"Hey, Mahiro-kun, do you know about the school's two-track system?"
"I do. It refers to the different teaching management for Course 1 and Course 2 students. The difference basically boils down to whether they have a supervising instructor and can receive personal guidance."
This was also the main source of division among students.
Those with the eight-petal badge were Course 1 students, while those without were Course 2 students.
The two groups were assigned based on academic performance, giving rise to the lofty "Blooms" and the downtrodden, scorned "Weeds."
"So, Mahiro-kun, do you have any unique thoughts on this system?"
"Not particularly."
Facing Mayumi's question, Mahiro answered bluntly: "It's just a way to openly separate the top students from the underachievers."
"Huh?"
A completely unexpected response.
Mayumi couldn't help but press further: "Could you elaborate, Mahiro-kun?"
She was genuinely curious about this junior's perspective.
Ever since becoming student council president, both the council and the disciplinary committee had been working tirelessly to bridge the gap between Course 1 and Course 2 students.
In the process, they had forgotten the fundamental root of the conflict.
"Not much to say, really." Mahiro shrugged. "First, let's establish one thing. Mayumi-senpai, everyone admitted to First High is supposed to be an elite, right?"
"Yes, that's correct." Mayumi nodded in agreement.
Elite was an understatement.
First High only accepted 200 students each year, but the number of applicants far exceeded that.
Two thousand wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Thus, those who manage to gain admission into First High are nothing short of the elite among elites in the world of magicians.
Essentially, they all hail from the main or branch families of the Ten Master Clans, the Eighteen Assistant Houses, the Hundred Families, or other prominent lineages.
There are no ordinary people here.
Or rather, magicians who place such emphasis on bloodlines simply cannot have ordinary people among them.
"Since everyone here is an elite, I actually don't see anything wrong with the Two-Course Division system."
Under Mayumi's almost incredulous gaze, Mahiro explained, "The school's intention with this system is simply to motivate those who perform poorly or are at the bottom to strive harder."
"And this approach benefits the high-achieving students as well."
"By the way, Mayumi-senpai, do you know why they put catfish in the tank after catching tuna?"
"Sorry, Mahiro-kun, I'm not sure." Mayumi shook her head, puzzled as to how this related to the Two-Course Division system.
"Heh." Mahiro chuckled lightly. "I didn't understand it at first either, but someone later told me that it's because the presence of catfish keeps the tuna in a constant state of excitement and tension."
"It's just like the Two-Course Division. The First Course students are the tuna, while the Second Course students are the catfish."
"The 'resentment' of the Second Course students stirs the pond, stimulating the pride of those in the First Course."
"And the Second Course students, through their relentless efforts, also have the chance to transform from catfish into tuna."
"So I say there's nothing wrong with this system. If anything, aside from the labels, there's practically no real difference."
They participate in the same club activities and use the same school facilities.
The only distinctions lie in the subtle differences in their uniforms and the "Individual Magic Practical Guidance" they receive.
The former is inconsequential, while the latter is hardly an issue for students from prestigious families.
Thus—
"The problem lies solely with the people themselves..."
Yes, the problem is the students.
Mayumi understood this well.
The Second Course students had forgotten that they, too, were elites when they entered First High, "willingly" relegating themselves to weeds, believing they were merely backups for the First Course students.
Meanwhile, the First Course students, with their condescending arrogance, crowned themselves as the "Blooming Flowers."
What should have been a competitive environment had instead become stagnant.
"Mahiro-kun, what you say makes sense, but..."
Mayumi pondered for a moment before sighing softly and shaking her head.
"If we were talking about ordinary people, your reasoning would hold. But magicians are different. In the world of magic, innate talent determines everything."
Talent, dictated by bloodline.
So, in the end—
Catfish will always remain catfish, and tuna will never change.
Their identities were set in stone the moment their entrance exam scores were decided.
"This is the flaw in the system."
Mahiro spread his hands, smiling at Mayumi. "As I mentioned earlier, everyone admitted to First High is an elite, right?"
"The reason Second Course students are in the Second Course isn't because they're inherently inferior, but because of the flaws in the evaluation system."
"Their talents simply don't align with the entrance exam, which is why they end up in the Second Course."
"I believe there are still many talented individuals among the second-course students even now."
Mayumi remained silent.
Indeed, many of her second-course classmates possessed remarkable talents.
For instance, Mibu Sayaka from the second-year kendo club, nicknamed "Kendo Belle," was a true prodigy in kendo.
Her swordsmanship had reached the "Inka" level, surpassing even the disciplinary committee chairperson, Watanabe Mari.
Additionally, she had inherited her family's "Kenjutsu" magic, making her a fully combat-ready talent.
"And there's more, Mayumi-senpai."
Noticing Mayumi's thoughtful silence, Mahiro continued nonchalantly, "This year's freshmen also have quite a few talented individuals."
"Oh? Are you referring to yourself, Mahiro-kun?"
The student council president, her train of thought interrupted, flashed a knowing smile at her junior, her lips curling into a mischievous arc.
"Not at all, I'm hardly what you'd call talented."
Mahiro waved his hands dismissively with a laugh.
But in Mayumi's eyes, this was nothing but modesty.
A magician born into the Ten Master Clans—how could there be any mediocrity among them?
"I'm talking about my landlord, Shiba Tatsuya. He's a freshman like me. Despite being incredibly skilled in magic engineering—proficient in both CAD development and debugging—he ended up as a second-course student."
"Eh? Shiba Tatsuya... you mean that Shiba?"
Mayumi blinked in surprise before nodding slightly in understanding.
She had heard from her teachers about this.
His sister, Shiba Miyuki, had entered as the freshman representative with the highest scores, while Shiba Tatsuya had scored an average of 96 out of 100 across seven subjects in the entrance exams.
In particular, his magic theory and magic engineering scores were unprecedented perfect scores!
Yet, due to his abysmal performance in the practical magic assessment, he had been relegated to the second course.
At this point, Mayumi suddenly noticed something odd.
"Wait, landlord? Mahiro-kun, are you renting a place now?"
"Yeah."
Mahiro paused for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh.
Seeing an opportunity to badmouth Maya, he put on a pitiful expression and said,
"I'm not like you guys. Even though I bear the Yotsuba name, I'm practically just a weed discarded by the roadside by the Yotsuba family."
"The head of the Yotsuba family, that heartless old woman Yotsuba Maya, kicked me out of the house and made me rent a place on my own. I even have to work part-time just to cover my living expenses."
"See? I still can't even afford a CAD..."
It was true.
Mayumi took a closer look at Mahiro and realized he really didn't have a single CAD on him.
This made her heart ache for him while also shocking her as if she had uncovered some major secret.
Was the Yotsuba family really this cold-hearted?!
After all, the exorbitant price of a CAD was far beyond what part-time wages could cover.
Not to mention the subsequent debugging costs!
The Yotsuba family owned a CAD company, for goodness' sake. Even if they kicked him out, shouldn't they at least provide him with a basic CAD for self-defense?