◇The next day .
Princ.i.p.al summoned me to come to the Second Academy again .
Looks like he"s got something to talk about .
" . . . This place has changed a lot . "
I gaze at the Second Academy"s building .
When I was still here, the building looked like that of a common schoolhouse . . . Now it"s a bit like a fortress .
The rooftops are furnished with many anti-demon raid magic tools, protecting the Capital Great Barrier .
The educational environment has seen a major shift as well .
Magic tools for training have been laid out everywhere, with students making use of them to practice .
It should be after school now though . . . Guess it"s independent self-improvements for them .
. . . The facilities may have changed, but it"s the students who have undergone the biggest change .
When I left the Second Academy, these students had only started to learn how to chantless magic . . . Or somewhere around the part .
Second Academy students are strong because they can use chantless magic . . . was the general impression of them back then .
However, now chantless magic comes as second nature to these students .
Chantless magic is no longer just a prerequisite now, they"re exploring its use to strengthen themselves, brush up combat art, and solidify coordinations . . . .
It"s a whole completely different level of education .
"Everyone"s gotten really good with magic . . . !"
"And I see a whole lot of archers! They were nonexistent when I was here!"
When Alma first enrolled here, bows were seen with great disdains .
Because effective enchants weren"t known, long range attacks meant chanted magic . . . such was the general consensus back then .
Such [Past Common Sense] exist no more in Second Academy .
Battle knowledge of Second Academy is about 100 years more advanced compared to other part of Eis Kingdom .
As we walked while I thought that, one of the students practicing in the distant pointed at me .
And soon after . . . Those students rushed up toward us .
"Mathias-sensei!?"
"You were at the capital!?"
"Mathias-sensei, I need to ask you something regarding demon fighting . . . "
The students who drew closer began speaking all at once .
Every one of them have beaming eyes .
. . . But I can"t hear what they"re saying at all like this .
What should I do, right when I thought that . . . One of the students spoke out loudly .
Looks like he used Amplification magic .
"Quiet down! They can"t hear with all of you talking at once!"
The one who spoke with that loud voice was . . . The second year Meirad .
Meirad was the guy who led the campaign during the monster outbreak close to Second Academy and picked the optimal timing to retreat .
From the looks of things . . . Apparently, he"s the commander now .
The students who were chattering on their own immediately quieted down when they heard Meirad .
"Long time no see, Meirad . "
"I"m so glad to see you again, Mathias-sensei . . . You remember me!"
"Yeah . I thought you were a good commander . . . Which still holds true even now it seems . "
I look at the students around .
Must be a pain to lead this many people .
Commanding people possesses a different kind of difficulty compared to fighting on the front line .
However . . . These students have been through some really nice training .
Even without seeing them in real combat, I can tell from the way their muscles formed and their flow of mana .
You won"t get to be this way with some weird training .
Not just quality, the quant.i.ty of their training appears to be significant as well .
Looks like they"ve been training all this time, be it after school or otherwise, even before I came here .