Chapter 234
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Co-author
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The day after the opening and entrance ceremonies.
The sophomore magic lecture hall.
The sophomore magic department students were gathered, waiting for Ren.
“It’s great that we can still take magic classes with the same group as last year!”
Karl said with a cheerful expression.
Though their dorms had changed, their department hadn't.
They could still gather like this for combined department classes.
At Karl's words, Leo propped his chin on his hand and chuckled.
“Why? Is dorm life that tough?”
“You have no idea, Leo! It’s absolutely brutal!”
Karl complained to Leo.
“The entire dorm is filled with nothing but prideful jerks! It’s like they gathered only the kids with the same personalities as the dorm heads.”
The third dormitory.
Noble, meaning high-born, was primarily composed of students from prestigious families.
Even the dorm heads themselves were heirs of renowned hero families.
As a result, it naturally attracted students with strong pride.
“In the end, that Emio kid ended up in our dorm too.”
Karl sighed, *Haaa*.
“Anyway, it’s full of kids who are completely wrapped up in their own authority. They look down on me for being a commoner at the drop of a hat. *Tsk!*”
“A place like that sounds tough.”
Karl wasn't from a prestigious family, nor was he even a noble; he was a commoner.
On top of that, his grades were in the bottom tier.
He was bound to have a hard time among the students of Noble.
“Well, there are some good things about it.”
“Like what?”
“Since they all come from loaded families, their pockets are loaded too.”
Karl chuckled, *heh heh heh*, and stroked his chin.
From Karl's perspective, with his interest in commerce, the Noble students with their deep pockets and strong purchasing power were a true blessing.
“How’s Glory?”
The name of the first dormitory was Glory.
“Scouting out the competition already?”
Chloe asked, her eyes fixed on a book thinner than usual.
“I’m just curious. Anyway, what are you reading?”
It clearly wasn't a textbook.
Nor was it the grimoire she was always carrying.
She was, for a change, reading a liberal arts book.
Chloe showed him the title.
“*History of the Shadows*?”
“Yeah. I suddenly got curious about it.”
“Shadows, huh. Right, the new headmaster proudly declared he was a Shadow, didn't he?”
Karl shook his head.
Shadows.
It wasn't their official name.
Since the dawn of the Age of Heroes, those who fought against Tartaros and protected the world's peace were called heroes.
But that title was reserved for those who operated in the light.
Where there is light, there must be shadow.
And the path to peace isn't always met with public acclaim.
There are also those who live in the dark.
“A headmaster from the Shadows. I’m surprised the board of directors even allowed it.”
“There are Shadows among Lumerne's graduates, you know.”
“Still. Most people don’t want to become a Shadow.”
Karl smacked his lips, and Chloe nodded in agreement.
Like heroes, Shadows were essential to maintaining world peace.
Their importance was comparable to that of heroes, especially in their role of pursuing and eliminating traitors who betrayed the world for Tartaros.
It was also the Shadows who hunted the Hero Killers that targeted heroes from the unseen corners of the world.
Despite this, the public perception of Shadows was poor.
Living in the darkness, they were bound to get their hands dirty.
Even if they hunted Hero Killers, their purpose was still, fundamentally, to kill people.
For that reason, people feared the Shadows and kept their distance.
‘Shadows.’
Leo propped his chin on his hand and narrowed his eyes.
Back in his time as Kyle.
Leo had done similar work.
He had rooted out and executed traitors.
He never told his comrades about it.
The only ones who knew what Kyle was doing were Lisinas and Dweno.
‘It was a job someone had to do.’
Lisinas and Dweno had told him he didn't have to bear it all alone.
But Leo had been meticulous in ensuring only his hands were stained with blood.
‘There was no need for everyone to be sullied by it.’
Leo looked down at his hands.
‘I had hoped there wouldn't be people like that in this era...’
He gave a bitter smile.
‘Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to her afterward?’
The image of a girl surfaced in Leo's mind.
Bihar.
She was a girl who had learned swordsmanship from Kyle, much like the elf Verchia, who was known as a disciple of Luna, the Progenitor of Nebula.
Her life had been saved by the Great Heroes, and she would often accompany Kyle when he went to hunt traitors.
‘Did Bihar end up walking a different path from Verchia?’
Unlike Verchia, who had dedicated herself to rebuilding the world as an elven leader, Bihar left no name in the annals of history.
Leo let out a small sigh, thinking of the disciple whose name was not even in the Hero Record.
“So, did you find out anything about the Shadows?”
Usually, hero candidates paid no mind to the Shadows.
The students were all aspiring heroes.
They had little interest in the Shadows, who could be considered the antithesis of heroes, and made no effort to learn about them.
“Yeah. Apparently, the nation with the most powerful Shadows is the dominant power of the Eastern Continent, the Shan Empire.”
“The Shan Empire...”
Karl stroked his chin.
Along with the Lodren Empire, it was one of only two empires in the human race.
“I hear the Shan Empire has a lot of problems, though.”
“That's right. You know about the incident 100 years ago, when the nascent hero kingdom of Trihan was destroyed by Shadows dispatched from the Shan Empire.”
“The Kingdom of Trihan. In the end, they did turn out to be traitors.”
“Yeah. But the problem was that they destroyed a nation based on suspicion alone, without any proof.”
Hearing Chloe's words, Karl clicked his tongue.
“Does being a dominant power like an empire mean you can just do whatever you want?”
“Perhaps it’s only possible because it’s the Shan Empire.”
Shan wasn't just the dominant power of the East.
It was a nation that boasted a rich history spanning 4,000 years.
“What do you think, Leo?”
“Destroying a nation on suspicion alone is pretty harsh.”
As the three were discussing the Shadows,
*Creeak—*
The lecture hall door opened, and Ren appeared.
Beside him, Anna followed, holding the attendance book.
*Step— Step— Step—*
As the students' gazes gathered on him, Ren stood at the lectern and scanned the room.
“Good to see you, everyone.”
Ren flashed his characteristically charismatic smile.
“Following last year, I am Ren, and I will be teaching your magic theory class again this year.”
“Professor Ren~”
“It’s good to see you!”
“We’re in your care again this year!”
The students cheered enthusiastically.
Young and capable, Professor Ren was a highly popular and renowned professor among the magic department students.
Nodding at the students' reaction, Ren took the attendance book from Anna.
“I will now take attendance. Chloe Müller.”
“Here.”
“Karl Thomas.”
“Yep! Professor!”
“Leo Flove.”
“Here.”
‘Student Leo!’
Ren covered his mouth, his expression filled with emotion.
Of course, the other students couldn't see it.
‘The lengths I went to just to study with you...’
Anna, who had a real-time view of Ren's expression, looked up at the ceiling and lamented.
In truth, the selection process for the sophomore department professor had been fiercely competitive.
It was only natural, as every major professor at Lumerne wanted to teach the sophomores, who were hailed as a golden generation, one of the best in history.
And Anna had witnessed everything Ren had done to secure the position.
After many twists and turns, he had finally secured the position of sophomore major professor.
It was all for the sake of teaching Leo.
From Ren's perspective, it was a deeply moving moment, but for Anna, who had suffered because of him, she just wanted to cry.
‘Should I just quit?’
As she seriously considered submitting her resignation, Ren, having finished the roll call, spoke.
“Before we begin class, everyone.”
Ren swept his gaze across the students.
“Can anyone tell me what the most powerful spell in existence is?”
At his question, the students began to murmur among themselves.
There were countless powerful spells in the world.
Depending on a mage's disposition, primary element, and affiliation, various answers were possible.
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s a tough one.”
The students discussed it with one another.
Just then, Chloe raised her hand.
“Yes, Student Chloe.”
“The most powerful spell in existence is the Star Magic, End.”
Ren nodded at her answer.
“Correct.”
Ren addressed the lecture hall as he scanned the room.
“At first glance, it might seem like a subjective question, but there is no spell in this world more powerful than End. In terms of power, mana efficiency, and, crucially, its short casting time.”
Ren smiled.
“End is a perfect work of art created by the Progenitor of Nebula.”
Ren spread his arms wide and said,
“After witnessing her defeat the Monster Queen during the recent Lumerne-Seirun Exhibition, I became even more certain of it.”
Hearing Ren's words, the magic department students swallowed nervously.
How could they ever forget?
Though the exact reason for the legendary hero's appearance remained unknown, everyone here had witnessed the miracle firsthand.
The great mage whom everyone in the world had only ever known through stories.
The greatest genius in the history of magic.
Everyone here had been present at the scene of the descent of Luna Rubinence, the Progenitor of Nebula.
And they had all seen the ‘End’ she used with their own two eyes.
“However, End is a difficult spell to use.”
Ren walked *step-by-step* to the front of the blackboard.
He picked up a piece of chalk and began to write out the magic formula for End.
A complex and esoteric formula filled the blackboard.
“Incredible power, excellent mana efficiency, and a short casting time. If you can use it, it’s the perfect spell, but to do so, one must fully understand the complex magic formula created by the Progenitor.”
The students looked at the magic formula with expressions of sheer dread.
Then, a student raised their hand.
“Activation formulas have been developing recently. In the distant future, might it be possible to simplify the formula using an activation formula?”
“Simplifying the formula for End is very easy.”
“What?”
“This right here is the result.”
Ren grinned.
‘That’s the simplified version?’
‘No way!’
‘Even with the formula written out, I can’t understand a thing!’
The students clutched their heads.
“This is the result of elves who learned Star Magic in later generations simplifying the formula themselves. If it’s simplified any further, the spell itself won't activate. Therefore, simplifying it to the level of an activation formula is impossible. Crucially, simplifying the formula alone isn't enough to cast the spell. The most important thing is that one must learn Star Magic.”
The students nodded.
Star Magic.
Only by learning the elves' unique magic can one learn End.
“Looks like we’ll never learn End in our lifetime.”
“*Sigh*. I tried to learn Star Magic myself... but it was no good.”
A few students shook their heads.
Star Magic was the unique magic of the elves.
Of course, it wasn't impossible for other races to learn it.
But one's mana wavelength had to be compatible with Star Magic, and it required exceptional magical talent and sense.
Seeing the students shake their heads, Ren grinned.
“Certainly, until now, Star Magic has been in the realm of talent and sense for humans. But you all know this as well. The fact that last year, your senior Ain distributed the Brave Hero's Breath to the knighthood department students at Azonia.”
At his words, the students looked puzzled.
A moment later, they understood the underlying meaning and looked at Ren with expressions of disbelief.
“N-no way...”
“Did you succeed in making Star Magic more versatile?”
Making Star Magic versatile enough for widespread use had long remained an unfinished project.
While the Progenitor's magic formula had been modified to be learnable by elves, other races couldn't even dream of it.
In the present day, it was treated as the elves' unique magic, and the academic world had concluded that it was impossible for other races to use it.
“During this past winter break, a groundbreaking and miraculous magic thesis was published at Lumerne.”
“N-no way!”
“Who on earth managed that?”
“Could it be our senior Torua who graduated...?”
“No! It could be our senior Elena!”
“Or did one of the other professors do it?”
The entire class was buzzing with excitement.
It was understandable.
Star Magic?
To be able to use the Progenitor's magic, which had been blocked by the wall of race for so long!
For a mage, what could be more thrilling?
“*Heheheh*. You must be curious as to who the author of that great thesis is!”
The students held their breath.
“A co-author of the thesis is right here in this room!”
Ren raised his hand.
The students' eyes followed his fingertips.
And at the end of his finger was...
“Huh? Me?”
Hearing this for the first time, Leo couldn't help but ask Ren again.
“*Heheheh*. Student Leo. I was certain from the moment I first saw you last year. I knew you would soon leave a great mark on the world of magic.”
“So... me?”
“*Heheheh*. As expected, you are the greatest talent in the history of Lumerne's magic department.”
“...”
Watching Ren, who only said what he wanted to say no matter how many times he was asked, Leo wore a look of utter disbelief.
“When did you write a paper like that?”
To Karl's question, Leo made a hesitant face.
“I never wrote a paper like that.”