Chapter 4: Selection Test

「Whoa... isn’t that almost everyone?」

Seeing the faces gathered in the courtyard, I couldn’t help blurting that out.
I’d sent word that I was starting new research on spirits and asked anyone willing to help to assemble; quite a number of students had gathered before me.

Right now my university has twenty‑two magi enrolled and conducting research. Each pursues an independent theme, and some even take disciples to work on that theme as a group, so strictly speaking they’re closer to professors than students.

So I figured even recruiting collaborators I’d get at most a handful, but when I counted there were nineteen... no, twenty if I include Yuuka smiling beside me. I’d completely miscalculated.

On my other side Rin, who’d tagged along with time to kill, was looking around with interest, but she’s no longer enrolled at the university so I wasn’t counting her.

「See? I told you, Onii-chan. Nobody’s going to pass up a chance to work with you directly.」

For some reason, Yuuka looked proud.

「I’m more curious about the ones who didn’t come.」

As ever, Rin’s perspective is unique.

「The ones not here are, uh... Inis of “Sloth,” and Mel, a Provato Centaur, I think.」
「Ah, that figures...」

At my mutter Yuuka nodded as if satisfied. It’s rude to say, but I can’t deny I feel the same. That’s how those two are. Both are excellent magi, so it’s a shame.

「All right... thank you all for gathering.」

I cleared my throat, swept my gaze around the group, and began.

「As I informed you beforehand, accidents with spirits running wild have been gradually increasing in this village. We, fundamentally, lack a means to counter spirits. Therefore we need to research anti‑spirit magic without delay.」

I paused to gauge their reactions. Several nodded; those who didn’t still seemed to be listening intently. Ugh. This feels awful...

「However, each of your own research projects is also indispensable to Hiiro’s growth and progress. I’m grateful you gathered, but having everyone devote themselves to this would be a great loss. ...So, I’d like to ask for the cooperation of a few from among you.」

A murmur ran through the group. What I’d said was true, but frankly I also can’t handle too many people. I’ve been learning that my supervisory limit is three or four at most.

「And how will those few be chosen!?」

The one who stepped forward and raised his voice was a Lycos Centaur youth, Ara. He’s Luka’s nephew, but aside from his silver coat and golden eyes he doesn’t resemble her much. His lean, taut frame is tall—about a hundred and ninety centimeters.

The proud wolf lower body befitting that height and his piercing, needle‑sharp gaze would make a timid soul quake. To be honest I found him a bit scary for the first few years after we met. In reality he’s an easygoing, good‑natured young man—not violent at all.

「The judge is right here!」

Before I could answer, Yuuka said that and chanted; wind gathered in a whirl. It gradually turned white as snow and ice drew together into one, taking on the shape of a small snowman.

「The primordial spirit... Jack Frost...!」

A stir ran through the crowd at the sight. Anyone who lives in Hiiro knows Jack Frost—the legendary spirit. It was born long before spirit magic was even established and has guarded the village icehouse for nearly a thousand years.

These days magic‑powered devices have spread and every household can keep food cold, so the icehouse is no longer used. Even so, Jack Frost has stayed there and become a good playmate for the village children.

「I see.」

Ara tightened his rugged features further and nodded.

「Whoever can defeat Jack Frost will receive Sensei’s direct instruction... that’s it, isn’t it?」

Huh—was it?

「Exactly.」

Yuuka nodded with full confidence. So that’s how it is, apparently.
...Not that they have to defeat it; if they can find something that seems at all effective, that’s enough...

Frankly, at present the only effective ways we’ve found to deal with spirits are to eat them, to name them, or to master the sword. Yuuka’s view is that all three are things “ordinary people can’t do.”

Honestly I had no idea what to do, so I’d only hoped we might glimpse a direction—but seeing Ara’s raring‑to‑go expression, it felt too late to say that now.

「Then, uh, we’ll go in kana order. Ara, want to give it a try?」
「Yes, sir. I will surely live up to your expectations!」

Ara clenched his fist and nodded, then took a forward‑leaning stance like a dog about to spring and faced Jack Frost.

「All right—ready... begin!」

As the others stepped back to the walls to clear a space to fight, Yuuka swung her arm down.

「O red and hot, fierce flame that burns all—come forth to my hand and smite that one!」

Ara made the first move.
From his palms, cupped as if to hold a vessel, a straight tongue of flame extended.

Jack Frost watched it with emotionless jet‑black eyes, then opened its mouth. A ferocious blizzard burst out, engulfing Ara in an instant. His flame had been quite hot, but it meant nothing—he froze along with it. Instant defeat.

「Yeah. Fire is actually a bad move against Jack Frost. Okay, next—」

Yuuka casually hefted the frozen Ara and set him beside me. Rin produced a great deal of water and held it floating in the air; I heated it into hot water and thawed him out.

「Did I... lose...?」

Ara muttered in frustration and drooped limply.

「There, there—your second round will come right away.」

Patting his shoulder, Rin offered comfort.

「...Second round?」

He looked up suspiciously; before him, a sight that could fairly be called a massacre was spreading.

「...Ruthless, isn’t it.」
「Even so, it looks like it’s holding back a lot.」

As I grumbled while churning out more and more hot water, Yuuka, carrying one frozen student after another, said that. I finally felt, viscerally, the truth of her words that humans can’t beat spirits.

Humans need to chant an incantation to use magic. Of course you can cast without chanting, but the power is on a completely different level.

Spirits, on the other hand, can produce phenomena far stronger than human magic with incantations—chantless and motionless. It’s just like my dragon breath when I’m in dragon form. Before we even get to whether our attacks land, we’re far too lacking in both power and speed.

As I watched, the line waiting for their turn vanished, replaced by a row of students turned into ice statues.

「Huh? What are you all doing?」
「Waa—Ara‑kun, you’re so soaking wet!」

Right around the time the first round finished, I turned at two familiar voices to see a conspicuous duo.

Lounging sloppily on a single‑seat sofa floating in midair was Inis, who has earned the epithet “Witch of Sloth.” She’s small like a child, yet wears her hair longer than her own height, left completely untrimmed—she looks almost like some kind of plant.

Beside her was Mel, a Provato Centaur—a girl with a sheep’s lower body and a human upper body. Her fluffy white long hair and a chest so large it draws the eye regardless of gender are her trademarks.

They were the two students who hadn’t shown up. Like the others, they each have a room in the school building, so they probably happened by or heard the commotion and came to watch.

「If I can defeat that, I shall earn the honor of researching alongside Sensei. Do not stop me, Mel!」
「Eeh, but if you go like thaat you’ll catch a cooold—」

Shaking off Mel’s attempt to stop him, Ara went to face his second bout.

「Aaah... There was a notice up. Something about spirits... so that was today.」

Rolling over on the sofa, Inis watched Ara’s fighting with disinterest as she spoke.

「Eh? What’s thaat? There was something like thaat?」

Mel tilted her head in a languid cadence; it seemed she hadn’t even noticed the posted notice.

「Inis, Mel. Why don’t you two give it a try? I’m curious how you’d handle it.」
「No. Too much hassle.」

When I tried to draw her in, Inis yawned, answered on the spot, and rolled over again. She’s always like this.

「If you’ll help with my research, I’ll exempt you from the quarterly reports.」
「...Really?」

When I tossed that out on the off chance, Inis raised her face while still flopped forward. I have the students compile their results into reports four times a year. It’s a terribly tedious task. Inis especially hates it and always submits right at the deadline, by a mile.

Still, if I were directly checking her research as it progressed, those reports wouldn’t be necessary.

「If you can beat that.」

Yuuka said, pointing at Jack Frost.

「That’s easy.」

Inis gave the snow‑and‑ice spirit a sidelong glance and declared it just like that.