Chapter 13: Reunion

14 Years Old Arc: The No-Staff of Magic Academy

Reunion

Early in the morning on the day the Bellandenburg Academy of Magic and the National School of Magic were to merge.

I, along with Max and other members of the student council, were waiting in front of the school gate for the students from the National School of Magic who were supposed to be joining the academy.

However, no matter how long we waited, they didn't come.

The usually strict vice-president adjusted his glasses with his middle finger while talking to President Felzer.

"Honestly, where on earth are those guys dawdling? It's already 30 minutes past the appointed time."

"Could they be delayed by some kind of trouble? But if so, they should have at least given us a heads-up."

Roar!

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

Suddenly, after a roar like a cannon firing, a net of lightning stretched across the sky above the academy.

Students and teachers belonging to the academy leaned out of the windows to watch the scene.

From behind the Bedowisch Grand Buddhist Church, located across Friedrichstrasse from the school, several figures resembling flying human forms emerged and soared high into the sky.

These seven moving shadows gradually formed a line and circled the sky in an orderly fashion.

Suddenly, they descended sharply from the sky and glided just above the ground of the schoolyard. We shielded our faces with our arms from the shockwave that arose.

The student council secretary raised his voice.

"Those fakers! They've done it! They're trying to intimidate us magicians and establish a psychological advantage!"

"....That's the aerial mage..."

I involuntarily muttered under my breath.

The flying human-like figure had something resembling metallic wings growing from the left side of their back, and a magic rifle, almost reaching from their toes to their shoulder, attached to their right shoulder with a custom leather strap.

A saber hung from their waist.

A metal pillar curved upwards from its shoulder blade towards its head, and this pillar continued to a disc with a magic crystal embedded in its center.

Furthermore, square, rod-shaped metal rods of varying lengths extended radially backward like wings from that disc.

Below the metal rod were triangular plates with jagged teeth, spaced evenly apart, from which particles of light spilled out.

"...No way."

As they glided once again near the ground, their single, dull-gray metallic wings shining bright red, I spotted a familiar face.

A male student from the National Academy of Magic soaring through the sky on a prosthetic wing adorned with bright red magic crystals on a disc.

My other best friend, whom I had been separated from without even saying goodbye about four years ago.

It was Al, Albert Mergen, himself.

★

"Al!"

"Celica! That's dangerous!"

I ignored Max's attempts to stop me and, having finished their aerial performance, I ran towards Al, who had landed in front of the student council members who were looking up at the sky at the school gate.

Al looked at me with the same friendly smile as before, but with a somewhat hazy air about him.

"Yo, Celica! It's been a while! You've become even more beautiful—"

"Why did you undergo the transformation surgery?!"

"..... You don't have to be so angry. I just wanted to try using magic too."

Seeing Al scratch the back of his head with his left hand and answer with a smile, without any sign of remorse, my vision went black.

★

Magic is usually unusable without an innate talent for mana manipulation.

However, there is a way to acquire the ability to use magic later in life.

This is called Magical Conversion Surgery.

This surgery connects the nerves in the lungs and spinal cord to artificial mana-absorbing organs called prosthetic wings, enabling the use of magic.

More specifically, an artificial tube is passed directly from the lungs to a metal connector added to the shoulder blade.

Then, a connection is made from mithril, a metal that conducts magic, through which mana is absorbed from the outside (the teeth evenly spaced on the wings of the prosthetic wings act as this absorption organ).

Furthermore, to actively move the prosthetic wings, a portion of the nerves is taken from the spinal cord and extended to the shoulder blade where the connector was added.

Through this, individuals without magical talent can acquire the ability to use magic later in life.

However, this surgery is apparently very difficult, and failure can result in paralysis at best, or death at worst. Furthermore, even if the surgery is successful, it is said to significantly degrade the internal organs, shortening lifespan by about 20 years.

An Einherjar who undergoes this transformation surgery and gains magical powers is said to possess combat capabilities equivalent to 10 state-of-the-art fighter jets.

For these reasons, those who undergo this transformation surgery are revered as heroes who protect their homeland.

★

"...You underwent such a dangerous surgery for such a trivial reason?"

I slapped Al's shoulder with both arms. He then lowered his head.

'.... Was it my fault that made Al undergo the transformation surgery?'

If I hadn't used magic in front of Al, he wouldn't have undergone the transformation surgery.

'Have I put Al in danger again?'

I felt tears, born of guilt, streaming down my cheeks.

"Hey Albert! How long are you going to keep flirting with that beast girl?! Line up in a single row!!"

The person who seemed to be the leader of the seven gave the command.

Al, with a slight hesitation, put his hand on my shoulder and let go, then lined up at the very end of the row.

Max grabbed my hand from behind and forcibly pulled me back into the student council group.

Al watched this with a grim expression.

Soon, they all stepped down simultaneously, their feet aligned, and stood perfectly still. The central figure shouted:

"All the elite students of the National Academy of Magic! We have arrived at Bellandenburg Magic Academy!"

That imposing voice made us freeze for a moment.

"Excellent! Excellent, future Einherjar!!"

Applauding and praising the aerial mages in a deep voice, a well-built male student emerged from the school gate.

It was Senior Burkhardt Gotengram.

Unlike yesterday, he continued speaking with a cheerful, kind smile.

"Now, we're going to the school assembly. Members of the student council, let's go to the assembly hall together, shall we?"

★

After an announcement from a teacher influenced by the Gotengram faction, stating that a school-wide assembly would be held, was broadcast throughout the school via loudspeakers, the students gathered in the assembly hall.

The student council had received no prior notification whatsoever.

The space available to the students of our Magic Academy was smaller and more limited than usual for assemblies. Instead, about 30 students from the National Academy, wearing dark green uniforms resembling military uniforms with a distinctive slit on the left back, occupied the remaining space.

They, including Al, appeared to be of varying ages, but they were all male. They stood silently in formation, demonstrating impeccable discipline.

Their prosthetic wings, magic rifles, and sabers had been removed.

They had likely removed them after the initial flight demonstration, as they were heading to their assigned dormitories.

The approximately 150 students of the Bellandenburg Academy of Magic were divided into groups, some pointing at students from the National Academy of Magic, others arguing, creating a more boisterous atmosphere than usual.

Amidst the commotion, Senior Gotengram ascended to the platform at the front of the assembly hall, clearing his throat before the microphone and waiting until silence fell over the room.

After confirming that the tumultuous atmosphere had gradually subsided, Senior Gotengram began to speak.

"Students, today is a momentous day. It is the day when magic and sorcery, long opposed and divided, join hands. It is the day when a new wind of sorcery blows into the Magic Academy, which has maintained a thousand-year-old and venerable tradition."

Senior Gotengram spoke with dignity and a clear, resonant voice.

His speech advocated for reconciliation between the Bellandenburg Academy of Magic and the National Academy of Magic.

"I didn't know Gotengram could give a speech like that."

"He probably had Schendel write the script."

When I voiced the question that had popped into my head, Max explained the background of what was happening.

The students around us seemed to be captivated by Gotengram's speech.

"Under the banner of friendship and cooperation, the students of both academies, who have walked different paths, will, as new comrades possessing equal rights, respect and revere one another..."

"This is bad."

"Yes, President Felzer. They've completely seized control."

During the speech, the president and vice-president whispered to each other.

They seemed concerned about the rise of the Gotengram faction in the newly merged school.

..... I glanced at Al out of the corner of my eye. He seemed to be listening intently to Senior Gotengram's speech, his back straight and in silence.

Suddenly, Al turned towards me, and our eyes met. He grinned and gave a small wave. His cheerful, lighthearted side hadn't changed.

"I believe we should learn from each other and, at the same time, strive to improve ourselves together. ...That concludes my speech. Thank you for your attention, students."

Senior Gotengram's speech ended.

As if they had planned it beforehand, the students of the National Academy of Magic all burst into loud applause in unison.

That was the start of the applause, which then spread throughout the assembly hall.

It was now clear who controlled this school.

★

"From the above, there are still challenges in the cooperation between mages and sorcerers..."

After the assembly, Max, other students from the academy, and I attended a class on the cooperation between magic and sorcery in the academy's classroom for the first time, together with students from both Magic Academies.

Our academy students were gathered on the right side from the teacher's perspective, while the National Academy students were gathered in the front seats closer to the teacher's desk on the left.

The behavior of the National Academy students was completely different from that at the assembly.

Some were chatting, some were dozing off with their heads on their desks, and some were even picking their noses and ears in the front row in front of the teacher.

Some even pointed at me with lecherous smiles and said something to the student next to them, or made a gesture of raising both palms upwards in front of their chests.

... I've memorized their faces.

"What's wrong with those guys? Are they making a mockery of our Academy?"

"They've gone way too far. What was that attitude at the assembly?"

The students, excluding the Gotengram faction, all voiced their disapproval of their behavior.

The teachers also seemed a little bewildered by their attitude.

★

"Hey, Celica! I got an explanation beforehand, but I still don't really understand how to use the cafeteria. Could you come with me and show me?"

"Al!"

After class, Al, with a bright, cheerful smile, approached me casually, just like four years ago.

Honestly, there were so many things I wanted to ask and talk about.

However, my attempt to reply was interrupted by the person next to me, who was stuffing textbooks into their bag.

"Mergen-san, Celica is going to eat the lunch I brought with me. I'm sorry, but could you ask someone else?"

"Oh my! Isn't this Young Master Maximilian, a descendant of the great hero General Friedrich von Bernstein! It seems MY Celica is being looked after by you."

"You don't need to react so dramatically. You can just call me 'Maximilian.'..... I've heard about you from Celica. I hear you're brilliant and athletic, right? I'd like to express my gratitude for protecting MY attendant, Celica, in the past."

"Oh no, not at all. If someone hadn't taken Celica far away, we wouldn't have had to trouble you, Maximilian."

Al, who had many friends before I got involved, was talking with his usual likable expression.

Max, too, was responding to Al with a smile that was a stark contrast to his usual sullen face, his lips curved in a friendly manner.

But for some reason, even though I should have been happy to see my two best friends chatting amicably, I felt a chill down my spine.

"Well, I'm in a hurry. Mergen-san, see you next time. Come on, Celica, let's go."

Max grabbed my arm forcefully and dragged me out of the classroom.

As we passed through the door, I reluctantly turned back to look at Al's eyes, which were filled with pure murderous intent, as if he wanted to stab us to death.