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Chapter 25. Recruitment

I decided to change my approach.

I used to think I didn't want to stand out or become a Magic Knight, but...

if I'm part of Elixira's faction, maybe it's better to stand out properly.

That said, when I thought about ways to stand out at the academy, the first thing that came to mind was challenging a lot of duels...

But if I do that, I'll just look like a barbarian, so I decided against it.

"So, I thought it was about time to seriously consider a few things."

"Is that so... And why are you here?"

I found Ivy reading a book gracefully under the sunlight in the courtyard, so I sat next to her and started talking about what I was thinking.

Ivy, who always has a suspicious look on her face, seemed puzzled by my sudden chatter.

I guess I would be confused too if someone suddenly did this to me.

"Ivy, you're a commoner, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"...I don't know if it's true, though."

"It's true."

Well, there's no reason for me to believe that. Her mannerisms while reading just now were extremely elegant,

and I've heard she's incredibly skilled in magic, far beyond what a commoner should be.

There's even talk of cheating, but I confirmed during the midterm exams that it's just a rumor.

"Currently, the only members of Elixira's faction are me and Nina."

"...Are you saying both of you are commoners?"

"Exactly! So, why don't we commoners get along?"

The reason I wanted to recruit Ivy into the faction is because she's a commoner.

I don't know if she really is one, but at least at the academy, she's seen as a commoner, so it should be fine.

More importantly, she seems to prefer acting alone.

Her solitary demeanor, despite being ranked 5th, is quite admirable.

"Our faction is pretty free-spirited. I'd just like you to join us."

"If the 5th rank joins the faction, we'll wield more influence in the academy."

"It's not like I want that, but... well, for various reasons."

I'm not great at interacting with others but in this academy,

I've realized over the past two months that it's beneficial to be part of a group.

That's why I'm trying to bring someone other than Nina into the faction.

I originally wanted a male student, but the top-ranked guys are all noble heirs, and they're a pain to talk to.

Well, the top-ranked girls are all nobles too.

"Hmm... Could you give me some time to think about it?"

"Of course. I'm sure you have things to consider."

"Yes, specifically... I don't know much about Elixira, the faction leader."

Oh... that? Actually, I don't know how Elixira fights either.

But I thought it wouldn't be a problem since she has enough sense to use a grimoire...

But from a general perspective, she was the lowest-ranked girl.

"I'm more interested in you, though."

"Me?"

"Yes. You've jumped from 984th to 250th place, and from what I saw during the midterm exams, you could easily hold the 5th rank. Also, the magic you used to break the dream spell is something an ordinary person could never achieve in their lifetime."

Hmm... so her excuse about not knowing Elixira was just a pretense,

and she's actually very wary of me?

I don't quite get the expression "something an ordinary person could never achieve".

But I understand that she's cautious of my abilities.

Though, I don't see why she needs to be wary of my abilities.

Is it a problem if I surpass her rank?

"Don't get me wrong. It's not that I dislike you. I'm just curious about your power."

"That doesn't sound convincing when you're smiling suspiciously."

"D-Do I look suspicious? That wasn't my intention..."

If a beautiful girl with black hair narrows her eyes and smiles, isn't it natural to find it suspicious?

It's normal to think that if she's always alone, mysteriously smiling.

"Anyway, I want to see your abilities with my own eyes."

"How?"

"Well... how about a monster hunt as adventurers? If we take Elixira along, it might also ease my worries."

Will it, though?

"So, we’re going monster hunting the day after tomorrow."

"What are you talking about!? You haven't explained anything!"

I explained to Elixira at the old library after all the classes were over.

Nina, who was with her, seemed restless hearing about it, but I'm not taking her along, even though she's already active as an adventurer.

"It would be great if we could get Ivy on our side. You understand that, right?"

"I-I get that! But why do we need to prove my strength?"

"Because as the faction leader, you need to be somewhat strong.

I don't care about that, but maybe others do."

"People who don't care about strength are also a problem, you know!?"

Stop being so noisy. No matter how strong you are, there's a huge gap between nobles and commoners.

Even if a commoner becomes a Magic Knight, the gap between them and nobles won't fully close.

In the Kingdom of Kuria, the royal family has been moderate for ages, so there's not much friction between nobles and commoners, but in other countries, it's common for commoners to have no rights.

There are places where nobles can kill commoners for fun without any repercussions.

Given such circumstances, a noble should be the faction leader, as it reduces the number of people who would cause trouble.

Especially since Elixira, even if she's weak herself, comes from the powerful Bifrans family, people would be hesitant to mess with her.

"We're just going to hunt some monsters to show our abilities. Nothing will happen."

"When people say that, something always happens!"

Stop jinxing it.