The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

If we were to list hundreds or thousands of reasons why knights and mages don’t get along well in this empire alone,
the single most decisive cause would still be the academy.
“As for mages who enter the academy, there aren’t many who like knights, right?”

Just like Baron Evil Shen said, mages generally start building up hatred for knights the moment they enter the academy.
“They keep fighting each other inside there. And it’s always the mages who start the trouble first.”
“Well, they are kind of easy targets.”
Right.
They are easy targets.
It was strange.
Mages were easy targets?

Naturally, mages were rare and precious talents. They simply weren’t common.
Even though their abilities varied greatly, just using magic meant they were already treated well.
The problem was that their treatment wasn’t on par with knights.

“Spitting fire from their hands? Freezing things with ice? How could such amazing people be treated worse than knights who only know how to swing a sword?”
It was natural for that question to arise, and Ransell himself had thought so before he knew the truth. Why on earth?
There were three main reasons for this.

— First.
“As you know, Ransell, most mages come from commoner backgrounds.”
“That’s definitely the main reason.”
Right.

A matter of social status.
Magic talent wasn’t something inherited in particular, so considering the empire’s population structure where commoners made up the majority, it was inevitable in a way that most mages were commoners.
Even if later on they were recognized for their talent and granted the status of baron or viscount, there was no helping the fact that they looked like rootless commoners. At least, that’s how they appeared to knights born into nobility.

— Second.
“There are very few mages with physical abilities good enough to fight in wars.”
“That’s because the job requires a lot of studying. They spend so much time sitting at desks that they lack time to exercise.”
“Yeah. I even saw a mage once who had a big belly sticking out. I thought soon it would be easier for him to roll around than to walk.”
Most mages carried the image of scholars.

Many were ill-suited to wear heavy armor, ride fierce warhorses, and run around the battlefield.
“Because of that, mages…”
“How much did they run to get so out of shape already?”
“Tch, they’re just weaklings without muscles.”
Every time knights sneered like that, the mages’ faces turned bright red—but what could they do?
The battlefield was a harsh environment for those who couldn’t march or advance.

Even knights trained their whole lives would smell like sweat in less than five minutes running through the muddy quagmire.
How much more so ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ for mages? Their focus would blur after just a few steps.
For an empire built on plunder and conquest from birth, the scarcity of mages active on battlefields was a significant problem. They had no answer to the knights’ taunts: “So, how many war heroes do you have?”

— Third.
“Above all, most mages don’t live up to my expectations. Too many of them make me wonder, ‘What kind of mage is that?’ every time I see them.”
“Well, even if they can just light a candle flame, they’re still mages. Just leaking a bit of steam.”
“The steam leaked a lot, not just a bit, Ransell. You have no idea how much trouble I went through to see a single magic spell! It was just a trickle of water coming out of a fan. Honestly!”
“…That’s about as much as you can do without water…”

This happened because the ability gap between mages was too great.
It was true that most of them were weaklings who would barely stand against local bullies. Monsters like the Third Prince were extremely rare.
Hmm.
“In any case, looking at the results, it’s true that knights always throw the first punch.”

Right.
Whether it was status, physical ability, or disappointing magical talent, it was always the knights who started on them first.
Young and innocent apprentice mages would immediately develop a hatred for knights the moment they entered the academy for this very reason.

“Commoners!”
“Weaklings!”
“Losers!”
Ransell probably harbored some resentment from that perspective as well.
But now, there was one exception here.

“I just hate knights.”
Her hatred for knights was already rising all the way to the top of her head, her face full of spite.
She was sixteen-year-old Marigold, not even yet enrolled in the academy.

“So honestly, I don’t like you either.”
“……”
That day,
Ransell’s world crumbled.

 
Although it was nothing new, Ransell wasted about a year again before meeting Marigold this time around.
Apparently, if he came to the capital by the orthodox route, he would break out in hives or something because he always met her at unexpected places.
“Get ready, Ransell. We have to go see it together.”
“Eh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I told you this morning. Baron Zenis said he would show something at the palace.”
“I was just pretending to listen and didn’t know.”
“Well, I like how honest you are, Ransell.”

Although reluctant, Ransell had no choice but to prepare to go out. Hesty, who had been listening nearby, was clearly excited and eager to come along.
“Is the mage Zenis the one called ‘Zenis of the Hot Wind’?”
“That’s what they call him, yes. Do you know the name?”
“Of course.”
Ransell backed away a little, his eyes shining at Hesty’s enthusiasm.

“I heard he makes things that fly in the sky.”
“He always fails, though.”
“But I still think it’s cool. If humans can fly, someday someone like me will get to ride it.”
“I doubt you’ll live to see that day.”
“Please don’t say things that kill my dreams, master.”
“Oh, sorry.”
It could happen, if civilization advanced one more step here.
Ransell thought that as he climbed into the carriage.

The sunny fields were already crowded with idle nobles.
“Please step back, as you may get burned if you get too close. We will not offer any compensation if you complain later about burns on your head.”
============

— Empire Year 818, August 2. Weather: Very clear.
— Event Trigger! ‘Assistant at the Airship Presentation.’
※ I have entered the imperial palace of the capital on a part-time job received from the academic society! It’s a pleasure to assist my teacher’s presentation, but the arrogant knights present make me a bit irritated!
============

Ransell met Marigold there.
She was handing out fans to attending nobles with a sullen face and a voice devoid of kindness—the sixteen-year-old Marigold.
“Are you Baron Zenis’s… disciple?”

Ransell asked her as he took a fan.
He never imagined she would have chosen the path of a mage. And that she would be a disciple of the powerful Baron Zenis.
“……”

Marigold looked at Ransell silently for a moment.
“Ahem.”
A small cough.

Then she looked away and answered,
“Please shield your face with the fan; hot wind may blow on it. Even if your eyebrows get burned, we won’t compensate you.”
That was all.

Marigold spun around sharply and hurried off to another noble. How cold.
“Everyone, please take your seats.”
Soon, an elderly white-haired mage came forward.

A man with a frail body but clear eyes—Zenis.
“I will begin the demonstration.”
A large object appeared in the palace grounds.

“Mary, show them.”
“Yes, master.”
Marigold stood on tiptoe with her short stature. She removed the cloth covering the object, revealing a scaled-down airship.

“Wow.”
“What is that thing?”
“It’s got something like a balloon attached to the ship.”
The crowd erupted with excitement.
“The object I will show the honored guests today is an airship that flies by hot air magic. Someday, over a hundred people will board this and fly through the sky.”
“You say it flies without wings?”
“Yes. If you like the object, please invest heavily in my research. I will launch it right now.”

Zenis approached the side of the airship and quietly closed his eyes.
“Rise.”
Magic power quietly rose from his entire body. The airship began slowly ascending into the air.

“It’s flying!”
“Wow!”
Marigold’s momentarily proud expression didn’t last long.
Bang!

Suddenly, the balloon attached to the airship tore apart. Flames began rising around it.
“Master!”
“Oh no...!”
The airship, which had risen about ten meters, shook and fell to the ground. The entire hull was engulfed in flames in an instant.

“It’s coming this way!”
“Get out of the way!”
Ransell lifted Baron Evil Shen and Hesty and dodged.
Kraaaang—!

The hot air around the crashing airship spread like a shockwave. The hall quickly turned into chaos.
“Kyaaa! My clothes!”
“My head! My head! My precious head!”
“Ahh! It’s hot!”
Zenis—

Marigold had become the disciple of this senile old mage who would later be called a quack.
Ransell felt all drowsiness vanish.
‘Is this the Great Mage Marigold route?’

Great Mage Marigold was one of the major canonical routes.
Knight Marigold, Warrior Marigold, Ronin Marigold, Mercenary Captain Marigold, Battle Commander Marigold — she surpassed nearly all combat vocations… It was really one of the main routes.
Her peak was incomparable.

Great Mage Marigold’s power might have been the greatest in this land in terms of sheer force. That’s why she was called the Great Mage.
Until now, Marigold had shown no sign of magical talent.
But this time, she was a disciple of a mage. Proof that she had some magical talent.

Ransell was already satisfied just by knowing that.
...
“I love magic, love, love, love it!”
“Mary, you brat! What kind of manners is that to a precious guest?”
“Keng!”

Marigold got a flick on the forehead from Zenis.
“My disciple isn’t mature yet, so please be lenient with her, Sir Ransell.”
“……”
— I just hate knights.
— I don’t like you either.

Marigold’s merciless hatred of knights.
Ransell struggled to keep his dizzy mind together.
“Hurry and bring me some tea, you brat.”
“Hii.”

Marigold clutched her head and walked away.
Wiping his cold sweat, Ransell barely regained his composure and spoke.
“You’ve managed to find a child with magical talent. Being Baron Zenis’s disciple at that age bodes well for the future of the Hot Wind Society.”

Baron Zenis smiled faintly and spoke.
“Mary is my disciple, but she’s not with me because of talent.”
“Excuse me?”
He stroked his beard and continued.

“I’m just taking her in because of her circumstances. She really wants to learn magic, so I teach her a little, but naturally, she has no talent and can’t even handle basic magic. Isn’t that strange? Just think of it as my hobby in old age.”
“...Ah.”
Marigold was already doomed.