The second day of my new school life had magic training as its afternoon period.
The explanation for our lesson was simple enough. Read the spellbook and cast the assigned spell.
Normally each class would be doing this inside one of the labs, but since Litzreich blew one of them up the other day, we were having a joint lesson with another class in the only lab still standing.
[Iris]: “Woah, it’s so huge………”
I found a huge, empty space when I went inside the lab.
Thick metal sheets lining the building walls would make it easy for people’s voices to echo across the room. As a matter of fact my little exclamation earlier bounced back and met my ears two, three times.
[Iris]: “However. Was the one Litzreich blew up built the same way as this one? Are we going to be okay?”
I couldn’t help but wonder.
I already received permission beforehand to use as much magic as I like. But if I were to summon Phoenix here and have her unleash her full power………
(Everything will begin to melt and crumble.)
I found some sturdy-looking metal when I raised my head towards the ceiling as well. However Phoenix’s claws were capable of melting Litzreich’s Magic Shell, so it was small comfort.
[Lou]: “I-It will be all right. Litzreich-sama’s magic power is exceptional, so she was able to break through. Students like us would never be able to scratch these walls.”
Lou-chan tried abating my worries. She was carrying a spellbook in her arms. I’m carrying the same book myself since we will be practicing the same spells together.
[Odette]: “All right then everyone. Do you all have your spellbooks?”
Odette-sensei clapped her hands together from a spot in front of both groups of students.
[Lou]: “Y-Yes! This is so nerve wracking…….Airi-chan.”
[Iris]: “Yeah, you’re right.”
Although I feel like my apprehension might be a bit different from Lou-chan’s.
From what I hear, Lou-chan is a fairly high performer in magic. So her anxiety is more from her own innate reserved nature.
Meanwhile I’m more concerned on whether or not I can use magic in the first place, and honestly, the anxiety is starting to make my stomach hurt.
[Odette]: “Then let’s see, how about Grides-san. Please provide the class with an example.”
[Grides]: “Yes♪ Certainly.”
Huh? That girl is…….
(Yeah, that’s the girl who was talking with Rose-san this morning. I think she was from an earl family?)
She’s about as tall as me, but she looks a bit older…….or maybe we’re the same age? With a head full of hair like gold thread spilling down both sides of her neck, the girl responded confidentially and made her way to the center of the lab.
[Lou]: “Grides-sama is the best magic user in the whole school. It’s already been decided that she’ll join Yuhanna Rostinell-sama’s Shirayuri Knights after she graduates.”
[Iris]: “Hmm……Yuhanna-sama’s……..”
After hearing Yuhanna-sama’s name brought up suddenly, I began wondering what she was doing right now.
[Grides]: “Continuously tranquil, who quickens the stream into a raging river?”
Grides-san began chanting without bothering to open her spellbook.
At the same time, a wind blew through the flat room and jostled our hair.
[Grides]: “Ooh, will you abandon thy name and memories of the past? Then give them to me. That precious name……..shall be called to life!!”
Spellbooks are fundamentally different in nature from a grimoire. As long as you have the magic power and skills to pull it off, you can activate any spell just by speaking the incantation written on the pages. So for all intents on purposes, a spellbook isn’t any different from a regular book.
So as long as you can recite the spell from memory like Grides-san is doing, you can use magic even without opening the book.
[Grides]: “Connected with rusted chains, wind’s sharpened blades, mince my enemies!!”
And the spell was cast. In the next moment, all the air in the room moved at once in response to the wind magic she had just cast.
[Lou]: “Kyaaa!”
[Iris]: “Lou-chan!”
Lou-chan fell forward as if somebody had pushed her from behind.
So I threw out my hand and supported Lou-chan’s body.
[Lou]: “Uu, Uuuuu!”
*FWOOOOOOOO!!* The wind kept howling by. Occasionally a small pop, pop would sound near my ears like a cowherd cracking a whip. That sound comes from the whip causing a vacuum to form which means this spell is creating its own small, locally generated vacuums around us.
[Odette]: “That’s enough, you pass!!”
Odette-sensei shouted over the roaring gales, and Grides-san slowly began pulling back on her spell. The wind gradually died down as did the noise that came with it until the room finally grew as still as when we first entered.
[Lou]: “T-Thanks……Airi-chan.”
[Iris]: “Ah, yeah…….. That was powerful.”
I pulled my hand away from Lou-chan and turned my gaze over to Grides-san.
Only to find that she was looking right back at me.
And then she opened her mouth.
[Grides]: “Sensei, if it’s all right…….I wanted to see what kind of magic the hero could do.”
Compared to the girlish smile she was giving Rose-san this morning, the look she is giving me is……much more aggresive.
(Ah……..)
Now I remember.
This morning――when Rose-san was fixing my ribbon, there were a couple of students with less than favorable looks for me.
One of them had golden hair that split in two and rolled down her shoulders……..that was her.