Chapter 36

◈ Chapter 36: Elemental Attribute Class (1)

As I was contemplating whether to kill Eidan, I recalled the scene of him cautiously approaching the werewolf. The foolish act of taking out a crude healing potion and smiling at the pup.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you."

While I was deliberating over Eidan's fate, I shook my head.

I can't kill him.

Even if I handle the matter as carefully as possible, I can't completely rule out the possibility of being suspected.

Was this situation something I could have anticipated?

Ultimately, it's only natural that unforeseen circumstances arise.

There's a theory called the Black Swan Theory.

When an unforeseen event occurs, people analyze the outcome and claim that there were signs leading up to it, and that it could have been predicted.

It's easy to analyze after the fact, but it's difficult to investigate beforehand, and it's a matter of forcing a fit.

But look at my situation.

Even if I invoke the Black Swan Theory, it's impossible to force a fit.

'Especially since Eidan has gained the Chancellor's attention because of this incident, I can't touch him.'

Of course, it was I who suggested giving him an award to the Chancellor.

But it was inevitable. Eidan, Leo, and Teishi were there at the scene, and that can't be denied.

And if I were to thoroughly punish Eidan while the Chancellor still harbors suspicions about me, what would that accomplish?

To leave a good impression, it would be a much better choice to secretly suggest giving Eidan an award for the sake of image management.

In fact, the Chancellor, who dislikes the aristocratic atmosphere of Seorin, was satisfied with the performance of the commoner boy.

'Besides, Eidan is a rare possessor of [Anomaly] magic, despite being a commoner.'

According to the records, his teacher was a wandering mage who taught him when he was young.

It's ridiculous to think that he could easily master [Anomaly] magic, and even more ridiculous that his teacher was a wanderer.

What else could this be but a stroke of luck?

Anyway, Eidan, who can use such unique magic, has been receiving subtle attention from the Chancellor.

Touching Eidan would invite danger and suspicion.

Rather,

'What if I use Eidan?'

Not only does he possess [Anomaly] magic, but I also have a strong feeling that he will bring all sorts of events.

His actions and mindset are like that.

Should I say he was born to uphold justice?

If Eidan is like that, he might also confront the Black Dawn that has infiltrated Seorin.

'It's not a bad idea, but I should only keep it as a possibility.'

I don't know what Eidan thinks of me after that night, and even if he has mastered unique magic, he is still just a student.

It would be better to observe him for a few more days, or even a few weeks.

I can make a judgment then.

'For now, I'll focus on recovery.'

Although my voice was completely gone, I couldn't help but feel the lingering aftereffects in my body.

I'm worried about tomorrow's class, but at this rate, I should be mostly recovered by tomorrow morning.

I thought this to myself and closed my eyes.

* * *

Terra Ryanholt frowned as she looked at the remains of the burned factory.

Total destruction.

The abandoned factory was now nothing but a blackened ruin.

"Commander, how can we confirm anything with the state it's in?"

"It looks like everything was completely burned."

As the two subordinates said, the factory was entirely burned, leaving no clues about the incident.

Terra poked the ash pile with the toe of her boot.

"Still, it's strange. A fire breaks out in an abandoned factory where no one goes, and everything in the vicinity is completely burned."

"Perhaps they burned everything to cover their tracks?"

"Probably."

She had a vague idea when she heard about the fire, but seeing the complete destruction made her feel uneasy.

Terra stroked her chin, organizing her thoughts.

'The death of Velbort Rikson. The mysterious thief. The werewolf. The fire at the abandoned factory. All these events on the same day.'

All the puzzle pieces were in place, and the picture was almost complete.

But there was a large hole at the center of the puzzle, the core.

The identity of the perpetrator behind the incident was still unknown.

"Lloyd, is there anything else besides this?"

Lloyd pushed up his rimless glasses with his fingertips.

With his hair neatly combed back with pomade, Lloyd looked more like a scholar than a knight.

And in fact, his main duties were related to information gathering, organization, and incident analysis.

"Nothing special. However,"

"However?"

"We received news that a werewolf appeared at Seorin Academy."

"Seorin Academy?"

Terra was not unfamiliar with Seorin.

The highest educational institution for training mages in the empire.

Founded with the full support of several kingdoms, the empire, and the mage towers, Seorin has a history and tradition spanning several hundred years.

Especially, it is famous for providing equal opportunities to commoners and the lower class, not just the nobility and the wealthy.

A place within the empire but free from the empire's reach.

A werewolf appeared there?

"Yes. It seems the werewolf from Redervic entered through the sewers."

"It must have been a big deal for the students."

"Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Only two students were injured, but their lives are not in danger."

"What happened to the werewolf that infiltrated Seorin?"

"A current teacher took it down."

"Of course. If it's Seorin, the teacher must be a formidable mage. What about the werewolf's body? Was it left behind?"

"No. It was completely burned."

"Burned?"

For a moment, she thought it might be similar to how this factory was burned, but that would be an overreach.

After all, elemental magic, particularly fire, is the mainstream for effectively taking down creatures like Cryptids.

"Hmm. Seorin. Seorin..."

"Should we go to Seorin? We might find some clues."

Terra shook her head at Lloyd's question.

"No. Not yet. For now, we'll focus on gathering clues in this area."

However, it seemed necessary to keep Seorin as a possibility.

"Eventually, we'll find out."

That's why she stepped forward.

The entities operating in the shadows within the empire.

Uprooting them and restoring the nation's stability is the mission and purpose of the Nightcrawler Knights.

* * *

The classroom where Rudger teaches manifestation magic.

The students gathered there were still talking about the events from the other day.

Naturally, the main topic of conversation was the werewolf and Rudger.

"Did Rudger really hunt the werewolf?"

"He was a soldier, right? I heard he has a record of Cryptid extermination, so it must be true."

"Wow. I thought he was serious from the first day, but it turns out he really is."

Other topics included how Rudger intervened in the fight between the commoner Rine and the noble Dune Romley, and how he calmly talked them down.

Before the first class, the evaluations of Rudger among the students were not so good.

Not only was he conducting a joint class for first and second years, but he also didn't clearly explain what he would teach.

He confidently said they would understand once the class started, but how many people actually believed him?

There were comments about how a new teacher could be so confident.

As more of Rudger's past became known, the evaluations improved, but there were still negative views.

However, the revolutionary magic called Source Code that he demonstrated on the first day changed everything.

Students who didn't attend his class because he was a new teacher and a fallen noble were now regretting it, and some were even trying to switch their schedules to attend his class.

Even some fourth-year students, who were busy preparing for graduation, were reportedly turned away when they tried to sign up for his class.

The more this happened, the more Rudger's class became a topic of discussion.

Even the other teachers were interested in Rudger's Source Code magic, and rumors spread that the news had reached the mage towers.

Rudger, however, took it to the next level during the werewolf incident.

Now, the name Rudger Chelish is impossible to ignore among the first and second-year students.

'These days, Rudger's name is mentioned a lot.'

Erendir, who had been quietly listening to the conversations about Rudger, recalled his appearance that day.

The man who spoke coldly to her, a princess, but seemed oddly hostile.

No matter how much she had done wrong, it was still excessive.

'And he was so kind to Rine.'

At the time, the situation was so urgent that she didn't think much of it, but now it felt unfair.

Who would have thought that a commoner would ignore a princess and take care of a commoner?

Isn't it usually the opposite?

Of course, those thoughts vanished when she saw Rudger fighting the werewolf under the moonlight.

But now, seeing Rine sit in the most uncomfortable seat next to the princess, Erendir, made some students' gazes turn peculiar.

What is this commoner doing? When did they become so close?

Rine found it hard to lift her head as the gazes directed at her increased.

'Ugh. Why is this happening to me?'

Honestly, she didn't want to be involved in anything.

The incident at the beginning of the semester was just a light,

No, not light, but a minor incident.

Dune received the appropriate punishment, so she had no intention of saying anything more.

But the third parties acting as if it were their own business was just uncomfortable.

Because of this, the stress from the noble students was unbearable.

Creak.

The front door of the classroom opened.

All the students fell silent.

"......"

"......"

Everyone straightened their backs and watched as Rudger entered through the open door.

He was the same as the first day, with restrained movements and silent steps.

The only difference was his attire.

On the first day, he wore a gray suit with a black frock coat and a silk hat, but today it was different.

A pristine white long coat, with a black suit underneath.

A red tie and a long burgundy scarf around his neck.

He wasn't wearing a hat.

His sharp gaze and chiseled features were prominently displayed.

The students were captivated by his appearance.

Some female students looked at Rudger with dreamy eyes.

"Let's start the class."

With those words, the stack of papers Rudger brought fluttered into the air and naturally landed on the students' desks.

It was a handout printed on paper, detailing today's lesson.

"Today, I will explain the basics and manifestation principles of one of the four major specializations in manifestation magic: <Elemental Attributes>."

One of the four major specializations in manifestation magic, <Elemental Attributes>,

This is the most important field for mages and also the most popular specialization that comes to mind when people think of 'magic.'

Even now, when magic has developed in various directions, children still think of summoning fire, water, ice, and wind when they think of magic.

But in other words, it's the most basic of basics that even freshmen at Seorin have mostly mastered.

So, the students' reactions, who were expecting something unique, were inevitably tinged with disappointment.

Rudger continued his explanation right then.

"But this alone won't satisfy your passion and desire for learning. So, I will introduce a new method today."

"New?"

"Method?"

What could be so necessary for elemental magic?

When the students were puzzled, a few who had already studied advanced courses caught on to what Rudger was about to do.

"A method to increase the power of the elements you can currently use by at least 20% and up to 80%."

"Is that possible?"

Given Rudger's track record so far, it was hard to dismiss it as a lie.

"What do you think?"

Rudger scanned the classroom and asked.

"Are you interested now?"