Chapter 636: This is Our School District
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 636: This is Our School District
The academy was empty of students, leaving only a chaotic mess behind. Used crystal lenses, pure ice, a mana-fueled brazier, a magic xylophone, and more were scattered haphazardly across the floor.
It was the kind of sight that would make one sigh at the thought of cleaning it all up. The housekeeper, that is, not me.
I gestured with my chin, summoning the housekeeper.
“Hey. Clean this up.”
“Mmm… Huh? D-did you call me?”
“Where the hell do you wander off to at night to be dozing off in the daytime? I said, clean this up.”
As I replied in annoyance, the housekeeper wiped a bit of drool from her mouth and muttered sullenly.
“Hmph. You don’t have to put it like that…”
Despite her grumbling, she was quick to clean. With just a few sweeps of her arms, the mess was organized in an instant. The housekeeper glanced at the magical tools packed neatly into a large box and spoke.
“Wow. So many strange things. Did you prepare all of this for the children?”
“What are you talking about? These are my experimental tools.”
“But thanks to these magical tools, the children learned to sense mana. I’ve never seen so many tools used to teach children in the Mage Federation before.”
“It’s just that I needed something to experiment on.”
I was in the middle of researching how to awaken magic at the Crystal Tower and simply needed subjects for my experiments. They were just lucky enough to receive me and reap the benefits.
“For the children, your arrival is a true blessing…”
“That’s right. To them, I am a blessing, a miracle, a grace. If I hadn’t happened to take an interest in awakening magic in the ignorant, if I hadn’t happened to follow that woman I saw, they would still be wasting their lives in this backwater academy on a gamble that might never pay off.”
Hearing my words, the housekeeper lowered her gaze and mumbled.
“Teacher, you say such things, but you’re actually a kind person, aren’t you?”
“What? Where did that come from?”
“Your words are cold and your attitude is arrogant, but you’re here in this frontier region, working for these children. Talented people don’t usually come all the way out to a place like this to help others. Unless they’re a missionary or something.”
I shrugged.
“I suppose that’s the result, yes. But I only act as I please. Whatever expectations you may have of me, I won’t necessarily live up to them.”
“…Are you, perhaps, embarrassed?”
“I’d like to feel that someday. I have no idea what that emotion is.”
My answer didn’t seem to satisfy her curiosity. The housekeeper tilted her head, confused, as she finished tidying up.
“Shall I have a meal brought in? Or would you like to bathe?”
“I’ll eat first, then wash up.”
“Yes. I’ll tell the lady to bring the food!”
Now that it was mealtime, the housekeeper scurried away. Look at her hurry, knowing her own food is coming. Everyone’s only ever serious when it comes to their own business.
Just then, the resonance crystal sphere in my pocket vibrated. I slipped it out to see the faint image of Avant-garde’s face. I twisted the sphere to connect and spoke.
“I’ve got it, Senior Avant-garde.”
As if she had been waiting, Avant-garde’s voice came through.
[Hughes. How are you? How’s the mortal realm?]
“I’m staying at a nice place, so it’s comfortable. The rules here are interesting, too.”
[Oh, right! I forgot to explain the rules of the Celsius Domain! Oh, what should I do? Should I bring you a guidebook?]
“Figuring it out is part of the fun. Besides, I’ve gotten somewhat used to it. The anomaly in its freezing and boiling points makes it great for handling crystal magic.”
[That’s right! In the Celsius Domain, the crystalline structure of snow and ice is enhanced, creating that anomaly! That’s all you really need to know!]
Avant-garde chattered on excitedly. The distance was too great for me to read her thoughts, but I could at least listen to her talk. After sharing some trivial news and pleasantries, she finally said:
[The Crystal Tower is busy because it’s the bridge to the current Advent Site. It should be less hectic next week, so I’ll try to come down for a visit! Stay safe until then!]
“Of course. You’ll be surprised when you see me. I’m looking forward to showing you how much I’ve changed.”
[I… I w-want to see you, too!]
With those words, Avant-garde ended the call. The light in the resonance crystal faded. Having finished one task, I noticed a stare and questioned it.
“What is it, housekeeper?”
“…You sinful man.”
“Did you switch jobs from housekeeper to judge? Setting that aside, why are you staring while I’m on a call? How rude.”
“Then you should have taken it in your room!”
What’s with her? Why is she so on edge? The housekeeper spoke frostily.
“While you were busy flirting, I told the lady. The food will be here soon. But…”
“But what?”
“…There’s someone outside looking for you.”
Someone looking for me? Not Avant-garde, and I hope it’s not Lankart. Shei? That’s strange. If it were Shei, she would have just walked in.
“Then just let them in. Is there a problem?”
“Yes, there is. The lady dragged them out.”
“What?”
Puzzled, I went outside immediately.
*
In the Celsius Domain, ice doesn’t melt easily. As a result, most of the domain is covered in snow and ice, and it’s not uncommon to see buildings made of ice instead of rock.
The streets are ice, and most vehicles are a form of sled. Occasionally, you can see people skating. Huskies are commonly raised, and dogsleds are a practical means of transportation.
The snow feels cozy and warm, but it makes movement difficult, so people generally don’t wander outside without a specific reason.
Today, however, there was a crowd near the academy. The lady, who had brought a group of people with her, shouted, her eyes blazing.
“This is our school district! You didn’t even glance our way when we were desperate for help, and now you want to stick your spoon in?!”
Her opponent was an old man with a long, flowing beard. Though his skill was shallow, the retired magician spoke with a relaxed expression.
“My, my, woman. Sticking my spoon in? Anyone hearing you would think you prepared this feast yourself.”
“I did prepare it! I’m the one who brought him here, and I’m the one hosting him!”
In contrast to the lady’s shrieking, the old man replied shamelessly.
“Even if you ‘brought him here,’ it’s not like you summoned him from the Floating Castle, and as for ‘hosting him,’ do you really think your offerings are up to a magician’s standards? The esteemed magician simply entered the nearest academy. If that’s the case, there’s no rule saying that academy can’t be our academy.”
“There’s no reason for it to be your academy, either!”
“Even though our academy is larger, has more students, is more distinguished… and can offer a much greater reward?”
His was an academy run by a retired magician, who even taught there himself. Compared to a mere woman who got lucky with her son, his standing was on a completely different level.
Even so, the lady couldn’t bear to give away the fortune that had fallen into her lap and was about to argue back, seething.
“And woman. I’ve held my tongue out of respect for your son, but…”
The lady couldn’t say another word. The reason was simple: an icicle had frozen to her lips.
A sudden, chilling sensation made the lady’s body tremble—not just from the cold, but from the terror of magic being cast on her without her even noticing.
Having finished his spell, the old man stroked his beard and said, “The esteemed magician will eventually leave with the Floating Castle, but we will remain here. Shouldn’t we resolve this without getting red in the face? That is, if you don’t want to be struck by some inexplicable magic.”
It was a statement that was half a threat, and for the lady, it was a harsh dose of reality.
Mana was the power to invoke natural phenomena through one’s will. Those with sensory perception could feel it, and those with control could resist it. Unless it was pre-prepared anti-magic, a spell cast against another magician was almost useless.
But what about against an ordinary person with neither perception nor control? They wouldn’t notice the magic being used, nor could they resist an attack. Even if they were attacked, they would have no way of knowing who did it or how.
You couldn’t arrest them if you reported it, and you couldn’t prove it if you accused them. To the ignorant, magic is an invisible hand. And how can one prove what cannot be seen?
The ignorant were just that—ignorant.
Just as an incompetent person needs a guardian, the ignorant will only be taken advantage of if they don’t have a magician to protect them.
The only reason the lady hadn’t suffered a worse fate was that her son was a magician. Reminding her of this fact, the old man spoke politely.
“Did we ask for something so outrageous? We merely wished to meet the esteemed magician. It is unfair of you to refuse even that and spew such insults.”
“…!”
“Now then. We shall proceed to the academy.”
The lady’s companions didn’t dare block the magician’s path. With a slight smirk, the old man was about to head toward the academy when he came face-to-face with me.
“What a crowd. What are you all doing gathered here with nothing better to do?”
From my openly annoyed expression, the old man immediately recognized me as a magician.
“Oh. A pleasure. You must be the one they say came from the Floating Castle…?”
“What do you want?”
How arrogant! Though I suppose that’s to be expected of the chosen people of the Floating Castle.
He understood me even when I replied so curtly. What exactly is a magician, I wonder.
The old man stated his business as concisely as possible.
“Ahem. It is nothing much. We simply wish to invite a gentleman of your profound magical skill to our academy, rather than this frontier backwater.”
“How did you know I was here? It’s only been three days since I arrived.”
“The Celsius Domain is small. The lands where people live packed together are smaller still. When a magician with mana as powerful as yours appears, everyone is bound to notice…”
As he spouted his flattery, the old man sensed my mana and looked a little taken aback.
Hm? Strange. I heard he was a brilliant magician from the Floating Castle, but his mana is so faint.
Tch, a magician.
Magicians can sense mana. That meant my own mana was exposed.
Of course, a magician who has reached a certain level can conceal their mana. But there was usually no need. There was no harm in showing that you were more powerful.
Why is his mana so weak? Could he be an impostor the woman hired? Let’s see.
The old man stroked his beard, his gaze subtly shifting downward. At my feet, where my boots met the snow, mana began to stealthily gather.
That beard is fake. There’s a spool of thread woven inside it. Is he using that as a medium for his magic?
No matter how weak I might seem, this much was nothing.
I pulled my hand back slightly and grabbed a card. The card I drew was the 3 of Clubs, one of the new cards I had Lankart make for me at the Floating Castle to replace the club deck I’d used up. I dropped it behind my leg, out of the old man’s sight, then subtly shifted my foot to step on it.
“Fahrenheit.”
The moment the mana in the card ignited, it clashed with the old man’s spell. The icicles that were about to cover my feet met the heat and scattered, and a cloud of white steam billowed up.
The old man’s eyes widened.
Magic with just an incantation, no medium?! I couldn’t even trace the flow of mana. He’s a high-level magician!
There was a medium, but his eyes couldn’t see it. It’s hard enough to see my cards with the naked eye; it would be impossible for his old eyes.
The old man hastily removed his hand from his beard and said, “Ahem. My apologies. You had concealed your mana so well, I wondered if you were someone else.”
“Why should I have to put up with your disrespect?”
“…Hup! O-of course not! My sincerest apologies!”
An old man? Respect for one’s elders? What bygone era is that nonsense from? In the Mage Federation, magical skill is everything. I stared at the hastily bowing old man for a long moment before finally speaking.
“So, about your business.”
“I was merely inquiring about your intentions, sir! Please, do not be too angered!”
“Do as you please.”
“We can provide you with every comfort, so if you would perhaps… pardon?”
“Bring them here yourselves. I won’t take them as disciples, but I can look in on them in my spare time.”
Surprised by my unexpectedly favorable response, the old man asked again, “Truly? But, you want us to bring them here?”
“I can’t be bothered to pack. Besides, I’ve already gotten used to this place.”
“Our academy is much larger and has far better facilities…”
“Then teach them in your fine facilities.”
“No, no, no! We must accommodate your wishes, sir! The thirsty man digs the well. I will pass on your words!”
The old man bowed to me several more times before retreating with his people. For a situation that had gotten so tangled, it was a good outcome, and I was quite satisfied.
I had also saved the lady some face. She might be disappointed that she couldn’t monopolize me, but it wasn’t a bad thing for this frontier school district to become the center of an event. As the old man said, once I leave, they’ll only have each other.
However.
He’s not one to be lazy, but he’s certainly not one to volunteer for community service. He’s not a missionary, so why is he making more work for himself? What result is he trying to create this time?
Only the housekeeper was still glancing at me, her eyes a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.