Women's Specialist Supporter P (1): Special Class Students Must Be Special
Special class students have to be special. That's why I chose "buff" as my public-facing ability. And it's one that could lead to all sorts of dangers in the current situation.
"It really strengthens the mana of anyone you touch?"
"It's not exactly strengthening. Not strengthening."
I extended my hand toward Esta, who was staring at me with a serious expression.
"This hand is a kind of 'Sun Hand.'"
"Sun... what?"
"It's a hand so hot that when kneading dough, the dough ferments warmly without losing temperature... Got it. No more jokes."
Esta's glare was more intense than I'd expected, so I cleared my throat and summoned a flame atop my hand.
"Mana-wise, it's a method that boosts mana efficiency. Using the power of this flame."
"Flame..."
"Unia. Mind lending me your hand?"
"Here."
Unia immediately offered her hand at my request, and I placed the flame on it, rubbing it gently.
"Ah."
"As you can see, my flame is a bit different from actual fire-attribute magic. It's just mana shaped like a flame, but in reality, it's like this."
As I rubbed the flame softly on Unia's hand, the sparkling fire turned into an ember, lingering on her skin before quietly fading.
"How's the mana on Unia's hand right now?"
"The mana... it's lingering."
"Yes. It's like a kind of hand cream. It might moisturize mana-wise too, but the real effect comes from having the mana absorbed into the hand like this."
I grabbed Unia's wrist and stretched her arm straight out toward the air.
"Unia. Can you fire a magic missile from your hand?"
"L-like this?"
Pew-bang!
A coppery mana arrow shot forward from Unia's hand. Though it exploded with a pop after flying about 10 meters, its speed was faster than a bird's wingbeat.
"Th-this is...?"
And not just the speed—the distance was farther than Unia could normally manage, and the explosive power and destructive force were far stronger than a standard magic missile.
"I make the mana of anyone I touch flow more efficiently, no matter the method."
"...So this explanation is so long it can't be summed up briefly in a place like this?"
If I use a body analogy, my flame burns away the fat inside the body.
"!!"
Esta's eyes widened in shock.
"R-really?!"
Unia grabbed my hand in reverse, her voice even more excited than before.
"For real?!"
"...Not actual fat."
I could do it, but that's physiology, and we're talking mana theory here.
"If we call fat 'excess flab,' then I remove or melt away the excess in mana, making it move more precisely and quickly."
Like widening lanes on a road or clearing debris that's blocking traffic.
"What do you think, Instructor Esta?"
"...So it's not just an ability to shape mana into aura."
Esta rubbed her chin with a grave expression.
"Phoenix. Do you plan to make this public knowledge?"
"What do you think, Instructor Esta?"
"...Personally, and as an instructor, I think you should keep this ability hidden."
Esta spoke to me with an even firmer tone than before, still deadly serious.
"If word of your ability gets out, you'll be captured by all the girls at the academy."
As a kind of buff item.
"They'll put a collar on you and keep you by their side, touching you physically every time they want more power. Regardless of your freedom."
"But I don't have anything else that qualifies as a specialty."
I flicked the flame forward.
"Anyone can make flames with illusion magic, so it's nothing special."
"...Is there nothing else special you can do?"
"Hm."
Lots. I can demonize, monsterize, or summon blue flames that incinerate others' mana.
"Nope."
But those aren't abilities for academy freshman Red Sol Phoenix. And they're even more in need of hiding than this "women-only buffer" I've shown Esta.
"If I had to pick what I'm best at, it's this."
I covered my mouth.
"I'm good at using this."
"What... does that mean?"
"Literally, I'm a specialist at using my tongue."
Esta furrowed her brow and tilted her head, while Unia blushed and looked away for a moment.
Who's 27 and who's 17 here?
Seeing this, I realize not all older people are mature. The 27-year-old virgin clearly doesn't get it, while the 17-year-old student is swallowing hard, imagining who-knows-what.
"I mean I'm pretty good at talking."
"Ah, got it. I thought you meant some tongue trick."
I could do tricks like that, but I stayed quiet.
"Red Sol Phoenix. When introducing you to others, I'll list your specialty as 'silver tongue.'"
"Pardon?"
Correction. It's not time to stay quiet—it's time to sell it hard.
"Instructor, what do you mean?"
"We can't write 'boosts women's mana efficiency through physical contact.' We have to put something so others think, 'Ah, these special admits have these traits.' The other instructors, I mean."
Esta pointed to the magic device on her wrist.
"Academy education is based on all instructors sharing info."
She tapped the device lightly, and a holographic mana screen popped up above it.
> Student Profile: Red Sol Phoenix
> Special Admit Status: Active
> Specialty Field: [EMPTY]
"Instructors periodically check in on academy students' profiles, update their data, and discuss how to teach them."
"I-is it okay to tell us this?"
"It's public info for everyone. Of course, showing the panel itself isn't allowed, but given the circumstances..."
Esta was serious enough to bend the rules a bit.
"We even do short real-time logs for performance reviews, and in the evening, we summarize the day's lessons."
"Uh... being an instructor sounds tough."
"That's what it takes to be one at Esdinas. Anyway, that means my investigations into you two get shared with other instructors in real time. Well, not perfectly real-time."
Esta pretended to input something and pointed to the blank field.
"So if I put in my real ability, everyone will know this trait."
"Exactly. That's what makes it the most satisfying trait for a 'special admit.' As long as it doesn't put you in danger."
"Um..."
Unia raised her hand tentatively.
"It's definitely dangerous, right? Even I think so."
"What do you mean?"
"...Like just now, and since I've already received Phoenix's 'buff' before."
Unia placed her hand on her chest and continued.
"Phoenix's buff... it doesn't consume my mana."
"...As expected."
Esta nodded knowingly. No explanation needed—she was a swordmaster and Sword Saint, after all; she'd already figured it out.
"When the mana arrow got stronger, Unia's mana wasn't specially depleted. It was pure output increase. And Phoenix, your mana didn't drop either."
"My mana does decrease. I use my own to trim the excess."
"But not to the point of bottoming out instantly."
"True."
"That's what makes it more problematic."
Unia looked at me seriously too.
"Phoenix's power has 'almost no risk but massive returns.'"
Spot on. I could even shape Unia's mana arrow from a simple projectile to something close to aura.
"If you touch a high-rank heroine, she'll become a swordmaster who can use aura for as long as you're in contact."
"I won't deny it."
"So."
Esta pointed seriously at her input magic pad.
"For your ability, we need to list something worthy of 'special admission.' Anything. Just one thing you're outstanding at compared to others. Something convincing."
"......Tricky. I can't exactly say it in front of you two."
If Dean Ederson were here, maybe it'd be easier. Like 1:17 ratio or lion-hippo-elephant stamina.
"No choice. I wasn't going to bring this out, but."
I raised both hands.
"It's not much of a specialty, but if I have to pick something to boast to others, it's this."
I made kneading motions with my hands, and both women's expressions hardened simultaneously.
"What are you...?"
"...Hey. What you're doing right now."
"I'm good at dough."
"......?"
"Unia. I asked you once what your favorite food at a restaurant was, right?"
"Y-yeah?"
"What'd you say? About your favorite cream pie."
"You said you're good at making cream pies."
"Yeah."
That.
"I make killer bread. Desserts and pastries too."
True. In the context of the sentence and situation, or literally by the letters.
-We'll conquer with desserts. Chang Yeom said so.
-No woman hates sweets. Desserts are a basic favor item.
Conquer heroines with desserts.
-Bread King Kim Tae-Sun. One bite fills your belly for 10 months, stuffing it with cream. Got it?
Specialty. Pastry and baking.
"...Food supply is an important issue."
Esta pulled up the panel.
"Any special baking abilities?"
"Massages that let you eat tons of bread without gaining weight?"
"......How many abilities do you even have?"
"That's not an ability, just basic technique."
Not what the academy wants.
"When your beloved wife gets pregnant later, you gotta massage away the swelling to be a good husband."
A man's skill.
"That's it."
"...Um."
Unia raised her hand slyly.
"'Beloved wife's, not singular?"
"......."
Sharp catch.