Chapter 4

Today is the enrollment ceremony for the prestigious and formal Royal Third Magic Academy. Approximately 500 students and all faculty members, including part-time staff, gathered in the grand auditorium at the center of the campus.

(Well, I wonder if there are any new students suitable for my student council...)

(Hmm, that girl over there... Could she be the daughter of the renowned artificer family, the Arnolds? My, how much she has grown in such a short time. I would love to have her in my laboratory!)

(Oh... Oh my! Could that child be a descendant of the Roses!? The rumored "Covenant of the Cursed Serpent," I would love to investigate it with my own hands!)

(The "Child of the Equator" Dronbalto, the "Qilin of the Divine Art" Juran, the "Outstanding Talent of the Holy King Academy" Gaius. Ho ho ho, this generation is a rare bountiful harvest in recent years! I can't help but be dazzled by all of them!)

The upperclassmen and faculty members were all busy "evaluating" the new students.

Some were doing so to publish excellent magic theses and secure professorships.

Others were doing so to recruit strong magicians to their departments and achieve national championships.

Still others were doing so to propose entirely new magic theories and make a name for themselves in the magic world.

To achieve their respective ambitions, securing promising magicians was essential.

This enrollment ceremony was not only a celebration for the new students but also a stage for fierce headhunting.

Amid the many magicians carefully observing the young newcomers—those who gathered the most attention were the top students who had passed the rigorous entrance exams with the highest scores, the "representatives of the new students."

Receiving the gaze of the entire campus, the one reading the speech on the podium was—

"Th-th-this concludes my speech. T-the new student representative, Eren."

Eren was extremely nervous.

(Oh, why did I have to do this...)

About a week earlier—

Eren, Hermes, and a few other servants were enjoying a graceful breakfast when—

"O-Oh no! They're here! They're finally here! Eren-sama's 'admission results' have arrived!"

Titta, who had been cleaning the main gate, rushed into the dining room in a panic.

In her hand was a thick brown envelope with the seal of the Royal Third Magic Academy.

A great tension ran through the pleasant lunch.

"S-So, I'll open it...?"

As everyone held their breath, Eren gently opened the envelope.

Inside was a notification that read "Admitted."

"Y-Yes...!"

As he let out a cry of joy, warm applause followed.

"Congratulations. You really did a great job in this short period, Eren."

"Of course, Eren-sama. To get into the Royal in just a month, that's amazing! No one can do that!"

"Congratulations on your admission."

"Given that you are my student, this is a natural result."

Hermes, Titta, Rin, and Char each offered their congratulations,

"Thank you!"

Eren, feeling a myriad of emotions, responded with a full smile.

(I did it, I really did it...)

For him, this was a success he had never experienced before.

Wrapped in an overwhelming sense of happiness—when the envelope containing the admission notice fell, a piece of high-quality parchment fluttered out.

"Hey, something fell..."

Titta picked it up and read aloud what was written on it.

"Let's see... 'Mr. Eren. You have achieved an exceptionally excellent score in our 100th entrance exam and have been admitted as the top student. Therefore, we would like to request that you represent the new students and give a speech at the enrollment ceremony'..."

After a moment of silence, a wave of joy erupted.

"Genius...! Eren-sama is a genius magician of the century!"

"Of course, Eren-sama. I never thought you would be the top student... I am truly impressed."

"Top student at the Royal...! Well, it's just average... I'm not at all jealous. I could easily do it too... probably."

The excited Titta, the proud Rin, and the subtly envious Char—all reacted differently to Eren's top admission.

However...

"But, me as the representative of the new students...?"

The person himself was very perplexed.

Though somewhat brighter, Eren's self-esteem was still very low due to years of living in a storage shed.

He thought it was a daunting task for someone like him to represent the prestigious magic academy.

"Eren, you shouldn't belittle yourself too much, okay?"

"B-But..."

"Don't worry too much. The Royal Third Magic Academy isn't that scary. Warm friends and kind teachers are waiting for you. Besides, being asked to give a speech as the representative of the new students is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a great honor. Why don't you take a little courage and give it a try?"

After being gently advised by Hermes, Eren thought for a while and made a decision.

"...I understand... I'll try giving the speech as the representative of the new students!"

And now—Eren was regretting that decision.

(Ah, I should have refused...)

This was because the gazes around him were much harsher than he had expected.

"A guy with no spirit like that as this year's top student...? Come on, that's a joke."

"Hmm... To be honest, I don't feel much magic power from him. Maybe it's a mistake?"

"According to rumors, this new student representative is the only 'perfect score' in the history of our entrance exams. Some teachers even suspect foul play..."

Despite the cold gazes of the upperclassmen and faculty, Eren somehow managed to complete his speech as the representative of the new students and descended from the podium, looking exhausted.

■

The enrollment ceremony ended without any issues, and the new students moved to their respective classrooms.

Students admitted to the Royal Third Magic Academy are divided into the advanced class, Class A, and the regular class, Class B, based on their entrance exam scores.

Eren, who had achieved the top score, was, of course, in the advanced class.

(Now... the classroom for Class A is at the end of the first floor of the main building, right? But before that, I might as well go to the bathroom.)

There was still time before the morning homeroom, so he went to the nearby boys' restroom to take care of his needs.

After washing his hands at the clean sink, Eren straightened his appearance in the large mirror in front of him.

(Hehe. The uniform here is pretty cool...)

The boys' uniform at the Royal Third Magic Academy consists of a maroon blazer and simple black trousers.

These are made of special fibers to withstand intense battles and are highly durable.

Moreover, they are stylish, and the boys' uniform is highly praised.

(Still, it feels so natural... Being able to hide my magic eye so easily is really amazing.)

Currently, Eren's left eye is equipped with an ultra-thin 'lens.'

This is a special magic tool created by Hermes with high-level concealment techniques, capable of hiding the most notorious magic eye from almost all detection spells.

(I've finished using the bathroom and straightened my appearance. Now... Right, I need to keep my 'promise.')

Eren recalled the promise he made with Hermes before coming to school.

1. Keep the magic eye a secret.

2. Do not reveal Hermes' surname.

3. Enjoy school life to the fullest.

With these three promises firmly in mind, he headed to the classroom of Class 1-A, where his classmates were waiting.

(My seat is... over there.)

After entering the classroom and checking the seating chart on the blackboard, he sat down at the window seat in the back of the room.

(...I'm still being watched, aren't I...)

Looking around cautiously, he saw people staring at him openly, glancing at him sideways, and sending him glares. The attention of the entire class was focused on Eren.

Naturally, this was not 'good attention.'

Rather, it was 'bad attention' mixed with hostility and ill will.

This was understandable... All the students in Class 1-A had been hailed as 'geniuses' since childhood.

Unlike Eren, who had been criticized, they had been praised and had high self-esteem, aspiring to be the top student at the Royal. However, the glory of the 'top student' was snatched away by an unknown person.

Naturally, this was not amusing.

(The 'fun school life with friends' that Hermes talked about... It's going to be tough...)

As Eren felt anxious about his future,

"---Long time no see, Eren."

A beautiful, bell-like voice sounded from behind him.

Turning around, he saw a pure white beauty standing there.

"Eh, um...?"

"Hey, don't you remember? We took Mr. Dahl's test together during the entrance exam."

"...Oh, that time."

The image of the pure white swordswoman who broke through the first test with excellent sword skills flashed in his mind.

"Did you remember? I'm Aria Fortia, nice to meet you."

Aria Fortia, fifteen years old.

Her pure white hair, which looks short from the front but is actually long when tied back, stands at 160 cm tall. She has clear cobalt blue eyes, snow-white skin, a prominent chest, a well-defined waist, and a slender figure—she is a beauty that would make a hundred people turn their heads.

She is dressed in the girls' uniform of the Royal Third Magic Academy, a red and white blazer with a calm checkered mini skirt.

"My name is Eren. Nice to meet you, Aria-san."

"Since we're the same age, just call me Aria. And no need for formal language."

"Eh, um... Okay, Aria...?"

"Yep, nice to meet you."

After a brief exchange, Aria sat down in the seat next to Eren.

"We took the same first test and are now in the same class, sitting next to each other... Hehe, what a coincidence."

"Ahaha, you're right."

"But I didn't expect Eren to be the top student."

"Yeah, I was surprised too."

As they exchanged light-hearted banter, creating a warm atmosphere, Aria leaned in and whispered in Eren's ear.

"Hey, what did you do back then?"

"Eh, what...?"

Confused by the question, Eren tilted his head.

"You know, during the entrance exam, you used 'White Path One: Flash,' right? A weak magic like that couldn't possibly break through Dahl's magic barrier. There must be something up."

"Oh, that."

Since there was no particular need to hide it, Eren decided to tell her everything that happened.

"Dahl's magic barrier was indeed very strong... But it had a 'regular wave.' After strong and weak waves alternated, there was a brief moment of nothingness. I inserted the flash during that 'moment of calm.'"

Hearing this, Aria narrowed her eyes.

"Wow... Being able to see a magic barrier, you have a very good eye."

"Eh, well... I guess."

I have to keep the magic eye a secret.

Because of the promise with Hermes, Eren quickly tried to cover it up.

However, sadly,

He was very bad at lying and covering up, being a fundamentally pure person.

As Eren's eyes darted around,

"Hey, let me take a closer look."

Aria suddenly leaned in and stared directly into his eyes.

(Good smell... No, wait, she's too close...)

Their breaths mingled, and Eren's heart beat faster than ever.

"Hmm... No reaction. This must be a 'miss,' right?"

"A-Aria, what...?"

"Ah, sorry, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

As they were having this conversation, the classroom door creaked open, and a large, well-built man waddled in.

"---Ahem, I am Dahl August. I will be the homeroom teacher for Class 1-A this year. My specialty is the White Path, particularly defensive magic. I look forward to working with all of you."

As Dahl bowed on the podium, murmurs of excitement spread through the room.

"Hey, our homeroom teacher is the 'Iron Wall Dahl'...!"

"He's a super famous person, I'm getting excited..."

The appearance of the well-known magician raised the students' motivation.

"Let's begin the morning homeroom. Since this is the first one, I will explain the rules of our academy. I know many of you are already familiar with the information, but please listen quietly."

Dahl then began to explain the general rules of the Royal Third Magic Academy.

First, the dormitory system.

The Royal Third Magic Academy is a boarding school, and all students must move into the dormitories on campus. Eren, of course, had already moved from Hermes' mansion.

Other rules included a ban on deadly duels among students, restrictions on the use of certain magic, and off-limits research laboratories, among others.

"Alright, that concludes the homeroom. For the detailed rules, please refer to the student handbook you received."

With that, Dahl clapped his hands.

"The first class is a basic magic power lecture by Mr. Keynes. Everyone, please move to the magic training ground!"

The students of Class 1-A moved to the magic training ground and lined up in front of Keynes Baker.

"---Good morning, everyone. I am Keynes Baker, the eldest son of the proud Baker family and the instructor of the basic magic power lecture at the Royal Third Magic Academy. I look forward to working with you."

Keynes Baker, 28 years old.

With his golden hair slicked back, standing at 180 cm tall, he has sharp, pointed eyes and a hawk-like nose, making him a slender and distinguished man. Dressed in luxurious clothing, he is also a noble with the title of 'Earl.'

"In my class, the ultimate goal is to improve basic magic power, which is often overlooked."

He immediately began his lecture.

"In recent years, many magicians have focused on how quickly they can deploy high-difficulty magic. However, in my opinion, this is the 'height of foolishness.' First, I will show you how beneficial improving basic magic power can be."

With a snap of his fingers, a crystal orb appeared floating in the center of the magic training ground.

"This crystal orb is a special magic tool made from processed magic crystals. When you channel magic power into it, the barrier spell embedded inside will activate, like this."

Keynes placed his left hand on the crystal orb and infused it with magic power.

Instantly, ten layers of stacked barriers appeared in front of him.

"The amount of magic power infused and the number of barriers generated are proportional. In other words, the more magic power you infuse, the more barriers will be created. ---Now, I will conduct a simple experiment using this magic tool. By observing the results, you will understand how important basic magic power is."

He looked at the students.

"For this experiment, I need a magician to be my opponent... Since it's a special occasion, let's have the representative of the new students help. ---Eren, please come forward."

"Yes."

Despite sensing a hint of malice in his words, Eren stepped forward.

"I see, so you are the rumored..."

Keynes narrowed his eyes even more and scrutinized Eren from head to toe, as if evaluating a piece of merchandise. His gaze was filled with hostility and contempt—clearly negative emotions.

This was not without reason... Keynes was the teacher who most vocally accused Eren of cheating on the entrance exam.

Keynes was a pure-blood supremacist with a strong sense of elitism, looking down on magicians who were not born into nobility as 'rats.'

The fact that such a 'rat' had achieved a 'perfect score' on the entrance exam of the prestigious and honorable Royal Third Magic Academy was something he could not accept.

No, he