Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? Volume Chapter 9

Today’s class is magic practice.

After learning the fundamentals, we were permitted to take practical lessons to actually use magic.

“We will now distribute staffs for magic training. For safety’s sake, we’ve chosen water-magic-imbued staffs for today.”

Our instructor, Professor Oriza, speaks in a slightly disinterested voice as he hands out staffs.

The students scramble to be the first to receive them.

“You all have Magic Power Perception and Magic Power Operation, correct? Because students without those skills can’t take this lesson. If anyone doesn’t have them, please come forward now.”

All the students in the class have Magic Power Perception and Magic Power Operation, of course.

In fact, Professor Oriza taught them to us himself last time.

“Now, please concentrate your magic power.”

Obeying his instructions, I focus on gathering my magic.

“Once that is done, try to let it flow into your staff. Then the magic in the staff will activate on its own.”

Huh? That’s it?

“These staffs are enchanted with the level-1 Water Magic spell Water Ball. It is a simple spell that projects spheres of water, but please be sure not to point it at anyone. There are targets for that purpose.”

Professor Oriza points at an area where several targets have been set up.

Without further ado, the students begin casting magic.

Most of them don’t have enough magic power, or their spells are incompletely formed, or some other issue occurs, and their spells dissipate before reaching the target.

“You can use as much magic as you’d like during this period. If you use it enough, you may even gain the Water Magic skill. However, please do pay attention to the amount of magic power you have remaining and stop as soon as it reaches a dangerous level. Otherwise, don’t come crying to me if you overdo it and pass out.”

How irresponsible.

But I guess there are probably people who collapse every year.

A lot of the students are using magic for the first time, and some of them are extremely excited about it.

It’s no surprise that one or two might get too hyped up and push past their limits.

“Water Magic, huh? I would’ve preferred Earth Magic, myself.”

Fei complains from her position on my shoulder.

Fei is an earth wyrm, so she probably has a higher aptitude for Earth Magic than Water.

I know my own aptitudes, too, having seen them during the Appraisal ceremony.

Light Magic is the highest, followed by Water.

In that respect, you could say this lesson is worthwhile for me.

However, there are only a handful of Appraisal Stones in existence powerful enough to show one’s compatibility with different attributes.

Instead, people who don’t have access to such high-quality items use enchanted tools to invoke magic and acquire skills that way, like we’re doing now.

You can figure out whether you have a knack for that kind of magic based on how quickly you acquire the skills.

However, that isn’t an option unless you have access to magic tools with multiple attributes. In many cases, impoverished magic-user families only have one kind of magic tool to their names.

In that situation, you’d have no choice but to use that attribute whether you have an aptitude for it or not.

But at this school, there are magic tools with every kind of attribute, so no such problem exists.

“I simply don’t have a knack for Water. On the contrary, I seem to be inclined toward Fire.”

“That’s funny. I’m bad with Water and good at Fire, too.”

I overhear a conversation between Katia and Hugo.

Despite her claims, Katia’s conjured balls of water are striking the targets perfectly.

Considering that most of the students haven’t even gotten their spells to reach their marks yet, I’d say that solid strikes are pretty good already.

Looking around, the only people I’ve seen successfully hit are Katia, Hugo, and Yuri, formerly Hasebe.

Yuri is focusing intently on blasting water balls at the targets.

I have to wonder if it’s safe to shoot that much, but I suspect that even if I speak to Yuri now, she won’t hear me.

She’s probably planning to stick with it until she gets the skill, even if her MP runs out.

By the way, Ms. Oka isn’t around.

She shows for class or doesn’t as she pleases.

And she won’t tell us what she’s doing when she isn’t around.

Anyway, I feel like Sue would be able to do it if she tried, but she’s just hanging out behind me, making no attempt to use magic at all.

“Sue, don’t you want to practice?”

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“Oh, I mustn’t go ahead of my older brother. Instead, I shall wait until you demonstrate your incredible magical prowess, then sneak in my own practice while everyone fawns over you admiringly.”

Hoo, boy. Way to raise the bar.

I did always want to be an older brother who my sister could be proud of, but lately, that’s translated into a crazy amount of pressure.

In the meantime, some of the students have run out of magic power and started taking breaks.

That means that some targets have opened up, so I guess I’ll try, too.

Now that I think about it, this will be my first time experimenting with magic.

Until now, Anna always stopped me from practicing anything but controlling magical power, so I’ve never actually used it.

Now I’m getting a little excited.

Though at the same time, the pressure from my sister makes me a little nervous.

“Hmph, I don’t see the point of practicing magic I know I’m gonna suck at.” As if to deflate my excitement, Hugo tosses away his staff. “It’s way more efficient to improve what you’re already good at than practice on your weaknesses.”

Hugo gathers his magical power. What’s he planning?

The next moment, he casts. Without a staff.

The result is a fire spell. So he already had Fire Magic as a skill?!

The flames engulf the entire row of targets.

What incredible destructive power.

For the students who couldn’t even reach the targets, this must be a clear display of how strong he is.

In fact, it was perfect timing for showing off. Hugo must have realized that and pulled his stunt on purpose as a demonstration of his ability.

Still, this is way too much!

Flames swirl around the spot where the targets once stood.

If no one does anything, the fire might spread and engulf the entire class.

I pour all my magical power into the staff in my hand and unleash it toward the flames.

The staff absorbs my magic, activates the Water Magic spell enchanted into it, and launches a water ball.

The projectile lands directly in the flames and bursts open with a huge splash.

…Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.

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The water ball created by my magic power was massive. Enough to make a column of water when it exploded.

The flames are completely swallowed by the resulting deluge and disappear.

I just gained the Water Magic skill.

Maybe my extremely high aptitude is why I was able to get it with a single spell.

Or was it because the magnitude of that spell was so large? Or a little bit of both, I suppose.

“That’s my elder brother for you! Who else could cancel a level-5 Fire Magic spell with level-1 Water Magic?”

As if to pull me back to reality, Sue praises me in a particularly loud voice.

So that was level-5 Fire Magic?

Wait, Sue, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? You usually don’t speak so loudly.

Sure enough, Hugo glares at me for stealing his thunder.

Before he can do anything, however, Professor Oriza suddenly looms up behind him.

“May I have a word, Hugo?”

“What? Why should I have to talk to you?”

“Just come with me for a moment, please.”

Professor Oriza more or less drags Hugo away, leaving behind only the charred remains of the targets and the group of very confused students.

“Yikes, Natsume’s lame.”

Fei’s murmur echoes in my ear.

At the edge of my vision, I see Katia reining in the noisy students. Thanks as usual, Katia!

This is the day Hugo begins regarding me as his enemy.