The teachers' office at Saikai Academy.
Rossweisse sat at her desk preparing materials for her next class. The entire office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Click.
The door opened, and a black-haired, black-eyed boy walked in.
After entering, Cid closed the door and glanced around. In the spacious office, there were only three people: Natsuki Minamiya leisurely sipping black tea in her chair, Misaki Sasasaki busy with something unknown, and Rossweisse.
With his arrival, the calm atmosphere in the room broke, and all three of them looked toward him.
"Cid, you're here."
Rossweisse seemed not to notice the shift in the room's mood and simply called him over.
After thinking for a few seconds, Cid decided to follow the order and obediently sat down in front of her.
"What am I supposed to do with a student like you?"
Rossweisse covered her forehead with one hand, looking genuinely troubled. Cid knew she really was frustrated. Anyone would feel the same dealing with a student who had studied for a whole year and still didn't understand anything.
"The results of the last exam are out. You ranked last. And today in class you were spacing out again. Cid, can't you at least try a little harder? With your talent, even if you can't be at the top, you shouldn't be performing this poorly."
Facing Rossweisse's lecture, Cid gave the excuse he had already prepared on his way here.
"Rossweisse-sensei, you know my aptitude is just average. Before the world fusion, I barely had any exposure to magic, so I just need some ti—"
"Stop, Cid. Don't make excuses. You already used that one last time. And I checked your other classes. You're keeping up with most of them. You even managed to reach a normal high school level in mathematics within a year."
Rossweisse cut him off and exposed the excuse he had been relying on.
Cid gave Rossweisse a surprised look. He clearly hadn't expected this normally somewhat scatterbrained teacher to actually check his other grades.
Fortunately, he had already prepared a backup plan for the day his excuse got exposed.
Just give up completely.
"Waaah, Rossweisse-sensei, I really don't have any talent for magic anyway. I just need to focus on practicing my real profession as a Magic Swordsman."
As long as I slack off badly enough, no one can force me to work hard.
That was the ultimate wisdom he had picked up online in his previous life. The internet was full of geniuses who always came up with ideas that made his eyes light up.
Of course, back then he didn't believe it. After all, he was a man destined to become the Eminence in Shadow.
But right now, it seemed like the perfect strategy for this situation.
"Cid, how many times have I said this? Even Magic Swordsmen must understand magic to some extent. Otherwise, if you encounter some strange spell one day and get caught by it, you won't even know what happened. The most frightening thing about magic has never been its destructive power, but its unpredictability."
Cid actually agreed with Rossweisse on that point.
Magic really could be frighteningly strange.
But Rossweisse could rest easy about him underestimating it. When he found a method in the library for creating a curse that could theoretically kill a Red Dragon at his level, if he still looked down on magic after that, he would truly be an idiot.
If someone could target a Red Dragon like that, the next target might very well be him.
As for seriously studying the magic Rossweisse taught...
Please spare him.
It wasn't about effort. What Rossweisse was asking was for Cid to completely change the way he approached spellcasting.
"My future's pretty much set anyway. Whether I can even remain a minor noble depends on my sister's mood. There's no way anyone would specifically hire a mage just to deal with me."
With those words that were basically giving up on himself, Cid didn't believe Rossweisse could still hold any expectations for him.
"You... you... you... hopeless!"
Just as he expected, Rossweisse's face flushed red with anger, even blurting out an old saying.
"Well then, teacher, if there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Cid stood up and prepared to leave. Overall, he was quite satisfied with this office visit. Even if the Valkyrie teacher ended up disliking him, it meant he probably wouldn't be dragged into the office every few days to get lectured anymore.
"Wait. Come here."
Just as Cid was about to walk out of the office, Rossweisse calmed down again. Cid could only sigh inwardly at the missed opportunity.
"What is it, sensei? Is there something else?"
Cid could only hope it wasn't something like calling his guardian. His sister was currently on this island. If she got a phone call and learned what happened, she would definitely come looking for him.
And if that happened, there was no way his troubles would be small.
"Here, take this. Didn't you say you wanted to be a Magic Swordsman? Then study what's inside. At the very least, pass the practical test."
Rossweisse opened a drawer, took out a book, and handed it to Cid.
After taking the book, Cid gave Rossweisse a strange look before opening it and starting to read.
After just a few pages, Cid realized it was a book about Magic Swordsmen.
However, unlike typical manuals that teach combat techniques, this one explained how Magic Swordsmen could use Magical Power to achieve effects similar to qi. It described treating the human body as a framework for magic, drawing out the power hidden within the body, and controlling the life force within a person.
Rather than a Magic Swordsman combat guide, it felt more like a magic-adapted version of a qigong manual. Some of the terminology even came straight from qigong.
While Cid was flipping through the book, he didn't notice Misaki Sasasaki nearby stealing a few glances at its contents. Her eyes lit up, and a teasing smile appeared on her face as she looked toward Natsuki Minamiya.
Noticing Misaki Sasasaki's gaze, Natsuki Minamiya's expression darkened. She shot her a fierce glare, signaling her not to say anything.
"I'm sorry for speaking like that earlier, Rossweisse-sensei. You're a good teacher."
After skimming through the book, Cid sincerely felt that Rossweisse was indeed a good teacher. Even after he had said such things, she still put in the effort to give him what was clearly a personally revised magic version of qigong.
"Mm!... Since you know you were wrong, Cid, then please pay more attention in class from now on and stop spacing out all the time."
Rossweisse clearly hadn't expected Cid's attitude to change so drastically after receiving the book. But she quickly tried to take advantage of the moment to get him to fix his habit of not paying attention in class.
"Yeah, I understand, Rossweisse-sensei. I'll pass the practical test next time."
This time Cid didn't bring up his lack of talent again. Saying things like that to a teacher who was genuinely trying to help would be a bit too harsh.
That said, the most he could promise was passing the practical exam. Not spacing out during class was simply impossible for him.
A problem that could be solved with "3×3" was being taught as "3+3+3". If he actually followed that method, it was hard to say whether he would become stronger or weaker.
Seeing Cid's attitude, Rossweisse roughly understood what he meant. In the end, she could only sigh helplessly and let him leave.
Bang!
As the door closed behind Cid, Misaki Sasasaki, who had been watching Natsuki Minamiya with a teasing look the whole time, finally couldn't hold back. She walked straight over, scooped Natsuki Minamiya into her arms, and leaned against her with a mischievous grin.
"Hey, Natsuki-chan, the technique you asked me for a few days ago... was it for that student? You even stayed up several nights rewriting it so he could learn it. You're really gentle, Natsuki-chan."
The teasing in Misaki Sasasaki's voice was obvious. Meanwhile, Natsuki Minamiya, who was the target of the teasing, had an even darker expression than before.
Still held in Misaki Sasasaki's arms, Natsuki Minamiya suddenly struck with her elbow.
Smack!
It was blocked.
That outcome was exactly what Natsuki Minamiya expected. As a Witch fighting in close combat against Misaki Sasasaki, the Wizard of the Four Fists, landing a hit would have been the real surprise. If she had actually connected, she would have been worried that something was wrong with Misaki Sasasaki's body.
Magical Power surged inside her. A spatial spell formed instantly.
The next second, Natsuki Minamiya appeared on the opposite side of the office. She pointed both hands toward Misaki Sasasaki.
From the empty air around Misaki Sasasaki, chains suddenly materialized, stretching out and wrapping around her.
Without resisting at all, Misaki Sasasaki calmly allowed the chains to bind her and suspend her in midair. Yet there wasn't a hint of panic on her face. She looked completely relaxed, as if she weren't the one currently tied up and at someone else's mercy.
"You stupid mutt. I told you not to call me Natsuki-chan."
Faced with Natsuki Minamiya's angry scolding, Misaki Sasasaki didn't panic in the slightest. Instead, she curled her lips into a grin and added fuel to the fire.
"Natsuki-chan, you're getting flustered."