Chapter 75
Chapter 75
In truth,
it wasn’t a wise thing to do.
If even the slightest thing went wrong, I’d end up taking the blame for everything.
No, even setting that aside, what if dozens of people were sacrificed while I was trying to save five?
How was I supposed to bear the responsibility for that?
But—
‘I can do it. I will.’
I gazed at the message that had appeared before my eyes.
<Probability of saving everyone while resisting the devil’s schemes>
But.
: 23.7%
It seemed I was gradually getting used to this damned world.
The fact that seeing a probability of 23.7% made me think this way proved it.
‘That’s more than enough to make it worth trying.’
I focused on the word ‘miracle.’
I had a pretty good idea what kind of miracle it would be.
“Everyone in Class 2, listen carefully to what I say.”
Thanks to that, even amid all the confusion, I was able to get the students to focus.
“From this moment on, our Class 2 will begin the performance we prepared.”
“P-Professor?”
Everyone looked bewildered.
It was the sort of thing that came completely out of nowhere.
But I was serious.
“Didn’t I tell you? That I’d help you perform a miracle. This is that moment.”
That was right.
What we needed this time wasn’t a miracle performed by me.
We needed a miracle performed by the students.
“Follow my instructions. With my help, a miracle like this is easy.”
But the students only looked troubled.
It was only natural they would be flustered if I suddenly told them to follow me in a situation like this.
‘If the students don’t trust me completely and do as I say, my plan will fail.’
I was furiously recalling my experience as the Sales King, trying to figure out how to instill some trust in them, when I heard voices offering to help me.
“Um… I-I’ll do as Professor Ban says.”
“I’ll do it too. I hate to admit it, but Professor Ban is definitely capable. So quit whining, everyone, and do what he says!”
…Unfortunately, Libel and Katrinne’s support didn’t help in the slightest.
Despite being the two leading protagonists, they were friendless loners, with not an ounce of influence among the students.
No one paid them any attention, no matter what they said. But then, something unexpected happened.
“Ha ha. Professor Ban, you really are an interesting fellow. Is this how you always are, doing things like this for your students?”
It was the Demon Blade Third Prince, who had recently been keeping a low profile and quietly going about his business!
“I’ll trust you and follow your lead. Now then, show me another one of those splendid displays of yours.”
His influence was on a completely different level from that of the friendless loners, Libel and Katrinne.
When the Third Prince, a member of the imperial family, declared that, I could see the students wavering.
And he wasn’t the only one.
“I’ll follow Professor Ban’s instructions too.”
Julia smiled sweetly at me.
“Professor Ban is the person I respect most, after my master.”
“I-I don’t? Ah, fine! I, Wilhelm, will follow Professor Ban too! Long live! Long live!”
When Julia, the Mad Dragon’s disciple and the Knight Faculty’s most famous figure, and even Wilhelm, whose status could hold its own against anyone’s, made declarations like that, the students became even more unsettled.
And, to top it all off—
“Everyone, do as Professor Ban says. He’s a pain in the ass, but when it comes to ability, he’s more reliable than anyone.”
Unbelievably, it was Ballas!
With his trademark expression—the one that looked like he was chewing shit—now backing me, the students began nodding one by one.
“I-I’ll try following Professor Ban’s instructions too.”
“You’re really going to follow Ban Trash?”
“Ah, whatever! Seeing as His Highness the Third Prince, Miss Julia, and Professor Ballas are all saying that, there must be something worth trusting!”
They said the best sales pitch was a recommendation from someone you trusted, and it certainly worked like a charm.
“Then, Class 2, everyone get into formation as you practiced. Class 1, find places for yourselves in the gaps between Class 2’s formation.”
In a flurry, the students of Class 2 moved to their assigned positions, and everyone watching them looked puzzled.
“Could that be…?”
“Professor Ban?”
Former President Randolf and Bernstein, who were holding back the devil’s power, spoke in astonishment. I silently nodded.
“Now, you’re going to cast magic. By becoming part of a Magic Circle yourselves.”
That was right.
This was the miracle I had prepared.
‘Even people with no talent for magic can cast a spell together if they become part of a Magic Circle.’
Of course, anyone who knew even a little about magic would find that ridiculous and tell me to stop talking nonsense.
No one had ever used people to form the points and lines of a Magic Circle.
Especially not when those people had no knowledge of magic.
But—
“Do you think it’s impossible for you to use magic? Even I, a defective failure, can use it. What reason is there that you can’t?”
“!!”
“At the very least, you’re more suited than I am to handling mana.”
‘Ban’ suffered from Mana Insensitivity and was treated like a fool.
That meant ordinary people weren’t cut out to become mages, but most of them still had at least some sensitivity to mana.
The setting said that Ban’s mana sensitivity was one-tenth that of an ordinary person, and one-hundredth that of a mage. So if you worked it out the other way around, the ordinary students could be said to have ten times more mana sensitivity than Ban.
“Everyone, bring to mind the Linear Theory I’ve taught you so far, and do as you practiced. The students from the Magic Faculty will be the points that serve as the power source, while the students from the other faculties will take on the lines that serve as the pathways.”
Flash!
The magic circle took shape according to my instructions.
It was a very basic Star Magic Circle, but its scale was enormous.
After all, a full two hundred students were taking part.
“Do you really think you can keep a magic circle like that stable?! We need to stop this at once and evacuate the students!”
The other professors in the Magic Faculty reacted with outrage at my recklessness.
And of course they did.
It wasn’t as if no one had ever come up with a similar idea before, but it had never succeeded—not once—because maintaining perfect balance was impossible.
Especially when ordinary people who weren’t even mages, and inexperienced first-year students at that, couldn’t possibly do their parts properly, no matter how many days they’d spent practicing.
“It’s all right if you can’t do it well. It’s a professor’s job to make up for what students lack. You have me. Just follow my instructions.”
I stood at the center of the magic circle, the core of the stars.
Like a conductor standing before an orchestra. A maestro.
Of course, someone might say there was no point in conducting if the orchestra was too terrible—but it was a different matter when the conductor was the best in the world.
Even a pitiful performance from the orchestra could be turned into art.
‘And I have assistant conductors, too.’
“Ahem! You lot! Are you going to get a hold of yourselves or not?! This is a glorious moment—you’re taking part in Young Master Ban’s great achievement!”
“Come on, everyone, do your best, okay? I’m your senior, you know? If you don’t shape up, I’ll kidnap you and make you graduate students!”
“…How did I end up doing this? This is the only time.”
My assistant, Hans, and Linden—
and even Ballas, who had an expression like he was holding in a dump—
each took their places around the magic circle, helping keep the students from losing formation.
‘Ballas goes without saying, and Hans is a high-ranking mage well versed in magic circles like this. Linden, too, is a genius with the potential to become one of the Ten Demons someday.’
The result of bringing all of them together was this:
A miracle happened.
Fwoooosh!!
Light spread outward, enveloping the entire Great Hall.
It was a First Star Rank Shield spell.
‘It worked! We did it!’
I clenched my fist.
Though it was only First Star Rank, its power was no less than that of most high-ranking spells.
Most importantly, every student was within the Shield spell’s range.
‘At this rate, we’ll get through this without anyone getting hurt.’
But then, at that very moment—
‘Something’s wrong. That was too easy.’
The 23.7% chance of success came to mind.
A moment ago, I’d been brimming with confidence and thought we could pull it off, but in truth, the odds were much higher that we’d fail.
‘Don’t tell me—’
Just as an ominous feeling surged up inside me—
“AAAH! What are you doing?!”
“It’s demonic energy!!”
One of the Class One students who had taken shelter inside the magic circle suddenly began attacking those around him.
There was one more person who had fallen victim to the demons’ scheme!
‘No! Why now, of all times?’
Gooooo!!
The demonic energy that Former President Randolf and the others had been suppressing began to writhe violently.
It was reaching its limit. It was about to burst.
—Benefactor! I’ll eliminate that student!
Amanda, who had been prepared for an unexpected situation, sent me an urgent message.
I could also hear the demon’s whisper, as seductive as an invitation.
—You’ve already done wonderfully by saving this many students. Surely one person won’t matter? A true hero must sometimes know how to sacrifice a few for the many.
It was trying to make sure I created a victim, one way or another.
I gritted my teeth.
‘No. I’m sorry, but I’m not a hero. I’m an extra.’
I started walking toward the student rampaging in the middle of all this.
Even now, the Black Flame Dragon exuded an aloof majesty, capturing everyone’s attention.
—What are you trying to do? Don’t tell me you’re going to save that student? It’s no use. You can’t maintain this enormous magic circle and save that student as well.
The demon was right.
I had already poured all my strength into maintaining the magic circle. I had nothing left to spare.
But—
—It’s not as if I have no way.
—…What?
—The Self-Sacrifice Spell.
—!!
It was an idea that had occurred to me after seeing Aiden blow himself up.
—…What? You’re going to sacrifice yourself for a student you don’t even know?
—No. I’m not going to sacrifice myself.
—…What kind of nonsense is that?
Using the Self-Sacrifice Spell without sacrificing myself?
It sounded like saying, “I drank, but I wasn’t driving drunk,” but it was true.
—You lowly, filthy demon. Have you underestimated me too much?
—…What?
—To dismantle some half-assed scheme like this, all I have to sacrifice is a few days’ worth of fatigue. That is my greatness.
—!!
The students being controlled by the demon hadn’t been properly bound in the first place.
No matter how high-ranking a demon it was, it couldn’t pull something like this on just anyone without making a contract.
It was only difficult for me to intervene because I had no strength to spare in this situation. If I could get some breathing room, I could undo the control without much trouble.
Besides, when it came to struggles for control like this, my Grandmaster of Magic ability was the perfect countermeasure. A sacrifice as small as being bedridden for a few days would be more than enough.
‘This will finish it!’
But there was one thing I hadn’t accounted for.
The Black Flame Dragon’s inability to read the room.
“What is your name?”
“R-Rude. P-please, save—”
“Yes, Rude. Don’t worry. I, Ban Ecclesia, will protect you and everyone else, no matter what ‘sacrifice’ I must make. Even if I have to lay down my life.”
Flash!
The Self-Sacrifice Spell had its own distinctive flourish, owing to the nature of the stars.
With the Black Flame Dragon’s exaggerated line delivered amid a clearly selfless glow, everyone ended up misunderstanding the situation.
“Professor Ban is trying to sacrifice himself for his students!”
“Didn’t he say he’d defeated Puppet last time by using a Self-Sacrifice Spell for the sake of his class students?!”
…That wasn’t what had happened at all, but the mood was starting to get strange.
What’s more, something happened that made the misunderstanding grow even bigger.
“Watch out!!”
KWA-A-A-A-A-A-A!!