Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Overflow (3)
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“Hahaha! The latest issue of the picture book! How I've waited for this day!”
Shirone glanced at the picture book, and his face flushed red. The cover was far from a masterpiece. It depicted a nude woman from the neck to the thighs, with the words 'Female Anatomy Research Society' written along the binding.
“What in the world is that strange book?”
“Aha. You wouldn't know. This is what's called a picture book. A privilege only a select few can enjoy at the magic academy.”
Iruki added.
“In a word, shall we call it the unproductive amusement of idle people? Hehehe!”
The "picture book" was slang among students for a collection of semi-nude drawings of the female body.
Of course, it wasn't an official publication but rather an obscene book published by a team of students majoring in art at the academy.
The publisher was an unofficial club called the Female Anatomy Research Society. Nevertheless, it was wildly popular among the students who knew about it. This was because it went beyond simple semi-nudes and featured figures from the magic academy.
Female students, female teachers, and occasionally even male students or teachers—anyone affiliated with the academy could become their model, which was a major headache for the school.
The school periodically confiscated the publications, but the group operated like a cell-based organization and was elusive, so the key members remained unidentified. A rumor circulated that the head of the Female Anatomy Research Society was in the graduating class, but it was unconfirmed.
After hearing the explanation, Shirone wore a dazed expression. In a way, this society was committing acts so outrageous they couldn't even be compared to what Iruki or Nade did.
“So, Iruki, you read books like this too? That's surprising.”
Without taking his eyes off the chessboard, Iruki wagged a finger.
“It's simple information gathering. The Female Anatomy Research Society is resourceful and collects all sorts of rumors.”
Nade showed him the back of the picture book. Just as Iruki had said, detailed descriptions were included.
The female students' backgrounds and personal details were recorded meticulously—an excessive amount of labor for what could be called a hobby.
The reason they insisted on semi-nudes was also a ploy to cleverly circumvent the civil laws of Creas City. Nevertheless, the poses were so lewd that even a layman could see it was far from art.
Nade, flipping through the picture book, exclaimed in admiration.
“Whoa! This month's is amazing! Iruki, can I tear out page 7?”
“Be my guest. I've already memorized all the information.”
Shirone stared blankly at Nade. What on earth was he going to do with that?
“Instead of studying like you're supposed to...”
Nade burst out laughing. This was probably a first, wasn't it? A model student like Shirone joining the Paranormal Research Society, a gathering of misfits.
“Shirone, you should get used to it quickly. You'll find there are more interesting things here than in class. After a little while, you'll realize it's definitely not a loss.”
Nade, who had been gleefully turning to the next page, suddenly froze. Then, glancing at Shirone, he said.
“Hey, Shirone. Don't be shocked, okay?”
“What is it this time? Is there anything left to be shocked about?”
“Well, it's just that... Senior Amy is in the picture book.”
“What? Give it here!”
Shirone hastily snatched the picture book. An embarrassing illustration decorated the entire page. The drawing was so realistic you could believe it was a photograph.
“Shirone, don't get the wrong idea. Hey, how similar is it to the real thing? I've just always been curious.”
“Similar? What's similar about it! And how would I know!”
Iruki shrugged and chuckled.
“Can't you tell by Shirone's personality? It doesn't seem like they're actually dating. Honestly, you probably haven't even held her hand yet, right?”
“Hmph. Worry about your own lives. Stop meddling in my love life.”
Shirone turned his gaze back to the picture book. Putting other thoughts aside, the skill was incredible. It was as if a person were alive on the paper.
*'Even I, who knows nothing about art, can see this is immense talent. But why are they using it for something like this?'*
Shirone grabbed the page and tore it out. The fact that Amy was featured in such a book was truly unpleasant.
“Ugh...”
As he tore the page out, unable to look at it, Nade clutched his stomach and roared with laughter.
“Pwahaha! What are you doing? Don't be so sensitive. Besides her face, it's all a product of imagination anyway. It's not like they actually saw her.”
Shirone glared. Imagination or reality, Amy was a friend who had fought alongside the Black Magician. If he could, he wanted to find the Female Anatomy Research Society and dismantle it.
“Anyway, let's stop looking at books like this. If you guys aren't going to study, let's do something productive. This is supposed to be a research society. Are we just going to sit around all day?”
Realizing that studying here was a lost cause, Shirone decided to look for something he could do with his friends.
“Then how about we check out Nade's inventions? The patent list of Nade the know-it-all.”
“Oh, right! I haven't shown Shirone yet.”
Nade crawled under the table again. Curious about what was in the pile of junk, Shirone bent down to look. Surprisingly, a safe was hidden there.
“Ta-da! What do you think, Shirone? See this?”
Shirone blinked blankly. There was nothing in Nade's hands. But on closer inspection, he felt a shimmering distortion in the air along a distinct boundary.
“Is this... could it be?”
“Haha! This is an invisibility cloak!”
The invisibility cloak was an object that used electrical power to refract light, creating the illusion that light was passing through it. He had read about it in books, but this was the first time he'd seen one in person.
“You really made this? Yourself?”
Shirone couldn't believe it. He wasn't an expert in magical engineering, but he knew very well how valuable an invisibility cloak was.
Electrical magic was powerful in combat, but it also held limitless value in industry.
In fact, the magic most commonly used by electrical mages wasn't lightning magic, but illusion-type magic that created phantoms.
The pinnacle of illusion magic was the invisibility spell, *Invisibility*, and an invisibility cloak could produce the exact same effect.
Although it wasn't Nade's original invention, being able to replicate and produce an invisibility cloak required a level of engineering skill comparable to a professional in the field.
“My dream is to be a magical engineer. Of course, compared to the expensive invisibility cloaks on the market, this one is pretty shabby. The material is low-grade, and the charging technology is poor, so the effect only lasts for an hour after infusing it with electrical power. But it's not too bad for what it is, right?”
As he draped the cloak over himself, Nade's form vanished. The quality of an invisibility cloak depends on its light refraction rate. If the refraction rate drops below 95 percent, it can't be called transparent, so a difference of even one percent is a measure of technical skill. With Nade's current skills, he couldn't achieve a 100 percent refraction rate, but the fact that it produced an invisibility effect was a clear sign of its completeness.
When Nade moved, a faint outline could be detected. But when he stood still, it was impossible to tell someone was there without careful observation.
Shirone was filled with admiration. To independently create a magical item sold on the market required not only magical knowledge but also alchemical knowledge.
“That's amazing. If you'd put that effort into your studies, wouldn't your grades be much better?”
“Hahaha! Maybe. But I'm happiest when I'm making things, more so than with magic. I have a bunch of other stuff, too. Look.”
Nade took out various items from the safe again. A miniature carriage powered by electricity. Things like a hologram vision device that projected an illusion when a picture was placed on a crystal plate were also quite well-made.
Among them were items like flashbangs and smoke bombs that incorporated Iruki's ideas, but they fell far short of the items on Nade's patent list.
Watching Nade passionately introduce his creations, Shirone realized something. He wasn't wasting his talent. On the contrary, in his own field, he was far ahead of other students his age.
“The power unit for this carriage has a rotation speed of... Huh?”
Nade, who had been talking nonstop, suddenly looked up at the ceiling as the room began to shake. The vibrations grew stronger, and the chessboard shook, toppling the pieces left and right.
Iruki immediately ran out to check the hallway and came back. A sense of urgency was written on his face, as if he'd realized something.
“Damn it! A teacher's here! Put this stuff away, quick!”
“What? What's going on?”
There was no time for explanations. With practiced movements, Nade hid the picture book and threw things like the smoke bombs—the society's unofficial operational funds—into the safe. Once the rule-breaking items were dealt with, he grabbed the flustered Shirone, led him to the sofa, and shouted.
“Shirone! Sit over here! It's a surprise inspection!”
The mechanical systems of Icarus began to operate. A flashing red warning light in the hallway indicated that the warehouse containing the society's room would soon be summoned to the first floor.
“A teacher is coming? Why are we sitting down? We should greet them.”
Nade pushed Shirone, who was trying to stand up, back down onto the sofa.
“Just stay put! Act natural, like nothing's happened. If they find the picture book or the smoke bombs, it'll be worse than detention.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Shirone regained his composure using his unique mental discipline. His friends, despite the urgency, were amazed by his mind control, which was so potent his face seemed to radiate a chill. Having prepared for the impending battle, they waited for Icarus to arrive on the ground floor.
***
“Hmph, so annoying.”
Shina massaged her throbbing temples. The time it took for Icarus to bring a warehouse to the first floor was at least three minutes. It was more than enough time to escape, let alone conceal the scene.
In the past, a few teachers had tried to raid the Paranormal Research Society without activating Icarus. But they had only wandered the building for over an hour and ultimately failed to find the clubroom.
The members, on the other hand, came and went from the clubroom freely. She had a rough idea of how they did it. They analyzed the cube's movement patterns centering on their clubroom to deduce the path.
Icarus was commercialized as a magic warehouse, but the manufacturing company still hadn't released its blueprints. The teachers found it absurd that some student twenty years ago had not only figured it out but that the society was now using it as a concealment technique.
Shina crossed her arms and tapped her foot, waiting for Icarus to fully materialize. Three minutes felt far too long.
*'The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get. How did they figure out a pattern that even the teachers couldn't? And if they did, they should use it for something constructive. What am I supposed to do with these clubs?'*
This was the problem with these underground clubs. If they were simply causing trouble, the school could control them. But in most cases, their intellectual abilities were already beyond the school's control.
The Paranormal Research Society alone was composed of kids so brilliant that, if they put their minds to it, they could easily outsmart a delinquent club like the Black Magician.
*'What was Shirone thinking, joining them? Even with the Immortal Function, how could these kids possibly help? Besides, joining this club will ruin his performance evaluations.'*
Nade, who was ordinary in school but displayed the same shrewdness as other underground kids when it came to the society. Iruki, the problem child of Class Five who was born with Savant syndrome yet skipped class whenever he felt like it. And now, Shirone, the school's top model student, had joined them. No matter how she thought about it, how could three people who seemed so incompatible stick together?
*'Is it true that talent attracts talent? I suppose Nade and Iruki are on a level where they can interact as equals, but...'*