Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

First Day of School 

THE RANOA UNIVERSITY OF MAGIC. The world’s greatest magic school, occupying a vast plot of land and sponsored by three separate countries as well as the Magicians’ Guild. The current principal was one of the higher-ups at the Magicians’ Guild, the Wind King-tier magician Georg. The student body was over ten thousand strong, with numerous professors in the university’s employ. Despite the name “Magic University,” you could actually learn a variety of different things there. 

Students were welcomed from all races, including demons, who were still deeply ostracized by the Millis faith, or beastmen, who tended to be isolationists. They even accepted human royalty who’d been driven from their country due to power conflicts, or noble children who were born cursed. If you had mana and could cast magic, you could enroll, whatever your checkered history. This policy had invited some opposition, from what I heard, but only the Asura Kingdom could conceivably oppose the united might of the alliance and Magicians’ Guild, and it had invested no small amount of money into the Magicians’ Guild itself. 

Incidentally, a certain sect within the Holy Country of Millis—the Temple Knights, as they were called—had positioned themselves as standing in direct opposition to the university and everything it represented. However, given they were on the other side of the world, it seemed they didn’t care enough to start a war over it. 

The enrollment period for students was seven years. You could take a year abroad twice, for a maximum of nine years of study. If you became a researcher affiliated with the Magicians’ Guild, you could continue using the university’s equipment after graduation. 

The school had a massive five-story dorm, but staying there was optional. Those who had a house in the city commuted from home. In general, however, most students lived in the dorm. A room was prepared for me, a simple space about twenty-tatami-mats wide, with a bunk bed. There was also a table and chair. Two students typically shared a single room, but special students lived alone. I could request a roommate if I wanted, but I decided against it. I hadn’t come here to make friends. 

Apparently, you could also pay to be moved to an exclusive room for noblemen, which was more spacious and secure. Not something I needed, I was sure. I wasn’t being targeted by assassins for the moment. 

The bathroom was in the hallway. Surprisingly, it was flushable. Granted, it wasn’t like you could just pull a lever and whoosh ! There was a water jug next to it and you had to pour water out of it for a manual flush, which would send the crap all the way down to the sewers. Of course, those like me were encouraged to use water magic to wash it down. On that note, the task of filling the water jug fell to the person on duty, but as a special student, I was exempt. 

Uniforms were also provided. Men were given a suit while the women were given what resembled a blazer and skirt. Honestly, I found the designs to be quite cute. There had to be gym shorts for exercise wear, right? Or so you’d think, but unfortunately, it was just robes. The school didn’t provide those, and didn’t specify any restrictions or preferences. Students who didn’t already have their own robes probably just bought whatever they wanted. I had the robe I’d been wearing for a while now, so I didn’t need to buy another. 

“Well, does it look good on me?” 

Elinalise, in her new school outfit, was currently modeling for me. The way her hair was shaped in lustrous rolls made the robe she was wearing look more like cosplay, but the uniform actually suited her well. Although that, too, looked like cosplay to me because I knew her true character. 

“If you roll up the skirt and make it a little shorter, you might have an easier time catching men. Make sure it’s just enough that they can almost see your panties.” 

Elinalise looked at me like I was a genius. “But isn’t that going to be a little cold?” she asked. 

“Put on thigh-high tights and you should be fine, right?” 

“I see. I should’ve expected as much from you, Rudeus. You’re a genius.” Elinalise followed my advice and folded up her skirt like a high school girl. Then she rolled up the waist until you could almost glimpse her fancy underwear. 

Hmm… yeah, sexy panties like that just don’t suit a uniform , I decided. 

*** 

We headed to the opening ceremony, which was apparently a thing at this school. The year’s new intake was assembled in the cold courtyard. There was a girl looking bored by herself, while another boy listened intently to the principal’s speech. Acquaintances were loosely gathered and some were even chatting idly. No one was lined up in an orderly fashion. If this were a Japanese school, the civic guidance teacher would no doubt be screaming their head off. The principal stood before our motley bunch, atop a podium constructed of magic-resistant brick, giving his speech. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, many moons have passed since those known as magicians were considered inferior to swordsmen. It is true that the styles of swordplay created by the Sword Gods are supreme. However! Magic is just as peerless! Swordsmanship, after all, is nothing more than a tool with which to kill. Magic is different. Magic has a future! We will retake what we have lost, and combine it with current styles of incantation to bring forth a new—” 

I stood quietly beside Elinalise. The principal’s sermon felt just as long in this world as it had in my old one, but this one was more tolerable. Perhaps because his speech was overflowing with a passion for magic! 

…Nope, that wasn’t it. It was because of how hilarious it was watching him frantically try to restrain the wig on his head. 

Elinalise was surveying the area, evaluating the men she saw. She looked like she was struggling to decide who to start with first. 

“That is all. Ladies and gentlemen, the path of magic extends before you!” 

There was no singing of the school anthem. There wasn’t even a school anthem to begin with, despite the fact that the country had its own song. 

“And now, a few words for the new students from the Student Council President.” 

At the Vice Principal’s words, three people, a girl and two boys, took to the stage. Standing at the forefront was a young girl with beautiful golden hair in long, silky tresses with braids woven in. Her clothes—a brand new school uniform—were the same as mine, but even the way she walked brimmed with grace. 

“My, my, isn’t that the kid you made cry not so long ago?” Elinalise mused. 

At her words, I looked to the two boys walking behind the girl. One of them had white hair and sunglasses—Fitz. He kept his guard up, surveying their surroundings as they mounted the stage. And for what it was worth, I didn’t think he’d cried when I beat him. 

The other boy was someone I didn’t know. He seemed a bit older than me. With his brown hair slicked back, he had a frivolous look about him, a sword hanging from his side. He didn’t look like a magician, and judging by the way he carried himself, he was probably a swordsman. The only other noteworthy thing about him was his good looks. 

Incidentally, according to my research, sharply defined features, which I considered handsome, were popular in the countries of the Central Continent. That aside, this guy kind of looked like Paul. On a similar note, I was often told I didn’t look half bad, except for when I smiled. Since no one complimented it, the only smiling I did anymore was fake. 

As the three of them took to the stage, the young crowd around us erupted in murmurs. 

“Isn’t that Princess Ariel…” 

“Then that one over there must be Silent Fitz!” 

“Aaah, it’s Lord Luke!” 

They were famous, judging by the squeals. Luke was probably the Paul-lookalike. He got shrill cheers from the girls and raised his hand to wave back. Tch, and he’s got a name like some male adult film star. 

“My, my, that’s a nice man.” It seemed Elinalise wasn’t a good judge of character, either. 

“Silence! Princess Ariel has something to say!” At (presumably) Luke’s order, the clamor fell into silence. Q uite impressive given that he hadn’t used a mic. “Go ahead, Princess Ariel.” 

She waited for things to quiet before coming to the front of the stage. “My name is Ariel Anemoi Asura. I am the Second Princess of the Asura Kingdom, and the Student Council President of the University of Magic!” 

Her voice rang out amidst the silence. My mind trembled as I heard the sound of her voice. This was probably what people called charisma. It wasn’t just that her voice itself was loud, and clear—there was also something about it that was pleasant to listen to. 

“You have all gathered here from around the world. Many of you have ideas unlike ours about what constitutes normalcy. However, here at this University, we maintain a sense of order that differs from your places of origin.” 

The rest of her speech was primarily about school rules, and boiled down to the fact that even if the rules here differed from those of your homeland, you still needed to abide by them. But there was something about her words that sunk deep into your soul and remained there. We need to obey the rules , I thought, and not because I’d been Japanese in my previous life. I felt compelled to do so because she was the one saying so. 

“Now then, I hope you all have an enjoyable time as students.” Ariel wrapped up her speech with that final line and descended from the stage. 

It was at that moment that I suddenly caught Fitz’s gaze. I shouldn’t have been able to tell he was staring at me through his sunglasses, but I was certain because of how strong his gaze was. 

This is bad. I better hurry up and buy that cake . 

Once the ceremony was over, I parted ways with Elinalise and headed for my designated classroom. There was homeroom once a month and I had to participate. From what I’d heard, there were only six special students, myself included. Apparently, they were an assortment of eccentric, troubled individuals. Jenius, the vice principal, had even said, “Please, please be careful not to get into any fights.” Not that he needed to; I had no intention of causing a stir. No matter what anyone said to me, I’d just bow my head and let it roll off my back. 

I headed to the tail end of three buildings, to the innermost classroom on the third floor. Midway there, I found a line drawn across the floor with the words, Beyond This Point is the Special Students’ Classroom. Almost like they were segregating us, even though the special students were supposed to be allowed to wander the school grounds freely. No, perhaps it was the opposite. Special students tended to be arrogant and cause problems, so this was a measure to keep the general admission students from approaching them. 

As I mulled over this, I reached the classroom. There was a plate above the door that read Special Students’ Room . 

“Pardon the intrusion,” I called out quietly as I pried the door open and crept inside. The classroom was a familiar sight. There was a brand-new chalkboard, something like a lectern and a teacher’s desk. Wooden desks lined the room. The windows were firmly shut, but the room was bright. In contrast to the vastness of the room, there were only four people sitting at the desks. 

In the front row, there was a boy who was reading and taking notes. The most striking thing about him was the way his dark brown hair hid his eyes. He glanced briefly in my direction, before losing interest immediately and returning to his book. Further in and closest to the windows sat two girls, both of whom were beastfolk. One was chewing at a stringy piece of meat on the bone. A dog-type. Her eyes regarded me suspiciously. The other, a cat-type, had her legs resting on the desk and both hands folded behind her head as she leaned back, glaring my way. 

Seeing them reminded me of the two young girls I’d met back in the Doldia village. What were their names again? They were both good kids. In comparison, these two looked a bit ill-mannered. Reminded me of those fashion-obsessed teen girls from back home. 

And then there was the last guy—a man I’d seen somewhere before. He had a long face with round glasses, the kind of guy who might have gotten nicknamed Spock back in the day. He spent a few moments gaping at me, then stood up and screeched with his mouth still wide open. 

I immediately unleashed my Eye of Foresight. 

“M-maaaaster!!” He sent his desk flying as if it were a mere obstacle in his path. He was like a snowplow in the way he crashed through all the other desks between us. One by one they went flying as he plunged forward. Yes, plunged —he was steamrolling toward me! 

“Stone cannon!” I’d smack him before he reached me. 

“Maaaaster!” 

He took my stone cannon right to the face and it hit him with a loud crack, but he didn’t even stagger a bit. That cannon had enough power to knock an adult man out, but it had absolutely no effect on this guy? Impossible. Was this really the power of a Blessed Child?! 

He grabbed me by my waist and tried to hoist me to the ceiling. 

“Whoa, whoa, hold it in, hold it in! Release the tension from your shoulders, relax, calm down! Knock it off!” 

His arms had enough power to send me flying into the ceiling, but fortunately, he just lifted me up. 

“Master! Have you forgotten me? It is I, Zanoba!” Zanoba was grinning from ear to ear as he carefully wrapped his arms around me in a hug. 

“Yes, I remember. My dear pupil, please release me, this is terrifying.” 

Before me stood the Third Prince of the Shirone Kingdom, Zanoba Shirone. It seemed when Zanoba was sent away under the pretense of studying abroad, he’d been sent off to the Ranoa University of Magic. Under normal circumstances, a Blessed Child who couldn’t control their power would be treated like a Cursed Child. However, the Magicians’ Guild had a department that studied curses and blessings, and Blessed Children were excellent specimens. 

“I’ve been aiming to be just like you, Master. I’ve been diligently practicing my earth magic every day,” my dedicated pupil declared. 

“Have you? I’m glad to see Your Majesty is doing so well. Once things have calmed down, let’s make a figurine together.” 

“Yes!” He smiled and nodded. 

This was nice. It brought back memories of my underclassmen in junior high, who’d latched onto me the same way when I bragged about having built my computer myself. 

“Also, while we’re here at school, you’re an upperclassman. What year are you right now?” 

“Second year. Ha ha, please don’t refer to me as ‘Your Majesty’ or as an upperclassman. You can just call me Zanoba. You are my master, after all.” 

“Zanoba, then.” 

“Yes, Master.” 

A sudden loud smack interrupted our pleasant conversation. I instinctively looked in its direction. The beast girl who’d had both feet on her desk had slammed one to the floor. The other still remained on the desk, which meant her skirt was spread right open so I could see a certain something. “I don’t like this, mew.” 

She said ‘mew’! That was something I associated with the Doldia tribe. And Eris’s… no, let’s not go down that road. 

“Hey, Zanoba, what are you and that new kid rattling on and on and on about?” 

“Mistress Linia, this is the person I spoke about before, my master.” 

“That’s not what I’m asking about, mew!” The cat-eared girl irritably slammed the heel of her other foot against the table. “Hey, Zanoba, don’t mess around, okay! You know what I’m talkin’ about, right, mew? You know, don’tcha, huh?!” 

His face went stiff. 

What was going on? Was he actually being bullied? Zanoba was supposed to be pretty strong, but this could be a question of social hierarchy. 

“If ya do, then bring him over here.” She made a beckoning motion in my direction. 

“I’m sorry, Master.” 

“No, it’s fine.” I approached the cat-eared girl as I was told. 

A cat-eared girl and a dog-eared girl. Their piercing gazes would have made my legs tremble in the past, but they didn’t feel scary at all now. Their glares needed a little bit more… well you know, right? They needed some murderous intent in there, right? That was how truly scary people—like Ruijerd—glared. 

“Greetings. A pleasure to meet you, I’m Rudeus Greyrat. I’ll be in your care starting today. I’ll be careful not to butt into anything. I hope we’ll get along well.” I bent in a swooping, Japanese-style bow. 

Linia purred out a laugh. “Straightforward, eh? Not bad at all, mew. I’m Linia Dedoldia, a fifth year, mew. Though you might not know it just by looking at me, I’m actually the daughter of Gyes, the Warrior Chief of the Great Forest’s Doldia Village. At some point I’ll inherit the position of Village Chief, so you’d best start servin’ me now, mew!” 

So she was really of the Doldia Tribe. And Gyes’s daughter, to boot. Come to think of it, they did say his oldest daughter had been sent off to another country to study. So this was it? Man, that sure brought back memories. 

I gushed: “Oh, truly? Mister Gyes took good care of me when I visited the Doldia Village before! Ah, I’m so touched! To think I’d be able to meet the daughter of the man who looked after me at a place like this! Oh, that means you must be Mister Gustav’s granddaughter as well, right? Mister Gustav was good to me, too. He even let me stay at his house during the rainy season!” 

“O-oh really? That so? So you’re one of Grandpa’s acquaintances…” 

In contrast to her earlier spiel, spitting out word after word like a machine gun, Linia was left staring at me dumbfounded. Not that it really mattered, but the force with which she’d kicked the table made a certain article of clothing super visible. Aqua blue, huh? 

Beside her the girl who was gnawing away at the meat bone twitched her nose and pulled a face. “It stinks.” 

That was rude. She was referring to me, right? Still, I didn’t let my face betray my emotions, but gracefully turned to the dog girl and bowed. “Pardon me. Might I ask your name as well?” 

“Pursena. I’m basically the same as Linia.” 

“Miss Pursena, what a lovely name! A pleasure to meet you!” 

She pinched her nose and turned her face away. “Fuck.” 

Regardless, this had been a successful preemptive attack. At least, I wanted to believe my efforts had been good enough to avoid getting caught up in something outrageous later on. 

Zanoba had a conflicted look on his face as he watched me interact with the two of them. Once we stepped away, he spoke in a hushed voice. “Master, why are you acting so submissive toward them?” 

“My dear pupil, it is important to avoid unnecessary conflicts.” 

“You really think so…? Well, since you’re the one saying that, I’ll keep my mouth shut.” He looked vexed even as he nodded his head. 

I had no idea what he’d gone through, but if it looked like he was being bullied in the future, I’d be sure to shield him from it. Bullying was a no-no. An absolute no-no. 

As I was preoccupied with that resolution, someone called out from behind me. “Hey.” 

“Yes, what is it?” 

I looked back and the boy from the front of the row was standing there. “You. You said your name was Rudeus, right?” 

“Yes, my name is Rudeus Greyrat. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

He looked taken aback when I bowed my head. “Cliff Grimor. I’m a genius magician.” 

A genius magician, eh? Incredible. But was he seriously going to call himself a genius? Didn’t he feel embarrassed about doing that at all? 

“I’m a second year, but I’ve already acquired Advanced-tier ranking in all the offensive magics. I’m also advanced in healing, detoxification and divine magic, too. I’m still a beginner at barriers, but I’ll soon be Intermediate-tier. There aren’t any decent teachers at this school.” 

“That’s amazing,” I praised him sincerely. It made sense now why he called himself a genius. What did it take to become an advanced user of all seven types of magic in only two years? I could still only use intermediate healing magic and basic detoxification magic. 

So this was the special student class. I’d known there would always be someone better than me out there, but this just drove it home. Probably the only reason my own self-esteem didn’t take a nose dive was because I was Saint-tier with water magic. 

“It took me two years just to become Advanced-tier in four types of offensive magic. You really are incredible.” 

“Tch, don’t get carried away.” 

I just honestly meant to praise him, but he clicked his tongue and turned grumpy. He glared at me with such force he might as well have grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. Although I was a little bit taller than him, so he had to look up at me slightly. “You can wield a sword as well as use magic, can’t you?” 

“Yes, well, I’m not very good at it though.” I was technically Intermediate-tier in the Sword God Style. I basically remembered nothing of Water God Style. Part of my bodybuilding regime included swinging a wooden sword, but that wasn’t swordsmanship that was useable in combat. 

To be honest, no matter how much time passed, I still couldn’t master what came as easily as breathing to other swordfighters such as Eris and Ruijerd. So I’d semi-given up on the path of the sword. I never even used it once while living as an adventurer. Even so… 

“Who told you that? That I could swordfight.” 

“…Miss Eris.” 

That shook me. Had he met Eris within the last two years? No way…she wasn’t here at the University?! 

“She’s at this school, too?” 

“What? Of course she isn’t,” he retorted curtly. 

“Um, so… where did you meet her then?” 

He just glared at me without answering. Was that a bad question? Ah, don’t tell me he was one of the people she’d punched a long time ago? I’m sorry, I really am, I apologize on her behalf , I thought inwardly. 

“Uhh… did she say anything else about me?” 

He glowered with such force it could have had its own sound effect. After glaring me up and down, he finally said, “Hmph. She said you were small.” 

“R-really? She said I’m small?” Like down there? 

I felt like I was going to cry. So it really was the sex that drove her away from me. If only I’d been bigger, then… Come to think of it, I’d gotten a similar vibe from the way Sara looked at me, too. Her face had said, “Oh wow, you’re smaller than I thought you’d be.” 

No, she was mistaken! It only looked small because it wasn’t reacting! Once it was energized and standing at attention, it had the ferocity of a lion! 

“W-well, it’s been two years since we parted ways, and I’ve grown since then,” I stammered. 

“What? You and Miss Eris parted ways?” 

“Hm?” I got the feeling that we weren’t quite on the same page. A sense of unease arose in me. But before I could confirm that unease… 

“Hm, well, whatever. You don’t suit Miss Eris regardless!” 

Those words were like daggers to the heart. Cliff huffed air out of his nose and returned to his seat. I’d have to keep an eye on this one. 

The teacher arrived soon after, I introduced myself, and after a short conversation, homeroom was over. Though we were missing one person. 

“Huh? I heard there was one more special student?” 

When I tried asking Zanoba, he just shook his head. “Master Silent is exempt from the monthly homeroom.” 

“And why’s that?” 

“Good question, but I haven’t an answer for it.” 

“I guess they must be pretty incredible, huh?” 

“They’re well-known. They influence the Academy at every opportunity, or so I hear. They’ve increased the items on the school menu, created magical implements… these uniforms were also one of Master Silent’s suggestions. Rumor has it they were recommended by one of the Seven Great Powers, so they’re getting special treatment.” 

The image that popped up in my head was that of a mad scientist with a white coat and bottlecap glasses, carrying flasks of green goop in their hands. Someone who was intelligent and delivered successful results, but was otherwise a sad excuse for a human being. 

“They usually shut themself in their private research room, but they do emerge if they have reason to, so I’m sure you’ll eventually meet them,” Zanoba said. He also mentioned that Silent was a third-year student. If I saw them, I’d be sure to show them the proper respect. 

And just like that, I was absorbed into the ranks of the special students. 

*** 

Once homeroom was over, Zanoba and the others went off to their classes. It was only natural for someone as serious as Cliff to attend classes in earnest, but Linia and Pursena, who seemed more the type to play hooky, were doing so as well. According to Zanoba, the lunch break was about two hours from now. He beamed as he invited me to eat with him and I was happy to oblige. 

Eventually, I’d take classes myself. I hadn’t come to this school just to study, but I hadn’t come here just to bum around, either. I decided to check out the school’s facilities in the meantime. 

First up was the school infirmary. The one at this school was spacious, with eight beds and two healers, which probably meant there were a lot of magical accidents where people got injured. At that very moment, a man twice my height was being carried in on a stretcher. He was clutching his arm, and one of his legs was bent at an odd angle. One of the healers took hold of an injured area and began a hastened chant of Intermediate-tier healing magic, and the anguish on the man’s face quickly faded. I didn’t want to get in the way, so I left, spotting the plaque at the entrance which said Medical Office One on my way out. 

The next place I headed to was the gym’s storehouse, a room adjacent to the practice area where I’d taken my exam the other day. The entrance was locked, of course. I had some options: go to the teacher’s buildings to get the key, or ask the gym teacher if I could borrow theirs. Then there was the option to pop it open with voiceless casting. That was what I chose, using my earth magic to remove the lock so I could enter. 

The inside smelled slightly moldy and dusty. The shelves were lined with leather breastplates and masks that looked like kendo masks, and in the corner was what looked like an umbrella bin stuffed with magic staves. There was an iron scarecrow and some unidentifiable white powder sitting in a jar. 

Apparently, classes here didn’t involve high jumps or floor gymnastics, so there were no mats. In fact, the name of the room wasn’t even Gym Storehouse , it was Practice Equipment . 

I thought about heading to the roof next, but this was a region that got a lot of snowfall, so many of the school buildings had sloping roofs. They did have one rear rooftop room, but I decided to forego that for the moment and head for the library next. 

The library at this school was set off from the other buildings, so I had to leave the main campus to get there. After about ten minutes of walking, I made it to the two-story building, and was stopped at the entrance by the gatekeeper. 

“Halt!” 

“Eh?” 

“I’ve not seen you before. Are you new here? Why aren’t you in class?” 

“Uh, yes, I’m a new student. A special student with an exemption from classes.” 

“Show me your student ID.” 

My movements were stiff as I passed him the student ID I’d received just the other day. 

The gatekeeper stared hard at my face as he confirmed my identity and said, “Okay.” 

He carefully patted me down, and then gave me an overview of what to be careful of when I was using the library. 

Usage of magic was forbidden in the library. 

In general, taking books out of the library was strictly prohibited, but there was a certain section you could borrow from. 

For the latter, you needed the permission of the librarian and were required to have your name recorded. 

And, of course, you’d be penalized for any books you destroyed or defiled. 

Same rules as your average library, but really tearing up a book could result in a fine and possible expulsion, even though most of the books in the library were just copies. Still appropriate, I supposed, given how precious books were in this world. 

“It’s quite strict here, isn’t it?” I said. 

“Some lowlife secretly switched out some of the books before. And sold the originals on the market, if you can believe it.” 

“I see.” 

I bowed to the gatekeeper and headed inside, where the subtle scent of books awaited. It was a unique blend of aromas: the smell of mold, of ink, and of paper. A bathroom sat at the entrance, convenient for those who felt the need hit them the moment they stepped into the library. I offered a light greeting to the librarian before heading further in. There were desks and tables lined up by the entrance, and further in were rows of tall bookcases. 

“Whoa.” Astonished, I unintentionally let out a gasp. I’d read a lot since coming to this world, but this was the first time I’d ever seen such a vast number of books in one place. Stairs led through an opening in the ceiling to the second floor, which was, as expected, similarly occupied by bookcases. The desks and chairs scattered around suggested quite a few people made it their habit to study here. 

I remembered the Man-God’s advice: 

“Rudeus, go forth and enroll at the Ranoa University of Magic. There, you must investigate the Displacement Incident in the Fittoa Region. If you do this, you will be able to regain your abilities and confidence as a man.” 

Phew—I’d almost completely forgotten about that first bit. But this was perfect. With the sheer volume of books here, I was bound to find something about teleportation. However—where should I even begin? 

“Maybe I should ask the librarian…?” 

No . There was no rush. Not even the Asura Kingdom had figured out what had caused the Displacement Incident yet. If I could have figured it out that quickly, the Man-God wouldn’t have told me to enroll in the university. He’d have told me to sneak in and investigate, instead. In fact, he’d only told me to look into the incident, not to discover its cause. Maybe something was supposed to happen while I was searching. 

For the moment, I settled on figuring out the shelving system. The majority of the books were written in the human tongue, but among them were those written in Demon God Tongue and Beast God Tongue. There was also a book in Fighting God Tongue. The alphabets I weren’t familiar with must’ve been the Sky God Tongue or perhaps Sea God Tongue. I wished they would translate those tomes into languages I could read. 

“Ah!” 

There was a sudden small cry from behind me. I turned around and saw a young boy with white hair and sunglasses, carrying a number of tomes and scrolls and looking my way. 

It’s Fitz , I realized. I hurriedly straightened up, pressed my feet together and bowed. “I apologize for the other day. It was my shallow actions that caused you to lose face. I planned to bring you a box of sweets, but unfortunately, as a new student, I’ve been busy with so many things…” 

“Guh?! N-no, it’s fine, please don’t bow.” 

There was a guy in my previous life whom I really respected, named Masa. A working man who could ride out whatever life threw at him by prostrating himself on his hands and knees. One his edicts was, “Whenever you’ve made a made a mess of something, find an innocuous place like the bathroom to give an earnest apology, so you don’t get yelled at in a more public location.” My sudden apology made Fitz panic, and it seemed we were headed in a direction where he was likely to forgive me. Success! 

“Rudy—um, I mean, Rudeus, was it? What are you doing here?” 

“Just a bit of research.” 

“Into what?” Fitz pressed. 

“The Displacement Incident.” 

When I said that his brows knitted together. Had I said something odd? 

“The Displacement Incident? Why?” he asked. 

“I lived in Asura Kingdom’s Fittoa Region, and I was teleported to the Demon Continent after the incident.” 

“The Demon Continent?!” Fitz said. I thought his surprise a little over-exaggerated. 

“Yes. It took three years for me to return home. My family has all been found since, but there’s still one acquaintance of mine that’s missing. This seemed like a good opportunity to do a little research.” 

“Is that why you came to this school?” 

“That’s right.” I couldn’t tell him the real reason was finding a cure for my erectile dysfunction. Besides, I wasn’t lying; I wanted to know why the Displacement Incident had occurred. 

“I see. You really are amazing, after all,” he said, scratching at the back of his ear. 

I wasn’t sure what was so ‘amazing after all’, since I hadn’t discovered anything yet. Perhaps he’d recognized my power after our mock battle the other day. Well, whatever. “And what, might I ask, are you doing here?” I said. 

“Oh yeah. I’m carrying some documents with me. I have to go now. I’ll see you again, Rudeus.” 

“Yeah, sure, see you.” 

Fitz hurriedly turned away, heading towards the front of the library. However, after just a few steps, he suddenly looked back. “Oh, right. You should read a book by Animus that’s about teleportation, called An Exploratory Account of the Teleportation Labyrinth . It’s creative nonfiction, but easy to read.” 

And then he ran off. 

He didn’t seem to be holding a grudge about the exam. Maybe he was actually a pretty good guy. 

I went to the librarian to ask after the book An Exploratory Account of the Teleportation Labyrinth , and read it until lunchtime. It was a slim volume, not even a hundred pages thick, and told the tale of Animus Macedonius, an adventurer native to the northern regions who went exploring a labyrinth. 

This labyrinth, appropriately called the Teleportation Labyrinth, was a rare kind whose traps were all teleportation-themed. There were five types of beasts who dwelled within, all highly intelligent creatures who understood the layout of the labyrinth and where the teleportation traps would send a person. If you were unlucky enough to step on a trap, you’d find monsters waiting for you on the other end. It was difficult to avoid those traps during combat, and if the battle turned chaotic, your party would be immediately separated, so this labyrinth was classified as being incredibly dangerous. 

As Animus and his companions dove into the labyrinth, he studied the teleportation traps he found there. There were mainly three types of traps. The first was a one-way teleporter. It would send people to the same location every time, but there was no way to return from there. Another was a reciprocal teleporter. There would be a magic circle at the destination, so you could come back. Finally, there was the random teleporter, where you had no idea where you’d be taken. 

The basic strategy adventurers employed in the Teleportation Labyrinth was to use the magic circles to repeatedly teleport themselves deeper in, but mixed among those traps were random teleporters. If you mistakenly stepped on one of those, you would be separated from your party and forced to fight a swarm of beasts by yourself. 

Animus’ book contained his research and theories about how to tell the random teleporters from the others. In the middle of his journey, he figured out how to tell them apart, and rapidly progressed deeper into the labyrinth. But he got carried away, forgetting that his method wasn’t foolproof. At the end of the story, he misidentified a trap and stepped on a random teleporter. Surrounded by a vast number of enemies, he lost one arm but somehow managed to escape alive. However, he’d lost all three of his comrades in the process. Animus himself could no longer fight, so he abandoned his life as an adventurer. The story ended with a line saying he’d leave conquering that labyrinth to the reader. 

The back of the book was filled with theories about random teleportation. The nomenclature wasn’t entirely accurate, since the teleport range of the random traps was predetermined to a degree. Also, while you could teleport into the middle of a cave, it was exceedingly rare to be teleported into the earth itself. Animus hypothesized that this was due to resistance between the mana at the destination and the mana of the person being teleported, which was the same principle that explained why you couldn’t cast an offensive spell right into a person’s body. 

This was something I already knew… although healing magic did involve running magic through another person’s body. I suspected it was connected to why I couldn’t cast healing magic without an incantation, but we’d leave that for another time. 

As for teleportation, I wondered if there was an exception to the theory. After all, you could channel offensive magic into the dirt. Perhaps teleporting people into solid matter simply required an obscene amount of magical power. 

As I ruminated, the noon bell rang. Time was a fleeting thing. 

*** 

I met Zanoba and we headed for the cafeteria, which was a separate building. It had three floors, each for different kinds of students. The third floor was for human royalty and nobility. The second floor was for human commoners and beastfolk. The first floor was for adventurers and demon folk. The school had probably reasoned that if the human nobility ate alongside the adventurers and demon folk, it would only fan the fires of potential conflict. 

As an adventurer myself, I was fine with dining on the first floor, but… 

“Come, come, this way.” 

I got the meal set that Zanoba recommended and let him drag me to the third floor. 

“Urgh…” 

The moment I emerged from the stairs, all gazes on the upper floor immediately turned towards me…possibly because I exuded the stench of a commoner, but also, my clothes had seen better days. Because of the cold, I had my old gray robe over my uniform. It was five years old, and its sleeves were tattered, its front marred by a large seam across the chest. With my recent growth, my clothes were also a size too small. To put it frankly, I looked completely disheveled. 

Unlike on the first and second floors, not a single person wore a robe to protect themselves from the cold. It was full of people in cozy-looking cloaks and cardigans. They might as well have been wearing suits, while I was the only one in sweats. 

“Zanoba, I don’t think I fit in here. Can we at least eat on the second floor?” I pleaded. 

“No, not the second floor. Linia and Pursena are there.” 

“Okay, then how about the first floor?” 

“The first floor is full of heathens who don’t know any table manners. It’s not a place fit for royalty like me to go, no matter how briefly.” 

“Okay, then let’s just eat separately,” I said finally. 

“Don’t be heartless. Do you know how much I’ve suffered, not being able to see you again until now, Master? You can at least eat a meal with me.” 

“Don’t ask your master to suffer in your stead.” 

We were arguing at the head of the staircase, and despite its width, the students passing by made it seem like we were blocking them. Suddenly a burst of noise came from below: a chorus of shrill voices, gradually getting closer. 

“Aaah, Lord Luke!” 

“Lord Luke, I’m next!” 

“Aww no way, Lord Luke, not fair.” 

“Lord Luke, can I come on your next date?” 

A handsome man, surrounded by women, was coming up the stairs. 

“No, I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ve already decided I can only take two girls on a date at one time. I only have two arms, you know, so if I invited three girls one would be left out, right?” 

“Aww, that sucks.” 

“Hehe, sorry. But I am a popular man, you know. Let’s go on a date some other time. I think my left arm is free next month.” 

Those unbelievable words spilled from the mouth of the young man who resembled Paul. I was pretty sure he was the guy I saw at the opening ceremony. Luke or whatever. What was his last name? Skywalker? 

Our eyes met. 

“It’s you…” His eyes narrowed. The carefree look on his face turned grim. “You’re Fitz’s…” 

I bowed my head. So he knew about my match against Fitz. Fitz didn’t seem angered by what happened, but perhaps his companions were pissed on his behalf. 

“A pleasure to meet you, I’m Rudeus Greyrat. I’ll be under your guidance during my time here at the school, since you’re an upperclassman. I hope you’ll look out for me.” 

“Yeah. I know. I heard about you from Fitz. Apparently, you’re insanely forgetful.” Luke looked at me, disgruntled. 

Insanely forgetful… was I really? I didn’t really get it. What did he think I’d forgotten? 

“You know my name already, don’t you?” 

“No, I don’t.” I figured it was better to honestly confess my lack of knowledge than give a half-baked answer. 

“That makes sense.” 

“Uh, sorry. If it’s no trouble, would you mind telling me your name, then?” 

Still disgruntled, Luke stared at me for a few beats before huffing, and spat out: “Luke Notos Greyrat.” Then he shoved past me. 

“Ugh, what the heck was that about? I can’t believe it!” 

“Seriously, that robe was sooo lame! It was totally worn out at the edges!” 

“If it’s falling apart, he should just go out and buy a new one!” 

His groupies followed in his wake, spewing insults, but their words went unheard by me. Luke Notos Greyrat. My father’s birth name was Paul Notos Greyrat. Was Luke an illegitimate child? No, that couldn’t be. Paul had long ago disavowed the name Notos. Luke had to be a cousin or something. 

“Master, you’ve caught the eye of an unpleasant character.” 

“I guess I have, huh? If that exchange was anything to go by.” 

“That was Luke, one of the Asura Kingdom’s upper nobility. He’s technically a student, but he’s one of Princess Ariel’s guards.” 

“Regardless, let’s forget about eating here,” I said. 

“I suppose we have no choice.” 

We compromised by eating outside. The weather was nice and I used my earth magic to conjure some chairs and a table, creating an insta-café terrace. Zanoba expressed his awe at each spell I cast by shouting, “Whoa!” It delighted me to see how deeply moved he was. 

As we ate, Zanoba told me about Princess Ariel and her group. 

Ariel Anemoi Asura, age seventeen. Second Princess of the Asura Kingdom. The only daughter of the queen, and still third in line for the throne despite her relative youth. Also vying for the throne were First Prince Grabel and Second Prince Halfaust. The powerful people of the Asura Kingdom formed factions behind them, hoping to back the prince who would become king, then reap the benefits. 

However, with the size of each group, not all were certain to get a taste of the honey that trickled down. Even the ministers were ranked in a hierarchy, so it was given that those the bottom would be ignored. When the Second Princess was born, those who felt they wouldn’t benefit from their candidate’s succession switched their loyalties to her. However, hers was the weakest of the factions, and during the chaos of the Displacement Incident, some of the group’s most powerful members lost their standing. Multiple attempts were made on the Second Princess’s life, and under the pretense of studying abroad, she escaped to this school. 

The Princess brought two guards with her. One of them was Fitz. Silent Fitz, as he was nicknamed. A magician who used voiceless casting and had killed an assassin targeting the princess. People knew he was an elf, but it was a complete mystery where he was born and raised. Only a handful of people could teach voiceless casting, but his master was unknown. 

Ariel and her group were tight-lipped about Fitz’s existence. Rumors abounded that the Asura Royal Palace had raised Fitz in secrecy, as part of an organization of heartless killing machines. Which definitely wasn’t true, judging by my conversations with him. 

Her other guard was Luke Notos Greyrat. The second son of the current head of the Notos family, Pilemon Notos Greyrat. Since birth, he’d been trained to become one of Princess Ariel’s guardian knights, and continued in that role in the event that the princess managed to regain power and return to the struggle for succession. From the moment he enrolled in the school, he’d been continuously bathed in limelight, making him a target of envy, fear, and respect. 

In closing, Zanoba said: “But be forewarned, some of this information is my own conjecture.” 

“Yeah. Thanks. Actually, you’re really knowledgeable.” 

“Because I was forced to look into the matter.” 

“By whom?” I asked. 

“Two foolish beastfolk.” 

“Linia and Pursena, huh?” 

“Indeed.” His face was the very picture of anguish. Had they made him their errand boy? 

“Zanoba… are you being bullied by those two?” 

“Bullied? No, I’ve merely conceded defeat after losing to them. That’s all.” 

“Conceded defeat, huh?” 

Zanoba looked slightly conflicted, even as he spoke flatly. I wanted to help him… but I didn’t know the extent of my would-be opponents’ power. Beastfolk were often quick to jump to conclusions, and I didn’t want to make enemies of them. At the end of the day, though, I was always on the side of those being bullied. 

“If they’re doing something to you that you don’t like, please tell me. I might not have much power, but I’ll help.” 

“Hahaha, it’s nothing for me to bother you with, Master, rest assured. More importantly, let’s talk about figurines!” he said with a laugh. 

Guess I’ll just monitor the situation a bit longer , I thought. 

*** 

I returned to my wandering after lunch. I couldn’t think of other places I wanted to have a look at, so after a cursory glance around, I headed back to the library. 

I searched for literature on teleportation, but I’d never used a library before. It took me a while just to look through the stacks of books. The library let me peruse a catalogue of their collection, from which I singled out books with the word ‘teleportation’ in their titles. After that I hunted them down through the sea of shelves. That alone took several hours. On top of that, most of what I did collect was either not detailed enough, written in technical jargon, written in a language I didn’t even know, or required prior knowledge about the subject matter to make sense of it. 

“If I’m going to hunker down and research this, I’d like to have a notebook.” There was a limit to what I could hold in my memory. I decided to leave the books for tomorrow and left the library. 

Outside, the sun was setting and students who’d finished classes were gradually making their way back to the dorm. Some seemed to be headed for the library. I went in the opposite direction to the school store, which was by the entrance to the main school building. 

The store was full of students shopping quietly. A cursory glance around revealed magic textbooks, magic crystals, robes, wooden swords, beginner wands, bags, shoes, and soap, among other daily essentials. There were also food items like dried meat, smoked meat, as well as bottles of drinking water and alcohol. I bought a random selection of paper, pen, ink, and some string to tie the paper with. Couldn’t be attending school without even the most basic supplies. 

By the time I left, it had grown dark outside. There were no streetlights here, but the path was still faintly lit, so I continued down it. Even though winter was already over, there was still snow on the walkways. I trod carefully and hurried toward the dorm. 

No one else was around as I passed the women’s dorm. My surroundings were completely devoid of other people. That was when it happened. 

“Hm?” 

Something descended from above. It was white, but it wasn’t snow. Instinctively I grabbed hold of it. 

“Ooh.” 

What opened up before me was pure white fabric. It had embellishments on it, but they were subtle and elegant. The proper name for this particular item was “panties,” and fairly high-quality ones at that. At the very least, they looked more expensive than the ones Elinalise normally wore. 

Perhaps someone was trying to hang them out to dry? I looked up and saw someone peeking over the edge of one of the verandas. I thought our eyes met, but it was dark, so I couldn’t discern their face. It felt like I’d seen them somewhere before. 

“Um, you dropped—” 

“Gyaaaah! Panty thief!” 

Huh? 

The scream of a female student came not from above, but from behind me. Panicked, I turned around to find the screaming person pointing their finger at me. This is a misunderstanding! 

But it was already too late. Moments after the scream, the windows on the other verandas swung noisily open. Then figures came leaping out from the first floor, one after another. 

Before I realized what was happening, I’d been surrounded, the panties still in my hand. I had no idea what was going on. 

“Uh, um, uh…” 

“Hmph!” 

Standing at the forefront was a well-muscled girl. Her shoulders were almost twice as wide as mine. Was she beastfolk… or no, a demon? 

“Perverted scum!” She spat on the ground as I stood there, confused. What was going on? Sure, I was a fifteen-year-old boy with a healthy interest in women’s underwear, but I hadn’t stolen these, or even tried to sniff them. 

“Hold on,” I said. “Please wait, I haven’t done anything.” 

“You haven’t done anything?” The massive woman grabbed my arm. “Then why don’t you tell me what’s in your hand?” 

Well, yes, I was holding panties in my hand. Judging by the look on her face, she considered that proof enough. My legs trembled. 

“Aren’t those Princess Ariel’s? I don’t care how much you might admire her, it’s a brazen act to do something like this at this hour. You should be ashamed!” 

The other girls chimed in, saying, “That’s right!” and, “You pervert!” and, “Drop dead!” Enough was enough, I already felt like crying. 

“Now, come with me. We’ll make you regret this so much that you never do it again!” 

She hauled me away by the arm. I attempted to resist her, but all I did was leave skid marks from my shoes. At this rate I was going to be dragged inside for an unspeakably horrific beating, and all because of a false accusation. Should I run? Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong? But running would be like proclaiming my guilt… 

No, I had to stand my ground. I hadn’t done anything wrong. 

I used earth magic to anchor my feet in place. The girl looked back in surprise, then sneered. “Oh, what’s this? You plan on resisting? How gutsy for a panty thief! You really think you can fight this many people?” 

A good question. I surveyed them and felt good about my chances. I’d fought off much worse in my time as an adventurer; I could take these girls. Still, I didn’t want to escalate the situation and get beating up a bunch of girls added to the charges against me—and this one would be true, too. That might even get me expelled. 

“Wait! Don’t do anything to him!” A boy’s voice, slightly high-pitched, rang out. 

“Lord Fitz!” 

“What! Lord Fitz?!” 

“Such a beautiful voice…” 

“What’s he doing here?!” 

The crowd split, revealing Fitz. He cut between me and the buff woman to explain the situation. “Sorry. That’s the underwear I was trying to hang out to dry, but dropped. He picked them up for me.” His shoulders trembled as he tried to catch his breath. 

“Fitz… sir. I realize that you’re in charge of washing Princess Ariel’s underwear. But,” the woman continued, “despite the late hour, he was still walking in front of the dorm. Even though it’s been agreed that once the sun sets, this path is only to be used by women.” 

Really? I didn’t see a sign saying so. 

Fitz looked at my confused face and shook his head. “He’s new here. And a special student on top of that, so he rooms alone and doesn’t have a roommate. He must not have known about the more intricate rules of the university. I’d like you to let this one pass.” 

He sounded frantic; even I could hear the panic in his voice. I wasn’t sure why, but I was grateful. 

The muscled woman turned in my direction. Is that true? Her expression seemed to ask. 

I bobbed my head up and down. 

She kept a firm grip on me as she studied Fitz’s face. “Hm, it’s surprising that you’d go this far to defend someone. What you say must be true. Still, the fact remains that this boy violated the dorm rules. We’ll make an example out of him by punishing—what?!” 

As she spoke, she’d tried to pull me along, but then froze. Fitz had whipped out his wand and thrust the tip of it right into her face. 

“Didn’t I just say he did nothing wrong? Enough. Now let go of his hand.” 

“F-Fitz… sir?” 

The hint of anger in his voice that stirred murmurs around us. Even in the darkness I could see the big woman’s face blanching. 

“Or would you all like to be sent to the medical office?” His voice might be high-pitched, but there was definitely murderous intent behind his words. I could hear the girls gulping around us. How badass. 

“Tch… fine, I understand.” She let go of me, albeit a bit violently. Forced to comply, the other girls backed off as well. My wrist smarted, but it didn’t look like any healing was necessary. 

“Lord Fitz, I’ll let this slide. But you over there! You better not show your face around the girls’ dorm at this hour ever again! Next time I see you, I won’t show you any mercy!” The hulking woman spat those words before ducking back into the window she’d leapt out of. The other girls also sneered at me as they disappeared. In an instant they were all gone. 

“Phew… that girl. If only she’d listen.” Fitz breathed a sigh as he watched her go. He looked back at me and his head drooped. “Sorry. If I hadn’t dropped that underwear, this would never have happened.” 

Just why on earth was a boy like him washing underwear in the girls’ dorm, anyway? Or so I wanted to ask…but he was the Princess’s highly trusted and capable bodyguard, so he must’ve had special permission. He seemed like an honest man. He was reliable, young, and his glasses made him seem all the more dashing. 

Crap. My heart was pounding, even though the person in front of me was a guy. 

I might be falling hard. 

“You haven’t done anything wrong. You helped me,” I said. 

“Helped you? They’re the ones who would’ve been injured if you’d seriously resisted.” 

The reason he was so frantic hit me. He must’ve thought that they would get injured if I unleashed my power. So he’d been acting to ensure their safety…but even so, I felt the compassion in his actions. If this were a shoujo manga, this would be where our love story began. 

“Still, that came out of nowhere. What did she mean?” I asked. 

“Yes, well, it’s like Miss Goliade said. When the sun sets, male students aren’t allowed to come near the girls’ dorm.” 

“Really? But that wasn’t written in the school rules,” I protested. 

“It was decided between the students living here at the dorms. When the sun sets, the boys aren’t allowed to use that road, and must take a detour to get to theirs.” 

An unwritten rule, huh? It would’ve been nice if someone had told me about it beforehand. Like Zanoba. “I didn’t know.” 

“It’s not your fault,” he said. “Just be careful next time.” 

“I will.” 

He didn’t need to tell me twice. I probably wouldn’t take that path again—not even in the middle of the day. I still couldn’t bear having a the hostile glares of an entire crowd trained on me. 

“At any rate, thanks for helping me,” I said. “If you hadn’t come to rescue me, I don’t know what would’ve happened.” 

“Don’t worry about it. I only did what anyone else would do.” 

What anyone else would do… really? 

In hindsight, I had a lot of memories of being misunderstood or falsely accused these past few years. It had started with the beastfolk, then Paul, then Orsted. Was my face that untrustworthy? 

However, Fitz hadn’t arbitrarily decided I was guilty. In fact, he stuck up for me, even though I was partially at fault for what had happened. He’d even given me advice at the library. He had a lot of clout within the school, but he hadn’t let it get to his head. He was a man of character. An upperclassman, in every sense of the word. I’d made up my mind—as a show of my respect for him, I was going to call him Master Fitz. 

“Besides, Rudeus, you could’ve gotten out of that without hurting anyone, couldn’t you?” 

“Not at all. I’m truly grateful to you, Master Fitz.” 

When I bowed my head, he bashfully scratched at his cheek. “Ahaha, it feels kind of weird to hear you thank me.” 

“Oh? Why is that?” 

When I asked, he just grinned wide, showing his teeth. “That’s a secret.” 

And just like that, my first day at the school ended.