episode_0031

Things go well, and yet, I feel strangely uneasy.

When things start as planned, the process is smooth, and the results are satisfactory…

I inevitably let my guard down.

And just when it seems I’ve reached the peak…

Everything comes crashing down. That’s how plans, dreams, and life go.

Well, it’s not that grand a story, but…

In my case, even though I didn’t exactly let my guard down this time…

It still happened.

***

“…Again.”

*WHOOSH—!*

The cadet’s attack, wielding a flame sword forged with mana, bounced off my [Mana Barrier] without even scratching it.

“Kgh… It’s too tough…!”

“I’ll be blunt. There’s a serious problem with your magic formula.”

It was time for our return to practical sparring.

However, neither Eve nor I could show our true abilities in the training grounds used by ordinary cadets.

Not unless we wanted to cause another ruckus.

So, under the guise of self-study, we were giving them some simple advice.

“Is that all you can muster?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Is my explanation unclear…?”

Seeing cadets who still struggled with basic mana flow control was frustrating, but I decided not to rush them.

Just like when I first started, I helped them feel the mana, step by step.

I guided them back to basics.

“See, this is the flow. Can you feel it?”

“Uh, uh… It’s not so much simpler—more concise, I guess…”

“Now, let that mana flow into the formula.”

*Swoosh—*

The cadet gathered the mana that had been aimlessly circling their body into their danjeon, then let it flow down their arm to their hand.

When the cadet drew a new flame sword, a distinctly different aura was felt.

“See? You got it.”

“Wow…”

Sword to sword.

I created a flame sword using the same spell and extended it towards them.

“Now, again!”

“…Yes!”

*WHOOSH—!*

The cadet swung their sword at me again, and this time, we were able to engage in a proper exchange without me being pushed back.

Of course, I also held back a bit.

“I did it…! Thank you, so much!”

“In the end, it became a display of my magical power… but, this should be good enough, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll figure out the rest myself!”

I felt a sense of accomplishment from their gratitude.

This kind of thing—offering advice to cadets who were struggling—?

Helping the instructors with their work. I could easily pass as a kind of assistant instructor.

From afar, Eve was giving advice on advanced magic.

I had the edge in mana control, but Eve was definitely better than me when it came to complex magic using precise formulas.

Like that… what was it again? That freezing magic I used in our first duel.

In pure magic, she was superior.

Everyone seemed to be diligently preparing for the midterm exams, which were approaching.

Occasionally, I saw cadets collapsing from mana exhaustion, but they would get up and practice magic again after recovering.

Their dedication was inspiring.

…But…

‘What in the world is wrong with Lulu…?’

After initially causing a major incident, I wondered if she was doing self-reflection, or perhaps preparing for an improved lesson.

She was nowhere to be seen while another instructor covered our classes.

Of course, she wasn’t the type to skip scheduled classes and skip out somewhere.

On the day Eve and I caused the chaos, she was apparently scurrying around the temporary infirmary.

Apparently, she even appeared once or twice after that, explaining that another instructor would be taking over for a while before disappearing again.

“So, when is she coming back…?”

I went to a less crowded spot and quietly called up my status window.

『Scenario in progress. [Main Story Chapter 2: Midterm Exams]』 『Progress conditions unlocked. [Condition: Improvement of 1-A cadets’ magical abilities]』

What am I supposed to do…? This condition appeared the moment she left.

The reason I was going around giving coaching was partly because I had time to spare, but honestly, this condition was a much bigger factor.

Midterm exams are individually graded, and I still don’t know why they want to raise the class average, but there must be a reason, right?

Like in Chapter 1, I might need the status of 1-A later on.

…Well, that should be enough for now.

Classes are almost over, so let’s decide where to go next.

I scrolled down the status window further.

『Progress conditions unlocked. [Condition: Thorough reading of Professor Price’s new paper]』

Right, I expected this.

I reached into my pocket and took out the item I received as a reward for clearing Chapter 1.

[Mana Superconductor] – Grade: Unique – A substance made by specially processing minerals collected from deep caves in the Tarun Mountains. – Mana absorption rate is 100%. – Current charge: 0%

A transparent stone, like a piece of glass.

But it’s no ordinary stone.

A pure substance that completely absorbs mana is a groundbreaking item unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

Normally, when using magic, even with perfect control, about 20-30% of mana is lost.

If I replace the gemstone in the head of a staff or wand with this [Mana Superconductor]?

It means I could reduce that loss to 0%.

If Professor Price, a madman of pure mana studies, saw this world-altering invention (though I didn’t invent it)…

What kind of reaction would he have?

I can’t even imagine it.

And I decided to add another gift.

Holding the superconductor in my hand, I closed my eyes, focused, and let pure, attributeless mana, drawn from nature, flow into it.

*Sizzle—*

Like soaking a tissue in water.

Despite its small size, about the size of a walnut, it absorbed a surprisingly large amount of mana.

When I felt it was full, I opened my eyes.

*WHOOSH—!*

The transparent superconductor, filled with my attributeless mana, had turned pure white.

‘Even if they’re not a mana scholar, they’ll be surprised with this.’

It is an item whose value cannot be measured.

Professor Price’s new paper mentioned in the clearing conditions doesn’t even come close to this.

With this, I can easily clear Chapter 2, so the only thing left is to study.

“Well, nothing else should go wrong, right?”

***

At the same time.

The academy’s faculty office was quite busy.

“Um… Professor, when will the materials be ready?”

“Ah, that… I was told they’d be ready by this afternoon…”

The midterm exams were fast approaching.

Other instructors were receiving exam questions related to their subjects from the professors, doing quick reviews or adding practical problems.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle, there was a new instructor who had finished all their work and was quietly sitting at a table, doing some extra checks.

Her name was Lulu Valentine.

After the previous practical sparring incident, she had submitted a report and was quite dejected.

*Swish— Swish—*

While other instructors were diligently creating questions after discussions, Lulu could only solve them and check for errors.

She felt a deep sense of deprivation.

Even if—no, even if it was all for her ambition to meet Princess Narita, she had applied for a position as an academy instructor.

She was a properly qualified instructor, having obtained her teaching qualifications and successfully passed the recruitment exam.

Honestly, who would have imagined that two cadets could get into a fight and turn the entire training ground into a chaotic mess?

Lulu was incredibly frustrated.

She was working so hard, yet things kept going wrong.

Just look at that woman passing by.

Instructor Lichtein, after finishing her discussion with other instructors about the knight’s studies exam questions, was approaching with a cheerful expression.

“Are you almost done?”

“Yes… Well, I’m still doing additional checks…”

Judging by the smile on her face, she seemed to have something to say.

Lulu, burning with irritation, gripped her pen so tightly it felt like she might break it.

*Crack—*

“Something good happened, I see…?”

Asphy laughed brightly.

“Yep~! I have a date with Narias-nim in the royal capital tomorrow~!”

*Crack—!*

Lulu’s feather pen snapped.

“Wh… Wonderful…”

“Yep~ I’m so happy~!”

Asphy, having thoroughly aggravated Lulu, left.

An hour passed, then two hours.

Just as the checked exam questions piled up on Lulu’s desk, other instructors dropped off more work.

By the time she finished, the sun had already set.

“Phew…”

She wasn’t particularly tired or hungry.

But she felt like her mind might snap.

She felt she might die from this.

Lulu walked home listlessly, without a thought.

The royal capital under her feet felt unusually hard.

The surrounding light and warmth seemed irritating, and the chatter of people sounded like noise.

She began to walk towards a quieter, colder, damper, darker place.

*Thump— Thump—*

When she realized she was getting farther and farther away from the warm, bright orange streetlights and nearing the red-lit streets…

She had arrived in the red-light district.

Stinging smells of alcohol and a fishy odor.

Lewd cries echoed from all around.

Naked women and intoxicated men lying around.

Wherever she turned, she was surrounded by people consumed by lust.

There were even couples having sex in the alleyways, and from between the legs of a woman collapsed next to them, semen oozed out with a *slosh—*.

*Thrill— Thrill—*

Lulu’s body reacted before her mind.

Her panties were getting wet, her womb below her navel pulsating.

“…I wonder if there are any women-only brothels.”

She gave up.

Lulu, who could no longer be satisfied by ordinary penises, judged that the chances of her being able to enjoy the services of male prostitutes were extremely low.

She briefly scanned the signs around her.

「Night Lotus」…「Pink Butterfly」…「Proxy Bookstore」— What’s this?

Is it a cover to avoid being caught by their wives?

Men have it rough too…

Lulu’s gaze stopped before a certain shop.

「The Fox Girl’s Toy Shop」