The Magical Federation is a nation of magic, divided into the 'Chosen' who have accessed its great knowledge, and unfortunately, the 'Commoners' who have not received its grace.
Surprisingly, the gap between these two classes is not that large.
Look at the nobles of the Empire. They wield absolute power, monopolizing strength and wealth as they reign over the common folk. To nobles, the people are merely stepping stones to elevate themselves.
Look at the Blood Lords of the Principalities. They enjoy immortality through the blood of their ancestors, squeezing the blood and wealth of the people to quench their thirst. To Blood Lords, humans are merely livestock to be raised.
Look at the knights of the now-fallen Kingdom. They exercise their innate martial prowess, killing the weak under the pretext of duels to achieve their desires. To knights, commoners are merely plump, enticing prey.
Compared to those who reign, squeeze blood, and hunt through duels.
The 'Chosen' are simply rational, reasonable, and wiser citizens.
The reason is none other than the acknowledgment that there is no innate difference between the Chosen and the Commoners.
Was a mage a mage from birth? At birth, everyone is nothing more than an ignorant beast. A newborn learns language and emotion from their parents, and grows up acquiring knowledge and norms from society.
If a child raised thus comes into contact with the great knowledge of magic, and possesses only the 'wisdom' to accept that knowledge. They can fully become 'Chosen' and enjoy everything the Magical Federation has to offer.
Then, are children who lack 'wisdom' persecuted? That is not the case either. All systems of the Magical Federation—its institutions, facilities, and magical tools—are open to Commoners as well. It is just that Commoners lack the knowledge and mana, so they cannot use them even if they want to.
Although they enjoy relatively less, Commoners are also recognized as members of the Magical Federation, and a fair opportunity is provided to them and the children they bear.
Namely, the opportunity to rise through the Gate of Ascension and access even greater knowledge.
"Respect to those who possess intellect, commensurate with their wisdom. This is our ideology."
As the Master of the Blue Tower flicked her finger, the writing on the blackboard made of smooth crystal melted and vanished in an instant. Having finished her summary, the Master of the Blue Tower dusted off her hands and spoke.
"We are different from those barbaric, monarchical nations. We do not oppress people with outdated customs and old orders. The Magical Federation is an advanced nation built by mages with the most outstanding brains. We judge people by their ability, not their bloodline."
'And I am a genius who ranks among the top five in such a Magical Federation.'
Mana perception, mana control, and magical knowledge. With just those, anyone can become one of the Chosen and earn the right to enjoy the civilization of the Magical Federation.
Emphasizing this, the Master of the Blue Tower continued.
"In other words, if you just prove your qualifications, you too can stay in the Floating City."
"We're staying here right now, aren't we?"
"You can stay because of my guarantee as the Master of the Blue Tower, with the status of key witnesses for the Intelligence Bureau. You're bound to me; is that okay?"
"Bound? If it's you, Master of the Blue Tower, I don't mind at all. Ack!"
What was that? The wind just slapped the back of my head?
Looking back, Shay was crossing her arms and pretending not to know anything. The Master of the Blue Tower covered her mouth and chuckled softly before continuing.
"Hehe. However, I can't keep a Commoner who only flatters me by my side forever. If things stay like this, I'll have to send you down during the next 'Descent'."
"Descent?"
"It's called 'Descent' when the Floating City lowers its orbit to float near the Lower Realm. During that time, a lot of exchange occurs between the Lower Realm and the Floating City. As a rule, you too must come down from the Floating City at the next Descent."
Unless they were exiles, they couldn't just be thrown out, and attaching a mage to escort them down was inefficient. So, the Master of the Blue Tower explained, they dropped off the Commoners during the Descent season.
"However, the Gate of Ascension opens during the Descent season. It is a fair opportunity for all citizens of the Magical Federation, regardless of Chosen or Commoner, to reveal their capabilities. If you prove your capabilities there, you can proudly stay in the Floating City."
There are more things I need to investigate in the Floating City, and Shay also has business with the Demon King. Getting kicked out here would cause trouble in many ways. I was planning to lean on Lankart or the Master of the Blue Tower to survive, but with the Master taking this attitude, that's out of the question.
It wouldn't be bad to learn magic at this opportunity. Having more skills is always good. However.
"Could we really learn magic from now on and pass the Gate of Ascension?"
"Impossible. If you were ordinary Commoners."
The Master of the Blue Tower answered immediately.
"The Floating City is a place where only those who have achieved results among the numerous Chosen of the Magical Federation can set foot. There are many mages who dedicate their entire lives to magic but still can't enter the Floating City. A Commoner rising through the Gate of Ascension overnight? That's only possible for the chosen ones among innate geniuses."
'Like me, who awakened my Unique Magic Tool at the age of ten and rose to the Floating City. In my case, I rose to the Floating City through my family's recommendation, so it's a bit different from the Gate of Ascension.'
...Ah, yes. Of course you did.
Reading her thoughts, it seems that a Magic Master who hails from a prestigious magical family and has awakened a Unique Magic Tool can ascend to the Floating City without going through the Gate of Ascension.
That was not a special privilege but a courtesy, because if a Magic Master from a prestigious magical family were to sweep the Gate of Ascension, there would be no spots left for anyone else.
Then, an ordinary person like me can't even dream of it.
Just as I was giving up, the Master of the Blue Tower spoke again with a new tone.
"But Lankart climbed the Gate of Ascension. Even if he learned magic in the Military Nation, black magic and white magic have completely different systems from the ground up, yet he had overwhelming results all by himself."
"Lankart is a recognized genius even in the Military Nation."
"To be honest, I was surprised. I thought even if they hailed someone as a genius in a primitive and backward country like the Military Nation, they'd just be a smart barbarian at best. But he beat out the renowned Chosen of the Magical Federation and won."
The Master of the Blue Tower murmured, recalling the memory of Lankart climbing the Gate of Ascension.
Lankart walking up the Gate of Ascension with haughty pride. Leaving the despair of the 'Chosen' who slipped while climbing below his feet, Lankart ascended to the Floating City nonchalantly.
As if winning was nothing special.
"If you're the genius Lankart declared you to be? Maybe, even with this short period of teaching, you could climb the Gate of Ascension?"
'Lankart said you were a genius greater than himself. Just how far will a child like that go if they receive the teaching of a genius like me? I'm purely curious.'
Ah, so that's her intention.
...I'm sorry. You'll probably be disappointed. My wretched body has rarely met expectations.
But there's no law saying I have to meet expectations 100%, right? An opportunity is an opportunity. I decided to accept it gratefully. I bowed deeply to the Master of the Blue Tower.
"Please take care of me, Master."
"Yes, my disciple. Listen well to me from now on."
Smiling reassuringly, the Master of the Blue Tower took out a jewel from her pocket and waved her fountain pen. Unmelting crystal grew around the blue sapphire, soon becoming a blue emblem.
"It's an emblem given to the disciples of the Crystal Tower. With this, you can freely enter and exit the Crystal Tower's training grounds and library. Be careful not to lose it."
"I will cherish it for the rest of my life."
"Pfft. You'll have to work hard so it doesn't get snatched away from you. Now, stand up."
Rising from her seat herself, the Master of the Blue Tower personally pinned the emblem on me. Confirming that the emblem on my chest was securely fastened, the Master of the Blue Tower smiled with her eyes and patted my shoulder.
The treatment is different from the Military Nation. If a cool and smart Master teaches me while giving me a precious emblem, I'd study hard too.
"What about me?"
While I was cultivating respect in my heart, Shay revealed an uncomfortable expression and spoke. The Master of the Blue Tower turned her body towards Shay.
"You said your name was Shay? Are you going to learn magic too?"
"There's no reason I can't learn. Hughes is learning too."
'Something is annoying. Why? What is this feeling?'
"Yeah. But..."
Trailing off, the Master of the Blue Tower took out her fountain pen and replaced the ink. Pressing down firmly on the ink labeled 'Lens' to soak the pen, she drew five circles in the air. The crystallized ink became magical lenses, revealing the unseen.
Looking at Shay through the magical lenses, the Master of the Blue Tower said with a troubled expression.
"I have nothing to teach you?"
Surely she's not saying she can't teach her after seeing through Shay's intelligence... right?
The Master of the Blue Tower's lenses were for observing the amount of mana. And in the Master of the Blue Tower's vision right now, Shay appeared to be enveloped in a far greater amount of mana than an average mage.
"You already possess enough mana. With that much mana, naturally you can also use mana perception, right?"
"...I can."
'It's possible because I got the Seven-Colored Eyes, but anyway.'
"The most basic conditions for a mage are mana perception, mana control, and the knowledge to utilize them. And you meet all three conditions. The system is different from ours, but you can't be called a Commoner."
The Master of the Green Tower also said Shay was not a Commoner when she saw her. That's because she believed someone with this level of mana couldn't possibly be a Commoner.
It was the same for the Master of the Blue Tower.
"No, that amount of mana in the first place is something you couldn't have obtained without learning magic."
"...Ugh."
'I did learn it... I did learn it, but...'
"If you want, I'll give you an emblem too. But it won't help much. In magic, too, once you pass a certain point, it's important to pioneer your own path."
"Y-yeah..."
"Here you go."
A blue emblem dropped into Shay's hands as well. However, this emblem was slightly different from the one given to me. It was a pass given to outside guests, not disciples.
Giving the emblem of a guest rather than a disciple was an expression of respect. Holding the emblem, Shay fell into thought with a complicated feeling.
'I... learned magic from you in the previous cycle...!'
Oh, did you?
It seems she must have been a disciple of the Master of the Blue Tower quite often. Well, in the Master of the Blue Tower's eyes, the regressor Shay must have looked like a remarkably talented gemstone.
'After teaching me magic for a few months, you said using my head didn't suit me! You said I had a lot of mana, so I should just learn how to use mana intuitively! But why are you starting from the beginning with Hughes!'
Huh?
I'm feeling a slight sense of jealousy... It's not jealousy towards the Master of the Blue Tower, but jealousy towards me? Because I became the Master of the Blue Tower's disciple instead of you?
What is this. I feel like I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
I've hung out with Shay for a long time and we've gotten close. It's only natural that Shay relies on me now. With her grabbing my sleeve this time, I was convinced she had gone beyond relying on me to being conscious of me... I was planning to push and pull appropriately, but.
It's not to that extent yet, I guess.
Because mind-reading doesn't work properly, there are constantly errors. It wouldn't matter if it didn't work at all, but being ambiguously read is more fatal. I shouldn't approach too hastily.
To make Shay rely on me in the next cycle as well, I need to build greater trust in this cycle, our first meeting.
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...Ah, I was being too calculating. Relax, relax.
Shay is sensitive, so I mustn't get caught. Let's try not to be conscious of it as much as possible.
Now, back to it.
"Then, Master. I have a question. When do the lectures start?"
The Master of the Blue Tower answered with an impish smile.
"Obviously, from right now."