“Well, it wasn’t your fault. You were just counter-attacking after being challenged to a duel, that’s all,” said Miss Mitsuko to Akuto in the school infirmary.
“I didn’t actually counter-attack, though...”
“It’s just a formality. If we don’t put it like that, then you’ll be charged the cost for rebuilding the classroom. Hmm, but in truth, you don’t understand anything that happened, right?” Miss Mitsuko said, looking troubled.
Just as she said, Akuto had absolutely no idea what had happened. As he racked his brains with a perplexed expression, Miss Mitsuko continued.
“Mana fills the air, and you create effects by shaping that air. Energy is poured into the Earth from the power plant at the center of the imperial capital, and mana resonates with that energy. That’s why on the surface, mana appears to be energy... This is all common magic knowledge, correct?”
Akuto already knew that much.
“But there’s more that you don’t know about mana and energy. After all, that’s what you came to this academy to study. You see, mana can be stored inside the bodies of living things, and energy can be extracted from them. It’s pure calorie consumption, essentially. The amount of mana stored differs from person to person. The more mana in your body, the easier it is to produce a large effect, even if it’s based on the mana present in the atmosphere. A person’s will is conveyed from the electricity in their brain. That electricity manipulates the mana in a person’s body, and resounds with the mana outside their body. This is the composition of magic. This is also the reason people have different levels of magic ability. The true indicators of magical ability are a strong will that is capable of managing the electricity in the brain and the amount of mana stored in one’s body. This information isn’t kept secret, but most ordinary people go their whole lives without knowing this.”
“Then, that means I caused that explosion?”
“You catch on quick, huh. That wooden sword collects mana to increases its durability, but you gathered too much mana and it discharged with an explosion.”
“So basically, I manipulated a non-standard amount of mana... An amount that a wooden sword used for martial arts couldn’t handle, is what you’re saying?
“That’s it. Incidentally, I also have to include that you destroyed my mana field. I’m not a teacher here just for show you know. In the past, people have said I have abilities only found in a person every ten years... It’s unbelievable that I would be bested by a student... Oh well, it’s in the past. You’re quite an unusual case.” Miss Mitsuko’s forced and hollow laughter didn’t even come close to sounding natural. It seemed that Akuto truly did hold an impossible amount of power inside of him.
“It’s a miracle that no one was injured. Somehow, it appears that you managed to unconsciously control the release of your energy, but...”
“But the next time things might not go so smoothly, is what you’re saying?” Akuto followed his words with a heavy sigh.
“That’s right. Our students quarrel a lot, too... So, I’m saying that we don’t know what will happen if you get into a fight.”
“Telling you that I won’t fight anyone probably isn’t enough of a guarantee, is it?” Even if Akuto didn’t want to fight anyone, there would definitely be students who would try to attack him anyway. Particularly, Junko. Akuto felt dejected.
“That’s not going to work. We’d need you to train and learn how to control your magic power. You also need to grow as a person so you can stop provoking people...” Miss Mitsuko trailed off into silence, like she was expecting a reply from Akuto. Sensing the answer that she was waiting for, he nodded.
“I understand. Please call for an observer.” Akuto sighed. Someone could observe Akuto as a student here, just as the principal had said. His daily life would be under surveillance, but it seemed that they would also act as his bodyguard.
—Things weren’t supposed to end up like this...
Akuto let out another sigh.
According to the message that Miss Mitsuko had received, it sounded like the observer would already arrive tomorrow.
“Hmm, this might sound harsh, but until the observer arrives, be on your best behavior, okay? Until then, if anything else happens, get in touch with me immediately,” she said, then put her contact address into Akuto’s student handbook.
“Finally... Hey,” Miss Mitsuko added on, her eyes suddenly sparkling. “I was wondering if you’d sign a contract with me now, so I can have your body after your death?”
“Absolutely not.”
○
Breathing a sigh of relief, Akuto returned to the dorm. But now, even the dorm had stopped being a place where he could relax. As soon as he entered, Hiroshi ran up to him and greeted him by bowing so low that it seemed like he was going to lick Akuto’s shoes.
“Wai— Wait a sec, Miwa—”
“That’s no good, boss! Please, call me Hiroshi!” Hiroshi voluntarily acted as Akuto’s herald as he showed him into the dorm.
“Out of the way! Make way for the future Demon King!” Hiroshi threatened the onlooking students in the dorm.
—I need to do something about this guy...
“Hey, can you cut that out?” Akuto said, and Hiroshi turned around as if he was deeply shocked.
“B-But boss, why?!”
“What are you trying to do, make everyone scared of me?”
“I-I see! I thought you wanted to rule through fear, but I was wrong, wasn’t I?! I shoulda known! You’re intending on gradually gaining control of the students’ hearts, then!”
—Even if that was true, why the heck would you say that in front of everyone?
“Uh, that’s not it. Anyway, can you stop with the special treatment?”
“I see, so you’re going to take hold of this academy from the position of a normal student, I get it!” Hiroshi’s eyes were sparkling and he was panting with excitement.