But he couldn’t help but squeeze his fists from the joy he felt welling up in his chest.
“So that means…I…I can become a wizard after all?!” Rix exclaimed, looking hopeful and joyous.
And then:
“No, I believe that will be impossible!”
“Of course it’s impossible, you foolish boy.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna happen…”
Headmaster Jake, Darwin, and Crawford responded simultaneously, and Rix’s face went blank in shock.
“In the strict definition, an Ego is not a mage! They are a regular human!”
“And no matter how you look at it, an Ego will never be able to use magic,” Darwin added. “In the end, they can only use techniques that may seem magical. But of course, in a battle between mages, you must accept that you are basically powerless. Especially if you don’t want to have a repeat of your fight against Gordon.”
“Furthermore, you have to take an exam in order to become a Rank Four Estoria Certified Mage…and I don’t think there’s any way you’ll be able to pass,” said Crawford.
Rix’s mouth gaped as Jake walked over and patted him on the shoulder.
“But do not lose heart!” the headmaster urged. “The academy regards a rare existence like yours as very important! At present, your powers as an Ego are still immature, and there is a danger that your entire inner self could collapse should you use those powers carelessly…hence we will be sure to assign an expert instructor to help you, as well as study you! We’ll aim to have you using your powers as an Ego as freely as the Dawn Swordsman himself someday! So please, there is no need to be pessimistic!
“Even if you cannot become a mage, you will have a number of promising possibilities open to you in your future! That’s right… For example, mercenary, career soldier, adventurer, monster hunter, bounty hunter, magic hunter… The possibilities would be endless as a career combat specialist…”
“Nooooooooooo!!”
Rix’s scream of despair rang out in the headmaster’s office.
“Well, in any case, that’s great you’ll be able to stay at the academy,” Randy said to Rix.
On their way to their next class, Randy patted Rix on the shoulder. The boy was slouched over in a gloom.
“I’ll show them… I’ll definitely become a mage… I will become a mage… I will become a mage… I will become a mage…,” Rix grumbled. “I’ll become the best mage who can’t use magic…! I will…!”
“All right, now… Let’s leave thinking about the future for some other time.”
“Yes, that’s right!”
Randy and Serephina nodded, looking slightly stunned.
“Besides,” Serephina added, “I’ve already lined up a perfect job for you after you graduate! You’ll become my—”
“No way.”
“At least let me finish what I was saying!” Serephina started tearing up.
“Ah-ha-ha, but thank goodness! It seems like we’ll be able to spend our days at the academy together with Rix after all!” Annie said with a warm smile. “Let’s all do our best together, Rix.”
“Yeah, count me in, too.”
Then…
“Hmph. You’re all awfully optimistic. The way I see it, this man is nothing but trouble, through and through. He’s got bad luck written all over him. Though I’m not one to talk.”
Shino, who was walking at the back of the group, offered a cold remark while keeping her signature expressionless look.
Rix slowed down until he was next to her.
“That reminds me… You’ll be staying at the academy, too, then?” he asked Shino.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No… I was just a little worried that you might quit, so it’s a relief.”
“…Hmph.”
It had come out that Shino was the reincarnation of the Dusk Demon.
After talking it over, Rix and the others decided to hide that fact from the rest of the academy.
“For some reason, Shino was targeted by the Faith Faction.”
“Maybe it was because they were after her special hidden powers that led to her being selected as a scholarship student?”
They decided to leave it at that and simply ask the academy to strengthen the security around Shino for her personal safety.
After all, the Dusk Demon, the strongest mage in history, was infamous.
There was no way to predict how the academy would react to the present Shino after finding out the truth.
Of course, Rix and the others didn’t care because she was their friend, but they didn’t know what the other students would think about Shino when they found out, either.
For now, it seemed the best course of action to keep it a secret.
“I guess that makes us birds of a feather—a pair of troublemakers! Let’s both do our best!” Rix exclaimed.
“…”
Shino let the remark pass in silence. She didn’t even bother to look at Rix.
She was cold as ever, and Rix awkwardly scratched his head as usual.
“Never try something like that ever again,” Shino suddenly whispered to him.
“Shino?”
“I’m saying don’t go giving me hope, then try to go off and die all on your own. Frankly, it’s disgusting when a person is so obsessed with saving others but doesn’t care about their own well-being. Next time you try something so gross, I’ll feed you to the Great Beings.”
After delivering this lecture, Shino quickly turned away. But Rix could see that her cheeks and ears were taking on a faint red blush.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll engrave that on my disgusting heart. In the grossest way possible.”
“Ugh…”
With this exchange, the group kept walking toward their destination until eventually, the bell signaling the start of the next class period tolled.
Meanwhile, atop the wall surrounding the academy…
“So this is Estoria Academy of Magic, huh?”
A solitary girl stood and looked down at the castle-like school grounds.
That was suspicious in itself. Very suspicious. In every respect, she was suspicious.
Her small frame was hidden under a cloak and hood from head to toe. She had belts wrapped around her shoulders, arms, and waist, and she carried a huge battle-ax on her back.
It was like she was going out of her way to look suspicious.
She could have at least tried a little harder to hide the whole brutal killer look.
With her sharp gaze peeking out from the gap in her hood, the suspicious girl spoke again.
“Rix, my brother…I never thought you’d be so crafty as to fake your own death just to get out of the corps… ‘Welcome those who come our way, but chase those who try to leave to the ends of hell’… Don’t try to tell me you forgot our ironclad code.” Then she said, “Brother, you know the bloody battlefield is your true calling. I’ll do whatever it takes…to bring you back with me!”