Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Academy Enrollment Negotiation
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“Genius Demon-Hunting Mage”
Chapter 67
“Right? President?”
“…….”
The president didn’t respond to my question at all.
He was even looking at me with a strange gaze.
No, more precisely, it was the kind of look that said, ‘What the hell is this guy?’
‘Hmm? What’s up?’
There was only one thing that came to mind right away.
‘Did I ask for too much?’
It would be hard to grant my request.
To be honest, I figured that might be the case.
Even for the president, arbitrarily admitting an outsider I’d brought without any prior discussion could be quite burdensome.
But.
‘There’s no better option than this.’
From my perspective, giving up on the academy was tough.
There was no more efficient place to build a foundation for a mage’s growth.
‘Of course, under the premise that the people I want to enroll get the same ‘special treatment’ as me.’
If cost issues arose, Asion Academy—famous for being expensive—would inevitably lose efficiency.
Anyway.
‘I have to push this through somehow.’
I’d just judged that and was about to continue speaking.
“……Alright, Yoo Han. You want me to admit this man to the academy?”
“Ah, yes. President. Is that possible?”
“No problem. As long as I write a recommendation letter.”
“Really?”
Fortunately, the president gave a positive response.
It seemed the president’s influence carried more weight in the academy than I’d thought.
But.
“But what makes you think I should write that recommendation for you?”
His follow-up words carried a sharp edge.
His face had hardened again, just like before.
I hurriedly opened my mouth to persuade him.
“You don’t need to worry about that. This guy’s identity is solid enough, at least…….”
“No, not him. You, Yoo Han.”
“……Pardon?”
“What makes me trust you enough to write a recommendation for you?”
What was this about?
I couldn’t fathom why he was suddenly showing hostility when he’d been friendly moments ago.
I didn’t jump to conclusions and asked directly.
“Did I do something to offend you, President?”
“You’re asking me that?”
The president responded with a face full of his own questions.
“You don’t even plan to properly attend the academy anyway. It looks like you’ve come back now only because some new purpose arose?”
“What do you…….”
“If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t have waited weeks to show up at the academy.”
The president spoke in a tone dripping with genuine displeasure.
From what he said, I could roughly guess what he was thinking.
He was upset that I hadn’t visited the academy for over two weeks after deciding to enroll.
But from my side, it made no sense.
“You told me to come whenever it was convenient for you. That I didn’t need to worry about attendance.”
Why was he bringing it up now after saying that himself?
When I pointed that out, the president paused before continuing.
“That’s true, but…… I didn’t mean for you to take it that far.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I didn’t mean you could completely ghost the place for two weeks straight, especially right after enrollment.”
“…….”
Hearing the explanation left me with nothing to say.
‘Attend when you have time, but not for two weeks straight…….’
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
“You’re being a bit unreasonable right now.”
“……Unreasonable?”
“Yeah. Anyone can see it doesn’t match what you told me at first.”
“…….”
Did he have nothing to say?
The president seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.
“Then tell me, Yoo Han. Do you seriously intend to attend this academy?”
“Of course. I plan to come whenever I can until there’s nothing left for me to learn here. These past few weeks, I just couldn’t because of some business.”
“Business, you say……?”
“Nothing much. Just caught a few demons.”
“You caught demons?”
“Yeah.”
At those words, the suspicious glint in the president’s eyes shifted to a sparkle.
The same look he’d given me when we first met.
“Are you working as a hunter?”
“Something like that. Not officially, though.”
“Hoo…… Mages who can stand against demons are rare. You really are an interesting fellow.”
“Thanks for the kind words.”
From his reaction, it seemed he only got that look when something piqued his interest.
The fact that I could hunt demons must have appealed to him.
The president pondered for a bit, then nodded.
“Fine. I still have my doubts, but I’ll trust your word for now.”
“So you’ll grant my request?”
“Ah, the enrollment?”
I nodded, and the president narrowed his eyes, scanning Thompson up and down.
Then he abruptly extended his hand.
“Greetings are late. I’m Asion Gaille, president of Asion Academy.”
“Ah, yes, President. I’m Thompson.”
As Thompson bowed slightly and took the president’s hand.
“Eek?”
Thompson flinched and pulled his hand back in surprise.
Meanwhile, Asion Gaille smiled as if it were amusing.
I didn’t need to see to know what happened.
He’d checked the mana circuits.
Just like he did with me.
“Heh heh, this…….”
“What do you think?”
It was something I was personally curious about too.
How were the mana circuits of my other comrades structured, unlike mine?
The president stroked his chin with an ambiguous expression before speaking.
“It’s not a bad circuit overall. But…… it’s a bit odd.”
“What’s odd?”
Instead of answering, the president approached Thompson and asked.
“If I may ask, how long have you been handling magic?”
“Ah, well…… It’s been just over ten years now.”
‘What? Ten years?’
That was news to me.
I’d gotten close to Thompson, but I hadn’t pried into his past.
Ten years?
Even hearing it straight from him, I could hardly believe it.
That meant he’d been handling magic for ten years and was still stuck at third circle.
It meant Thompson was an absolute dunce when it came to magic.
‘……No wonder he was worried.’
My concerns about the growth gap weren’t unfounded.
If he knew he progressed that slowly, I’d worry too.
He must have been under a lot of stress.
Somehow, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
On the other hand, Asion Gaille seemed intrigued by the fact.
“Hoo, ten years…….”
He kept stroking his goatee, deep in thought.
Unable to wait, I spoke first.
“Why? Is…… there something wrong with the circuit?”
“No, quite the opposite.”
“Pardon? What do you…….”
“It’s managed too well.”
……Managed well?
“Uncle, have you been managing your mana circuits this whole time?”
“Ah, no. I don’t even know how…….”
“President, what’s going on here?”
I asked in a tone urging an explanation.
The president said.
“No need to be surprised. He’s done it unconsciously.”
“Unconsciously?”
“To manage mana circuits, you usually need someone to teach you the method, but it’s not always necessary. Some people instinctively figure it out on their own. Ah, Yoo Han, mind if I drop the formalities?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Good. Anyway, continuing the explanation…….”
Wooong!
Above Asion Gaille’s staff, a complex structure materialized.
It looked just like the blood vessels in a body—a clear model of mana circuits.
“This is what an unmanaged mage’s circuits look like.”
“……They’re incredibly tangled. Looks messy with all that junk mixed in.”
“Exactly. Most mages cast spells in this state. And…….”
Thud.
Asion Gaille tapped his staff on the floor, and the circuit’s shape changed.
If the previous one was twisted like a pretzel, this resembled coral reefs.
“This is a steadily managed mana circuit.”
“It’s definitely different. Cleaner, and not as complex-looking.”
“Spot on. And this one.”
Thud!
The shape changed again.
“This is Thompson’s circuit.”
How to describe it? It looked a bit ambiguous.
The thickness was thick, and the twisting was midway between the first two.
Noticing my doubt, the president added.
“It might look a bit twisted, but the circuits are thick overall, so circulation is fast. And here.”
He pointed between the circuits.
“Above all, no impurities. That’s proof it’s being managed.”
“……I see.”
“There’s something even more important.”
“What’s that?”
“Mastering circuit management on your own requires relentless effort. Over a long period.”
“…….”
A brief silence fell.
The president’s footsteps broke it.
Step, step.
He walked over slowly and placed a hand on Thompson’s shoulder.
“You must have struggled for quite a while. From the traces, it looks like it was terribly tangled at first…… You did well not to give up on magic.”
Thompson’s body trembled faintly at those words.
“……Yeah. Honestly, I lived with the thought of quitting. Then I met the top ranker.”
“Top ranker?”
“Yoo Han.”
“Hoo…… So your circuits started improving from then?”
“I can’t see circuits myself…… But handling magic got easier bit by bit, and my learning speed picked up.”
“Same story.”
“Is that so.”
Swish.
They both turned to look at me.
“Uh…… um…….”
Even with them staring, I had nothing to say.
I hadn’t done anything.
Hell, I didn’t even know how to fix my own disastrous circuits and just left them be.
Sensing my thoughts, the president said.
“Sometimes, just having a talented person nearby boosts your skills.”
“Might be true.”
Thompson and the president nodded in unison.
They’d only just met, but they synced up surprisingly well.
Anyway.
We’d veered off-topic somehow, so I brought it back.
“So, can he enroll?”
“If he passes a few evaluations, sure. I like hardworking people.”
“Evaluations?”
“I’ve only checked the circuits so far; haven’t seen how well he handles magic. Probably pit him against some students here for the test.”
Hearing that brought back the building I’d seen on my previous visit.
The single-story one separated from the three main buildings.
- It’s also where we gather for special events or hold spars by mutual agreement.
The very place Roan said he sparred at.
The president planned to match Thompson against academy students there.
And for something like that…….
‘Piece of cake.’
I had zero worries about him failing.
Thompson’s level had skyrocketed over these two weeks.
He was strong in real combat from the start too.
“Uncle, you good with that?”
“Yeah, I’m confident if it’s that.”
With Thompson’s agreement, the president concluded.
“Then the evaluation’s set for tomorrow at 3 p.m. Pass, and I’ll write the recommendation right away.”
“Thank you, President!”
Thompson bowed deeply, face full of gratitude.
Given how much he’d admired Asion Academy, his thanks ran deep.
But that was Thompson’s view.
‘This isn’t enough.’
I still had more to squeeze out.
For example.
“I’ll need the special privileges you gave me too. We move together.”
Special privileges.
“Oh, and one more person.”
Another comrade mage I hadn’t even mentioned yet.
“…….”
From the carriage ride, I’d resolved to take everything I needed.