Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 5: Realm of an Archwizard

In the morning, I attended the orientation for [Introduction to Basic Magic]. The material was easy to grasp, largely because I had spent so much time playing ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱. However, the lecture itself didn't offer much in the way of new information.

After class, I headed to the student cafeteria for lunch.

“Hey, look at that guy…”

“Is he the Grade E loser from yesterday? Seriously, how did he even get in here?”

“He’s clearly not good enough to be among us…”

As I sat alone, eating my 50-gel lunch, I could hear the mocking remarks drifting over from the neighboring tables. Considering how loud they were being, they clearly intended for me to hear every word.

I’d sensed it before, but word of my Grade E mana ranking was spreading through the student body like wildfire. The academy operated on a meritocratic system where the strong naturally oppressed the weak; it was only expected that students would openly look down on those ranked beneath them.

As a Grade E who had scored even lower than Ian Fairytale—who also possessed Grade E mana—this fate was inevitable. I was officially the Academy’s Weakest.

In other words, I can’t beat anyone here yet.

Let’s just ignore them for now.

Today marked my fourth day in this game world. As expected, I didn't wake up back in reality no matter how many times I went to sleep. Since I was stuck here, I couldn't afford to antagonize the other students; it would only make my academic life a living hell. It was best to simply tune them out.

Besides, I didn't have time to worry about trivial gossip. From now on, I had to devote every waking moment to training. I didn't have the luxury of distractions.

Earlier this morning, I’d used the time before class to jot down my future plans on a piece of parchment, racking my brain for every detail I remembered from the game.

My first priority was securing the top seat of the Magic Department. Grades were not only the most straightforward metric of success but also the most indicative measure of an individual's strength. Since I needed to be the strongest to survive, raising my grades was imperative. My ultimate goal was to eventually surpass the current top seat, Luce, and I would do whatever it took to get there.

On a practical note, failing wasn't an option. Repeated poor performance would lead to expulsion, and being kicked out of the academy was a one-way ticket to a "Bad Ending" for this world.

With that in mind, I planned to track down the ultimate weapon: “Hilde’s Frostscythe.”

Hilde’s Frostscythe was the definitive ice-elemental weapon. In the game, it could only be obtained after the second semester of the second year. However, because I wasn't bound by the game’s scripted narrative like Ian Fairytale, the timing of when I retrieved it didn't matter at all.

I want to get my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hands on it before the end of the first year if possible…

To obtain the scythe, I needed to pass the trial of the “Frost Dragon Hilde.” But to even qualify for the trial, I first had to raise my [Ice Element Resistance] to at least 60. I needed to grow strong enough to claim that weapon as soon as humanly possible.

According to the game’s lore, a person could only master up to two types of elemental magic, depending on their innate compatibility. The only exception to this rule was the power of fairies.

I didn't know which second element Ian—who currently only possessed the Light element—would choose later on. In the game, the player decided whether he took fire, water, ice, lightning, earth, or wind. Now that he was a living person, I couldn't be sure.

If he chooses the ice element, Hilde’s Frostscythe will be his final target… Sorry, pal, that’s mine now. I’ve got nothing to give to a fucking newbie.

I could only hope he picked something else.

I have to clear this game, no matter what.

I was going to become as powerful as possible to beat this world. Achieving goals through sheer grit and relentless effort was my specialty—an asset I’d forged during my years of grueling exam studies.

Back then, I played ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ as both a break and a reward after a long day of studying. On my days off, I’d play from sunrise to sunset. That habit only intensified after I passed my exams.

I never could have imagined I’d be transported into the game as a mere extra. I knew it would be a long, arduous battle before I reached my goal.

I’ll play the villain if I have to. I won't hesitate.

“Hahahaha…”

“Hey, is that kid laughing to himself?”

Oh. I let a laugh slip out. I must have been too deep in thought.

I heard the whispers, but I didn't care. After finishing my meal, I began walking toward my next classroom.

“Excuse me.”

“…?”

Suddenly, someone called out to me from behind.

I came to a halt and looked back. Standing there was a familiar female student with light green pigtails tied with black ribbons. Her jade-colored eyes shone like polished emeralds.

It was Kaya Astrea, the second seat of the first-year Magic Department.

[Kaya Astrea]
Lv: 90
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice
Danger: X

But… why is Kaya talking to me?

Is she here to give me some 'old man' advice? Telling me to work hard because I’m a lowly Grade E?

Knowing how nosy she is, that’s actually a possibility.

“You’re No. 25 of Provisional 3rd Class, right?”

Was it because of the impression a Grade E made? She actually remembered my student number.

“Ah, yes. You remember my number?”

I asked out of genuine curiosity, but Kaya’s shoulders suddenly trembled.

“Uhh, I didn't remember it because I was interested in you or anything…!” She snapped her head to the side, her voice turning timid.

Her face flushed a deep red. Kaya had an incredibly shy personality; she reacted to even the slightest hint of embarrassment as if it were a physical attack—a sort of defensive mechanism.

Wow, she’s exactly like I remember. Is it because I saw her so often in the game?

I almost flashed her a paternal smile. Realizing I had no reason to be so friendly, I kept my expression neutral and waited for her to continue.

“Ahem.”

Kaya cleared her throat and looked back at me.

“Do you remember me? We’re in the same Provisional 3rd Class… I’m Kaya Astrea.”

“Yes, I know. You’re the second seat.”

“…”

An awkward silence suddenly descended between us.

What’s this? Did I say something weird?

Ah.

Right.

Kaya Astrea was the second daughter of the Duke of Astrea, the man responsible for governing the western region of the Kingdom of Zelver. She was a high-ranking aristocrat whose name was known by everyone.

On the other hand, I was a commoner without even a surname. Her status was far too high for me to casually say, “I remember you because you’re the second seat.” It would have been more natural to say something like, “I remember you because you are of the prestigious Astrea family.”

Do I have to be formal now?

Should I say, “It’s an honor to converse with you, My Lady”? No, that’s laying it on too thick.

“What is your name, by any chance?”

Thank God.

Kaya spared me the worry by asking a direct question.

“It’s Isaac.”

“Isaac… Isaac…”

Kaya repeated my name twice, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as if trying to engrave it into her memory. I was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠both flattered and a bit relieved by her reaction. I’d worried that forgetting her noble title was a huge blunder, but Kaya was clearly too kind to bully me over it.

The real problem was the other students. They were stealing glances at us as they passed, trying to read our lips to figure out what was going on.

“Did Kaya just talk to a Grade E commoner…?”

“Why?”

“Is she putting him in his place because he’s a Grade E?”

“It’s Lady Kaya. She probably just felt sorry for him because he’s so pathetic.”

I could practically hear their internal dialogue. The sight of the second-ranked student of the Magic Department—a Duke’s daughter with Grade B+ mana—speaking to the "Academy’s Weakest" commoner was simply absurd to them.

What should I do…?

It felt unnatural, but would it be better to bow at a ninety-degree angle and shout, “It is a pleasure to meet the Lady of the dignified Ducal House!”?

“Isaac, I’ll ask you straightforwardly…” Kaya’s voice dropped. “Why are you hiding your identity?”

“…Huh?”

…What does she mean by that?

“What are you talking about?”

“You can’t hide it from me. You’re concealing your true self, aren’t you?”

Kaya looked genuinely nervous.

What kind of bullshit is this?

…Wait a minute. It can’t be. Surely not.

…I think I get it.

Kaya must have witnessed me killing “Trevion the Evil.”

Could it be…?

Then I remembered yesterday’s mana evaluation. When Professor Fernando mentioned that an “Archwizard” could fake their mana quantity, I recalled the look on Kaya’s face.

If she had indeed seen me defeat Trevion, her reaction made perfect sense. I had displayed overwhelming power in front of her, yet the mana meter labeled me a Grade E. To anyone watching, the discrepancy was ridiculous.

Wait, does she think I’m some kind of hidden genius who has reached the realm of an Archwizard?

“The realm of an Archwizard… You can manipulate the appearance of your own mana, right?” Kaya whispered, making sure no one else could hear.

My head began to throb.

Kaya felt inferior to Luce, but she had a tendency to harbor deep admiration for people she deemed to be out of her league. It seemed I had been placed in the latter category. She was the type to blindly follow those she respected.

Yes, this girl who appeared so flawless was, in reality, a bit of a fool.

Kaya’s misunderstanding was a problem. I needed to be seen as a “weak commoner” for the time being. If she started telling people “Isaac is actually strong,” my plans would go up in smoke. As Isaac, I needed a reason to stay under Mateo’s wing for a while.

However…

The most dangerous problem is…

I needed to know if my victory over the demon had been reported to the school. If it had, things would get complicated fast.

…Probably not.

I reached that conclusion almost immediately. If my contribution had been reported, the academy would have made a massive spectacle of it and rewarded me. Specifically, “Alice,” the student council president and one of the most powerful people in the academy, wouldn't have remained silent. She would have approached me immediately.

In the story of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Alice couldn't touch Ian Fairytale recklessly because he belonged to the Fairytale Viscount family. But she wouldn't hesitate to deal with an insignificant commoner like me if she felt like it.

In other words, Alice was still in the dark.

You didn't say anything?

Why, Kaya? Why keep it a secret?

…Even if it caused me a headache later, it seemed I had to lean into this fool’s misunderstanding.

A heavy silence fell between us as I carefully chose my next words. I closed my eyes, let out a quiet sigh, and looked at her with a dead-serious expression.

“Did you tell anyone about me?”

“…!”

It was an age-old cliché: the hidden master pretending to be powerless. I decided to play the part.

“I didn't…”

“…”

“No, I mean… I reported the demon’s appearance on the day of the entrance ceremony, but I told the academy I didn't know who killed it. I did it on purpose.”

I suppressed the urge to cringe at my own acting and maintained my gaze. Kaya was visibly trembling. She clearly thought her hunch had been confirmed.

“Why?”

“Because… you seemed to want to hide your power…”

Thank goodness she’s perceptive in the weirdest ways.

It was a relief. She had almost triggered a "Game Over" for me without even knowing it.

I could guess how the academy had reacted to her report. In this world, demons were treated like natural disasters. If the threat was already neutralized, there wasn't much left to investigate. The priority was student safety, and since everyone except Ian was unharmed, they likely just kept an eye on things for a few days and moved on.

The faculty usually had their hands full with the sheer number of demons that appeared in this story, often holding the principal accountable for the chaos. They tended to resolve issues quietly to avoid disrupting the curriculum.

Alice must be hunting for the person who killed that demon right now.

She didn't know how the demons were being created, but she knew to some extent that they were manifesting through Nephid’s will. Nephid’s goal was simple: eliminate any potential threats. Therefore, Alice had no choice but to find the one capable of stopping them.

Let’s keep this act going for now.

I closed my eyes and let out another deep, performative sigh of annoyance.

“Haa… your name was Kaya, right?”

“Y-yes…?”

I opened my eyes and glared at her with a gaze colder than a winter grave.

“Don’t tell a soul about me.”

“…”

Kaya froze. She looked like a cornered deer, trembling before a predator. She was naturally submissive toward anyone who displayed power she couldn't hope to match.

…That’s enough.

In the game, if the player took the Kaya route, she was shown to be imaginative enough to overthink every word Ian said, usually leading ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to her spiraling into self-doubt.

I turned and walked away without another word. I needed to leave before she regained her composure and asked more questions. For now, I had to maintain the mystery.

Luckily, she remained rooted to the spot, a look of pure terror on her face. We had spoken quietly enough that the other students shouldn't have overheard the specifics.

Can I really just leave it like this?

Well, it’ll probably be fine.

*

“I was right…”

Kaya trembled like a leaf as she watched Isaac walk away. She felt like a lamb that had just stared into the eyes of a wolf.

The strength was leaving her legs; she felt as though the slightest breeze would knock her over. Her heart hammered against her ribs as a wave of intense fear gripped her body, paralyzing her.

A warning… That was a warning.

Isaac’s eyes had been a vibrant, terrifying crimson—the color of fresh blood. When she combined the image of him effortlessly crushing a powerful demon with the hostility he had just shown her, it became an overwhelming source of dread.

Isaac was definitely hiding his true identity. He was pretending to be weak for some inscrutable reason.

“What should I do…?”

Kaya cursed her own curiosity. She had tried to pry into his secrets, and now… she had undoubtedly ended up on his bad side.