The Limitless Sorcerer

(All characters are adults, in accordance with Zhou etiquette. The story skips ahead a little in the early stages; the main plot begins in Chapter 36.)

The morning sun fell softly across his sharply defined profile. As the bus moved, sunlight flickered over his face, as though he were posing for a modeling shoot.

A broad chin, a high nose bridge, and a faint scar near the corner of his eye, following the angle of his sword-shaped brow. It was barely noticeable.

His side-swept hairstyle and relaxed, carefree smile were brimming with youthful energy.

Nagami was eighteen years old and a student.

It was April, the entrance ceremony. He sat on a bus headed for school, the vehicle jostling along the way. As you can see, this was the first scene of the protagonist's story. And he was a transmigrator from the Zhou Kingdom, retaining the original owner's memories.

"Almost all the other passengers are young people in school uniforms. Judging by the setting, this must be a parallel world. Interesting. Looks like school life won't be boring!"

"Um, excuse me, classmate. I think you could give your seat to the elderly lady, couldn't you?"

A cute student with light brown, almost golden hair spoke up. Apparently, this parallel world also valued respect for the elderly.

Not far in front of me stood an old woman. She'd chosen to ride the bus despite her age, and it looked like she'd fall over if the driver braked.

It was hard not to feel sorry for her. She clearly knew how crowded the bus was and that there wouldn't be any seats, yet she'd still gotten on and put herself through this. Fortunately, a kind and beautiful student was helping to steady her.

"You there, sitting down—can't you see how tired that old woman is from standing?"

The JK's blunt voice rang clearly through the quiet bus, naturally drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

Nagami couldn't help being surprised by the junior girl's courage, at least in terms of her mental age.

"Crazy girl, crazy question."

"Lady, I paid for my seat when I got on. Just because someone's old, does that mean I have to give it up? Are young people always supposed to give their seats to the elderly?"

The golden-haired student seemed like a mixed-race girl. She stayed seated and rebutted the accusation with righteous conviction.

"Wouldn't an elderly person have priority for a priority seat? Surely you should give it up!"

The junior girl answered indignantly, her body rising and falling with her emotions, making it hard to look away.

"My answer is no. Even if it's a priority seat, there's no legal obligation to give it up. Besides, anyone could offer their seat. Everyone here seems perfectly content to do nothing."

He looked around at the people occupying the seats, as if mocking them.

(An 'anything goes' kind of sorcerer? No, she's got no limits when it comes to morals. And she's dragged everyone else into it, too.)

Nagami thought to himself.

"That's no way to treat the elderly!"

The JK still hadn't given up.

"The elderly? To me, that means people with higher social standing, not people who are older. Even with an age gap, they shouldn't act as if they're better than everyone else, should they?"

"Come on, it's fine..."

The JK was furious, but the old woman calmed her with a gesture.

"Oh my, oh my. Japanese society still has its good points."

The golden-haired boy looked completely unconcerned.

"Is anyone willing to give the old lady their seat?"

After asking, the junior girl looked around expectantly, hoping someone kind would answer her request.

(What an awkward situation. If nobody responds, the poor girl will be so embarrassed. I suppose I have no choice.)

"If you'd like, you can have my seat."

Nagami replied. He was in good shape, so even the Central Hell Line 2 and Southern Hell Line 3 during rush hour were no trouble for him. This short trip was nothing.

"Arigato!"

The JK nodded with a bright smile, then guided the old woman to the empty seat.

(As the great philosopher Confucius said, judge a gentleman by his actions, not his thoughts! Even a sweet-on-the-outside, scheming-on-the-inside girl is a good person for now—though she does have brown hair.)

"It was no trouble!"

We reached our destination soon after, and I followed the students off the bus.

Outside, an imposing gate made of fitted and polished natural stone stood before us.

(Impressive. It must have cost a fortune. Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School looks even more grand than some universities. Interesting. I wonder what surprises this school has in store for me.)

The boys and girls in uniforms around us were brimming with youthful energy, their faces full of hope and anticipation for the future. They got off the bus and passed through the gate.

"Ah! Youth really is wonderful."

According to the information booklet, the greatest appeal of Advanced Nurturing High School was its nearly one-hundred-percent rate of advancement to higher education and employment. The school invited lucky students from all over the country to take a written exam, then gave them their admission results on the spot. The standards behind the invitations remained a mystery.

Still, anyone who'd ever attended school knew a one-hundred-percent acceptance rate had to be a play on words. Surely no one would actually believe it. Surely not.

"Wait!"

A familiar voice called from behind me.

"What's up, cute classmate?"

The kind brown-haired junior from the bus had hurried after him. Nagami answered her.

"Thanks for giving up your seat on the bus. I'm Kushida Kikyo. What's your name?"

Kushida watched him quietly with an innocent expression and a hint of hope. No single guy could resist that look from little Kushida. If anyone could, he was definitely a devious schemer.

"My name is Nagami."

"Haha! Nagami, would you like to check which class we're in together later?"

Kushida invited Nagami to go with her.

"I'd love to!"

A crowd of students surrounded the noticeboard. At 155 centimeters tall, Kushida could only slowly squeeze her way through.

Nagami was 180 centimeters tall, so he could see the results from a distance.

"Little Kushida, we're both in Class D."

"Really, Nagami? We're in the same class! I look forward to spending the next three years together."

"Likewise, Kana."

"Kana!"

The view shifted back to Ayanokoji.

"You kept glancing at me just now. What's on your mind?"

Horikita asked.

Had he been noticed because he'd been so obvious about watching her?

"Sorry. I was just wondering why you hadn't intended to give your seat to the old woman from the start."

"My convictions made me decide not to give up my seat."

Horikita's tone left no room for anyone to question her.

"That was pretty inconsiderate."

"What other people think has nothing to do with me."

With that, Horikita left.

"..."

Ayanokoji's expressionless face revealed nothing as he fell silent.

In the classroom, the seating chart was set up in the center of the teacher's desk.

(Huh? I'm not in the back row by the window. I'm in the middle of the second-to-last row. So much for getting the protagonist's seat. Damn it.)

Not long after he set his bag down, the golden-haired boy sat in the seat in front of him.

"Well, if it isn't the kind boy from the bus. It's your good fortune to cross paths with beautiful me again."

"You certainly are beautiful, but only on the outside."

Nagami's reply carried a hint of mockery.

"I'll take that as a compliment. I really am beautiful."

Koenji Rokusuke said narcissistically as he looked in the mirror.

(Whoa, is everyone in Class D this weird? Judging by common sense, Classes A through D must represent excellence to inferiority. Otherwise, they could've just used numbers to distinguish the classes. What a lousy school. They've started competing and putting people down on the very first day.)

(That reminds me, why was I assigned to Class D? I hadn't transmigrated yet when I took the previous exam, but I still have the memories.)

(My grades aren't bad in this world, either. I'm near the top of my year. Both my parents died, and I'm a loner who likes being by myself. Did they use me as a buy-one-get-one-free deal to fill out the class?)

Nagami sat at his desk, lost in thought. Before he knew it, the classroom was almost full.

The sound of a bag being set down came from the seat beside him. A beautiful girl with long, straight black hair. He recognized her from the bus, but she seemed unapproachable, so it was probably best not to bother her.

Kushida quickly introduced herself to the girls around her, looking completely at ease.

(The cliques are already forming. That was fast.)

(Hoh, even if this is Class D, there are plenty of beautiful girls. Everyone except the golden-haired boy seems perfectly normal.)

(Looks like the days ahead won't be boring. Interesting.)

(A plain-looking, expressionless guy is sitting in the protagonist's seat. Could he be the secretly powerful type?)

"Hey, new students! I'm Chabashira Sae, the homeroom teacher for Class D. I teach history."

Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore an office-style business suit. Black stockings covered her legs.

Measurements: B86 (F) / W59 / H84

She was young and sexy, with a slightly aloof air.

Even the homeroom teacher at this school was unusual.

"This is a special school, and students don't change classes. So for the next three years, until you graduate, I'll be your homeroom teacher. We'll learn and grow together. I look forward to working with you. The entrance ceremony will be held in the gymnasium in an hour."

"Before then, I'll hand out information about this school's special rules."

"I already gave this to you during the earlier admissions briefing, though."

"Just tap it like a bus card while you're on school grounds."

"After that, points will be automatically deposited on the first of every month. Each of you should already have received the same amount: one hundred thousand points. One point is worth one yen. Do I need to explain anything else?"

Chabashira spoke in a listless manner, quickly went over the school's basic rules, and left when nobody had any questions.

The document in the seat in front of him looked familiar. It was the same one they'd received after the written exam. There was no new information.

The S System meant that students could buy anything they wanted while on school grounds. The points card was combined with their student ID, and could be used at the campus machines. On school grounds, points were as good as cash.

Unlike most schools, one unusual feature of this school was that every student had to live on campus. There was no room for negotiation. Students were also prohibited from contacting anyone outside the school while enrolled, barring special circumstances.

(It looks like they're afraid the rules might get out. In any world, even a slight information gap takes a lot of effort to make up for. It's like having X-ray vision; it gives you an unfair advantage. Looks like it's time to gather information.)

"One hundred thousand yen! We're rich! I'm going to buy the latest PlayStation. Next month, I'll get the newest big release."

"I'm going to buy the latest volume of my manga..."

"I've wanted this shade of lipstick for ages..."

The classroom was filled with excitement.

(A bunch of idiots. Money isn't yours until it's actually in your hands. They don't even understand something that basic.)

Nagami had his allowance confiscated ever since he was a child in his previous life, so he knew this lesson well. He'd developed an almost instinctive immunity to promises of rewards in the future.

(Besides, the class assignments alone show that the people running this school don't care about equality at all.)

It was about time to investigate. Let's go.

[Information available now]

[Name: Nagami]

[Class: Year 1, Class D]

[Student ID: S01T004655]

[Club activities: None]

[Birthday: August 30]

[Academic ability: A]

[Intelligence: A]

[Judgment: A]

[Physical ability: A]

[Coordination: D-]

[Interviewer's comments: Displayed extraordinary talent as early as junior high and ranked near the top of the class. His physical abilities are naturally far above average, and he has attracted the interest of several sports clubs. However, he is driven by his interests and has some difficulty with social interaction. His independence makes it hard for him to fit in. We hope he can become more integrated into a team and improve his social skills.]

[Homeroom teacher's notes: I hope he can build friendly relationships with his classmates to make up for his shortcomings.]