The Chief

"Was that really [Mage Hand]?"

"[Mage Hand] can be used like that?"

"Holy crap... holy crap... If anyone tells me [Mage Hand] is a support spell now, I'm gonna lose it..."

"I'm saving up points to trade for [Mage Hand]..."

Haul had no idea how he'd lost. After being carried off the stage, he quickly came to, still looking completely bewildered.

He didn't know what had happened, but the spectators had seen it clearly. Borne had stood in place the whole time. After Haul attacked, he'd merely raised a hand. Three Mage Hands appeared: one struck Haul in the stomach, another hit the wrist holding his sword, and the last smacked the back of his head. Haul had immediately collapsed and stayed down.

Borne's performance had stunned not only the students, but even the bigwigs in the stands, who watched him with curious expressions..

[Mage Hand], a 0th-level cantrip!

Borne's actions were a perfect demonstration of how spellcasters fought. Even the tiniest spell could deal devastating damage if used well!

Hearing the voices around him, Borne nodded to himself. Looks like it worked. I should be able to rake in at least a few thousand points in commissions after the tournament.

Thirty-something sets still isn't enough. That's too small a share. I'll have to grind out more once I get back. Yeah... at least three-quarters of the total.

"Impressive! By the way, is this kid really a newly promoted Arcanist? Even an Arcanist who'd been promoted for years might not have that kind of control!" The referee glanced at Borne, unable to help admitting that the world of geniuses was beyond ordinary people's understanding.

"Student Borne Ioulaum, will you continue... Hm?"

The referee suddenly stopped, then turned around and nodded repeatedly, as if communicating with someone.

Was it Message? Or some other spell?

That was a useful spell.

A genuine intercom from another world!

The referee then asked Borne, "Student Borne, the dean says your strength is far beyond that of your classmates. But it wouldn't be appropriate to make you chief outright. If you can accept challenges from twenty other students, the title of chief is yours."

"Twenty matches?"

Borne considered it for a moment and decided that sounded fine. Otherwise, the ranking tournament would drag on for several more days.

"Sure, no problem!"

Borne gave his answer without hesitation.

The referee then loudly announced a temporary change to the tournament schedule, and the crowd erupted once more.

They were all young, full of youthful spirit. Some people were bound to resent the dean's "special treatment" of Borne. Seeing him hog all the attention left them seething.

They clamored to get up there and teach Borne a lesson.

Borne looked at them and grinned. So there really were this many people who weren't afraid of getting hurt.

If I don't make you suffer a little, you'll never know why the flowers are so red!

Soon, the first challenger stepped onto the stage. He was about to introduce himself when Borne cut him off.

"Let's get started. I'm in a hurry. Pick whether you want to cast at a distance already."

Borne's interruption made the challenger flush red. Then, furious, he charged at Borne with his weapon before the referee could even give the signal.

Borne: ...

The pale-blue [Mage Hand] appeared again. The challenger had some skill. Sure, rage had clouded his judgment, but he did have some talent—at the very least, he could take a beating.

He charged right through the attacks!

"Idiot..."

Borne muttered, then summoned a [Mage Hand] at the challenger's feet and grabbed his ankle, tripping him.

Seven or eight more [Mage Hands] appeared and began hammering the fallen challenger's head. The guy really could take a beating. Twice, he endured the punches and tried to get back up, only to be knocked flat again. In the end, he couldn't take any more and shouted that he surrendered.

Referee: ...

Watching the first challenger leave the stage with a bruised-up face and a limp, the crowd that had just been so indignant suddenly quieted down considerably.

"Next. Hurry up..."

Borne called out.

Referee: →_→

Borne's taunt roused the crowd again.

Feeling his classmates' "enthusiasm," Borne sighed. "Youth is wonderful. So full of passion, so unafraid of setbacks!"

Referee: (ー_ー)!!

Soon, another challenger stepped onto the stage. He immediately put some distance between himself and Borne.

Then he started circling, closing in quickly while using his weapon to knock away the [Mage Hands] that appeared along the way.

"Hey!"

The sudden shout startled not only the challenger, but even the referee. "Watch me catch a blade barehanded!"

Two translucent [Mage Hands] appeared, pressed together, and clamped the challenger's longsword between them.

The challenger was instantly dumbfounded. The spectators were just as stunned...

Borne's use of [Mage Hand] had once again completely rewritten everyone's understanding of the spell.

What the hell was that about catching a blade barehanded?!

With his weapon clamped in place, the challenger was flipped onto the ground by a [Mage Hand]. Then came the usual routine.

This challenger knew when to quit. After trying and failing to get back up, he immediately shouted that he surrendered. Once the [Mage Hands] vanished, he hurried back with his head hanging.

"Next..."

Borne added another log to the fire. The next challenger stepped onto the stage—a "muscleman" carrying a greatsword. Borne could only marvel. This really was a magical world; even a first-year student could already be built like that.

Now that was magic...

The muscleman swung his greatsword. The force generated by its weight and momentum was beyond what [Mage Hand] could stop, but that didn't trouble Borne.

First, trip him. Then, when the greatsword came down, use the [upgraded barehanded blade catch].

Six [Mage Hands] clamped onto the greatsword.

Muscleman: =͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇)

Spectators: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

Then came the familiar routine. A barrage of punches sent the muscleman packing. Since he had a sturdy [Muscle Armor], Borne summoned a few extra [Mage Hands] to give him special attention.

"Damn... we've been fooled..."

"So he can control more than eight [Mage Hands] at once..."

"Well, he never said he could only control eight..."

"..."

Watching the commotion below, Borne called out, "Isn't there anyone who can cast spells? Why are they all warriors? This is Giles Academy—how did it turn into a Warrior Academy?"

"Pfft..."

"Hahaha..."

Quite a few of the military bigwigs in the stands burst out laughing. Some even shot the dean a teasing look.

Dean: ...

Referee: (ー_ー)!!

The referee wiped away a bead of sweat, thinking, That guy really does love stirring up trouble...

Provoked by Borne, another challenger soon stepped forward.

He chose to start at a distance. At the referee's command, he quickly began chanting a spell, while the crowd cheered him on. A pale-blue [Mage Hand] appeared behind the spellcaster and knocked him unconscious with a single punch.

The cheers abruptly died, and the entire arena fell into brief silence...

Borne felt as if he'd somehow become the villain. He let out a long sigh. "These kids... are they missing a few screws or what?"

His tone and expression irritated not only the first-years, but even the upperclassmen.

Referee: Could you please say a little less...

Two more challengers came up after that, one with a two-handed sword and the other with a bow. Borne took them down just as easily.

Seeing the crowd below "heatedly" discussing tactics, Borne used [Mage Hand] to bring over a chair, then sat there, completely at ease.

Referee: (ーー゛)

First-years: (ꐦ°᷄д°᷅)

Then four more "brave souls" volunteered to challenge him. One of them had even mastered Mobile Spellcasting, but they all ended up tripped and pummeled on the ground.

At last, the crowd below fell silent. No one else came up for a long while. Borne counted on his fingers.

That makes eleven?

Borne felt things were moving too slowly and called out, "Referee! There are still nine left. Why not have them all come up at once? It'll be faster."

Referee: Σ(°△°|||)︴

Just then, the dean's voice rang out. "Fine. Do as he asks!"

"Yes, sir!"

The referee then announced another temporary rule change.

Needless to say, the crowd erupted again.

Soon, nine challengers were picked.

"Swordsman, shield bearer, archer, and spellcaster. This lineup..."

A military bigwig's eyes lit up. He immediately recognized the team's composition. "That's a military squad's combat formation. Impressive! I didn't expect to find someone like that among this year's freshmen."

Seeing how well the nine challengers worked together, even the spectators thought Borne was about to have a rough time.

"Heh heh heh, that'll teach him to show off..."

"Wonder if he'll be able to walk off the stage..."

Everyone was waiting for the show. Even the referee thought Borne didn't have much chance after seeing the other team's lineup.

That formation clearly wasn't meant for a tournament. Meanwhile, this guy had actually spaced out and was muttering about taking on ten people or something...

Was he regretting it? Had he forgotten there were nine of them?!

The other team had already taken their positions, and he still hadn't snapped out of it...

"Hey... Hey... Are you ready?"

"Hm... Me? I'm ready whenever."

Borne gave a confident thumbs-up and smiled. Of course he'd noticed what was going on. A team fight? It wasn't like he'd never seen one before.

You think I'm some kind of boss you have to take down? I'll show you what it means to get a taste of society's beatdown!

"Begin!"

As the referee's hand came down, two arrows shot straight toward Borne.

Borne's lips curved slightly upward. "Let me show you the absolute defense of yours truly!"

"What?"

"How is that possible..."

"No way..."

Pale-blue translucent shapes appeared all around Borne!

It was, unmistakably, a gigantic [Mage Hand]!

The enormous [Mage Hand] made a staggering impression on everyone.

This wasn't just a shattering of their worldview—it was a complete upheaval!

The nine challengers were also dumbstruck. They completely forgot they were supposed to attack.

Looking at the arrows embedded more than three inches into it, Borne frowned. "It's still not sturdy enough. I'll have to put expanding the body on hold for now. If I can't improve its strength, even if I build a giant robot, it'll just be a fragile showpiece!"

"Ugh... This won't do. I still need to find a way to make a calculating tool. There's too much to work out..."

After thinking for a moment, Borne looked ahead and grinned. "Sorry, everyone! I'm done playing..."

Then more than a dozen enormous [Mage Hands] appeared all at once.

Faced with the giant fists bearing down on them, the challengers had completely lost the will to resist. Forget working together—they were soon scattered and thrown into disarray.

"They've lost..."

Anyone with eyes could see Borne had already won. It was only a matter of time before the challengers were knocked off the stage.

Once the shield bearer was knocked out of the arena, the archer could only raise his hand and surrender. That seemed to set off a signal, and soon the rest surrendered one after another.

They exchanged glances, their smiles bitter and helpless.

No one in the arena would mock them. This was an overwhelming difference in strength!

When the last challenger surrendered, the referee officially declared Borne the winner!

That also meant he had become the first-year chief!

And for the next five years, perhaps no one would be able to challenge his position!

The students were astonished, but the higher-ups and representatives saw much more—and much farther.

They began offering their congratulations to Count Ioulaum, while many others were already thinking about how they ought to adjust their relations with the Ioulaum House.

Borne had already expected that the gigantic [Mage Hand] would stir up the students. The more famous [Mage Hand] became, the more points he would earn later.

Borne was just about to leave when something occurred to him. He turned to the referee and asked, "Sir, can I challenge the chiefs of other years?"

The referee was taken aback by Borne's sudden question. It wasn't unheard of for a lower-year chief to challenge an upperclassman. Usually, they just wanted to spar and see how big the gap was between their years.

But challenging the chief of an upper year right off the bat was a first. And unlike those who only wanted to "spar," this guy clearly meant to challenge him for real. Given the strength Borne had shown so far, he had a very good chance of winning.

The problem was that the title of chief represented being first in one's year. Losing to an upperclassman was understandable, but if he lost to a lower-year student, could he still be called the chief?

Would the lower-year chief count as a lower-year student or an upper-year one?

The title bestowed by the academy would become a joke, dealing a major blow to its authority!

The spectators below had also heard Borne's question to the referee, and they all turned to look at the second-year chief.

The second-year chief's face darkened. What the hell? I got caught in the crossfire while just standing here. What did I ever do to him...

The referee couldn't give a definite answer to Borne's special request, so he quickly contacted the higher-ups.

Borne knew the referee needed to ask for approval, so he added, "Sir, could you also ask if I'd get their share of the rewards if I beat an upper-year chief?"

Referee: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

So that was what this was about. He had his eye on someone else's rewards.

"No!"

A voice tinged with anger rang in Borne's ear. The referee didn't need to relay the message this time; Borne knew the answer. There was no need to guess—it was the dean.

Watching a monkey show cost money, too. Since there was nothing in it for him, Borne wasn't about to stick around. He turned on his heel and ran.

Without giving anyone else a chance to strike up a conversation, he hurried out of the arena.

Over the next few days, since Borne had claimed the top spot in advance, everyone else could only compete for second place. Perhaps Borne's "performance" had been too impressive, because hardly anyone showed up to watch the first-year competition for the rest of the year.

After the annual rankings competition, the students usually took time off to party. But today, unusually, no one went out to have fun. They all became diligent students instead, and the library and laboratories were packed every day. There weren't enough laboratories to go around, and arguments broke out so often that the Enforcement Squad had to be stationed at the Wizard Tower.

Although he'd secured the top spot in advance, the first-year competition wasn't over yet, so Borne couldn't use the privileges that came with it to exchange points for the right to read the Nether Scroll. Still, his points were piling up fast. So Borne sold the spell formula for the enlarged [Mage Hand] to the Tower Spirit, naming it [Giant's Hand].

Perhaps because the [Giant's Hand] spell formula was more complex, the Tower Spirit judged it to be a second-circle spell and paid him over a thousand points for it. Borne was overjoyed.

But once Borne's identity became public, more and more people started approaching him for all sorts of reasons. At first, he politely turned them down. Later, he simply warned them that if they bothered him again, he wouldn't be so nice.

That still didn't stop people with their own motives from approaching him—for example, to seduce him... Ahem. As an outstanding young man of the new era, Borne declared that women would only slow down his spellcasting.

In his heart: A bunch of idiots! Couldn't you even check how old I am?! Why not try that trick after I graduate!!!

Damn it...

He couldn't exactly start a fight. He could only scare off a few minor nobles. Of course, beating up minor nobles wouldn't be a problem, but he couldn't do the same to powerful nobles or one of the Ten Great Noble Houses.

If he hit one of them, he wouldn't just be hitting an individual; he'd be slapping an entire great noble house in the face. Unless Borne had the strength of the dean, he still had to turn them down politely. With the constant harassment driving him crazy, he could only hide away in a laboratory in the Wizard Tower.

But the laboratories charged rent, and the larger the laboratory, the higher the fee. Borne, who was used to freeloading at the Wizard Tower, certainly wasn't going to pay.

Even so, Borne noticed that the neighboring rooms had all been rented out over the past few days.

He wasn't surprised. He'd known it would only be a matter of time before people found out. He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

The academy wasn't very big, and once people knew who Borne was, finding his room was easy.

Fortunately, the day before, Borne had found a good spot elsewhere in the academy.

By the time anyone realized Borne had disappeared again, three days had already passed.