EP.161 Fall, New Semester (4)
There exists a mage named Rania van Trias.
The beginning of her name gaining recognition started earlier this year, during a spring day when cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
“The adopted daughter of the Trias family.”
“The second disciple of Lord Rosel.”
From the very start, she is different from other mages. As the adopted daughter of the renowned Rosel van Trias, she begins to make a name for herself. Society takes notice of her. Nobles line up hoping to meet her. Reporters desperately call out her name.
However, she ultimately does not reveal herself.
Rosel van Trias also remains silent.
Time passes, and no one has been able to meet her.
Just when there are plenty of absurd rumors and baseless speculations about her… she finally unveils herself. As a professor at Apuria Academy.
Everyone is intrigued.
Attention centers on her.
And amidst that attention, the incident occurs.
Less than a month after assuming her position as a professor at Apuria Academy, she is assigned a private class. Many mages express their doubts about such an unprecedented treatment. They grumble whether it tarnishes the name of the magic world, which should prioritize accomplishments.
Dean Aaron responds to those doubts.
He boldly swings open the doors of Apuria.
“Public lecture.”
And then, a lecture lasting about an hour unfolds, dispelling all doubts. By the end of the lecture, no one questioned her qualifications.
“Her class was elegant and full of dignity. Even if any mage were present… even if the Ashen Mage came, they would give standing ovations for such a lecture. It was a lecture of that value.”
“It was beautiful. An endlessly beautiful lecture.”
“The pinnacle of magic. The essence of enlightenment.”
Countless articles pour out.
The praises of various mages fill the newspapers, marking the moment when the identity of Rania van Trias was solidified in the eyes of the public.
Elegant, dignified, and mysterious.
A professor showcasing the most perfect class.
…However, that is only the perception from the ‘outside.’ Those who lived alongside her daily at Apuria have different stories to tell.
Unfortunately.
The girl who nurtured her dreams while only reading the exaggerated newspapers had no way of knowing that fact. The girl gulped and lifted her head.
‘Is this café really run by a top-notch alchemist…?’
Chloe.
Today, the girl who took her first step into Apuria looked around the café. This was also the café she had seen in the newspapers. A café located within Apuria… and the café frequented by Professor Rania.
‘So the rumors were true…’
Chloe thought absentmindedly as she glanced towards the side where the subject of the rumors stood.
“Two cups of the usual.”
“This isn’t a bar, you know…”
“Oh, come on, let’s not be like that. Um, just the usual and a cake as well. Allen.”
“Yes…”
The flustered café owner and the ashen-haired professor chatting amiably caught Chloe’s eye.
‘Professor Rania.’
Chloe stared intently at Rania. She was the person she had imagined countless times while reading the articles. She couldn’t express how thrilled she had been when she learned that this professor would be in charge of her education.
‘…The person I really wanted to meet.’
It had surely been the case.
Until just a few days ago.
“What are you staring at? Is something strange?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
While the much-anticipated meeting was finally Materializing, Chloe found it hard to feel happiness. The reason was simple. In a matter of days, she found herself familiar with her.
A twitch.
Every time Rania took a step, Chloe’s shoulders trembled. Rania’s lips curled into a bittersweet smile.
“Are you still thinking about what happened last time? I was just mistaken then.”
“Ah, haha…”
Rania plopped down into the seat beside her.
She then playfully nudged Chloe’s shoulder, drawing a line between them. Chloe couldn’t even meet Rania’s gaze and merely stared blankly at the table.
“Do you really think I’d beat you up?”
It almost felt like she might. Rania’s joking tone didn’t reach Chloe’s ears as such. Her complexion turned pale.
‘Run away. Run away. Run away?’
The stars sang of despair.
Cold sweat trickled down her spine.
Perhaps it was that noticeably concerning look of hers. Rania’s voice softened as she continued speaking.
“No need to be so tense.”
“…What?”
“I just came to chat today. Since I’ll be teaching you going forward, I thought it’d be more convenient to get to know you a bit.”
“Ah…”
Chloe’s tension lessened slightly at her gentle tone. She hesitated before nodding. Rania smiled lightly and continued.
“If you’ve read that much in the newspapers, then you’ve read something about this café too?”
“Yes, I heard it’s a place Professor Rania frequents…”
“The coffee here is genuinely good. Once you taste it, you’ll keep thinking about it. Want to try some?”
Rania offered a coffee cup.
Chloe met her gaze. The sunlight streaming in from the window illuminated the two of them. The warm sunlight made Rania’s ashen hair sparkle.
Flowing like silken strands of ashen hair.
With lake-like azure eyes and snowy white skin.
No matter when she looked at it, it was captivating. Softening her guard… she’d seem incredibly kind. Just the kind of trust-inspiring visage. Chloe couldn’t help but nod offhandedly.
“Here.”
Chloe took the coffee cup offered by Rania.
The warm heat was felt in her palm.
“Let’s sip while chatting.”
Rania raised her coffee cup to her lips first.
An elegant gesture. A dignified movement. Chloe found herself staring at it as if entranced.
‘…An appearance worthy of an elf.’
The articles she had seen in the newspaper sprang to mind.
As she faced the reality, and as the proclaimed truths turned out to be lies one by one… she was certain the praise about her appearance was genuine.
Sip.
The coffee was delicious.
As she savored the rich aroma, Chloe relaxed her nerves. She began to think that perhaps she had fallen into a preconceived notion.
‘…Maybe I don’t need to run away?’
In front of pure goodwill, even the stars fall silent.
Unawareness of what might be hidden behind that kindness, Chloe sipped her coffee.
“Isn’t it good?”
“Yes, yes…”
…Maybe she wasn’t as bad as she initially thought?
Her first impression had been disastrous, but this was a pretty kind person. Perhaps it was her fault that she had decided everything based solely on first impressions.
“Here, have some of this too.”
As she looked at the cake before her, Chloe relaxed completely.
So easily.
2.
‘Anyone seeing this would think I’m here to eat her.’
I chuckled bitterly as I sipped my coffee.
I couldn’t understand why everyone was so terrified, as if they were meeting Lac for the first time. I couldn’t fathom why everyone treated me like this.
‘It’s not like I approached them with bad intentions.’
My approach is solely out of pure goodwill, aiming for their growth. It’s quite sad for me that they feel fear regarding that.
But that’s all in the past now.
‘Now I’ve learned.’
My Master used to say, no matter how good your intentions, you shouldn’t expect the other person to just understand your sincerity.
“That’s why you must package it properly.”
“Always think about how you appear to others, and present yourself favorably. Be careful with your choice of words.”
“That is the ‘basics.’”
To ease their suspicions.
To draw their attention to my words.
To be perceived as a ‘good person.’
“So just do your best, Raniael.”
Do your best. My Master said that.
Following that advice, it feels a bit like I’m conning someone… but who cares? I’m not doing anything wrong.
‘It’s all for their sake.’
So I put in a bit more effort.
The results, as you can see…
“I think I was really tense.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, I think I might have misjudged you just based on first impressions… my bad.”
“That’s understandable. How’s the coffee?”
“The coffee is really good! The cake as well…”
“Good, take your time.”
It was excellent.
I nodded while letting out a gentle smile.
‘My Master’s words are never wrong.’
The tension melted away.
The prey willingly exposed her throat. There was no reason not to take advantage of it. I gathered my mana at my fingertips. Just a small, inconspicuous amount.
‘The quality to bestow is… inhibition.’
A method my Master had once taught me.
‘I think this is how you did it?’
As I recalled the past, I channeled my mana into my fingers. Then, I swiftly tapped Chloe’s nape.
“Ouch!”
Chloe winced.
She covered her nape and looked around. Yet, there was nothing unusual nearby. I sipped my coffee nonchalantly and said.
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh, did I get bitten by something…?”
She murmured while rubbing her neck.
I silently observed her reaction. I had temporarily blocked the flow of her mana. I intended to understand her qualities.
The inherent talent of a mage.
Opinions on that vary widely… but the most fundamental aspect is the mana. How much mana is innate? How well developed are the pathways to circulate that mana?
The judging method is simple.
Just block it forcibly.
It’s a method only to be used when the differences in skill between mages are enormous… but even if she were a hero, this girl was merely a novice just stepping into the realm of magic.
‘How could I not handle an amateur?’
“Umm, umm…”
Chloe swallowed.
Pressing on her chest as if something was piling up, her brow furrowed.
“…”
I squinted and confirmed the flow of mana within her. I grasped the overall picture centered around the part I had blocked.
‘…This is.’
My eyes narrowed further.
It was beyond imagination. The pathways spread throughout her body were neat. It had a perfect form.
‘Indeed, the blessings of the stars are remarkable.’
A miracle bestowed by the heavens within the human form. There’s no doubt that this child is a hero. The pathways resemble a perfect work of art.
The pathways are perfect.
What remained was the total amount of mana.
I observed my mana blocking a corner of her pathway. The ashen mana obstructed the flow. However, that wouldn’t last long.
Tick, tick.
The ashen hue crumbles.
As the dam breaks apart, platinum-colored streams begin to leak through the crumbling ashen segments. The stream gradually thickens.
Swoosh.
The platinum-colored mana engulfs my mana. It was a form of mana that couldn’t be expressed in words. Starlight. Starlight flows through this girl’s body.
“Hmm, ahh…”
Chloe let out a short breath, as if feeling relieved. I watched her, curling my fingers with a crack.
There’s definitely talent here.
Outstanding qualities.
So, where will it reach?
How long can she endure this?
‘I’m curious.’
This is something to clarify. Knowing the limits will allow for more efficient handling… ultimately leading to better training.
“Cough, cough!”
“Are you alright?”
Chloe cleared her throat, blocked by the mana.
I feigned patting her back as I pressed her mana flow a bit more strongly.
“Did you eat too quickly…? Feeling a bit uneasy?”
“Again, I told you to eat slowly.”
Chloe pretended to gag.
Yet, she diligently unblocked the flow that I had obstructed. I couldn’t help but click my tongue at the actions happening unconsciously.
‘You can endure this?’
Then this could be!
“Cough, ache!”
…So she can withstand this too?
“Cough, ugh…”
As Chloe wilted onto the table, I repeated the experiment. The results were meaningful. Indeed, the girl’s qualities surpassed my expectations.
‘With this much…’
I can afford to be a bit rougher than planned.
I patted Chloe’s back and asked.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah… I think I’m okay now. Thanks for patting my back…”
Recovery is pretty fast.
“If talking is still hard now, we can continue another time?”
“…Is that alright?”
“Sure, it’s not just today.”
I smiled brightly as I spoke.
“We’ll be seeing each other often, so it’s fine. Let’s meet again next time.”
“Professor Rania…”
With a gaze that seemed somewhat touched, Chloe looked at me. I didn’t feel the need to correct that misunderstanding. I waved her off as she left.
She was a child I was looking forward to seeing grow.
Very much so.
3.
“Professor Rania was super kind. She was really nice. I think I might have misjudged her.”
“Are you crazy?”
Belnoa looked at Chloe in disbelief.
Chloe tilted her head, not understanding.
“…Crazy? Out of the blue?”
“Or maybe it’s an illusion magic… No, such a spell wouldn’t work on you…”
“…Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
Chloe glared at Belnoa with puzzled eyes. She didn’t understand why Belnoa was reacting that way.
“She even bought me cake. She packed some bread for me to eat in the dorm too.”
“…Professor Rania?”
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t meet someone else, did you?”
“I told you, it wasn’t anyone else.”
Chloe shook her head while munching on the bread.
Belnoa, Chloe’s childhood friend, was occasionally too suspicious. She had difficulty trusting people. Belnoa’s skepticism had arisen more than once, causing Chloe to only half-listen to her claims.
“By the way, I heard you’re dueling.”
“…I ended up in that situation.”
“Is the opponent Prince Lac?”
“Calling him ‘prince’ feels a bit awkward… but yeah, that’s him.”
The competition for the top spot in the Battle Magic Department.
A duel that heated up Apuria. Even while sitting in the lobby of the Central Academic Hall talking, some students were glancing over at Belnoa.
“…Aren’t you generally not a fan of that kind of thing?”
Chloe tilted her head and asked.
The Belnoa she knew wasn’t fond of such formal dueling, accusing it of lacking realism. Even when she became a disciple of the Master of the Black Tower, she expressively disliked the mock battles against the mages of the Black Tower.
There was no practical value.
They were just formal battles.
Such things didn’t suit her.
That’s what Belnoa had grumbled about before Chloe.
“…I don’t like it.”
“Yet here we are.”
Therefore, Chloe found the current situation a bit puzzling. She pointed at Belnoa’s hands. More precisely, the shadow dagger he had been polishing.
“Why are you putting so much effort into preparing?”
“I feel like I have to be serious about it.”
“You said you didn’t like it.”
“But, it’s only polite given that it’s against him.”
Chloe smiled at that response.
“…Looks like you’re quite close?”
“Who knows?”
“Can you introduce me later?”
“I’ll think about it.”
It seems that this childhood friend, with practically zero social skills, has made a new friend. Chloe beamed at the realization.
This was the story of the night, just two days before the duel.
Author’s Note:
Professor Rania has mastered the most efficient way to utilize her appearance.
*I’ve written overdue sponsorship thank-you notes.
I’ll strive to update the thank-you notes every Monday 😀
