"Maybe we went a bit overboard?" Kakizaki muttered, staring at the sheer volume of shopping bags in her hands.
Most of it was just bags of light snacks, so it looked more imposing than it actually weighed. Then again, considering the appetite of Class 2-A, this was probably just enough to get them started.
"I'll take the drinks," I said. "You two handle the snacks."
"Wait, are you sure?" Kugimiya asked, looking concerned. "Juice is heavy, Axel-kun."
"Don't worry about it. My physical specs are higher than they look. This is nothing."
I gave her a reassuring nod and hoisted the cardboard box full of bottled juices. Normally, we would have used plastic bags, but given the quantity, we'd just packed it all into a box from the stockroom.
"Whoa, Axel-kun, you're a powerhouse!" Kakizaki chirped. "I guess that explains why Ku-chan is always trying to pick a fight with you."
"Well, in our case, it's not even about physical strength anymore. We've seen exactly how dangerous he can be with our own eyes," Kugimiya added with a wry smile.
The two of them picked up their respective loads of supermarket loot and we began to walk.
"It's a shame we couldn't find more new products," Kakizaki lamented.
"If you were willing to handle Naba-san afterward, I would've let you buy as much as you wanted," Kugimiya countered.
"Uh, no thanks. I'll pass."
"Seriously, though," Kugimiya mused, "how does Naba-san give off such an unearthly pressure? Is it just 'wisdom of the ages'?"
"Hey, shut up! If she hears you call her old..." Kakizaki hissed, looking panicked.
Kugimiya clearly felt a sudden chill run down her spine as well. "Whoa. I just had a vision of Naba-san standing behind me with a long leek..."
"Why a leek? Because of Negi-kun's party?"
Exchanging mindless banter, we finally reached the classroom where the welcome party was being held.
"We're back, everyone! The supply drop has arrived!"
"Ah, Misa, Madoka! And Axel-kun too. Welcome back! We're almost done with the setup here," Shiina greeted us with her usual bubbly smile.
"Sakurako! You airhead! Do you have any idea what we went through because of you?" Kakizaki snapped.
"Nya?" Shiina tilted her head innocently.
"Give it up, Misa," Kugimiya sighed. "Sakurako isn't even aware she did anything wrong."
"Sigh... fine. Whatever. Here, snacks."
While they bickered, I set the heavy box of drinks down on a table with a solid thud.
"Welcome back, Axel-kun. I'm truly sorry for making you go out on errands like this," Ayaka said, setting down a party popper and walking over to me.
"Don't worry about it. Chizuru is technically my landlord; helping her out is part of the deal. Anyway, here are the drinks. Where do you want them?"
"Please put them over by that cluster of desks. We have the paper cups ready there."
Scanning the room, I saw that almost the entire class had gathered to help with the decorations. A large banner on the blackboard read: "WELCOME, NEGI-SENSEI!" However, I noticed that Asuna Kagurazaka—Ayaka's "best friend" (or arch-rival, depending on the day)—was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Kagurazaka?"
"Asuna-san went out to pick up a few last-minute items. She's also supposed to be guiding Negi-sensei to the classroom afterward."
"…Are you sure that's a good idea? Those two don't exactly seem compatible."
"I'm worried about that myself," Ayaka admitted. "But based on what you told me, Axel-kun, Negi-sensei is going to be roommates with Asuna-san and Konoe-san for... well, 'those' reasons, right? I thought this might help bridge the gap between them."
So this is why Chizuru and Natsumi always say 'The Class Rep is a good person, but...' Her meddling came from a place of genuine, if overbearing, kindness.
"Actually, I wanted to consult with you about that. Do you have a moment?"
"Hm? Yeah. Hold on."
I cast a spell of Cognitive Obfuscation. According to Evangeline, it's standard practice to master this kind of "Notice-Me-Not" magic before moving on to things like Flammeum. If you want to operate as a mage in this world, it's an absolute necessity. Apparently, Mahora Academy itself is covered in a similar low-level field powered by the World Tree.
"Alright. What is it?" I asked, now that we were effectively invisible to the rest of the room.
"About Konoe-san... I understand that living with the teacher is unavoidable because of her grandfather, the Dean. But why must Asuna-san be dragged into Negi-sensei's business as well?"
I realized then that I hadn't fully explained the "special" nature of this class to Ayaka or Chizuru yet.
"You already know I have certain... unusual abilities, right?"
"What? Oh, yes, of course! You've saved me with them before! Ah, Axel-kun, you were so gallant in that moment—!"
"Focus. One of my abilities is the power to perceive the hidden talents of others."
Ayaka went dead silent. "And?"
"You've probably suspected it, but Kagurazaka has a very specific, very rare power. It's significant enough that the Dean would trust her to live with his own granddaughter."
I didn't know exactly how rare "Magic Cancellation" was among the mages of this world, but if it truly meant nullifying all magic, it made her a natural predator to any wizard.
"Does that mean... Asuna-san is being used by the Dean and Mr. Takahata?"
"Who knows? It might look that way from the outside. But you could also argue that because of her talent, she's a target. By keeping her with Konoka, they can protect both of them at once. It's all a matter of perspective."
"I see..."
"Are we done? I'm dropping the barrier."
"Yes. Thank you."
I deactivated the spell.
"Oh? Ayaka? Axel-kun? Where did you—?"
Chizuru, who had returned to the room at some point, blinked in confusion as we suddenly "appeared" in her line of sight. Her expression quickly shifted to one of understanding. She had been studying the basics of magic from Evangeline's beginner's manual alongside Ayaka. She likely realized immediately that I had been using a concealment spell.
"Welcome back, Chizuru-san," Ayaka said quickly. "Wait—Chizuru-san! Please do not treat Axel-kun like a common errand boy!"
"Now, now, Ayaka. It was just a little trip to the store. No need to get so worked up." Chizuru smiled her usual serene, placid smile.
Ayaka opened her mouth to argue, but she was cut off.
"Everyone! Negi-sensei and Asuna are coming!"
"They're almost here!" the Narutaki twins chirped.
Ayaka abandoned her argument with Chizuru, though she didn't forget a parting shot: "Chizuru-san, we will be discussing this thoroughly later."
"Alright, everyone! Do you have your poppers ready? Line up by the door!"
Following the Class Rep's orders, the students huddled near the entrance. The sound of footsteps—likely Asuna's and Negi's—grew louder.
"Alright, let's get this over with. I'll go grab the bags, so you just wait right..."
Asuna slid the door open, mid-sentence. She and Negi stepped into the room simultaneously.
"WELCOME, NEGI-SENSEI!"
The voice of every girl in Class 2-A rang out as they pulled their poppers. A series of sharp, rhythmic cracks—almost like gunfire—echoed through the classroom.
Negi stood there, completely stunned.
...And so did Asuna.
Wait, Asuna, you were the one who knew about the party, I thought.
Asuna looked around the decorated room, looked at the bewildered Negi, and then clapped her hands together.
"Oh, right! We were doing a welcome party for Negi, weren't we? I totally forgot!"
"Whaaaaaaat?!" the class screamed in unison.
She had been tasked with bringing him here for the party, and she completely blanked on the reason. Truly, she was the "Baka Red" of the group.
"Move it along, move it along! The guest of honor belongs in the center!" Asakura Kazumi shouted, expertly maneuvering Negi toward the head table. "Axel-kun, you too! Come here!"
"Me too?"
Before I could object, Asakura shoved me into the seat right next to Negi.
"Hehe... the Child Teacher and the Genius Transfer Student, side-by-side. This is gold! Tomorrow's paper is going to sell out in seconds!"
"Excuse me, Asakura-san?" Ayaka interjected. "I cannot condone such a blatant violation of portrait rights!"
"Oh, come on, Class Rep, don't be so stiff! It's the 'Child Teacher' Negi-kun and the 'Mysterious Prodigy' Axel-kun! They're the talk of the town. Just putting this photo in the Mahora Times will bump sales by 20... no, 30 percent!"
"Isn't the Mahora Times a free newspaper?" Natsumi asked, tilting her head.
Negi, meanwhile, seemed to be ignoring the chaos, happily munching on a snack. "Axel-kun, this class is so lively, isn't it?"
Next to him, Kakizaki was currently explaining the existence of "Grilled Saury Juice" to Yue. Ayase Yue looked like she was ready to bolt out of the room to find it, while her friend Saotome was desperately holding her back.
"Try a special meat bun, aru!"
Chao Lingshen held out a plate featuring meat buns that Yotsuba had likely steamed.
"What is this?" Negi asked.
"It's called a nikuman. It's delicious, so Little Monk should definitely eat up!"
"Chao-rin's meat buns really are the best," Shiina added. "I highly recommend them!"
Pushed by their enthusiasm, Negi took a tentative bite. His eyes widened instantly.
"It's... it's delicious! This is incredibly good!"
Behind Chao, Yotsuba beamed with a soft, gentle smile, clearly pleased that he enjoyed her cooking.
"You know, Negi-kun, your Japanese is really impressive!" Shiina remarked. Negi blushed, looking bashful at the compliment.
Then, a young girl stepped forward from the crowd, looking incredibly shy.
"Um... Negi-sensei...?"
It was Miyazaki Nodoka—the girl in the class who probably had the least to do with me so far.
Status Window
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272
Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-rounder / Special
Terrain Ratings: Air: S | Ground: S | Water: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Regen & Concentration)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
Infight Lv.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Gray)
Magic (Fire)
Magic (Shadow)
Magic (Summon)
Total Kills: 376
-------------------------------
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