Chapter 198: Teacher (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 198: Teacher (2)
The rain hammered against the carriage's wooden shutters, as if trying to splinter them. It was a gloomy, oppressive day—fitting for the daunting test Aria Lilias had prepared.
Luce and I had skipped class for "independent study," a move sanctioned by Professor Fernando and backed by the authority of the Hegel Tower Master, who maintained a partnership with Märchen Academy.
Missing a few lectures wasn't a concern. I’d already arranged for Amy and Mateo to take summary notes for me.
We were both dressed in neat, casual attire. We were about to meet a person of immense importance, and Professor Fernando had insisted we look presentable.
A few days prior, Professor Fernando had rummaged through his office and claimed to have found Aria’s second messenger—a magical communication device he hadn’t yet gotten around to disposing of. Before tossing it out the window, he had asked, "Why did you ask for Luce Eltania as well?"
Aria had replied that she’d heard rumors of Luce’s overwhelming talent and wanted to mentor her, as they shared the same elemental attribute.
Perfect.
Luce was already being considered for the Evil God Slayers. If Aria could make her even stronger, it would only benefit me in the long run.
After a two-hour journey in Professor Fernando’s private carriage, we arrived at Hegel Tower.
"This is Hegel Tower."
True to its name, the structure was a soaring spire. It wasn't an exaggeration to call it the tallest building on the island.
However, despite its height, it looked somewhat weathered compared to the fortress-like magic towers found in major cities. It possessed a humble, lived-in appearance, and the small shops clustered nearby only added to its cozy charm.
Luce and I followed Professor Fernando inside. The high ceilings and old-fashioned architecture gave the interior a serene, scholarly atmosphere.
As we walked, Professor Fernando acted as our guide, pointing out various laboratories and recounting the legendary magical research and achievements born within these walls. He was clearly a man who enjoyed the act of teaching.
Occasionally, we passed wizards clad in robes. Their attire was so striking that I couldn't help but steal a few curious glances.
We boarded an elevator powered by telekinesis magic to reach the summit. According to Professor Fernando, only a select few—himself included—were permitted on the top floor.
When the doors opened, we stepped into a luxuriously decorated hallway. A short walk brought us to a massive, imposing door.
"Can we just go in?" I asked.
"It’s fine. She already knows we’re here."
Creeeak.
As Professor Fernando pushed the door open, a vast library revealed itself. The circular chamber was filled with thousands of books and magical artifacts floating through the air in a slow, rhythmic dance.
Above us was a high glass ceiling. Beyond the pane, the rain poured down in sheets, but a barrier surrounding the tower ensured the water never touched the glass, keeping the room perfectly silent.
In the center of the room, a petite woman sat perched on a desk, swinging her legs with an air of profound boredom.
This was my first time facing her directly since I had been brought into this world.
"Greetings, Master."
Professor Fernando bowed, and I quickly followed suit.
She had auburn hair swept to one side, tired, heavy-lidded eyes, and wore a simple wizard’s robe.
This was Aria Lilias, the Tower Master of Hegel.
She hopped down from the desk and approached us.
"Follow me."
Aria brushed past us and headed back out the door.
Professor Fernando followed without a word. Luce and I exchanged a quick glance before trailing after them.
We took the Tower Master’s private elevator to the rooftop. Above, the sky was a bruised purple, choked with heavy storm clouds.
Aria conjured an invisible canopy of telekinetic force over our heads to ward off the rain. She walked to the center of the roof and stared up at the churning sky.
"Isaac."
"Yes."
"Explain to me: what is ice magic?"
"...It is magic that freezes by siphoning away heat," I replied. "That is why its more technical name is 'Freezing Magic.' However, because that definition limits its versatility, it also involves manifesting physical ice using mana from both nature and the caster. That is why it is commonly known as ice magic."
"No need for a textbook lecture. Just watch."
Why did she even ask?
Aria pulled a magic tool from her robe and tossed it skyward. The baseball-sized messenger fluttered like a swift bird, hovering just beneath the dark clouds.
She extended her right arm toward the target.
A staggering pressure of mana enveloped the rooftop.
With a low hum, seven pale blue magic circles unfolded behind Aria. They were engraved with runes so intricate and detailed they made my head spin.
"This is [Icebolt]."
BOOM!!
A pale blue bolt of energy shrieked from the seven circles, streaking toward the messenger.
A beautiful, violent streak was carved into the air, followed by a deafening roar.
BOOM!!
A frigid explosion bloomed around the messenger. Shards of frost flew in every direction, and for a fleeting moment, it actually snowed on the rooftop.
Whoa.
Incredible...
The blast had struck the erratic, moving messenger with pinpoint accuracy. It was the work of a master marksman.
Without absolute mana mastery, aiming such a sophisticated spell at a moving target would be impossible, let alone generating that much power. It was truly admirable.
Aria collapsed the magic circles and turned to me.
"Applause."
Without hesitation, I clapped. Luce, taking my cue, offered a few polite claps of her own.
"This is the 7-star ice spell, [Icebolt]. This is what I will teach you. Whether or not you can actually master it... well, that’s up to you."
"Yes, Master!" I responded loudly, my lips twitching with suppressed excitement.
Was Aria always this cool?
"Luce Eltania, the same applies to you. I will make you stronger. Follow me."
"..."
Luce didn't respond. She rarely spoke unless it was absolutely necessary, or if she was talking to me.
Aria frowned. "Respond."
"Luce, answer her," I whispered.
"...Okay," Luce muttered reluctantly.
Aria held up three fingers.
"For the next three days, you will be tested. This will determine if you are worthy of my tutelage. Do your best—and don't be arrogant."
"We’ll give it our all!" I shouted.
"Yes..." Luce added, her brow furrowed.
"You should head downstairs, Disciple," Aria said to Fernando.
"Yes, well then..." Professor Fernando turned to leave. "Isaac, Luce Eltania, I’ll be back in three days."
His job was done. Fernando turned on his heel and disappeared into the elevator.
"You two." Aria’s lips curled into a slight smirk. "Brace yourselves."
*
Three days passed.
Fernando Frost finished his final lecture of the day and immediately took his carriage to Hegel Tower.
Isaac and Luce Eltania should have completed their test by now. They likely hadn't eaten or slept properly in seventy-two hours; they would be exhausted.
For Fernando, Aria’s tests were legendary—brief, but so intense they left a permanent scar on one's memory.
He believed they would pass, but he wanted to get them back to the academy dorms as quickly as possible so they could rest.
Upon arriving at the tower, he took the elevator to the top floor and peeked into Aria’s laboratory.
"...?"
Isaac and Luce were nowhere to be seen.
The only person in the room was Aria Lilias, hovering in midair and reading a book with an indifferent expression.
Fernando stepped inside. Aria glanced at him briefly before returning to her pages.
"Master, how are you? Where are the children?"
Fernando approached her, and she let out a long, weary sigh.
"My disciple."
"Yes?"
"Those kids... they're monsters."
*
Following Aria’s directions, Fernando headed down to the laboratory on the 15th floor.
He had just heard an unbelievable story. Isaac had passed the test in ten minutes. Luce had finished in five.
Aria had moved immediately into instruction, only to realize something startling.
Their capacity for learning far exceeded her wildest expectations.
Isaac had deciphered the construction of [Icebolt] the moment she provided the basic coordinates. Luce, meanwhile, could correct even the most difficult mana-control errors instantly after receiving a single piece of feedback.
—"My accumulated knowledge, wisdom, and abilities are insufficient for them. There is not as much I can do for their growth as I thought."
Aria had been as impassive as ever when she said it, but for the first time, Fernando thought his master looked... disheartened.
It was the ultimate teacher’s dilemma. A capable student was a joy to teach, but a student who was too exceptional could make a teacher doubt their own worth.
Aria was experiencing the latter.
Fernando quietly cracked open the lab door and peeked inside. His eyes widened.
Three massive blackboards, each several times taller than a man, were crammed with dense formulas.
Isaac, sporting deep dark circles under his eyes, was hunched over a book, frantically scribbling calculations. He was surrounded by dozens of open tomes. It wasn't hard to guess that he had been studying for three days and nights without a wink of sleep.
His level of concentration and sheer stamina were frightening.
Unless it was a unique power bestowed by a fairy—like Kaya Astrea’s plant element or Dorothy Heartnova’s starlight element—most elite wizards invested over thirty years to master a 7-star spell.
This boy was drastically compressing that timeline into days.
Meanwhile, Luce Eltania sat at a nearby desk, reviewing the formulas Isaac had written and offering her own insights. She also looked exhausted, though she seemed to be holding up better than Isaac.
They had been provided with room and board. Aria had jokingly offered them a single room to share, but it seemed the two hadn't even bothered to use the accommodations yet.
"Hehe..."
These kids are really something else.
Fernando smirked and pulled the door shut. He decided it would be better to come back later.
*
One week later.
The sky was clear, painted with the vibrant hues of a setting sun.
Fernando returned to Hegel Tower. He had received a summons from one of Aria’s messengers, instructing him to come immediately. Word was that Isaac was on the verge of a breakthrough.
He took the elevator to the rooftop. The sky was deepening into a dark indigo, and the first stars were beginning to blink into existence.
Isaac, Luce, and Aria were already there.
"Master?"
"Shh."
Isaac stood in the center of the roof. He looked haggard and utterly spent, but his eyes were clear—sharply focused on the heavens above.
Luce, Fernando, and Aria watched him from a distance.
Ready, Isaac silently released Aria’s messenger. It spiraled into the sky, circling high above.
Isaac concentrated, sensing the natural mana in the air, calculating its density, strength, and the shifting direction of the wind.
Like a master craftsman assembling a clock with microscopic precision, he meticulously drew the formula for the 7-star ice spell, [Icebolt], ensuring every line and rune connected perfectly.
Then, he thrust out his right arm.
With a resonant hum, seven pale blue magic circles manifested behind him. Each one was a masterpiece of complexity.
"He really... he deployed all seven," Fernando whispered in awe.
Seeing Isaac correctly manifest the full array for a 7-star spell was nothing short of miraculous. It was a phenomenal display of talent.
Considering he was once known as the academy’s weakest, the sheer scale of his potential felt overwhelming.
Isaac’s eyes locked onto the flying target.
He gritted his teeth. Aiming was the hardest part. The mana mastery required to launch [Icebolt] was immense, making his mind feel like it was being pulled in a dozen directions at once.
"Hooo..."
He took a deep breath.
Isaac extended his right hand, shaping his fingers like a gun. His index finger tracked the messenger’s flight path with calm deliberation.
Suddenly, the seven magic circles glowed with blinding intensity.
Isaac unleashed the torrent of frozen mana.
「Icebolt (Ice Element, ★7)」
BOOM!!
In an instant, a beam of light tore through the air like a chain of lightning.
An explosion of bitter cold erupted as the icy bolt pierced the messenger with unerring accuracy.
Boom!!
The air shattered. A sphere of pure frost expanded in the distance, encasing the broken messenger in a tomb of ice.
Fernando’s jaw dropped. Aria lowered her eyes, silent.
Isaac withdrew the magic circles. Though his control was still raw and his body felt like lead, he closed his eyes and savored the sensation. He had done it. He had cast [Icebolt].
"Hehe..."
A ragged, joyful laugh escaped his lips.
That was... so damn hard...
The thought faded into the evening air.
His mission accomplished, Isaac’s consciousness flickered out, and he collapsed.
"Isaac!"
Luce and Fernando rushed to his side. He was out cold, breathing deeply in a heavy sleep.
Given that he had barely slept for a week while performing high-level mental labor, it was a miracle his stamina had lasted this long. Furthermore, a 7-star spell couldn't be cast through formulas alone; he must have been training his mana mastery in secret to handle the load.
"Tough bastard," Fernando muttered, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.
Luce smiled softly. She sat down on the rooftop and gently pulled Isaac’s head onto her lap.
A gentle evening breeze ruffled his hair.
With Aria’s guidance, Luce now had a much clearer path toward strengthening her water magic. She was grateful. But more than that, feeling herself grow alongside Isaac filled her with a ticklish sense of pride.
"Well done, Isaac. You were so cool."
Luce stroked his hair tenderly.
"..."
Isaac and Luce. Both terrifyingly talented. They will be figures remembered by history, Aria thought to herself.
...There was just one question lingering in her mind, something she would have to ask tomorrow.
Aria turned toward the sea. The sun was a sliver on the horizon, slowly sinking into the dark water.
"Isaac, Luce Eltania... this marks your graduation from this tower. It’s late, so you should leave tomorrow morning."
Aria turned to walk away.
Luce looked up at the darkening sky, then at the departing Tower Master.
"What about our room?"
"I already gave you one," Aria replied without looking back.
"..."
Luce looked back down at Isaac, then spoke to Fernando.
"You go ahead, Professor. I’m going to stay here with Isaac."
"Hmm. Fernando, you go home for today. Pick them up in the morning," Aria chimed in tactfully.
"...?"
Fernando looked puzzled.
If that was the case, why couldn't he just take them back now? It wasn't like they couldn't sleep in the carriage...
However, both Luce and Aria were adamant, and Fernando found he didn't have the heart to argue.