Chapter 248
Chapter 248
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 248
Chapter Title: What It Means to Handle Stars (3)
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Chloe had grown rapidly.
She had already built a solid foundation of basic knowledge under the Black Mage Tower Lord, and while staying at Aphria Academy, she had further solidified her base.
All that remained was for her to build her own tower.
And now, Chloe had just laid her first brick. She had taken her first step into her own path of magic (??.).
That alone was enough to fulfill the purpose of the special lectures, but...
"I've recalibrated the direction."
Chloe showed no signs of being satisfied with that.
"You said that to control rampaging mana, we need to alter the circuits, right? So I tweaked that concept a bit and applied it..."
Chloe handed me a sheet of paper.
Engraved on the paper was a single circuit.
"I'm thinking of modifying the basic circuits. To align them with the properties of my mana... little by little."
"...You're going to alter the circuits?"
"Yes. I've been reviewing the study materials on 'The Limits of Basic Spells' that you gave me, Professor Lania."
Chloe scratched her hair shyly.
"Reading the sentences and examples there, I thought, maybe this approach could work? For now, I'm starting by revising the basic circuits."
I silently examined the paper Chloe had handed me.
The paper outlined how to modify the circuit, including the direction and a brief summary.
As I read through the circuit—
"...Huh?"
I blinked several times.
Of course, closing and opening my eyes didn't change what was drawn on the paper. After looking back and forth between the circuit and Chloe, I directed a question at her.
"Chloe?"
"Yes, Professor Lania."
"Did the Black Mage Tower Lord ever teach you the 'Circuit Reformation' section?"
"Pardon? No, I don't think so."
"...You haven't learned it?"
Then what is this?
I looked at the paper again. It was immature and messy, but the paper Chloe held out clearly contained the process of circuit reformation.
'...This is a section taught in the third year?'
Among the students, the only one capable of this was Resti, who had already received full prior training before entering the academy.
'But a kid who just started studying magic is mimicking circuit reformation? And self-taught?'
It was impossible.
In disbelief, I asked Chloe once more.
"So how did you do this?"
"Uh..."
Chloe hesitated before answering.
"I just... did it, and it worked."
The moment I heard that answer, my breath caught in my throat.
Is this what it feels like to be speechless?
I stared at Chloe with a dumbfounded expression, then forced my mouth open to reply.
"W-Well... You're doing great. Bring it once you've gone as far as you can. Then we'll look at it together."
"Yes, Professor Lania!"
Chloe nodded vigorously and hurried out of the office with quick steps. I watched her retreating figure for a while, only turning my head after the office door closed.
"Right."
Sitting where I had turned was my master.
He had paused grading the mountain of assignments submitted by students and was looking at me.
"Now do you understand how I felt, Lania?"
"Y-Yes?"
"When I was raising you, I wore exactly the same expression you're making now. Maybe look in a mirror."
I glanced at the mirror on the desk.
The reflection showed a face mixed half with bewilderment and absurdity, something like 'What the hell is this guy doing?'
"Now do you understand how I felt?"
Indeed.
So this is how Master felt.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
It took over a decade for a bond of empathy to form with my disciple.
Feeling a subtle joy at that fact, Rosel stood from his seat. He then walked toward the teapot placed in one corner of the office.
The teapot and various tools prepared for brewing coffee, catering to his disciple's notoriously picky taste when it came to coffee.
Standing before them, Rosel checked the coffee-brewing recipe he had received from the alchemist running the campus cafe and handled the tools in sequence.
Clink.
With now-skilled hand movements, he brewed the coffee and let out a hollow chuckle.
'At this rate, I might end up opening a cafe after retirement.'
One cup in his hand, the remaining one placed on his disciple's table.
"So."
Rosel opened his mouth while sipping the coffee.
"That child Chloe—what do you think of her?"
"Honestly, I'm a bit surprised."
"Surprised?"
Lania rarely praised others. Rosel narrowed his eyes with interest at the word 'surprised' coming from her mouth.
"You didn't say that about Resti, Rak, or Belnoa either. Is she on their level?"
"They're talented too, but... Chloe feels different in direction."
Lania touched her chin.
"Quick learner? Fast understanding? It's hard to sum up in one word..."
Ah, she let out a short sigh.
"Her way of thinking is just... different."
Rosel flinched, pausing the coffee cup at his lips. He glared at Lania with half-lidded eyes.
"...Her way of thinking is different?"
"Yes. She's only taken one step, but she already pulls in concepts far ahead... Does things I haven't even taught her first."
For some reason, it felt familiar.
"Watching her is fascinating. Feels like if I teach her wrong even a little, she'll veer off strangely, so it makes me think a lot."
"L-Lania?"
"Yes? Master."
Rosel looked at Lania with a troubled expression.
"Are you perhaps talking about yourself?"
"Huh? No? I'm talking about Chloe."
Lania blinked and tilted her head.
Seeing his disciple like that, Rosel pressed his temple. Old memories flooded his mind, mostly from when he first took Lania in.
"...Raniel? The circuits I told you to complete within the week—I remember assigning sixteen mid-level ones. What is this?"
It was during the time he taught mid-level circuits.
"Hm, I thought organizing it like this would be cleaner and boost the power."
"What?"
"It felt lacking while I was doing it. Like it wasn't complete. I had time left after drawing them, so I refined them neatly."
After teaching mid-level circuits, his disciple had filled in the gaps on her own and created sixteen advanced spell circuits.
"...How?"
"Pardon? I just did it, and it worked."
"What?"
Skipping steps on her own, turning one lesson into something far beyond with her adaptability.
'Her learning ability makes me laugh just watching...'
Yet she seemed oblivious, answering 'I just did it, and it worked' whenever asked.
"Hah..."
Each time, Rosel would burst into disbelieving laughter. And now, time had passed.
"Anyway."
Rosel looked at his disciple sitting before him.
"That 'I just did it, and it worked' from Chloe. It just made me laugh. She doesn't even realize how outrageous it is."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes. I was speechless. Laughing in disbelief."
Ahaha, Lania laughed while sipping her coffee. Her face suggested it wasn't a bad feeling despite the absurdity.
"Makes me wonder how to teach her."
Her expression seemed expectant instead.
Looking at Lania's face, Rosel thought.
She ended up with a disciple just like her.
"Well, then..."
Rosel muttered while sipping his coffee.
"Do your best."
"Yes, Mas—"
"Teaching her will be extremely tricky. You'll question what you're even teaching... And feel the tension that one wrong move could ruin her."
Yes, Master.
Lania, about to reply, closed her mouth and watched Rosel. He gazed out the window with distant eyes, pouring out advice without pause.
"You'll think, 'I'm raising a monster. One slip, and it'll all go wrong. My half-century of magic will be devoured by this kid.'"
"Master, I'm still twenty-seven..."
"It'll be endless worry. She's progressing so fast—what more to teach? Personality? Should I teach personality?"
...Personality?
It felt slightly off-topic, but Lania listened quietly to Rosel.
"Still."
Only after the coffee had gone cold did Rosel's words end. Wetting his throat with the cold coffee, he gave Lania a wry smile.
"You'll be fine. A monster raising another monster. Honestly, Chloe's impressive, but not on your level."
"...Pardon?"
"Where else is there a kid like you?"
Rosel patted Lania's head with the back of his hand.
"There won't be a mage like you, past or future."
Lania blinked.
Rosel flicked her forehead.
"Anyway, raise her well. I raised a sage, so you should at least raise a hero. That's how the Trias name lives on."
His voice was laced with jest.
Lania nodded with a smile.
"Yes, Master."
Not just one hero, though.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
The special lectures proceeded smoothly.
Chloe, Aila, Rak, Belnoa—all were showing steady upward curves. The plans were progressing without a hitch... no major issues.
Lania called aside the students she had been watching closely to briefly check the results of the lectures.
"Compared to the start of the semester, the power of my shamanism has increased a lot. Through repeated training, my physical techniques and body reinforcement have improved too, but..."
When Lania asked if the lectures were yielding good results, Belnoa hesitated before answering.
"...I still haven't gotten the hang of it."
Wrapping shadows in the form of armor.
Belnoa had completely mastered that area. After relentlessly pounding her for a month, Lania had grasped this part.
'What grew were applications and minor skills.'
Of course, those were important too.
"You can't move to the next stage, right?"
That was Belnoa's issue.
The dragon shamanism existing in the next stage after shadow armor.
She was aware of its existence, but Belnoa hadn't yet grasped how to use it.
"Yes."
Belnoa nodded.
"In the trial, Lord Belial said the shadow dragon shamanism is the next stage after shadow armor. But I can't get a feel for it."
Belnoa clenched and unclenched her fist repeatedly.
"It feels within reach, but slips away. Lord Belial said it needs some trigger, but..."
"It's not something you learn easily."
Lania patted Belnoa's shoulder.
"For now, think of it as building the foundation."
She looked frustrated at the lack of immediate results, but to Lania, it was unnecessary worry.
'...Even Belial said he learned shadow dragon shamanism nearing thirty. What's the rush.'
Memories she saw in the northern tower.
Cross-verified with Cardi, Belial had mastered shadow shamanism past thirty. Even that ancient hero took that long. Belnoa was plenty fast.
'And its power when complete is absurd.'
One flap of wings stirs a storm.
Its slashing claws tear the sky.
The shadow dragon shamanism from memory had no counters if you stayed within bounds.
"Don't be impatient. Just grasp it before the next trial."
"...Yes."
She nodded, but Belnoa didn't look satisfied.
"A tree I couldn't fell with one axe swing before, now falls in one strike. Not ten chops, just one."
Rak grinned, showing his white teeth.
"My axe fells a massive pine in one chop. I've grown stronger..."
He looked extremely pleased.
Rak stroked the axe at his waist lovingly and nodded emphatically.
"When I return north, first place in the 'Firewood Chopping Race' is mine."
"There's a competition like that...?"
"A tradition with deep roots."
What a... unique culture.
Muttering that, Lania checked Rak's condition. Over the past two months, and the year overall, Rak had clearly grown.
'Physically, he was already complete.'
He just didn't know how to wield it.
And over the past year, Rak had steadily learned. How to use spells, how to handle his body properly... And finally.
'He felt the wall.'
The encounter with Sword Ghost Draka.
He had faced the wall then, and briefly stood upon it.
"Just keep going like this."
Lania nodded.
His growth curve wasn't steep, but Rak was progressing steadily. Step by solid step.
"But Rak."
"Yes, Professor Lania."
"That thing about felling a tree in one chop. Where did you try that?"
"Pardon? Well, obviously..."
Lania silently handed Rak a sheet of paper.
It was a recent campus notice.
『Lately, trees in Aphria's back mountain and the Harmein Forest are being felled entirely. They've even been neatly stacked like firewood, but the intent is unclear. Requesting cooperation in identifying the culprit...』
"......"
Rak fell silent.
"Rak."
Tap tap, Lania tapped the paper.
Rak broke into a cold sweat.
"Be careful."
"...Yes."
There were minor issues, but the special lectures were going smoothly.
For Belnoa and Rak, it felt more like foundation-building for now. Lania helped solidify their bases by visiting periodically and giving them a thorough workout.
For the other two, Lania didn't need to intervene much.
"I'm grasping methods to command the stars and wield my authority. Still feels like there's a lot I don't know."
Aila was researching her authority.
"I'm studying 'How to Handle Familiars' taught by Lord Kelrhalhm. Splitting circuits and implanting them in familiars... to increase the number I can control at once, but..."
Resti was advancing her summoning research, and neither seemed to need Lania's hands-on help.
For now, analyzing their weekly results and giving feedback seemed sufficient.
'Too early to teach them rigorously. That's for the year after next...'
And finally.
"Professor Lania!"
The next Hero candidate, Chloe.
"I finally succeeded!"
If picking the student with the most change in the past month, it was undoubtedly Chloe. Recalling her progress, Lania smiled faintly.
All of them were a joy to teach.
And it wasn't just those she watched closely. Aphria's overall level was steadily rising.
'Raised the lecture pace overall, and they're keeping up. No issues.'
Increased assignments, and everyone followed without complaint. They were all growing, after all. Feeling fulfilled as a professor, Lania stretched languidly.
At this rate, no problems.
And as always.
Problems came suddenly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 4.
Early one morning, a knight arrived at the mansion. Lania, opening the door in her pajamas, blinked at the visiting knight.
'Face looks familiar.'
From not too long ago.
Staring intently at the knight's face, Lania clapped her hands.
"Rox of the Turbulence!"
A knight she had encountered on the battlefield.
At Lania's words, Rox blinked.
"...You know me?"
"Of course! The guy who swept them away with a landslide on the western front! Thanks to that..."
Excited at meeting a battlefield connection, Lania's voice grew quieter toward the end. By the finish, she mumbled.
"We turned the tide easily... Big brother Raniel told me."
"Lord Raniel said that?"
Fortunately, Rox focused on the latter part.
Rox looked at Lania with shining eyes.
"The Ashen Mage, Lord Raniel, shared my story with his sister too. What an honor."
"Yeah, he said you were amazing..."
"Haha. Worth gritting my teeth to join the battlefield where the Sage was. If he remembers, my efforts weren't in vain."
Rox scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"So, what's the matter?"
"Ah, I came to deliver a letter to you, Lady Lania. Principles require direct transmission for related information."
A battlefield knight coming all the way to the capital to deliver personally. And a capable one at that. Lania nodded, expecting it wasn't ordinary.
"To Lania van Trias, educator of next Hero candidate Chloe."
Holding the artifact around his neck, Rox relayed the Knight Commander's words to Lania.
"The trial for next Hero candidate Chloe has been decided. The trial date is next spring."
Lania narrowed her eyes.
Rox spoke the final words.
"Three months from now."
Chloe's trial date was set.
Much sooner than Lania had anticipated.
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