The chapter opens with a flashback to the beginning of the novel, when the young protagonist is still in high school. He has just returned from a five-year summer vacation. He tells his parents that he's going back to school to continue his studies. He's excited to say goodbye to his parents, but he also tells them to be on their guard because he'll be coming back to the academy soon. The teacher interrupts the conversation and tells the protagonist that he doesn't want him to go to the elite magic academy because he is too young and inexperienced to be a great mage. The reason, the teacher tells him, is that once a person's magic reaches the point where it can be improved, it will become a bottleneck, meaning that the person who gets to the top of the class will never be able to advance to the next level. This is because the top ten mages on the mainland are all very similar in their level of fame and skills. The only way to get past this bottleneck is to travel around the world and learn new skills.