, there’s no place safer than by Shin-kun’s side.”


Oof. She shut them down hard. Kreis and the others look crushed…


Sicily continued, adding, “And…”


“I appreciate that you want to protect me,” she said. “But this isn’t helping our training. We’re here to train. I don’t want to just be protected anymore…”


Probably because of that incident before. She was really upset about being a burden to me back then. She wants to be able to protect herself.


“Got it! You want to get stronger, right, Sicily?” I said.


“Yes! I want to at least be able to protect myself!” she declared.


“Alright, then let’s train you to take down tiger monsters like it’s nothing!” I said, hyped up.


“Wha?! No! Um, not that far…” she backpedaled.


I was so thrilled that Sicily chose to stay by my side that I got carried away.


Seeing her fluster, I chuckled, and she realized I was teasing her.


“Ugh! Shin-kun!” she huffed.


“Haha, sorry, sorry,” I said. “I just sensed this grim determination. Let’s ease up a bit. No need to worry—you’re already stronger than before, Sicily.”


“Really?” she asked, brightening.


“Yup,” I nodded.


“Hehe, that makes me happy…” she said, smiling.


She was putting too much pressure on herself. Driving herself into a corner mentally doesn’t do any good.


“Man, these two have to be dating, right?” Sieg-niichan whispered to Maria.


“No… somehow, they’re still not…” Maria replied.


“Seriously?!” Sieg-niichan exclaimed.


“For real,” Maria confirmed.


“I can’t believe it,” Kris-neechan said.


“They should just get together already,” Sieg-niichan added.


Shut up! We’re not there yet!


“…The Sage-sama and Guru-sama’s grandson, trained in swordsmanship by the Sword Saint-sama, and now even Sicily…!” Kreis muttered.


“So jealous… So damn jealous…!” Noin growled.


“I can’t bring myself to like Wolford…” Kent grumbled.


“You guys… that’s just pathetic,” Miranda said, embarrassed by them.


The Knight Academy guys were shooting me glares filled with palpable resentment.


Miranda looked mortified watching them.


Still, with Sicily choosing to stay near me instead of going with the Knight Academy guys, my irritation melted away.


Yeah, this is much better for my mental health! The peanut gallery’s noisy, but whatever.


As we continued, I kept using [Search Magic], but I also had Sicily and the others practice it. My job was to cover for them since they were so focused on searching that they weren’t watching their surroundings.


“Aug, watch your step. There’s a big rock,” I warned.


“Hm? Oh, got it,” he replied.


“Maria, you’re drifting off,” I called.


“Huh? Whoa! When did that happen?!” she yelped.


“Eek!” Sicily squeaked.


While I was keeping an eye on Maria, who was veering off, Sicily’s foot caught in a dip in the ground.


“Whoa there,” I said, catching her as she stumbled forward.


“You’re focusing too much on [Search Magic],” I said. “You need to keep an eye on your surroundings too.”


“Ugh… I’m sorry…” she mumbled, looking frustrated as I held her in my arms.


“Damn you… Damn you, Wolford…” Kreis growled.


“So jealous, so jealous, so jealous…” Noin muttered.


“If that were me…” Kent sighed.


“You guys… you’re beyond pathetic…” Miranda groaned.


The Knight Academy side sent another wave of resentful glares my way.


Miranda looked increasingly embarrassed…


As we continued moving forward while using [Search Magic], a reaction pinged on my radar.


“Hm, this is…” I muttered.


“Yeah, it showed up on my [Search Magic] too,” Aug confirmed.


“Mine as well,” Sicily added. “It’s… smaller than that tiger, but larger than anything we’ve faced so far.”


“Oh, you all noticed?” Sieg-niichan said. “So, what kind of monster do you think it is, Your Highness?”


“Hmm… a bear, maybe?” Aug ventured.


“Nice one, Your Highness! Spot on!” Sieg-niichan praised. “You’ve grown, haven’t you?”


“…Shut up,” Aug muttered, visibly flustered.


It’s rare to see Aug embarrassed like this, teased by Sieg-niichan.


“Alright, we’re about to take on a bear monster,” Kris-neechan announced. “First, as usual, the Magic Academy students will fire spells, and the Knight Academy students will deliver the finishing blow. After that, adapt to the situation as needed. Especially you Knight Academy students—when you’re engaging the monster, we can’t fire spells, so move in and out strategically, keeping an eye on your surroundings.”


“Yes, ma’am!” they responded in unison.


Kris-neechan laid out the plan for the subjugation. The bear was still a bit further ahead, so we pressed on together.


Soon, we spotted the bear through the trees, devouring a regular deer.


“Ready?” Kris-neechan called. “Mages, fire!”


At her command, the three Magic Academy students unleashed their spells in unison.


To avoid overlapping effects, they used [Fire Arrow], [Wind Blade], and [Rock Bullet].


The spells hit the bear, and it writhed in pain.


The research society’s training is paying off—their spell power has definitely increased.


“K-Knight Academy students, go!” Kris-neechan ordered.


“Y-Yes, ma’am!” they replied.


Kris-neechan, momentarily stunned by the mages’ spells, snapped back and issued the next command. Miranda and the others charged at the bear.


“You guys… you can use spells that powerful?” Kris-neechan asked, incredulous.


“Well, against the enemies we’ve faced so far, if we went all out, we’d probably take them down in one hit…” Aug explained.


“And that wouldn’t help the Knight Academy students’ training, right?” Maria added.


“Shin-kun told us not to go all out on medium-sized monsters,” Sicily said.


“It was my first time firing spells at monsters, but I’m glad I followed Shin’s instructions,” Aug said.


“Indeed,” Sicily agreed. “I never imagined our power had increased this much…”


Exactly. Seeing how much they’d improved in the research society, I figured they could probably one-shot medium-sized monsters. So, I told them to hold back.


Otherwise, the Knight Academy students wouldn’t get any action. Like I keep saying, this is training.


While we were talking, Miranda and the others were steadily cornering the bear monster.


They couldn’t take it down in one hit yet, but they were definitely piling on the damage.


Kreis, confident of victory, went for a finishing blow with a wide swing.


But wild animals are most dangerous when wounded. A monster on the brink of death will lash out with a desperate, all-or-nothing strike.


The bear monster caught Kreis’s downward swing with its left arm.


The sword bit into its arm and got stuck. Then, its free right arm swung at Kreis.


“Danger!” Kris-neechan shouted.


I’d anticipated this scenario midway through, so I’d prepared two [Wind Bullets] and fired them.


One knocked the bear’s descending right arm away, and the other hit the left arm where Kreis’s sword was lodged.


The left arm went limp, and Kreis yanked his sword free. This time, he swung carefully, avoiding a wide arc, and delivered the killing blow.


With the bear finally down, Kreis and the others returned to us.


“Sorry, Wolford-kun. You saved me,” Miranda said.


Getting a sincere thank-you from Miranda, who’d been so hostile before, felt almost unreal.


“…W-Wolford… Thanks…” Kreis muttered.


Whoa… Kreis’s thank-you was dripping with reluctance.


Is he that upset about not fawning over Sicily anymore?


“Kreis! You would’ve died if Wolford-kun hadn’t fired those spells!” Miranda snapped. “And you act like that?! I’m embarrassed for you!!”


Yikes, Miranda’s pissed.


And understandably so. Up until now, Kreis and the others were obsessed with Sicily, got rejected as her protectors, and now he can’t even thank me properly for saving him.


Miranda, who just apologized for her own rude behavior, seems utterly disillusioned by Kreis’s inability to show basic gratitude.


“Calm down, Miranda,” Kris-neechan said.


“But, Christina-sama!” Miranda protested.


“They’re from a mostly male academy,” Kris-neechan explained. “And the girls at the Knight Academy… myself included, don’t exactly act feminine, do we?”


“Well… that’s true…” Miranda admitted.


“My old classmates were like that too,” Kris-neechan continued. “Always talking about girls… as if there weren’t any right there! Am I… Am I not a girl?!”


“C-Christina-sama?” Miranda stammered.


Kris-neechan’s inner darkness is leaking out…


So, Kris-neechan wasn’t popular at the academy, huh? She must’ve worked hard after graduating…


“Teenage boys are like that,” Kris-neechan went on. “They want to look cool in front of cute, protectable girls. They’re probably just jealous that Shin’s stealing all the spotlight.”


Whoa… Kris-neechan’s laying into them. She must’ve been treated pretty badly by the boys at the Knight Academy.


Kreis and the others were red-faced and staring at the ground. Give them a break already!


Come to think of it, Sieg-niichan’s been awfully quiet. What’s up with him?


I glanced at Sieg-niichan.


“No way… Their spell power’s higher than mine? Is it because of Shin? Because they’re learning from Shin? Should I learn from him too? No, but… my pride… Learning from a guy I’ve treated like a little brother… Wait, he’s Merlin-sama’s grandson. If I think of it as indirectly learning Merlin-sama’s techniques… No, still…!” he muttered to himself.


He’s wrestling with his pride over there.


Eventually, Sieg-niichan snapped out of it and declared the training over.


“Alright, that’s it for today’s training,” he announced. “We’re heading back to the capital. Good work, everyone.”


Sieg-niichan, still reeling from seeing the trio’s spell power, officially ended the session.


The first day, filled with all sorts of events, finally came to a close. But the atmosphere was heavy.


The Knight Academy students were downcast—Kreis and the guys were sulking, and Miranda seemed fed up with them. It was hard to believe this was the mood after students had taken down a large monster together.


On the other hand, the three Magic Academy students were secretly thrilled at how much their skills had improved, but the Knight Academy students’ gloom kept them quiet.


The result was an awkward, indescribable tension in the air.


Unable to stand it any longer, Kris-neechan scolded Miranda and the others.


“Enough already!” she snapped. “You managed to take down a large monster as students, and yet you’re moping over everything else! Don’t you have things to work on? Mistakes to correct, lessons to learn? If you can’t apply those to the next fight, this training is pointless!”


Kris-neechan’s been harsh with Miranda and the others, maybe because they’re her juniors. She’s not showing favoritism to her alma mater—rather, she seems almost ashamed of their behavior.


“…You’re right,” Miranda said. “There’s a lot we need to reflect on.”


“The preemptive spells in that fight were highly effective,” Aug noted.


“Indeed,” Kris-neechan agreed. “They dealt significant damage to the bear monster.”


“I heard monsters can use [Physical Enhancement Magic], but there were no signs of that, likely due to the damage,” Sieg-niichan added.


“The real issue lies with us…” Kreis admitted.


As expected of top students from the premier knight training academy. They immediately started discussing what went wrong in the fight.


“The biggest mistake was rushing for the win at the end,” Kreis said.


“Exactly,” Kris-neechan nodded. “You’re top students at the Knight Academy, so your combat skills are solid. But the moment you go for the decisive blow is tricky for anyone.”


“Yes,” Kreis said, shuddering. “I felt that firsthand. I nearly got killed…”


He must’ve just realized how close he came to death, as he shivered.


“I thought Kreis was done for,” Miranda said.


“Me too,” Noin added.


“Same,” Kent agreed.


“And you looked away for a moment, didn’t you?” Kris-neechan pointed out. “I understand the impulse, but you must never take your eyes off a monster, no matter the situation.”


“…Yes,” they mumbled in unison.


“Still, Wolford-kun’s spells that saved Kreis were incredible,” Miranda said.


Miranda’s gotten so open with her praise since becoming more honest. It’s… kinda ticklish.


“Yeah, can spells really be aimed that precisely?” Kreis asked.


Sieg-niichan jumped in at Kreis’s question.


“Nah, there aren’t many who can snipe like that,” he said. “Most mages would aim for a bigger target. Me or the others dispatched here could get close, but that level of precision…”


“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Kris-neechan added.


“Shin, how far can you hit with pinpoint accuracy?” Sieg-niichan asked.


“Hmm… If we’re talking ‘precise,’ maybe up to five hundred meters?” I replied.


“Five hundred?!” Sieg-niichan exclaimed.


“Yeah, using [Visual Enhancement],” I said. “Beyond that, pinpoint shots get tricky.”


In my previous world, precision shooting was possible at much longer ranges, so I didn’t think it was a big deal… but they’re giving me those exasperated looks again.


“So, at that distance, it’s no sweat for you…” Sieg-niichan muttered.


“I saw it up close,” Kris-neechan said. “He shot right through the ‘hand’ as it was coming down…”


“The hand… Truly pinpoint…” Miranda murmured.


“He even aimed for the base of the left arm, where a hit would sap its strength…” Kris-neechan added.


“…Alright! Let’s just agree Shin’s on another level and move on!” Sieg-niichan declared, wrapping it up neatly.


I was about to protest when the Magic Academy group spoke up.


“Any issues with us?” Aug asked.


“No flattery here, Your Highness—your spells were phenomenal,” Kris-neechan said. “Honestly, their power was so overwhelming, I froze for a moment.”


“They were incredible…” Miranda agreed. “Was that even useful for training?”


No brown-nosing here—just honest feedback.


“I was a bit slow to give orders because of it,” Kris-neechan admitted. “Let me ask again—what was that? Is the Magic Academy’s level that high now?”


“…Frankly, their skill rivals—or even surpasses—the top mages in the active Magic Division,” Sieg-niichan said. “Shin, what did you do?”


“What?” I said. “These three are in my research society. They’re just practicing the methods my grandpa taught me.”


Yup, no lies there. I’m just teaching them my way of imagining magic.


“How many people are in that research society?” Sieg-niichan asked.


“All of Year 1’s S-Class, plus two from A-Class, so twelve,” I replied.


“So, including us, three groups…” Sieg-niichan mused. “I can already see the other two groups’ Knight Academy students getting demoralized…”


“We’ll need to follow up with them later,” Kris-neechan said.


“Hm? What’s that? Are we being treated like Shin now?” Aug asked.


“That kind of reaction is a bit…” Maria trailed off.


“Unexpected, to say the least…” Sicily added.


What’s with the “like Shin” treatment?! And why are they so thrown off by it? Even Sicily!


“Let’s hurry back to the capital’s gates,” Sieg-niichan said, completely ignoring the “like Shin” topic. “We went the deepest, so we’ll probably be the last to return.”


…Is “like Shin” becoming some kind of insult?


Reeling from that shocking realization, I trudged along when Sieg-niichan spoke to me.


“Hey, Shin,” he said.


“What’s up, Sieg-niichan?” I replied.


“What’s that research society you’re in? An attack magic research group?”


“Nah, Aug, the teachers, and others kept saying I should start my own society, so I did.”


“Your own, huh? So, what’s it do?”


“What… Well, it’s got this vague goal of ‘mastering magic together’ or something.”


“That’s really vague!” he laughed.


I think so too.


“Right now, I’m teaching them the training methods my grandpa taught me and how I imagine magic,” I explained.


“Your magic imagination! That’s it!” Sieg-niichan exclaimed.


“What’s what?” I asked.


“You said they’re training with Merlin-sama’s methods, but their skill isn’t at a first-year student level,” he said. “Learning your magic imagination is basically learning your magic, right?”


“Hm… Is it?” I mused. “It’s still their own imagination in the end, so it’s not exactly the same as mine…”


“True, but the fact is, Your Highness and the others’ skills are incredible now,” he pointed out.


“I don’t really know other mages’ levels…” I admitted.


“Well, you were already better at magic than Merlin-sama and Melinda-sama before enrolling,” Sieg-niichan said. “You joined the academy to learn common sense and make friends, so it makes sense you wouldn’t know other mages’ levels.”


“Oh, I’ve got a sense of the academy’s level now,” I said. “That’s why I wanted to at least boost the research society’s strength. With the way things are…”


If it weren’t for the demon crisis, I might not have thought about raising everyone’s strength for their safety.


“Hey… can I ask you something?” Sieg-niichan said, his tone serious.


“What?” I asked.


“Those training methods your research society’s doing… Could you teach me?”


“Sure, no prob—” I started.


“Wait, Shin,” Aug interrupted.


“Why?” I asked.


“Siegfried, you’re in the military, right?” Aug said.


“Uh, yeah,” Sieg-niichan replied.


“Merlin-dono’s teachings were standard back in the day, so that’s fine,” Aug explained. “But if someone outside the academy’s research society learns Shin’s imagination methods… in the worst case, it could be seen as military exploitation.”


“Tch, that’s…” Sieg-niichan faltered.


“Merlin-dono’s been lamenting the decline in mages’ skill levels, and Melinda-dono doesn’t seem opposed to people learning Shin’s magic,” Aug continued. “But if a military member learns Shin’s magic… neighboring countries might raise complaints.”


“Diplomatic issues?” Sieg-niichan asked.


Diplomatic issues?! From me teaching magic?


“We’re already treading a fine line,” Aug said. “It’s only being tolerated because Shin is ‘autonomously’ teaching magic ‘to ensure the safety of friends he made at the academy,’ and Merlin-dono and Melinda-dono have approved it out of respect for his intentions.”


“I see…” Sieg-niichan nodded.


“Now imagine a military member learning it,” Aug went on. “Other countries would demand the same. It’d cause an uproar.”


“…Right,” Sieg-niichan said quietly.


“With the current situation, that might be fine…” Aug trailed off.


Sieg-niichan swallowed hard.


“But would Merlin-dono and Melinda-dono allow it?” Aug asked. “Would they let their grandson be used for military purposes?”


“That’s…” Sieg-niichan hesitated.


“Honestly, Shin’s magic is dangerous,” Aug said. “I’m not going to publicize this, and I’ve told the others not to spread it either. It shouldn’t be disseminated. If it spreads…”


“What happens if it spreads?” Sieg-niichan asked.


“The world could be destroyed—not by demons, but by human hands,” Aug said gravely.


“That big of a deal?!” 


“Ugh… You really didn’t realize…” Aug sighed, looking at me.


Huh? Huh?! So what I’m doing now is…


“Is what I’m doing… a problem?” I asked, uneasy.


“Hmm… Not exactly, but…” Aug hedged.


“What do you mean?” I pressed.


Aug’s expression turned serious as he explained the situation.


“The truth is, we’re in an unprecedented crisis right now,” he said. “The mass emergence of demons.”


“Yeah,” I agreed.


“We can’t predict what Schtrom will do, but when they go on the offensive, Shin’s magic will be incredibly effective,” Aug said. “The problem comes after that’s resolved.”


“Using that power against other countries…” Sieg-niichan realized.


“That’s why I’m saying it shouldn’t spread,” Aug said. “Fortunately, the research society is small, so it can be controlled. I’ve already told Bean and Stone not to teach what they’ve learned to their classes.”


He’s been giving them those instructions…


“Call it secrecy or monopoly, I don’t care,” Aug said. “I have no intention of spreading or misusing Shin’s magic. Shin, you said it yourself, didn’t you? It all comes down to the morals of the person using the magic.”


“Y-Yeah, I did,” I stammered.


“This is the limit,” Aug said firmly. “Any more, and we risk unforeseen consequences. I’ll do everything in my power to keep it under control. So, Shin, don’t spread your magic any further.”


“G-Got it…” I said, shaken.


I hadn’t even considered that it could become an international issue…


“But Merlin-dono’s teachings are fine to share, right?” Aug said. “Like you mentioned, they were standard practice back then.”


“Yeah… I’ll stick to just what my grandpa taught me,” I agreed.


“So? What’s this training method Merlin-sama taught you?” Sieg-niichan asked eagerly.


“It’s ridiculously mundane,” Aug warned. “Siegfried, you think you can handle it?”


“What’s that supposed to mean? I’ll show you!” Sieg-niichan declared.


“Then I’ll tell you,” Aug said. “The method is…”


“Yes?” Sieg-niichan leaned in.


“Practicing mana control,” Aug revealed.


“…Huh?” Sieg-niichan blinked.


“Every single day, gradually increasing the amount of mana you can control. That’s it.”


“What? Seriously?” Sieg-niichan asked, skeptical.


“What, you don’t believe me?” Aug said. “Claude! Messina! Come here!”


“Yes?” Sicily responded.


“What’s up?” Maria asked.


They’d been walking ahead to avoid eavesdropping on our conversation, but Aug called them over.


“What’s going on, Your Highness?” Sicily asked.


“Nothing major,” Aug said. “It seems this elite Magic Division member, tasked with guarding my father, doesn’t understand the importance of mana control. I thought we’d enlighten him.”


You didn’t know either, Aug!


“Oh… I suppose just hearing about it doesn’t really sink in,” Sicily said.


“What do we need to do?” Maria asked.


“Let’s do what Shin had us practice first—deploy a [Mana Barrier],” Aug suggested. “Siegfried, you go first.”


“Fine…” Sieg-niichan grumbled.


Reluctantly, Sieg-niichan deployed his [Mana Barrier].


…It’s pretty thin, huh…


“Hm, now the three of us,” Aug said.


“Okay,” Sicily nodded.


“Got it,” Maria agreed.


The three of them deployed their [Mana Barriers].


“W-What the?!” Sieg-niichan exclaimed.


“What’s wrong, Sieg?” Kris-neechan asked, puzzled since she couldn’t sense mana.


“What’s wrong?! What’s with these thick [Mana Barriers]?!” Sieg-niichan shouted.


“We didn’t know either until Shin and Merlin-dono taught us,” Aug explained. “But when you increase the amount of mana you can control, you can do things like this.”


“Honestly, our [Mana Barriers] are still pretty thin compared to Shin’s…” Sicily added.


“This is thin?!” Sieg-niichan gaped.


“Shin-kun’s is even more incredible,” Sicily said.


Sieg-niichan let out a heavy sigh and looked at me.


“With this kind of mana capacity difference, it’s no wonder their spell power surpasses mine…” Sieg-niichan muttered.


“We’ve still got a long way to go technically,” Maria said.


“No, you should be proud, Maria-chan,” Sieg-niichan replied. “That was genuinely impressive power. Guess I’d better start practicing mana control too.”


“Well… it’s honestly pretty tedious and boring,” Aug cautioned. “But it’s fine to spread this much.”


With that, Aug gave Sieg-niichan permission.


Man, I was so naive… I had no idea I was causing Aug this much trouble…


“…Sorry, Aug,” I said.


“Hm? For what?” he asked.


“I mean… feels like I’ve been a burden or something…”


“What, that’s all?” Aug said with a grin. “Don’t worry about it. My father’s the one who brought you to this kingdom in the first place. That means we’ll take responsibility for you until the end.”


“Aug…” I murmured.


Ugh… First the uniform, now this… I thought I was being careful, but still…


“That’s why, aside from Shin, everyone in the ‘Ultimate Magic Research Society’ will be placed under national supervision after graduation,” Aug declared.


“““Huh?””” Sicily, Maria, and I said in unison.


“Obviously,” Aug continued. “We can’t put you in the military, but letting you roam free would make it impossible to control. Most likely, you’ll form a special unit under my direct command. And it’ll probably come with oversight from other nations.”


“That strict?” I asked, stunned.


“If things continue as they are, we’ll likely become the world’s strongest unit,” Aug explained. “To avoid arousing suspicion from other countries, we can’t be allowed to act except in special cases like this one.”


So, we need to make it clear that the Earlsheid Kingdom has no intention of world conquest…


“I’m really sorry…” I said again.


“Stop apologizing,” Aug said. “As long as we don’t misuse this power, it’ll be a hope for saving humanity.”


Hope… huh.


“Yeah… Gotta make sure we don’t mess it up,” I said.


“You’ll be fine, Shin-kun,” Sicily said softly.


“Sicily?” I turned to her.


“You’re teaching us magic to keep us safe, right?” she said. “Someone with such kind intentions wouldn’t make a mistake.”


“…Sicily…” I murmured, touched.


“You’re going to be the world’s hope, Shin-kun,” she continued. “So don’t worry.”


“…Got it. Thanks, Sicily,” I said, smiling.


“The ones who need to be careful are us… No, me,” Aug said.


“Indeed,” Maria agreed. “We need to make sure we don’t misuse our power either.”


Aug and Maria were both vowing to use their strength responsibly.


…I really changed everyone’s lives, didn’t I…


Feeling the immense weight of that responsibility, we arrived at the capital’s gates, the designated meeting point.


Students from both academies who had completed their practical training were already gathered there.


Before the training, the Magic Academy and Knight Academy students had been at odds, but now they were scattered about, chatting about the day’s exercises. Occasional bursts of laughter suggested they’d come to respect each other. That alone made this training worthwhile, I thought… but there were two groups of dejected Knight Academy students being comforted by dispatched knights.


Nearby, some Magic Academy students—members of our research society, in fact—looked perplexed by the scene.


“Hey! Your Highness, Shin-kun, Sicily, Maria! Good work!” Alice called out.


“Good work, Alice,” I replied. “What’s going on here?”


“Well, our magic power was way stronger than we expected, so we went all out with our spells…” Alice explained.


“And the Knight Academy students got really down about it,” Lynn added.


“I told you to hold back…” Thor sighed.


“We got a bit carried away,” Alice admitted.





Looks like Alice, Lynn, Thor, and Yuri’s group didn’t hold back. They probably took down most of the monsters with magic alone, leaving the Knight Academy students with little to do and feeling demoralized.


“At first, we followed Shin-dono’s advice and restrained our magic,” Yuri said. “Even then, we were one-shotting small monsters…”


“But we realized that wasn’t good!” Alice interjected. “So, in the second half, we dialed back the power a lot for the sake of training!”


“That just hurt their pride even more…” Lynn said.


“It turned into that mess,” Thor concluded, exasperated.


The Knight Academy students, like Kreis and his group, seem to have a lot of pride. They probably couldn’t handle feeling unneeded.


“But it’s kind of satisfying,” Alice said. “Those guys were looking at us with creepy eyes!”


“…They were pretty gross,” Lynn agreed.


“They wanted to show off,” Alice continued. “So, we made sure they couldn’t.”


“I got some pretty resentful glares…” Thor muttered, clearly fed up.


The Knight Academy students… are they that desperate for girls?


What about Tony and Julius’s group? I was wondering when the four of them approached.


“Our group had some acquaintances in it,” Tony said.


“I had an acquaintance as well, degozaru,” Julius added.


“I didn’t know anyone,” Mark said.


“Neither did I,” Olivia added.


Right, Tony’s family comes from a knight lineage. He probably ran into someone he knew from sword training back in the day.


Mark and Olivia didn’t seem to have any connections, though.


“Right off the bat, they called me ‘the weakling who fled to the Magic Academy!’” Tony said, chuckling.


“I went to the Magic Academy to serve His Highness, degozaru, so I didn’t get that kind of talk,” Julius said. “But it made the mood pretty tense, degozaru.”


“Well, it was practical training, so we started off taking the subjugations seriously…” Mark began.


“Apparently, the guy was a rival of Freid-san’s,” Olivia said. “He got really competitive when he saw Freid-san using magic too.”


Freid-san? Oh, right, Tony’s family name.


“He kept making reckless charges, degozaru,” Julius said.


“He got scolded by the instructor for breaking formation multiple times,” Mark added.


“We wanted to support with magic, but he wouldn’t give us an opening to fire, so there were a few close calls…” Olivia said.


“He’d get chewed out, get stubborn, and do it again, degozaru,” Julius continued.


“He was weirdly fixated on Freid-kun,” Mark said.


“Ugh, he’s always been like that,” Tony sighed. “Always picking fights with me over everything.”


“If he’s your rival, I guess it makes sense,” I said.


“We were actually pretty close as kids,” Tony said.


“Huh? Really?” I asked, surprised.


“Maybe it’s because… back then, a girl he liked confessed to me, and we dated for a bit?” Tony mused.


“That’s definitely it!” Maria exclaimed.


What a brutal blow to a teenage boy!


“So, in the end, we handled most of the monster subjugations with our magic, degozaru,” Julius said.


“The Knight Academy students barely got any action!” Mark added.


“It was a bit dangerous…” Olivia said.


Guess they decided it was too risky to let the Knight Academy students participate. No wonder they’re down.


“And how’d it go for you, Shin-kun?” Tony asked.


“Our group had Shin and Sicily flirting the whole time,” Maria said.


“What?! What’re you talking about, Maria?!” I sputtered.


“N-N-No! We weren’t flirting or anything…” Sicily stammered.


“No, you totally were,” Aug said.


“Aug?!” I exclaimed.


“You… really don’t realize it, do you?” Aug said, incredulous.


“Realize what?!”


“If that wasn’t flirting, what kind of flirting are you two planning?” Aug asked.


“W-Well, uh…” I fumbled.


“Ugh…” Sicily squeaked, turning red.


How would I know?!


“Man, you guys have it easy…” Mark sighed.


“Well, Shin was entirely focused on support, and he kept us mindful of coordination training the whole time,” Aug said.


“Shin-dono was keeping things under control,” Julius noted.


“For once, Shin was the brake instead of the one charging ahead,” Maria said.


“Usually, he’s the first to go wild!” Alice added.


Leading the charge into chaos… Is that really how they see me…?


“Huh? Is Wolford-kun down?” Tony asked.


“He does look kinda glum,” Alice said. “What’s wrong?”


“Oh, Shin’s feeling responsible for everything he’s done to us,” Maria explained.


“Responsible? Why, degozaru?” Julius asked.


Since Julius asked, I explained what Aug had told me—how everyone’s futures were already decided after graduation.


“Oh, that? Yuri and I already knew,” Thor said.


“His Highness told us, degozaru,” Julius added.


“Yeah, figures you two would know from Aug,” I said.


Thor and Julius were in the loop, as expected.


“Wait, so our futures are already set?” Alice asked.


“Yeah… Sorry about that,” I said.


“Awesome! Our futures are secure!” Alice cheered.


“Alice?” I blinked, caught off guard.


“I mean, getting into the Magic Academy doesn’t guarantee a set path, right?” she said.


“The Knight Academy funnels graduates straight into the military,” Tony pointed out.


“That place is specialized for training officers to command soldiers,” Alice said. “It’s unique among the advanced academies. But the Magic Academy and the Economics and Law Academy let you choose your path after graduation.”


“That’s why I feel bad,” I said. “I ended up deciding everyone’s futures for them…”


“Why?” Alice asked. “It’s a unit directly under His Highness, right? Separate from the military. That’s super special treatment! Nobody gets that kind of position normally!”


“It’s an exceptional privilege,” Tony agreed.


“Amazing!” Mark said. “I can’t believe I get to be part of it!”


“It feels like a dream…” Olivia murmured.


“My family’s gonna flip when I tell them!” Alice said.


Huh? They’re all excited?


“It’s that big a deal?” I asked.


“Wolford-kun, you don’t get how incredible this is,” Tony said.


“I mean… I don’t, that’s why I’m asking…” I admitted.


Lynn sighed, shaking her head as if exasperated.


“A unit directly under the next crown prince of the Earlsheid Kingdom,” she said. “That alone is special treatment. Plus, it only acts in special emergencies and will be monitored by other nations… which means we’ll likely be deployed for crises in other countries too.”


“Not just the kingdom, but other nations too?” I said, feeling even guiltier.


“We’re going to be a special unit that saves the world from crises,” Lynn said. “That’s romantic in itself.”


“Romantic special unit?” I echoed, baffled.


Lynn says weird stuff sometimes!


“And with that kind of special treatment…” Lynn continued.


“Yeah?” I prompted.


“The pay’s probably going to be pretty amazing!” she declared.


That’s the angle?!


Wait, everyone’s nodding!


“So… we’re basically set on an elite track?” I said.


“Exactly!” Tony said. “Man, joining this research society was the best decision ever.”


“Seriously!” Alice agreed. “Meeting Shin-kun was the luckiest break!”


“So, like, you don’t need to feel bad about it,” Maria said.


“Guess so,” I said. “If you’re all cool with it, me moping around is kinda pointless, huh?”


“Exactly,” Maria said.


Phew… I was so down about changing everyone’s lives, but not only are they not upset, they think it’s a lucky break.


“Oh, but won’t it be tough for Mark?” I asked. “Your workshop won’t have a successor.”


“Nah, my dad’s still active for a while,” Mark said. “Even if my kids end up taking over, it’s no problem.”


“Your kids, huh?” I said.


“It’s fine, right? Seems like he’s already got someone in mind,” Maria teased.


“Hehe, that’s a big responsibility, Olivia-san,” Sicily added.


“W-Wait! Maria-san! Sicily-san!” Olivia protested, flustered.


“Hm, so Bean and Stone are like that?” Aug said.


“Knew it,” Tony said. “I had a feeling ever since I saw them coming out of the workshop together one morning.”


“Nice one, Mark,” I said.


“C-Come on, stop teasing me!” Mark said, embarrassed.


Looks like Mark’s situation isn’t a serious issue either.


If anything comes up, Aug will probably approve a solution.


“If we’re gonna be a special unit, you’ve gotta teach us even more magic,” Alice said.


Yeah, if we’re a special unit saving the world from crises, we’ll need to get a lot stronger.


“No matter how much I try to keep things under control, there’s a limit,” Aug warned. “Don’t go thinking anything too crazy, okay?”


“…I’m starting to think Aug can read my mind,” I said.


“No, in your case, Shin-kun…” Sicily began.


“It’s all over your face!” Maria finished.


“You didn’t notice?” Lynn said. “You had that look like you were plotting something again.”


What?! It was that obvious to everyone?!


“It’s not anything weird!” I protested.


“Then what was it?” Aug asked.


“Just… if we’re a special unit saving the world, we gotta get stronger, right? That’s all…”


“That’s why I said there’s a limit!” Aug roared, a rare outburst.


◇


While Shin and the others discussed the research society’s future, Kreis and his group, who had been in Shin’s team, approached the two dejected Knight Academy groups.


“You guys look pretty down,” Kreis said.


“No kidding,” one of them groaned. “What was that? We were totally useless…”


He was from the same group as Alice and the others.


“Did something happen with you guys too?” another asked Kreis.


“Our group had Wolford-kun,” Miranda said.


“Shin Wolford, huh? That must’ve been rough…” the student said sympathetically.


“Actually… it wasn’t like that at all,” Miranda said.


“Then why do you look so down?” he asked.


Miranda was slightly depressed, having realized she’d been one-sidedly viewing Shin as a rival, only to be completely outclassed and even accommodated by him.


“A boar monster that took all of us to knock away? He took it down like it was nothing,” Miranda said. “What’s with that guy? His magic’s insane, and his swordsmanship’s insane too… It’s unfair!”


“What happened?!” the student asked, eager for details.


Miranda was starting to spiral into gloom again, so her classmates turned to Kreis and the others for the story.


“W-Well, during the training…” Kreis began. “A tiger monster showed up…”


“A tiger?!” one exclaimed.


“A Calamity-class?!” another gasped.


“And Wolford took it down like it was nothing,” Kreis said. “With a sword, no less.”


The Knight Academy students erupted in shock at Kreis’s words.


“…Hold on, isn’t he the Magic Academy’s top student? How’s he good enough with a sword to take down a tiger?” one asked.


“His swordsmanship teacher… was apparently Michel Collins-sama,” Kreis said.


“The Sword Saint-sama?!” one shouted.


“No way!” another gasped.


The students buzzed with excitement at Kreis’s revelation.


“So, we got a front-row seat to how incredible Wolford is, someone we saw as a rival,” Kreis said. “Feeling that gap really hit us hard.”


“You were moping for a pathetic reason too!” Miranda shot back, annoyed at being painted as the only one down.


“M-Miranda, you don’t have to say that…” Kreis protested.


“Oh? What happened?” a classmate asked, pouncing on the opening.


Kreis tried to stop her, but the classmates weren’t letting it go. Miranda, seizing her chance to get back at him, spilled the details.


“There was this cute girl from the Magic Academy,” she said. “All three of these guys fell head over heels for her, but it seems she’s Wolford-kun’s girlfriend. They were flirting the whole time we were moving, so these three got jealous…”


“It’s not jealousy!” Kreis interrupted. “It’s a knight’s duty to protect a lady!”


“There was another Magic Academy girl, you know,” Miranda pointed out.


“Tch, that’s…” Kreis faltered.


“And in the end, we took down a bear monster as students,” Miranda continued.


“A bear?!” one exclaimed.


“How far did you guys go?!” another asked.


“Well, we landed the final blow,” Miranda said. “But even then, Wolford-kun had to save us…”


Kreis’s face paled slightly, probably recalling the moment.


The other Knight Academy students looked at Kreis with sympathetic eyes.


“Got the girl taken and your life saved…” one said.


“Compared to that…” another began.


“Yeah, we’re not doing that bad…” a third finished.


“…That’s not how I meant to cheer you up…” Miranda muttered.


Now Kreis was the one deeply depressed.


◇


The groups were reshuffled, and the joint training continued.


The reason? Our research society members.


Every Knight Academy student paired with our group lost confidence, and both academies decided it was undermining the training. So, on that day, the Knight Academy students assigned to our group all had complicated expressions.


“Feels like we’re being treated like Shin-kun, huh?” 


“Yeah… I’ve been sensing that since yesterday,” Tony agreed.


“Being treated like Shin-dono… It’s complicated, degozaru…” Julius said.


“You guys are brutal!” I protested.


When Knight Academy students made awkward faces about being grouped with us, the Magic Academy students made awkward faces about being treated like me.


Is being associated with me that bad?!


Despite those exchanges, the joint training between the Knight and Magic Academies progressed smoothly.


After the first day, the research society members seemed to hold back, and we stopped seeing dejected Knight Academy students.


The training continued steadily, but what’s going on with the demons?


I haven’t heard a peep about them making any moves.


The intelligence units infiltrating the former Empire’s territory are apparently being stalled by hordes of monsters, unable to gather detailed information.


For now, no invasions of neighboring countries have started.


But what’s happening in the former Empire’s territory remains unclear.


The entire world was gripped by an indescribable unease.

——.


Chapter 4
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