Plan, Plan Has Appeared!
Plan, Plan Has Appeared!
KABOOM!
"Still... slow."
The ice barrier, the flames, the beams of light — everything shattered at once. The three students were drenched in sweat.
"Is this hard? This, of all things?"
I clicked my tongue. Tch.
It didn't matter how many times they tried. They still didn't know how to channel strength into 'Purity.' Their circuits kept veering toward 'Output.'
Habit is a terrifying thing. And if they couldn't correct it, passing the Subjugation Festival's preliminary round was a pipe dream.
"Stop."
I directly interfered with all three of their circuits and forcibly halted their manifestations. It seemed I would have to dedicate some time to theory, after all.
"I overestimated you. We start with theory."
Desks and chairs materialized before the students' eyes. They all sat down, looking sheepish.
"This problem arises because you've been working hard in your own way. An ingrained habit doesn't change easily."
No doubt they've been treating whatever they discovered in their self-study as some grand, secret method. Letting go of that won't be easy.
"...."
But guiding them to let it go was precisely my role.
I'd found the issue, so I adjusted my lecture method immediately. I didn't even spare a moment for disappointment in my students.
"We'll approach this from scratch. As if starting fresh."
Water, fire, earth, wind... the types of elements are extremely diverse, but once you dig down to the essence, they're ultimately no different.
I want to teach these three that Origin.
"This is a very basic element."
A non-attribute sphere. I slowly levitated a sphere with no attribute whatsoever into the air.
This time, I don't trust these kids.
Using the white space of this world as my blackboard, I wrote down formulas, principles, processes, and everything else in black ink, in as much detail as I possibly could.
It was a lecture suited for a newborn.
"Compare what I've written with the elemental formulas you've been drawing. Memorize every single discrepancy."
Understanding can come after memorization.
No, at their level, prioritizing memorization is actually better. That way, there might come a moment when understanding abruptly dawns on them.
"Do not even think about applying an attribute until the non-attribute sphere becomes perfectly transparent. Before then, it's nothing but a muddy clump of filth."
But even as I explained that, I wrote down every single theory and formula for applying attributes over the non-attribute sphere.
...Writing it all out one character at a time would take forever.
Scribble, scribble—
I started writing three characters at once. Ice for Becky, flames for Trixie, light for Louis... I even kindly partitioned their note-taking spaces for them.
There wasn't much time. I had to make them learn without fail.
"You can raise the Purity one degree further during the process of applying an attribute. You likely can't master this yet, but you must still be aware that such a phenomenon exists."
The note-taking lasted from 1:58 to 1:58.
"That is all."
That's in the time of the World Within the Painting, at least — but by the time I finished writing, the students were already corpses slumped in their seats.
"That is all."
I examined the densely packed writing hanging in the air.
Nothing was written incorrectly, and there was no way to make it any more concise than this. They ought to consider it an honor to attend such a lecture.
"Once you've fully memorized it, it will finally be 1:59."
"...?"
"Begin."
I left them their task and exited the World Within the Painting. There was someone I needed to bring here.
◈
─Scratch, scratch.
After Plan departed, the training ground inside the World Within the Painting was soon filled only with the sounds of formulas being memorized.
[ Theory of Purity ]
[ Theory of Non-Attribute Element Manifestation ]
[ Theory of Attribute Substitution ]
.
.
.
"...This is unreal."
Trixie muttered.
She had sifted through the notes written in the air and extracted only what was strictly necessary for herself. Even so, the volume was staggering.
And the content wasn't easy, either. It consisted entirely of unfamiliar, difficult material — three volumes' worth. Three entire volumes.
"Strange."
And yet, her interest was piqued. That fact itself was strange.
Trixie had felt uncomfortable and resistant toward the idea of rebuilding her foundations from scratch. And not just her — anyone would.
Because starting from the beginning means, in other words, wholly negating all the efforts and time you've accumulated so far.
But Plan's explanation was pure in and of itself.
It was concise, containing only the essentials. The moment she saw it, she felt there could be no better path than this one, and so she instead found herself deciding to cast aside her past efforts.
"As I thought..."
He forfeited on purpose. She was certain of it.
If theory alone was at this level, there was simply no way Plan had genuinely lost to Trixie in a contest of pure ability.
The question only grew larger. What was Plan's goal?
But soon, she shook her head firmly.
"...First, let's just memorize all of this."
Right now, rapidly increasing her skill was the priority. She had to fulfill her role as a representative for the Subjugation Festival, and she had to meet this 'Tutor' person with her head held high.
Trixie turned her head slightly.
"...."
Louis was acting exactly like Louis.
Aside from blinking, he made absolutely no movement. A tremendous passion for learning burned inside his eyes as he stared at his notebook.
This time, she turned her head the other way.
"So you group this here and.... lo-logic? What kind of logic am I supposed to apply...? Argh.... back to the previous part...."
Becky was rather noisy.
Hand on her forehead, then down, a deep sigh, and when something didn't make sense, she furrowed her brow. Yet somehow, through all that, she managed to keep turning pages.
Trixie found herself purely curious about that Becky.
The pressure must be enormous now that she'd been picked as a representative, and she had to be aware of public opinion — and right now, nothing was going particularly well for her...
But wasn't she still silently doing exactly what Plan told her to?
"Becky."
"H-huh?"
Becky whipped her head toward Trixie. Then quickly added,
"O-oh, sorry. Was I being too loud?"
"You're working really hard."
"Ah.... yeah.... Is that pathetic to watch?"
Becky scratched her head, her face slightly cowed. She clearly had low self-esteem — the complete opposite of Trixie.
"...Never mind. What's your reason for working so hard?"
Trixie wanted to solve her mother's riddle. She also wanted to become a genius, and she wanted to splendidly fulfill her role as the head of the family.
Since her own goals and reasons were all crystal clear, other people's reasons had suddenly sparked her curiosity.
Becky scratched her cheek with an awkward expression.
"Well.... I don't really have some huge reason. Plan told me to do it, so I do it...."
She said she just did it because she was told to. That made her curious about the reason behind that blind faith.
The first possibility that came to mind was one.
"Becky."
"Yeah?"
"You. Do you like Plan?"
"...!"
Becky's body went rigid. Looking closely, her face looked like she'd been struck over the head with a bucket of shock.
Her face bright red as if about to burst, she fidgeted with the pen in her hand several times.
"W-w-why are you suddenly asking something like that...?"
"Answer."
"I-I'm not working hard just for a reason like that!"
"Then what?"
Becky squirmed, her lips trembling.
"I gave up trying to understand what Plan is trying to do long ago. I can't do it at my level. But...."
"But?"
"Now I know that he always has a reason. In hindsight, it always ends up being something helpful to me in the end.... It's just, something about it — Plan is always amazing."
Becky's gaze slowly deepened. She seemed to be quietly tracing back through the past.
"He was different from the very first time we met, because he just reached out and touched the Agora Board without a second thought...."
The Agora Board.
The moment those five syllables reached her ears, Trixie's eyes flew wide open. Becky immediately wore an 'oops' expression.
"The Agora Board?"
"Huh...? What? No, no. I must have been mixed up!"
"You just now clearly said the Agora Board...."
But that was the moment.
"What's all this commotion about?"
A person they'd never seen before appeared in front of the three of them.
Silvery hair reminiscent of moonlight, crimson eyes. A face that closely resembled the society head of Sapour... but her ears weren't pointed.
Trixie asked.
"Who are you?"
Hearing the question, the woman tilted her head slowly to one side.
The woman was none other than Maeve. She had just returned to the World Within the Painting after finishing a meeting in the Void.
Her tone was rather impertinent, but she couldn't help it. Maeve spoke calmly.
"You could call me the master of this illusory world. Or rather, the former master...."
"I asked, who are you."
"...."
Looking at Trixie, who demanded answers directly, Maeve silently swept her lower lip with her tongue.
If it weren't for the slave brand, if we'd met outside, I would have torn the limbs off of this measly human and hung them in the sky...
But that was a meaningless hypothetical now. She faithfully answered as Plan had ordered her to.
"I just.... exist only within this world. That's me."
"Ah, a summoned creature."
Trixie immediately grasped it.
"...."
Maeve felt utterly devastated.
Reduced to being treated as a summoned creature by these impertinent young humans.... What a miserable station she'd ended up in.
Then, in the next instant.
"...?"
Becky grabbed Maeve's cheeks and stretched them.
"Wow.... This really feels alive. Plan can even summon things like this...."
"Th-things like this...?"
"Your cheeks are so soft. Guys! Come touch them too!"
Trixie looked Maeve up and down. All of a sudden, she poked one of her cheeks with an index finger.
"...It is pretty elaborate, I'll give it that."
"Ahaha.... It's a female summoned creature, so I'll just watch."
Louis gave a bright, eye-smiling smile, and Maeve trembled, unable to overcome the shock.
This time, Trixie suddenly thrust her notebook toward Maeve. It was a page where she had transcribed Plan's notes.
"You. Do you know this?"
"...?"
Maeve was incredulous. But because of the brand engraved on the back of her hand, she wasn't in a position to get angry.
"Haaaaah...."
Sighing deeply, she reluctantly examined the paper.
The content was clean. Though it was a completely different school from the black magic she used, even she could recognize that much.
"This is a level that's impossible not to understand."
"Oh, really?!"
Becky's eyes sparkled. She immediately opened her own notebook and held it out.
"C-could you please explain a bit, then! I just can't understand this part at all...!"
"Hmm~ Do you mind if I ask for help, too?"
"I'm stuck here."
Louis and Trixie joined in.
"Ah."
Maeve closed her eyes quietly. She felt dizzy.
◈
The night before the Subjugation Festival's preliminary round.
Sepia, deputy head of the Merhenilbo Magic Department, was still inside her office.
Because of the preliminaries scheduled for the next day, the outside was already in a frenzy.
Music was playing, fireworks were bursting in the sky, pre-festival galas were underway, parties were being held.... It was only natural. The scale of the Subjugation Festival was colossal.
Interest in it ranged from the students of Märchen Academy at the smallest end, all the way up to officials from the Imperial Household. It was that important an event.
And thus, during this period, it was not at all unusual for someone's life to be completely turned upside down in a single moment.
At a juncture this critical... Sepia pressed her fingers against her own temples.
"This is driving me insane."
[ Magic Department Without a Plan... 'Plan Missing' ]
[ All Bark, Then Disappears From Dormitory... What's He Doing? ]
[ Why Are There Only Three Magic Department Representatives? ]
*High probability they couldn't recruit a fourth.
[ 'Empty Wagons Make the Most Noise' ]
*Will this year's Magic Department prove to be an empty wagon?
Newspapers printed by the Knight Department were pouring down like a rainstorm. She wanted to counter the story, but Plan had gone completely silent, making any kind of reporting impossible.
And it wasn't even like he'd disappeared alone. The entire slate of Magic Department representatives hadn't stepped foot outside their dorms.
"What am I supposed to do about this? What am I supposed to do? What in the world is he thinking...."
Clutching her head, Sepia stood up from her seat.
She shoved every newspaper into the trash bin. She couldn't just sit in the office forever.
But just then.
"Deputy chief! Deputy chief!"
The youngest reporter swung the office door wide open and burst inside. His eyes were completely round.
"Yes, yes. What is it?"
"Plan, Plan has shown himself!"
"...Excuse me?"
Sepia tilted her head.
"...!"
And in the next instant, she dashed toward the entrance.
"He finally appeared? Well, what's the situation? Did you manage to get an interview? Or is there anything else confirmed?"
"Ah.... about that...."
The youngest reporter couldn't finish his sentence and just shuffled his feet restlessly. It was driving Sepia up the wall.
"Hurry up. Hurry! Don't keep me in suspense!"
"The Knight Department's Ivan.... It's Ivan."
"Ivan? What about Ivan all of a sudden?"
Having absolutely no idea what was going on, Sepia's expression was blank. But the youngest reporter's expression was even more so.
"He brought Ivan.... He brought Ivan with him...."
"Yeah, okay."
"And went into the dorms...."
Sepia's head tilted sideways.
No, it was practically bent.
A moment later, her brows snapped together and she asked again.
"...What?"