Chapter 251: Let's Temporarily Enroll in the Magic Academy!

“Hey everyone, there’s somewhere I’d like you to come with me for a bit.”

Mina-san announced this just as we finished breakfast and were about to show our faces at the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Did something happen?”

“I was summoned by my Grandfather, but considering the place… if I go alone, I feel like I’ll get dragged into something troublesome.”

Heeh, Mina-san’s grandfather, huh.

If I recall correctly, isn’t he also Mina-san’s magic teacher?

“Mina’s grandpa, huh… Whenever I’m around, that old man always picks a fight with me.”

Hearing it was Mina-san’s grandfather, Jairo-kun let out a heavy sigh, looking like it was a pain.

“Mina-san’s grandfather is pretty harsh on Jairo-kun, after all.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

Do those two not get along?

“He treats Jairo like a pest.”

“I’m not a pest!!”

“So, if it’s troublesome, are we talking about something dangerous?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s just that if I’m alone, he’ll likely steamroll me with his smooth talking and sheer momentum. My Grandfather has a very slick tongue. So, by having everyone come along, I want to clearly demonstrate that I have no obligation to simply obey his convenience.”

Liliera-san had been on guard wondering if there was a risk of a physical altercation, but looking at Mina-san’s reaction, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“Sounds like there are some complicated circumstances. So, where are we going?”

“…The Magic Academy.”

“Heeh, so this is the Magic Academy.”

Led by Mina-san, we arrived at the Magic Academy located in the Royal Capital.

We were stopped by the gatekeeper at the entrance, but the moment Mina-san showed her invitation, we were let right in.

It seems Mina-san’s grandfather is someone with quite a lot of connections.

However, none of that was particularly important to me.

After all, I was completely absorbed in looking around the inside of the Magic Academy.

The Magic Academy: a specialized educational institution for magic that also existed in my past lives.

If I remember correctly, it was an educational institution founded during the era of my life before last.

But I was already well into adulthood by that time, so I never enrolled.

During my previous life, the war against the demons had intensified, and the activity of powerful monsters had become so aggressive that I was thrown straight onto the battlefield and received my training during actual combat. So, naturally, I never attended the Magic Academy then either.

To think that I, after two reincarnations, have finally come to the Magic Academy… it fills me with deep emotion.

“This way.”

Mina-san guided us without any hesitation.

Has Mina-san been here before, perhaps?

“Have you been here before, by any chance?”

“Occasionally.”

When Liliera-san—who seemed to be wondering the same thing—asked, Mina-san answered without trying to hide it.

“Even so…”

There was no one in sight on the path we were walking.

Yet, I could tell.

Someone was watching us.

And not just one or two people. Dozens—no, perhaps hundreds of people might be watching.

“They’re way too obvious about it, though.”

Yes, the gazes directed at us were far too blatant.

To the point where you’d think they were standing right in front of us, glaring.

I wasn’t the only one feeling those stares; everyone else looked uncomfortable too.

“Fuaaah~”

“Fukyu~u.”

Ah, Jairo-kun and Fluffy didn’t seem to care at all, though.

But with it being this blatant, it doesn’t seem like they’re just on guard or monitoring us.

If anything, is it intimidation?

A warning saying, We’re watching every move you make.

I don’t know how it is for the Magic Academy, but I felt similar gazes in my past life when I fought in joint operations with knight orders or was invited to other countries.

I’m sure the people directing their gazes at us are threatening us, saying that if we act out of line in their territory, we won’t get off lightly.

But there’s no need to worry.

We didn’t come here to fight you guys.

To convey that, I directed a smile toward the direction where the strongest gazes were coming from.

“…!?…”

Perhaps it was effective, as the gazes from the corner I smiled at vanished.

It seems they understood.

As we entered the academy building and proceeded further inside, we arrived at a room with an imposing door.

“The person who called me is inside.”

Although Mina-san’s outward appearance hadn’t changed, she had clearly entered a combat-ready state.

“Listen well. Don’t be surprised by anything you see in here. And absolutely do not speak about what happens inside to anyone outside.”

I see, a confidentiality agreement.

It’s necessary to protect information, and to protect our own lives.

“Yes, understood.”

“Got it.”

“Okay.”

“Nn.”

“Understood.”

As everyone else similarly signaled their agreement, Mina-san knocked on the door with a tense expression.

“Enter.”

The person inside granted permission to enter without even asking who was knocking.

This is likely because they already knew it was Mina-san who had arrived.

“Excuse us.”

Keeping a sliver of caution in the corner of my mind, I entered the room.

Now then, Mina-san said there wouldn’t be a fight, but seeing her so tense… I wonder what’s going to happen.

“Oooooh!! I’ve been waiting for you, Minaaaa!!”

That was the very first thing we heard upon entering.

And then, someone leaped straight toward us.

An attack!?

Did Mina-san at the front sense it beforehand? She dodged out of the way without breaking a sweat.

Positioned right behind her, I judged that the opponent’s movements were far too slow to possess any real intent to attack, so I evaded as well.

Liliera-san and Meguri-san were taken aback but quickly regained their senses and dodged.

“Uwaaaah!?”

However, having let his guard down out of boredom, Jairo-kun failed to dodge and was tackled to the ground.

Norb-san hadn’t entered the room yet, so it seems he managed to avoid getting caught up in it.

“B-Bugyuu…”

Ah, Fluffy got caught up in it and is pinned underneath.

“Hoho, have you been well, Mina! As always, you’re so fluff—hmm? You’ve gotten awfully rugged… and hard… Wait, who the hell are youuuu!!”

The person who was aggressively petting the pinned Jairo-kun realized the texture didn’t belong to Mina-san and raised a voice closer to pure anger than caution.

“I could ask you the same thing!!”

Similarly pinned to the floor, Jairo-kun shouted back in anger.

“You’re that brat!! Where did you hide Minaaaa!!”

“She’s right there! Just get off me already!”

As the person shoved away by Jairo-kun stood up, Mina-san let out a sigh that sounded thoroughly exhausted from the bottom of her heart.

“Haa… Still the same as ever, Grandfather.”

” ” Grandfather? ” “

My voice and Liliera-san’s overlapped at Mina-san’s words.

“Yes, this person is my Grandfather. Nagibelt Karks.”

“A surname… does that mean he’s a noble!?”

“Eh? Mina-san, you were a noble!?”

She said she came from the same village as Jairo-kun and the others, so I thought she was a commoner. I was wrong!

“I’m a commoner. My Grandfather is an Honorary Noble.”

An Honorary Noble—a title bestowed upon a commoner who has achieved something extraordinary.

Honorary Nobles have “Honorary” attached before their standard title so they can be distinguished from regular nobles.

However, since it’s a peerage granted to a commoner, they are treated one step below genuine nobles of the same rank.

Still, they receive a noble’s pension, and above all, the status of a noble serves as the greatest possible identification for a commoner, so it holds plenty of value just for that.

There are many merchants who willingly pay substantial bribes to become Honorary Nobles just to obtain that noble status.

After all, it adds prestige to their goods and makes it much easier to secure meetings with actual nobles.

But one thing to keep in mind is that an Honorary Noble is a peerage strictly limited to a single generation.

In other words, only the individual is a noble; their family remains commoners. The title cannot be inherited by their children.

Technically, there is a way for them to become true nobles, but since that’s irrelevant right now, let’s set it aside.

“Oh, Mina! There you are!!”

Noticing Mina-san, Nagibelt-san marched over.

Not wanting to end up collateral damage like Jairo-kun, we hurriedly cleared a path.

“Oh, oh, yes, petting Mina should feel exactly like this.”

Nagibelt-san stroked Mina-san’s head like she was a stuffed animal.

“Grandfather, I am already an adult. Besides, there are people here other than us.”

Saying that, Mina-san didn’t look at us, but directed her gaze toward the back of the room.

When we followed her gaze, there was an elderly man looking at us with a wry smile.

“Oh, you’ve finally noticed me.”

“It’s been a while, Principal Zenzar.”

When Mina-san bowed her head slightly in greeting, the old man called Zenzar nodded with satisfaction.

Wait, “Principal”—does that mean this person is the highest authority in the Magic Academy?

“Indeed, it has been a while. By the way, won’t you introduce your friends to me?”

“Please excuse my bad manners.”

“Hey, Mina…”

Nagibelt-san tried to say something, but Mina-san completely ignored him and began introducing us.

“This is Lexus. He is an active adventurer and my magic teacher who has taught me numerous convenient spells useful in actual combat.”

“Oho, you can use magic as well! And even though you don’t look much older than Mina, you’ve mastered magic to the point where you can teach spells useful in combat to others! That is splendid!”

Hearing that I could use magic, Principal Zenzar let out a delighted voice.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lexus. Though, my magic skills aren’t really anything special. My late master was a far superior mage.”

“Hoo hoo, a heart that avoids arrogance and never loses respect for its predecessors is quite pleasant.”

“Principal, this is Liliera. She is our senior adventurer, and she is also an excellent magic user.”

“Nice to meet you. However, I only use my magic to support my spearmanship, so unlike these two, I cannot wield it with complete freedom.”

“No, no, at its core, magic is merely one of many tools. It is best to use it in the way that is most useful to you. There is no need to disparage your own abilities.”

“I am humbled.”

Heeh, I’m a bit surprised.

Honestly, since many mages in research institutions have a strong sense of elite privilege, I was slightly on guard wondering if this person was like that too. But—though it might be rude to say it’s unexpected—Principal Zenzar turned out to be a man of exceptional character.

How nice. If only the researchers in my life before last had all been gentle people like Principal Zenzar.

“And these are Jairo, Meguri, and Norb.”

“Are we just treated as extras!?”

“Ah, I’ve heard about you from Nagibelt. You’re Mina’s childhood friends, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Though you could also call us inseparable nuisances.”

After that, Mina-san and Principal Zenzar engaged in a peaceful chat.

However, we couldn’t concentrate on the conversation at all because we were far too distracted by the figure moving around beside them.

“Heeey, Mina? Can you hear me? It’s your Grandpa, you know~?”

Yes, it was Mina-san’s grandfather, Nagibelt-san.

Nagibelt-san was desperately trying to join the conversation, but he was being completely ignored by Mina-san and the Principal.

Ah, no, seeing Principal Zenzar holding back a laugh, they’re definitely doing it on purpose.

Eventually, Mina-san must have finally gotten annoyed. She let out an exasperated sigh and turned to face Nagibelt-san.

Do these two really not get along?

“Do you need something, Grandfather?”

“Oooooh! You finally reacted! Have you been we—”

“If you have something to say, please keep it brief and to the point. Both my comrades and I are quite busy as adventurers.”

Saying that, Mina-san shot a glance at us, causing Nagibelt-san to glare at us as if we were blatantly in his way.

“Ugh, it can’t be helped, then.”

Letting out a reluctant sigh, Nagibelt-san began to explain the situation to Mina-san.

“…Mina purposely ignored her grandfather to make him impatient so he’d spit out his business quickly. Otherwise, he’d want to chatter on with her endlessly.”

Having slipped behind me, Meguri-san explained the reason for Mina-san’s harsh behavior in a low whisper.

“I see. So bringing us along was also intended to visibly demonstrate just how ‘busy’ she is.”

I could hear Liliera-san whispering in realization as well.

“Even so, Mina. You don’t need to worry about such things anymore. Using my connections, your enrollment into the Magic Academy has been finalized.”

Heeh, Mina-san is enrolling in the Magic Academy…

” ” ” ” ” Eeh!? ” ” ” ” “

“Oh? What is it?”

At Nagibelt-san’s shocking announcement, even we couldn’t help but raise our voices.

“Grandfather! What is the meaning of this!?”

“Exactly as I said. I am enrolling you in the Magic Academy. It isn’t anything fraudulent, of course. It is a proper, official enrollment. You are my granddaughter, after all. There’s no doubt you are exceptional.”

Umm, I don’t think that answers the question…

She must have thought the same thing. Mina-san directed a sharp, piercing glare at Principal Zenzar.

“Ah, well, you see. With the strong recommendation of the Former Principal, we decided to have you take the entrance examination.”

“Former Principal?”

“…He means my Grandfather.”

Mina-san’s grandfather is the Former Principal of the Magic Academy!?

Could Mina-san’s grandfather actually be someone incredibly amazing…!?

“Just because I am your granddaughter does not guarantee I am exceptional.”

“I know that. That is why I fully intend for you to take the exam properly.”

Well, that part is important. Even if you get in through backdoor admission, if you don’t actually have the academic ability, you’ll just fall behind and drop out in the end.

In a way, having an entrance exam is for the student’s own sake.

“I told you there’s no problem! You are the only one among my grandchildren who inherited my aptitude for magic, my truly exceptional granddaughter!!”

“I’m. Telling. You! Being your granddaughter has nothing to do with it!”

Ah, I see. It’s true that magical talent isn’t guaranteed to be inherited by everyone.

Children from lineages of great mages often have a high probability of inheriting strong magical talent, but it’s ultimately just a high probability, not an absolute certainty.

There’s a massive wall between being able to use everyday Life Magic and handling magic at a level sufficient to make a living off it.

It’s an entirely different matter between simply being able to lift a sword and being able to swing it freely without being thrown off balance to use sword techniques.

In that sense, Nagibelt-san must have been overjoyed that Mina-san displayed a level of talent capable of handling magic as a profession.

“And so, you will enroll in the Magic Academy, Mina! If you do, your future will be rosy!”

Hm? Her future will be rosy just by enrolling in the Magic Academy?

What does that mean? The Magic Academy is strictly an educational institution meant solely to teach the handling of magic, though…

“Like. I. Said! If I suddenly leave my party, it will cause immense trouble for my comrades!”

“An unexpected vacancy in an adventurer’s party is a common occurrence, isn’t it?”

“That’s only if there’s an accident! Normally, quitting out of nowhere is just a massive nuisance!”

Yeah, both Mina-san and Nagibelt-san are correct.

Being an adventurer is a job that goes hand-in-hand with danger, so unexpected dropouts are inevitable.

But even so, if it isn’t an absolute emergency, one should announce their withdrawal in advance.

However, even when Mina-san explained that, Nagibelt-san refused to back down.

“…Haa. In that case, if you accept my condition, I am willing to accept a temporary enrollment.”

Perhaps realizing the conversation would never end at this rate, Mina-san proposed a condition with a sigh.

“Hmm, why a temporary enrollment?”

Harboring doubts about Mina-san’s phrasing, Principal Zenzar asked her.

“Because I am an adventurer. The knowledge I require is strictly whether it’s useful for my work as an adventurer or not. If I cannot obtain the necessary knowledge, there’s no point in enrolling in the first place, is there?”

U-Uwaa… Mina-san is really saying that right in front of the Principal.

If your place doesn’t have useful knowledge, there’s no point in enrolling—if the other party had high pride, this would turn into a disaster.

“Hahaha, your strong-willed nature and sheer confidence are definitely inherited from your grandfather.”

However, Principal Zenzar seemed thoroughly familiar with Mina-san’s personality and didn’t get angry. Or rather, maybe he’s just used to Nagibelt-san, who is exactly like Mina-san?

“No, it isn’t confidence. I simply learned that there is a solitary sage in this world who doesn’t care a single bit about things like authority. After witnessing his knowledge and skills, I felt it would be foolish to unconditionally worship a place solely because it possesses authority.”

Heeh, for Mina-san—who has the Former Principal for a grandfather—to go that far, I wonder what kind of person he is.

He must possess an incredible amount of knowledge.

When on earth did she meet such an amazing person?

” ” ” ” “…” ” ” ” “

Suddenly, for some reason, everyone’s gaze gathered on me.

“What’s wrong?”

” ” ” ” Nothing~ ” ” ” “

“Kyukyukyu.”

What is it, seriously?

“Hmm, a sage in the wild, you say. It seems you’ve experienced a wonderful encounter. I would love to meet him myself.”

Hearing the story of the sage Mina-san met, Principal Zenzar broke into a delighted smile.

“So, what is your condition?”

Returning to the topic, Principal Zenzar asked for the condition Mina-san required.

“My condition is…”

At that moment, Mina-san’s gaze turned toward us.

“Please allow my comrades who accompanied me here to temporarily enroll in this academy along with me.”

” ” ” ” “…” ” ” ” “

Umm, Mina-san’s condition is our temporary enrollment…?

” ” ” ” ” Wait, EEEEEEH!? ” ” ” ” “

Wh-Why us too!?

“H-Hey, what’s the meaning of this, Mina!!”

“Because it would be frustrating if I was the only one left out of the adventure! If you were in my shoes, you’d call it unfair that the rest of us got to go adventuring without you, wouldn’t you?”

“Ugh, well, yeah… but still, you know!”

Jairo-kun hurriedly pressed Mina-san, but she put on a deliberately theatrical pout, claiming it was unfair if only we got to continue adventuring.

“But still, dragging us into this is a bit much. Lexus-san and I…”

Liliera-san was surely about to point out that, strictly speaking, we are a separate team from Jairo-kun’s party.

However, before she could finish, Mina-san sidled up to Liliera-san and whispered something in her ear.

“So that’s the deal, what do you say?”

“…Assuming things proceed exactly as you say. If it fails, you’re compensating us for it, and if it comes to it, you’ll be the only one attending the Magic Academy, understood?”

“Fine by me. Let’s go with that for now.”

It seems the two reached an understanding, as Liliera-san suddenly accepted participating in Mina-san’s condition.

Then, stepping back, she whispered this to me:

“It’s a request from Mina. The duration is strictly during the temporary enrollment. If it looks like it’ll drag on, we’re free to back out halfway. The reward is half of the assets Mina has deposited in the guild.”

Half of her guild savings!?

That’s quite a splurge on her part.

And to think we have the freedom to drop the request midway at our own discretion.

“What’s the reward if we drop out halfway?”

“Apparently, it’s the full amount even then. She probably already reached a conclusion regarding the reward before coming here.”

In other words, she wants our help so badly she’s willing to go that far.

“Is everyone else okay with this too?”

Likely waiting for Liliera-san to finish explaining, Mina-san checked in with us.

“I don’t mind.”

“Nn, I don’t mind either.”

Surprisingly, Meguri-san easily accepted a deal that didn’t involve any money for her.

Even though Meguri-san wasn’t told about the reward.

“What about you, Norb?”

“Let’s see. I’m not entirely uninterested in the Magic Academy myself. A full enrollment would be problematic, but I have no objections to a temporary one.”

Norb-san accepted Mina-san’s request using what Jairo-kun calls his ‘formal outside tone’.

“Are you okay with this too, Lexus?”

Mina-san sought my answer, looking at me inquiringly.

“Hmm…”

The Magic Academy. The school I could never attend in either my previous life or the one before that. A place where children gather to study together and happily play with classmates after school.

In other words, the school one would go to in a normal life!

“Understood! I’ll participate too!”

Yes, I’m someone who decided to live a normal life. And it’s completely normal for a youth to attend school!

“Then it’s decided—”

“Wait, wait, wait! Don’t just ignore me!”

Just then, Jairo-kun called a halt.

“Hey! Why didn’t you ask for my answer!”

Jairo-kun lodged a complaint about the fact that no one bothered to check with him.

“Oh, is that all?”

“What do you mean, ‘is that all’, you!”

Though Jairo-kun bristled at being brushed off as if it didn’t matter, Mina-san flashed a bright smile and said this:

“Because even if you complain, you’ll still come with me anyway, right?”

“…O-Oh. Well, yeah, I guess.”

Showing complete, absolute trust, Mina-san declared there was no need to ask because she knew he would undoubtedly be on her side.

Being told so clearly and directly, even Jairo-kun seemingly couldn’t stay angry any longer and accepted it with an ‘I guess it can’t be helped’ attitude.

“Gugigigigi! You little braaaat!!”

Though it seems Nagibelt-san was the only one entirely dissatisfied with this outcome.

“And so, that’s how it is, Grandfather, Principal. If you allow all of us to temporarily enroll, I will accept this arrangement!”

Thus, our temporary enrollment life at the Magic Academy was heralded to begin.