Build That Career!
"Please, Grand Duke...! Just let me hit it once...!!"
""
"I wanna suck her blood...!!"
""
A peaceful weekend at the academy. Money? Eh, not like I had a ton of it, and there wasn't any real reason to go out anyway. First-years weren't even allowed personal outings without permission, so I was holed up in the dorm, taking it easy.
After getting drilled to death by Senior Kaoru alongside the greatsword bruise girl, studying till I dropped, and stumbling back late at night to crash into bed without even changing properly...
I'd skipped breakfast entirely, and even as the sun climbed high, Wiyu Witchcraft was still snoozing away in some bizarre pose.
Change was rolling around on her thigh, while Meru Lume was fighting the urge to smack that plump, juicy butt to wake her up.
"Even so, I probably shouldn't smack a duke's daughter's butt..."
""
"As expected of Change, who's lived for ages! Such wisdom!"
My roommate's ugly desires... Nah, let's blame it on Wiyu for being way too tempting. Every move and word of hers was like some guy who knew exactly how to seduce a woman, driving them crazy—or so Meru Lume grumbled. But since she really was a guy at heart, it wasn't entirely wrong.
"Junior, even for a weekend, sleeping till lunch is a bit much, don't you think?"
"Heh heh heh."
"Look at your friend and take notes. She's been dashing around since dawn."
The one shattering our weekend peace? None other than Senior Kaoru. Next to her stood the greatsword bruise girl in comfy clothes, holding a shovel caked in dirt. Looked like she'd spent the day racing around the academy digging for treasure.
And since Senior Kaoru was filthy with dirt too, this whole greatsword bruise girl's corridor stroll treasure hunt mega-adventure was probably her doing.
"Blackie, bite!"
"Woof!"
The greatsword bruise girl chomped down hard on that peach-like plump butt. A shrill Kyaaang! scream echoed through the entire dorm.
"Hng hng hng..."
"Junior, sorry to say, but you won't get any rest this weekend. You've got a schedule that popped up out of nowhere. No choice but to tough it out, right? Our study group's a chaotic mess run on whims anyway."
As she said that, Senior Kaoru plucked some edible cluster mushrooms from her hat—wait, no, from around her head and neck—and grilled them over a flame. She handed them over for a hearty mushroom lunch. Still half-asleep, I took them while yanking the greatsword bruise girl's ear as she gnawed on my butt.
"Get off."
"Not at teeth-grinding age anymore, are ya?"
"I wanna go out too."
The envious greatsword bruise girl was followed by Meru Lume raising her hand, begging to go out too, but Senior Kaoru drew the line—nope, not for fun—and handed me a poster.
I stuffed my mouth with mushrooms, chewing as I checked it out...
HOSTED NOW!
Open to all beginners! Summon your familiars and compete!
Prove your taming skills and climb the ranks!
"Normally, first-years don't have official contracted familiars. And entering the league requires a ton of procedures. But get this—our prof snagged a 'recommendation letter' straight from the Taming instructor."
"So, dueling with tamed beasts or familiars?"
"Yep. Perfect timing, huh? Lucky break. There's Beginner, Junior, Senior leagues in order, and if you rack up the quals in between, you can hit the Champion League for Master status."
Senior Kaoru explained it was a certification that wielded overwhelming power for taming lectures or job hunting. Up to three summons allowed, but no Mythic, Legendary, or Divine-grade entries—this was purely for newbies.
Grand Duke couldn't join, obviously, but I had my official familiar Void Mask, so I was good to go.
"You might not win, but just participating skips the annoying red tape. Lose? Retry next time."
"Doesn't Greatsword Bruise have a familiar?"
"Mythic-grade, so no."
Greatsword Bruise drooped her ears, looking glum. Senior Kaoru explained that's why she'd spent the whole weekend with her—the Divination prof used her fortune-telling to vaguely foresee treasure spots. Treasure hunting counted as solid creds... so if I bombed the league, I'd be the only one losing out.
"I'm a total newbie. Like, I know nothing. Can I really win?"
"Hmm... You know, junior? Academy's just three years max. You might forget what happened by the time you're older—but everyone remembers that passion vividly. Life's one shot. If you were gonna chicken out, you wouldn't have knocked on the academy's door."
Her words fired me up again. Yeah, lose and that's that—but challenging yourself is beautiful. So, this weekend, I'd enter the Beginner League and aim for the top.
"But first, let's glam up so they don't underestimate you."
Before heading out, Senior Kaoru declared visuals were the most important thing in the world. Nothing more humiliating than looking like an easy pushover at a glance, so leave it to her. She pulled something out...
...Is this right? But senior's advice? Better listen.
The vast fantasy world. The academy's just a tiny society—our world is so immense, no one knows its end.
Everyone has their own life, starring as protagonists on stages of various genres.
Some, bonded by chance forest encounters, raise their companions and aim for tamer supremacy.
Others tame via ancient ruins summons, accidental treasure contracts, or inherited family familiars, striving to become summoners or tamer masters—the 'chosen ones.'
Talented or fate-struck with perfect partners, they charge toward dreams.
And the one place they all pass through? Right here—the Tamer Beginner League!
Even noble houses famed for tamers or summoners don't skip it.
No true noble scoffs at starting from the bottom—it wounds their pride. Ignore it, and you're called a coward scared to lose.
You could claim pros skip it to save time, but that just isolates you as arrogant.
Like magic towers for mages, tamers and summoners have guilds for info swaps, collabs, even matchmaking.
Act all high-and-mighty solo? You'll get ostracized, unless you've got real power. Society runs on courtesy, consideration, respect...!!
—Well, talk like that, but league entrants are fresh-faced newbies, obviously. Some post-academy grads, sure, but plenty riding baseless confidence.
"Heard the rumor? Witchcraft's coming."
"Familiars league judges your summons' power, not yours. Who cares if you fight."
Purely evaluating summoned familiars' capabilities—that's the core of tamers and summoners anyway, for better or worse. Higher leagues might differ, but don't forget: this is tamer league.
"Heard she can't even use her powers right and came last?"
"For real? A Witchcraft summoning a commoner?"
"Zero Witchcraft! Let's go see her face!"
League participants cackled at summoning a plain commoner instead of spirits or beasts. Other academy alums and grads came to gawk at potential 'stepping stones' juniors.
They looked like they'd lived two extra lives already, bored rabbit duke cosplayers hunting other content. Judging by their academy-grad vibes alone, I noped out fast.
Beginner League comes again, but crazy witches? One and done.
Think about it—'Even if you kill a witch in battle, never tangle with Witchcraft' isn't a saying for nothing.
People waiting for Beginner League entry scattered at the sight of Wiyu and her intimidating familiar lineup.
I figured a long line, but they parted like the sea—man, everyone's so considerate, I thought naively.
The dazed registrar stared at her wig while she filled out entry forms and hesitantly asked,
"You're not, like, a second-time regressor or pre-reincarnator or possessor, right?"
"Nah, just first-year Wiyu Witchcraft from the academy."
"Kyaaah!! Why are you in Beginner League...!!!"
"...?"
The registrar screamed like she'd seen forbidden horrors.
"N-No way...? Huh...? Can Witchcraft even enter...? Is this okay?"
"What's the problem?"
"Well, technically no entry ban, but..."
I felt wronged by her 'obviously a problem' face. She denied upper approval, but when I showed the Taming Prof's personal recommendation, she glanced around and approved it.
"Good luck! I'll be cheering!"
The Divination Prof who'd escorted me here cheered as I headed inside to prep. Tons I wanted to ask, but I held back.
Witchcraft enters the arena. Seeing that, denial turned to reality—participants canceled and fled to spectator seats.
"If trouble hits, can the academy and profs really handle it?"
Amid mass withdrawals, the registrar eyed the prof who'd brought a walking natural disaster.
"Why me?"
Graduate Witchcraft, stack that career solid, quit prof gig, back to hometown? The recommendation was from Taming Prof—not Divination Prof me. Arena explodes? Not my problem..!!