Tane Academy.
Within the department commonly referred to as the Swordsmanship Department, there exist numerous specialized majors.
All first-year students take the same common classes, but starting from the second year, it’s typical to choose a field of focus.
Swordsmanship is merely a means to achieve something. It respects each student’s freedom of choice.
Some pursue it to become knights, others to lead armies on the front lines as generals, and still others to become experts in subjugating monsters.
With those individual dreams in their hearts, they train every single day. From simple running to monster hunting and survival.
Tane Academy also treats the corresponding theory classes as part of its formal curriculum and awards high academic credits for them.
But even in a place filled with such driven individuals, there is one major considered the royal road.
───◇◇◇───
Name: Camilla Bliss
Department: Swordsmanship
Major: Knight Studies
───◇◇◇───
The Knight Studies major.
Just graduating from it properly sets you up to aim for a higher social class.
It’s the major said to gather only the most elite talents in the Empire.
“…And she’s even known as a genius swordswoman in a place like that.”
I murmured as I flicked the academic transcript I’d received from Professor Quinoron.
While picking up my own records, I asked if I could get my sister’s as well, and he handed them over without hesitation.
Normally, you’d expect at least a question or two about that, but he didn’t ask anything.
Not that I didn’t understand why. I accepted the papers just as silently.
“If someone like this tries to kill you, you’re probably going to die. How would you even beat her?”
Camilla’s academic record was astounding. Since her admission, she’s received nothing but perfect scores.
From a game logic perspective, it might not seem that amazing, but when I thought about the high school I went to back on Earth, I realized just how ridiculous this was.
Getting a perfect score on every single test. It’s the same thing.
“…Flare.”
Fwoosh—
Without hesitation, I burned the piece of paper.
It was at that moment—
“Anyone who’s finished can leave right away. Camilla, you finished a while ago, so you’re free to go.”
“…Understood.”
I heard a voice from over there.
The very same voice I’d heard last time in the infirmary.
I lifted myself from where I’d been leaning.
“So it’s finally over…”
The place I was standing was the main building of the Knight Studies Department.
The reason I’d come all the way here, far from Herein Hall where my room was located, was simple.
To check on my sister, Camilla.
She had walked to a corner of the training field at some point. She wasn’t in her uniform, but in lighter clothes.
“…Haa. Whew.”
“…big sist—”
I stopped myself mid-sentence from calling her “sister”.
Now that I think about it, didn’t she tell me not to call her that?
While I was hesitating, Camilla spotted me.
“…Adel?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“…What brings you here?”
She looked around.
“Do I need a reason to visit family?”
I decided to act a little shamelessly.
Sometimes, being bold makes it easier to gauge the other person’s reaction.
“…Family?”
Camilla’s brow furrowed.
“I don’t understand.”
“….…”
“Is that all? If you have business, speak quickly.”
“…Wanna have dinner together? I mean, we’re siblings, so… once in a while.”
“I can’t accept that. That’s a suggestion I simply don’t understand.”
“Come on, it’s just a meal…”
“If that’s all, get out of the Knight Department. This isn’t a place for you.”
“A place for me?”
“Yes. Isn’t your place the Department of Magic? Don’t let your guard down just because you’re a first-year. If you’re a member of the Bliss family, focus properly on your studies.”
Then, without waiting for a response, Camilla walked away.
That’s when it hit me.
I’m screwed.
That was clearly Camilla’s way of showing she dislikes “Adel”….me.
The nuance in her voice made it sound like she couldn’t even stand being near me.
“……”
The emotional shock or rather, the looming sense of mortal danger left me frozen in place.
“Camilla~~~… Huh? Who’s that?”
Right. I was definitely an outsider here.
Someone spoke to me, but instead of replying, I just bowed my head and quickly left the Knight Studies department.
Camilla is my older sister.
That means she must know that Adel can’t use magic.
And yet, she told me to focus on studying in the Department of Magic.
She must have some idea of the hardships someone unable to use magic would face… but even so, she coldly kicked me out when I came to see her.
She even rejected the word “family”.
Judging by how she looked around after spotting me, it was clear she didn’t want anyone to see us together.
“It feels like a fire’s been lit under my feet.”
I have to get stronger and fast.
At this rate, Camilla will kill me without hesitation when the time comes.
I hurried my steps toward the library.
***
Ding.
[A modifiable spell structure has been detected.]
Ding. Ding. Ding.
[A modifiable spell structure has…]
[A modifiable spell structure has…]
[A modifiable spell structure has…]
The library.
I searched through every corner of the shelves and gathered all the books that triggered that message.
Thud!!!
That made fifteen books total.
I dropped them all in front of the loan desk.
“I’d like to borrow all of these.”
“Each person can only check out up to five books.”
“What? Why?”
“Probably because people like you, who never even glance at books normally, suddenly think they can shoot magic pew-pew just by borrowing some ancient book.”
She’d gotten quite foul-mouthed in just two days. I bowed my head to Sasha who was glaring at me with disdain.
“Let me borrow them….because I can shoot pew-pew with them!”
“…Do you actually believe there’s some hidden miracle tucked away in an old book rotting somewhere in this library? Disgusting mindset.”
“Maybe there is?”
“There are always people like you wherever you go. Still clinging to that childish fantasy. Must be thanks to being coddled at home all your life. Never even set foot in the real world, have you?”
“Uhh…”
The more I listened, the more annoyed I got.
For someone’s attitude to shift this drastically toward the same person, it meant she was seriously mood-driven.
The kind of personality that’s nothing but trouble to deal with.
“That someone like you stuck in childish delusions of omnipotence with pathetic abilities not even worth a rag made it into the academy? Tane must be really—”
I lifted my bowed head. The bangs I’d carefully swept aside for the day fell into my eyes.
“…Adel?”
“Then you should’ve said something when I first started stacking books here. That’s just mean.”
I pushed my bangs back and spoke. If the limit was five books per person, then there was no helping it. Sasha’s sharp tongue was one thing, but rules were rules.
“Five’s fine, right? I’ll go put the rest back…”
“…Are you Adel Bliss?”
“Yeah. I’m Adel Bliss. The rag caught up in childish omnipotence. Got a problem with that?”
“…Wait, what? Oh—”
She glanced quickly over the list of books on the librarian’s desk. I figured I could drop a few lower-priority ones.
Just as I was about to put back ten books all at once—
“…Hold on a moment…”
“What now? Is it actually three books, not five?”
“No, that’s not it. Um…”
She fumbled through her pocket in a bit of a panic, then handed me a card.
“You can borrow ten under my name. Librarians are allowed up to ten books…”
“What the hell. Make up your mind. Forget it. I don’t need it.”
“I-I’m sorry. It’s just… you look so different now.”
“…..…”
I let out a quiet sigh at her excuse.
So even a face change doesn’t always work, huh? I thought being good-looking was always a win.
“…Just process all fifteen.”
“…Okay.”
Whatever. It’s better to let things go. I didn’t have time to cling to pride.
I accepted Sasha’s olive branch and left the library, arms full of books.
Next up is earning NP to learn spells. I’ve got no way to get a magic item that can boost my combat ability right away. And I can’t leave campus except on weekends.
Which means the priority now is NP.
The in-game currency you earn through battles, growth, discoveries, and other events.
With hours of gameplay under my belt, I already knew the most efficient ways to earn NP, but—
Within the academy, the only immediate option is raising base stats.
That means I need to train my body.
I’d passed by the gym earlier. You need permission to use it after class hours, but of course, there’s a loophole that makes getting permission easy.
“Damn it.”
I ran through my upcoming schedule in my head.
Classes where I’m always under scrutiny, modifying magic structures, physical training, and at night, developing my Shifter trait.
On top of that, I might need to risk a weekend overnight trip.
It’s a brutal schedule, no doubt.
But when a person’s life is on the line, they can do anything.
So I have to do it.
Even if it means collapsing a few times along the way.
“I just hope I don’t drop dead from overwork first.”
Clutching my stack of books, I ran toward the Herein dormitory.
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