Special Lecture (1)
The academy had settled into calm after the storm had passed.
Following this incident, the chancellor's behavior had changed considerably.
Naturally, that didn't mean it had changed for the worse.
Someone who had always acted as if he might plant a spell in the back of my head at any moment had mellowed enough to call me “Professor.”
I had personally felt his treatment of me shift little by little through Professor Prokel and the Spring Day column, but
stopping the Chimera's attack on the academy seemed to have brought about a change of heart.
I considered it fortunate that we had moved past the ill will that had lingered like sediment and improved our relationship, though thinking back on him calling me 'Professor' still gave me chills.
Anyway.
There was information I had obtained while speaking with the chancellor.
Treating students suffering from Demonic Energy Poisoning would take some time, and fully purging the Demonic Energy remaining in the academy would take a little longer as well.
So I was informed that a notice of canceled classes would be sent out soon, and that I should use my discretion if students requested it.
As it happened, Flora and Ayla had suffered hardships while I was away and needed to rest thoroughly.
Demonic Energy Poisoning required absolute rest until it was fully cured, no matter what.
Therefore, I intended to manage Gilbert and Camilla, who had evacuated in time, and steer them closer to the Magic Tower.
During the break, I would keep them on the Running Crew and drill past Magic Tower Practical Exam questions, strengthening their Mana Circuits while reinforcing their theory.
Then, they would loosen their stiffened bodies through sparring, injecting a suitable amount of tension.
'I wonder if Flora and Ayla are all right.'
When I entered the building being used as a medical ward, there were few patients, as if the damage had been light.
It was probably thanks to the chancellor preparing for this ever since I warned him about the Demons.
I was greeted intermittently along the way as I searched for the ward where the two students were likely to be.
'There they are.'
Far ahead was a ward with a distinguished look.
Even if it looked similar from the outside, the care put into its protective barrier made it little different from a natural fortress.
I double-checked the condition of the fruit I had bought on the way over, then entered the ward.
"You've all had a hard time. Is everyone all right?"
"Instructor?"
Flora and Ayla, both lying in their beds, reacted first and at the same time.
Then Gilbert and Camilla, who had been chatting beside them, flinched in surprise.
"Are you all right, Instructor?"
"I'm fine, of course. It seems Camilla was fortunate to avoid any trouble."
"Yes. We evacuated before the damage occurred."
"That's a relief. And Gilbert?"
"Me too."
I nodded, set the fruit down on the table, and turned my gaze to Flora.
"Flora?"
"Yes?"
Flora, who had half her face covered by the blanket, rolled just her eyes around.
Seeing her somewhat tense appearance, I reached out and carefully swept her disheveled hair back.
"How is your condition?"
"My Mana Circuit has stabilized enough that I can move around, but they told me I need absolute rest for a few days."
"Then you should get plenty of rest. Congratulations on reaching the next Level."
"Thank you..."
After that short reply, she hesitated for a moment before disappearing under the blanket like a hermit crab.
Since she needed her Mana Circuit to stabilize, I decided not to bother her any further.
Next was Ayla.
I pulled a chair over, sat nearby, handed her some fruit, and asked.
"How about you, Ayla?"
"They said it's early symptoms of Demonic Energy Poisoning, but thanks to the potion my master sent, I'll be fine after some good rest."
Sure enough, an empty bottle sat conspicuously on the table.
Beside it was a note.
"It was written that this potion has excellent efficacy against Demonic Energy Poisoning, and the sooner you drink it, the better."
"That’s thorough. Get plenty of rest too, Ayla."
The Magic Tower Master hadn't appeared at the scene, but had spared no support.
Thanks to the countermeasures prepared in advance and the swift resolution, the damage had been minimized.
If I hadn’t stepped in, the Golem rampage would have been followed by the Chimera attack, causing one disaster after another.
Those consequences would have kept snowballing until they reached an ending I never wanted to experience again. I had every reason to be relieved.
As usual, I was busy hating Demons when Gilbert’s voice reached me.
"Outside, priests were performing purification work. So what happens with classes?"
"A notice from the academy should be arriving soon. Please refer to that."
At that, I recalled the chancellor's words and disclosed the subsequent plan.
"There will probably be supplementary classes."
"Ah, aah..."
Leaving Gilbert at a loss for words, I continued.
"You all must be tired, so I'll contact you in a few days."
It seemed staying would only be a hindrance, so I concluded things concisely and headed out of the building.
When I had descended the stairs and reached the entrance, the surroundings were bustling.
'Did the Magic Tower Master come?'
Wondering what was going on, I turned my head in that direction, and amid the crowd, a woman waved her hand at me.
"Karon, there you were."
"Madam?"
This was truly unexpected.
Madam, who avoided contact with people whenever possible, had revealed herself openly.
Dressed in an outfit that fully displayed her figure, she waved her hand vigorously and approached me.
Thanks to that, the reactions around us were so heated I could feel them on my skin.
"Why is a dark elf here?"
"It's my first time seeing one too, but she's really pretty in person...."
"I know, right! How does that instructor know her?"
"Must have saved the Empire in a past life or something."
The Empire? As if I cared about that....
The demons had destroyed the Empire.
I forcibly shoved the suddenly surfacing memory into a corner of my mind and focused on the conversation with Madam.
"What business brings you here?"
"Naturally, it's for a work-related matter. Surely you weren't expecting a date?"
"That's not it."
At my razor-sharp reply, Madam made a slightly sulky expression, then stood beside me.
This place clearly wasn't suitable for a business discussion, so I decided to relocate.
"It's noisy here. Let's continue outside."
"Good. You be the gentleman and lead the way."
We headed toward a rest area a little distance from that building.
Normally, students would be resting there, waiting for their next lecture, but it was completely empty because of the demonic energy.
Fortunately, the purification work had finished a few hours ago, so we would be able to talk without trouble.
"Please wait a moment."
"Take your time~"
To guard against eavesdropping, I cast Silence Magic.
Once all preparations were complete, I fetched a chair and sat across from Madam.
"So, what matter has brought you here?"
"Hmm, before I answer, may I ask one thing?"
"Go ahead."
"Were the demons resolved satisfactorily?"
It seemed this demon incursion was also a matter of interest to Madam.
I answered simply, according to what I knew.
"There was no major damage, as thorough preparations were made in advance. The demon was also apprehended."
"Oh? And who performed the subjugation?"
"I did."
"That's just like Karon."
Madam smiled wordlessly.
This meant she wanted to hear the detailed story, and therefore wanted to have a drink.
But today, within her elegant smile, I felt a somewhat bitter sentiment.
'Madam has shown a subtle reaction to the word 'demon' for a while now. I wonder if something happened in her past.'
There was no particular reason to dig up that past.
Since the purpose of Madam's visit was what mattered here, I naturally steered the topic away.
"Anyway, for you to show your face like this, it must be an important matter, isn't it?"
"Right. You'll be shocked when you hear it."
Madam nodded and revealed the reason she had made the long journey alone.
"I got bored being by myself, so I quit the Magic Device Shop."
"What do you mean?"
She came all this way to tell me that?
Madam paid no mind to my question.
"Your shop has an opening, doesn't it?"
"It does. But first, please tell me the circumstances."
The way she spoke out of the blue, it wasn't something she undertook just because of a single Resistance Stone mine.
I was certain there was another reason.
"I'd intended to help with the Resistance Stone mine from the start, and I thought interesting things would happen if I stayed by your side. That's all."
"..."
Had I overthought this?
Just like that over-the-top welcome last time, she was simply a 'bored Dark Elf.'
If that were the case, she could have just told Flora. I didn't understand why she had come specifically to me.
Did the long-lived races end up like that out of sheer boredom when they got old?
I would have to tip off Alcyone to prepare for Madam's arrival.
Madam lightly waved her hand and departed.
"Seems we'll be meeting often. See you next time."
"I will see you next time."
After Madam disappeared from sight, I tilted my head back and looked at the sky.
The work I had to do was piled up like a mountain, but I didn't know why the sky was so blue.
"It's a perfect day to go on an outing."
Since I had a moment of leisure, I used the interlude to sort out the tasks tangled like a skein of thread.
'The top priority is still killing Demons.'
Just because a Level 6 Demon had appeared this time did not mean the next one would be around the same Level.
A Level 7 could appear, or the Four Great Demons could show up out of nowhere.
Because of the Artifact, I needed to contact the Imperial Court and find a legal way to reach the Northern Region of the Continent.
The most troublesome part would be figuring out how to deal with Imperial officials, whom even the Magic Tower Master disliked.
But as it happened, by resolving this incident, I had gained the upper hand.
'If I grow stronger, I can settle it simply, can't I?'
'If you don't like this, then you lot get to sweat a bit.'
I would play the one card only I had—raw force—and take control of the board.
If possible, I also wanted a direct line to a field officer in the Intelligence Bureau.
'If I were to exchange contacts, Sian Merkel would be best.'
I thought of the agent from the Intelligence Bureau’s Public Security Division whom I had met after the slums incident.
Maintaining a workable business relationship with her would be a considerable help in dealing with Demons.
Aside from that, there was the task of sending students to the Magic Tower and teaching Flora and Ayla.
Flora had reached Level 6 faster than planned, and just as I was wringing out a customized curriculum for her—
'I can feel Ayla’s Mana Fluctuation.'
Feeling a presence, I subtly turned my head and met Ayla's eyes.
She scurried right over and took the seat where Madam had been sitting.
"Is it all right for you to be moving around already?"
"I'm just a little tired, so it's fine."
"Those are early symptoms of Demonic Energy Poisoning. Go back and rest."
A patient wandering around does no good.
Even though I stated it firmly, Ayla stubbornly insisted for some reason.
"No. There's something I absolutely have to say to you, Instructor."
"What is it?"
If it was earnest enough for her to drag her injured body here, I couldn't ignore it.
I adjusted my posture to listen closely to her words.
"Even though I followed diligently behind you, Instructor, I felt my own inadequacy through this incident."
Ayla wore a dejected expression, like a puppy drenched in rain, biting her lip tightly.
"No matter what I did, I couldn’t inflict any meaningful damage on the Demon."
"That Demon was Level 6. Considering you’re only Level 4, Ayla, succeeding with Mana Interference was already a tremendous achievement. Don’t you think?"
"Even so..."
Her head hung low, she sobbed with a trembling voice.
"...I’m furious with myself."
After that, Ayla could not continue her words.
Emotions blur judgment at critical moments, but sometimes they become good fuel that lets you leap over walls.
The majority fail to properly utilize such turning points and are indiscriminately swept away by the waves of emotion.
If left like this, Ayla would have been aimlessly swept away by those waves of emotion.
Therefore, from now on, I would actively intervene and make her leap over that wall.
Just as I had done for Flora back in the slums, I extended my hand to Ayla.
"This isn’t your fault, Ayla. Your Mana Circuit is different from everyone else’s, so you simply had to take the long way around."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Ayla reacted as though she couldn't understand what I meant.
It didn't matter if she didn't understand.
"So, I will propose this once more."
Because a master of Mana Control was going to teach her properly, no matter what.
"Mana... Don’t you want to learn how to control it?"