Chapter 63
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Laziness and the Mage (1)
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Elterion Academy's Magic Building, top floor—department head's office.
The fresh morning sunlight settled gently on the antique mahogany desk.
Raymond, the department head who had just returned from an all-night Mage Tower regular meeting, gulped down some top-grade coffee brewed from premium beans to soothe his weary body and mind.
A sweet, mild aroma tickled his nose.
"Heh heh~ Lately, attending those meetings has been nothing but a delight."
Even though exhaustion weighed on him, his mood was quite upbeat.
It was because he had firmly seized control over the haughty elders of the Mage Tower recently.
And the reason? Naturally, the title of "Lunaris's mentor."
Lunaris was not just the youngest candidate for Grand Mage—she was the empire's one and only mage who could freely wield nature's mana.
And the one who taught such a monstrous mage was none other than himself, Raymond.
Though he wondered if he was really teaching her at all, but anyway.
A disciple's success naturally elevates the master's reputation.
That was why he lavished her with magic stones and anything else as "teaching materials," coaxing and cajoling her through lessons.
It was all an investment for the future.
"Begging them just to bring Lunaris to the Mage Tower assembly once... Oh ho ho ho!!"
It was right then, as he burst into loud laughter recalling last night's meeting.
-Knock knock knock!!
"Magic Department Head! Are you in there?!"
The knocking was incredibly forceful.
Sharp enough to make him worry the door might shatter.
"Come in."
Soon, familiar faces burst into the room.
Led by Howard, the chief professor of the Political Department.
Professors from the Economics Department, Magic Department, even the mad experimenters from Magical Engineering, and swordsmanship devotees from the Swordsmanship Department.
They swarmed in like it was a faculty meeting.
Raymond cleared his throat awkwardly instead of snapping at them, as their expressions were far from normal.
Something big had clearly gone down.
"Is there a problem? I just got back from the assembly and I'm a bit tired, so unless it's urgent, could we—"
"Yes, it is urgent, Department Head!"
Howard barked, his voice sharp and breathless.
For a man who always preached "noble decorum," there was real edge to his tone.
All because he hadn't slept properly last night.
Deep sleep was that important.
"This is no time for tea parties! Last night, Elterion Academy turned upside down!"
"Pardon? Upside down how...? Did a beast attack the campus?"
"Ha! A beast would be preferable. At least we could've hunted it down."
"Then...?"
"Something far worse showed up!"
-Thud!
Howard slammed a thick stack of papers he'd been carrying under his arm onto the desk.
The coffee in the cup sloshed from the impact.
"Around 3 a.m. today, a top-grade magic reaction was detected in the second training area in front of the Swordsmanship Hall."
"...!"
"Alarms blared like mad, students and faculty scrambled in evacuation chaos... It was total pandemonium!"
"Hmm, top-grade magic, you say..."
Unlike Howard raising his voice, Raymond's eyes sparkled with interest.
The academy's barriers only triggered alarms for one of two reasons.
Either an unregistered outsider used magic without permission.
Or an off-spec spell classified as top-grade was cast.
Under normal circumstances, alarms wouldn't even go off.
After all, the only one in Elterion Academy who could cast top-grade magic was Raymond himself.
...Wait, no.
Come to think of it, there was one other candidate.
"Don't tell me... that student?"
"Exactly! Lunaris Evermoon, that reckless freshman!"
Trembling, Howard pulled a small pill bottle from his pocket.
His hands shook roughly as he popped it open.
He chewed and swallowed a blood pressure pill dry, venting his fury.
"Not only does she wake the entire campus, she turns the training grounds into a wasteland! I've never seen a student cause such creatively disastrous incidents since I became a professor!"
"Calm down, Chief Professor Howard. If we're splitting hairs, the alarm is technically my responsibility too."
"No, how is this your responsibility, Department Head?"
"Mm, negligence, I suppose. I never imagined another academy member besides me would cast top-grade magic so soon."
To be precise, he hadn't expected it this quickly.
Raymond forcibly quelled his rising smile and flipped to the first page of the report.
A site photo caught his eye immediately.
A massive crater, scorched earth. It looked like a meteor had crashed.
'This is...'
A familiar trace. Lunaris's signature spell, tentatively named Starlight Fall.
Last he'd seen, it was unfinished, but she'd finally completed it.
"Any casualties?"
"Fourth-year top student, Gaius Leonhardt, was there."
"Oh dear... how did that happen?"
"They were sparring."
At the Swordsmanship Department professor's words, Raymond unconsciously rubbed his dry face.
If there were injuries... that changed things.
"Ahem! So, what happened? Where's Gaius now? Is he out of surgery? His condition isn't critical, is it...?"
"No. He's probably back in the dorms resting after giving his statement by now."
"...Pardon?"
"He was limping, but he walked out fine."
Raymond let out a languid sigh.
"What? Then it's not a big deal."
Scaring people over nothing. Annoying.
"Not a big deal, Department Head?!"
"No one was hurt, right? And the magic was used during a consensual spar?"
Just vigorous students burning with passion late into the night.
He even sounded like he was defending her, brazenly so.
"But if the student hadn't controlled the spell properly, it could've been a major accident...!"
"Do you know what it means that he took a top-grade spell to the face and walked back to the dorms on his own two feet?"
"..."
"It means she adjusted the impact in that split-second cast."
In other words, perfect control.
Raymond continued with a beaming smile.
"We're giving her a lot of leeway here. If Lunaris had gone all out, Gaius would've been bedridden all second semester."
"..."
"Looks like our Lunaris has a soft heart after all. Oh ho ho ho!"
The professors stared at each other in stunned silence.
She nearly incinerated him whole, and that's a soft heart?
This department head was no ordinary doting mentor.
"Department Head, please don't dodge the point."
Howard growled, pressing the vein bulging at his temple.
"Regardless, she destroyed academy facilities, disrupted the study atmosphere, terrified students, and exhausted the faculty!"
Leaning forward over the desk, Howard pressed on.
"The worst part is, that student is uncontrollable! She's only been enrolled half a year—how many incidents already?!"
"Come on, isn't her energy refreshing? Doesn't it bring vitality to the academy?"
"Vitality? It's murderous intent! Even the Linea Hall maids say waking her every morning is a war—they're suffering immensely!"
Come to think of it, those maids were now huddled in their break room, enjoying the cool breeze.
One air conditioner had turned the worst work environment into the best, summer limited.
"Anyway, Magic Department Head, please rein in Lunaris somehow. You're the only one in the academy who can!"
The other professors nodded cautiously.
For the academy's peace, they needed to corral this wild, troublemaking kitten.
But Raymond just shrugged.
"Well... I'm not even sure if I can anymore."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"Didn't you say a top-grade magic reaction was detected?"
"Yes... but..."
"You know what that implies, right?"
"What... Ah!"
"Our Lunaris has finally stepped into Grand Mage territory. Or she's right on the cusp!"
Raymond's eyes gleamed with rapture.
A stark contrast to the professors' darkening faces.
"Good heavens! Not even a year since enrollment, and she's on the verge of Grand Mage status... This will go down in imperial history! Oh ho ho ho!"
The department head sprang from her seat.
"Restrain a genius like this with rules? We should let her run free to let her talents bloom!"
"N-Now that you mention it..."
"She might even reach the pinnacle of magic..."
Even the Magic Department professors were soon nodding along, infected by her fervor.
Honestly, as mages before professors, Lunaris left them in awe.
"Have you all lost your minds?!"
Of course, it fell flat on professors from other departments who didn't get magic's allure.
"Is this the Mage Tower? This is a comprehensive educational institution! You gonna wreck the whole academy for one student?!"
"No, that's not... such an extreme stance..."
"If you keep this up, Department Head, we won't stand idly by. We'll file a formal complaint with the chairman!"
Raymond's triumphant expression faltered slightly.
She wielded immense power in the academy, but the chairman was the one she deferred to.
"Fair enough... Being too lenient isn't ideal for education."
She sighed, propping her chin with laced fingers in mock defeat.
"I'll take responsibility and come up with measures."
"If you just brush it off slyly..."
"I'll discuss it properly with Magical Engineering's Department Head Lilliana and handle it before summer break ends."
Come to think of it, this was irritating.
Lunaris was in Magical Engineering—why was she, the Magic Department head, dealing with this?
If the girl transferred to Magic, she'd gladly step up.
But Lunaris wasn't the type.
And ignoring it outright? Nine-tenths of her current Mage Tower status came from Lunaris.
If Lunaris officially got Grand Mage certification from the Tower?
'Mentor to the youngest Grand Mage...!'
A title to illuminate her life forever dangled before her, making Raymond giggle inwardly.
*
"..."
I'd gone to bed before dawn, but when I opened my eyes, the world outside was still pitch black.
I stared blankly at the darkened room.
Time hadn't gone backward.
"No way... Did a whole day just get deleted?"
Checking the clock and roughly calculating, I'd slept over 20 hours easy.
My ambitious plan to flip my day-night cycle had failed spectacularly.
I'd aimed for a half-turn but ended up with a full spin.
Well, it had been a while since I slept that long.
Forcing top-grade level magic while controlling both Telekinesis and it had worn my body out.
If not for other issues, I might've slept twice that.
-Grrrrumble.
Right, if not for hunger.
I hadn't woken from sleeping enough.
My organs had sent survival signals: stuff something in your mouth already.
"Yaaawn..."
I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled out of the room.
Destination: the basement kitchen. There'd be leftover ingredients or something.
The on-duty maid guarding it? Whatever.
Right now, hunger blinded me.
Anyone blocking me? Heavenly Demon Death Missile to a vital spot, no mercy.
...Except Odette. She's scary.
Fearful of waking that terrifying head maid, I crept down the stairs cautiously.