[372] The Steel Gate (1)
"Here?"
Nade tossed his bag and flopped onto the couch.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted. The roads from the central region to the south are awful."
"I came from the capital."
"You don't think I rode a family carriage or something, do you? I came starving and holding it in. If it'd been a Mercodain carriage, I'd've been eating while taking a dump, you know."
"Or taking a dump while eating."
"Shut up! Anyway, how've you been? You didn't betray us and go off to special training or anything, did you?"
Iruki didn't deny it.
"Well, now that I'm here I might as well graduate, right?"
Nade sprang up from the sofa.
"For real? Damn it, if even you do that, what am I supposed to be? What kind of magic is it? Is it better than Cancellation?"
"It's still at a theoretical stage, so it's not even something I'd call a proper spell yet. I only have to finish it by the graduation exam. I'll tell you when there's something to show."
Everyone in the graduating class planned their body's rhythm to peak on exam day.
No matter the process, the result was all that mattered—Amy's case proved that.
"Tch, lucky. I wasted my vacation playing around."
Iruki gave Nade a wry look, but it wasn't one of real hurt.
Even in the graduating class she clearly still had no real interest in becoming a mage.
"But you…"
"Hm? What?"
Iruki shook her head and swallowed the words.
"No, it's nothing."
"Tch! Lame."
The door burst open even harder than before and Shirone strode in.
A grin spread across his face at the sight of his friends.
"Whoa! What is that smell?"
The good mood vanished as he pinched his nose and made a face.
The research club room was a trash-strewn mess. How could anyone stand that smell?
Nade and Iruki glanced at each other and snickered.
"Sorry. I sprayed some cologne after a long time. You like it that much?"
"Shut up! Clean up first!"
The three grabbed cleaning tools and started a full cleanup.
By the time the place that had looked like a giant trash heap was mostly tidy, it was nearly time for the event.
Exhausted, Nade sprawled on the couch and stared at the ceiling.
"What time is it?"
"One. We should start getting ready."
Shirone shot up, remembering.
"That's right! I haven't picked up my uniform yet!"
"I got them this morning. Yours and Nade's."
Nade gave a thumbs-up.
"Always thorough. But do we really have to wear that? I absolutely don't want to."
The uniform was the academy's official robe and forbidden except for special events, but students hated it—finding it ridiculous—and some wouldn't wear it even once a year.
"It's not a graduation ceremony. What's with calling out the uniform for an entrance assembly? I'd rather watch myself apply hemorrhoid cream than look in a mirror wearing that."
Shirone looked at Nade and asked, "Do you have hemorrhoids?"
"I was just saying! Anyway, let's get ready. Hemorrhoid cream—no, where's my uniform?"
Iruki pointed to a corner where three boxes were stacked like towers.
They opened the boxes with their names on them. White robes, with stripes running along the shoulders, floated out like ghosts.
They'd look the part when worn, but with so many people around, a mask would be good for their peace of mind.
"Ugh, meet the Class Two kids in this? They don't wear theirs. Won't we just be made fun of?"
"We can't help it. It's the rule."
Iruki didn't care. Clothes only needed to cover the important parts—head, eyes, heart, she thought.
The three pulled on their robes and stood side by side before the mirror. They looked like three limp, liquid monsters.
Yet, contrary to expectation, their expressions were solemn.
"Will we ever get another chance to wear this?"
Opportunities to don the robe were rare during the busy graduating year. If they failed the graduation exam, today might be the last time they saw themselves like this—looking like someone who'd spilled a bowl of watery soup.
Iruki let the sleeves, longer than her arms, flutter and said, "It won't be easy. We're short on information, anyway."
Nade looked surprised. "Really? I feel like you and Shirone will definitely pass."
"Just a hunch. Statistically it's one in three. If Shirone, Dante, and Amy are in the mix, two of them are going to fail. If Shirone passes, Dante and Amy can't graduate."
Nade couldn't imagine any of them failing.
"You have to be kidding. All three could pass."
"You say that because you know them. People always think the information they have is the most accurate. But then nobody fails. Even by simple average, it's only about 3.3 people per class. Besides, we're the lowest of the graduating groups—Class Three."
Nade had nothing to say.
They were literally at the pinnacle of the academy. The skill gaps were narrower than in any other class; no one there even considered the possibility of failing.
Shirone smoothed the folds of his robe. "If we expect everyone to pass, probabilities don't matter. Let's go in with the mindset of starting from zero."
He was right.
Everything from lower classes to advanced would be reset. This was the true test for the thirty students standing at the last gate to becoming mages.
* * *
With twenty minutes left until the graduating class event, ten students converged from different paths toward the central park.
All wore their robes without exception, and their gazes were sharper than usual.
Shirone's group arrived first and met the rivals they'd be competing with for the next year.
These were the students within the top ten of the combined practical, theory, and performance evaluation scores.
Their approaching auras made the air itself feel heavy.
Shirone (Advanced class overall rank 3) looked down the east road.
Canis (Advanced class overall rank 6) and Arin (Advanced class overall rank 7) were walking side by side.
He'd faced those two when the Arcanes attacked and had fought alongside them in Heaven. Shirone knew better than anyone that they weren't to be underestimated.
Canis only met Shirone's eye and turned away without speaking.
He already understood that the ten gathered here wouldn't all link arms and pass together.
Arin stepped forward instead. "Hi, Shirone."
"Yeah, hi. How was your vacation?"
"Just… you know."
Arin smiled shyly and closed her mouth—remembering Canis's warning not to reveal what they'd accomplished over the break.
"Oh, everyone's already here? Don't tell me you're nervous."
A familiar voice made Shirone turn.
Boil (Advanced class overall rank 8) and Pandora (Advanced class overall rank 9) were walking along the southern road.
Pandora had once snubbed Dante's group but had been sidelined and now stuck with Boil again. They bickered every time they met, but childhood ties from studying together were hard to ignore.
'Boil, the summoning mage; Pandora, the scent mage.'
Boil had lost to Dante before, but his summoning magic wasn't something to be taken lightly.
Pandora's scent magic would also be tactically difficult to deal with.
"Nade, look—there they are," Nade said, pointing to the west road.
Dante (Advanced class overall rank 1) led, followed by Closer and Sabina.
Dante had one sleeve of his robe rolled and pinned up, and Shirone snorted.
He'd felt it even at the old castle ruins: the urge to stand out was innate.
But today, Closer and Sabina were more worrying.
They'd undergone hellish training under Vice Principal Olivia over the break; their gazes had clearly changed.
Closer could shape rock at will, and Sabina scattered dozens of razor-sharp Blo-type winds every second.
At the very least, they were much stronger than when they'd last faced them.
"Huh? Why the faces? It's a good day—smile a bit."
Dante raised a hand as he approached, and Boil scowled.
"What's with your outfit? Don't you know the robe has to be worn properly?"
Before answering, Dante inspected Boil's style. As always, his hair was slicked and parted, and his robe was starched crisp.
"You… isn't being so prim a bit much? You might bleed if someone brushes past."
"So what? It's neat and looks good. You might lose points for dressing like that."
"What if I lose points? I only need to pass the graduation exam."
While Dante and Boil bickered about fashion, Closer and Sabina sought out their own targets.
Closer (Advanced class overall rank 4) had clearly sharpened his teeth—his aim was Iruki (Advanced class overall rank 2).
"Finally, our rematch? Get nervous. Every day might feel like hell."
"If you didn't know that, you don't need to tell me. Are you asking me to teach you?"
"You bastard…!"
Closer's eyes filled with murderous intent. He'd never met many who made his fists clench like that.
Despite the fierce atmosphere there, something subtle was happening elsewhere.
Sabina (Advanced class overall rank 5) hesitated for a moment and then approached Nade (Advanced class overall rank 10).
"Hi. Long time no see."
"Yeah."
Nade's indifferent response stung Sabina. Or maybe she didn't even know why it stung.
She'd had many relationships in the capital Bashka, but this felt like a completely different thrill.
'My heart must be broken. Or I'm a pervert.'
Whatever the reason, she couldn't back down while her eyes kept drifting to Nade.
"And the robe… suits you."
All she got back was Nade's bitter smile.
It hurt because he had no intention of becoming a mage—saying the robe looked good only made the sting worse.
Pandora watched from afar and snorted with glee.
She used to flatter Sabina every which way, but after relentless training she felt she had nothing to be ashamed of.
'Cunning as always. Already scheming, huh?'
Pandora had seen when Sabina had been roughed up by Nade; from that, she guessed Nade might be the biggest wildcard among these ten.
Though he was ranked tenth now, if he revealed himself the standings could shift.
"I think we're all here. Let's get going. Finish this quickly so we can take these off."
Shirone wasn't the type to lead, so Dante took charge.
Being first in the advanced class standings had proven effective in moving the competitors.
Of course, the moment they passed through the Steel Gate, class rankings would lose their meaning.
The students of Class Three headed toward the graduating class building.
Atop the uphill slope stood the grand Steel Gate, steadfast and imposing.
Beneath it, ten from Class Two were lined up waiting.
"Hey, juniors! Hurry up—don't lag behind! You all look pathetic!"
"Your robes suit you! Going to a school play? Hahaha!"
Taunts aimed at Class Three rang out.
It was an old tradition and far more oppressive than the rumors had suggested. Yet none of Class Three showed even a flicker of expression.
"Hmph! Seniors, my ass! From the graduating class onward it's all the same anyway!"
Boil muttered through gritted teeth, psyching himself up.
Closer flexed his broad shoulders and quickened his step.
"Go on, yap all you want, failures. We'll cook you one by one from here."
Most students widened their eyes so as not to be cowed, but Dante was merely bored.
He idly watched his peers' reactions and then turned his head to look at Shirone.
'Not nervous at all.'
A faint lift at the corner of his mouth. His eyes shone with passion and excitement.
How could he not be thrilled? This was the scene he'd dreamed of, even conjured in his sleep.
The life of a mage he'd longed for—the final gate was only ten steps away.
His heart pounded and his head swam, as if consciousness were drifting elsewhere.
"Come on in! Try it! Think you can graduate? You're just my fertilizer!"
"This is hell, you bastards! Your lives end right here!"
Shirone clenched his jaw and his fist.
Mage. Mage. I will become a mage!
'Fine. Hell or whatever—I'll gladly go in.'
With every step he took, the Steel Gate—the symbol of knowledge—shuddered.