An Unexpected Variable
"Whoa..." Seril gasped, her eyes wide with admiration as she watched the butterflies drift up into the sky.
She had only come to watch because she heard Kanteil was dueling a freshman who had been making quite a name for himself lately. I never imagined I'd get to see something like this.
Rio felt exactly the same. He had only tagged along to gauge the skills of the man who had saved his older sister. Is he really a swordsman? Not a mage?
Who in their right mind would look at that and think he was a swordsman? Aura was a power that sacrificed one's magical potential to drastically maximize destructive power. Yet, with that very aura, he had demonstrated a utility that far surpassed magic.
If he had simply shattered the barrier, I would have understood. You'd need that level of skill to face an Irregular, after all. But that... He had turned magic into a work of art.
Like a master craftsman carving marble, he sculpted that rigid magic circle into delicate pieces. He hadn't just mastered the sword; he had reached a realm far beyond.
Watching the black hair fluttering gently in the breeze, Rio came to a single, silent conclusion. That senior is a god of the sword.
"I drew way too much attention for no reason."
I had let myself get carried away. My original plan was to just play along and take an easy victory.
"Who knew my ability would be amplified like that? Is it because the 'sword' I swung was my own hair?"
The destructive power of that strike had far surpassed anything I had unleashed before. A blow I had only ever conceptualized in my mind had manifested through my own hands.
"And of all things, why did I have to think of an anime?"
I leaned back against the bench and scratched my head in frustration. Just then, a cold sensation pressed against my cheek.
"Whoa, cold."
"Good work out there, Kanteil."
The pink-haired girl, Seril, was standing beside me, holding out a canned drink.
"Thanks, I'll drink it well."
I took the can and popped the tab. The built-up pressure hissed, and a burst of carbonation erupted from the opening. Foam immediately began to spill over. I quickly brought it to my lips and took a gulp. The sharp, stinging fizz hit my tongue, leaving my mouth pleasantly numb.
"I already knew you were strong from when we fought the Irregular Slime, but seeing you today... you completely exceeded my expectations."
"You were watching?"
"Of course. How could I miss a duel featuring the leader of my future dungeon raiding party?"
"I suppose so..."
I drained the rest of the drink and tossed the empty can toward a nearby trash bin. Clink! The can traced a perfect arc through the air and landed dead center.
Seril clapped her hands in delight. "Ooh, nice shot!"
Suppressing a strange, sudden swell of pride, I turned to her. "Have you picked out the candidates for the upcoming exam?"
"Of course! Naturally."
She was referring to the dungeon subjugation exam we had discussed back at the freshman welcoming party. The rules dictated a four-person party. Since we only had the two of us, we needed two more members. Seril had volunteered to scout for them.
It had only been barely two months since I transmigrated into this world. While I knew the general plot of the original novel, I was blind to the finer details. After all, the story was told strictly from the protagonist's perspective. Since I lacked practical knowledge of the student body, Seril had taken charge of recruitment.
Judging by how confident she looks, she must have found some solid candidates.
Seril reached into her pocket and pulled out a few photographs.
"What are these?"
"These are the best candidates to round out our party. I've teamed up with them before, so I can personally vouch for their skills."
Since the girl who literally compiled an encyclopedia in her notebook was vouching for them, they were bound to be competent. And if she was willing to recommend them again after working with them, their personalities probably weren't completely toxic either.
I carefully examined the photos she handed over.
One photo in the stack immediately caught my eye. Unlike the bright, smiling faces in the others, a gloomy-looking female student was glaring directly at the camera.
"Who's this?"
"Ah, Deila Zeros. She's easily the most talented out of all the candidates I gathered. Honestly, if you weren't around, I probably would have begged her to be our party leader."
That good?
Looking closer, the girl's gloomy expression suddenly looked less like malice and more like the profound, soul-crushing exhaustion of a student drowning in assignments.
"What's her role?"
"Mage. But she's not your typical backline caster—she's a Battle Mage."
A Battle Mage. While conventional mages wielded staves or wands to rain down devastating, high-firepower spells from a safe distance, Battle Mages fought on the front lines, brandishing cold weapons like knights. Depending on their skill level, they could also cast wide-area spells, making them a versatile hybrid of knight and mage.
But looked at from another angle...
They're just a half-baked, jack-of-all-trades class.
Pure mages could melt foes far stronger than themselves with sheer, overwhelming firepower. Knights could deal consistent, sustained damage using aura—a fuel source far more efficient than mana.
Battle Mages, however, were stuck in an awkward middle ground. They lacked the explosive burst of a true mage and the relentless pressure of a knight. To make matters worse, the barrier to entry for a Battle Mage was even higher than that of a regular mage—which already required innate talent. Because of this, the class suffered from a severe lack of practitioners, stalling its development entirely.
"A Battle Mage? That sounds a bit risky."
My skepticism bled into my voice.
"Of course, it's natural to worry since most Battle Mages are so underwhelming. But Deila is different. She's the eldest daughter of the Zeros Baron family, the most prestigious house when it comes to training Battle Mages."
"A family that specializes in training Battle Mages?"
This was the first time I had ever heard of such a thing. And for good reason.
The renaissance of Battle Mages isn't supposed to happen until Idrian Goldenroad kickstarts it.
In the original lore, Idrian Goldenroad—the first hero—had a Battle Mage companion known as the Great Sage. By utilizing the Sage's training methods, Idrian Goldenroad was destined to single-handedly revive the class in the future. At this point in the timeline, there shouldn't be a single noble house specializing in Battle Mages. It was Idrian Goldenroad who was supposed to shift public perception and usher in their golden age.
This is a disaster.
That achievement was supposed to grant Idrian Goldenroad a crucial connection to the Imperial Family. If a Battle Mage house already exists, that entire plotline is compromised. This was no longer a matter of idle curiosity.
My gaze turned cold as I looked at Seril.
"Can I meet her right now? Deila Zeros?"
I needed to assess this massive anomaly immediately.
"...I don't know what's gotten into you, but you seem to be in quite a hurry. Alright, let me see if I can set something up quickly."
Seril stepped away, and returned a short while later with a message: Deila Zeros had agreed to meet us at the Crown Cafe in Zone 7.
"Is this the place?"
The cafe Deila had chosen had a sleek, modern exterior. Pushing open the glass door, I stepped inside to find the entire place completely deserted, save for the girl from the photograph. She was sitting gracefully, sipping a cup of coffee.
"Why is it so empty?"
"Oh, I rented the whole place out for the day," Seril giggled beside me.
Must be nice to be filthy rich.
Renting out an entire upscale cafe for the day just to have a quick meeting. Shaking off my mild disbelief, I focused on Deila.
She doesn't actually look that gloomy.
Contrary to her photograph, she was actually quite striking. However, the heavy, listless aura around her was exactly the same.
Seril and I pulled out chairs and sat across from her. Only then did she look up. She must have been incredibly focused on her coffee, as she hadn't even registered the sound of the door opening. For the first time, I looked directly into Deila's eyes.
"Hello. Seril told me about you. I hear you're looking for a teammate for the dungeon subjugation exam?"
I reached out and shook her offered hand.
"Yes. The practical exam accounts for a massive portion of our grade, after all. We can't afford to take it lightly."
Of course, grades were the last thing on my mind. My priority was assembling a party that could keep a close eye on Seril Lever.
Though, I suppose getting a top score wouldn't hurt either.
With those thoughts, I quietly evaluated Deila. On the surface, she seemed like a highly capable mage. Just as Seril had promised, her competence was undeniable. Of course, since I wasn't holding a sword, I couldn't use my cheat ability to gauge her exact strength.
If only I could pluck another strand of hair and hold it...
Unfortunately, using my hair as a weapon made it impossible to regulate my power, and it actually amplified my output. If I pulled another hair out now, it would look like I was trying to pick a fight with her. Regrettably, I had to evaluate her the old-fashioned way.
I glanced down at the cup in her hands.
"You seem to be a big fan of coffee."
"Ah, yes. I spend all day and night analyzing complex magic circles designed for Battle Mages. It's exhausting, but a cup of coffee always snaps me right back to reality. It's practically my lifeblood."
Deila took another slow sip. As she spoke, I noticed the deep dark circles faintly visible beneath her makeup. I had wondered why she looked so much healthier than her photo; she had simply caked on concealer to hide the exhaustion.
"Can we skip the pleasantries and get straight to business? We both know why we're here, and I need to get back to analyzing my magic arrays as soon as possible."
My brow furrowed slightly. Even if this was a pre-arranged meeting, openly declaring that she had better things to do was incredibly blunt. But I quickly checked my temper. After all, I was the one who was pressed for time. I needed to secure her agreement first, then dig into the mystery of this supposed "prestigious Battle Mage house."
"Will you join our party for the upcoming dungeon subjugation exam?"
"Sure, why not? I don't know much about you, but Seril's ability to analyze monster weaknesses is top-tier. And if she's willing to let you lead the party, you must be a highly capable swordsman."
It was a surprisingly easy sell. The moment we finalized our schedule, she immediately stood up as if she had a fire under her seat. As she turned to leave the cafe, I called out to stop her.
"Wait a moment."
"Yes, Party Leader?"
Ignoring Deila's impatient glare, I asked, "I have a few questions about Battle Mages. Would you mind answering them?"
Her brow furrowed as she checked her wristwatch. After a brief pause, she sighed.
"Since you're the party leader, I suppose I can spare a moment. But you have exactly ten minutes. I have a mountain of work waiting for me."
She walked back to the table and slid back into her seat. Ordering another cup of coffee from the counter, she looked at me.
"So, what is it you want to know?"