Bad Dreams and the Spring Magic Conference
Tossing and turning all night with a restless mind after the Spring Magic Conference talk left me feeling like I'd had a nightmare. Waking up to the morning sun, I feel a bit groggy. The red hair that trails up to my waist every time I get up is something I've long gotten used to, but...
"Haaah~☆"
As I climb out of bed, yesterday's events suddenly pop into my head. Do I really have to go to the library again...? From what I vaguely recall, mirror magic is a bit on the dangerous side. Probably need to head to the lower mid-levels or something. Chatting with random uncles sounds kinda lame—☆ Getting permission and messing around would just be a total hassle.
That's when I know who to go to.
"Hey~☆ Uncle!"
"Miss Kesera... What did I tell you about entering the president's office?"
"Dunno?☆ Anyway, I wanna learn mirror magic~?"
The truth is, if I really scrutinize any math formula, I can figure out exactly how it works, but mirror magic is more like applied magic, so there are tons of hidden bits that aren't obvious at a glance. That's why I came here looking for a good book or person who can explain it properly.
"Miss Kesera. Didn't I tell you to knock and go through the secretary first?"
"Oh~☆ Did you?"
I don't really remember that? Baldy Uncle suppresses his anger with a grunt. Seeing him like that just makes me wanna tease him more. Heh heh... Grow up~☆
"And you should at least visit your advisor first."
"Ehh~☆ That meddlesome mustache guy's a total drag."
Again, again. He can't hold back anymore, and Uncle's fist starts rising. I quickly freeze the time axis right by his right fist. But... sealing just one hand was a mistake.
Whack—☆
"Ow... Stop hitting meee! I'm gonna cry!"
"You little brat! Do I even need to discipline you?"
"Baldy Uncle's better than mustache meddler uncle...☆"
Once I seal both hands, Baldy Uncle huffs and puffs but calms down a bit. Huh, he was looking at some papers, then just kicked them aside roughly? Peeking over, I see skin-colored something—wait, not papers, porn?
"Whoa~☆ Jackpot. They say looking at naughty stuff makes your hair grow faster, but overdo it and your bones'll rot~☆ No-hair uncle~☆"
"Ahem, ahem. It's not that. Right, you should see this too, Miss Kesera."
Even as a grand mage, he breaks my time-stop spell and shoves the papers in front of me. Is it okay to just open it up like this so casually? But the photos on the document leave me stunned.
That skin tone wasn't skin—it was blood. Mosaic-blurred, sure, but the scene of child abuse and confinement crimes was laid bare. Sure, my mind's that of a tough adult guy, but on the outside, I'm a little girl, so this stuff makes me queasy...☆
"Eek... What the heck is this? Trying to scare me, Uncle~☆?"
"That Chaos executive you sealed. This happened at the Hope Orphanage that was feeding and housing him."
"Why tell me about this crap?"
"It's to say Chaos could attack you anytime. We've had Hope Orphanage grads enrolling since three years ago, and two this year alone, so we've been watching. Here's their names and looks."
He shows me enrollment docs with their appearances. But they're all generic black-haired Black Class kids you'd find anywhere. Luca, Aru, Resmin, Kororel. Names so plain they're painful.
"Luca seems like a normal Black Class student now that you've sealed him, but watch the other three. No evidence, so no investigation yet, but if you're attacked, be ready to fire a signal flare anytime."
No way a genius mage like me loses to scrubs, but you never know. Maybe they'll exploit a bad-condition slip-up like last time. Biggest issue's probably field trip season.
"Yeah, got it~ I'll be careful☆ Oh, and what I want is mirror magic?"
"Right, if you're into mirror magic, how about checking out the Spring Magic Conference?"
"Spring Magic Conference?"
"Yeah, annual event hosted by the Imperial Magic Technology Research Institute. This time it's at Maura Mountain in the northern empire, and attending counts as individual field study for full credit."
Conference, huh... Long time since one piqued my interest. Sure, this world's mages are centuries behind me with their backward tech, but maybe it'll be fun to see what nonsense they spout.
"What's in it for me if I go?"
"Win a prize, get 30 points. Just going nets 10. Word's spreading quietly about you catching that Chaos exec, so mages from all walks are buzzing—prize is basically yours."
30 points? Sweet. But I know spilling secrets like anti-Chaos magic is risky. In this world, math—or magic—is basically a secret weapon, right?
"Dummy~☆ Uncle, spilling that makes Chaos pull even trickier tricks that're harder to crack."
"Your mom, the grand mage, already showed it off flashy-style, so they'll develop counters anyway."
"What'd Mom do?"
"Gertowin 12th Street—it's been on the news a few times. Grand Mage Eclina dragged out an exec and unleashed the five-pronged Chaos Projectile. Archmage Tiasa Le Jerna Sojerinareus—one of the empire's five leaders—reported and verified it herself."
didn’t know Mom had intuitively applied a Fourier Transform to the Chaos projectile. As expected, she's the top grand mage, even if not quite at my level.
"Whoa, it's cool to just blab that secret?"
"The sewer rats of Chaos are all linked up—they've probably already sniffed out your general solution formula anyway."
And then the president mixes in an offer I can't ignore.
"Plus, your mom's attending around then. Don't wanna see her?"
"Nngh...☆"
Can't brush this off. I miss Mom. Not kid-whining miss her—I really wanna see her. At least ask why she dumped me into the Imperial Academy like that...
Same night. Black Class Dorm, Rekon Hall Room 314.
Four freshman girls rolling around in bed chatter away like always before sleep.
"Aru, heard the rumor?"
"About our classmate using void magic to cast a spell even professors couldn't solve, then breaking it herself? Overplayed—my ears are callused."
"C'mon, even at the Imperial Academy, that's impossible. You can't just learn void magic on a whim."
"Yeah, no way even the top scorer beat a 5th-year. Total lie."
About a month since enrollment. Living in the Black Class dorm with four friends, Aru savors this dream world. Free academy food's delicious, classes top-notch. And this bug-free, mold-free, rat-free room? Luxury. Even pocket-change scholarships for lowly Black Class her—still feels like a dream a month in.
And... Lying in bed, Aru checks her quiz results. Grinning at the yellow scores every time.
Maybe she'll room-share with two in Yellow Dorm soon.
"Whoa~ Aru got yellow again? You'll ditch us soon~"
The room's only Le Sorden name-dropper, Sora, jumps into Aru's bed. The other girls pile on giggling.
"Aru got yellow again!"
"Jealous. I want yellow too~"
Intro to Fire Magic, Intro to Ice Magic—the two big quiz subjects. Aru always scores yellow. But red or higher? Impossible. Compared to lifelong tutored White or Red elites, she's nothing. Plus, intro freshman classes are taught at other academy 3rd-year level.
Effort has limits, but Aru dreams of climbing ranks someday. Otherwise... repeat a year, suspension, expulsion. Back to Hope Orphanage? Death before that.
"Totally. Sora, wanna hit the Spring Magic Conference?"
"Spring Magic Conference? Oh, that?"
"Y'know~ Chance to see cutting-edge magic. All go together? Counts for attendance, 10 points just for showing. Points are tough—let's all climb to better dorms."
Merchant-rich Eri asks Sora, the Le Sorden bloodline girl who'd birthed a grand mage. But Aru, with the shadiest background even in Black Dorm, mopes.
"How's a lowborn like me gonna go there..."
"Any Imperial Academy student can join, no color divide!"
"...Really?"
Then let's go? Aru and her Rekon Hall 314 roommates submit Spring Magic Conference attendance forms that day.