Presentation (2)
Presentation (2)
"Not only did a Magic Tower elder come all the way here, but the problem was set by Instructor?"
"That's a lie, right?"
Gilbert and Camilla pinched their own cheeks, speechless.
Perhaps they came to their senses partway through, because they quietly covered their mouths.
Ayla, of course, was no different.
"Flora, I've realized something."
"What is it?"
"Instructor is even more remarkable than I thought."
"That's right. He's remarkable."
She looked as if she had forgotten that she was someone who could comfortably converse with an elder.
She stuck close to Flora's side and watched with keen interest.
I had the feeling that expectations were rising on their own even though I hadn't done anything in particular.
I scratched my head as I approached the elder.
"So a reply finally came."
"Various things came up. Allow me to use this opportunity to apologize."
The elder bowed his head and then explained in detail why he had come to the academy.
"The Magic Tower Master said he would like to hold a session explaining the structure of the Magic Circle in question. That is why I came to request your attendance."
I spotted something odd here.
In the first place, the Magic Tower had no intention of summoning me, since they considered me a villain, but after my excommunication even that pretext had vanished.
There was no way the Magic Tower Master, who had chased me all the way to the Northern Region of the Continent to capture me, wouldn't know this.
Which meant that somewhere along the line, the loose ends had been tidied up cleanly.
'Flora took care of it on her own.'
It was a matter that had been settled when my new identity was created after I left prison.
The elder finally handed me the letter he had been holding the whole time.
"The details are written in the letter."
"Thank you."
I opened the envelope with practiced ease and checked the contents.
It began with a few formalities, and the presentation date was three days away.
"Three days, huh…"
Did it make sense for the presentation to intrude right when my Mana Circuit was going to grow even stronger?
Whether or not I managed it properly at that moment would determine my growth rate.
An entire day would be blown away because of this, so I needed a countermeasure.
'I'll have to hold a supplementary lecture.'
It looked like I would end up doing one of the three things academy students hated most: a supplementary lecture.
I could just squeeze it in during a free slot this week and be done with it.
As I was staring intently at the letter with a grave expression, the elder misunderstood and asked cautiously.
"Is there a problem?"
"My lecture schedule got a little tangled. I was thinking about that."
"Ah, that's understandable, since the date was set on a weekday."
The elder wore an apologetic expression as he explained the circumstances that had made this unavoidable.
"We tried to use the weekend as much as possible, but it ended up this way due to internal scheduling. As an apology, there will be a small amount of support following the presentation."
The place was just as busy as ever, then and now.
It varied by department, but in the worst cases they burned through mages to churn out results.
Well, that aside.
I was curious about the "small amount of support" mentioned at the end.
I stopped reading the letter halfway and asked the elder.
"What kind of support is provided?"
"Usually, a research grant is given."
The organization's finances were in good shape, so that didn't particularly appeal to me.
I asked again whether there were any other benefits.
"Would there be any benefits besides that?"
"Hmm, it's at the Magic Tower Master's discretion, but…"
The elder fell into deep thought.
Then he mentioned a truly simple yet definite benefit.
"There have been cases where access to borrowing books from the Magic Tower's collection or using its research rooms was permitted."
"I like the sound of that."
Book borrowing appealed to me in particular.
How great would it be if I could get my hands on a grimoire of spatial magic?
Because I had only taken the essentials back then, I still couldn't use it properly at Level 5.
I wanted to use this opportunity to make it usable even at a low level.
After that, as I read through what little remained of the letter, I discovered a hidden device planted by the Magic Tower Master.
I have things I wish to discuss regarding the Demons, so attend.
That phrase had been written using magic that only I could read.
There was a high possibility that the Magic Tower Master, like the Imperial Court, was proposing a deal involving the Demons.
In that case, I would place an Artifact on the negotiation table from my side.
Once that was resolved, I intended to ask about Ayla's Mana Circuit as well.
Now that a framework for what kind of conversation I would have with the Magic Tower Master was in place, I turned my attention back to the presentation.
"Is there a set format for the presentation?"
"You may proceed freely."
Until now, I had explained everything in an accessible way to fit the academy, but for this day alone, I might as well do it comfortably.
I didn't have any other particular questions.
It was time to focus on my main work again.
I took out my pocket watch and checked the time.
Considering the brief interruption, there was plenty of time.
I would be able to take care of every scheduled task without fail.
I was about to call Ayla over right away when.
"Ahem, hm."
The elder cleared his throat and came to stand right beside me.
Wondering why a man who said he was busy was acting like this, I stared directly at him.
"Do you have something more to say?"
"No. It's not that."
The elder subtly averted his gaze and revealed the reason he hadn't left.
"I have a little time left, so may I watch Miss Ayla's demonstration?"
"Of course."
The elder seemed to want to see Ayla be the first to give a demonstration.
It would be all the better if this reached the Magic Tower Master's ears.
So now the elder was unexpectedly in attendance too.
Ayla, who had been quietly biding her time until now, suddenly popped out.
"Should I do it now?"
"Yes. You can go right ahead."
"Hoo, I'm nervous."
Ayla, clearly showing signs of tension, slowly steadied her breathing and then extended her hand toward the Magic Circle.
"Here goes!"
With a spirited shout, the Magic Circle flashed.
Even seeing it again, the name Spring Day was not the least bit undeserved.
With an effect that made time seem to flow slowly, pale pink flower petals scattered beautifully.
I had handled fire magic to its limits to express it in my own way, and it had worked well.
"Wow…"
Ayla tilted her head up and became absorbed in the atmosphere.
She carefully cupped her hands and caught the petals made of fire.
She would feel a warm energy from the petals.
A faint smile bloomed on Ayla's lips.
She slowly drew her hands in and held them to her chest.
"This magic really is warm, like a spring day. I can see why my master was searching for it."
"Does that mean I've been acknowledged?"
"Of course."
I nodded at Ayla's praise and looked around.
Everyone was silently watching the spectacle woven by the magic.
I especially liked that Flora was watching with a pure expression.
Three minutes passed in what felt like no more than an instant.
The Magic Circle gradually lost its light, and the endlessly scattering petals vanished.
Everyone let out an exclamation of admiration with one heart and one mind.
The elder, who had been watching this, wore a satisfied expression.
"I shall see you in three days."
He held his hat with his fingertips, inclined his head, and quietly left.
Everyone, not even realizing the elder had gone, lingered in the afterglow and stared quietly at the Magic Circle.
Afterward, starting with Ayla, various impressions about Spring Day were exchanged, and Flora, having slipped away after giving a brief comment, sidled up to me.
"Professor, if you're good at both theory and practice, is there anything you can't do?"
That was a fairly difficult question to answer.
I let out a short hum and continued to ponder seriously.
What exactly was I bad at?
If I had to pick something I'd gotten nagged about since coming to the academy.
"I wonder. Controlling intensity?"
This was only referring to Crash Course courses.
I saw it as the feeling of raising something by about five stages when it only needed one, but that sort of thing would absolutely never happen at the academy.
If it did, I would be on a direct express course to interviews with the chancellor, the Magic Tower Master, and the Imperial Court.
So I just had to raise it to a manageable degree and that would be that.
"While we're on the subject, let's raise the intensity a bit more."
I dusted off my hands lightly and checked my Mana condition, which was flawless, with nothing to criticize.
Flora had brought a sparring sword and was standing by.
"Today we'll extend it to five minutes and use them to the fullest. Come at me freely."
I crooked my finger, signaling for anyone, no matter who, to come out quickly, and Gilbert plopped down right where he stood.
"Ack, aagh! Maybe because I overdid it this morning, my whole body aches. Could we maybe do three minutes…?"
Following suit, Camilla also subtly gauged the atmosphere and then softly sat down next to Gilbert.
"I'm not that bad, just sore…"
"Ca, Camilla?"
"You know it won't work anyway."
"…"
Kids who always did well once you actually got them started, and here they were putting on such exaggerated complaints.
Today I would reverse the order and take special care to manage Gilbert first.
I approached Gilbert, who looked extremely tense.
"Gilbert student."
"Yes…?"
"Come out."
After that, the training hall was filled with screams and suffering.
Since it was proof they were growing, it was a positive sign.
Twenty promised minutes later.
Everyone had become completely exhausted and one with the floor.
Ayla, whom I had pushed relentlessly, murmured through ragged breaths.
"I think ten minutes next time would be doable…"
That was feedback that came in just at the right moment.
The wish would be granted before long.
* * *
After finishing the lecture, I stopped by the chancellor's office for the first time in a while.
When I relayed the news that I had received a letter from the Magic Tower Master, the chancellor looked satisfied.
"That's good news. Wait just a moment."
He was buried under a mountain of paperwork due to a backlog.
Watching that scene quietly brought to mind the work I would have to deal with once I returned.
'Why is there always an overflowing amount of things to do?'
It seemed today just wasn't my day.
I decided to kill some time appropriately and then head back to my quarters.
I took a cookie out of the drawer as usual and bit into it.
The chancellor, who clearly hadn't even been paying attention to this spot, let out a sigh.
"If you're going to eat them, tell me before you do."
"Nothing catastrophic will happen from eating one or two."
"…Fine."
After tossing all of the few remaining cookies into my mouth, I threw an unexpected question at the chancellor.
"At our first meeting you tried to kill me, so why have you mellowed out this much now?"
"Well, that is…"
The chancellor set down a thick stack of papers and spoke.
"Back then you were a mastermind threatening the Empire, but now you're a professor who is tolerable to look at, aren't you?"
"I'm not a professor."
"In my eyes, you're no different from a professor, so what can I do."
The chancellor stopped what he was doing and rose from his seat.
Overflowing with composure, yet with disciplined steps, he paced about.
"How many mages do you think there are with this much field experience?"
"Aren't the knight orders overflowing with them?"
The chancellor sympathized but shrugged as if he had a different thought.
"Each one is an important asset, so bringing them here is a task in itself. After all, we can't allow a gap to appear in the Empire's shield."
"Just say it's good because you can work a mage with too much time on his hands as much as you like."
"Exactly that."
When I made a dumbfounded expression, the chancellor, who was perched on the edge of the desk, added the precise reason.
"So wouldn't it be good for us to get along while making use of each other? You for your own purposes, and I for the students."
If he put it that way, I could understand.
If he had said it was good to exploit me, I almost would have given him a piece of my mind.
I felt I had no choice but to acknowledge the chancellor's educational fervor, which cared about nothing but the students, but then.
"Since you've ended up representing the academy, prepare diligently. I suppose we'll meet again in three days."
"…?"
I had just heard some strange nonsense.
Why was the chancellor meeting with the Magic Tower?
He probably hadn't even been invited by the Magic Tower Master.
In an instant, a chilling sensation crawled all over my body.
The chancellor took something out from inside his coat and slowly waved it.
"I was invited as well."
The rectangular object made of paper was stamped with the mark symbolizing the Magic Tower.
No matter how many times I looked, it was unmistakably a letter sent by the Magic Tower Master.
"It looks like I'll get to see the lecture that Professor Prokel praised so highly. I'll be looking forward to it in many ways."
Receiving unintended expectations without even knowing it.
The day of the presentation was steadily approaching.