Natsume Sonoko sat stiffly upright, looking a little uneasy—but her mind was still lingering on the document the Chairwoman had just handed her.
It wasn't so much a document as it was a special agreement, and the real reason the Chairwoman had called her in today.
As had been mentioned before, Academy City didn't forbid transfers between schools.
For example, Juufuku-san was preparing to transfer into Tokiwadai Middle School.
By now, Juufuku-san had already passed both the eligibility screening and the two rounds of re-examinations with fairly solid results.
According to Tokiwadai's admission rules, all that remained was one final interview before the transfer would be official.
Though these exams and interviews sounded daunting, the truth was the initial eligibility screening was the real gatekeeper.
At Tokiwadai—a school that prided itself on nurturing esper abilities—Level 3 was merely the bare minimum for admission.
Within the entire hierarchy of Academy City's educational system, Tokiwadai stood at the very pinnacle of middle schools, yet even it couldn't escape competition.
To prevent rival schools from poaching its students, Tokiwadai offered generous monthly stipends.
Especially to its star pupils—like its two Level 5s—who received exceptional privileges and support to ensure they wouldn't consider transferring elsewhere.
"Natsume-san, the school is always thrilled to welcome new espers. Every new Level 5 is a testament to Tokiwadai's outstanding educational standards."
"What are your thoughts on the contents of this agreement, Natsume-san?"
The Chairwoman smiled warmly, clearly delighted. This was one of the best pieces of news Tokiwadai had received all year.
"Did Misaka-senpai and Shokuhou-senpai in the second year sign something like this too?"
Natsume Sonoko mentally reviewed the agreement's terms. Nearly every clause favored the esper—there was only one real condition: stay enrolled at Tokiwadai, plus maybe grant permission for some external publicity.
"Ah, those two…" The Chairwoman's expression softened with nostalgia. "Time really flies—they're already second-years. And actually, Natsume-san, you're slightly mistaken."
"This agreement doesn't require a signature. It activates automatically as long as you remain at Tokiwadai. It's not a contract in the legal sense."
She paused briefly, as if recalling her two star students, then quickly addressed Natsume's unspoken question.
"I see…"
Natsume nodded, her expression clearing as understanding dawned.
"Per the agreement," the Chairwoman continued, her tone growing more focused, "the school will provide a Level 5-tier scholarship stipend each month and advocate for preferential resource allocation from the Academy City Board of Directors."
"Additionally, due to the unique status of Level 5 students, the school grants five to ten special credits, which can be applied toward regular academic requirements."
Natsume's eyes lingered on that last point. Her mind instantly conjured an image of a certain Railgun—always vanishing after class, never seen during club hours.
No wonder Misaka-senpai could skip club activities without her grades suffering.
Those missing club credits? Easily covered by these special ones.
Though honestly, it wasn't a big deal either way. Her own club was famously laid-back—barely any scheduled activities, everything left to member discretion. Natsume actually found it wonderfully relaxing.
Speaking of clubs—new semester, new beginnings. This month's activities were about to kick off, and Natsume was already brainstorming what urban legend they might investigate next.
Quitting the club just because she now had special credits? No way. Everyone there was great, and she genuinely loved being part of it.
"The school's upcoming arrangements for you, along with the digital copy of this agreement, have been sent to your email for your review."
"Also, regarding your Level 5 evaluation—I trust your dorm supervisor has already briefed you. You should receive the official notice from the relevant research institute within the next day or two."
"Oh, and here's a copy of Misaka-san's ability analysis data. Her case is the most textbook example among Level 5s—might be helpful for your own evaluation."
With that, the Chairwoman tucked the document away and gave Natsume a nod, signaling the meeting was over.
But Natsume stayed seated, quiet for a moment, before fumbling shyly through her bag.
Under the Chairwoman's surprised gaze, she hurried forward a few steps and solemnly placed an envelope into her hands.
"Chairwoman, this is a suggestion I'd like the school to consider… if you could find the time to read it."
Her expression was utterly serious. The letter—brimming with passionate grievances about the school uniform—filled an entire page.
"Of course. I'll read it."
The Chairwoman blinked in mild astonishment, then smiled warmly. What a thoughtful student, she mused inwardly.
The moment Natsume stepped out of the office, her neutral expression melted away, replaced by instant relief.
In her hand was Misaka-senpai's physical examination report—dated June, with a strikingly large ID photo of the Railgun herself.
After spending so much time with Misaka-senpai, Natsume knew full well the terrifying power behind that Railgun… she'd just never been on the receiving end of one.
She skimmed the report. The recorded data seemed oddly… ordinary.
Nowhere near Misaka-senpai's usual standards—mediocre destructive output, sluggish firing speed, only accuracy remained consistent. Yet even this half-hearted performance far surpassed typical Level 4 benchmarks.
Clearly, during that exam, Misaka-senpai had barely tried—more like she'd been slacking off.
Natsume's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, as if she'd just uncovered a secret technique.
"No wonder Misaka-senpai's so legendary—she even knows how to hold back," Natsume murmured admiringly.
But her admiration quickly gave way to worry.
Second semester meant physical evaluations were coming up—and Natsume still hadn't decided how to approach hers.
Her dorm supervisor had outlined two assessment methods, but Natsume remained torn.
One focused on signature techniques—the Railgun's domain.
The other measured overall ability development—Mental Out's specialty.
Honestly, Natsume leaned toward the latter. Her own ability was versatile, like a Swiss Army knife when it came to thermal manipulation.
As for signature moves… her pride-and-joy "Heat Therapy" probably wasn't suitable for a routine physical exam.
Deceptively unassuming in appearance, its danger level rivaled Meltdowner and Railgun—it could leave a hundred-meter radius utterly barren.
More importantly, even her ice manipulation and atmospheric control felt like natural extensions of her core ability, not standalone techniques. They belonged under "ability development."
Yeah… Method Two was definitely the right choice.
--+--
After clocking out at School Garden, Natsume headed straight for Judgment Branch 177.
She'd just gotten a call from Uiharu—Konori-senpai needed to see her.
The moment Natsume heard Konori-senpai's name, she thought of the upcoming Judgment training camp. She didn't plan to attend, but she owed the senpai an explanation.
While she was there, she also meant to ask Uiharu to look into those troublemakers who'd been hassling her lately.
Not out of revenge—just practical problem-solving. Everyone was busy, after all.
"Is it true? I heard from Shirai-san that you're Academy City's soon-to-be eighth Level 5!"
The moment Natsume stepped through the door, Uiharu grabbed her arm, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Well… it's not confirmed yet. We'll know in a few days."
Natsume's cheeks flushed slightly as she gave an embarrassed shrug.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.