Chapter 1: "The Innkeeper's Son Goes to the Academy"
The entrance exam venue for the Magic Academy was bustling with noise from the morning. In the white tower soaring in the center of the royal capital‚ within the exam site set up in one corner‚ young people gathered from all over the kingdom stood in line‚ filled with tension and anticipation.
Among them was a particularly plain-looking boy. Louie Adel. The son of an innkeeper in a seaside town. His appearance was ordinary—no‚ below ordinary. His hair was messy‚ and his uniform was slightly ill-fitting. He stood in the corner trying not to stand out‚ but it felt like that actually made him more noticeable. Or was that just his imagination?
「……I want to go home.」
Louie was voicing his desire to escape for the umpteenth time in his mind. But his feet wouldn’t move. No‚ he couldn’t make them move. Because the girl standing next to him was firmly gripping his sleeve.
「Louie‚ your face looks dead. Are you okay?」
Serina Elferia. A talented and beautiful girl born into a prestigious family of the kingdom. Her magic power capacity was the highest in the academy’s history‚ she had a brilliant mind‚ and on top of that‚ her personality was innocent and cheerful. For some reason‚ she had been attached to Louie since long ago.
「I-I’m not okay… but… somehow… it might… work out… I hope…」
「You’re way too pessimistic!」
Serina laughed and patted Louie on the back. That light tap struck straight into Louie’s heart.
（No way‚ it’s impossible. My magic power index was 0.3 in yesterday’s preliminary measurement‚ you know? And they even said it was within the margin of error. Serina… was over 1200‚ right? What the hell‚ we’re both human.）
Louie stared at his own hand. He had calculated it many times. The flow of magic power‚ the structure of the spell formula‚ the possibilities for optimization. In theory‚ magic should be usable even with low magic power. But reality was cruel.
「Next‚ Louie Adel.」
The examiner’s voice rang out. Louie’s shoulders jumped with a start. The gazes of those around him gathered. A small wave of laughter leaked out.
「It’s the innkeeper’s son.」「His magic power is practically zero.」「Why did he even come to take the exam?」
（Yeah‚ I knew it. This is how it would go. Just as expected. Just as calculated. …No‚ this was outside my calculations. It hurts.）
Louie staggered up to the measuring device. The magic power measuring device displayed the magic index simply by placing a hand over it. When Serina used it‚ the light was so dazzling that the examiner squinted.
When Louie placed his hand over it‚ the machine fell silent for a moment.
「……Um‚ magic power index‚ 0.2.」
「Wait‚ is the digit correct?」
The examiner instinctively double-checked. The surroundings burst into loud laughter.
「0.2? That’s lower than a bug.」「Can he even use magic?」「No‚ can he even stay alive?」
（Yeah‚ lower than a bug. I’m lower than a bug. No‚ that might be rude to bugs. Sorry‚ bugs.）
Louie quietly withdrew his hand. His face turned bright red as he looked down. He wanted to run away. But Serina was standing right in front of him.
「Louie is really smart. You can change the world with numbers.」
At those words‚ Louie lifted his face. Serina’s eyes were straightforward. She wasn’t lying. She truly believed that.
（……She believes in me. In who I am. At least Serina does.）
Louie smiled faintly. It was a natural smile that surprised even himself.
「Thank you. But to change the world‚ you first need the courage to leave your own room.」
「You’ve already left. See‚ you’re here right now.」
Serina smiled brightly. Louie’s heart skipped a beat.
（……This is bad. I like her. I really do like her. But she’s a young lady from a prestigious family‚ I’m just the son of an innkeeper‚ with 0.2 magic power‚ lower than a bug……）
While his thoughts spun in circles‚ the exam continued. In the magic construction test‚ Louie submitted a simple spell formula. The calculations were perfect‚ but he lacked the magic power to activate it.
「Your construction theory is excellent. If only you had the magic power……」
At the examiner’s words‚ Louie smiled bitterly.
（If only I had the magic power‚ huh. If the words “if only” were magic‚ I’d be the strongest.）
The exam ended‚ and on the way home. Serina walked beside Louie. The wind felt pleasant‚ and the hustle and bustle of the city could be heard in the distance.
「Hey‚ Louie. I’m looking forward to academy life.」
「……Yeah. Well‚ I only have a premonition of hell though.」
「That’s not true. I’ll be there‚ and Leon too.」
「Leon‚ huh…… That guy has perfect magic power and sword skills‚ a good face‚ a good personality‚ and a promising future……」
「Louie has good points too. Like your calculations‚ your kindness‚ and……」
Serina started to say something but fell silent. Louie pretended not to notice.
（I wonder what the “and……” was. But I can’t ask. I’m scared. What if I get my hopes up and it’s different……）
The two walked side by side. As the sunset dyed the city‚ Louie suddenly thought.
（I’m not a mage. I don’t have magic power. But I can manipulate numbers. To change the world‚ maybe it’s not magic…… but calculations.）
At that moment‚ something sprouted inside him. A tiny‚ tiny seed of possibility.
And so the story begins. The journey of the innkeeper’s son who changes the world with numbers.
Chapter 2: "The Thug Incident"
The royal capital in the early afternoon was a little noisier than usual. Students who had just finished the Magic Academy entrance ceremony were walking around the city in their uniforms. Louie Adel was one of them. Or rather‚ to be precise‚ he was walking in a corner of the city‚ trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible.
（Serina invited me‚ so I came‚ but…… aren’t there too many people? This isn’t a trap‚ is it?）
Louie fidgeted and looked around in the crowd. Serina had said she was stopping by the sweets shop and went ahead. Knowing her‚ she would probably become friends with the shop staff‚ get some free samples‚ and come back with a smile.
（Still‚ that uniform look…… it stands out way too much. That’s basically light-attribute magic. It’s dazzling.）
As Louie was thinking that‚ he heard angry voices from the alley.
「Hey‚ young lady. Nice clothes you’ve got there. Come hang out with us for a bit.」
「Please stop!」
A familiar voice. It was Serina.
（Ehhhhhhhhhhhh!? Why!? Weren’t you at the sweets shop!?）
Louie hurriedly ran toward the voice. In the alley‚ Serina was surrounded by three delinquents. They looked obviously shady and were rattling magic bracelets on their wrists.
「Stop!」
Louie shouted. That was all he did. The next instant‚ he was rolling on the ground.
「……Huh? Already?」
He seemed to have been punched. Or maybe kicked. Anyway‚ it hurt. His face hurt. His stomach hurt. Above all‚ his heart hurt.
（This was outside my calculations. No‚ I didn’t calculate anything. My combat ability was zero to begin with.）
「Louie!」
Serina screamed. She was desperately trying to shake off the delinquents. Louie‚ tasting blood‚ tried to stand up somehow.
「I told you to stop……!」
His voice was trembling. His legs were trembling too. But he stepped forward. He was punched again. This time‚ his nose bled.
（Yeah‚ I can’t take any more. Courage hurts.）
That was when light poured into the alley. No‚ light itself appeared.
「That’s enough.」
A low‚ dignified voice. A young man wearing silver-white armor stood with his sword ready.
Leon Valks. A holy knight candidate. The son of a prestigious family in the kingdom’s knight order. A perfect man.
「Holy Knight Order candidate‚ Leon Valks. Violence against citizens is subject to immediate arrest under kingdom law.」
The delinquents’ faces twitched. Leon took a step forward and swung his sword. Light flashed‚ and the magic bracelets shattered. In the next instant‚ the delinquents were on the ground.
「Serina‚ are you okay?」
Leon rushed over. Serina nodded with tears in her eyes.
「Yeah…… Thank you‚ Leon.」
Louie lay on the ground looking up at the sky. His nosebleed wouldn’t stop. His cheek was swollen. His clothes were covered in mud.
（……I look pathetic again.）
He smiled bitterly. Seeing Serina being hugged by Leon‚ his chest stung.
（But I protected her. …No‚ I didn’t protect her. I might have just gotten in the way.）
「Louie!」
Serina rushed over. When she saw his face‚ her eyes widened.
「That’s terrible……! Why did you push yourself like that?」
「Well…… somehow‚ before I knew it‚ I was running. Reflexively.」
「Idiot……」
Serina placed her hand on his cheek while shedding tears. Magic power flowed‚ and his wounds healed little by little.
「……Thank you.」
Louie muttered softly. Serina nodded‚ but her eyes looked somewhat lonely.
（I wonder why. Is it because I pushed myself? Or because Leon came?）
Leon approached. He extended his hand to Louie.
「Well done‚ Louie. Sometimes courage is stronger than magic power.」
「……No‚ mine is called recklessness. Courage is something people who can win do.」
「That’s not true. True courage is facing something even when you know you’ll lose.」
Those words gave Louie a small sense of salvation.
（Leon really is cool. He’s perfect. …It’s only natural that Serina would like him.）
The three began walking side by side. Slowly through the twilight city.
Serina gently took Louie’s arm. He was surprised but couldn’t say anything.
（……I’m just the son of an innkeeper. Magic power 0.2. Lower than a bug. But if Serina smiles‚ that’s enough for me.）
That smile warmed his heart just a little.
And so‚ the story of the three slowly begins to move.
Chapter 3: "The Three After School"
In the afternoon after magic theory class ended‚ a few students remained in the classroom. The light streaming in through the windows illuminated the spell formulas on the desks.
「This equation is definitely wrong. The flow of magic power is reversed here.」
Leon frowned as he pointed at Serina’s notebook.
「Eh? But the teacher called this a ‘stable formula’?」
「Just because the teacher said it doesn’t mean it’s correct. I tried using it in actual combat. The barrier collapsed as a result.」
「No way! Wasn’t that just because the magic power supply was insufficient?」
「No‚ the supply was plenty. The problem was the structure.」
Their argument was like a war of magic theories. Louie sat quietly in the corner seat and opened his notebook.
（……Here they go again. Serina and Leon’s magic theory debate. Both are smart‚ neither yields‚ and both are loud.）
He sighed and glanced at their notebooks. Indeed‚ there was a slight discrepancy in Serina’s formula. The flow of magic power was theoretically stable‚ but it had the potential to become unstable in actual combat.
（……Here it is. The inflow angle of magic power is off by 0.3 degrees from the theoretical value. If we correct it with a reflection formula……）
Louie quickly wrote equations in his notebook. Magic power flow‚ angles‚ reflectivity‚ reconstruction of the spell formula. His hand didn’t stop.
「Louie‚ what do you think?」
Serina suddenly turned around. Louie’s shoulders jumped.
「Eh‚ ah‚ um…… it’s a little off‚ maybe.」
「Off? Where?」
「Here. The inflow angle of magic power is 0.3 degrees off from the theoretical value. So I think correcting it with a reflection formula will make it stable.」
Louie held out his notebook. Serina and Leon peered at it.
「……I see. Indeed‚ correcting it with a reflection formula makes the magic power flow uniform.」
Leon nodded. Serina’s eyes sparkled.
「Amazing! Louie‚ you really are smart!」
「No‚ it’s nothing…… just some calculations……」
The moment Louie smiled shyly.
「Then let’s try it!」
Serina deployed the spell formula. Magic power gathered and light ran across it.
「Eh‚ w-wait! I haven’t adjusted it yet!」
Before Louie’s voice could reach her‚ the magic circle went out of control.
「Kyaa!」「Uwaaah!」
Explosive smoke filled the classroom. Desks bounced‚ chairs toppled‚ and the blackboard shook.
When the smoke cleared‚ the three were lying on the floor covered in soot.
「……Sorry. I might have rushed it a bit.」
Serina laughed while scratching her head. Louie coughed and wiped his face.
「No‚ my calculations were too optimistic. I should have lowered the reflectivity a bit more.」
「My magic power supply might have been a little too strong too.」
Leon smiled wryly as well.
The three looked at each other and laughed. Someone in the corner of the classroom muttered‚ “Not again……‚” but they ignored it.
「It feels like the old days.」
Serina murmured. Those words tightened Louie’s chest.
（The old days…… that’s right. Back when Serina would sneak out of the mansion and come to my inn. We read magic books together‚ wrote spell formulas on paper‚ failed‚ and caused explosions……）
「Nostalgic. Back then it was more like explosion performances than magic.」
Leon laughed. Serina nodded too.
「But it was fun. Louie always did amazing calculations for us. I didn’t understand at all‚ but somehow I felt safe.」
「……I was just a numbers otaku.」
「That’s not true. It’s because you were there that I came to love magic.」
At those words‚ Louie was at a loss for words. His chest grew warm.
（……So Serina thought of me that way. But I……）
He looked down. Serina’s smile was too dazzling.
（……She really is too good for me. She suits someone like Leon.）
「Louie?」
Serina peered at him. Louie hurriedly lifted his face.
「Y-yeah. It’s nothing. Just a bit of soot got in my eye.」
「Fufu‚ then let’s go wash up. All three of us.」
「Yeah. My armor is covered in soot too.」
The three left the classroom side by side. They walked down the twilight corridor‚ laughing.
Their backs somehow felt nostalgic and warm.
And so the story takes another step forward.
Chapter 4: "The Weakest Enters the Magic Tournament"
The courtyard of the Magic Academy was bustling from the morning. The once-a-year “Freshman Magic Tournament.” It was a grand stage to compete in magic power and skill‚ and at the same time‚ an unofficial popularity vote to decide “who stands out.”
「Louie‚ are you serious about entering?」
Serina said with wide eyes. In her hand was a freshly baked croissant. Carrying sweets from the morning was just like her.
「Yeah…… well‚ entering is free.」
「No‚ even if it’s free‚ it’s life-risking!? Entering the magic tournament with a magic power index of 0.2 is a choice between hero or reckless!」
「I think you’re the only one who would call me a hero‚ Serina.」
Louie smiled bitterly. Honestly‚ the decision to enter was due to momentum. Yesterday‚ when Leon said “I’m entering too‚” his mouth had somehow slipped and said “Then me too.”
（That was completely an accident. My mouth moved on its own. My brain was trying to stop it. My heart was trying to run away. Yet only my mouth……）
「But I think you might be able to win‚ Louie. It’s calculation magic‚ right?」
At Serina’s words‚ Louie looked down.
（Win…… huh. No way I can win. I have no magic power. No physical strength. No popularity. All I have is paper‚ a pen‚ and a little calculation ability.）
Still‚ he decided to enter. The reason was probably because Serina smiled at him.
The tournament began with a technical competition using the basic magic “Spark.” Spark was an elementary spell that concentrated magic power at a single point and released it. Its power was low‚ but control was difficult.
「Next‚ Louie Adel!」
The venue stirred. Apparently that “magic power 0.2” boy was entering. Whispering voices leaked from the spectator seats.
「Eh‚ that kid?」「Is he really going to use magic?」「This should be fun to watch.」
（Yeah‚ it’s fun to watch. I want to watch too. From the spectator seats‚ I want to see whether my own magic comes out or not.）
Louie took a deep breath. In his hand was a sheet of paper densely filled with equations. He had reconstructed the spell formula. He shortened the magic flow path of Spark to the minimum‚ adjusted the reflection angle‚ and calculated to suppress magic consumption to below 0.1.
（In theory‚ it should activate even with 0.2 magic power. The question is whether it will actually come out.）
He deployed the spell formula while looking at the paper. There was no chant. His magic was chantless and multi-chant type. He controlled magic power with equations.
「Spark‚ activate.」
With a quiet voice‚ light shot from his hand.
「……It came out!」
The venue murmured. A small orb of light flew straight toward the target and pierced the center.
「Hit‚ center point!」
The examiner shouted. The spectator seats stirred.
「Eh‚ just now……」「With 0.2 magic power!?」「How is that possible!?」
Louie stood there in a daze. He couldn’t believe it himself.
（It came out…… it really came out. Just as calculated‚ the magic……）
Serina stood up from the spectator seats and clapped. She was smiling. So brightly it was dazzling.
（……Ahh‚ I’m glad. Serina is smiling. Just that makes entering worth it.）
Leon also nodded with his arms crossed.
「Not bad‚ Louie. So that’s your magic.」
Louie puffed out his chest just a little. It was the first time he truly felt his own power.
In the tournament results‚ Louie received a special award in the technical division. He was last in magic power index‚ but his spell formula precision and innovation were highly evaluated.
「Louie‚ that was amazing! You really did change the world with numbers!」
Serina ran over. Louie smiled shyly.
「No‚ the world hasn’t changed. The target just glowed a little.」
「But my world changed. Louie‚ you really are amazing.」
At those words‚ Louie was at a loss. His chest grew warm.
（……Serina’s world. Did I manage to change it?）
Leon approached. He patted Louie on the shoulder.
「Next is real combat. Want to team up with me?」
「Eh‚ team up…… I won’t be any help in battle.」
「No‚ your calculation magic might be sharper than my sword.」
Louie smiled a little.
（Leon really is cool. But I…… maybe I managed to look a little cool too.）
The three walked side by side. Laughing through the twilight academy.
And so the story takes another step forward.
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