Chapter 4

"Here we are."

It's impressive.

If I had seen this first, I would have thought, "What kind of school has such a grand dormitory?"

But.

Thanks to seeing the school building and the grounds first, I didn't end up thinking that. ...Am I already being influenced by the standards of this school?

"Hey, you need your student ID here too."

In front of the dormitory gate. A machine with vertical grooves is embedded in the wall right next to the door. It seems that this door doesn't open by pushing or pulling; it requires a card to be swiped.

...Is there really a guard at this school?

With that doubt in mind, I slip through the door and enter.

"Having an entrance for the dormitory is a bit odd, isn't it?"

Inside is a spacious entrance. At the back, there's a lounge... or maybe that's not the right term since it's not a room. Anyway, it's a free area with several sofas, tables, and TVs, and a few students are loitering there.

One of them turns to look at me. For a moment, he shows a look of surprise. ...What? It's not like I know him or anything. After a brief conversation with his friends, all three of them start walking towards me.

"Hey, nice to meet you. Kana."

"...That's what I thought."

The greeting relaxes me. It seems I'm not an old acquaintance.

"I'm Honjo Masato from 2-A. Just call me Masato."

"Likewise, I'm Kusunoki Tōru. Just Tōru."

"Same, I'm Sugimura Shūhei. Just Shūhei, please."

"I'm Nakajo Seiya. Likewise, Seiya. I'll be attending here from tomorrow. Nice to meet you."

"Sure enough, you're the transfer student!!"

Masato exclaims with a delighted look on his face.

"Great, you're the first one here!!"

"Does it really matter who's first?"

Tōru mutters in a somewhat exasperated tone, trying to calm down the excited Masato. Shūhei interjects to mediate.

"Well, in any case, we were the first to meet you, right? After all, this is the entrance to the dormitory. Seiya, did you meet anyone else on your way here?"

"No, if I did, it was just the guard."

"See? You're the first!!"

"I'm not denying being first... but, whatever."

Masato's assertion makes Tōru sound resigned.

"So, what's your room number?"

"Hmm? Oh, 405."

"That's next to mine."

Shūhei speaks up.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'll show you."

"Thanks."

I bow to Shūhei.

"You guys go to the cafeteria first. I'll be there soon. Seiya, you too, right?"

While saying this to Masato and Tōru, Shūhei looks at me.

"...Is it that time already?"

Looking outside the glass wall, the sun is already setting, and the surroundings are starting to turn red.

...I didn't even notice.

"Alright, let's go then."

"Yeah, see you."

I start walking, following Shūhei's lead.

"Come on, hurry up~"

The cafeteria and my room are on opposite sides. Tōru and Masato leave, and Shūhei and I head to the room. We go up the stairs to the fourth floor. Room 405 is on the fourth floor. We arrive at the room sooner than expected.

"You're pretty strong and fit, huh?"

"Hmm?"

"You're carrying a suitcase, but you're walking at the same speed as a normal person. And you don't even seem out of breath."

"Yeah, I'm pretty confident in my physical strength."

Working under that master, I couldn't help but build up my strength. We stop in front of the room number 405.

"Alright, I'll wait here. Check the room, and then let's go to dinner. You can unpack later, right?"

"Thanks. I'll just take a look."

I thank Shūhei, who leans against the wall, and open the door with my student ID.

"Wow, it's clean and spacious."

There's a small TV and a refrigerator. There's a large bath, and it seems there are no issues with the living arrangements.

Suddenly, my eyes catch something on the desk.

"What's this?"

There's a neatly folded school uniform and textbooks.

And.

"An envelope?"

There's an envelope. The sender is:

'Linali Evans'

It's the name of my master.

Still, it feels like there's something solid inside. I turn the envelope upside down, and the contents fall into my palm.

"...A 500-yen coin?"

There's nothing else inside. I check the envelope just in case, but the result is the same. ...What's this about? What am I supposed to do with this one coin?

"Whatever."

Thinking about it won't get me anywhere. It's not like this is the first time I've been puzzled by my master's actions.

If it's something I can get, I'll just take it.

☆

When I open the door, Shūhei isn't the only one waiting.

"Huh? Why are you guys here?"

"Well, I was planning to eat in the cafeteria..."

Masato's words are picked up by Tōru.

"At least until your debut tomorrow, you should avoid being in public as much as possible. You're the rumored transfer student, after all. If you go to the cafeteria, it might cause a panic."

Tōru holds a takeout dinner in his hand.

"Then, we'll be a bother~"

"Hmm? Ah, yeah."

Masato enters without hesitation, followed by Tōru.

"Is it okay to come in?"

Shūhei asks with a wry smile, the last to speak.

"Of course."

"Got it. Then, I'll come in too."

Hearing my answer, Shūhei slips through the door. ...He's good at drawing the line between private and public. Shūhei is a considerate guy. Masato doesn't seem to think much about it.

So, what's this rumor all about?

☆

"Rumors spread, you know."

Tooru states this matter-of-factly, addressing my question.

"It's supposed to be a rare case in the history of Seiran Private Magic Academy."

"Is that so?"

"Of course."

Masato, who was eating, says this while scattering rice grains.

"This is one of the top prestigious magic high schools. The admission ratio is crazy, and the difficulty level is insane. No one usually passes the transfer exam."

"The transfer exam is even harder than the entrance exam. In a way, it's only natural."

Shūhei adds, glancing at me.

...What?

"In other words, you're considered a super elite for passing the transfer exam of this super elite school."

"What kind of word is that!?"

I've never heard of such a term for an elite.

"Also, you're not bad-looking. A perfect superhuman? That's amazing. Your eyes are a bit scary, though."

I hear that a lot. If it weren't for those eyes. But that's beside the point.

"Elite? Me?"

"Is that some new kind of insult?"

Tōru brushes off my words with a wry smile.

"If you don't deserve the term 'elite' after passing the transfer exam, there would be no elites in this school."

"There are. At least, there are two major ladies in our class."

"Oops, my bad. I misspoke."

"Huh? Hold on a second."

I stop Shūhei and Tōru, who are moving the conversation forward.

"I didn't take the transfer exam, though?"

"Huh?"

Shūhei lets out a bewildered voice.

"What do you mean?"

Tōru follows up.

"Are you an intruder!!"

"Are you kidding?"

Shūhei stops Masato's mistaken comment, not me.

"At least Seiya has his student ID, and the school has received the transfer student information. It's not a bad case, right?"

"I agree. But that's why I don't understand. So, Seiya, how did you transfer to this school? Skipping the transfer exam and transferring directly is unprecedented."

Tōru sends a puzzled look, which Shūhei and Masato share. Now, how should I explain this? Well, I'll mix in the truth and make the rest up.

"Actually, I can't use magic properly."

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Hmm?"

In order: Tōru, Masato, Shūhei.

"To be precise, I can't chant spells. The reason I was accepted here is just one: my magic capacity."

I tap my chest with my thumb. I'm not lying. My magic capacity is not just above average; it's more than a hundred times that. My master vouches for it.

"Transferring just for magic capacity... How much magic do you have?"

"...That's a valid question, but..."

Shūhei's question overwrites Masato's stunned mutter.

"What do you mean you can't chant spells? If it's a speech impediment, I can understand, but you seem to speak normally."

"Yeah, that's..."

The name escapes me. My master told me the name of the condition right after we met, years ago, and I haven't really cared about it since...

It's not just about the magic source or the magic circuit. My mind and body reject spell chanting. The sound of spells triggers a reaction, disrupting the internal balance. In such an unstable state, magic naturally can't be activated. That's the condition.

Since they don't know about it, it must be a rare condition that ordinary students wouldn't be familiar with.

"Don't ask such questions, Tōru."

"Ah, right. Sorry, Seiya. That was a bit too forward."

"Ah, no, it's fine."

Shūhei intervenes, sensing my hesitation. Tōru quickly apologizes, realizing his mistake.

I don't really mind. There are plenty of ways to get things done even without chanting.

"So, you transferred to this school to overcome this condition, right?"

"Yeah, something like that."

It's a congenital condition with no hope of a cure, but I appreciate the reason they've given. I'll go along with it. I need to contact Mr. Taisaku later.

"I see. You've had quite a tough time."

Masato muses.

"Well, there's not much we can do, but we'll support you."

"Right."

"Leave it to us!!"

Shūhei's words are echoed by Tōru and Masato.

"Thanks."

I bow sincerely.

☆

"Well, it's getting late. I should probably take my leave."

"Ah, right. It's that late already."

"Time flies when you're talking, huh?"

We chatted casually, and before we knew it, the sun had set, and the clock's short hand pointed to 9.

"We're heading to the bath now. What about you, Seiya?"

"No, I'll pass. I'll take a shower in this room. It's small, but it's fine."

Masato's offer was appreciated, but I should decline. I don't want to be swarmed by guys in the bath.

"Smart decision."

"Yeah, that's better."

Shūhei and Tōru agree with my decision.

"Got it. See you tomorrow."

"Let's go to school together. We need to go to the staff room first, right? I'll show you the way."

"Sure, 8:30 AM in the lobby, okay?"

"Got it. Thanks a lot."

"No need to be so formal. See you."

Maybe I have good luck with friends. I think this as I watch the three of them leave.

"Alright."

I need to unpack my suitcase. I rummage through it.

"Hmm?"

An unfamiliar mobile phone appears.

"Whose is this? It's not the one my master used..."

This suitcase has been closed since I packed it.

I twist my neck and open it. The screen is not on the main page but stopped on an email.

I read it. It says:

'If you're reading this, it seems you've successfully infiltrated Seiran High School. However, if you're reading this outside the school grounds despite all the preparations I made, stop reading immediately and apologize. I don't want to bow to Mr. Himeyuri. Why would I have to bow to a friend's husband?

Anyway, you should know that you've been given a significant mission. Complete it successfully. Don't let a single one escape. Do what you must if necessary.

So, you won't have a place to run until the mission is complete. Pass my regards to Mr. Taisaku.

P.S.

You probably know, but I changed my phone. You probably broke yours, didn't you? This is a parting gift. I'm not registered in your contacts. I'll call you from an unknown number. It's one-way communication, so bear with it.

From your beloved master.'

...

"Phew."

I want to pat myself on the back.

I almost crushed this phone.

Messages from my master are never good, and I wouldn't mind breaking it. But if I do, I'll lose the means to contact her. If she goes into hiding, I might never get to punch her. I can't let that happen. My rationality, well done.

"Still..."

I reread the message.

'You've been given a significant mission. Complete it successfully. Don't let a single one escape.'

"Is the purpose different?"

I'm supposed to be a bodyguard, right? My job. "Do what you must if necessary." The katakana "Ya" is scary. Does it mean "exterminate"?

"Ha~"

I toss the phone and dive onto the bed. It's far more troublesome than I imagined. This is a request my master took on her own initiative. I expected something was up.

"..."

From the phrase "don't let a single one escape," it seems this isn't a solo operation. It's a group. And with a permit to kill, they're definitely not just kidnappers.

"Troublesome..."

I mutter, but a sense of excitement is gradually building inside me. I don't deny this feeling. It's not because I'm excited about fighting a group of kidnappers.

"It's been a while since I've been to school."

In America, I basically followed my master's orders and completed jobs. The magic license exam was a one-shot deal. "Oh, by the way, I reserved your exam for tomorrow." That was at midnight the day of the exam. I didn't even realize I had taken it.

"Insane, right..."

In this day and age, you can work as a magician without a high school diploma as long as you have a license. Some companies value academic credentials, but nowadays, practical skills are more important (of course, being well-rounded is still desirable). In reality, you don't need to attend school...

"But, since I'm here, I might as well enjoy it."