The person who called out was an upperclassman girl.
Are there a lot of girls among magicians?
As I was thinking about trivial things, Noel, who was called, responded.
“Who might you be?”
“Oh, pardon me. I haven’t introduced myself yet.
I’m Sena Easton, a fourth-year from the elite class. Just call me Sena.”
“Uh, well, then, Sena-senpai.”
When Noel said that, Sena nodded in approval.
“Please don’t think that all upperclassmen are like that lot.
Most of us are seriously committed to studying and practical training.”
“That’s good to hear. If that’s all, we would like to return to class.”
“Oh, you’re pretty cool, huh? No, I came to scout you since I spotted a promising new student. Just hear me out, okay? By the way, are these people your friends?”
As she said this, Sena looked at the four of us.
When she saw Mastema, her eyes widened.
It was only for a moment, and she quickly regained her composure, but I wasn’t fooled.
“They’re like family to me.”
“I see. I’m part of the Hell Research Society. The name might sound a bit odd, but we’ve been getting good results lately. Would you like to join?”
Noel glanced briefly at me and Mastema before shaking her head.
“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll have to decline for now.”
“Is that so? A shame. Well, if you ever need help, don’t hesitate to consult me. I’d be happy to assist as a senior.”
With that, Sena left, casting one final sharp look at Mastema.
She definitely realized that Mastema is a demon.
“That girl, she’s kind of creepy. She was staring at me the entire time.”
Mastema complained to me.
So that’s the rumored group, huh?
They try to stay calm, but their eyes are unsettling. I don’t want to get too close to them.
“You refused them; was that okay?”
“It’s fine. We didn’t come here to get involved in factional disputes.”
I told Noel.
We’re here to study.
We paid money and dedicated our time for this purpose.
I don’t have time to deal with meaningless matters.
I’ll just brush off any trouble that comes our way.
“Mastema, I don’t think anything will happen to you, but be cautious.”
“Got it.”
Mastema said, playfully punching the air.
“Try not to kill anyone…”
“I’ll try my best.”
Mastema answered confidently, but I’m not sure where this confidence comes from.
After parting with Arnella and Noel, we returned to the junior class.
I had informed them about matters at home, so we planned to meet up later.
Noel will probably stand out because of the duel, and since Arnella is with her, they’ll likely draw attention too.
In a way, they might act as the perfect distraction.
The two of them should manage just fine as honor students.
When we returned to class, it seemed the explanation had proceeded without us.
The instructor gestured with his eyes for us to sit down quickly.
This time, the instructor was an elderly man wearing a monocle.
A skull badge was pinned to his chest.
…He’s probably involved with that group, too.
But unlike the girl from earlier, he didn’t seem to give Mastema any special attention.
I wonder if he hasn’t realized it.
The lecture included explanations about the dorms. We asked Colgus and Lulise about what we missed to fill in the gaps.
Honestly, it wasn’t anything important.
Most magicians tend to immerse themselves in their own world.
The general attitude seemed to be, as long as you don’t bother others, there’s no issue.
Things like “Don’t experiment late at night” and “Don’t secretly keep test animals.”
It’s the kind of stuff you’d assume people wouldn’t do, but clearly, someone did.
There were no classes on the first day, but instead, there was a time for self-introductions.
Every single person was eccentric to say the least.
Some were showing off silly party tricks, but a few had talents that might be useful if honed.
Lulise, for example, was skilled at magic that fixed force fields… though it’s the only thing she can do right now.
If she throws a stone and casts her magic on it, the stone keeps moving at the speed it was thrown.
However, due to a lack of magical power, the stone fell to the ground the moment it hit the target. Still, it was considered a rare magic, and she passed with that alone.
Colgus declared that he was skilled in acceleration magic.
Apparently, he accelerated a small stone so much that it pierced a target.
However, since his control is still unstable, he over-accelerated his arm when he threw the stone, and the momentum caused him to fall. That’s how his turn ended.
Then it was my turn.
The order was not by name, but by seating.
“I’m Ahavain Orbst. I used to be an adventurer, but I figured this was a good opportunity to learn magic. My specialty… is lightning.”
As I said this, I gathered purple electricity at my fingertips and displayed it.
As long as I concentrated, it wouldn’t explode like it did during the exam.
I did feel a bit bad for that instructor.
Since I was the only one who was a former adventurer and clearly older than the others, I seemed to draw a bit of attention.
Finally, it was Mastema’s turn to introduce herself.
I was slightly worried, but she should’ve picked up on some common sense by now.
“I’m Mastema Orbst. I came along because I was bored. Nice to meet you.”
She then released black flames from her thorned staff.
Ah, well, she wasn’t even trying to hide it.
Proudly, she conjured black flames from both hands and began juggling them.
The instructor cleared his throat, signaling her to stop.
Since Mastema didn’t understand the meaning of the throat-clearing, I eventually had to make her stop after the instructor did it multiple times.
Though the instructor was watching Mastema, his gaze didn’t seem to carry any meaning beyond seeing her as a troublesome student.
Even within the Hell Research Society, it seems there are different types.
After finishing what we needed to do at the magic academy on the first day, we regrouped with Noel and Arnella for the main event of the day.
It was midday, and most of the other students had gone off to play or nap.
Lulise and Colgus invited us to explore the academy with them, but we declined.
We had something important to do. Yes, the exorcism of the house we’d been given permission by the principal to live in.
Including cleaning, we didn’t have much time.
When we arrived at the house, it certainly had an ominous atmosphere, and the air felt stagnant.
It was the kind of place that would make you want to hurry away if you walked by.
“Alright, let’s go in.”
“Are… are you sure it’s safe?”
“Mastema, you go in first.”
“Fine, fine.”
Noel and Arnella were a bit spooked.
Well, they’re just normal people, so it’s no surprise they haven’t experienced places like this before.
The evil spirits and cursed ghosts inside would probably require a high-level adventurer to handle.
But if we had Renatishia, the Saint of Healing, she could deal with it with just a prayer, and if Kasugal were here, he could burn it away with his holy fire.
I could also deal with it easily using the Sky Sword, but I’m curious to see what happens when Mastema goes in.
The Sky Sword, by the way, hasn’t responded at all—maybe it’s sulking.
Mastema unlocked the door and went inside.
Standing in the entrance was a woman whose entire body was twisted.
Noel and Arnella were so shocked they couldn’t even scream.
I instinctively gripped the Sky Sword.
But Mastema, without a care, walked in and started glaring at the twisted woman’s face from below.
Apparently, she was challenging her.
The twisted woman, met with Mastema’s glare, slowly backed away.
“Heh, I win.”
It seems she won. I don’t really get it.
She flashed a peace sign at us.
Noel and Arnella clung tightly to me, making it hard to move. They smelled nice, and their soft bodies pressed against me, so there was that.
“Get out of my house!” Mastema shouted as she entered the home, driving away the ominous aura that had almost formed a curse.
It looked like it physically moved away.
As if that were possible.
