Chapter 28: Villager of the Magic Academy Part 1

A year has passed since then.

-In the end.

That day, he left almost immediately afterwards as though trying to escape from something.

He said, for a reason he couldn’t share, he had to become even stronger.

Someone who was at the level of a calamity class monster, a human that had reached the level of destroying gods was saying that, it was dumbfounding.

Rather, what did he think a maiden’s heart was? The next time I meet him, I’ll give him a good slap to the face the instant I see him.

Actually, what did I even mean to him?

There’s no mistaking that we treasure each other.

I was in love with him, that much was unmistakable.

But him, I wonder what he thought of me.

Haah… I sighed.

Either way, it was a death sentence for him. He disappeared for several years, and just when I thought he was back, he immediately left again. Moreover, he returned with a woman in tow and left with her.

-I definitely won’t forgive him. Without a slap or two, I definitely won’t forgive him.

“Lu-Lute Macklen, huh? He’s only a villager while I have a special occupational aptitude. Didn’t he die in the goblin attack four years ago?”

Artena Magic Academy’s corridors.

The one who walked next to me, was my other childhood friend Moses.

With the occupation of a sage, he also held a strong occupational aptitude.

Thinking of the future, it was pretty much decided that I’d team up with him in order to subjugate monsters, including calamity-class monsters.

Moses, Lute and me.

For three exceptional people to be born that far in the countryside, I did think it was really too much, but let’s leave it be for a moment.

“I understand. I understand how unbelievable it was. The results from the capital’s investigation team make more sense, but…”

As Moses said, the knights’ squad was destroyed in the incident caused by Amanta.

And the only survivor was me, like with the goblin incident, an investigation team was sent out.

As expected, the investigation team’s conclusion was: my powers as a hero went berserk.

“Certainly, there were traces of the evil dragon: Amanta, and there were remnants of a god-slaying power on the scene. As expected, it resembles Cordelia’s attributes as a hero, therefore, it makes more sense that you simply went berserk again.”

The goblin raid and evil dragon.

Two cases of berserking, and apparent hallucinations.

Thanks to that, I got two infamous nicknames: ‘Crazy Demoness’ and ‘Berserk Princess’.

Rather, I thought to myself.

With the goblins and with Amanta, Lute somehow pulled through it all, I wonder if all of that actually was just a hallucination.

But, b-b-but, Ah~! I really couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

While a light headache hit me, I heard cheers coming from the corridor leading to the sports arena.

When I looked, students from outside the school had gathered and were firing off spells one after another at target boards.

“What are they doing?”

In response to my question, Moses replied while pushing his glasses back up his nose using his index finger.

“Ahem, Cordelia and I, we’re part of the knights’ squad, correct? As part of our training next month, we’ll only be learning the most minimal amount required.”

“Well that’s how it is. Forget school fees, we’re getting paid quite a hefty stipend too, so we’re in a special class, right?”

“Yeah, excellent students don’t have to pay the school fees or the dorming fees, and can study at the nation’s expense. Since we’ll be useful for the kingdom in the future, it’s an investment for them. Well leaving that aside, this place is intended as a place of study.”

“… So?”

“People who pay large amounts of money to learn magic also come here.”

“I see. It’s along the lines of being an entrance exam for those people, correct?”
“Moses? Let’s… sit down for a bit.”

We sat down on a bench in the corridor.

With a suspicious expression, Moses sat down next to me.

There was a warm spring breeze.

I watched the people in the grounds firing magic at their opponents.

Most people were using basic magic. And, in a few places surrounded by cheering, intermediate magic was also being used.

From my and Moses’ perspective, even intermediate magic seemed unskilled.

However, everyone was working hard.

Keeping their eyes on hope or ambition in the future, for good or for bad, their eyes looked straight ahead.

Yeah. It wasn’t bad.

“What do you think when seeing this, Moses?”

“Hmm…”

For a moment, looking at those gathered in the grounds, Moses gave an arrogant snort.

“They’re unskilled, nothing to write home about. To begin with, they don’t possess a special occupational aptitude. They’re different from people like us, we were born as chosen ones. No matter how hard they work, they’ll probably never make it beyond a C-rank adventurer.”

As expected, I couldn’t entrust my back to him in combat.

He is certainly excellent, however, he was the type that’d be the first to run away in an emergency.

Well, let’s drop it since it was a story for the far future.

“Is that so? Aptitude since being born, certainly that could create a despair-inducing gap, but…”

“But…?”

“Is that all there is to it? Can one really not turn the tables with experience and hardwork?”

“Cordelia, you say some strange things.”

“Hmm. Is it strange? The first Emperor of the Seeds Empire which controls 40% of the continent, when you go back twenty generations wasn’t he just a slave swordsman? His occupation might have had sword-wielding, but he went from being a slave all the way to forming his own Empire. Seems a bit out of the question based on your words, doesn’t it?”

Moses shrugged as though he couldn’t be bothered to talk back.

Once again, I turned towards the students taking the test.

-And, I froze up.

I opened and closed my mouth again and again and again like a gold-fish.

Noticing my weird expressions, Moses made a curious expression.

“What happened, Cordelia?”

“I-i-i-i…”

“…I?”

“…Is here.”

“Is here… What is here?”

I suddenly got up, and before I knew it, I was running towards the grounds.

And without even turning around to face Moses, I told him.

“He’s here, among them… Lute Macklen!”