For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

"Great work, Master!"

With drooping shoulders, Carla greeted me, who was pulled along by Iona's telekinetic magic.

Thanks to the protection spell, there wasn't a single injury on my body. But, of course, this only applied to my physical body.

The new school uniform that I had meticulously worn was soaked within just a few hours, and it had been a long time since it got torn all over.

However, Carla, as if accustomed to my disheveled state, began to wipe my face with her sleeve.

And she even took out some refreshing water from the bag of supplies we bought together last time.

Well, it made sense. Carla has been attending these kinds of classes for four years now, so she should be accustomed to them.

While gulping down the cold water and being taken care of by Carla, Elisha, who was left alone, started leisurely walking towards us.

Everyone, including me, was sprawled out in disarray, and the fact that only she looked perfectly fine was annoyingly conspicuous.

She barely moved herself, continuously casting magic like a fixed artillery piece… So this was what a mage was like, I thought.

Come to think of it, Carla was also impressive in the dungeon.

Just a while ago, Elisha was running around, continuously casting spells.

Not only did she deplete a mid-level mage's enormous mana, but she also fired low-level spells until her stomach became bloated due to excessive potion use, right?

She even blew up the area with a mid-level spell in the end, didn't she?

I didn't understand at the time because I only considered magic a skill, but now that I've tried it myself, I get it.

Just how incredibly amazing Carla really was.

Enjoying the soft touch on my body, I casually patted Carla's head.

"Huh? Master?"

Carla tilted her head in confusion.

When I kept patting her without saying a word, she started to straighten out her tattered clothes.

"Hehe."

I looked at the fumbling Carla for a moment and let out a sigh.

"We'll need to buy a new school uniform. Or should we apply for one since the academy provides them?"

"Huh? Ah, I forgot to mention it. The academy uniform has an auto-repair function enchanted into it. If you charge it with enough magic, it'll be as good as new by tomorrow. So don't worry."

"…Isn't that information originally from the booklet Carla said was unnecessary?"

"Hehehe…"

"What's so funny?"

I lightly gripped Carla's hair and tugged it.

"S-sorry! I'll make sure to mention it next time!"

"Do better."

"Yes."

After patting Carla's platinum hair a few times, I focused my magic on the uniform, as she had advised.

Woong.

For a moment, it felt like the magic was being absorbed, and shortly after, the uniform started to repair itself.

It made sense why they'd enchant auto-repair into a uniform instead of cleanliness or size-adjustment features.

By the looks of things, even if not today, there are bound to be intense classes in the future. Buying new uniforms every time would be inefficient.

Even if the academy was rich, it wasn't like they were throwing gold away.

…What was the principle behind this, anyway?

Until now, I'd casually overlooked the convenience spells in games or fantasy worlds, but now, they've started to appear more impressive.

Should I ask Carla to teach me a cleaning spell next?

No, prioritizing spells for combat is essential now.

I was just contemplating this when Elisha, the ultimate winner of this practice match, arrived. Iona, who had been quiet until then, greeted her with a beaming smile.

"Good job! Good job! The last survivor is Elisha Sylvan Glenchiel! You are the representative of Class A! Everyone, clap!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Standing in front of Iona, who was clapping like a seal, Elisha placed a hand over her chest and answered with grace.

"I'm not yet sure what a class representative is supposed to do, but I will do my best to live up to the title."

In her natural demeanor, as if she had prepared in advance, a deep conviction emanated from her.

It must be that she knew there would be no match for her, even in Class A.

It was a bit vexing, but I couldn't complain. Elisha was indeed overwhelming.

Even with H&A's deadly combos and the tips Carla hastily taught me, along with fully utilizing the system's adjustments, I couldn't lay a finger on her.

If I had known a broader range of spells, the story might have been different… Anyway, there is currently a significant gap between us.

The other students, who had been scattered around, started to clap as if acknowledging Elisha's prowess, either from experiencing it firsthand or witnessing it up close.

I was also clapping when…

Gently.

Carla suddenly tightened her arm around me and whispered softly,

"It's alright, Master. There's a reason the Sylvan Magic Tower has never surpassed the Lindelheit family. Once you truly awaken your core characteristics, Elisha won't stand a chance. You're doing incredibly well now."

"No, I wasn't that disheartened, you know? But I do feel that I need to learn more spells."

If I could even use a shield spell, I wouldn't have been so overwhelmingly defeated.

More than anything, this duel was not without gains.

Near the end, I attained a semblance of enlightenment and increased proficiency in Wind Cutter.

And then.

Ding!

【You've achieved excellent results in the ranking battle! Your stats will grow by one level!】