Chapter 71

In the early morning at Lavaton University, a warm breeze that didn't quite fit the season was blowing.

The boundary spread across the entire university grounds was circulating warmth and expelling cold air.

Although Renock couldn't properly gauge how much this process would cost, it was clear that the university was paying for it without any hesitation.

Lavaton, the magic university leading among the municipal education institutions.

By pouring a massive budget, it established its position, catering to the mages who didn't want to be bound by the mage towers.

This place, which had a completely different appearance from the cold and dark landscapes Renock had experienced in Balkan, seemed so warm and cozy.

While feeling the warm breeze, he fell into thought.

“Haa, haa!”

“One, two! One, two!”

Despite it being early morning, there were many people diligently exercising in various parts of the university grounds, which were beautifully decorated.

The buildings were as beautiful and elegant as palaces. Even in winter, the plants were green and fresh. The streets of the university were neatly and cleanly maintained.

The energetic students moving around, focused on self-improvement, didn't seem too bad to Renock.

There was no need to neglect physical training just because one was learning magic, and in fact, it was full of advantages.

Renock was only making do with other abilities and equipment due to this damn penalty, but Eden, the boss of Sieger Vang, was also a capable mage who didn't have a robust physique.

Being prepared for close combat in case of emergencies was indeed the right attitude for a mage.

Thinking this, he walked past the exercising people towards Aries' laboratory, but suddenly, he heard someone running from behind.

Even considering he was jogging, it was a rather light-footed step.

A refreshing fragrance could be felt even as she ran from behind.

A woman with deep navy blue hair, who passed by Renock without any hesitation, was someone he didn't know.

Thinking about lighting a cigarette, he casually glanced at her.

Until the towel tied around her waist came loose and flew towards Renock.

“.......?”

Flutter!

He unconsciously raised his mana to catch the towel, but stopped when he felt the woman's gaze as she turned around.

Unable to help himself, he reached out with his bare hands to grab the towel floating in the air, but ended up missing it.

“........”

He clearly saw it and reached out, yet his body moved on its own in a strange sensation.

A hollow laugh escaped him at the absurdity of his athletic ability.

He could react to attacks poured out by superhumans in milliseconds, but without using mana, his body was such that he could miss a towel fluttering in front of his eyes.

It seemed he would have to use all the assistance he could, including mana, in any physical activity from now on.

‘Like a motorcycle. I shouldn’t be greedy until I can create a decent mounting assistance spell.’

It's different from a car, which has some safety features.

Although he had hinted to Sebastian that he could find him whenever he wanted a motorcycle, Renock needed to prepare if he were to ride such a thing.

‘I could probably improve the principle of the shooting assistance spell, but... I won’t know until I try it myself.’

Holding the towel and lost in thought, the woman in training clothes walked up and stared at Renock.

A cold expression with her lush navy blue hair tied in one braid.

While Aries had a touch of coldness in her sophistication, the woman standing in front of him looked like she was wrapped in ice.

Only after seeing her face did Renock remember who she was.

Priscilla Leonix.

A student in Professor Aries Richelieu's elemental department and a descendant of the Leonix family, a distinguished mage lineage.

And one of the talented and young mages who had rejected the hands of numerous mage towers to enter Lavaton University.

People are always overly curious and love to gossip about others.

Although he only overheard stories while helping Aries prepare for her lectures, Renock already knew everything about her background and the magic she handled.

Including the fact that she, a mere second-year student, was already receiving love calls from various laboratories.

“........”

Just as Renock recognized her, Sila also seemed to recognize him and subtly frowned.

Without a word, he handed her the towel, but she quickly reached out, and Renock stepped back, pulling his hand away.

Naturally, Sila's expression soured.

“What are you doing?”

Instead of answering, Renock silently pointed behind her.

It seemed that when the towel fell, the contents of her pocket also spilled out, and various items were lined up on the ground behind her.

“.........”

Sila quickly and nonchalantly picked up her belongings, but Renock didn't miss the fact that her ears had turned red.

A cracked phone screen, a lip gloss without a cap, and an earphone with only one side.

Judging from the items she picked up, she seemed quite careless despite her outward appearance.

Just as he was about to stop her from turning away, forgetting the towel she had dropped, she spoke first from behind him.

“I heard the conversation you had with the professor.”

“Pardon?”

“You can't use mana at all.”

With a slightly awkward expression, Sila looked up at Renock, who silently turned his head.

‘I had a conversation with Aries about my mana... recently.’

He had more and more conversations with her while occasionally helping with her lecture preparations, and it seemed she had overheard one of them.

While silently recalling, Sila continued.

“You should be careful.”

“..........”

“If people find out that you're not a mage, many will naturally try to tear you apart.”

Renock laughed lightly at the unexpected words.

He never thought such words would come from her cold expression.

“Are you worried about me now?”

“...I have no particular interest in Professor Richelieu's laboratory, but others might.”

“Is that so.”

Renock smiled and said.

“But those who should know already do. Especially those who don't like me being here.”

“...What?”

Hiding it for a day or two is one thing, but if he didn't use any mana while mingling with students at the university, it would inevitably draw attention.

Moreover, when Aries registered him as an assistant professor, she must have registered him as a non-mage, a non-magician. So, it was likely that the gossipy staff already knew to some extent.

If others started digging into Renock's background, it would only be a matter of time before his pretense of being a non-mage was revealed.

A flimsy cover identity that could collapse at any moment.

That was the reality of Evan Vailon, his third name.

Sila looked at Renock with a somewhat displeased expression, then turned her head and said.

“My sister couldn't adapt to this kind of life because she lacked the talent to handle mana and ran away.”

“..........”

“Of course, it's her own business... but I don't want to see such a person twice.”

“You don't need to worry too much.”

Renock maintained a chuckling smile and replied.

“Even if I can't handle mana, there are plenty of things I can do.”

“.........”

“Besides, who knows when I might awaken my mana while mingling with the students here?”

Every time he faced such unexpected kindness, he realized anew how important his meeting with Aries had been.

A favor that was not based on a thorough transaction or self-interest was something Renock found hard to understand, yet also hard to ignore.

So, to maintain this life in the open, he would have to take care of himself.

Dealing with such underhanded tactics and emotions was something Renock was very familiar with.

Sila, unable to understand such a Renock, turned her head and walked away,

and Renock silently waved the towel she had forgotten.

"Priscilla, you forgot your towel."

"........."

It seemed she was not only careless but also forgetful.

Incident

“I hear there have been many inquiries about you from the department.”

“..........”

He had heard from Sila that there was something going on, but he didn't expect Aries to already be aware of it.

In a way, it was natural.

Aries Richelieu was neither incompetent nor oblivious.

She was certainly not the type to ignore a problem right in front of her.

The rich wooden scent of the solid wood. The spacious office filled with living plants.

The bookshelves lined with various books and the piles of unknown documents on the desk.

“Sigh...”

Aries sighed deeply, looking troubled.

“This is my mistake.”

“What is?”

“When I brought you to my laboratory, I didn't consider the aftermath... I didn't expect the reaction to be this intense, which was my mistake.”

“Hmm......”

Renock didn't intend to deny it, but he never thought she would consider such things from the beginning.

Even though she knew he had no mana, she had invited him to research based on his abilities, showing that she was someone who saw people for their essence.

A person who approached events with goodwill, it was difficult for her to gauge the negative emotions of other students.

“The administration will issue a notice to the students. In particular, any harm inflicted on a non-mage will result in severe disciplinary action, including expulsion.”

“...That's quite a bold move.”

“There's no reason for your abilities and talents to be wasted. Protecting you is also my responsibility to my researchers.”

Aries' eyes glinted coldly.

“Moreover, I will set a clear example to ensure this doesn't happen again.”

“..........”

She was fundamentally a kind person, but she was not one to be meek and mild.

As a high-level mage, she would naturally be ruthless when dealing with those she considered enemies.

However, Renock shook his head upon hearing her words.

“I'm afraid if you step in, public opinion will only get worse.”

“...What?”

No matter how much Aries had recruited Renock for his theoretical research abilities, as an assistant professor, there were essential tasks he had to perform.

Helping her prepare for lectures, collecting and organizing materials for related experiments and samples, and explaining them before class.

As long as he was part of the university, interacting with students was inevitable.

The administrative notice would help, but Aries openly protecting Renock would likely cause resentment from those who had no particular feelings towards him.

It was more rational to let things be for now and gradually weed out the students who found him distasteful.

Aries immediately understood Renock's point and nodded.

“Indeed... You're considering my reputation and seeking a practical solution. I didn't misjudge you.”

She seemed somewhat moved by Renock's consideration, but it wasn't a difficult decision.

She couldn't view the students too negatively, so it was a hard idea for her to come up with.

“Yes. If you could just provide me with some defensive artifacts, it shouldn't be a problem.”

...And he might as well get some good artifacts from her.

In the end, Renock left Aries' study after receiving a very satisfactory response.

Today's lecture by Aries is scheduled in Building 3.

Although there were a few items he needed to prepare for the magic demonstration, he had already memorized the manual, so there shouldn't be any major issues.

Just as he was about to enter the lecture hall with the gem catalyst for the lecture in the cart, someone suddenly called out to him from the side.

“Professor Vailon.”

A female student he had seen in the lecture hall was smiling awkwardly.

Her name... was it Vera? He only remembered her name because there was nothing particularly notable about her.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Yes. It seems the demonstration equipment for today's lecture isn't working properly. I wanted to ask you to check it.”

“..........”

Just from her words, it was clear she was up to something.

Renock chuckled, and the polite smile on Vera's face twitched.

But perhaps aware of the other students' gazes, Vera maintained her initial attitude and slowly turned to guide him.

As he walked following the fluttering blouse, a large piece of equipment, about the size of a bed, located below the wide blackboard in the lecture hall, caught his eye.

A body emitting a bright white metallic glow, black matte joints, and a blue mana light seeping through the glass that illuminated the interior.

Having studied the manual, Renock roughly knew what this equipment was.

This device, a product of magical engineering, was designed by Aries Richelieu to visualize the process of breaking down and combining injected mana, making it visible to the naked eye.

It was impressive that Aries had the knowledge of magical engineering to design such a complex and advanced device, but even more impressive was her dedication to the students.

It was no wonder so many students admired her and wanted to join her laboratory.

Other students were already gathered around the equipment, trying their best to get it working.

It seemed they had caused a problem by operating it without permission before the lecture.

If left unchecked, someone would have to take responsibility, pay for the damage, or face disciplinary action.

Naturally, the students' attention turned to the assistant professor who had appeared.

Renock turned his eyes to the equipment and noticed Priscilla standing a bit away, arms crossed.

“Do you want me to check this equipment?”

“Yes.”

Seeing Vera's smiling face, Renock fell into thought.

‘She didn’t break it herself.’

In a world where magic is advanced, leaving traces would only be a self-destructive move.

It was a cunning attempt to naturally involve Renock and share the responsibility.

‘Trying to achieve her goals by taking advantage of the situation. Quite the mage.’

The problem was, he couldn't gauge the extent of the issue with the equipment.

‘This should be fine.’

Renock gauged the distance to Aries and immediately raised his mana.

His mana control, honed through countless battles, was already sharper than a blade and more subtle than a whisper.

Naturally, Vera and the other students didn't notice Renock raising his mana right in front of them.

Crackle...!!

He extended his mana into the equipment, circled it, and delved into the internal circuits to inspect the problem.

With his understanding of magical engineering and mana manipulation, it took him only 2 seconds to assess the equipment's condition.

He didn't know the specific parts or names, but he quickly understood which function was faulty.

Given that it was a device designed by Aries, its internal environment was extremely precise and sensitive.

She could operate it flawlessly with her excellent mana control, but it seemed the students had caused a problem out of curiosity.

“Do you know where the problem is?”

“The conversion circuit that changes the injected mana to a visible form is tangled. It seems a mistake occurred when they tried to inject more mana than the device could handle.”

“...What?”

Vera's delayed response.

And the other students' puzzled faces as they looked at him.

Only after seeing Sila's slightly bewildered expression from afar did Renock realize his mistake and inwardly scold himself.

‘I should have at least pretended to touch the equipment. Mistake.’

He had been so engrossed in inspecting the internal design that he had momentarily forgotten his surroundings.

Just like in his duels with mages, sometimes his curiosity and investigative spirit would leap before his reason.

Renock quickly composed himself and continued calmly.

“It looks fine on the outside, but if you listen to the sounds the equipment is making, you can tell there's a problem.”

Saying this, he naturally bent down and successfully touched the equipment.

Tapping the empty space inside with his mana, a massive vibration sound erupted as if waiting for it.

Rumble...!!

“Ugh!”

“Why is it so loud...”

“Is it broken?”

Ignoring the students' startled reactions, Renock extended his mana into the equipment.

“Basically, the core mechanism is a part that artificially realizes elemental magic. If that part isn't damaged, adjusting it externally can solve other issues.”

At the same time, he explained the theory in his head to divert the students' attention.

“The most basic principle of transporting mana without a mage's control is artificial propulsion. After that, the goal is to maintain the initial force with minimal loss through alternating expansion and contraction.”

He sent his mana, manipulated through control magic, into various parts of the equipment, attaching it, and slowly began adjusting it by pulling and pushing it very subtly.

He untangled the circuits by sending mana into them and widened the usable area by replacing the worn parts around the injection port.

“If there's a problem with the mana transmission circuit, it can't withstand the expansion and contraction during the transportation process and may be damaged.”

Although he couldn't replace the worn-out parts, improving the injection port components wouldn't affect the product's performance.

As soon as Renock withdrew his hand from the equipment, the noisy device stabilized and began producing a pleasant rotation sound.

Whirr...!

“So, students should avoid touching the equipment needed for lectures.”

Saying this, Renock brushed off his knees and stood up.

“.........”

The students stared at Renock in shock, unable to say a word.

It wasn't just fixing a simple device; it was handling a magical engineering device designed by Aries herself.

A complex setup that even talented university students couldn't touch.

Identifying and fixing the problem just by looking at it required deep knowledge of magic theory and magical engineering, which everyone in the room knew.

He could feel their perception of him changing in an instant, but Renock didn't stop there.

He erased his professional expression and smiled.

“I won't tell the professor who did this. Be more careful in the future.”

“T-Thank you!”

With the slightly naive youth's gratitude, laughter erupted from various places.

“Stupid, I told you not to mess with it!”

“Anyway, you do all sorts of weird things to impress the professor.”

“Just focus on the lecture, idiot!!”

Would the students' perception of him change just from this incident?

Renock didn't think so.

Vera's expression, hidden behind the students, was more surprised and displeased than satisfied.

But it was enough to leave a positive impression on most students who had no particular feelings towards him.

Renock, thinking this, took a step back and slowly surveyed the lecture hall.

He needed to observe how the other students reacted to this minor incident.

Sila, who seemed to think it was irrelevant, turned her head.

A young man who had dozed off nonchalantly.

A muscular, bald student who sneered at him from a distance.

The students were a mix, but Renock's goal was simple.

He was