Chapter 33 - Conversation with Headmaster

I formed contracts with Mai and Mei and resummoned them into the Human Realm.

I poured a lot of mana into the magic circles, so they can manifest here for a relatively long period without any issues.

I’m not sure if it’s because of the large amount of mana I used, but Mai and Mei seemed to have grown a little. Well, they look happy, so I guess that’s fine.

I had them take on human forms so they could attend classes, but their human appearances seemed to mature as well. Particularly, Mei's chest seems to have...

Mai’s growth is more apparent in her height, but she hasn't changed much in that other department. I can't help but notice how Mai keeps looking resentfully at Mei's... development.

At least now I can tell them apart easily. Before, they looked identical and spoke in perfect unison. The only downside now is that you have to glance at their busts to distinguish them.

We headed to the classroom and discovered that afternoon classes had been canceled.

Tina had reported the incident to the Academy, prompting an emergency teachers' meeting.

Shortly after, I was summoned to the Headmaster’s office.

───＊＊＊───

“So, you are Halt. I’ve heard about you from my grandson. Thank you for being a friend to Luke.”

Tina brought me to the Headmaster's office, where a gentle-looking old man with snow-white hair and a beard extended his hand for a handshake.

This is Luke’s grandfather, the highest authority in the Academy—Sage Luarno-Ver-Ifrus.

“Thank you very much. I’m the one who should be grateful for his company.”

I shook the Headmaster’s hand.

“Hmm, you don’t seem to have much magic—or should I say it’s locked at Level 1?”

He saw through my true mana levels immediately. No surprise, given that he’s a Sage.

“Forgive my curiosity, but I’ve heard that you subjugated a herd of Maho Gnomes and defeated a Warlock. I couldn’t help but wonder.”

“Even if you’re the Headmaster, I won’t allow you to pry into Halt-sama’s matters like that.”

Tina stepped in, angry on my behalf.

“Professor Tina, it’s alright. I knew this would be discovered sooner or later.”

It was time to come clean about my curse. The Headmaster is a fellow Sage and the highest authority at this academy, so I figured I could trust him.

“I’d like to explain everything, but I humbly request that whatever we discuss here remains confidential.”

“I give you my word. This conversation will not leave this room. However, know that Ifrus Academy of Magic promotes diversity. Even if you choose not to share, you’ll always be welcome here.”

His words put me at ease. In this Academy, Beastkin, Dragonoids, and even Spirits study magic. It’s no surprise that some students might want to keep their identities hidden. Youko, for example, is a demon, yet she’s a student here.

This Headmaster accepts anyone with the desire to study magic.

His power is also something to be reckoned with. When we shook hands, I could sense the depth of his mana. It’s the most refined magic I’ve ever felt. Even Youko wouldn’t be able to dominate this school with him around.

Luke had mentioned that Tina is stronger than the Headmaster, but if it came to magic alone, Luarno would likely have the upper hand.

Since I trusted him, I decided to be fully honest.

“Status Open.”

I showed my status board to the Headmaster and Tina.

**STATUS:**

Name: Halt - Vie - Silveray

Race: Human

Divine Protection: None (Fixed)

Occupation: Sage (Level 1)

Strength: 30/30 (Fixed)

Magical Power: 10/10 (Fixed)

Physical Attack Power: 10 (Fixed)

Magical Attack Power: 10 (Fixed)

Defense Power: 10 (Fixed)

Speed: 10 (Fixed)

Dexterity: 10 (Fixed)

Skill: None (Fixed)

Condition: Cursed [Static Curse] (Fixed)

“L-Level 1!? What does this mean?”

“A locked status curse… I’ve never seen anything like this.”

They both examined my status board closely.

“I am a reincarnated person from another world.”

“Ah, that explains why your occupation is Sage,” the Headmaster remarked.

“Yes. The Level 1 status is due to a curse placed on me by the Evil God at the moment of my rebirth.”

“The Evil God… The one who created Demon Kings and spreads despair across the world… So he’s real.”

“Tina, do you believe me?”

“Yes, I trust you, Halt-sama. It’s also clear from your status board.”

I was relieved that Tina believed me. The Status Board doesn’t directly mention the Evil God, so they had to take my word about the curse.

“Why would the Evil God curse you?”

“I didn’t get the full details, but he said he didn’t want me to prosper in this world.”

“Yet, you’ve already accomplished so much. You even defeated the Maho Gnomes and the Warlock on your own.”

“I think the Evil God made a mistake when he cursed me.”

“Mistake? How so?”

“Please watch this. Fire Lance!”

I cast the spell while my status board was still open.

“T-this is…!”

“His mana isn’t depleting!”

“Exactly. No matter how much I use magic, my mana remains at its maximum.”

“So, this is the effect of the [Static Status] Curse?”

“Yes. Initially, I thought the curse merely locked my stats at low levels, but it turns out it freezes them. The Evil God probably intended to curse me with a fixed, low status, but I think he misunderstood his own curse.”

“I see… But how did you defeat the Maho Gnomes? With an attack power fixed at 10, that seems impossible.”

“I layer low-cost spells to stack up power.”

“Layering spells… I didn’t even know that was possible.”

“I’m guessing that’s why the influence was so strong…”

Tina was likely referring to when I accidentally destroyed the training hall wall.

“When I broke the training hall wall, I cast around 100,000 [Fire Lances] at once.”

“A h-hundred thousand!?”

“You deflected my spell back then, Professor Tina. I owe you for that.”

“…I don’t think I could do it again.”

Tina had repelled my magic, but it was only thanks to the talisman left by the Hero.

“Now that I understand, Halt is no ordinary person. Though, that should have been obvious, given his reincarnated status. Please, just don’t act recklessly.”

“I’ll be careful.”

After our conversation, the Headmaster promised to support me during my time at the Academy. It seemed his true intention was to keep an eye on me, ensuring I didn’t cause trouble for the school.