Promotion Quest (2)
The girl who looked no older than early to mid-teens introduced herself without hesitation. “As some of you may already know, I’ll start with a proper introduction. I am Psyche, professor in charge of Integrated Combat Studies. I look forward to working with you all.”
The sight of such a young-looking girl boldly declaring herself a professor should have thrown the other students for a loop. The members of our Eastern Mountain Range hiking group were already used to it, but I had expected the newcomers to be visibly flustered. That prediction missed spectacularly.
“Yes, Professor!”
“We’re the ones who should be saying that—we look forward to it!”
“I will give it my all! Just give us any order!”
Strange. Shouldn’t they normally be grumbling something like, ‘What kind of joke is this, a kid like her being a professor?’ Instead, their uniforms were pressed with military precision, their postures ramrod straight. It was hard to tell whether they were students or soldiers.
“Fiore, any idea why they’re acting like that?”
“They’ve already seen the other professors. After that, they’re not about to judge someone by appearance anymore.”
“You mean Professor Emilio.”
The rumor that the white-haired pretty boy who looked like he had stepped out of a painting was far older than he appeared had circulated since the beginning of the semester. By the time we reached second year, it was treated as half-confirmed fact. Of course, the fanatics who had already fallen completely for him would vehemently deny it—even if Emilio insisted cats were dogs, they would nod along eagerly. But that wasn’t about to change the general consensus.
According to Fiore, there were even female students who not only refused to debunk the rumors but actively preached that it was actually a good thing… Well, tastes differ, I suppose.
“Professor Istar’s influence is probably huge too, right?”
“Huh? …Yeah, that makes sense.”
She had a beautiful face, a great figure, and always wore tight-fitting leather outfits. Thanks to her overwhelming achievements and record of activity at the academy, most people felt fear before lust, but objectively speaking, Professor Istar was an incredible beauty. Anyone qualified to take this class had already been through enough hell to understand how stupid it was to judge people by looks alone.
Once I realized that, the students’ rigid postures took on an entirely different meaning.
‘The important thing is what’s inside.’
‘It’s obvious her personality is a problem, but please, just stay within reasonable limits.’
‘Still, she can’t possibly be worse than Professor Istar, right?’
‘If I get kicked out of here, I’ll have to go back to that hellish cycle. I have to cling on no matter what!’
Whoa. Look at the fire burning in their eyes. The human will to survive truly is magnificent.
“‘You are swords meant to cut down demons.’ ‘Demons are humanity’s true enemy.’ These are phrases you’ve heard repeated to the point of nausea by now. Yet if I asked what exactly a ‘demon’ is, very few of you would be able to answer properly.”
I had no idea how Psyche interpreted the students’ burning enthusiasm, but she continued the lecture with perfect calm.
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing. You are warriors, not scholars. There is no need for you to know every detail about the ecology or social structure of the enemies you must defeat. The reason I bring this up anyway is because there is at least one characteristic of demons that you absolutely must know.”
In truth, I already knew exactly what Professor Psyche was about to explain… but here, I had to stay silent and listen attentively. This was not something I could reveal to the others myself.
“The mana naturally possessed by humans is turbid. Even if you perform the same strengthening, the same spell manifestation, or the same healing, the mana consumed is chaotic and inconsistent. But you are different. Close combat uses red. Magic uses blue. Support uses white. Each of you possesses mana optimized for your specific role. So let me ask you this: where did the idea of dyeing mana with a specific ‘color’ to increase its purity come from?”
One of the students raised a hand.
“Wasn’t it created when the empire collected and reorganized secret knowledge that had been passed down in the royal family and various noble houses?”
“Yes. That is what is publicly known.”
At Psyche’s answer, the other students began to murmur. After all, that response implied there was a different truth behind it.
“So the truth is different?”
“Yes. More precisely, it is the result of an existing mana manipulation research project that was elevated to a higher level due to a certain catalyst.”
“What was that catalyst?”
“An event you all know. The great invasion of the Ivestan Empire. The war commonly known as the Judgment War.”
The murmuring grew louder, and questions poured in one after another.
“Are you saying the research accelerated because of the war?”
“Slightly off the mark, but essentially correct.”
“Does that mean the Ivestan side is also performing this ‘dyeing’ process like us?”
“No.”
“Earlier you said there was a characteristic of demons we needed to know. What does that have to do with this story?”
To the final question, Psyche answered simply and clearly.
“Because the three-colored mana you use was conceptualized and established based on the idea of Black Light possessed by demons.”
For a moment, silence fell over the classroom.
When was it? I remembered comparing mana ‘dyeing’ to a kind of class selection. If I continued that analogy, Black Light would be something like a demon-exclusive class.
The demons who appear in the latter half of the original story all boast absurd strength, and each possesses one unique ability. They can discharge electricity, move freely through shadows, read minds—abilities that aren’t standardized skills like physical enhancement or spellcasting, but true superpowers.
Even if you tried to analyze the principles and reproduce them, it would be meaningless. In fact, even the users themselves don’t fully understand the exact structure. These abilities are usually innate, so to demons, using them is no different from moving their arms or legs. That’s probably why the descriptions of demon abilities in various texts are so inconsistent.
One might wonder if humans simply can’t use them, but there was no need to worry. That was exactly what this class was for.
“The way demons manipulate mana is different from humans. If anything, it’s closer to using magic tools. Just as you pour mana into a sword engraved with a flame spell to shoot fire, they can produce unique phenomena by channeling mana into a specific ‘organ’ they possess.”
The students, who had been momentarily confused, seemed to regain their composure after watching Psyche’s calm demeanor and began to speak.
“But Professor, if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean the demons’ power comes from their racial physical traits rather than from Black Light mana? If the principle is the same as magic tools, it doesn’t seem like a specific color of mana would be necessary.”
“No. Without Black Light, it is meaningless. First, the ‘organ’ I mentioned is not a physical part of the body. It is a mental element without substance. Second, for that insubstantial organ to function as fuel, the mana itself must also possess insubstantial properties. Ordinary mana has some of these traits, but to function properly, its purity must be raised. It’s the same as ‘dyeing.’ Third, the phenomena caused by Black Light may appear similar to those in reality at first glance, but in truth they operate under completely different laws.”
Despite Psyche’s detailed explanation, most of the students could only tilt their heads in confusion. As if she had expected that reaction, the professor added further clarification.
“To put it in extremely simple terms, think of dreams. In reality, water flows downward. Fire cannot burn without fuel. But in dreams, it’s different. Water can flow upward, and fire can burn on its own without anything to consume. Rather than trying to understand it, simply accept that ‘it is so.’ And remember—when facing demons, you must not be bound by ordinary common sense. Demanding theories or laws from a dream would be pointless.”
“Then how can we defeat monsters that wield such abilities?”
“Cut them, stab them, and burn them. They possess unusual powers, but they are not invincible. There are extremely rare cases where their defense or regeneration surpasses such attacks, but no matter the ability, the fuel is still mana. Just as you cannot fight properly once your mana is depleted, if you press them hard enough to exhaust all their mana, that will solve it.”
At that moment, Ligret—who had been listening silently—raised her hand. It was such a rare sight that even the students who had been preparing their own questions lowered their hands and watched with curiosity.
“Yes, Student Ligret. What are you curious about?”
“The strange power that Istar sometimes shows—is that the same thing?”
“She is a slightly special case, but it is not entirely unrelated.”
“Then can I use it too?”
To Ligret’s question, Professor Psyche answered,