Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: The Unseen (7)
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But after a moment, an inexplicable sense of exhilaration bloomed in their hearts, and the students began to burst into laughter.
“Pwahahaha! That was a true masterpiece! Yeah, you guys did it!”
“That’s right! To be honest, I’ve always been interested in this kind of stuff! You better hold more fun presentations in the future!”
“It’s been a while since I broke a sweat like that. You guys win! You’re the best!”
The teachers were flustered by the students' sudden change in attitude, but Shirone had already anticipated it. Any human being with reason possesses a curiosity about the fundamental nature of existence.
Where did we come from, and where are we going?
Perhaps that was the most important question for humanity. And that was precisely why the Paranormal Research Society had to exist.
Alpheas nodded, satisfied.
“To show the unseen while leaving it unseen. So there was such a way. The children have done splendidly.”
“Headmaster, does this mean you intend to let the Paranormal Research Society continue?”
“Hmm. That’s not for me to decide alone. Well, what do you think? If anyone has a counterargument to those children’s thesis, speak now.”
None of the teachers stepped forward. This time, even Shina had no choice but to keep her mouth shut.
Frankly, she felt like she’d taken a solid punch from her students. The Paranormal Research Society had to exist. The hundreds of students gathered here were proof of that fact.
Thadd raised an objection.
“But what about when they’re caught breaking the rules? There will be considerable backlash. There’s something unsettling about approving the society as is.”
Quite a few teachers, like Shina, had confirmed their illegal entry into a restricted area. As several people pointed out the same issue, an impromptu faculty meeting was held on the spot.
Shina was the first to voice her opinion.
“It is true that the children broke the rules. However, I believe this is a separate issue from whether the society should continue to exist.”
The teachers looked on with surprise as the very person who had been leading the charge to disband the society just moments ago now came to its defense.
But Shina felt this was right. It was a promise she had made with them. Shirone’s group had met her demands, and all she had to do was acknowledge their achievement.
Separate from the teachers’ discussion, in a secluded corner of the park, the members of the underground societies were having a clandestine conversation.
“So they’re not finished yet, just as you’d expect. The graduated seniors left behind some pretty bold ones, didn't they?”
“Looks like there won’t be a war. The Paranormal Society will be on top for a while. Our Ant Language Research Society has decided not to get involved.”
“Hmph! They’re still just Class Five. They’ll make it to the graduating class someday, but by then, I’ll be gone from this academy.”
“You can’t be so sure, can you? If you fail this year, you might have to compete with them next year.”
“What? Are you saying I’m running away because I’m scared of those kids?”
“Everyone, stop. It’s ridiculous for us, who never even see each other normally, to be acting like this. If you want to fight, then fight. Of course, our Hide-and-Seek Research Society won’t be making a move.”
“You say that, but you’ll be watching our every move. You guys would jump into a sewer just to hide, wouldn’t you?”
“Let’s leave it at that. We’re in the public eye. Gathering like this will only tarnish our societies’ reputations.”
The leaders who ruled the underbelly of the magic academy decided to reach an agreement there and headed toward the graduating class building. Shina’s brow furrowed as she spotted them moving in a group.
‘Ugh, those pathetic losers.’
Just seeing their faces was exhausting now. They were the worst troublemakers, the ones who had relentlessly tormented Shina from the lower and upper classes all the way until she entered the graduating class.
The reason she couldn't do anything about them was that they abused their God-given talents to cover their tracks with devilish skill.
‘Just how many kids like that are there in this academy? This is all because they approve these ridiculous societies.’
How could a teacher possibly deal with the genius-level tricks passed down from seniors to juniors, and from those juniors, who become seniors, to the next generation?
The reason Shina had tried to disband the Paranormal Research Society wasn’t so much that she hated Nade and his friends, but that she wanted to nip the root of the evil in the bud.
‘But in the end, it turned out like this.’
Shina clicked her tongue and pushed through the crowd. Then, she shouted to Shirone’s group, who were standing on the rooftop railing.
“I will now announce the results of the faculty meeting.”
The students’ applause and cheers died down.
“The Paranormal Research Society was scheduled to be disbanded soon. This was due to a lack of official activities for a year and an insufficient number of members. However, based on today’s presentation, and after discussion among Headmaster Alpheas and a majority of the faculty, it has been decided that the three-member society, the Paranormal Research Society, represented by Nade, will be allowed to continue for the time being. However…”
Shina choked up as she tried to continue. A surge of irritation welled up no matter how many times she thought about it, and she pointed a finger as she yelled.
“The three of you are suspended for one week! That’s a suspension, you idiots!”
Wahahahaha!
The kids clutched their stomachs and roared with laughter. The idea to prove the society’s worth was brilliant, but the charge was for installing unauthorized machinery on school grounds in the process.
Shirone, Nade, and Iruki stood with their mouths agape. Then they looked at each other. The corners of their mouths slowly curled up, and their eyes filled with the thrill of elation.
“We did it! We succeeded!”
“Wuhahaha! We did it! We saved the society!”
Their attitude showed they couldn’t care less about the suspension. Shina was dumbfounded as she watched her students embrace each other in excitement.
But having given their all, they had not a single regret. Because they had poured out every last drop of effort, they were genuinely happy with the result.
“Hahaha! Hey, congratulations! Keep up the good work!”
“Where’s your clubroom? I’ll drop by sometime!”
Students offered their congratulations. Among them were Shirone’s ardent followers, Mark and Seriel.
“Aaaah! Sir Shirone, as expected! I knew from the start it wouldn’t end like this! You’re truly one step ahead of me! No, two steps ahead!”
“I know, right? I had no idea the society’s fate was riding on this presentation. But you pulled it off brilliantly again, didn’t you? Right, Amy?”
Amy, who should have been the happiest at this moment, was unexpectedly pouting.
“What’s so great about getting suspended? Why do they do such pathetic things? They should be studying hard to get into the graduating class, but they’re wasting time.”
Seriel looked lovingly at Amy, who was clumsy at expressing herself. She knew full well that Amy wanted to be in the graduating class with Shirone.
“But isn’t it cool? Of course, if you asked me to do it, I’d never be able to, but everyone thinks about it at least once, don’t they? The thought of wanting to astonish the world.”
Seriel gazed at Shirone with envy.
Not a trace of worry could be found on Shirone’s face as he smiled brightly, receiving the cheers of the other students.
A wistful emotion filled Amy’s eyes. The truth was, she knew it too. The person who wanted to be standing next to Shirone right now, more than anyone, was her.
But she shook her head as if to deny the feeling.
‘Right, I don’t have time for this if I want to graduate. I will never look up to you.’
I want to be with Shirone. I want to climb to that high place and smile the happiest smile in the world. Suppressing such thoughts, Amy turned to leave.
‘So… hurry up and follow me, you idiot.’
* * *
4 AM.
It was the dead of night, when even the night shift staff had gone home and all the students and teachers were asleep.
Shirone’s group was lying on the grass in the central park where the historic presentation had taken place, gazing up at the stars.
The cheers of the children and the boisterous noise had faded, but it was as if they could still hear phantom echoes in their ears.
Nade spoke in a hoarse voice.
“We finally did it.”
“Yeah, we did. But I feel a little bad for Shirone. I’m used to getting suspended, but this is a first for you, right?”
Shirone chuckled. It didn’t matter at all.
“But it was fun. It was so much fun.”
“Yeah, it was the best. I wonder if I’ll ever experience a day like today again in my life. I still can’t forget the sound of people’s cheers.”
“That’s what you get when the three of us join forces. In any case, we’ve written a new chapter in the history of Alpheas Magic Academy.”
Shirone shot up to a sitting position.
“Besides, it’s not all bad. We gained a lot, too. My photon output level increased tremendously through this presentation. At this rate, I think it’ll be viable even in the graduating class.”
“Me too. I learned about optical fibers, and more importantly, I experienced the mass production process by myself. Honestly, it was a great learning experience. It’s all thanks to you guys.”
“Same here. I learned a lot by applying the behavioral patterns of 400 people in a real-world scenario. It would have been impossible if Shirone hadn’t dragged in the Immortal Function.”
“What are you talking about? You’re the amazing one. The students would have never been fooled without the Servant Syndrome’s behavioral equations.”
“If we’re going to put it that way, Nade went through a ton of trouble. He installed hundreds of mechanical devices without a single error. That level of concentration is truly incredible.”
As they excitedly rattled on, Shirone’s group realized something and fell silent at the same time. A brief, chilly wind blew past. Nade, who had sat up, lay back down and said.
“Let’s stop. What’s the point of us praising each other?”
“Right. We can’t become big fish in a small pond. It’s fine to enjoy our success, but we can’t let our guard down.”
Shirone gazed at the stars that glittered as if they would pour down from the sky.
“I want to go higher. I have to become the star that can shine the brightest.”
Iruki felt the same.
“I think we’ve done everything we can while messing around. It feels like it’s about time we started climbing. To the graduating class, I mean.”
Nade did a backflip and sprang to his feet.
“Alright! Let’s set a new goal! We’ll raise our class level as fast as possible! And then graduate at the same time! Let’s have fun even after we get out into the world!”
Shirone and Iruki nodded.
“Sounds good. Let’s run without stopping until then.”
“Kukuku. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this fired up.”
The three of them put their hands together and cheered.
Someday, they would become the greatest mages. As they made that vow, their eyes, looking up at the night sky, sparkled like stars.
The single brightest star.
The North Star was looking down on them.
At the Summit (1)
Returning to his dorm, Shirone immediately collapsed into sleep. It was unfortunate that he had received a week’s suspension, but his mental and physical exhaustion was too immense to feel much of anything.
An entire day passed just like that.
The morning piano music, the sun hanging high in the sky—none of it had anything to do with the suspended Shirone.
“Hey. Shirone. Shirone.”
At the sensation of someone shaking him, Shirone frowned and opened his eyes. Two blurry figures wavered into focus, revealing the smiling faces of Nade and Iruki.
“Ugh. What is it?”
“You’re really something else. You’re still sleeping?”
“I don’t know. I’m tired. Get out.”
“Don’t be like that, get up. We can’t go to class anyway. Let’s go have some fun instead.”
“Have fun?”
“Iruki knows a casino where they give you free drinks and there are lots of pretty girls. Since it’s come to this, let’s go make a killing and come back.”
The moment Shirone heard the word “casino,” he didn’t even want to bother responding.
“Aren’t you guys tired? I feel like I’m dying.”
“We slept all day too. You’ve been asleep for 27 hours now. Come on, let’s just go for three days. With Iruki’s Servant ability, making money will be a piece of cake.”