Chapter 75

### Chapter 75: Conclusion (3)

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#6

It's not easy.

That was the prevailing thought.

“Ugh... It's harder than I thought. This thing.”

Alfris repeatedly lifted and lowered his finger. With his chin in his hand, he casually dotted the already stained paper.

A large dot.

A small dot.

A medium-sized dot.

Even though the speed and force of the dots seemed the same, each time a dot of a different size appeared.

“Yeah, it doesn't look like we'll finish today.”

The paper was much more sensitive than expected. At this rate, it was questionable whether we could complete the assignment.

Still, Alfris, who specialized in magic, had a deeper understanding of mana. He was probably better at it than I was. If even Alfris could only manage this, it suggested that solving the second task would take a considerable amount of time.

Professor.

Why give us such an assignment just two weeks in...

He must have taught the top students of the continent more than once. He surely had a good grasp of our average level. Still, this absurd difficulty is a bit much.

If this continues, my dream of an A+ will fly far, far away. I had to do something before that happened.

“This, this feels weird. I definitely pressed lightly, but it suddenly got big... and when I tried to use less force, it didn't even show up...”

Lenny, who had been the first to dot the sheet, carefully moved her finger in a corner. The dotted area turned a crimson color, which seemed to be her unique mana color.

“It's tough, really tough. I'm starting to feel a bit of self-loathing...”

Alfris, while better than Lenny, still produced a rather poor result. He grumbled as he tried to draw a line, but only managed to create a rough, uneven surface. The area was filled with a brownish color tinged with a slight purple.

Hmm, so that's Alfris's color. It's really different for everyone. It was a bit interesting.

“...”

And, Hector.

The drink I had offered Hector remained untouched. He still had that sullen expression, sighing as he lifted his finger. He seemed to glare at me for a moment.

Then, as he infused mana into his portion of the edge, a deep indigo ripple appeared at that spot.

My teammates and I were momentarily drawn to Hector's finger. Despite this, Hector drew a line silently. Smoothly, steadily. A clear, straight line extended without any hesitation, with a consistent thickness.

“...Tsk.”

A sound that could almost be considered a habit escaped Hector's lips. At this point, it seemed like he was just dissatisfied with everything.

The rebellious teenager, dissatisfied with the world, lifted his finger from the paper.

We focused on what was below.

Alfris suddenly muttered.

“...Right, Hector is also an Epic Class, isn't he?”

Lenny nodded slowly.

Hector's demonstration line filled his portion of the white sheet without a single gap. There was no deviation or misalignment. It was a perfect job.

It was the epitome of restraint.

Somehow, I received a cold, icy impression from Hector's deep indigo mana color. I felt I could understand some of its properties without needing to investigate further.

“...”

Hector neither boasted nor looked down on Lenny and Alfris. It was as if this was just a matter of course. His gaze, which seemed arrogant at first, was not entirely so.

It then turned to me.

Hector had proven his ability. He showed me that he was at this level. He was undoubtedly at a high level, though I didn't know exactly what abilities he possessed. What was clear was that he had an exceptional mana sensitivity.

However, from the fact that he couldn't pass the second stage of the magic class test, it seemed he was still far from the likes of Rubia and Stella. Anyway.

Hector had said something before. He said he expected me to be different. He even mentioned my father.

“...”

I was momentarily pondering in front of Hector, who was crossing his arms and staring at me intently, as if judging my capabilities.

It was my turn. It was my turn now. But.

Hector aside, Lenny and Alfris were also looking at me with hopeful eyes.

...No.

...But.

Being an Epic Class doesn't mean everyone is at the same level.

Just look at the gap between Mu, who is number 1, and me, who is number 15. Oh, you know. I was confident I could be taken down in three seconds without using my abilities. Even if I did use them, it would still be a quick defeat.

In other words, individual capabilities can vary greatly depending on the subject. The Epic Class isn't the grand assembly of the students they admire.

Everyone has their flaws.

Even Stella, who is good at swordsmanship, isn't a perfect superhuman. Mu is an exception. If she really wanted to, skipping the Epic Class might not be a laughable idea...

“Epic Classes are really amazing...”

“They are the future of the empire. Like when Edgio showed that vanishing technique last time, it was really impressive. Hmm.”

So, please don't look at me like that.

My finger, which was about to lightly dot the paper, stiffened.

To be honest... I'm not confident.

This body, while quite useful, is still not fully familiar to me. Compared to Rubia, Stella, and Hector, my mana control is definitely inferior.

“...Just so you know, I'm not good at this. Don't expect too much?”

“Oh, you'll be better than us. You're an Epic Class.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

No, really.

I didn't really care, but their hopeful and soon-to-be-disappointed faces made me feel awkward.

Most of all, Hector. He would definitely sneer, as if to say, "Is that all you can do?" I didn't want to see that.

What can I do?

It's something I have to do anyway.

With a "let's see how it goes" attitude, I raised my hand. The attention of the group focused on my fingertips. Like the others, I concentrated and infused mana, then pressed down.

* * *

A moment later.

“...Huh?”

Lenny muttered.

It wasn't just Lenny; Alfris was also puzzled.

And, me.

Hmm, um.

Something's off.

I definitely infused mana. I think the force was appropriate. Of course, I didn't expect it to work perfectly, but... The paper remained white. In other words, no dot appeared.

“Maybe I didn't press hard enough.”

Like Lenny, I might have pressed too lightly. I took a deep breath and concentrated again.

I submerged myself in a state of complete silence, focusing on the most precise and delicate mana control I could manage. I poured all my mental energy into my fingertips and pressed the sheet a bit harder.

‘...Did it work?’

This time, I felt something being infused.

I lifted my finger and tried to draw a line. It didn't matter if it collapsed in the middle. I could just get a new sheet. With that mindset, I tried to draw a straight line.

“...”

“...”

“...Did you infuse the mana properly?”

“Yes... What, what is it?”

It's strange.

The paper remained white, with no change. I felt something, but there was no reaction. This strange situation persisted even after a few more attempts.

Maybe my mana is empty, though that's unlikely. I tried to create a small spark, which crackled normally. What's going on here?

“Should we try a new sheet?”

“Maybe... It might be the same...”

It's hard to blame the equipment, as everyone else succeeded. The result was ambiguous, neither a failure nor a success. This left Lenny and Alfris with puzzled expressions rather than disappointment.

I was also in a difficult situation. I can't fail here. We're already short one team member, and I need to solve that problem separately. While scratching my head in frustration,

“Try it on a filled area.”

“...?”

It was Hector's voice.

I paused for a moment. I easily understood what he meant. The sheet, covered in crimson and indigo, was to be painted over.

I naturally wondered if it would work, but then...

‘...Ah.’

I suddenly understood why Hector said that. Could it be? I nodded unconsciously and raised my hand again. I moved my finger toward Lenny's crimson area, which had been cut in half.

I infused mana into my fingertip and drew a line.

Hector spoke softly.

“Of course.”

Then,

The area my finger passed over.

Turned white.

It was as if it had been completely erased, leaving a hole. It completely erased Lenny's traces.

The colors didn't mix like paint; only my mana remained in that spot.

Lenny, who had been watching the transparent, straight lines of consistent thickness, opened her mouth.

“It makes sense that it's invisible...”

White.

That was the color of my unique mana.

#7

“Edgio, I'm starting to feel queasy.”

“...Then, let's call it a day for now?”

“Ugh, I used too much mana, and my head hurts...”

Lenny, slumped on the table, held the back of her head.

The group discussion on the assignment lasted from noon until 5 PM. We had all eaten breakfast, and we had a quick lunch at a cafe. So, we had been sitting in the cafe for about 7 hours.

As a result of our discussion, we decided to meet again next Monday to complete the first task. We would research and organize the meanings of our unique mana colors individually and then compile them.

We could have gone to the library together to research, but everyone had their own schedules. Alfris and Hector had evening plans, though I and Lenny didn't.

We discussed the structure of our mana circuits and our specialized areas.

Alfris's circuit was complex, developed for versatility to handle a wide range of magic.

Lenny, despite her small stature, used powerful one-hit techniques, so her circuit was more robust and simple, designed to explode with mana at specific moments...

It was a fascinating conversation, and it provided good reference material for expanding our knowledge.

For more detailed structures, we would need to conduct further research, which we planned to do on Monday.

Alfris, with his extensive experience, would lead the writing of the research paper, and I would lead the presentation. It was a collaborative effort, not a solo job.

The first task was thus concluded.

And, the second task.

“...But, is it really okay for us to do this...?”

Lenny muttered while tidying up the table.

The sheet, one of the 80 I brought today, was the 25th to be completed, except for one missing area due to a missing team member.

The star-shaped figure was neatly filled, with no deviations, except for the missing area.

Considering Lenny and Alfris had said they couldn't finish today, this was a very positive result.

How did this happen? Well,

My color is white.

The same color as the sheet.

Moreover, I seemed to have a talent for mana sensitivity. I could fill the area neatly with fine adjustments, similar to Hector.

However, a problem arose. No matter what I did, it wasn't noticeable. From a distance or up close, no one could tell if I had filled the area or not.

It remained completely white.

Of course, the paper, designed to verify mana, would show that mana had been infused, but it was indistinguishable to the naked eye.

I had to do it anyway.

I tried to fill it by feel.

Then, a thought occurred to me.

...Could this be used as an eraser?

The things drawn on the sheet couldn't be erased with ordinary tools. While you could cover them with white paint, they wouldn't actually be erased. They would still show through.

But my white mana, when applied over Lenny's crimson area, completely erased it.

It went beyond just covering; it didn't mix with other mana but simply turned everything white.

Alfris, Lenny, and Hector's mana mixed to create intermediate colors, but mine was different. It truly acted as an eraser.

What's the principle behind this? I didn't know.

In any case, that was the conclusion.

I would erase the mistakes made by the less skilled Lenny and Alfris.

After a few test strokes, a perfect result was achieved. I had to fill the bottom layer of the star's center first, so I did that.

Something... something...

I managed to create it using a shortcut.

It looked quite neat, even to me. Unless someone carefully examined it with a tool, no one would notice the slight manipulation.

Of course, my and Yusef's portions were entirely white, making it look incomplete.

But I shook my head.

“Of course not. Practice more just in case.”

“Eek...”

The Frontier professor isn't a fool. He wouldn't fall for such a fake. The second task also had individual evaluation components. If someone failed to fill their area, their score would likely be deducted.

So, I wasn't particularly worried. I could only encourage Lenny and Alfris to try their best, despite feeling sorry for them.

We tidied up the table and placed the used dishes on a tray. I distributed several practice sheets to the team members.

Alfris seemed to be able to do it quickly once he got the hang of it, while Lenny lacked confidence. I patted her shoulder, telling her she could do it, but she just slumped and laughed weakly.

“See you on Monday, as I said.”

“Yeah, good job, Edgio. Lenny too. Hector too.”

“Thank you...”

“...”

We parted ways after saying our goodbyes. Lenny headed to the dorm, Alfris to another tram station, and Hector, whom I thought would go to the Epic Class dorm, seemed to be going in the opposite direction.

Just before turning away, he didn't click his tongue as he usually did, but just glanced at me indifferently and disappeared into the street.

“I'm so tired...”

Maybe I overused my brain. My head ached, and my eyes felt like they were about to burst from the intense focus on using mana.

I should go back to the dorm, rest a bit, have dinner, and do some exercise. After that, I need to do some personal training at Building 3 and visit the library to research. Why is everything so busy?

“...”

There were also other things I needed to handle.

The meeting with Senior Elena tomorrow. The questions I must ask her. The things I must obtain. The unresolved issues.

There are too many things in my head that I want to resolve as soon as possible.

I can't have a peaceful school life.

When I'm deeply engrossed in something, and it suddenly breaks, the worries flood in like a tidal wave, overwhelming me. My head hurts, so I might as well go back and rest.

“Sigh.”

...I don't know.

Let's just go back to the dorm.

Maybe I'll feel better after a good rest, both mentally and physically.

#8

When I got off the tram, I felt all my energy drain. I thought I would just go in, have dinner, and go to sleep.

“Junior!”

...Oh, right.

I wondered why they didn't come.

I really have no time to rest...

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