Chapter 316
Chapter 316
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 316
Chapter Title: Invitation to the Society (1)
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The training was proceeding smoothly.
Both for the Fighter Crew and Kevin.
If things kept going like this, the Fighter Crew would be able to train their own recruits within a year at minimum, and Kevin seemed on track to steadily build his foundation as a black mage.
He had a natural aptitude for comprehension and intuition to begin with, so once the path was cleared, he picked things up quickly enough.
Then again, it was only natural. After all, he was the Master of the Magic Tower.
But equally good news was that the training on the Magic Tower side was also progressing more smoothly than expected.
"Oh, I think I get it now!"
A woman with orange hair, freckles, and an appearance in her early twenties said with a smile.
She was a student from the Alchemy School, retaking Kevin's [Basics of Magical Combat] class.
Of course, just like last time, her foundations were lacking, so Oliver had taken charge. The difference this time was that she gritted her teeth and followed Oliver's training diligently.
Which was why Oliver was now helping her grasp the knack for mana flow.
'Of course, she's not the only one.'
Oliver thought as he looked at the other students sitting in a row in the training room, each practicing their mana flow.
They were all diligent students who had stuck with Oliver's training, practicing sequential mana flow so intently that sweat beaded on their foreheads.
Most of them hit snags here and there, but regardless, they worked hard, and Oliver helped out those who simply couldn't break through on their own.
"Excuse me for a moment."
Oliver said to a student from the Gaia Sub-school as he placed both palms on the student's back. He furrowed his brow and pretended to strain himself.
In truth, it took no effort at all—he could fix it with a mere touch of his fingers—but since he'd lied and called it a technique from the far eastern desert lands, he put on the show for appearances' sake.
"...! It works. It works!!"
The student, receiving Oliver's not-quite-procedure procedure, lit up with surprise, satisfaction, and joy.
At first, they'd all been skeptical when he helped, but once the positive reactions piled up into double digits, everyone believed him fully.
Of course, it wasn't without issues.
"Um... could you help me too?"
One student from the Mjolnir Sub-school spoke up.
Unlike the others, he was a first-time enrollee from the summer semester, and resentment had built up from not receiving Oliver's help.
"Hm... I'm sorry, but could you practice a bit more on your own first?"
Oliver politely declined.
Not because he didn't want to help, but because there was still room for the student to grow independently.
These days, with so much teaching under his belt, Oliver could tell at a glance who could grow on their own and who couldn't. This one still had it in him; he just wasn't doing it.
When Oliver explained as much, the Mjolnir Sub-school student openly showed his displeasure, both in face and emotion.
"Why are you discriminating?"
"Pardon?"
"I've noticed it since last time. You only help the retakers. Why discriminate? I paid good money for this class."
"Ah... If that's how it came across, I'm truly sorry. But Edwin, you don't need help yet."
Oliver naturally used the student's name.
Just like with the Fighter Crew and Joseph's Family, Oliver made a point of memorizing the names of everyone he taught. It was the bare minimum courtesy.
"I do need it. I've been stuck in place for days. Or are you saying I'm not doing it right now?"
"Yes."
Oliver's firm answer.
The other students watching the argument turned surprised looks toward him. He was so polite, yet unyieldingly firm in odd ways. The contrast was striking—and somehow still felt natural.
"What?"
"I said Edwin isn't practicing properly... No, that's not what I mean. Just practice a little more, please."
"On what basis—"
"—Professor Kevin taught the sequential mana flow, and at the very end, you keep relaxing your power. Your focus seems to be slipping. I'm sorry, but even once is fine—just concentrate all the way through. If you push through that part without slacking, my help won't matter anyway. If you still can't after that, then I'll assist."
Oliver pinpointed the issue with precise pronunciation, leaving Edwin speechless for several seconds.
It was exactly right.
The Magic Tower students watching realized instinctively that Oliver had nailed it.
A low silence settled in.
Edwin, exposed, flushed slightly and opened his mouth to retort—but right then, someone entered the training room. It was Kevin.
"Still in class here?"
Everyone flinched at the voice laced with faint mana.
He was one of the top professors in the Magic Tower when it came to intimidation.
Edwin was no exception; Kevin's arrival deflated him instantly.
Only Oliver greeted him casually.
"Hello, Professor... What brings you here?"
"Class time ended, and you didn't show. Came to fetch you."
Oliver checked the clock. Sure enough, class had overrun by about five minutes.
He'd been too absorbed to notice.
Oliver apologized to Kevin and hurriedly wrapped up the session.
"Great work, everyone. That's it for today—see you tomorrow. And Edwin?"
"Y-Yes?!"
"Right at the start of tomorrow's class, I'll check you and the other first-timers first. I can't guarantee you'll get it immediately, but I'll point out what to focus on. Sorry for overlooking you until now."
Caught between Oliver's courtesy, Kevin's presence, and the awkward situation, Edwin nodded in a daze, swept away like driftwood on the tide.
The students ebbed out like the receding tide. Oliver immediately grabbed cleaning tools from the closet and tidied the training room with practiced skill, finishing in just five minutes.
"Impressive."
Kevin, who hadn't left yet and had waited, remarked abruptly.
"Must be from cleaning the Magic Tower every day. Got the knack for it."
"That's not what I meant."
Kevin said to Oliver, who looked subtly proud.
"Pardon? Then...?"
"The summer semester's been going a while, but you're still showing up steadily."
Ah... Oliver understood.
Usually by now, he'd take leave for fixer work. It wasn't odd for Kevin to comment.
"Trouble with that side of things?"
Kevin asked as they headed back to the lab together.
"No, nothing like that. The fixer jobs are fine."
"Figured. You resolved one of Landa's top major incidents this year and took down the city's living legend."
He meant the ABC investment firm case and the Shamus case.
They'd happened just recently, but it felt like ages since he'd heard about them.
As Kevin said, both had been successfully resolved, boosting Oliver's reputation far higher than before.
No—higher than that. Shamus's name carried more weight than Oliver had anticipated. Forrest had said that at this rate, Oliver might become one of Landa's premier fixers.
"Or did things sour with the Moirae School?"
"No, that resolved well too."
That was true as well.
Oliver had unilaterally released Eve, causing a minor issue with the Moirae School, but reports and a few meetings had cleared it up neatly.
"Or has your reputation gotten too high, making it hard to operate?"
Oliver shook his head this time.
His skyrocketing fame could make him a target like a protruding stone, but luckily, Forrest said there were no signs of that.
Thanks to Landa's political system of mutual checks, the city's informal alliance, aiding the Fighter Crew, and other factors.
"He said time is the remedy from here. In time, the intense impression will fade, my awkward position will settle, and I'll blend into the city."
"Hm... Could be."
"The break is... nothing much. Made decent money from the last job, and with Magic Tower work, I'm just resting."
"Diligent yet laid-back. Well, your business, not mine... How many do you think will pass this week's test?"
"About three."
The test was the weekly Friday exam for the students under Oliver.
It gauged if they were ready for Kevin's classes. Last regular semester, only Felix had advanced, but this summer semester had already seen over eight pass.
A truly remarkable result.
"Do well, and everyone in this class could attend my lectures directly."
"Yeah... It's a bit surprising that running classes like this causes no issues."
"The Magic Tower's full of all sorts—stuffy yet lax. If there was a problem, the school admin would've sent someone last semester... Hm?"
Kevin trailed off, looking ahead.
Derrick was waiting anxiously in front of the professor's lab.
The Derrick who had passed the interview with Felix and become Kevin's researcher.
Derrick hurried over as soon as he spotted Kevin and Oliver returning from class.
"Professor."
"What is it?"
Kevin cut straight to it, sensing something off.
Thankfully, Derrick matched his pace, skipping formalities.
"A guest arrived."
Oliver flinched. Had the school admin sent someone over their earlier class talk?
Kevin asked.
"From where?"
"From the Life School."
Life School. It had been a while since he'd heard that name.
Not since the Mountain Face Battery incident.
Even so, hearing it now didn't feel like that long ago.
Maybe because Oliver had subtly tangled with the Life School in the meantime.
"......."
Oliver recalled his dealings with the Life School and spoke to Derrick and Felix waiting outside.
"Do you know why the Life School sent someone?"
"Beats me."
Surprisingly, Derrick answered before Felix.
"The Life School interacts with other schools often due to their field, but them coming here is unexpected. The professor's skin tone is a bit..."
Derrick trailed off cautiously, but Oliver got it immediately.
Eugenics had taken root in the Magic Tower to some degree, but the Life School was the worst offender. For them to visit red-skinned Kevin was odd.
Felix added uneasily.
"And the visitor is..."
"...? Who is it?"
Oliver asked Felix, who was glancing around hesitantly.
As Felix opened his mouth, a man emerged from the professor's lab door.
Surprisingly, it wasn't a stranger.
It was Carl—the grandson of the Life School's Grand Master and the man in charge of Martel.