#42. Get Out of Here

Just before Rein Ortiz entered his first match.

“……So, what about the disciplinary action? It doesn’t seem like a standard punishment will suffice.”

A rather important meeting was underway among the organizers.

An unprecedented situation: a student broke a rule that should never be broken, and the professor overreacted.

They were in a bind, unable to end the exchange meet as it was.

First, they had tentatively announced disciplinary action as a temporary measure, but…

“Compensation is also required.”

“Indeed. The Aldeharm family won’t stand for it if we just let it pass.”

As expected, a simple compensation wouldn’t do.

Cecile Bellette, maybe, but Kevin Aldeharm was entirely in the position of victim.

“Shouldn’t you have prepared more thoroughly?”

“Huh? No, is this a problem that could be prevented with thorough preparation? He just…a crazy guy cut off an arm, that’s all? This isn’t a problem we could have prepared for.”

As with all meetings, it wasn’t proceeding smoothly.

“Hah, then let’s decide on compensation first.”

“Isn’t it simple? We should give him whatever he wants.”

“What if he makes an unreasonable request?”

“If he has any sense, he won’t. He’s a student who came to the exchange meet, after all? He’ll choose something reasonable. The important thing is sincerity, sincerity.”

A silence fell.

“Then we’ll proceed with compensation that way. What about the disciplinary action?”

In truth, the disciplinary action was a more complicated issue than compensation.

That professor aside, what about Ivan Ward?

Considering the power his family wielded, it was an issue that couldn’t be easily dismissed, yet they hesitated to impose any disciplinary action.

“A suspension…? Perhaps?”

“It would be expulsion normally…”

Was expulsion the problem now?

He had broken rules, and even laws. This was a problem that could land him in jail.

“……”

The final decision-maker of the meeting, ‘Telln Jurgen’, thought.

“Damn it, so what am I supposed to do?”

If I follow protocol, they’ll b*tch about following protocol, and if I don’t follow protocol, they’ll b*tch about not following protocol.

Being stuck in the middle is always like this.

They treat you like dirt, yet the work always has to be perfect.

Damn it…

Whatever. It’s the task at hand. Only option is to figure out how to deal with it.

“Yes… Well…”

*Bang!*

The moment I was about to reach a final decision,

the conference room door burst open.

“What is it?”

“Discipline, discipline…! Hah…”

He was clearly out of breath, as if he’d been running.

What could be so important to make him act like this?

“Discipline?”

“Have you decided on the discipline yet?”

“No, I was just about to.”

“Ah, that’s fortunate.”

The man was the lowest-ranking person involved with the exchange program.

For someone like him to come barging into the conference room like this was quite rude.

But Tellern didn’t kick him out.

‘Well, he clearly looks urgent, doesn’t he?’

If he remembered correctly, the man wasn’t an idiot.

For someone like that to act this way… something important must have happened.

The man, finally catching his breath, spoke.

“Orders came down from above.”

“From above?”

“They want to make sure Kevin Aldeharm is properly compensated.”

“We’re already doing that.”

“And…”

“What else is there?”

“Ivan Ward is to be disciplined as severely as possible, and Professor Cecil Bellett is to be let off without any discipline at all.”

Tellern blanked out for a moment.

What in the world was that supposed to mean?

Ivan Ward, heavily disciplined, and Cecil Bellett just let go?

…The Ward family won’t just stand for that.

“What’s the reason for this…?”

“Because they’re with Rein Oritz’s group.”

“Huh? Isn’t that kid just a student?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Honestly, just what in the world *are* you that they’re sending orders from above…”

“I don’t rightly know either. Some kind of tactical weapon, or so they say.”

The man scratched the back of his head and added,

“Direct order from the Imperial Court, they said…”

Telln swallowed hard.

Imperial Court. That meant, by the Emperor’s command.

This was something that couldn’t be disobeyed, no matter how unreasonable.

“Then why is a ‘friend’ like that at the Academy…”

“How would I know…”

“…”

Another silence fell.

“Alright, then…”

The decisions were made.

Kevin Aldeharm. All possible care and compensation as ‘desired’ by the person in question.

Cecile Belier. No disciplinary action.

And…

Ivan Ward.

Expulsion and all responsibility to be placed upon the family.

*

“Hgh… uh…”

“Oh, he’s holding on.”

The target had endured a grenade.

It wasn’t that strange, considering they’d lowered the firepower as much as possible. If they had brought the original model, he’d already be dead.

Well, whatever.

“So, then…”

Should I take out a different weapon?

I pulled something resembling a gauntlet from my bag.

“That’s…”

“Ah, it’s similar to yours, isn’t it.”

It looked like a gauntlet, but was much too sturdy to be one.

A magitech gauntlet.

“A scholar planning to engage in close combat…!”

The enraged opponent charged toward me.

“Would I really?”

I inserted a small mana stone into the port on the back of my hand. Then, I faced my palm toward the onrushing target.

*Keeeying—*

A short beam of light shot forth from the emitter.

A beam.

“Kgh…”

The opponent, struck squarely in the face by the beam, immediately collapsed. It seemed the damage from the previous grenade was still lingering.

“Not bad at all…”

It’s similar to something from a movie, but undeniably a different beast.

That was a weapons system based on the principle of action and reaction; this is a specialized weapon that concentrates mana and fires it.

Fast, unpredictable, and easy to use.

The firepower can be increased as much as I want, making it incredibly versatile.

Should I just sell it to the Imperial Family?

I heard they’re short on funds in the estate these days…

“Ah.”

I need to concentrate now.

Next up is a woman. What kind of combat will she employ?

Knight? Mage?

[ Name: Yuri Teliate. ]

[ Major: Department of Alchemy. ]

…Alchemy?

The moment it started, the woman tossed a glass vial.

Clearly dangerous, so instead of trying to catch or block it, I chose to evade.

The vial shatters on the ground. Naturally, it breaks into pieces, and the liquid inside sprays out.

“Hm?”

But the liquid instantly transformed into a gas.

Then it spread in all directions. Poison gas.

I hastily covered my mouth and looked at the woman.

She’s eating something. Looks like an antidote.

“I won.”

The woman declared victory. At the same time, my legs began to lose strength, and soon, my vision blurred.

I’ve already been hit.

“I just have to wait to win. Why don’t you just forfeit? You don’t have an antidote, and you won’t be able to compete in the next match in that condition anyway, right?”

She’s right.

Withdrawing before my condition worsens is a sensible move.

Of course, I don’t have to.

“Worry about yourself, why don’t you?”

Professor Rachel.

I’m sorry.

I’ll borrow it for a bit.

[ Analyzing circuit. ]

[ Calculation, shape memory magic. ]

[ Computing magic. ]

“What are you doing…!”

Sensing something amiss, the woman charged at me. Judging by her tightly clenched fist, she plans to beat me to a pulp.

But it’s already too late. And it’s not like charging at me would solve anything in the first place.

Keeeeeeng──!

*Pung.*

“Keuheup.”

The woman, struck by the beam in her abdomen, collapsed right there. It felt a little cruel to see her clutching her stomach and trembling, but honestly, it’s your weakness…

Still, to fall after just one hit. Should I dial down the power a little?

At this rate, the tournament will be over before I even get to use all the functions.

Once the woman was carried away, a short man stepped up this time.

“Ah… I don’t think I can win.”

Before I knew it, it was Haven Academy’s last turn.

[ Name: Hayden Metis. ]

[ Major: Faculty of Magic. ]

Faculty of Magic, huh. They really brought a good mix from this school.

Actually, I think I’ve heard the name Hayden before. When I was wandering around for my initial scouting, I heard him called ‘Haven Academy’s rising star’.

Supposedly a user of ‘Special Magic’?

Special Magic is, quite literally, magic with special properties that only a tiny number of people can use.

Usually, most magic passed down through generations falls into this category. Famous healing magic also belongs to this type.

Maybe I should get my hopes up a little…

“Ah, I can’t do this. I forfeit.”

?

And just like that, my first match was over.

“What…?”

What followed were just tedious matches.

Nothing special, nor particularly skilled, just ordinary people.

Is it because I spend all day with the professors?

I felt nothing from these students.

Ah, but Mitchell Ward seemed to be quite good…

But still, I didn’t get to use all the functions of the gauntlet.

“Tch.”

And so, the second day came to a close.

Honestly, it’s boring. I just want to go back to the academy and make magical engineering inventions.

I haven’t had the chance to use any of the new knowledge I gained, and on top of that, incidents keep happening.

This exchange event is disappointing in many ways.

Before I knew it, it was night.

Surprisingly, the incident was resolved well. First, Professor Cecil’s punishments were all revoked.

Kevin was said to have received enormous compensation.

Kevin, upon being offered whatever he wanted by the Imperial Family, requested the ‘Treasured Sword’ that was being held by the Imperial Family.

Is he crazy? To think he’d ask for something so precious…

I still remember his delighted face, saying he would go pick it up tomorrow morning.

“I’m tired.”

I was taking a walk. There wasn’t much to do, and the night air was pretty good, so I came out, but once I started walking, the fatigue started to get to me.

I decided to just go back in.

It was then.

“Hey.”

Someone called out to me from behind.

Bound to be a bother. I just kept walking.

“No, wait, hey!!”

Quite the set of lungs.

Better run faster.

“Rain Ortiz, stop right there!!”

I ran.