Just as Alice said, I managed to slip into Sacris Magic Academy just before the entrance ceremony.

  Normally, admission is restricted to those who pass an entrance exam, but the school policy apparently allows for exceptional acceptance of those recognized as having significant aptitude. So, they made special arrangements for me.

  It seems a Magic Power value of 10,000 counts as "significant aptitude."

  However, it wasn't an unconditional pass. I had an interview, and as a formality, I was made to take an academic exam.

  The exam consisted of three subjects: Arithmetic, Reading Comprehension, and History. I breezed through the first two (I've always been good at studying), but History was completely hopeless. I know absolutely nothing about this world's history, so it was only natural.

  Deciding it was useless to struggle, I handed in a blank sheet right after the exam started. The examiner gave me a very surprised look.

  The answers were graded on the spot. When it was over, even the grader was astonished. Apparently, scoring full marks on the difficult Arithmetic and Reading sections but getting a zero in History was unheard of.

  Anyway, even judged as a normal academic exam, I barely passed the overall score, so there were no issues, and I was accepted immediately.

  By the way, when I told them during the interview that I had no money and nowhere to live, they immediately approved my entry into the dormitory and granted me a scholarship. Just as Alice said. It really saved me.

  And so, today, I came to the school to process my dormitory entry and take a look around the campus while I was at it.

  Sacris Magic Academy is run jointly with the Sacris Swordsmanship School, and their buildings are on the same grounds. Entering from the main gate, the former is on the left, and the latter is on the right.

  The reason these two are in the same place is apparently to expect a synergistic educational effect through friendly rivalry between magic and swordsmanship. But in reality, they don't seem to get along well, and sometimes conflicts arise, causing problems. It seems it's not all good things.

  Let's start by looking from the main gate.

  Above the main gate, a magnificent school emblem is depicted. It features a sword, symbolizing swordsmanship, and a staff, symbolizing magic, crossing each other.

  Walking in from there, the First School Building is immediately on the front left. This is where lectures are usually held, and where I took my exam. Adjacent to it is the Second School Building. I heard this place is fully equipped with magic experiment facilities.

  Further back, there is the Magic Library housing numerous general books and grimoires, and a vast training ground constantly covered by an anti-magic barrier. There seem to be various other facilities, but these are probably the main ones.

  As I mentioned earlier, the right side from the main gate is the Swordsmanship School side. Walking around there, I found the buildings were symmetrically positioned to the Magic School.

  There was a Swordsmanship School Building, and instead of a training ground (for magic), there was a large dojo-like training hall.

  Overall, the buildings are made of stone, giving off a solemn atmosphere. But at the same time, colorful plants and a beautiful fountain in the center of the campus soften the stiff atmosphere, creating a sense of elegance. That was my impression.

  After walking around once, I returned to the front of the main gate. Finally, I decided to steel myself and head to the girls' dormitory.

  The girls' dorm stands right in front of the First School Building, meaning it's just there from the main gate. Actually, position-wise, I could have gone there first, but I kept putting it off. Going there when I technically shouldn't be... well, it weighs on my mind.

  But I won't make progress if I keep running away...

  Honestly, I still feel very guilty about entering the girls' dorm. Very. However, the unfortunate fact that I have no Magic Power unless I'm in this body has been proven.

  Ultimately, if I want to learn magic, it's impossible to remain a man. There is no other choice but to live my student life as a girl.

  If I don't, I'll stay weak forever. I nearly died from something trivial, and if I'm not careful, I might really die next time. I can't let that happen. I have to become strong desperately. Since I don't know any other way, this isn't the time to be picky about means.

  So this—living fully as a girl—is for survival. It can't be helped... I had started to think that way.

  The girls' dorm was a three-story building, looking much newer and cleaner than the boys' dorm next to it. It wasn't just my imagination; when the caretaker showed me inside, the difference was stark.

  It had perfect security with card keys, which the boys' dorm didn't have. Inside, there was a sauna, a bath with medicinal water (the boys' dorm apparently just has a public bath), and a relaxation room with massage chairs (the boys' dorm has no such thing)—it was luxurious.

  What is going on? What is this disparity?

  Asking the caretaker indirectly, it seems they have been putting effort into recruiting female students in recent years, so they prepared an environment easier for them to study in.

  Ah. I feel like there were similar initiatives in Japan. Still, tears for the boys. As someone moving in, I'm glad it's clean, but as someone who is half-man, I can't help but sympathize.

  In the dorm, two people share one room. Upon request, I was put in the same room as Alice. Our room is Room 203. Cleaning finished today, so we can move in starting tomorrow.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  New life. I'm looking forward to it.

  Having heard the explanation and finished my business, I greeted the caretaker again and left the dorm.

  Move-in is tomorrow. The entrance ceremony is the day after.

  Although in a different form as a woman, I was happy to be able to redo the school life I thought I had lost. I was truly looking forward to it from the bottom of my heart. My steps became light, and I walked home humming, in high spirits.

  Then, a male voice nearby stopped me.

  "You. You look quite happy. I haven't seen your face before; are you a new student?"

  Turning around, a middle-aged man who looked like an instructor with blue hair was smiling gently at me. He had a kind, gentle face.

  Being told "You look quite happy" made me wonder how I looked, and I suddenly felt embarrassed. But I quickly pulled myself together and greeted him.

  "I will be studying here starting this term. I am Yu Hoshimi."

  "Yu-kun, is it—Ah, I thought I heard the name. You're the student who got in through special admission, right?"

  He nodded as if convinced. I looked him in the eye and nodded back properly.

  "Yes."

  "I am Tor Guief. I research Magical Archaeology. I teach Magic History in lectures."

  "Magic History, is it?"

  "Mhm. So, I heard you got a zero in History. Are you going to be okay? My lectures might be tough for you, you know?"

  Just as his appearance suggested, he laughed in a slightly teasing tone. I didn't act silly to match his friendly attitude; instead, I returned his words honestly. It's our first meeting, after all, and I thought it's best to be properly polite.

  "Actually, I have never studied history at all before. I apologize for my lack of knowledge. I intend to study hard from now on."

  "Is that so. Well, I have high hopes for you. Now, if you'll excuse me."

  He gave a slight bow, passed through the main gate, and walked away quickly somewhere.

  Heh. So that person is the Magic History teacher. He seemed like a friendly person. If I can be taught by teachers like that, I'm looking forward to school life even more.

  Now, I could go home just like this. But since I'm here, maybe I'll wander around nearby before going back. I quite like exploring.

  Thinking so, I cut across the central fountain and walked toward the back gate, opposite the direction I came in. The back gate was much smaller than the main gate and extremely shabby. The paint had mostly peeled off, and it was rusted red everywhere.

  When I pushed it, it opened with a creak of grinding metal.

  Stepping outside, I turned around on the spot and looked at the school building from the back. The tattered back gate also came into view.

  Suddenly, I noticed a mark painted on it that was slightly different from the school emblem on the main gate. It depicted a staff and a "white, glowing" sword crossing each other.

  Huh. Why is it different from the one on the main gate? Is it an alternate version?

  I thought it was strange, but thinking about it wouldn't give me answers. Oh well. It bothers me a little, so maybe I'll ask Alice later.

  I walked around mainly on the main street behind the school for a while and found various shops and facilities. It was a pretty fun walk. Having gained some sense of the geography, I felt like exploring a bit more and decided to enter a side path.

  It was truly a casual action, but that would once again change my fate drastically.

  『Sacris Swordsmanship School: Qi Sword Arts Department』

  Halfway down the side path, I found an old wooden sign with those words written on it.

  Why is there a separate school building in a place like this? Neither Alice nor the school staff mentioned a building like this existed.

  The one-story building was quite old. At a glance, it had a sturdy and spacious structure, feeling more appropriate to be called a dojo than a school building. Compared to the magnificent school buildings I saw earlier, which were old-fashioned but well-maintained, the difference in atmosphere was stark.

  And that picture.

  Above the entrance door, the very same glowing sword depicted on the back gate was painted. By itself, and huge.

  Seeing such a thing piqued my interest, and I became even more curious. What kind of place is this? And what is Qi Sword Arts?

  Qi. Qi means that "Chi," right?

  That shady stuff they sometimes show on TV. Or—let's see. Speaking of Qi (Ki), there's that famous move from the manga I read when I was small. The wave blast thing. I only have that kind of image.

  How do you use something like that for swordsmanship? Standing there in a daze, I was expanding my imagination about Qi Sword Arts. At that moment.

  "Hey."

  Woah!

  Suddenly, a woman's voice, surprisingly menacing and low, called out from behind.

  Startled, I turned around to see a beautiful woman with blonde hair tied back. Her clothes with an open chest and her somewhat alluring features exuded the atmosphere of a mature adult. But in reality, she looked quite young too.

  For some reason, she was glaring at me sharply, as if facing an enemy.

  Why? She seems extremely wary of me... I had absolutely no idea why, and I was bewildered.

  "Who are you?"

  She looks incredibly scary. That was my rude first impression of her. The old me might have been terrified just by being glared at like this. But after experiencing his terrifying eyes, seeing mere human emotions felt infinitely better. So, just because she looked scary, I didn't feel intimidated.

  "I am a new student at Sacris Magic Academy. I didn't know there was a school building in a place like this, so I just..."

  "I didn't ask about that... but fine."

  Hearing my carefree words, she seemed to relax her guard. The pressure on me clearly loosened. I felt relieved for now. However, her sharp gaze remained, perhaps that was just how her eyes were.

  "As you can see, this is the Qi Sword Arts Department. I am Inea. I am an instructor here. Well, even though I say instructor, I haven't had a disciple in decades."

  Decades was a surprise. No matter how I looked at her, she only appeared to be in her twenties, or at most thirties. How old is this person really? I was very curious, but since she introduced herself, I had to introduce myself too.

  "I am Yu Hoshimi."

  "Yu, huh. Hoshimi... that is a strange surname."

  "It might be rare indeed."

  It's originally a Japanese surname, after all. To the people of this planet, even translated, it must sound quite strange. I was told something similar during the interview.

  "So, it might be strange to ask this suddenly, but..."

  "What is it?"

  I couldn't help but be curious, so I decided to ask.

  "If I didn't mishear, you said you haven't had a disciple in decades, right?"

  "I did."

  Inea answered in a very matter-of-fact tone. So I didn't mishear. It seemed even stranger.

  "But Sensei (Teacher), you look quite young..."

  At that, her lips curled slightly into a small smirk. Even that casual smile felt majestic and stylish.

  "Young, huh. Indeed, for my species, I am still on the young side. But I have easily lived for three hundred years. I am a Nesla, after all."

  "Nesla?"

  When I tilted my head at the word I had never heard, her brows furrowed slightly.

  "You don't know? Well, it is rare for one of us to live in a human settlement like this."

  "Is that so?"

  "Mhm. Nesla is a race classified by humans as a long-lived species. Our average lifespan is about 1,200 years, and we usually live deep in the forests."

  "Heh. I'm learning for the first time that such a race exists."

  "That is my line. I have never seen anyone like you. Honestly, I doubt my own eyes."

  At her sudden unexpected remark, I blinked in confusion.

  "Me?"

  "Yes. What in the world are you? I cannot sense any Qi from you at all. Why? As long as you are a living creature, that should be absolutely impossible."

  Inea asserted with a strong tone. Her bombshell statement hit me like a physical blow to the head.

  "What do you mean!? That's..."

  "It seems you are unaware. Allow me to probe a little."

  Before I could agree, she placed her hand on my forehead. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated on something. What is she doing? While I was dumbfounded, it seemed she finished; her hand slowly pulled away.

  And the expression she wore was—one of utter shock.

  "Impossible... I cannot believe it!"

  Unable to hide her agitation, Inea stared straight at me and said:

  "You... there is someone else inside you, isn't there?"