The Bad Magic Student

Chapter 1

 Chapter 1

- I cannot accept it. 

- Are you still talking about it? 

It was the day of the opening ceremony, early in the morning, two hours before it began. 

There were still too few freshmen whose hearts were filled with anticipation of what a new life would bring them in the future, as well as their even more joyful parents. 

In front of the conference room, where the opening ceremony will take place, a young man and a girl argued loudly. They were wearing new uniforms.

Both of them are freshmen, but their form was strangely different. 

It's not about the differences between men's and women's clothing, not about trousers and skirts. 

On her chest was the eight-petal emblem of First High School. 

But the emblem was missing on the student's jacket. 

- Onii-sama[1] why are you in reserve[2] ? Aren't you the best in the entrance exam? To be honest, you should have been the freshmen representative, not me!

“Leaving aside the question of where you got your entrance exam results ... Since this is a school of magic, it’s obvious that they will prioritize practical skills over paper test results, right? Miyuki, are you well aware of my practical skills? I am a little surprised, even by the fact that I got into the second stream.

It was a scene where a student tried to calm down a student who was arguing angrily with him. From what the student called the student “Onii-sama,” we can assume that they were related. In addition, it is possible that they were close relatives.

If they were relatives, they were not alike at all. 

On the one hand, anyone who looks at the younger sister will no doubt be captivated by her; ten out of ten people, or even one hundred out of a hundred people, would agree that she was a charming, excellent girl.

On the other hand, as for the older brother, apart from his erect posture and piercing gaze, nothing of his usual appearance can be said to attract attention. 

- How can you be so insecure! Why, if there is no one who can surpass you in studies or taijutsu! In truth, even in magic ...

The younger sister reprimanded her brother for his unconvincing statement, but, 

- Miyuki! 

As soon as he called her name in an unusually strong tone, Miyuki calmed down and fell silent. 

- You understand? Even if you say it, it won't change anything.

-... Sorry. 

- Miyuki ... 

He put his hand on her lowered head and gently stroked her shiny black hair, on which there is not a single curl: "What should I do to lift her spirits," the young man who was the older brother mused with an unhappy face. 

“I'm really happy that you think so. I always feel saved when you are angry instead of me.

- Liar. 

- I am not lying. 

- Liar. Onii-sama, you always scold me ...

“I said I’m not lying. I have the same feelings for you as you do for me.

- Onii-sama ... "I have the same feelings for you" - you said ... (... Hmm?) 

For some reason, the girl blushed. 

The young man could feel the seeds of inappropriateness that were sown, he could not ignore them. In an attempt to solve the most pressing problem, he removed all doubts.

- Even if you refuse this opportunity, I will definitely not be chosen as a replacement. If you step back at eleven o'clock, you will not be able to avoid a stain on your reputation. Do you understand that? Miyuki, you're a smart girl.  

- But ... 

“Besides, Miyuki, I'm looking forward to it. Show your worthless big brother a cute little sister moment of glory.

`` Onii-sama is not a worthless older brother! ... But, I get it. Please forgive me for being so stubborn.

“You don’t need to apologize, I never thought you were stubborn. 

"Well, then I'll go .... Please watch me, Onii-sama." 

- Of course, I wish you luck. I am looking forward to your performance.

- I will definitely see you later. 

The young girl bowed and disappeared into the conference room; convinced of this, the young man sighed with relief.

(Well ... what should I do now?) 

The young man accompanied his younger sister, who became, albeit reluctantly, the freshman spokesperson to school for rehearsals. Now he was at a loss as to how he should spend the remaining two hours of free time before the school ceremony began.

◊ ◊ ◊

The three school buildings consist of a main building, a workshop building and a laboratory. 

The interior layout of the classroom / gym can be changed using transformation machines. Library - with three above-ground floors and two underground. Two small gyms. The preparatory building is equipped with a dressing room, shower, equipment storage room, and a club room. The dining room, cafeteria, and supply department are located in a different building, and above all, the presence of various large and small outbuildings made First High School more like a suburban university than a school.

The young man walked along a cobblestone path. He looked left and right, looking for a place to rest before it was time to go to the conference room.

An ID card allowing the use of the school premises will only be issued to him after the completion of the opening ceremony. 

In an effort to avoid chaos, the outdoor cafe that was supposed to serve visitors was also closed today. 

After walking around for five minutes using a map of the school grounds in his mobile terminal, he saw a row of trees arranged in such a way that they could not escape his field of vision. Behind the trees was a small courtyard with a bench in the middle.

“It's good that there’s no rain,” trifling thoughts settled in his head. He sat down on a bench for three people, opened his mobile terminal, and entered his favorite book portal.

It looks like this courtyard was a shortcut from the preparatory building to the conference room. 

A crowd of students appeared nearby, apparently high school students helping to organize the ceremony. They walked past him at a short distance. They all had emblems with eight petals on the left side of their chest.

As they passed by, the artless, heartless words were heard behind them. 

"Oh, this guy from the Weeds?" 

- I came a little early ... From the reserve, but with what enthusiasm. 

“He’s just a spare, after all. 

The conversations that Tatsuya really didn’t want to hear still reached his ears. 

The word "Weeds" was meant for the students of the second stream. 

The disciples who have the emblem with eight petals on the left side of their chest are called "Flowers," while the disciples of the second stream, who do not have the emblem, are compared to weeds that will never bloom like flowers and are called "Weeds." 

The quota for newcomers to this school is two hundred students. 

Of these, one hundred went to school on the second stream. 

The first high school, as a branch of the State University of Magic, was created in accordance with national policy, with the aim of training operators of magic. 

In exchange for the budget provided by the country, it is obliged to achieve certain results. 

Each year, the school graduates more than one hundred graduates who will enter the Magic University or the Technical Institute of Magic of Higher Specialized Training. 

It's a shame, but the fact is that magic education is now based on trial and error. Accidents, other than ordinary injuries, are fairly common in hands-on training and experimental activities. Even if the students are aware of the danger, they will bet their future on their own talent in magic and the possibility that they possess it, and continue to go the path of becoming a wizard.

When only a minority possesses such a talent, and this talent is highly valued by society, few could bury it. This is especially true of adolescents who have not yet formed as individuals. How easily they go astray from the "road to a brighter future"! On the other hand, many children are instilled from birth with this system based on a simple belief in success, and when something does not work out, overconfident often get injured.

Thanks to many years of experience, most accidents leading to death or disability are now avoidable. 

However, your talent for magic can be easily degraded from a psychological point of view. 

Each year, the number of students dropping out due to the inability to use magic as a result of the shock of accidents is by no means small. 

Those who fill this gap are the "second stream". 

Upon entering school, they are allowed to practice in the classroom, use equipment, and access data, but they lack the most important learning component - they are not eligible for personal instructor training in practical magic skills. 

They can only learn on their own and show results through their own efforts. 

If the results are unsatisfactory, then they are sent to complete their studies in regular high schools. 

Without graduating from high school in magic, it is impossible to continue studying at the university of magic. 

Given that there were not enough people capable of teaching magic, it was inevitable that priority would be given to the most talented students. From the very beginning, the second stream was accepted on the condition that no one would teach them.

It is publicly f*******n to call the students of the second stream "weeds". 

However, it can be said in part that this well-known derogatory term has its roots in the second stream. Even the students of the second stream admitted that they were nothing more than a reserve team.

This also applied to this young man. 

That is why there was no need for them to speak loudly on purpose for him to understand. He entered school fully aware of this.

“What unnecessary attention from them” - thinking so, the young man turned his attention to the book portal, which had already loaded into his terminal. 

◊ ◊ ◊

The clock was displayed on the open computer terminal. 

His consciousness, immersed in reading, returned to reality. 

There is still half an hour left before the opening ceremony. 

- Are you a new student? It's almost time for the ceremony.

A voice from above came around the same time he closed one of his favorite book portals, turned off the computer terminal, and was about to get up. 

The first thing that came into view was the female form. After that - a wide bracelet on the left hand.

Wider and thinner than a normal bracelet - the latest CAD model, which has been made according to the latest fashion. 

CAD - Casting Assistant Device. 

Also called a Device or Helper. 

Known as the "Magic Operator" in this country. 

Something that replaces tools such as spellcasting, talismans, seals, magic circles, magic books, and other traditional methods of invoking magic; this tool is essential for any modern wizard.

Nowadays, magic is no longer studied by single words or phrases. While using talismans, magic circles, and the like, the shortest summoning of magic will take about ten seconds, while longer summons can take, depending on the magic, more than a minute. The easiest way is to use CAD instead, which can reduce the summoning of magic to a second.

Even if magic can be summoned without a CAD, the number of wizards who do not use it, but are still able to quickly summon magic, tends to zero. Those who dedicated themselves to specializing in one particular skill, leaving only one supernatural power in them, came to be called "Users of supernatural powers." Those who strive for the speed and stability brought by the activation system have made use of CADs ubiquitous.

However, this does not mean that anyone with a CAD can use magic. 

CAD only gives out the result of activation, and the ability to awaken magic belongs to the Operator of Magic himself. 

In other words, CAD is useless for those who cannot use magic. And can only be used by those with magical talent.

According to the young man's memory, only executive committee members or school board members are allowed to wear CADs. 

- Thank you, then I'll go. 

On the left side of her chest, of course, was the eight-petal emblem. 

On the bulge from his chest, which lifted his jacket, his consciousness did not move a bit. 

He did not hide his left chest. 

He didn't do such a cowardly act. 

But that didn't mean he didn't care. 

He did not imagine himself actively talking with an excellent student who turned out to be a member of the student council. 

- I'm impressed, screen type? 

However, she seemed to think differently. Looking at the screen of the mobile terminal, which Tatsuya had folded three times, she chuckled as if in awe of something.

At that moment, Tatsuya finally looked into her face. 

Her face was 20 centimeters shorter than the height of Tatsuya as he stood up from the bench. 

Tatsuya's height was one hundred and seventy-five centimeters, in fact the girl was relatively short. 

She had just the right height to be directly convinced of his belonging to the second stream. 

But her gaze had not even the slightest hint of humiliation, but instead was filled with pure, innocent surprise. 

- Our school prohibits the use of virtual displays. Still, it is unfortunate that many students still use them. However, even before entering school, you use an on-screen display.

- The head-up display is not readable. 

Anyone would say that one glance is enough to know that his terminal was professional, so she didn't bother asking further. 

The young man carefully chose the answer, if he said something wrong, it would cause inconvenience to his younger sister, and not to him. Since he was sure that the school council had chosen his younger sister as the representative of the freshmen.

This answer impressed the high school student even more. 

- Instead of watching animation, do you read? This is even more rare. I also prefer text information over animation, so I'm a little happy.

Indeed, in this era, virtual content is preferred over textual information, although book lovers are not uncommon. 

Somehow, it seemed that the high school student was an extremely sociable person. From her tone and speech, she made a friendly impression.

- Oh, sorry. I am the student council president of the first high school, Saegusa Mayumi. It is spelled as "seven herbs", it reads as Saegusa. Nice to meet you.

Although she winked at the end, there was not a hint of surprise in her tone. With a good looks and slender body, despite her small stature, she exuded such a charming atmosphere that it would not be surprising if a newly enrolled male student misunderstands her intentions.

However, upon hearing her introduce herself, the young man seemed to frown involuntarily. 

(Numbers ... and also Saegusa (Seven Herbs)) 

The abilities of wizards depend heavily on heredity. 

In other words, the talent of wizards is highly dependent on ancestry. 

In this country, houses (families) with excellent kinship in magic traditionally have numbers in their surnames. 

Among the numbered genera, which carry the highest hereditary factor, the Saegus family is currently one of the two most influential houses in the country. This young girl, student council president, is probably their direct heir. In other words, she is an elite of the elite. You can even say that she is the complete opposite of him.

Restraining unpleasant emotions and with difficulty squeezing out a polite smile, the young man introduced himself: 

“I, no, my name is Shiba Tatsuya. 

- Shiba Tatsuya-kun ... I see, you are the same Shiba-kun hmm ... 

The President's eyes widened in surprise, after which she nodded emphatically. 

Well, anyway, he was the older brother of the freshman representative, the excellent student of Shiba Miyuki, he was a mediocrity, unable to use any magic. By "thus," she probably meant it.

Thinking about it, Tatsuya kindly kept silent. 

- You were a very hot topic among teachers. 

Mayumi said this with a happy smile that did not fit with Tatsuya's silence. 

This is likely due to how rare there are a couple of relatives who are so far apart in ability, Tatsuya thought. 

However, there was no sense of mistrust or hostility from her. He didn't feel a hint of laughter in her smile.

Mayumi's smile was friendly and positive. 

“Out of a hundred points, your average grade in the entrance exams was 96. The subjects of Theoretical Magic and Construction of Magic stood out in particular. Even though the average grade of those who passed was no more than seventy, you easily got the perfect grade on both tests that required an essay. This is an incredibly high result.

The praise he heard was not his imagination, Tatsuya thought. The reason was that:  

“These are just test results on paper and only data in the information system. 

When enrolling in magic high school, more emphasis is placed on the bottom line rather than on paper test results. 

At this time, a more fierce smile emerged on Tatsuya's face as he pointed to the left side of his jacket. 

The student council president needs to understand. 

However, at Tatsuya's words, Mayumi shook her head with a smile. 

Not vertically, but from left to right. 

- You know, I would not have been able to get such an amazing rating. I don't look like that, but I am really strong in theoretical subjects. If my entrance exams had the same questions, I definitely would not have been able to get as high a mark as you, Shiba-kun.

- It's almost time ... I beg your pardon. 

Tatsuya bowed to Mayumi. She seemed to want to say something else, but he, without waiting for an answer, turned his back to her.

Somewhere deep in his heart, he was afraid of her smile, and what could happen if he spoke with her. 

Although he did not realize what he was afraid of. 

◊ ◊ ◊

As a result of a conversation with the student council president, by the time Tatsuya entered the conference room, more than half of the seats were already filled. 

Since there were no allocated seats, whether it was the first row, the last, to the right of the center, or to the right of the edge, he was free to choose where to sit. 

Even now, depending on the school, there are institutions that follow the traditional style of organizing places by class, which is announced in advance before the start of the entrance ceremony, but in this school everyone can determine their class only when they receive an ID card.

Consequently, the seats were not organized by class. 

However, there was a clear distribution of them among freshmen. 

In the first half, in front, there are flowers. Students who wear the eight petal emblem on the left side of the chest. Freshmen who at this school can benefit from the curriculum.

In the second half, behind, there are weeds. Students in whom the left side of the chest is not decorated. Freshmen who were allowed to enter this school only as a reserve.

Even if they were the same newcomers to school on the same day, they were clearly divided into a group with an emblem and a group without an emblem. 

And there was no forced separation. 

(The people who were most conscious of discrimination accepted it, hmm ...) 

It was kind of common sense. 

Without intending to openly go against the current, Tatsuya chose an empty seat near the center of the last third of the rows at his discretion and sat down. 

He glanced at the wall clock. 

Twenty more minutes. 

He could not access any site in this room where electronic communications were restricted. The data stored in his terminal was no longer new information for him, and more importantly, it was f*******n to open terminals in this place.

Tatsuya tried to think of his sister, who now had to rehearse for the last time ... and shook his head. 

His little sister wouldn't worry right before the main event. 

In the end, unable to find something to do, Tatsuya settled himself more comfortably in the hard chair and closed his eyes. As soon as he was about to take a nap ...

- Eh, the place next to you is not taken? 

There was a question. 

He opened his eyes and, as he thought, the question was directed to him. 

It was clear from the voice that it was a student. 

- Make yourself comfortable. 

He wondered why she had chosen a location next to an unfamiliar student when there were still a lot of empty seats, and there were also quite a few more comfortable seats. On the other hand, she was a young, slender girl, so Tatsuya wouldn't worry if she sits down next to him. Rather, it will be even more comfortable than having a dirty mountain of muscles sitting next to him.

Thinking about it, Tatsuya nodded politely. 

The young girl thanked him, nodded in return, and took her place. 

Near her, three more young girls sat down next to her. 

Everything became clear to Tatsuya. 

It looked like they were looking for a place where they could all sit together. 

They are most likely friends, although it is very rare to see four friends who have been accepted into a difficult school like this, and on top of that, it’s not realistic to be all together on the second stream, Tatsuya thought. It would not be strange even if there was an excellent student among them. But it doesn't matter to him.

- Um ... 

This student again turned to Tatsuya, who had already turned back. Although he happened to meet a student of the same year as him, she no longer interested him.

What else does she want? 

It was clear that she was not his acquaintance, and that he did not touch her knee or legs. 

Speaking about himself, Tatsuya was sitting in the correct posture. 

He didn’t do anything she could complain about, but ... 

- I am Shibata Mizuki. Nice to meet you.

She suddenly introduced herself to Tatsuya in a seemingly timid tone. He bowed his head. Although it is difficult to judge from her appearance, she does not seem to be one of those who are used to making a strong impression on others.

Most likely she forced herself to do it, Tatsuya thought. She could do this with the thought that the students of the second stream should help each other.

- I am Shiba Tatsuya. Nice to meet you.

After exchanging short greetings, as he thought, the eyes on the other side of the lenses looked more relaxed. 

In this era, it is very rare for a girl to wear glasses. 

Since the middle of the twenty-first century, as a consequence of the widespread use of vision correction procedures, the disease known as myopia has become a thing of the past in this country. 

Some people were born with a hereditary form of severe abnormal vision that cannot be cured with normal vision correction tools, but even so, it is more common for people over the age of 10 to wear eye-friendly contact lenses. 

If she wears glasses anyway, it might be because of her hobby, a fashion accessory, or maybe ... 

(Oversensitive to the radiation of spirit particles, hmm ...) 

Even a quick glance was enough for him to realize that there were no diopters in the lenses. At least he knew they weren't being used to correct vision. According to the impression of this young girl, most likely she is wearing them not for fashion, but because of a special need.

“Hypersensitivity to the radiation of spiritual particles” refers to the state of the body when one can see the radiation of spiritual particles without conscious effort, and it is impossible to stop seeing them through conscious efforts, in other words, a type of disorder where it is impossible to achieve complete control over attention. Thus, it really is neither a disease nor a disadvantage.

With this deviation, a person's sensitivity increases significantly. 

Pushions (spiritual particles) and Psion (particles of thoughts). They are seen in "parapsychic phenomena" (including magic), and are composed of non-physical entities. They correspond neither to fermions, the particles that make up all matter, nor to bosons, which cause interactions between matter. Psions are particles of intention or thought manifestation, while pushions can be viewed as particles of emotion caused by intention or thought (Unfortunately, this is still just a hypothesis).

Psions are commonly used in magic. In the technology of systems of modern magic, special attention is paid to their control. Wizards primarily learn how to control psions.

People suffering from "Hypersensitivity to the radiation of spiritual particles" have inherited this disease. The radiation of spiritual particles is not physical light, but the light generated by the activity of the pushions.

The release of spiritual particles can affect the emotional state of people who are able to see them. Hence, pushers are supposedly particles generated by emotion. It follows from this that people suffering from "hypersensitivity to the radiation of spiritual particles", as a rule, are sensitive to the violation of their mental stability.

In fact, to prevent this, you needed to control the sensitivity to pushions. For those unable to do so, technological assistance is required. Spectacles made from a special type of lens known as “aura-removing lenses” are one type of this aid.

In reality, for wizards, the state of "hypersensitivity to the radiation of spiritual particles" was not so rare. The wizard's sensitivity to psion and sensitivity to psion were more or less directly proportional. Many wizards who deliberately manipulate pions were concerned about the sensitivity to the radiation of spirit particles. But everyone knew that nothing could be done about it.

However, it is really rare to see a person who has such a disorder that he or she needs to block the emission of spirit particles with glasses. This won't be much of a problem if it is caused by the lesser manipulative ability, but if it is caused by the extremely high sensitivity, it might be bad news for Tatsuya (Although not that important for the person in question).

Tatsuya had a secret. 

A secret that will not be revealed by an ordinary gaze does not particularly bother. But if she has special eyes that allow her to feel pusions and psions, if they were completely visible to her, his secret may accidentally be revealed.

He should be much more alert and cautious when she is around. 

- I'm Chiba Erika. Nice to meet you, Shiba-kun.

- Me too. 

The voice of the young girl sitting next to Mizuki interrupted Tatsuya's thoughts. 

But it was a welcome break. 

Tatsuya unconsciously stared at Mizuki. Her shyness pretty much reached its limit, but it went unnoticed by Tatsuya.

“It's an interesting coincidence, isn't it? 

Unlike her friend, Erica seemed to be an outgoing and unrestrained type. 

Her short, blonde hair and defined facial features gave a strong impression of a cheerful girl. 

- What do you mean? 

“Well, you know our names are Shiba, Shibata, and Chiba, right? Don't they rhyme? Although they are slightly different.

-... Clear. 

He understood what she meant. 

"But still, Chiba, hmm .... Another one of the numbers?[3] . I don't know if the Chiba family has a daughter named 'Erica', but it is quite possible that she is from a kindred family. "

When he thought of it, "really interesting," he emitted a few inappropriate chuckles, but not enough to elicit cold looks from those around him. 

After the two remaining female students who were on the other side of Erika introduced themselves, Tatsuya felt satisfied with his trivial curiosity. 

- Are you all four from the same high school? 

Erica's answer was unexpected: 

- No, we all just met for the first time. 

Tatsuya's surprised look might have looked strange. Erica chuckled and continued to explain.

“I didn't know where this place was, and was looking at the information board when Mizuki called out to me. 

-... Information table? 

This is strange, Tatsuya thought. The entry ceremony data includes the location of the ceremony and has been sent to all students. With LPS[4] (Local Positioning System), a standard feature of a mobile terminal, even if a new student does not look at the information board, or forgets any information, he will not get lost.

“Three of us didn't take the data terminals. 

- Well, models with virtual screens are prohibited, and my introductory guide is stored there. 

- In the end, we were lucky to enter this school, not a desire to receive a comment right before the admission ceremony. 

- In fact, I forgot mine too. 

- So this is your reason, hmm ... 

He really couldn't figure it out. If this is your own admission ceremony, after all, check the venue before arriving. He honestly thought so, but didn't say a word.

There is no need to cause meaningless trouble. Thinking about it, Tatsuya controlled himself.