Chapter 23

A few days later.

The official acceptance letter arrived at the inn where we were staying, and Iefa and I were finally allowed to enroll in the academy.

And today is the enrollment ceremony.

"Hey, Seika-kun... Isn't this skirt a bit short?"

"Umm... I don't think so, right?"

It is short.

But it's part of the uniform design...

I didn't see many in the territory, but it seems to be popular in large cities.

"From today, we'll be living in the dorms, but can I stay in the boys' dormitory?"

"I don't think so."

"What about a servant...?"

"Here, we're just students, you know."

We walked through the night campus, chatting like this.

The night in this world is bright thanks to the two moons.

But tonight, the campus was even brighter.

Faint magical lights were lit everywhere, illuminating the paths and school buildings.

I stopped.

"Iefa."

"What?"

"Are there any spirits around there?"

"Um... Ah!"

Iefa ran to the bushes.

"Bats..."

"Bats?"

"These are children of the darkness... dark attribute spirits. They're rare. Why are there so many here..."

"Probably because of this."

I parted the bushes.

There was a large magic circle drawn in bluish-white paint.

"This is..."

"Iefa. Can you take the dark spirits with you?"

"Y-Yes. One of the magic stones Seika-kun and I found had a spirit that likes dark children."

"Then that's good."

"Seika-kun, how did you know there was a magic circle here?"

"Maybe it was a hunch. I've always had a sharp intuition."

"Really? Well, what should we do with this magic circle? It feels... really bad."

"It's probably part of the academy. It's not a good idea to tamper with it without knowing what it's for."

"Right... I see."

"Come on, let's hurry to the ceremony. We still have time, but it could be bad if we get lost."

With that, I started walking.

Iefa followed behind me.

Still... it feels bad.

I completely agree.

I'm still lacking in knowledge about this magic circle, but the flow of power is probably... that.

But... somehow, I have a feeling things will turn out in my favor.

***

The venue for the enrollment ceremony was a large auditorium.

"Wow, it's so big... and there's so much food..."

There are a lot of new students. Maybe two or three hundred?

The food seems to be served on plates while standing. What a unique party.

"Hey, Seika-kun, you're already eating?"

"Iefa should eat while there's still time."

"You sound like a commoner..."

Soon, the emcee said something, and the ceremony began.

It proceeded smoothly.

"Seika-kun, are you listening? Next, it seems a girl named Ami will give a speech."

"Hmm?"

"Maybe because she was the top student."

Looking up, I saw red hair swaying on the stage.

A clear, resonant voice echoed.

"---I don't know why everyone is here today."

I put down my plate.

Ah, here it comes.

Is this good timing or bad?

I searched the vision of the few spirits I had sent out earlier.

Owls, unlike crows, have blurry images but excellent night vision.

There it is.

It's so close. Right there.

"I came to this academy just to---"

At that moment.

The wall of the auditorium was blown away with a loud noise.

Screams erupted from the audience.

A large hole was blown in the wall, with parts of it completely destroyed.

Stones fell in pieces.

White dust danced, revealing the outside.

A dark, massive shadow appeared from the hole.

It was about three times the height of a human.

A robust body covered in pitch-black fur.

Its face was a strange mix, neither cow nor goat.

"It's... a demon!"

"A Lesser Demon has appeared!!"

Students screamed.

At the same time, a group of people rushed towards the exit of the auditorium.

"Whoa!"

In the surge of people, I pulled Iefa behind a thick pillar.

We might get trampled if we stay here.

Peeking out from behind the pillar, I observed the enemy.

There were now three Lesser Demons.

It seems all the ones nearby entered the auditorium.

They look terrifying... but they're just grunts.

They swing clubs, but their movements are slow, and they're getting in each other's way.

Meanwhile, fire and ice spells started raining down on the demons.

A teacher was shouting orders, and some senior students responded.

The demons, hit by the spells, staggered and stopped moving.

But...

"This is taking too long. What are they doing?"

Why aren't they just finishing off these grunts quickly?

One of the demons, hidden behind its companions, swung its club at the students casting spells.

They were too slow. They're dead.

Just as I was about to cast a spell---

I saw red hair slip under the club.

A sword flashed.

With a sharp metallic sound, the club was deflected, and the Lesser Demon staggered back.

"Get out of the way if you can't fight!"

Ami shouted and cast a wind spell, blinding another demon. The demon's agonized scream echoed.

The tide had turned.

The humans were gaining the upper hand. It should be safe now.

Really, it's bad for my heart.

However, those monsters are strange.

Their eyes seem to be searching for prey, but their attacks are slow. The number of three seems excessive.

A feint? Or perhaps...

A probe to gauge the reaction and power of the defenders.

Whatever it is.

Where is the summoner?

I searched the vision of all the spirits I had sent out across the campus.

---There. Is that it?

"Iefa."

"S-S-S-Seika-kun, what should we do...?"

Iefa said in a trembling voice.

"T-That's a demon. I never thought a magic academy would have such a thing..."

"I'm really surprised too."

"It's so light! Ugh, I don't want to die yet..."

"Calm down. The teachers will take care of it soon. They're just grunts."

"Grunts!? They're demons!? One can wipe out an entire military unit!"

"True, there are different types of demons, and that one is supposed to be the weakest."

"But I don't think they're just grunts..."

"Listen, Iefa."

I said.

"It's best to stay hidden here for a while. The exits are dangerous with all the people. I think the demons will be defeated soon, but if anything happens, don't hesitate to use magic to escape. Got it?"

"Y-Yes."

I'll leave a few spirits here just in case.

That should be enough.

"Where are you going, Seika-kun?"

"I have something to do."

"Huh, something to do?"

"I'll come back right away if anything happens."

I slipped out from behind the pillar, out of Iefa's sight.

Then.

I swapped positions with the spirit observing the enemy.

※Spirit (Owl)

Owls have a reflective layer called a tapetum lucidum in their eyes, which allows them to use light that has already passed through the retina again. This helps them see in the dark, but it makes it difficult to focus images in bright places. Spirits function based on the specimen defined by the caster, so they generally have similar abilities to the creature they are based on.