The day after the written exams ended.

Starting today the practical exams would begin.

Li had been exempted from the exams, but instead she would head out to subjugate monsters.

Together with the headmaster.

The Night-Wandering Forest located near the Royal Capital.

If one traveled in the opposite direction from Migno Lake, which had been visited during the camping training, one would arrive at the foothills of the Sisiris Mountain Range.

Many monsters inhabited the foothills of the Sisiris Mountain Range.

That was where they were heading to hunt monsters.

However, if they wanted to return in a single day, they could not advance too deeply.

Li wanted to develop some kind of transportation method.

Even though there was a golem carriage, it could not be used on unstable terrain like the forest.

Which meant the usual option would be some sort of flying vehicle.

Or developing flight magic herself.

“…That’s the situation.”

While walking along the road toward the Sisiris Mountain Range, Li was discussing magic with the headmaster.

The topic was her desire for some kind of transportation method.

“Flight magic, hm. It is a dream for any mage… but interesting.”

The headmaster’s expression clearly showed he was intrigued.

Then he chuckled.

“Interesting indeed, Li! And the idea of a flying vehicle also intrigues me. I never thought that even at my age I would still be able to avoid boredom.”

Li stared at the headmaster.

“Age has nothing to do with pursuing things that are fun!”

“Indeed.”

It was a peaceful everyday scene.

The weather was pleasant, and a refreshing wind blew through.

Trees grew thickly and the greenery of early summer overflowed everywhere.

They walked like a grandfather and grandchild strolling through a garden.

But this was a monster habitat.

For someone without combat ability, it would be a place of mortal danger.

Li had already sent her shikigami birds flying above to keep watch from the sky.

The headmaster had also deployed a detection spell he himself had developed.

It turned mana into threads and spread them out around him.

A barrier formed by hexagons arranged like a honeycomb structure.

Centered on the headmaster, the radius was roughly one hundred meters.

The headmaster himself possessed strength that could certainly be called monstrous.

“That is a convenient spell.”

Li asked the headmaster.

“Isn’t it? Managing the mana requires some tricks, but it was difficult to develop.”

Ignoring the headmaster’s explanation, Li recreated the spell in the palm of her hand.

Rather than a box shape, it formed a dome-shaped hemisphere, which saved mana.

‘I see,’ Li thought.

For something of that appearance and scale, the mana consumption was quite low.

Watching Li from the corner of his eye, the headmaster thought to himself.

‘She reproduced it that easily…’

Since retiring from active service and becoming the academy’s headmaster, he had seen many students.

Once every few years there would be a student who caught his attention.

Even among those, only a handful could be called truly exceptional.

That reminded him of Li’s mother.

She too had been extraordinary.

But her daughter surpassed even that.

This talent must not be allowed to dim, the headmaster thought again.

“By the way, Li.”

The headmaster spoke.

“I have heard about it. The armor granted to you by His Majesty the Founding King…”

Though he tried to sound casual, he clearly wanted to see it.

Even Li could tell from the headmaster’s acorn-like eyes shining with anticipation.

“This must remain a secret.”

Even as she said that, Li summoned Aquarius and Andromeda.

With glittering effects, Li’s entire body became covered in armor.

It was a luxurious suit of armor closer to platinum than silver.

Long scarf-like ornaments draped from both shoulders, emphasizing feminine elegance.

Across its surface ran bands of aqua-blue light forming geometric patterns.

Standing there was a breathtakingly beautiful girl who looked like a valkyrie manifesting in the mortal world.