Chapter 32 - Entrance Ceremony (1)

Moving into the dormitory took place 3 days before the entrance ceremony.

This was only for students entering Weizel. Students assigned to other dormitories had already finished moving in long ago. This was because they had students with lower grades move in first, so Acel had to receive quite a lot of attention while moving his luggage into the dormitory.

"Is that him? The one who ran around like a mad dog during the exam?"

"That's Grace. He's the mage Grace was looking for."

"Why was she looking for him?"

"Don't you know? Because he's handsome?"

Most of the gazes were quite friendly. But there were also some that weren't. Mainly new students using the Fiolen dormitory, one level below Weizel. Eyes with more wariness than curiosity. Acel detected this too, but didn't bother to react to each one.

He had no intention of doing anything unless they approached first. He didn't want to get involved in troublesome things when the entrance ceremony hadn't even been held yet. Thinking this, Acel ignored others' interest and stacked his luggage neatly in his room.

He stored the casual clothes he brought in the wardrobe and rearranged the furniture like the bed and desk to his liking. He also replaced the curtains with ones he brought from Wyheim, and converted an empty room into a research lab.

Although he didn't intend to make potions or magic tools, he put protective magic on the walls and ceiling overall since he needed to create and test magic. He placed the notebook where he usually recorded magic on the research desk, and stuck papers with spell formulas on the wall. He organized magic books on the bookshelf by type for easy selection.

Since it was better to avoid exposing magic research, he laid shadow magic on the windows. With this, no one would be able to look inside from outside unless Acel wanted them to. He nodded with satisfaction and left the research lab.

He had hoped Evelyn could come with him if possible, but unfortunately, Evelyn was going through an extremely busy period recently. She had discovered by chance that she had talent in magic engineering and started proper study.

It was the result of her efforts to find her talent shining.

It was a good thing. Acel recalled Evelyn's face saying she would show him lots of magic tools she made herself when she returned, and plopped down on the bed. At that moment, someone knocked on Acel's door.

"Are you there? I'm the head maid."

She revealed her identity before Acel could even figure it out. Acel jumped up from his seat and opened the dormitory door.

The first thing that caught his eye was black bob hair reaching her shoulders. Her face had a slightly sharp impression like a cat, and solemnity was dripping from her expression. It didn't match at all with the cute maid uniform she was wearing.

After only seeing free-spirited maids like Haley and Evelyn, seeing such a serious maid was a fresh experience.

"Pleased to meet you for the first time, Young Master Acel. I am Lacey, the head maid managing the Weizel dormitory."

She greeted him while slightly lifting her skirt. 

Acel responded with a smile, "Nice to meet you. I'm Acel."

"You don't need to be formal with me. Please feel free to speak comfortably."

Although Lacey said this, Acel let out a lukewarm hum.

The academy dormitories were divided into 4 sections for each grade level.

Weizel, where top-performing students stayed. Fiolen, for students who weren't as good but still in the upper ranks, Gale for middle ranks, and Wimble for lower ranks. The spaces where each grade stayed were different in the north, south, east, and west, but all had 4 dormitories.

Among these, Weizel was used not only by top students but also by those of noble birth. As a result, many of the maids managing the dormitory were from noble families. It was true that it was burdensome when such a person told one to speak casually first.

So Acel vaguely brushed it off and asked her business.

"I'll do so when I get used to it. By the way, what brings you here?"

"There's no big reason. I just wanted to see the new students staying in Weizel. The previous head maid I worked with used to do this."

"Did you work in another dormitory?"

"Yes. I originally worked in the 2nd year Weizel. Thanks to the principal's favor, I've been put in charge of the 1st year Weizel as head maid from this year."

In short, it meant she had been promoted. 

Is she not only of noble birth but also skilled?

"So I'm approaching my duties with a sense of responsibility. If you have anything you want to order or ask of the maids, please press the button next to the bed. If you have something to say to me, press the button twice. Ah, we can't fulfill sexual requests. The moment you demand such things, you'll be expelled immediately."

"...I had no intention of doing so."

"Is that so? But there have actually been cases where some people ordered maids to satisfy their desires, so we've been making sure to notify this since last year. Please understand," Lacey said this while slightly bowing her head. 

Acel nodded with a skeptical expression.

"Then I'll be going now. I hope you have a happy academy life."

"Yes. Take care."

She showed a soft smile to Acel who was seeing her off, then walked down the corridor with elegant steps. Since she had visited Acel's room at the end of the corridor last, she didn't visit other rooms again. She went down to the first floor and returned to the head maid's office.

Acel only entered his room when her back was no longer visible. He closed the door and sat on the bed, slightly opening the closed window.

Acel's hair fluttered in the incoming breeze. Perhaps as evidence that spring was approaching, the scent of flowers wafted strongly on the wind. The weather was clear, and the sun was moderately warm. He used to go for walks often on days like this, but without Ena who always accompanied him, he didn't feel much like it.

Thinking about Ena, he suddenly recalled what she had said just before he left for the dormitory.

— I'll be leaving Wyheim for a while. Devil worshippers have been rampant recently, so I think I need to look around a few places.

— Ah... Then when will you be back?

— I'll be back before the vacation. Or I could come visit the academy myself.

— It's not dangerous, is it?

— It's not, so don't worry. I'll write often. Send replies right away.

Ena finished speaking like that, and briefly kissed Acel's forehead. It was the maximum expression of affection towards a disciple she wouldn't see for quite a long time. Acel smiled bitterly, recalling Ena's face as she cleared her throat as if embarrassed at the time.

Sending letters could be done through the messenger bird. A metal-bodied pigeon brought from Wyheim. Acel glanced at it rolling around on the desk and closed the window.

It was just a lump of scrap metal for now without magical power injected, but it was a magic engineering machine that could quickly move to its destination the moment it drank magical power. It operated differently from magic tools.

He wanted to take it apart and look, but if he did that and broke it, he would lose the means to send letters to Ena. That had to be avoided.

I'll send one after the entrance ceremony ends... and usually send one on weekends.

About one a week should be enough. Any more than that would be inconvenient for Master, too.

Thinking this, Acel changed into his student uniform he had been given in advance.

An outfit consisting simply of black pants, shirt, tie, and black coat. He liked how simple it was.

Moreover, it even had magic applied to absorb external impacts to some extent, so it seemed it could be used as combat gear without much problem.

I guess there's no need to buy armor or helmets from the blacksmith.

Is this why there were only weapons on display at the blacksmith I stopped by to sell the dagger? 

Acel loosened his tie a bit more, hung only his coat on the hanger, and turned his thoughts.

There were 3 days left until the entrance ceremony. Until then, he was free to act as he pleased without much concern. As long as he didn't cause trouble, there wouldn't be any restrictions. Acel pondered how to use this time, then decided to visit the library in the academy.

It would be good to conduct magic research alone in the lab, but curiosity about how the academy library was structured was bubbling up. He had heard that they intentionally left untranslated ancient books for students or packed all kinds of books. As a mage, he couldn't resist.

A mage without curiosity is a corpse.

Acel recalled this saying he often heard in Wyheim as he got up.

He left the coat he had taken off hanging, not bothering to wear it. The weather wasn't that cold, so just wearing a shirt was warm enough.

The library was in the basement of the academy's main building. Acel headed straight there as soon as he left the dormitory. New students who had been assigned dormitories earlier than Acel glanced at him, but Acel's interest was already directed towards the library. Their reactions were too lukewarm to divert the attention of a mage once it was focused.

It would be good to first peruse the magic books donated by the Magic Tower, then read books related to magic engineering theory, magical power academic theory, and spell calculation organization.

There was still a mountain of things to read after that. Acel arrived at the academy's main building with an expectant smile. Entry was easily possible. The personal information of new students had already been uploaded to the academy. He could pass through lightly just by showing his face at the main entrance. Acel quickly moved his steps through the open door.

There weren't many people in the academy's main building. Only a few assistant professors and student assistants that Acel had seen running around with Plum were visible here and there.

Acel greeted them as he went down to the basement. Soon after, a wooden door welcomed him. Acel immediately opened the door and entered the library. At the same time, the characteristic paper scent of books tickled his nose.

"Oh..."

Acel let out an exclamation as he took in the view of the library. A warehouse of knowledge that didn't lose out even compared to Wyheim's public library or the Witch Association's archives was spread out here.

Dozens of bookshelves stretched high enough to reach the ceiling. Walls densely packed full of books and magic circles rotating in geometric patterns. Magic books returned to their places on their own and spirits settled here and there.

It was on a scale that even Wyheim's library couldn't match. How much time would it take to look around all of this? Acel felt his heart pounding with excitement as he began to walk through the library in earnest.

First, he gathered magic books on fire magic and ice magic and found a seat. To use ice magic more freely and smoothly, he needed to perfectly understand the theory of these two magics first.

The fire magic Acel used had completely different characteristics from general fire magic.

Fire magic handled by the Ignis Magic Tower simply used the mage's magical power as fuel. It employed a technique of preheating magical power and explosively releasing it.

On the other hand, the fire magic Acel learned could use not only the mage's magical power but also external magical power resources, sparks, temperature, and even specific concepts as fuel.

Also, unlike general fire mages whose magic weakened as the heat in their magical power decreased the more they used magic, the Witch Association's fire magic didn't weaken in power even when used to the limit. It was possible to project the same power as when the flames were strongest at the beginning.

It wasn't without drawbacks. No matter how extremely the Ignis Magic Tower's fire formula was used, it didn't greatly affect the mage. But the moment the Witch Association's fire formula was used to the extreme, it used even the mage as fuel, instantly reducing them to ashes.

It means it could lead to suicide if you're not careful.

That was why balance was important. If one accidentally let the formula run wild, even the mage themselves would be devoured by the flames.

As unique magic that greatly increased destructive power by sacrificing stability, the price for not handling it properly was large.

Of course, this was a risk Acel wouldn't experience. He continued reading the magic book on fire magic while igniting flames in his hand. Although of the same type, it was completely different fire magic. Still, as he read, he could accumulate some knowledge.

How much time passed like this?

Just as he was starting to get an accurate feel for ice-natured and fire-natured magical power, a library librarian approached Acel and opened her mouth, "Um, excuse me..."

"...?"

"It's, it's the library closing time... Could you please leave soon..."

"Ah."

Has it already become that time? 

He had been so focused on reading that he didn't know how much time had passed.

Acel apologized to her, then returned all the books he had brought to their places.

Simultaneous manifestation of magical power existing at opposite extremes. I've roughly grasped it, so all that's left is to establish the concept by rereading the magic books brought from the Witch Association, and test it through magical power fusion theory.

Results were already about to come out even though not much time had passed since he started pondering ice magic. Acel would often realize his talent at times like this and smile bitterly.

What kind of life would he have lived if he hadn't awakened this talent and kept rotting in the slums? Perhaps even at this moment, he might have been captured by Jerbil and tortured as an experimental subject. The more he thought about it, the more his feelings of gratitude towards Ena grew. He traced his forehead where Ena had last kissed with his finger and smiled slightly.

"Should I write a letter when I get back?"

He was going to write after the entrance ceremony, but he should write right away while thinking of it. Acel stretched out to loosen his stiff body.

As he shifted his gaze, a bookshelf of novels caught his eye. Confirming the title of one of them, Acel slightly furrowed his brow.

50 Ways to Train Her? What a noisy book title.

Just as Acel was thinking this and about to turn his head, he saw someone swiftly take out that book. He naturally, without any thought, confirmed who had taken the book.

Ash-gray hair reaching down to the waist. A girl with impressive golden eyes resembling a bird of prey and slightly drooping eyes.

It was a familiar face. The mage who had used constellation magic while acting together with a man named Paul during the entrance exam.

"Ah."

Acel unconsciously let out a voice with realization. At the same time, she turned to Acel in surprise.

"...?!"

"..."

Their gazes met in mid-air. Celine immediately hid the book she was holding behind her back.

She knew well that it was already too late.