CHAPTER 3 – MAGIC POWER MEASUREMENT (2)

September 6, 2022 — 2 Comments

Students appeared from each temporary class and formed a line.
They held the magic instrument in an isolated place and began the pour-out mana.

All of them had the elemental magic energy that matched their attributes.
That energy left ‘mana marks’.
It was proof that the magic of certain elemental attributes was used.

This magic evaluation contained a hidden evaluation factor known as the ‘Magic Control Ability.’ If you let the magic flow, traces of magic energy were released.
Especially if the person was powerful.

In other words, what if, after evaluating the amount of magic power, a high grade was obtained as a result but no magic energy was released?

It means the person will get a very good score on one’s magic control ability, which will be added to one’s class placement evaluation.

The first order of students’ magic power evaluation was completed.

Professor Fernando used telekinesis magic to float the magic instruments in the air, lined them up, and read each grade.

“..Temporary 3rd Class.
1st, [Class C-].
2nd, [Class C+].
3rd, [Class C-].
4th, [Class C+].
5th, [Class C].”

There were no extra points for these guys.
With that amount of magic power, magical energy was released.

“Next!”

The magic power evaluation continued.

Meanwhile.

Aaaaaaah!

“Hey, oh my, I couldn’t control my river, big, mana—“

Tristan Humphrey, the vain nobleman, shook his head as he cast his strong wind magic.
A confident face.
It sounded like a theatrical line.

In the aftermath of the wind, the hair and uniforms of the professors and students alike shook violently.
Some girls grunted and patted their hair neatly.
Professor Fernando, on the other hand, was still expressionless.

Tristan Humphrey’s magic power was [Class B-].
He was at the top of the Magic Department students.
It was not an idle bluff.

Of course, the magic control ability was negative.

Mateo Jordana, who was an early villain, also came out with a [Class B-].
The rock elemental energy release was a little, but it was worth the extra points.

Next, it was the turn of the top seat, Luce Eltania, and the second seat, Kaya Astreane.

The audience suddenly became quiet as the two girls overflowing with elegance appeared.
Even the air felt heavy.
The students’ attention was focused entirely on them.

“Wow.”

An exclamation burst forth.
It was because of Luce’s beauty.

Wide strings flowed down both sides of her silky rose-gold hair.
It was a headband with a morpho butterfly design and a blue color reflected within the black border.

The blue eyes, which seemed to contain the sea, were clear and pure, and the fair skin and graceful face radiated youth.

As I looked at Luce and willed to see the level, a system window appeared in front of me.

[Luce Eltania]

Lv:110

Race: Human

Attributes: Water, Lightning

Danger: X

Level 110.
It was completely overwhelming among freshmen.

In Magical Knight of Marchen, Luce was my second favorite character.
She’s one of the official heroines, and she’ll be paired with the main character, Ian, in the class placement evaluation that will take place a few days later.

Kaya Astreane, the second seat, was also beautiful.
But I’m sorry for favoring Luce more than Kaya—.

Of course, if I had my favorite character, Dorothy Hartnova, it would have been a different story –! …let’s stop the nonsense.

Luce and Kaya, like the other students, held the magic instrument and stretched forward while elemental magic energy was released from the other students.

The two girls were simply calm.

“—?” 

Luce and Kaya lowered their arms as if nothing had happened.

The students who did not know the hidden grading factor were perplexed because they thought the release of magical energy was given.

At that point, the magic control ability would have received a perfect score.

Professor Fernando took the magic instrument the students were holding with telekinetic magic.

“The amount of magic power is not announced separately because it is the top seat and the second seat.”

Professor Fernando saw and read the grades displayed on Luce and Kaya’s magic instrument.

“Luce Eltania, Class A+.
Kaya Astreane, Class B+.”

The students were all unable to keep their mouths shut.
The [Class A+] grade, which no one expected, came out of the professor’s mouth.

Kaya, the second seat and [Class B], was also at the level of active wizards.
It’s a ridiculous feat for a freshman at the academy, but Luce’s [Class A] left such an impression that it was buried.

The [Class A+] was considered the ceiling level for most wizards.
Becoming a [Class S] was a step that can be accepted as a realistic story.

The highest class that an ordinary person can achieve with only effort is [Class A-].

[Class S] is something that cannot be reached without talent.

This was a setting that I witnessed while playing .

Luce was talented and a hard worker, that’s why she had planned to become a [Class S] before she enters her second year.

“Class A—? Wow—.”

“Is she a freshman like us—-?”

“Are we the same age—?”

However, at present, Luce Eltania cannot deliver her [Class A+] power.
That’s because the evaluation of the magic power amount measures the maximum magic power amount, not the remaining magic power amount.

She was constantly consuming a large amount of her magic power to suppress her familiar spirit, ‘Thunderbird – Gaul’.
After the conclusion of her battle to subjugate the Thunderbird during her final exams, Luce will be able to unleash her true power.

So, what does she do before the battle of the Thunderbird? At that time, the main character who should be the most active is probably a dumbass–.

Anyway, amidst the gossip of the students, Luce and Kaya left.
Kaya clenched her fist while shaking her head.

‘She looks angry.’

Kaya will continue to feel inferior to the solid wall called Luce.

Later, Kaya will become strong enough to use the 8-star ultimate [Yggdrasil].

In this world, the highest class magic is the 9-star called [World Destruction].
Lower 8-star magic is considered to be powerful magic that can be used in large-scale battles.
Still, Luce is unlikely to win.

However, Kaya is not a character who lives with only an inferiority complex after seeing someone better than her.
She tends to admire and blindly follow people who are too different from her, and who are overwhelmingly strong.

As mentioned before, if she falls into a pseudo-religion, she’s the type of person who will get in trouble.

“Next.”

Professor called.
Now it was my turn.

I stepped forward, mingled among the students, and stood alongside them.

Then I stretched out the magic instrument forward.

‘Now my maximum magic power is 320–’

I don’t know much about the magic power grading standard.
It’s just a story passing through the game’s story.

I wondered.
What level of magic power is 320?

“Start!”

At the professor’s voice, I squeezed the magic instrument and poured out my mana.

‘Control is- a little difficult—?’

The cold air flowed out, creating small pieces of ice.

Soon, just as I heard a buzzing sound from the magic instrument, I cut off the mana that was flowing out.

What is my grade?

With a secretly fluttering heart, I checked the grading displayed on the magic instrument.

—It was a Class ‘E’

“………”

The worst grade.
It would be better if you just grabbed a passerby who has no magic and evaluated their magic power.

It’s a little– it’s serious–?

–Ah, I just remembered.

‘Wasn’t there another [Class E] other than Ian? Was that me–?’

After Ian’s turn in the game, I remember a student commenting, ‘There are two [Class E].’

Now, I remembered what kind of character Isaac was.
This guy was an extra among extras that ended with a sense of inferiority towards Ian, with the weight of air.

Kaya, who felt inferior to Luce, has at least a second-class level of strength.

Isaac, who felt inferior to Ian, was pathetically nothing.

So, at the beginning of the game, he becomes Mateo’s subordinate and tries to harass Ian, who was also a [Class E] but gets robbed easily.

Besides, watching Ian’s rapid growth, he could only grind his teeth, and in the end, his weight turned to dust– a third-class extra.

It was small darkness that would add a halo to Ian’s growth and was the weakest point in –.

“Temporary 3rd class.
21st [Class C-].
22nd [Class C].
23rd [Class C].
24th [Class C].
25th [Class–E]—?”

All the students, including me, went back to our seats.

Professor Fernando, while checking the magic instrument, read my grade, No.
25, seemingly perplexed.

“[Class E]—?”

What?

So what?

“[Class E]?”

“Did he get [Class E]? Really?”

“How did a [Class E] come to the Marchen Academy?”

“That’s ridiculous—-that’s a hell of a guy in a different way.”

The students’ attention was drawn to me, student number 25.
Some laughed, while others were surprised.
That surprise was ‘How did you get into this academy?’ It meant the same thing as mockery.

This was the Marchan Academy, the most prestigious academy on the continent.

In other words, the fact that someone with a magic power amount of [Class E] entered the Magic Department of the Marchen Academy was akin to a doubtful miracle.

For reference, Ian Fairy Tail, who would be graded at the same [Class E], was able to enter here thanks to ‘rarity’.
This is because Ian can deal with ‘Light Attribute’.

On the other hand, I just use Ice magic regularly– not a rarity.

Perhaps this body, Isaac, came in with his theoretical ability in the entrance exam.

It’s a shame that I don’t have the theoretical knowledge in my head right now.

‘..-Uh?’

– The more I think about it, the more I have nothing to offer, right?

Uh, what about—?

While the students were indulged in their gossip, Professor Fernando intervened.

“If you got into our academy with this amount of magic power– your theoretical grades must be very good.
Your goal must be a ‘Scholar’.
The role of a scholar is very important for the development of the magic system.
You’ll have to pull yourself together, but don’t be discouraged.”

“……”

He said it as if he is sure that a scholar is a career path.

Of course, it wasn’t something to be angry about.
Because this is Professor Fernando’s own consideration.
At the very least, if the goal is to be a scholar, even if the actual magic power amount is insufficient, you will be ridiculed less.

As I recall, Professor Fernando said the same thing to Ian.

Ian, then, would be furious and say, ‘My dream is not to be a scholar! My dream is to become a magic knight!’

He will get a lot of laughs from other students.

“[Class E]? E-huh? How dare such an inferior being be on the same line as this body?! It’s funny, it’s very funny!”

As expected, Tristan Humphrey, the vain blonde aristocrat, made a gruesome mockery

The lines are funny, but also stupid, you bastard.

“Excuse me!”

At that time, the second seat, Kaya Astreane, raised her hand and shouted.

What is it? I don’t think it’s ever been like this in the game.

“Are there any cases where there is a problem in evaluating the amount of magic power? In case the grade is measured incorrectly -..”

“What?”

Both Professor Fernando and the students responded as if they didn’t understand.

So did I.

Was this a question stemming from doubts, ‘Even though I’m a student at the Marchen Academy, does it make sense for me to have a [Class E]’?

–I don’t know.

“Hmm–.
That’s right.
First of all, there is nothing wrong with the evaluation of magic power amount.”

Professor Fernando answered quietly and calmly and picked up my magic instrument, which was supposed to be the cause of the question.

The professor held the magical instrument calmly and poured his mana.

No elemental energy was released, and the magic power was evaluated with a sound.

‘[Class A]’.
Professor Fernando showed it to Kaya.

“The magic instrument is fine.
I checked this morning, and there was nothing wrong.
At least there is no case of incorrect evaluation.
It’s a structure that doesn’t work if there’s an error.”

“..-Is that so.”

Kaya had a sad expression on her face as if Professor Fernando’s answer was not good.

Seeing the reaction, Professor Fernando continued the secondary explanation.

“…Of course, there are cases where the evaluation is wrong.
Rare, but possible.”

Professor Fernando suddenly made an unfamiliar sound.

Soon he made the students understand what he had said.

“It is said that Archmages can control levels of their magic power to an extent that it is possible to disassemble or rebuild the mana flowing through the body.
If that is possible, then when evaluating the amount of magic power, you will be able to adjust it so that you get the grade you want.
But this is only possible when you become an Archmage who is born with the blessings of heaven and has been honing himself through countless hours of meditation, training, and solitude.”

“Without exceptions? Even if you are not an Archmage, you can adjust your magic grade-.”

“I assure you.
There are no exceptions.
it’s probably a superhuman who has already mastered all the magic.
No matter how gifted he is, it’s impossible at the student level.”

Professor Fernando asserted.

That’s the official setting.

In this world, an Archmage is a transcendental figure in the extraterrestrial realm.
Even the emperor has to be wary of him.

“Oh, is it-?”

For some reason, Kaya has a surprised expression.

Is she flustered by the thought, ‘Really, Is there a [Class E] at the Marchen Academy?’

She was proud of being admitted to the prestigious Marchen Academy.
In other words, the [Class E] that lowers the level of the academy must be a thorn in her eye.

Oh, of course, this was an exaggeration.
She’s a good-natured person, so it’s probably just a little discomfort.

But it was a shame.
After me, there is Ian.
The fact that there are two [Class E] magic power must scratch her pride.

After 40 minutes, the magic power evaluation was finished.

The story progressed as I knew it.

Ian was graded as a [Class E] magic power, revealing his dream of becoming a magic knight, and certainly showed off his presence as the main character while making the students laugh.

Facing the students of the Department of Magic, standing in an orderly manner, Professor Fernando said.

“The evaluation of the amount of magic power has been completed.  Each one of you should keep your position in mind, recall every moment, and use it as a stimulus for devotion.
You may already be aware of this, but I will emphasize it here.
The Marchen Academy has a strong and weak culture.
The strong will only eat.
The weak will only be eaten.
So be strong to the core.
Try as hard as you can.
That’s all.”.

I had already experienced the harsh educational climate of the Marchen Academy several times in the game.

Ha, the weakest, [Class E]—.
Isn’t that the perfect prey to be bullied?

I think I’ll have to take care of myself for a while.–.

“……”

Somehow Kaya’s eyes stung.

I’ve been pretending I didn’t notice since earlier, but I’m sure it’s because of my [Class E] grade.

It seems like it was a bad idea to start with.