Manga - Chapter 4

My First Friends is the fourth chapter in volume 1 of the Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! manga.

Plot
Back at their room in the Hunters' Prep School, the group dries themselves off after a shower using Pauline's magic. Pauline reveals that Adele taught her how to use water magic and Reina inquires her about the ice magic she used before. Mavis also claims that her sword prowess has increased due to Adele's magic and sneezes. This prompts Adele to heat some soup up with her magic, however, she does so without chanting. Reina realizes this is how Adele got in trouble in the past which lead her to the Prep School in the first place. Adele sheepishly confirms that notion.

The group then inquire about the previous academy Adele attended. So Adele explains that the academy had many children of lesser noble families and merchants. Apparently the tuition price was so exorbitant that the money left over couldn't cover the costs of necessities. In order to cover the costs of necessities, Adele worked at a bread shop on her days off. Above all, she managed to live a normal life.

A flashback from half a year ago prior to joining the Hunters' Prep School, in the Kingdom of Brandel, at the Eckland Academy. Adele partakes in the physical examinations for class divisions. She mirrors a boy ahead of her, whom she later learns was the top scorer in the academy's physical examination. This perplexes Reina who asks if Adele made the same mistake at the school. Adele, however, brushes it off as nothing and claims she's just a normal average girl. The group takes this comment with a grain of salt and then press her on how she fooled her fellow classmates about her abilities.

Adele explains that she made good friends at the academy. In a flashback where her homeroom teacher Abe von Burgess introduces himself and then has the students introduce themselves. Adele introduces herself in a pleasant and sincere manner, however, she still draws attention to herself. This is mainly due to the fact of her former mishap involving casting a chant-less spell. Adele also claims that she's a normal average girl with no special abilities but her classmates remained unconvinced. She ends it noting that she's never had friends before and hopes to get along with everyone. Finished with her introduction, Adele convinces herself that she did a great job and then the class is dismissed.

Immediately she's swarmed by the boys in the classroom who ask her out in order to preserve their future in high standards. Feeling overwhelmed and flustered by her newfound popularity she runs off. Later that night in her room at the academy she laments over her popularity. The following day, Adele tries to brush them off again, however, her efforts prove futile. After she manages to escape the clutches of her admirers, Adele is confronted by three girls that want to ask her something. Seeing a chance to make new friends, Adele requests she answer their questions in her room. They agree and so Adele returns to her room and is rhapsodic for a chance to make new friends.

Meanwhile, one of the three girls named Marcela comments on her disdain over Adele's sudden burst in popularity with the boys. A girl in the group named Monika wonders if Adele's room is big as all rooms should be of similar size and the other girl Aureana concurs. Marcela gets in Monika's face claiming the seriousness of this situation. Monika, on the other hand, simply points out Adele's adept talent with magic and popularity with the boys. In an assertive fashion, Marcella claims Monika should be more direct, to which Monika misunderstands the notion. Brushing off Monika's airheadedness, Marcella enforces the fact that they need to discipline Adele for her hubris.

Monika asks Aureana about Marcela's attitude, claiming she's normally a cordial individual. Aureana answers that the people of the nobility have their hands full. Being of a merchant background, Monika doesn't have a clue about their problems. Aureana notes that she's in the dark as well as she's a commoner but they should just follow Marcella's lead. Hearing the girls' footsteps, Adele greets the girls but comes to realize that she forgot chairs for them to sit on. So Adele leaves to get some chairs from the recreational room. In Adele's absence, the girls look around the room and notice how barren it is. Refusing to take what Adele said priorly in class the day before, Marcela starts to search the room and finds a bone with bite marks on it. The girls interpret this as something she used to eat.

Characters

 * Adele von Ascham
 * Abe von Burgess
 * Marcela
 * Aureana
 * Monika