Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: This is me, isn't it?
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If it had just been about learning magic, I would've shrugged it off as no big deal.
But right now, I was enrolled in the Magic Department.
What the hell was going on?
I'd sent in the practical video properly, so why was I in the Magic Department?
I had attached a video of me using space magic, but that was purely for theoretical proof. I'd sent a separate swordsmanship demonstration video for the practical exam.
There was no reason to put me in the Magic Department.
What could possibly have gone wrong?
As I mulled it over, one thing came to mind.
'No way... Did they mistake me for a mage because I used magic?'
The swordsmanship practical was just footage of me casually swinging a sword to take down a kobold.
In other words, it wasn't as flashy as the space magic video.
No wonder the interview was all magic-related questions.
Was that the reason?
I tried asking my homeroom teacher about the Magic Department enrollment procedures, but she'd been gone for ages.
"That's it for today's class. If you have any questions, feel free to come see me individually."
In the end, I didn't resolve my doubts, and the first class ended.
Would the homeroom teacher come next period? Or would it be another professor?
Probably the professor again, high chance.
I should go find the homeroom teacher.
As soon as class ended, the students started getting up from their seats.
Sweet break time.
Kids gathered in groups of twos and threes, chattering up a storm.
This part wasn't much different from elementary school.
"Ah, 2nd circle is already done, so when do we learn 3rd circle?"
"You were at 2nd circle?"
"Didn't know?"
"Yeah."
The only difference was there was no talk of "rent burdens" or whatever.
Watching them casually discuss magic, even these sprouts showed that mages were mages at heart.
If you're not interested in magic, it's hard to learn it. There's so much to study that you need motivation to cram it into your head.
Of course, in my case, the sage forced me into it.
I did have some basic fascination with magic. Curiosity, I guess.
Drag.
I pushed my chair back and stood up.
'Where's the teachers' lounge again?'
I was on my way to see the homeroom teacher.
One kid was approaching me.
"Hi, transfer student."
"Uh. Yeah."
Her face seemed familiar. After a light greeting,
she asked me.
"You're that kid from the mart, right?"
The mart?
Ah.
I remembered.
The girl who was there when I took down the orc.
No wonder she looked familiar.
"...Huh?"
But she shouldn't remember that.
I'd used perception impairment magic to avoid trouble. Even if she remembered me, she shouldn't recognize me. That's what perception impairment magic does.
How did she figure it out?
You were right.
My skills must have rusted.
* * *
"Hey, wanna go say hi to the transfer student?"
"Oh. I'm in."
Lots of kids were curious about the new transfer student in class.
What kind of kid is the new friend? Some out of plain curiosity, some wanting to be friends, some just following the crowd.
"Seo-ah?"
Not everyone was interested in the transfer student. Some kids preferred hanging out with their existing friends during break.
The girl looking for Seo-ah was the same, but Seo-ah was already right in front of the transfer student.
The transfer student muttered lowly.
"Hmm... Even so, for a kid like this to recognize me..."
Even rotten herring is still herring. No one had said anything until now, so the perception impairment magic had worked decently.
Otherwise, those cops from before would've made a fuss.
After a moment's thought.
"You have a talent for magic, huh?"
It seemed like a bunch of coincidences piled up.
Seo-ah was different from the others. She'd seen the orc fight closer and more intensely than anyone.
It had even made her change her career path.
But normally, even if intense, it's hard to recognize at a glance. You just feel a vague sense of incongruity. It was Seo-ah's own talent that pierced through the perception impairment magic.
To confirm, Seo-ah asked again.
"You're the one from the mart, right?"
Seo-ah had been distracted elsewhere even while learning the long-awaited 2nd-circle magic. So as soon as break started, she came to find the transfer student.
And just as she was about to get answers to her questions.
"Seo-ah! What are you doing here?"
Not just Seo-ah, but all the curious kids swarmed over.
"Oh! It's the transfer student! Hi! Nice to meet you!"
Three make a tiger, as they say.
One person is whatever, but two or three, and suddenly everyone's wondering what's going on.
Plus, with the transfer student buzz, he was the center of attention in class.
Naturally, a few kids draw more.
A circular crowd formed around the transfer student.
Before long, most of the class had gathered around him.
The kids bombarded the transfer student with questions.
"How'd you transfer in?"
"Dummy, it's not transfer, it's enrollment. My dad says coming to the Academy is enrollment, not transfer."
"Why not come last week? Bummer."
"But we can go pull the holy sword together next week."
"Where do you live?"
"Like soccer?"
Endless questions. I needed to go find the homeroom teacher... but the kids had me completely surrounded, tight as a net.
Seo-ah tried to push closer, but got shoved back by the crowd.
"Seo-ah, what are you doing back there? Come on, kids are waiting."
Her friends dragging her off to play didn't help.
Ding-dong-dang.
"Bell rang."
"Kids, back to seats quick."
"Let's go."
Just like when they came, they scattered at the bell.
In the end...
I could only go see the homeroom teacher next period.
"Teacher."
"Hm? Transfer student? What's up?"
"I don't know why I'm in the Magic Department. I want to go to the Swordsmanship Department."
The class was fine. But I didn't like using my head that much. I'd rather train my body hard in that time.
Plus, it was boring since I already knew it all.
"What?"
The homeroom teacher's face was like she'd heard something unbelievable.
She asked back in disbelief.
"You're... not a magic specialty student?"
Space magic users are extremely rare.
Precious talent, invaluable recruit. Naturally, specialty admission level.
Accepting a transfer student in the first week of the semester had that background.
Yes.
Not just because I aced the practical and written exams.
I'd actually enrolled as a space magic specialty student.
"Even so, if you want to go to Swordsmanship, it's not impossible. We accept department transfer requests based on grades. Do well on the next midterms, and if a spot opens in Swordsmanship for the second semester, you can transfer."
"Got it."
Right after consulting with the homeroom teacher, I leaned against the wall.
Shocking truth.
I...
Me...
Not swordsmanship.
I was a magic specialty student.
The sage was on a winning streak.
I could hear a 'Told you so' from somewhere.
Shut up.
* * *
If there's a hottest game right now, it's League of Worlds.
And the top issue on communities lately was the tournament Yura hosted.
The collab stream with Hean ended pretty successfully.
That meant it drew a lot of attention.
Attention even more focused due to Furday.
On top of that.
"Hm... This could be useful."
Really, completely unwanted attention poured in too.
That afternoon.
Yura was managing YouTube comments.
"Delete this. This too. Ah, heart this one."
You have to manage YouTube comments regularly. Otherwise, it turns into chaos.
Some of the recent influx of viewers were malicious trolls, so real-time monitoring was essential.
More work than ever.
But Yura was giggling.
"Today's earnings are sweet too. Ah, please keep being like this."
Because money was her medicine.
In the anxiety of views potentially crashing anytime, money was the only thrill.
Drag. She scrolled down, cleaning up YouTube comments.
Keep the good ones.
Delete the bad.
In the middle of scrolling.
[Streamer A's Tournament! Actually a Rigged Show?!]
She ran into a video with all sorts of sensational thumbnails and titles.
Another one caught by cyber wreckers.
She tried ignoring these cyber wreckers that dirtied her algorithm.
[Recently, netizens buzzed when Streamer A hosted a broadcasting tournament called League of Worlds.]
YouTube auto-play turned it on.
The distinctive TTS voice pierced Yura's ears.
Yura listened quietly for a while.
[Here, you can see player Life X Rounds using space magic to eliminate other participants.]
[But this player Life X Rounds, who wields space magic, is a mage not registered with the federation.]
[Netizens are saying, 'Isn't Streamer A using the custom match setting to rig the tournament?']
[What is the truth?]
[If this helped, please subscribe, like, and turn on notifications!]
The video was short, so it ended quick.
In the middle, seeing names with single letters changed for no reason.
Yura instantly knew who they were referring to.
Life X Rounds.
Streamer Y.
And the tournament.
Yura blinked twice.
"This..."
is me, isn't it?