EP.175 Sign Here, Battle Mage!(1)
There is something called the root.
It’s the beginning when something starts, referring to the roots and foundation of something. When pronounced, it may sound light at a glance, but the meaning behind the two-syllable word “root” is anything but light.
To be more precise, there is something in a curse that mentions the root that can really make a person snap. Insulting someone’s character can be brushed off. Lacking skill? Just bury them under accomplishments.
But bringing up the root?
For instance, if you utter something like the following:
“You lowly root.”
“This rootless brat.”
“Who are you, not knowing the basics?”
How could anyone not lose their temper?
If you’ve heard such sentences being gossiped about for years, you can fully understand my feelings.
In the Ashen Tower, during a time when I hadn’t yet built up enough achievements to shut the mouths of the Tower Masters, I had to hear those kinds of statements drilled into my ears.
Since then, the word “root” became a sore spot for me. To bring up “root” in front of me was nearly the same as declaring war.
“Battle Mages are those with no roots.”
And then, someone threw a punch at me. My pride was dented. It hurt a little, no, a lot.
‘Root.’
I could tolerate everything else, but being told I had no roots was incredibly difficult for me to accept.
‘Who are you to talk about roots, you little brat?’
I have roots.
So, my created class must have roots. Even though I once misspoke… that’s not important now. It simply wasn’t.
‘Anyway!’
Roots are something to be claimed. As the founder of a class, I had the obligation to make Kelharlem’s gut clench.
“I have no reason to shy away from the fight ahead.”
I walked towards the bulletin board. In my hand were a few sheets of paper, announcements of special lectures I had received permission for from Dean Aaron and Professor Mackhart of the Battle Magic Department.
‘The topic of how to assassinate wizards was rejected because the wording was too provocative…’
However, approval had been granted for “Understanding the Battle Mage.”
“Professor Rania? I will grant you permission, but weren’t you part of the Wizard class?”
Although Dean Aaron looked at me with great suspicion…
“Professor Rania has deep understanding of the Battle Mage class, Dean Aaron. While she is a flawless teacher in terms of skill… I’m a bit concerned.”
Professor Mackhart shot me a sidelong glance as if saying, ‘What kind of trouble are you planning now?’ But anyway, the approval was granted. No turning back now.
Thud.
I stopped in front of the bulletin board.
Students wandering the hallway turned their gazes toward me. They looked once at my face, then at the stack of papers in my hand, and gasped.
Smack!
I forcefully stuck the paper onto the bulletin board. The announcements fluttered and shook. I placed it right next to Kelharlem’s special lecture notice. Satisfied, I nodded my head.
‘Bring it on, Kelharlem.’
I’m going to show you.
What true roots are.
—
2.
It’s rare to find a young but capable professor.
Especially in the magic academy of Apuria.
The average age of the faculty at Apuria is quite high. There are a few young professors, but in terms of appearance, they hardly differ from the older ones.
Magic is a field of study.
The more time you invest, the more results you reap, and those results translate into achievements. In the magical world, young talents are often those who have sacrificed their nights, burning the midnight oil. There is a term used to refer to them.
‘Dropout.’
Sunken eyes.
A gaunt appearance reminiscent of the undead.
A crooked back from long hours of research.
Young professors residing in Apuria often don’t look human at all. Even the young teaching assistants aren’t much different. Like the slaves of their professors, they were spending their youthful days locked away in research labs.
Of course, not everyone is like that.
As in all matters, there are exceptions.
For example, take Rania van Trias. Having just joined Apuria as a professor earlier this year, her age is still young. At just twenty-one, she not only holds the title of professor but also doesn’t look her age.
She doesn’t look like a dropout.
Her back is upright, and her steps are light.
She often smiles and carries herself confidently. At the beginning of the semester, many students had romantic notions about her.
It’s no wonder.
Young, bright, skilled, and her looks are outstanding.
With elements that perfectly capture students’ affection, she is currently reigning as a nightmare in Apuria. Despite her destructive methods, it’s likely that her appearance played a role in the lack of complaints about her.
Expectations for the faculty had plummeted.
After all, as long as they teach well, what does a professor’s appearance matter? Amidst this atmosphere, a new guest arrived at Apuria.
A magician who came from a distant land.
Young but skilled.
A handsome man with a sharp and cold impression.
He introduced himself as Professor Lrutia.
In an instant, he garnered overwhelming support from Wizard class students… with time, his status rose higher and higher. Dean Aaron, who knows his true identity, is likely breaking a sweat, but that’s not something the students need to concern themselves with.
“Did you see Professor Lrutia’s class? We moved on to the second part of circuit utilization, and it’s just insane!”
“Seriously refreshing. Breaking down a spell into usable parts. Just with this… ”
The lectures are filled with rave reviews.
“Besides, there’s no homework. We finish everything during class! Unlike Professor Rania…”
“Indeed, the absence of homework and the clarity of the lectures…”
And then, Professor Lrutia began to be compared to another professor with similar traits. It wasn’t just the method of teaching; the atmosphere was similar too.
“Are you trying to compare with Professor Rania? You’re going to regret it. Seriously, it’s no joke.”
“Charlit, what’s wrong with you?”
“Anyway, there’s such a thing. Be very careful. You shouldn’t carelessly mention that person’s name. Really.”
Someone worried if the nightmare would hear the rumors, but that worry is far too late. By the time the rumors surrounding Professor Lrutia made their rounds in Apuria… a new announcement appeared on the bulletin board.
[Understanding the Battle Mage]
– Instructor: Rania van Trias.
– Battle Magic Department students are encouraged to participate.
Rania van Trias.
Upon seeing that name, the students in the Battle Magic Department screamed. They hadn’t yet forgotten the practical exam that dragged on for three days and nights in the deep forest as summer approached.
At the edge of the forest.
The nightmare of Apuria was waiting for them there.
She was clearly known as a Wizard class, yet she knocked down challengers with bare hands without casting a single spell… that image is etched in the minds of the Battle Magic Department students as a nightmare.
‘Encouraged to participate.’
That phrase is as good as a threat to the students. As the students in the Battle Magic Department foam at the mouth, the battle quietly begins.
The Braver, Kelharlem Bel Artiya.
The nightmare of Apuria, Rania van Trias.
It was a clash that was too absurd to be called a superhuman dispute.
—
3.
Understanding the Battle Mage.
A class that most of the Battle Magic Department would attend.
“I would like to start by explaining why I opened this lecture. All of you gathered here are indeed part of the Battle Mage class, right?”
A professor stands at the podium.
She is well-known and currently reigning as the nightmare of Apuria, Rania van Trias. Before the special lecture, she had begun to explain the purpose of the class, but she looked a little different from usual.
Her ashen hair neatly tied back.
Not dressed in her usual formal wear, but rather in more active attire. And above all… her green eyes, once calm like a serene lake, are now boiling with intensity.
“Everyone, how long will you keep being mocked?”
She stated as she clenched her fist.
The students tilted their heads at this.
Mocked? What does she mean?
“Battle Mages are a newly established class. Isn’t it a groundbreaking class based on the combat techniques of the illustrious Ashen Mage?”
That’s right. A groundbreaking and fresh class.
“A groundbreaking and fresh thing. In other words, something unfamiliar. As is usually the case… the Battle Mage class is being undermined by lowly wizards. I feel deeply saddened by this fact.”
Is that so?
Was it ever undervalued?
Oh, I think a visiting professor mentioned something like that.
For the students, it was a story with little interest. While some old professors might criticize the Battle Magic Department, it was a mere handful. The practicality of the Battle Mage class had already been proven on the battlefield. Such mockery could easily be dismissed by the patience of the students in the Battle Magic Department.
“Rootless? I wonder how many magicians in the world could tolerate such words?”
Of course, Rania couldn’t.
“That’s nonsense.”
She raised her voice.
“It’s an unacceptable act.”
“You all have the right to walk with your heads held high, meaning you are not pathetic magicians who would be called rootless anywhere.”
The professor at the podium is brimming with heat, but the students seated could barely keep up with her intensity.
“Battle Mage.”
She elegantly noted “Battle Mage” on the chalkboard. Then she struck the board with her palm and continued.
“The Battle Mage is a class optimized to hunt wizards while being a mage.”
An unknown root.
The origin of the Battle Mage that was often mistaken.
“Hunting wizards. How can we hunt mages? This is the systematized combat technique that forms the foundation of the Battle Mage.”
It was being pronounced by the founder of the class.
Only two students, who knew her true identity, absentmindedly nodded as she paused to catch her breath.
“From today for 14 days.”
Rania clapped her hands.
“I plan to teach you how to… no, how to hunt wizards.”
Her eyes are filled with more determination than ever.
The students feel burdened by her heated gaze.
『Hunting the Wizard.』
The phrase written elegantly on the chalkboard.
Looking at that phrase, the students ponder a question.
‘… Wasn’t Professor Rania also a wizard?’
That was a very natural question.
However, no student there had the courage to voice it aloud.
