In the wake of the storm.
The great wave had swept away every last remnant of commotion, leaving only silence behind.
The practicum incident had been that great wave, drawing everyone’s attention toward itself.
Because of that, people assumed things would settle down now, that nothing more would happen.
Yet most disasters began precisely with that sort of baseless relief.
I gazed absently beyond the academy grounds.
Even after such a tragedy, classes continued as usual, so students still came and went just as they always had.
“You’ve been looking out the window a lot more often lately.”
“I have much to think about.”
Aisel nodded and returned to her administrative work.
I had wondered what I would do if the previous incident left her traumatized, but she appeared to have overcome it surprisingly well.
If anything, she had used the adversity as a foothold to deepen her understanding of Aura.
A faint character had begun to emerge from what had once been nothing but an immaculate, polished sword.
‘Is she beginning to break free of the mold?’
In truth, Aura was not something one attained through a single flash of enlightenment.
The process began with practicing how to establish a form.
One first learned to imbue Mana cleanly and precisely.
Once that became the foundation upon which the form was built, it became easier to refine Aura even after reaching the required level.
That was the colorless and odorless Mana Aisel had shown me at first.
She was not the Second-Ranked Student among the second-years for nothing. Her form had already been completed.
All she needed now was to infuse that completed form with her own color and character.
And the subtle fragrance I could sense within it was proof that she had begun defining herself.
Under the pretext of a review rather than private tutoring, I had demonstrated countless variations for her.
She was different from one day to the next, so she must have been gaining something from them.
That was good.
‘It won’t be long before she realizes it.’
Would that make her the second student to awaken Aura?
That alone was more than enough to ensure there would be no major problems with renewing my Part-time Professor position.
Anything beyond this point was simply a matter of ambition.
Specifically, the ambition to cultivate people capable of confronting the upcoming tunnel incident.
“You’ve made progress.”
“…You noticed already?”
Aisel’s expression immediately became sullen, openly showing how displeased she was.
She sharply turned her head away.
“I was going to go, ta-da! and surprise you by showing you my Aura later.”
‘A surprise, was it?’
If that was the case, I could understand why she had wanted to hide it.
But what was I supposed to do when I could see it?
A single glance was enough for me to immediately notice what had changed.
I continued in an indifferent tone.
“I have no intention of becoming such an incompetent teacher that I fail to notice my disciple’s achievements before anyone else.”
Aisel stared at me after hearing the words I had casually thrown out.
She looked strangely surprised.
“Disciple… Um, am I your disciple, Professor?”
“Are you not my student?”
“Hehehe… Ahem. Right. Yes.”
Apparently ignoring my blank stare, she began smiling to herself.
‘What is she so pleased about now?’
She crept closer like a cat plotting something.
But cats that concealed their intentions always seemed innocent while secretly devising some sinister scheme.
Aisel tilted her head right in front of me and spoke in an ingratiating tone.
“Then am I your Direct Disciple? The disciple of a Master, no less?!”
“I helped an egg hatch into a chick, and now you say whatever you please.”
I savored the tea Aisel had brewed, then shook my head and told her not to dream of it.
“A-A chick?!”
“If you want to call yourself my Direct Disciple, you’ll have to take at least one bout from me.”
“Th-That’s impossible. I-Isn’t there something else?!”
“Go win the Sword Peak Martial Arts Tournament. Then I’ll accept you.”
“Th-That’s also……”
Sword Peak was where Swordsmen arrived at the end of their lives.
After experiencing every manner of achievement and doubt, they ultimately gathered there in pursuit of spiritual cultivation through the sword.
The old masters there took Direct Disciples before their martial arts could die with them, and the Sword Peak Martial Arts Tournament was where those disciples competed against one another.
Even though Le Sete Academy was the finest university in the Empire, its standing still could not compare to Sword Peak’s in that regard.
Aisel seemed thoroughly deflated as she fidgeted with her fingers.
She stammered that every option I gave her was impossibly difficult.
“I-I’ll work hard.”
I was telling you to give up.
‘Though I’m not even sure that’s something hard work alone can accomplish…….’
I glanced at Aisel before closing my eyes.
She was not a protagonist.
She had not been showered with fortuitous encounters, nor had she been born with some extraordinary lineage.
She was barely more than a supporting character among supporting characters, someone whose name was merely mentioned in the story.
In practical terms, she was a character whose presence or absence made little difference.
That was also why I kept her close.
‘Keeping her nearby won’t distort the original story.’
I stared at Aisel for a moment before looking away.
Still, there was nothing wrong with trying.
“Continue your training.”
Aisel clenched her fist, saying that my words had encouraged her.
“I’ll live up to your expectations!”
I never said I had any expectations.
Still, she looked so motivated that I did not bother correcting her.
“So what was it you said you had to think about earlier? The insider?”
The insider was not the problem.
Right now, it would be easy to mistake her for the greatest enemy we faced, but in the end, she was merely a low-level operative working under someone else.
Once the Heretic Mages truly began moving, all sorts of troublesome forces would become tangled together.
I felt somewhat sorry for Aisel, but what we had seen so far did not even qualify as part of that.
‘The evil cultists, the Demon Worshippers, and then…….’
The root that sustained the world.
A low groan escaped me.
For now, the World Tree should still be safe.
They would focus on treatment rather than resurrection.
Even if the conclusion they eventually reached remained the same… there was not yet any need for them to slaughter countless living creatures under the pretext of creating fertilizer to save the World Tree.
“Forget about it.”
“But……”
Ignoring her grumbling, I continued staring through the window.
‘Ellin’s Awakening wasn’t completed.’
There was no denying that our preparations for the upcoming tunnel incident had become inadequate.
Even a fully awakened Ellin had struggled during the tunnel incident. How much worse would it be when her Awakening remained incomplete?
The academy might even be overrun and fall into their hands.
‘That absolutely cannot happen.’
I did not merely want to stop them.
I wanted the entire incident to end with minimal damage.
Ellin’s growth needed to exceed what it had been in the original story, not fall short of it.
‘Which means I have to make this half-awakened Ellin grow.’
How should I do that……?
“Hmm… Could I make use of this?”
After reaching a conclusion on my own, I noticed Aisel tilting her head.
Her expression plainly said that she wanted to know too.
Conversely, she looked ready to sulk if I refused to tell her.
I looked at Aisel with a pleased smile.
“…Why?”
She was standing there with a pout, but she did not seem to dislike meeting my gaze.
I unclasped my hands and asked, half joking and half serious.
“Are you any good at pretending to be hurt?”
Unable to understand what I was plotting, Aisel made a dumbfounded sound.
“What?!”
What are you talking about?
The moment she saw my bright smile, Aisel recoiled in horror.
***
The Snowfield Magic Tower was bustling as usual today.
Although its doors had been locked and visitors kept away, there was an obvious reason for those inside to remain so busy.
But that only applied to the people responsible for resolving the problem.
The lower-level administrative staff, on the other hand, were enjoying an amount of leisure they had not experienced in quite some time.
A receptionist who normally handled visitors to the Magic Tower stretched her arms above her head and looked toward the ceiling.
The bright lights made her narrow her eyes before turning away.
An excessive number of lamps illuminated the ceiling.
A normal household would have needed only one of them, but countless lights had been embedded overhead to make the interior appear brighter and clearer.
They illuminated the floor so thoroughly that even the shadows cast upon it were faint.
The receptionist stopped staring at the ceiling and rested her chin on one hand.
Today, as always, she was stuck behind the reception desk with nothing to do, while unimaginable things were probably happening on the floors above.
The only reason she kept glancing toward the ceiling every so often was because of the lingering thought that perhaps something might happen.
‘They said there’s no chance it’ll reach the first floor, but…….’
You never knew.
That thought made her look upward every now and then.
“Still, it’s nice and quiet.”
“Having days like this occasionally isn’t bad.”
Her female colleague had practically melted into her chair and was leisurely sipping at a drink.
The receptionist stared at her shameless posture for a moment before letting out a dry laugh.
“Aren’t you getting a little too comfortable?”
“Our usual workload.”
The receptionist fell silent at the contextless answer.
Right.
Their normal workload was rather excessive…….
Once she thought of it that way, this laziness suddenly felt precious.
“That’s true. It’s not like everyone who visits the Magic Tower is a student. Most of them are high-ranking nobles or businessmen. Having to treat people like that with perfect courtesy every single day really is exhausting.”
“We need to rest as much as we can while this lasts.”
“You’re right. Then I might as well……”
As she stretched, drowsiness spread through her entire body.
Feeling sleep gradually creeping over her, she yawned and placed a small cushion beside her on the desk.
“You……”
“What? You’re the one who said we should rest.”
The receptionist pursed her lips, expecting to be told that she was taking things too far.
Instead, the other woman shook her head.
“Do you have another one?”
“…….”
She had not been trying to scold her.
She was simply jealous of the cushion.
The receptionist took out another one for her, then slumped back down.
‘Haah… This is comfortable.’
Maybe she could take a short nap like this…….
“You are not permitted to enter—”
“Do you even know who I am?”
A sharp voice pressed down with heavy authority.
She could sense the guard at the entrance faltering.
Normally, anyone behaving that rudely would have been thrown out regardless of their status.
Her colleague also looked uncomfortable.
“…There are always people like that.”
“Acting all high and mighty because they think they’re important.”
“Probably another highborn brat who thinks he owns the place.”
Others nearby joined in as well.
They were irritated that their leisurely break had been disturbed.
Naturally, none of their comments were favorable.
“Move.”
“But the Magic Tower Master ordered—”
“Then if you stop me, are you prepared to bear the consequences afterward?”
The receptionist snorted.
There were always people who acted as though they were far more important than they truly were.
People who behaved as if the entire Magic Tower would collapse if anyone dared disrespect them.
But the Magic Tower was hardly so fragile that it would flicker like a dying lantern.
Turning away a few rude visitors would cause no real trouble.
Surely this one would be the same.
He would rage outside the Magic Tower for a while, exhaust himself, and eventually leave.
Her brief concern over the disturbance quickly faded.
Just as she settled her drowsy body and prepared to sleep, the firmly sealed doors of the Magic Tower opened.
The receptionist immediately snapped at the intruder.
“Excuse me. The Magic Tower has been closed since last month. What you are doing right now constitutes clear trespassing, and the Magic Tower has every right to file an official complaint and press charges for—”
The receptionist looked at the man who had entered.
Blond hair and Steel Blue eyes.
Handsome, sharply defined features.
The man wore a White formal uniform, and his entire bearing was immaculate and resolute.
He carried himself with such absolute confidence, without the slightest trace of guilt, that for a moment she almost wondered whether she was the one in the wrong.
She quickly dismissed the thought and deliberately stiffened her demeanor.
But before she could speak, the man released an overwhelming pressure.
“If you wish to press charges, then do so. If you can.”
‘Someone from the field? No, this is…….’
Working at the reception desk, she had encountered countless people who behaved like spoiled tyrants.
All they ever did was throw tantrums.
Their threats exceeded their actual abilities, and everything they said was so absurd that none of it carried any real weight.
That was why she could usually laugh and tell them to try whatever they wanted.
But very occasionally, there were exceptions.
The receptionist’s face drained White in terror.
“I am Toscantana Aiden Peacevolt. If that name means nothing to you, then you may remember me as the third Master of the Empire.”
Having declared his identity, Aiden glared at them and released crushing pressure.
“Until now, I have tolerated the stench coming from outside my office.”
His cold expression, as sharp as carved ice, twisted.
He looked as though he were forcing himself not to storm upstairs that very instant.
“I even left you to your own devices when you failed to respond in time, dragged your feet, and made foolish decisions, assuming you would eventually handle matters yourselves.”
So completely had the receptionist’s attention been consumed by Aiden that she had failed to notice the woman behind him.
Only now did she finally understand the source of his anger.
A Gray-haired girl.
Her name was……
‘One of the practicum victims?’
The fact that he had personally brought a student here meant that the cause of the problem must have directly affected her.
At last, everything began falling into place in the receptionist’s mind.
“But because of your stupidity, my student was injured.”
Suppressing the seething anger beneath his words, Aiden delivered his judgment.
“Now that I have justification, I will no longer merely stand by.”
Realizing that something had gone terribly wrong, the receptionist hurriedly activated the Communication Crystal.