第１２４３堀：学府の時代のことに花を咲かせる (Part2)
"Mm. Leave it to me. There is another way to demonstrate a student's strength besides that. It’s called the 'Number.' The Number is a figure that directly represents a student's prowess. The system works like this: as soon as students enter their second year, they are assigned a Number. Initially, it’s based on academic performance, but students hold duels against one another to raise that rank. It’s simple: if someone with a lower Number defeats someone with a higher one, they swap places."
I see, I see.
So, the Number is a testament to one's raw strength.
"Cleena, I understand the system now, but how many students were there exactly?"
"Mm. I don't know. Samantha?"
"Honestly, Cleena, you’re as hopeless as ever with those details. Let’s see... I don't know the exact current figure, but the academy as a whole has over a thousand students. If I recall correctly, back in our day, there were about twelve hundred students from the second year and up. That means the Numbers went up to twelve hundred. For the record, I was a 'Single'—meaning I held a single-digit rank—specifically, eighth place."
My, eighth out of twelve hundred mages is quite the feat. It truly speaks to the richness of Samantha's talent. I see now; this Number is a badge of both talent and power, all wrapped up in a single digit. It’s essentially the equivalent of a rank in the Adventurer’s Guild.
However, for some reason, Cleena tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"Wasn't Samantha tenth? Lying isn't good."
"I am not lying. After meeting Yuki-sama, I pushed myself even harder and climbed up to eighth place before we were married. I stopped once I received the goddesses' blessings, of course."
"That goes without saying. Nowadays, if we don't hold back properly, our opponents would die in an instant."
It is true; simply receiving the blessings of the goddesses made me 'special' as well. Once you’ve been granted that grace, it’s only natural that an ordinary student wouldn't stand a chance. As I was pondering this, Orelia spoke up, as if something had just occurred to her.
"Come to mention it, Wazfi and Nilua were at the same academy, weren't they? What were their Numbers?"
"Mm. Wazfi was second."
"Second!?"
That meant they were ranked even higher than Cleena or Samantha. I wondered for a fleeting moment how such bundles of talent came to be, but I have heard that they have their own unique circumstances. Still, to think we were lucky enough to bring such prodigies—the top of the academy—into Weed... that is quite a stroke of fortune.
"Then, what about Nilua? What rank was she?"
"Nilua was first."
"Huh?"
Wazfi was one thing, but Nilua’s ranking was truly unexpected. I knew she was excellent since she was chosen by Yuki-sama, but to think she was the top student at the academy.
"But, doesn't Nilua hate fighting?"
It’s true that she trains with Deryu, but she primarily uses tools and focuses on supporting Wazfi. It feels completely at odds with the idea of someone taking the top spot in combat.
"Mm. She hates it, yes, but it’s not as if she can’t use magic. She uses magic tools to bind her opponent's movements. If anything, she’s the same type as Yuki."
"Indeed, she falls into the 'trickster' category. Though, she is worlds apart from Yuki-sama, of course. And lately, those magic tools of hers don't work on us anymore, so we’ve been racking up the wins."
"Mm. We won't be defeated by the shackles of her tools."
The two of them puffed out their chests as they said this, but...
"Well, the base ability is just different, after all. Still, now that I've told you about myself, Nilua and Wazfi will surely grow stronger from here on out. The question is whether you can win against them then."
"That is certainly true. Perhaps I should train so as not to be outdone, Cleena-san?"
"Mm. I think training is necessary. Especially Wazfi—she’s receiving the same hand-to-hand combat instruction as Deryu, so she’s only getting stronger."
"That is a threat, indeed. Oh, and while we’re at it, would you like to have a match as well, Fiora-san?"
"Huh?"
Orelia and the others were stunned into silence by Samantha’s sudden invitation, but I responded immediately.
"Very well. I, too, will become stronger from here on out. Above all, there is no meaning in being Yuki-sama’s wife if I cannot demonstrate the strength to match."
I had always felt a wall between myself and Seraria, but if the 'blessing' was the source of that gap, I should be able to catch up.
Stories from the days at the Lancer Magic Academy.
Did everyone remember them?
Both Samantha and Cleena had such dramatic encounters.
Truly, an academy is a treasure trove of stories.