Surviving at the Magic Academy

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Kashian sat on the chair, gazing at her Bear Doll with a soft smile.

The warmth in her gaze was undeniable, but there lingered a hint of solitude.

She began savoring the aroma of the tea in her cup.

Her usual dreamy demeanor, coupled with her delicate appearance, seemed like it could shatter at any moment.

After a sip, she set the cup down and stared at the Mirror Bug on the table.

The Mirror Bug reflected Kashian’s face, displaying numbers: 5, 4, 3… then they vanished.

“Alright, that’s enough. I’ll end it here.”

Mira clapped softly. At that moment, Kashian’s expression melted away. Her body did the same, slumping over the table.

With a meaningless muffle, the Bear Doll patted her back.

Kashian squirmed and wrapped her arms around the Bear Doll, sniffling a bit as she mumbled something to it. She forced a bitter smile. Mira’s training was strict; there was no room for error in her behavior.

“Since you wore armor yesterday, how about trying a dress today?”

Mira suggested. Kashian shook her head with a pained expression. It was understandable; she had never worn a skirt before. Most Swordsmen opted for pants after all.

But Mira was relentless. She dragged the clinging Kashian straight to the changing room. It was a makeshift space filled with dolls in a corner of the room. Inside, muffled sounds and movements echoed.

Eventually, Kashian emerged, guided by Mira’s hand, wearing a soft dress that hugged her figure. She looked slightly pained and kept fidgeting with her legs as if she couldn’t get used to it.

“Is it really necessary to change already when we still have plenty of time?”

“Exactly.”

Kashian vigorously nodded in agreement. But Mira, with a very determined expression, shook her finger.

“You need to get used to the clothes. Only then can you fully utilize that sensation in battle.”

As she spoke, Mira gently poked Kashian’s body, guiding it to adapt to the dress. A mist emanated from her hand, enveloping Kashian’s form and gradually warming her physique. Kashian squirmed slightly, her face turning red within the mist.

Hmm, is that how it works? In that case, I had nothing more to add. I took a sip of my tea while gazing into the air. When it came to combat, she was the expert. If she believed it, it must be true.

I had easily won the last duel thanks to her guidance.

The third duel ended swiftly.

Kashian’s clothing might have gotten slightly torn, but she returned with only minor injuries. It seemed the second opponent had been tougher. Now that I thought about it, the first duel had been problematic. Healing her wounds back then took ages.

But it wasn’t getting easier. Each opponent was always stronger than the last. The difference lay in how significantly she had improved over the week.

No matter how much we tweaked her physique, her growth rate was astonishing. I highly praised Kashian as I watched the duel footage. Almost no points were deducted.

Thanks to countless duels, her movements had become almost flawless. Altering the structure of those movements had been key as well. Within duels, she often wielded her sword in entirely new ways.

It certainly seemed to catch her opponents off guard. It was understandable. The third opponent had previously faced her in an official duel, even announcing himself as the next challenger.

Back then, the fight had been intense. Of course, it ended abruptly due to constraints at the duel venue.

Thus, the opponent was likely imagining her from that time. But by the time of the third duel, she exhibited different movements altogether. As a result, the opponent couldn’t adjust and crumbled under the pressure.

Perhaps the next challenger would prepare for such a scenario. It was a one-time strategy. But I wasn’t disappointed. I hadn’t planned it that way, and seasoned fighters wouldn’t easily fall for it anyway.

It was merely that the opponent had trapped himself in narrow thinking. I was satisfied just to get past this round.

While I took a sip of tea, I sensed a sharp magical presence approaching. It lingered just beyond the door—a familiar magic.

Moments later, the door swung open, revealing a Young Man with keen eyes. He strided in confidently, parting the barrier that limited our vision with his magic. The barrier couldn’t resist and split open.

He stepped naturally through the breach he had created. Mira halted her touch on Kashian, who looked up at the Young Man with gratitude.

The Young Man chuckled softly as he faced Kashian. The previously cold atmosphere lightened a bit.

“You’ve donned another interesting outfit today. Are you planning to duel in that?”

He remarked, nodding silently. Kashian collapsed beside the Bear Doll, sulking a little.

The Bear Doll comforted her.

“The venue you mentioned is ready. Today, I’ll extend the outing time so you can check it out. Talk to them, and they’ll guide you there right away.”

He gestured toward the watchers.

“Thank you! I didn’t expect it to be ready so soon after just one day.”

I chuckled wryly. What we had requested was a duel place solely for Kashian. I originally intended to ask for something else but hastily changed my request.

That Open Field had become increasingly difficult to use. There had been too many conflicts with street vendors recently. It was unavoidable since the time Kashian arrived, the surrounding crowds disrupted business.

I clicked my tongue. You’d think the vendors would welcome more customers, but why weren’t they willing to cooperate with us?

I pondered briefly. They might not have gained much profit even if we attracted a crowd. They weren’t selling food or providing seating after all.

I was the one who handled all the sales. I’d taken charge of anything that could be scored. Hmm, perhaps that was the root of their resentment. Anyway, there had been some friction yesterday because of that.

Ultimately, a new venue was necessary. But even if we changed locations, similar situations would likely arise. So, after some deliberation, everyone agreed on the need for a new duel arena.

A free venue where anyone could enter and swing their swords freely was ideal. The existing public dueling locations had too many restrictions. We had to be careful not to injure the opponent.

It would be even better if we could afford to treat injuries after stabbing someone. Such a venue would definitely be more suitable. When I expressed these desires, he chuckled and nodded, acknowledging my points.

“Since we’ve repurposed an already existing location.”

He remarked lightly, then turned to me.

“By the way, what do we call that floating mirror that displays videos? I watched an interesting clip of the second duel.”

I awkwardly chuckled. He had seen that? I had contemplated whether to use it or not. In the end, I opted to use it, thinking he must already know we had grasped the situation regarding the duels.

After all, I had used past duels to grasp her physique and actions. If he hadn’t reviewed those duels, he wouldn’t have understood how her change unfolded.

“Yet she has grown this much from that, so it’s all good! After all, everyone has moved somewhat similarly until now. Just avoid getting caught in the field,”

I felt a slight chill down my spine. I needed to conceal the Mirror Bug a bit better, as they would surely catch on that the Bear Doll was the recording subject.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t caught your name yet. May I ask for it?”

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Aldric.”

The moment I heard the name, I flinched. It was a name I felt I had seen somewhere before. But I quickly regained my composure and smiled brightly.

“Thank you for all your help, Aldric!”

“No worries! I’m looking forward to seeing significant progress, so I hope you don’t fall behind midway. Now, I’ll take my leave.”

The Young Man turned and left quickly. I watched him go. The door closed, and I felt his magic recede.

Where had I heard that name before? I put that thought aside for now. Anyway, we had a new duel location. That meant we needed to promote it. I had to act quickly.

Thinking this, I got up.

The duel place they had mentioned was halfway up a ravine. It appeared to have been hewn from a huge protruding rock, creating a spacious area. In terms of elevation, it was about four stories high. The city was in clear view from this spot. It would surely be visible from the city.

Above it lay a grand training arena. It was said to be a popular spot for city events and important occasions. True to their words, there were various magic spells cast upon the training ground. If they fought up there, it seemed unlikely anyone would get hurt.

A crowd had gathered, buzzing with excitement. People had come to watch Kashian’s dueling or participate themselves. It was the result of handing out flyers across various floors.

In terms of numbers, it was roughly around a hundred or so. It was impressive that so many had come even after relocating to a new venue. As usual, the dolls emitted light, and the Mirror Bug captured her image and adorned it beautifully.

Kashian stood at the center of those dolls, a bit frowning as she looked around. But when Mira gave her a signal, she put on a gentle smile again.

“Alright, let’s begin the duel!”

As she spoke, the dolls moved in unison. Those wishing to participate received waiting tickets, and various foods and magical items were sold for onlookers. Kashian slashed through her opponents.

As I watched the duels unfold, a shadow fell over me. Someone was approaching. I smiled as I looked at the figure.

“Are you here to join? Head over there…”

I stopped mid-sentence as a large, burly man scratched his head awkwardly. His bulging muscles were strikingly evident.

I had seen that face many times before. After all, this guy was also a Swordsman. With the lectures ending, he was likely to be around here.

“Oh, Goro! Long time no see!”

“It has been a while.”

Goro answered with a smile. But his gaze was locked on Kashian rather than me, frowning slightly as he scratched his chin.

“Who is that? I saw the flyer, and her face looks kind of familiar, but I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“That’s Kashian.”

I replied with a smile. His eyes widened as he blinked, alternating between looking at me and Kashian.

“She can actually smile like that?”

I turned to glance at Kashian. Even in the midst of a duel, she kept smiling. Mira would let out a bit of mist to warn her whenever her smile appeared to waver.

“Haha, I just dolled up her appearance a bit. Trying to attract some crowds, you know? Looking good makes for better fights!”

“That’s true. But why duel without any magic?”

He asked. I replied, smiling wryly. It was a complicated story. Just think of it as a training exercise.

Goro looked at Kashian for a moment before grinning.

“Then should I have a go as well? The last time I fought, it didn’t go so well.”

He seemed to be reminiscing about their competition in the Tower. I nodded while laughing. The doll approached, handing him a waiting ticket. The preceding participants fell like dominoes before Kashian’s blade. Without restrictions, her sword was exceedingly sharp.

As Goro’s turn came, he faced her with a confident grin, dashing towards her.

And he lost. He returned to my side with a dazed look, his spirit seemingly drained.

“So you can do that even without magic?”

He murmured in awe, eyes sparkling as he watched Kashian.

“That was your doing, wasn’t it? Can you share any tricks?”

I narrowed my eyes slightly. He was well aware of Kashian and me, having spent five years together. So he must have immediately caught on to how her transformation took place.

I was pondering the same thing. I needed more data. Observing about Kashian alone didn’t yield enough samples. I had to handle more subjects to diversify the pool.

What a lucky coincidence to have someone just when I needed it. I wanted him, but I couldn’t shake off a bit of suspicion. They could be an envoy from the association. But that didn’t matter; we could both make use of each other.

“Of course! But I need something in return. I have a lot of work to do.”

I smiled, making a circular gesture with my hand. Goro nodded, chuckling. He was the perfect test subject for me.

Originally, Mira’s body was modeled after his. Thus, I had gathered a wealth of information about him while in the Tower. Utilizing existing data made the process easier.

The Mirror Bug fluttered from my grasp, displaying a ‘score sheet.’

Over time, Mira and I had recorded many scores. Those criteria had layered and solidified into a framework, advancing in two directions: physical beauty and combat completion.

We composed a new spell within the Mirror Bug, forming that score sheet. It would output real-time scores based on the standards we input.

Mira called it a battle analysis system. But that’s a mouthful. It made more sense to simply call it a score sheet. After bickering, I won that argument. It was a valuable victory.

In the last third duel, Kashian scored 80 points, aligning perfectly with our analysis. Similar outcomes occurred in other cases.

This score sheet seemed like it would be pretty useful even after this event. Just like now. It began capturing the duel footage between Goro and Kashian. It started scoring their actions.

While many details were needed for scoring, there were already plenty of insights about Goro embedded within. As the footage rolled, Goro’s scores began to plummet.

It was clear his scores would hit rock bottom soon. I casually nudged those scores, adjusting them slightly.

The resulting score was 30 points. On the other hand, Kashian had 95 points. Goro stared wide-eyed at the scores.

“Is this… my score?”

“Yep! 30 points is still a decent score. Kashian started at 0 points on her first evaluation.”

I said in an attempt to console him. But it didn’t seem to provide much comfort. He swayed slightly, lost in thought.

Then he took a deep breath and began examining the Mirror Bug intensely. Inside, it was detailed why he had received deductions. Watching it closely, he returned the bug to me.

“I’ll be taking my leave now. I’ll come back tomorrow for another score.”

He walked off. His back as he flew towards the city looked quite forlorn.

The next day, he returned, just as he had promised. He looked slightly more gaunt than before. But his eyes radiated with enthusiasm.

He and Kashian faced off again. He was noticeably improved from the day before. Yet, unaccustomed to the absence of magic, he made a few blunders and soon fell beneath Kashian’s blade.

But the result was remarkable. This time, he scored 60 points. He had jumped 30 points overnight—a result I hadn’t manipulated. Yet he received it with a click of his tongue.

“Is this all I can manage?”

He muttered, appearing dissatisfied. Behind Goro stood about ten familiar faces—those who had shared their time in the Tower with him. They were Swordsmen who formed a crucial part of our previous team.

“It’s great to see everyone again!”

I greeted them with a smile, and they nodded slightly in return. Goro turned to them.

“After the lectures ended, we became close through several large-scale requests, so everyone showed up when I mentioned I was going to duel.”

Their eyes darted to Goro’s score, and they stifled smiles. A sly grin appeared on Goro’s face as he turned to me.

“Can they score too?”

I nodded readily. I had collected sufficient data on them over the past five years. Even if there were gaps, I could easily fill them in by referencing others’ performances. Hence an approximate scoring was entirely feasible.

With newfound confidence, they awaited their duels.

And one by one, they fell before Kashian’s blade. The Mirror Bug floated above their sprawled figures, indicating their scores: 5 points, 15 points, 21 points… Their scores were utterly pitiful compared to Goro’s.

“Hmm, everyone needs to step up their game.”

Goro laughed at them. They glared at him, gritting their teeth. Goro examined his score with a smirk, pondering over the deductions.

“Interesting; may I share this with others?”

“Of course! I’d actually appreciate it if you could spread the word.”

I conveyed while organizing the scores he had received. I needed ample data, and if he publicized this score sheet, I wouldn’t mind at all.

Of course, I had to gather some information on the subjects prior. Just a few quick slices would suffice.

If I merely provided rough scores like I had with them, it would be easy. Analyzing physiques like Kashian’s would be more challenging.

Goro gathered the defeated members with a smile and waved goodbye. He mentioned he would return the next day. I bowed my head with a smile as I watched him leave.

My gaze fell upon the duel stage. I saw Kashian gracefully dodging an attack from her opponent. The skirt held steady, fluttering without disruption.

Her frequent outfit changes were for both display purposes and training. She was learning to maneuver within constraints by adapting to numerous garments.

In the midst of this process, she discovered the optimal path, mastering movements unlike before. With this unfamiliar flow, she executed daily duels anew, diversifying, refining, and beautifying her style. Just like now.

As if to draw a parallel, Mira once claimed that a person’s body is their shell, and clothes are indeed a shell for a person. I was honestly skeptical. To think that one can develop simply through this! What an astounding revelation.

Thus, we instilled diversity within her body. I toyed with the returning Mirror Bug. The formats derived from the previously fallen Swordsmen would serve as a foundation for her progress. Eventually, the information from future challengers would be absorbed by her.

This way, all the gathered insights would culminate in her development. Embodying a thousand transformations was my goal. Surely, her body could achieve that.

Kashian swiftly struck down her opponent, watching as they knelt in defeat. She bowed slightly, gratitude visible as the dolls escorted the opponent away. The surrounding Swordsmen erupted into applause and laughter.

Beginning the next day, people approached, asking for scores. Initially, I planned to ask Kashian for promotional help, but that became unnecessary. She sighed in relief.

Thus, the information accumulated over time, and her physique steadily approached perfection.

The fourth opponent was preparing to enter the fourth floor. She scored 87 points.

The fifth opponent had just recently ascended to the fourth floor. He earned a score of 95 points.

 

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