Chapter 96

EP.96 It Seems I Made a Wrong Turn (1)

The exam continued for four days and nights. The students camped in the tents set up along the outskirts of the forest. At dawn, when the morning sun rose, they would challenge the forest once again.

They had no idea what lay at the heart of the forest.

All they could do was guess that it wouldn't be easy, based on seeing Bellnoa and Rak being carried out on stretchers after passing the exam.

'Capture the boss in the forest clearing.'

That was the condition for passing the exam. The students clenched their teeth and pushed through the forest's challenges. On the first day, they were busy fleeing from monsters, but by the second day, quite a few students had ventured deep into the forest.

It was an absurdly difficult exam.

However, if you keep challenging it, you'll eventually figure it out. The students kept trying, wandering through the forest and running around to find a way.

On the third day, around noon.

Three students arrived at the clearing in the center of the forest. It had been a truly tough time. Now, all they had to do was hunt the boss, and everything would be over.

'I don't know what the boss is...'

Still, if we're together, we can do it.

"Ah."

What greeted them, filled with anticipation, was not a hideous monster. It was a completely unexpected figure standing there.

"Finally, you've arrived."

Lania von Trias.

The professor known as the nightmare of Aphria.

She stood up with a cheerful smile, her skull cap tilted to one side. In stark contrast to her radiant smile, the students' faces turned pale.

The reason for Bellnoa's broken fingers.

The reason for the bloodstains on Rak's nose.

The students now understood. No one was unaware of Professor Lania's reputation.

Swallow.

But what could they do?

They had chosen the Combat Magic Studies department. There was no other way but to endure through sheer grit.

"Uuuuuuuh!"

With a scream that was hard to distinguish from a roar, the students charged. Toward the nightmare of Aphria. In this way, they came to realize firsthand...

Lania von Trias.

Why she was called the nightmare of Aphria.

Beyond mental anguish, the students collapsed in front of the ruthless professor, who inflicted physical pain. They knelt, tears streaming down their faces.

"Gr..."

Their appearance reminded one of knights kneeling before a disaster.

"Gr... gr..."

Screams echoed from all around.

The sun set on the fourth day, as the screams reverberated through the forest. The three-day exam came to an end.

"...Professor Lania?"

"Yes?"

"I have a lot to say to you, a lot indeed..."

When the three-day practical exam ended.

"First of all, well done..."

Lania's reputation only grew higher. At least among the students of the Combat Magic Studies department, her name took on a different meaning.

Lania von Trias.

The deep and terrifying nightmare of Aphria.

2.

The day after the practical exam concluded.

I was lying half-reclined on the sofa in the professor's office, reviewing and checking the problem sheets. My master, who would usually have something to say, was silent now.

'Since there's no class to teach right away.'

There wasn't much to do even if I came to work. I spent my days creating a lot of assignments for review and preparation.

'Although the winter break has ended, it's still difficult to start classes.'

After the attack by the skull cap, Aphria implemented a short break to disinfect and repair the school. While the disinfection seemed to be mostly done during the break, ...

'They said they were rebuilding the protective barrier, right?'

It seemed they had started the construction in earnest.

There had already been two monster invasions in one semester. This time, they were even bringing in external help to overhaul the barrier.

'There were a few high-level mages, too.'

The scale was larger than expected.

I had seen the black tower mage Yetoal walking around the school several times. The barrier overhaul required a significant amount of time.

Classes had resumed, but teaching was still difficult.

That was the current situation at Aphria Academy.

'If it were a practical class like Combat Magic Studies, it might be different.'

Unlike the Combat Magic Studies department, which focused on practical training, theoretical classes that required classrooms and laboratories were in a bad state. The classrooms were filled with external workers due to the barrier overhaul, making it impossible to conduct classes.

And that was the case for the 'Basics of Mana Trade' class I was in charge of.

'Just give out assignments and dismiss the class.'

That's how I spent my days recently.

"Is this enough?"

I showed the reviewed assignments to my master. She flipped through the pages and then said,

"You should give out a week's worth of self-study. Since it's a week's worth, you can give out a bit more."

"More... here?"

"Even if the students are enthusiastic, they've become lax due to frequent breaks. Maintaining discipline is also part of a teacher's role."

I tilted my head.

'The last time I gave this much, they screamed.'

I glanced at the stack of papers my master had piled up. They all seemed to be assignments, and the amount was considerable.

'Maybe compared to my master's, mine is a bit less.'

Should I give out more?

Thinking about it, the complaints about the last assignment being too much were mainly due to the exam period. Now that the exam period is over, maybe it's fine to give out a bit more, as my master suggested.

Rustle.

I took out a few more blank sheets and started drawing new circuits. The more I did this, the faster my work seemed to become.

"Lania."

"Yes?"

While working, my master suddenly called my name. I turned to see her resting her chin, looking at me.

"You seem to be in a very good mood today."

"Really?"

"You've seemed happy since you returned from supervising the practical exam. Did something good happen?"

Really?

"It feels good to stretch my legs after a long time. Watching the students run around was also fun."

"Stretch your legs? With what?"

My master blinked. Her expression darkened. Just as she was about to say something,

Ding.

The alarm circuit engraved on the desk sounded. I turned to check the time, and the clock's hands pointed to 2 PM.

'2 PM in the afternoon.'

The time when the sun shone warmly.

It was the time I had set to visit the cafe every day. I got up from my seat, leaving my master's voice behind.

"What's that supposed to mean...?"

"Master, I'll just pop into the cafe for a bit."

My master made a displeased expression, then sighed and nodded.

"Alright, go ahead."

Her voice was mixed with a deep sigh.

Seeing the fatigue in her voice, I guessed she had a lot of work piled up.

'Maybe I should bring her a coffee on the way back.'

With that thought, I started walking.

I walked down the corridor, leaving the professor's office. Aphria was peaceful under the afternoon sun.

Until recently, it felt like I was peeking into the world of magic due to Sara wandering around the school... but now it's all in the past.

'She's probably been gone for a while, right?'

By now, Sara, Kyle, and Remia must have returned to the battlefield. I probably won't run into them on the main road again.

'Besides, a hero shouldn't be on the main road anyway.'

While thinking this, I arrived at the cafe before I knew it.

Jingle.

When I opened the cafe door, the rich aroma of coffee filled the air, and the cafe owner Allen glanced at me.

"Hello, Allen."

"Welcome, Professor Lania."

Her voice trembled slightly as she greeted me.

I smiled bitterly and waved my hand.

'She's still like this.'

Ever since the day I poured coffee down Sara's neck, Allen has been like this. I wondered if it was that shocking.

'If I heard what Sara usually says, I'd probably faint.'

I watched Allen, who was wiping coffee cups, and continued jokingly.

"Mr. Allen, aren't you taking orders?"

"Um, what would you like to order?"

Actually, there was nothing to order.

I tapped the table and said,

"I'll have my usual."

"You might be the only one who orders like that at a cafe..."

"Hey, you know what I want."

While grumbling, Allen started making coffee. As a first-class alchemist, his measurements were always precise. Watching him brew coffee was like watching an alchemist refine a high-quality potion.

'Kardis can't drive a car at all.'

To me, the young barista in front of me seemed more impressive than an ancient alchemist.

"Here you go."

Allen handed me my usual morning bread and coffee. The rich aroma of coffee lingered in my nose. The flavor from his precise measurements was incomparable to any coffee sold on the market.

'That's why I can't stay away from here.'

I smiled faintly, holding the coffee cup and heading to a seat by the window. I placed the cup on the table and exhaled softly.

"Phew..."

While this tea time had become a daily routine, I didn't come to the cafe just for a break today.

"So."

I turned my head to look at the person already sitting next to me. He flinched and bowed his head when our eyes met.

"What did you want to see me about, Rak?"

"Um..."

Rak von Grace.

A student in the Combat Magic Studies department and one of the students I've been keeping an eye on. At my call, Rak slowly turned his head.

"Well, I wanted to have a consultation, Professor Lania."

"Okay, what about?"

I nodded.

"What do you want to ask?"

3.

There were only two early passers in the practical exam.

One of them, Rak, had become much more thoughtful lately. He was not someone who usually thought deeply. He always acted before thinking.

But lately, Rak felt a sense of unease.

Whether running around the playground or swinging his axe during training, his mind kept wandering. He couldn't concentrate.

'What's the reason?'

Actually, Rak knew the reason well. It was due to the strange sensation he felt during the practical exam. That sensation kept replaying in his mind.

Physical enhancement through Heating.

A method Rak could use since he was fifteen. However, in the three years since then, he had never managed to maintain his sanity while in the Heating state.

'You become instinct-driven. Your vision narrows.'

In other words, your sanity is paralyzed.

You just swing your axe and charge according to your combat instincts. Actually, it wasn't something to be ashamed of.

'I'm not the only one.'

Even the proud special forces from the north, who had lived as warriors for decades, found it difficult to maintain their sanity during the Heating state.

Rak, still young, was envied by warriors just for being able to use Heating.

So, until now, Rak hadn't felt anything strange. He thought it was normal to lose his sanity. But that normalcy was shattered.

During the last practical exam, Rak experienced a change.

'I caught my sanity within my instincts.'

It was a very strange sensation.

His body was hot, his breath was short, but his mind was as cool as a snowstorm. His vision was wide, and he felt a sense of unity.

That strange sensation.

That peculiar sense of unity.

Rak wanted to experience it again. If he could fully master that sensation, he could even defeat Bellnoa.

'But I couldn't.'

It was impossible to do alone.

He had no idea how to achieve it.

'The only one who could know...'

Probably the professor he faced during the exam.

"..."

After explaining, Rak glanced at the professor sitting next to him. She slowly put down her coffee cup. Her blue eyes sank between her long lashes.

She seemed to be thinking about something.

After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke.

"Once you've caught the feeling once, it's not that hard to get used to it."

She stroked her chin and continued.

"Actually, real combat is the best for that."

"Real combat, you mean?"

"Yeah, I know someone... who had a thick-headed friend."

...Thick-headed?

"Because the kid was thick-headed, he only knew how to charge. After a fight, his body would be wrecked, and he'd have to spend the whole day in bed."

"Um, hmm."

It didn't sound like someone else's story.

Rak sat quietly, listening to her.

"Even that guy, after rolling around on the battlefield, eventually got the hang of it. Survival instinct is more powerful than you think."

"So..."

"But I can't send you to the battlefield right away. Even if I did, you might be able to handle it, but it's too dangerous."

Is there a suitable place?

"In the old days, I could just grab a border town and have you run around for a few days, but... tsk..."

She clicked her tongue, seemingly disappointed.

Rak felt an inexplicable chill at her words.

"Um, then I'll try again..."

Just as Rak was about to back out,

"Ah, right."

She clapped her hands, as if remembering something, and pulled out a piece of paper from somewhere.

'A letter?'

It looked like a letter. The flow of mana made it seem like a magical tool.

Swoosh.

She infused mana into the letter and started writing. Rak glanced at the letter she was writing. The mana-infused letters danced and disappeared as soon as they were written, making it hard to read the content, but some letters did pass by his eyes.

'L, Lu...'

A repeated letter.

It seemed to be someone's name. Rak narrowed his eyes and confirmed the name again.

'...El?'

And the name was completed.

Rak silently repeated the completed word in his mind.

'Luluel.'

The name was familiar.

"..."

Rak blinked.

The name written on the letter was not a light one to write casually.

'...Princess Luluel?'

Even though Rak was naive about the world, he was still from a noble family. He had heard rumors about Princess Luluel.

The royal family's mad dog, Princess Luluel.

Why was her name written on that letter? Rak looked up at Lania.

"Who are you writing to...?"

"Oh, just someone I know."

"Someone you know...?"

"I met them recently. They're a bit high up."

High up.

"Because I owe them a favor, they might do what I ask."

"Is that so?"

Rak slowly lowered his head.

His intuition warned him to tear up the letter and run away from this spot.

"Um, hmm..."

Rak fidgeted, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his hands. His throat was dry with tension. He picked up the coffee cup he had ordered but hadn't touched.

The bitter black liquid.

The black liquid without a drop of syrup, but today it tasted sweet.

Author's Note (Postscript)

I added a bit more because 5,000 characters felt too short...!