For a brief moment, Ren's brow furrowed microscopically.
The Academy. The cradle of mages and the center of this world's setting. Or more accurately, a place dangerously close to the focal point of
“Well... um. I decline.” Ren answered curtly. “Decline? Do you think this is a suggestion? It's an order.” “The work at the 7th Department suits my aptitude. I'll pass on cleaning up after mages.”
Going there would be exhausting. Having to cater to the whims of arrogant mages was one thing, but the probability of running into major characters was far too high. For Ren, who aimed for a life as an extra, it was the number one place to avoid.
“Hey, you punk. You think I want to send you? The order came down from the top.” Bargo thumped his chest in frustration. “Recently, the Academy requested external personnel support. They call it 'assisting with campus security,' but that's just a nice way of saying 'playing security guard.' The snobby mages are just pawning off the annoying jobs they don't want to do.” “Send someone else.” “I don't have anyone else! Everyone else ran away saying they wouldn't do it. Plus...”
Bargo lowered his voice.
“If you don't accept this dispatch, Tom's disciplinary process goes back to square one. Tom will have to take off his uniform.”
Ren's gaze shifted to Tom beside him. Tom was deathly pale, clutching the hem of Ren's jacket and shooting him pleading looks.
‘Please... Ren... my pension... my sports car...’
He didn't say it out loud, but Ren could practically hear him.
Ren swallowed a sigh inwardly. It would be troublesome if this appropriately incompetent, appropriately loud partner, who also served as a convenient meat shield at crucial moments, were to disappear. If a new partner came, he'd have to sync up with them again, figure out their personality, and most importantly, build up his ‘incompetent act’ from scratch. That was an unbearably bothersome task.
“……How long.” “One month. Just one month. Once public opinion quiets down during that time, I'll bring you back.”
One month. Well, that was tolerable. He just had to hole up in a security booth in some corner of the campus and live like an invisible man until it was over. The Academy was vast anyway; no student would pay attention to a security guard.
“Understood.” “Phew, we're saved. Yeah, good thinking.” Bargo let out a sigh of relief. “Report for duty starting tomorrow. Don't cause any trouble there, and don't get on the bad side of the honorable mages. Keep your heads down and play dead until you come back. Got it?” “I'll keep that in mind.”
Ren picked up the envelope.
[Dispatch Order: Archeon Academy Security Support Team.]
Ren and Tom's names were written side by side on the paper. Next to him, Tom was thumping Ren on the back, chanting, “I lived, I lived!”
Ren put the envelope in his pocket without a word. His peaceful daily life had inadvertently begun rolling toward the center of the story. Of course, Ren fully intended to casually ride that current and quietly blend into the background.
*
The next morning.
The main gate of the Archeon Magic Academy. The spires that seemed to pierce the sky and the massive mana barrier surrounding them boasted their majesty. Luxury limousines were lining up at the entrance, and students in uniforms were arriving at school, levitating their luggage with magic or showing off flashy magical effects.
In a corner of that glamorous scenery, a beat-up city government patrol car rolled to a stop.
“Whoa... it really is the Academy. Even the vibe is different.” Tom pressed his face against the window in awe. “I'm warning you, don't cause trouble. We're just here for support.”
Ren pulled his hat down and stepped out of the car. When they presented their IDs at the guardhouse, an old security guard opened the gate with a lukewarm expression.
“So you're from the city government. Your quarters are on the first floor of the Old Wing over there, and shifts rotate in threes. Mainly, you just need to patrol.”
The treatment was exactly as expected. No welcome, no guidance. Treated like spare parts. For Ren, that was actually more comfortable.
After unpacking and changing into their uniforms, the two were immediately assigned their patrol sector.
Sector C. It was an isolated area behind the lecture halls, consisting of a wooded path and some storage warehouses. Students rarely went there, so it was the definition of a cushy post.
“This is better than I thought. It's quiet.” Ren muttered in satisfaction as he walked down the wooded path. The shade from the trees was thick; it was the perfect environment for a nap. “Hey, but the students here are seriously amazing. Did you see earlier? Looked like a first-year, but they were just shooting flames out of their hands!” Tom was still in tourist mode. “Must be class time.”
From a distant training ground, the sound of explosions and shouts echoed. It seemed they were in the middle of practical magic combat training. Ren lost interest and was about to sit on a bench.
Just then.
“H-Hey. Move! Get out of the way!”
With an urgent shout, something burst out of the woods. It was a female student. Her long blue hair whipped wildly as she ran toward them, covered in dirt.
And behind her.
ROAAAAAR!
An ‘Earth Golem’ the size of a house was thundering after her. It was a summoned beast that had gone completely out of control.
“Huh? Wha-?! Ren! Look at that!” Tom freaked out and hid behind the bench.
Ren swallowed a yawn and looked at the female student and the golem. He recognized her the moment he saw her.
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‘Erin.’
A supporting character in the novel. The young lady of a Spirit Summoner family, but an underachiever character who struggled with summoning arts due to her low spirit affinity. Even now, it seemed she had accidentally let her summon go berserk during practice and was running for her life.
“Kyaaah!”
Erin tripped over a rock and fell. The golem raised its massive stone fist high into the air. If it brought it down like that, things would get complicated. If a student died, the school would be turned upside down, and the sparks would fly all the way to the dispatched personnel responsible for security. That would be annoying.
But would she really die? She was still a supporting character in the novel, wasn't she? If this was truly a novel, she wouldn't die...
‘Haa.’
It wasn't like this was the uncertainty principle or something. Ren let out a sigh and picked up a small pebble lying on the ground. Remaining seated, he simply flicked the pebble with his finger.
Ping.
The pebble flew without even making the sound of cutting through the wind. And it struck precisely at the golem's right knee joint—the vital point where its mana core flowed.
Thwack.
It wasn't just a simple impact. Along with the physical strike, he loaded a wavelength that momentarily disrupted the cohesive force of the earth comprising the golem.
Rumblllle.
The massive golem crumbled like a sandcastle. Frozen in the posture of bringing its fist down, it collapsed into a pile of dirt right in front of Erin's nose.
“……Ah? Eh?”
Erin squeezed her eyes shut, but when no pain came, she slowly opened them. The monster that was about to crush her was nowhere to be found, leaving only a mound of dirt behind.
“W-What? What just happened?” She looked around in bewilderment.
Her gaze landed on Ren sitting on the bench and Tom, who was trembling in hiding behind it. Ren was staring at the sky as if nothing had happened, and Tom only then carefully peeked his head out.
“D-Did we live?”
Erin stood up and approached them.
“Um... did you two happen to help me?”
Tom glanced at Ren before letting out a fake cough.
“Ah. Ahem. Well, we were on patrol, after all. Student, you need to be careful. That was almost a disaster.” Tom naturally struck a cool pose, even though he hadn't done a thing. “Thank you so much! I really thought I was going to die.” Erin let out a sigh of relief and bowed her head.
However, her eyes weren't on Tom, but on Ren. A young security guard in uniform, sitting on the bench with an apathetic expression. For some reason, a small pebble rolling at his feet caught her eye.
‘Is it just my imagination?’ Erin tilted her head.
Right when the golem collapsed, she thought she felt a very faint but sharp presence coming from this man's direction.
“Yeah. You sure worked hard hiding behind that bench.” Ren finally spoke up then. Tom's face turned beet red as he made excuses. “No, I mean, that was just—” “You should go. We didn't do anything. Fortunately, it collapsed on its own.” Ren said to Erin, then turned back to Tom. “It's lunchtime.” “Huh? Oh. Right. Student, get back safely!”
The two men turned their backs and walked away without lingering. Erin bit her lip, looking back and forth between the pile of dirt and the two retreating figures.
‘It's strange... there was definitely something there.’
But she soon shook her head. What could a mere security guard have done? It was probably just luck that the summon's duration had run out. She brushed off her clothes and ran toward the lecture halls.
Of course, Ren knew. He knew that this trivial encounter had caused a microscopic crack in his ‘invisible life’ as an extra. But right now, the fact that the cafeteria menu was spicy stir-fried pork was much more important.
The fact that it wasn't synthetic meat!
*
The afternoon patrol was uneventful.
The Academy was even vaster than he had thought. Lecture halls, practice grounds, dormitories, libraries, and research facilities. However, Sector C was located on the outskirts, home to the woods and warehouses, making it hard to catch even a glimpse of a student's shadow.
“Man, this place is actual heaven. No work, the air is great. It's weird. Why did everyone reject this sweet gig?” Tom hummed a tune and kicked at some fallen leaves.
‘The fact that you're the only one who doesn't know is the weirdest part...’
Ren was lying on a bench with his hat covering his face. The sunlight was warm. If he could just hold out like this for a month, he'd be golden.
At that moment.
“Kyaaaah!” “L-Let go! Let go of me!”
From deeper within the woods, a sharp scream rang out, followed by the snickering voices of male students. Ren lifted his hat slightly. Another annoying issue had cropped up.
“Huh? A fight? Should we go check it out?” Tom hesitated. “Leave it. Probably just students messing around.” Ren tried to cover his face with the hat again.
However, the voices drifting over sounded serious.
“Hey, why are you even sticking around the Academy when you can't even use mana? Aren't you embarrassed?” “Stop dragging down your family's honor and just drop out. Huh?”
One-sided bullying. Ren sighed and sat up. The malice was too thick to call it a prank. If he ignored this, a school violence committee would convene later, the security guards would be dragged in as witnesses, and he'd have to write reports. Nipping it in the bud early was more efficient.
As Ren and Tom approached the source of the noise, they found three male students surrounding one person in a clearing in the woods.
The aggressors were noble scions adorned with flashy cloaks and jewels. The victim was a scrawny male student in a worn-out uniform. His glasses had been knocked off, and he was sprawled on the ground.
“Hey there, students. What's going on here?” Tom interrupted, trying his best to sound stern.
The leader of the aggressors, a red-haired student, turned his head. Upon seeing Tom's uniform, he smirked mockingly.
“What's this? Just some lowly security guards? Get lost. Don't butt into a conversation between nobles.” “L-Lowly?! We're patrol officers dispatched by the city government!” Tom flared up, but the red-haired student simply flicked a finger.
Fwoosh. A small sphere of flame landed at Tom's feet.
“Gah!” Tom jumped back in fright. The male students snickered. Textbook punks.
“So what if you're cops? You mana-less mutts.” “You're annoying my eyes, so scram. Before I tell my dad to have you fired.” “Or what, are you gonna shoot those guns on your hips? At students?”
If they used guns, they might be able to take down fledging mages. That was exactly why they were able to act as security guards at a magic school in the first place. The problem was simply that the aftermath of doing so would be horrific.
Ren scanned the badges pinned to their chests.
‘House of Frey.’ A prestigious family of fire mages. Famous for their sky-high arrogance.
And the victim collapsed on the ground was Ian. An extra who briefly appears early in the novel before disappearing. A scholarship student of commoner descent, a tragic character who eventually drops out, unable to endure the territorial bullying of the nobles.
‘If things were to go according to the original story, I should just let him get beaten up...’
To preserve the main storyline of this world, not changing anything would be the best course of action, but honestly, things had already gone off the rails. Starting with Tom—a guy whose face practically screamed he was going to cause endless trouble—he should have just let him die according to the setting. Therefore, now it was just a matter of whether things got derailed a lot or a little.
Besides, these punks were extras too. Whether they lived or died, they wouldn't really have any impact on the main story anyway. Though whether this would actually affect things or not was, admittedly, unknown.
‘…….’
Ren's eyes narrowed. The flame those punks had thrown was starting to catch on the fallen leaves in the woods. It was a small ember, but if left alone, it would turn into a forest fire. That would mean another emergency assembly. He absolutely refused to let that happen.
Ren strode forward.
“Hey! I told you to stay back!”
Annoyed, the red-haired student hurled a fireball at Ren. The power was weak, but the heat was enough to cause severe burns.
Ren didn't dodge. Maintaining his walking pace, right before the fireball hit his face, he tilted his head ever so slightly to the side—about one centimeter.
Whoosh.
The fireball grazed past Ren's ear. A movement that made it seem as if he had known the trajectory beforehand. Without breaking stride, Ren walked right up to the red-haired student's nose.
“W-Who are you?” The red-haired student stepped back in fluster.
Instead of grabbing the punk by the collar, Ren grabbed the staff from his hand with an expressionless face. And he firmly pressed the tip of the staff against the burning leaves to extinguish the fire.
Ssssss. Smoke rose.
“Watch out for forest fires. You'll get fined.” Ren tossed the staff back to him.
The red-haired student caught the staff reflexively. What was that just now? He didn't even use magic, but he snatched my staff? His pride wounded, the red-haired student's face turned crimson.
“Y-You lowly scum... How dare you lay a hand on me? Do you want to die?!”
As the punk began to chant, the ambient mana shimmered red and began to condense at the tip of his staff.