By the time we’d finished speaking, all of her papers were back in place.
“Alice and Lloyd will have their rank duel soon. If you wish to advance your own rank, I suggest you attend.”
“O-okay.”
“Well then, I will be leaving. Keep your teacher-scaring to a minimum, Abel.”
“I didn’t mean to…!”
I kept protesting this unfair assumption, but Instructor Freya just walked away.
How do I put this… She really is a bit intimidating, but I don’t think she’s a bad person.
3
UPON ENTERING THE HEADMASTER’S OFFICE, one’s eye was immediately drawn to two paintings which stood in stark contrast to each other. The first depicted a group of happy people enveloped in the soft light of compassion, while the second displayed a scene of misery, full of murky figures suffering in darkness. The office was not particularly luxurious—some would even call it plain—but there was also an undeniable refinement to the room.
“Ho, ho, has it truly already been two months since the newest batch of students arrived at our academy? ’Tis now that matters grow interesting, Brad.”
“I don’t like the look on your face, old man.”
“…If you will recall, I have asked you countless times to call me headmaster—”
“Yeah, yeah, headmaster. Jeez, there ain’t nobody else here, so who gives a damn?”
“’Twould appear the first years are attracting quite a bit of attention this year.”
“Yeah, some of ’em even have nicknames already. They’ve only had one or two rank duels, but the crowds seem to like these kids.”
“’Tis not the frequency of their duels but their quality. Of course, the true talent of these individuals entrances the people. I do not think it strange at all.”
Rank duels were public events, open to any citizen of the kingdom who wanted to attend. Because they were viewed as a form of entertainment by the people, it was only a matter of time before some particular participants rose to a sort of minor stardom. A student’s popularity might grow for many reasons—it could be their strength, their intelligence, their passion—but regardless, all the most popular students came to have nicknames of their own eventually. It was said that some of the students had already been given theirs, in fact, and that many were looking forward to their next rank duels.
Ice Queen, Alice.
Blue Flame Beast, Lloyd.
Little Thunder God, Mia.
When it came to the first years, these three in particular clearly enchanted the crowd with their incredible powers and high ranks. Even those with only a cursory knowledge of magic could see their strength—but it was not actually that trio of students which ended up drawing the most attention.
“Mwa ha, Abel the Hero, huh? Fine nickname, that.”
Brad smiled to himself quietly. There was joy and pride in his expression that he simply couldn’t contain. Abel was, after all, no longer the lowest-ranked student in the school. More than that, he was getting more attention from the crowds than any of the others.
Alice, Lloyd, and Mia were clearly exceptional—that much was indisputable fact. Aslan Magic Academy, however, was a place for those with such incredible talent for magic. Every year, there were students who stood out from the rest, absurdly powerful, and so, to an extent, the crowds were used to them.
But then there was Abel.
It was obvious to everyone watching that his inability to use elemental magic was a disadvantage. His strength was also simple to understand—a combination of his powerful physical abilities and skill with the sword. His abilities were heresy, and his personal background was far different from that of his noble-born peers. For better or for worse, there were lots of reasons for the crowd to root for Abel. He was a bit of an underdog, and they had only seen him participate in one public rank duel—a match against Hugo, with whom he shared a grudge following their encounter during the entrance exam.
Standing there alone, sword in hand as he faced Hugo’s powerful Rock magic head-on, Abel looked every bit the hero. It was that day that Abel won his first victory and his popularity skyrocketed.
“Since Abel can’t use elemental magic, I supposed we might be in a little trouble unless the boy showed us some results. ’Twas a relief to see him win in that way.”
“Ah…damn it.” Brad sighed. “I hate that you’ve gotta think about bullshit like that, headmaster.”
“Ho, ho. I’ve grown quite accustomed to it.”
“Y’sure? But heck, it ain’t all good for the kids… I do get why it happened though, this time around.”
“You speak of the transfer, yes? Hmph. There is nothing that can be done about that…’tis the way of our academy.”
Abel’s victory had caused one issue: Hugo transferred schools. Abel’s entry into Aslan Magic Academy had convinced most of the students of his strength, but there were still some who thought of him as lesser. A segment of the student body looked down on him for his inability to use elemental magic. Hugo had been one such student.
At Aslan Magic Academy, students were constantly looking up—at their lofty goals and those above who stood in their way. Looking down, on the other hand, could provide some reassurance and peace of mind. However, in some cases, it could drive one into even darker depths of despair. This was precisely why Hugo transferred out—he had fallen into a depression after being defeated by someone he considered his inferior.
“I suppose the chance remains for him to return, though that now depends on his own efforts.”
“Cold as always, eh?” Brad remarked. “You mind if I keep my eye on Abel?”
“Please do. I was right to entrust him to you.”
“Well, thanks.”
“Ho, ho. He seems to be a favorite of yours, so I shan’t take him from you, lest it causes a tantrum.”
“Huh? That ain’t it! Ain’t that I like him…I just don’t hate the kid, that’s all! I’m outta here, anyway! No more time to sit around talkin’!”
With that, Brad turned on his heel and headed for the door.
“See ya, old man.”
He slammed the door with reckless abandon on his way out.
“Ho, ho, energetic as always, that one,” the headmaster chuckled. “Ah, right, right. Today is the day I finally get to see one of Luke’s rank duels. How I look forward to his Dark magic! ♪”