Please Delete the Midterms #4
"There are many kinds of love in this world, everyone. There is the nearly unconditional love of a parent for a child, and of a child for a parent. And then there is a love that shines every bit as brilliantly, even though the two people involved were complete strangers from the moment they were born. I believe you would call that... romantic love."
When the philosophy professor said this with a smile, a few students snickered or cleared their throats.
Minerva Academy was an institution that drew in outstanding young men and women from every corner of the kingdom. They were at an age when interest in the opposite sex ran high, so of course, as they spent their days together, someone they found themselves drawn to was bound to appear.
Excessive love might be poison, but a moderate amount of it was the finest medicine there was — the feeling alone was enough. The academy thought so as well, and so it did not strictly forbid students from dating. So long as it did not interfere with anyone's studies, or become so conspicuous that it made others uncomfortable — as long as they kept it to that level, even the professors would chuckle and cheer them on.
"Love is never a light thing. It is a gift from the gods, one that only beings possessed of reason can hold. When you speak that word, you must never treat the heart behind it lightly."
Listening to the lecture, Rie found herself writing the word love in the margin of her textbook without realizing it. It was a word so beautiful, so sacred, that even putting it down on paper felt a little difficult. The thought that she herself harbored that feeling for someone made her face flush for no reason at all.
At first, she had thought it was simple curiosity. Then it became admiration, and after that, just fondness. But as she gradually matured, she came to recognize that the emotion she had been carrying was romantic affection — and that it was this extraordinarily beautiful thing the professor was speaking of now. Love.
Some people would ask her why. He might be talented, they would say, but he had just as many gaps. Rie, you could meet a better man than him — so why Lucian, of all people?
To that question, she would first retort: does liking someone need such a detailed reason? But if they asked her the same thing again, she might answer like this:
Because from the beginning until now, he has something I could never have.
She did not mean material things, or social standing, or talent. It was Lucian's way of thinking, his disposition, and everything else about him that she found so deeply trustworthy. How should she put it? Being next to him made her happy, and she felt instinctively that she could trust him no matter what — something like that?
She was soaking in those beautiful thoughts, lost in the lecture, when the professor's closing words shattered her reverie completely.
"...Well then, everyone. That will be all for today's lecture. The midterm exam will cover everything up through today's class."
...Ah. Midterms. Right. Come to think of it, exams were right around the corner.
Rie let out a sigh, set down her pen, and closed her textbook. Following her lead, a first-year from the Martial Division who had reacted to the word "midterm" raised his hand and asked a question.
"Professor! Is the midterm range really from the very first lecture all the way through today?!"
"Is there a problem? I could always expand it further, you know. Shall I? Would you like that?"
"Absolutely not! I'll study hard and get a good grade!"
As expected of the aces who had made it into the academy — they were smooth even when wriggling out of a tight spot. Rie let out a short, private laugh at her classmate's words, packed up her textbook, and quickly set off for her next lecture.
As Lucian had once said, she herself had wanted to take things a little easier at the start of her first year. But she had been more afraid that if she looked too relaxed, Lucian might — just maybe, even if the chance was one in a million — be disappointed in her. She did not want to give off the impression that she was arrogant just because people called her the academy genius.
Ugh... I was crazy. Why did I even think that...!
The result was that she now faced an enormous load of lectures, the terrifying assignments that followed them, and one of the mid-bosses of the semester: a massive pile of midterm exams. Even worse, waiting at the very end was the final boss — finals.
Thanks to all of that, the time she could spend with Lucian had become far too scarce. At the beginning of the semester, when she had still had some breathing room, it had not been so bad. But as the assignments started piling up, time grew tight, and once exams descended upon them, she barely had time to swing a sword herself, let alone spar with Lucian.
Rie was trudging down the hallway, sighing heavily with every step, when something faint drifted into her ears.
KWAANG!—
"...?"
The sound was faint, but it was unmistakably an explosion. She was certain of it. Rie looked toward the source of the roar for a moment, then realized it was coming from the café inside the academy. She paused in thought, then started walking in that direction. A strange feeling had come over her — an intuition that she absolutely had to go there.
That sounded like magic... but who would be stupid enough to use magic in a place where it isn't allowed...
Minerva Academy was full of people with extraordinary talents. Because of that, swordsmanship and magic alike could only be used in permitted places, at permitted times. And the café was, naturally, a place where magic itself was forbidden. But someone had used magic in that café, and on top of that caused an accident — this was going to be a fairly big problem.
"What's going on? What happened?"
"Did they not know magic is banned in the café? And it wasn't even some other kind of magic — it was fire magic..."
One section of the café had partially collapsed, and students were gathered around it, murmuring about what on earth had happened. Rie carefully pushed through the crowd and approached. And then she could not help but let out a somewhat foolish "Huh?"
"I believe I made it quite clear that you are not to use magic recklessly inside the academy, Lucian!"
"I-I, well... Professor, I'm really being wronged here. I never thought it would turn out like this..."
An academy professor was delivering a thorough scolding, and Lucian was squirming in front of him. Rie was about to step forward, wondering what in the world was going on, when Charlotte, who had been standing beside him, quietly intervened.
"That's not right. I did it. I— I was the one who did it, Professor."
"Princess Char— Student Charlotte, you did this?"
"Yes. I made a mistake. I was trying to show Lucian, and I think I went too far without meaning to."
"Hrm."
At Charlotte's words, the professor glanced at Lucian. He seemed to be thinking, Come to think of it, this kid can't use magic, can he? At the same time, he looked like he was wrestling with how to handle the elf princess standing before him.
Every professor at Minerva Academy was supposed to treat the student in front of them as just that — a student — whether they were a commoner, a noble, or royalty. Every professor had done so until now. But when it came to elves rather than humans, things got a little more awkward. And among those elves, especially when it came to Princess Charlotte Monzen Heinrich, who stood at their center — even more so.
"...I'm well aware that elves possess exceptional magical ability. I understand that you wanted to demonstrate that magic to your junior. But academy rules are academy rules, Student Charlotte. I will speak with the second-year representative professor and take appropriate measures."
"Yes. I understand. I'm really sor— I mean, I apologize."
Charlotte even bowed at the waist, her demeanor thoroughly respectful. For a professor who knew all too well that elven pride soared to the heavens, it was a rather surprising sight. He had expected her to just say she was sorry and dip her head a little — that would have been enough. But this courtesy, this remorse, radiating from her entire body, and that posture...
The professor tilted his head inwardly, but let none of it show.
"...Be more careful from now on. And... your magical ability is quite impressive. To damage part of an academy building that, simple as it may be, is clearly protected by defensive magic, just in case of emergencies."
He offered a word of caution, along with a small compliment on the ability of Charlotte, who claimed to have used the magic. And so the sudden incident came to a close, and the students who had gathered around dispersed. Only then was Rie able to approach Lucian and Charlotte beside him.
"Lucian? What on earth happened? Explain it to me, too..."
"I did it."
"What?"
"Rie, I did it. I actually did it."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden. What do you mean, you did it..."
She started to ask, then focused on why this situation had happened in the first place. Forbidden magic had been manifested inside the academy, and it had even damaged part of the café, which — basic as it was — was clearly protected by defensive magic. So of course she had assumed that Charlotte, being an elf, had used magic by accident.
"Don't tell me... is it real?"
If Lucian was suddenly shouting I did it! at a time like this... there could only be one reason.
The first emotion I felt was, without a single word of exaggeration, sheer shock.
A blazing red flame was roaring in my hand. Any normal person would naturally be startled and go, "Oh, shit! What is this?!" and frantically try to shake the fire off.
"What the hell!"
So I swung my hand as hard as I could without thinking.
KWAANG!!—
A massive explosion rang out, and the perfectly intact café wall beside us crumbled with a crash.
"..."
"Whoa."
Whoa, my ass. What kind of reaction is that, Senior.
What is this. Whoa, seriously, what the hell even is this.
I was so stunned I could only stare at my hand, when Charlotte suddenly started clapping. I thought she was teasing me — You're in big trouble now! Heehee! — but then:
"You used magic. Congratulations, Lucian."
I heard words I had never, not even in the slightest, imagined I would hear — that I had used magic. Honestly, it was so absurd, it felt like I had just heard something I would never hear in my entire life. So even as a hole punched clean through the wall beside us, even as the students inside the café and the people walking outside started screaming, "What's going on! What is that!!" — I could only stare blankly at Charlotte sitting next to me.
"I... I used magic just now?"
"Yeah. Looking at it, it seemed like fire-attribute magic, but it happened so fast I can't be sure. Anyway, you said you wanted to burn away all that frustration, right? I think a magic that incinerates everything appeared in response to that."
"No... it's not about what kind of magic I used that's important... I actually used magic..."
I. I had used magic.
Even an acquaintance at the Magic Tower had told me, Hey, I don't think this is going to work for you. I'm really sorry to say this, but at this point, there's no hope.
That tower I had been building from the most basic of basics, stacking it up diligently only for it to collapse every single time — I had piled it up almost haphazardly, just because of one elf's words, and suddenly it felt like it had become a massive castle.
"I told you. It doesn't suit you. Lucian, you don't go with ordinary. You're different from other people, so why would you choose the same method? You have to do what only you can do. Just like with swordsmanship. Magic, too."
"I just... I never thought it would actually be possible this way. No one would have..."
"No one. Nobody would know. Even I can't understand it. That's Lucian's talent."
Charlotte whispered this and gave a light flick of her hand. The flames clinging to the wall fragments instantly died down and vanished without a trace.
"Congratulations, Lucian."
At those words of congratulations once more, it finally sank in. I had used magic. I — the person who, no matter what I did, could not even get close to the "m" in magic...
"What is the meaning of this?! Who is it! Who used that kind of magic in a magic-prohibited zone?!"
Someone I assumed was a professor came running over, shouting. Only then did I realize I had demolished part of the café, and I looked at Charlotte with a panicked uhhh.
"The hole in the wall isn't my fault."
"..."
"It's because Lucian is too talented."