A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 92. The Day Before

And so, under Hermes’ leadership, the intensive training of Class B continued.

Every day after school, they conducted basic magical training as a group and took turns receiving individual training from Hermes.

It was nothing but repetition. With only two weeks, there wasn’t even time to try various special trainings, so they focused all their efforts on perfecting one thing through repetition.

Even on holidays, everyone came to school, using the entire day for training. It was an unrelenting hellish training regimen.

Naturally, for students who had never put in proper effort before, it was sheer torment. Fatigue accumulated, and their exhausted state was evident even during regular classes.

──And yet, not a single one of them dropped out.

There were several reasons for this.

First, pride. If no one else was quitting, they didn’t want to be the first.

Then, hope. They wanted to surpass Class A, not in a group fight but one-on-one, driven by their ambition as magicians to improve. This was something Hermes reignited within them, something they were close to losing.

But more than that was something else.

“…Well done.”

A sense of accomplishment.

Indeed, it was hell, but those who overcame it could undoubtedly feel their improvement as a reward.

This was most evident when ── now, in front of a certain student, Hermes, having been knocked down to the ground, offered words of praise while getting back up.

Yes, it was four days after the training had started.

One student had, for the first time, defeated Hermes.

The student who achieved this feat, however, looked down at Hermes with a confused expression rather than one of joy.

“…What’s wrong? I would appreciate it if you could be a bit happier.”

“N-no, but… D-did I really win? You didn’t go easy on me to let me win, did you!? If so──!”

“…Um.”

It seemed that the student had been so used to losing in this academy that he couldn’t believe his victory.

While rejecting such a hollow victory was commendable, this time it was not the case. Hermes, placing a hand on his forehead, explained patiently.

“If you’re asking if I went easy on you, well, in a way, yes. As I mentioned before, in this training, I am intentionally matching the ‘magical nature similar to your opponents’. In other words, I’m fighting in a style different from my own, so if you call that going easy, then yes.”

“Th-then.”

“But.”

To convey his point, Hermes interrupted the student’s words.

“Within those constraints, I fought with all my might. You have now surpassed that.

──Most importantly, at the start of the training, I wouldn’t have been able to win against you even under these constraints. The fact that you defeated me is unequivocal proof of your growth.”

“!”

With those words, at last,

The student’s face began to glow with joy.

“Of course, my magic is far inferior to other bloodline magics in terms of individual performance. In that sense, I am merely a degraded copy of the opponent you will face. …But if you continue to grow at this pace, you will certainly have a chance.

…Honestly, I’m surprised, I thought it would take a week. Please, keep up the good work.”

“A-alright!”

Nodding at the sincere praise, the student, more motivated than ever, returned to regular training.

From then on, the students’ enthusiasm soared.

Victory, after all, is the greatest reward. The realization that they could achieve it through their own efforts worked wonders, and soon, more students began to occasionally defeat Hermes.

Of course, Hermes anticipated this ── rather, he fought at a level where this outcome was expected. However, the speed at which they reached that point was faster than he had imagined, a pleasantly unexpected development.

However, this led to a disparity between the ‘students who could defeat Hermes’ and those who couldn’t.

It seemed like the motivation of the latter group might become an issue ── but another key figure in this training addressed it.

“Wh-what’s wrong?”

“Ah… Sara-san. Sorry, it’s not my body… It’s just that I still can’t see myself winning against him…! Am I really not improving──”

“…It’s alright.”

The male student, looking distressed and dejected, seemed to be losing confidence due to the gap with his peers.

To him, Sara gently smiled.

“I’ve been watching you work hard. And yes, you are getting stronger. It’s clear from the outside.”

“R-really?”

“Yes. I’m sure all that’s left is a small trigger. Hermes-san is strict, but he never sets impossible goals. So why not try a little harder? …It’s modest, but I’ll give you a charm.”

Saying this, she activated her bloodline magic. Her words and the soft blue light melted away his fatigue and anxiety.

…Indeed, such words of encouragement could only come from Sara, who had been watching over the class closely, rather than Hermes.

In fact, the male student regained his composure ── and even seemed unusually eager to resume training.

Ultimately, that same day, he also secured his first victory against Hermes.

Thus, the training continued.

With Hermes leading and Sara supporting, there were no dropouts.

The grueling training days, delivering both exhaustion and tangible growth, passed quickly.

──And finally, on the eve of the main event, everyone completed their training.

(…Phew.)

The night before the school festival, at the Thrakia household.

After finishing his work as a servant, Hermes took a breath and headed to his room to sleep.

Today’s training had ended early. He instructed everyone to prioritize perfecting their condition over the next half-day.

…In the end, everyone had grown to the point where they could almost certainly defeat the simulation opponent Hermes.

The real opponent would be even stronger. But ── with the skills and confidence they had gained through this training, they should be able to fight well.

All that was left for him was to maximize their chances of winning and eliminate as many uncertainties as possible ── he thought as he walked down the corridor.

“…Hermes.”

From ahead, a voice called out.

Looking up, he saw his master approaching.

“Katia-sama, what brings you here?”

“…It’s nothing important. I just thought we could talk for a bit.”

Since the intensive training for Class B began, they had fewer opportunities to talk compared to usual.

Partly due to the busy training schedule ── but the main reason was probably because she was in Class A, their direct opponents tomorrow.

Perhaps understanding this, she had deliberately avoided the topic until now… but maybe because it was the day before.

With a slight hesitation, she asked,

“…So, how are things looking?”

It was clear what she meant without asking.

“…Well, I’d say it’s fifty-fifty.”

Indeed, Class B had become stronger.

Their fundamental magical abilities had significantly improved, and they were now capable of effectively targeting the weaknesses of their anticipated opponents.

──Still, the difference in bloodline magic was immense.

Considering all factors, including the strengths of Class B, he concluded that it would be a fifty-fifty chance.

However, hearing this, she showed a slight expression of surprise.

“…I see, you’ve brought them that far. Impressive.”

After praising him, she looked at him with a serious expression.

“Then, I won’t hold back either. ──During the event, I’ll go all out. It doesn’t matter if your abilities are restricted or if you have many acquaintances in Class B. For my pride and for Class B, I can’t hold back.”

“Indeed. I appreciate it.”

With a slight smile, he replied to her firm declaration.

Satisfied with that, she seemed to want to say something more, but…

“──As long as you understand. …Good night then, sorry for stopping you.”

“? Yes, good night.”

In the end, all she said was a good night.

Though puzzled, he responded, and they both started walking towards their rooms.

As they passed each other, after a while ── for some reason.

Just when he thought her footsteps had receded, they suddenly approached again, as if she was running.

“…Oh.”

Softly.

A soft sensation pressed against his back, and slender arms wrapped around his torso.

──In other words, she hugged him from behind.

“Um, Katia-sama.”

“…Listen, Hermes.”

As he instinctively tried to turn around, she tightened her arms, as if telling him not to.

“I understand that you and Class B are at an important stage. I tried not to interfere, I really did. …But.”

Her muffled voice, pressed against his back, conveyed both embarrassment and a slight tone of sulking.

“…After the festival, I expect you to spend a lot of time with me. Be prepared.”

“Y-yes.”

Nodding instinctively at her undeniable tone.

Satisfied with his response, she let go and ran back the way she came.

“…”

He considered turning around but felt it would be inappropriate.

Fixing his gaze forward, he placed his hand where hers had been on his chest.

──With a soft smile, feeling lighter than when he came, he returned to his room.

And finally.

The school festival began.