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Three days had passed since Alfe and Farah consulted with me, and now it was the morning of the mock battle. Over those three days, I’d had Mr. Tanutanu share the Class 1-F roster with me, and I spent the time analyzing our resources.

Although Hom insisted I should devise my own strategy, I decided it would be impractical to introduce a new plan now, given that Vannabelle was already leading the charge with her own battle strategy.

In Vannabelle’s first-strike offensive plan, the vanguard included Vannabelle, Numelin, and Lili-Lulu, accompanied by Mira, a catkin like Farah, and Timo, a fishman student from the magic department with shark-like teeth. Both Mira and Timo’s magical skills were on par with the average Class A student in our magic studies.

Oscar, a birdman student from the military studies department, would support from the rear, relying on his hawk-like vision. His team included beastkin Karl and Raimer, a horseman who nearly matched Lili-Lulu in stamina.

Gide from the magic department was positioned as the last line of defense, tasked with protecting the engineering students, who were regarded as less capable in combat. Apparently, Gide had a good relationship with Vim, a halfling in the same department, and together they would preserve the ratman Erik, beastkin Kurt, catkin Henri, along with Isaac and Romeo, at the rear.

From my reasoning, I realized that, while Vannabelle often came across as headstrong, she had put together a strategy she believed would lead us to victory. It wasn’t perfect, and her use of the engineering students was admittedly inefficient, but I respected her choice to assign Gide—a significant asset—to defense. Likely, Gide himself had some influence here, as he wasn’t exactly the aggressive type.

However, this strategy lacked a contingency for if the frontal assault failed. In that case, Alfe and Farah, who were allowed to move freely, would likely become pivotal. This would apply to Hom and me as well, though no one was counting on us in the same way.

Without Ars Magna, I wouldn’t be much of a combat asset myself, so I’d need to keep my mind sharp. I would keep a last-resort plan in mind to protect Alfe and secure a win for Class F.

If the frontal assault faltered, the ones likely to be able to respond immediately were Vannabelle, Numelin, Farah, Lili-Lulu, and possibly Gide.

Though Mira and Timo had a reputation for advanced magical skills, they had struggled considerably with Ms. Matilda’s magic classes, so relying on them might be risky.

As harsh as it may seem, it might be best to temporarily exclude the engineering students like Isaac and Romeo from our immediate combat force. When formations break, and attacks start hitting, minimizing casualties may depend on a tough decision like this.

Even so, heading into this mock battle with almost no fallback plan left me feeling a bit uneasy.

I sighed, reaching out to touch the cover of the Ars Magna, which I had taken out of my drawer. The mere touch of it let me feel the flow of aether, a reminder that this grimoire had acknowledged me as its master.

Now, what to do?

Although I had decided against using Ars Magna as a first resort, I was still uncertain whether that was truly the right call. When ‘the moment’ arrived, I intended to use it without hesitation. But until then…

“…Good morning, Master. You’re up quite early today.”

As I sat at my desk, scribbling notes and pondering, I heard Hom’s sleepy, scratchy voice behind me. It seemed I had woken her up with the scratching of my pen, though the sun was only just starting to rise.

“The mock battle starts at nine. I want to get my mind going a bit before then. Hom, you should rest a little longer.”
“No, I am fine,” she replied, already rising from bed and tidying up the linens with swift precision.
“Are you truly not going to use it?” she asked, her gaze fixed on Ars Magna in my hand.
“I’ll bring it with me. But ideally, I’d like to avoid a situation where I have to use it.”
“…But if you used it, you could show everyone your true strength, Master…” Hom murmured in frustration, her face contorting slightly.

Smiling wryly, I rose from my chair, spreading my arms to invite her over.

“Come here, Hom.”
“Yes, Master.”

She approached, kneeling at my feet. I placed a gentle hand on her head, stroking it as I always did, and she leaned in, nuzzling against me with a soft, contented sigh.

“You feel frustrated for my sake, don’t you?”
“Of course. I’ve never felt so frustrated about anything before.”
“Good girl,” I said, soothingly patting her head and leaning in to look at her face.

“Being of service to you, Master, is my greatest happiness,” Hom murmured with a soft smile, nestling her cheek against my palm.

“And this moment right now, how does it feel?”
“…I feel so fulfilled, warm and at peace.”

Yes, I could sense Hom’s joy just by being here with her like this. And that, in turn, brought me a quiet happiness.

“That’s exactly how it should be, Hom.”

I wanted to bring her even more moments of happiness. It was my responsibility, after all, to ensure that Hom, whom I had brought into this world, could experience fulfillment.

“――――”

Just then, a sudden noise broke the morning’s silence. Although still a bit distant, I could tell something was happening in the direction of the nobles’ dormitories. I couldn’t quite make out the conversation, but there was clearly some activity stirring over there.

Looking out the window, I saw that a large support squad had gathered by the nobles’ dormitories to cheer for Class A. Judging by the scale, it seemed they’d roped in students from Classes B through E as well, complete with handmade banners and noisemakers, which only added to the growing commotion.

With a support squad of that scale, Class F would likely feel even more disadvantaged. Given the existing bias in the class ranking system, I suspected the teachers would turn a blind eye to this oversized cheering squad as well.

“…Today’s mock battle will likely be a challenging one,” I murmured with a wry smile, imagining the scenes to come.

Hom responded with a determined expression. “I will, without fail, protect you, Master.”

Noticing the resolute look on her face, I placed my hands gently on her shoulders.

“Listen carefully, Hom. Today’s battle is a class competition.”
“Of course, I have not forgotten to bring you victory, Master.”
“It’s more than that. Our victory would mean a win for Class F. Do you understand what that means?”

I looked into her eyes, speaking slowly so she’d grasp the full significance. She thought for a moment, then tilted her head slightly before responding.

“…It would make Vannabelle happy.”
“That’s right. But I doubt she’ll be able to celebrate wholeheartedly.”
“Why not, Master?”

Hom refrained from saying it was because Vannabelle disliked me; perhaps she didn’t want to use the word ‘hate’ in reference to how others felt about me.

“Because, just as Alfe and Farah are worried, Vannabelle’s plan probably won’t be enough to beat Class A. Though I hope I’m wrong.”
“…I feel the same. We should change the strategy right away and execute your plan during the battle.”

I had considered the possibility, but with the day finally here, the only option would be to present the strategy on the spot—most likely, after our numbers had been significantly thinned.

“…I’d like to make that choice for Alfe’s sake, but if we prioritize group cohesion, we can’t afford to stand out too much. And it is the day of the battle.”

Today’s mock battle wasn’t tied to any grades, and it would be a full-scale team effort—twenty students on each side. Honestly, leading classmates I’d barely spoken to felt like an impossible task.

“Still, I doubt even twenty students together would pose much threat to you, Master, wielding Ars Magna…”
“That’s one way to look at it.”

The reason I held back from using Ars Magna was that it was hard to restrain its power. Its spells were already perfected formulas, and, frankly, I’d never used them outside real combat.

“Control is necessary, both for myself—and for you, Hom.”
“…Understood, Master. I shall bear in mind that strikes to the head and vital points are prohibited.”
“Thank you. Ideally, Vannabelle’s plan will be enough to defeat Class A.”

It wasn’t about my contribution; more than anything, I just wanted Alfe and the others to avoid injury.

“Well then, let’s have breakfast. You’ll be quite active today, Hom.”
“As you wish, Master.”

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