After taking a bath and relaxing, I was rolling around on the bed in my room.
Then, a knock came from the door, followed by a click as it opened.
“Big Brother, can I talk to you for a moment?”
My younger sister, Toko, entered the room.
“What’s up? Do you want to hear about the bear I defeated?”
” Bear? What are you talking about?”
Toko gave me a confused look.
” Never mind, forget it. What do you need?”
“Well, I heard from Mother a bit ago… Are you really going to attend the Magic Academy?”
“Guess so. It’s better than being a NEET, right?”
“I guess… The atmosphere in our house has been pretty tense, so this is for the best.”
Sorry about that…
“Are you going to attend as well?”
“Yeah, I’ve been there for about a month now.”
“What’s it like?”
“Hmm… There are wizards from all over the world.”
Really…
“Will I fit in? I’m already a month behind…”
“You don’t have to worry too much. Some people enter in the middle of the term, and others leave.”
I see…
“What do you study there?”
“We haven’t covered much yet since I’ve only been there a month. My favorite classes are herbology and history…”
Sounds boring. I’d definitely hate that.
“I see. Well, I’ll start from scratch then.”
“There’s a ‘Fundamentals’ course as well.”
That’s perfect.
“I’ll take it step by step. Also, we should keep the fact that we’re siblings a secret when we’re at the academy. I don’t want people comparing me to you.”
“I agree. I don’t want people making comments about us being twins.”
We got teased a lot during elementary school. The recurring joke was always, “You don’t look alike at first glance, but you’re so similar when you really observe!”
“I feel the same way. Besides, our last names are different, so no one will figure it out.”
That’s true.
Nagase and La Folle are completely different.
“Is there anything else I should be cautious about?”
“Well, there are wizards from all over, including some from prominent families. You should be careful around them—they have a lot of pride.”
“You’re from a prestigious family too.”
“So are you. Although, I guess our family is more common…”
True… Our household doesn’t seem very aristocratic. While the Nagase family could be considered prestigious, its renown has faded over time due to its antiquity.
“Is there some ‘oho’-sounding young lady or a prince-like guy around?”
“There’s no ‘oho’ type, but similar people are there… Girls who ooze pride and guys who call others commonfolk.”
Are they really there?
“I won’t use the La Folle name anyway; it might cause trouble.”
“That’s probably for the best. Grandmother would be angry otherwise.”
“You’re right about that… By the way, you use the La Folle name, so do you have any potential suitors?”
“Are you serious? I’m 16! Of course not. I don’t even have a boyfriend.”
Hmm… You don’t have a boyfriend either?
Poor you…
Although, I don’t have a girlfriend either.
“That said, when I visited the La Folle family, they casually mentioned that they’d introduce me to a future wife.”
“Really? That’s nice. If you don’t meet anyone by a reasonable age, you can cry to Grandma or Cousin Erik.”
I see…
So there’s actually an arrangement like that. I don’t know if Grandma will still be around, but Erik would probably introduce me to someone nice.
“Mmm… But, I assume any woman the La Folle family introduces will be from a good family, right? I imagine they would pound etiquette into me until I’m about to die.”
I don’t want that… I should avoid any association with that side of the family.
“I’ll take my time figuring this out. Maybe I’ll meet someone eventually.”
“Fufu…”
You’re really annoying, you know that?
Even though we have the same face!
“Hey, about that other world thing earlier… You sort of glossed over it, but didn’t you say something wild?”
“Wild thing…?”
“About the Nagase family’s NEET problem? Don’t bring it up.”
“Ah… Astral, right? How much do you know?”
“Something about witches escaping witch hunts and creating another world… What exactly does that mean?”
“It’s exactly that. They created another world to escape witch hunts and moved there.”
You make it sound so casual…
“Is it really possible to create another world?”
“I don’t know the specifics, and there doesn’t seem to be any records about it. But apparently, there are people studying such things.”
Maybe it’s lost to time…
“Was it Astral? Do wizards live there?”
“They live there, but many divide their time between this world and the other.”
I see…
“When did you start visiting such a place?”
“You can transfer there regularly. Actually, Brother, you’ve been sleeping and barely leaving your room since spring break.”
Because everyone was looking at me like I was some pitiful kid.
“Actually, I have an important question. Does this Magic Academy even have entrance exams? Mother said I could get in through La Folle connections…”
“There are regular entrance exams, and I took them too. So, you’re thinking about backdoor entrance?”
Guess so…
“Guess I’ll have to take the exam since I wouldn’t pass anyway…”
“You probably wouldn’t…”
Toko shook her head.
“Should I even be concerned about advancing in classes? And graduating?”
“Oh, you don’t have to graduate. Some people just study what they want, and others learn the necessary skills and leave.”
“Really?”
“Besides, a Magic Academy degree means nothing in the outside world. Officially, both you and I are middle school dropouts.”
The Nagase twins who dropped out of middle school…
“What about you?”
“I love magic, so I’m going to see it through until graduation. Afterward, I’ll join the La Folle family and assist Erik.”
Impressive… You already have your life figured out.
Should I seriously think about my future?
Nah, mastering my craft is vital. Prioritizing disenchantment skills.
“Anyway, I wish I had learned all of this sooner.”
“You were the one who said magic didn’t matter!”
“Can you show me some magic?”
Sure enough, Toko pointed her finger up, and a small flame like a candle’s appeared at the tip.
“I can’t even do that.”
When I attempted the same, nothing happened with my finger.
“What do you plan to learn there?”
If I say disenchantment magic, I’ll either be laughed at or ridiculed. I’d rather not…
“I don’t know. I’ll figure it out as I go.”
“Hmm… By the way, what’s that bracelet? Is it for fashion? It’s ugly.”
Shut up!
“Do you really not get how cool this is?”
“Not at all. Even if you asked, I wouldn’t wear it.”
Fair enough.
And I definitely wouldn’t let you wear it anyway.
Thank you very much for reading.
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