Chapter 271

We arrived at the ‘Hotel Aquila,’ owned by the Altear Foundation, and received our luggage from the bus’s storage compartment.

Aquila means eagle in Latin, so does that mean Altear is derived from Altair in the constellation of Aquila?

Sure enough, a huge eagle motif was engraved on the revolving door glass.

“Nameya! Noname namename!”

The second-year friends who left earlier called out my name loudly from inside the hotel lobby.

“What are you doing? Didn’t you guys go to your rooms first?”

The bus carrying the elementary school kids must have departed ten minutes ago.

“Name, you were waiting for me, right? Hehe.”

“Let’s go up together!”

Yuna and Haru waved their key cards in front of me.

What’s the big deal about going up together? They’re such friendly kids in the oddest way.

I lightly patted the kids’ heads, and we all walked down the quiet hallway together.

“I’ve never been to a hotel before. This is so amazing! Wow, what’s that?”

Yuna exclaimed, pointing at the ceiling.

Following her finger, I shifted my gaze to see an antique chandelier hanging there.

“That’s called a chandelier—”

“Wow! Look, Nameya! The elevator door feels so soft! It looks like dog fur.”

Yuna didn’t seem particularly curious about it, so I just smiled back at her.

“Once the upperclassmen finish checking in, it will get crowded here, so let’s hurry and get our bags settled.”

“Okay!”

Ding dong—

[7th floor.]

“What room are you guys in? We’re in Room 711.”

“Hmm… Name and I are in Room 713! Haru and Ji Hye are in Room 715, right? Looks like we’re next to each other.”

Even though I was participating as a member of the middle school group, I was assigned to share a room with classmates closer to my age.

“I’m looking forward to these two weeks, Roommate Seoyuna.”

“Me too!”

Organizing our things wasn’t as elaborate as I thought.

Thanks to the hotel laundry services, I didn’t need to bring many clothes, and most towels and toiletries were already provided.

“Nameya, I brought this from home; do you want to eat some chocolate?”

“Yeah, just one. Thanks.”

In contrast, Yuna had packed her suitcase full, as if she had brought everything under the sun.

Snacks, a stuffed toy, novels, and more kept popping out.

While she finished organizing, I opened the window to admire the view of Altear Academy in the distance.

If Seviron Academy had a modern vibe, Altear Academy, just like that chandelier, exuded a dignified feel overall.

[Our student council pointed out three major factors that led to Altear Academy’s inevitable victory. The first was ‘Magic Registration.’]

This was the first tactic proposed by Student Council President Shin Jin-ho.

It was aimed at creating confusion for the opponents during the ‘Magic Registration’ procedure used for the competition.

On Mondays and Fridays,

During two sessions, students from each grade in the academy submit the magic they will use to the organizing committee in advance.

Then, both sides’ organizing committees verify each other’s magic while analyzing strategies and formulating counterplans.

Our homeroom teacher, Jacqueline Carroll, must be on the organizing committee right now.

“Yuna, have you decided what magic you’ll use in this competition?”

“Me? I’m still thinking. Besides, we have to submit it by this evening, right?”

“That’s right.”

For second graders in elementary school, they participate in the competition with three first-circle spells.

On Monday, each person submits a maximum of five spells, and then selects three from the approved list on Friday.

Unlike the middle and high schools, elementary school children are still inexperienced in handling magic, hence the limitation on the types of spells they can use.

“Yuna, if it’s just a registration anyway… How about I let you know one of my Unique Magic spells and you use that instead?”

“Are you talking about that Adela? I don’t know how to use that at all.”

Indeed, elementary school students were still too young to bluff successfully.

As she said, Adela is a spell that requires a high level of proficiency.

It might be challenging for someone at the elementary level, but if executed properly, its power is not to be underestimated, making it unlikely for opponents to disregard it.

“Don’t worry; I’ll give you a rough idea of what it is.”

“Umm… alright. I’m not lying completely! Someday I’ll learn that magic too!”

“Yeah. In the meantime, I’ll go meet the upperclassmen, so just wait patiently, okay?”

First, I’d try to sway at least the third to sixth graders in elementary school.

I wonder how Altear would react if all the academy students claimed they could use Adela.

With a more leisurely pace, I exited the hotel room.

I quietly checked the CCTV at the end of the hallway and moved silently.

Bluffing requires the utmost skill; I wonder if our student council president has some method acting experience?

—

[We, the participants in the 2051 Seoul area Academy Competition for friendship and exchange, pledge with pride as students of Seviron Academy, which has led magical education in Korea, as follows: One—]

After the Altear Academy pledge was over, the Seviron Academy pledge was about to be read when the organizing committee in the basement meeting room had been in a pointless discussion for already two hours.

“Adela is too dangerous, you know? Is it even reasonable to use such magic in an elementary school competition? How dangerous it must be for it to be classified as A-rank magic even in Japan! Really…”

“The reason No Name’s Unique Magic received A-rank wasn’t because it’s dangerous, but rather because of the evaluation of the magic’s completeness and extensibility. Even as a simple first-circle magic, its usage is endless, which is likely why it received acknowledgment in Japan.”

“Ah, it seems Seviron is really determined this year to participate in the exchange, but Altear absolutely cannot accept this. For the safety of our students.”

The obstinate claims of the Altear Academy teachers would not easily concede.

“Hey!”

Bang—

Unable to bear witnessing this spectacle any longer, Student Council President Shin Jin-ho clenched his fists and slammed the table.

“Safety? Is the person who mentions safety the same one who taught barrier magic to the middle school kids last year? Because of that, our students suffered from confusion for a while, and I recall one of your students ended up in the emergency room afterward due to mana exhaustion. Have you conveniently erased that from your memory?”

“That was… because it was middle school…”

“In Japan, Adela has been utilized in countless competition matches, including the Emperor’s Cup, without a single injury occurring. Why? Because it deals predictable damage. The judges can easily intervene by deploying mana blockers during the match.”

No matter how formidable a barrier might be in a match, the risk of injury always lingered.

However, the student council president argued that the inherent delay in the magic itself meant safety personnel could easily intervene, thus praising Adela’s safety.

“Even more dangerous spells have appeared multiple times; I don’t understand why everyone is sensitive only to Adela. Are you perhaps wary of this magic…?”

“What do you mean! It’s just that since it’s a magic that has only been out for two months, it’s necessary to be careful about it.”

“That’s an issue on Altear’s side. The match is still a week away, so there’s plenty of time for preparations, isn’t there?”

“…!”

The student council president donned a sly smile.

He echoed the exact words spoken last year at Altear Academy, without changing a single syllable.

“Well, I’ve stamped it. Are you satisfied now, our Seviron Academy Student Council President? Yes?”

The blushing head of the year slammed down the paperwork and irritably waved the paper.

Just as the student council president was about to add another remark, a teacher beside him tugged at his sleeve.

“Good job, Jin-ho, you should stop now and sit down. Ms. Choi, lower your voice and calm down. It’s only elementary school, and yet it’s almost sunset. Ugh, I’m hungry; let’s take a break and finish the middle school magic assessment before going to eat.”

The high school head teacher from Seviron Academy’s plea caused the organizing committee to momentarily halt their heated debate.

Having emptied a small water bottle, Altear’s Mr. Choi Byung-gun spotted a young woman doodling in a corner across from him.

It was No Name’s homeroom teacher.

“Hmm… Is that you, Jackie? What was your name again?”

“Oh, yes. Jacqueline Carroll.”

“Right, Teacher Jacqueline. When did you teach such magic to the second graders? They should already know how to perform coordinate transformations and have some grasp of matrices before they can use it. Can these little kids really use it properly?”

The reasoning of the regained composure of Altear Academy’s teachers was met with skeptical glares aimed at Jacqueline Carroll.

Had the bluff already been called? For now, Jackie decided to play it cool.

“I received a lot of help from Name. He is so sincere about magic that he even kindly teaches not just the students in the competition but also the kids in our class.”

“Is that so…?”

“I wish you’d seen our class kids training every lunchtime.”

“Oh, I’m not doubting the abilities of Seviron students; I was just curious and wanted to ask.”

The suspicion was still evident in their expressions, as they tilted their heads.

After the elementary magic assessment finished, both sides’ adjusting committee members moved to their respective lounges to take a breather.

“What do you think? They passed for now… *sigh* But it seems to me this is nothing but a bluff…”

“Really? Even after Seviron came out so strongly for two hours? What if they end up showing their trump cards? If Adela is used in the Emperor’s Cup, it would be undefeated—no way to counter it outside of Adela itself.”

“You see my point. Sigh, analyzing countermeasures feels like a waste of time since it looks like a bluff… And if we leave it be, it feels uneasy…”

This was all due to that child named No Name.

The mere fact that such a child developed Unique Magic at a young age was a stroke of luck, especially since that magic held an unrivaled status in Japan, making my head feel heavy.

“So, what else has No Name been doing?”

“I saw him wandering around the hotel room here and there even before the pledge ceremony.”

“Oh? What the… then maybe it matches.”

“Let’s at least make preparations, Mr. Choi Byung-gun.”

“Right. Every magic will have countermeasures. It won’t be flawless since the kids are using it.”

After their break ended, the teachers returned to the conference room, which had a long table.

Student Council President Shin Jin-ho, whose expression had softened since before, warmly welcomed them.

“I apologize for losing my temper earlier, Mr. Choi Byung-gun. I deeply regret it.”

“Oh, it’s alright, it’s alright. This is the sort of thing that often happens in organizing committees.”

“Middle school still has a long way to go; I kindly ask for your utmost cooperation again this time.”

“Middle school has no limits on magic use, but isn’t it always just a bunch of obvious spells? Hahaha, it’ll end in fifteen minutes tops—”

“No, this year will be different.”

Shin Jin-ho lifted a mountain of papers from the floor and distributed them to the Altear side.

He couldn’t hide the satisfaction on his face.

Thud—

The low sound of the wood echoed transformed the atmosphere in the meeting room.

“What is all this?”

“This is the list of spells our middle school will use in this Academy Competition. Please give prompt approval, Altear Academy.”

One teacher glanced roughly at the papers and narrowed his brow.

“Don’t mess with me, Student Council President. How can this be all—”

“This isn’t all. Please check closely.”

At Shin Jin-ho’s words, the teacher returned to the first page and turned a page.

“Noname?”

“Yes. Somehow, I’ve ended up participating in this competition as part of the middle school.”

“Oh, middle school, huh. You seem quite confident?”

The fact that No Name was participating in the middle school competition was a huge boon for Altear Academy.

He had already reached an unreachable level against peers in the elementary grade, surrendering the second graders’ victory long ago, but it could still be a fair match against those in the grades above.

But what on earth did this ridiculous thickness of papers mean?

“Are you saying… that you can cast all these spells by yourself?”

[Name: No Name]

[Date of Birth: 43/06/11]

[Requesting permission to use spells of the 2nd circle and below: Total 483 items]

The eyes of the Altear Academy teachers bulged out like those of frogs.

Everything had become clear. The Seviron Academy student council had come to obstruct the organizing committee intentionally.

“Did you not know that filing a false spell usage permit can lead to a ban on participation in the competition if necessary?”

In contrast, Student Council President Shin Jin-ho struggled to suppress laughter that threatened to escape.

“We got caught in the middle too. Please review this and, if possible, get back to us by tomorrow morning.”

—

“Oh no…”

“What happened…”

“I knew this would happen.”

“Ugh, Nameya…”

On the first basement floor of Hotel Aquila, there was a small training hall.

It wasn’t wide enough to run around wildly, nor narrow enough to need to walk carefully—just the right size.

After the pledge ceremony ended, we promptly headed downstairs in search of something fun to do.

Watching others spar, I had also said I’d like to fight once.

“Ughhh…”

The boy sprawled out right beneath me, rolling his eyes back, was probably a sixth grader from elementary school.

“Are you okay, senior? That must have hurt a lot. I’ll help you; you should get up now. There are plenty of eyes watching, aren’t you embarrassed?”

He was from Seviron Academy like me.

I certainly thought he looked like a student from Altear.