Chapter 46: Group Project (1)
Above the Principality of Yuren’s evening skies, the large moon and the swarm of stars veiled the lands with a thin mist.
Below it, Maho lay on her bed in a fetal position, thinking about what happened to her today and all the years she spent living.
“I survived, brother, sister. Longer than you did…” Maho had been obsessed with preserving her life since childhood since she felt her death approaching instinctively.
The Reok Kingdom’s royal family was a thin ice sheet dangling in a mountain where the wind always blew. The king’s sons and daughters were ambitious, and the king was rather proud of their disastrous nature.
The consequences of that were catastrophic.
Maho chose to escape for the sake of her survival. Leaving the kingdom, she stayed in the empire to raise money and desperately earn her knights’ loyalty, ultimately changing the time of her death.
She wanted life, so she survived.
“And you say acting…”
Deculein told her to stop acting.
Maho pouted and got up from the bed.
Of course, it was true that she behaved in a way that would make them like her. All human beings would instinctively save a child who fell into a well.
That was why she thought pretending to be one wasn’t so wrong.
However, the gratitude that Maho felt in the process was sincere.
She was genuinely thankful for what Charlotte, Roen, Ghiland, and Deculein did for her.
“… How did he know?”
At the same time, she was curious.
No one in the Empire knew her as much as he did. They never dug deeper than seeing her as a pitiful and worthless royal held hostage by the system.
“In that short time…”
Professor Deculein saw through her. He understood the principles of her inner behavior and called it “acting,” which was an accurate way to describe her.
Was it necessary to do that to become the Head Professor of the Imperial University Tower?
“He’s amazing.”
She had been using that same mask for decades, but he was the first to discover it, in an instant no less. He made her feel naked.
“Whew…” Maho sighed and sat down behind her desk, glancing at the paper in the corner of it.
A letter of gratitude.
Thinking it wouldn’t cause any trouble if she were to send it to the professor, she picked up a pen and continued it.
* * *
Early morning, Hadekain.
Ganesha ate at a restaurant with three children.
Chomp— Chomp—
After 18 hours of training, Lia, who always acted mature for her age, lost all etiquettes as she dug right into her food. Ganesha found them cute, eating their meal with their hands like hungry wild beasts.
“Whew…”
“Are you done?”
“Yes. Gosh, now I feel alive…”
Lia sighed as she put her hand on her belly like an adult. Leo and Carlos leaned against the back of their chair.
Ganesha smiled. “You had a pretty tough training session. The good news is I think you can take the adventurer exam this year already, considering your current level.”
“Really?!” Leo’s eyes widened.
“This year?” Lia asked, looking just as surprised.
“Yes. There’s no age limit for adventurers. The sooner you pass the exam, the better. It probably won’t be difficult for you by the time it comes around if you keep growing like this.”
The Adventurer’s Guild prioritized abilities.
It didn’t matter if the person was eight, eighteen, or eighty years old. If they’re willing to take the test and had the talent and skills required to pass, they’d be given the ‘adventurer qualification.’
The most important part came after obtaining it.
Adventurers could choose a ‘specialty and focus on improving themselves and making a name for themselves in that field. Likewise, they could take on quests related to it to make money as well. No matter what they chose, they would need to carve out their own path.
An adventurer with no track record and achievements wouldn’t be able to pass the ‘extended examination,’ which was conducted a total of three times in a three-year cycle.
“Since you’re already finished, shall we go now?”
“Yeah!”
“Yeah~”
The four of them stood up. As Carlos and Leo left the restaurant, they quarreled over who ate faster or more, and Lia covered their mouths.
Soon enough, they reached the [Hadekain Station].
“Wow… They’re all wizards.” Leo was amazed.
They were surrounded by the debutantes of the Imperial University Tower, all of whom were wearing a robe. They were on their way back from their retreat.
“Huh?” Ganesha soon found a man mixed with the crowd.
He was tall and looked so handsome he could be mistaken for a jewel. His body was clad in a suit that exuded elegance, allowing not even the tiniest hint of imperfection.
Head Professor Deculein.
“Guys, come here.” Ganesha hid the children behind her back just in case.
However, Lia kept tilting her head and looking and staring at Deculein with widened eyes.
“Lia?”
“Huh? What, Ganesha?”
“… Nothing.” Ganesha giggled.
As expected, both children and adults were deceived by his appearance.
After all, his unique aristocratic atmosphere combined with his cold appearance stood out even on the continent.
She had met many handsome men globally since she had traveled the world as an adventurer, but Deculein and his personality were unique.
At that moment, Deculein, standing still, turned his gaze straight towards her direction.
Ganesha’s gaze met with his, forcing her to smile bitterly at him.
He lowered his gaze a little further, and she cleverly moved her body to cover Lia in return. However, the little kid poked out half of her face and looked at him with her right eye anyway.
Boosh—!
Ganesha felt her back being pushed, causing her to turn around, startled.
“Oh, sorry.”
A female wizard had lowered her head with a half-drunken face.
“It’s okay.”
Ganesha looked in front of her again, but Deculein had already disappeared.
“By any chance, are you adventurer Ganesha?” The wizard she had just bumped into asked.
Ganesha looked her up and down, discerning some of her talents from that alone.
She was emitting a kind-hearted aura.
“Yes. I am.”
“Right? I am, um, your fan. I also read the book you’ve written.”
“Oh, really? Thank you.”
“Yes, so, um…. Can I get an autograph?”
“Of course. What’s your name?”
“Epherene Luna. I’m a debutante from the Magic Tow—”
“Epherene Luna?”
Lia suddenly joined in on the conversation, looking at the student with eyes wide open.
The debutante, looking for her pen, tilted her head. “Yes. You know me?”
“I don’t, but… I’m Lia.” The kid held out her hand, and Epherene accepted the handshake, confused.
“Oh, yeah, nice to meet you.”
“I am a disciple of Master Ganesha.”
Ganesha was amazed by how she carried herself in the conversation.
She wasn’t the type to talk first like this. Was it because there were no wizards in the archipelago?
“Really? I’m jealous~ You’re amazing for your age.”
“I’m not as young as I look. Oh, and these two are Leo and Carlos.”
“Nice to meet you!”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Yes, yes. Nice to meet you. But…”
“I’m Carlos.”
“… Huh? Oh, yes. Of course…”
Leo and Carlos talked to Epherene, amazed by the fact that she was a wizard, until the train departed, causing her attempt to get Ganesha’s autograph to fail.
* * *
As soon as I returned to the mansion, I immediately went back to my routine.
I raised my [Beginner Psychokinesis] proficiency level to “99%” and trained my body, both of which were parts of my old routine. However, my next activity wasn’t.
I sat in a chair and opened the ‘Wizard Academic.’
Staring at the page with several magic problems, I racked my brains.
Which question should I choose?
Which problem would provide me the most mana?
As I was browsing through the pages, a column called ‘Millennium’ caught my eye.
“Millennium…”
There were seven problems in this world called the Millennium. They were math challenges designed based on the modern world, and it was impossible to understand them even with 4,000 mana.
Below the Millennium was a class-level problem called ‘Symposium.’
[… Challenge the Symposium and gain honor as a wizard. In addition to the prize money, you may be able to get some enlightenment. Hurry up! Many wizards on the Isle of Wizard’s Wealth are already solving this problem.]
The Symposium had 11 questions, but since a few of them were solved every year, the gaps they left were filled with new ones.
They were fairly well-known. Hence, one could expect to gain a lot of mana by solving them.
It was worth trying.
I looked at number 6.
[6. Some ancient inscriptions have runes inscribed with the following formulas. In the past, it is said that runes also served as circuits. recreate this ancient technique.]
Ancient inscription.
I initially just stared at it, but after a moment, my heart raced. A sudden thought came to my mind, making me feel excited.
… I knew this rune.
I was this world’s game designer, which meant I was the one who refined it.
I knew the meaning and structure of each of its characters.
It happened in the far distant past, but my [Understanding] vividly brought back even the smallest memory fragments in my head.
I glared at the ancient inscription.
I felt a sharp pain claw at my nape as the rune clung to my retina like it was pounding down on me with an iron club.
The rune of the inscription harmonized with the memory in my head and achieved a certain formula.
I grabbed a pen and took out a paper using Psychokinesis.
My hand moved on its own, the pen moving with it.
I had no thoughts of my own.
All of my consciousness focused on the problem at hand as if its attribute had swallowed up my mind.
I was quite literally in a trance.
I didn’t even know I had written down all the magic formulas it needed.
Runes were engraved and mana imbued in it. To top it all off, my mana consumption wasn’t as severe as I thought.
To be fair, I had already deciphered this rune beforehand.
… I didn’t know how much time had passed while I was engrossed in it.
When I came back to my senses, my desk was already full of papers, but it wasn’t messy. Rather, dozens of documents were neatly stacked in one corner of it.
I was almost out of mana.
“…”
I rubbed my temples as I sighed, finally realizing two hours had passed.
It felt like I had only worked on it for three minutes.
“I think I can do it in two weeks.”
For a moment, I felt like Einstein.
*****
Saturday noon, I went to the Imperial University Tower, finding the atmosphere heavy and serious. Even the professors I met on the way seemed pressured.
“Allen. Come here.” I called him using the crystal ball, and he arrived in less than ten seconds.
“Yes. I’m here!”
“What’s going on these days? Things are kind of disordered.”
“Oh, that’s probably because of the Imperial Family’s most recent announcement.”
“Announcement?”
“Yes. They notified the entire nation that they’re looking for knights, wizards, and scholars to help Her Majesty with her education.”
I understood almost immediately.
Educating the emperor was an imperial tradition, an unwritten rule handed down from ancient times. Those who ascended to the throne had to learn about the world from outside personnel for one year, starting from their succession.
Every professor coveted that opportunity.
“Professor is the most likely candidate!”
“Me?”
“Wouldn’t you be?” Allen asked, startled.
“I don’t care. I have no intention nor desire to do it. Class preparation comes first, Allen.”
“Oh, yes, yes. As expected from you.”
“Let’s find the records of the magical disasters that have occurred in recent years. It would be nice to have it on video.”
Today was Saturday, and I had some time until next Wednesday, so I planned to take turns preparing lectures and solving symposiums.
“By magical disaster, you mean…”
“Anything is fine.”
Magical disasters were similar to the modern world’s natural calamities, such as tsunamis and typhoons. They were caused simply by ‘nature’s magic power.’
“Okay!”
Allen left and came back with a basket containing several crystal balls after ten minutes.
“Here!”
“Thank you.”
When I enchanted the crystals, a magical storm immediately raged.
Whooong!
It was, of course, just an illusion.
“Oh!” Allen curled up and shivered, but I watched the phenomenon with my eyes wide open.
Electricity flashed amid the storm as flames spread along with its powerful winds. Through it all, the intricately shaped streams of water continued their torrent over the lands.
All of them were ‘pure elements.’
A bonanza of it.
“This is beautiful.”
“… Huh?”
Magic fireworks inspired my next class.
Just as how they embroidered the sky, magical disasters could eventually be expressed in a formula.
That was what I had in mind.
From next Wednesday, my students would gain the same mindset.
* * *
Wednesday during a bright May.
Sylvia walked around the campus. Its summer trees and flowers had bloomed vigorously, creating a scenery across the university so vivid it looked like it was painted with a paintbrush.
Her legs, as she headed for the tower, moved involuntarily. It had been quite a long time since she last attended a class. As soon as the midterm exam was over, the death of the emperor and the succession ceremony overlapped, providing the empire with no room for lectures for about four weeks.
Entering the building, she took the elevator to the third floor and opened Class A’s door.
“Sylvia. We meet again.”
“You look as beautiful as always.”
The nobles were friendly and acquainted, while the commoners didn’t even dare to make eye contact. Sylvia sat down behind her desk.
Epherene came in at the very next moment.
“Ifi~ here, here~”
“Oh, yeah.”
Sylvia glared at her as her eyes narrowed. She felt unpleasant to see her after listening to her arrogant speech and behavior at the retreat.
An idiot like her, applying under Professor Deculein?
It wasn’t even funny.
She wouldn’t understand even a bit of what he said, and she’d go back to her hometown crying after suffering on his hands. She should learn from Relin or Ciare instead.
Time passed, and her thoughts were soon interrupted.
Professor Deculein came at 3 pm as always. Allen was also with him.
“Nice to meet you.”
His first greeting didn’t change. Sylvia organized her notebook and pen neatly.
“Before we begin, we’ll first announce the results of your tests and assignments. Allen.”
“Yes.”
Assistant Professor Allen placed their report cards on their desks while the wizards waited nervously. Even Sylvia was a bit anxious, but she soon felt relieved.
Her scores were perfect.
“Today’s class will be held in groups. The same goes for the project I’ll be explaining later.”
“…?”
Deculein’s words surprised everyone.
The wizards had retreats and drinking parties, so they got along well. However, they had a strong sense of individuality, which was why group projects were extremely rare.
“The reason for it is simple. The task I’ll be giving is impossible to do alone.”
At that moment, the atmosphere turned ominous. Even Sylvia felt chills running down her spine.
“For today’s class, we’ll be discussing ‘Pure Elements and Magical Disasters.'”
Flick—!
Deculein snapped his fingers. The classroom darkened, and the image of a storm filled the place.
Whoooosh!
A whirlwind appeared, raging like blades dancing, causing the startled wizards to tremble.
“Magical disasters can happen anywhere in the world. Magical Storms, Firestorms, Earthquakes, Frostquakes… but think. Are those disasters just pure elements?” Deculein asked. The wizards that had paid attention in his previous lectures understood what he was trying to say.
“If that’s the case, then this magical storm can also be shaped by a formula.”
Flick—!
He snapped his fingers again, and it immediately subsided.
“… Watch.”
Deculein radiated mana, which drew a complicated formula in the air.
Dozens of circles and hundreds of lines hovered in the space. Seemingly forming a tornado, his creation stretched out its head like a dragon, expressing the phenomenon as a “scheme” of pure elements.
“Magical storms can be crafted like this.”
It was the supremely sophisticated and majestic magical disaster that Deculein himself completed in nearly five days.
Looking at its perfection, the wizards opened their mouths blankly.
“They are obviously pure elemental combinations. It is the product of mana naturally clustering, connecting, and linking together. I want you all to get the gist of it.”
He said it like it was nothing.
“It doesn’t have to be huge like this formula. I don’t even expect it to be. It is enough that you realize it is possible. Hence, keep in mind that even the smallest magical disaster can be turned into a formula.”
Deculein’s words were persuasive.
It seemed incredibly difficult, and just looking at it gives me a headache.
The magnificence of the technique was full of a certain charm that attracted wizards.
“I’ll give you ample time to accomplish this project. Upon understanding their formula, you’d see the world more clearly. The magic you’ll learn and have learned is made of nature’s pure elements, after all.”
After his explanation, Deculein prepared to draw lots.
There were a total of five people in a group, making it possible to form thirty groups.
“Come to the front and draw. The groups’ members will be recorded afterward.”
One hundred fifty people stood up one after another and did as instructed.
After about five minutes, the debutantes finished grouping themselves into five.
The room’s atmosphere didn’t deteriorate despite everyone’s expectations. On the contrary, they looked so well-organized they left no room for divisions, riots, arguments, and fallouts.
Except for one group.
“…”
“…”
A part of the classroom was engulfed by silence. Five people gathered, but none of them spoke. Two of their members, however, had their eyes locked on each other.
Sylvia and Epherene.
The two had joined the same team.