It Worked When I Tried
Once every last event of the Class Exchange Matches had wrapped up, a warm breeze drifted through Olympia, ushering in the late spring.
It was perfect weather for a run.
Tap, tap, tap.
My footsteps felt light as I ran the academy paths. I'd left the dormitory first thing in the morning and was already out for my usual jog. Same routine as always — except for one thing that was decidedly different.
The other students' reactions.
"There he goes again. That Heracle guy."
"He really puts in the work. Gotta respect it."
"He hasn't skipped a single day, has he? Guess magic really does need a solid body after all."
"Hey! Heracle! Keep it up!"
…What's going on with everyone?
The Knight Department students had always treated me like a cow watching a chicken — indifferent at best — so that was nothing new. But the Magic Department students, of all people, had suddenly grown warm toward me.
The contempt and mockery that used to follow me wherever I went had vanished without a trace. Somewhere along the way, the looks aimed in my direction had filled with admiration and encouragement instead.
The problem was, I had no idea why. The only thing I could point to was winning the Class Exchange Matches, but…
I don't feel like I did anything that impressive.
I'd just beaten Jackson up a little, hadn't I? Sure, I'd written a proper underdog story — dead last taking down seventh place — but was that really enough to erase every prejudice people had held and flip their opinions completely?
I couldn't help tilting my head.
"Heh heh. You look thoroughly confused, Senior."
A clean, gentle voice came from beside me. My running mate — the one whose absence would already feel strange — Isolet was smiling as she looked my way.
"Is it truly that hard to understand? The way the Magic Department students have changed toward you."
"Well… honestly, yeah. I haven't exactly done anything special."
"That can't be right."
Isolet rejected the idea outright. Drawing a soft smile, she calmly laid out the reason for me.
"From what I've heard, the Knight Department usually took the wins in the second-year matches. With you claiming the championship, Senior, wouldn't that reverse the entire evaluation?"
"I know that much. But cheering me on while I run is still weird, isn't it?"
"It was a shock, after all."
Isolet touched on the memory of that day — the birth of a trendsetter that every student in the Colosseum had witnessed.
"There must be plenty of students who fell for the overwhelming martial prowess you displayed… and more than anything, the fact that you opened an entirely new horizon carries enormous weight."
"…That Battle Mage thing again?"
"Yes."
She nodded firmly. The concept already rolled off Isolet's tongue with complete familiarity — and I still found Battle Mage so awkward I could die.
"It's an extremely hot topic in the Knight Department as well. An innovation that crosses the boundary between knight and mage. Even we first-years can't stop talking about it."
"…"
What on earth was this situation?
Putting her words together, the fighting style I'd shown at the Class Exchange Matches had stunned everyone else. Because of that, they'd started treating me as someone special and unmatched, and their opinion of me had swung positive. Apparently my combat method was being called a fresh approach that mixed only the strengths of knights and mages…
What are they even talking about?
Who said that? Me?
…If I kept going on this topic any longer my head was going to hurt, so I passed the baton to Isolet.
"Come to think of it, that was a shame. You could've won too."
"Mmm. That's true."
Haha. Isolet gave an awkward little laugh.
I'd been dragged along by Helene to watch the first-year top-student match. Isolet and Irina's duel had ended in a draw.
The academic side had held meeting after meeting over it and finally reached a conclusion: if neither side could clearly be called the winner or the loser, then there simply wouldn't be a first-year division champion.
Which meant Isolet had fought that well and still walked away without the title.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed… but Miss Irina is clearly skilled in her own right. It was a good match, so I have no regrets."
"That's mature of you."
This kid really had grown into a proper person. Maybe it was the protagonist effect, but her ability to draw clean lines was impressive. With Isolet, at least, I wouldn't have to worry about her making my life difficult.
"Ah — there is exactly one thing I regret. I wanted to become Senior Heracle's foremost disciple, but I've already failed at that."
"What?"
Foremost what now?
I turned to stare at her over the completely out-of-nowhere remark. Isolet looked up at me with a face that held not a shred of hesitation.
"Truthfully, I'm very interested in your Battle Mage style as well, Senior. I've never found the Knight Department lectures particularly engaging to begin with. If I could receive instruction in your combat methods, I would be truly delighted."
"…You're on about that too?"
"Heh heh. I know it puts you in a difficult position, Senior, but please understand it as the greed of a young underclassman."
Saying so, Isolet smiled brightly — and she really was beautiful. Flawless fair skin, a lively expression. A junior I could be proud of without a single complaint, and yet…
"I'll think about it."
I genuinely hadn't expected her to latch onto the Battle Mage thing and start pestering me. Feeling too guilty to play dumb with Isolet as well, I gave a halfhearted agreement. Even while running, she bowed her head with perfect manners.
"Thank you. As expected, there's no one like you, Senior."
"…Don't lay it on so thick."
Just what kind of place did I occupy in Isolet's heart? I found myself newly curious.
Today was a day for Theoretical Magic class.
The instructor for Theoretical Magic, Margaret, was a woman who wore thick round glasses. True to the classic scholar type, she was famous for delivering dull lectures in a white lab coat.
Most students either slept through it or half-listened at best. Unless you were someone like me who actually needed to fill in the knowledge gaps, you might as well not have been attending at all.
So when I stepped into the lecture hall, I wasn't expecting anything unusual. The students would be slumped over their desks killing time as always, and nobody would spare a glance for someone walking in late.
Or so I thought.
Rattle.
The moment I opened the door and walked in, every single student in the room turned to look at me.
Then, one by one, they stood up from their seats and came swarming over. It was a welcome I couldn't begin to make sense of.
"Hey, Heracle! Heard you went running again today? That's amazing!"
"Watching you send Jackson flying last time felt so damn good. It was seriously cool."
"What was that magic? Wait — was it even magic? That Battle Mage thing!"
They all poured out questions as if they had a mountain of things they were dying to know. When I just stood there looking dumbfounded by the sudden situation, the noise gradually died down. They glanced at one another, gauging the mood, until—
One student stepped forward and spoke.
"Heracle."
"What."
"Uh… look. I'm sorry. About everything up until now."
"…?"
What is this, some kind of Leaf Village redemption arc?
I stared blankly at the abrupt apology. He scratched the back of his head and went on.
"I'm sorry for looking down on you this whole time just because you were a fill-in. I thought you had zero talent, but it turns out you had your own kind of magic all along."
"And you beat Jackson! That annoying bastard!"
"Yeah. Anyway — I'm sorry for everything until now. I mean it."
With that, he bent at the waist in a deep bow. And it wasn't just him. Every student surrounding me dipped their heads toward me one after another.
I watched the scene in silence. I had no idea how it looked from their side, but on my end the whole thing felt distinctly awkward.
You've got the wrong person.
The one they'd ignored wasn't me — it was the original Heracle… right? I'd just possessed the body, used a physical cheat, and done what I needed to do. Even receiving an apology like this, my honest reaction was more along the lines of so what am I supposed to do with this?
Not that I could say any of that out loud. In the end I settled for a moderate nod and accepted the apology.
They were kids who'd barely become adults. Making clumsy mistakes like this was just part of being young — I'd let it slide.
"Well… alright. I get it. These things happen."
"…! Right. Thanks, Heracle!"
Color returned to the students' faces at my forgiveness. Energized, they started introducing themselves one by one. Wait — had these guys never even properly exchanged names with Heracle before…?
"I'm Samson!"
"I'm Thomas."
"Sophie's the name. Nice to meet you!"
"Uh. Yeah."
Okay, I get it, so could you maybe move? I'd like to get to my seat?
But the students showed no sign of backing off. While the commotion continued right in front of the lecture hall door—
Rattle!
The opposite door flew open and Instructor Margaret burst in at a near run.
"Alright, alright! Quiet down! Everyone take your seats!"
"Y-Yes…?"
At first the students answered obediently and started heading back to their desks — then question marks bloomed across their faces. In all this time, Theoretical Magic Instructor Margaret had never once shown energy like this.
"Come on! Quickly! Are you all seated? Then I'll begin roll call. Fennel—"
Margaret paid their reactions not the slightest mind. Pushing up her thick round glasses, she rattled through the student roster at high speed. The usual static tone and stiff lecture atmosphere had gone somewhere else entirely.
"Samson, Thomas, Sophie—"
As if she simply couldn't wait to call a particular name, Margaret whipped through attendance and finally reached the very last student — the one who'd been a fill-in.
"And. Second-year Magic Department student, champion of the Class Exchange Matches who defeated an opponent ranked dozens of places above him, and the creator of Battle Mage who shattered the boundary between knight and mage — Heracle! Are you present!"
"Huh?"
Come again? That was an awful lot of modifiers.
I answered the call with a thoroughly unsettled expression. Margaret was so fired up she beckoned me over with a wave.
"Come, Heracle. Step right up. Your place for today's class is beside me."
"Instructor, what on earth are you talking about?"
"Oh dear. I got so excited I skipped straight past the explanation, didn't I? Very well — I'll tell you right now."
Behind those thick round glasses, her eyes blazed with a scholar's pure obsession as she declared:
"I have discarded the existing lecture plan for this class."
"Excuse me?"
"We're throwing it all out. There is no topic more important than Battle Mage. However, since I don't yet understand it well enough to teach it myself — Heracle, I would be grateful if you would serve as my teaching assistant for the day!"
In other words… she wanted me to help her. Help her lecture on Battle Mage.
"……???"
…I don't know how either?