EP.117 Group Project Presentation (1)
The missing Belnoa has returned.
Details of the incident were not disclosed to the students. Judging by the academic side’s leniency, it seems it wasn’t a voluntary disappearance; the students can only speculate.
“Was he kidnapped or something?”
“Who would kidnap a guy like the Master of the Black Tower’s apprentice?”
“Is it related to the Kadinak beast terror incident?”
Groundless rumors spread like wildfire.
Some guesses may be close to the truth, but ultimately, there’s no solid evidence. Only a select few know the actual truth.
“Belnoa.”
“I’m here.”
Belnoa acted as if nothing had happened. Since he himself seems so nonchalant about being missing, asking questions feels awkward.
Thus, the incident ends up unresolved.
The disappearance that had drawn the students’ attention eventually fades over time. For one thing, students simply don’t have the mental space to dig deep into such issues.
“Mana Trading Studies (Basics).”
“Group project presentation guidelines.”
The deadline for the group project is fast approaching.
There’s no room for distractions. They need to extinguish the fire right at their feet first. Group leaders call for a final meeting.
“…What do we do about this?”
“Good question.”
“Didn’t you think of anything?”
“You?”
“Do you think I would? But why is one person missing?”
“…”
While some group leaders shed tears of blood at the silence of their members and their runaway comrade…
“Okay, this will do.”
“Thanks to Resti! Good job!”
“I’ll cover the bill today. Thanks, Resti.”
“You guys worked hard too.”
After finishing their project, some group leaders savor a light tea time, chatting happily…
“What are we really going to do…?”
“Hmm. I guess we have no choice but to use the axe.”
“Are you crazy? Someone stop Lac…!”
“Wait a moment. Lac, look at this.”
“…This axe?”
“Yeah, the spell wrapped around the axe. Doesn’t it look pretty good…?”
There are also teams who find answers at the last moment. Meanwhile, countless others confront the looming nightmare in their own ways.
“What kind of idiot doesn’t show up for the final meeting…?”
“We have to go look for him, what else can we do…?”
Someone goes to catch the runaway team member.
“Is this… right?”
“Well, at least we managed to complete it somehow…?”
Others ponder whether the mismatched, ragtag circuit they’ve pieced together is correct.
“Is this… a premium express train?”
“Wait, this is way too comfortable…?”
“Is it really okay for us to be this comfortable?”
Among them are those who find solace in their leader’s grace, like a ray of light. Everyone’s time flows by. It passes quickly.
On the day of the group project presentation.
Some walk lightly, while others drag their heavy feet toward the classroom. It was time to conclude their lengthy yet brief project.
Ding, ding.
The sound of the bell resonated in the tense classroom. The students’ gazes shifted to Professor Rania standing at the podium. She clapped her hands and opened her mouth.
“I will now begin the class.”
2.
“As announced, I’d like the group leaders to come forward. Each will present a brief explanation of their circuit and demonstrate breaking a Resistance Stone.”
After finishing her concise explanation, Professor Rania stepped down. She settled into an empty seat in the front row closest to the podium and placed the grading sheets down.
“First presenter, please come up.”
A student steps onto the podium.
The first presenter is Mack.
Unlike most group leaders who are nervous, Mack walks up confidently.
‘The project preparation is perfect.’
In Mack’s eyes, confidence shines through.
Of course, Mack doesn’t trust in his own skills. He’s talented as a mage, but he doesn’t possess enough talent to solve a project like this with confidence.
So,
‘I asked someone capable for help.’
What Mack relies on is the skill of the magician who solved this project on his behalf. A smile spreads across Mack’s face.
Honestly, he was flustered when he first received the project.
‘Break a mid-tier Resistance Stone using basic spells?’
He thought it was an absurd task.
There seemed to be no hope. Mack didn’t feel there was merit in challenging something that had no solution. He figured others must feel the same.
Something that was impossible for him.
When faced with such a task, some may exhaustively search for a solution, but at least not Mack. He quickly gave up.
‘If I can’t do it, there’s no need for me to force myself to try.’
Mack is from a prestigious family. His father had connections with many capable mages, and Mack asked one of them to create the circuit.
‘The circuit created by a scholar stationed at the highest tier of the Ivory Tower.’
At a glance, the circuit appeared luxurious and beautiful.
Even when he tested it on a Resistance Stone, it yielded perfect results. It was a flawless circuit.
Thud.
Mack, now at the podium, opened his mouth.
“I’m Mack, the leader of Group F.”
His voice exudes confidence.
With a steady voice, Mack lifts the circuit paper. The circuit drawn with magical tools projects into the air.
Rustle.
As he gazes at the circuit woven in the air, Mack continues.
“Our group focused on the high-tier spell ‘Ignition’ for the project. Various suggestions like ‘Striking System’ and ‘Piercing System’ arose, but I felt analyzing and utilizing the structure of the high-tier spell had more potential.”
Of course, that’s a lie.
Without any meetings with the group members, Mack only presented the results he received as a proxy.
“High-tier spell ‘Ignition’ is derived from the basic spell ‘Fireball.’ We designed the circuit to concentrate the power of the Fireball ‘at a point.’”
Pointing at the circuit, Mack explained.
The explanation flowed smoothly. He had memorized the interpretation of the circuit received from the Magic Association’s scholar word for word. Memorization is Mack’s specialty.
“Point and Certain…”
He covered every detail of the circuit. His peers in the group were in awe of Mack’s explanation. Group leaders waiting for their turn below the podium were also captivated by the circuit.
It was a circuit that was exceptionally polished for a student.
“…That’s all.”
After finishing the explanation, Mack took a brief breath.
It was an admirable explanation. His pronunciation was precise. His memory was perfect; he didn’t miss a single word.
‘Perfect.’
With anticipation, Mack turned his gaze toward Professor Rania. He looked at her with a glimmer of hope.
“…”
She didn’t say a word.
She merely gazed at him with a cold, piercing stare. Nothing was written on her grading sheet.
“…?”
Mack felt an inexplicable chill from her gaze. However, he quickly brushed off his anxiety and spoke up. The presentation wasn’t over yet.
‘It must be because she hasn’t seen the results.’
Once he shows the results, her reaction will change.
Mack gently tapped the circuit paper.
“…Now, I will demonstrate the spell.”
Exactly 1 Pi of mana is poured into the circuit paper. The mana flows along the perfectly drawn circuit, gathering in one place.
Flick.
A small flame ignites.
It’s too small to be called a Fireball. However, the intensity of the concentrated flame cannot be underestimated.
Snap, Mack flicked his fingers.
The concentrated flame struck the floating Resistance Stone, and upon impact, the spreading fire shattered the Resistance Stone.
Crackle!
The result was a success.
The concentrated flame was still, and the spreading flame was beautiful. It was a spell encompassing both performance and aesthetics.
“That concludes Group F.”
Clap, clap, clap.
As soon as the presentation ended, the sound of applause filled the room.
With scattered exclamations of admiration, Mack’s lips curled into a smile. Just as he was about to step down from the podium…
“Group F leader, Mack.”
Professor Rania, who had remained silent, finally spoke.
Mack’s footsteps halted. In a limbo of neither stepping down nor staying on the podium, he turned to face Professor Rania.
“I have a question.”
She asked.
“Is the circuit you demonstrated one that you thought up and drew yourself?”
In that instant, Mack’s heart dropped.
He nodded, trying to hide his nervousness.
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“Impressive. It’s a well-crafted circuit.”
“What? Th-thank you.”
“May I ask you a few questions?”
Mack slowly nodded.
Tap.
Professor Rania snapped her fingers. The spell manifested, and the previously vanished circuit reappeared in the air, drawn exactly the same. The mimicry of the circuit took no time at all.
“It’s a simple question.”
She pointed her pen at the center of the circuit.
“The essence of the spell is at this center. This center is the circuit of the basic spell ‘Fireball,’ correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“And connected to this center, these curves and lines are the Constraint Circuits you mentioned?”
“Y-yes.”
Her pen moved decisively.
In a blink, the circuit was dismantled. Watching the pieces scatter, Mack swallowed hard. The disassembled circuit was entirely something he had never seen before.
“Indeed, it’s an excellent circuit. The constraints are neatly connected, and the supplementary effects are well integrated into the circuit. It’s nearly perfect.”
Close to perfect.
But not perfect.
“That’s why it’s even more unsettling.”
She extracted one curve from the dismantled circuit. This curve stood out from the others. It was jarring among the neatly arranged circuits.
“What is this?”
“Uh…?”
“No matter how I look at it, I can’t figure out its purpose. I waited for your explanation, but there hasn’t been one, so I’m asking.”
She seemingly in genuine curiosity asked.
“What is this?”
“T-that’s…”
Mack stared at the curve before him.
He had memorized the entire circuit’s commentary. However, he couldn’t figure out what that curve was. From the start, it hadn’t registered to him within the completed circuit.
‘…What is that?’
Mack looked at the circuit paper in his hands.
Finding the curve on the paper was difficult. After a long look, Mack finally managed to locate the position of that curve.
The connection point of the circuits.
A slight gap generated while connecting.
The curve settled there. What was it? Mack had no idea. With a resigned mindset, he responded.
“Um, for decoration…”
“Decoration, huh.”
She said flatly.
“It seems you had quite an easy project. Not only did you complete the circuit, but you also had time to decorate it.”
“Uh, th-that’s…”
“Could you show us the decorative circuits?”
She pointed at the dismantled circuit with her pen.
“I believe you have about seven more left.”
Mack looked at what was in front of him.
The scattered components of the dismantled circuit floated in mid-air. Dozens of lines and curves were chaotically mixed.
‘In there…’
He needed to find seven mistakes.
Mack averted his gaze. Professor Rania was urging him to hurry up and find them with her pen.
There was no way he could find them.
Mack fell silent, while time flowed on. It felt like an exceptionally long time.
Tap, tap.
Only the sound of her pen tapping occasionally broke the silence. As if urging him for an answer, cold sweat trickled down Mack’s back.
Tap.
Finally, the sound stopped.
“Are you unable to answer? Well, standing on the podium can make you nervous and might inhibit your thoughts. Perhaps someone else in your group has an answer?”
As if they could.
The group members pointed out were silent as well.
A minute passed.
Though it felt like an hour, no one spoke during that time. Professor Rania crossed her arms and gazed at Mack.
“Can you not find even one?”
Mack remained silent.
“Then could you demonstrate assembling the dismantled circuit? It seems to me you could put together at least one part since you drew it yourself.”
Mack remained mum.
“Mack.”
Professor Rania called him.
She narrowed her eyes. Her cold blue gaze fixated on Mack.
“I will ask again.”
She inquired.
“Did you draw it yourself?”
Mack stayed silent.
It was essentially a declaration of surrender. Professor Rania exhaled sharply and twirled her pen.
Scratch.
For the first time, the nib of Professor Rania’s pen touched the grading sheet. It was only a moment before the pen lifted back off the paper. What was written in the long-blank grading sheet wasn’t even a sentence.
Disqualification.
It was not in line with protocol.
Thus, it wasn’t even worth grading. Only one word representing him was written on the paper.
“Next.”
She said.
Her voice was thoroughly chilling.
3.
Crackle.
“…”
Rosel stared at the sugar cube he dropped.
It was a sugar cube he accidentally let slip from the tongs while trying to put it in his coffee. Looking at the completely crushed sugar cube, Rosel narrowed his eyes.
‘For some reason, I feel really uneasy.’
He doesn’t usually believe in superstitions.
However, he felt an ominous feeling for some unknown reason. Perhaps it was because of the problem he had been worrying about since the morning.
Rosel’s worries always boil down to one thing.
“They said they would be grading today…”
The unique group project conceived by his disciple.
If Rosel remembered correctly, today was the day they would be grading that project. And… he also remembered that the grading would be conducted in the form of a presentation.
“Presentation, presentation…”
Suddenly, memories of the past surfaced.
Recalling the time when Raniel was the Ashen Master, Rosel smiled bitterly.
“A bloodbath is coming.”
…The Ashen Mage, Raniel.
Back when she was the next Master of the Tower, she was often referred to that way among the mages in the Tower.
The incinerator.
Dozens of papers, countless sleepless nights spent sketching circuits, and any research results… all turned to ashes before her. Quite literally became ashes. Watching the burn to white ashes, the mages would murmur through tears of blood.
Ashen.
Ah, the fearsome Ashen.
—
Author’s Note: Hieek!
