The Professor's Hungry Gaze
The professor's gaze feels off.
The professor's gaze feels off.
Chatter filled the air like that.
Emilia turned from the blackboard, her voice soft and warm.
"Alright, that's enough theory for now. I hear we have an outstanding student in our class who set an unprecedented record in yesterday's entrance exam."
Emilia's eyes locked straight onto Rian.
She hadn't been there to witness it herself, but Rian's disastrous feats from the exam had already spread like wildfire among the academy's faculty. Even professors from non-magic departments knew all about it.
"Rian? The rumors are buzzing among the professors. Could you come up front and demonstrate elemental magic for the class?"
She smiled kindly, but there was a sticky hunger laced in her words.
"Do I have to?"
Rian asked, making no effort to hide his annoyance.
Even at his refusal, Emilia kept smiling.
"Yes, please. Oh, and no destroying buildings like yesterday, of course. Just show the process of creating the spell on your hand and your control over it. That'll be fine, right?"
Rian let out a deep sigh. With the professor insisting like this during class, he couldn't refuse again.
"...Fine."
He dragged his listless body up, stretching lazily. Once on his feet, he headed straight to the podium.
"Let's start with the most basic element: fire. Take it easy."
Emilia stepped back a pace.
Rian stood at the center of the podium and casually turned his palm upward.
Fireball.
He'd chosen the same 3-Circle spell from yesterday. But today's Rian was on another level compared to during the exam.
Yesterday, he'd been at 3-Circle. Today, he was at 4-Circle.
And the mana efficiency and density were worlds apart.
Woooong—!
The Fireball, already like one squeezed out with ultimate efficiency by a 9-Circle archmage, had evolved even further when paired with his overwhelming 4-Circle mana reserves.
Now, a dazzling white orb sat in Rian's palm—like a miniature sun forcibly compressed.
Shooooooo—
Yet no heat leaked outward. If it had, no one in the room would have survived.
Rian controlled it perfectly.
But the sheer, heavy mana radiating from the orb was terrifying.
"H-Huh... Huhh?!"
"C-Can't... breathe...!"
The students gasped in terror just from sensing the massive mana.
"Whoa! So pretty! It's blinding!"
Amid the fear, Vesperia was the exception. She clasped her hands like she was watching fireworks, letting out pure awe.
She'd known Rian's power all along, so even this colossal mana didn't faze her.
Only that guy's got it!
Meanwhile, Ardelia's red eyes, seated beside her, burned with hot desire.
Impossible... No way!
But Asrion couldn't accept it like Vesperia or Ardelia. His face matched the other students' horror.
As a 3-Circle mage himself, he felt that immense presence more acutely than anyone.
Unlike the others, he could faintly grasp the mana and precise control needed to maintain that white orb floating in midair.
That's not talent! No human at 13 can reach that level!
Asrion bit his lip until it nearly bled. His mind screamed.
All his lifelong effort and pride were being denied.
Right. That's impossible. He's definitely using some trick. Some shady curse to artificially inflate his mana... or hiding a heretical black magic artifact!
That thought eased his mind. A desperate rationalization born of inferiority.
This is serious. We can't let a dangerous heretic like that stay in the academy.
Asrion clenched his trembling fist under the desk.
To expose Rian and crush his arrogance, the faculty alone wouldn't cut it.
I need to contact Grandpa. I'll request a full investigation under the Mage Tower's name to uncover every secret!
Gazing at the brilliantly shining white orb, Asrion hardened his resolve. He truly believed he was upholding justice.
As Asrion nursed his inferiority in feverish delusion...
Beautiful...
Right beside the podium, Emilia watched Rian's magic up close, her inner world churning for entirely different reasons.
Her blue eyes trembled.
It wasn't mere surprise or shock. As a scholar pursuing magical truth and a mage herself, it was a hot, fierce thrill.
What caught her eye especially was the perfect structure binding that mana.
Zero wasted thermal energy. Mana particles in a perfect closed system, repeatedly collapsing and fusing to max density. That's no mere flame clump. It's a massive mana compression furnace shaped like fire!
Emilia Rockhart was an imperial genius who'd reached 8-Circle archmage at just 29—one of the empire's all-time greats. Even the Mage Tower's elder council bowed to her brilliance.
So she recognized the orb's power.
At least 7-Circle... No, it rivals the top-tier 7-Circle AoE spell from a mage at full power.
Chills raced up her spine.
A mere 3-Circle spell outputting 7-Circle power. The formula's framework remained, but the computations inside had transcended human cognition into geometric perfection.
That unknown realm was the spell before her.
How can a 13-year-old boy craft such a flawless formula?
Emilia's heart pounded wildly.
Others feared the boy's disaster-class talent. But she felt intense euphoria.
Will that boy grow into a monster?
No, "monster" fell short. Perhaps a divine being.
As someone on the path of magic, witnessing this sent electric pleasure through her. She doubted even sexual ecstasy could top it.
Aaah... So thrilling!
She wanted to see more. Unconsciously clasping her hands, Emilia thought.
Mages thirsted for knowledge and truth. Perhaps this boy would reveal what truth truly was.
In truth, she'd once been a battle mage with countless combats under her belt. Among them, missions investigating corrupt black mages who'd fallen to otherworldly whispers and worshipped heresies.
She'd hunted them down.
Each time, she'd sneered inwardly.
[Falling for nonexistent powers and madness, abandoning rational judgment? Utter hopeless idiots.]
She'd lived by that belief.
But now, Emilia retracted half of it.
No. They weren't just idiots. Their reason shut down before an overwhelming truth beyond their knowledge.
They'd just picked the wrong path. Clinging to uncertain outer gods was misguided.
But this boy?
Far more stimulating and alluring than some pathetic god demanding ugly deeds without guarantees.
A disaster in human form. Or rather, the abyss of magic incarnate as a boy.
"Professor."
"...Yes? Oh, yes! Rian!"
Rian's voice snapped Emilia back to reality.
Startled but masking it with a calm smile.
Rian spoke to her.
"How long do I have to hold this? My arm's getting sore."
"Ah..."
Emilia smiled at his words.
"Hehe. Sorry, Rian. Your mana array was so brilliant and perfect, I lost myself staring. You can dismiss it now."
"Got it."
At her permission, Rian released the spell instantly.
The overwhelming mana vanished in a blink.
Insane! How does he retract that vast mana without a single percent of backlash or waste, straight back to his heart's circles?!
That clean recovery made Emilia scream and cheer inwardly again.
She wanted to hug the boy and shout in joy.
But no. To win his favor, she needed to play it smart.
Maintaining her perfect intellectual smile, she clapped for the class.
"Everyone, did you see? That's perfect mana control. Handling mana isn't about power—it's this. Rian, you can return to your seat."
"Yaaawn... Yeah."
Rian yawned hugely and shuffled back.
Emilia's gaze clung stickily to his back, refusing to let go.
Rian. The sole disciple of Archmage Iril...
Her red lips curved seductively.
Masters don't have to be just one, right? Hehe.
Unfortunately for Emilia, she had no talent for hiding expressions.
Ardelia watched her face with grave concern.
I never heard Emilia was a pedophile...
