Chapter 63: Practical Experience (1)
These days, interesting news had been going around the Island of Wizard’s Wealth, creating a fresh atmosphere that swirled all over the dull island.
“… Deculein? That Deculein?”
“Yes.”
The emperor’s younger brother, Kreto, smiled in astonishment as soon as he got the report.
“Hmm… So, you say problem six will be solved soon?”
“The place of proof is ready.”
The Symposium’s ‘place of proof’ wasn’t held unless an answer was found persuasive or close to being correct.
Therefore, the fact that it had been prepared meant they were getting nearer the solution. It was problem six, no less.
“That’s impressive.”
Kreto purely admired him.
Of course, his solution itself still wasn’t determined as the right answer, but as a fan of Deculein, he had faith.
“Well, it’s now time for him to fly.”
He still couldn’t forget Deculein’s midterm exam. The feeling it instilled in him continued to remain in his heart to this day, reigniting a passion he had almost lost.
Hence, when he heard the Imperial University Tower’s Head Professor would teach Sophien, he felt envy roar within him so loud that he almost said, ‘I want to join the class too.’
“There are rumors about the Ashes.”
“Ashes?”
“Yes. They say they are watching him from ‘there.'”
‘There.’
Let alone a normal wizard, even his escort, Fassbender, wouldn’t even speak of the ‘volcanic zone.’
‘Ashes’ was such a vulgar title.
“It’s normal for them to provoke famous wizards… but it doesn’t matter. In today’s world, Deculein’s strength is famous.”
He was a powerful practical wizard. Even though the Imperial Knights kept it secret, Kreto knew of Deculein’s well-matched battle against Rohakan.
“Anyway, when the place of proof is ready, I’ll ask for a seat. No, this is an order. Be sure to get one.”
The competition for tickets would be keen. All high-ranking wizards would be found there, after all.
“Yes. There will be no problems.”
Fassbender faithfully responded to Kreto’s request.
•••••••.
At the same time, at the Megiseon.
“That’s interesting! He really submitted it!”
Adrienne read a letter from Wizard Academic in her private residence.
It said, ‘Deculein’s thesis is very reasonable, and it is highly probable that it is the right answer, so please check it out.’
“I heard he’s answering question number six.”
“Yeah! It’s really question number six!”
The chairman was talking to a wizard with long black ponytailed hair. Unlike her youthful and mischievous appearance, she was secretly a parasitic houseguest with a stern and mature look.
“Are you aware that Deculein is in danger because of you?”
“Huh? Why?”
She was a progressive person. At the very least, she didn’t discriminate against people based on their ‘origin’ or ‘current affiliation.’
Adrienne’s standard was only ‘whether it was harmful to her or not-.’
“There are a lot of people looking for Deculein. Gerek, that crazy guy, Glipper, Helgun… his name has gone a long way even among the Ashes.”
Split Personality Gerek.
Killer Glipper.
Living Corpse Helgun.
They were all famous among the Ashes.
“It’s all because you said Deculein’s strong.”
“Huh?! How is this my fault? You lost to Deculein too, Cynthia!”
“….”
Her real name was Cynthia, but she currently went by Arlos.
About ten years ago, at the age of only fourteen, Adrienne noticed and turned her into her unofficial disciple. A month ago, she became the criminal who installed a barrier in the third building of the dormitory.
“I was using a dummy back then. If it were my real body, I would have won.”
“You’re lying! If it were your real body, you would have died there~”
“I had no intention of killing any wizard at the time.”
Ten years ago, although not at the level of an Archmage, Cynthia was a talent that was likely to aim for the pinnacle of a particular profession.
Seeing through her qualities despite her being an orphan, Adrienne directly educated her.
“What about it?”
“… I just wanted you to know that Deculein has a bounty from the Ashes on his head.”
“Alright! More importantly, where’s my doll?!”
Arlos took a puppy out of her bag.
“Wow! It’s so cute! It’s going to live a long life, right?!”
“Yes. That’s the reason why I purposely made its body small. Through magic, it’s guaranteed to live long… It’ll probably still be alive even if you die at over 100 years old. Why are you so obsessed with its life expectancy?”
“Well~” Adrienne just smiled faintly. “It’s better if it lives longer!”
Fairies lived too long to love somebody.
Her kind’s lifespan was two or even three times longer than the longest-lived humans, and they never grew old.
Hence, Adrienne liked dolls since they could live for a long time.
It was no coincidence that she discovered Arlos’s talent and taught her directly.
Arlos, unaware of this fact, sometimes couldn’t understand her actions. Adrienne was playful, mischievous, and mean, but she respected her because she was her teacher.
“Even to me, that thesis…”
Arlos slowly stretched out her arm.
“No! It has iris recognition!”
The chairman glared at her and wrapped her arms around the document.
Grumbling, she retracted her hand.
“Hmm. He solved number six…”
She suddenly remembered the first time she met Deculein.
‘You are garbage, scums that have been rejected by society. You lack the composition to be a human, and you lack the appeal to be a beast. Your only talent is to squirm. That won’t help you be relieved of your poor and dirty roots.’
Through an aggressive tone, his curses and swear words poured out in rage.
Of course, she knew why he hated the Ashes.
“… The more I think about it, the angrier I get.”
If they met again someday, she promised herself she would pay him back.
“Oh! It’s moving!” The chairman trembled. Arlos glanced at it too.
The small dog, who had received Adrienne’s pure magic as its life force, was crying and chasing her.
Pff-
Arlos giggled and left the mansion.
* * *
Monday, Yukline Mansion.
I installed a blackboard in the annex building, which looked exactly like the one at the Imperial University Tower’s classroom.
───[Twin Blackboard]───
◆ Description:
– A blackboard made of magic stones. One of two, paired boards.
– Due to 「Midas’ Hand」, its resonance has increased.
◆ Category: Mechanism ⊃ Communication
◆ Special Effects:
– Anything written on this board is transmitted to the other blackboard it’s connected to.
– Its connection with the other blackboard can’t be broken by any magical means.
[Midas’ Hand Level: 4]
─────────
This item, upgraded by my [Midas’ Hand], enabled two-way communication that could go in and out of a barrier. If I were to write something on it, the same thing would be engraved on the classroom’s blackboard.
It gave me the ability to communicate with the debutantes.
[Rank 5 Intermediate-Boss Event: Baron of the Ashes]
Everyone was preparing for it.
Of course, we didn’t know when the Baron of the Ashes would appear. Moreover, the professors couldn’t intervene in the event either. Hence, there was no longer any room for me to get involved.
“With a little help, they should be able to take care of it.”
Fortunately, two of the debutantes were definitely smart.
Unlike me, who couldn’t even do anything without the help of the system’s attributes, Epherene and Sylvia were different. They were two of the Named characters with the greatest growth potential of all time.
—Knock, knock.
I opened the door, and Ren came in with his head bowed. He then handed me a couple of documents.
“Master. Rumor has it that Count Zeit is trying to take over the Freyhem Knights. I also recorded a lot of additional information.”
“… Zeit?”
“Yes. I heard he’s already reserved the ceremony hall.”
That was quite a troublesome report.
I read the documents first.
“Hmm.”
It was detailed beyond imagination. Although its ‘scope’ was still insufficient because I only had Ren and Enen working on it, the accuracy of intel related to people around me was satisfactory enough.
“Good job.”
With the quality of their work, I no longer felt like I wasted money on them.
I then held out the [Yukline: Understanding Elemental Magic] book that I was currently revising to him.
“This is…?” He looked confused.
“I occasionally hear the sound of magic from your residence these days. It must be your sister’s doing.”
“…”
Ren seemed completely unaware of it.
Enen was most likely studying magic secretly like Yeriel.
“I apologize. I will educate her well.”
“This book will do that for you. I’ll benefit if my subordinates have and can hone their talents anyway. Tell her to learn.”
“…” Ren looked at me in surprise, which bothered me. He just had to do what I told him to do. Why did he have to look thankful, surprised, etc.?
“Just take this.”
“Okay. Thank—”
“Prepare to go out.”
“As you wish.”
I went out with him and soon found a familiar face waiting for me in the parking lot.
Louina.
“Boss. I was waiting for you.”
“Shall I kick her out?” Ren said.
I shook my head.
“You don’t have to.”
“Got it.”
Ren walked silently and opened the back seat’s door. I got on first, and she quickly occupied the seat next to me.
She looked tired.
“What’s going on?”
“Are you going to the imperial palace for Her Majesty’s lesson?”
“Yes. Wasn’t her class with you scheduled tomorrow?”
“I know. I just have some information to tell you…” She pulled a wad of paper out of her briefcase.
“I was actually trying to ask all of this in the ‘place of proof.’ I have already delivered it to the Symposium judges.”
“But?”
“If I do that, it could be considered a breach of contract. Since you’ve given me a second chance, I want to give you a chance to give up even now.”
Her words sounded like a cute threat. In reply, I calmly asked, “A chance to give up?”
“Take this and read it… boss.” She politely handed out the papers.
I took it without a word.
It was an analysis of my answer to the sixth question.
I read it carefully for three minutes.
“… Louina.”
“Yes?”
She hid a smile as I looked at her.
“These are good questions. Ask these questions in the place of proof.”
“… What?”
Her eyes widened, and she soon frowned in frustration. “No, boss. Think about—”
“Louina.”
“… What?”
I coughed.
She didn’t believe my words, so I decided to make it probable to a certain extent to convince her.
“Listen carefully.
‘This rune interpretation.’
‘Isn’t based on luck.’
‘I’ll tell you more clearly.’
‘I am not the Deculein I used to be.’
‘This idea’ is ‘the result of my own realization.’
‘The ability to speak this language is proof of that.'”
“…?”
Louina looked like she didn’t even understand a bit of what I just said. No, she looked like she couldn’t understand the languages I just spoke.
“I just spoke in nine languages.”
“… What?”
“You’d be right to think that there is no language in this world that I don’t know.”
Of course, on the continent, the ‘Imperial Language’ was considered the universal language, just like English in the modern world. However, each kingdom had its own native language.
and archaic languages, idioms, etc…
However, I learned all of them for the sake of reading.
“I’m certain I can learn a language I have never seen and heard in ten days.”
Perhaps because of his unique vanity, many books were written in foreign languages in Deculein’s library, but it was too cumbersome to find and read each of their translations.
Instead, I learned the languages they were written in, allowing me to speak in any tongue as if I was a native speaker of it.
“And runes are a kind of language. It took me quite a long time studying them. Do you understand this much?”
“…”
Louina wordlessly opened her lips and soon laughed.
She looked and sounded like a robot.
“Gosh… I didn’t know you had linguistic talent.” She grew paler as she muttered those words and leaned her body against the window.
Her slender shoulders drooped, and her empty gaze followed the view outside.
“You’ve only heard this much, and you’re already so heartbroken?”
Louina frowned. “Only?”
I nodded.
“Yes. This whole ordeal is just about a ‘question’s solution.’ Aren’t you four years younger than me? You still can grow a lot, so time is definitely on your side.”
“…”
“I promised, didn’t I? Five years. You will not be my stumbling block, and I will not be your stumbling block.”
The main quest wasn’t long. Since I had already spent half a year in this world, the remaining time I had was about four years.
She smiled weakly.
“… Five years is short if it means cutting ties with you, boss. But why does it have to be five years?”
“You’ll naturally find out about it.”
“We’re here,” Ren said.
Gazing out the window, I saw my destination. The imperial palace’s outer walls looked as sturdy and mighty as ever.
I got out of the car.
“Ren. Take Louina to the University Tower.”
“Got it.”
“… Thank you for your consideration, boss.”
Louina waved at me inside the car.
Vroom—
They left as I walked to the palace.
*****
… Ashes germinated in a person’s deepest darkness.
They were parasites that devoured emotions and fed on emotional deficiencies and mental scars, after all.
Leading all thoughts of their host into cancer, the moment when their ego becomes engulfed in all kinds of negative thoughts, it would start taking over their vessel, starting at their weakest parts.
Louina walked back to the University Tower feeling particularly dizzy. It was as if her whole world was spinning.
She pressed a button on the elevator.
23rd floor.
Her office.
She sat blankly in her chair, surrounding herself with a shabby space.
Deculein said five years.
Five years.
Just five years.
She could endure that much.
But why did she have to be humiliated like this?
“…”
Louina saw a letter on her desk, a note left by the magic society. It seemed like someone opened her door and delivered it without her permission.
[The Magic Society hereby announces Monarch-ranked Louina’s eviction from the organization.]
She stared blankly at that specific sentence, deducing their intention in their decision to turn their backs on her.
The bastards who pushed her were trying to abandon her and attach themselves to Deculein once more.
Thump—
Her heart raced.
Thump—
Her whole body felt hot, and all sorts of painful and dark emotions hit her skull, making her feel like a hot awl was repeatedly piercing through her temples.
‘These fucking bastards.’
Fucking dog bastards.
“…”
Louina closed her eyes. Ashes rose from her shoulders.
Dark particles spread like a spider’s web and engulfed her entire office on the 23rd floor.
*****
Inside the 20th floor’s study room, Sylvia’s group double-checked their project.
“I checked everything. There’s nothing wrong with this part. You?”
“Nothing.”
When Epherene and Sylvia were peering through its parts, the door opened, and Eurozan came in with his hands full of treats.
That was their signal to take a break.
“I was just craving for a snack. Thank you.” Epherene immediately reached out her hand and pulled a dried squid out.
Eurozan said, “Is it because the exams are coming? The study room, library, and magic training room were also full. It seems all the debutantes have gathered.”
Knowing this would be the case, Epherene had reserved a room for them in the Library since 4 AM.
“Man~ the final exam will be a bit easier, right? There was that incident too, after all.”
“I don’t know. That aside, what are you doing during vacation?”
“I have to go to my estate. I don’t think I’ll be able to stay in the tower for long. They need quite a few wizards back there.”
The three guys chatted, and Epherene continued chewing on dried squid to cool off her overheated head.
Boom—! Boom—!
They heard what sounded like explosions penetrate the walls around them out of the blue.
“What was that? Is there a fight going on?”
Boom—! Boom—!
“Aaaaaaaah!”
“…!”
Not long after the noise started, they next heard a scream. Startled, Epherene and the others immediately opened the study room door.
“Hey! What was that?!”
At the hallway outside their room, a certain wizard turned back. Looking at the back of his head, they realized it was ‘Roton,’ another debutante.
Epherene slowly walked towards him. “Roton, right? Are you okay? Did you fight with…?”
He turned around, revealing his lack of pupils. Black ashes poured out like vomit from his wide-open mouth and ears.
“Aaaah!”
Epherene unknowingly unleashed magic, pushing him away. She then swiftly ran straight back into their study room.
Bang—!
As soon as she closed the door, she immediately asked. “D-did you see him? D-did y-you? You saw him, right?!”
“….”
The other four people with her remained silent, finding the scene they just saw so shocking that they needed some time to process it.
“What is this…”
Looking at them, she smiled as if she realized something.
“I’m dreaming right now. I must have fallen asleep due to the fatigue I accumulated from studying. That’s it, isn’t it?”
“… A dream.”
“Yeah. Isn’t this a dream? I didn’t sleep at all yesterday and today. To practice.”
Sylvia moved at that point. She didn’t hesitate at all. She stretched out her hand and swung it against Epherene’s cheek.
SLAP—!
A loud sound rang out as Epherene was taken aback, her head twisted to the side.
“Ouch….”
In that state, all she could do was look at Sylvia as a handful of teardrops formed around her eyes.
It hurt so much that she couldn’t even yell. Instead, her lips just quivered despite finding what she did unfair and painful.
“Y-you…”
“Does it hurt?”
“Of course it does! You hit me so hard!”
Sylvia nodded.
“I’m sorry. Anyway, if it hurts, then we’re not in a dream.”
“…”
“I just wanted to let you know that.”
Epherene shut her mouth in disbelief, and Sylvia turned to look at the other three.
“What about you guys?”
Not wanting to be slapped, they responded hastily.
“T-that’s right. This isn’t a dream. What made you even think this was a dream, Epherene?”
“You’re not making any sense!”
“Y-yeah…”
… After taking to heart the advice from Deculein, it had been five days since she started exercising. Sylvia looked out the window of the study room, feeling her physical abilities had grown.
She also felt slightly nervous, finding the appearance of the bizarrely transformed Roton quite confusing.
“That’s really unfair… What you did was annoying and painful… Am I not allowed to say anything wrong anymore? Huh?”
Sylvia ignored Epherene, who was crying while staring at her.