Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Grand Mage vs Mage (1)
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I don't particularly want anything. I just want to roll around in bed.
I couldn't care less about dreams or goals or anything like that.
I have zero interest in some distant future that hasn't arrived yet.
In my previous life, I slaved away all day believing happiness would come someday, only to drop dead from overwork.
I want to live true to my human instincts in every moment.
Sleep deeply when I'm sleepy, eat my fill when I'm hungry.
Sex drive... well, whether it's a curse or a blessing, I don't really feel it, so I'll pass.
To safeguard my daily life brimming with laziness, I've set a simple policy.
Avoid getting tangled up with the original story's "named" characters as much as possible.
Don't get dragged into annoyances by messing with the wrong people.
Of course, zero involvement would be ideal, but that's impossible.
After all, I'm one of the characters knee-deep in the original plot.
And it's smarter to follow the story's events as they are rather than recklessly messing with them.
Knowing the future means no surprises, no stress—just living fully in the now.
That's why I bothered coming to the academy despite the hassle.
Impulsively choosing the Magic Engineering Department over the Magic Department does nag at me a bit...
Eh, no way. Would something like this derail the world line?
Anyway, so far, I think I've stuck to my policy pretty well.
I've kept a low profile, only chatting a little with minor characters like the maids or Claire who barely show up in the original.
I need to steer clear of weirdos from here on out too.
...Or so I thought.
Of all people, I got properly entangled with the scenario's main character.
Estelle senior, who's basically the centerpiece of the first episode.
Well, since we've ended up on the same team, that's unavoidable.
Keep our distance, grab the credits, pretend we're total strangers.
That was the plan for our purely business-like relationship.
"Luna~ Trying to sneak away already?"
Estelle senior grabbed me just as I tried to slip out of the auditorium.
"The lecture isn't over yet~"
Her bright smile sparkled with lively eyes.
She was already tossing out nicknames like we'd known each other forever.
Her affinity was off the charts—or maybe she just had no sense of personal space...
I edged backward stealthily, but she closed in without a care and hooked her arm through mine.
"Uh... wasn't it over already?"
"What're you talking about? Today's lecture isn't done."
"...Huh? The professor definitely said we could go once teams were formed..."
"He said you could leave, but he didn't dismiss class, did he?"
"???"
"Today's class is for seniors and juniors to bond! It's an impromptu master-apprentice ceremony~"
Estelle senior yanked my arm along, ignoring my expression entirely.
"Come on, Luna! Wanna grab some coffee? This senior's treating. Oh! Not many get that honor from me?"
A window seat in the academy's cafeteria.
No sooner had we sat down than Estelle senior unleashed a barrage of questions.
-Where's your hometown? Tell me about it sometime! I'm curious~
-Got any hobbies? Who knows, maybe we share some?
-How've the lectures been so far? The common magic profs are pretty intense, right?
-How's the dorm? That top-student suite is amazing, huh~
She didn't stop talking for even a second. Not one moment of silence.
A short, half-hearted reply got me ten or twenty words back. My head was spinning.
...How do I shake her off?
"Linea Hall's not bad. Especially the bed..."
"Hold up, stop. Hey, Luna junior. We're gonna see each other a lot, so no need for formal speech. Let's keep it casual."
"Sure, got it."
She wanted informal, so I switched right away.
I'm not the type to stand on ceremony unnecessarily.
Estelle senior nodded, satisfied with my response, a smile on her face.
Then she downed her coffee like it was ice water.
"But, Luna."
She leaned forward, resting her chest on the table, locking eyes with me.
"Don't you have any questions for me? Feels like I've been doing all the asking."
Honestly? Not really.
For one, I'm not that interested in other people.
And I already know way too much about her.
She's a genuine master artisan who, despite still being a student, crafts magic engineering gear good enough for imperial supply.
She even succeeded in restoring an ancient magic golem, even if controlling it was a bust.
If I had to pick something...
'Are those senior boobs mana tanks? Or affinity pouches?'
Or maybe...
'How'd you get your hands on the ancient magic golem blueprints?'
Yeah, something like that.
Neither's exactly appropriate for now, though.
Forcing it like wringing a dry rag...
"Why'd you come to the Magic Engineering Department, Estelle senior?"
She blinked, caught off guard. "The reason I chose Magic Engineering?" she murmured to herself, setting down her cup before answering.
"Fair point. With my grades, Magic Department would've made sense."
Even the professors had tried talking her out of it.
Estelle senior chuckled, reminiscing.
"But honestly, nothing dramatic. Just the scholarship~"
A surprisingly pragmatic answer.
"Magic Department only waives tuition, but Magic Engineering covers tuition and dorm fees completely."
True. Money matters.
And the dorm building would've been different too.
I didn't know Sepia Hall's quality, but its beds had to be way inferior to Linea Hall's.
A very, very important issue.
"Not a big deal, but another reason..."
Estelle senior trailed off, gazing out the window.
Her profile softened, the bright smile fading just a touch.
"After graduation, I plan to head back to my hometown instead of working in the capital."
Her voice grew gentler.
If she always spoke in this tone, my ears wouldn't hurt so much.
"Better to learn how to make tools that use magic than just magic itself. It'll help the villagers more."
A faint pride shone on her face as she shyly shared her true feelings.
"It's a backwater, but it's my precious hometown. I want to help everyone."
I stared at Estelle senior's face.
"You're amazing, senior."
The words slipped out with a lazy yawn before I knew it.
She looked at me, puzzled.
"Looking at you, senior..."
I flicked the rim of my cup with a finger and continued.
"It seems like you live carrying everyone's expectations."
Whether from the Magic Engineering Department folks.
Or the hometown villagers.
Estelle senior's eyes widened round.
I dropped my gaze to my reflection in the clear glass on the table.
And quietly added one more thing.
"Living to meet others' expectations."
Isn't it exhausting?
"...Doesn't it tire you out?"
The words spilled out, and I regretted it too late.
Did I say something unnecessary? I felt awkwardly embarrassed.
Then Estelle senior spoke up.
"Lu, Luna..."
She murmured my nickname softly.
I looked up to see her lips twitching.
"Luna's worried about me~ This senior's so touched! You're too cute!!"
"Eek?!"
Estelle senior vaulted over the table and pulled me into a tight hug.
Hey, senior? The cup's tipping... Ah, my milk. I only drank half...
"Tired? Eh, not really?"
She shrugged, her voice as bright as ever.
"It actually energizes me. Expectations mean they're cheering me on, right?"
Her expression as she said it.
It resembled mine, just a tiny bit.
From my position knowing her future, it left a slightly bitter taste. Just a little.
If I had to pick the toughest day of the week, hands down Thursday.
Sure, other weekdays required effort to protect my morning sleep.
Linea Hall's maids waged war on me daily, after all.
But I could outsmart the maids with some clever thinking.
The "formidable foe" that showed up every Thursday, though? No countering that.
"Miss Lunaris!"
A loud crash of something shattering, and the door flew open.
A rude entrance devoid of any dignity.
I pulled the blanket over my head and squeezed my eyes shut.
"I know you're in there. Get up now, or I'll really break the door down?!"
The sharp, high-pitched voice pierced through the blanket and drummed my eardrums.
Wait... you're already inside...
"If you're coming in, at least knock..."
"I know you wouldn't open it even if I did. And last week, you didn't even leave the bed, so didn't we hold orientation right here?!"
I peeked my head out from under the blanket and rubbed my eyes.
There stood Raymond Cloud, head of the Magic Department—the guy who'd magically forced open my locked door last week too.
And subjected me to a three-hour orientation slash tirade.
He crossed his arms, sighed deeply, and opened his mouth.
"Ever since you went to Magic Engineering, you've gotten so lazy. If you'd come to Magic Department, as the head, I'd have taken you on as a special research student and managed you thoroughly."
"...Hic."
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
Wow, glad I picked Magic Engineering. One wrong choice, and my dorm would've become a lab.
"I just don't get it. Why didn't you come to Magic Department?"
"..."
Is that even a question...?
"Wasting that brilliant talent—doesn't it bother you? Every year counts at your age!"
"Felt like there wasn't much left to learn in Magic Department classes. Thought trying something new wouldn't hurt."
His eyebrows twitched at my apathetic reply.
"Didn't I say it in the interview? I'd teach you personally. Make you a grand mage in a year."
That's exactly why I didn't go. You'd have me doing every grueling thing imaginable.
...I kept that to myself, of course.
"What's the point of gaining enlightenment through someone else's help?"
"...!"
"Isn't the path to grand mage something you forge yourself?"
My offhand words struck him straight in the solar plexus.
"N-Not wrong, per se... Actually, it's spot on... Ahem!"
He coughed awkwardly, flustered, then raised his voice.
"But! Referencing a master's teachings would help you sort your thoughts much faster, no? Or are you saying my guidance doesn't appeal?"
"Not at all. Being taught by someone like you would be an honor... Yawwwn..."
An involuntary yawn slipped out, and sparks flew in Raymond's eyes.
"Heh... Still sleepy, huh? Perfect. I've prepared a class that'll wake you right up."
Oh no. I poked the bear.
"A special lesson. So..."
Now perched on my bed, Raymond continued with a meaningful smile.
"How about a quick magic duel with me?"
So that's it.
He wants to show me what a master's dignity looks like.
...His eyes say running's not an option.