Chapter 13

1.

It was back in my previous life, when I used to watch anime.

A bald man on the screen, covered in blood, staggering, was just laughing.

• Ahh, I didn’t want to use this here~~!

Lying on the sofa, I picked up a snack and ate it.

• If I use this, everyone’s gonna tell me to be the boss, aren’t theyaaaah—!

“He’s an idiot, right?”

That was something I couldn’t understand.

I mean, think about it.

• BANZAIYAHOO—‼️‼️‼️‼️

He has a skill so incredible it might only appear once in a millennium, yet he’s getting beaten to the brink of death just to show off.

If he’d used it from the start, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt at all.

Of course, that character wasn’t the only one like that.

I don’t get why all the strong ones are so desperate to hide their abilities.

“Still, that did look cool.”

I had to honestly admit that.

The background music kicks in, the people around are shocked, and the guys who’d been looking down on him have their jaws hanging open.

It was nice to look at.

But it’s way too inefficient.

So that’s what they call a hidden power wannabe or whatever.

“If that kind of situation ever comes to me, I must never do something like that.”

Well, that’s never going to happen anyway.

2.

Behind the Main Building of the White Magic Academy.

Standing in the middle of the Training Grounds, I extended my palm forward.

Celia was watching me from a short distance away with her arms crossed, and Iris and Herman were standing beside her too.

If they won’t believe me, I’ve got no choice but to show them.

‘AI. Fireball.’

[Composing Fireball.]

A small flame bloomed above my palm.

At first, it was the size of a fist.

Then it grew to the size of a head, then bigger than a torso.

Before long, it towered far above my height.

“……”

Celia’s expression turned a little strange.

The fireball didn’t stop there.
3m.
5m.
8m.

“Leon.”

“Yes?”

“Hold on.”

“Why?”

“That thing……”

10m.

This should be enough.

[Fireball composition complete.]
[Please designate a target point.]

I looked at the target set up in front of the Training Grounds.

“Should I fire?”

“……”

“Boss?”

Celia opened her mouth.

“W-Wait—”

“Fire.”

The fireball shot forward.

KWAANG—!!!

An explosion loud enough to deafen the ears erupted.

The shockwave swept across the Training Grounds, violently shaking the hems of our robes.

I instinctively shut my eyes, then opened them again a moment later.

“My dream has come true.”

Celia stared into the air as she spoke.

“……Herman. Please calculate the damage cost.”

Herman surveyed the spectator stands and the ceiling in turn.

“……Even seeing it with my own two eyes, I can hardly believe it.”

“Good heavens……”

Iris, standing beside him, also had her mouth slightly open as she stared at the center of the Training Grounds.

“Did you say I wouldn’t have to pay for it?”

Celia’s hand slowly lowered.

“……That wasn’t said on the premise that your fireball could destroy this place.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“……”

Celia looked at the ruined Training Grounds again.

Half of the building that had been behind the Main Building was gone, and the sky beyond it was clearly visible.

The verification seemed to have concluded decisively.

“……First White Magic Tower Head.”

Celia bowed her head toward the collapsed wall.

“I am truly sorry.”

“Head.”

Herman called out calmly.

“That will be 5,000 gold coins.”

“……Understood.”

“Seven main mana stones and half of the Spatial Expansion Spell have been lost. Please approve the payment by today.”

“I said I got it!”

Celia snapped, then turned to look at me.

The corners of her mouth lifted gently.

But her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

“Leon. Let’s have a little talk.”

“I don’t have to pay for the repairs?”

“……Just follow me for now.”

Why is she smiling?

Half the Training Grounds just got blown away.

I guess the verification results must have pleased her.

3.

I returned to the Head’s Office alone with Celia.

Iris and Herman stayed outside.

Herman in particular was still writing down the full extent of the Training Grounds damage.

Since the Head of the Magic Academy personally allowed it, they can’t charge me for it.

They can’t.

Because to pay back 5,000 gold coins, going back to being a beggar wouldn’t even be enough.

Celia sat in her chair and was silent for a while.

She just rested her chin on her clasped hands and stared at me.

“Leon.”

“Yes.”

“You…… you’re not planning to go to another Magic Academy or anything, right?”

That’s a completely unexpected question.

I thought she’d scold me for destroying the Training Grounds, but instead she’s worried I might leave.

If that’s the case, then things are a little different.

I licked my lips.

“……Well, I’m not sure.”

“……?”

“Shouldn’t I decide after seeing how much sincerity the White Magic Academy shows?”

Celia’s eyebrow rose slightly.

“300 gold coins.”

“……”

300 gold coins.

Just a few days ago, I was squabbling at the Market over getting one more copper coin, and now this is some dream-like amount.

As expected, a person shouldn’t hide their strength.

“What do you say? Doesn’t seem like a bad amount.”

Hey, boss over there! Bring out the contract document right now!

I wanted to say that, but Celia’s expression still had room to spare.

If you accept the first offer right away, you’re a fool.

I knew that much from knowledge I’d picked up in my previous life, and from experience gained living as a beggar in this world.

I slowly rose from my seat.

“Ah, quitting after just 4 days……”

“……What?”

“It was short, but thank you for everything so far.”

With a regretful look on my face, I walked toward the door.

“The restaurant food was good, and the bed was soft too……”

“500 coins.”

I almost stopped in my tracks.

Just from taking a few steps, the gold coins went up by 200.

But not yet.

There was still room in Celia’s voice.

I pretended to wipe my eyes with my sleeve.

“Sniff…… Still, I think this will remain a good memory.”

“Ugh, seriously!”

Celia slammed the desk.

“How much do you want?!”

I turned around in front of the door.

Then I held up two fingers.

“Ten thousand.”

Celia’s eyes went wide.

“Are you insane?! 20,000?! That’s the White Magic Academy’s budget for two years!”

“……”

“No matter how much of a genius you are, 20,000 gold coins is impossible! Are you telling me to rip out the Magic Academy’s pillars and sell them?!”

Now.

“Wha-WHAT?! Who said 20,000?!”

I raised my voice a beat too late.

“I said 2,000 ‘only’!”

“Ah♡ Really?”

Celia’s expression brightened instantly.

BANG!

A seal stamp was pressed onto a contract document pulled from somewhere.

“2,000 gold coins.”

Celia tapped her finger on the contract.

“Contract period is 3 years. During that time, you’ll operate as a Special Climber affiliated with the White Magic Academy. Transfer to another Magic Academy is forbidden. All materials needed for climbing and research will be fully supported by the White Magic Academy.”

She smiled brightly and held out the contract.

“Contract established.”

I took the contract and quickly scanned it.

Signing bonus: 2,000 gold coins.

Separate activity allowance paid monthly.

Permission to use the advanced archive and Magic Tool storage.

There was also a clause saying I couldn’t transfer to another Magic Academy for 3 years, but the reality was I had nowhere else to go anyway.

Most of all, it’s 2,000 gold coins.

“Boss!”

I grabbed Celia’s hand with both of mine.

“I look forward to working with youuu!”

“……”

Celia alternated her gaze between my face and the contract.

Then, the satisfied smile slowly faded.

“Hold on.”

“Why?”

“Wait, don’t tell me……”

She narrowed her eyes, then belatedly pressed a hand to her forehead.

“……Ah, I’ve been played.”

“Haha. Is it already too late?”

I carefully tucked the contract into my chest.

It seems all those years of holding out at the Market for one more copper coin weren’t wasted after all.

“The contract is already established, right?”

“I know.”

“You can’t back out either. You know that, right?”

“I said I know!”

Celia glared at me with an annoyed face, then let out a small laugh.

“……Well, fine.”

With 2,000 gold coins tying me down for 3 years, Celia probably didn’t lose out on this deal either.

***

“Now that the contract’s done, answer me honestly.”

Celia leaned back in her chair.

“How exactly are you using magic like that?”

Here it comes.

I’d told them everything about the magic I used against the Lich, but I decided to keep my mouth shut about the AI.

Honestly, even without Iris’s warning, there was no reason to reveal it.

Telling them there’s a machine from another world inside my head would just create more things to explain.

Plus, they said someone might try to open my head to check.

At least until I can reliably protect myself, it’s better to keep it hidden.

After that, if there’s no need, I can just keep my mouth shut.

“It’s hard for me to explain it precisely either.”

“Hard?”

“When I see magic, I just get a feeling.”

Celia narrowed her eyes.

“A feeling?”

“This part looks unnecessary, that connection seems off. It’s like, if I move this over here, it’d become stronger—that kind of feeling.”

“And with just that feeling, you destroyed the Spatial Barrier the First Head of the Magic Academy created?”

“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to go that far.”

“But in the end, you did destroy it.”

“That’s true.”

Celia pressed her temple.

“Did you figure out the Lich’s regeneration structure the same way?”

“Looking at it, I could roughly tell.”

“Even with magic you’d never seen before?”

“To some extent, if I see it directly.”

“Without even memorizing the Spell Formula?”

“Isn’t it just a matter of creating one to fit the situation when needed?”

Celia fell silent.

After a moment, she let out a hollow laugh.

“So instead of memorizing completed spells, you create new ones every time?”

“It’s not that grandiose.”

“Maybe not to you.”

Celia sank deep into her chair.

“That method—can you explain it to me?”

“I’ve only been learning magic for 5 days.”

“……Right, that’s true.”

“I don’t even know the terminology, so how could I explain it?”

Celia didn’t say anything for a while.

It wasn’t the face of someone suspecting I was lying.

“Your eye is monstrous, but what you know is at a novice level……”

Ding!

Celia rang the bell on her desk.

Before long, the door opened, and Iris, who had been waiting outside, came in.

“You called?”

“From now on, you’ll move together with Leon.”

Iris blinked.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Celia pointed at me.

“Teach him basic magic theory. Also record every spell that kid uses.”

“In that case, may I also receive instruction from Leon?”

“Do whatever you want.”

“Thank you.”

Iris bowed her head.

It looks like the Special Climber’s first schedule will be studying magic.

Still, it didn’t really matter.

Because I’ve got 2,000 gold coins in hand.

Just imagining what I’ll buy and eat with this is already making me happy.

***

I’d just left the Head’s Office.

“……By the way, Leon.”

Iris, walking alongside me, spoke up carefully.

“I’ll teach you the basic theory since it’s the Head’s orders, but……”

Iris paused to choose her words.

“I’m not sure I have anything I can teach you.”

“Why?”

“You grasped the structure of the Magic Formula at a glance and even used the Lich’s Death Mana against it. I feel like you already know everything I know.”

“No. I don’t know anything.”

Iris stopped walking.

“I seriously don’t know a single thing.”

“……The Basic Magic Formula?”

“What’s that?”

“The Propulsion and Direction Theory……?”

“Is that something you eat?”

Iris stared at me without a word.

Judging by her expression, she seemed unable to understand the meaning of my questions.

“Hey, Leon. You said you’d teach me.”

“I did.”

“If you don’t even know basic things like that, how am I supposed to learn from you?”

“That’s why I’m asking you to teach me first.”

“……”

“I need at least enough basic knowledge to explain things roughly before I can teach you.”

Iris nodded as if she understood.

“……I see. So in the Heavenly World, things like these Magic Formulas are utterly useless and weren’t worth learning……”

“Here she goes again.”

Iris’s gaze turned oddly serious.

“…Do you have any plans for the rest of today?”

“No.”

Iris fell into thought for a moment, then pulled a pocket watch from her chest.

“Then let’s start right away.”

“Now?”

“You said to teach you everything from the basics.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

Still, I didn’t expect the lesson to start the moment we left the Head’s Office.

Iris walked me to my room, said to wait a moment, and disappeared.

Then about 30 minutes passed.

Knock, knock.

When I opened the door, a huge pile of books caught my eye first.

Iris was standing there with her arms full of books.

“……What’s all that?”

“Textbooks.”

She started setting them down on the desk one by one.

Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3.

The stack grew past my chin.

“Wait. How many volumes are there?”

“18.”

“You said these were basics.”

“They are the basics.”

After setting down the last book, Iris held out a thin book resting on top.

<Basic Magic Formula Starting at Age 5>

“Let’s finish these books first.”

“……All of them today?”

“Yeah. If it’s you, Leon, it’ll be enough.”

Iris answered as if it were obvious and pulled up a chair.