Chapter 33
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Stars and the Mage (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lately, my quality of life has skyrocketed.
The biggest reason? I've finally gained complete dominance in my morning battles with the maids.
Forcing myself awake used to leave me in a funk all day, but now I'm sleeping in properly.
Of course, morning classes were erased from my mind long ago.
Instead, out of some shred of conscience, I've been attending afternoon classes.
I'm at the academy, after all—I should at least play the part of a student.
But thinking about it, Monday classes ended early just for me, and Thursday classes are on hold for a while thanks to my negotiations with Dean Raymond.
In the end, the only class worth my full attention is the magitech department's practical session.
Honestly, I've really started to enjoy it lately.
Tinkering and building things suits me more than I expected.
My motivation is through the roof, and with a full night's sleep, my condition is peak.
Naturally, my mind feels sharp as a tack. Humans really are happiest when they're doing something fun.
Times like these, I need to produce something.
"This semester, I'll make a prototype no matter what."
What I've been immersed in lately is the perfect realization of the Apple Phone.
Of course, the road ahead is still long.
The key challenges are three: miniaturization, mana efficiency, and video.
First, size.
Based on what I've made so far, it's closer to a tablet than a phone.
To make it fit snugly in one hand, I need to shrink it to at least half—no, a quarter—of its current size.
Mana efficiency is still a problem too.
Even if mass distribution to non-mages is impossible, I want it usable without issues for low-level mages.
For my ultimate goal, I need to slash the required mana far below current levels.
The trickiest issue—and my ultimate goal—is implementing video calls.
Right now, it's stuck in the realm of voice-only phones.
I have no clue how to handle video display.
It feels like combining illusion magic with magical projection might work...
But when I try, problems pile up: image clarity, real-time processing speed, and all sorts of other headaches.
Days on end of scratching my head in frustration and heaving deep sighs.
Still, this headache of a project keeps rolling thanks entirely to Estelle sunbae.
Whenever I hit a wall, she always chimes in with a creative idea.
"Hmm~ Luna, how about twisting this circuit like so?"
"Theoretically, that seems iffy... Huh, why does it work?"
"Call it a textbook hack... Ahaha~ Don't tell the professor I showed you this. Got it?"
"Wait, what if we overlay a magic circle on that circuit? Efficiency might jump 30% or so."
"..."
Come to think of it, Estelle sunbae is the real deal—a genuine magitech genius.
Even the mana circuits I kludge together from rigid magic theory and telekinesis magic get refined into something cleaner when she steps in.
Truly a blessing.
Later, I'll sweet-talk her properly, reform her a bit(?), and plant her firmly at the academy.
Then lock her somewhere to crank out magitech based on modern wonders all day long.
Lost in such idle fantasies while working frantically, I suddenly looked up.
"...Huh?"
It'd been eerily quiet, and sure enough, I was the only one left in the lab.
Sunset glowed outside the window.
The other students had apparently left ages ago.
If they were going, they could've taken me with them.
...Or maybe I was too focused to notice?
I packed my things and let out a lazy yawn.
Come to think of it, academy life lately has been surprisingly uneventful.
No—downright boring.
The magic-obsessed stalkers who used to trail me like shadows stopped bothering me after that public duel with Dean Raymond.
Sunbae Miriel hasn't sought me out once since our first meeting. Did she really buy my lie to the princess that I 'wouldn't do anything'?
Honestly, it's gotten a little dull.
"...What am I saying? This is how it should've always been."
I slapped my cheeks with both palms.
Thinking about it, there's still over half a year until the main story of the original kicks off.
Daily drama would actually be the weird part.
This rare stretch of leisurely, peaceful days...
No sense wasting it on needless worries.
Midterm season arrived at Elterion Academy.
For most students, it'd be a time of despair—but for me, it was practically a festival.
No classes... no classes at all...!!
Of course, I had to head to the lecture halls at the scheduled times for the exams.
"Students, the liberal arts theory exam is ultimately an endurance test. Focusing for three straight days is tou—"
"Excuse me, TA."
"Yes? Need a lunch break?"
"No, I'm done."
"??!?!"
"Can I turn it in and go? Yaaawn..."
Finish the set problems, and I could head straight back to the dorm—free to idle the rest of the day.
Though if I holed up in my room too much, the maids might give me side-eye, so I occasionally shifted venues.
"Hmm... Is this really how it's supposed to turn out...?"
In the old library room used by the Ghost Story Research Club.
I watched Claire hunch over the desk, groaning in frustration, and let out a lazy yawn.
Her furrowed brows and pursed lips were downright adorable.
"Claire, the last line and the formula above it—calculation error."
"Huh? Really? But it looks right...?"
"Anyway, it's wrong. Oh, and now I see the hypothesis two lines up is off too. Redo it."
I waved my hand lazily, arms pillowed under my chin.
Claire eyed the paper dubiously, then her face froze in horror.
"...Gasp. It's all wrong. Lunaris, how do you spot it just glancing over?"
"It just jumps out at me."
I couldn't explain the principle if asked—I'd just pointed at random.
"The club room's so quiet, though."
"Yeah. No President Sylvia around—kinda boring, huh?"
"Boring? It's great."
Unlike the underclassmen staying on campus for written and duel exams,
the third- and fourth-years seemed to take theirs off-site.
Naturally, the deans and key staff went along.
Outside was riskier than inside the academy—they had to keep watch.
Thus, the academy during midterms was delightfully deserted.
This vibe? My absolute favorite.
"By the way, Lunaris, you're not even studying—why come here?"
To Claire's innocent question, I answered with grave seriousness.
"Today is the ominously unlucky Friday the 13th, and this place is a sanctuary."
"Uh... wh-what does that mean?"
"Stay in Linea Hall on a day like this, and you'll fall victim to 'maid corruption'."
"...And what's that supposed to be?"
"Anyway, that's the deal."
Claire let out a long, envious sigh.
"Sigh, maid corruption or whatever—I'd kill to get into Linea Hall."
"Do your best. With your skills, topping the magic department seems doable."
"Th-that encouragement's nice and all, but can it be a bit more realistic? Top spot is a stretch..."
I replied flatly to her incredulous chuckle.
"Why? The current top doesn't seem like anything special. They're all the same."
"That's just to you, Lunaris."
Claire grumbled, then abruptly changed topics.
"Oh! Speaking of Linea Hall, I heard it's been shaking like there's earthquakes lately. Felt anything?"
"What? So it's not just me."
I sat up straight at her words.
"Yeah, every dawn, a bit."
"Isn't that from you battling the maids every morning and weakening the foundation?"
Claire fixed me with a meaningful look.
I waved it off with excuses.
"Nah, no way. That couldn't shake such a massive building's foundation."
...Wait a minute.
With my magic... could it?
"Anyway, I'm going easy on them."
"Don't go too hard. They're all hardworking folks."
Thinking it over again, something felt off.
I hadn't had any mana surges since starting to use natural mana.
The Linea Hall shakes seemed like a different issue...
As sunset approached, Claire and I left the club room before it got too late.
Arriving at Linea Hall dorm, Claire suddenly clenched her fist, fired up with resolve.
"Alright, today's energy recharge complete. Back at Sepia Hall, a bit more studying then bed."
"Yeah. Good luck."
I offered a drowsy word of encouragement—right then.
-Ruuuuumble!!
The ground suddenly started shaking.
An intense vibration strong enough to rock the entire building.
"..."
"..."
Claire and I froze in place, staring at each other.
This... doesn't feel like a normal quake.
"L-Lunaris... something exploded, right?!"
"Sigh, seriously..."
Just when I'd thought things had been quiet lately...!
Muttering complaints under my breath,
my feet were already sprinting full-tilt toward Linea Hall alongside Claire's.