Grade Evaluation Ceremony (3)
Grade Evaluation Ceremony (3)
Mages were a naturally individualistic bunch.
The Mezai Class of the Magic Faculty was no exception, though the Measurement Ceremony proved to be a slight departure from that norm.
"At this rate, aren't we officially the worst class?"
"...This is getting embarrassing."
The first day of the Grade Measurement Ceremony was winding down, and not a single student from Mezai Class had produced a standout result.
To be fair, Ian had caught the eye of a few sharp-eyed scouts, but that was strictly limited to the spectator stands.
"If Rina were here, it wouldn't be like this."
The absence of their biggest rising star, Rina Rosewell, due to disciplinary measures, was a critical blow. Her return was scheduled for the final day of the measurements. Unless something changed, Mezai Class was all but guaranteed to be the academy's laughingstock for the foreseeable future.
— Miss Danya Catsnesia.
The final name of the class was called. Until Danya Catsnesia's name echoed through the hall, no one paid her much mind. Her grades were at the bottom of Mezai Class, and she had no friends there save for Ian. More than anything, virtually no one believed that Danya, who still struggled to handle her own mana, could distinguish herself here.
Thus, she drew no particular attention even as she stepped up to the measuring device.
— Grade A cleared.
At least, not until her measurement didn't stop after surpassing Grade A.
Even after that, the gauge needle crept a little higher. It had filled the A-grade threshold and was now pushing past the halfway mark to the next level. That meant the mana within her body was at the A+ grade. A stunned silence lasted only a moment before the hall erupted into chaos.
"Danya? Wasn't she at the absolute bottom when she enrolled?"
"Her mana reserves never even broke C-grade."
"She couldn't cast properly because she couldn't control her mana in the first place."
"...Does that make any sense to you?"
The murmuring that began in Mezai Class quickly spread to other sections. Sharon's instant S-rank achievement was impressive, but Danya Catsnesia's performance was meaningful in a different way. The Grade Measurement Ceremony was, at its core, an event where the growth of an underdog resonated the most. A student with the worst post-enrollment performance suddenly showing this kind of leap made for excellent gossip. Even the instructor managing the measurements felt compelled to speak to her.
"Cadet Danya, it appears you've put in a great deal of effort. Well done."
"Ah... w-well, I... Thank you."
Yet Danya herself seemed quite flustered. She'd sensed a step of growth after absorbing the elixir Ian gave her, but she hadn't imagined it would be this dramatic. It wasn't just the elixir; earth-attribute and plant-attribute elements naturally had strong synergy. A plant, after all, is life that blooms from the soil. By staying at Ian's side, Danya had essentially been receiving an unconscious growth buff.
She didn't grasp it with that degree of precision, but it was clear that Ian had been the major catalyst for her growth. The only thing that had changed for her was becoming his party member. Nothing else.
She bounded straight over to Ian. Turning her head away to hide her embarrassment, she mumbled.
"Th-thank you, meow."
◆
— With this, the first stage of the Grade Measurement concludes. The next stage, 'Mana Control,' will commence tomorrow afternoon at this location...
Day one of the measurements was over. Cadets who had gathered in the hall poured out at once, creating a chaotic bottleneck at the exit. Amidst the confusion, a group of cadets fixed a sharp glare on Danya Catsnesia and Ian Blackangus.
"That cursed cat-girl dared to steal the spotlight that belongs to Lady Sharon Pierce."
"The protagonist of this ceremony should be Lady Sharon and no one else."
"Captain, are we really letting her get away with this?"
"This is an outrage. We must demonstrate the might of the Sharon Guardians at once."
"Besides, she seems to have some sort of connection to that bastard Ian! Let's bury them both together!"
The burly cadets all wore badges on their chests signifying the Knight Department. Their identity was the Sharon Pierce Guard Detail—or, more accurately, Sharon's unofficial fan club.
"Everyone, calm down."
A blonde student spoke with firm authority. The captain of Sharon Pierce's guard detail: Lukasich. Though he had reined in his subordinates, his expression was hardly pleased.
It was bad enough that Sharon had been entangled with Ian Blackangus over award ceremonies and such recently. Now, some beastkin named Danya Catsnesia was interfering with Sharon Pierce's path. He was holding back only to avoid staining his lady's noble reputation, but...
"Captain, furthermore."
"What is it?"
"That pair of vermin were even flirting in the sacred Training Grounds the other day."
Lukasich bit down on his lip.
"Go and deal with them."
◆
I walked toward the exit with a satisfied expression. My mana grade was low, but that was expected. If anything, gathering this much perfectly refined mana was a better outcome than I'd anticipated. And then there was Danya's breakout performance right next to me.
'Not bad for day one.'
The moment we passed through the exit and were leaving the venue, a group of cadets stopped us.
"Hey there, you damn cat-girl."
To be precise, they'd stopped Danya. 'What a trash-tier line.' With that thought, I turned my gaze toward the voice. Several cadets who clearly spent more time lifting than studying stood before us. They gave off the vibe of cartoonish, rent-a-thug extras.
"And you must be the owner of this pet?"
The greasy sneer they shot at me suggested they already knew who I was. They moved to block our path, their demeanor unmistakably threatening—practically a declaration of intent to brawl.
"After the award ceremony, Lady Sharon's rise is assured, and we cannot forgive you for obstructing her."
"Did you think you could mess up the board and just walk away?"
"We'll give you a thorough education so you never dare to loiter near Lady Sharon again."
They looked ready to jump us right then and there. I paused to disrupt their momentum.
"You lot are knights, aren't you?"
"Damn right we are!"
"Isn't ganging up on one person like this a disgrace to the honor of the Knight Department?"
"How cowardly! Accept a fair duel!"
"Cowardly, you say?" My expression flickered for a moment. "There's one girl, and look at this body of mine. Meanwhile, your bodies don't need any further explanation. Three hulking slabs of muscle surrounding the two of us and asking for a duel. Isn't that the real act of cowardice?"
"Sh-shut your mouth!"
But I kept pressing them without a pause.
"In short, what you're really suspicious of is this."
"J-just say it!"
"You think we're stealing your aggro despite having less skill than Sharon Pierce."
"Exactly!"
"How pathetic. Don't you have anything better to do in the Knight Department?"
"Why you—!"
The members of the Sharon Guard were trembling with rage.
"In that case, I suppose I'll just have to prove it beyond any doubt."
"...?"
"That I'm overwhelmingly superior to Sharon."
"That's impossible!"
"Is it, though?"
"What?"
Conveniently, the next measurement category was Mana Control. To handle the story events coming up, I needed to leave a definite impression on the academy anyway. Since things had escalated, taking these guys down a peg didn't sound like a bad idea.
"Levitation."
A brief silence hung in the air, and then laughter exploded.
"Levitation? You're going to levitate?"
"Hahahahahaha! Does he think he's some kind of Archmage?"
"This son of a bitch has been asking for it!"
One of the guards, apparently reading my remark as a provocation, lunged at me instantly. 'Should I just let them rough me up and cash in on the settlement?' I was side-eyeing the nearby professor to time taking a hit that wouldn't actually hurt. That was when it happened.
"What is the meaning of this?"
A sudden, icy voice cut through the commotion. Sharon Pierce had arrived. It seemed we were on the path leading to the Knight Department building.
"Th-those scoundrels are meddling with Lady Sharon's reputation...!"
"And how is that a problem? More importantly, I fail to understand why you are concerning yourselves with my popularity or reputation."
"W-we have our reasons. More importantly, this bastard even claimed he could demonstrate levitation, and as members of the Knight Department, we could not let such boasting slide."
"...Levitation?"
Sharon turned to look at me. The moment our eyes met, her brow furrowed.
"Levitation is impossible. So you've been spouting nonsense to run a scam, Ian Blackangus. How typical of you."
"I'm not sure what you mean by a scam."
"Don't wag that filthy tongue of yours at me. Your disciplinary hearing will render a verdict soon enough anyway."
The Disciplinary Committee. I was already well aware that it was looming on the horizon. Provoking Sharon like this was one part of my prep work for it.
"And what if I actually show you?"
Her eyes swept over me as if she were looking at a fool.
"To levitate, the sum of your magical power and physical force must be exactly zero. Do you really think someone like you, Ian, is capable of such high-level control? Speak sense. That is an act only feasible for a 5-Star mage at minimum. Are you trying to claim you're an Archmage?"
Sharon had always despised me. Every word she spoke was razor-sharp, matching her endlessly cold appearance. The guards, emboldened by her, snickered and jeered.
"He says he'll levitate? Know your place."
"I bet 1 Copper he won't last a second."
"A second? Quit your shit, heh heh. I bet my entire savings the bastard goes splat the moment he gets his feet off the ground."
They were mocking me without restraint. Rather than provoke Sharon, I grinned and provoked them instead.
"Fine. I'll place a bet too. 1 Gold. How about it?"
"As if scum like you could possess that kind of money...!"
I rummaged through my pocket and flicked a gold coin. It was basically my entire liquid capital—a portion of the assets I'd converted to cash for my joint research with Christina, combining her research funds with mine.
I flicked the coin and barely suppressed the smirk trying to creep up my lips.
Levitation.
It must seem infinitely difficult to you.
'But I'm different.'
As long as a few conditions are met, floating in the air is nothing special. Can't last a second?
I was confident I could stay up there all day.