Ch.4040 Distrust, and Hatred (3)

No matter how much I used to skip classes in the past, there’s no way I wouldn’t know that name.

If we’re talking about Professor Muniher from the Emerald Marquis family, a scholar who distinguished himself in magical engineering and became an imperial minister.

She is a master who has completely revolutionized most definitions in the field of Mana Source Studies, the pure academic study of magical origins, through dozens of research papers.

Denis Flobel Beryl.

I never imagined I’d see such a prominent figure with my own eyes. It was beyond my wildest dreams.

“You don’t have the right to refuse. The training intensity will be beyond what you’ve imagined so far, but the results will definitely show.”

“…May I ask just one question?”

“Hmm, I’d rather not if it’s a frivolous one.”

“It’s a question related to magic.”

“Oh? If that’s the case, I welcome it. Go ahead, ask away.”

If she’s a contemporary authority in magical academia, she should be able to answer this question.

“When someone masters their unique magic. Is there ever a case where they might lose it someday?”

I thought my power wouldn’t manifest in this hellish world.

I had dismissed it as something I would eventually lose anyway.

So I was determined to hear this answer no matter what.

The female professor, who had flinched momentarily, let out a heavy breath before giving her delayed response.

“Losing it, you say? As far as I know, that doesn’t happen. It’s theoretically impossible.”

Even an authority in a field can’t predict everything, I suppose.

That seemed reasonable. It wouldn’t be the first time my expectations were off the mark.

But… that wasn’t the end of it.

“Instead, there are cases where the essence of one’s power changes. These cases are extremely rare. People don’t realize how their power has transformed.”

Not disappeared, but changed?

Then does that mean the power I thought I lost has actually changed?

Why? How do I figure that out?

No, that’s not the immediate issue.

-Gulp.

My throat tightens as I swallow dry saliva.

If my power hadn’t completely vanished after all.

If the mana that disappeared, leaving me as nothing but a burden, hadn’t actually disappeared at all.

If it meant that I wasn’t so insignificant that I could only survive by clinging to others, but that with continuous effort and time investment, I could have enough value to at least protect myself…

Such thoughts burrowed deep inside me, like the lump of dry saliva that passed over my raised throat.

Calm down. I can just ask slowly. With the Imperial Chief Doctor of Mana Source Studies right in front of me, I can get plenty of answers to my questions.

I barely managed to calm my elevated emotions and carefully opened my mouth again.

“Are you saying… that people don’t realize their power has changed rather than disappeared?”

“That’s right. There was a similar case in the Empire. It actually happened to a friend of mine. She thought she could only use fire magic, so she assumed that was her awakened power, but in reality, she was a support mage of the light element.”

There are actual cases…?

So my past self just didn’t notice…?

Even now, I could change…?

So that’s how it was.

I had thought my future would be reduced to being nothing but a burden as my mana disappeared, but the fact that this might not be the case made me feel like I could fly to the heavens.

“Sigh, to think I’d bring this up with someone I’m going to teach.”

“Ah…”

Now my elevated reason seemed to have come to its senses and returned home, as I realized that my words had struck a sensitive chord with someone else.

There had been a slight pause when she mentioned it happening to her friend. Even before bringing it up, she seemed hesitant.

I succeeded in getting the answer I wanted, but… it seemed I had touched on a rather unpleasant topic.

In times like these, it’s best to change the subject.

“…Could you put me down first?”

“Ah, yes. Pardon me. It’s been a while since I’ve exercised my abilities, so I did it without thinking.”

The grass that had rapidly grown quickly returned to its original form. As if nothing had happened from the beginning.

Normally there would be at least some trace left, but almost nothing was visible. I’ve never seen such a level of control before.

Just how much control over mana does this professor have?

“Would it be alright if I called you Junon? You can call me Professor Denis.”

“You can call me whatever you like, but… what do you mean by teaching me?”

“What? Muniher didn’t explain it to you? Ugh…”

Such informal speech. I’m not sure about other things, but I clearly understood that she’s close enough to Professor Muniher to address him casually, like an old school friend.

Seeing her grumbling about being dumped with this task without proper explanation… it seems I’ve really been caught up in something.

“Muniher can’t guide you because of the beginning-of-term evaluations. You know that, right?”

“Yes. There’s a clause prohibiting contact between professors and students to prevent cheating. I know that, but…”

“That strict fellow asked me to take care of his disciple, so I’m taking over for him.”

Something seems off as I listen.

“Professor Muniher’s disciple…? Me?”

It seemed absurd to be called a disciple when I’d only received guidance once.

“Well, I guess you wouldn’t know. That makes sense.”

At the time, I thought she was speaking nonsense.

But when I heard that Professor Muniher had never even allowed guidance to any other student before, my mouth fell open in surprise.

So I’m a disciple because I’m the only one who’s ever received his guidance?

Anyway, it doesn’t matter. The person in front of me is such a prominent figure that even someone as ignorant as I was could remember her name.

She’s one of the two people who have reached the pinnacle of magical research.

“I apologize for complaining.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You must have had your reasons. More importantly, I’d like to check your abilities right away.”

“For that, I have recent magical index test results…”

“I don’t need any of that. I need to check for myself.”

What? Check for yourself?

***

Following Denis, Junon set foot in the simulation battle room again.

Holding an inactive Talbert Arc, Denis asks Junon:

“Now, let me ask you something. Our disciple’s unique magic was barrier-type, right?”

Junon nods.

“Then how have you been attacking until now?”

“Well… I left that to my teammates. Although I’m a close-range barrier vanguard, I’m not at all suited for weapon techniques.”

Hearing this, Denis shakes her head as if that wasn’t what she was asking.

“Just because you’re a close-range barrier vanguard doesn’t mean you don’t participate in attacks at all.”

What is she talking about? To Junon, this sounded completely off-base.

He had been taught that the reason vanguards carry both defensive gear and weapons is to function in both offense and defense.

If you’re a close-range barrier type, you supplement your attack power with weapons, and if you’re a close-range attack type, you use defensive gear to help with your vulnerable defense.

Even in actual combat, he had only managed to attack with a weapon after blocking attacks with his mana-infused shield and buying time.

Her words now seemed to deny the basic qualities of vanguards and the theory he had learned so far.

Denis, seeing that Junon wasn’t understanding well, changed the direction of the conversation.

“The tactic of disrupting the opponent’s mana circulation by flowing mana in the reverse direction of a magic circle. Anti-cast, was it? I heard you used it. Is that right?”

“Well… yes, that’s true, but…”

That was actually something Professor Muniher had created in the past.

I didn’t think it mattered much. But then.

“Then would you say anti-cast is not an attack?”

“That’s…”

Anti-cast was devised specifically to counter certain magical beasts.

So while it might be effective against those beasts, the fact remains that it’s an offensive tactic.

“I suppose… it would be correct to call it an attack.”

“Right. Mana is ultimately what you make of it. People say that mana varies in quality and character from person to person, but there’s always some balance.”

-Especially when it comes to unique magic.

With those final words, Professor Denis activates the Talbert Arc.

Wondering what kind of place would be created, it turned out to be a jungle field full of dense forests and swamps.

“By the way, this Talbert Arc is specially borrowed from Muniher, so the immersion rate is set at 50%. So you’d better be on high alert.”

“F-fifty percent?!!!”

Wasn’t the increased intensity for the end-of-term evaluation around 25%?

At 50%, it’s practically half of reality.

Facing magical beasts at such an immersion rate is supposed to be done in teams as a rule.

‘This means… one wrong move and my bones could snap like candy…’

Wondering if this was right, Junon desperately called out:

“I can’t even kill one magical beast! It’s impossible at this immersion rate!”

“I don’t think I ever told you to face magical beasts, did I, disciple?”

“…What?”

“Besides, I haven’t placed a single magical beast here.”

What kind of nonsense is this? Wasn’t the Talbert Arc supposed to create magical beasts for simulated battles?

But she says she hasn’t placed a single beast here? Then why bring me here?

Seeing the massive whirlwind in Junon’s mind, Professor Denis’s lips curve into a very mischievous smile.

In this brief moment, Professor Denis created a single entity by intertwining tree trunks from beneath her feet.

“What you’ll be facing is me and this.”

“What did you say???????”

A professor and a student in a 1:1 match inside a Talbert Arc field with 50% immersion?

Ah… I want to run away.

“For your information, I’m going to be tougher on you than Muniher. Until we see results. Don’t worry, you won’t die. Though you might come close to it.”

Oh, damn. Professor Muniher was an angel in comparison.

***

Although the grades for this joint practical exercise were suspended, it wasn’t entirely meaningless.

The power of the vanguards, who had been ignored until now, was exposed, and the extent of student injuries varied greatly depending on their presence.

While there were no fatalities, as mentioned, Junon was a critically injured person who had come close to death, but that didn’t mean there were no injuries at all.

Thanks to this, the vanguards’ shoulders were quite straightened.

Moreover, the students developed camaraderie from their first real combat experience, making it easier to build friendships.

For instance, like Hena who was now beside Silvia.

“Ugh… Hena, I’m not very good at this…”

“No one is good at it from the start~. Keep looking in the mirror and try.”

“Sigh, I never knew tying hair could be this difficult.”

Hena was the vanguard in Silvia’s team, but they weren’t particularly close from the beginning.

Since Silvia was like a natural disaster to the D and E class students, it was rather the others who were intimidated.

Since everyone except Hena belonged to C class, she naturally became dejected.

While her teammates continuously gave her disapproving looks, making Hena wonder if she should leave the team, Silvia stepped in.

-‘If there’s no vanguard, who’s going to buy time for your slow casting?’

Although there was some doubt, there was not a trace of falsehood on Silvia’s face as she answered.

And as if on cue, a Giant Cud Rat appeared immediately.

As the four were attacked, just as Silvia had mentioned, she made a request, not a demand, to Hena.

The magical beast was unexpectedly strong, and the four were caught off guard, creating a situation that could have led to a major accident if Hena hadn’t been there.

-‘See? You owe your lives to the vanguard you were dismissing.’

She even gave them a stern reprimand, as if telling them to recognize this fact.

Silvia’s words and actions were clearly in Hena’s favor.

Thanks to the two’s efforts during the beginning-of-term evaluation, all six returned safely, and as a result, Silvia gained a good friend in Hena.

‘She seemed so resolute back then.’

Who would have thought? The Silvia who magnificently created a wind blade to crush the magical beast couldn’t even tie her own hair.

Look at her now.

In Hena’s kind eyes, Silvia was just a cute girl showing her innocent charm.

“H-Hena…? Isn’t my hair tangled…?”

“Pfft… Just a moment, let me undo it, Silvia.”

Watching Silvia, Hena chuckles and helps her friend with her hair styling.

As she adds various explanations and slowly demonstrates her skills, the gloominess Silvia had been carrying disappears, and a bright atmosphere emerges.

“Here, mirror at the ready~.”

“Wow…”

“Silvia, you’ve been hiding your face too much with your hair. Just a little braiding makes you look so pretty.”

“I think you’re exaggerating…”

“I’m not! You’re so pretty, I can’t understand why you’ve been hiding this face with your hair.”

She twisted a few strands of Silvia’s gray hair and used a ribbon to organize her locks.

And what do you know? Silvia herself was satisfied, and even passersby would glance her way.

‘See? You clearly have the face of a beauty.’

She always had a fine-featured face, but it wasn’t well-displayed because she rarely smiled.

With just a slight emphasis on certain points, she transformed so much that people around would openly look at her.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“Yes. Very much.”

Hena wondered about the maids who hadn’t properly styled the face of Silvia, daughter of Count Kutelli.

Looking at this clearly pretty face that hadn’t been touched, she thought there might be something wrong with those maids.

“By the way, Silvia.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Why did you suddenly want to change your style?”

While she had questions about the maids, what she was more curious about was Silvia showing an interest in adornment.

“That…? Um… someone suggested I try changing it for a change, so I just…”

“Someone suggested you change it? Who?”

“A-another friend!”

Though she didn’t show it outwardly, Hena’s inner mischievous nature came alive.

“Heh. Looks like you’ve got someone you like?”

“N-no…! It’s about my friend!”

Though she denied it… her expression didn’t look that way at all.

Her face gradually reddened, and Silvia soon lowered her head and covered her face.

‘She must really like them.’

If she had at least denied it properly, Hena would have just teased her and let it go.

But seeing her make excuses about “another friend,” it sounded exactly like Silvia was talking about herself.

In fact, she had never had anyone approach her who could be called a friend.

‘Sorry, Silvia, but I need to look into this?’

If Silvia was being lured by some bad boy, there might be a need to intervene directly.

***

Ophelia, daughter of Grand Duke Ardelion.

Recently, her close friend Goden visited her, saying he needed more party members.

And the person she was going to introduce to Goden came of their own accord.

“Aris McKenheim… I didn’t expect you to seek me out first.”

“I should settle down somewhere too. I’ve also heard that the principality is in a dangerous situation both internally and externally.”

“So, what is your reason for wanting to join a party that hasn’t even been officially announced yet?”

Aris unfurls a strand of her pink long hair that she had been twirling, and with a bright smile, answers:

“Even if a dog pretends to be a wolf among wolves, it can’t be considered a wolf, can it?”

“…What?”

Not only was the answer puzzling, but why did that smile seem so chilling?

Ophelia thought it was just her imagination.

But her appearance itself was like a large spark being ignited for someone.

“Just kidding. I just want to help out if there are any troublemakers, Princess.”

Once again, a trial was foretold for the regressor.