251 - - Art. 251. Let's temporarily enter the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

"Hey guys, I'd like you to come with me for a minute.

After breakfast, I was about to go to the Adventurers' Guild when Mina told me that she was coming.

"Is something wrong?

"My grandfather called me, but it's just the right place. I'm afraid I'm going to get into trouble if I go alone."

Oh, you're Mina's grandfather.

I think he is also Mina's magic teacher?

"Mina's grandfather......... That old man gets involved when I'm around."

But when Gyro-kun hears that he is Mina's grandfather, he sighs in annoyance.

"Mina's grandfather is very strict with you, Gyro-kun.

"I guess so."

Do the two of them not get along?

"Gyros are like bad bugs."

I'm not a bug!

So, if you're in trouble, what's the big deal?

"No, it's not like that. It's just that I'm afraid that if I go it alone, I'm going to be talked into it with all my might and vigor. You're a good talker, Grandfather. So I'm going to ask you all to come so I can show you that I'm not beholden to you."

Liliela had been worried that she might be in danger of causing trouble, but judging from Mina's reaction, it seems she was wrong.

"It sounds like it's a complicated situation. So where are you going?"

"...... is a magic academy."

◆

"Wow, so this is a magic academy..."

Mina took us to the Magic Academy in the Royal Capital.

We were stopped by the gatekeeper at the entrance, but he let us in as soon as we showed him the invitation Mina had shown us.

It seems that Mina's grandfather is a well-connected person.

But that was not important for me.

I was too absorbed in looking around the school.

The Academy of Magic is an educational institution specializing in magic, which existed in my previous life.

I believe it was founded in my previous life.

But I was too old by then, so I never entered the school.

In my previous life, the battles against demons were getting more intense and powerful demons were becoming more active, so I was immediately deployed to the battlefield and trained in actual battles, so I never attended a magic academy.

I am deeply moved to think that I finally came to the Magic Academy after being reincarnated twice.

This way.

Mina-san guides us without hesitation.

I wonder if Mina-san has been here before?

"Have you been here before, by any chance?"

"Sometimes."

When Liliela, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, asked a question, Mina answered without hiding.

"And yet ......"

I don't see anyone in our path.

But I know.

Someone is watching.

And not just one or two. Dozens, maybe hundreds.

But it's too obvious.

Yes, the way they looked at us was too obvious.

It was so obvious that we thought they were staring right at us.

I wasn't the only one who felt that gaze, everyone else seemed uncomfortable as well.

"Wow!"

"Fcuk~w."

Yeah, Mr. Gyro and Fluffy don't seem to mind.

But it doesn't seem like they're just watching us or keeping an eye on us if they're so obvious about it.

More like intimidation?

That we are watching your behavior.

I don't know about the Magic Academy, but I have felt the same kind of gaze in my previous life when I fought with the Knights or when I was invited to other countries.

I'm sure that those who are looking at us are also threatening us that we'll be punished if we do anything on their territory.

But don't worry.

We're not here to fight you.

I smile in the direction of the strong gaze to let them know that.

"......! ......"

Perhaps it worked, because the corner that had smiled at me disappeared.

It seems he understood me.

We entered the school building and went to the back of the building, and arrived at a room with an imposing door.

"There is the person who summoned me in here."

Mina-san looks the same, but she is clearly on the warpath.

"Okay?　Don't be surprised what you see in here. And don't talk about what happened in here outside."

I see what you mean... confidentiality.

It's necessary to protect the information and to save your life.

Yes, I understand.

"Okay."

Okay.

"Nope."

"Yes, sir."

Everyone sends their approval as well, and Mina-san knocks on the door with a nervous look on her face.

<

The person in the room then allowed entry without asking who knocked.

This is probably because they already knew it was Mina who came.

"Excuse me."

I enter the room with a corner of my mind still wary.

Well, Mina-san said there would be no fight, but she was so nervous. I wonder what will happen.

I wonder what is going to happen.

"Oh!　I've been waiting for you, Mina!

That was the first thing she said when she came in.

And then someone jumped toward us.

Attack!

Mina, the leader of the group, had already guessed this in advance and managed to avoid the attack.

I, who was in the next position, judged that the attacker was moving too slowly and did not intend to attack seriously, so I avoided the attacker.

Liliela and Megli are taken aback, but they quickly come to their senses and evade.

"Whoa!

However, Mr. Gyro, who was looking bored and therefore not paying attention, failed to evade and was pushed down to the ground.

Mr. Norbu was not yet in the room, so he was able to avoid being caught in the middle of it.

"Boo, boogoo ......"

Oh, Fluffy is caught in the middle of it and is trapped underneath.

"Hohoho, how are you, Mina!　Still the same fluffy ...... hmm?　It's so stumpy ...... and hard ...... who the hell is that!!!"

The person who was stroking Gyoro-kun, who was trapped under him, however, realizes that it is not Mina and shouts in anger rather than alarm.

"It's me!

Gyro, who had been pushed down as well, retorted angrily.

"You are a little boy, aren't you!　Where did you hide Mina!

"There she is!　Get out of the way!

Mina lets out a hearty, tired sigh as the person pushed away by Mr. Gyro gets to his feet.

"Hah ...... as usual, Grandpa."

""Grandfather?""

Mina's words made me and Liliela's voices harmonize.

"Yes, this is my grandfather. He is Nagibert Kirkus.

"Last name means aristocrat!"

"What?　Mina-san was an aristocrat?

I thought you were a commoner since you said you came from the same village as Gyro and his friends, but I was wrong!

"I am a commoner. My grandfather is an honorary nobleman."

Honorary nobility is a title given to commoners who have performed exceptionally well.

Honorary nobility is preceded by the word "honor" to distinguish it from ordinary nobility.

However, since it is a title given to a commoner, it is treated one step lower than a real noble of the same rank.

However, it is worth enough to have the nobility pension, and above all, the nobility status is the biggest proof of identity for commoners.

Many merchants are willing to pay a considerable amount of bribe to become an honorary noble in order to obtain the status of nobility.

After all, it is a good way to meet the nobility as well as to add a foil to their goods.

One thing to keep in mind is that honorary nobility is a one-time title.

In other words, only you are a noble, and your family members are commoners. You cannot pass the title on to your children.

There is a way to become a noble in the true sense of the word, but that is irrelevant for now, so let's leave it aside.

"Oh Mina!　There you are!

Nagibert noticed Mina and came over to us.

Not wanting to get caught in the middle like Mr. Gyro, we rush to clear the way.

"Oh, oh, oh, I knew I should have stroked Mina like this..."

Mr. Nagibert strokes Mina's head like a stuffed animal.

"Grandfather, I'm an adult now. Besides, there are other people here.

Mina-san looked not at us but at the back of the room.

We looked at him as well, and there was an old man looking at us with a wry smile.

"Oh, you finally noticed me," he said.

It's been a while. Mr. Senzal, the dean of the school."

When Mina-san greeted him with a slight bow of her head, the old man called Zenzar nodded his head in satisfaction.

By the way, is he the headmaster, or is he the most important person in the school?

"Well, it's been a while. By the way, could you introduce me to your friend?"

I beg your pardon.

"Hey Mina, ......"

Ms. Nagibert was about to say something, but Mina ignored her and started to introduce us.

This is Lex, an active adventurer and a magic teacher who taught me many useful magic techniques that I can use in real life.

"Oh, you can use magic too?　And you are not much older than Mina, yet you have mastered magic to the extent that you can teach others useful magic in actual battle!　That's great!"

The headmaster of the Zenzar School sounds happy when he hears that I can use magic too.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Lex. I'm not very good at magic. My late master was a far superior magician.

"Well, it's nice to see that you are not proud and have respect for those who have come before you.

"Dean, this is Liliela. She is our senior adventurer and she is also an excellent magician.

Nice to meet you. However, my magic is used to support the spear, so unlike the two of you, I cannot use it at will.

No, no, magic is a means to an end. Use it in the way that is most useful to you. You have nothing to be ashamed of your power.

I'm sorry.

Well, I'm a little surprised.

To be honest, many wizards in research institutes have a strong sense of privilege, so I was a little wary that this person might be like that, but to my surprise, Dean Senzal is a very personable person.

It would be nice if all the researchers in the previous generation had been as kind and gentle as Principal Senzal.

And this is Gyro, Megli, and Norbu.

We're just a bonus!

"Yeah, Nagibert told me. They were Mina's childhood friends.

"Yes. Yes, but it's also called a "fudge relationship.

After that, Mina-san and Principal Senzal continued to chitchat amiably.

However, we were unable to concentrate on the conversation because of the figure moving beside us.

"Hey Mina?　Can you hear me?　It's Grandpa!"

Yes, it was Mina's grandfather, Mr. Nagibert.

Mr. Nagibert is trying to join the conversation somehow, but Mina and the others are completely ignoring him.

Oh, no, it's completely on purpose because Principal Senzar is holding back his laughter.

And Mina-san is getting annoyed too, and she sighs helplessly and turns her head toward Ms. Nagibert.

Maybe these two don't get along with each other?

"What can I do for you, Grandfather?"

"Oh!　Finally you responded!　Take care of yourself. ......"

"If you need to speak with me, please be brief. My companions and I are busy being adventurers.

Mina-san looked at us, and Nagibert-san looked at us as if we were in his way.

"Ugh, I can't help it."

I sigh helplessly, and Mr. Nagibert begins to tell Mina about the situation.

"...... Mina made him hurry up by deliberately ignoring him and got him to tell her what he wanted quickly. Otherwise, Grandfather would have wanted to chat with Mina endlessly.

Megli-san comes around behind me and explains in a whisper the reason for Mina's harsh behavior.

"I see. So you brought us here to show us how busy you are.

I hear a small voice of agreement from Liliela.

"But it's Mina. Don't worry about that anymore. I'm the one who got you into the Academy of Magic.

Wow, Mina, you're going to enter a magic academy. ......

"""""Yeah!?"""""

"Oh?　Yes?"

Nagibert's surprising comment made us shout out unintentionally.

"Grandfather!　What does that mean?

I told you. They're going to enroll you in the academy of magic. Of course it's not illegal. It's an official admission. I'm his grandson. I'm sure he'll be very good."

Uh, I don't think that's an answer. ......

You probably thought the same thing. Ms. Mina turned her sharp gaze on the headmaster of the Senzal School.

"Oh, no, I mean. With the strong recommendation of the former headmaster, we've decided to have you take the entrance examination.

"Former headmaster?"

"......, I mean your grandfather."

Mina's grandfather is the former dean of the magical academy!

Maybe Mina's grandfather is a pretty amazing person ......!

"Just because I'm your grandfather's grandson doesn't mean I'm any good."

"I know. I know. That's why I'm going to make sure you take the test.

Well, that's important. Even if a student is admitted fraudulently, if he/she does not have the proper academic ability, he/she will not be able to keep up with the others and will eventually fail out of the school.

In a sense, the entrance exam is there for the students' sake.

I told you that's not a problem. Mina is my grandson and the only one who has inherited the gift of magic!

"But that's not the point!　Grandfather's grandchildren have nothing to do with it!"

I see. It is true that the gift of magic is not inherited by everyone.

Children of great wizards often have a high probability of inheriting a high level of wizardry, but it is a high probability, not absolute.

There is a big gap between being able to use magic for daily life and being able to work magic on a professional level.

However, being able to lift a sword is one thing, but being able to swing it freely and use swordsmanship without being swung by it is another.

In this sense, Nagibert must have been happy to see Mina's talent to handle magic as a profession.

"That's why you should enroll in the Magic Academy, Mina!　If you do, your future will be rosy!"

Hm?　The future is rosy when all you have to do is enroll in a magic academy?

What does that mean?　The Academy of Magic is supposed to be a technical education institution just to learn how to handle magic. ......

"Duh!　If you suddenly leave the party, you'll cause trouble for your friends!"

"It's not uncommon for an adventurer's party to suddenly find itself without a member."

"That's only if there's an accident!　Usually, if someone quits suddenly, they are inconvenienced!"

Well, both Mina and Nagibert are right.

Being an adventurer is a dangerous job, and there are bound to be unexpected departures.

But even so, if the situation is not urgent, we should declare our withdrawal in advance.

But even after Mina explains this to him, Mr. Nagibert refuses to back down.

"...... Then, if you agree to our conditions, I'll accept your provisional enrollment."

Mina, apparently thinking that the conversation was not going to end at this point, presented her conditions with a sigh.

"Well, why the provisional enrollment?

The headmaster of the Zenzar School, who had doubts about Mina's words, asked Mina, "What is it that you want to do with your life?

I am an adventurer. The knowledge I need is also useful for working as an adventurer. If I can't get the knowledge I need, why do I enroll in the first place?

Ugh, wow ...... Mina, you say that in front of the principal.

It's not worth to enroll in your school if you don't have any useful knowledge, you'll be in trouble if you're a proud person.

"Ha-ha-ha, you inherited your strong-willedness and self-confidence from your grandfather, didn't you?

However, it seemed that Principal Senzar knew Mina's personality very well and did not get angry with her. Or perhaps he was used to Nagibert's resemblance to Mina.

"No, I am not confident. I have learned that there is a lone wise man in the world who does not care about authority. After seeing his knowledge and skills, I felt that it is foolish to be unconditionally grateful just because it is a place of authority.

Wow, I wonder what kind of person Mina-san, whose grandfather is a former dean of the school, is to say that much.

He must be a man of considerable knowledge.

When in the world did I meet such an amazing person?

"""""......"""""

Then, for some reason, all eyes were on me.

"What's wrong?"

"""" separately-""""

"Cu-cu-cu."

What the hell is that?

"Hmm, a wise man in the field. You've had a good meeting. I'd like to meet him too.

Hearing Mina's story about the wise man she met, Dean Senzal smiles happily.

"And what are your conditions?"

President Senzal returns to the subject and asks what Mina is looking for.

"My conditions," she said, "are ......."

Then Mina-san's gaze turned toward us.

"Please let them who have followed me be temporarily enrolled in this school together with me.

"""""......"""""

Uh, Mina's condition is our provisional enrollment ......?

""""" is, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Why us too?

What do you mean, "Oh, come on, Mina!"

"Because I'd be disappointed if I'm the only one left out of the adventure. If you were in my shoes, you'd say it's not fair that we're the only ones going on adventures, wouldn't you?

"Ugh, well, ......, but that doesn't mean you are."

Gyro-kun rushes over to Mina-san, but Mina-san deliberately pretends to sulk that it's not fair that we're the only ones continuing the adventure.

"But I don't think it's fair to drag us into this, too. Me and Lex are ......."

I'm sure Liliela was going to say that we are technically a different team than Gyro and his party.

But before she could say all that, Mina-san came over to Liliela-san and whispered something in her ear.

I mean, what do you think?

"...... if things work out that way. If you fail, you'll have to make it up to me, and if you fail, you'll be the only one who attends the magic academy, okay?"

"Fine. That's it for now."

It seemed that something had been agreed between the two of them, and Liliela had accepted to join Mina's condition.

She then stepped back and whispered to me.

Mina asked me to help you. It's only for the duration of your temporary enrollment. You can drop out if it's going to be a long period of time. The reward is half of Mina's property in the guild's bank account.

Half of the deposits in the guild savings account?

That's quite a splurge.

And you let us drop out of the commission on our own volition.

What's the reward if I leave in the middle of a project?

He says that even in that case, the full amount will be paid. Maybe they came to a decision about the fee before they came here."

In other words, they want us to help them with something so badly that they're willing to go that far.

"Can we all do this?"

I guess she was waiting for Lilieira to finish. Mina-san is going to check with us.

"I don't mind."

"Hmm, I don't mind either."

Surprisingly, Mr. Megli readily accepted the non-monetary offer.

Even though Mr. Megli had not been told about the reward.

"What about Norbu?"

Yes, I am not uninterested in the Academy of Magic. I don't want to be admitted to the Academy, but I'm willing to accept a provisional enrollment."

Mr. Norbu accepts Mina's request in a tone that, according to Mr. Gyros and the others, is a bit of an outsider.

"Is it okay with you, Lex?"

Mina gives me an inquisitive look and asks for my answer.

"Hmmm... ......"

A magical academy, a place of learning that I could not attend in any previous or future life. A place where kids come together to learn and have fun with their classmates after school.

In other words, the school you would go to in a normal life!

"Okay!　I'm in!"

Yeah, I'm the one who decided to live a normal life. It's normal for young people to go to school!

"Then it's settled: ......."

"Wait, wait, wait!　Don't ignore me!"

Gyro-kun interrupted him.

"You!　Why don't you listen to my answer!"

Gyro-kun complains that there was no confirmation to him.

"What the hell is that?"

"That's what I'm talking about!"

When Gyro-kun frowned at the comment as if it were of no importance, Mina-san smiled at him and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about.

"Because you always show up when I complain, don't you?"

"......Oh, oh. I'll be d*mned.

Mina-san shows her complete trust that she didn't have to ask because she knows she can count on him to be on her side.

It seems that even Gyro-kun can't get angry any more after being told so clearly, and he accepts the situation as it is.

"Giggity giggity giggity, you little bastard!

Only Mr. Nagibert seems to be unconvinced.

"Well, that's that, Grandpa, the headmaster. I'll take you up on your offer if you'll let us all enroll temporarily!"

And so our life as provisional enrollees in the Magic Academy began.