Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Magic Division and Spirit Magic (3)
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The practice area of Ielern Hall wasn't indoors but sprawled openly outdoors.
Stone steps were installed so cadets could sit comfortably anywhere, with a stage at the center of those steps. Lectures and hands-on sessions took place in this free-spirited atmosphere, like a small outdoor theater on a midsummer night.
Today was the day for the Magic Division's second-year cadets to have their first spirit arts practice here in this area.
The cadets, already buzzing in the division's characteristically lax vibe, were even more excited, chattering away as if this really were a performance venue.
And at the center of it all sat Rosette Rosemary, the representative for the Magic Division's second-year cadets.
"Rosette! You're as cute as ever today!! Look at those chubby cheeks!"
"Her hair's all fluffy again—that's so cute too! Let me brush it for you real quick!"
"That red hair is just gorgeous!! You look exactly like a doll, Rosette!"
The female cadets nearby were making a huge fuss. They were stroking and petting Rosette all over. Being treated like a kid despite being well past adulthood felt oddly amusing, as always.
Still, the kind-hearted Rosette had no intention of spoiling her close friends' fun. There was no need to reject such obvious affection, after all.
'But pulling on my cheeks that hard is a bit much... I'm not a little kid...'
The male cadets nearby crowded in too, gawking as her cheeks got tugged this way and that.
"Rosette's always so popular, huh."
"She's cute. Unlike those haughty noble ladies from the other divisions, she's sweet as a child."
"I think it's 'cause she's a witch that makes her even cuter. That witch hat suits her better than anyone else at Pantheon."
The gathering cadets fell into trivial chit-chat among themselves. Rosette truly loved the Magic Division's uniquely free atmosphere.
'Mom always said it's a blessing just that a witch like me isn't hated by people.'
A witch was a special existence, distinct from ordinary mages. They devoted their lives to pursuing magical knowledge. Magic's essence was change, so witches hated being tied down to any one place.
Rules and worldly norms meant nothing to them. That free-spirited nature earned witches much misunderstanding.
Especially long ago, in distant history. When the God of Darkness fell to become the Demon God and only High God Jedin and his subordinate gods retained divinity.
Countless humans who once worshipped the God of Darkness and his subordinates abandoned their old gods to convert to the Jedin faith.
But witches were different. They pursued magical knowledge without distinguishing good from evil. Even after Jedin became humanity's sole supreme god, witches continued passing down the Demon God's knowledge.
But that conviction sowed the seeds of misfortune.
When the Holy Ramir Empire declared the Jedin faith as the state religion, official persecution of witches began.
Witches fled into the shadows to escape the brutally ruthless inquisitors, hiding their identities.
So for a witch like Rosette to receive this much love from so many people would have been unimaginable just 20 years ago, her mother always said.
The empire officially recognized witches' existence and granted them the same rights as ordinary citizens only after the Great War.
Twenty years ago, during the great war between humans and demonkin, witches sided with humanity—and that was their reward.
In truth, even before that, they'd been quietly active against the Chaotic Gates and beasts.
Her mother often spoke of the era when witches faced discrimination.
But Rosette, of the postwar generation, had grown up showered in adoration like this. Her cute appearance certainly helped, of course.
Even as a witch, it wasn't surprising for someone like Rosette to grow up so untroubled in this era.
Lost in thought, she heard one of the cadets tugging her cheek speak up.
"Huh. Wait a sec. Isn't that guy Count Julian?"
Rosette turned her head at those words. At the end of where her friends' gazes pointed stood the wastrel count who'd become astonishingly handsome since the semester started: Julian von Reinhardt.
The moment his figure came into view, the practice area's atmosphere shifted. The previous clamor vanished completely, replaced by silence.
The sharp Rosette immediately grasped the reason. The lack of discrimination against witches held true only among commoners.
Among nobles who clung to outdated customs, disdain for witches lingered. The same went for mages.
They dismissed mages as no different from witches, always looking down on them.
'Just like the Alchemy Division kids these days.'
So nobles developed alchemy instead of magic to draw a line against commoners. Of course, alchemists secretly incorporated demonkin knowledge into their research too.
In that atmosphere, most Magic Division cadets were commoners, and they didn't get along well with Pantheon's nobles.
And now, of all people, a noble like Julian had stepped into this place.
Even the female cadets who'd been tugging at Rosette's cheeks and fiddling with her body let go. They turned to stare at Julian.
Rosette's heart sank for a moment.
'Oh no. Julian's actually a good guy. The mood's turning sour.'
She'd already heard the rumors that Julian could attend lectures in all divisions. So he'd come to the Magic Division too.
But Julian's image among the Magic Division cadets couldn't be good.
The sole heir to the Border Count, called the nobles' noble. Fitting that arrogant noble spawn, he treated commoners roughly.
She'd heard one commoner cadet got beaten out of nowhere just for standing in front of his carriage. Because of that incident, Rosette's first impression of him hadn't been great either.
But when she'd actually visited his atelier, Julian was a different person. He didn't particularly dislike her for being a commoner. Even though she was a witch.
After building that rapport, he'd even started speaking casually with her. Not to mention gifting her the priceless magic water-forged Black Paper Wand—no, Black Magic Wand—for the Colosseum match.
'I just wish Julian could get along with my friends...'
But the deep-seated feud between nobles and commoners. Those long years of conflict and resentment wouldn't vanish easily. Not after all that time.
As Rosette watched the girls around her with resignation...
They spoke up in excited voices.
"That's really Count Julian, right? He's... insanely handsome. No way."
"For real... I've never seen anyone that good-looking in my life! And maybe it's 'cause he's top-tier nobility, but his face just glows."
"That archduke-level noble's really coming to our division for lectures? Then maybe the count's into commoner girls. I've heard of that kind of fetish. Think we have a shot?"
"What about being Princess Lillia's fiancé? Still... a one-night fling might be possible. Should I go for it?"
"Girls, anyone know optical magic? Later, let's casually chat him up and get a magic portrait together!"
Rosette deflated at their reaction.
'All my worrying was for nothing...'
At least the Magic Division girls wouldn't hate Julian. With his neatly styled blond hair and clear gray eyes.
Even in Rosette's eyes, Julian's current looks were overwhelmingly superior.
'It's gone quiet. Well, not exactly surprising.'
As I entered the Magic Division's practice area, the cadets' vibe turned icy. Most cadets here were commoners.
There were occasional noble mages, but they were usually fringe nobles too immersed in studies to socialize.
So me—a Border Count heir and count—showing up shattered their common sense.
'Plus, Julian's beaten commoner cadets before.'
Of course, that Julian was the mad wastrel who feared not even the emperor. He'd probably been equal-opportunity with nobles too. Anyway, I hadn't been caught off guard by this atmosphere.
And actually, it was exactly what I wanted.
'Mages chase change. So they're free-spirited, with emotions that shift dramatically.'
Anger, fear, confusion, curiosity toward me. These mages, especially rich in imagination and sensitivity, would pour out diverse emotions here in the practice area.
And those emotions would surely help me contract the spirit I wanted. So the key was stirring chaos in them throughout the lecture.
I checked the system's class change quest.
Just as written in the alert window.
Confusion. A jumbled state defying definition. To these cadets right now, I was confusion incarnate.
I headed straight for Rosette at the center of the cadets.
"Rosette. Doing well? This is the first time seeing you since the opening ceremony."
As I reached her side, the nearby cadets startled back. They eyed me warily, full of bewilderment.
"J-J-Julian Count? I-I'm glad to see you too!!"
The flustered Rosette bowed at a perfect ninety degrees right off the bat. Her witch hat didn't even slip off amid it all—truly a skilled witch.
I spoke warmly.
"What's with the formality? We're friends. Speak casually like always."
At my words, the female cadets near Rosette buzzed.
"Friends? What does that mean? You're friends with Count Julian? And casually? I heard you were close, but that close?"
"So the rumor about getting a magic wand from the count—er, Count—is true?"
"No, wait—how'd you even become friends? What's the deal between you two?"
Rosette's eyes spun from the barrage of questions. The Magic Division cadets probably didn't know the details of our relationship.
I raised a hand to calm them.
"No need to make a fuss. Rosette's as excellent and kind as you all know. We're just friends since we're the same age. And I'm here today to attend the lecture—as a fellow cadet. Nice to meet you all."
Reactions varied. They whispered among themselves but couldn't tear their eyes off me.
They were surely curious about me, grandson of Wilhelm Border Count—the empire's sole grand duke and legendary hero.
'Plus, my parents are celebrities too.'
Realistically, as commoners, they couldn't approach someone like me standing right there. Admiration and resentment were a hair's breadth apart.
Showing just a touch of gentleness from the irredeemable wastrel playboy had this dramatic effect. So their emotions—good or bad—were bound to churn.
That impact made the confusion fill up fast like this.
The Spirit of Darkness. Hard to summon recklessly in the capital heart, brimming with holy obelisks. So a bit of this hassle was necessary.
The current fill rate wasn't bad either. But to reach near 1000, I needed a few more numbers.
Of course, I was prepared. The spirit arts practice time was plenty.
'This is good for now. Time to move spots.'
Staying longer might spell trouble for Rosette. I said,
"Lecture's starting soon. Better head back to your seats. See you around."
I flashed a slight smile at the cadets and withdrew. Even I thought it came off a tad cheesy.
'Still, I learned from the Chloe estate banquet last time.'
That my smile had a huge effect on women, at least.
Sure enough, the female cadets whispered furiously among themselves. Their reactions didn't seem negative at all.
Seeing the alert window's confusion notifications rising even faster, I felt satisfied. I took a seat on a neat stone bench near the practice area.
The professor seemed a bit late.
Even so, no cadets easily approached where I sat. But I felt their sidelong glances nonstop.
'Feels like I'm some celebrity.'
Well, even setting aside my noble background, with my father being Riel—the most famous bard in the capital—I was basically a celebrity's son.
Overall, the atmosphere felt relaxed. Unlike the Alchemy Division's tiered lecture halls enforcing hierarchy.
Cadets gathered in groups here and there, or freely switched seats, chatting in small clusters.
As I sat waiting for the professor, Rosette flew over to me. Riding the black magic wand I'd gifted her, she gracefully landed in the seat beside me.
"Julian! What's going on? You know magic too? What's the sudden visit to our division about?"
Rosette bombarded me with questions, clearly curious why I'd come.