ACADEMY'S UNDERCOVER PROFESSOR
Ludger's mana gently wound around over the mana that was about to explode.
Blue mana wrapped over the white light that was at its bursting point.
The overlapping elements that expanded in all directions and seemed ready to erupt became a spherical form and gradually stabilized.
Flora was breathless while staring at such a sight.
At that moment, Ludger's voice awakened her senses.
"It's not over yet. Don't distract yourself."
—Ludger's thick and warm hands that were holding her hands together, and his reprimand that seemed to reproach her.
Flora came to her senses again and focused on dealing with her mana.
"If you stop here, your magic will disappear without you being able to accomplish anything. Do you want that?"
Flora clenched her teeth at his words.
The magic that was deviating gradually regained its stability, but if she stopped there, the magic would not become anything.
Ludger spoke.
He was telling her that since she had come that far, she should see it through.
'Yes. Rather than leave it as a failure…!'
She couldn't let the magic that she was trying to cast disappear.
Flora responded to him by squeezing out all her remaining mana.
In order to meet Ludger's expectations, who was helping her, she had to complete the magic.
Whoooong.
The three round elements gradually decreased in size and eventually began to take on the faint shape of something.
Flora opened her eyes wide to the sweet smell that brushed past her nose.
The color…
The scattered and wild colors returned to their original places.
No.
The colors went beyond returning to their original shape, they started to beautifully harmonize.
'Oh.'
She stared at the magic that was being implemented in front of her with trembling lips.
It had started due to stubbornness and sudden greed.
The previously failed triple properties…
Her reason for attempting it had been, in fact, a childish act to get a word of appraisal from Ludger's mouth, who had been looking down on her.
For Flora, who was born with a talent for magic, even difficult high-tier magic could eventually be achieved.
Therefore, magic was considered too easy and natural for Flora.
She was not pleased with her success,
She didn't dwell on her failure.
It was because any magical feat was something that she could naturally achieve someday.
She had thought that such a mindset wouldn't change.
She had thought that, even if she succeeded in what she had failed so far, she would feel no joy.
That's what she had thought.
"So you succeed."
Flora did respond Ludger's words.
She felt something choked up in her heart.
Her eyes were stuck to the finished elements.
The white wind revolved fiercely in an atomic orbit around the frozen flame like a sharp awl.
Fire, ice, and wind were combined into three superimposed elements.
Flora felt the illusion that not only her gaze but her soul was being swept away by the brilliant beauty that it created.
"It's beautiful."
Cheryl said so as she was watching the scene anxiously from the side.
Yes…
The magic that she had wanted to create was as beautiful as looking at a work of art.
Flora's reaction in particular was much more passionate than other students.
What excited her were more than simple senses of sight and smell.
It was the sense of spiritual inspiration that bubbled like a foam deep in her heart.
The sense of accomplishment of being able to cross the wall that she felt when she completed a magic that she had not been able to achieve so far.
Although it was not achieved by herself, she still could not resist her joy.
Ssssss.
The impressive magic soon disappeared into a colorful powder of light.
As she watched the scene as if she was being possessed, Ludger opened his mouth.
"Flora Lumos…"
"Yes, professor Ludger."
Flora answered Ludger's call calmly.
…But she was only calm on the outside, not on the inside.
She might burst into tears of joy if Ludger spoke an appraisal from his mouth right there.
That's how excited she was.
"You've done something foolish, I see."
"Yes… pardon?"
But along with the cold words that came out of Ludger's mouth, Flora belatedly realized what she had done.
Ah.
She had almost put every student in the classroom at risk for her own greed.
As she was faced with the reality that she had forgotten due to the joy of her successful magic, Flora had no choice but to bow her head gloomily.
"Anyone who challenges and fails at a new magic can be like that, but it must be the wizard themself who has to bear the cost of their failure in the end. Not the other students, but you."
"…I'm sorry."
What Ludger had said was correct a hundred times over.
She had almost put her other classmates in danger.
At the end, she had felt that she was responsible for it and put up a magic barrier to surround the exploding mana, but could she have completely prevented the damage?
If Ludger didn't step up…
Someone might have died.
"But most of all, what I reprimand you for, Flora Lumos, is the amateurishness of your magic."
"Pardon?"
Amateurishness of her magic, he said… What on earth did he mean by that?
"When you first overlapped the elements, you mixed the elements of fire and ice, right?"
"Yes. I did that."
"Fire and ice are the opposite of each other—that's why it's hard to mix them together. Beyond putting up an effort to make the techniques not conflict, you also needed to create a stronger effect by harmonizing both techniques."
"Yes. You are right."
And Flora Lumos had done it successfully.
She had implemented a magic that became one by mixing opposing forces with each other.
"…Then what's so amateur about my magic?"
Her voice was bound to be mixed with disappointment.
If he was just going to reprimand her, he just had to do it because of her excessive effort to triplicate her magic.
Why did he point out her perfectly accomplished overlapping elements of fire and ice?
Flora thought that Ludger might be trying to undermine his evaluation of her established overlapping elements using her mistake.
'No, but even so…'
When she was in danger…
Ludger had helped her control the mana that was out of control after going through the magic barrier that she had spread.
Beyond the understanding of mana and the ability to see through the magic structure, if one did not have an excellent control of mana, it was them who could end up in danger.
Ludger had helped her to put up with that danger.
There was absolutely no reason for Ludger to just ruthlessly undermine her.
But she still felt somehow unfair about it.
She just wanted to hear a compliment.
As soon as she was about to be disappointed, Ludger created a sphere of ice and flame based on his mana.
"I'll show you why it was amateurish starting now."
Ludger combined the two elements that he created into one.
He adjusted the techniques so that the mana from the properties did not collide.
He combined the two techniques into one…
And he forced the overlapping elements to harmonize with each other.
Flora stared intensely at the sight so she wouldn't miss a thing.
The whole process was obviously similar to what she had tried before.
But the result was not the same.
"Oh?"
Flora's overlapping elements, which had simply cased the flame to become as beautiful as ice, and Ludger's overlapping elements that he showed were fundamentally different.
Flora Lumos compared the overlapping elements that she had created with the overlapping elements that Ludger created.
The combination of fire and ice…
There was certainly no difference in terms of the elements.
However, the results of the two elements were entirely different.
Appearance? That was also true, but fundamentally, the energy that was contained in the overlapping element itself was different.
Flora, who was especially sensitive to magic, could feel it more clearly than anyone else.
The color and smell were different from hers.
It was clearer and more fragrant.
"Flora Lumos. Do you know what kind of overlapping elements I've created?"
Flora hesitated for a moment and nodded.
It was impossible for her not to know.
"…Yes."
"Then explain it."
"…The overlapping elements that you created have a different dependence on mana. The spread of the flame and its power to engulf the surroundings and the coldness of the ice property coexists with it."
"On the other hand, how about yours?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm asking about yours."
Flora just moved her lips slightly and was speechless.
Eventually, Ludger spoke instead.
"Flora Lumos. The overlapping elements that you created was just magic that was beautiful in shape and had not the slightest bit of practicality."
Flora shuddered at the scathing remark.
'You don't have to be so harsh.'
Such words surged up to her throat, but the moment she met Ludger's sincere gaze, those words were swallowed all the way in.
* * *
* * *
"Magic should be practical. If not, at least, there should be no meaningless magic. It's the basic foundation of all magic."
Ludger had said as much before entering the lesson.
They had to use magic in a better way…
To make and achieve something, not to kill something.
—That would lead the world in the right direction.
"But Flora. How was your magic?"
"I…"
"Frozen flame. It's a basic flame-burning form of magic technique surrounded by elements of ice. Yes. It's obviously beautiful because the shape of a burning fire was frozen."
Ludger spoke in his usual tone of voice.
"But that's all."
"…"
Flora had no excuse for that.
Because everything that Ludger said was true.
"Are you thinking of getting a job in a circus with this magic, or did you plan on going to the Crystal Palace in the capital and displaying your magic beautifully?"
"…It's not like that."
"Then what is the significance of the existence of your magic? Is it just a self-parade to show off that you can use overlapping elements?"
Self-parade…
Ludger's point was irrefutable.
She didn't know where she would use it, it was just a beautiful magic.
She was just proud about being able to use the overlapping elements, nothing less and nothing more.
"I'm sure I'd appreciate the fact that you mixed a wind element in it and gave some purpose to the magic to an extent, but even that attempt failed."
Flora bowed her head at his last words which were full of truth.
Cheryl, who was sitting next to her, looked at her worriedly, but she couldn't convey to her any comfort in that situation.
Ludger scattered the Scorching Cold that he had created into the air.
The overlapping elements that climbed close to the high ceiling of the classroom exploded like fireworks.
Whirrrr!
For a moment, all the students in the classroom felt the illusion that they heard the sound of 'burning' ice.
Cold air that resembled white frost spread throughout the classroom without touching the ceiling and scattered subtle snow.
It fell down and melted away before it could reach the students.
However, all the students who had gathered in that place could feel it.
It was a magic that had extremely opposing elements since there was also a spreading flame within it.
It was the best magic to extinguish a fire.
"Flora Lumos. Your overlapping elements were quite interesting. I've never seen a wizard at your age displaying that skill."
Flora's eyes, which were distracted by Ludger's magic, turned to Ludger again.
It was the moment when she stared at the man's face who was looking at her with a pitying look…
She felt somewhat guilty and emotional.
"But the intention of what you did was wrong. I'm not talking about your skill. I'm talking about something much more fundamental than that."
"…"
"Do not use magic just to show off. That kind of action, Flora, lowers your value."
"My… value?"
"Yes. This is heartfelt advice for you."
He had been biting her harshly so far, but he was talking about value?
But Flora had no choice but to agree with Ludger.
The magic she had created was just beautiful in its outward appearance because of her intention to show off her skill in order to get a compliment from someone else.
On the contrary, what Ludger had made was much more practical, even though it had the same overlapping elements as hers.
The power of the flame also had its own firepower, but once it was attached to the other elements, it did not extinguish properly and spread in a flash.
Big incidents that happened due to fire always occurred from a big spread of fire.
Ludger had captured such characteristics with the chilly air.
The chilly cold air that spread like an infectious disease the moment it exploded…
The purpose of that magic was to extinguish and devour the spreading fire instead.
Considering that it was a magic that so far had been used to launch and shoot ice purely in the form of a weapon or to cause a wide range of snowstorms…
What Ludger had created was very practical.
'I lost… again.'
She thought she'd get recognition that time, but she didn't.
Let alone being proud, Flora realized how impatient and foolish she was.
'I've never been like this before.'
Most of all, the sincere gaze that Ludger had shown toward her…
It didn't escape her mind.
It was an attitude of genuine concern, not intended to ridicule or to have contempt for her.
'Has anyone ever looked at me like that?'
No.
There were always only two kinds of stares that headed towards her:
Envy…
And jealousy.
Not to mention her own family with her brothers and sisters that she didn't want to see…
Even her seniors were jealous of her.
And so were Sören's professors.
Flora's talent had caught up with their teaching in an instant, even though they had learned magic for many more years.
Whenever that happened, the professors' eyes were always filled with an unbearable flame of jealousy.
Flora knew it, but she hadn't shown it outwardly.
Because that's what real talent was. There was no need to be joyful or sorrowful over the gazes of those who were jealous of her talents.
But she didn't mean to let it slide either…
So she had trampled on their pride while presenting them with a more overwhelming appearance.
She had thought that it was obvious.
But just then…
Flora was confused for the first time in her life by Ludger's unfamiliar attitude.
'Professor Ludger…'
He had saved her from her nearly failed magic.
He had helped her to overcome the wall of the three overlapping elemental properties which she had not been able to overcome until then.
Then he had looked her in the eye and given her a harsh lecture.
Flora belatedly realized that she was dizzy and out of breath.
Mana depletion…
She had consumed too much mana to implement the three overlapping elements of magic.
'I'm tired to death here, but is Professor alright?'
Ludger, who had suppressed the mana that was about to burst, would have consumed much more mana, but his breathing was still normal.
It was the first time…
That she felt a real 'wall'.
And the wall was so high and thick that she wasn't sure if she could cross it.
…But she didn't want to give up.
Flora felt a sense of competition.
Flora made a strong resolution to herself that she would definitely go beyond him next time.
'What is this?'
Grit.
Ludger, who was chewing on the mana recovery pill that was secretly hidden in his mouth, trembled unconsciously.
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