Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Commendation Ceremony (2)
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After class ended, I went to see Professor Im Sol.
Lumi had subtly let me know she was heading to the clubroom, but I couldn't do that every single day.
⚙ Inner Voice ⚙ - Going to meet another female professor again? "Yeah. I have some research to discuss."
⚙ Inner Voice ⚙ - Hmmm. Normally, this would be the perfect timing for her to tease me about going for another blowjob, but why wasn't she saying anything?
"Hello."
"Hello. Here to see Professor Im Sol, right?"
"Yes."
"Take the elevator up~!"
My name was now registered in the lobby of the Magic Tower too.
That meant I could now come and go from Professor Im Sol's lab without her permission.
I'd been worried there might be some issue, but she said she never left the lab empty anyway, and no one could steal anything even if they tried, so she just approved it.
She was that confident.
I took the elevator up to Im Sol's lab.
No one was in the lab, so she was probably in her office looking over paperwork again.
Knock knock knock.
"Ah~ Come in."
I cracked the door open and stepped inside. There she was, sitting in her chair reviewing some printouts.
"Hello."
"Oh? It's you. I thought it was my assistant."
"I told you I'd come by after class today."
"Right right, no big deal anyway. Sit down."
She was still glued to her paperwork without looking up, yet she claimed she had nothing to do. What did that even mean?
Did she live in a different world from everyone else?
I plopped down on the office sofa, lost in random thoughts.
Clap clap.
Im Sol clapped twice, and a tea set floated over, pouring me a cup of coffee.
Slurp.
Sure enough, it was instant coffee.
"You said you had an idea? Let's hear it."
"Any progress on that quick spellcasting method I showed you last time?"
"Nah, that seems tied to your skill somehow. I just couldn't get it to work."
Im Sol grumbled as she set down the printouts and took a sip of coffee. Then, with a blissful expression, she popped a chocolate cookie into her mouth.
"This time, even you should be able to do it, Professor."
"Nom. What is it?"
Actions speak louder than words, so I figured I'd just demonstrate.
Using double casting, I conjured fireballs in both hands.
On one side, I drew the magic circle while infusing it with the 'destruction' intent. On the other, I just drew the circle normally.
Both used the same amount of mana and the exact same incantation formula, but one burned a bit more fiercely.
"What... is this...?"
Im Sol had been bringing her cup to her lips for a sip when she froze with her mouth agape.
Her hand was starting to relax little by little, the cup about to slip, so I quickly caught it and set it on the table.
"Hold on, you... You've figured out condition adjustment?"
Im Sol snapped out of her daze and spoke up.
"Condition adjustment? What's that?"
"How do you not know about condition adjustment...? Oh, right. You haven't been casting spells long, have you? Even with the same mana and incantation, magic can sometimes come out stronger. The exact reason isn't clear yet, but daily condition is the leading theory."
Ah, yeah. That made the most sense if the same spell sometimes cast differently.
But that hypothesis only existed because other mages couldn't properly sense their mana.
Just like blueprints have load-bearing parts that hold up the whole building, magic circles have core sections crucial for spell manifestation and auxiliary ones.
You had to infuse intent into that core incantation.
"Core incantation...?"
I explained the concept I'd figured out to Im Sol.
She looked confused at first, but when I demonstrated the spell again and explained, her eyes widened. Without a word, she started drawing her own magic circle.
⚙ Inner Voice ⚙ - Wow, are you really a genius? How do you even know stuff like this? "No concept like this even in Hell?"
Im Sol was so focused on her spell that she didn't respond when I called, so I whispered quietly to Lilliana.
⚙ Inner Voice ⚙ - Hell uses demonic energy from the start, so the magic structure is different from yours. "Hmm, maybe I should learn it sometime."
The charm spell hadn't helped much last time, but you never know.
"...Got it!!!"
Zzzap!
Vivid blue electricity began crackling across Im Sol's body.
"Whoa... Wasn't that supposed to be a really weak spell?"
As far as I knew, it was just a spell to make weak currents flow around the body. Why did it turn into Pikachu's Volt Tackle?
"This... this... It's impossible... For real...!"
Im Sol was so excited she grabbed my shoulders and shook me. It stung a little from the shocks. Professor, that hurts.
"This is a discovery that could shake up the entire magic world. Argh...!"
"Calm down, Professor."
"How can I calm down after seeing this! I'm so glad! I'm so glad I met you first out of everyone!"
Im Sol pulled my upper body into a tight hug, rubbing her chest all over me.
It felt more like she was shaking me in excitement than intentionally grinding, but that's how it felt to me—what are you gonna do about it?
After thrashing around, smacking the sofa and table in the office like crazy, Im Sol finally calmed down and slumped into the sofa.
"Haa... This is amazing."
"I did good, right?"
"Good doesn't even cover it?! This is a world-class discovery! You're leaving your mark on the global magic academia!"
Im Sol looked genuinely thrilled as she said it. What was so great about magic that she was this happy?
"Haa, you're a real genius. No, 'genius' doesn't even cut it. I don't know..."
"How was this idea?"
"Huh? Obviously it was incredi...bli...im...press..."
Im Sol's words trailed off like a stretched rubber band.
Me and Im Sol—we had a faint but definite contract relationship. I helped with her research, and in return, she did me certain favors.
"Uh, well. I've been looking for some elixir that suits you, but there just aren't any on the market."
"Suddenly?"
Look at her trying to change the subject.
"Y-yeah, but it's true! I still remember what I owe you... I-I'm just not good with words... Wh-what am I even saying? Argh..."
Trying to act cute to distract me wasn't a bad move.
"A-anyway... I'll settle it all at once later, so wait for me..."
Her face was beet red as she said it.
She was used to blowjobs, but advancing further here embarrassed her?
Seeing her like this after the familiarity of blowjobs actually made her seem cute again...?
I was starting to feel aroused by Im Sol again, but...
"I wasn't planning on doing it right now anyway."
"R-really?"
No matter how much I loved sex, I didn't have the time right now.
The commendation ceremony was tomorrow, and the day after that was dungeon training.
Looking at Lumi's status yesterday, the more heroines I seduced, the busier my lower half would get.
I couldn't afford to spend too much time on Im Sol, who wasn't even a heroine.
Of course, that didn't mean I wouldn't have sex with her. Just later, when I had more leeway.
"Instead, you have to make it up to me properly once the research is done. Got it?"
"Ahem! Deal. I never lie when magic's involved. Don't worry."
A smile slipped out as I watched her fan her flushed face, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"But even if principal's settled later, I still get interest now."
"Huh? Oh... yeah."
Im Sol slowly set her robe on the floor and, with practiced ease, placed her hand on my pants.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ Inner Voice ⚙ - With that kind of magic talent, you're the first in history to just go around sleeping with women. Maybe check if one of your ancestors was an incubus. "Shut up."
After getting a blowjob as interest from Im Sol, I left the Magic Tower and headed back to the dorms.
⚙ Inner Voice ⚙ - I'm serious. "Fine. I'll definitely check later. Definitely."
The way to the dorms was so familiar now I could walk it blindfolded.
Compared to when I first got dropped here and flailed around cluelessly, it was huge progress.
⚙ Inner Voice ⚙ - Speaking of which, what's this commendation ceremony thing? "Ah... Just a reward for doing well."
⚙ Inner Voice ⚙ - A reward for what? What did you do so great? "I caught that cultist, duh. Things would've been bad without me."
If we'd reported Felix before he went after Lucy and caught him quietly, I'd have gotten a minor reward at best.
It kinda felt like I'd blown the incident up on purpose for a bigger prize.
Not that my conscience bothered me. It happens.
If they were jealous, they should've found him first. Bunch of incompetent academy idiots.
On that note, I looked up the commendation ceremony on EveryDay.
I'd gotten word to come to the dean's office by 9 a.m. tomorrow, but if it was just for me and Lucy, they wouldn't call it a full "commendation ceremony."
I checked the recommended posts, and luckily, there was one about it.
📰 EveryDay Post [Anyone know what's up with the commendation ceremony at Victoria Academy's grand hall tomorrow? Why is the whole school required to attend? Details are secret until the day? Spill if you know.] Recommendations: 130 Disrecommendations: 5
💬 Comments — Anonymous [For real lol what's with mandatory attendance for all grades?] — Anonymous [Rumor is they're awarding hunters who died stopping the sudden gate outbreak, plus some who came to help.] — Anonymous [Giving awards to top students from each grade. My friend got told to go to the dean's office by 9 that day.] — Anonymous [Heard it's for Lee Ho-yeon and Lucy catching that cultist.] ⭐ Top Comment — Anonymous [No way, if they do this, Lee Ho-yeon and them are total faves lol. Reporters from outside are coming too, so they're openly pushing them to the public.] — Anonymous [Lee Ho-yeon fought pretty well from what I saw. And he's good-looking too.] — Anonymous [Obvious manipulation, why are you simping?] — Anonymous [Anyway, after this ceremony, they're gonna skyrocket in popularity. So jealous, fuck.] "No way, why is the commendation ceremony on this scale?"
Grand hall? The same place they used for the entrance ceremony, out of nowhere?
Ding-
⚙ SMARTWATCH MESSAGE ⚙ [All 1st Year A-Class students, assemble at the grand hall by 10 a.m. tomorrow.] A message finally popped up on my smartwatch.
I'd thought it'd be a small reward and maybe a certificate within A-Class, but then they called it a full commendation ceremony.
How did it blow up like this?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next day, morning.
I dressed in the neatest clothes I had and left the dorms.
I even tried styling my hair for the commendation ceremony, but after a lifetime as a loner, it just wouldn't work. I settled for combing it neatly to the side.
"Hey! I'm coming too!"
"Hurry up. I've been waiting."
Of course, Lucy was coming along.
She'd gotten a personal message to come to the dean's office by 9 a.m. too. If they were calling us both, they could've just summoned us together from the start. Such a hassle.
"Oh, you dressed up a bit for the ceremony? How do I look? Good?"
She looked the same as usual. Oh, no cardigan. That alone made her look way prettier. Uniforms are truth.
"Way prettier than usual? Your cadet uniform looks sharp too."
"Right? I toned it up a bit for the ceremony. Guys who take care of themselves notice stuff like this~."
"Yeah, sure. Let's go!"
"Okay!"
Tone up? Like upping the weight?
"But why'd they call us? Outstanding cadet selection or something?"
"We'll find out when we get there."
She didn't even know why she was going to the ceremony. She'd figure it out at the dean's office, so I kept the award a secret, looking forward to her surprised face.
Chatting idly with Lucy, we arrived at the academy's administrative building.
The dean's office was at the top.
I showed my student ID in the lobby to pass through, and when we got to the dean's office door, several students were already waiting.
Some faces I didn't recognize, but exactly two I did.
"Junior! What the—!"
★ Heroine Status Window ★ ❤️ Favorability: 51 💋 Lust: 20 🍴 Appetite: 30 😴 Fatigue: 59 Current Status: New glasses on—will he notice?
[Moon Soo-rin]
[Moon Soo-rin]
"Hello, President."
Moon Soo-rin. Naturally, as the top talent in third year, getting selected as an outstanding cadet was a given.
It'd been a while, and seeing her pretty chest and hip lines again made me happy.
Two years older, her body had that extra maturity compared to the other cadet heroines.
"Oh... New glasses?"
I mentioned what her status window said.
The old dorky horn-rimmed ones were gone; now she had cute round frames.
"You noticed? I've been wanting a vibe change lately, so I tried it out."
She smiled and adjusted her frames—somehow, it was sexy.
"But why are you here, Junior? I thought Elise was first year's outstanding cadet?"
"They said it's a reward for catching that cultist last time."
"Ahh...! Nice! Use this chance to show your face to everyone. Guild VIPs will be there too for the event honoring fallen and awarded hunters."
Whoa, could I really hang with them just for catching one cultist? Nah, my award was higher than outstanding cadet anyway. Maybe I really was a big deal.
"Haha... Kinda overwhelming. Good luck to you too, President. You know who to call if anything tough comes up, right?"
"Yeah. Don't worry. You'll be my first call."
Moon Soo-rin said that and stepped aside.
She didn't seem comfortable chatting with so many people around.
Still, her favorability had gone up 3 since the hospital visit. True to her auto-hunt heroine style, it rose on its own.
For a solid攻略 though, I hoped her stalker would step it up.
And give me an opening to slip in by taking it slow.
One more person to greet.
I approached Elise, her blonde hair swaying as she stared at her smartwatch.
"Hey."
"Hey. Long time no see, Lee Ho-yeon."
Elise turned her eyes from her smartwatch to me.
Yeah, it had been a while.
We saw each other's faces in class daily, but it felt like it since we'd never really interacted.
Last time was promo club activity... Oh, and she glared at me after I took first in theory exam scores. Was she over that now?
As I quietly watched Elise, she tilted her head back at me—thankfully, she wasn't paying it much mind now.
"Yeah. Congrats on first-year outstanding cadet."
"You too. Catching a cultist sounds bigger than outstanding cadet."
Did Elise ignore academy rumors? Moon Soo-rin believed me 'cause she liked me, but suspicious Elise should've doubted it at least once.
★ Heroine Status Window ★ ❤️ Favorability: 26 💋 Lust: 20 🍴 Appetite: 30 😴 Fatigue: 30 Current Status: Gotta study hard and take back 1st place, but when does this end?
[Elise]
Elise... you were still hung up on first place.
Whatever, if she didn't suspect me, that was good for me. Moving on.
"Just got lucky. Thanks."
"Yeah. Do well at the ceremony."
She always added 'yeah' to everything. Total one-word wonder.
Elise ended the convo and went back to her smartwatch.
Listening to a lecture or something?
If she didn't wanna talk, nothing I could do.
I returned to Lucy's side.
"...You know a lot of people, huh?"
Lucy was frowning, looking kinda displeased.
With it showing on her face like that, I couldn't miss it. She was a bit sulky now.
"Huh? Yeah. They're people I haven't seen in forever. I see you every day, but them only occasionally, so I gotta greet 'em properly, right?"
"...Yeah. Sure."
"Oh, by the way, you stopped making those cookies from before? They were really good."
"Reaally? If you say so, I can make more! I make 'em all the time. Ladylike, you know!"
So Lucy was conscious about being ladylike.
Her huge... assets already screamed feminine, but I couldn't exactly say that.
Good, her mood seemed better. Though I'd probably have to eat poison cookies tomorrow.
Creeeak—
Just then, the dean's office door opened.