Professor Teia (2)
Because he'd been lost in his notes on the concepts of magic and his own thoughts, Alan hadn't properly heard what Professor Teia had said. He couldn't think of an answer on the spot, and his mind was a tangled mess.
As Alan fell silent, Professor Teia clicked her tongue lightly.
"Hmm, too focused on note-taking to hear me? Taking notes in class is good, but at least pay attention to the lecture. Mr. Famous."
"...Sorry."
"Anyway, let's get back to what I was saying—."
Professor Teia continued.
"There are all sorts of magic in the world, and oddly enough, its origin lies with the elves. The so-called High Elves. Anyone know about their magic system? Maybe someone who's taking 'Understanding Elf Culture'?"
Groans erupted here and there. Most of them were humanities department cadets. Alan was one of them.
Aw, man, 'Understanding Elf Culture'...
It was one of those subjects that gave him a headache just thinking about it. To make matters worse for Alan, it was one of the 24 mandatory major courses in the humanities department.
Felicia raised her hand.
"...I heard that elves established their magic system based on what we commonly call 'wellsprings.' It's different from human magic systems, and the efficiency is different too...."
"Oh my, Your Highness. You know your stuff. That's correct."
Professor Teia smiled at Felicia's answer.
"Just as Her Highness said. Human magic is, in other words, a downgraded version of the high magic used by elves—a diluted copy, as they say. Borrowing the words of the High Elves."
Of course, those High Elves no longer existed on the current Roselia Continent. The High Elves who had built a vast empire eventually splintered over time, sparking civil wars, and in the process, they waged war against the Ancient Trolls in the north of their empire and vanished.
The surviving High Elves scattered across the Roselia Continent, seeking ways to survive, and settled in various places, dividing into several branches. Elves who settled in the forests, like those in the Belstar Great Forest in the western empire, were called forest dwellers, or simply 'elves.' Those who hid underground, shunning sunlight, became 'dark elves.' Those who went to Kun'Rung became 'fairies.'
After the fall of the Elf Empire, the High Elves who headed to the North Sea in the north of the current Tyranto Empire prospered and began calling themselves 'High Elves.' Fairies, elves, dark elves, and High Elves. And if you count the offshoots from elves, there were the siren race known as mermaids, and cases where they couldn't overcome mana addiction and devolved into monsters.
In many ways, they were a race that had greatly contributed to the species distribution on the Roselia Continent.
It's not Warcraft or anything, but splitting into branches like this... Nah, High Elves and High Elves are the same thing. They just changed the name. What's the difference?
Whether Alan harbored such doubts or not, Professor Teia's lecture continued.
"High Elves inherited the magic system of the now-extinct ancient High Elves, so it's not strange to hear such stories.... But since it's a magic system created over a thousand years ago, it does have that old-fashioned, stodgy side to it, like ancient wizards."
An eraser floating in the air wiped the writing from the blackboard. Without even turning around, Professor Teia casually picked up the chalk again with mana.
"In any case, human magic started from the elves' magic and has now developed its own independent system. The concept of Unique Magic Circuits, as it's commonly called, exists only in human magic."
Snap. The words "Unique Magic Circuit" were etched onto the blackboard. Professor Teia drew a line under it and spoke.
"Now that you've all heard the full explanation. Mr. Famous?"
"...Yes, Professor."
"Care to explain the definition of a Unique Magic Circuit?"
"I think it's a step beyond the definition of magic."
"Precisely. Elaborate."
At Professor Teia's prompting, Alan let out a slight sigh and answered.
"If magic is reconstructing and tailoring the principles of the world through one's own perspective, then a Unique Magic Circuit takes it a step further, possessing an extremism that excludes everything else in favor of one's singular imagery."
A Unique Magic Circuit was, in martial arts terms, equivalent to a unique school of martial arts or a signature ultimate technique. That was how Alan roughly understood it.
"Excellent, Mr. Famous. That's the basic concept of a Unique Magic Circuit."
Professor Teia clapped lightly.
"A Unique Magic Circuit refers to an original magic created by a single mage that doesn't exist in any established system. It's the condensation of their entire life. Families that produce such Unique Magic Circuits without exception receive titles and serve the empire. Like ours."
The three great ducal houses, the Bernhardt family. The first family in the empire to produce a Unique Magic Circuit, reigning as guardians of the empire alongside the Mueller family.
Professor Teia glanced at the cadets and smirked.
"What the relationship is between incantations and spells. I got sidetracked while talking about that. But it was fun, right, cadets?"
After hearing the cadets' responses, Professor Teia nodded.
"Then we'll cover the relationship between incantations and spells next lecture, and we'll end today's class here. See you next time, cadets~."
With that, Professor Teia abruptly ended the lecture and strode out of the classroom with brisk steps. Staring at her retreating figure, Alan muttered in exasperation.
"...That professor is seriously impossible to pin down."
Three days after Alan commissioned the Morrison Detective Agency, Diavela came for an interim report.
After hearing her report, Alan clicked his tongue.
"...No real progress, huh, Diavela."
"I'm sorry, Alan. With so few people..."
"Can't be helped. Still, I can tell Lenox is running himself ragged."
According to Diavela, Lenox was throwing himself into investigations outside of class time.
Alan scratched his cheek with a hum.
"No new drawings have turned up?"
"The chief's been stirring things up so much that nothing's surfaced for now. They'd probably figure out you're behind it pretty quickly anyway."
"Well, I'm the only one who'd commission something like that."
Alan shrugged. He genuinely wanted to catch whoever was drawing and distributing those pictures for whatever purpose and at least see their face.
"I just want to get this over with."
"Oh, right. I read volume 2 and it was truly impressive. It was so hard to get ahold of, Alan."
"...Just enjoy reading it. You don't need to be that impressed."
"But Shuren really touched me. That corner of his heart burning with revenge still holds pity for humanity, forcing himself to justify saving the people of Melnoir territory. I think that decision must have been incredibly hard."
He'd almost forgotten. Diavela was a huge fan of the Shuren Chronicle. And from how she rattled off the details, she'd clearly been deeply moved.
As the author, it felt good, but having a fellow academy student he saw often be a fan was awkward.
Alan scratched his cheek with an embarrassed look.
"I thought that was Shuren's human side."
"I think it's so appealing that he's a vengeful ghost who hasn't completely lost his human heart! I've never read a novel like this before. We don't have anything like it back home!"
Yeah, figures.
Alan gave a wry smile. After all, he'd grown sick of those literary anthologies himself, so his own writing would be much easier to read than those flowery odes drowned in rhetoric.
Diavela smiled happily.
"I can't wait for the next volume. To think I get to talk like this with the author of such a novel—it's the greatest luck of my life!"
Alan wondered if this bordered on stalkerish worship, forcing an awkward smile.
"Don't say it like that. It's embarrassing."
"Ah, did I make you uncomfortable...?"
"It's that kind of reaction that's embarrassing...."
Alan sighed lightly.
"Anyway, keep up the investigation. If they've got some scheme, they'll move eventually."
"Yes. I'll head out then. Keep writing the next volume! Next time I'll bring a book for you to sign."
"Planning to get signatures on every volume?"
"Of course! They'll be my treasures."
"Honored."
Diavela smiled brightly at the reluctant Alan, then stood.
"I'll be going now, Alan."
"Yeah. Take care."
"Sure."
As Diavela opened the door, Meia appeared holding a basket of bread. She nodded to Diavela, who returned the gesture before leaving. Meia entered.
Alan sprawled on the sofa and looked at her.
"Welcome, Meia. Any news?"
"Nothing particular. Was there anything new in Miss Belstar's report?"
"Nah. The fact that no more distributions have happened means they're being cautious...."
"I see. Stopping the spread of the drawings is achievement enough, I think."
"It's a headache. I just wrote a novel. Why do these things keep happening?"
At Alan's grumbling, Meia smiled faintly.
"Probably because Young Master's talent is exceptional."
"So it's my talent that's the problem, huh."
"Even the Duke praised it right away."
"...No words for that."
His strict father, Duke Mueller, had given it rave reviews, so maybe it wasn't so strange that things had turned out this way. Alan sighed.
Meia's voice reached his ear.
"Professor Teia asked me to pass on that she'd like to meet when you have time."
"Huh? The professor?"
"Yes."
At Alan's surprised question, Meia confirmed.
"Any reason?"
"She's known for acting on whims and interests, so it's hard to pinpoint."
"What a pain."
From the same three great ducal houses, the Bernhardt family—a genius mage. She was the most outstanding among her peers but also had the most eccentric personality, or so he'd heard. Alan wasn't thrilled about her invitation to meet.
Meeting a professor privately wasn't something that happened in the first place.
What if I end up dragged into grad school?
But ignoring her outright was tricky. The problem was that she was from the Bernhardt family.
Alan ruffled his hair and clicked his tongue.
"Damn. Might as well meet her now that it's come up. Let's go, Meia."
"I'll accompany you."