Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

The Academy's classes were infamous for their rigor.

High-quality lessons tailored to the talents of the individual. 

A slogan that everyone knew.

It was relatively common for several class years to share one classroom as per the Academy's ethos. This was because students were allowed to choose the classes that best suited them, according to their prior understanding and knowledge on the topic. Should they prove their skills, underclassmen would be allowed entrance into the same courses as their seniors.

"…In essence, the acquisition of magic takes place in three stages. The first is the discernment of the form of mana that you perceive. The second is the acquisition of knowledge pertaining to that magic system most similar to the characteristics of the mana for which one is able to develop an affinity."

Of course, first-years were excluded from this practice.

"Does anyone know what the last step is? Hmm… Let me see, the blue-haired student sitting near the window there?”

The professor locked eyes with Allen.

Allen stood, trying his best to hide his boredom.

Vestla spoke to him. ⟬What’s wrong? Is this too hard for you?⟭

Are you kidding? No way.

⟬Then, what?⟭

It's just too easy.

"Could you tell us about the final step in the progression of learning magic?"

“The sorcerer stores the knowledge about their system of magic in their mind, and then is able to use that mana by twisting their knowledge into reality according to his or her own creativity and understanding.”

He didn't feel like properly dealing with the class, which was way too simple for him.

"That's right, that's right! That's why different sorcerers have different spells. Good! Next?”

Allen sat down again.

⟬Then why are you here? What about a more advanced class? You said earlier that this isn’t what you came here for.⟭

In his heart, he thought it would be more useful to stay in the library and rummage through books than to take classes at this level.

But Allen couldn't.

"Y-yes! My name is Louis…”

"Yes, you. Do you know why towers and schools for magic exist, even though magic varies from sorcerer to sorcerer?”

"Hmm…”

He needed to assess the present level of each incoming student.

⟬Why is he covering this?⟭

Every time Vestla spoke to him, the round bracelet on his wrist vibrated slightly.

‘What they tested during the entrance exam was potential rather than skills.’

In order to make sure they would and could take classes suitable for their level, it was necessary to check the skill level of the students on an individual basis.

This class was part of that.

"Hmm… You don't know? If you don't, you can say so. Students are here to learn. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"…No, I don't know."

Grades were determined via evaluations of individual students, and starting next month, they would be able to choose the courses they’d be taking in the future.

"Well, it’s actually quite simple. It's because of magic books! And it’s important to note, also, that regardless of any sort of hierarchy associated with each tower, tradition dictates that the title of ‘Master’ is given to anyone leading either establishment, and also, the very foundation of knowledge upon which to establish…”

After that, what he learned in his classes on basic magic theory overtook his life.

From the way that the range of his sensing power correlated to his mana stores, the compatibilities and natures of each of his current attributes, classification according to those attributes…

After two long hours of class, the bell rang.

"There will be a test next class, so please make sure to review this material."

The aged professor in charge of basic magic theory calmly organized his books and left the classroom.

"…Oh, do we really have to do this for a month? Can't I skip a class?"

"Then you want to go to the supplementary class with those commoners? Just like that guy?"

"Oh, shut it."

As soon as the professor left, the students gathered together. The aristocracy with the aristocracy and the commoners with the commoners.

Here, too, there was a division of species. The elves congregated together, and the beastmen gathered together.

However, the humans were a little more complicated. The nobles of each country divided themselves, and internal factions divided them even further.

'It's like this on the first day, but how will it change tomorrow…?’

Wasn’t the Academy aware of what a problem this could cause?

Allen took a look at them before losing interest. His current concern did not lie with them.

Sitting in the far corner, with a head of black hair resting upon the desk… Was he sleeping?

‘He’s got guts. If he gets caught, he’ll get a lot of points deducted.’

Well, it's not my business. Allen moved toward him.

Right then, someone called his name.

"Allen Reinhart."

When he turned his head, he saw a young man weighed down with a gloomy air. The dark circles under his eyes were striking against the paleness of his white face.

It was the youngest member of the Draghias family.

"Elnix Draghias."

"This is our first meeting since I saw you at the entrance exam. Let me introduce myself officially. I am of the Draghias family, Elnix Draghias. Please call me Elnix."

There was a tinge of courtesy in his voice.

Allen had no choice but to feel more suspicious because of this.

"Nice to meet you, sir. I am Allen Reinhart of the Reinhart family. That said, how may I help you…?”

Elnix smiled brightly to show his white teeth. "I should hope that we’ll get along, Sir Allen."

Was that it? Allen couldn't shake the memory of his gaze at the entrance exam, piercing through him.

His dragon’s core.

‘I don’t really want to do this right now, but I really can’t afford to be hostile right now either.’

From the moment Elnix started talking to him, perhaps even from the moment he first started to move in Allen’s direction, the attention was on them.

As the youngest lord in the Draghias family, being the object of that level of interest was natural. Although Allen won the runner-up position in his entrance examination, he was no match for him. At least now, he’d become closer to figures of authority important outside of the Academy.

"Thank you very much, but why did you call for me?"

"Could I invite you to lunch?"

He approached Allen rather aggressively. There was a person next to him who frowned, seeming to be dissatisfied with Elnix’s behavior toward Allen. Perhaps a henchman or a follower.

"I'm sorry, but I have a previous engagement."

Allen refused at once. He had no intention of coming into contact with them before getting more information about them.

“A previous engagement? Well, then…”

"No, I can’t reschedule," came a playful, little voice.

When Allen turned his head, he found the speaker resting his chin on his wrist as if watching something funny, already awake.

"You… were the top-ranked student, right…”

"Heisel."

"…Oh, Sir Heisel. I'd like to invite you to dinner along with Sir Allen, would you like to come?"

Heisel nodded with a slick smile at the words, as if he’d long ago decided his response. "No, I don't want to."

"Thank you for… What?”

"I don't want to eat with you."

One of his followers, who had been holding back angry words shouted loudly, "Do you know who you're dealing with?! You really think you're some tough shit just because you got the top spot right now…!”

"Ew, your little dog is freaking me out.”

Hearing that, the expression on the young Draghias’s face was wiped clean in an instant.

"Watch your language in the—!!"

"Stop."

"…presence of…”

"I told you to stop, Matthias."

"…Yes."

At that, Matthias finally closed his mouth.

Elnix, having silenced his screaming fanboy, shared a peace-making proposal. "I don't think today is the day. I hope we can grab a meal some other time."

The smile on his face was barely hanging by a thread. 

Heisel's answer was simple.

"I don't want to."

His smile disappeared once more.

* * *

* * *

Thump.

"Was it really necessary to refuse him so harshly?”

"Huh? Well… I thought you knew. It’s not time yet."

"…What do you mean by that?"

Heisel grinned obligingly at Allen's words. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you.”

Allen let out a small laugh, but Heisel's eyes said he was being serious.

"I don't want to involve myself with those people any more than I already have.”

"Were you not the one who asked me to come?"

"I didn't think you'd really come. Oh, and you can drop the formalities. I have, too.”

Allen felt a little surge of adrenaline. He wanted to shout. He wanted to yell out what he knew. But he didn't.

‘I can't get a read on his strength right now.’

Though he stood right in front of Allen’s eyes, not even the smallest wave of force exuded from Heisel’s body. That meant that Heisel was in full control of all his powers, and without even putting in any conscious effort—naturally, as if it were just a part of his resting state.

"Sure. Will do. So… could you explain? Who ‘those people’ are, and about what you just said?"

"Maybe your little friend knows…”

He gave a clear wink in Vestla’s direction, but she hadn’t spoken since first entering into Heisel's vicinity.

As if she were just a normal sword.

Heisel shrugged at the inanimate sight and sawed off a chunk of his thick steak.

"I didn't expect much, but it's actually better than I’d expected.”

Allen played along as Heisel tried to change the subject. "Doesn’t it make sense? Given the sociopolitical status of most of the students here?”

The Academy’s dining hall was grand enough to put most others to shame. The fact that thousands of people visited it for every meal yet the quality remained consistently high demonstrated the talent of the chefs. 

He continued, "And also, considering that the Academy’s mission is to cultivate the next generation of warriors, I suppose offering such high-quality food is only natural."

"…The next generation of warriors." Heisel looked faint for a moment, but immediately did away with his uneasy countenance.

Allen stared at him silently.

‘Maybe he underwent a reincarnation…’

What sort of emotion must one feel—resurrecting after hundreds of years, your greatest enemy long gone, with only his sword remaining?

Joy? Sadness? Satisfaction? Emptiness?

When the world had changed.

When no one remembered the name of other heroes, and only the faded title of the ‘First Warrior’ remained.

What must one feel in such a situation?

Allen didn’t know. He didn’t think he could ever understand.

‘All I know of the original story is what I’ve heard through Julius's monologues.’

A one-sided retelling was not enough to allow him to properly grasp Heisel’s character.

All that Allen knew about him was the information he eventually learned from the black book.

"Come to think of it, why did you come here? I’ve just realized that you never told me.” Heisel asked as if he had just remembered. Was it out of pure curiosity? Or for another reason?

‘He wouldn't believe me if I said I came to build connections, like all the other nobles.’

But it didn't matter.

"Well… I didn't really think about it much. I guess one day I really just…”

There was no reason not to tell him.

"It’s because of my brother.”

"Your brother?"

"Yes, I'm here for my brother, Julius."

"Hmm…"

Heisel mumbled softly, tapping his finger on the table a couple of times as if he were thinking hard about something, crafting his answer.

"Is he not ready to be coming to school yet? No, I don't think that's the case when I take a look at his body… So what are you trying to do here?”

After talking to himself for a while, he pondered his thoughts again several times before finally opening his mouth:

"…Ha. I'll tell you just this. Don't believe what you see. And one more thing. ◯…”

The moment Heisel tried to share—

Flip, flip, flip.

「The book linked to ◯◯◯◯ detects danger in ◯◯! ◯◯◯◯ reacts to ◯◯!」

「The book linked to ◯◯◯◯ detects danger in ◯◯! ◯◯◯◯ reacts to ◯◯!」

「The book linked to ◯◯◯◯ detects danger in ◯◯! ◯◯◯◯ reacts to ◯◯!」

The white book opened in a furious flurry of pages, repeatedly warning them with the same message.

The floor vibrated loudly with a roar.

Thud!

"What the fuck— What's going on!"

"Is this an e-earthquake?"

"Wh-what is this?"

The disturbance started to subside after a few minutes.

Realizing that the disruptive vibration wasn't so severe of a threat, the seniors resumed eating. Only the freshmen continued to look around with puzzled expressions.

‘What just happened?’

Did something that could trigger a reaction from the white book appear?

Just as Allen was about to rise from his seat, someone put their arm over his shoulder.

"Are you the top two freshmen?"