The Professor's Forbidden Research
The professor's office featured large windows that let in natural light, creating a subtle, serene atmosphere. It was the perfect spot for a professor to handle their duties without fuss.
"…Too easy."
Page, who would normally have wrestled with the door until morning in a typical scenario, voiced his honest impression. It had been straightforward, plain and simple. He'd turned the knob, and the door had swung open. He had no idea what trick the madman who'd pulled it off had used, but as long as the goal was achieved, that was all that mattered.
The two students exchanged a glance before springing into action.
One wall was crammed with miscellaneous document binders and books. Most had no labels on the spines, making it a chore to pull them out one by one and check.
"This'll waste all our time."
Page grumbled, but Maness had it worse. Unlike the night-eyed thief, he had to dart between moonlit windows to inspect things.
Hm?
While stacking the brought-in documents in order on the desk by the window for review, Maness's eyes caught a drawer with a key slot.
"Hold up, over here."
He beckoned Page and tapped the keyhole, asking, "Can you open this?"
"Lemme see."
Page crouched with his tweezers out, poking around the hole, then nodded. "Lucky. It's just a standard lock made with the desk—no magic seals or anything."
The seasoned thief smacked his lips and twisted the tweezers this way and that. "This mechanism… Imperial workshop make? Perfect, piece of cake."
After a few tries, he jammed the tweezers in with a knowing twist. Click. With a satisfying sound, he pulled them out and proudly swung open the drawer.
"Ta-da~ Welcome to the hidden safe."
With that odd flourish, the drawer revealed yet more document binders inside. Maness boldly emptied them all onto the desk and scanned the contents rapidly.
Research happens daily, so the most accessible spot is prime.
Snowrobe labs were typically managed by professors themselves—half for accountability. If just anyone could tamper with them, blame-shifting via forgery would be inevitable.
"Found it."
"Music to my 2,000-point ears."
Maness ignored Page's excited chirp about contract completion and sped up. Anything on the Phantasm Wisp had to postdate first-year enrollment. No way prep for him started pre-admission.
Starting here.
He scanned down from the enrollment date he'd memorized from this world's calendar.
Not this.
No.
His frantic fingers halted abruptly, like a compass finding true north.
Under "Magical Creatures": Phantasm Wisp, clear as day. Maness froze reading the note beside it.
Research on whether magical creatures can affect even demons.
Demons? Weird.
The word screamed intent—no excuse could justify it. Unnecessary footnote?
Hypotheses flashed and faded. Just "Phantasm Wisp research" would've sufficed. Writing that meant something.
His eyes darted to the responsible party—far beyond expectations.
Vieta Revon. The magical biology professor.
"…Hold on."
As Maness's racing thoughts locked up, Page—nerves on edge—spoke first. "Got a bad feeling."
From his alley-rat days, it wasn't just theft he'd honed.
"Really dangerous vibe…"
Crisis sense. Thieves needed hair-trigger reactions to tiny shifts to eat.
Screeech.
The sharp hinge pierced their ears. Maness caught it too; both whipped around.
"Knew it was too easy."
The corner knight statue—a alloy suit of armor—stirred like freshly oiled. Crimson eyes glowed from the helm at the students, one hand gripping a massive bug net.
"Not planning a sudden bug hunt, I hope."
"Restraint magic tool! Get caught, and you're done—watch it!"
Page, battle-tested, bolted for the door. It stayed shut, of course.
"I'll try."
Maness poured mana into the handle like before. No dice.
"Won't budge?"
"…Same as last time."
Clank-clank. The armored magical creature's steps closed in. No death if caught, but terror aplenty.
"Damn, must be a conditional mechanism shift."
The net slammed down. They dodged, lives intact.
Think.
Maness glared, securing space. Mana bullets or levitation? Off the table. Built to guard the office—might not work, and collateral on docs would be disaster.
Aware of it, Page held breath, pondering too.
"Got a brilliant idea?"
Maness's question got a confused head-tilt from his senior. "Was brainstorming excuses for the prof post-capture. Not how to escape."
"……."
Practical. Maness thought despite himself.
"Your situation differs from mine."
Tomorrow—no, tonight, post-midnight—he headed to the Magic Tower. No variables from dumb captures.
"So cooperate."
"…Haven't earned my keep yet, sure."
Maness rolled nimbly from another net swipe, yelling, "Draw its eyes first!"
"Fuck, knew it!"
Blades flew from Page's hand. A clear ting, and red eyes locked on the thief.
Maness focused. Coat the walls with mana, probe.
First: Knight-shaped magical creature. Obvious magical construct.
Next: Door seal. Complex; he quit fast.
Gonna have to smash a window?
Then—he snagged it. A mana pulse, like stirring.
Whoosh. Eyes snapping open, Maness deflated. Beyond the wall.
But no quit. Lab at building's end—beyond linked somehow. A path existed.
Page dodged nets slickly, but wouldn't last.
Narrow space, exploiting gaps—tough.
Maness reached at the student-hunting knight, retracted. Necromancy won't cut it.
Golem experience: Almond's class, barely held one. Tied up now? Useless. Plus, elite guard creature. Risky focus.
Before refining, eyes met—aimed his way.
Clang. Page's flung blade ricocheted trying to divert.
Despite stimulus, knight marched on Maness.
Mana-sensitive. Magic school—mages are intruders.
Target locked, Maness pondered calmly. Fleeing bought nothing. Resolve here, now—before stamina drained.
Life flashed: Mana bullets, levitation. Illusion talent, necromancy, word magic.
A voice echoed from past.
—Wide-area perception manipulation. Essential for illusion mages hitting 6th rank.
Metaph's first class. Maness breathed deep, recalling.
Subtle mana none detect. Sixth sense dominating senses. Detach from reality.
Erase self—from creature ahead.
Erase Page—from threatening knight.
Overlay intruder-free office peace—on approaching foe.
Mana coalesced. Localized yet enveloping. Unknowable—it's illusion.
Fire forward.
Shoo. No sound—felt. Something launched fiercely, dead on.
"…You'll get caught!"
Page's yell hit late, as expected. Knight prepped net.
But stalled. Frozen mid-swing.
Maness smirked at its puzzled scan.
It worked.
Not Metaph's perfect cast. Single vs. multi-target—worlds apart. Lower level, but success mattered.
Clank. Armor scanned, then pivoted elsewhere.
Still alert. Just erased their presence—Maness crept out carefully.
"What'd you do?"
Page, wall-hugging, whispered.
No visible mana process. First-years barely did mana bullets—that was talent tier.
"Prank."
Grateful for illusion gift, Maness kept it short. Focus: beyond wall. Find path.
"Fire's out, now what?"
"Hidden space, probably. Need the method."
"Hidden… Ah."
Mid-whisper, Page eased a book from shelf. Knight neared—they froze.
"Look."
Maness sidled over, peered between books.
"…Not everyone's got your eyes."
"Wall inside: 'Magical Creature Guide.'"
Guide, huh. Memory jogged, Maness slotted a book before the letters: Magical Creature Guide.
Soft glow spilled between.
"No change?"
"Not just one."
Magic world's puzzles needed multiples. Mage-made—same deal.
After got brutal. Dodging patrolling knight, yank books/docs, hunt letters. Memorize spots, find matching books—hell.
Good news: Grind. Four glows—wall slid in.
"…We go in?"
Maness's answer was set.
"Obviously."