"Ahh..."
"Naru-kun, just be careful not to snore."
"I understand that."
The entrance ceremony began....the words of the old man who seemed to be one of the board members had a stronger effect on me than any bad sleeping pill, but I somehow managed to endure it.
No, I mean, he was just reciting long-winded things that even I remember from history classes and entrance ceremony materials.
The only people who wouldn't feel sleepy after this are those who know how to stave off sleepiness.
Although it's not proof of this, Suzu didn't say not to sleep, and the two people next to her looked visibly blank-faced.
"Next, the freshman representative. "Morikuni Tomoe
"yes!"
Once they had survived the hypnotic attack, a girl who seemed to be the representative of the new students took the stage.
The girl had bright red hair tied up in a long ponytail... or rather, she was the girl who had saved him when he had nearly fallen.
"I see. The freshman representative. So, you said you almost got the meeting time wrong... and that's why you were so impatient."
"Your doubts are answered, Naru-kun."
"Right."
The red-haired girl...Mr. Gokoku was giving a dignified and dignified speech on the stage.
Apparently, after I helped him, he arrived at the venue safely and everything went smoothly.
"Oh, are you two acquainted with Miss Gokoku Tomoe?"
"I wouldn't say we were acquaintances. It's just that Naru-kun happened to help her when she nearly fell."
"Hmm. That's right. I was just thinking that it might be something to talk about. It's that Lady Gokoku Tomoe."
"that?"
But then the blonde girl interjected.
And then, as if echoing my question, the black-haired girl spoke.
"Do you know? That person... Gokoku Tomoe is the daughter of the Protector of the Nation, who has supported duels in our country for two generations. She is the next generation's ace candidate, born from a bloodline of duelists with superior magical powers dating back to her grandparents' generation. She is what they call a thoroughbred."
"Oh."
"She has beautiful eyes and eyebrows. Because her magical ability is judged to be A, she was exempt from the academic exam, but she was definitely in the top 30 in mock exams. Even before she enrolled, her magical ability was 2000, which is comparable to the current student council president, vice president, and disciplinary committee chairman, who are in the top three among students. That's what I've heard. She was famous even in middle school."
"That's right"
Apparently Gokoku-san is an incredibly amazing person.
His magical power and academic ability are top class; he's a genuine genius.
"How come you two didn't know about such a famous person?"
"I simply wasn't interested. Ah, well, I was in the group that was forced to enroll simply because of my magical ability level A."
"I was busy studying so that I could go to the same school as Naru-kun, so I didn't have time to pay attention to it, I guess. It was really sudden, so I had to study really hard to make it in time. Ah, but as expected, I do know about the Protectorate of the Nation, as it is important in modern history."
"....That's right"
"Oh, oh, I see."
Both the black-haired girl and the blonde girl seemed a little taken aback by Suzu's answer.
Well, I guess I can understand how you feel.
My magical power level is judged to be A, which is roughly equivalent to winning first prize in the lottery.
It's a story that will probably get a lot of people angry, but it's also the kind of story that ends with just luck.
On the other hand, Suzu was apparently busy studying so that she could chase after me...
Depending on how you look at it, it could be seen as a stalker's declaration of intent, and the fact that he was actually here also meant that he had managed to slip through what was supposed to be a fairly competitive entrance exam...
I can understand why some people might be put off by this.
I've now come to accept that this is just the way Suzu is.
"However, this is a magic power level A judgement. So after this, you will be unveiled in front of everyone. For reference, I'll ask you, what place are you in?"
"…There's no point in hiding it, so I'll just say it, it's the first one."
"!?"
"Wow. In terms of magical power alone, that means she's more powerful than Gokoku Tomoe. That's incredible."
Both the black-haired girl and the blonde girl looked surprised at my answer.
Well, actually, it's probably a surprise.
A guy like me who is merely good looking is seen as the next ace, and in terms of magical power alone, I have more magic than someone who will be on stage as the freshman representative.
"Huh? But then why did you become the representative...ah."
"Well, that's what I would say. According to this school's standards, I'm in the idiot category. On the national standard scale, I'm around 50."
"A national standard score of 50 means you're in the middle of the pack, so it's hard to call someone stupid. Whether or not someone is bad has nothing to do with their academic ability."
"That's true. Naru-kun is generally not an idiot, so don't worry."
"Basically?"
Furthermore, there is no doubt that he is completely inferior in terms of academic ability.
At the very least, he would be losing in all subjects.
At worst, we might even lose in P.E. classes.
Yeah, I should aim to stay as quiet as possible so as not to get in Gokoku-san's way.
"Next, a word from Headmaster Okita."
"By the way, what is the specific amount of magical power?"
At this point, an elderly man with a magnificent white beard and straight back appeared on the stage.
Even I know him as the "hero" principal. Occurred Hideo
He is 80 years old, and has been supporting dueling in our country on the front lines ever since the Goddess descended and bestowed the Masquerade upon humanity.
In addition to his natural talent, the skills he has honed over the years of fighting are also reflected in his magical power, making him one of the top in the country.
"It's definitely over 3000. It's apparently already more than the headmaster who is on the stage."
And even now, for some reason, it seems that I possess more magical power than the principal.
The values were so abnormal that they raised suspicions that there might be an abnormality in the equipment or a specific location, so the test was repeated over and over again, and I remember clearly that in the end the examiners had grimaces in their cheeks.
And so, because of that amount of magical power, even though he was forced to enroll at the A-rank assessment, he was told to attend the National Duel Academy thoroughly, which is how he ended up here now.
"San...y-y-you're a dangerous guy."
"More than 1.5 times that of Gokoku-san..."
"Naru-kun is incredible. But what makes him truly incredible is that he doesn't show off how incredible he is."
"Well, it's just a lot of money. If you say you have a lot of money that you don't know how to use, it'll just be a problem."
Just now, I was thinking of making it my goal to spend as much time as possible quietly, but if I don't learn how to make the most of this amount of magical power, it would be a waste.
No matter what power you have, if you don't know how to utilize it, it's just a waste.
Also, Suzu, please don't make a fuss.
I'm being careful to speak in a low voice, but if I don't start being more careful, people around me might start glaring at me.
"Well then, this concludes the entrance ceremony. Next, we will present the devices to those who have been assessed as having a Magical Ability Grade A, and perform a Masquerade. The location will be in the Great Hall, and the time will be..."
And with this, the entrance ceremony seems to have come to an end without any problems.
We all left the auditorium one by one.
Then, after a period of rest and travel, Masquerade will perform.
"Naru-kun. Do you know where the Great Hall is?"
"There's no need to worry, I know that. Well, I'm off now."
"Yeah, have fun."
Apparently, the masquerade performance will be the first for those with a magic level A rating, including me, to perform in front of the entire school.
Therefore, I will have to part ways with Suzu, who has a low magical power level.
Suzu looks disappointed, but... this is a kind of rule, so it can't be helped.
The blonde girl and the black-haired girl seemed to have decided to go with Suzu, so after parting ways with me, the three of them started moving together.
"Now that I think of it, I'll be meeting the other Grade A recipients. I'm kind of excited, but also anxious, to see what the other Grade A recipients are like…"
I thought as I headed towards the great hall.
The Magical Ability A Class are those who have been determined to be able to enroll based on their magical ability alone.
If that's the case, it's not unlikely that among them there is someone like me who is mediocre when it comes to academics.
If he's that kind of person...there's a good chance we'll get along and have something to talk about.
Yeah, I'm starting to look forward to it.
And so I arrived at the large hall, and the teacher led me to an area that normal people can't enter.
About the amount of magic.
In the story, a nationwide magical power test is conducted in November for third-year junior high school students.
Magic amount 1000 or more: A judgment
Magic amount 100-999: Otsu judgment
Magical power of 99 or less: C-rank
It will be.
As mentioned in the text, those with a grade A are forced to enter the National Duel Academy. Those with a grade B can enter if they pass the highly competitive entrance exam. Those with a grade C have no eligibility to enter at all.
This is because the content learned at Duel Academy requires a certain amount of magical power.
Furthermore, the amount of magical power increases, but the reason for this growth is currently unknown.
However, it seems that hair often grows during growth spurts between the ages of 16 and 20.
That said, it seems there is some sort of barrier between an A rating and a B rating...