#1287 Junior’s Adventure – Trial Infiltration Experience 

“So, Guildmaster, what exactly did those guys come barging in for this time?” 
“Hm? Ah…” 

The Guildmaster looks weary, clearly recalling the encounter. 

“As expected, it’s about Junior. Word got out fast after someone saw him use one of his farm techniques to blow away a Terra Beast. They came to ask for details.” 

Though to call it asking for details is putting it mildly since their demeanor was anything but calm. 

He continues, recalling the scene... 

— “Such an incredible miracle must be the result of magic!” 
— “It would be a crime to let such talent rot in the Adventurer’s Guild! He must be enrolled in the Magic Academy immediately!” 

“…That’s what they said.” 

The Guildmaster’s wolfish face takes on the flat, unimpressed look of a Tibetan sand fox. 

“So, everything good in the world automatically belongs to them, huh? What a delightful mindset.” 
“They also believe that anything extraordinary must be magic. The kind of arrogance that assumes the world only consists of what they understand.” 

He’s right. 
Just from that, I can already tell the Magic Academy isn’t the kind of group we’d get along with. 

“Their ambitions are obvious. They want power, money, and to one day become the shadow rulers of the Human Kingdom. Just like the old church used to be under the monarchy.” 

I’ve heard stories about that church and how selfishly it acted back in the day. 
It’s been taken down, and yet now, something similar is already sprouting up again. 
I guess power really is a sweet kind of honey. 

“What’ll you do, Guildmaster? Knowing the Academy, they won’t give up and just keep demanding we hand Junior over.” 
“I’ll reject them, every time. Their demands have no basis, and we’re under no obligation to comply.” 

The Guildmaster’s tone is firm and resolute. 
And he’s right. So long as the other side has no leverage, the best move is to shut them out completely. 

But still… I can’t help thinking: is that really enough? 
Simply rejecting them is a defensive move. 

And playing defense alone never solves anything. 
As my mom always said, “If you’re playing catch-up, you’re already losing.” 

Strike first. 
That’s the teaching of my mother. 

If they’ve made the first move, then I’ll have to turn it against them and hit back with a counterstrike. 

“Please wait.” 

I interrupt the Guildmaster just as he’s about to wrap things up. 
Looks like I’ve just found my first assignment as an X-rank adventurer. 

“I’ve got an idea.” 

A job to crush the Magic Academy’s meddling once and for all. 

*** 

A few days later... 
I arrive at the Magic Academy. 

The campus sits in a prime spot in the royal capital—a rather grand building, all things considered. 
According to what I’ve heard, it was built on the ruins of the old cathedral. 

History repeats itself, huh? 
The phrase springs naturally to mind. 

“...So, you’re the future great mage everyone’s been talking about?” 

The moment I knock on the gate, a man gives me a rude once-over and greets me with that. 

“I wouldn’t say I’m a mage. I’m just an ordinary adventurer, really.” 
“Hmph! And they expect to enroll someone like you? What nonsense!” 

The middle-aged teacher pushes up his glasses in irritation. 
He’s gaunt, balding, and radiates the kind of stress that screams he doesn’t enjoy his job. 

“Let me make something clear. This academy is no playground. It’s a sacred institution for the chosen few. If you think an adventurer like you can survive here, you’ll need to work twice as hard just to keep up.” 
“I’ll have to correct you there,” I reply coolly. “I haven’t enrolled. This is a trial enrollment. Your superiors practically begged me to come, so I agreed on the condition that I’d only attend for a few days.” 
“K-Kuh...!” 
“Don’t worry, I’ll be gone soon enough. So I’m afraid your kind warning won’t be very useful.” 

Yes, I’m here today as a trial student. 
All arranged with the Guildmaster. 

After all, no matter how many times we turned them down, the Academy would just keep pestering us. People who live by “never stop complaining until you win” can drag things out forever. 
Once it reaches that point, it’s a battle of endurance. 
And the time and mental energy it drains from you aren’t trivial, either. 
So rather than waste all that effort on such a bad cost-performance deal, it feels smarter to just go along with them for now. 

Of course, I didn’t come here just to play along. 

“For the next few days, I’ll personally experience all the wonders this fine institution has to offer. I look forward to being thoroughly impressed.” 
“Ghh…!” 

My polite smile must be too much for him, because his balding scalp looks even shinier now. 

“V-Very well! I’m sure it won’t be long... perhaps even within today before you’re begging to enroll as a full student, moved to tears by the greatness of the Magic Academy!” 
“I hope so.” 

I return his grin with one of my own. 
All right then, let’s see what this capital’s proud academy can do. 

“Our Magic Academy was founded to bring the gift of magic to the human race! We are the vanguard of a new age! To grant light where there was once only darkness is our holy mission!” 

Yeah, yeah, sure. 

“You’ll soon witness the true brilliance of magic! By then, it’ll be too late to plead for entry, so I suggest you start sucking up now if you want to stand a chance!” 

Uh-huh. 

He leads me into a wide, open courtyard. 

“Here’s where we conduct practical magic training. Behold, our students in action!” 

And sure enough, the scene before me is exactly what you’d expect. 

Rows of wooden targets lined up across a spacious field. 
Students stand in formation, firing spells one after another. 

“Flame!” 
“Flame!” 
“Flame!” 
“Flame!” 
“Cold!” 
“Flame!” 
“Flame!” 
“Thunder!” 
“Flame!” 

Some spells hit, some miss. 
Even the ones that connect don’t so much as dent the targets. 
It was probably enchanted to resist magic. 

“Kukuku...Impressive, isn’t it? You won’t find such an intense display of magical power anywhere else in the world!” 

The middle-aged teacher who’d brought me here grins triumphantly. 

Well, I mean… if it were Belena, she could fire off spells at twenty times that speed... Continuously, too. 
Lately, she’s even sealed a defeated demon god inside herself, and now she can perform up to four simultaneous high-speed chants through its mouths. 

“Look there! Impressive, isn’t she? Every single shot’s been dead-on!” 

The teacher points toward one of the students. 
Sure enough, there’s a girl casting spell after spell in rapid succession, not missing a single target. 

“That’s Ritany. This semester’s brightest prospect! In a few years, her name will surely resound across the land as that of a great mage!” 
“Right...” 
“Well then, why don’t you give it a try? If the upper ranks have acknowledged your talent, hitting a few targets shouldn’t be difficult, should it?” 

The teacher’s grin twists with smugness. 
Ah...here it is. The classic “new student hazing” every school seems to have. 

“Or is it that you haven’t actually studied magic yet? Poor thing, aren’t you? No matter how gifted you are, talent alone means nothing without proper instruction. You should learn that lesson first.” 

Oh...!  
This situation! 

I’ve heard about this from Dad before. A scene where the overpowered protagonist joins a group of regular people, tries to go easy, but accidentally unleashes something absurdly destructive and stuns everyone around! 

And then, at the end, he says... 
‘Behold, this is my melody.’ 

I never thought I’d get to experience this in real life! 
Now that I’ve been handed this role, I’ll play it properly! 

Let’s go. Time for a perfectly natural-looking ultimate attack spell!