252 - - Art. 252. A new encounter?

"Before you are provisionally admitted, you will have to take an examination."

We thought we had been provisionally accepted into the Magic Academy, but then the Dean of the Zenzar School called for us to wait.

"Examination?　You're the one who asked me to enroll?"

Mina's eyes turned sharp as she asked what was going on.

"Oh, but this is not an entrance exam. It's an exam to choose the class you'll be in.

"......Oh, I see what you mean."

Mina is convinced by the words of Principal Senzar.

Yes, I understood this because I had heard similar stories in my previous life.

What do you mean by choosing a class?

But Gyro-kun and the others seemed not to understand and nodded their heads.

"There are many different students who come to this school to learn magic. But not all students can attend the same classes in the same classroom.

"Why not?　Wouldn't it be quicker to teach them all together?　In my village, we all gathered at the church and learned from the old priest, right?"

Wow, that's how you guys were taught.

"Oh, if only we could all learn at the same pace, but that's not always possible.

"Oh, I see."

"That makes sense."

"I guess you could say that."

Lilieira and the other students agree with the words of Principal Senzal.

????"

Gyro, however, is still tilting his head, as if he doesn't get it yet.

Should I give him a helping hand?　

"Gyro-kun, if a person who has never held a sword before and a person who has been practicing sword swinging every day become an apprentice of a sword master on the same day, which one do you think will become stronger first?"

"That would be the guy who practices sword every day, right?　The more you practice from the beginning, the better you'll be able to keep up with the rigorous training."

"Yes, I think this test is the same as that. People who have learned the basics of magic in advance and people who are studying magic for the first time will learn at different rates. In the same way, the principal wants to check how much magic we all understand. And once he knows our abilities, he will introduce us to teachers who are suited to our abilities.

"Oh, that's what I'm talking about!　I get it, bro!"

Gyro-kun understands my explanation and gives me a thumbs up.

"So this is a test to separate people like you, huh?"

"What?　You think I'm stupid?

"Oh, no?　So, do you want to study magic theory again?"

"...... stupid is fine."

I thought the fight was about to start, but Mina easily won.

I mean, do you really hate studying magic so much, Gyro-kun? ......

"My Mina would have gotten straight A's even if she didn't."

While everyone was satisfied, Mr. Nagibert voiced his dissatisfaction.

"That's not the way it works. Considering that he is your grandson, the fact that he has been officially tested will help protect him.

How does taking a test help protect yourself?

What the hell does that mean?

"Well, since that's the case, let's go to the exam site right away. The test is just to see how good you are at magic, and it won't take long.

With that, Principal Senzal stood up and announced that he would lead us to the examination hall.

"Excuse me, is the exam really that easy?"

I asked him a question as I followed him ahead of the others.

"Yes, all you have to do is to hit the target that the school has prepared with the magic that you are good at. The accuracy of the magic will be used to classify the students.

What?　That's it?

"Only offensive magic?　How do you determine who has restorative magic, defensive magic, or research-specific magic?　And isn't there a written test to determine the amount of knowledge of magic?"

No, recovery magic is a specialty of the church, so it won't come to us. Besides, it is important for the school to have wizards who can do battle. Defensive magic is not important.

"Defensive magic is not important?"

That's quite a biased educational policy.

A normal school of magic is supposed to have a good balance of offensive and defensive skills.

The students of the magic academy with whom I temporarily worked in my previous life were also raised in a balanced manner without having specialized abilities.

The academy first makes the students learn all kinds of magic in order to check their aptitude.

Then, after confirming their strengths and weaknesses, the academy consults with the students and decides on a policy to improve their strengths or to fill in their weaknesses.

However, in order to advance to the next level and graduate, students must meet a minimum standard, even if they are not very good at magic.

Because of this educational policy, students who graduate have a certain level of skill in any kind of magic.

Those students who wish to further develop their talents attend specialized magic schools that teach magic skills suited to their aptitudes.

However, this school does not provide such a balanced education, and seems to have a policy to bring up specialized students from the beginning.

Did the world's educational policy change while I was dead?

"Oh, I see."

I get it. The test that Principal Senzar mentioned is exactly the educational policy of this time period.

In other words, this school concentrates on teaching only offensive magic from a young age, and students who want to learn other magic should go to a school that specializes in other magic.

Probably the only schools in this era are all specialized schools that provide specialized education.

And just like this school specializes in teaching offensive magic, other schools probably teach only the magic of each attribute.

"I guess we should cut off the weak areas from the beginning and learn only the most suitable skills thoroughly.... It's a time of a split style, isn't it?"

◆

The president of the school, Mr. Senzal, guided us to the examination room, which was crowded with many people.

"Wow, so many people!

"What do you mean?　Aren't we here to take the test?　Why are there so many people here?"

Yeah, I was surprised too.

Why are there so many people here to take the test?

Oh, maybe it is a custom at this school to take exams in front of many people?

To be able to use magic calmly in any situation.

"What?　What's this all about?　Why are all these students here in the exam hall?

I wondered, but then I noticed that the headmaster of the Zenzar School, who had brought us here, was also surprised at this scene.

What's that?　Didn't the Senzal School Director gather all these people together?

What is the meaning of this?　We are here to take an exam, right?"

The room was crowded with people, even though they were supposed to be there to take the test.

Mina was puzzled by this and approached Mr. Senzal, the headmaster of the school, to ask him what was going on.

"No, no, I don't know what's going on either. ......

However, it seemed that the same was true for Principal Senzal, who seemed to have no idea of what was going on and was just as clumsy as the rest of us.

"Hello, long time no see, Mina-kun.

"""""""!?"""""""

It was then that a young man's voice echoed through the crowded exam room.

Oh, this is wind magic to make his voice easier to hear.

And then a man comes out of the crowd.

No, he looks not so different from us in age.

Dressed in well-tailored clothes, he looks like a young man who has come of age but has not yet lost his boyishness.

His eyes were not on us ...... but on Mina.

"You are ......."

"Hmm, I heard there was a rare out-of-season entrance exam, and when I came here, I didn't expect it to be you."

Apparently he was an acquaintance of Mina's and spoke to her in a friendly manner.

"I didn't expect you to come to our school after all these years. I thought you had run away from the examination because you were afraid of losing to me.

Mina ran away?　What the hell does that mean?

It's not quite the image of the competitive Mina I know. ......

"......"

"Hey, Mina, do I know you?"

Gyro-kun, who was standing nearby, tried to talk to Mina, but she seemed to be pondering something and didn't answer his question, or perhaps she didn't even notice?

What on earth have you been doing all this time?　Oh, I see, you are the grandson of the former president of the school. You were in a mansion where you were taught by an excellent wizard teacher, weren't you?　And then you got good enough to pass the exam and came to take it with great enthusiasm, didn't you?　Oh, dear, a year has already passed since we entered the school.

His words elicited giggles from the students around him.

"Well, you must be the same age as us, you just entered the school now!

"Well, I wonder if you can keep up with the classes at the school with such a poor performance."

Don't say that. If you came here to take the test, it means you have at least a minimum level of magical power, right?

But if they are transferred to the lowest class, then I would feel sorry for them, wouldn't I?

It seems we are not welcome here, and we get a lot of verbal barbs thrown at us.

Well, I've heard this line in my previous life and two previous lives.

It's the usual one to check the newcomers who come into their territory.

In times like this, it's best to show your ability quickly without being provoked by your opponent.

Because they are intentionally provoking us and asking us to show our ability.

And if we show them our ability, they will accept us and welcome us as if nothing happened.

You're pretty good at that.

But I guess this kind of baptism for newcomers doesn't change over time.

"What's with them? They don't seem to be in the right mood."

Gyro, oblivious to their intentions, was irritated by their behavior.

It can't be helped that they insulted my friends, even if it was just an act.

However, Mina, who had been insulted, remained silent.

"What's wrong, Mina?　You've been quiet for a while now. I don't think so, but are you embarrassed to see me again?"

"...... hey."

And that's when Mina-san spoke up for the first time.

"Well, you finally answered me. Now, where the hell have you been ......?"

He spoke to Mina with a smirk on his face.

But the smile on his face froze when Mina spoke.

"Who are you again?

"What about ............?"

""""""What? """"""

What does that mean?　He is not an acquaintance of yours, Mina?

"Hmm?　This guy isn't an acquaintance of Mina's, is he?"

Gyro-kun asks Mina if she thought the same thing.

"I can't remember that at all. I think I've seen you somewhere, and I don't know you at all. ...... Hey, who are you again?"

"...... is, huh?"

The young man's exclamation echoed through the examination room in response to Mina's merciless words.

Yeah, don't ......