Chapter 5
When I returned to the classroom, the homeroom teacher still hadn’t arrived.
I sat down at my desk, making a conscious effort not to look at my classmates chattering in their little groups.
“Huh? Was that guy always in our class?”
“Who?”
“He’s the one who was in the hospital, right? I’m pretty sure his name’s Mikado. I think he placed second in the entrance exam right after we enrolled.”
“Ohhh, you mean that gloomy, nerdy guy?”
I could hear the voices of the flashy group—the so-called top of the classroom food chain.
I can hear you guys, you know. Seriously, standing out is nothing but trouble…
Then the door opened and our homeroom teacher, Gō Inokuma, walked in.
He’s around forty, a PE teacher and advisor for the track team, a muscular, overbearing type who radiates heat.
“All right, everyone sit down. Oh, Mikado’s here today. Come to the staff room at lunch, I’ve got something to give you. Any other absences…? None. Okay, no announcements. Don’t cause trouble today—I’m busy. That’s all.”
With that, he left the classroom just as quickly as he came.
Honestly, a guy who only cares about the track team probably isn’t suited to be a homeroom teacher.
Well, I guess it’s better than him meddling.
Master, shall I continue the explanation?
A voice—my “Wisdom System”—spoke in my head.
I flinched for a second but calmed myself.
(I’m about to start class though…)
Human knowledge is nothing but dust. If you don’t grasp the overview quickly, you’ll be in danger.
(Danger? Why?)
I’ll skip the details, but your life is at risk. The Philosopher’s Stone is that valuable.
(Wait, what? What does the Philosopher’s Stone have to do with me?)
Sigh… Master, you’re far too dense. The Philosopher’s Stone has fused with you. If anyone learns of your existence, forces from all worlds will try to take the Stone—the source of power—from you. And if they succeed, you die.
(Hold up, how did that even happen? Fused? I don’t even know what a Philosopher’s Stone really is!)
Are you serious? It’s the red stone you picked up at coordinates NT305, ET508. Have you forgotten already?
Now that it’s mentioned… On that solo camping trip, I did find a beautiful red stone. Could that really be the Philosopher’s Stone?
Wait—what happened to that stone anyway?
When you were struck by lightning after picking up the Philosopher’s Stone, it fused with your body.
“—What!?”
“Excellent! Now translate this sentence.”
Crap! I’d said that out loud. I’m in class right now!
How foolish…
This thing…!
I stood up and translated the English sentence written on the blackboard.
“Yes, very good.”
Our new English teacher, Shizuku Kasai, has a smile that fits her perfectly—she’s quite popular with the students.
Just seeing that smile made all the guys mutter “Wow, she’s cute…” under their breath.
Ughhh, why did I have to stand out like that? Embarrassing…
Why is giving the correct answer embarrassing? I don’t understand.
(I just don’t want to stand out.)
Hmm. I cannot comprehend the pitiful mindset of being embarrassed over something as trivial as translating a language.
(Don’t call it pitiful! More importantly, what exactly do you mean by “fused” with the Stone?)
Exactly what it sounds like. The Philosopher’s Stone contains high-density magical power and countless built-in spells. The external stimulus of lightning caused it to merge with your body. If it hadn’t, you would have died instantly from the strike. It took about ten days in Earth time to weave the magic and spells into your frail body.
I held my head in my hands.
According to the Wisdom System, that pretty red stone I picked up was indeed the Philosopher’s Stone—and now it’s part of me.
(I don’t get any of this… But I’m alive thanks to that stone, right?)
Correct. It was extremely difficult to integrate it into such a weak, useless body.
(Wait—it was you!? You did this to me!)
Indeed. I’m your savior. Praise me more. And as a reward, I’d like you to address me by name.
I deserve praise for managing to keep my cool in the middle of class more than it does.
Still, obnoxious voice or not, it did save my life.
(Haaa… So, a name, huh. Anything’s fine? Then… Busuko—Ugly Girl.)
Do you have a death wish, Master!?
(I’m kidding. Hmmm… you called yourself the “Wisdom System,” right? How about “Aesis” then?)
How simplistic. But I doubt you could think of anything better, so I’ll accept it. From now on, call me Aesis.
It almost sounded pleased.
The internal conversation with Aesis continued.
The more I listened, the more question marks popped into my head, but apparently I’ve become some bizarre, invaluable existence.
I can’t really feel it, but there are a few things I’ve learned:
My white hair isn’t from shock—it’s because the magic circulating in my body settled into my hair pigment.
My height and muscle gain also came from my body being rebuilt to contain magic.
Right now, my physical ability is on par with Olympic athletes.
My muscles and reflexes are at a pro boxer’s level.
“You’re still only at a human level,” Aesis had said mockingly, but to me, this is already amazing.
Aesis also said I need to “level up” and gain more power quickly.
There are as many worlds as there are stars, and many are home to evil beings.
If those beings learn about my warped existence, they’ll flock to Earth.
To deal with them, training is urgent.
Well, if Aesis is going to make the curriculum, then all I have to do is follow it.
It sounds like a game, but as long as it’s not bad for me, I’m fine with it.
With such conversations going on, the morning flew by.
At lunch break, after eating the bread I bought at the convenience store, I headed for the staff room.
Inokuma had called me there during homeroom.
On the way, I passed Class 1-1, where my cousin Chi-chan is.
She was happily eating lunch with some classmates.
For a moment, I made eye contact with one of her friends and felt a little panicked.
I think I’ve seen that girl somewhere before… but at least Chi-chan didn’t notice me.
The first-year classrooms are on the fourth floor, so I went down the stairs to the staff room on the first floor.
There, Inokuma was talking with a female student.
“Yumisaki, are you sure about this? Won’t you regret it?”
“You know it’s impossible, Sensei. My leg isn’t going to heal.”
“Even so. You can’t run, but you can still support the team as a manager. There are plenty of teammates who admire you.”
“Do you realize how cruel you’re being? I want to run too. But now that I can’t, I have nothing left. Just watching others run is too painful. Please, accept my resignation. Excuse me.”
“Yumisaki! Wait. I’ll hold on to this, but come back anytime, okay?”
“Goodbye.”
The girl walked away, limping slightly on her right leg.
The supporter wrapped around it looked painful.
When the sporty girl passed by me, our eyes met.
I felt a little shaken, but not as scared as before.
Inokuma looked frustrated, like he’d just bitten down on something bitter.
This is like a scene from a hot-blooded sports drama…
In the heavy atmosphere, Inokuma finally noticed me standing there.
“Ah—Mikado. Right. Come here, I’ve got some paperwork.”
“Uh, yes.”
Awkwardly, I followed him into the staff room.
He pulled a sheet of paper from his desk drawer and handed it to me.
“This is the insurance paperwork from the school. Have your hospital fill it out and submit it.”
“Understood… Um, Sensei. Who was that girl just now?”
I normally don’t show interest in others, but after witnessing that exchange, the words slipped out.
“Ah, that was Reina Yumisaki, a second-year. She injured her right leg and came to hand in her resignation. She ran the 100 meters in 11.98 seconds… Such a waste.”
I’m not an expert on track, but even I know 11 seconds for a girl is an amazing record.
“She must’ve been incredible.”
“Yeah. She could’ve gone even higher. She still had room to grow. But she got hit by a car while saving a cat that ran into the road. She’s a kind girl. And… oh, that’s private information. Forget you heard that.”
“I understand.”
“And you—are you doing okay physically? You look fine.”
“Somehow, yes. I’m still alive.”
“Good. Don’t push yourself. Your health is your foundation.”
Even as he said that, he was clearly still thinking about Yumisaki, looking both frustrated and lonely.
“I’ll be going then.”
“Yeah, take care.”
I left the staff room.
Inokuma might be blunt and sloppy, but… maybe he’s actually a good teacher.
I stopped in the hallway.
It surprised me that someone as distrustful of people as I am would think that.
Maybe sometimes you just feel like this.
With that thought, I headed back to the classroom.c
