Chapter 11

EP.11 Looking for a New Job (4)

"I do have a capable friend."

Aaron looked at his old friend.

Roselle von Trias, the elder of the Ashen Tower and the teacher of the renowned Ashen Mage Laniel.

He said he had a 'capable' person.

Aaron pushed the papers to one side of the table and greeted Roselle with a smile.

"Oh, really? By any chance, is it...?"

"It's not my first disciple, so don't get your hopes up."

"...What did I say? I wasn't expecting it anyway."

In truth, he had hoped, but Aaron did not show any disappointment. Even if it wasn't that Ashen Mage, Roselle was recommending someone known for being picky.

'He must be a good person.'

Aaron straightened his posture and spoke.

"So, who is it?"

"You wouldn't know even if I told you. It's not a name that's well-known."

"Hmm?"

"He's been studying magic for over ten years, but he's been holed up in his lab the whole time. He hasn't made his name known."

"Wait a moment, Roselle."

Aaron interrupted Roselle, taken aback.

"Are you recommending a mage with no achievements or reputation? Is he from a noble family?"

"He's from the Trias family."

The Trias family.

A figure flashed through Aaron's mind.

"Is it... that person? The one you recently adopted...?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"No, this is just too much, even for you!"

Aaron was flabbergasted.

Even if they were short on staff, recommending someone like that would surely cause a stir.

'Even if Roselle is a well-known fair professor... '

Recommending someone he had just adopted. The Aphria Academy was already under scrutiny. There would definitely be gossip.

"That, even if that's the case, it's a bit... "

"Well, how about starting as an assistant?"

Roselle shrugged as if he had expected this.

"Isn't my assistant position still open? I'll put him there. No one will complain if I put my daughter in a position where no one else is applying."

"That... is indeed fine."

It was quite an attractive offer.

However, Aaron felt uneasy.

'Why is he bending his principles so easily?'

In the end, Aaron asked in a hesitant voice.

"...Are you sure it's fine to do that?"

"He would have come up anyway. There's no need for me to push."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. You'll see once you meet him. If anyone still questions his abilities after that... "

Roselle narrowed his eyes and muttered.

"They're just blind brats."

"...Is he that good?"

"At least in this royal path, there's no mage with better potential than him."

"Even including the Fourth Princess?"

"Her talent hasn't bloomed yet. He's already complete."

He's already complete.

Looking at Roselle, who muttered this, Aaron interpreted it differently.

'At least, Laniel isn't on this royal path.'

If the Ashen Mage was on this path, Roselle wouldn't have said such a thing.

"Since you're recommending him so highly, I have no reason to refuse. So, when can I meet him?"

"Do you really need to? You can see him when the semester starts."

"I understand you're fond of him, but shouldn't I at least see his face?"

Roselle reluctantly twitched his fingers.

"Come in, Lania."

"Yes, Master."

A clear voice came from outside.

Aaron squinted and glanced at Roselle.

'You were going to keep her outside and not even show her face?'

How much does he cherish her?

Aaron sighed and turned his gaze to the door.

-Creak.

The door opened, and a girl entered.

Her ash-gray hair fluttered in the breeze. She seemed to stand between youth and maturity.

"Hello."

The girl bowed expressionlessly.

A faint scent of old books wafted from her. Aaron involuntarily smiled at the scholarly aura from her simple robe.

'Not bad.'

Indeed, not a bad first impression.

Her robe was simple and wide, with no decorations or patterns.

Overall, her appearance was like that.

She was beautiful, but not in a flashy way.

A refined and elegant appearance.

An elegant beauty that emanated from her refined demeanor.

'If I were to compare her to a flower, she would be a lily.'

She reminded him of a pristine, pure white flower. Aaron was quite pleased with her appearance.

Magic, after all, is a form of scholarship.

And this girl exuded an aura fitting a scholar on the path of learning. Even her movements, as she straightened her clothes and sat beside her teacher Roselle, were graceful.

'Students might call me old-fashioned or rigid, but... '

She was the ideal scholar Aaron had in mind.

'I can understand why Roselle cherishes her so much.'

Such an adopted daughter would be worth cherishing.

Nodding involuntarily, Aaron spoke.

"I am Aaron von Tailrant, the headmaster of Aphria Academy."

"I am Roselle von Trias' adopted daughter, Lania von Trias."

"Ah, nice to meet you, Lania. It's my first time seeing Roselle recommend someone so passionately, so I'm a bit surprised... "

Aaron narrowed his eyes.

"Can I see your skills?"

Even though Roselle was his old friend, Aaron was also a mage. Mages don't trust what they haven't seen with their own eyes.

'If he's the best talent on the royal path, let's see what he can do.'

With a bit of curiosity, Aaron took a piece of paper from the pile of documents on the table.

"Even though the image of mages has changed with the rise of battle mages and combat magic... "

The intricate circuit on the paper.

Pointing to it, Roselle continued.

"I still believe the foundation of magic lies in the interpretation of circuits."

"You're right."

"I'm glad you agree. Can you interpret this circuit?"

Aaron handed the paper to the girl and glanced at Roselle. He knew what the circuit on the paper was.

'The Magic Society's puzzle.'

A circuit with no practical use, designed by the elders of the Magic Society to test circuit interpretation skills.

'Should I test her?'

Aaron asked Roselle with a look.

Roselle shrugged without any annoyance.

'Go ahead and try.'

That's what it seemed like he was saying.

With a slight smile, Aaron spoke.

"You don't need to solve it right away. It's considered one of the hardest puzzles. Bring your solution at our next meeting."

It was a puzzle from the Magic Society.

Dozens, even hundreds of layers of trap circuits were laid over a single 'real circuit.' It would take at least ten days to unravel.

'The elders of the Magic Society said it was inspired by the barrier of the ancient lich 'Skewball,' one of the Four Kings of the Demon Army.'

Asking her to solve it right here would be too much. Unfortunately, he would have to wait for their next meeting.

"Of course, I'd prefer if you solve it on your own, without your teacher's help. Roselle, don't be too partial... "

"I've solved it."

"Huh?"

Aaron blinked.

"What did you say? Miss Lania?"

"I've solved it."

"Heh, heh, heh! You're just like your teacher, making jokes... "

Aaron chuckled and glanced at the girl.

'...Is she serious?'

Solved it just by glancing at it?

"..."

The girl didn't add anything.

Instead, she quietly placed the paper on the table. There was no answer written on it.

'Is she joking about there being no answer?'

Just as Aaron was wondering how to react, the girl raised her finger.

-Rustle.

Ashen mana rose from her fingertip.

Using the ash-gray mana as ink and the air as canvas, the girl drew a picture.

-Rustle.

A quiet, book-turning-like sound occasionally echoed. Aaron realized what her strange actions meant when her drawing was halfway complete.

'...A circuit?'

The picture she drew in the air was a circuit.

Aaron swallowed hard and watched her movements.

1 minute.

2 minutes.

3 minutes.

At the 3-minute mark, the girl's finger stopped.

"..."

Aaron lifted his head silently.

A circuit was completed in the air.

Aaron tore open the envelope that came with the problem. It was a problem distributed to Aphria Academy first. The answer would only be in this envelope.

Thud.

Aaron unfolded the answer sheet that fell from the envelope.

Then he compared it with the circuit drawn in the air.

"Heh, heh, heh... "

A hollow laugh escaped his lips.

Not a single discrepancy.

The thickness, looseness, and curves of the circuit matched perfectly. Even if she had copied the answer, it would be hard to draw it so accurately.

'What is this... '

He had no words to add.

"I told you."

Roselle spoke for the speechless Aaron.

"At least on this royal path, there's no mage with better potential than her."

2.

The Duke of the Northern Region, Eryahel von Grays.

His valiant warrior's heir, Rak von Grays.

He was wandering around the grounds of Aphria Academy, which he would soon be attending. His father had told him to.

'Before entering the academy, go to the royal path and see and feel it. To realize how far you still have to go.'

However, even after being at the royal path for quite some time, Rak had not felt any particular impression.

Everyone looks weak.

I doubt they can even run properly. No matter how much they use physical enhancement spells, the foundation of their bodies must be healthy.

'Compared to the warriors of our family... '

Compared to those muscular warriors, they were insignificant.

"Hmm... "

Rak, uninterested, waved his hand to call the butler who had come with him to the royal path.

"Sebastian, let's go back."

"Excuse me? Are you sure you don't want to look around more?"

"There's nothing else to see. I want to go back and hunt with the warriors."

"Well, if you say so, Master... "

As Sebastian prepared to leave, Rak took one last look at the academy's scenery.

'Too peaceful.'

It was a strange sight for Rak, who had grown up in the snowstorms of the Northern Mountains and fought monsters daily. It was so unfamiliar that it felt boring.

'I have to stay in such a place for three years?'

Should he talk to his father again?

Just as Rak was thinking this and about to turn around, he heard a voice.

-Solved it in an instant.

-Lucky, I guess. I've broken through that barrier countless times, bashing my skull in.

-Lania, your language has become very crude...

Rak turned his head at the sudden voice.

A middle-aged man and a girl who looked to be in her early twenties.

"..."

A chill ran down his spine, and Rak spoke.

"...Sebastian."

"Yes, Master?"

"Who is that?"

"Isn't that Professor Roselle?"

"I mean the one next to him."

Rak pointed at the girl.

"Who is she?"

Rak's intuition, honed from years of training in the wild, was sounding an alarm. Behind that harmless appearance, something more ferocious than any beast was lurking.

"...?"

Feeling the gaze, the girl turned her head.

The moment their eyes met, Rak gasped and quickly turned away.

"...Scary."

"Excuse me?"

"A sensation I've never felt from the warriors of the North or the barbarian warriors of the fief."

Cold sweat formed on Rak's forehead.

Wiping it with the handkerchief Sebastian handed him, Rak muttered as if in a trance.

"Is this why Father wanted me to come and learn at the royal path? There are so many hidden strong people in the world... "

"...Excuse me?"

"Nothing. I'm looking forward to March."

"Ah, yes... "

Author's Note:

Ashen mana is a color commonly seen in mages who have been taught by the Ashen Tower.

Only Roselle, Laniel's teacher, can distinguish Laniel by sight.

*Originally, Monday is a regular day off, but I prepared a chapter for you all who are tired on Mondays.

*Actually, I didn't have any homework today...