Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku

※ The story is in Arisa’s point of view.

13-6. Royal Academy (2)

Together with Mia, I go through the academy’s gate.

"Misanalia-sama, we have been waiting for you."

"Morning."

The principal who was waiting at the academy’s gate took Mia away while I was blanking out in amazement.

After they parted without waiting for me, a handsome 30s teacher who was beside the principal stepped forward beside me.

"Dame Tachibana, please come over here. I’m Hebin a senior teacher. I will be guiding you."

"Please take care of me, Hebin-sensei."

His face which has the visage of sorrow matches very well with his sombre voice.

The peculiar way his relaxed voice sounds is nice.

Said in ’s word, it would be called [Nekonadegoe].

While thinking such stupid thing, I am guided to enter the school building.

Contrary to Hebin-sensei’s cruel-looking face, he seems to be the type that can pay attention, he walks while matching my walking pace.

"Please sit over there, I’ll bring tool to measure your magic power."

"Yes, Sensei."

I was brought to a splendid room that seems to be a parlor, and then I sit on the fluffy sofa.

Even though I’m sitting gracefully, my mind can’t keep calm from the word [Magic Power Measurement].

It will be with a magic crystal, and then it’ll explode and then they’ll be surprised like, "What enormous magic power!".

Kuffuffufuu~, school arc has to start with magic power OP-ness after all!

◇

"Four star it is. That’s quite an amount of magic power. As expected of Misanalia-sama’s friend."

Hebin-sensei read the value on the measuring equipment and then wrote it on the school entry document.

--Huh? Doesn’t the measuring equipment have too high of a tolerance?

As if answering my doubt, Hebin-sensei muttered.

"The measuring equipment for new students was broken by Misanalia-sama, so we borrowed the original measuring equipment made by Ancient King Yamato from the royal castle."

Ah~ So Mia broke it first huh~.

I guess that’d be so. Mia has fifty percent more magic power than mine so it’s only natural.

Sheesh, it should have been the cliche for me to surpass the amount of magic power for ordinary person, surprising them, but Mia did it ahead of time.

I-I should bring our cheat Master and show them an amount of magic power enough to break the original measuring equipment--wait, I guess that’s impossible.

Our Master would never do such conspicuous thing.

"Do not be disheartened."

Maybe because I was silent, Hebin-sensei followed up with slightly gentle voice.

"Ordinary new students mostly get one or two star. Even among the teachers, only Principal and me who have four star. You should feel proud."

"Thank you very much, Hebin-sensei"

The principal’s level is 43, and this sensei’s is 41.

My MP is 890, so five star is probably when it’s more than 1000.

As for Mia’s evaluation--

"Misanalia-sama is five star. It’s a new record after the era of Ancient King Yamato and seven generations of great men."

--Like that, as if she’s a cheat main character.

She’s ordinary compared to our Master who’s out of common sense, but Mia is quite amazing herself.

And also, there’s no elemental judgment for this kind of measurement.

Because we have Yamato Stone they said. Good grief, there’s not enough romance here~.

And then, we change the place and now it’s a practical exam.

"Then please destroy that target with magic."

Alright! Time to redeem my honor!

Let alone the target, maybe this Arisa-chan should show off her power by one-shotting the barrier of this practice room with [Inferno].

It should be fine if I just use space magic chantlessly to prevent damage on the surrounding, right.

"I’m saying this just in case, I’ll also observe your precision, so I’ll subtract your point if you destroy anything besides the target, please be careful."

--Kuh, someone did it already huh.

Can’t be helped.

I’ll go with Technical Arisa.

"■ ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■ Multiple Fire Dance"

Small fireballs are produced one by one on the tip of my wand.

All 16 fireballs fly to the target in accordance to my precise control.

Each of the fireballs splits into four shots along the way, in total, there are 64 fire shots raining upon the target.

The magic is created by Master for suppressing mob, so each of the shots has low power. It can’t even defeat a demi-goblin.

However, 64 shots hit the target as I aimed.

"Splendid. To think you’d draw sakura petal on the target with the holes--"

As the result of making Hebin-sensei impressed I’ve been admitted to take the special class where the elites gather.

Mia must be there too, I didn’t confirm it though.

◇

The class Hebin-sensei took me only has 10 students. There are half of the number of students on average compared to the other classes I saw when we were walking here.

The students’ ages are from 10 to 18 year old, 16 year old on average.

The kids of this kingdom start their change to become old men when they’re 12 year old, so there’s only one precious shota here.

The average level is 9, the highest is a flame magician kid at level 19. The second best is a lightning magician kid at level 15.

The reason why their levels are higher than the kids of the knight school is probably because they can gain experience from behind in safety.

Mia isn’t in the room.

Instead I see a familiar pink-haired princess sitting.

She sent a smile to me, so I nodded back to her.

If she’s in this class, that means she’s excellent despite her problematic behavior with men.

--Kuh, damn you riaju.

I introduce myself as urged by Hebin-sensei.

It seems I need to tell my name and the element I’m good at.

"My name is Arisa Tachibana. I’m fond of fire magic--"

I would remember the pain from my previous life if I introduced myself with impact, so I finished it with a very safe one.

The flame magician boy and the lightning magician young man said, "What, just a fire magician huh", but I completely ignored them. These kind of classmates exist in every class it seems.

Moreover, flame and lightning magic are simply magic whose offensive power are noticeable, it’s not like they’re higher tier of magic.

By the way, around half of the class members can use basic elemental magic.

Earth, Explosion, Water, Ice, Flame, Wind, Lightning, Force, Summoning, and Soul, there are more than one kid that can use Earth, and the Ice magician can use Soul magic.

Hebin-sensei scolds the boy who said the problematic remark, "There is no tier in magic."

The boy seems to live a pampered life, he apologizes frustratingly while looking disgruntled.

I’m more interested with the glasses shota boy rather than the deteriorated former-boy.

There are two vacant seats in the classroom. One of them is probably Mia’s seat, the vacant seat on the front row is beside that shota boy.

That’s probably Mia’s seat and mine is probably going to be the furthest back beside the flame magician boy....

However, Hebin-sensei points at the front-row seat.

"Tachibana-kun, you can use that seat."

--You serious dood!

The voice in my mind is raised in joy with underling tone to Hebin-sensei unexpected words.

Of course, I keep my appearance graceful.

"Yes, Sensei."

When I said, "Please take care of me" while smiling at the glasses-shota, he sheepishly nodded while his cheeks were turning red.

Kuh, this is it!

It’s the legendary techniqueeeeee!

School arc has to be like this after all!

"A-Arisa-kun? I don’t know what’s happening, but please calm down."

"I-I’m sorry."

Kuhhaaa....I failed.

I got too worked up and inadvertently stood up. It might even came out loud even.

The glasses boy is pulling away even though I had made a good impression.

I hurriedly tried to gloss it over by acting ladlylike, but it wasn’t too effective.... Damnit.

◇

When I’m thinking the way to redeem myself, some noise of people talking are coming from the hallway.

The door is opened, and then the principal and some kind of researcher-looking men and women enter the room.

--And then, the one who’s being surrounded by them is Mia.

"Arisa."

Mia raises her hand lightly and calls me.

The line of sights in the classroom are gathered to me. The only people who aren’t surprised are the principal, Hebin-sensei and Pink-san.

The principal explains to everyone that Mia and me are acquainted while I’m waving back at Mia.

In the meantime, around five men who seem to be the school’s staff members are putting desks and chairs inside the classroom.

The principal and the researchers sit on those chairs.

"Then, please Mia-sensei."

"Nn."

--Sensei?

As urged by the principal, Mia begins the lesson as a teacher.

Apparently, Mia is too good, she’s become not a student, but a teacher.

Mia.... what a frightening child.

Now then, after the trite is over, I watch Mia’s lesson. I feel like I’m doing a class visit.

The school’s lesson is like in modern Japan, using blackboard to write the material.

However, the blackboard seems to be a magic tool invented by Ancient King Yamato, if you put magic power into your wand, it then can leave white line like chalk on the blackboard. The production cost is too high, so only Royal Academy has them.

Mia’s lesson is done in one-word just as I thought it would be.

Once she’s finished demonstrating, she says "Read."

She waits until the students have finished reading, and then she explains while pointing with her long wand, "Basis", "Formula", "Stabilizing Circuit", "Convergence", "Invocation".

"Mia-sama, how about that part?"

"Extension."

Mia answer the question of the man in white robe.

He seems to be a staff member of Royal Academy, he understands with just that and then writes some kind of note.

The majority of the students don’t seem to understand, so Hebin-sensei whispers something to Mia.

Mia nods and then beckons me.

"Arisa. Come."

Mou, oh Mia, it can’t be helped then~.

I stand up while feeling like an "oh dear" main character, and merrily go to the teacher’s desk.

"Then I’ll explain in place of Mia."

I tell so, and then various eyes gather to me.

"First, about this wavy thing, this is needed for magic practitioners during the activation of magic for the changing effect of the reaction from the supplying of magic power and thought control. I see some magic books cutting this part in order to raise the spell efficiency, but if you do that, you’ll lose the additional room for the run-time control code, and lose its versatility, so be careful okay. Also, you might have known this already, but the explanation for this ’Extension’ is written in the Magic Explanation Dictionary by Professor Jib Cloud, so people who heard it for the first time can read it. I think it’s also written in the magic book of the sage Trazayuya, but Jib-tan’s dictionary is the most detailed, so--"

The students are desperately writing on their notebook while straining their ears to hear my detailed explanation.

It’s only the flame magician boy from earlier who’s dumbfounded while looking surprised. Arisa-sensei is strict, so if you don’t listen to her and can’t explain later, it’ll be hell ya know?

Mia wrote the explanation on the blackboard since it seemed easy to understand, and I lost my chance to show off my OP-ness as a student.

After the class, I ended up talking with the researchers about spells explanation and idea for new ones, I couldn’t get better acquainted with the glasses-shota boy.

I’m happy that I could eat all I wanted in the luxurious cafeteria for teachers and upperclassman, but it wasn’t enough to tingle the tongue of me who had gotten used to Master’s and Lulu’s transcendental ultimate cooking.

◇

"Books of advanced magic you say?"

"Nn."

The morning class is over, so we’re asking the principal if we could browse the academy’s magic books.

Of course, it’s Mia who’s asking.

"Normally, I can’t give permission for students to read the books, but if it’s none other than Misanalia-sama’s request then--"

"Thanks."

It seemed like it’d be long, so I winked to Mia, and forcefully ended the talk.

The principal guides us to the door in the back of the library.

According to the principal, this door is protected by complicated barrier, so it won’t open unless one uses the magic tool she has for unlocking it.

"■■ Open Lock"

Once the sturdy metal door is opened, the musty smell of old books tickle my nose.

The mucus on my nose is thin ever since I was born in this body, so I quickly use a handkerchief to protect my nose.

Mia cutely sneezes, "kushun", behind me, so I take some tissue and a mask from my Magic Bag and give it to her.

"Here, Mia."

"Thank you."

Inside the room, around 30 bookshelves are lined up with no windows.

And, there are already some visitors on the reading desk.

"Principal-sama--"

There are a princess-like woman with two maid-like girls.

Wonder if she’s a noble daughter from somewhere?

--As the result of my appraisal, I understand that she’s a real princess.

The sixth princess of Shiga Kingdom, Sistina-san. Her level is 17, her title is [Master of Forbidden Library], her skills are [Etiquette], [Arithmetic], [Alchemy], and [Force Magic].

Her two attendants’ levels are at upper 30s, it seems they work as bodyguards and maids.

The principal greets the princess and then introduces Mia and me to her.

"I see, so you are--"

The princess looks at us like she finds it interesting.

"I’ve been thinking of having a chat with Chevalier Tachibana if possible."

"I feel honored."

I thought that she would say Mia, I wonder why is it me?

Judging from her gestures, I can’t think that it was just a lip service at all.

"I’m sorry beforehand, is Chevalier Tachibana’s age as her appearance suggest?"

--D-don’t tell me, she saw through my X0-year old age from my previous life?!

"....Y-yes. I don’t understand the meaning of her highness’s question, but it has been 12 years since I was born in the middle of a group of small kingdoms."

I’m saying it in a roundabout way as a precaution if the princess or her attendants hold magic tools that can see through lies.

"Is that so--then, you guys really reach that elevated place in just few years...."

Probably someone who had appraisal skill checked our levels and ages during the new year [Audience Ceremony]. It should have been fine since our cheat Master had prepared mis-recognition item he made himself that couldn’t be seen through with just passable things.

"Her highness, she is not someone who’s been artificially raised. She possesses both the appropriate power and conduct."

"Oh my, this is the first time principal has praised students to such extent."

It was subtle, but apparently the princess stated that we were artificially raised by power-leveling, and then the principal backed us.

The power-leveling part is the truth, but I’ll not correct that.

Who would believe power-leveling done to level 50.

"Chevalier Tachibana, I apologize for my impoliteness. Would you forgive my discourtesy?"

"Yes, her highness. Please call me Arisa if you would."

Putting aside Pink-san and Noja-hime, I never would’ve thought that a princess of a large kingdom frankly apologized like this. ’Pirorirorin’, the sound effect of ’Favorable Impression UP’ is resounding in my mind, I smile at the princess.

We would have had a friendly chat with the flow of event, but Mia muttered, "Back", and we were able to get back to our original goal.

Mia reads the advanced water magic book, while I read the fire one.

After skimming through it, I write a rough summary in my notebook.

Accidentally, I heard the conversation of the principal and the princess when I lifted my head.

"--That is classified as a fruit water, water that’s been dripped with drops of fruit juice. It is possible to cleanse the fruit juice from the water with holy magic or water magic, but there is no magic that can separate them."

"Is that so...."

It sounds quite useful for experiments, does that not exist?

I think we can separate them by making use of the difference between the ionization tendency and osmosis rate.

Those concepts may not exist here, but useful magic should be made even without knowing the concept.

My eyes met with the princess’s while I was thinking so.

"Arisa, do you know any spell that can be used for it?"

"No--"

Hearing my word of denial, the eyes of the princess that are full of expectation cloud over.

"--However, by making use of [Pure Water]’s code that detects the [Impurity in the Water], how about making a new magic that doesn’t cleanse but separate?"

The separation part seems annoying, but our Master should be able to compose one in a night.

"New magic?"

"Yes, if it doesn’t exist, then you can just make one."

I nod while feeling slightly proud toward the princess who looks surprised.

However, the principal pour cold water with her realistic view.

"Please wait. You will need 1000 gold coins as the expense if you want to research and develop a new spell. Her highness who is able to browse the documents in the forbidden library might be able to make it a bit cheaper but--"

"That much...."

The princess is surprised to hear the amount of money cited by the principal.

I meet eyes with Mia, and try to remember the number of spells that Master has made so far.

I think there are more than 100 in total including the worthless and useful ones.

....Well, it’s our cheat Master, so I guess it’s alright.

As expected, even a princess of a large kingdom can’t easily move that much money freely.

Even if you seek funding from nobles and merchants, investors won’t come for a magic with limited usability with no hope of recovery, the principal added.

"However, it’s wonderful how you can have the idea of making a new spell."

"That is because Dame Tachibana is an expert of magic equal to Misanalia-sama."

The principal replies the princess’s praise.

For some reason, it feels like she’s praising Mia more than me, but I don’t really mind.

Afterward, Mia joined and we talked about magic theory and writings as the topic until the sun went down.

The princess might have become a close friend if our social positions weren’t different. During the heat of talk, the princess even invited us to her laboratory with it being a tea party as a pretext.

◇

The princess asks this when we are about to breakup.

"That reminds me, I saw Viscount Pendragon instructing the duchy capital nobles for the [Fireworks] magic that decorated the sky during the New Year Festival day, was that perhaps made by Arisa?"

"No, that magic was created by our master, Viscount Satou Pendragon."

I clear up the princess’s misunderstanding immediately.

Our Master avoids looking conspicuous to the point of being strange, but there should be no problem affirming something that’s been found out anyway.

He was really happy with custom scrolls, and brought new magic one after another to the viscount’s workshop after all.

"--Is that true?"

"Nn."

Mia nods to the princess who looks like she couldn’t believe it, and then she says, "Genius."

"Then I will invite Viscount Pendragon for the next tea party. I want to talk at least once with the person who has the playfulness to pursue that beautiful magic."

--I’ve done goofed.

I curse at my own stupidity when I see the sparkling face of the princess who looks like a maiden in love.

To think that I helped raising flag with my own hands!

Beside me, Mia who feels the foreboding of the appearance of a new rival frowns.

The only saving grace is the fact that there’s zero chance our Master would fall in love with the princess with all the risk of getting involved in power struggle.

Haah, I wonder if he would hurry up and give up on Aze-san which has no hope of succeeding, and put his hands on me and Lulu~

Well, that won’t happen huh....

Aah! I want to quickly have the body of an adult that can bewitch Master!

●Character Profiles

【Pink-san】 Menea, the third princess of a small kingdom, Rumooku. A pink-haired beautiful girl. 17 years old.

【Noja-Hime】 Mitia, the princess of a small kingdom on the middle of the continent. Speaks with Noja. 15 year old. Yearn to become the hero’s attendant.

【Rumooku Kingdom】 Once partnered with weaselkin to summon otherworld people.

【Sistina】 The sixth princess of Shiga Kingdom. 18 year old. She’s allowed to go in and out of the forbidden library in the royal castle.