That's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Not How You Use Magic (1)

Why had Flora come to the academy?

I didn't have enough information to answer that on the spot, so I couldn't be certain.

The only person who had been by her side for a long time—me—could manage one guess.

She had come because she was sure she could hold the upper hand.

Otherwise, there was no reason for Flora to willingly step onto the academy board.

'There isn't any other possibility.'

While I turned over every possibility in my head, Flora was completely at ease.

"Boss?"

Flora broke the vaguely settling silence.

I caught the slight upturn of her lips.

Before I knew it, she'd pulled a pillow into her arms and was grinning lazily.

The moment I faced that nonchalant smile, an ominous premonition flashed through me.

The thought that she might have made an unfair deal with the Empire because of me.

I hoped it wasn't that.

I pulled over a chair from across from the bed and sat in front of Flora.

I shook off the fatigue washing over me and put on a serious face.

"Don't tell me you made an unfair deal."

"Not that."

"…That's a relief."

I felt relieved to have dodged the worst case.

Flora, who had been watching me, waved her hand lightly.

She meant there was nothing to worry about.

Then she rested her chin on the pillow and spoke.

"How was your day?"

"Met the chancellor during the day, killed a Demon at night."

"Hmm~ you were busy, weren't you?"

Flora tapped the pillow with her index finger and let out a small nasal hum.

Swaying gently side to side, she continued.

"How many years do you think it'll take until you're free?"

"If we kill all four of the Four Great Demons, maybe three years at most. But there's something more important than that."

Flora nodded and cut in.

"You're wondering why I came to the academy."

"…Yeah."

"Mm, it's no big deal, really."

A brief silence.

In a mood heavier than before, I heard the reason she had come to the academy.

"Word got around because of the incident in the chancellor's office. They said if things were already like this, they'd need to raise the surveillance level, but there wasn't anyone suitable."

"Tch, how very Empire of them."

Those damned Imperial bastards.

I could feel it—they meant to keep a solid grip on me.

The fact that civil servants only worked this efficiently when it suited them made it a little irritating.

All kinds of opinions must have flown around the conference room.

Break my spirit to manage me more thoroughly. Throw me back in prison and pull me out whenever they needed something…

I carefully asked Flora about the scenes playing out in my head.

"So what does the Empire plan to do?"

"There was a lot of nonsense, but I said I'd handle the surveillance through a proxy. In effect, I cut down their interference."

"…?"

I could see some of the content had been omitted, but when I stared pointedly at Flora, a bright, innocent smile came back at me.

Flora shrugged lightly.

"Either get friendly with us and try to gain something, or fall out with us and suffer alone. The Empire picked the former."

"Worth bowing their heads, I suppose."

"Yes. After all, they're the ones in a hurry."

The possibility of an Imperial civil servant being assigned as a monitor had been neatly resolved.

I nodded in approval of Flora’s actions and judgment.

Then I heard an ominous murmur.

"I don't care about anything else, but I really do want to watch you lecture, Boss."

"What did you just say?"

Normally, this wouldn't have stirred a single thought.

But then I recalled the looks the Empire and the chancellor had given me.

I was clearly an outside instructor, yet they had issued me a staff ID that called me a professor, and even provided me with lodgings.

Maybe she had quietly asked them behind my back. I broached the subject with Flora.

"Don't tell me the chancellor pulled some strings?"

And a firm answer came back.

"It's pure curiosity."

"Really?"

"Of course."

She'd drawn a clear line, so I put any silly thoughts aside.

Getting back to the point.

If Flora came to the academy, her status would be the most important thing.

I wanted to find the best arrangement for carrying out the monitoring role.

I took a long look at Flora from top to bottom.

Her black hair and red eyes blended together harmoniously.

Hugging a pillow, anyone would take her for a mischievous young lady…

This was harder to predict than I'd thought.

The biggest variable was the chancellor.

I wasn't sure what the man might have proposed.

Flora had probably accepted it straight away because it meant she'd be with me.

After mulling it over, I concluded she likely wouldn't be a student with too many restrictions, and asked.

"What status are you coming to the academy under?"

"The chancellor enrolled me as a student. The admission process is already done, and he said it was fine for me to be at your side."

Without realizing it, I pressed my fingers hard against my forehead.

"Haah, that chancellor…"

Surveillance, my ass. She might end up with a stress disorder from a group project.

This just meant more restrictions.

I had to get this corrected before it was too late.

"I'll have a word with the chancellor about this. Let's find a more suitable position quickly."

"No. There's no need."

Flora seemed to have anticipated even this, and she was full of confidence.

Then she brought up the very goal I wanted.

"When else am I ever going to get a taste of an ordinary daily life?"

The phrase "ordinary daily life" hit me like a punch.

I stared at Flora in silence.

It didn't take me long to find the answer.

"I think I was being shortsighted."

* * *

The next day, since I'd dealt with the Demon that would originally have interfered, the practical exam came to a smooth close.

I hadn't planned to go to the exam hall at all, but the chancellor set up a seat for me, so I attended.

The reason he called me was obvious—he wanted to create a justification to use me for future lectures.

Naturally, Flora sat next to me and watched the exam as well.

After observing the whole event, she left a brief comment.

'If I'd been down there, I'd have drawn attention for sure. Skipping the admission procedure was sensible of him.'

I agreed with that.

Flora's skill was enough to pass dozens of times over.

I was secretly grateful the chancellor had used his discretion to skip the tedious steps.

And the practical exam really was that simple.

They set up Golems in the exam hall, and once the applicants fought them to the best of their ability, that was that.

Some handled the Golem with ease; some clearly struggled.

After watching all morning, my overall impression was that, barring a few exceptions, their skills were exactly what you'd expect of soon-to-be first-years.

There were no other notable points.

Once the practical exam ended like that, Flora and I had a nice lunch together.

We strolled through the academy, each with coffee in hand.

"The facilities really are worth the funding the Imperial Court puts in."

"I think so too."

Flora's thoughts were much like mine.

Amid the crowd, I savored the spring day with a feeling far removed from that of a mastermind.

Then, seeing a student pass by, I was reminded of an applicant who'd left a strong impression during the practical exam.

If my memory was right, it was Ayla, the Magic Tower Master's apprentice.

"Remember the applicant with the blue eyes and silver hair? She would have been number fifty."

At that, Flora paused mid-sip of her coffee and tilted her head.

She seemed to mull over who it was for a moment.

"Ah, that girl. She really was good. She is the Magic Tower Master's apprentice, after all."

"You dozed off midway because you were bored, yet you remember that."

"The Magic Tower Master's apprentice was worth keeping an eye on."

We settled onto a bench near the clock tower. Flora broached the subject first.

"She clearly wasn't at an incoming-student level. What did you think, Boss?"

"She's definitely not at an incoming-student level. But her lack of experience shows—there are parts where she's still creaking."

"Then, how would you solve it, Boss?"

This level of feedback was simple, so I answered with a practiced ease.

Only, since it wasn't about subduing or killing, I kept my focus on the educational side.

"Her potential and environment are both sufficient, so she just needs to build up a wide range of experience. That's why they left a perfectly good Magic Tower and sent her to the academy."

"Well, the world is bigger than just the Magic Tower."

The reason the Magic Tower Master had chosen to send his apprentice here was obvious.

You couldn't accumulate enough experience in the Magic Tower.

More precisely, you could accumulate it, but it was dangerous.

There were no students at the Magic Tower.

Everyone was treated as a full-fledged mage, which came with its own responsibilities.

If you took on requests, you ended up dealing with Monsters day in and day out.

That was why the Magic Tower Master had arranged for his apprentice to climb the stairs step by step.

He'd pushed her from behind up until now; it was time for her to learn how to move forward on her own.

More than anything, she needed to make friends and build enjoyable memories.

He must have regretted the thought of her spending her time alone at the Magic Tower.

"Your skills are important, but the best thing is to make good friends. The kind who'll watch your back on the battlefield later."

Hearing that, Flora poked my right arm repeatedly.

"You don't need to worry, Boss. There's someone right here to watch your back."

"With you, Flora, I really am secure."

"It's not for nothing I kept the organization running while you were imprisoned…"

Flora's words, which had been a natural bit of self-promotion, cut off.

Then I caught the corners of her mouth creeping upward.

"Did you just feel that?"

"Yeah. That's clear."

I'd sensed Mana not far away.

Not at the practical exam hall—it was definitely coming from a nearby building.

Flora was already fixed on the direction.

With a long, drawn-out sip, she finished all her coffee, then took a stance that looked ready to sprint off at any moment.

"I'll go on ahead!"

Before I could even react, she ran off toward the source.

In the brief moment I stood there like a fool, she'd already disappeared from sight.

"Flora?"

Even when I called out to her earnestly, the only reply was scattered flower petals.

Not wanting to be left behind, I hurried after her.

"Huff, haah…"

Running for the first time in a while ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had worn me out.

I barely caught my breath as I came to a stop next to Flora.

Flora looked at me and shook her head.

"Boss, your stamina's dropped a bit."

"When you've been rotting in a cramped prison for three years, that's only natural…"

She glanced sideways at me.

"Starting tomorrow at dawn, you're running with me."

"…"

"Do three years' worth of backlogged work, or run at dawn. Which do you prefer?"

"Fine. You win."

If she was bringing up three years' worth of backlogged work, my physical state must have seriously displeased her.

She seemed like she wouldn't be satisfied until I recovered the stamina I'd lost over the past three years.

Thus, for the first time in three years, the Running Crew was formed once again.

I could feel Flora's gleeful mood.

"I wonder who's in there~."

I followed Flora, who took the lead, into the building.

The echoing sound of something colliding at high speed rang out.

Boom!

As expected, the main character was the Magic Tower Master's apprentice, Ayla.

She had borrowed an empty gymnasium and was engrossed in solo practice.

Was it allowed for an applicant who hadn't even enrolled to use the academy's equipment? The thought crossed my mind, but then I remembered the Magic Tower Master and let ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it go.

"We'll get a good view from here."

"Thanks."

In the meantime, Flora had secured a spot with a great vantage point.

The two of us sat together and observed Ayla.

First of all, her concentration passed.

She was so absorbed in her review that she didn't notice us settling in nearby.

I immediately compared her performance against the practical exam to check what had changed.

"Hmm."

She was definitely better than before.

It was impressive that she had improved this much on her own.

But by my standards, she still failed.

I could see unnecessary responses and wasted Mana.

Minor movements and Mana ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠management have an enormous impact on combat.

It's a matter directly tied to survival.

I'd seen plenty of people die because of this.

"She has the feel for it, but…"

A thought suddenly flickered through my mind.

What would happen if I taught her?

As befitted the Magic Tower Master's apprentice, she was overflowing with talent.

And effort followed; she'd absorb whatever I told her.

For the first time in a long while, I'd met a mage who looked worth teaching.

The more I watched her review, the more it piqued my interest.

She could clearly get better if I just told her a little more…

If I told her this, it would be fixed right away…

I'd drawn a firm line with the chancellor, telling him I had no intention of teaching anyone—and now my resolve was wavering.

But letting a beautiful rough gem go neglected was also unbearable.

Looking at it further, the fact that I'd have a useful pretext if I ever met the Magic Tower Master was also appealing.

I kept weighing the scales.

The conclusion I reached after very deep deliberation was simple.

'Just once. I'll do it just once.'

I rose from my seat.

Nothing came to mind that would harm me.

At worst, the chancellor might grumble a bit and then wrap it up with something like, "Thank you for helping the Magic Tower Master's apprentice."

As if she'd been waiting for this moment, Flora's eyes sparkled from her premium seat.

"Your very first lecture, Boss. I'm looking forward to it."

"Lecture, my foot… it's just meddling."

What I was about to do was nothing special.

The Magic Tower Master would have laid the foundation, so I'd simply show her where the staircase was.

Even just that would help her find her direction.

How many steps she climbed per day, and the manner in which she climbed—those she would have to figure out for herself.

I intended to offer only the smallest amount of help, then withdraw.

I approached Ayla, who was pouring a finishing blow into the Golem, and spoke.

"That's not how you use magic."