“It’s snowing~ snow, snow, snow~.”
On the way to Deculein’s class, in the middle of the university campus where the snow had already piled up, Epherene welcomed the still falling snow with open arms. Drent, still reading, smirked as he followed her.
“Is this your first time seeing snow?”
Epherene turned around and nodded, nearly jumping up and down.
“Yeah! It’s my first time!”
“Hmm? …Oh~, your hometown is Juhalle.”
It didn’t snow in Iliade’s estate. It was considered one of the most livable places along with the Yukline estate, though the territory wasn’t large, and the climate was mild all year round, making it a monotonous place.
“I see you learned geography poorly, huh?”
At Epherene’s point, Drent shook his head with a smirk.
“Let’s just go. If we’re late, we’ll be in trouble.”
Today, Deculein’s class was outside the tower.
“Yeah.”
Epherene stepped through the snow, enjoying the sound of it crunching underfoot. Almost all of the students and professors in the class had already gathered in the Robheim Pavilion. In Deculein’s strict class, if you were even one second late, you would be kicked out.
Drent and Epherene sat in the back seats.
“…Everyone seems to be reading the thesis.”
Drent looked around the classroom. As he said, almost all of them were reading Deculein and Luna’s New Elements Thesis.
“Yeah. They’re taking quite a while….”
Epherene had been looking forward to it. She hoped that the high-ranking wizards would first understand the thesis and then use the materials they distributed to boost her family’s name. However, as it was a magic that required talents in the four elements [Earth, Wind, Fire, Water], even the professors were having a hard time.
“I’m expecting that they’ll take a year or two.”
“That long?”
Epherene blinked, but Drent shook his head.
“This is an optimistic outlook too. Wizards usually learn theories by casting their magic. But this requires each of the four fundamental elements to implement… there is no answer. No matter how high-ranking they are, they can’t create abilities they don’t have.”
“…Really?”
After all, it took two years to prove the theory for Dukan’s sub-magic. When Epherene nodded-
Slam-
The classroom door opened, and Deculein entered.
“Nice to see you.”
He walked over and put his materials on the table. Everyone put their copy of the thesis down and focused on Deculein.
“Today’s class is a light question-and-answer session. I would ask you if you understood the content. Points will be deducted if you do not answer. If the deductions build up, you will be expelled.”
Deculein said it was light, but those parameters felt heavy.
“Are there any wizards who would like to volunteer first?”
Everyone in the hall avoided his gaze. Epherene did the same, lowering her head until her crown was visible.
“There. The wizard with the hair whorl showing.”
Epherene flinched. Then she slowly raised her head until she could see Deculein watching her.
“…Yes?”
“Get up and look at this formula.”
“Yes, yes!”
Epherene jumped to her feet. Deculein projected the magic circle of Iron Man in the air. Hundreds of lines and dozens of circles were connected in a single stroke, now floating in the air around her. Deculein zoomed in and pointed to some of them.
“I’ll ask. What is the role of this triple circuit?”
It was an abrupt question, but Epherene recalled what she had learned and stuttered out the answer.
“Ah… it connects the magician’s mana and the formula… no, it smooths the connection.”
“Then what is the mechanical structure that connects the mana?”
The mechanical structure that connected the mana? Epherene saw a triple circuit floating nearby. If the search was narrowed down to three or more magic circuits overlapping, the number of cases reached the hundreds. All points, lines, and faces had to be considered.
“The mechanical structure of this procedure is…”
“You can draw the formula yourself if you prefer.”
“Oh, okay. Um…”
Epherene looked at her notes and drew a formula in the air.
Swish- Swish-
Deculein, unable to bear it, pounded hard on the desk.
“Too slow.”
“Yes! I’m sorry. So…”
It was something she learned. Epherene swallowed hard.
“…The mechanical structure starts like this… first, this double circuit…”
“Are you unable to speak properly? Or is your head empty?”
“No, no…”
Deculein took a step forward, slowly approaching Epherene. Her heart was beating as loud as the sound of his footsteps.
“You think you’ll understand my class when you don’t even know the mechanics of circuits?”
“I know, I know.”
“If you know, give me an answer.”
Suddenly, he stood in front of her. Epherene looked up at him, startled by the magical aura pressuring her. This in itself was a test.
“…The mechanics of mana start with a double circuit. This connection point of the double circuit. That is while complementing the weakest part-“
“Why is the double circuit so weak? In magic theory, a double circuit is considered ‘the safest structure.’”
“This is because this formula is not magic itself, but rather a kind of magic enchantment that is added to and strengthened by a certain magic.”
Epherene didn’t even know what she was talking about; the words flowed out on instinct. Along the way, she glanced up at Deculein’s expression, which fortunately didn’t seem too disapproving.
“Good. So again, let’s talk about the mechanics of the triple circuit. Why do we have to use a triple circuit?”
“That, it is… so… well…”
“Are you messing around again?”
Deculein’s voice calmed down, causing Epherene to flinch.
“If you waste any more time, you will be kicked out of this lecture. I’ll ask again. Why did I have to use a triple circuit for this magic?”
That stern warning engulfed the crowd.
“I’ll give you three seconds.”
A cold sweat formed on Epherene’s forehead. Her back felt hot.
“Three.”
Deculein looked down at Epherene.
“Two.”
The other wizards eagerly hoped that they weren’t next in line.
“One.”
And…
* * *
Break time. Epherene, exhausted, was reclining in a chair and resting. Steam rose from her reddened face.
“…Leaf. Are you okay?”
As Drent asked carefully, Epherene turned only her head to stare at him.
“I said don’t call me Leaf.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Somehow, that sounds more friendly.”
“…I almost died. I’m still dizzy.”
Deculein’s unrelenting pressure questions felt like he was squeezing her heart and throttling her neck. Epherene somehow passed it, but following that, six people were kicked out one after another. Professor Deculein today intended to cull the students.
“But weren’t only my questions difficult?”
“Yeah. The triple circuit was too hard. He could’ve asked that question to a professor, but for a Kendall like us-“
“Right?!”
Epherene jumped back again.
“Why was I the only one to get a hard question and…”
But she didn’t finish the thought. Suddenly, she recalled what she overheard Deculein say before.
—I think of her as a disciple.
Because she was a disciple, he harshly raised her. Was that it? So, were these tests growing worse and worse for that reason? She never said that she would become his disciple. Was Professor Deculein counting his chickens before they hatched?
“Still…”
Epherene sighed. Suddenly, the voice of the distant future lingered in her ears.
-The Professor doesn’t exist in my world.
Her future self said it to her present self. What the hell happened that day?
“…”
Epherene, dazed for a moment, floated Deculein’s wood steel with Psychokinesis. She was playing with it when Deculein came back.
“Professor!”
Rose Rio raised her hand.
“I have something I learned with this class. Would you like to take a look? I changed it on my own.”
Deculein nodded after checking the time.
“Okay.”
“Oh, yes. Come on, see it. It is Ductility enchanted with Iron Man.”
Rose Rio made a wall that began to move like slime. It was both solid and fluid and mysterious like Rose Rio herself. Epherene watched it squirm with admiration.
“…Can I lock you up with this?”
Rose Rio asked the question seriously, and Deculein nodded. Immediately, the wall wrapped around Deculein.
“Hehehe, what do you think?”
Rose Rio grinned, and the very next moment, her wall collapsed. No, it didn’t just collapse; it vanished without a trace.
“?”
Rose Rio turned pale. Was it just magical interference, or did he smash the wall with some other magic? It happened so quickly that she couldn’t tell which.
“Rose Rio.”
“…Eh, eh? Oh yes, Professor.”
He spoke as if it was pitiful, shaking his head.
“Change without complete understanding doesn’t give good results. If you hastily change your method, the vulnerabilities inherent in the spell become clearer. Your magic circle was probably like this.”
Then, a new magic circle appeared in the air. Rose Rio’s eyes lit up with astonishment.
“Oh? How did you know?!”
He knew exactly what she had cast. In other words, he visualized the magic he had seen only once with just a glance.
“Quiet, just listen to the explanation. It’ll be a good lesson.”
“…Yes.”
Deculein started the class with the theme of the magic circle transformed by Rose Rio.
“Where circuitry meets circuitry, there is always a vulnerability. But at the same time, singularities also occur.”
One by one, to distinguish the faults and characteristics of the circuit, memorizing all his explanations and analogies. Everything he said was important. The super-focused Epherene began to take notes.
* * *
After class.
Returning to the office, I checked the list of the Knights of Freyhem. Rugel, Daniel von Gessel, Brian Deron, Grylls, Rosran… they would all be rescued by unknown influential figures or past acquaintances. All of Freyhem’s sins were covered by Julie so that they could continue their normal careers.
But.
“…Rockfell.”
The former vice-captain of the Knights of Freyhem; this one I would kill. All of Josephine’s maneuvering was inflated by this bastard’s sins. Ledger manipulation, embezzlement, solicitation, and many more. As soon as the Knights of Freyhem collapsed, he joined the Knights of the House of Iliade, and it was also this guy who received Veron’s mission in the first place.
I received an answer from Josephine, so I wouldn’t have to leave it to luck. It was a bit strange for me to be insensitive to killing, but it was something I was determined to see to the end.
—Knock, knock. Professor, it’s Allen.
I opened the door. Allen entered, holding a letter from the chairman.
“This is the official notice regarding the selection of the next chairman.”
“Okay.”
I glanced at the document.
[ …So Professor Deculein!!! Professor Ihelm!!! Let’s make a decision this winter!!!!!!!!!!!! ]
It was a document saying that the last test would be taken this winter. The excessive exclamation marks confirmed it was from Adrienne.
“…By the way, Professor.”
Allen had a different atmosphere around them than usual. She was looking at the medal on my desk, awarded for suppressing the Demon Blood.
“Do they deserve to be suppressed just because they’re Demon Blood?”
I set the document back on the desk.
“…”
Was it because her attention had faded, or was my suspicion about her causing confirmation bias? I thought I could tell to some extent now the reason why she was with me.
“Allen.”
“…Yes?”
“History is a great flow, sweeping like a tidal wave. The individual who is swept away does not know whether it is high or low tide.”
The Demon Blood was a complex clan. A vicious cycle of rejection led to rejection, which led to resistance and rejection again, just because a very small amount of demon energy resided in their blood. In the main stream of the world, the peak of that vicious cycle was the Altar. There were many sects of the Demon Blood among the Altar’s madmen.
“Those who try to go against the flow drown in vain, and in the end, only the survivors know what the flow of history was.”
“…So, is that happening now?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
“…I see.”
Allen bowed her head. It was the first time I had seen her like this. No, even this would have been more natural if it were acting. I added a word, considering the number of all those cases.
“However, not all flows are right. One day, the time may come when this tide will change. As long as you are alive, you will have a chance.”
“…”
Allen raised her eyes to look at me. They were as big as a deer’s caught in the headlights.
“Allen. You asked me if the Demon Blood are just being oppressed because they’re Demon Blood. That’s right. However, it remains to be seen whether that is indeed the right thing.”
There was a strange change in Allen’s attitude as she leaned back. And then, standing on her crutches, staring intently at my face…
“Then, the Professor…”
She didn’t finish the thought. Allen scratched the back of her neck and smiled.
“It’s nothing! I just saw something strange in the newspaper today.”
“You mean the four-year-old Demon Blood?”
“Ah… did you see it too?”
I nodded.
It was an article accompanied by a photograph of a four-year-old Demon Blood with a hole through their head. [ #3333 Is this correct?] was the headline pushed by the imperial media company ‘Voice of Conscience.’ They were cracked down upon within three hours of publishing.
“In any world, one thing is certain.”
I regarded Allen, this very complicated and mysterious woman with complex emotions warring on her face.
“…These children hold no sin.”
I was curious about the real name of this assistant professor, ‘Allen.’
* * *
…I was a bit busy today with the overlap between the lecture and teaching Sophien.
“I read this book today.”
The island was covered with snow, but the Imperial Palace was still as bright as spring. Sophien faced me lazily, her body wriggling like an earthworm.
“Are you so tired of reading?”
“That too, and I had a bit of an argument with the servants. Anyway, Blue Eyes is the best seller… I see you have blue eyes too?”
Sophien looked into my eyes, and I met her gaze. Eyes as bright as red diamonds, irises that resembled the most expensive jewel in the world. They were beautiful.
Sophien frowned and let out a groan.
“…What are you looking at? Just read the book. I can feel mana in it.”
“Yes, all right. I will read it after class is over.”
I put the book away and started preparing for rune lessons with a cough. However.
“There are rumors that your fiancée has committed corruption.”
Sophien brought up a topic I didn’t want to discuss. I pretended it was nothing and recited the runes, but the Emperor continued.
“The Julie that I know is not a knight like that.”
“…Yes. Yes, I know that too.”
“But why did you leave it like that? Why did you let your fiancée be while she fell into ruin?”
I looked up at Sophien, noting the suspicion in her eyes.
“I can’t tell your Majesty the reason.”
“…”
Sophien narrowed her eyes and raised her sagging body. Her hair scattered behind her like a lion’s mane.
“…Deculein.”
“Yes.”
“What are you hiding?”
The Emperor looked inside me, but I didn’t want to have this conversation.
“You know it too, Your Majesty. I hide, but I do not deceive.”
“…Do you know what I’m thinking?”
“…”
Sophien was not yet a finished character. She had already died hundreds of times, incapable of being a normal human anymore. Therefore, as the quest progressed, the Emperor’s characteristic illness — paranoia or suspicion — would become more severe. Of course, there was no death variable yet, but it was a common saying, ‘if you get caught, you die.’
“No matter what Your Majesty may think, I am always sincere. That fact will never change.”
“…”
Sophien didn’t say anything for a moment. She appeared to be hiding her feelings, but she still showed a certain amount of embarrassment. Was it a good answer?
She coughed.
“That’s enough then, but you keep instilling confidence in me. It’s not very good confidence, though.”
“Thank you. However, we still didn’t start with the rune-“
“I will do my homework. So go today. I will not listen to you twice.”
“…Yes.”
It was unavoidable with such an order. I stood and stepped backward without showing my back. However, when I unintentionally looked through the gap in the door.
“…”
Sophien was staring at me.
Slam-!
Until the moment the door closed.
