Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Enlightenment, and Growth (5)
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Aphria Academy's dean's office.
Amid the spacious office, one wall stands completely bare, without a single decoration. A single lecture is projected onto that pristine white surface.
"...".
Two middle-aged men watch the lecture.
They stand at the cusp between middle age and old age. Though their age difference is negligible, their appearances differ greatly.
It's not about looking aged.
It's the hair.
-That's all for today.
The lecture, which had lasted about an hour and a half, comes to an end. Rosel removes his glasses and presses his fingers firmly around his eyes. Aron touches his bald forehead.
For a moment, they remain like that.
Rosel puts his glasses back on and speaks.
"What do you think, Aron?"
"...".
"I had the other professors cancel their classes... but wasn't it worth it? I thought it was fine."
Aron gazes at Rosel in silence.
'Fine? That?'
No words come to mind to express his current feelings. Aron lets out a long sigh.
"Hah...".
A hollow chuckle escapes through his open mouth.
'Was that lecture worth having six professors cancel their classes?'
Aron asks himself.
...Normally, Aron doesn't much care for comparing professors. Each has their own subject. Their teaching styles differ too.
Comparing them would be foolish.
'That's what I've always thought...'
Lania van Trias.
Aron recalls the content of the bold girl's lecture. He organizes what he had just witnessed with his own eyes.
'Rune letters.'
The girl had definitely covered them.
And as far as Aron remembers, runes aren't simple concepts. They're included in the third-year, senior curriculum, but only the basics.
'Because they're too difficult. Advanced material.'
Even though runes underpin everything, there's good reason they're not taught.
The progression from incantation language to runes, then to circuits, is incredibly complex.
Few can teach it, and it's certainly not for young mages just starting magecraft.
'Teaching it halfway would only cause confusion. Better not to teach it at all.'
Understanding runes.
Handling them.
Only seasoned magecraft scholars like Aron or Rosel, who have devoted decades to it, can manage. Not just the difficulty, but the immense time required.
Which raises the question.
'Yet that child handled it.'
A girl barely into her twenties disassembled an advanced circuit into runes. Explained its structure, demonstrated the process to the students.
'Ten years immersed in magecraft, was it?'
Rosel had said the girl named Lania had holed up in the lab for a decade, researching only magecraft. Aron doesn't know what that research entailed, but...
'It certainly wasn't a conventional method.'
That's all he can surmise.
"...".
Aron closes his eyes. Keeping them shut, he imagines how the girl's class would sound from the students' perspective.
-Charararak.
Dozens of circuits disassemble in midair.
The students would have witnessed circuits breaking into runes, runes into language.
'What impact will that have on them?'
The answer comes quickly.
'...Having glimpsed a fragment of truth, it'll ignite their passion for studies even more. They'll approach magecraft from a completely new angle.'
And that will lead to growth.
The students saw it.
The concept underlying everything.
The students realized.
What the things they used 'were'.
That realization isn't one-sided.
Nor simplistic. It ties together everything they've built so far into a single flow.
'Stimulation.'
That flow will be new stimulation for the students.
And that...
'Is exactly why I forced Mana Trading Studies into the curriculum.'
Aron opens his eyes.
"Hm."
A smile plays at his lips.
"Was it worth it, La... ni..."
A mischievous question.
Aron looks at Rosel and speaks.
"Yes."
For now, Aron can only answer thus.
"It was worth it."
2.
Mid-April, as the weather begins to warm.
Aphria should be bustling with midterms prep, but instead, it faces an unexpected break.
About ten days of holiday.
The students cheer, but for the staff, it's bloodshot-eyed hell.
Third short break in a month. First was the public lecture, second the terrorist incident, now professors' mass cancellation.
Curriculum tangled, exams delayed, events pushed back. Staff scramble endlessly.
-Work, paperwork, deadlines...
-Meetings... Huh? Another one?
Assistant professors pull all-nighters covering for the culprits. Unlike thrilled students, most look undead.
Not all, though.
Somehow finishing everything on day one, one assistant professor enjoys the break with students.
Everyone knows her name.
Lania van Trias.
The girl at the center of the professors' mass cancellation.
Assistant professors grit their teeth over her name.
*
Noon on a lazy spring day, sunlight pouring in.
Rosel checks the academic schedule.
But he can't focus.
"Heut, hit...".
Laughter seeps into his ears.
"...".
Rosel glances over.
His disciple rolls on the sofa during this surprise holiday. Her lips quiver, feet kick excitedly, a book in hand.
'...Wandering Swordsman's Dramatic Tales.'
Familiar books.
Rosel knows where they came from.
-What? You liked it?
-Yeah! You get it! Another mage who understands the emotion in this martial world...
-I'll lend you more!
All borrowed from Aron.
"...That enjoyable?"
"Hut, sseup. Yes, Master, want to try? It's really fun."
"Such books aren't to my taste."
"But it's fun..."
Muttering, Raniel closes the book.
Seems she's finished them all.
"Hut...".
She stretches languidly and stands. Ashen hair sways with her movement.
"Ah, right."
Blank-eyed on the sofa, Raniel whips her head around.
"Master."
"What is it, Raniel?"
"Why the break this time? Wasn't it recent from the terror attack?"
'...Does she really not know?'
Rosel hesitates, but figures his oblivious disciple might truly be clueless.
"...Professors all canceled classes."
"Really? What happened...?"
Because of you.
Rosel mutters inwardly and closes the calendar.
"Raniel, nothing else today?"
"Hm, no. Books done..."
"Then change clothes."
"Huh? Why?"
Rosel stands.
"It's been a while since we ate out. Let's go."
"Oh..."
"Anything you crave? Class went well, so your pick."
Raniel strokes her chin.
"Umm..."
After pondering, she speaks.
"Come to think, yes, one."
3.
A cafe in the capital.
Sunny window seat.
"Hm...".
Rosel eyes the food dubiously. Menu's fine. Utterly ordinary.
'Soup and bread... that's it?'
A bit of cake too, but...
Quintessential brunch cafe. More for light breakfast chats than full meals.
"...Sure this is okay?"
"Yes? I wanted it. You okay, Master?"
"No issue, but..."
It's a rare outing.
As Rosel recalls, five years ago, Raniel demanded fancy places.
-You're paying, right?
Her cheeky grin clear. Much changed now, but Rosel remembers her pointing at noble event restaurants.
'...Why this suddenly?'
Rosel strokes his chin and asks.
"You always picked expensive when I paid. Like Inftront Steak..."
Raniel smiles wryly.
"Well, just missed this."
"Missed?"
"Back in the tower, all-nighters, occasional brunch cafes with you?"
"...Yes."
"Thought of that a lot."
Rosel watches his disciple.
She looks a bit weary.
"I was on the front lines five years, right?"
"...Yes."
"Front lines, drawing circuits nonstop, smashing demons, all-nighters basic."
Raniel tears bread corner.
Dips in cooled soup.
"Fighting frantically, dawn breaks. Demons retreat at sunrise."
"...".
"Sun rises over horizon, but cleanup's endless. Pesky shamans' corpses to clear, barriers to fix. Knights handle, but can't just idle."
Pops soggy bread in mouth.
"Helping knights eats time... then prep next fight. No time for soup. Stuff rations, back to line. Our party was busy."
Thanks to those two slacking two years.
She mutters.
"And then?"
Chewing daintily, Raniel smiles.
"Ah, want lukewarm soup with soft bread. Thought that often."
"...".
"Coffee too, better."
Rosel smiles wryly at her dramatic coffee raise.
"Did you?"
"Yeah, whatever. Came to capital, remembered."
A cup of coffee's leisure.
Rosel senses her fixation, reason for cafes.
'Fine, nothing happened... she says.'
Five frontline years made even this precious.
"...Let's come often."
"Oh, really?"
"Professors start late anyway. We wake early, once or twice weekly fine."
"Sounds good."
Raniel beams.
"Wum."
After watching her munch bread, Rosel speaks.
"Ah, no assignment this time. Reason?"
"Huh? Observed Charlotte's class last time."
"Know. Popular with students."
"Yeah, she said heavy homework profs bad. Minimize assignments."
"Hm."
Rosel strokes chin.
Then curtly.
"Nonsense."
"Pardon?"
"Assignments okay."
Raniel tilts head.
"...Students hate them?"
"Professor's duty to teach more, even if disliked?"
"Uh... yes?"
"Homework keeps tension. Doubles as review, good for them."
"Uh, um..."
To puzzled Raniel, Rosel states firmly.
"Assignments necessary."
Adds,
"More, better."
"Really?"
"Yes."
'If Master says so.'
Raniel nods.
Author's Note A breather chapter before the new episode. Tried posting yesterday too... but burned too white-hot last one? Everything felt pulseless... So, took yesterday off. Sorry! But I'll keep 5/week!