Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Doppelganger (1)
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Lehel Darad.
The tower master of the Merak Magic Tower—one of only seven in the kingdom—and the chairman of Pharenchia Academy, Penheim Kingdom's premier educational institution.
One of the five grand dukes who pioneered unique magic paths, and an immortal being who succeeded in linking the endpoint of mortal life back to its beginning through his own magic path.
From past to present, people have referred to this great white-haired wizard with respect, calling him thus.
The one who returned after witnessing the end of the Ice Age.
The Reincarnation Duke.
Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!!
Administrative Chief Merins ignored the call from the Reincarnation Duke.
She had been drafting announcements on the results of the newly established salon reviews and disqualification reasons since morning.
Ding-a-liiiing! Riiing-riiiing-riiiing——!!
However, the love call from the communication crystal persisted relentlessly until lunchtime had nearly passed.
I'm swamped as it is, so why the hell is she causing trouble again?
Merins placed her hand aggressively on the communication crystal and shouted.
"Yes. I'll come up right now!"
Even though this finally gave her a brief respite from the murderous workload, Merins's heart grew even heavier.
She had no idea what whim had possessed the chairman to summon her this time.
New mage recruits entering the magic tower for the first time inevitably confront the harsh reality that their skills are only at this level.
Dullard. Mediocre. Prodigy. Genius.
Among academy graduates, only those surpassing at least average standards can inscribe their names in one of the seven towers.
Those who climb to the 'upper floors' of a tower have lived lives where they were at least called prodigies.
And anyone who becomes a direct disciple of a tower master or masters 6th-circle magic or higher is undeniably acknowledged as a genius.
Does that mark the end? Are there no walls beyond?
Of course not. The ultimate goal all mages in this world aspire to is the creation of a 'unique magic path.'
A realm of monsters that even geniuses cannot dare approach.
One Principle Discerns All.
Even observing the same thing in the same place yields entirely different results.
Mages raised on tales of such monsters in the towers, on battlefields, and in the academy often joke around like this.
Those who master unique magic paths are all utterly insane.
Knock knock!
"Chairman. It's the administrative chief."
— ...Come in.
Administrative Chief Merins was someone who had served Reincarnation Duke Lehel Darad for quite some time.
In her mind, the essence of the mage named Lehel didn't stray far from the description above.
"Chairman...? Are you alright?"
Upon opening the door, the white-haired wizard was shedding tears over his head.
That seemed the apt expression.
He was sprawled across the massive desk that occupied half the room, slumped over and sobbing.
"Lost again, sob..."
"Again? How much did you lose this time?"
Three trembling fingers.
"Three thousand gold?"
"No."
"Then... thirty thousand gold?"
"..."
"Three hundred? Three hundred thousand!!?"
"...Heh."
This time, it seemed correct. Rumors that the Merak Magic Tower's bankruptcy announcements shook the coin markets daily weren't unfounded.
Lehel was a severe spendthrift and gambling addict.
He roamed the entire continent daily, diving into gambling dens.
He claimed it was to amass as much gold as possible since he didn't know how the world would change in his next life, but Merins had never seen him win money.
It was clear that taking the chairman position at Pharenchia Academy and becoming tower master were all for money.
"This time, I was sure Grand Kenian would win..."
"No. Even so, who gambles away their entire fortune?"
"Sigh. That's why I called you. To steel my resolve this time."
At those words, Merins harbored a sliver of hope.
Was the chairman finally coming to her senses?
Was this the end of the student council's tyrannical grip on academy administration?
"Starting today, I'm off on an expedition gamble! I'll hit every gambling den around Pharenchia, Thessalon, and the Frank region!"
"Oh, please, Hella..."
Merins, who had lived her life as a devout follower of the main goddess with unwavering faith, prayed to the cruel deity.
As she sought her goddess, Lehel donned a shabby robe and pulled on a conical hat.
"Mind the academy while I'm gone. Nothing like last time should happen. Got it?"
"The student council? You dismissed them yourself."
"True, but I think these kids nowadays don't even read the school rules. Man, I wrote them so diligently."
Merins thought to herself.
Who reads a textbook's worth of school rules?
All the professors and staff at the academy probably shared her sentiment, but not Lehel.
A monstrous mage whose thinking couldn't be fathomed by normal logic.
"So, here's a good idea I came up with..."
A horrific calamity poured from the mage's mouth.
"Louis? You're assigning him to teach?!"
"Professor Vincent, who was teaching basic elemental magic to freshmen, is still hospitalized at the temple from that salon explosion. He can fill in."
Merins's face drained of color at Lehel's shocking statement.
The canteen owner playing teacher in a class full of nobles?
By common sense, Penheim would etch a new page of humiliation in its history that day.
But Merins's shock wasn't just that.
Louis's background was irrelevant. Pharenchia had previously invited knight order captains or capital officials—non-mages from towers or nobles—for guest lectures.
The reason she was appalled was that Louis had already been asked by the chairman for the same reason two years ago and had taught a class.
"Please reconsider. After that one time two years ago with that shady guy, the only third-year who goes near the canteen now is Luhillen Viscount!"
"Really? Even better!"
"Better my foot!"
The lecture Louis had given was canceled after one day, and the Pharenchia branch of the Light Temple was flooded with students complaining of mental breakdowns.
The survivors... no, those who returned to normal among the third-years unanimously kept silent about what happened in the classroom.
Not a single one revealed what occurred.
They simply threw themselves into frenzied studying to leave Pharenchia as soon as possible.
"Here, the appointment letter and schedule. Take them to the canteen."
"Chairman..."
On the other hand, Lehel was utterly nonchalant.
She believed Louis's class would be excellent motivation for students who ignored the rules.
Even without him bragging about his identity, his aura and dignity as a powerhouse would naturally emanate.
Especially these problematic freshmen would, upon seeing Louis's unexpected side—whom they thought ordinary—bow in respect every time they visited the canteen henceforth.
"Finally, things will ease up a bit. Why didn't I think of this sooner?"
With a heart as light as if she could fly, she opened the door and left the academy.
To gather all the world's riches into her cradle.
"Yawn..."
After Professor Glatos's dark magic lecture ended, Liv stretched lightly.
Balancing studies and her canteen part-time job differently from before was causing fatigue to accumulate bit by bit.
"Tired, Liv?"
"Heading to the canteen again? That owner's such a jerk. Making you work this late."
"It's not like that."
She shook her head slightly at her friends' concerns.
On the contrary, Louis kept her at the canteen as long as possible to pay her a bit more.
During quiet nights with few customers, she could rest inside or read books.
Turning pages to the sound of crickets, the scent of Louis cooking on the second floor would waft down the stairs.
"Boss Louis is a good person."
She couldn't fathom why he took such care of her.
Liv packed her books into her bag and headed to the canteen.
The small three-story building illuminated by the setting sun.
The sunset viewed through the transparent glass windows was always beautiful.
"Oh? Another letter."
Liv spotted a stack of letters protruding from the mailbox outside the canteen.
She naturally collected them, sighing as she examined each one.
Salon invitations sealed with dark red wax. Ball invitations. And papers containing quite embarrassing confessions.
All letters had increased since she started working at the canteen.
Male students who once only gazed at her in crowded classrooms or libraries could now approach her more easily.
'Still, it must be a nuisance to the boss.'
From Louis's perspective, strange mail piling up in the mailbox of his home couldn't be pleasant.
Liv had no intention of dating anyone either.
However, as a noble, some families required responses to avoid rudeness, so she opened them one by one.
Amid them, she found a letter addressed to Louis.
It bore the Pharenchia Academy seal.
"Welcome, Baroness."
Just then, Louis emerged from inside the canteen.
Liv hurriedly hid the letters, but he had already seen them all.
"Always so popular."
"N-No! These are...!"
"Sigh, if I'd gone to school, I'd have gotten dozens of love letters too..."
He just might have, Liv thought.
If he swapped those baggy clothes for something neater and more formal, changed his hairstyle—
"What're you thinking?"
"Ah, um, here! A letter for you, boss!"
"Huh? Really? Let me see."
Louis took the letter with apparent genuine curiosity, but naturally, it wasn't a shy courtship from an infatuated girl.
"What, it's from the chairman."
"The chairman?"
Lehel Darad? That elusive figure sending a personal letter to the canteen owner?
Louis read it nonchalantly and nodded.
"Asking me to cover a freshman class."
"A class?"
"Yeah. They sometimes have guest lecturers from outside. I did it once before. Hmm, construction's not done yet, so I'd like to decline..."
Surprisingly, he showed no annoyance or dislike.
On the contrary, from what Liv had observed so far, he seemed quite willing to cooperate.
"You like teaching?"
"Not exactly... Well, there are some common senses students should learn in life."
Liv still didn't know whose standards those "common senses" were based on.