Magic with Professor Im Sol! (3)
"Don't be too disheartened. I'll hook you up with a guild in France."
"Tch… It's fine. I'll handle it myself. It's related to guilds in France anyway."
I shook my head as I watched Im Sol sip her chocolate latte laced with sweet syrup. Well, it wasn't like she'd done anything wrong, and I'd enjoyed it too. No need to feel down about it.
"Still, thanks to my disciple, I feel a bit better."
"Really? What had you in a bad mood?"
Her lips curved up just a touch, confirming she was in high spirits. Seizing the moment, I asked what I'd been dying to know.
"…Haa."
Im Sol winced slightly, as if an unpleasant memory had surfaced, but luckily her improved mood seemed to make her willing to share.
"Same old story. There are plenty of gloomy mages out there."
She slurped her chocolate latte like it was water. I couldn't help but chuckle a little.
"They're all just intimidated by how far above them you are, Professor. That's all."
Pumping up Im Sol was easy—just praise her magic. And it wasn't even a lie. Even I, with my cheat-like special ability, got chills watching outliers like Im Sol or Rebecca. Other mages must feel the same, especially since she's a young woman. Plenty of guys can't stomach losing to a woman—old-fashioned pride and all that.
"…Anyway, I can't stand mages with no talent or pride. Except for exceptions like you, of course."
Her expression said she had a lot pent up. She furrowed her brow in annoyance, stabbing at the ice in her chocolate latte with her straw like it had personally offended her.
"Especially those assholes who act superior just because they were born a few years earlier, or the ones weaker than me who brag about their field experience…"
I sipped my coffee and listened quietly as she vented about professors and field mages I didn't even know. How long did I nod along in silence? By the time my coffee was gone and her chocolate latte cup empty, the gossip finally wound down.
"…Haa."
*Slurp*—Im Sol finally seemed relieved as she stuck a straw into a fresh chocolate latte. She shook the cup, now left with only ice, set it aside, and turned to me.
"Tch. Sorry for dumping all that on you when you couldn't even agree. What a pathetic master I am."
She seemed a little remorseful for taking it out on her disciple. To spare her any awkwardness, I piled on even more nonsense.
"No, no. Those bastards were in the wrong. You couldn't have done anything wrong, Professor. Rotten jerks."
"Hey now, watch your language in front of your professor. 'Those bastards'?"
Im Sol let out a small laugh, sipped her new chocolate latte, then propped her chin on her hand and continued.
"So, you still gonna tell me why you're heading to France?"
"Hmm…"
I'd thought she'd let it slide. Nope. How should I play this? I quickly weighed my options. It wasn't like I was breaking any laws.
I'm going to investigate the centaur.
That one line would do it. If she asked why, I could blame it on magic research. But what if Im Sol wanted to tag along? A normal person wouldn't, but with her magic obsession, it wasn't impossible.
Should I name-drop an acquaintance?
Someone who exists but doesn't. I could throw Liliana under the bus. If she investigated my contact? Well, cross that bridge when we got there.
As I mulled it over, Im Sol's hand appeared in my view.
Snap! A light surge of mana flicked from her finger, brushing my hair like a gentle breeze—as if telling me not to overthink it.
I looked up and met her eyes. She smiled warmly, full of affection.
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"…"
"You're still a cadet. Even if people hype you up as a genius mage, you're at an age to enjoy yourself… Wait, no. You play plenty already. So if something tough comes up, talk to me. Got it?"
"Mm-hmm." Im Sol nodded along with a hum of agreement. "I went through the same thing. At some point, I realized I'm different from the others."
"…You, Professor?"
Caught off guard by the sudden seriousness, I focused on her words.
"Yeah. More precisely, from the first time I used magic."
I'd asked her about this once in her lab. Reporters had swarmed her back then—when she first revealed her dual affinities at the festival. I'd asked how she handled their questions, like what the reaction was when she announced she could use all attributes.
Her answer had been:
"From the first time I used magic, I was blasting all attributes like it was nothing."
"I thought it was normal."
I couldn't imagine the envy, jealousy, and expectations she'd faced. A true once-in-a-generation genius, the kind that makes you question if they were born on this planet.
"So, what I'm trying to say is… Haa. Don't mind others. Don't let them get you down. If it's tough, come to me. Got it?"
"Yes. Thank you."
I smiled back at her. Advice from a senior was worth heeding.
"And just in case… don't ever compare yourself to me."
"Pardon?"
Good vibes all the way, then this out of nowhere. Im Sol scratched her head with a hum and continued.
"Hate to brag, but… I'm a genius. I can understand any magic circle at a glance and replicate it in a minute. My mana pool's monstrous, and my affinity for natural mana is top-tier. So… don't compare yourself to me and tank your self-esteem. Mages like that are a dime a dozen. If my own disciple starts envying me, it'll be exhausting."
Her face was dead serious as she lectured, cracking a small smile only at the end.
Her message boiled down to one thing: don't compare yourself to me. She ended on a playful note, but beneath it was genuine worry laced with massive confidence.
You'll never catch up, no matter how hard you try.
Last time, she'd admitted I was stronger than her at twenty. Yet she said this anyway… meaning she could progress even faster than me. Not arrogance—her achievements and current power were undeniably ahead.
But…
Even if it was a crane worrying about a baby bird tripping while chasing it. Even if it was cocky but well-intentioned.
Saying that to a guy? That's a challenge, Professor.
I let out a dry chuckle. "Thanks for the concern, Professor. I'll keep it in mind."
"Good, good. My disciple listens well."
Im Sol gave a wry smile. She knew how her words might sound to outsiders. But saying it straight up meant she trusted me that much.
Lately, she saw me as someone she needed to protect. But that wouldn't do.
A man protected by a woman?
I couldn't have that. I called myself an equalist, but in romance, I was hopelessly old-school. Instincts hardwired into every male: be the strong one for your female.
"One more thing, Professor."
"Hm?"
With a puzzled look from Im Sol, I matched her seriousness.
"Don't assume you'll always be there for me. I'll give it my all too."
I acknowledged her talent. Her effort. But there's always a sky above the sky. No matter how great Im Sol was, I was confident I could catch her.
"Pfft." She snorted in disbelief, then grinned wide. "That just made you even harder to surpass."
"…For real?"
"Yeah. But keep trying. Who knows? If you actually do, I might grant you a wish."
Im Sol beamed, like a mentor charmed by her cute disciple's antics.
"Wait, no take-backs on that wish?"
"Of course not."
Affection shone in her eyes. We'd definitely grown closer since arriving at the expo.
Affection had risen nicely. Watching Im Sol contentedly nurse her chocolate latte made me feel proud too.
"Shall we head back to the expo now?"
"Great idea."
We left the café in high spirits.
*
Im Sol and I wandered every corner of the expo hall, taking it all in.
"Controlling that magic circle would be tricky. Eh, not great, but usable."
It was supposed to be a date, but it felt more like an outdoor private lesson.
Whatever, if she's happy.
Im Sol looked thrilled, so it counted as a date in my book. After walking miles…
"I'm beat."
"…Me too."
We collapsed on the central fountain ledge for a break. It was past noon, pushing one o'clock. We'd planned to skip only morning classes, but at this rate, we'd blow off afternoon ones too. Time to think about heading back.
I turned to Im Sol, who was cooling the air around us with magic.
"Worth coming, right?"
"…Yeah. Totally worth it."
Her smile was refreshingly genuine—the purest I'd seen.
"All my stress is gone, thanks to you. Why does being with my disciple put me so at ease?"
"All thanks to you, Professor. The ultimate collab between a star disciple and his star master. I had a blast too."
True. Strolling with a beauty was great, and the expo had some fun stuff.
"S-So, um…"
"Yes?"
Im Sol averted her eyes, staring into space. Not her usual confident self. A faint blush colored her cheeks—totally unlike her.
"Since today's… experiential learning anyway. Not forcing it, but if you're okay with it. Yeah. If you have nothing else… maybe afternoon too…"
I was mesmerized by her slowly moving crimson lips, drawn into her words—
Boom!Kaboom!Crash!
Explosions erupted across the expo hall.
- Kyaaah!
- D-Demon!
"What the—?!"
Startled, I jumped up and scanned around. Smoke billowed from multiple spots amid screams. Crowds fled the blasts in panic, chaos spreading through the hall.
- Attack! It's an attack!
- Mines in disguise! Watch each other!
"Shit…"
I should've stayed more alert. I'd dismissed it since no heroine was in mortal danger from a terror event. That malicious aura earlier? Probably a Mine.
I racked my brain. This scale screamed Pandemic. One of those unnamed terror attacks from the original story. Not heroine-related, but since we were here, stopping it was the right call.
How to end this fast…
My thoughts landed on Im Sol beside me.
"Professor! Terror attack—!"
But I couldn't finish. Her fist trembled visibly.
"…Professor?"
"Those bastards…"
Her voice was ice-cold—first time I'd heard it like that. An inexplicable chill hit me, even though I was right next to her.
Whoosh—
Mana surged from her body in overwhelming waves, blue haze leaking out like heat shimmer. I stared in awe at our professor.
Im Sol. The world-setting genius mage who snagged a Victoria Academy guest professorship in her twenties. But I'd never seen her "true seriousness."
I'd only assisted in her lab, and she'd shifted to research over fieldwork. Even in the last Heavenly Festival terror, I hadn't felt her full power—probably hadn't gone all out.
But this was different. Her aura dwarfed even Isaac or Rebecca.
Snap!
With mana fully unleashed, she flicked her finger. It spread from her toes in an instant, blanketing the expo hall. Bzzz—
Dazzling giant magic circles materialized in the air.