episode_0074

Through Instructor Frederick, I was barely able to meet ‘former’ Professor Albert again.

I already had the phone number the instructor had given me previously, but I thought it would be more effective to ask through the instructor rather than directly requesting lessons. And my choice was correct.

“He said he’ll see you this evening, in a few hours. The address is .”

“Thank you!”

“What’s with the thanks? If you’re so grateful, why don’t you pay me for the tutoring?”

“Here!”

“…Where did you pull out that wad of bills? No, never mind. I was just kidding…”

As the sun set, I rode in a truck driven by another Violet for a long time.

We arrived at the address. Under a streetlamp in a quiet park with a small lake, a middle-aged man with a nervous expression was waiting, tapping the ground impatiently with a dissatisfied look.

“This is already our third meeting.”

“Professor-nim! Are you really going to teach me? Thank you!”

“Why are you making such a fuss over something that hasn’t even been decided yet?”

I politely offered him several well-packaged bottles of juice. Instructor Frederick had declined, saying he didn’t like sweets, so I was curious how the professor would react.

“What’s that? Just put it away for now. I’m busy.”

There was no culture of exchanging juice gift sets in Lustrum.

“That vulture bastard, how childish… Fine. Guess why you’re here.”

“It doesn’t seem like a lesson… Is it a test?”

“Correct. You look dim-witted, but you’re quick-witted.”

The professor pulled out a short stick and swung it. The folded stick became a long staff. He swung the staff repeatedly and drew a hand seal in the air with his left hand.

“No need to answer, just listen. I met you because a colleague I know asked me to, but I quickly grasped your level. It’s terrible.”

“Then why did you tell Instructor Frederick to teach me?”

“Shut up! I’m not someone who just teaches anyone. You’re not thinking of taking advantage of a person who was a tenured professor at an academy for free, are you?”

I became confused. Then why on earth did he make such an unreasonable request to the instructor to just try teaching me? It was also strange that the instructor agreed. Was it a whim?

Luminous waves of magical energy repeatedly scattered and vanished around Albert. Professor Albert stepped onto the lake. He walked across the water towards the center.

“When I was a professor, I used to give diagnostic evaluations near the academy’s inner lake to weed out fools like you. Turns out there’s a similar place here. It’s quiet, and there’s no one around at night. Just in case, I even put up a few soundproofing barriers nearby.”

Magic circles repeatedly intersected and gradually expanded, encompassing the entire lake. Soon, a membrane with complex geometric patterns draped around the lake, enveloping it.

“The test method is simple. Break through this barrier, cross the lake, and come to me. The time limit is one hour.”

I was flustered and stomped my feet.

“Wait a minute! How am I supposed to break through that barrier?!”

A short chime sounded, and a complex puzzle made of sparkling orbs appeared before the barrier.

“The purpose of this test is to assess your judgment, application skills, and mathematical reasoning. It doesn’t have to be magic. Use any means necessary to break through the barrier.”

The moment I saw the puzzle before me, I had a hunch. This was a magical formula.

“Magic is the act of using aether to alter the world’s physical laws. It’s on a different level from simple physical enhancement.”

Its appearance was complex and dazzling. It looked like several abacuses made of jewels intertwined with each other.

The sparkling particles connected by complex lines and circles looked like a scene where a Rush Hour puzzle and the Bridges of Königsberg were mixed with 3D chess.

“If you don’t pass, I won’t teach you. Now, begin-”

“Wait! I don’t know how to use magic!”

Short bell-like sounds rang out in succession. The text appeared above the magic circle. The countdown had begun.

***

Professor Albert sat quietly on the lake, observing Violet’s actions.

‘This is a problem that only high-level students could barely solve.’

The given barrier’s formula couldn’t be solved by simply manipulating magical energy.

Magic was truly peculiar; it couldn’t be used without strong mathematical reasoning. Even pure mathematical knowledge required a deep understanding of geometry and topology.

Professor Albert didn’t know, but unfortunately, Violet was a humanities student who was bad at math.

Violet poked the formula with her fingers, moved the jewel-like particles around, and then made a tearful face.

The professor watched the scene with a smile. Although he had threatened not to teach her, it was a request from a close former colleague, so he had no intention of refusing to teach.

This test was merely to assess her level.

In fact, there was something he was looking forward to. He recalled the phone conversation he had with Frederick.

-It’s not just because you stubbornly insisted I teach the kid. Do I look like the type to play such a trick? Albert. This youngster, Violet, has potential beyond imagination!

-Potential? Are you sure?

-She broke through the beginner stage in just three days after starting body magic enhancement training. She even awkwardly used full-body enhancement.

-Aren’t you mistaken? No, you’ve always been accurate about such things. Now that you say that, I am curious.

He secretly felt that his friend was trying hard to hide his excitement.

Twenty minutes passed. An impatient Violet touched the formula here and there. She even cupped her hands like a magnifying glass and peered through them.

‘Goodness, does she think this is some neighborhood lock?’

Albert clicked his tongue. If he were to take on this foolish girl, it seemed he would have a lot to teach. It wouldn’t be boring.

By the time the barrier’s timer displayed 30, Violet surveyed her surroundings. Albert sensed magical energy moving from her. Dozens of girls, identical to Violet, appeared in succession.

‘That’s not magic, then. Is that the unique ability Frederick mentioned? It’s truly unusual. That alone would make for excellent research material.’

The Violets, who appeared holding tools, began digging the ground beneath the barrier.

‘I told her to use any means necessary, but she’s doing all sorts of bizarre things.’

What he had just said was merely a casual remark.

More importantly, this barrier was spherical. Even if she dug, all paths to the lake were blocked.

Twenty-five minutes remained until the end of the test.

The girls, who belatedly grasped the barrier’s structure, abandoned their tools and drew their weapons. Red sword energy surged forth in succession.

Before long, dozens of Violets, whose numbers continued to increase, began furiously assaulting the barrier. Some girls were even seen wielding crossbows and firing.

‘It’s pointless. Foolish girl. Hitting it with such weak output is useless. The barrier will just absorb the magical energy.’

With about 15 minutes remaining, the Violets, drained of magical energy, panted and collapsed. The girl dispelled some of her clones. The clones and the girl sat quietly, squatting and glaring at the barrier.

‘She doesn’t seem to have given up, but is she waiting for something…?’

The sound of an engine began to be heard from afar. With a strange premonition, Albert looked around.

Led by a truck, three cars of varying sizes, their lights flashing, began to rush towards the barrier. When he saw who the drivers were, Albert finally realized what Violet had been waiting for.

‘What kind of insane person is this? She’s going to try to break through this physically? To physically destroy this barrier, you’d need to bring in federal army artillery!’

Half-dumbfounded by Violet’s idea, Albert shook his head repeatedly. He had never seen a student attempt such a thing in his entire teaching career.

-Crash! Bang!

The cars that collided with the barrier were successively smashed. The attempt to use the truck and passenger cars as battering rams to collapse the barrier ended, leaving behind only three wrecked vehicles.

An indignant Violet screamed and kicked the barrier. She gritted her teeth and stepped back.

‘What? Is she running away?’

Albert’s eyes creased with disappointment and disdain.

With about five minutes left on the clock, Violet returned.

The same clone girls as before walked over, carrying numerous black objects of various sizes.

Grunting and straining, they buried the items they had brought at the spot where they had previously dug around the barrier.

Suddenly, Albert’s long experience alerted him to danger.

The moment he focused his magical energy and observed, he was horrified.

Suspicious metal containers of various sizes, connected by wires, had diverse shapes and forms, but they were clearly…

‘Those are…improvised explosive devices?’

A horrified Albert shouted.

“Wa-Wait! What are you doing! Stop!”

Violet glanced at the barrier, stuck out her tongue, and then laughed. The girl ran back and hid in a hole she must have dug at some unknown point.

“You crazy woman! Stop it right now!”

With about four minutes remaining until the end of the test, a violent explosion roared, and a cloud of dust surged upwards.

-BOOM!

An immense amount of improvised explosive devices, incomparable to artillery, turned the park into a mess. The barrier, unable to withstand the shock, instantly collapsed.

“Yahoo!”

A delighted Violet dashed through the dust cloud and swam across the lake towards him.

“Four minutes left!”

“Ah….”

“Passed! I passed! You’re going to teach me magic, right? Right?”

Albert clutched his head and cursed his old classmate, Frederick.

‘My god, Frederick. What potential! This is just a lunatic!’

The former tenured professor of Polaris bowed his head in exasperation.

Only the girl swimming below tilted her head, not understanding.