Cups
The special classroom at the innermost of the Hogner Magic Academy’s west wing. At the front are a large whiteboard and a teacher’s platform. The students sitting in front of the long wooden table were all the same; they were eagerly looking forward to the lesson.
“Nevertheless, he sure is late huh, that worst teacher”
Lily, who’s very strict regarding punctuality as always, stares at the clock irritatedly.
“But, Sensei’s lesson sure is fun huh”
Cis, who’s in the seat beside her, smiles at her.
“Id……tha……guguguu”
She wants to deny with all her might, but the beautiful excellent student grinds her teeth with all her might, unable to deny.
For the students, Asch’s lesson was a single stimulating sentence. The freshness, profundity, and uniqueness; every single one of them is undoubtedly at the peak. That’s the truth that even Lily, the President of the『Asch Hating Club』, have no choice but to acknowledge.
In the midst of all that, the door opened, and the narcissistic Magician entered. He bows gentlemanly and holds a teacher’s pointer as always.
“Now then, ladies and gentleman. What I will perform from here on out is Demon Summoning. This, is very convenient as well as effectiv――”
“Wai, wai, wait for a minu――――――――――te!”
Lily, who’s sitting in the very front row, leans her body forward on the long table and retorts.
“……what is it? Interrupting your teacher, minus 5 points”
“Guu……but! What is ‘Demon Summoning’ about all of a sudden! A Dark Magic like that is……heresy”
“There’s no esteemed or disesteemed in Magic. Minus 5 more points”
“Why! You――”
Cis, who’s beside Lily, flusteredly restrains her, who’s already in a posture where she places her leg on the long table and about to lunge at him.
“Lily, let’s first listen to what Sensei has to say. You can raise your objection afterwards later if you have any, right”
Asch patted Cis’ head with a warm smile.
“Good girl. You’re considerate and smart, unlike a certain someone”
“Gugugugu……”
Lily looked at Cis, who looks happy having her head patted, and wasn’t amused.
“Now then. Amongst you people, there may also be stupid students who cast away Demon Summoning as heresy because they’re shallow and not smart. However, I want to first ask you people. Weren’t you people aiming to become existences that shoulder the country in the future?”
At that question, most of the students nodded(Lily is angry and looking the other way). Many of those here are of noble birth. It’s probably an indisputable truth that the goal of many of those who enrol in the special class is, to create a portfolio for when they work in the royal court.
“In that case. It means you people will be placed in a position where you manage and govern many Magicians. What if at that time, an user of Dark Magic appears and commences an attack on you people? Are you people planning to go,『It’s a heresy so please stop it』, and persuade them?”
Asch stared at Lily triumphantly.
“I’m asking you, Lily＝Schwarz-Kun”
He deliberately asks her, who already has her spirit to rebut dampened, again. He won’t let her run away. An ill-natured Magician who wants to see more and more of her troubled and frustrated expression he is.
“That is……”
“In the first place, how much knowledge you do people have regarding users of Dark Magic? The arrogance to cast it away as heresy when you don’t even know well enough about their characteristic. Aren’t you stumped at how narrow that view is, how about it, Lily＝Schwarz-kun?”
“……”
She looks like she’s about to cry. Lily, who already has tears accumulating in her eyes and about to cry. He looks happy. Asch, who stares at her about to cry face very happily.
At that time, Cis timidly raised her hand.
“Se, Sensei. I think it is about time to start the lesson”
“Oh, is that so. My bad, I got carried away. Now then, I shall perform the Demon Summoning this time around, but before that, some preliminary knowledge. Well, you people may already know, but it’s fine to sleep if that’s the case”
＊
Summoning Magic.
It is a Magic that through forming a master-servant contract with an Angel・Demon・Spirit, summons them from another world. The contract differs according to the respective rank, and the higher the rank is, the higher the difficulty the contents of the contract becomes.
Below are the ranks of the Angels・Demons・Spirits that have currently been verified※
※Because ranks don’t exist for Demons, the names of the Demons that they managed to verify have been adapted and recorded according to the Angels’ ranks
【Angel】
Upper Rank Seraph Cherub Thrones
Middle Rank Dominions Virtues Powers
Lower Rank Principalities Archangels Angels
【Demon】
Upper Rank Lucifer Belzebub Leviathan Asmodeus Baal Berith Astaroth Verinne Gressil Soneillon
Middle Rank Carreau Carnivean Diablo Oeillet Lochiel
Lower Rank Verrier Belias Olivier Iuvart Berzelius
【Spirit】
Fire Upper Rank Phoenix
Middle Rank Ifrit
Lower Rank Salamander
Earth Upper Rank Golem
Middle Rank Pygmy
Lower Rank Nisse
Water Upper Rank Undine
Middle Rank Frau
Lower Rank Kraken
Wood Upper Rank Sylph
Middle Rank Sprite
Lower Rank Dryad
Metal Upper Rank Knocker
Middle Rank Gallery
Lower Rank Kobold
Throughout history, the highest rank that was summoned was the Dominions(alias Warrior Angel) Ria Lully Blanc for the Angels, Lochiel for the Demons, and all of the Middle Rank Spirits, succeeded by Hazen＝Haim.
Annotation) There’s also the view that Summoning Magic is a type of『Contract Magic』. The only difference is whether the target is one of another world or a human; the essence itself doesn’t really change.
Contract Magic
It is a Magic that manifests various effects through the imposition of compensation on the contractor. The effects are proportionate to the compensation’s weight, but there are individual differences, and the standard of the compensation imposed is not completely clear. Recorded below is the instance of a particular experiment.
A Gender Male Age 27
B Gender Female Age 18
Number of target 500
A fasted for six days, and B fasted for four days. In the case where they chanted the same Contract Magic, whose effect will be higher.
The result A 216 people B 84 people, exceeded the average of A and B.
What one can understand from above is, despite the time that A fasted being obviously longer, there are also cases where B rose above the average. Because this means that the compensation is not a fixed value, one can infer that it’s judged through an overall of various enormous factors like the time, the amount of burden, the Magic Power, the personality, the perseverance.
It has been deified under another name as the『Fate with God』amongst the Aristo believers because of that.
＊
“Now then, it’s about time to do it. It’s a familiar that even you people can manage. Its name is Berzelius”
While saying that, he points his teacher’s pointer at the ground, moves it skilfully, and draws a seal. Immediately after, a deep black light dwells in the teacher’s pointer, and a Magic Circle drawn by that black light is meticulously created on the ground.
“Amazing……”
The one who muttered that was Lily. There’s not the slightest hesitation in that confidently drawn Magic Circle. With the pentagram as its basis, a refined symbol clear of redundancy was completed. They feel the veteran high ranking Magician’s experience from his fingertip that’s so clear of redundancy that it’s already deeply ingrained into his body.
“You people, you can practise where me, Mira or Lioar are. It may be a familiar, but be that as it may, you have to be the resolved to lose an arm if you mess up the Magic Circle’s meticulous creation. Well, it’s not compulsory though”
The Dark Magician’s hand stops and a lump of black lightning rushes around the Magic Circle.
＜＜Along With That Darkness, Summon, The Demon Berzelius＞＞
Pon
“Sympho-chan……I, I, am in……huh……”
A tiny stature about that of a five years old. A pair of small black wings snugly on its back. A sorry excuse for fangs that are peeking out. An adorable young boy like that showed up. In his hand, there’s a single black rose.
“How have you been? Berzelius”
・・・
Eeeeeeeeh!
The students’ surprise and admiration in their hearts reverberate in the entire classroom.
“Is, is, is this child Berzelius!?”
Lily, she asks while looking at that adorable young boy. Asch nods satisfiedly, but all of the students were thinking.
‘Cute’
“Oi, Asch……”
Such a demon Berzelius glares at Asch tremblingly.
“Hmm……is something the matter?”
“Idiot――――! Moron――――――――――! Even though I went through all the trouble, to invite Sympho-chan out on a date……and was one step away from confessing to her……it’s all ruined, isn’t it. It took me 30 years to invite her, you know”
“I, I did something inexcusable”
“Why can’t you confirm my schedule beforehand!? I’m not free either, you know. Today of all days……today, this very day, this very moment. It’s divine timing, you know, divine”
Berzelius, who repeats『divine』even though he’s a demon.
“I, I am really sorry. I’ll be careful next time”
Strictly speaking, it’s impossible to confirm the schedule and such beforehand since there’s no method to contact a Demon other than summoning. However, it’s just a half-baked response to this child who has become hysterical.
“Hmm……so? What is it today?”
“……eh?”
“What business! You called me because you had some sort of a business, right?”
・・・
Silence dominated the inside of the classroom.
“Well……I didn’t have any particular business”
Asch mutters unhappily.
“……eh……yo……really”
“……sorry”
“Gee―――――, what is up with that―――――. If you have no business, don’t call me. Doーn’t caーll me”
“We, well, let me introduce you. To my students……you people, the Demon Summoning is performed like this”
Somehow, it turned into an iffy feeling.
