I would like to give an introduction to this story. It will have a little of what I have interpreted, and a lot of what happened while Kuzumi was studying abroad. That's right, this is an introduction intertwined with a prologue.
However, I'm not going to do a whole story of his year abroad. But I'm going to explain what he did to learn magic faster, and other points. In Chapter 99 of Mx0 (we'll call these chapters M-insert-number-here. Example: M99), we see Taiga doing what appears to be an exercise of magic- during class. That is hinted by a classmate saying "Kuzumi's still not done huh."
Of course. After all, he is learning real magic here. To become a real magician. To reiterate what was said in M98, this school was called Owari High School, a private school. It's very small, and very new. Just opened that year. Now this is my take on this, as it is not clear, I believe that the students have not heard of Taiga and his First-Year-Gold-Plate rep. Why? Because this school takes place on an island (Owari is in Kumamoto. Kumamoto is a city in Kyushu, the southern-most big island of Japan), and students don't even know what magic is before entering these types of schools. They live in dorms here, so basically, it is unlikely any students have heard of him. So in this story, Mr. Taki will inform the principal of that school of what happened with Taiga and his story. In this story, Taiga would not have studied abroad still holding the stigma that he is a gold plate user. He will have lived regularly.
Where's the fun in that though? I mean how could he grow stronger learner at the same pace as the others? He can't get to gold plate in time by doing that! I believe he also took after school lessons with a special instructor, as he is technically 6 months behind the other students. I also want to give him a special instructor, so that he could have a chance to level up his card more often. According to me, the special instructor will be able to grant permission to level up the plate after testing the student. When asked why, Taiga just says it's because he's from another school and gives no further context.
How many days a week does he take special lessons? Well I'm going to say 6 days, and a rest day on Sunday. Taiga is also a social guy, very charismatic. That's how he got people to believe him, after all- Class C even said they would be friends with him even if he wasn't a special snowflake (this is too vague to give a (FIND THE) chapter reference, I think it was early on though). Where was I going with that…Ah! I was going to say that some days he would bring along a friend to help train. They would fight each other, with the supervision of Taiga's supplementary lesson teacher. Taiga is the type of guy who makes friends with people who are weak (or seen as weak- see Aika and Ise), and gives them confidence with his words. He's also the type to make strange allies, whether they are strong like Hiiragi-sensei, or powerful like the old principle (I consider him Taiga's ally simply because he was the reason for the transfer- as he saw potential in a non-magic user, and told Taki about him), or the whole Mandrake race (I mean look at LUCY! She is a considerable foe when used properly (refer to M36-M51, class matches)).
Speaking about Lucy…Firstly, let's talk about her concerns with Taiga getting a new plate. With a real plate he won't be able to see her anymore. WELL I'M FIXING THAT. He will have a modified plate that doesn't do the "prevention of hallucinations." Although I feel like that modification was made specifically made for mandrakes only (See M3 to see what I'm talking about). So that they can crush them up for potions. Seeing as how that would prevent a whole class of potion making. Or that mirror test, where the final portion was to defeat what the individual thought was the strongest person- that was technically a hallucination. An image, or a projection, I suppose. The point is- the modification of "prevention of hallucinations" doesn't affect magic. It has only affected Mandrakes so far. Basically, that's gone. It's on everyone else's plate, but they took it off Taiga's. And if your curious as to why they, the staff of Owari, agreed and did it…I guess it can be simply because the principle of Seinagi requested it.
I said firstly didn't I? So yes there is a secondly. In the Taiga's old school, his only connection to the Drug Maker Club and the medicinal supplies (…for lack of better term, what I mean is the plants) is because of the accident in M27. Which led to helping the club, doing the expedition to the cave, mistaking where Hourenge Herb was, and going in the cave (which they weren't allowed (all this took place in M27-M32). Anyway, the point is he didn't have to join the club, because he already met and mingled with the members. Off screen (page…?) he probably visited them, because like I stated earlier he is charismatic. People like him. He had a connection to the Drug Making Club in Seinagi. But in Owari, he has no connection to a Drug Making Club, if there even is one. The school just started and is small, what are the odds? For my purposes, I'm going to assume there is a club established. Simply because the school wants to provide students a way to be exposed to plants and herbs after class safely. Plus who would make the potions? Teachers are busy people, especially new teachers in an entirely new school.
Now how does that last paragraph come back to Lucy? He needs to find a way to be able to mess with the mandrakes, like he did in the class matches. To be able to utilize them. Joining the Owari Drug Making Club is a sure fire way to do so, without being a teacher's pet (uncharacteristic of Taiga) and without causing an accident or unneeded expedition (waste of training time). Being in a club like this would not be a waste of training time, since potions can probably aid in his becoming a better (REAL) magician. He can apply the usage of them, and it will appear to his Seinagi classmates, when he gets back, that- WOW! Kuzumi Taiga did learn something! Since this whole time he has been pretending to be a gold plate, and has been "hiding his magic." Plus it would probably make Lucy feel really great ("He's joining a club for ME!" *dramatic sigh and blush*)!
You're probably wondering if in my version… did he keep Lucy a secret in that Owari School? Yes. Yes he did. The school's principle knows, just in case. In case of what... Well there was an incident of where Lucy became dehydrated while Taiga was studying abroad. She went missing! The principle went looking with him, and was able to excuse him from class. Why can't/don't people know? Because she's a mandrake, with abnormal amount of magical ability, they might do experiments on her. At least that's why Taiga is afraid. Nobody else actually cares. Lucy actually encouraged keeping it a secret so that he can rely on her in possible class matches or whatever else. She wants to be of use to him!
Okay now here's a little fun side thing. Owari means tall circle village. But it also means END. This was the END high school. Probably was a tidbit to "yes! The story ends here!" That would scare me. Why would anyone apply there? So I'm giving the school the slogan "Owari Hajimari" Which means the end is the beginning. Which the kids who enroll there, started using it a lot to encourage themselves and others. They actually said this to Taiga on his first day, when he was depressed about being there. Because man! It's only been a few days but he already misses Aika! When a classmate said this to him, he realized that "yes, this is the end of using the Mo card. But the beginning to helping Aika grant her wish." That really made him feel better, and that classmate felt good about making him feel better.
While Taiga was there at the high school, they realized that he really sucked at magic, really fast. That rumor that went around Seinagi in M99 about how he was going to work with the Owari magic executive committee? Yeah no, sorry. Definitely did not happen at first. After he obtains (They are going to use the same magic card system. That magic card system works world-wide. For simplicity sake. But the black card will be restricted to being given by only 1 large school per country. In Japan it's Seinagi.) Second Level WI plate (or higher), he becomes eligible to join. Taiga doesn't think he's ready yet to join when he does obtain it, but he'll apply and join when his second year starts. Because remember, he's going to study abroad for one year. That one year is the last third of the first year, and first 66% of second year.