I Will Teach You the Method of Disruption

The private interview with Prophard Jr. was fruitful.

“Y-you’re saying I have the aptitude of a wizard?”

“Yes, personally, I think you have decent qualifications.”

He was so lacking in self-esteem that he smiled brightly even at a small compliment.

Even after receiving praise, his self-esteem and confidence were so low that he fell back into the pit of self-doubt and self-deprecation.

This was probably the aftermath of being crushed by various bullies at the academy.

‘And Miss Silvesta probably played a small role too.’

He couldn’t even make eye contact with the person right in front of him, and he flinched every time I said a word, and he was so restless.

I could see why Helen Silvesta thought of him as a ‘loser.’

‘It’s much worse than in class.’

Perhaps it was because he had the purpose of focusing on the class during class.

At least he was staring intently at the blackboard then.

“Well, it’s true that you don’t have talent in the Bluster School, which values destruction magic, or the Life Magic School, which is related to life.”

“Ah…”

At my words, his shoulders slumped again.

This is a bit annoying.

“But you have enough talent to succeed in the Meister School. Like how you don’t lose focus once you concentrate during class, or your understanding of circuits.”

I recalled the only thing Prophard Jr. had said during class.

-So, are you saying that if you find the central circuit that makes up the magic in illusion magic, you can naturally find the core?

His understanding of circuits was quite high.

He understood the core of the content at once in a lecture that only scratched the surface.

This was a considerable talent.

He pierced the core through a story that everyone could easily overlook.

This is the talent that the Meister School wants most.

‘I’m glad I have a good excuse to call him out separately.’

“Th-then, what about illusion magic like instructor?”

“Illusion magic?”

“Yes!”

“Hmm…”

I shook my head.

“Don’t even think about it. There’s no future here. It’s better not to do it.”

“D-do I not have talent?”

“It’s not that you don’t have it, but your talent in the Meister field is much higher.”

“Ah…”

“You didn’t come to the Imperial Academy to become a wizard anyway, did you?”

The Imperial Academy was a place of education where people learned various knowledge to become central figures in the empire, rather than just magic.

Knights, administrators, priests who use divinity, spiritists, etc.

They learn basic magic, but their treatment is inevitably lower than that of wizards from the magic schools.

Prophard Jr. nodded.

“But it wouldn’t hurt to learn it. If you have nothing to do after graduating from the academy, that is.”

“Ah, yes…”

“Anyway, have confidence. I’ll write you a letter of recommendation anytime you want.”

“Th-thank you.”

That’s enough.

Although it was a short consultation, I was able to learn about Prophard Jr.’s personality, habits, speech, and position at the academy.

With this, I can add more detail than before.

“Oh, what’s your name? I need to write your name when I submit the letter of recommendation later.”

“Ah, it’s Aeson Prophard.”

“Aeson Prophard… Okay. Thank you.”

I handed him my business card.

“Contact me if you want.”

“Th-thank you.”

Thank you.

I’m more thankful.

***

“Hey! Illusion Magician!”

“Just because we’re outside the academy doesn’t mean you don’t have to call me instructor?”

“Instructor, my foot. You were just a one-day instructor anyway.”

Helen came to find me two days after the day I taught as an instructor.

Without a single attendant.

“Did you come to find out about Yuris’s weaknesses again today?”

“D-do you think that’s what I came here for?”

“Is that so? Then what brings you here?”

“I came to ask what you talked about with that loser on the day you came as an instructor.”

So that’s what it was.

She seemed very concerned.

After all, I acted as that loser in the illusion, so she must be very worried.

She must be worried that I might have said something to that loser.

“Didn’t Prophard Jr. tell you?”

“He did. He said you thought he had talent in magic and would give him a letter of recommendation to the Meister School?”

“You heard everything, so why are you here?”

“Do you think I’d believe that? What talent does that loser have?”

Hmm.

I don’t want to say it because it feels like gossiping.

But I can’t help it.

She won’t believe me if I don’t say it directly.

“His talent may be insignificant compared to the young lady, but it’s true that he has considerable talent compared to other wizards. That’s why I recommended him.”

“Really…?”

“The recommendation is sincere. And I said I would never say what you’re worried about, so why don’t you trust me?”

“…”

“Then, since you’ve heard the answer you wanted, I’ll be on my way…”

“W-wait a minute!”

Helen called out to me as I was about to close the door.

“What is it?”

“I have one more thing to do besides that.”

“What is it?”

“…”

Helen looked at me and closed her mouth, remaining silent for a moment.

“If you have nothing to say…”

“That method of breaking illusion magic that you taught me back then. Is it real? That there are other ways besides finding gaps.”

“Of course. Finding areas where the flow of mana is misaligned, or finding circuits that appear to have been used for magic, are also methods. Of course, this is only the case for low-level illusion magic. If it’s an illusion of a high-level wizard, the finishing is so perfect that it’s hard to find.”

“Then, how can you dismantle high-level illusion magic?”

“Surely you’re not asking me to tell you how to break my own weapon?”

“N-no, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just…”

“As a teacher, I have a desire to teach students who are enthusiastic about learning. But…”

I think I know what she’s asking for.

She must want to hear the method of breaking it and break the illusion magic.

It was a question asked by Helen, who has always been successful and has a high sense of pride.

“I can’t tell Miss Silvesta.”

I pretended to look behind her and continued.

“By the way, you don’t have any attendants today either. Does this mean it’s not an official schedule for Silvesta?”

“That’s…”

Helen de Silvesta always brought several attendants with her whenever she had official business.

The name Silvesta was that heavy.

So much so that they would never leave the princess alone for ‘official’ business.

The fact that she didn’t have a single attendant near her meant…

“That’s right. I can’t come here for official business.”

Helen didn’t deny it.

She just turned her head and avoided my gaze.

Her face flushed slightly.

“Then let me ask you just one thing. Did you come as the Duchess of Silvesta? Or did you come as a student of the academy?”

“Does that matter?”

“Of course. If you came as the duchess, I’ll kick you out, and if you came as a student with a high desire to learn, I’ll give you supplementary lessons.”

“…”

She was silent for a moment.

“I came as a student of the academy.”

“Then you have to have the right attitude.”

Helen bit her lip as if she had heard insulting words at my words.

“…T-teacher, tell me.”

Okay. This is enough effort from Silvesta.

“Come in. Let’s start the supplementary lesson.”

That’s why there’s no student who can beat their teacher.

She came into the store, and I closed the door.

Thud.

And that sound felt particularly loud today.

***

“Sit down.”

Helen frowned at Max’s words, pointing to the center of the illusion magic circle.

“What are you doing…?”

“You said you were going to learn. If you came as a student, you have to experience it properly.”

“No, what I want is…”

“Then go back. I won’t accept you if you came as Miss Silvesta.”

This isn’t it.

Helen rubbed her forehead.

The reason she came back to this store after worrying for two days wasn’t just to ask if Max had really told that loser what she had seen.

It was because she was resentful of his actions of coming all the way to the Imperial Academy to dig into her private life.

So, she was going to point this out and argue about it.

But when she actually faced Max, that thought subsided for a moment, and what came to mind instead was…

A sense of defeat.

The deep sense of defeat she felt in the past when she couldn’t break his illusion magic at all and was swayed by this man.

That must be why.

The question about the method of breaking illusion magic came out before the story about her private life.

She wanted to win.

She wanted to win against this man who had defeated her with illusion magic that she had never experienced before.

“If I see that again, I’ll have to go through something unsightly again.”

“That’s not true.”

“What?”

“Would I put you into practice without even telling you the simple theory?”

“…”

“If you sit in the center of the magic circle, I will tell you how to break this illusion magic together. And you can solve it yourself.”

“Is that possible…?”

“That depends on the young lady’s talent. If it’s Miss Silvesta, who has more brilliant talent than anyone else, it might be possible.”

Max provokes her.

Anyone can see that it’s an obvious trick to get her to come into the magic circle.

But the pride of Silvesta and the competitive spirit born from the experience of never losing to anyone ignited Helen’s heart.

“You said you’d tell me if I sat here.”

“Of course.”

“Okay.”

She knew it was a trap, but her desire to win was burning brightly.

I’ll crush this arrogant instructor’s nose.

If I just know the theory, there’s nothing I can’t do.

I only lost back then because I didn’t know the method.

“If I win, then it’ll be good to properly expose Euris’s weakness.”

“Of course. I’ll reveal it to the world myself. The Iron-Blooded Knight’s desires, that is.”

She sat in the center of the magic circle.

“So, what’s the solution?”

“It’s simpler than you think. Just realize that this place isn’t reality.”

“…That’s it?”

“Yes. Illusion magic inevitably has differences from reality. A sense of incongruity arises, so you have to find it. Like a flying car suddenly appearing, or a cloud forming where it shouldn’t be.”

“……”

“And if you use that incongruity you find to break down the illusion’s order even a little, it will naturally unravel.”

“Things like circuits or anything like that?”

“That’s the most basic mistake novice illusion mages make.”

“Earlier, you clearly said that high-level mages have perfect finishing touches that can’t be found…”

“That’s right.”

Helen finally realized.

That she had been deceived by this man.

“You piece of trash…”

“Look carefully. I deliberately made it obvious so a student like you could easily find it.”

The world turned upside down.

***

“You! Son of a bitch!”

Max, who should have been there to hear the curse she screamed, was nowhere to be seen.

It was the academy again.

The central hallway.

The same space as when she first fell into Max’s illusion.

“Damn it…”

She was tricked like an idiot.

Why did I do that?

I should have suppressed my competitive spirit.

‘Anyway, I have to find it.’

He definitely said he made a flaw in an obvious place.

At least he wouldn’t lie in a competition like this.

If he was trying to deceive her with lies…

‘I’ll go back and destroy him, no matter the cost.’

-Free wind and land of discipline, come forth and fulfill the contract.

Helen recited the contract-bound spell in the spirit language for confirmation.

And at that moment.

-Whoooosh~.

-Booo~.

The high-level wind spirit and the high-level earth spirit stood before her.

Huh?

“You’re connected to spirits?”