Someone suggested to add names to dialogue so I’ll do just that. If you have any problems with it leave a comment down below and I’ll change/remove it. As always please comment if you find something wrong etc. Thanks!

Saikyou Mahous.h.i.+ no Inton Keikaku

Part 1 Chapter 1

3. Omen of Fate

As the practice battle lesson approached its latter half, it changed to self practice. It time that was allocated towards polis.h.i.+ng up one’s existing magic or learning new magic.

Practicing magic would never be useless. Even though it differs from person to person, as you spent your magic, it would have the effect of increasing your total amount of magic. Magic would continually generate within your body until it your pool was completely full. It would not increase if you were already full. However through continuous practice and expenditure of magic, it would be possible to gradually expand the amount of magic you could store. Although innate talent does affect the size of your magic pool, it ultimately came down to one’s own hard work.

The new students in the practice arena had no clear clue of what they were to practice during self study. As a result they became enthusiastic about practice battles.

Ars was in the middle of them all shamelessly reading his book. The practice arena was basically the same throughout as the ground was mostly made out of dirt. This was a consideration towards mages who specialized in earth magic.

There should’ve been no-one with an interest in Ars. Within all the battles and spectators, he was located at the edge reading his book in a trance.

「Stop it!」(Alice)

「This’ll be a good lesson for him. You, come with me. 」(Fia)

Alice tried to stop Tesfia who approached Ars and stood over him.

Tesfia was completely distracting his studying.

「You’re really persistent aren’t you.」(Ars)

「What could you be talking about?」(Ars)

「You ―― 」(Fia)

Tesfia grabbed Ars by the chest and roughly lifted him up. However because Tesfia’s height was only till Ars’s chin, she could only lift him up halfway which caused her face to distort with anger.

「I won’t allow you to forget your insult towards the Faver House.」(Fia)

Did something like that happen? Even though it was something that had happened 2 to 3 hours ago, it was a matter so trifle to Ars that he had trouble remembering that it happened without Fia’s reminder.

「So what?」(Ars)

「―――― ! ! “So what”?!!」(Fia)

Those were his true feelings. In fact, he was more bothered that he could not read his book in peace.

Anymore than this would be troublesome and annoying.

「It was my bad, so please just let the matter drop.」(Ars)

His eyes were glued towards the open book as he apologized half-heartedly.

「Don’t make fun of me!!」(Fia)

With all her wrath, Tesfia hit the book out of his hands.

Distracted by the commotion, the students who were in the middle of matches stopped. Their thinking that just because it was a practice match, it would be okay to be distracted was proof of their inexperience.

The book danced in the air with it’s pages turning, as it landed on the ground and caused a small dust cloud.

「Fia!!」(Alice)

Alice cried out quickly, warning Tesfia that she had crossed a line. Tesfia still full of wrath retreated one step, and let go of Ars’s hand. However, you could still see the anger in Alice’s eyes.

The red-haired student, Tesfia must’ve had a lot of pride to be provoked so much. As far as Ars was concerned, his actions just now weren’t that big of a deal. However for Tesfia is was different…… still a child.

Ars during his time in the military was baptized into it by men many times larger than himself, and endured harsh training. For the most part, his life till now has not been an easy path.

Even still Tesfia’s actions were an annoyance.

「I challenge you to a match!!」(Fia)

Ars felt that there was no backing out since they’ve already come this far.

This entire situation wouldn’t end if Ars let her win the match. At any rate, no longer did he plan to lose. To make sure there was no mess, he planned to make it clear once and for all.

In the military they had a method where they ruled by fear, but it was easy to generate animosity among the surroundings. As mages could easily use magic, there was a tendency for higher ranked mages to look down upon others.

Ars right now was thinking upon the same lines. Without a little fear, Ars felt that his next three years would be wasted and meaningless.

He wasn’t able to completely remove the dirt. There was a need to teach a lesson to her who had roughly treated this precious doc.u.ment about the wisdom of magic research.

He painstakingly stroked the cover, and lifted his head towards his opponent who was generating great animosity.

「After cla.s.s then. We’ll use the practice arena, no complaints?」(Ars)

「Fia, and even Ars-kun……」(Alice)

「That’s fine with me but……」(Alice)

Alice had an expression as if she wanted to stop this fight, but she only uttered that single line. Because it was the result that both of them wanted. However it started, it resulted from Ars accepting Tesfia’s one-sided demand. Alice could only watch over what would happen.

Alice had no other choice. No matter what she as a spectator said, it would change nothing. It was the same for Ars….

It was a good lesson on how dilemmas could sometimes escalate into disputes.

「After cla.s.s in the practice arena, we’ll settle this. Between us three.」

There was still an hour or so until lunch break, but Ars changed hurriedly and left the practice arena.

Normally you would have to request the usage of the practice arena through the receptionist, but in Ars’s case as he was hiding his rank, he could just request directly in order to reserve the entire arena.

「I don’t mind, but please don’t tell anyone.」(Cisty)

「So, I wonder who was the fool that angered you?」(Cisty)

The question was mixed with a sigh and seemed to be a rhetorical question.

「Tesfia or something like that.」(Ars)

「――――!! Isn’t she the Faver House’s honorable daughter?」(Cisty)

Her eyes were filled with worry more than surprise.

「You can’t…… call it the match off?」(Cisty)

「Impossible. She was the one who came looking for trouble so please voice your concerns towards her. Also matches between cla.s.smates are allowed, so the chairman intervening and stopping one would cause unwanted trouble.」(Ars)

As if warning the Chairman, Ars told her the truth.

As Ars slowly opened his eyes, they were full of annoyance.

「There’s not much time left, so I want to just leave it at this.」(Ars)

The chairman slightly opened her lips as if she was about to say something but decided against it as she had given up on this matter. However, at the end ――

「The academy’s practice arena was built less st.u.r.dy than those of the military’s, so please take that into consideration.」(Cisty)

It was a warning that even though the practice arena did indeed change all physical damage into mental stress, Single Mages if they felt like it could cause such damage that even when converted would leave after-effects.

「I understand.」

As he concluded with that and was about to turn back, he discovered the weapon that he would use in his match after cla.s.s.

「Can I take this?」(Ars)

「Of course for the practice match. The book on me right now is a precious object.」(Ars)

As he said that, he he grabbed a simple school pamphlet off the table. It was less than a centimeter thick and weak, but that was no problem.

「Whatever the circ.u.mstances may be, that’s a little…..」(Cisty)

「This is plenty. I know her strength.」

He showed the chairman the pamphlet, which was related to magic. The pamphlet was a little bent as is anything made of paper, and in an instant ―― the paper straightened itself st.u.r.dily.

The chairman was surprised by such a scene, and as to relieve her surprise she heaved a sigh of relief.

「I doesn’t seem that I need to worry about you. That was the first time I’ve seen such beautiful magic bestowal.」(Cisty)

「That seems so.」(Cisty)

For the flow of magic, the smoothness of the transmission of magic affects it’s power and durability. No matter how roughly made something was, with perfect magical processing it would become a weapon.

That’s why for the pamphlet that Ars called a weapon, with the magic that was imbued inside it could be compared to the likes of famous swords. To even rank those swords under the pamphlet could be said as true balance.

However, Ars’s thought process was a little different. The true strength of a weapon only s.h.i.+nes when they cross each other in battle.

As one would expect, no matter how much magic you imbue into paper, it was still paper was a thought that the chairman could not get out of her mind. However, it would be another case if you cast magic without the use of the pamphlet.

He managed to stop his salute which had become habitual during his time in the military, deeply bowed and proceeded to leave the room.

「Then, I’ll see you around」(Ars)

「……………」(Cisty)

Returning to the cla.s.sroom would be troublesome.

If he was not concerned with obtaining attendance credit, there was no doubt that he would never go to cla.s.s.

Ars left the school building. He made his way towards the laboratory without even thinking.

Ars in his own room with a crude onigiri in one hand ate a lonely ―― although the person himself did not feel that way a single bit ――lunch.

Ars then s.h.i.+fted his thoughts about the mysterious gaze that he felt during the practice match.

It would be a mistake, if the chairman was not aware of a person in school grounds who observed Ars on that occasion, so it wasn’t a big deal.  a.s.sa.s.sins, terrorists, all of those a.s.sumptions seemed off. Anyway, as long as they had no intention of causing harm, there was no need to search for them. Sooner or later he would find out. Since it was Ars, that would certainly be the case. Of course he had an inkling of who they were.

In the room that was allocated to Ars, he opened the bedroom door and took a glance inside. His gaze was fixed upon a black attache case.

Ars’s AWR was specially made. You could say that it was the result of his research. It was uniquely arranged and was one of it’s kind in the world.

But, Ars who retreated his gaze from it had wished that his life would no longer require him to use it. He brought it along with him as if a reminder that he could not escape from the military, or as a gift from the results of his research.  That might’ve been the indulgence of Ars, who himself searched for somewhere in the outside world that he did not know of. *

Over 50 years has pa.s.sed since the white tower started to keep demons at bay, and if one were to look upwards they would see a forged sky.

During his time in the military ―― even thought he still is part of it now ―― his missions that comprised of slaying demons caused him to venture into the outside world G.o.d-know how many times. However every time Ars stepped out into the outside world, he never knew what was going to amaze him next.

1. それは免罪符であってアルス本人は知らず外の世界にこそ居場所を求めたのかもしれない