Chapter 126
Chapter 126
Episode 126
When was it?
The moment En Drode's passion ignited.
'The moment I first encountered knowledge.'
Yes, it must have been like that when he first encountered alchemy.
For him, alchemy was a field of study that could be called his very identity.
Then when was it?
'When did I stop looking down after reaching the top?'
For him, knowledge was something to be pursued, not bestowed.
He only worked as a professor to fund his research.
In his world, he was alone.
His standing at the top meant everyone else was beneath him.
Then when?
'How long was I going to remain stagnant, intoxicated by arrogance?'
His knowledge had stagnated. It was only natural for it to stagnate. The top is always difficult to break through and ascend.
Knowledge is something to be built up.
But if built too high alone, it would only be unstable and collapse.
It must be built together.
For that, he needed to share what he had acquired with everyone.
He needed colleagues to walk with him.
"We must change."
"…?"
A faculty meeting due to Tia's absence.
En Drode expressed his thoughts before starting the discussion.
Things he had ignored until now.
Things he knew but dismissed as convention and simply overlooked.
"We have an obligation to impart knowledge to our students."
"Haha, that's sudden. Isn't that natural? Or perhaps, did something happen to you?"
"Indeed. I finally realized that we weren't the only ones living fiercely."
En Drode recalled a scene deeply etched in his mind.
That sight, of someone determined to carry out their will even at the cost of their life, reignited the extinguished flame within En Drode. He could understand why Prudence Loa had been so intent on teaching students.
Now, he felt he understood.
"Current Scientia has a problem. That is, the range of choices is too narrow."
"Narrow? Doesn't our Scientia offer over a hundred subjects to choose from?"
[Scientia] was a place of education that gathered intellectuals from various nations. As such, there were an enormous number of subjects.
"Then are there any non-combat system students currently taking combat system classes, intermediate or higher?"
"..."
"No. There aren't. The opposite is also true. We intended to provide the best education. But that, conversely, made it too specialized, narrowing the range of choices."
The professors were captivated by En Drode's speech as if enchanted.
The words of a determined person always resonate with the soul.
Moreover, these were the words of En Drode, who was even called the world's best in the field of alchemy.
Even if he spoke nonsense, his aura would draw them in.
"Professors. Did you know? In the last semester, 80% of students who applied for introductory major subjects chose other classes."
"Ugh..."
"The successor of the Mage King was the same. That student, called an unprecedented genius in magic, showed interest in other subjects... But how is it now? We showed too harsh a wall."
En Drode was right.
Oz gave up on taking alchemy due to the exponential increase in difficulty.
That could be called Scientia's most chronic problem.
Knowledge had stagnated.
"We must change. Don't you think so?"
"...That's right."
People began to agree with En Drode's speech.
Of course, more people still thought it was bothersome.
They were professors who, like En Drode in the past, were only teaching for research funds.
They were those kinds of professors who had good basic character but weren't the type to dedicate themselves to others.
"And that's not the only problem. Each person's 'color' is too strong. To put it simply, current combat system subjects are so disparate that they would cause confusion if one professor didn't continue teaching the subject all the way through."
Everyone's style is different.
Even if they tried to classify and create subjects based on that, the differing styles of professors were unavoidable.
But En Drode thought that too could change.
"We need to explore a systematic teaching method. For a subject to be blocked just because one person disappears... Don't you think that's too regrettable?"
"Y-yes, you're right!"
The one who responded so vehemently was none other than Professor Aira.
As Prudence's successor, she felt that deeply.
The style students learning advanced magic now and her style were too different. In fact, it could be said that what they had learned before was getting tangled.
"Systematizing education! Not only students will benefit from this. We must find such a method for our own sakes!"
Soon, the conference room was filled with fervent cheers.
A scene almost resembling a cult leader. En Drode's fervor even influenced professors who had been skeptical until now.
"Then let's start right now. We'll create a new curriculum! We'll reorganize subjects from introductory to intermediate for students from other departments and establish new subjects! Right now!"
"Good! No, ...huh?"
Aira, who had been swept up in the atmosphere and answering, suddenly came to her senses. 'Right now.'
'The subject I'm in charge of...'
Aira Merlin.
Having been simultaneously in charge of both Intermediate Magic and Advanced Magic classes, she finally realized.
Her workload had increased exponentially.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
En Drode, having pushed his agenda, proudly expounded on his achievements in front of the assembled students.
"Major subjects have always been content loved by all students."
As Professor En confidently spread his hands, students focused one by one, while only a few professors looked terrible.
"The problem was that the specialization of major subjects was so excellent that the entry barrier became too high for students interested in other subjects."
And some professors overtly glared at Oz and Eleanor.
Those two. They were the ones who needlessly ignited En Drode.
"We, the faculty, rather than giving up on such students, intend to try to balance the classes in an entirely new way."
Caring for students? Good. But professors are also human, aren't they?
En Drode overlooked that.
Because he himself was so capable, he naturally worked the professors to the bone, assuming it would be possible if they just did it.
"We plan to lower the entry barrier by additionally opening non-major subjects outside the major, which will have slightly less specialization but include detailed explanations."
But they couldn't say anything about it. Aren't they self-proclaimed top intellectuals gathered from various countries?
They couldn't say they couldn't do it. Because someone who had done it was right in front of them.
As long as they prided themselves on being the best, it became a matter of pride.
"Of course, the existing specialized classes will also remain as they are, so there will be little impact on students taking majors, but students who have used those classes to raise their relative 'scores' in their desired subjects will need a slightly more difficult 'choice'."
Immediately after the meeting, En Drode promptly created a new curriculum for the subjects he was in charge of.
Moreover, it was for everything from introductory to advanced. He systematized all alchemy subjects.
When the professors, who belatedly came to their senses, sought him out, such an educational system was already complete.
Faced with his overwhelming initiative, they couldn't bring themselves to say they couldn't do it now, even if it killed them.
- Professor En? Please save me! I don't want to die yet!
Of course, there were professors who didn't follow suit.
Aira pleaded, grabbing his pant leg, as if not caring about the reputation of a senior-level mage.
She didn't want to die from overwork yet. But En Drode firmly said,
- Haha! Professor Aira, it's fine. You can do it. If you're really struggling, I'll lend a hand, so let's work hard together.
- No…
- You'll be fine. Haven't you become a senior-level mage at such a young age? There's no way Professor Aira, who is at a level even I haven't reached, can't do what I could do, is there?
- ...
En Drode dismissed most of the professors' complaints as a lack of confidence.
His 'it worked because I did it' kind of remark seemed to scrape at the professors' pride as well as their value.
I can do it, but you can't? Oh, surely not, right? You're the best from each country, aren't you? You can't do this?
It sounded like that kind of provocation.
The professors gritted their teeth and had no choice but to follow En Drode.
What they carried was not just individual pride. The national prestige of their countries was at stake.
But they soon realized. This is not something a human being can do.
The intention is good. The intention is clearly good, but time is too short.
Originally, this kind of thing should have been done slowly, taking time. Fixing it immediately is strange.
"Doesn't it sound truly wonderful, everyone?"
The professors wanted to kill En Drode. If that was possible...
"It's a pleasant feeling to have so many eyes on me today."
"Those aren't kind eyes..."
The [Successor of the Mage King] who ignited En Drode, and the academy's biggest troublemaker.
They would kill those two.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Although there was a temporary suspension of course registration, classes themselves proceeded. There were common classes, and it seemed there was an opinion to proceed with each student's major as is.
Indeed, it would be absurd to have no classes even after the semester started.
Therefore, what I can take currently is Intermediate Magic 2.
It's Professor Aira's class. Considering Professor En's remarks, she was probably the most overworked professor.
"...Shall we go with practical training today? Let's cast [Wind Piercing], an intermediate magic learned in the first semester, towards the target."
"Professor Aira. The target is over there, not where Prince Oz is."
"..."
As expected, Professor Aira looked quite worn out.
Seeing her confuse the target with me, her eyes must be dim.
It must be that.
"Then how about Student Oz demonstrating first?"
"...Alright."
Her cloudy eyes were unsettling, but I had often received requests for demonstrations like this before.
Even though I was a student, what I had accomplished hadn't disappeared, so requests for such demonstrations were frequent.
"I hope everyone watches closely. Student Oz uses intermediate magic even better than I do."
"..."
No matter what, she wouldn't have denigrated herself like that to praise me. Did she hit her head or something?
Whatever it is, I need to end this uncomfortable situation as quickly as possible.
Unlike Eleanor, I don't enjoy people's gazes.
I used to think it wasn't bad, but after experiencing various things recently, it's just a burden.
Intermediate Magic
[Wind Piercing]
[Wind Piercing] is a magic I use frequently. The time from deployment to completion of the magic is fast, and its power and speed are quite good.
The only problem might be that its range is somewhat narrow?
Well, that's not a problem for me, with Oz's mental strength.
PANG!
The [Wind Piercing] cast simultaneously pierced the exact center of 5 prepared targets almost at the same time.
"Ooooh!"
Well, with this level of performance, I won't be looked down upon anywhere. The audience's reaction doesn't seem bad either.
Lightly brushing my hands and turning around as if nothing happened completes Oz's image. This should be enough.
"Did you see that, everyone?"
Professor Aira walked out, clapping her hands at my excellent magic demonstration.
Her eyes are strange. I want to avoid eye contact for as long as possible.
"Such perfect intermediate magic is rare to see."
"...It's not that much."
The praise is excessive.
Eleanor would be the only one who could genuinely be happy with such blatant praise.
"I really don't know why you're taking intermediate magic. Haha."
"..."
"Everyone, look at this. Doesn't it seem utterly pointless? ...Why do such a pointless thing!"
"Professor Aira, calm down!"
The teaching assistants who were on standby immediately restrained Professor Aira, who suddenly started having a fit.
It seemed to be a frequent occurrence recently, as their movements were quite natural.
"Why... Whyyyy!"
Look at those murderous eyes.
Is that really Professor Aira, the one I knew?
If I was in the position of her benefactor until now, it seems I've become her sworn enemy.
"Ahem, ahem... It seems Professor Aira is not in good condition today, so we will continue the intermediate magic practical training next time, and this class will end here for now!"
The teaching assistants brought Professor Aira, who was trying to thrust her staff at me in a fit, under control and withdrew.
"..."
It seems the situation is unfolding more dangerously than I had anticipated.
It's dangerous.
I felt it in Professor Aira's class, but this is definitely a dangerous situation.
"Ki-kill, kill you...!"
"..."
Most of the passing professors were spewing curses at me as if they've caught some infectious disease.
"Ah, Prince Oz..."
"Lucia, it's been a long... No, what happened to you now?"
Her appearance was a mess.
"What happened?"
This is the first time I've seen her in such a state. What on earth could have happened?
She looks worse than when she was in the Papal States?
"My brother asked if I wanted to help him with his work, so..."
"Ah, I think I already know, so can we not continue?"
It was probably Discreet's idea to try and get closer.
He didn't usually have external duties, and he himself probably didn't know much about a normal life.
So, he must have wanted to share a normal life through his work as a professor.
That would have been all he knew of external work.
But given Discreet's meticulous personality, it would have felt more like being a graduate student than a family member.
But the current situation...
"I tried. I tried, and I was going to try harder. I definitely worked hard, right? I also saw my brother trying to understand me. The atmosphere was good. But..."
"No, this is a topic I really don't want to hear anymore. Can I go now?"
Why is it that both Marie and this one bring up such overwhelming topics when I ask worriedly?
"But one day, suddenly, my brother's atmosphere changed from a family-like atmosphere to a 'family'-like atmosphere, and he told me to investigate Professor En Drode's weaknesses as much as possible..."
There was a time when I had a mind to make Lucia pay for selling my photos of me.
"...If Professor En Drode leaves Scientia, we'll kill him. This isn't a mission, it's a common aspiration we hold!"
"..."
It seems she has already been punished enough.
Those are the eyes of an ideologue.