Black Iron Magician

The day before the graduation festival, the academy is in a state of hustle and bustle. Even though the graduation festival is the academy’s biggest event, the management and administration of it is done by the students to the minimum extent necessary, such as the preparation of the venue and deciding who will be in charge. The students who participate in the festival are not the only ones who are busy. Each student is working to fulfill their role. Even now, the final meeting between the student council members and the participating students is being held in this student council room. A total of sixteen students with good results were selected by the selection committee to participate in the graduation festival. Among them are, of course, Therese and Weerel. But as a student council president, Therese had to handle both management and participation.

「――――So, for the first time in many years, the principal’s recommendation slot will be used in this year’s graduation festival. Moreover, it will be two slots, which is quite unusual. I would like you all to respond to it calmly desuwa.」

「W-Wait a minute, Prez! They are from the outside of the academy, right? Why are they participating in the graduation festival that should consist of graduates!?」

When Therese began to talk about the participants who are using the principal’s recommendation slots, in other words, Haruna and Chinatsu, the student who had not been informed of this shouted in disagreement. It was something that Therese had expected, and one that was tricky to convince.

「The origin of the principal’s recommendation slot is to bring in promising people of the same age from outside the academy, giving stimulation to the students to make them work hard. It’s a well-known fact that the participants in this year’s graduation festival are of a higher level than ever before. Perhaps, the principal is hoping that by exposing us to the winds of the outside world, we will be able to step up even more.」

「Muh… that might be true, but…」

When the diligent-looking girl with glasses stays silent, a student who is sitting next to her raises her hand. It’s a girl with a flamboyant impression who is wearing her uniform casually.

「Here~. What about the match format~? According to what I’ve heard before, the tournament is made up of 16 of us, right~? 16 people were lined up neatly, but now it will be half-assed since there are 18 people, right~?」

「About that, I’m thinking of having the bottom two of the 16 students and the two new participants to have matches before the tournament starts. It would be easy to understand if you think of it as another match below the tournament.」

「Ha? Wait, that’s me…」

「Hmm~, in short, the official participation right will be decided there, right? Yep, isn’t that fine~? That’s unrelated to me after all~」

「O-Oi, Karua! Don’t just decide――」

「If it’s a fixed matter… don’t drag it out too long… It’s a waste of time…」

「――! Tch, fine…」

The male student was trying to oppose Weerel’s small voice, but he sat down without saying anything more. Weerel just wants to be on time for the training, but her words are tremendous. She is the most extraordinary even among the selected 16 people and few would try to antagonize her.

「Thank you for your cooperation. After we have the results of the matches of the four, we will have a lottery to determine the tournament table. As for the principal’s recommendation, it will be a surprise on the day, so I would like to ask you not to leak this information to anyone other than those present desuwa.」

The meeting after that was able to proceed smoothly, party thanks to Weerel’s desire to get out of her seat as soon as possible. When the meeting ends on time, with Weerel on the lead, each one stands up and leaves the room. Meanwhile, there is a student who is lying down on the desk while letting out a big sigh. It’s the male student who is at the bottom among 16 students and has to play a match against the outsider participant.

「Damn, I was thinking that if I win once, I will be in the top eight and be all happy….」

「Hahaha! Don’t be so dejected, Kiel! Also, your goal is too dull! If you’re a man, dream big and say you will win the championship!」

The one who exaggeratedly hit the shoulder of Kiel, who has lost most of his motivation, was a tall muscular mass, a student with a close-cropped head. At first glance, he looks like a warrior or a fighter, but he is a full-fledged magician and he is one of the top students.

「Dry, I’m not a hot-blooded man like you… Just leave me alone.」

「Oi oi, are you serious? If you are like that, you won’t be worthy of the name of the Golden Generation! Isn’t that right? President Therese!」

「That’s right desuwa! Kiel-san, don’t shrink back against an opponent you haven’t even seen yet! When we win, we will be proud, and when we lose, we are going to fall brilliantly! That’s our, the Golden Generation’s main mission!」

「Ahh, it’s even more suffocating when these two are together…」

――The Golden Generation. It’s referring to the graduates of the present term who are said to have a particularly talented and powerful group in the long history of Adelheit Magic Academy. They are already attracting attention from various fields, and some of them have been promised a position in the royal castle. By the way, the person who gave them this name was Therese.

「I think I prefer gem than gold~」

「Ah, Karua, you bastard! How dare you decided on your own before!」

「Hey, don’t shout close to my ear~. Also, you are complaining to the wrong person~. If you have something to say, say it to Weerel who hastened it~」

「Y-You idiot! There’s no way I can do that! She’s the heir to the Joshua family and the number one of the Golden Generation, you know!?」

「That’s why you’re a loser at that point~. You just gave up before you fight after all. Don’t you think so, Prince?」

Karua called out to a male student who is leaning his back on the wall while closing his eyes. For some reason, he didn’t sit down and has been in that position even during the meeting.

「I’m not interested. I will just defeat my enemy.」

「Haha, that’s funny. You’re more pretentious than Canon-senpai who was graduated last year~」

「I’m not pretentious. This is my nature.」

「That’s pretentious. In general, that’s called a pretentious remark~」

「Hmph. More importantly, Kiel, I won’t allow you to lose in the first match. I’m the one who’s going to beat you.」

「Not this again, Prince. Why are you always flaring up at me…?」

While the students around Kiel are busy, there is a female student peeking inside through the gap in the half-opened door of the room. She is staring at Kiel passionately while fidgeting.

「Kiel-kun, do your best…!」

There seems to be a reason for this, and it’s best to stay away.

「Ah, that’s right. Prez, do you know the people that are being recommended by the principal~? Tell me~」

「Fufu, it’s a secret desuwa. Since it’s a top secret, my mouth is tight!」

「Are they perhaps the girls who were eating together in the cafeteria the other day?」

「………」

「Oh, really~?」

Karua took the response of Therese who closed her mouth tightly as an affirmation. That day, Therese was showing Haru and Chinatsu around while keeping them away from the classes where the candidates were in. However, Karua was skipping her class. So, she was the only one who saw them. If Therese and Weerel were together, they would attract attention. And if there were other people with them, they would be remembered.

「O-Ohohoho! You are not bad, Karua-san! I’m impressed desuwa!」

「I don’t care about the impression. Rather than that~, please tell me what kind of girls they are~」

「…… Tou!」

――――Crash!

「Ahh, Prez jumped out of the window! It’s on the 3rd floor here!」

「Well, I’m sure she is fine. She’s tougher than me after all.」

「Ah~, she got away~. Well, I’m going home~」

When Karua opens the door, there’s a diligent-looking girl with glasses. They unintentionally meet each other’s gazes.

「K-Kiel-kun, do your best…!」

「… Solte, you’re in a place like this again, huh~. You should confess to him properly before you graduate, you know?」

「… I-I will do my best.」

And with this and that, the graduation festival is just around the corner.