Volume 2 Chapter 33 Institutional Pragmatism
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Her name is Rhein.¹Haas Dwarf tribe, 26 years old. She’s the twin sister of Second Lieutenant Sabrina, that one you’ve taken a liking to. She graduated as the runner-up from the²Rosenstein Magic School and got recommended into the³Magic Academy.
She’s stayed on as a⁴Research Student after graduation, but according to the Principal, she’s studying under Professor Hoffman—the one famous for⁵resonance systems and⁶mineral exploration. Though if you ask the girl herself, she claims that even if it’s the same resonance system, what she does is alchemy.”
Marie, who had gone to introduce her to the newly arrived Research Student she was assigned to study under, had returned safely. She filled me in on the background of Rhein, the Dwarf who had just beaten me to a pulp.
In appearance, she was the spitting image of her older twin sister, Second Lieutenant Sabrina, but her personality was downright ferocious.
Her academic track record, however, seemed flawless.
”So… did you actually tell her that the guy she just pulverized is dating you, Marie?” I asked.
”Of course I did. It’s a basic rule of thumb to lay out the secrets that are bound to leak later anyway right at the start,” Marie replied.
I couldn’t help but admire her; that was just so typical of Marie.
”But are you going to be okay? She isn’t going to bully you or do something horrible to you, is she?” I asked.
”Oh? Look at you, worrying about me,” Marie said with a smile.
Marie turned a slightly pleased, teasing smile in my direction.
”With people like her, it’s no good if you act submissively. You have to stand your ground firmly, otherwise you’re done for,” Marie added.
When dealing with a similar mad dog like Hans-niisan, if you didn’t act submissive and cozy up to him, he would beat you to a bloody pulp. But in Marie’s estimation, Rhein still had her standing as a Research Student to consider. Marie figured that if you didn’t speak your mind clearly, you would just invite genuine bullying.
”That makes sense. Hearing you explain it, I have to agree. Still, it’s quite something for Larry, who’s usually so servile, to go out of his way to provoke her,” Nico said.
Nico, who had been listening alongside us, voiced her agreement with Marie before throwing a light jab my way.
Did she actually appreciate the fact that I had used irony to provoke Rhein afterward? Or was she just mocking me?
”I wasn’t using irony on that mad dog. I merely offered a compliment to the Principal, telling her, ‘What a well-behaved child you have,’” I muttered.
”And you had the guts to say that right to Rhein’s face. She was spitting mad, saying that next time she’s going to blindsided-punch you from behind so you won’t even have a chance to defend yourself with Mana,” Marie countered.
It seemed she had noticed that when Rhein first threw that slap, I had instantly deployed my Mana to cushion the blow.
This was bad. It looked like I really needed to watch my back.
”Larry, Marie and I can figure out a way to raise our child on our own if we have to, but the wives back in the village won’t have it so easy. So you better behave yourself. You still have a debt to pay off, remember?” Nico stated.
Nico laid out the harsh reality without wrapping it in a box.
”I behave myself every single day. But man, what am I supposed to do?” I groaned.
I suppose this was exactly how those poor guys felt when they got targeted by delinquents the moment they enrolled, watching their glorious student life instantly plunge into a dark history.
”Should I try to stand my ground firmly too, just like Marie?” I mused.
”Not a chance,” Marie said.
”In your dreams,” Nico added.
I was denied by Marie and Nico at the same time.
Certainly, there is no instance where I could maintain a firm stance during the incredibly long duration of my previous life.
These girls definitely saw right through to my true essence.
It stung, but I couldn’t deny it.
”So my only choice is to go full servile mode?” I asked.
”Pretty much,” Marie said.
”It can’t be helped, can it?” Nico sighed.
”But come on, even when it came to Nico, I didn’t act servile,” I protested.
By “when it came to Nico,” I was referring to that entire sequence of events where she was kicked around by a noble’s son, and I rescued her, culminating in a formal duel trial.
”True, you do have a bit of explosive power, Larry. Or rather, you manage to pull out crazy superhuman strength right when it counts the most. But unlike this time, that opponent wasn’t someone who lived in your exact same daily circle, was he? On top of that, she is the Principal’s daughter and Marie’s instructor. What exactly do you think you can achieve by pushing back?” Nico argued.
It was exactly as Nico said.
If it was just a matter of somehow surviving a single, fleeting moment, I could manage.
But if it had to be a continuous, daily struggle, I completely lacked the confidence.
”Larry, you just have the natural constitution of a bullied kid,” Marie teased.
”Is that so?” I blinked.
Because I didn’t think of myself that way, I had to ask back.
”There’s no need to worry. I’ll handle it somehow. Once we’ve had dinner, let’s just go make sure we forget all about it in bed,” Marie whispered.
Somehow, the direction of the topic got completely derailed.
”That works for me. Fortunately, I haven’t had any bleeding or discharge for a while now,” Nico noted.
”Wait, really? I thought if you’re pregnant, your period stops entirely?” I asked.
Seeing my surprise, they explained that while it wasn’t a full period like before pregnancy, it wasn’t uncommon to experience some spotting before reaching the stable period.
In worst-case scenarios, it could point to a miscarriage, but in her case, the bleeding was minimal and the typical symptoms of early pregnancy were holding steady.
”Larry, I asked the lecturer of⁷Medical Magic about it. They said that during pregnancy, finishing inside is bad for the baby, so that’s a no-go,” Marie explained.
”Well, then I guess my only option is to have you two take it in your mouths,” I suggested.
”No way. I hate that raw, fishy smell,” Marie pouted.
”I suppose it can’t be helped. I’ll drink it for you,” Nico volunteered.
”Hey! Well, if that’s how it’s going to be, then I’m not backing down either. I’ll drink it too,” Marie yelled.
Every now and then, these two would get intensely competitive over the most trivial things.
Well, since it usually worked out in a highly favorable direction for me, I wasn’t about to complain.
Come to think of it, our bedtime dynamics had evolved quite a bit lately.
At first, out of Marie’s consideration for Nico, it was an unspoken rule that we would only move on to Marie after round one with Nico was fully concluded.
But one day, while I was inside Nico, Marie couldn’t wait any longer and came clinging to my back. After a bit of a discussion, we mutually agreed that assisting acts—like kissing the free partner while actively penetrating the other—were perfectly acceptable. The order, which used to be locked with Nico always going first, now alternated.
However, if I accidentally messed up the rotation, I would get a severe tongue-lashing, so the annoying chore of verifying the schedule before we started became a mandatory routine.
Taking my piece into their mouths, which they used to do with massive reluctance, was also officially approved after a formal negotiation. They had even instituted a penalty game where if I couldn’t hold back and accidentally finished inside their mouths, I owed them an extra round. But hey, this body was young. Bring it on.
Another shift was our sleeping arrangement. Initially, we kept our distance and slept straight and parallel like the kanji for “river,” but partly due to the cold, we now slept with our bare skin pressed flush against each other.
The only time we showed any restraint and slept apart was when my Sister-in-law came over to visit.
As we kept talking, the mood naturally started to heat up.
However, if we headed to the bedroom right this second, the Dining Hall would be completely locked up by the time we finished. For now, we decided to prioritize getting some food into our systems.
For the record, Marie was scheduled to take the lead tonight.
* * *
”Relax, she’s not here,” Marie whispered.
Reassured by Marie, who had gone ahead to scout the area, I stepped into the Dining Hall. Because of the late hour, the crowd was thin and the vast majority of the tables were completely abandoned. However, there were two individuals whose striking Gothic Lolita outfits made them impossible to miss.
”Larry! Over here, over here!” Henrietta-san waved.
The ‘loli’ in Gothic Lolita was supposed to imply a petite, girlish aesthetic, but Henrietta-san was vigorously waving me over while bouncing a pair of massive breasts that defied the laws of that definition.
Sitting snugly beside Henrietta-san, who was decked out in traditional black, was the Elf Mage Pamela, quietly clad in a contrasting white Gothic Lolita dress.
”I heard the rumors, you know. You went and did it with the Principal’s daughter?” Henrietta-san smirked.
Although she is wearing Gothic Lolita clothes fixed in black, she asked while making a punching gesture.
If it hadn’t been for that specific gesture, I would have catastrophically misinterpreted her choice of words.
”It wasn’t a matter of me doing it to her, it was more like she did it to me,” I sighed.
Since it was so late, the soft white bread was entirely sold out. I answered her while dipping a piece of hard black bread into my soup to soften it up.
”But you really told her she was a ‘well-behaved child,’ didn’t you? The Research Students are talking about nothing else,” Henrietta-san laughed.
”Wh-What? Word traveled that fast already?” I stammered.
”She had her formal introduction to the Research Students and lecturers today. But she kept making these incredibly arrogant remarks, acting like being an Academy Research Student made her god’s gift to magic. She’s remarkably unpopular around here,” Henrietta-san explained.
When she beat me to a pulp, she was saying that kind of thing too.
”I mean, I’ve heard plenty of wild rumors about her, but I never imagined she was actually our Principal’s daughter. Looking back, it makes sense. She shares the exact same surname as Second Lieutenant Sabrina,” Henrietta-san murmured.
”Is she really that famous?” I asked.
”The world of Mages is an exceptionally small circle, you see,” Henrietta-san noted.
Well, that tracking checked out. Even in my previous life, working at a hospital meant you naturally ended up recognizing your peers from other prefectures.
”What kind of rumors are we talking about?” Nico asked.
Nico inquired, her face uncharacteristically serious for the occasion. Henrietta-san had just started to mouth a response when the woman of the hour made her grand entrance.
”Crap. Let’s eat fast and get out of here,” I whispered.
I urgently nudged Nico and Marie.
”I had no idea a human male could possess the sheer resilience of a cockroach,” Rhein sneered.
I had been actively avoiding looking in Rhein’s direction, yet somehow she had materialized right beside our table without a sound.
This was highly dangerous. I focused every ounce of my concentration entirely on her movements.
”Rhein-san, I must ask, what business do you have with my Students?” Henrietta-san interrupted.
The one who stepped into the line of fire to intercept her was Henrietta-san.
”Hmph. Does a mere Magic School Research Student, parading around in a freakish Gothic Lolita costume, actually think she has the right to lecture me?” Rhein snapped.
”Oh, my. I hardly think I need to take critiques from a coattailer whose own professor threw her away, both as a researcher and as a woman,” Henrietta-san shot back.
Is this okay? Henrietta-san just threw down the gauntlet directly to her face.
The mad dog Dwarf’s expression instantly warped into something demonic.
”Does your mother have absolutely no clue? The rumors are flying across every single hallway in this institution,” Henrietta-san added.
”So it was you… You’re the one spreading them!” Rhein growled.
Rhein stalked around the perimeter of the table, closing the distance to Henrietta-san.
This was turning ugly. I abandoned my meal entirely and lunged after Rhein.
I knew better than anyone that Henrietta-san possessed neither the Mana required to absorb a Mana-infused slap from Rhein, nor the raw physical muscle needed to restrain her.
”Are you resorting to violence because you lack the vocabulary? If that’s the case, you won’t last a single semester as a Research Student at the Academy,” Henrietta-san challenged.
”Listen to this absolute degenerate speak like a functioning member of society—someone who couldn’t even qualify to enter the Academy in the first place!” Rhein roared.
The tension was at an absolute breaking point.
Henrietta-san surged to her feet, their faces overlapping so closely that they were barely five centimeters away from an accidental kiss.
”Both of you, act your age and knock it off!” I yelled.
The moment I attempted to wedge myself between the two, Henrietta-san’s back fist caught me squarely in the face.
”Ha! Look at that. Is it perfectly fine when you’re the one inflicting violence on your own Students?” Rhein laughed.
”Ohohoho! This is merely educational guidance. A real man knows better than to publicly comment on a lady’s age,” Henrietta-san countered.
”Hmph. Fair point. However, I will absolutely not tolerate whoever leaked those rumors,” Rhein growled.
Great. Now my nose was actively bleeding.
”I haven’t spread a single rumor,” Henrietta-san claimed.
”Then who did?!” Rhein demanded.
”I have merely engaged in a factual recitation of the truth,” Henrietta-san smiled.
”As I thought, it was you! I was actually planning to dote on you since we share the same⁸Simple-type classification, but…” Rhein threatened.
Round two.
As they locked eyes in a fierce staring contest, the cheeks of the usually easygoing Henrietta-san began to visibly twitch.
The murderous aura spiked right back up to a fever pitch, and just as the thread was about to snap completely—
”What is the meaning of this?!” a voice boomed.
The Principal’s booming, furious roar froze both of them dead in their tracks.
* * *
Naturally, we were marched straight to the Principal’s Office.
It wasn’t just Henrietta-san and Rhein; even I was dragged along for the ride.
However, instead of being forced into my usual designated defendant’s spot, I found myself seated side-by-side with Henrietta-san on the plush sofa set.
Directly across from us sat the Principal, flanked by a thoroughly defiant Rhein.
”First, a corporate proposal from my end,” the Principal announced.
The Principal initiated the discussion, keeping her eyes locked firmly on me.
”I want to execute a trade. Larry for Ilse,” the Principal stated.
”Are you suggesting we exchange Ilse Klein-san, who is currently assigned to Rhein’s resonance laboratory, for my Larry?” Henrietta-san questioned.
Henrietta-san leaned across the table toward the Principal, her expression radiating complete disapproval.
”Precisely. From what I’ve observed, Ilse and Marie don’t exchange so much as a single word. Frankly, they should never have been assigned to the exact same laboratory to begin with,” the Principal concluded.
No, no, Principal, that was an established fact that everyone knew from day one.
Marie’s aunt, Isabella, had personally led raids against Ilse’s home village on multiple occasions.
While Marie didn’t seem to harbor any personal malice, Ilse absolutely drew the line at speaking to Marie.
When those two were initially dumped into the exact same research lab, every single one of us was completely flabbergished.
Despite that, at this late stage, why on earth?
”Rhein, were you dating Professor Hoffman?”
I find myself wishing they would discuss that kind of thing only between parent and child, when I and Henrietta-san⁹ aren’t around.
”Yeah, is there something wrong with that?”
”And so, you had a lovers’ quarrel, and you were even kicked out of the laboratory?”
”Because that guy keeps saying things that make no sense!”
”I don’t care about any of that. Which laboratory are you in now?”
”Alchemy.”
Hearing that, the Principal let out a deep sigh.
A romantic entanglement gone wrong with her supervising professor—as a parent, she must find it completely unbearable.
”You see, this child is smart compared to her older sister Sabrina, although she does have a bit of a problem with her personality.”
(It is really not very good to openly compare the sisters you gave birth to right in front of other people, you know.)
”While her older sister graduated at the top of the Magic School, she turned down the recommendation and went to the Military Academy. With the vacant recommendation slot, this child, who was the runner-up, advanced to the Magic Academy. I thought she would graduate smoothly, enter the exploration laboratory, travel all over the country with her respected Professor Hoffman to map mineral veins, and just climb the stairs to become a research assistant and associate professor at the laboratory.”
”Don’t go deciding things on your own!”
They say excessive parental expectations completely crush a child.
Besides, you divorced and weren’t taking care of her, right?
”And so, you called your daughter to our school, Bizan Magic School, to have her explore the mineral veins of the Bohemia region, which the country newly acquired, and the old Count Straba Territory…” Henrietta-san chimed in.
I see, so you wanted to turn it into Rhein’s achievement and make her climb that staircase or whatever.
”That’s right. The reason I forced Marie to be with Ilse was also because I thought if Marie—the niece of the former leader of the Weasels of Bohemia—were here, the exploration would proceed smoothly.”
So your own relatives are more important than the actual students.
In this world, is that just the normal way of doing things?
”Despite all that, she gets dumped by Professor Hoffman, and she is violent and picks fights everywhere she goes. Mama is just so heartbroken.”
(The cause of that behavior lies completely with you, Principal. In the first place, Rhein’s personality is a carbon copy of yours.)
”Uh, but wouldn’t it be fine if she just continued the exploration here and achieved results?” I asked without thinking.
”Larry, you seem reliable, but you are still such a child,” Henrietta-san explained in the Principal’s stead. “We don’t openly broadcast discoveries about major mineral veins at academic conferences. Because we cannot let foreign countries know about the wealth of the nation, there are only announcements within closed, confidential circles. If you are a Research Student¹⁰ at the academy, it becomes a stepping stone to the top, but otherwise, unless you find a significant gold mine, it just ends with temporary praise.”
Wow. It feels like a similar story existed in my past life… or maybe it didn’t.
”For that reason, since the meaning of the exploration is gone, I think that if it’s Larry, who might become the Fifth Sage¹¹, Rhein can do work that leaves a name even in alchemy.”
”I prefer Henrietta’s place.”
Working for the sake of such a well-to-do daughter of the Principal is completely out of the question for me.
I might be subjected to physical violence on a daily basis.
”I hate it too! Marie and this guy are dating, aren’t they? No matter how I look at it, I’m just an absolute third wheel!”
Rhein, does that kind of thing seriously become your primary reason to hate it?
More than that, I can’t bear to be alone with this girl when Marie is away due to childbirth and childcare.
”Rhein, what are you going to do about your future by saying such things? You can’t stay as a Research Student here forever, you know. And don’t operate under the assumption that the academy will definitely let you return in a year, either.”
”Mama… what do you mean by that?”
”A letter arrived from the academy’s personnel department just a moment ago. It seems your conduct became a serious issue at the faculty council.”
”That absolute bastard Hoffman…!”
Personally, I feel like she is reaping exactly what she sowed.
Well, I have zero interest in how this woman acted in front of the man she fell for.
”Well, Larry probably won’t be able to make up his mind right away either, so I’ll wait for you until after the spring break. Think it over very carefully until then.”
The way she said it felt incredibly loaded.
”In that case, aren’t there any negotiating terms for a trade? I simply hate the idea of going.”
”Unchecked greed will be your ruin, you know. But, well, it is for the sake of my daughter.”
She really is a doting parent through and through.
”Let’s see. Even if your marks are a bit bad, I’ll let you graduate in two years. How about that?”
Something about this smells fishy.
Well, I suppose it’s better than getting nothing at all.
”Alright. I will let myself think about it with those terms.”
”Thank you. I am expecting a favorable answer.”
After that, I don’t know what kind of conversation the Principal, Henrietta-san, and Rhein had.
I was told to leave the Principal’s Office.
* * *
The next day, when I went to the laboratory after the lecture finished, there was a haggard-looking Henrietta-san.
”What is the matter? Are you tired?”
”Yes, I couldn’t sleep at all because I was thinking about the future.”
”The future?”
”If I cannot become a lecturer within another two years, I have to leave the school.”
Ah. Is this the talk she was mentioning yesterday, about how one cannot go on being a Research Student forever?
”Then, something like opening up a magical tool shop?”
”In Larry’s head, the event of me becoming a lecturer cannot even be conceived?”
”By any chance, were you told that if you could send me over to Rhein’s place, you would be made a lecturer?”
It was a random guess, but Henrietta-san aligned her gaze perfectly with mine.
”Well… it’s pretty close to that.”
”And so you actually felt like sending me to that mad dog daughter’s place.”
”Because I couldn’t bring myself to make that choice, I couldn’t sleep!”
Saying so, Henrietta-san flattened her upper body completely against the office desk.
It seems she is a much gentler person than I thought—even if she is a total pervert.
”I understand. Then I will go to Rhein’s place. That settles everything smoothly for everyone, right?”
”I never said such a thing… But knowing that Principal…”
She would absolutely resort to underhanded tactics to get her way.
Yeah, there was no doubting that.
”Hmm. So Larry is leaving. In that case, let’s clean out this shelf.”
Completely failing to read the room as usual, Romy not only pointed to the shelf where I am stuffing my personal belongings, but also started moving the things inside over to the workbench.
”What do you think you’re doing on your own authority? It hasn’t been officially decided yet.”
”Ehh? Just because you came to the laboratory a little earlier than me, I hated that my shelf assignment was lower than Larry’s. So it’s totally fine to swap them, right?”
”It’s obviously not fine. Do it after I am actually gone.”
”And when are you going away?”
”Two years from now.”
”Score!”
Idiot. That’s just when I graduate.
Though, if I go to Rhein’s place, does it mean I won’t have to take care of this absolute fool anymore?
While thinking about such things, as I was putting the luggage back to how it was, a tree branch cut to about three centimeters fell out.
It is the p**sy willow branch from when I found out that wood becomes a magnetic body for Mana.
When I picked it up and was about to throw it into the trash can, I noticed something.
On both ends of the branch, fine sawdust was attached.
No way.
I wiped off that sawdust with my hand, dropped it onto the workbench, and when I brought the branch close, it attracted the particles.
It isn’t static electricity, is it?
I touched the metal handle of the shelf door to discharge any charge and did the exact same thing once more, but the sawdust was instantly pulled right back to the wood.
”It worked!”
I finally found it.
The permanent magnet of Mana¹².
”Did you find something good?”
Remaining face down on the desk, Henrietta-san, who must have heard my voice, asked.
”Yes. Finally.”
”Good… do whatever you like. Knowing that Principal, she might make it so you have no choice but to be sent away anyway, so consider this at least… a token of my feelings.”
”Thank you very much.”
Without holding back, I took complete advantage of that offer.
From then on, when the lecture finished, I came straight to the laboratory and completely absorbed myself in what I wanted to do.
Best of all, because Henrietta-san took care of Romy, it progressed incredibly well without any annoying interference.
When the time came, I didn’t linger. I returned to my room and studied for the exam with Marie.
As a side note, regarding Marie, she goes to the laboratory but the Research Student Rhein is never there, so she just spends her time silently doing kumite sparring matches with Ilse, passing the hours in utter silence until closing time.
Apparently, Rhein seems to be fleeing from this school entirely to avoid her problems.
The week before the exam, on the day after the results came out from what I did after the holiday, I wrote a letter to Louise.
I went to the administrative office with the letter, intending to have them apply the school’s official signet seal in wax before handing it over, but a sudden prickle of unease stopped me.
Realizing I had framed it poorly, I returned to my room once, wrote a letter expressing my heartfelt concern for the child growing in her womb, and then went back to the office to request its delivery.
The very next day, I went to the joint government building.
I requested delivery of the original letter at the mail window right next to the cashier’s counter, and took advantage of the trip to have my banking ledger updated.
Next week is the final week of March.
The days plagued by sudden snow flurries had grown sparse, replaced by the distinct, warm radiance of early spring.
I walked back to school on the road where patches of slushy, melting snow still clung to the earth.
And then, the exam I am taking for the first time in decades.
So as not to repeat the catastrophic blunders of my past life, I worked hard in my own way.
Because this world lacks modern printing technology, the questions aren’t printed on individual sheets of paper.
Instead, we had to peer at the blackboard at the front of the classroom, copying down the question numbers and recording our answers on the paper at our desks.
I had a very good feeling about it.
It’s entirely thanks to Marie, but when we checked the answers against each other, I had all questions correct for many subjects.
Even for the law exam which I was traditionally bad at, the ones I got wrong were only one or two per subject.
Marie confidently predicted that I would comfortably rank among the top spots for our entire academic year.
And the final day of March.
Announcement of results!
On the bulletin board right in front of the office of the administration building, the roster of successful candidates for each subject was posted.
The student body had swarmed the area en masse, and every single time a new sheet was pinned up, the air filled with a chaotic mixture of ecstatic cheers and devastated wails.
”Shall we go take a look now?”
Together with Marie, I go in front of the bulletin board where the suffocating crowd had finally begun to thin out.
They completely screwed me.
My name was not present even once inside all of the rosters.
Failed every single subject.
An unspeakable, burning wave of pure fury and crushing disappointment erupted deep within my chest.
I stormed directly to the Principal’s Office, only to find the heavy doors firmly locked from the inside.
As I began violently slamming my fists against the wood with everything I had, a staff member poked their head out from the main administrative office and informed me that the Principal had already departed for the Royal Capital to attend an academic conference.
”Was Marie okay?”
”I was okay. Passed every single subject, ya know.”
That’s a relief, at least.
But as for me?
Damn it. How the hell am I going to play this now?
—
Summary:
Moving from the private confines of the bedroom to the open dining hall exposes Larry to the widening reach of Rhein’s hostility. A sudden intervention by the Principal stops a violent physical escalation between Henrietta and Rhein. The party is immediately brought into the administrative office where an unexpected student swap is proposed
Larry navigates an administrative pressure campaign to relocate him to an alchemy department alongside Rhein. Meanwhile, a breakthroughs regarding a localized permanent magnet material counters the stress of institutional relocation. The academic evaluation ends in an unprecedented systemic failure as the records completely omit his results
—
Trivia:
- The historical blood feud between Marie’s aunt Isabella and Ilse Klein’s home village remains a foundational barrier to laboratory cooperation
- The penalty rule involving oral consumption highlights the strict and competitive transactional contract established between Larry’s partners
- The implicit connection between the Weasels of Bohemia and the target mineral veins
- The deliberate alteration or systematic suppression of examination metrics by institutional superior
—
Character Insight:
Larry recognizes his own fundamental conflict-avoidant nature inherited from his long past life, while Rhein exhibits intense academic elitism balanced by parental dependencies.
Larry transitions from passive avoidance of administrative pressures to high internal focus upon securing a functional magical material, before shifting into pure hostility upon receiving confirmation of absolute academic sabotage.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Sabrina – Haas, a female Dwarf Second Lieutenant in the Arsenal Bureau’s Magic Weapon Department, wears a plush Russian hat, a reverse-leather coat, and has thick, curly chestnut hair. The Principal’s estranged daughter, she specializes in mechanical engineering and coordinates secret national prototype tech. While evaluating ball bearings with Larry, she shows a warm, reluctant sentiment when parting.
• Rhein – The twin younger sister of Sabrina and a research student at the Magic Academy who violently assaults Larry in the hallway with Mana-infused strikes due to her extreme prejudice against human males. A Dwarf woman who is twenty-six years old. She is the twin sister of Second Lieutenant Sabrina, graduated as the runner-up from the Rosenstein Magic School, entered the Magic Academy through a recommendation, and remains there as a Research Student studying alchemy and resonance systems under Professor Hoffman.
• Rosen – Johann, a priest and neighboring Village Head of Mauer, bears the Rosen family name; his lineage traditionally leads the village, and he is recognized by his solemn robes and quiet authority among villagers.
• Haas – The Haas family name, carried by the Dwarf military officer Second Lieutenant Sabrina Haas, is associated with a lineage of professional military service passed down from her father’s side following her parents’ divorce.
• Principal – The mother of Line and the administrative head of the institution. She exercises authoritative control over research assignments and seeks to trade Larry for Ilse Klein due to interpersonal conflicts in her laboratories. The mother of Sabrina and Rhein who intervenes during Rhein’s violent corridor assault to break up the confrontation.
• Ho – Ho, a comrade of the protagonist. A member of the military unit that defended Garao Village and was slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Marie – Novakova, a spirited 15-year-old noblewoman and Isabella’s niece, is a sharp-tongued Bizan Magic School student who resembles Nico in a comical floral hairpiece. Fiercely protective of boyfriend Larry, whose child she carries, she lived with Nico and the protagonist for three months before Isabella picked her up to return home, leaving heavy bags behind and a complex dynamic with the protagonist.
• Mar – A battle‑hardened veteran, clad in worn armor, uses door panels as shields and captures enemy crossbows; Larry’s comrade who teases him about his sister‑in‑law’s pampering, known as Martin to his companion Edmond.
• Hans – Hans-niisan (17) is the rugged, 2m-tall, 100kg heir to the Kessler estate and elder brother of Larry. Acting as an elder brother figure to the narrator, he is expected to care for the narrator’s sisters-in-law in Strock Village. Rough yet charismatic, he shares Willow District intel and enforces the will of the Fee Village Head—a role he refused, holding his own wedding while Larry declined.
• Larry – Larry Fee Getys is a tall, athletic Bizan Magic School student, protagonist, and Fifth Sage candidate. A reincarnated programmer and former slave-soldier with a weary, pragmatic internal monologue, he hides explosive strength behind plain workshop clothes. Cautious yet fierce for life, he uses messy, unromanticized combat and Level 3 Mana Draining while building innovative magitech. He lives with his wives Nico, Monica, Teressa, and Louise.
• Nico – A petite, silver-haired General and Bizan Magic School student, Teressa’s cousin, and a Village Head Fee member with zero Mana and cold extremities. The anxious, blunt fabric merchant’s daughter plans to inherit the family business, despite an Amazoness clerk’s pursuit. She works as a domestic assistant and school laundry worker, planning to stay in her dorm until spring break to return home. Early-rising and practical, she relies on her confidante Marie and fears shopping district threats. She shares an intense, bed-sharing romantic bond with her savior, Larry, and is currently pregnant and increasingly anxious following his recent trial.
• Sister-in-law – A woman who embraces the protagonist from behind, exuding a sweet scent. She has been struggling with the emotional shock of leaving Lyrica and Maria behind in Besanburg, leading to a temporary period of intimacy avoidance and separate rooms before reconciling in a mixed bath.
• Henrietta – An eccentric Bizan Magic School instructor under Prof. Pauman, she runs a Golem lab, rivals Line, owns Pamela, and obsessively researches ancient magic ships under intense military pressure. She sports disheveled hair, a black Gothic-Lolita outfit, and massive breasts. This teasing, mind-reading mentor to Larry—who calls her a pervert—struggles with a hangover, poor academic performance, and rigged systems while finding raw, submissive pleasure in mana manipulation.
• Pamela – An ageless, childlike Elf Mage with a baby face and pointed ears, she conceals vast mana and ancient wisdom beneath white Gothic-Lolita attire. Sharp-tongued and analytical, she serves Henrietta-san, trains the protagonist daily in Dwarf-style Kumite and magic, and works at the academy, where she casually briefs Larry on capital updates while maintaining a cynical demeanor.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Ilse – A girl of the Dwarf race with a connection to the mining town of Partofelden. She serves as a central figure for the local student group.
• Klein – The Klein family name, carried by Ilse. The lineage is tied to the Olden region and its coal mines.
• Isabella – Towering and muscular in a jet-black and gold uniform, Marie’s aunt is a battle-hardened Royal Army Second Lieutenant with a facial scar and a low growl. Commander of the region-annexing Weasels of Bohemia, this masterful spear combatant uses her noble VIP status to personally escort her niece from her parents’ estate to facilitate Marie’s pivotal move to the prestigious Magic Academy.
• Bizan – The Bizan family name, held by the Viscount. He is the lord of the territory and owner of the castle built within the Danube River.
• Romy – A flamboyant 16-year-old freshman, lab assistant, and Odonkor family member, she styles herself ‘von’ after her adoptive baron grandfather. Despite low Mana manipulation and a messy work style, she works in Henrietta’s lab after severe bullying in Baron Wilson’s territory. She shares a space with Larry, whom she passive-aggressively teases, and wears a strapless mermaid dress and heavy makeup hiding a cute face.
• Louise – A towering, seven-foot-tall Golem Battalion Lieutenant and Deputy Commander with a muscular build, short red hair, and fierce features. This stoic, analytical magic user of noble Jutland lineage wears black and gold military dress, or armored gear in battle. Deeply attached to the protagonist, Larry, after rooming with him, she was wounded protecting his child before being saved by the Golems.
• Marc – The second son of a noble family and grandson of Marquis Harritz. He wore a mask while riding into the Magic School courtyard and is known for having performed a dogeza apology.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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