Slacker Student, Where Are You?

"You monster! I'll kill you!"

"...Gulp!"

"Aaaargh!"

I moved the fake student to a 'safe place,' and suddenly the lab rat student threw a tantrum. Should I move him there too?

"Aaaargh!"

Vrooom. The lab rat student's mana fluctuated wildly. He swung his sword at me.

Crackle! Sparks of mana flew. He still couldn't control his mana properly.

"You bastard! I'll destroy you with my polished skills!"

"Polished?"

It seemed he had prepared a lot. He probably wanted to show off his swordsmanship skills to me, his professor.

"I, theory professor."

"Shut up! Just fight me!"

I wasn't the professor in charge of swordsmanship or practical magic. He must be too shy to show them yet.

"Yes, okay. But must catch slacker student. Just a little."

"Aaaaargh!"

The lab rat student swung his sword again. His mana gradually condensed into a blade aura, wrapping around the sword. A blue light flickered. Was it not attribute magic?

Crackle!

"Urgh!"

I blocked the sword with my index finger to get a closer look.

"Still, cannot attribute?"

"Shut up!"

Attribution, or specialization. The ability to imbue magic to perform a special function. For example, the fake student used a specialized magic that allowed her to transform by consuming a part of someone's body.

"Lab rat student. Practice more."

"You son of a bitch!"

"I am not puppy."

But the lab rat student didn't have anything like that yet. He was just infusing mana to reinforce his physical strength. Of course, if he kept going down this path, he could specialize in raw power itself.

"Cheer up. Lab rat student. Effort makes possible. Has potential."

"Aaaargh!"

But not yet. Right now, there wasn't much to speak of.

"Don't make me laugh! I am Kyran! Do not look down on the power of Valcazar!"

"Not looking down."

Besides, he was a bit arrogant. He was conceited about his power. In that case...

Hummm.

"Wh-what?!"

I had no choice but to show him what real power was...

Creak, screech.

"Wh-what? With just one finger?"

I used pure force to bend the lab rat student's sword, which had been pointed at me. It was a force utilizing the mana from his own dantian. Soon, the sword began to point not at me, but at the lab rat student himself.

"Not my power. Student's power."

"What?"

"This much power. Can produce. But. Cannot do yet."

"What did you say?"

"To go with pure power... must be at least this much."

Thud!

The mana concentrated at a single point on the sword burst forth. However, since he shouldn't get hurt, I made it as blunt as possible. Without using a single drop of my own mana, using only the lab rat student's mana...

"Gah?!"

The lab rat student flew backward and slammed into the wall.

"Heavens?!"

Did he understand now?

Kyran froze on the spot. It wasn't because of the pain. He was simply utterly cowed by this absurd, overwhelming power.

Is this... the power of an academy professor?

"Lab rat student."

Looking up, he saw Selene trotting over. She rested her hands on her knees, leaning down to look at Kyran.

"Remember well. Practice."

"What?"

"Just now power. Lab rat student's power."

"Grrrgh!"

Kyran gnashed his teeth and glared at Selene. At the same time, he was furious at his own weakness.

"Wh-what? What's going on?"

"Huh? Lord Kyran?"

Just then, hearing the commotion, students began to gather. To the students who didn't know the context, this situation looked like...

"What? Did she attack a student?"

It looked exactly as if Selene had beaten up Kyran. And technically, that wasn't entirely wrong.

"Wh-what are you doing! This bastard is attacking a student!"

"A student?"

"This son of a bitch killed Rubelia!"

"Rubelia?"

"Ah."

At the mention of Rubelia's name, Selene seemed to realize something and looked around.

"Slacker student. Must find..."

"What are you all just standing there for! This bastard killed Rubelia! Swallowed her whole!"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Kyran screamed, his voice choked with tears. However, the onlookers didn't buy a word of it. There was no way they would believe Kyran, who had been on terrible terms with Rubelia until just recently, was suddenly so concerned about her. Besides, who would believe such an absurd story as her being swallowed whole?

"Hmm..."

However, there was exactly one person who had been watching this situation from the very beginning.

"What kind of woman is she?"

Cassian, who had infiltrated the scene in disguise, was watching everything. He had witnessed the whole situation, including the moment Rubelia—no, his subordinate Seria—was swallowed alive.

"I need to look into this further. Seria... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is a bit of a waste."

*Snap.*

After a brief moment of deliberation, Cassian snapped his fingers.

"Hmm?"

At that moment, Selene's gaze shifted. It moved precisely toward where Cassian was standing. Meeting her eyes for a split second, Cassian hastily backed away and hid.

No way. Did she sense my presence?

Cassian immediately gathered his newly brainwashed puppets.

"Halt, Professor Selene!"

Soon, dozens of guards rushed in, surrounding Selene with their spears.

"Wh-what?"

"Why are the guards here?"

"Selene! You are under arrest for kidnapping a student!"

"Rubelia's nanny has accused you of kidnapping!"

In truth, no such complaint had ever been filed. To be precise, the brainwashed nanny, having received Cassian's messenger, was only now heading to the guard station with the written complaint.

"Rubelia?"

"Yes! Hand over Rubelia immediately—"

"Know where Rubelia is?"

Selene tilted her head and asked for Rubelia's whereabouts. A series of completely mismatched questions and answers followed between the shouting guards and Selene.

"Surrender immediately!"

"No. Must find slacker student."

"What?"

As if she had made up her mind, Selene lightly hopped into the air, instantly slipping past the guards and vanishing outside the academy.

I didn't know what was going on, but I escaped the noisy place for now. I did it because I figured I shouldn't hurt the guards either.

Moving along quiet, silent paths, I found a small warehouse-like building. It seemed like a place where I wouldn't be disturbed.

"Bleeegh!"

*Splat.*

I set down the fake student I had kept in a safe place. The student was placed on the floor—safe, cozy, and damp. Since it was a cold stone floor, she would probably find it very snug.

"Student, wake up."

I lightly poked the student's cheek with my index finger.

"Ugh, mmm?"

After ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a moment, the student slowly opened her eyes.

"Ugh... sticky... Is this... hell?"

"Not hell."

"Huh?"

"Fake student. Slept well?"

"What?! Eek?!"

For some reason, the student jumped in fright and scrambled backward. She must have had a nightmare.

"Aaaah! D-don't eat me!"

"Not eating."

"Stay back! Stay back!"

Perhaps the dream was very bad, as the student was trembling with immense fear.

*Tap.*

"Ugh..."

In the end, I put the student back to sleep.

Hummm.

"Mmm... Ehehe... Ehehehe... Cassian..."

This time, I gave her a good dream. But who was Cassian? She must love him very much.

*Rattle!*

At that exact moment, the closed warehouse door burst open.

"G-g-g-get away from that child this instant!"

Familiar presences. Two of them.

"Professor Selene! I don't know what you're trying to do, but stop right now!"

It was the gloomy professor and the student council president.

"I-it's us. Viera and Leonia."

"We tracked you down after hearing that you kidnapped a student."

"Kidnap?"

"We heard you kidnapped Rubelia!"

"Wh-why on earth would you do such a thing?!"

At the moment the guards tried to arrest Selene, Leonia and Viera had also been watching the scene unfold. Viera, who had admired Selene all this time, felt a profound sense of disappointment upon witnessing this. She decided to resolve the matter herself.

"*Pant, pant, pant!* S-Student Leonia!"

"Professor Viera?"

"Y-you're going to Professor Selene, right? P-please... please carry me on your back!"

"What?"

Despite needing help due to her abysmal physical stamina...

"I-I can sense Professor Selene's mana."

"Ah! Come to think of it, Professor Viera is an expert in Magic Therapy! Alright! Get on my back right now!"

And so, Professor Viera, riding on Leonia's back, managed to catch up with Selene. She was in an isolated warehouse, accompanied by a student they had never seen before. It seemed Rubelia wasn't the only one who had been kidnapped.

"How could..."

A deep sense of disappointment washed over Viera. She felt utterly devastated that a fellow Reformist colleague would commit such an act.

"P-Professor Selene."

At the same time, Viera asked, half-certain of the answer.

"Are you... by any chance, with the Red Sanctuary?"

She spat out the name she loathed more than any other.

"Red Sanctuary?"

"Yes. They are... the extremists among the R-Reformists... no, the r-revolutionaries."

"Hmm... Professor Selene. Are you truly affiliated with this Red Sanctuary?"

"Red Sanctuary? Do not know."

"O-of course you'd say that. You wouldn't openly admit to being part of the Red Sanctuary."

"......"

Tension hung thick in the air between the two sides.

"Professor Selene. Regardless of the circumstances, as the student council president, I cannot leave you here like this. Please come with me."

"Come with? Why?"

"To undergo investigation through due process. That is the only way to prove your innocence."

"Cannot."

"Cannot?"

"Slacker student... student with many questions. Still not found."

"The student with many questions? Who is that?"

"Rubelia."

"......"

Leonia slowly reached for her sword. However, Selene's reaction was actually shaking Leonia's conviction.

Whose words should I believe? If Rubelia was truly captured by someone other than Selene, is it reasonable to waste time capturing Selene right now?

"Professor Selene."

"Yes, student council president student."

"Even if I believe you, how do you plan to find Rubelia? Can't you just prove your innocence, and leave the rest to the guards..."

"No. No need."

"Huh?"

Selene raised her index finger and pointed it at the forehead of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the unconscious student.

In an instant, highly refined and condensed mana gathered at the tip of her finger, forming an aura so dense it was visible to the naked eye.

"W-wait... what are you trying to do?"

"Memory... will read."

"S-stop! You'll hurt the child! That magic is far too dangerous!"

"No. Not hurt."

"Professor Selene!"

Viera turned pale and hurriedly looked at Leonia. That was the signal.

"Stop!"

Leonia swiftly drew her sword and lunged at Selene.

*Snap.*

"Ugh?!"

She *should* have lunged.

"Wh-what?"

"M-my body won't move?"

The two of them didn't move. No, they *couldn't* move. As if their bodies were completely paralyzed, they couldn't even twitch a finger.

"What's this? Are their minds resisting?"

And then, another voice echoed from behind.

"Well, I suppose it's because I'm controlling quite a few people today. Still, impressive. I must acknowledge the skills of you both."

"What...?"

Leonia wanted to look back, but she couldn't turn her head.

In that instant, Leonia felt a presence swiftly brush past her.

"But it seems the real prize is right here."

Before she knew it, a man was standing right in front of Leonia's eyes, right next to Selene.

His right hand was resting on top of Selene's head...

"C-Cassian?"

At the sight of him, the color completely drained from Viera's face. She glared at the man with an expression mixed with terror and rage.

"Hello, Comrade Viera. How is your superficial reform coming along?"

"Y-you should be dead... M-more importantly, what are you doing to Professor Selene...?"

"Don't you know exactly what I'm going to do?"

Hummm.

Mana began to condense in Cassian's palm, which was resting on the crown of Selene's head.

"Now, this woman will become the fertilizer for my revolution. She will be quite useful."

"Stop... please... stop..."

Knowing exactly what was about to happen, Viera struggled desperately. But she couldn't move.

"Selene... run... away..."

"She can't. My skills have grown far more since the last time we met."

Meanwhile, Cassian raised his other hand to snap his fingers.

"However, since I can't quite read her disposition, I'll have to brainwash her completely."

He had finished all preparations to use his ability.

"Now then..."

"......"

Selene turned her head and looked at Cassian.

"Pro... fessor... run..."

Viera barely managed to squeeze out the words in a voice thick with despair.

But Cassian, confident in his victory, snapped his fingers.

"Rubelia... where?"

*Snap.*

Without paying any heed to Selene's final words, Cassian's fingers released a sharp, brief sound ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that echoed through the warehouse.