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Chapter 8

“OHO, look at them go!”

The passion and effort of the students—not to mention the actual heat from the spells—added to the temperature in the training room. Overflowing with youthful vitality, the students paired off and skirmished to simulate actual combat.

Mira was getting excited as she watched from one corner of the gym. Sorcerer versus sorcerer. Flashes of light and flame. Wind rushing through the air as earthen walls rose from the ground. This was something that could only ever be seen at an institute for magic.

To Hinata, it was another day at the office. As she watched Mira lose herself in the action, her face clouded a little. She wondered what kind of life Mira had as Danblf’s pupil. Training under a legendary hero—and to have reached such impossible standards at her young age!—was no easy task. Surely, she must have spent all her time training and never had time to relax and play.

No wonder she was peeking at the school grounds… But she’s free now! I’ll show her all sorts of ways to have fun. Filled with a new sense of purpose, Hinata turned her eyes back to the training sessions, tenderness and renewed determination driving away her momentary gloom.

While Hinata was in her own little world of inspiration, Mira focused on how the students cast their spells. They were practicing magical feints. When they cast a fireball, it either burst into a large flame or suddenly sputtered and disappeared. Students cast numerous copies of their fireballs, hiding the actual shot among them—or used the disappearing fireballs to keep their opponent in check, controlling their movements. Sometimes, they mixed up the elements, throwing off their opponent’s aim. Casting a fireball to attack a target was an incredibly simple spell and one of the basic foundations of sorcery, but Mira had never seen one that fizzled like that.

“Say, Hinata. Is that all the Flame spell?” Mira asked, turning to Hinata to find the miao woman looking back with a strange twinkle in her eye.

“It is.” She nodded. “In training exercises like this, it’s often best to master the basics.” Due to her lack of summoning classes, she often helped with other departments and had learned quite a bit about every discipline.

Mira revisited her earlier assumptions, and something stuck out to her as strange. “But some disappear and some explode. Aren’t those two different techniques?” 

Hinata tilted her head in contemplation, then responded, “Do you know the basic casting procedures for sorcery?”

“Hrmm. Select, target, consume, cast.” These were the fundamentals of sorcery, slightly different from the method used for summoning. First, the sorcerer had to select which spell to use. Then, they designated a target. This was followed by consuming the required mana. Lastly, they cast the spell. Higher-level spells required chanting, but Flame was a basic technique.

“Wow, so you know about sorcery as well as summoning! That’s exactly right. The fireballs that explode were cast normally, but the disappearing ones occur when not enough mana is consumed. If you try to cast without enough mana, they simply fizzle out, but it makes for an effective feint. It also consumes less mana and doesn’t require as much time to cast.” Hinata was gratified that she could finally do something teacherly.

“I see. I didn’t know you could do that!” Mira said, impressed by the explanation. Back in the game, it was all or nothing. You couldn’t cast a spell without enough mana, end of story. But now, with the world turned real, it seemed that rule no longer applied. That naturally invited exploration of the possibilities. “So what happens if you try to summon a spirit without enough mana?” she asked, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Hinata’s ears flattened and her face clouded over as she looked off with a blank stare. “The head… An arm… A leg… Part of it appears, and then it just vanishes. That’s it. With proper timing, it might serve as a shield, but…that’s all you get from summoning with too little mana.”

“Hrmm. Is that so?” Mira’s head drooped in disappointment. Still, it was a new technique worth trying. To have an idea of how it felt to use less mana, Mira began to summon a Dark Knight.

Hrmm, half. Or maybe just a quarter.

Moving slightly away she focused on an open area.

[Evocation: Dark Knight]

Mira went through the standard steps but pictured herself using less mana. In response, a smaller-than-usual magic circle popped into being, and just the head of the Dark Knight appeared. As fearsome as ever, its eyes met Hinata’s, and she let out a small shriek before the head disappeared.

So that’s what reduced mana consumption feels like. Not too hard.

After the first test, she had an idea of the process. It was quite like using a different technique with a lesser mana requirement, and to Mira, who had mastered countless skills, it was another weapon in her arsenal. With that under her belt, it was time to explore other possibilities. Her curiosity could not be contained. Could she summon a specific body part?

[Evocation: Dark Knight]

This time, just the right arm of the Dark Knight appeared from the small magic circle, black greatsword in hand. Then it vanished a few moments later.

Hrmm, that seemed to work. Now, then…

“Hinata, this next one might be dangerous. Stand back a little.” 

“O-oh, sure.”

Even just a part of Mira’s Dark Knight was clearly powerful, and Hinata nervously moved back not just a little, but a lot. Taking the previous results into account, Mira targeted an open area and molded her mana.

[Evocation: Dark Knight]

Like before, the arm holding the sword appeared from the magic circle, but this time, it swung the sword in a wide arc.

“What?!” Hinata blurted. She watched the sword stab into the ground before it and the arm vanished without a trace.

“Hrmm, great success!” Mira stroked her chin with her fingers, satisfied with the results.

Hinata had stumbled back at the outrageous sight, but now she gawked at where the black arm had been. The large gouge in the floor was proof that it hadn’t been her imagination.

She knew the steps for summoning: affix the location, choose the summon, spend the mana, and cast. That was how Dark Knights and other such beings were summoned. But that only made summoned spirits appear; they still needed to be given instructions if the caster expected them to be useful. If the mana was reduced, the summoned form would disappear before the caster could instruct it, which is why the technique was useless. Commanding spirits made the discipline of summoning unique, and without it, there wasn’t much point in calling one forth.

But Mira was different. She’d somehow condensed the summoning process to a single action, instructing the Dark Knight before it appeared and allowing just the arm to complete an attack the moment it was summoned.

“Mira, what was that?!” shouted Hinata as she ran up with a shocked expression.

Mira warned, “Hold that thought. I’m not done yet.” Then she turned back to the open area.

[Evocation: Dark Knight]

The next scenario pushed Hinata’s understanding of technique closer to the breaking point. This time, six arms all appeared in a circle, swinging their swords at the same central point. A small cloud of dust blasted up from the force of the impact before the arms vanished, leaving behind a slightly larger crater.

Hinata wasn’t the only one left speechless—the sorcery students had stopped their practice to gape at Mira’s spontaneous experiments. The first floating head had been a distracting novelty, but the succession of wonders kept them entranced. This must be the girl who took first at the symposium, they realized. Hinata being with her only confirmed their suspicions.

They weren’t happy that sorcery had come in second, but most were secretly glad that Caerus had lost. His arrogance was tiring, even to his fellow sorcerers. And this adorable little girl was the one who had dealt him the blow. Whether she realized it or not, Mira’s reputation was soaring.

At present, Mira was so impressed with the results of her little experiment that she was making mental notes to expand it into a full-blown research project.

With a bit more testing, I could probably use this in actual combat. Hrmm, modulating mana consumption, eh? With the game regulations out the window, this opens a lot of new doors. This demands further testing.

Returning her attention to the students to see what other tricks she might pick up, she met their gazes and involuntarily took a step back. Suddenly aware that she was the center of attention, she spun on her heels and fled the facility.

The students watched Mira go in a daze, and Siegfried took the opportunity to light a fire beneath them. He issued an order to his students: next month, they would defeat Mira and regain first place! Some of his pupils had their doubts. Were the things they’d just seen even summoning techniques? How could they compete with that?!

Nevertheless, they returned to their training. At the very least, they had to work hard to keep improving, and there was never enough time. They wouldn’t give in easily, and Siegfried’s voice inspired them to delve right back into their training.

This was how the Department of Sorcery was supposed to be. Guided by Luminaria, they marched after her example. When they witnessed wonders, it only filled them with boundless willpower and determination.

***


After fleeing the training grounds, Hinata continued to take Mira around the campus to see what school life was like for mages.

The academy held the collective knowledge of the entire continent, and along with teaching magic, it also offered courses in general education, battle techniques, and industrial sciences. Students could choose classes that suited them, then move on to specialized studies. The well-rounded results proved that the academy was the best educational institution for anyone who aspired to be a mage.

Research to create new spells was constant and ongoing. There were now spells that Mira had never seen, as well as new techniques of combining existing spells together. She learned that the spells Caerus had performed were called composite spells, which were a combination of existing spells with new visual effects designed to enhance their appearance.

Mira assaulted Hinata with question after question, her eyes shining as she learned about the current state of magic. She had so many questions on her mind. What’s that? What’s this? How do I…? What if I…? This only kindled Hinata’s passion for teaching, and she cheerfully shared all the knowledge she had gained from helping the other departments. As the pair visited each department, Hinata proudly listed their achievements.

The Department of Sorcery was eagerly working on crafting composite spells. Meanwhile, the Department of the Holy was preparing for a class pilgrimage. The students would travel the land learning the sacred arts and paying homage at the temples of the gods. Unfortunately, the Department of Divination was facing a shortage of the mystic leaves they needed for their talismans. Advancement to the middle and upper levels of study had been greatly hindered.

As for the Department of Exorcism, it had developed a holy water gun with technomancy; it used air pressure to spray holy water at a target from long range. The Department of Demonology had discovered that a mage’s assimilation of demonic techniques was controlled not just by their aptitude, but also their personality. Research was being done to determine the level of influence.

The Department of Necromancy was developing and creating new useful tools, such as stone figures that could carry items. As soon as students entered the Department of Immortality, they underwent intensive martial arts training. As a result, everyone there was fit and toned, and they were trying to figure out how to incorporate weaponry into their classically bare-handed techniques. Around this time, the Department of the Ethereal was researching spells that would manipulate the weather and artificial lights that allowed for improved growth of crops.

Lastly, there was the Department of Evocation. Cleos was recruiting new summoning hopefuls, day after day. One by one, he took them out into the field to forge their first summoning contracts.

By the time they finished making their way around the school, after-school activities had begun, and the sky was dyed a crimson hue. In the schoolyard, athletic students sweated as they ran toward their dreams. Other students indulged in their interests in club rooms tinged by the setting sun.

“Well, we couldn’t see everything in one day, but what did you think?”

“I had a marvelous time. Thank you, Hinata,” Mira replied with a satisfied smile.

“Oh, no, thank you for helping with the symposium. Here, this is for you.” Hinata held out a silver ring.

Mira reached out and gently closed Hinata’s hand. “I did it for the future of summoning. That’s all the reward I need.”

“But I asked you to help.”

Mira’s smile turned tender. “Then why don’t you give me another tour of the school when we have the chance? There’s still so much to see.”

Hinata thought back to how Mira acted on their tour, then to their first meeting and how Mira looked as she peeked through the gates of the academy.

“All right, leave it to me! I’ll show you everything we’ve got!” With her cat ears standing at attention, Hinata decided that the next time Mira visited, she’d make sure to get a permit so that she could show Mira all the areas that were normally off-limits.

“Well, this is it, then.”

“Goodbye, Mira. I’m here whenever you want to visit.”

After that, Mira walked off through the middle of the schoolyard.

Hinata watched her go and whispered, “Thank you,” before she regained her vigor and took off running toward the Department of Evocation. Thanks to the new enhancement gear, things would only be getting busier. And that meant it was time to start preparing. What better way to show her gratitude for what Mira had done?

She was so inspired as she sprinted down the hallway that she completely missed Siegfried’s invitation to join him for dinner.

***

Mira watched the students toiling away in the schoolyard before turning to look up at the red-streaked sky. She’d only intended to take a quick look at the school, but one thing led to another, and now almost the entire day was gone. It was almost dark, too late to go sightseeing anywhere else.

As she passed through the gate and wondered what to do with herself, a familiar figure jogged past, then stopped and turned around.

It was Amarette in her red-hooded cape. “Oh, you’re still here.” She’d just finished her business at the academy and was also on her way out.

“Hrmm, I suppose I am.”

Amarette leaned forward, bringing her face close to Mira’s and ignoring the girl’s slightly startled expression.

“By the way, Miss Mira. Do you make a habit of not wearing underclothes?” she asked, staring at Mira’s chest. Then she locked eyes with Mira. “Or is that your preference?”

Reaching out, Amarette flipped up the hem of Mira’s skirt, sending ripples of panic through the few students nearby. The two experienced mages paid them no mind.

“You are wearing something down here, I see.” With a slightly remorseful smile, Amarette stood back up, then looked to her for an explanation.

“I couldn’t figure out how to get the bra on,” Mira replied with a shrug, and the unexpected response brought a grin to Amarette’s face.

“That explains it! I suppose I’ll have to teach you.” As she spoke, she moved to undo Mira’s buttons, and the summoner hurriedly stopped her hands.

“What are you doing?!”

“Just as I said, teaching you. I’ll take mine off, and then you can watch as I put it back on.”

There was no way Mira could agree to that without staring directly at Amarette’s breasts. Well, that might not be so bad, but this was definitely not the time or place for it. Mira’s sense of decorum did not include exhibitionism.

Mira swore that she’d ask Lily to teach her next time, and that somehow appeased Amarette.

“Please don’t forget the other matter as well,” the necromancer added. She desired nothing more than the palace maid corps to weave her very own deluxe magical-girl outfit.

Mira brushed it off. “I know, I know.”

Looking pleased, Amarette cast Necromantic Arts: Rock Bear, and a giant bear made entirely of stone took shape in the street.

“Well, then, until next we meet,” Amarette said. With that, she jumped on the back of her bear and spurred it onward. The stony creature effortlessly made its way through the traffic. It didn’t seem to cause any particular panic among the townsfolk, but it certainly attracted attention.

Mira stood there, stunned, once again reminded of the stark differences between the game and reality. Just like Alfina and Leticia, everyone who had been an NPC was now free to live their lives as they saw fit.

People were accomplishing feats that weren’t possible back in the game. Watching Amarette go inspired Mira to try riding one of her own summons. Based on the crowd’s reaction, it seemed to be a relatively common occurrence for necromancers to travel on their creations.

That would save me some walking.

No summons were intended to be mounts, but there were plenty that looked…rideable. Just as she went to file it under “needs more testing” in her mind, a thought occurred to her. People weren’t afraid—but riding a stone bear through the street had drawn everyone’s gaze. Mira hated being the center of attention, so she resolved to test the matter later in a more inconspicuous location.

Right, so what do I do now?

She had acquired a whole host of new knowledge and wanted to start internalizing it right away. Considering the hour, it was probably best to prioritize sleeping arrangements for the night. She could just return to the palace, but where was the fun in that? She was in a storybook world, and every fantasy story included staying at a random inn!

Spontaneously spending the night in an inn you happened upon in your travels—one of the joys of adventuring!

She needed to find someplace nice and ordinary, a standard inn that included a tavern and a place to stay. Somewhere like the Spring Flurry, the place where she’d said her goodbyes to the Écarlate Carillon, would be ideal. Up to this point, she’d only slept in her room in the tower, the guest room of the palace, a carriage intended for royalty, and the grandest hotel in all of Karanak. None of those could be considered normal in any sense of the word.

A casual conversation with the innkeeper, a meal in a bustling tavern, and a simple but comfortable bed—they were key aspects of any fantasy story. Mira was gripped by the yearning and ran out under the darkened sky in search of the most generic inn she could find.



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