Lecture (4)
Lecture (4)
Twenty minutes had passed since the quiz began.
Professor Prokel chose silence, perhaps realizing he had picked a fight with someone far above his own level.
He knew pushing further would only bring him more losses.
A shame his instincts were so keen in situations like this.
I turned my full attention to the students.
About ten minutes remained.
"Why are sparks coming out?"
"What's going wrong?"
Most students produced sparks in their results.
A few couldn't even manage that.
Nothing so far exceeded my expectations.
Still, variables inevitably arose somewhere.
'Someone should succeed soon.'
My gaze naturally drifted toward Ayla.
She was methodically analyzing the circuit and taking notes.
She would be drawing closer to the answer, one step at a time.
No impatience showed.
She nodded her head. She'd grasped the core.
Having peeled away the wrapping by deciphering each layer of the code, the moment had come to see the gift inside.
"Whoa…"
A droplet of water floating in midair.
Even such a modest display—the elation born of achievement, of having done it herself, would be immense.
As the only student to succeed, she drew every eye.
Flora, who had been watching from the closest spot, poked the droplet.
"Hmm~ That's fascinating."
Even she, more deeply versed in swordsmanship than magic, showed interest.
I saw her take Ayla's notebook and examine it from every angle.
It didn't stop there—Ayla proceeded to explain the process to Flora.
After that, Ayla also explained it to the other students, and a congenial atmosphere was settling in when—
"Haah, huff… I'm not too late, am I?"
"You've arrived at just the right time."
The assistant, breathing hard, set a box onto the desk.
Thud!
Containing dozens of Mana Stones, the box was heavy from sheer size alone.
Inside were Mana Stones packed full for training use.
I picked up one that caught my eye and looked it over.
"Let's see."
Upon contact with a subject, the Mana Stone emitted a soft glow.
The structure was such that it shone when external Mana made contact with the object.
Successfully interfering with it would extinguish the light.
Being a training model, its internal structure was extremely simple.
I had long since finished gauging its condition and understanding its structure.
As if nothing had happened, the Mana Stone reverted to its original state.
"All of them are fine."
No defective pieces. I could hand them out as they were.
For a moment I considered tampering with the stones to raise the difficulty, but this was a session meant for getting acquainted with Mana Interference, so I let it be.
After all, wasn't the point for everyone to experience the taste of realization through today's lecture?
I was not at Alcyone. I was teaching academy students.
I couldn't mercilessly trample budding saplings.
So I personally went around distributing the Mana Stones.
Thanks to the assistant's help, preparations were finished in no time.
To demonstrate the passing standard, I held up a spare Mana Stone.
"We'll now begin the practical exercise. The Mana Stone at each of your places should currently be glowing. The time limit is one hour. Control it using Mana Interference."
The moment I finished my interference, the stone turned into a dull blue-gray mineral.
A few students who saw this prodded their own stones, but to no avail.
"On success, your stone will look like this. Refer to what we covered today and work through it."
I set the stone back down and returned to my spot.
The students immediately picked up their stones and threw themselves into the problem, each in their own way.
Some time passed.
"Mmmnngh…"
"Gaaah!"
Sighs and groans rose from all quarters.
This was exactly what I'd been hoping for.
I could even say it aligned with my objective.
Naturally, I hadn't said all this just to torment them.
I was well aware that today's lesson would be difficult at their current level.
But if they overcame it, they could spur their own growth.
They might even come to enjoy magic more.
As I kept sweeping my gaze across the lecture hall, my eyes landed on Flora.
She would have solved it with ease had it involved the sword, but unfortunately, magic and she simply didn't mesh, so she seemed to be struggling.
Which was why she had opted to work alongside Ayla.
She was participating while carefully observing Ayla.
Since nothing was amiss there, I turned my head the other way.
Even under my gaze, Professor Prokel showed no reaction.
He seemed lost in deep thought.
No need to prod him.
I quietly supervised the exercise and occasionally announced the remaining time.
"Twenty minutes left."
The moment I spoke.
"Instructor!"
Ayla hoisted her Mana Stone into the air.
A stone that should have been glowing had turned a dull blue-gray.
In other words, she had succeeded.
At last, a victory cry rang through the quiet lecture hall.
I put on a satisfied expression and nodded.
"Student Ayla, you pass."
In that instant, Ayla flung her arms around Flora, who had been watching quietly.
Startled by the sudden action, Flora flinched, then matched her joy.
With that as the starting gun, other students began succeeding at Mana Interference one by one.
"You pass."
"Thank you!"
With every additional pass, the lecture hall grew livelier.
"You pass. You've all worked hard."
"You worked hard too, Instructor!"
Everyone was buoyant, elated by achievement.
I decided this was the perfect moment to wrap things up.
I raised my voice at once to draw their attention.
"Now, everyone!"
In a single moment, every eye was on me.
"Today's lecture was likely very difficult for all of you. That's because we ignored the steps you should have climbed gradually and headed straight to the next floor."
At that, some of the students who had found it especially taxing nodded.
Yet their eyes sparkled, because they had all reached the next floor nonetheless.
I continued with what I wanted to say.
"In that process, you will have gained a grasp of the concept of Magic Circle Structure. I encourage you to review the notes you took."
I then shared a small part of my own experience studying the discipline of magic.
"When the time comes for you to formally learn Mana Interference later, what you saw today may appear in a new light. And from that, many questions and difficulties will arise."
I extended my right hand and indicated Professor Prokel.
"Professor Prokel, who so splendidly arranged today's session, will assist you with those."
"Ck, ckhm…"
At the sudden mention of his name, Professor Prokel cleared his throat and forced a smile.
I didn't know what he was thinking, but regardless of his conduct, the fact remained that he was a capable mage.
I hoped that today's lecture might serve as a turning point toward a better direction.
It was always best to avoid actions one would regret.
"With this, the lecture is concluded."
That covered everything I'd wanted to do.
I handed the floor over to Professor Prokel and brought the lecture to an end.
* * *
After everyone had left, the lecture hall stood empty.
Prokel stared blankly at the blackboard.
"Well, I'll be…"
Having witnessed the knowledge and skill Karon had displayed with his own eyes, he could only reel in astonishment.
Especially the handling of three or more tasks at once through Multicasting—that had been a shock.
To his knowledge, that was a realm glimpsed only at Level 7 at minimum, or at Level 8, a height attained only by the likes of Magic Tower Masters or Imperial mages.
"That man is Level 5?"
At first, when he'd heard that a Level 5 was serving as an outside instructor, he'd meant to test his skills.
And in the process, spot any shortcomings, point out flaws, and fill his own ego while he was at it.
He'd reaped plenty of amusement pulling that sort of stunt so far.
So he'd been certain this time would be no different.
To someone like him, solidly mid-Level 6, a Level 5 was a nobody, whether in the Imperial Court or the Magic Tower.
It should have been that way, and yet…
Karon was different.
It felt as if he'd encountered a colossal kraken in the deep sea.
Before he knew it, he'd been caught in its grip.
At first he'd felt truly ashamed.
He'd been afraid Karon was openly making a fool of him in front of the students.
He'd been on tenterhooks, wondering when his own inadequacies would be laid bare.
So he'd sealed his lips and prayed fervently for the time to pass.
He'd planned to gloss over everything once the lecture ended by claiming there was nothing to criticize.
'I was a fool for thinking that way.'
These worries had gradually faded from his mind the more he listened to the lecture.
Instead, he felt as though he'd been struck hard across the head.
"Perhaps I had strayed from the path without even realizing it."
Karon had known from their very first encounter.
He had been sending a message to Prokel in his arrogance.
Stop wasting your fine ability on such antics, and live up to your duty as an educator.
He'd never said it aloud, but he'd struck precisely at the heart of the matter.
He had perfectly taught Magic Circle Structure and Mana Interference, then told them to seek him out if they had further questions.
"…"
Prokel let out a long sigh.
He couldn't pin down how to express the emotions surging up to his throat.
He turned his head and gazed vacantly out the window.
The atmosphere felt familiar.
Once, on a warm spring day, he had experienced something like this alone.
Prokel quickly found the answer.
"Ah, right. There was a time like that."
The words of an elder from his youth came back to him—spoken when he had been adrift in the Magic Tower.
He couldn't remember all of it, but there had been one piece of advice that left a deep impression.
'The path of magic is deeper and wider than you think. The road you seek will emerge. Dig into it without end.'
Small as it might have been, those words became his guide.
Days of striving with effort followed, even when his skill lagged behind others.
Staying up through the night, skipping meals—it had all been genuinely enjoyable.
He'd polished his magic diligently, hoping to help those lacking in ability like himself.
Thanks to that, Prokel, then Level 5, had reached Level 6.
Having come to the academy to realize that long-held dream…
He didn't know how he had changed so much.
Prokel let out a hollow laugh.
"I lost my goal and chased empty prestige, until I'd turned into a vulgar man."
The sorrow of having lost his burning fervor and the relief of finally recognizing his error coexisted within him.
In that moment, a small, dormant ember in Prokel's heart flickered back to life.
He held Karon in high regard and felt gratitude.
"Lord Karon, truly, thank you."
Resolving to reclaim the choui he had lost.
Setting down the useless baggage in that lecture hall, he stepped out with lightened strides.