Characters]
- Kai (Toudou Toudou Kai)
Protagonist. Black hair, black eyes. Reincarnated as the eldest son of a poor noble family in this world where beauty and ugliness are reversed, with memories from his previous life.
I enrolled in a military academy where titles are granted for "marriage rights."
- Erika (Jōgasaki Erika)
The heir to the Jōgasaki family, one of the three noble families. A beautiful girl with blonde hair, emerald eyes, and O-cup breasts, she is the same age as Kai.
It seems you haven't quite settled into military school...
About a month had passed since enrollment, and it was around the time when I was starting to get used to life at military school.
After finishing the last military geography lecture of the afternoon, the classroom, filled with a slightly relaxed atmosphere, was buzzing with talk about the "Magic Training War" starting next month.
"Magic Combat Training" refers to training matches where teams composed of four or fewer officer candidates engage in combat using magic.
In the
...Just hearing this, it might seem like a pretty enjoyable event, but for the military students themselves, it's not like that.
The reason is that this "Magic Combat Training" is one of the most important subjects, carrying a significant weight in the first-year grades.
(Considering the scholarship, I want to improve my record in the "Magic Combat Training" and get a higher rank...)
Like me, students who enter military school through the "special quota" receive generous scholarships from the government.
However, if your grades drop, that will also be cut off.
Having pushed through my family's opposition to enter military school, I absolutely must secure a top position in this "Magic Combat Training" to support myself.
At first, the people around me didn't think highly of me as a man.
The ones who offer to let me join their training battle team are all people whose intentions are a mix of ulterior motives and sympathy towards me, a man.
However, now that I have already demonstrated considerable skill in the magic arts class, it is no longer the case.
Among several invitations from my classmates, I was carefully considering which team to join, taking into account my skills and personality compatibility.
On the other hand, with the team member announcement coming up at the beginning of the week, there are still students who are troubled because they haven't been assigned to any team yet.
"That girl Jougasaki is negotiating again to get into the 'Magic Combat Training' team."
"Huh? She still hasn't decided on a team yet...?"
The girl with blonde hair, Erika Jōgasaki, who became acquainted on the day of enrollment, is the one the classmates sitting next to me are whispering about.
Could it be due to mental strain?
Beneath her eyes were dark circles, and her beautiful golden hair was unkempt and messy, even from a distance.
Rather than being taciturn, she is unfriendly and blunt, and even when called upon in class, his voice is thin and small.
Erika's disheveled appearance and demeanor, which have become even more unkempt and haggard since her enrollment, honestly stand out a bit among the military aristocrat girls of the military academy, who value simplicity and strength.
Despite that, for the past few days, after each lecture, she seems to have been going around asking her classmates, whom she hasn't approached yet, if they would let her join their magic training battle teams.
However, the results were not favorable, and she still had not joined any team.
There could be various reasons.
One reason is that Erika is recognized as a so-called "underachiever" among her peers.
In the lecture on magical circuit theory, her hastily constructed magic circuit went haywire, causing a minor fire incident. She couldn't master the basic "Body Enhancement Magic," and ended up being left behind during a long-distance march training...
Shortly after enrolling, Erika's blunders at this military academy are too numerous to count.
Moreover, this is just a rumor, but apparently her grades were poor since her elementary school days.
However, I also think that Erika is not being avoided just because of her poor grades.
After all, she is the heir of the Jougasaki family, one of the "Three Great Noble Families" of the Empire.
It's not at all surprising if there are people who, since their student days, approach and flatter others with the ulterior motive of building connections...
"If you don't have a team assigned by the beginning of next month, isn't that going to be a problem? I mean, the Magic Combat Training is a mandatory subject, right? If you fail it, you'll be held back a year immediately, right?"
"That's true... Well then, why don't you let them in?"
"Well, that's because... you know... if Komazawa-san glares at me, that would be bad. Oh, speaking of which..."
The loud creaking sound of the wooden door of the lecture room opening echoed throughout the room.
It seems that the fellow officer candidates who went to the elective lecture have returned.
At the front of the group is Haruka Komazawa.
The Komazawa family is renowned as a great noble family of marquis rank, and like the Jōgasaki family, from which Erika was born, it is one of the "Three Great Noble Families of the Empire."
Her angular face and three-white-eye characteristic make her look like a "beauty" in this inverted world of aesthetics, but her sharp, hawk-like gaze gives an intimidating impression to those who see her.
In fact, the moment she walked in, a unique tension began to fill the room.
Komazawa, flicking the brown hair that fell over his forehead with his fingers, strode towards Erika.
"Hey. Jōgasaki, what are you doing?"
"What do you mean... Komazawa, this doesn't concern you..."
"I've told you before. Someone like you, a disgrace to the imperial nobility, should leave this military academy as soon as possible."
Seeing Erika grimace and desperately put on a brave face against Komazawa is painful to watch.
However, Komazawa continues speaking without paying it any mind.
"Even though you have no magical ability, if you're still plotting to form a team using your family's power as bait to graduate easily... if you're still scheming such 'unfairness,' I, for one, will not hold back."
"W-Well, I-I would never use the family's power for something like that. Besides..."
Ignoring Erika, who was arguing with a trembling voice, Komazawa shot a glare at the classmates who had been negotiating with her.
"You guys, if you get involved in his shady dealings, be prepared for the consequences. I will definitely crush the parasites of the state who engage in such filthy transactions, in the name of the Komazawa family."
At her threatening remark, her classmates quickly averted their eyes.
Komazawa coldly stared at it and then returned to his seat.
At the same time, the noisy chatter of the students in the room gradually begins to return.
I was eavesdropping on their conversation at the back of the classroom, but when I almost made eye contact with Erika, we both hurriedly averted our gazes.
Until just now, Erika's eyes, which had been glaring at Komazawa, began to well up with tears.
Feelings of awkwardness and pity begin to sprout in my chest, but... I shake my head to dispel those feelings.
(...Remember why you went through all the trouble to get into this military academy. Don't get involved with those kinds of people. If you get caught up in the disputes of the high nobles, the worst-case scenario is that they might use their power to expel you.)
The reason why Erika from the Jōgasaki family, one of the three great noble families, has yet to form a team... is because Haruka Komazawa, also from one of the three great noble families, is exerting her influence.
Komazawa is an imperial noble who values honor and pride, for better or worse.
She probably can't forgive Erika for cheating.
(Well, to be honest, I don't really know if Erika is cheating or not...)
Komazawa says, "Erika is using her family's influence as bait to negotiate with others to get into the training battle team," but the truth is, I don't know either.
I haven't directly seen Erika herself proposing a "backdoor deal" to anyone.
It might even be a misunderstanding on Komazawa's part.
However, at least Komazawa herself seems to believe it, and if I get involved with Erika carelessly, it's obvious that Komazawa will see me as an enemy.
Touch not the gods, lest they bring misfortune.
If Erika herself were outstanding, there might have been students who showed the spirit to oppose Komazawa...
Unfortunately, it's precisely because Erika lacks that capability that everyone is treating her like a delicate object, keeping their distance.
If a newcomer like me were to meddle in the disputes of such high-ranking noble daughters... I can't even imagine what kind of trouble I'd get into.
Certainly, Erika is cute, and we became acquaintances when we entered school, but... to put it simply, that's all there is to our relationship.
You shouldn't act based on momentary emotions.
In my previous life, when I was stabbed to death by a random attacker while protecting a child, I should have fully understood that.
(...Sometimes it's important to act selfishly. I can't stand a fate like that anymore. In this life, I absolutely refuse to die alone, lonely, and unjustly.)
I stuffed the textbook into my bag and quickly left the classroom.
If I didn't, I felt like Erika's tearful eyes, standing alone and lonely at the back of the classroom, would never leave my mind.
◆◆◆◆
The next day.
On a weekend afternoon, I was walking down the outer corridor leading to the military school's magic training grounds, stifling yawns from the fatigue of the weekdays.
In preparation for the "Magic Training War," I was actually planning to lock myself in the training grounds from the morning and focus on magic training... but it seems I still haven't overcome my laziness from my previous life.(In the end, I ended up sleeping until the afternoon... Well, practicing magic while sleep-deprived wouldn't be effective anyway, and besides, today is a day off from military school lectures... Just the fact that I'm dedicating my day off to studying and training makes me great, so I'll just think that way.)
Muttering excuses to myself, I pass through the cafeteria attached to the training facility and head towards the reception.
After handing the receptionist's ticket for the reserved seminar room to the old lady in charge, I casually glanced at the reservation management book for each room that was carelessly placed at the counter.
(Other than me, the only ones training at the dojo on their days off are Komazawa, Inoue, and Jogasaki...)
According to the reservation sheet for the seminar room, it seems that Erika is holed up here from evening to night on weekdays after her classes, and from morning to night on weekends.
(I heard that during elementary school, she almost got expelled because her grades were so bad, but it seems she's a hard worker...)
Looking at her name, the image of tearful Erika from yesterday comes to mind again, and a bittersweet feeling wells up in my chest.
I shook my head to clear my mind and decided to head to my practice room.
(Speaking of which, today, Room D that I reserved was next to the room that Jougasaki is using.)
While walking down the stark concrete corridor leading to each practice room, I suddenly realize that.
It was just a whim, but I glanced into the training room just before entering my own room.
Although separated by a magically protected glass door, we can clearly see Erica training inside.
(Is it practice for the
This is a perk of being reincarnated
I was born with two strange magical talents.
One is the ability to cast magic without using a magic wand.
Another thing is that I can see not only my own magical formulas but also those of others.
Thanks to the latter's ability to perceive magical formulas, I realized that before Erika, holding her practice wand, could complete her magical formula, she was constructing the
(Whoa, the technique is going out of control and about to backfire?! That's dangerous!)
Before I could think, my body was already moving.
Hurrying into the room, I applied the
Confirming that the light had completely vanished from the tip of the magic staff, which had been glowing bright red due to the runaway magical energy that had lost its way, I finally let out a sigh of relief...
"Eh, whoa. T-Todo Tōdō?! W-What are you doing here?"
"Um... sorry for intruding."
I could only give a awkward smile to Erika, who was surprised by the sudden intruder.
◆◆◆◆
Compared to earlier, the magical formula, which has been beautifully constructed, is now being filled with magical energy.
Although there are still some slight fluctuations during the magic power charging, it is sufficiently satisfactory.
"Just like that, with an image of drawn energy, try shooting towards the target."
Following my instructions, Erika launched the
The training room, covered with stone materials mixed with several special magic stones, is impervious to even moderate magical attacks.
Thanks to that, her
"Oh, you did it well! Congratulations. The spell was constructed beautifully, and the excess magical power has significantly decreased. You're getting better!"
"Is that so...? ...Thank you."
Although her words were blunt, seeing her slightly softened expression conveyed that she was genuinely pleased.
Since then, I couldn't just leave Erika, who was on the verge of another magic power rampage, alone, so I ended up accompanying her in her magic practice.
Originally, by borrowing the power of the control magic inscribed on the wrist bracelet lent to military students, it is easy to minimize one's magical output and prevent accidental discharges.
However, in Erika's case, she possesses an excessive amount of magical power, and since she hasn't been accustomed to magical manipulation until now, she is prone to sudden outbursts if she lets her guard down.
I heard that until now, she has only been able to properly activate magic a handful of times in her life.
"Uh, it's an embarrassing story, but... aside from the 'unique magic' passed down in the Jōgasaki family, I can really only use simple everyday magic. Today was the first time I succeeded in an attack spell. I've been practicing every day since entering military school, though..."
Usually, Erika has a frown on her face, looking perpetually displeased (perhaps due to her conflict with Komazawa), and she doesn't say much.
That girl, who usually doesn't open up easily, surprisingly talks to me honestly after just a few hours of practicing magic together.
That felt strangely delightful to me.
"I've been too whiny. Sorry," I said, wanting to cheer up Erika, who was looking down with a flushed face. I threw some encouraging words her way.
"Well, I think I've roughly grasped the knack of structuring the techniques from the current practice. I believe you'll make great strides from here on. Above all, Jōgasaki-san is a hard worker."
"Ah, thank you... T-Toujou Toudou is good at both teaching and praising."
Her face, already flushed, turned even redder as she mumbled her thanks.
Seeing Erika's face, which showed such fresh and adorable charm, my heart began to palpitate faster as if it had remembered something.
(In order to stop the outburst, I barged into the room without thinking and ended up accompanying her in magic practice like this... But now that I think about it, this is the first time I've been in a situation alone with such a beautiful girl...)
Once you become aware of it, there's nothing you can do with reason anymore.
Beautiful hair flowing like gold, sharp emerald eyes that seem strong-willed, sweat glistening on a neck as white as porcelain, and the sweet ephemeral scent unique to girls that wafts over just by being near.
Above all, those big breasts that look so soft like mochi...
To avoid being caught staring, I forcibly averted my gaze downward, only to be captivated by her long, slender legs.
The fabric of her uniform fits perfectly, and her thighs, with their ideal curves that are neither too thin nor too thick, make me feel an irresistible urge to reach out and touch them.
(…What am I thinking! What am I doing!)
"Oh! Is it already this late? I should get going soon."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you here so late..."
Feeling overwhelmed by my own desires, I said that in a trembling voice, and Erika, looking flustered, began to prepare to leave.
Turning off the lights in the seminar room, closing the door, I walk down the dimly lit hallway with her in the evening.
The body of the girl walking ahead was so thin it looked like it might break, and she seemed very lonely.
"Uh, um!"
Erika turns around with a puzzled expression at my sudden call.
"Uh, if it's okay with you, Jougasaki-san, would you like to practice magic together again tomorrow?"
This is hypocrisy.
If you really care about Erika, you should team up with her for the magic training battle right?
However, I don't have the guts to help others even if it means being glared at by a high-ranking noble like Komazawa.
"Is it really okay? ...I really appreciate it."
"Ah, yeah, totally."
Seeing Erika's shy smile, a sharp pain ran through my