Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Joanna gritted her teeth and cast the magic again.
It was still the same.
“Keep going.”
“What you just manifested still doesn’t contain even ten percent of the meaning behind my star. Again.”
She repeated it over and over, but Joanna’s magic was just as terrible every time.
The only difference was that she could no longer disparage my star as she had before.
By casting it repeatedly, she had come to feel it instinctively.
That what was lacking was her, not my star.
It’s cruel, but it can’t be helped. I have to make her realize clearly just how inadequate she is.
If she ended up confused—
I felt sorry for her, but there was only one way I could help.
She had to acknowledge her own shortcomings, as soon as possible and without any doubt.
Since I had decided to help her, I was going to do it properly.
“This doesn’t seem to be working. I’ll have another student try casting my star.”
I looked around the lecture hall.
In the farthest corner sat a slight boy, his hood pulled over his head as if to hide his face.
“You, sitting in the corner.”
“M-me?”
“Yes. Come up here and try casting my star.”
…It was Libel, the stalk—no, the auditing student who had been eavesdropping on my classes for some time now.
“You’re that beggar I saw during the entrance exam, aren’t you?”
Joanna’s eyebrow twitched.
Libel looked at her with a timid expression, then stammered out,
“Y-you’re a dropout. Please keep your mouth shut.”
“!!”
“Someone nasty like you doesn’t even deserve to attend Professor Ban’s class.”
“How dare you…!”
“Enough. Don’t make a scene.”
I stopped them both, then spoke to Libel.
“Libel, did you understand my star?”
“N-no, I didn’t.”
“Hmm?”
“The meaning contained in your star is too profound. I couldn’t understand it at all. I’m sorry.”
Joanna snorted at Libel’s answer.
“Hah? What nonsense. Don’t you have any eyes? Profound, my ass.”
“That’s… why you’re a dropout.”
“!!”
Libel made an unexpected proposal.
“Could we make this a duel instead of a demonstration? I want to teach this nasty dropout to show reverence for Professor Ban.”
I looked a little troubled.
No matter how extraordinary Libel’s talent was, he was still only First Star Rank. Unless he brought out the “forbidden power” he was keeping hidden, he had no chance against Joanna.
But—
“Even though… I’ve only understood a little, Professor’s star is so great that I can more than show that arrogant dropout her place.”
After thinking for a moment, I nodded.
I thought both of them might get something out of it.
Libel won’t win, but he should at least give Joanna a shock.
But I was somewhat mistaken about one thing.
Libel’s talent.
“…Apologize for disrespecting Professor Ban.”
“Hah! Don’t make me laugh. What’s so special about Professor Ban?”
“…You don’t even realize it, despite the fact that the professor has taken an interest in you.”
Libel drew a star.
It was somewhat different from the one I had drawn.
Unlike Joanna, he couldn’t reproduce it perfectly.
But—
“You… are… jealous. I won’t forgive you.”
My eyes widened.
Crackle!
The lightning’s power was extraordinary.
Far more so than Joanna’s.
Far more than I’d expected.
Suddenly, I remembered the Demon King’s line to Libel in the scenario.
—The next era won’t belong to me. It will belong to this child.
The One.
Libel’s talent—the talent of the one who would come to be called the sole one beneath heaven and earth—had awakened.
And at the same time,
lightning flashed.
Joanna’s face went pale as she cast a textbook Lightning Star.
Perhaps she sensed the threat: it was a Second Star Rank Lightning Star, no less.
But—
“L-look. And… stand in awe. This is the greatness of Professor Ban’s star!”
Libel’s lightning tore Joanna’s lightning to shreds.
The malicious rumor Senin had spread was completely put to rest.
That was thanks to Joanna’s public acknowledgment.
—Professor Ban’s magic is not of the Unorthodox Path.
However, perhaps the shock had been too much for her, because Joanna did not appear in person. She announced it in writing instead.
Afterward, Joanna used a Portal to return to Amethyst Academy at once.
I can only hope she manages to get through this.
But Joanna left behind an unexpected parting gift. Before she left, she dropped this bombshell.
—Senin, you’re staying behind?
—…My duties aren’t finished yet, are they? I have to put a stop to cheating for the sake of Rubines students’ rights—
—Sure, good luck. You’ve been working hard, meeting all sorts of people at night to spread false rumors, haven’t you?
—…Y-Your Grace?
—Oh, was that supposed to be a secret? I said it because what you’re doing is so obnoxious. Well, then. Keep up the good work.
After that, Senin bore the full brunt of the fallout.
Julia in particular worked behind the scenes to turn Senin into the most despicable man alive.
She pinned on him not only the wrongs he had actually committed, but also made-up deeds he had never done.
…Julia was always one step ahead when it came to this sort of thing. With her skills, the rumors have probably reached Amethyst too, so he’ll be in for a hard time when he goes back.
In truth, I didn’t feel much ill will toward Senin.
I knew what he was going to go through before long.
Just like all the Sub-main Protagonists, he’s going to suffer a major setback.
There were three Sub-main Protagonists I had encountered so far.
Joanna, Senin, and Tern of the Prestigious Swordsmanship Family.
‘If the words that symbolize the “Main Protagonists” are “Path of the Hero,” then the words for the “Sub-main Protagonists” are “frustration and adversity.”’
Every one of them is destined to fall all the way to the bottom.
‘At any rate, thanks to what Senin and Joanna did, the students’ trust in me has grown even deeper.’
I looked over the students seated in the lecture hall, my face filled with satisfaction.
They were completely different from before.
‘It’s because word’s gotten around that I’m the star who defeated the daughter of a Prestigious Magic Family.’
I thought it was about time to move on to the next step.
I had a plan to make my course shine perfectly.
“Do you all know that there’s an Interclass Competition between Class 1 and Class 2 next week?”
“Yes, we do!”
The response was loud and clear, unlike before.
“Good. And you know that the Interclass Competition is as important to your grades as an exam, don’t you?”
As soon as I brought up grades, the mood quickly turned gloomy.
‘The Interclass Competition is a hurdle as difficult as an exam. Especially in this Understanding the Basics of Magic course.’
The Imperial Academy’s education strove to impart practical knowledge that could be put to use, rather than dead knowledge.
That was why there were all sorts of practical exercises and events.
Most courses were required to include practical assessments in their grades, but the problem was the unique nature of this Understanding the Basics of Magic course.
‘How are you supposed to do a practical assessment when most of these kids can’t use magic?’
The Interclass Competition was something they’d forced into existence because of the Ministry of Education’s directive to emphasize practical assessments.
Students presented what they had learned in the course in the form of a competition.
‘Usually, they form groups. Magic Faculty students demonstrate magic, Knight Faculty and Support Faculty students present ways to counter magic, and Humanities Faculty students give an academic presentation on magic and social phenomena.’
“Have you all made a plan for what you’re going to present?”
“Well… we haven’t learned anything except Linear Theory…”
“What’s the problem? You can prepare a presentation on Linear Theory, can’t you?”
“That might work for the Magic Faculty, but students from the other faculties can’t use magic, can they? If we could, of course we would’ve prepared a magic demonstration.”
The students looked aggrieved.
For the record, magic demonstrations received the highest scores at the competition.
Every year, students from the other faculties protested about it, but the same kind of unfairness existed in other courses that were shared across faculties, such as Fundamentals of Swordsmanship, so nothing had been done to fix it.
“You can.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Whether you’re in the Magic Faculty or not, everyone here can use magic.”
“!!”
Everyone looked utterly dumbfounded.
That was only natural.
To use magic, you needed not only to understand the stars, but also to have the talent of a mage.
But—
“Do you remember what I said on the first day? I told you I’d help you understand magic. I didn’t mean simply that I’d help you understand lines, points, and stars.”
I looked each of them straight in the eye.
“I’ll let every one of you experience magic and understand for yourselves what magic is. If you trust me and follow my lead, it’s possible.”
Everyone reacted as if it were impossible.
Unless a miracle occurred, it was impossible for someone with no talent as a mage to use magic.
But—
—I am Ban Ecclesia. Bringing about a miracle like this is a trivial matter in the course of my legendary journey.
The Black Flame Dragon silenced the students’ disbelief.
Maybe I’d gotten shameless too, because I was starting to get used to the Black Flame Dragon’s ridiculous posturing.
‘I need to raise the stakes for the Interclass Competition.’
Even if I went to all the trouble of performing a “miracle,” it would be meaningless if there was no one there to witness it.
‘It’s a miracle that’s impossible by any reasonable standard, so plenty of people will refuse to acknowledge it.’
That was why I’d prepared a way around that.
“Professor Ban, good day! I’m a reporter from Gossip Daily! Thank you for inviting me!”
“Good. Did you hear my proposal?”
“Of course! On the day of the Interclass Competition, I’ll record and report in detail on the miracle Professor Ban performs, without leaving out even the tiniest detail!”
That wasn’t all.
I’d also sent invitations to the people involved with the Academy.
They weren’t merely formal invitations.
I’d drawn attention to them.
—On that day, everyone at the Academy will learn who the truly great professor is.
It was a declaration aimed at Baron Aiden, an A-fessor.
For the highest possible course evaluation, I would make Baron Aiden the scapegoat that day.
‘This time, the “Catastrophe” that happened in the scenario won’t happen either, and everything’s ready.’
And so, the spark Ban had kindled shook the Academy.
The Interclass Competition for a mandatory introductory course, which ordinarily would have drawn no one’s attention, suddenly became the hottest topic at the Academy.
“What on earth is Professor Ban planning to do?”
“I don’t know. Even the kids in Class 2 don’t know what they’re preparing. They’re just practicing things that make no sense.”
“I heard he said he’d make it possible for students from the other faculties to use magic.”
“Come on, no way. Something that ridiculous can’t be possible, can it?”
The atmosphere was somewhat different from before.
There were still people who dismissed and disparaged him outright. But there were also plenty who wondered, “Could he really?” and watched with curiosity.
Meanwhile, some people reacted to Ban’s actions with particular sensitivity.
“His Grace the Duke is greatly disappointed in you, Baron Aiden.”
“Haha. What do you mean? He’s just Ban Trash, after all. And I’m an A-fessor…”
“Baron.”
The butler lowered his voice.
His previously courteous manner was nowhere to be seen.
“The Rapalt Ducal House didn’t invest in you so they could watch you put on a pathetic display like this.”
“!!”
“If you don’t want to pay back all the various support and privileges, along with the research funding, you’ve received up to now, then make absolutely sure you overwhelm Professor Ban at the upcoming Interclass Competition.”
Baron Aiden’s face went pale.
If that happened, he would go bankrupt.
“Th-That’s… No, leave it to me. I’ll make that bastard kneel, no matter what.”
“How?”
Baron Aiden clenched his teeth.
“I’ll… I’ll use whatever means I have to.”
His answer sounded more than a little ominous.