Chapter 3: Ellen

“…Something’s off. Absolutely off.”

Glenn groaned, pressing his temple while flicking through documents.

It was the faculty office late at night. Alone, Glenn sat under the flickering light of a lamp, poring over paperwork with intense focus.

The documents contained data on candidates sent from Kleitos Academy.

Right now, Glenn was reviewing Ellen’s file.

“Is it… really that strange?”

Rumia, who had been brewing tea in the night-duty room, spoke as she poured a cup for Glenn.

“Yeah, everyone’s born with a different base mana capacity. Ellen Kleitos… she’s got an abnormally low mana reserve from birth. It’s not like there’s anything wrong with her spiritual body’s Sefirot or pathways, either. With a base value this low, living as a mage is gonna be tough, to say the least.”

Glenn sighed, setting the papers down on the desk. He took a sip of the tea Rumia quietly offered, warming his chilled body.

“Still, Ellen’s a Kleitos. She’s got no choice but to become a mage. So, she enrolled in Kleitos Magic Academy and trained relentlessly under the strict guidance of her brother Leos and father, Graham. She’s made progress, little by little. Mana capacity 945, mana density 43… she’s barely reached the minimum threshold to call herself a mage.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yeah, the numbers are low, but… there’s an incredible weight to them, I can feel it.”

“B-but… if that’s the case…?”

“Exactly. That’s why it’s weird.”

Glenn continued, as if picking up where Rumia left off.

“That Mauser-type Mana Measurement Device… it’s super precise, but the maintenance and consumables are a money pit. You can’t just measure mana willy-nilly. Even at this academy, we only do it once every three months, tops. So, Ellen’s latest data, measured about a month ago, is this: mana capacity 945, mana density 43…”

“So, in just one month, she boosted her mana capacity to 9640 and density to 186?”

“Yeah, hard to believe, but there’s no foul play. This is Ellen’s real strength… or so it seems, dammit.”

Glenn clutched his head, utterly baffled.

“B-but, didn’t Sistie grow just as much?”

“Sure, in life-or-death situations, some people awaken to a massive spike in mana capacity. That’s exactly what happened with White Cat. But that’s only possible if you’ve got latent mana capacity to begin with.”

“Latent mana capacity?”

Glenn nodded at Rumia’s question.

“Mana capacity comes in two types: latent and manifest. White Cat had latent mana—stuff she couldn’t consciously control but was part of her upper limit. That latent mana became manifest, usable mana, which made it look like her capacity skyrocketed overnight. For White Cat, that kind of explosive growth was theoretically possible because she had the potential… from a magical theory standpoint.”

“I see…”

“Even then, it took her six months. Six months! Look at Ellen… her latent mana is practically zero. She had no room to grow, so this kind of jump is impossible, no matter how you slice it.”

After a moment of quiet thought, Rumia asked softly, “So… if someone with no latent mana wanted to boost their mana capacity beyond what they have now… what methods could they use?”

“It’s obvious. Time. Grinding mana refinement over a long, long time.”

Glenn answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“The ten Sefirot in a person’s spiritual body—Keter, Chokmah, Binah, Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malkuth—mana cycles through these in a specific pattern, transforming into magical power. By constantly repeating this process, feeling the mana, circulating it, refining stronger magical power, and gradually honing your spiritual senses… that’s the practice of mana refinement. I make you guys do it every day, don’t I?”

“Y-yes… so, mana capacity can be increased if you work at it?”

“Yeah. But it’s not something that shoots up in a month or two. Based on her growth trends, Ellen would need decades to reach that level. And that’s ignoring the natural decline in mana capacity due to aging or diminishing growth rates. There’s no way Ellen could hit those numbers.”

“But… she did hit them, didn’t she…?”

“That’s the thing… it’s blatantly wrong, but there’s nothing wrong with the reality of it. I suspected a faulty gauge or some kind of illicit mana medium, but there’s nothing. Nada.”

With a heavy sigh, Glenn set down his empty cup.

“In the end… it’s like Ellen, just like Sistine, had some insane experience this past month that suddenly awakened her mana capacity. That’s the only explanation.”

“Sure, it’s mysterious, but… there’s no real problem, right? It just means Sistie’s got a tough rival now.”

“……”

Right, no problem. Maybe Glenn’s just biased toward Sistine and shaken by a dark horse like Ellen blindsiding him with her strength.

But beyond that, there’s no issue.

Another insanely promising student has appeared. Honestly, with Sistine and Ellen—two geniuses emerging at once—it’s like the arrival of a miraculous generation. That’s all there is to it.

(But… what’s this sick feeling…?)

Glenn swallowed hard, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

(It’s like… something’s pulling the rug out from under me… like some unknown force is secretly pulling strings behind the stage, and we’re all just dancing to their script, oblivious, laughing and crying like fools… What the hell is this unease?)

As Glenn spiraled through these aimless thoughts…

“O-oh, by the way… tomorrow’s selection exam, the second test is a written exam, right?”

Sensing Glenn’s unease, Rumia tried to change the subject, forcing a cheerful tone.

“Y-yeah… this time it’s a test to measure comprehensive intelligence as a mage.”

“Hehe, Sistie’s forte, huh?”

Rumia smiled brightly.

“I bet Sistie’s at home right now, studying like crazy.”

“Yup. She’s the kind of genius who works her butt off, completely unstoppable.”

Picking up on Rumia’s attempt to lighten the mood, Glenn grinned back.

“So, what kind of test is it?”

“Well, we were short on time. To keep it fair and prevent cheating, the questions will be randomly selected from a magic computation device, strictly managed by the academy.”

“Randomly selected?”

“Yeah. There’s a database of tons of test questions made by past instructors and professors. Twenty of them get randomly picked to make the test. Each question’s worth 50 points, with partial credit factored in. With that many patterns, cheating’s pretty much impossible.”

“R-right… that makes cheating tough, for sure.”

“If anyone’s caught cheating, it’s instant disqualification. Not that I think anyone would try. Plus, the questions are more about wisdom than raw knowledge. They’re designed to be fair, so grade levels don’t make much difference.”

Glenn shrugged with a chuckle.

“Max score’s 1000 points… but tomorrow’s test caps at 950.”

“Huh? 950? Why’s that?”

Rumia tilted her head curiously, and Glenn gave a wry smile.

“There’s one ridiculously tough, twisted question mixed in. Random selection landed it on tomorrow’s test. No idea who made that thing…”

Glenn flipped the test paper toward Rumia to show her.

“Even I can’t solve it. Heck, no one in this academy could. The answer key and explanation make no sense either. Getting partial credit’s a pipe dream. So, subtract that question’s 50 points, and 950’s the max score for tomorrow’s test.”

“Umm… can’t you swap out that tough question now?”

Rumia asked with a nervous laugh.

“Nah, we’ve already prepped everything… Oh well, no big deal. Everyone’s solving the same problems, so it’s fair.”

“True…”

“Alright, then.”

Glenn hoisted Re=L, who’d fallen asleep while helping with paperwork, onto his back and stood up.

“Work’s done. Time to head home. Thanks for the help, Rumia.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“Thank you, I’ll take you up on that.”

And so, chatting about the upcoming written exam for the candidates, Glenn, Rumia, and Re=L headed home together.

And then—the next day.

A total of sixty candidate representatives from Alzano, St. Lily, and Kleitos academies gathered in the venue for the written exam: the grand lecture hall in the main building of Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.

Glenn and the other instructors from Alzano Imperial Magic Academy, serving as exam proctors, distributed thick question booklets and answer sheets face-down to the students seated at the lecture hall desks.

While handing them out, Glenn stole glances at the students.

Each seemed to handle the tense pre-exam moments differently.

“Ughhh, written exams are my worst nightmare. I studied, but still…”

“I absolutely need to score high here.”

Kash grimaced, scratching his head, while Wendy looked relatively relaxed.

“……”

Meanwhile, at the back, Gibul and Rize silently reviewed their textbooks.

Typical diligent behavior from those two.

“…Tch.”

On the other hand, Jaill, seated by the window, clicked his tongue in disgust, hands clasped behind his head, staring outside.

“Noooo! I didn’t hear about this… I didn’t hear there’d be a written exam! I’m done! Done!”

“I-it’s fine! We’re nobles, after all! Th-this written exam isn’t everything! We’re nobles, so our noble power will surely make it work out!”

Colette and Francine, pale and teary, looked like the world was ending.

“You were told, it’s not about being nobles, and it won’t just work out just because you’re a noble, you idiots.”

Behind them, Ginny shot a deadpan jab.

“……”

“…Heh.”

At the front row, Sistine wore a slightly tense expression, focusing her mind, while Levin sat calmly, hands clasped, exuding confidence.

(Now… where’s Ellen?)

Suddenly remembering the dark horse, Glenn scanned for Ellen.

He soon spotted her.

(…There she is.)

As usual, Ellen wore a gloomy expression, her gaze drifting aimlessly into the void.

Before an exam, there’s usually some level of tension, especially if you’re aiming for a high score. Even Levin, who seemed relaxed, showed subtle signs of focus and nerves.

But Ellen? None of that. She almost seemed unmotivated.

(According to her profile… Ellen’s overall academic performance is, at best, above average. If she’s serious about beating Sistine, as she claimed, she’d need to minimize mistakes here… right?)

The written exam’s weight in the candidate selection wasn’t huge. Other tasks offered plenty of chances to recover. Still, it wasn’t something to completely ignore.

In that case, Ellen should be desperate to perform well here…

(That lack of drive… has she given up on the written exam? Or…)

Feeling something unsettling in Ellen’s listless demeanor.

“Let the exam begin! I’ll say this now: cheating means instant disqualification! This venue is rigged with surveillance barriers and all sorts of anti-cheating spells! Don’t think you can fool us!”

With Halley’s declaration as the head proctor, the second test of the selection— the written exam—began.

The sound of question booklets being flipped open echoed, followed by the scratch of quills dipping into ink bottles. The unique tension of an exam quickly filled the room.

(Haha, what a breeze.)

Being a proctor was so much easier. Glenn plopped into a chair at the corner of the venue, yawning as he casually observed the students.

Sensing the students’ collective struggle with the questions’ difficulty, Glenn shrugged with a smirk.

(Let’s see… how’s White Cat doing?)

Glenn glanced at Sistine from afar.

Even she seemed to be struggling.

She stared at the first question with a furrowed brow for a while.

But after some thought, she seemed to have a breakthrough and began writing answers bit by bit.

(Heh… looks like she’s fine.)

Glenn’s lips curled slightly.

(Now, the others…)

As he started scanning the other students…

(…Huh?)

Glenn’s eyes widened, locking onto a female student.

It was Ellen. She was writing at a blistering pace, her quill flying across the answer sheet.

Most students wrote in fits and starts, and even Sistine paused occasionally to think. But Ellen’s writing flowed without a single hitch.

(…Seriously? She’s—wait, what!?)

Then, Glenn noticed something.

Ellen… wasn’t looking at her question booklet.

While everyone else had their booklets open beside their answer sheets, flipping between them, Ellen hadn’t even opened hers, writing seamlessly.

(…What’s going on? Has she completely given up on the written exam and is just filling in random answers…?)

Just as Glenn thought this, something happened.

“!”

As if only now realizing her booklet was closed, Ellen quickly flipped it open.

(…So, she checked the questions first, then closed the booklet herself, or it got closed somehow… that’s gotta be it, right?)

But what was this uneasy feeling?

It was like that same unknown something from yesterday, swirling in the background.

(Just my imagination… it’s just my imagination, right?)

Yeah, it had to be. Though Ellen had flipped open her booklet, she barely glanced at it afterward… but that was surely just his imagination.

Glenn shot a glance at Halley, seated at the proctor’s desk at the back.

Halley was using various spells to monitor for cheating. No student could pull one over on a mage of his caliber.

Even if Celica used her Original Magic [My World] to stop time and cheat, stopping her would be tough, but Halley could at least catch evidence of it.

And yet, Halley wasn’t reacting at all.

Which meant—Ellen wasn’t cheating.

(…It’s just my imagination, right?)

Ignoring the creeping dread with all his might, Glenn watched as the second day’s written exam proceeded quietly and uneventfully—

—And so.

The morning-long written exam ended with the ringing of the lunch break bell.

Instantly, the tense air in the venue relaxed. The proctors collected the question booklets and answer sheets, and the students began filing out.

The answer sheets were special, enchanted with magic.

Later, the proctors would process them with a specific spell, instantly grading and scoring them.

As a result, the exam results would be announced by the end of lunch break, incredibly fast.

With the afternoon classes canceled to prepare for the selection exams starting tomorrow, the academy buzzed with a relaxed vibe.

“Good work, you guys.”

In the student cafeteria, filled with the mouthwatering aroma of food, Glenn sat at a corner of a long table, spearing a fork into a heaping plate of meatball pasta while addressing the students around him.

Gathered around Glenn were not only the Class 2 candidates who took the written exam—Sistine, Gibul, Kash, Wendy—but also Rumia, Re=L, Teresa, Lynn, Cecil, Rodd, and Kai, all sharing a late lunch and cheering on Sistine and the others.

“Man, that was brutal, Sensei… what was that?”

“Truly. If we hadn’t been taking your wisdom-focused classes, we wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

Kash and Wendy exhaled, exhausted.

“How about you, Gibul?”

“Eh, decent enough.”

“Kuh… sounds like you nailed it.”

Wendy shot a sidelong glare at Gibul, who adjusted his glasses and answered curtly.

“But… everyone seems to have done pretty well, so that’s good.”

“Yeah, right? I was worried Kash might be so down after the exam that he’d look pitiful.”

“Geez, thanks for the faith, you guys.”

Kash gave a wry smile at Lynn and Cecil’s comments.

“I mean, the ones looking pitifully depressed are over there, right?”

Kash pointed, and there…

“I’m done… it’s over… probably over… mutter mutter…”

“That’s unfair! It’s cheating! I protest! I protest! What do they take a noble like me for!?”

“Ugh, I told you to train your brain, not just your muscles.”

At a corner of the same table sat Colette, Francine, and Ginny—the St. Lily group.

“Uh… I don’t even need to ask, but… how’d the exam go?”

“Don’t askkkkk!”

“Alzano’s gentlemen lack kindness!”

When Kash cautiously asked, Colette and Francine erupted into chaos.

Originally, the Lily girls had come to invite Glenn to lunch, but through various (chaotic) circumstances, they ended up sharing a table with Class 2’s students.

Sure, they were a bit sheltered, haughty, and prone to going overboard, but deep down, they weren’t bad girls. Somehow, they were starting to bond with Class 2’s students.

“Seriously, you guys solved that!? For real!?”

“You’re lying, right!? Say it’s a lie!”

To Colette and Francine’s tearful pleas:

“Well, I’m not exactly a star at academics… maybe half?”

Kash scratched his head with a sheepish grin.

“Sigh, I wasn’t at my best today. Maybe seventy percent?”

Wendy said, a bit dejected.

“Piece of cake, that level.”

Gibul, as usual, replied coldly.

“Argh, is Alzano full of monsters or what!?”

“This… nerd brigade…”

Colette and Francine gnashed their teeth in frustration.

Surprisingly, it was Gibul who spoke up here, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

“Still, well… that last question was tough. I hate to admit it, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. …How about you, Sistine?”

“The last question? Oh, that one? The thought experiment on the hypothetical extreme values of time and space? Yeah, I was completely stumped by it too…”

Sistine, delicately nibbling on a small scone, spoke with a similar air of regret.

“I see, even you couldn’t crack it. Well, that one was clearly on a whole different level. …I could practically feel the malice of whoever wrote it.”

“Right!?”

At Gibul’s words, Colette and Francine chimed in.

“That last question! I didn’t even understand what it was asking!”

“Indeed, I was in the same boat!”

“Man… if it weren’t for that question…!”

“Exactly! If only that question hadn’t been there…!”

“Even without it, you two wouldn’t have changed the outcome. …Oh, this pudding is delicious, by the way.”

And, as expected, Ginny muttered her usual sharp-witted jab.

Meanwhile, Re=L…

“Here, Re=L. Say ‘ahh.’”

“Ahh. Munch munch.”

“So, Re=L… is it good?”

“Mm. Tasty. …Elsa, want to say ‘ahh’ too?”

“Wha—!? N-no way, Re=L! I’d die of embarrassment!”

“…? Why?”

…was at another table, sitting across from Elsa, who was blushing furiously and practically floating with joy, the two of them lost in their own little world.

All the while, the students from Class 2 and St. Lily Magic Girls’ Academy chatted away merrily.

“…Hehe, what’s with that look, Sensei? You’re practically grinning.”

Rumia giggled, smiling as she glanced at Glenn.

“Who knows?”

Glenn, twirling a heap of pasta onto his fork, shoved it into his mouth as if to dodge the question.

“Enough about academics! The real deal is the third exam starting tomorrow, spanning four days, with the highest points at stake—the All-Out Duel Battle!”

“That’s where we shine! It’s on, everyone from Alzano Academy!”

“Heh, we’re not gonna lose that easily either!”

Colette and Francine’s declaration of war was met with Kash’s spirited retort.

(Youth, huh.)

Glenn chewed his mouthful of pasta, lost in that thought.

And so, the lunch break passed in a warm, lively atmosphere.

Eventually, the cheerful lunch break came to an end.

At the entrance hall of the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy’s main building, the results of the morning’s academic exam for the representative selection were posted all at once on the bulletin board.

“Sensei, Sensei! Let’s go check it out!”

“Jeez, calm down already…”

Having finished lunch in the student cafeteria, Glenn and his group were now making their way through the corridors to check the results.

“Man, this is nerve-wracking… I wonder what I got?”

“Aaaah! It’s like waiting for a death sentence!”

Glenn watched Kash and Colette march ahead, trembling with nervous energy, while chatting with Rumia, Francine, Wendy, and the others as they walked down the hall.

Just around the corner, the entrance hall was only a few steps away.

That’s when it happened.

“Glenn.”

A sharp voice suddenly cut through the air, aimed at Glenn’s back.

Turning around, Glenn saw Eve standing there, looking distinctly displeased.

“What’s up, Eve?”

“Sorry to interrupt when you’re busy… but I’ve got a job for you.”

A job? Glenn blinked, and Eve sighed before continuing.

“Professor Fossil Lefoy Ertoria entered the sealed section of the academy’s library without permission.”

“Huh!?”

“And, well, that place is a distorted otherworld if you enter without authorization, right? Seems the professor got himself stuck and can’t get out… So, just a bit ago, we got a distress call via communication magic. He said, ‘I grant Glenn-sensei the privilege of coming to rescue me.’”

“…I wanna punch him.”

Glenn could easily picture that perverted Master No. 3 (No. 1: Baron Zest, No. 2: Orwell) smirking smugly, his temples twitching with irritation.

“Seriously, why do I always get tangled up with weirdos like him…?”

“I feel you.”

At Eve’s exasperated words, Glenn reacted.

“Huh?”

“…What?”

Glenn shot her an unreadable look, and Eve furrowed her brow.

“Anyway! The professor specifically named you for the rescue. So—”

“‘Tell that idiot,’” Glenn interrupted, turning his back on Eve, who blinked in surprise.

“‘Tell that idiot’ to sit tight for a couple of days as punishment! I know it’s rich coming from me, but that no-good moron needs to cool his head. See ya!”

“Wha—!? Hey, wait a second!”

Leaving a flustered Eve behind, Glenn strode off quickly.

When Glenn and the others reached the entrance hall, it was already packed with people.

It wasn’t just the candidate students gathered there.

Many other regular students of the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy, curious about the outcome of the selection, had also shown up. As expected, the selection process was the hottest topic at the academy right now.

“Well… looks like checking the results is gonna be a hassle.”

Pushing through the buzzing crowd, Glenn made his way toward the bulletin board.

“Hey, Sensei. For this academic exam… what’s the normal score, usually?”

Rumia followed behind Glenn, who was clearing a path through the crowd, and asked apologetically.

“Hmm, well, the questions test a magician’s wisdom more than raw magical knowledge. So, there shouldn’t be too much of a handicap based on grade level. Still, these are problems crafted by the professors and instructors of the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy, renowned as the pinnacle of magical institutions…”

Glenn thought for a moment before answering.

“Out of 1000 points, 450 to 500 is a passing score.”

“Wow, so getting half is already pretty good, huh?”

Rumia gave a vague smile.

After some effort, Glenn and the others finally reached the bulletin board.

There were three boards in total.

From top left to bottom right, the scores and names of the students were listed in order of rank.

Glenn moved toward the lower right section, quickly scanning for the names and scores of the students he was closest to.

It took just two seconds to find Colette and Francine’s names, starting from the bottom.

Colette: 320 points, 56th place.

Francine: 355 points, 55th place.

“Aaaaaah! I knew it!”

“Noooo!”

Instantly, Colette and Francine clutched their heads and wailed.

“Well, considering you two were skipping classes and goofing off—or holding your little ‘study sessions’ until recently, this is actually pretty decent. I can see the effort you put in.”

Glenn gave a lukewarm smile, patting the dejected Colette and Francine on the shoulders to console them.

“If you hadn’t studied at all since then, your score would be in the double digits. You did well, good job!”

“Sensei… r-really?”

“Hehe, well, it’s not that big a deal.”

The two blushed, suddenly bashful. The St. Lily girls were too easy.

“Alright, let’s see who’s next…”

Glenn continued scanning the names, moving from the bottom up.

After a bit of a gap from Colette and the others…

“Oh, nice one, Kash. 545 points, 28th place.”

“Hell yeah! First time I’ve ever ranked above the halfway mark on a test!”

Kash was the third son of a poor farming family from a remote rural area. Unlike Sistine and the others, who’d received elite magical education from a young age, he’d started at a significant disadvantage. Given that, his result was a remarkable achievement.

“…And you, Ginny, you’re surprisingly solid.”

“Well, unlike certain foolish ojou-samas, I’ve always studied properly.”

Ginny scored 640 points, 24th place, making her the top scorer from St. Lily.

“…But seriously, what’s with this Jaill guy?”

Glenn spotted Jaill Wolfheart’s name at 685 points, 21st place, and stared in disbelief.

To reiterate, the sixty students who took the exam weren’t chosen solely for their academic prowess, but they were still representatives of their respective schools. Given that, Jaill’s score was shockingly high for someone who was supposedly just the leader of a local delinquent gang.

“Now, onto the top ranks everyone’s buzzing about…”

Glenn turned to the adjacent bulletin board, where an even larger crowd had gathered, murmuring excitedly.

It was only natural, given that this board displayed the top twenty ranks.

The excitement was palpable.

“Alright, make way, make way!”

Like before, Glenn pushed through the crowd to reach the front of the bulletin board.

The results were laid bare before him.

Wendy Nablesse: 775 points, 13th place

Gibul Wisdan: 860 points, 7th place

Rize Filmer: 915 points, 4th place

Levin Kleitos: 935 points, 3rd place

Sistine Fibel: 950 points, 2nd place

Ellen Kleitos: 1000 points, 1st place

“…What… the hell!?”

Glenn’s eyes widened in shock.

Any thoughts of congratulating Sistine for her excellent score vanished.

Ellen Kleitos: 1000 points, 1st place.

1000 points.

That impossible number obliterated Glenn’s thoughts, leaving his mind blank.

“No way! What’s going on!? That last question was supposed to be unsolvable! 950 was supposed to be the effective maximum score! So why—!?”

As the crowd around him buzzed with confusion, Glenn slammed his hand against the bulletin board, roaring at the results.

“Sensei… please, stop.”

A student tugged at Glenn’s sleeve, trying to calm him down.

It was Sistine. He hadn’t noticed, but she’d apparently been there for a while.

Sistine stared at the results with a complex expression—regretful, yet incredulous. It was hard to believe she’d achieved a top-tier score.

…And no wonder. Sistine must have realized, upon seeing the twentieth question, that it was on an entirely different level. She’d known it was far beyond her capabilities.

Yet—Ellen had solved it. She’d rubbed that gap in ability in Sistine’s face.

It would be easy to dismiss it as the arrogance of a top scorer… but in this situation, it was hard to feel genuinely happy.

“That’s why I can’t stand you, Sistine.”

Before anyone noticed, Ellen was standing beside Sistine like a phantom.

“You’re so arrogant and insufferable. You probably thought, ‘If it’s academics, a test of a magician’s wisdom, I’m bound to win,’ didn’t you? That natural tendency to look down on others… it really pisses me off. It’s infuriating.”

“E-Ellen… no, I didn’t mean…”

But Sistine couldn’t say anything more. She clenched her fists and looked down.

Ellen gave Sistine a disdainful snort and turned to leave, pushing through the crowd.

But Glenn, watching her retreating back, called out sharply.

“Hey, Ellen Kleitos. What did you do?”

“Nothing? I didn’t do anything. This is my ability.”

“Don’t play dumb. There’s something off about you in this selection. Something’s always unnatural. …What are you doing behind the scenes? What’s your goal?”

“…I said I didn’t do anything. Stop making baseless accusations.”

Ellen brushed off Glenn’s words with clear irritation.

“Hmph… So, Glenn-sensei, you’re accusing me of cheating? Then show me proof. Go on.”

“…!”

Frustratingly, Glenn had no rebuttal.

Every circumstance pointed to one conclusion: there was no cheating. Ellen had truly achieved the miraculous 1000-point perfect score through her own ability.

“Are we done here, Sensei? Then I’ll be going.”

“…”

“Seems you’re quite close with Sistine. I get that it’s frustrating to see your prized student lose to some nobody from another school… but isn’t it a bit much for a teacher to show such favoritism toward one student?”

“…You.”

“Well then, Sensei… farewell.”

With that, Ellen left.

Bearing the stares of the gathered students—gazes that treated her like some incomprehensible monster—she walked away with calm confidence.

After school, in the faculty room of the magic academy…

“…Huh? What’s with this question? Does it even have a solution?”

Eve, looking at the twentieth question from the exam, muttered in disbelief.

“Honestly, Glenn. If you couldn’t solve it, there’s no way I could.”

Eve slammed the question booklet onto the desk, scoffing.

“You seem awfully suspicious of this Ellen girl… but in the end, there was no cheating, right? Halley-sensei was overseeing it, wasn’t he? So, cheating’s impossible.”

“…”

“Without physical evidence, we have to assume it’s her ability. As supervisors, that’s our only option. Right? We can’t change the evaluation just because it’s suspicious.”

“Sure, but… come on, there’s something seriously off about that Ellen. She’s definitely up to something! Otherwise, it’s just too unnatural!”

Despite Eve’s reasonable argument, Glenn refused to back down.

“Ugh, you’re so annoying. I’m swamped with preparations for the All-Out Duel Battle starting tomorrow. Spare me the pointless distractions! I’m already pissed off from having to rescue that infuriating Fossil guy in your place! What’s with that guy? His old-fashioned male chauvinism was so rude, I was this close to burning him to a crisp!”

Clearly harboring some serious resentment, Eve’s response was curt and dismissive.

“Uh, sorry about… all that.”

Glenn sighed. He’d hoped Eve’s perspective might shed light on the mystery of Ellen’s inexplicable abilities, but the timing was apparently off.

“…I’ll get out of your hair.”

Glenn turned to leave.

But at that moment…

“…Wait, Glenn.”

Eve suddenly called him back.

“You think there’s something going on behind the scenes of this representative selection, don’t you? Something lurking beneath this seemingly peaceful, boring event…”

“…”

Glenn silently affirmed her words.

“…Trust that instinct.”

Expecting sarcasm, Glenn was surprised by her response.

“In that last battle, you saw through Illia’s [Moon Cradle]. You have a rare ability to unconsciously analyze possibilities from limited information. That might be what kept you alive during your military days, despite being a third-rate magician.”

“…Is that how it works?”

“Yes. You have an impressive amount of magical knowledge and understanding. That’s why, when faced with a phenomenon, you instinctively cross-reference it with that knowledge, sensing possibilities you can’t yet articulate. Possibilities we might not even notice—potentially dangerous ones. …I don’t entirely doubt that.”

“…Never thought I’d see the day you of all people would praise me like this.”

“Shut up. Just… if you figure something out, report it. Depending on what it is, I might even help.”

Eve gathered her papers and stood up.

“Where are you off to?”

“The magic arena. I told you, I’ve got preparations for tomorrow.”

With that, Eve strode quickly toward the exit.

“Got it… Thanks for hearing me out despite being busy, Eve.”

“Hmph.”

Eve snorted and left the faculty room.

(Still… I really don’t have a clue what’s going on…)

In the faculty room, Glenn, left alone, was still glaring at the problem booklet.

(Eve said that, but… is it really just that “something feels off”… or is it just my imagination after all?)

Ever since Eve left the room, Glenn had been thinking about Ellen nonstop.

Most likely, it was because he had witnessed Ellen solving the problems without even opening the booklet.

For some reason, Ellen felt suspiciously dubious. Even if no magical cheating was detected, that scene strongly made Glenn feel that Ellen was cheating.

If he hadn’t seen that, he probably wouldn’t have suspected Ellen this much.

(Or… am I just frustrated, more than I realize, that my student and disciple, the white cat, lost to Ellen, and now I’m desperately trying to find fault?)

If that were the case, he’d be a pretty pathetic guy. Glenn couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

It was like during those three worst days in Fejite, during the Megiddo’s Flame incident.

Or like when Illia《The Moon》 appeared before him.

The strange sense of unease he always felt during such “abnormal” times—he was feeling it now, with Ellen.

“Seriously, though… how the heck did Ellen solve this problem?”

Glenn reread the twentieth question that Ellen had answered.

“No matter how many times I look at it, I’m completely stumped… Even knowing the solution, it’s tough… Could it be that Ellen’s some kind of incredible genius…?”

But who in the world made this ridiculously absurd problem?

Curiosity piqued, Glenn activated the monolith-shaped magical calculator on the nearby desk.

It contained a massive amount of data on the test question candidates.

Due to the tight schedule, the checks must have been lax. The creator of the problem booklet had made the test without verifying the content or the question setters.

For an important exam to decide the empire’s representative, it was a remarkably shoddy job.

“Yare yare, the name of the idiot who made this ridiculous problem is…”

With a wry smile, Glenn scanned the problem list.

Then—

Seeing the name that appeared, Glenn couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

“Man, where the heck is Ellen anyway?”

Glenn was wandering the school grounds, searching for Ellen.

Something was bothering him, and he wanted to confirm it.

He asked a passing student from Kleitos Academy about Ellen’s whereabouts.

Piecing together the information, it seemed Ellen was currently on the rooftop of the main school building.

“Why the heck is she up there?”

Wondering curiously, Glenn climbed the stairs leading to the rooftop.

Eventually, after climbing five flights, a door to the rooftop appeared before him.

He reached for the handle, about to push it open and step outside.

…That’s when it happened.

“Marvelous! An outstanding result! Keep it up tomorrow, Ellen!”

It seemed like a man’s voice came from beyond the door… or so Glenn thought.

“What’s that? Is someone else with Ellen?”

Careful not to make a sound, Glenn cracked the door open just a sliver.

Then, through the gap in the double doors, he peered at the rooftop.

(There…)

The first thing he saw was the back of a blonde girl with three braids—the Ellen he was looking for.

And standing in front of her was an old man…

(…If I recall, that’s the headmaster of Kleitos Magic Academy… Gaysorn le Kleitos?)

It appeared that Gaysorn and Ellen were discussing something.

“That’s the way, my dear granddaughter! You’ve proven you can do it! You’ve finally grown into someone worthy of bearing the Kleitos name! I’m proud of you!”

“Yes… thank you, Grandfather.”

While Gaysorn spoke fervently, Ellen remained utterly detached.

Unfazed by her demeanor, Gaysorn continued, his face brimming with joy, almost drunk on his own words.

“Exactly! We are the proud main branch of the Kleitos family! We cannot let the likes of Levin, a mere branch family—and a mongrel at that—take over the Kleitos house! Isn’t that right!?”

“Yes… the glory of the Kleitos family belongs in the hands of us, the pure blue blood.”

“Yes, yes, you’re starting to understand! To that end, you must demonstrate your strength. Yes… you must be chosen as the Main Wizard!”

(Damn… what the hell are they talking about?)

The rooftop was wide, and with the strong wind howling today, it was noisy.

From Glenn’s position, it was hard to catch the details of their conversation.

(Guess I’ve got a bit of a bad habit… or rather, an ear for trouble.)

Glenn quietly chanted the Black Magic [Sound Collect] spell under his breath.

It manipulated sound remotely, delivering their conversation to his ears.

“It’s lamentable, but right now, within the Kleitos family, there’s a growing sentiment that for the family’s further advancement, a more capable person should become the head! As a result, there are fools pushing for Levin from the branch family! How deplorable! To think that such a mongrel could lead the Kleitos family… it would be the greatest stain on our proud history!”

“…”

“That’s precisely why, for this selection, I forced you, a dropout, into the candidate pool! You understand what honor and prestige the position of Main Wizard brings, don’t you? You must seize it all and silence those foolish clansmen. You must prove that you are the one worthy of leading the Kleitos family!”

Gaysorn ranted one-sidedly at Ellen, patting her shoulder with satisfaction.

“…Hmph, I’m looking forward to the third test starting tomorrow, Ellen.”

“Yes… leave it to me, Grandfather…”

After their exchange, Gaysorn began walking toward the door where Glenn was hiding, preparing to leave the rooftop.

(…Whoa, close call!)

Glenn quickly manipulated gravity with magic, clinging to the ceiling to avoid detection as Gaysorn passed through the doorway and headed downstairs.

Then, landing softly on the floor, he peeked through the door’s gap to observe Ellen again.

For a while, Ellen gazed at Fejite’s scenery beyond the rooftop’s iron railing—

“God, how carefree!”

Clang! Suddenly, in a fit of rage, Ellen furiously kicked the iron railing.

“Looking forward to it? Become the Main Wizard!? You say it so easily! I hate him! I hate that old geezer! I wish he’d just die already! Damn it! Damn it!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As if something was utterly unbearable, Ellen raised her voice and kept kicking the railing.

“Haa! Haa! What Kleitos family? I don’t give a damn! But just a little more… just a little more…! Soon I’ll become the Main Wizard! Then it’ll all be over! Then—!”

That’s when it happened.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Ellen suddenly dashed toward the door, head down.

(Crap—!?)

It was so abrupt that Glenn had no time to chant a spell or hide.

Ellen flung the door open, not bothering to check inside, and rushed through—

“Whoa!?”

“Eek!”

Colliding head-on with a flustered Glenn, she was knocked back and fell to the ground.

“O-oh, sorry about that…!”

Glenn, with his sturdy core, didn’t budge, only scratching his cheek awkwardly.

From the floor, Ellen looked up at him with wide, shocked eyes.

“Why are you here!? There’s never been a scenario where you show up in a place like this—!”

“I-I wasn’t spying or anything, I swear!”

Defending himself, Glenn hurriedly glanced around.

“M-more importantly, are you hurt!? Uh…”

Then, Glenn noticed something lying next to Ellen.

A pocket watch with a silver chain.

“I-is this yours? My bad…”

Glenn casually picked up the watch.

Zap.

“Ow!?”

At that moment, Glenn recoiled from a sudden shock to his fingertips, like static electricity often felt in winter.

“What the heck was that…? …Huh? What’s this?”

Picking up the watch cautiously again, he found it to be a truly peculiar timepiece.

It had no clock face, with its internal structure fully exposed. Gears, springs, and other bizarrely shaped parts and mysterious crystals were used in abundance, each intricately engraved with tiny symbols. Driven by an unimaginable mechanism, the hour, minute, and second hands ticked away the time.

“…That’s one weird watch…?”

On the side of the watch’s frame was a small hole. If this strange device was to be considered a watch by appearance, that’s where the “crown” should have been.

(W-wait? No crown…? C-could it have broken off from the impact!?)

Glenn paled, frantically searching the surroundings.

(No matter how you look at it, this thing’s gotta be crazy expensive! I can’t afford to compensate for this!)

As Glenn nervously alternated between the watch and the ground, he noticed something.

(…Huh? What’s this? The letters carved on the watch’s frame?)

Glenn suddenly realized.

(Let’s see… this is ancient script, right…? And pretty old, too.)

Recently, Glenn had been deciphering Alicia III’s notebook, which required extensive knowledge of ancient languages for its code-breaking, so he could read it to some extent.

(…What’s this? “Le Kill”…? What’s that?)

Le Kill. A term he’d never heard before. He could read the sound but not the meaning.

What could it be? As Glenn pondered—

“Give it back!”

Ellen snatched the watch from Glenn’s hand.

She examined it closely from every angle.

She must have noticed the missing crown, but said nothing, tucking it into her pocket. It seemed that was its natural state.

“…Excuse me.”

With that, Ellen moved to leave.

“Hey, wait a sec, I’ve got something to talk about. That’s actually why I came here.”

Remembering his original purpose, Glenn called out to stop her.

“What is it?”

“About today’s written exam… how did you solve the twentieth question?”

“…I don’t understand what you mean.”

Ellen frowned, clearly annoyed, as if to say, Not this again.

“I’ve said multiple times, I solved it with my own ability. Why are you so suspicious?”

“Oh, your ability, huh? You must’ve studied really hard, then.”

“Yes, I studied a lot.”

“Impressive, Ellen. So you’re a mage on par with the renowned Septende, Celica Arfonia, huh? Haha, as if, right?”

“!?”

Ellen’s eyes widened at Glenn’s words.

“That problem? It was made by Celica a while back. Using a magical theory only she knew, unpublished in any papers. I’d love to lecture that idiot for putting something like that in a student test bank… but that’s not what I’m getting at. You get it, don’t you?”

“…”

“How did you get the problem and its solution? Come to think of it, at the start of the exam, you were solving it without opening the booklet, weren’t you? I thought it was my imagination, but that’s what’s going on, isn’t it?”

Ellen didn’t answer. She remained silent.

“Now everything’s suspicious. What kind of trick did you use for the mana measurement?”

“Where’s the proof? Proof that I illicitly obtained the exam questions or cheated on the mana measurement?”

“There isn’t any. Normally, I wouldn’t make a big deal out of mere cheating or tricks. But…”

Glenn looked at Ellen again. Her dark eyes, her gloomy aura, her impossibly high mana capacity, the undeniable cheating on an exam she couldn’t possibly have solved…

“…I’ve got a bad feeling. A really bad feeling that if I let you go, something irreversible will happen…”

“…”

“You’re definitely up to something. I’m sure of it. So I’m going to investigate you thoroughly. Sorry, but I’ll apply for permission to use regression hypnosis magic to examine your memories from the past few days. If a mere student perfectly solved Celica’s problem, the higher-ups will have to agree.”

Then.

“Haa… completely busted, huh? I never thought someone would actually catch on to this.”

Ellen let out a sigh, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

“Just a heads-up, out of kindness, Glenn-sensei. Stay out of my business.”

“…I can’t do that.”

With firm resolve, Glenn stepped closer and grabbed Ellen’s arm.

At that moment… whoosh! A particularly strong gust of wind swept across the rooftop—

“Or else—you’ll die.”

Ellen muttered, like an ultimatum… and that’s when it happened.

Boom! A tremendous shock struck Glenn’s body.

“…Huh?”

A rusty, metallic taste welled up in his mouth, and blood trickled from the corner of Glenn’s lips.

His strength rapidly drained, his knees buckling beneath him…

“I told you. That’s why I hate people with sharp instincts.”

Ellen shook off Glenn’s arm, turning to face him with a look of resignation and weariness.

Oh, Glenn finally realized.

His chest felt oddly… breezy.

As he’d feared, it was exactly as he suspected. Looking down at the center of his chest, there was a gaping hole, like the center of a donut.

“Ha, haha… seriously? …You’d go this far?”

Cough! Glenn spat out a clot of blood, the viscous liquid splattering on the rooftop floor.

Raising his face weakly, Glenn saw a bizarre figure standing behind Ellen.

A girl with wings sprouting from her back. Half her body was mechanized, with gears, springs, screws, and other strange parts partially exposed. Her head, torso, arms, legs, and wings were bound by torture restraints, blindfolded, and gagged, resembling a caterpillar.

Countless chains extended from the restraints binding her body, stretching into the void. Strangely, though the chains clearly reached into the void, their ends couldn’t be traced no matter how hard he looked.

It was as if a living person had been forcibly transformed into a machine after unimaginable torture… a ghastly, pitiful, blasphemous form. Just looking at her made Glenn feel nauseated by the malice and madness that must have violated her, chipping away at his sanity.

(What is that monster…? Where did it come from…? What did it do to me…?)

There was no longer any room to ponder such questions.

Glenn collapsed forward, sinking into the pool of his own blood.

“Let this be a lesson to never get involved with me again. Not that there’ll be a next time.”

“Guh… ah… ugh… ah…”

“Still, to think you noticed all this from something as trivial as me not opening the problem booklet? I got careless, but still, to pick up on such a minor detail… unbelievable.”

Ellen was saying something, but it no longer mattered.

(…What? Seriously? …Am I… actually going to die?)

As his consciousness rapidly darkened, Glenn was struck with disbelief.

He’d come close to death countless times before.

Even since coming to this academy, he’d faced death repeatedly.

But the sense of death he felt now was on a different level.

He was done. He was going to die.

That realization, an absolute fact, crushed Glenn’s heart and soul.

(…Damn it, I… still haven’t… seen them grow… or where they’ll end up…)

His fingers wouldn’t move, and his eyes no longer reflected any light.

Yet, in Glenn’s mind, the people he’d met flashed one after another.

Sera, Albert, Eve, Bernard, Christoph… his comrades from his military days, followed by Celica and the academy’s staff, Kash, Wendy, Gibul, and the students of Class 2… one after another.

And then, Rumia’s smile.

Re=L’s sleepy, blank expression.

Finally—a cheeky silver-haired girl smiled at Glenn.

(…Sorry.)

With that final murmur in his heart,

Glenn’s consciousness—faded.

His body permanently ceased all vital functions—

——