TL/Editor: Raei

Illustrations: Here

Academy conference room.

Most professors gathered around a central table, with Dean Oliver at the head.

Oliver, wearing round glasses and a smart outfit, took the lead, a rare sight.

Headmaster McDowell's absence didn't surprise anyone.

Usually, McDowell ran these meetings.

However, he often got busy during holidays, leaving Oliver in charge.

"Did everyone enjoy the break?"

Oliver asked his colleagues, flashing a polite smile.

The break hadn't ended yet, his question was merely a formality.

The purpose of this gathering was to finalize the academic calendar for the upcoming semester.

While they typically followed a standard schedule, they adjusted dates for exams and other events to suit various factors.

This time, due to numerous happenings from the first term, the agenda was packed, prompting serious looks from the professors.

"Let's start," Oliver announced, initiating the session.

"The first item up for discussion is limiting first-year students' outside activities due to the unfortunate incident during the midterm camp."

At this, Professor Cromwell raised his hand.

"Please, Professor Cromwell, go ahead."

"I don't see the need for such restrictions. The incident wasn't a result of first-year students' actions."

Following Cromwell's statement, Professor McGuire also lifted his hand.

"I agree. The occurrence was due to our oversight as professors. We need to pay more attention, instead of limiting the students, which seems somewhat unfair."

With both of them speaking up, no one objected.

No one wanted to argue with Professors McGuire and Cromwell.

These two had significant sway within the academy due to their consistent research contributions, admirable character, and ethical conduct.

Additionally, Cromwell hailed from a renowned family and was often seen as a potential future dean.

However, his passion for teaching and studying magic was greater than his desire for the position.

"Does anyone object to continuing with the first-year schedule as planned?"

Even as Oliver asked once more, the professors stayed silent.

"Then we'll follow Professors Cromwell and McGuire's suggestion. We'll proceed with the joint practical of the 1st and 2nd years, along with the rest of the schedule, as usual. The next item up for discussion is...."

With that, the meeting moved forward under Oliver's guidance.

Once all topics were addressed, Oliver left the academy grounds.

Hidden beneath a hooded cloak, Oliver stepped beyond the academy walls.

He scanned his surroundings, then navigated towards a dimly lit alleyway.

Tucked in the alley was a small, unassuming shop.

Inside, there were no customers, just a single bartender cleaning a glass.

"You're here."

The bartender seemed to be expecting Oliver.

"How is Count Fred faring these days?"

Oliver settled into a seat, pulling back his hood.

Count Fred's family owned a respectable territory near the capital and held a reputation for their work with magical tools.

They were notable backers of Princess Yuni, the second princess.

Although traditionally seen as rivals to Garwell's Handrei family, they'd recently gained more power due to the Handrei's downfall.

"The count is as well as ever. But..."

"But?"

A strained smile appeared on the bartender's face.

"Princess Rie's investigations have been rather bothersome."

"Princess Rie... She's been staying out of the spotlight, hasn't she?"

"Not recently, no, but she's been investigating into past affairs."

"Past affairs?"

The bartender set down the glass he was cleaning, and, leaning closer, whispered to Oliver.

"It's about Professor Levian."

Oliver's brow furrowed at this.

"Why would the princess suddenly become interested in Levian?"

"We're not sure. We've done our best to hide any damning evidence, but considering it involves Levian, there might be undiscovered traces. We're just staying cautious for now."

"Sounds troublesome."

Upon hearing the bartender's tale, Oliver let out a sigh of annoyance.

"But enough about that, how did the meeting pan out?"

The bartender handed Oliver a piece of paper while posing the question.

Taking the paper and a nearby pen, Oliver started to write a letter.

"It was smooth sailing. Professors Cromwell and McGuire suggested we stick to the original schedule."

"That's certainly good news."

The bartender chuckled at Oliver's words.

After Oliver finished his letter, he passed it back to the bartender and rose from his seat, adjusting his robe.

"Leaving so soon?"

"I should get going. Lingering here won't do me any good."

As Oliver prepared to depart, the bartender spoke up.

"Oh, one more thing, Count Fred told his child to keep a close eye on Princess Rie. Apparently, he's shared some information concerning Professor Levian."

Oliver's brow creased again at the bartender's words.

"Anton? I can't see how that would help."

Anton, a second-year student at the academy, was Count Fred's eldest son and a magic department student.

While his grades and magic skills were good, he wasn't extraordinary.

"Count Fred seems to want Anton to acquire some experience...."

"Doesn't look like any grand plan is at play, so it should be harmless."

With a casual shrug, Oliver brushed off his initial worry.

Even if Anton knew the details concerning Levian, unless he completely lost his mind, he wouldn't reveal such information.

Doing so would inevitably spell disaster for the Fred family.

"I'll be heading out now."

With that, Oliver strode towards the shop's exit.

"Astina, how could you!"

Rie's outcry made it sound like she had been personally wronged.

"And what, I should've been at odds with the Royal Knights for you...? I just came to play for a while. I just had fun and left, that's all."

Astina snorted as if it were natural, scoffing at Rie's outrage.

On the other hand, Luna murmured, her expression sinking.

"I couldn't even go... it sounds like you all had such a good time..."

"Ah."

Astina and Rie were flustered at the sight and began to comfort her.

As the holiday slowly came to an end, the academy's inhabitants started to trickle back in.

Both Rie and Astina had returned, their chit-chat echoing through the corridors.

"Sorry, Luna. I didn't know Rie was planning on going... If I'd known, I would've invited you."

"No, no, Rudy, it's not your fault! You even brought back a gift."

We continued our casual conversation as we strolled through the academy grounds.

"I need to move out first."

"Alright, see you tomorrow then!"

I waved them goodbye and headed towards the dormitory.

Having transitioned from Top Seat to Second Seat, I had to relocate my belongings to the Second Seat's designated room.

I had spent the holidays focused on studying black magic and mana manipulation, improving my proficiency in the latter.

Whether it was fortifying my arm or specific body parts, it was no longer a challenge.

But the rewards of mana manipulation extended beyond physical enhancements.

My control and usage of black magic had significantly stabilized as well.

Much like my own progress, my friends too seemed to have improved greatly.

While Rie and Astina's progress was less clear, Luna's had grown tremendously.

Each time she showcased her research findings, the complexity of her magic circles amplified, making them increasingly difficult to understand.

My struggle to keep pace hinted at Luna's rapidly accelerating growth.

Sure, I hadn't dedicated much time to studying magic circles, but that didn't mean I'd completely ignored magic theory.

Despite my skills in creating magic circles lagging behind, I was quite good at understanding their type and function.

However, lately, deciphering Luna's magic circles had become a very difficult task.

While Luna's rapid development was amazing, it also sparked a worry that I might struggle to keep up with her.

Aside from Luna, another individual had exhibited noticeable growth - Evan.

We'd incidentally bumped into each other at the training grounds, and it was clear that he had evolved since our initial encounter.

His magic had gotten stronger, and his swordsmanship had become very stable.

"Well... school is about to start."

Seeing these developments made me happy, but I was worried about the events coming up.

After school starts, there were two immediate events.

An individual skills assessment and a joint practical for the first and second-year students.

The individual skills assessment was an examination designed to assess each student's progress during the holidays.

Given our varying abilities, we would be subjected to numerous types of assessments.

Among these, the power assessment was the most highly anticipated event.

As implied by its name, this was an assessment designed to measure the level of power one could harness with one special blow.

Though it was challenging to assess an individual's abilities solely based on this aspect, the spectacle of executing such a powerful move made it the most dramatic of all evaluations.

It received the undivided attention of both professors and students.

Although I hadn't developed a special move specifically for this assessment, the thought was still bouncing around in my mind.

The outcomes of this evaluation significantly influenced our grades, so it was better to get a good score.

What I was most interested in about this assessment was who would outshine the rest among the first-year students.

Astina was expected to comfortably clinch the top spot among the second years, but no clear front-runner emerged from the first-years, especially since the winner in the original is currently absent.

Originally, the top scorer was Serina.

However, in Serina's absence, it wouldn't be surprising if the likes of Rie, Luna, or Evan emerged victorious.

More important than this assessment was the joint practical for the first and second-year students.

I'd had several discussions with Professor Cromwell regarding this.

As a result, I was able to persuade him to carry out the event properly.

While I knew that Dean Oliver would have managed things even if I hadn't intervened, I took the initiative, in fear of more changes to the story.

"But it seems to have proceeded without a hitch."

I smiled and moved my things.

And so, as the holidays drew to a close, a new semester was about to start.

***

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