Chapter 73
“Team Leader. So when is she coming? It's already mid-August!”
“...She's really coming, right?”
The complaints from my subordinates poured in.
But Park Hyun-young also had something to say.
“No, there hasn't been a sign of her even entering the Baekho Guild lodgings! How can a person live for a month without a home?”
“Isn't she hopping around places like jjimjilbangs? No, is she even in the north of Korea?”
“The Tower usage records were only logged in the north, and there isn't even a Tower in the south to begin with.”
“That is true, but...”
“There's also no sign that she met Hunter Isera...”
With this going on and on, Park Hyun-young was on the verge of going crazy.
No trace of Yumia could be found anywhere in Korea.
But there was no sign she'd gone out either.
“Just where the hell is sheee!!”
* * *
“Ugh...”
It really is nice to laze around during summer break.
‘I've really been pushing myself too hard until now.’
After awakening my abilities, I kept pushing myself right through the final exams.
It seemed my mana circuits had been overloaded without my realizing it.
The vague discomfort I felt whenever I used mana was completely gone.
“I have to admit it.”
“What?”
“Reinhart with air conditioning is a truly great place.”
You get three meals a day, your room gets cleaned regularly, and there are all kinds of facilities, including the training grounds and the library.
But there aren't any modern comforts here, so...
“I'm bored. I want to play a game.”
Of course, that didn't mean I'd run out into the modern world to buy a game console.
“What's that?”
“A giant monster combat simulator.”
In other words, an RPG.
“T-there's something that amazing on Earth!?”
Teasing Aris, I opened the handout.
It listed the courses we'd take in the second semester and the things first-years could start doing from second semester on.
Hmm.
There's an exchange event with Lunaris Knight School in the second semester.
And there were all kinds of events.
A tournament, a visit from the Imperial Mage Corps, and so on.
The second semester might be more event-focused than class-focused.
Of course, the classes themselves also seemed to get harder.
Basic Defense Magic, Potion Studies 2, Mage Studies, Magic Circle Studies, Magic Logic...
There were an absurd number of subjects.
Of course, students with excellent homework were exempt from Basic Defense Magic.
For Basic Magic class and the final exam, students who couldn't use defense magic had to bring Protectors.
“Thanks to that, this time should be a bit easier.”
“There were quite a few Basic Magic classes, but this semester would be a bit more relaxed!”
Whether there'd really be that much breathing room remained to be seen.
“And what's this?”
[Students will choose their department at the end of the semester.]
“Ah, that's the department selection you do starting in second year!”
Potion Department, Magic Department, Combat Department.
There were three departments, and classes seemed to become quite specialized from there.
“Yumia's aiming for the Combat Department, right?”
“I probably would... wait.”
The department head is Karnarov.
I have a feeling the head of the Potion Department is probably Isabel.
“I guess I'll go for the Magic Department.”
“...Huh?”
“By the way.”
Linia, who had been sleeping in the corner, spoke up after waking.
“I wonder if you can even get into another department~?”
“What are you talking about, Linia?”
Don't say anything that scary.
That just makes me nervous.
“Your wand and potion set are way better than the ones I got, you know?”
I remembered the faces of the people who gave me potion sets and wands for free.
Come to think of it, Karnarov, Isabel, and the other professors were all clearly the kind of people who knew how to weigh profit and loss.
A chill ran down my spine.
* * *
The classroom after such a long time was noisy and bustling.
Of course, I wasn't actually there.
I mean, I'm just saying it seemed like it would be noisy.
Thinking that, I was running almost as if I were flying.
This is when wind-riding really comes in handy.
“The top student is late. I have no choice but to dock attendance points...”
“I'm hereee!!”
I came in in a drop-kick pose and made a hero landing.
Just before Karnarov could dock my points, I barely managed to get in through the window.
“Take your seat.”
I hurried to my seat and sat down.
“Where were you?”
“On a tree at the entrance to the East Forest.”
“That tree isn't even as tall as the dormitory!??”
It's nice, though, because the mages on watch can't find me.
If I sleep in the East Forest, the staff keep chasing me off, saying I can't sleep there.
“The sunlight was just too warm.”
Lately it's gotten cool and the humidity's been just right, so I've been enjoying pleasantly dry days.
Thanks to that, there've been quite a few days when I'd leave the stuffy dorm and sleep in the East Forest.
“As long as you don't get hurt, I suppose...”
Since Aris knew I could handle it, she didn't say anything else.
And so I sat in the front row that Aris had saved for me.
“Now then, everyone. The second semester has begun. That's certainly a good thing.”
“It seems like only the professor is excited... eek!!”
With a smack, something came down on my head.
I got hit just for adding a needless comment.
He didn't even use his wand.
I clutched my head and looked at Karnarov with a resentful face, but he neatly ignored me.
“You've laid the groundwork in mathematics up to now. There were some disappointing parts in the exam, but overall I think it was a very satisfactory result.”
Sat?isfied.
I think an 18-hour open-book exam is seriously insane, Professor.
“Therefore, in this Magic Circle Studies course, we'll practice applying that theory to magic circles.”
Still, maybe I could cheese my way through thanks to having already solved the practice problems Karnarov gave us?
That's what I thought, though.
“Also, starting this semester, everyone will be required to buy Magic Circle Studies, 8th Edition, co-authored by the Imperial Mage Corps.”
“Huh?”
In the first semester, the book wasn't even thick, so they handed it out, but starting this semester we'd apparently have to buy it from the school market.
Come to think of it.
I only have the 3rd edition, though?
You want me to solve all these problems again?
One advanced problem takes three hours to solve, you know?
‘I'll curse you... Karnarov...’
“Then, let us begin class.”
That class once again devastated the students without fail.
Who the hell teaches a class during orientation?
“Wow... it seems much harder than last semester!”
“Sigh... let's just eat.”
Of course, Karnarov knew the students couldn't follow it.
That's why he assigned homework that was absolutely brutal.
“Now I see why third-years taking the magic combat exam are so skilled...”
Even the lower-ranked ones could use most basic magic or spell jamming.
So that was why they were getting ground down under this kind of thing.
“I agree.”
Linia also let out a long sigh and said.
We instinctively headed for the student cafeteria and piled bread and meat onto our trays.
Then we talked about the schedule for the afternoon.
“I'm looking forward to today's event!”
[Conversation with a Senior]
Until first semester, there weren't many opportunities to interact with seniors, but from the second semester on, there would supposedly be plenty.
This was the start of that.
“But what kind of event is this?”
“Huh? It's an event where you can interact with seniors, isn't it?”
So it wasn't an event where you could have sword-and-magic conversations with arrogant seniors?
I'd been polishing my wand in anticipation of that!
I didn't know that.
“Hmm... can't I just sleep in the dorm?”
“They say first-years are required to participate... and more importantly, I heard it's better to join because you can get a lot of help from seniors.”
You can ask about problems you don't know, and seniors can also give you job leads.
“Then it's not bad. I guess I'll go...”
After we finished eating, we headed for the auditorium, the venue for the exchange event.
We ran into Robert, who was straining under something he was carrying.
“Robert? What are you doing?”
“I'm wrapping gifts to give the seniors.”
“What?”
“This event is an official chance to get acquainted with the seniors, after all. I can't just do it carelessly.”
“You're diligent.”
“Wait, could you help me with this...”
Robert was struggling to untie the twine binding the items.
He reached out to ask for my help, but.
“Good luck.”
I cleanly ignored him and headed for the auditorium.
Maybe I should prepare a gift too.
I guess I'll just take out a notebook from my inventory.
“They say a few third-year seniors will be coming in... ugh, I'm nervous!”
“...Third-years?”
I don't really know much about third-years.
I think I saw them during the last exam, but I can't remember them well.
The event was set up as one-on-one conversations with third-years at booths.
And when the time came, they'd rotate.
Once all the scheduled third-year visits were over, the first-years just had to wait for a return visit from whichever third-years they liked.
It seemed like an event for getting acquainted that way.
“Ugh, I'm nervous.”
“It's fine. According to my older brother, you'll end up getting close with at least one or two seniors.”
“Will the seniors like me?”
I could hear the voices of first-years lining up and entering the booths.
I was guided by a faculty member and entered a booth as well.
It was certainly an interesting event.
Of course, whether the third-years would like me was another matter.
And who knows.
Maybe I should try getting friendly with the seniors!
I got free meals and picked up all sorts of information even in college.
And then the first visitor arrived.
He was someone who looked like he'd put quite a lot of effort into his appearance.
A noble, maybe.
“Greetings. This is Raul of House Lorentz...”
“Hello.”
“Uh, uh, uhh!?”
“Huh.”
But then he got startled all on his own just by looking at me.
As if he'd seen someone he wasn't supposed to see.
“You weren't the proctor for the third-year exam...?”
...What are you talking about?
“You know me?”