Mastema was already present in the place I had been shown to, along with a bunch of other people who… well, let’s just say they didn’t look like the most refined bunch.
To put it bluntly, it felt like a gathering of misfits.
It seemed like the instructor had marked this group as the weakest among those who passed the Magic Academy’s entrance exam. Mastema, meanwhile, was casually sucking on a piece of candy. Ever since I started giving her an allowance, she’s been eating something constantly.
I wonder if demons don’t get cavities.
She probably doesn’t care which group she’s assigned to.
It looks like I’ve been separated from Noel and Arnella.
“What the hell, even an old guy is taking the exam?”
As I looked around, a male student with short hair and wearing a black robe spoke to me. I turned to face him and responded.
“Got a problem with that?”
“Heh, not at all. If you’re taking the exam at your age, you must be serious about it.”
The student grinned widely. His manner of speaking was rough, but he didn’t seem like a bad person.
“This is the place where people who can barely use magic are gathered. I only managed to hit the target on my second try.”
He spun his staff around as he said this.
“Sure, we’re separated from the elite group, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’ve been accepted into the academy.”
“I see. By the way, what’s this elite group? I can guess from the name, but…”
“What, you don’t know? Come on, old man, you should’ve done your research.”
He smacked me on the back repeatedly. He was awfully familiar.
“In this Magic Academy, they clearly divide people by rank. It’s not about nobility or wealth, but entirely about your rank as a mage. Even if you’re royalty, if you’re a failure as a mage, you get treated like one of us.”
“Being treated as inferior, huh. I see, that brings back memories. When I started out as an adventurer, I often got treated like that.”
But overcoming all of that led to glory.
And I managed to grasp it.
I nodded nostalgically.
“By the way, I haven’t introduced myself. My name’s Clogus. And you?”
“Clogus, huh. I’ll remember that. And I’m not an old man yet—I’m Ahavain Orbst. Nice to meet you.”
“You’re totally an old man. Easy name to remember though. Nice to meet you too, Ahavain. By the way, do you know that girl?”
Clogus kept glancing at Mastema.
I understand. Just from her appearance alone, she’s the most stunning among anyone I’ve ever seen.
But if he gets to know her, I wonder if he’ll feel the same?
“She’s… my sister.”
I hesitated, not wanting to call her that. Having a sister like Mastema would drive me mad.
Noel or Arnella could pass as my relatives, but I have to keep a close eye on Mastema. Making her my sister is the easiest way to do that.
But I really don’t want her as a sister.
“Mastema.”
I called out to her, and the dazed Mastema, who had been sucking on her candy, came over.
“What is it? I’m not really in the mood to do anything right now.”
“At least greet your classmates. You’ll be studying with them for a few years.”
“Hmm… I’m Mastema Orbst. Nice to meet you, human.”
Clogus seemed momentarily bewildered by the contrast between her beauty and her blunt attitude, but his curiosity seemed to win out, and he kept trying to talk to her.
Mastema was listening, but it was clear that everything he said was going in one ear and out the other.
A few more people entered the room. The last one to come in was that girl who bumped into me before.
Her name was… Lulise, I think.
“Oh, it’s you from that time!”
Her voice was so loud that Clogus jumped in surprise. After glancing around at everyone, he went back to talking to Mastema.
He’s got guts, but it’s better if he stays away from Mastema.
“You passed the exam too! Congratulations! I did as well!”
The lively girl with orange hair spoke loudly, attracting even more attention from those around us. I put both hands up to calm her down.
“Whoa, whoa, calm down.”
“Oh, sorry! I was too loud again… but I’m so glad to see someone I know!”
She finally lowered her voice to a normal volume. She continued talking to me relentlessly, and since I had nothing else to do, I humored her while nodding along.
After a while, a new instructor, not the one with the afro, entered the room.
“The exam is over. You lot are the lower class. Follow me.”
With that, the instructor headed deeper into the building, and everyone followed.
The students in this lower class, based on appearances alone, all seemed like they had their own quirks.
This could be interesting. After becoming the empire’s strongest adventurer, now I start from the bottom as a magic apprentice in this magic nation.
“Mastema, let’s go.”
“Yeah. But…”
“What is it?”
Mastema looked up at the sky. All that was above us was a lead-colored sky, and it seemed like it would rain soon.
“No, it’s nothing. I just thought I smelled something familiar, but it’s probably just my imagination.”
“I see.”
The image of the magic train and its bird familiars came to mind. While I have to focus on my life as a mage here, there are some things about this country that are concerning.
I should make note of Mastema’s strange feelings as well.
Man, it feels like my list of things to do just keeps growing.
“Hurry up, we’ll get in trouble if we’re late! Let’s go, Ahavain-san!”
Lulise gave me a shove from behind. I had at least told her my name.
“All right, all right, stop pushing.”
With Mastema, Lulise, Clogus, and me, we followed the instructor.
The instructor likely had a lot of combat experience. The way he carried himself showed that he was prepared for surprise attacks.
I could tell just by the way he walked.
Of course, if I went all out, I could take him down easily, but defeating a mage as a warrior in this place wouldn’t mean anything.
Someday, I want to defeat him as a mage.
