Episode 35: Magic school trouble

The first day at school was tense. During the classes, the other students eyed at the team, snickered at their accents, at how they didn’t know “basic” things. Some teachers also condescendingly explained to the grown ladies and man how a school worked. Recess was up before the next class, which was target practice, so the team embarked on their quest to find the target place

Nagye: d-do we really s-speak funny?

Taro: no, they jerks (it’s just our accents being different, I remember I sometimes had to deal with this when I moved to the city)

Ari: supposedly we’re also dressing wrong?, how are we even supposed to know?, I need to read their protocols

Sidra: sadly, they don't have such thing, but do not worry, I will not let them harm you, I will punch some humility into them

Ari: harm?, is it that serious to dress or speak wrong?

Sidra: noble people can sometimes be… monstrous

Nagye: s-seeing everyone eating their lunch is m-making me hungry

Ari: No way, what are those?, I’ve never seen something like that before

Sidra: they are cake rolls, there’s a lot of different flavors

Taro: (I'm surprised at the things in the capital. I thought I got transported to a medieval fantasy world. Turns out, it was just because I landed in a remote village, things are way more modern than I thought, they even have trolley-like public transport and packaged snacks!, though they don't seem to use plastic, so it might be even better than in my world)

on the other end of the hallway, a familiar silhouette walked, also wearing her uniform "the wrong way”, they recognized each other instantly, and glomped to a heartfelt hug. Despite the onlookers chuckling at how “emotional the country bumpkins were”, they did not care

Ari: Shizuka! you had us so worried!

Taro: good see you again, Shizuka

Shizuka: I'm glad to see you guys again too. sorry for making you worry

Sidra: I am the one who must apologize to you, I could not properly heal you

Shizuka: what are you saying?, I was told you were the first one to rush to heal me, I owe you my life

Nagye: we really missed you, I-I’m happy that you’re back

Ari: we really missed your silliness too; I had to settle for the memories while waiting for you

Shizuka: my silliness?, ahh, haha… yeah, I hope I still have it… oh! Do you guys know where the target practice area is?

Nagye: w-we’re also looking for it, I-I think we’re running late

The team, now complete, caught Shizuka up to speed with all that happened while she was out of commission. They ended up finding the target practice area just in time, and were told to shoot at a target with whatever they wished. The other students cast their mana projectiles of different elemental compositions, of varying precision

Taro: (so you can also use mana like that?, that’s more like what I would consider anime magic, its impressive how fiction got this right, though I don’t see anyone spelling their magic)

just like if his thoughts were read, someone prepared for their shot with an incantation

archer girl: I am precision, my shot chases and fulminates without fall, attack, my arrow!

a powerful arrow was fired from her expensive looking bow, not only hitting the target in the center, but threw it to the air with the gust that followed. The students were hyped about it. The archer girl stared for a moment at the team with her chin up and a defiant smug

Nagye: w-wow, she uses incantations? I wonder if its t-the norm here

Ari: what's that? (I’m really starting to understand Taro, in this city, I’m the brute too)

Nagye: it’s a way to enhance your mana control, its q-quite advanced, so I don’t use it, but it requires a lot of what magicians call Visualization Focus and-and—-

practice instructor: you new guys over there, you have not fired at the targets yet, you’re here to do that, stop chatting and get to it

Nagye: ahh, yes, umm, I’ll go first

Nagye flew her birds, created the rocks directly on their feet, maneuvered them to gain momentum, and made the shot, not the most accurate, but hit the target in a display of technical proficiency. The teacher and students were impressed, they’ve never seen something like that before.

Ari expressed that she wouldn’t be able to shoot because she didn’t have her weapons with her, raising the teacher’s eyebrow, Nagye created a rock rod for her, further impressing the crowd. Ari got in her stance, enhanced herself, and threw the rod, hitting the target in the center, but instead of being impressed, the people were amused at her primitive methods, “like a hunter” they snickered

Sidra outright refused to participate, arguing she had no skills beyond mana enhancement, so it was Taro’s turn, who created a rock, setting the expectations high, but then proceeded to throw it. though it was dead center precise, the students could not hold their laughter anymore, the team looked primitive and ill equipped to even be inside the school.

Sidra: see? it is as I told you, nobles are little monsters

Shizuka: it’s my turn, I’ll show them

Shizuka pointed at the targets with her fingers resembling a gun and effortlessly shot at all the targets roughly in the center while saying “bam!”, the projectiles then exploded in different fire flower shaped patterns, startling and surprising everyone silent. The team was also surprised, Shizuka had never shot her mana with such elegance before, she had an air of seriousness and grace to her as well, different from her usual playful demeanor

teacher: impre-impressive, such a short incantation, and… explosive mana? Isn't that a technique exclusive to the court mages?

Shizuka: You said we could hit the targets “however we wished”, no? (I won’t let you look down on my friends)

the team’s performance caused mixed feelings, some were entertained by their mix of “primitivism” and advanced techniques, others, like archer girl, felt humiliated that the country bumpkins were more precise and impressive than her, others were in awe and excitement

fancy boy: absolutely amazing! Your performance stole my heart m’ladies!, you would make for amazing allies in my future heroic party, and perhaps even amazing wives, if we get to know each other

some guy: hey! no fair, I want to marry one of the rustic women too!

another guy: hey girl, what’s your name? ahaha

fancy boy: stay back rascals!, you only have lascivious intent, we are not the same!

the girls were startled, the situation was uncomfortable and complicated to manage, but they didn’t want to concede a single step

Shizuka: I’m sorry, we’re not interested, we already share a tight bond

fancy boy: tight bond? how tight?

Shizuka hid her embarrassment the best she could as she grabbed Nagye by the waist and pulled her close, Nagye turned red instantly, but followed along by grabbing Shizuka the same way, though a little lower than she wanted, with her hand ending in Shizuka’s butt

fancy boy: I see, unfortunate, but the heroic party offer is still up. What about you girls?

Ari hesitated to grab Sidra by the butt like Nagye did, but was slowly bringing herself to do it, Sidra was ready to punch the guy instead. Before any of those plans could happen, Taro stepped between them and the fancy boy

fancy boy: move aside, I have business with them

Taro: they not like you, not interest

fancy boy: and who are you? if you’re not their husband, then it's fair game. oongabooga

Sidra: he’s not my husband yet, but I want to marry him, so you have no business here

the girls felt a shock run through their body upon hearing Sidra make the boldest move

fancy boy: marry him?!, what about this caveman has stolen your heart m’lady?, I shall make you change your mind. caveman! I challenge you to a duel!

Taro: (though I’m surprised and kinda proud Sidra would feel comfortable to say that, I feel like things are getting complicated for me) I no duel, even you win, heart not change

fancy boy: what did you even say? I could not understand a word. Professor! prepare us an arena, we shall duel immediately!