Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Prophard Youngsik's Consultation
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The private meeting with Prophard Youngsik had yielded plenty of insights.
“P-Professor, you’re saying I have the aptitude to be a mage?”
“Yeah. From what I’ve seen personally, you’ve got some solid qualifications.”
His self-esteem was so lacking that even a small compliment made him beam with joy.
“B-But the professors all told me I had no talent...”
And yet, despite the praise, he’d plunge right back into self-deprecation with his own doubts. His confidence was that shattered.
This was probably the result of being trampled by all sorts of thugs at the academy.
‘Lady Silvesta must’ve played a small part in that, too.’
He couldn’t even meet the eyes of the person right in front of him. He flinched at every word I said, fidgeting restlessly.
I could see exactly why Helen Silvesta’s mind labeled him a total loser.
‘It’s way worse than in class.’
During lessons, he at least had the goal of focusing on the material.
He’d been staring holes into the blackboard, at least.
“Well, you’re right that you don’t have the talent for the Blaster School, which prioritizes destruction magic, or the Life Magic School, which deals with life-related spells.”
“Ah...”
His shoulders slumped again at my words.
This was getting a bit annoying.
“Still, you’ve got enough talent to make it in the Meister School. Like how you can maintain focus once you zero in during class, or your understanding of circuits.”
I recalled the one thing Prophard Youngsik had said during class.
-Then, does that mean finding the core circuit that structures illusion magic will naturally lead to discovering its nucleus?
His grasp of circuits was impressively high.
He’d pinpointed the essence of a lecture that was barely a surface skim.
That was real talent.
Piercing to the heart of the matter through what others might dismiss as trivial.
It was exactly the kind of talent the Meister School craved.
‘Good thing I’ve got a solid excuse to summon him separately now.’
“Th-Then, what about illusion magic, like you teach?”
“Illusion magic?”
“Yes!”
“Hmm...”
I shook my head.
“Don’t bother. There’s no secret technique here. Better to skip it.”
“D-Do I lack the talent for it?”
“You’ve got some, but your Meister aptitude is way higher.”
“Ah...”
“You didn’t come to the Imperial Academy to become a mage anyway, right?”
The Imperial Academy was a place to learn various knowledge to become a central figure in the empire, not just magic.
Knights, administrators, priests who wielded divine power, spirit users, and so on.
They taught basic magic, but it couldn’t compare to the treatment mages from the magic schools received.
Prophard Youngsik nodded.
“But it won’t hurt to learn anyway. In case you’ve got nothing to do after graduating.”
“Ah, yes...”
“Anyway, have some confidence. If you want, I’ll write you a recommendation letter anytime.”
“Th-Thank you.”
That was enough.
It was a short consultation, but I’d gleaned his personality, behavioral habits, speech patterns, and position at the academy.
This would let me flesh out the details even more than before.
“By the way, what’s your name? I’ll need it for the recommendation letter later.”
“Ah, it’s Aisen Prophard.”
“Aisen Prophard... Got it. Thanks.”
I handed him my business card.
“Contact me if you want.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Thank you.
I’m the one who should be thanking you.
“Hey! Illusion mage!”
“You’re outside the academy—does that mean you’re dropping the ‘professor’ bit?”
“Professor my ass. You were just a one-day instructor anyway.”
Helen showed up two days after the day I’d lectured as a guest instructor.
Without a single attendant.
“Back again to probe Yuris’s weaknesses?”
“Wh-What, you think that’s why I came?”
“Isn’t it? Then what’s the business?”
“I wanted to ask what you talked about with that loser on the day you lectured.”
That was it.
It must’ve been bothering her a lot.
Since I’d acted as that loser in the illusion, she was probably worried.
Wondering if I’d said something to him.
“Didn’t Prophard Youngsik tell you?”
“He did. Said you told him he has magic talent and you’d recommend him to the Meister School?”
“You heard all that—why come all the way here?”
“You expect me to believe that? What talent does that loser even have?”
Hmm.
This felt like gossip, so I didn’t really want to say it.
No helping it.
She wouldn’t believe me otherwise unless I spelled it out.
“Compared to Lady Silvesta, his talent might seem meager, but compared to other mages, it’s quite substantial. That’s why I recommended him.”
“Really...?”
“The recommendation is genuine. And he swore he wouldn’t breathe a word of what worries you—so why can’t you trust that?”
“......”
“Now that you’ve got your answer, if you’ll excuse me...”
“W-Wait a sec!”
I was about to close the door when Helen called out.
“What is it?”
“There’s one more thing.”
“What?”
“......”
Helen stared at me, then fell silent.
“Nothing to say...?”
“It’s about the illusion magic counter you taught back then. Is it real? That it’s not just about finding gaps, but other methods too.”
“Of course. You can find where the mana flow glitches or trace the circuits that look like magic was used there. Though that only works on low-level illusion magic. For high-level illusion from skilled mages, the seams are perfect, so it’s hard to spot.”
“Then how do you dismantle a high-level illusion?”
“Surely you’re not asking me to reveal the counters to my own weapon?”
“Th-That’s not what I meant. I just...”
“A teacher’s heart swells with the desire to teach eager students. But...”
I could tell what prompted the question.
She wanted the counter to break my illusion magic.
It was the kind of question only someone as prideful as Helen—who’d always succeeded—would ask.
“I can’t tell Lady Silvesta.”
I glanced behind her as if checking for something, then continued.
“Speaking of, you’ve got no attendants again today. Does that mean this isn’t official Silvesta business?”
“Well...”
Helen dr Silvesta always brought attendants for official duties.
The name Silvesta carried that much weight.
For anything ‘official,’ they’d never leave the lady alone.
The fact that no one was with her now...
“You’re right. I couldn’t come here on official business.”
Helen didn’t deny it.
She just turned her head to avoid my gaze.
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
“Then one question: Are you here as Lady Silvesta? Or as an Imperial Academy student?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course. If it’s the former, I’ll chase you off. If it’s the latter—a student hungry for knowledge—I’ll give you supplementary lessons.”
“......”
She fell silent for a moment.
“I came as an academy cadet.”
“Then act the part.”
She bit her lip as if I’d insulted her.
“...P-Professor, teach me.”
Good. That was effort, even for a Silvesta.
“Come in. Let’s start the supplementary lesson.”
No beating your disciple, as they say.
She entered the shop, and I closed the door.
Thud.
For some reason, the sound echoed louder than usual today.
“Have a seat.”
Helen furrowed her brow at Max’s instruction to sit in the center of the illusion magic circle.
“What’s this about...?”
“You said you wanted to learn. If you’re here as a student, you need the full experience.”
“But what I want is...”
“Then leave. I won’t entertain Lady Silvesta.”
This wasn’t it.
Helen rubbed her forehead.
She hadn’t come back to this shop after agonizing for two days just to ask if Max had really told that loser what he’d seen.
She was irked by how he’d invaded her privacy all the way to the Imperial Academy.
She’d planned to call him out on it precisely.
But once she faced Max, those thoughts faded, replaced by...
Defeat.
The thick sense of defeat from how she’d been utterly toyed with by his illusion magic, unable to counter even a little.
That was why.
Her question about illusion counters had come out before anything about her privacy.
She wanted to win.
She desperately wanted to beat this man who’d crushed her with an illusion magic she’d never faced before.
“Showing me that again means I’ll go through something humiliating once more.”
“No.”
“What?”
“You think I’d throw you into the practical without even basic theory?”
“......”
“Sit in the center of the magic circle, and I’ll teach you how to counter this illusion. Then you’ll unravel it yourself, hands-on.”
“That’s possible...?”
“Depends on Lady Silvesta’s talent. Someone with her radiant gifts might manage it.”
Max was provoking her.
Anyone could see it was a sly trick to get her into the circle.
But her Silvesta pride and her unblemished record of victory ignited her competitive fire.
“You said you’d teach if I sat.”
“Of course.”
“Fine.”
She knew it was a trap, but her desire to win blazed fiercely.
She’d smash this arrogant instructor’s nose in.
With just the theory, there’d be nothing she couldn’t do.
She’d lost last time only because she didn’t know the method.
“And if I win, you’d better spill Yuris’s weaknesses properly.”
“Naturally. I’ll announce it to the world myself. The Iron-Blood Knight’s desires.”
She sat in the center of the magic circle.
“So, what’s the counter?”
“Simpler than you think. Just realize this isn’t reality.”
“...That’s it?”
“Yes. Illusion magic inevitably differs from reality. Find those discrepancies. Like a car suddenly flying in the sky, or clouds where there shouldn’t be any.”
“......”
“Then use that discrepancy to disrupt the illusion’s order, even a little, and it’ll unravel naturally.”
“What about circuits and such?”
“That’s the most basic mistake novice illusion mages make.”
“But earlier you said high-level mages seal theirs perfectly, so you can’t find them...”
“Correct.”
Helen finally realized it.
She’d been tricked by this man.
“You bastard...”
“Look carefully. I made the flaws obvious, just so a student could spot them easily.”
The world flipped upside down.
“You fucker!”
There was no sign of Max, who deserved to hear her roared curse.
It was the academy again.
That central corridor.
The exact space from when she’d first fallen into Max’s illusion.
“Damn it...”
She’d fallen for it like an idiot.
Why had she done that?
She should’ve suppressed her competitive urge.
‘Anyway, I have to find it.’
He’d said the flaws were in an obvious spot.
He wouldn’t lie in a challenge like this.
If he was deceiving her...
‘I’ll go back and destroy him, no matter the cost.’
Helen recited the contracted spell in the spirit tongue, just to check.
And in that instant...
The high wind spirit and high earth spirit appeared before her.
Huh?
“You’re connected to spirits?”