I once heard it in a movie.
Trying to take back a rumor you’ve spread is like trying to gather all the feathers from a pillow you’ve burst open on a rooftop.
The murmuring that had started in the morning had grown so loud by lunchtime that only a fool wouldn’t notice it.
Was the idea that I might have overcome my magic disability really such a juicy piece of gossip?
“Well, it makes sense. There’s never been someone who was magically disabled and then became a magic user, right?”
“…So it’s something unprecedented?”
“Exactly. I was cleaning the faculty offices this morning, and I even heard the professors talking about you.”
Sally said this as she tore apart her rolled omelet.
I stared blankly at her, thinking she was playing with her food, but then she grabbed one end of the omelet and slurped it up like noodles, making me clap my hands without thinking.
“Amazing. I’ve never seen anyone eat it like that.”
“Ah—are you judging me? It’s good, okay? This is how you eat it!”
“No, I mean it. That was actually impressive.”
“Eh? Really? Hehe…”
…It wasn’t a compliment.
Anyway, it was the same old dining spot I’d gotten used to by now, though it wasn’t a real cafeteria.
Recently, I’d even brought a chair, so it was a reasonably comfortable setup. Well, even if it was just a bathroom, it was better than nothing.
“I guess magic disability isn’t something that just goes away overnight.”
“Yeah, true. Someone I know was also magic-disabled and ended up becoming a knight instead. No matter what they tried, they couldn’t form a single spell.”
“So being magic-disabled means there’s no way to use magic at all?”
“Pretty much. You might be able to use something if it’s already engraved into a magical tool, but normally, no. That’s basically what the professors were saying, too. That either you’ve been hiding it all along, or you’re just using a magical tool.”
Even the so-called esteemed professors of Tane were getting all worked up over a student rumor?
If things were really that hyped up, maybe I’d be asked to demonstrate magic during the afternoon class.
“So which is it for you, Adel? Can you actually use magic? Or is it a magic tool? Or maybe just a performance to show the Bliss family is still going strong?”
“Hmm… well…”
“Did you maybe use your genius brain to figure out how to cure magic disability? Come on, you can confide in your one and only friend~. I’m all ears!”
“I see… Then, if you eat this, I’ll tell you.”
I handed her something like a bean. It was a side dish from the store-bought lunchbox.
Since I had some money left over from my last outing, I’d bought a bento from the dormitory cafeteria, but… the taste was pretty awful. Maybe this was just the sad reality of being in the lowest-ranked dorm.
It looked like sweet soy beans, but for some reason, it had a sour taste. Personally, I didn’t get it.
“Ugh, ugh!! What is this?! It’s so sour!!”
“A lunch I made myself. How is it? Tasty, right?”
“…Ah, ahaha… Adel, you can cook too, huh…?”
Sally glanced around nervously, seemingly about to criticize it but hesitating.
Taking advantage of the moment, I pushed the entire lunchbox onto her and dusted off my hands. For some reason, it gave me a strange sense of liberation…
“Actually, that was a lie. I bought it.”
“…Mmph──!!!”
Sally, who had just tightly shut her eyes and stuffed the food into her mouth, started flailing.
I casually stepped aside and spoke.
“It’s true that I overcame my magic disability. Of course, it’s limited…..I can’t use just any spell.”
“…Mmm!”
“I wasn’t hiding it. I just had a near-death experience the weekend before last and had a realization. You know, one of those truths you discover between life and death.”
“!!”
Of course, there’s no such thing as discovering “truths”. The real reason is just that I use magic through NP. Still, saying something like “I had an epiphany after nearly dying” tends to work as a believable excuse.
“Muhuhff… chuff boo bah hho…”
I gave Sally, who was looking at me with a rather pitiful expression, a quick glance.
She seemed to want to say something comforting, but with her mouth full of food, it was impossible to face her, so I ended up fleeing the scene.
***
Maybe I should’ve listened more carefully to what Sally was saying.
Maybe I was still stuck in the mindset of playing a game.
“…Well? Think you can do it, Adel?”
“I don’t know.”
“I see.”
“Adel, could you show us that spell?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know.”
“…Ah. I thought so.”
“Today, Adel Bliss? Could you demonstrate a spell?”
“Not sure.”
“Hmm. That’s unfortunate.”
“……”
This is freaking ridiculous.
I rubbed my forehead in irritation. Maybe students weren’t the only ones bored with peaceful academy life. Or maybe it’s just that professors are the kind of people who need to satisfy their curiosity.
Should’ve just blasted any random spell.
Maybe I should be thankful that the gossiping had died down. I rubbed my forehead and looked around.
So that’s what it was, huh.
“There’s no way a magic disability can be cured. We saw it, didn’t we? He’s third circle, but didn’t have even a hint of a mana wave…”
“Shh. Countess. He’ll hear you.”
“Ah…”
—So Friday’s fight was just him using some kind of magical tool, and he’s still magic-disabled?
That kind of evaluation was trickling into my ears. Thanks to my slightly increased stamina stat, my hearing had gotten a bit sharper than usual.
Should I just wreck everything?
“……”
After thinking for a moment, I shook my head.
There were no playable characters in Class B anyway.
The fact that I beat up the ones who picked a fight with me doesn’t just disappear, so it’s safe to say there’s some mutual discomfort between us.
Which isn’t a bad thing.
Honestly, it’s more annoying when people try to cozy up to me now, pretending to be friendly.
Ignoring them is probably the better option.
With that conclusion, I headed to the gym.
And there, I ran into something strange.
“What the hell? Why’s a magic department student in the gym?”
“?”
“Trying Knight since you’re magic-disabled? Sorry, but this place is for Knight majors. You’re supposed to be out of here by 7.”
There are days like this.
Days when everything just pisses you off.
“Kugin! Who the hell do you think you—”
“Irina, why are you taking the magic department’s side?”
“He’s someone Senior Aaron personally approved!”
“Yeah, I know. I heard the rumors. There’s some guy pretending to be a mage with a tool Aaron gave him, even though he’s still magic-disabled.”
“What? Kugin, you…!”
“Can’t stand people who take advantage of others’ kindness for their own gain.”
The guy who shook off Irina walked up to me.
“You’re Adel, right? Sorry to break it to you, but using cheap tricks like magic tools won’t make you a real mage. You know that much, don’t you?”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah. Sorry, but this gym is only for Knight students after 7.”
“I already got permission.”
“Ah, you mean from Senior Aaron? Don’t worry. I’ll talk to him. I’m one of his favorite juniors.”
“Aaron likes you?”
“Calling a senior by name? Show some respect, will you?”
“……”
“Hey!!!!”
Irina stepped in front of me, growling.
“You don’t have permission to be here either. If you want Adel to leave, you get out too!”
“Yeah, I didn’t get permission. Why? Because the permission card I should’ve received went to that guy!”
“Aaron gave it to him. If you’ve got a problem with that—”
“No. I can’t do that. I don’t want Senior Aaron to bear the disgrace of having been fooled by some lowborn, magic-disabled trash.”
“……”
Huh.
Lowborn trash.
That… might’ve crossed the line.
I’m not really sure.
But more than that, all I could feel was irritation taking over my mind.
Heat started rising from deep in my chest.
I brushed Irina’s shoulder aside.
The thought that I should be acting like Adel didn’t even cross my mind.
“What a little shit.”
“…W-What?”
A face that believed everything he did was only natural.
That’s how he grew up. Probably never had a single person in his life talk back to him.
A textbook spoiled brat.
And unfortunately for him, I’m the type who thinks kids need a few hits to grow up right.
Before I even realized it, I grabbed his jaw.
“Hey.”
“W-What the hell! You bastard! Let go!”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“F-First-year, Class A of the Knight Department, Ku—!”
“Not your name. I’m asking who you think you are to be forgiving anyone.”
“Th-This area is only for Knight students…!”
“That’s something Aaron should say. Who the hell are you to yap like that? Acting like a kid.”
◆ Trait manifestation: [Shape Transformation]
◆ Available mana: [1,490]
“A-Adel…?”
A mage’s mana is released from the ring around the heart and circulates through the body with the blood.
The waves created by the heartbeat are mana waves.
These waves act like signal frequencies, controlling the mana in the air. That is the basic framework of magic.
However, a Shifter’s mana cannot release those mana waves outside the body.
The waves stay trapped inside. Because of that, the endocrine system breaks down, and most Shifters have frail bodies.
But even so, once you understand this constitution properly…
Crack.
You can mutate your body using the waves inside it.
That’s why it’s “Shape Transformation.”
Of course, I’m nowhere near capable of using my trait in such complicated ways yet.
Still, focusing mana waves on one specific part of my body is easy enough.
“Draw your sword.”
“W-What?”
“If you don’t want to die to a magic-disabled draw your sword.”
◆ Available mana: [1,490] → [790]
I packed the mana waves into my fist and swung.
Baaaaaang—!!!
“Ghhk!!!”
I shattered his sword as he blocked and slammed my fist into his face. Shame. I was hoping to knock out at least a tooth or two.
My fist was torn up in one hit, but with adrenaline pumping, I couldn’t feel a thing.
This time I focused mana waves into my elbow. I swung with all my strength and smashed it into his cheekbone.
◆ Available mana: [790] → [290]
“Kuh…!!”
As he toppled over, I mounted him and rapidly recharged my mana.
Crackle—
◆ Available mana: [290] → [1,290]
“A lowborn who can’t use magic? Well said. You must think that just because the magic I’ve shown looks different each time, I must be some kind of failure, huh?”
“A magic… disabled…! Get out of my way!!!”
“Still got the nerve to talk, huh? Let’s see if this counts as magic too.”
I picked up a shard of the broken sword.
Crackle—bzzzt—
◆ Available mana: [1,290] → [3,290] → [4,290] → [5,000]
“Aureus.”
◆ Magic pending acquisition: Aureus (Upper-Intermediate) ◆ …Acquisition complete.
◆ Available mana: [5,000] → [0]
A bright white light gathered at my fingertip.
A fourth-circle offensive spell that heats metal and fires it.
The mana waves radiating from the spell reached him.
“…H-Hiiiee…!”
“If you manage to block this, I won’t bother showing up at the gym. Kid.”
“W-Wait. Wait, please!! I-I was wrong! I’m sorry! Please, spare—!”
“Oops. Bit too late for that now.”
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