How a Catastrophe-Level Magician Lives

Argen Academy.
A place developed by taking an entire island in the southernmost region of the Argen Empire as the academy’s grounds.
It’s also the academy closest to the Orwen Empire located in the south.

It was also a place where high-ranking nobles and royalty from neighboring kingdoms mainly enrolled.

Therefore, Argen Academy was not a place filled mainly with nobles born in the Argen Empire, which it was named after.

Because it was one of the four great empires above kingdoms, statistically, there were many who voluntarily sought enrollment to learn in the empire every year, more than expected.

The population ratio was as much as 3:7.

3 was mostly nobles from the Argen Empire.
7 was the population ratio of nobles and royalty including those from other empires and various kingdoms.

As a result, a rule unique to this place was born where there is no distinction of status between students.

This is specified in the very first chapter, Article 1 at the top of the Argen Academy’s founding charter.

However, ironically, it’s possible to reveal one’s family name on one’s own.

Because these were facts that would be revealed later anyway as people who became acquainted talked to each other, knowingly or unknowingly.

To say that there was absolutely no distinction of status between students was, in a word, bullshit.

“Oh my! Are you alright? I thought you might have some skill since you were so confident, but is even this much too burdensome for you?”
“Ugh……!”

The one pressing down a man with mana was a noble young lady who seemed to be taking the Argen Academy entrance exam this year, with blonde twin tails and emerald eyes.

She’s covering her mouth with one hand pretending not to, but secretly sneering.

An entrance exam applicant just had his head pressed to the ground under that scornful gaze looking down.

Judging by his attire, he looked like a noble as well. Wearing an expensive coat.

“You, you wench! Do you think you’ll get away with this?! Stop this right now!”
“Huh? You’re saying strange things? When did you first speak to me? Don’t tell me, were you so confident with that level? Pfft, with that meager mana?”
“Ugh…!”
The entrance exam applicant was trying his best to break free from the mana the woman was emitting, but it was completely futile.

In the end, unable to break free on his own, the woman released him first. After deliberately waiting until the man was completely exhausted and lying on the ground.

“Sigh, how disappointing. Even idiots like this are taking the entrance exam here? How pathetic~”

The blonde twin-tailed woman passed by the fallen man with an attitude of contempt and considerable disappointment.

Far behind her, there were many people who looked like butlers and maids watching from the main gate.

It seemed that from the main gate, entry was restricted to those taking the entrance exam, not outsiders.

“Pathetic~♪”
“Aaaargh-!”

At the woman’s words as she left, the man who had fallen face down pounded the ground several times with his fist, feeling intense humiliation.

“……”

And there was a figure watching this from afar.

It was Frey.

He had come here now to submit a letter of recommendation.

‘It’s quite brutal even before formal enrollment. I guess it’s as rumored. That enrollees are divided into factions from the first year.’

In other words, it was networking.
The socializing of high society was now being done at this academy instead.

‘I heard many people voluntarily enroll here from various countries every year, and it’s true. There are even people of different skin colors.’

As he walked, he saw that there were even some people with skin tones close to brown around.

Most of their appearances and attire looked like people from different countries.

‘Hmm…. So this is why the head of the family deliberately sent me to a place like this to build relationships with various people.’

Because it wasn’t a place with only nobles belonging to the Argen Empire. Frey could now extend his reach and get involved with various countries.

And that would allow him to receive help from many external factors later when he inevitably had to confront House Lava head-on.

He was thinking this when.

From behind.

“Wow……”
“Whoa…!”

A small commotion arose as if people were strangely admiring someone.

When he turned around to look,

A woman with pure white hair in a ponytail was just entering the main gate, brushing her hair behind one ear.

A beautiful woman who seemed to have captured the gazes of all the men in an instant.

With a mole under her eye and blue-green eyes,

A high-ranking noble of the Argen Empire.

Aura Aust.

“……”

‘A face I’ve seen somewhere before.’

She was also a familiar figure to Frey.
But he couldn’t remember exactly.

After all, it had been seven years since he last saw her when he was ten years old.

White hair was quite a rare hair color, so he should have remembered, but the problem was that he didn’t have much time to look closely.

‘Oh no, I’ll be late.’

There was a tall clock tower in the center of the academy, so he could check the time.

Seeing that, he had to resume his stopped steps towards the entrance exam hall without time to observe further.

On the way, he finally recalled.

‘Ah, could it be that girl?’

House Aust.
The girl he had seen once when he was young and forgotten afterwards.

‘Aura Aust. That was certainly her name.’

Frey glanced back once more as he walked and finally remembered completely.

‘She’s grown a lot.’

Leaving just that thought there.
He hurriedly headed towards the place to submit the enrollment application. It was a system where only the person themselves could apply.

The entrance exam document reception area in charge of administrative processing at Argen Academy.

It was divided into five areas.

They received enrollment exam applications in order from the crowds that had gathered over three days, divided into morning and afternoon times.

Once documents were submitted, they immediately issued a receipt at the reception desk that allowed one to take the exam there that day.

And Frey already had in his pocket the letter of recommendation for this place that an old man had given him earlier.

‘They said it’s only open for three days, but the crowds are enormous. Are all these people who have come from various places just to enroll here like me?’

The number of enrollment applicants was indeed not small.
To have such crowds from the first day.

It was another proof of how highly each country evaluated this Argen Academy.

Frey finally lined up at the very end.

As time passed and people in line decreased in order, he looked around once.

And the person he found was that blonde twin-tailed woman with green eyes from earlier.

She was standing proudly with her arms folded under her chest. Tapping her elbow with the index finger of her folded arm.

‘Seems she’s impatient.’

As he glanced at her briefly, their eyes ended up meeting.

“……”
“……”

But soon the woman turned her gaze away first. Frey also turned his gaze back to the front, deciding to pretend not to notice.

As time passed, the line soon noticeably shortened.

Finally, it was Frey’s turn.

A brown-haired woman with glasses sitting at the reception desk handed over a document with a smile and said.

“Hello. Could you fill out this form?”
“……”
Frey silently took the document and quickly began filling it out while standing.

After filling in his name, age, gender, status of origin, etc., Frey handed the document back.

“Thank you. Please wait a moment.”
“Just a moment, I have something to give you.”
“Yes?”

Frey took out the letter of recommendation he had and handed it to the receptionist who was about to issue the exam receipt.

“This is……”
“It’s a letter of recommendation.”

The receptionist who received the letter of recommendation checked its seal and stood up in surprise.

“This, this is……!?”
“Excuse me, I’d appreciate if you could process it as quickly as possible.”
“Oh, oh I see. Yes. Just a moment. I’ll process it right away. Please wait a moment…!”
“……”

The receptionist left those words and quickly turned and went somewhere urgently.

Frey, left alone there, was somehow receiving curious looks from the line behind and around him.

And after a short while.

The receptionist who returned bowed her head and waist deeply towards Frey and handed him something.

It was an enrollment acceptance certificate.

The receptionist who handed it to Frey said.

“Mr. Frey von Betelgeuse, we will escort you separately this way. The person over there will guide you.”
“……”

Glancing sideways, at the end of his gaze was a man bowing his head politely like her.

“Please follow me. This way.”
“……”

Frey followed as the man directly opened the window in the middle and entered inside.

Then the other people waiting who inadvertently witnessed this…

“What? Why is that guy getting special treatment?”
“Hey! That guy. Where is he going?”
“Now, now, it’s not like that. Please calm down. We will quickly process the next applications due to time constraints.”

They began to protest roughly, looking at those giving differential treatment with somewhat disgruntled gazes.

Thanks to this, the remaining receptionist was trying to calm the unexpected confusion with an embarrassed smile.

The blonde twin-tailed girl said.

“Huh? This is ridiculous? Making me wait in line like this troublesomely. But giving only that man special treatment? Just who on earth is he?”

She seemed to be quite proud.