Bestowal (5)
He pushed himself up.
His stomach rumbled loudly—he had no idea how long he'd been lying there.
"What the hell happened?"
"That's what I and the professor want to know. What the hell did you do?"
Obri's gaze was oddly nuanced.
It was still ticking with irritation, but there was a subtle warmth beneath it.
Current stage: Stage 4, 9.7%.
She couldn't possibly know he'd raised his training factors to Stage 4.
Hierniorn suddenly swooped in from somewhere and perched on his shoulder.
What kind of commotion?
As soon as Kirian collapsed unconscious, Professor Schud Rapens began casting Mana Cooling without hesitation.
It was a spell that demanded a significant amount of mana, so Obri stepped in to assist him.
"A bit more. Give me a little more, Obri."
"Yes, Professor."
Thanks to their combined efforts, chilling energy seeped into Kirian's forehead.
It was the process of dissipating the heat generated from excessively absorbing the eternal factors.
Fortunately, it didn't take long.
"That's it. He should be fine now."
Professor Rapens gestured reassuringly to the tense children.
It meant Kirian was out of danger.
But it also implied the situation could have been dire without emergency treatment.
He couldn't have passed through the restricted area carrying the side effects of mana overheating, at the very least.
So he had to ask.
Obri tilted her head toward the professor and whispered.
"What did Kirian do? I think I saw him touching the factor pillar. Did he absorb the factors directly?"
"Ahem…"
Professor Rapens cleared his throat awkwardly before answering quietly.
"I permitted it. Things didn't go exactly as expected, but still."
"Pardon…?"
"Of course, it has to stay secret outside these walls, Miss Obri."
Obri was at a loss for words.
Letting a trainee absorb training factors directly?
It could have cost him his life.
Yet Professor Rapens chuckled lightly.
"He provoked me. I got curious about the limits of Kirian’s potential."
"Even so…"
"But I still don't know. He devoured an entire pillar by himself, yet it looks like he could take more. His mana circuits cooled faster than I expected."
"…!"
Obri could only clamp her mouth shut at those words.
A twinge of defeat welled up in her.
It reminded her of her own first-year days.
I absorbed six cups and cried my eyes out from the pain.
Devouring an entire pillar alone.
That was at least fifty cups, by her estimate.
Even excluding what the other children had taken before his turn, it came out to thirty cups on his own. She had to stick out her tongue in amazement.
Professor Rapens muttered to himself.
"If it were up to me, I'd impart the true factors right here and now."
"Professor, if you did that…"
"I know. Impossible. But that's just because Kirian seems like he could handle it. Isn't it impressive enough that he risked his life showing such greed for the eternal factors?"
Risked his life showing greed for the eternal factors…
Those words made Obri see Kirian in a slightly different light.
I thought he was the type who could up and leave anytime. Guess not.
It was too harsh a label for a boy who'd staked his life.
Even Obri, who'd always viewed him stingily, had to admit it.
At that moment, Professor Rapens suddenly pulled out a quill and paper.
He scribbled something swiftly and handed it to Obri.
"This is…?"
"Give it to Kirian when he wakes up."
It was the formula for a spell powered by eternal factors.
A complex incantation that fourth-years weren't supposed to learn until much later.
Realizing its meaning, Obri narrowed her eyes, and Professor Rapens chuckled as always.
"It'll help in the restricted area. For both of you."
"Professor…"
"It's a reward for Kirian—and a penalty for you, Miss Obri. Or perhaps a penalty for the boy who deceived his professor, and a reward for the girl who lent her mana."
His teacher was as eccentric as ever, past and present.
Obri sighed deeply and took the formula.
Professor Rapens gazed at the sleeping Kirian with a grin.
"I'm looking forward to the dean's reaction at the meeting. I should report it as soon as possible."
A reward and a penalty for me.
I tilted my head at the formula Professor Rapens had left behind.
Time Acceleration?
To be precise, it was a spell that induced phase shifts through localized time acceleration.
Speeding up time in a small area to produce certain effects…
Why give this to me?
No idea.
I memorized the formula anyway.
The professor took Libiel, Mihaden, and Lorang back the way they'd come, leaving just Obri and me.
She was munching on something continuously.
Right on cue, my stomach growled again.
"That's sneaky—eating alone."
"That was the plan."
"Share some, whatever it is."
"…"
What Obri was eating was some kind of hardened confection, like almonds mixed with honey.
"It's a snack from my hometown. We call it 'pachir'—it has a nickname, 'golden armor'."
"Interesting."
I held out my hand, but Obri didn't hand it over right away.
She pulled out a fairly large piece and said,
"If I share my pachir, will you tell me how you devoured that pillar?"
"What…?"
"I'm about to receive the true factors myself soon. It'd be a huge help."
"…"
I felt much the same.
A method to compensate for the flaws in one's innate factors and expand absorption capacity?
Sorry, but it wasn't something she could pull off just because I told her.
"…"
More than that, lingering emotions still hung between us.
I didn't know about her side, but I planned to use this chance to straighten things out with my seniors and move on.
"Senior, that'd require mermaid tears, not golden armor."
"No mermaid tears here."
"Dragon eyeball then."
"…You're saying the value doesn't match."
Was she really expecting me to spill?
Obri broke off a small piece of the large pachir and tossed it to me.
I popped it in my mouth without thinking…
It's delicious.
Honestly, the flavor was mind-blowing.
And one more thing.
Stamina partially restored.
It was faint, but I felt the fatigue melting from my body.
In other words, a magically infused snack.
Pachir must have some elven touch to it.
It reminded me of the soup Iphril had once made—imbued with a similar enchantment.
No, no. Even so, nothing changes now.
At least until the restricted area was over, no deals with Obri—or anyone.
That was my policy.
I judged it the quickest path to the Elf Forest.
"…Fine."
"Yeah."
I started walking ahead.
For some reason, my nape prickled.
Not just my imagination.
The deans' meeting at Kirchheis Castle.
Biat Panayul was grinding her teeth, as usual.
"Ahem, we'll take the patrol to the Hodos region. Our top trainee, Jervia, hails from there."
"Leave Lagrandur to the Radiantists. Got permission from the family head."
"Then Absolutism will handle Pavikitan. Been a while since I saw the lake."
The annual "routine patrol missions."
A form of volunteer service.
Dispatching students to troubled areas within the vast Kirchheis territories—an external exercise.
But the other deans were arbitrarily claiming the nearby regions.
The reason was simple.
"Going far is tiring."
"Extra travel stipend? Doesn't make much difference to the household."
"Better to wrap it up quick and get back to research, right?"
Farther regions meant bigger stipends.
But popular academies naturally picked the close ones.
Money wasn't an issue for them.
Eternalism was different.
"Let's see, the last spot left is 'Dickferji'."
"Oof. Long carriage ride."
"Sorry, but can Eternalism take it? Heh."
"…"
To ease their tight finances even a little, they needed the farthest region.
Biat's pride stung, but she had no choice.
"Yes, Eternalism will handle Dickferji. They won't be thrilled, though."
"Thanks, Dean Panayul."
It happened almost every year—no surprise.
Biat scratched her head, thinking about where Dickferji was located.
Right then—
"How's that kid doing? Fun to teach?"
The voice came from beside her.
Agerik Kirchheis, dean of Extremism.
His expressionless face flashed cold eyes.
Biat lifted her water glass to cover her mouth as she replied.
"Which kid? Who do you mean?"
"Kirian Kirchheis. No need to play coy—brag a little."
"…"
It was hard to set the glass down.
Her lips refused to stop smiling.
Kirian had talent beyond expectations.
And thanks to him, they had more students now. How could she not adore him?
"Ahem. Well, he's to my liking. Of course. The kid who took first in the Tomb of Books and Swords? Not liking him would be weird, right?"
Biat brushed it off casually.
But Agerik smirked and changed the subject slightly.
"Then the adoption proceedings must be a burden. It'll be a new trial for the boy."
Adoption proceedings?
What did that matter?
Biat had zero interest in direct lineage customs, so she just rolled her eyes.
Agerik smiled coldly.
"This family's firstborn is the direct heir to the Holy Hero Ulfrik. Before adulthood, they must pay respects at the Holy Hero's tomb in person. The place guarded by those wraiths."
"…!"
Ulfrik's Tomb.
Not the real grave, but a cenotaph site—still a major holy site for the Kirchheis family, steeped in history.
And entering it was extremely dangerous.
After the Holy Hero's death, control over the "familiars" was lost; they roamed the misty haze untethered.
Heirs had failed to return from worship, leading to succession changes.
"Well, he'll manage. The kid who claimed first in the Tomb of Books and Swords. No need to worry—just raise him well."
"…"
Agerik mocked openly, but Biat couldn't retort.
It worried her that much.
Why were they so harsh on talented kids? She felt resentful.
But the next moment—
"Dean Biat Panayul, a letter for you. From Professor Schud Rapens."
"Professor Rapens…?"
What could it be, sending urgent mail without waiting for the meeting's end?
Biat unfolded the letter curiously.
Her face lit up like a lantern as she read.
As expected.
No need to worry.
She flashed Agerik a sly smile and counterattacked.
"Yes, he seems like he'll do just fine. The Holy Hero's Tomb? No worries with Kirian. He's growing nicely. Really nicely."
"…?"
"Curious? Too bad—it's a secret. I'd love to tell you, but I can't. Internal academy matters."
Agerik's face crumpled like a crushed can.
He'd definitely felt the mockery, whatever it was.
Ah, I hope the meeting ends soon.
Kirian, who swallowed a blue pillar whole.
She wanted to see him pronto.
Biat set down her glass with a clink, beaming more refreshingly than ever.