186 – Hot Fire (2)
Meanwhile, Siron is learning magic. In the main auditorium of the Imperial Academy, many students were listening intently to a lecture by a neatly dressed young professor.
The title of the lecture is [Exploration and Interpretation of the Essence of Mana]
In order to graduate from the Faculty of Magic, you must complete this course. Because of that, the classroom was so crowded that even today, there was not a single empty seat to be found.
“…Let’s assume that the conservation of the mana wave inside a completely isolated area does not rise to infinity but rapidly attenuates in the preservation state of the container or lower. What is important at this time is that the mana wave function has sufficient amplitude within the area, Even though the frequency tends to remain monotonous in another limited area within the container, waves of mana can be observed outside the area… I will continue to ask questions here.”
As expected, this is a class that gives me a headache no matter how many times I listen to it. The students were all massaging their aching temples, and the professor also felt a deep sense of bitterness as he watched the scene.
“Do you have any questions?”
So, I tried creating question time between classes.
“…Nothing?”
Unfortunately, not a single person raised their hand.
The atmosphere of wide-eyed and enthusiastic class attitude just moments ago seemed like a lie.
There were quite a few students who lowered their heads and stared intently at their major books rather than the blackboard, hoping that what they thought would be none would be true, or that they might make eye contact and ask a question.
A young professor standing at the podium. Reynold Drass looked away from the audience and sighed. However, he did not harbor any negative feelings toward the students. This is because the content he is currently teaching is a series of content that is quite difficult even for someone with the title of professor.
‘…Things like that happen, too.’
As a senior who walked the path first, Reynold tried to have an understanding heart toward his juniors.
“hahahaha. You have no idea what the lecture is about, right? I guess you probably haven’t even thought about what questions you might ask. Only after you understand to a certain degree can you ask questions.”
Reynold snapped his fingers and raised the blackboard with the writing on it to the top.
“So, while I give you some time to take notes, I’d like to tell you an interesting story to refresh your mind. Um… I don’t mind if you find it boring. I’m having fun.”
ha ha ha. Laughter bloomed in the classroom for a moment.
Last semester’s [Exploration and Interpretation of the Essence of Mana] was conducted by a tenured professor on the verge of retirement, and was notorious for being neither fun nor rewarding. Since last year, the newly appointed ‘Professor Jeong’ Reynold’s classes have been consistently receiving favorable reviews from students due to his occasional jokes.
Lucia, who sat in the front row of the classroom, also liked [Exploring and Interpreting the Essence of Mana]. Although she could not understand even half of the mind-blowing lecture content, the old stories he told during each lecture were enough to bring back memories of the past, so Lucia took the front seat on the podium during each lecture. .
“In fact, the table of contents you are hearing is called Modern Mana Interpretation, but in fact this proof was discovered over 400 years ago.”
Because Reynold Drass’s minor was historical archeology, many of the trivial stories he told were from around the time of the Great War.
Professor Reynold continued speaking with his eyes shining like a child.
“400 years ago, in a very old cabin in the forest, the sages who first discovered the notebook with this proof were horrified. A phenomenon that cannot be explained by the classical mana interpretation that has been passed down for thousands of years is something that can be easily found in everyday life. “Because it existed as a visible phenomenon.”
Just-
When Reynold snapped his fingers into the air, sparks flew out with a crackle.
However, this is not fire magic, but elemental magic with lightning attributes, [Lightning Flame].
“As you just saw, there were sparks flying in the air, right? But what I used was not fire magic, but lightning magic. But it’s strange. Why did burning flames appear in the air instead of a lightning phenomenon?”
Just- tap!
“The answer lies in what you just learned: [the corridor phenomenon].”
The lightning changed its properties into flame without any mana intervention. Reynold explained it like that, and the students, including Lucia, also tried to understand the lightning spark with interesting eyes.
“In modern mana interpretation, this is defined as [passage phenomenon] as written in the notebook. Why this name was given has never been known because the author’s name has been erased, but the note with the proof is still in the museum, even if the author is not known. “The source is clear enough that you can look it up. In any case, it was planned that even a paper with an unknown author would bring a great shock to the academic community.”
Bang – the podium is hit.
Gulp – the students’ hands that were taking notes also stopped.
Even the few students who were nodding off tend to shake their shoulders in shock.
Lucia’s eyes lit up at the old story.
“And thanks to this unknown genius, a sect called modern mana interpretation emerged from the classical mana interpretation. It is quite funny that a school that has been maintained for 400 years is prefaced with the name modern, but this is not the important thing. [The passage phenomenon] This is a story about what can be achieved through .”
Reynold met his golden eyes and spoke clearly.
[Teleport]
“This proof truly suggests that teleportation magic is not just a fantasy of legend, but a magic that can definitely be implemented.”
The magic of legend came out of Reynold’s mouth. Perhaps because the content was so shocking, whispering voices and exclamations began to leak from the podium from time to time. Lucia exhaled happily and her lips trembled.
‘I-I’ve used teleportation… huh? The breadwinner in my family is a teleporter, huh?
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Lucia felt like she was going to shrug her shoulders and thought about how she wanted to laugh.
It turns out that the student I was taking class with is a great hero from 500 years ago? Warrior? And the content of the class is the legendary magic often used by the wizard of the hero party?
The small joys I began to feel after entering the academy. It was a kind of loyalty gained from hiding her past life.
Occasionally, in history or magic classes, whenever the facts about her experience came up, I got goosebumps and how hard it was. However, now that she was used to it, Lucia was able to pretend that nothing was wrong with most stories, even though her heart was itching. Thanks to this, most of her liberal arts classes this semester consist of history or archeology.
It turns out that the student I was taking the class with was a great hero 500 years ago? Warrior? And the content of the class is the legendary magic often used by the wizards of the warrior party? How the hell are you going to put up with this? Even today, Lucia showed superhuman endurance and hid the fact that she was Kylie’s reincarnation.
It was the time when I was biting my itchy lips. Facing Lucia, Reynall smiled with anticipation.
“What do you think, student Lucia?”
“…yes?”
It was an unexpected name. Lucia was startled and closed her eyes.
“Um, do you mean me?”
“Yes. Is there anything else?”
Professor Reynold made eye contact with the red-haired girl and smiled gently.
Lucia Prien. The daughter of the Prien family, who had Hugo Prien as her godfather, had been avidly listening to [Exploration and Interpretation of the Essence of Mana] since the beginning of the semester, and was a student whom Reynold was keeping an eye on due to its popularity.
Lucia’s face heated up as all eyes in the auditorium focused on her.
“Uh… I think so too.”
“What is that?”
A vague answer. Reynold didn’t seem satisfied with Lucia’s answer. Lucia seemed to have realized that she had given an idiotic answer, and spoke with less excitement.
“…The passage phenomenon could be the basis for teleportation magic.”
“Um, more details.”
“…Could it be that mana changes its properties even though the caster did not intend it like just now…?”
“How did Mana change its properties?”
“From lightning to flame…”
“Did you see anything other than a macroscopic phenomenon? For example, the flow of the technique was suddenly twisted.”
“I didn’t see that… I’m sorry.”
Lucia didn’t know Professor Reynold’s intentions, but she apologized first. This is because, adding up her past life and present life, her age and years of experience told her to do so.
Phu-huuu-
Reynold checked his watch, ignoring the occasional mockery.
“…There are 10 minutes left. It’s unclear whether we can proceed any further, so this is the end of today’s class. I will not erase the blackboard for those who need to take notes.”
Just with a single gesture, the messy writing utensils were organized. Reynold shook off the chalk dust from his fingertips and looked at the students leaving.
“And student Lucia.”
“yes?”
“After lunch, is it okay? I have to take another class… or something like that.”
“Huh? There aren’t any classes in particular?”
“That’s good. Then, would you please come to my lab?”
*
‘Did I get filmed?’
Magenta building, where laboratories mainly dealing with analytics are concentrated.
At the call of an unfamiliar professor, Lucia clutched her aching stomach.
It was truly an unexpected call. Siriel was worried about her chewing on a piece of bread and offered to go with her, but Lucia said she couldn’t be trusted with something like this and arrived here alone.
Lucia, who knocked on the lab door, was greeted by Professor Reynold with a warm smile, contrary to her worries.
“I think you were surprised that I called you so suddenly.”
Maybe it was because they were alone together, but unlike in the classroom, Reynold did not use honorific language toward Lucia.
“Oh, is the coffee okay?”
“…I don’t really have anything to hide.”
“Really? That’s a good thing. I just got a new coffee machine, and it’s such a waste to drink it alone.”
Professor Reynold laughed and began to make coffee, pouring hot water into the pot. The strong scent of coffee filled the room, and soon coffee of the right temperature was placed in front of Lucia in a cup.
“I will drink well.”
Lucia politely accepted the glass and bowed. Reynold must have liked that cuteness, as he stared at the small student sipping coffee.
‘Why on earth did you call me?’
Lucia felt burdened by that gaze and rolled her eyes.
The panoramic view of the laboratory comes into view. There are a lot of tables and a lot of documents.
There were four cupboards lined up with magic crystal balls on display, and next to them there were people who were busy organizing paperwork without even looking at Lucia.
Lucia knew very well who they were, as they were the ones handing out test papers in the previous exam. They were Reynold’s assistants.
‘The coffee is bitter.’
Perhaps as he was contemplating the astringent sensation, Reynold, who had shaken off the coffee, opened his mouth.
“The reason I’ve summoned you like this is to make a very helpful suggestion to you.”
“Help?”
“okay.”
Reynold shook his head a couple of times.
“Are you taking your studies seriously?”
“Uh… why are you suddenly saying that?”
Lucia didn’t know why Reynold was asking this question.
“By any chance, did my midterm grade really suck? I received an unacceptable failing grade or something…”
“That’s not true. The answer today was really good, but there were a few things that were disappointing. I was trying to show you a helpful path.”
“Well, I’m the kind of person who works hard at everything…”
“That’s a good answer. It’s good to work hard at anything. I like it even more.”
Rather than empty words, Reynold evaluated Lucia based on what he had observed so far.
I liked the fact that he was able to receive food and drinks without any special consideration, and although this was based on rumors, I also liked that he had a superior energy level than anyone else.
The background is also like that. I also liked that he had Hugo Prien as his godfather, and I liked that he had an easy-going and simple attitude despite having such an incredible background.
So he decided not to spin around and talk about his business.
“How about aiming for a higher degree?”
“…yes?”
“I’m asking if you have any intention of going to graduate school.”
A sudden proposal. Lucia’s eyes widened in half at that.
“doesn’t exist.”
“…Can I ask why?”
An immediate answer with no room for further investigation. Reynold’s expression, which had been trying to relax, collapsed in an instant.
“My half-brother told me to graduate from the academy quickly.”
“What kind of person is your half-brother? If he is someone who is into academics…”
“Suddenly talking about family is a bit unpleasant. I’ll just get up now.”
“…My father is a Holy Bone warrior who ran the Red Lion Knights for half his life.”
Reynold spoke strongly to Lucia.
Lucia stopped walking to leave.
This is because she was an old-timer who thought it was impolite for a person who was like a teacher leading the way to learning to leave while speaking.
“So, you wanted me to follow in your footsteps and become a knight, but I really hated wielding a sword. I don’t know about you, but when I was young, I hated hard and dirty training. I never knew when I would fall on the battlefield, and I didn’t want my face to be crushed like my father’s. He hated it. He ran away many times out of rebellion.”
“Uh… that’s unfortunate.”
“Yeah, it’s a pity.”
Dad and me too. Reynol gestured to Lucia to sit down and continued.
“But looking back now, I think training my body isn’t a bad thing. Even though I’m rotten, I’m a descendant of a samurai family, so I was able to quickly develop sharp senses even with little training. That’s why I also have good senses. For a saenim holding a pen.”
“…”
“You smell like me. That’s why I suggested it first.”
Having said that, Reynolds pulled out the middle of the stack of papers piled up next to him. Based on Lucia’s interest throughout his class, he thought she might be a potential companion.
“It’s my research on the [passage phenomenon], which is the subject of today’s lecture. I’m showing it to you especially because I like you.”
“…”
It was just as he thought. Although Lucia could not ask questions in class, she was quite interested in the academic work, praising her colleague Seira. Lucia began examining the paper with curious eyes.
but,
The paper Reynolds handed over dealt with a bigger subject than Lucia thought.
Lucia did not fully understand the contents of the paper, but thanks to [Exploring and Interpreting the Essence of Mana], she was able to roughly understand the overall context.
“How is it?”
“…is this something? Could this be hermeneutics?”
Lucia said with a frown on her face.
It was not a satisfactory answer as it was a question for a question, but it was evidence of interest. Reynol, who got a very good response, said with great excitement.
“If you have a natural sense, you’ll know what I’m talking about just by looking at the outline of this paper.”
“There are too many errors in the world… that’s how I understood it.”
“It’s better not to use too explicit words. Student Lucia. If you do something wrong, you could be accused of heresy and dragged away.”
Even though he said that, Reynold’s mouth twitched as if he had a hard time hiding his joy.
“I have no intention of denying the Absolute in a world where evidence of God is rampant. Let me use a more purified expression than that. For example… Yes, the principle on which this world operates is not a tightly geared wheel. A very humane one. “It’s a game driven by a rulebook designed by the Absolute. That’s how I want to interpret it.”
Reynold was careful, but also careful not to sound too petty.
Although it is not as strong as Lucerne or Braham, the empire is a country with equally powerful religious authority. There are definitely scriptures, and unless you are a theologian, preaching other than the prescribed interpretation is considered sufficiently reprehensible.
“Although it is a faded story, it is also true that demons and righteous gods coexisted in the great war 500 years ago. It seems to distinguish between good and evil in an easy-to-understand manner, so I have been watching with interest.”
Divided into black and white, they invade each other’s camp and attack their positions. The world is like a game in which people constantly fight over the line that divides the continent into two, called the Macal Mountains.
As he continued speaking, Reynold’s excitement grew. In order to continue his research, he needed many strong supporters like the students in front of him. Just a little more, just a little more, and you can persuade them. Reynold continued his explanation with increasing confidence.
She could have just hung up and left, but Lucia was curious about what he would say next. So Lucia had no choice but to join in on Reynold’s story until his excitement subsided.
*
The sun was already setting. The sunset illuminated Lucia through the window, and on the other hand, in the shadows, Reynold wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Do you have a separate career path?”
“…Not yet.”
Lucia answered a little uncertainly. Reynolds didn’t miss the reaction and continued.
“I know there’s not much left until the graduation semester. It’s a story I brought up because I thought it might be okay to decide soon. When I was that age, I remember that there were marriage talks with other families all the time.”
“…”
“Because the way to study is always open. Whenever you have an idea, knock on the door of the lab. And thank you. For always listening to my classes diligently.”
I didn’t say hello out loud. Lucia nodded at the young professor and left the lab.
Two days have passed since then.
Lucia sat down in the lecture room faster than anyone else to listen to the lecture [Exploration and Interpretation of the Essence of Mana]. However, it was not Professor Reynold who stood on the podium despite all his efforts.
“The professor was attacked by a gunman last night and fell into a coma.”
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He was one of the teaching assistants in Professor Reynold’s lab.
“For this reason, today’s class is canceled.”
The assistant with an expressionless face said while staring at Lucia.
This is warm Yuma!