“In our order, we have a ceremony used to bond two people in friendship. We grip this short sword together and move the hand guard to make a sound.”
“That’s a good custom.”
“You think so? It means that both parties swear that if one of them betrays the other, then the other has no choice but to cut them down.”
“That’s intense. I like it.”
Akuto and Junko brought their hands together and gripped the short sword. Junko grabbed the hilt with her other hand, and when she moved it up and then down, a dry noise rose from the hand guard.
“This is the most basic friendship seal, but you’re the first man I’ve made one with,” Junko said.
“It is an honor. This is also my first time meeting someone like you. You seem like a truly noble person,” Akuto replied, speaking from his heart.
“You’ll make me self-conscious, praising me like that. There haven’t been many serious students at the Academy recently, and a lot of them laugh when you go on about justice or helping others. We understand one another because we aren’t like that, I think.”
“Irresponsible students, huh...”
“It’s due to the school’s tradition of student freedom, really. That in itself isn’t bad, as it gives you the opportunity to gain useful experience for the future. But that also means that there are students who go around fighting monsters in the underground or the forest, and try to justify it by claiming it’s a necessary part of school life. They cite ‘real life experience’ as an excuse for messing around with their magic. All of the class presidents, including myself, have a tough time. We have to supervise the dorms, as well. The only time we can have peace of mind is during long vacations.”
Akuto flashed a teasing smile at the tired-looking Junko.
“And that’s why you left all your things behind?”
“Stupid, don’t make fun of me,” Junko said flatly, her face turning red. But she suddenly started to fidget and looked up at Akuto.
“That... That’s a secret... Don’t tell people at school... Okay? They know me as a strict class president.”
“Of course. I won’t do anything to betray you, right?”
The air bus landed on the roof of the main school building. Stepping off the bus, they felt blades of grass under their feet. The entirety of the vast rooftop was green, and it appeared that the area the air bus landed on was also used as a resting area and an athletics field. You could see the entrance down into the school building at the edge of the open rooftop area. It was a large gate with a bird and cherry blossom design on it.
“There are a lot of students who fly here and land on the roof. That’s why they also put a main entrance here.” Junko pointed out the gate. “Since no one else is around, I’ll be the first to welcome you to Constant Magic Academy.”
○
They walked through the blowing wind and into the school. As the sound of his shoes echoed loudly on the stone staircase, Akuto was thrilled.
“You have to head to the infirmary first, right? I’m going to my classroom, so this is goodbye for now. Even if we end up in different classes, get in touch with me tomorrow,” Junko said, taking her school handbook out of her pocket.
“Once you get your student handbook, if you open up the back page, you can bring up the Mana Communication console. You’ll have to get the hang of telepathic communication, but that shouldn’t take long. Just search for my name.”
The last page of the handbook was completely blacked out, but when Junko stroked it with her finger, shining letters appeared on the page. When she flicked the characters with her finger, a contact list floated into view.
“Once you get used to it, you can operate this just by using your mind. But if you aren’t careful, the mana will get agitated and there is a chance someone could eavesdrop on your conversation. Well, see you later!” After this simple explanation, Junko continued down the stairs.
—I wouldn’t call it love, but she’s a comfortable person to be around. It’s like all my hard work has finally paid off. This is the first time I’ve felt like my words have been understood by someone else, and it’s the first time I’ve formed an equal bond of friendship with someone. Finally, the wind has begun to blow my way.
Akuto thought as he continued on the route marked for transfer students. He soon arrived in front of the school infirmary where a crowd of students was gathered.
“Akuto Sai, correct?”
Noticing Akuto’s arrival, a woman wearing a white coat over her suit called out to him from the middle of the group of people. The information on Akuto was reflected in the woman’s big, round glasses, and she used her pen to put a check on the note in her hand.
“Right on time. With that, all of the transfer students are accounted for. My name is Mitsuko Torii. I’m the school physician. I’m a teacher too, so some of you might also have me for one of your classes in the future. For the rest of you, you’ll want to come see me when you’re not feeling well. But I suppose in that case the less you see of me the better, right?”
With a laugh, the tall, frizzy-haired Miss Mitsuko gave off an innocent and naive air. She seemed cheerful and friendly, and peacefully carefree.
“But in all seriousness, we see a lot of dangerous injuries at this school. You’ll figure it out soon enough, but compared to the outside world, this is a pretty risky and adventurous place. If you focus more on researching magic than studying, you’ll see some of the most incomprehensible things in the world here. I’m sure there’ll be times when you will want to take risks of your own, but the healing process can be an arduous one, so don’t be too reckless, okay?” Miss Mitsuko opened the school infirmary door and shuffled everyone inside.