Just when I thought our introduction to Negi was winding down, Konoemon dropped his bombshell: he wanted Negi to stay in the room of a girl who had publicly declared her hatred for children.
Actually, given Konoemon's earlier hint about wanting to reveal the truth of magic to Konoka, this was likely his plan from the start. It was a pity for Asuna to be caught in the crossfire, though.
Then again, considering Asuna possessed that strange "magic-canceling" ability of hers, Konoemon might have intended to drag her into the thick of it all along. Personally, I found the old man's manipulative streak a bit distasteful, but...
"Ugh! Is there no end to this?!" Asuna groaned, throwing her hands up.
"Ho-ho-ho," Konoemon chuckled innocently.
"Asuna, Asuna, come on! This boy is adorable. I'm perfectly fine with it," Konoka chirped, already won over.
"Geez, Konoka... You know how much I can't stand brats."
"I don't know," Konoka mused, a teasing glint in her eyes. "You don't seem to have that problem with Axel-kun."
Asuna flinched, her face flushing. "Th-That's... that's because he's a kid who isn't a kid! I mean... ugh! I don't know why, but Axel just doesn't feel like a 'brat' at all!"
I felt a small prickle of surprise at her words. Maybe the girl was smarter than she looked. Or maybe, because she was a bit of a simpleton, her raw instincts were just that much sharper.
Konoemon cut through the bickering with a tone that brooked no argument. "You will all get along."
Coming from the Headmaster himself, it wasn't a request. With the matter essentially settled by executive order, Negi's living arrangements were officially tied to Asuna and Konoka's room. Asuna fell into a brooding silence, while Negi puffed out his cheeks, looking like he was searching for an escape hatch.
"Wait! What about Axel-kun's room?" Negi's face brightened as if he'd just had a stroke of genius. "We're both boys! It makes way more sense!"
I shook my head, raining on his parade. "Sorry, kid. My room is also shared with a girl from our class."
Asuna's eyes widened, and a wicked grin replaced her pout. "That's right! You're constantly cooped up in that room with the Class Rep, and yet she hasn't 'devoured' you yet? ...Wait! Don't tell me you've already fallen into her clutches?!"
"Asuna," I said flatly, "are you just frustrated or something?"
"Wh-What?! How dare you say that to a maiden in full bloom! What if Mr. Takahata hears you and gets the wrong idea?!"
"In your case, you're less 'Maiden in Bloom' and more 'Maiden in Doom,'" I retorted.
"Actually, I kind of see what he means," Konoka added with a nod.
"Konoka! Not you too!"
Despite Asuna's protests, the decree stood. Negi was moving in.
We left the Headmaster's office—everyone except Takahata—and dropped Negi's luggage off at the staff room before heading toward Class 2-A. The "Cold War" between Asuna and Negi showed no signs of thawing; the two of them refused to even look at each other as we walked.
"Geez," Konoka whispered to Shizuna as we trailed behind them. "I really thought Negi-kun and Asuna would hit it off."
"I'm sure they'll get used to each other eventually," Shizuna replied optimistically.
Negi eventually worked up the courage to speak to Asuna. "Um..."
"Don't even think about it!" Asuna snapped before he could get a word out. "I am absolutely not okay with living with you. Until you find a permanent place, you can sleep in a sleeping bag or on the floor or wherever—just stay out of my way!"
With that final declaration, she and Konoka hurried ahead toward the classroom.
"Auuu... what is wrong with that person?" Negi whimpered.
"Fufu. She's just energetic," Shizuna said, patting his shoulder. "But she's a good girl at heart."
"Maybe," I added. "Though she's definitely a lot harder on you than she ever was on me."
"Axel-kun..." Negi looked at me with pleading eyes. "If... if it really becomes impossible there, would you let me stay with you?"
"If it's truly an emergency," I said. "But like I said, I'm in the same position as you. It depends on whether my roommate says yes."
"My, my, look at you two boys becoming fast friends already," Shizuna teased, handing a document to Negi. "Here, this is the class roster. But more importantly, Negi-kun, are you ready for the lesson?"
"I-I'm starting to get a little nervous..."
Talking as we went, we finally arrived at the door to Class 2-A.
"Well, here we are. This is your classroom," Shizuna announced.
Negi crept up to the door and peered through the small gap. The usual morning cacophony of the class spilled out into the hallway—a chaotic, high-energy roar. Negi glanced back and forth between the room and his roster, looking like he was psyching himself up.
Finally, he steeled his resolve and pushed the door open.
Immediately, a chalkboard eraser plummeted from the top of the doorframe. Negi had peered through the crack earlier, which was why it hadn't fallen then, but now it was a direct hit. Or it would have been.
For a split second, the eraser stopped dead in mid-air, hovering inches above Negi's head. Then, as if he'd suddenly remembered himself, Negi seemingly deactivated his barrier, and the eraser clattered onto his hair in a cloud of white dust.
The classroom went momentarily silent, but the trap wasn't finished. As Negi took a flustered step forward, his foot caught a tripwire. A bucket of water tipped from above, a volley of suction-cup arrows launched from the side, and the combined momentum sent him sprawling face-first toward the teacher's podium.
I had to hand it to my classmates: that was a masterful trap chain. It was a refined version of the one they'd used on Takahata, but the execution was much smoother now. Most likely the work of the Narutaki twins or Haruna.
The class erupted in laughter, but the mirth died down quickly when they realized their victim wasn't a fellow student or a seasoned teacher, but a ten-year-old boy. The pranksters scrambled toward the podium.
"Whaaa—?! A kid?!"
"Are you okay?"
"Sorry! We thought you were the new teacher!"
Shiina, Sasaki, and the elder Narutaki twin crowded around him. Shizuna watched with a wry smile before clapping her hands to gather everyone's attention.
"Actually, girls, this is your new teacher. Negi-kun, if you please?"
"Y-Yes!" Negi scrambled to his feet, dusting off his clothes and straightening his glasses. I took the opportunity to slip back to my own seat.
"Starting today, I'll be teaching Ma—I mean, English at this school," Negi announced, standing tall before the podium. "My name is Negi Springfield. I'll only be here for the third term, but I look forward to working with you all!"
He gave a polite, deep bow. The room went dead quiet. He had definitely started to say "Magic" just now. Given that he'd skipped grades at a magical academy, his sense of secrecy was clearly non-existent. Not that I was one to talk.
Seeing what was coming, I clamped my hands over my ears. Next to me, Evangeline did the same. Further down, Chisame and Yue were also bracing themselves.
"KYAAAAAAAAA! HE'S SO CUUUUUUUTE!"
The collective shriek shook the windows. Almost the entire class surged forward like a tidal wave, swarming Negi and burying him in a sea of teenage girls.
I watched the chaos with a dry smile before leaning toward Eva, who was observing Negi with a predatory, analytical gaze.
"What do you think?" I asked.
"Hmm. I don't know why he's keeping a magic barrier active at all times, but his raw mana capacity is significant. He's definitely his father's son."
"Wait, the barrier isn't standard?"
"Hardly. Unless you're a wanted fugitive like me or a soldier on a battlefield, nobody keeps a shield up 24/7. It's a dead giveaway if someone tries to pull a prank, like we just saw."
She was right. Asuna was currently staring at Negi with a suspicious scowl; she had clearly noticed that split-second hover of the chalkboard eraser. Also, I noticed Asuna was back in her school uniform. She must have done a high-speed change in the hallway when she ditched us.
"But Master," Chachamaru interjected, leaning in. "If Negi Springfield is the son of the Thousand Master, it is possible he is being targeted by others. Maintaining a constant barrier would be a logical precaution."
Eva nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on the boy. "True. But looking at the way he's flailing around right now, it's hard to believe he's some battle-hardened mage."
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the giggling of the girls. Asuna had reached through the crowd and hoisted Negi up by his collar with one hand.
"Hey, brat. What did you do to that eraser? There was something weird about that, wasn't there?"
Negi froze, his face pale. His emotions were written all over his face—a clear sign of his inexperience. Then again, unlike me, he actually was a child. It felt a bit cruel to hold him to professional standards.
Before Negi could stutter out an excuse, a loud SLAM echoed through the room. Ayaka had stood up, slamming her hands onto her desk.
"That is quite enough! Everyone, return to your seats! You are clearly distressing the teacher. Honestly, resorting to violence against such a darling child... this is why I cannot abide monkeys like you. Negi-sensei, are you alright?"
"What did you call me?!" Asuna barked, a vein throbbing in her forehead as she glared at Ayaka.
Ayaka ignored her completely, stepping toward Negi with a refined smile. "I understand Negi-sensei is a genius who graduated from Oxford University. Age is irrelevant when it comes to brilliance. Please, continue with the homeroom."
Oxford, huh? So that was his cover story. I hadn't even known that yet, but Ayaka was already on top of it. Aside from her... peculiar hobbies, she really was the perfect Ojou-sama. Meanwhile, Chisame Hasegawa was slumped over her desk nearby, muttering, "What happened to the Labor Standards Act...?"
"O-Oh. Thank you," Negi stammered, trying to regain his composure. But things were never that simple in Class 2-A.
"Wipe that smug look off your face, Class Rep!" Asuna shouted. "What are you acting all 'good girl' for?"
"My, unlike you, Asuna-san, I am a good girl. It's only natural that I appear as one."
"Good girl? You're just a total shotacon! What, are you ditching Axel for this brat now?"
"Wh-What?! My love for Axel-kun is pure! It is a sincere, platonic, and eternal devotion!" Ayaka declared, her voice loud enough to be heard in the next building.
I glanced sideways at Eva, who was wearing a mischievous smirk.
"'Eternal devotion,' is it?" she teased.
"It's... probably just a phase," I muttered, rubbing my temples.
Being the object of affection for a girl who claimed "eternal love" while I already had three partners waiting for me in other worlds—one of whom was nearly ten years younger than me—was a logistical and moral headache I wasn't ready for.
"Platonic, my foot!" Asuna yelled. "Your desires are written all over your face!"
"How dare you! To say such scandalous things in front of Axel-kun... though I suppose a girl with an 'old man fetish' wouldn't understand! I know all about your little crush on Mr. Takahata!"
That was the breaking point. Ayaka didn't even get to finish her sentence before Asuna lunged at her.
"GYAAH! DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!"
And so began the daily ritual of Class 2-A: a full-blown physical brawl between the Class Rep and the Baka-Red. Negi watched, hovering helplessly, while the rest of the class started placing bets on the outcome. The odds seemed slightly in Asuna's favor today.
Finally, Shizuna clapped her hands again, her voice cutting through the noise.
"Alright, alright! We're behind schedule. It's time for the lesson! Negi-sensei, the floor is yours."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Negi squeaked, looking profoundly relieved to have an excuse to start teaching.
I watched him pick up the chalk. Putting a literal child in charge of Class 2-A... this was going to be a long term.
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Enhance Slime performance via SP consumption)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain: Air: S | Land: S | Sea: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate (4 SP) | Effort (8 SP) | Focus (16 SP) | Direct Hit (30 SP) | Awaken (32 SP) | Love (48 SP)
Skills:
EXP Up, SP Boost, Telekinesis Lv.10, Attacker, Gunfight Lv.9, Infight Lv.9, Will Limit Break, Geass
(Gray), Magic (Fire, Shadow, Summoning)
Total Kills: 376
-------------------------------
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