I thought telling my brother we had to go to the university would be a bit more complicated, but contrary to what I believed, he was more than willing to come with me.
According to him, it was better than waiting months for the snow to clear, and above all, it would allow him to look into the mana incident. He also wanted to search for something specific that he decided not to tell me about right then. I didn't know why he agreed so quickly. Was it because I asked him? He still wanted to see Mother soon, but I suppose there was no other choice.
"So, the Man-God appeared and told you that Temphestalis might be there?" Rudeus suddenly asked one night as I was getting ready for bed.
"Yes, that's what he said. And even though it's hard to believe him, it costs nothing to go and see if he's telling the truth. If the sword is there, it means I can get it back. I need it."
"You need it for what, exactly?" Rudeus asked, sitting up.
Elinalise slept in the bed with him, while I decided, as always, to take the floor. It wasn't for lack of options, but because I wanted to be close by. Besides, the floor here wasn't as lethal as in the Great Forest, where every creature around seemed to want to eat you.
"Mmm... Rudeus~..." Elinalise mumbled, tossing and turning a bit too much.
"E-Elinalise-san..." Rudeus fought his instincts, but managed to resist.
I sighed and spoke up to change the subject.
"Rudeus, the sword is useful to me because it repairs itself. That's why."
"Ah, right." Rudeus slowly pushed away one of Elinalise's legs, which was threatening to pull the covers off him completely. "And most importantly, no one else could hold it. Only us... and Orsted. Do you think it's at the university?"
I recalled what Eris had told me about the sword.
"They said it would work and took it away. The girl seemed relieved. That's all we know."
"Yeah, well," Rudeus said, lying back down. "Let's go to sleep... I don't think I can hold out much longer with this woman all over me."
With that, I fell asleep.
The Kingdom of Ranoa, along with Basherant and Neris, makes up the Three Magic Nations in the northern Central Continent. Its capital, the Magic City of Sharia, is the epicenter of this power due to its massive investment in research and its housing of key institutions like the Magic Guild, the University of Magic, and the Magic Implement Workshop.
The city is strategically laid out, with the Magic Guild in the center and specialized districts for students, artisans, merchants, and adventurers surrounding it. Looking at the map, I noticed its layout mimicked Millishion's, although that detail wasn't of much use right then.
"Elinalise-san."
"Yes, Rudeus?"
"We're going to see this Vice Principal Jinas in person now. What are you going to do?"
I looked at her for a moment.
"I'll go too," she finally said with a determined smile.
"Why?"
"Since we came all the way here, I might as well enroll too."
"Why? Are you interested in magic?"
"Nope, but I am interested in young men."
"Ah, so that's it."
I supposed it was due to her curse. Or so I wanted to believe. After all, she had mentioned herself that she loved doing it, so she probably would have sought it out anyway, curse or no curse.
Getting in didn't just depend on desiring it, though. On wanting it. If you weren't a special student, you had to pay the enrollment fee and full tuition.
Elinalise wasn't short on money, however. She boasted a pouch full of coins and a bunch of crystals stashed in her backpack, so she said it wouldn't be an issue.
With that settled, we headed to the University of Magic.
The Ranoa University of Magic occupied a vast expanse of land. Its campus was filled with massive brick buildings, including a central one that looked almost like a castle.
"Brother."
"What is it, Rudeus?"
"The layout reminds me of Tsukuba University."
"Ah, yeah. Maybe." Truth be told, I didn't remember that university.
Elinalise stepped closer, looking at us for a moment.
"You two are weird, but I like you. I don't know what language you're speaking, but it sounds nice."
We both looked at her.
"Ah, yeah, I guess so..." Rudeus muttered.
"It's a language we invented. It works. That's what matters," I replied.
With that, we approached the guard standing by the front gates. His rigid posture made the place feel strictly disciplined, creating a stark contrast between Rosenburg and this institution.
We handed over our letters.
The guard gave them a glance and nodded.
"Do you know which one the Teachers' Building is?"
"No," Rudeus said.
"Walk straight from here and turn right at the statue of the first principal. It's the building with the blue roof. Hand this to the secretary, and she'll let the vice principal know you're here."
"Thank you."
Before Elinalise could shoot the man a flirtatious look, Rudeus dragged her away by the ear.
We arrived at a large plaza dominated by the statue of the first principal. Massive brick buildings rose around us, leaving Elinalise quite excited. It reminded her of the impression the Adventurers' Guild in Millishion had left on her, though her expression twisted in disgust as the memory brought Paul to mind.
What exactly had Paul done to her? I didn't want to think about it.
After a brief walk, we arrived at the building with the blue roof. We handed the letter to the secretary and were seated in a simple room to wait.
I sat on the couch, while Elinalise clung to Rudeus. She always did that when sitting next to a guy. He didn't seem to mind. If anything, he looked delighted.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting. I am Vice Principal Jinas."
The vice principal appeared after twenty minutes, seeing us fairly quickly considering we'd shown up without an appointment. He was dressed in a dark blue robe.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Rudeus Greyrat." He stood up quickly, offering a flawless noble's greeting and a bow. Glancing at Elinalise, I noticed she was doing something similar, bowing her head gracefully.
"Likewise, my name is Daiki Greyrat." I imitated the greeting, perhaps a bit too perfectly.
Elinalise stayed quiet.
"And you are?" Jinas looked at her for a moment.
"My name is Elinalise Dragonroad. I'm a companion of Rudeus's."
"Er..." Jinas let it go and motioned for us to take a seat. "I never imagined you would visit us so soon."
"Someone recommended us. That's all," I said plainly, already tired of the formalities.
"Ah, direct. I like that. Well, let's get straight to the point. The other day I heard you defeated a stray Red Dragon. I never expected people of your caliber to actually be willing to enroll in our university. Truth be told, I didn't think I'd ever see you."
"I came looking for something. And I still have a lot to learn. The university is the perfect place for that."
"Yes, same here," Rudeus added. "And, of course, I'll make sure to submit my research to the institution once I graduate. That being said, I'm not entirely sure what a 'special student' entails. I was hoping you could explain it."
Jinas stood up and walked over to the door.
"Before we get into that, would you be willing to take a short exam?"
"An exam?"
"Yes. A practical exam to determine if the rumors we've heard about your skills are true. As for you, Daiki-sama, the rumors frame you more as a swordsman than a mage, but since you can also use silent magic, you'll be taking the exam as well."
We entered one of the magic-resistant brick buildings. Inside was a large open area, almost like a gymnasium. On the floor lay four magic circles, each about five meters in radius. Gathered around them were roughly twenty boys and girls in similar robes. They stepped into the circles in pairs and began firing offensive magic at one another.
I figured the circles healed them.
Jinas confirmed my suspicion when a student stepped out of a blast of flames without a single burn.
A holy magic circle...
[Curious. You're more useful than a holy magic circle simply because you're mobile. You don't stay in one place, though you're forced to hide it. You'll be able to train here without those issues, right?]
...Yes, that's true. Now keep quiet.
"Since I've heard you both use incantationless magic, I'd like you to demonstrate it."
"Is that it? If I were actually an impostor, I would've prepared a way to cheat, wouldn't I?" Rudeus pointed out.
"Hmm? Well, that's true... but our institution only had one professor capable of silent incantation, and he passed away last year from natural causes."
Jinas pondered his options for a moment, until he suddenly struck his fist against his palm.
"Ah, this is perfect. We actually have someone else in this class who can use incantationless magic!" he announced enthusiastically. "He might not be a fair match for you, but he is an outstanding student."
He waved his hand dismissively before adding:
"He's also on the Student Council this year, but that's beside the point." Wasting no time, Jinas jogged over to the other magic circle and called out to the professor in charge. "Professor Gueta! May I borrow Fitz?"
A minute later, a person with short white hair and sunglasses approached us. She had long ears. An elf. She looked incredibly young, perhaps even younger than us.
I tilted my head slightly, observing her.
Her stance reminded me of someone. It was clear she wasn't a boy; she couldn't completely hide her shoulder structure or the slight sway of her hips when she walked. It was obvious she was just passing herself off as a guy.
Sorry, I've always had that habit. I overanalyze people even when it's none of my business, but somehow this "Fitz" piqued my curiosity. That posture felt strangely familiar.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Rudeus Greyrat. If all goes well, I'll be a first-year student starting next semester. If you find me lacking in any area, I hope you'll guide me."
Rudeus stepped forward, casting aside any doubts and treating the person in front of him like a man. Perhaps I was wrong; maybe it really was a boy and I was just overanalyzing things using the logic from my past life. But her immediate reaction cleared my doubts.
"Ah... Hm? Oh, y-yes...! My name is Fitz. It's a pleasure."
"A pleasure to meet you too. I'm Daiki Greyrat, and I'm here for reasons I'd prefer not to discuss."
Fitz nodded, as if expecting me to say that. Was she expecting it? It certainly seemed so.
"A pleasure, Daiki..."
That voice. That tiny voice that used to shrink back but now held more presence. It was more than obvious who she was, but why was her hair white? Even with the different hair color, it was crystal clear that the person standing in front of me was...
Sylphiette. Was I sure?
Yes, absolutely. Her way of speaking, her movements, the way she reacted to our names, and how nervous she got upon seeing us—she knew exactly who we were. My brother, however, was completely clueless.
Her voice sounded weird and artificially high-pitched.
Once Rudeus and Sylphy entered the magic circle, Jinas activated it. My brother reached out to touch the barrier, and when his hand passed right through it, Jinas clarified that it only repelled magical attacks.
The vice principal then proposed a mock battle against Sylphy using incantationless magic. Rudeus accepted instantly, but I noticed his expression harden. He was probably thinking that if he lost, he'd be stuck paying full tuition. Knowing how stingy he could be, he was going to take this dead seriously, even if I offered to pay for it myself. After all, it was my idea to bring him here.
Sylphy took a stance, wielding a short wand, while Rudeus readied his staff, Aqua Heartia.
"Alright, begin!"
The instant the signal dropped, I noticed Rudeus's demon eye activate. Sylphy was readying her wand.
"Disturb Magic!"
"Huh? What? Why?!" Sylphy stared at her wand, bewildered when her spell fizzled out.
"Good question. What could it be?" Rudeus replied.
With his left hand, Rudeus conjured a Stone Cannon.
He fired.
For a split second, I thought Sylphy would barely dodge it. And initially, it looked that way. But at the last second, she slipped past the projectile, lunged at Rudeus, and swung her wand like an improvised weapon.
Now I remembered. I had asked my father to teach Sylphy swordsmanship... and it seemed to have paid off.
"Ah! I didn't expect you to be that fast! You seemed..."
Weak. That was what he'd meant to say, but he was forced to dodge. Despite everything, Rudeus had managed to surpass an Advanced-tier Eris thanks to his demon eye, so the physical attack wasn't a huge threat. However, Sylphy hadn't limited herself to just one tactic. This seemed to greatly surprise Jinas, who clearly didn't expect this level of skill from her... I mean, from him.
"Ah!" Sylphy yelled.
Rudeus spun to the right, propelled himself backward with wind magic, and fired another Stone Cannon. It grazed her cheek, pierced the barrier like butter, and only stopped when it slammed into the magic-resistant brick wall, showering the room in debris.
"...!"
A trickle of blood ran down Sylphy's cheek as she froze in place. The wound closed almost immediately thanks to the healing circle. She wiped the blood away with a finger and glanced back at the Stone Cannon embedded in the wall. Then, her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor.
"H-how did you do that?" There was a slight tremor in her voice. Jinas also seemed eager to hear the answer.
"It's called Disturb Magic. You haven't heard of it?"
Sylphy shook her head.
At that moment, Rudeus did something I didn't expect from him at all.
Or maybe I did.
"Thank you so much! For losing on purpose so I could look good in front of everyone!" he exclaimed brightly, speaking loud enough for the rest of the students to hear as he approached Sylphy.
"Huh?"
Rudeus offered his hand to help her up. Looking a bit confused, Sylphy accepted the gesture.
He whispered something in her ear, though I couldn't catch what it was. I was still mulling over why she had decided to hide her gender. Back in Buena Village, it had been an accident. She hadn't been faking anything; Rudeus simply misinterpreted things, and she went along with it. But here, it was different. She was doing it on purpose, under a fake name.
Now it was my turn.
"Alright, Daiki-sama. The important thing is that you must defeat him, plain and simple," Jinas instructed. "I assume you do not possess the Disturb Magic technique, correct?"
"No, I don't."
"Very well. In that case, you must employ silent magic and win; the method doesn't matter."
"Got it."
I stepped through the barrier. Sylphy was already waiting for me, a mix of determination and nervousness in her eyes.
"Alright, begin!"
She dropped into a fighting stance immediately.
"You know about sword stances, right?" I asked, observing her calmly.
"Yes, I've been... practicing," she replied.
"In that case..."
If Rudeus had used Disturb Magic, I needed to do something else. Perhaps something a bit flashier than my brother's trick.
I instantly conjured a fireball, expanding it so rapidly that its heat filled the entire magic circle. Feigning a throw, I snuffed out the spell in a flash and vanished from her sight.
Before she could react, I snatched the wand from her grip and pointed it directly at her throat.
"...Ah!" was the only sound she managed to make.
I handed the wand back and turned around.
"You do need to work on your reflexes, though," I added as I walked away.
Pausing, I glanced back over my shoulder and gave her a knowing smile. She blinked three times, completely bewildered. Did she realize that I knew who she was? Maybe. If she knew me as well as I remembered, she'd be able to read my intentions.
The other students were staring blankly at us, but I paid them no mind.
We passed the exam with flying colors. Jinas showered me with praise; after defeating Sylphy like that, they had no choice but to admit me on the spot. I had demonstrated powerful silent magic alongside incredible speed. Rudeus had done the same. And the best part was that neither of us had truly gone all out.