Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 233
Chapter Title: Combat Simulation (3)
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Dante could no longer endure the insult.
“Are you serious?! You think I'm a joke? You expect me to believe that?”
“What Shirone said is true.”
Iruki came over and put an arm around Shirone's shoulder.
“I understand why you're worked up, but Shirone really doesn't know you. It hasn't even been a year since he enrolled in the magic academy. This is only his second semester.”
Dante pouted, a dazed look on his face. The semester had just begun, so in terms of time, it had only been half a year. For Shirone's Spirit Zone to rival his own despite that was something he couldn't logically comprehend.
*No, that's not it. They're all ganging up on me.*
Dante feigned a nonchalant expression and scoffed.
“Hmph, so you're telling me everyone here has knelt before a guy who's only been learning magic for half a year? I guess this school is filled with nothing but trash.”
The students bristled, but because Dante's words were true, they couldn't bring themselves to argue.
The only one qualified to object was Shirone himself.
“Why do you have to talk like that? We don't learn magic just to defeat others.”
“Haha! You talk a good game. Well, it's not like I've seen your skills for myself.”
Regardless of why magic was born, modern society was a system of endless competition. In such a world, talking about its true essence was either the idealism of the weak or the pretense of the strong.
Deciding it was the latter, Dante stood on his tiptoes to look down on Shirone.
“I'm going to expose all your lies. Just you wait.”
@
After the day's duties, the advanced class instructors gathered in the conference room.
Olivia was meticulously documenting the problems she had identified while observing the school today. Then, she placed a new sheet of paper on the desk and began the meeting.
“You all toured the grounds with me, so there's no need for a long speech. At this rate, the school's ranking will only fall further. I believe drastic measures are necessary.”
They had all expected Olivia to drop a bombshell. The question was what kind of bombshell it would be.
“I've considered various methods, but the truth is, there are no suitable alternatives within the advanced class. However, there is one way. We will borrow the system used by the graduating class.”
The instructors' eyes widened. Before the feeling of disbelief could even cross their minds, Olivia declared.
“I request that the combat simulation training ground, Icheonbeon, be opened to the advanced class.”
Thadd slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
“Headmaster! Icheonbeon is too dangerous. Even the graduating class only uses the training ground under an instructor's supervision.”
“What exactly is so dangerous? There's no need to coddle the students. Even if Icheonbeon is close to actual combat, we can just lower the synchronization rate.”
Seeing that Olivia was serious, Thadd tried to persuade her calmly.
“There is some merit to your approach, Headmaster. It's true that we've been overprotective of the advanced class students. But I dare say that the graduating class, at least, is not at such a low level. They are engaged in sufficiently intense competition, and I believe practical combat training can be limited to just them.”
“How can the upper tier be competitive when the middle tier is not? Students move from the advanced class to the graduating class. Where else do you think this school's graduating students come from? You cannot achieve innovation with that kind of thinking. You need to think differently.”
Etella said.
“But what about the graduating class? They use Icheonbeon every day.”
“As I understand it, there are two Icheonbeon training grounds. If you include the Colosseum, which is used for graduation exams, that makes three. If we manage the schedule well, the advanced class should be able to use at least one of them.”
The instructors fell silent. It was the practical training through Icheonbeon that made the graduating class what it was. It wasn't that it couldn't be applied to the advanced class, but they also had to consider the intangible value of the graduating class's pride.
Above all, it went against the educational philosophy of Alpheas, who had dedicated decades to the school.
As the silence stretched on, the atmosphere became tense, as if it were a fight rather than a meeting. Olivia, who had been waiting patiently for opinions, nodded her head.
“Fine, so that's how it is. Are you refusing to listen to me because I'm temporary? In your hearts, is Mr. Alpheas still the headmaster?”
“N-No, that's not it at all...!”
“You can be honest. It's only human to feel that way. But make no mistake. I, the current auditor of the Teachers' Council and the former headmaster of the Royal Magic Academy, did not come to this school merely to fill Mr. Alpheas's shoes. Mr. Alpheas himself knows that better than anyone, which is why he came to me and pleaded with me personally.”
Thadd broke out in a cold sweat. As Olivia said, she was the current headmaster. And the instructors had to accept that fact.
But what couldn't be done, couldn't be done. In six months, she would be gone. Alpheas's philosophy was the school's history and tradition; it had to be preserved.
“No one denies your reputation, Ms. Olivia. I, too, respect you from the bottom of my heart. But such a sudden request, we just...”
“Do as Ms. Olivia says.”
The instructors turned around in unison. Alpheas, who had entered through the back door, was smiling. At the appearance of the instructors' spiritual pillar, Olivia showed a hint of displeasure.
“What is this? Are you spying on me? As I recall, I was given full authority and have no reason to seek Mr. Alpheas's permission.”
“Of course not. I was just taking a walk and thought I heard voices through sonic magic. Hohoho!”
“In that case, please mind your own business, *former* Headmaster.”
“Before I go, I'd like to say a word to my student personally. Thadd, Ms. Olivia is, without a doubt, the headmaster of this school. You must understand that clearly.”
“Understood.”
With Alpheas himself driving the point home, the other instructors had nothing left to say. They had wondered if he had truly handed over full authority to a temporary headmaster of six months, but now there was no room for doubt.
“Haha! Well then, this idle old man will be on his way.”
Olivia scoffed. But she didn't press her ill temper any further. It was something that needed to be clarified at least once.
When Olivia looked back at Thadd, he, having prepared himself, bowed his head and said.
“I will make the announcement to the advanced class.”
@
A notice was posted on the advanced class bulletin board. It stated that from now on, integrated training would be held at the 27th Training Ground.
The lower-ranked classes were bewildered, but the upper-ranked classes, who knew what that place was, couldn't help but feel tense.
Nade and Iruki also sensed that the situation was serious.
“That's where Icheonbeon is, isn't it? Is this really going to be okay?”
“We didn't expect things to end like this anyway. What does it matter? It's not like we're going to die.”
As Iruki said, they wouldn't die, but it was true that it was dangerous.
This wasn't some childhood war game where you made sound effects with your mouth and called it a combat simulation.
“Still, it's nerve-wracking. Are they really going through with this?”
“Who knows. Considering the new headmaster's tendencies, it's possible. She's a pragmatist, after all. Anyway, let's go tell Shirone.”
Nade looked around.
“By the way, where did Shirone go? He didn't even eat dinner.”
“He skipped. Said we'd meet at the research society tonight. He mentioned he had something to do at the training ground.”
“At this hour?”
“He said it's not really something he can practice when it's quiet. And that now is the only time he has.”
“Don't tell me... Ataraxia?”
Iruki gave a meaningful smile.
“Perfect time to go take a peek. Let's go.”
@
Shirone stood alone in the empty training ground. The reason he had come here, even skipping dinner, was to train with Ataraxia.
A one-minute preparation time was, even to him, ridiculously long. Since the magic circle wasn't bound by spatial constraints, it could be used as a siege weapon, but he wasn't about to jump into a war, and any act that could cause mass destruction had to be approached with the utmost caution.
*I'll get used to it after practicing hundreds, thousands of times. But I can probably only do it once a day.*
The inability to practice it repeatedly was another obstacle in training Ataraxia. But Shirone didn't give up. Hadn't he succeeded when he'd set his mind to reading all the history books in the Ogent family library? Everything gains momentum; if he kept walking diligently, at some point, he would find himself running.
“Alright! Let's do this.”
Shirone cast Halo. A circle one meter in diameter appeared before him, sucking in countless concepts.
The five-colored lights rushing in from the front were always a mesmerizing sight. Once it passed a certain stage, a multidimensional structure beyond the realm of comprehension was inscribed, and Ataraxia was born.
Shirone stared at the target in front of him and decided on the spell. If it was Photon Output instead of Photon Cannon, it would have no physical force, allowing him to cast it freely.
“Hey, Shirone...!”
The moment Nade and Iruki entered the training ground, a colossal beam of light shot out from the Ataraxia magic circle.
It was a flash so brilliant that the training ground would have appeared to flicker if seen from above, and even students far away noticed the sky beyond the mountain brighten and turned their heads.
Nade and Iruki's eyes went wide. They could feel a thrill just from the sheer output of light.
This was not on a scale a human could control. It felt like a phenomenon seen only in the great outdoors had been brought right before their eyes. What on earth would be left in the path of that light?
Surprisingly, not a single speck of dust rose. Iruki realized the magic Shirone had cast was Photon Output. A cold sweat ran down his back. If it had been Photon Cannon, the cliff wall blocking the training ground would have been obliterated.
*Amazing, Shirone. You have to be at that level for my ultimate move to truly shine.*
Nade moved his legs awkwardly, as if he had forgotten how to walk.
“Hey, Shirone. This is...”
Before Nade could finish, Shirone collapsed with a thud.
Normally, he would have retained some consciousness, but since this was his one and only practice for the day, he had poured every last bit of his strength into it.
“Shirone, Shirone! Snap out of it.”
Nade helped Shirone up and patted his cheeks. Horrible thoughts rushed into his mind, as mages sometimes died after attempting overly demanding spells.
Contrary to his worries, Shirone's eyes fluttered open a moment later.
“Huh? When did you guys get here?”
“Are you okay? We've been here since you started casting that Ataraxia thing.”
“Hahaha! Did you see it? I was trying to save it.”
Shirone pushed himself up with his hands. He staggered, but not so much that he couldn't stand.
Iruki approached, his eyes still fixed on the target area.
“The spell you cast in heaven must have been Ataraxia plus Photon Cannon, right? I wonder what kind of destructive power that has. After seeing this, I can't very well ask you to try it.”
“That's right. I probably won't have many chances to use such a powerful force in reality. Still, I want to keep refining it. The problem is that it takes too long.”
“Not necessarily. You might get a chance to use it in a real situation sooner than you think.”
“Huh? What do you mean? What chance?”
Iruki glanced at Nade. He had initially come to find Shirone just to vent, but now that things had turned out this way, his interest was piqued.
“Starting tomorrow, we'll be training in Icheonbeon. The headmaster ordered it.”
“Icheonbeon? What's that?”
Iruki pointed to the sky and said.
“Virtual Afflictions.”
Nade added.
“It's a combat simulation system, exclusively for archmages.”
@
Ten minutes before the advanced class integrated lesson was to begin, the students' tension was higher than ever.
The 27th Training Ground was an open area carved flat into a mountain, its floor meticulously paved with small, metallic blocks.
Four steel towers, each appearing to be about seven meters tall, were erected along the outer perimeter.
The instructors in charge of the training were Shina, Thadd, and Etella. The students were pleased, as they would be able to receive guidance from all the popular teachers.