Chapter 53

### Chapter 53: Award Ceremony (2)

After class ended, I went to find Professor Im Sol.

Lumi subtly let me know she was going to the club room, but I can't keep doing that every day.

- Are you going to meet the female professor again?

"Yeah. I have some research to do."

- Hmm.

If it were any other time, I would have teased you about going to get some 'Pella' again, but why aren't you saying anything?

"Hello."

"Hello. You're here to see Professor Im Sol, right?"

"Yes."

"You can take the elevator up~!"

My name is now registered in the lobby of the Magic Tower.

Now, I can enter Professor Im Sol's lab without her permission.

I thought there might be some issues, but she said she never leaves the lab unattended and no one could recognize anything even if they stole it, so she just gave me permission.

She must be very confident.

I took the elevator and entered Im Sol's lab.

Seeing no one in the lab, she must be in her office, looking at some documents again.

Knock knock knock

"Come in."

I opened the door slightly and saw Im Sol sitting in her chair, looking at a printout.

"Hello."

"Huh? It's you. I thought it was an assistant."

"I told you I would come after class today."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't have anything to do anyway. Sit down."

Even now, she didn't take her eyes off the documents, but what does she mean by having nothing to do?

Is she living in a different world?

While having random thoughts, I sat on the sofa in the office.

Clap clap.

Im Sol clapped her hands twice, and a tea set flew over to pour coffee.

Sip.

As expected, it was instant coffee.

"You said you had an idea? Tell me about it."

"Has there been any progress with the quick magic manifestation method I showed you last time?"

"No, it seems to be related to your skills. I can't do it at all."

Im Sol grumbled, put down the printout, and took a sip of coffee. Then, with a happy expression, she brought a chocolate cookie to her mouth.

"This time, it should be possible for you too."

"Mmm. What is it?"

It might be easier to show you through action.

Using double casting, I created fireballs in both hands.

On one hand, I drew a magic circle and infused it with the will of 'destruction,' while on the other, I just drew a magic circle.

Both fireballs used the same amount of mana and the same spell, but one burned a bit more intensely.

"What is this...?"

Im Sol, who was about to bring the cup to her mouth to drink coffee, froze with her mouth open.

As her grip on the cup loosened, I quickly caught it and placed it on the table.

"Wait, did you find a way to control your condition?"

Im Sol, who was momentarily dazed, finally regained her composure and spoke.

"What do you mean by controlling the condition?"

"Controlling the condition... Ah, right. You haven't been using magic for long, have you? Magic can be strong even with the same amount of mana and the same spell. The exact reason isn't clear yet, but the most likely explanation is that it depends on your condition on that day."

Ah, that's the most reasonable explanation. If the same magic sometimes works differently.

But that hypothesis exists because other mages can't properly sense their mana.

Just like a building has parts that support the whole structure, a magic circle has key parts and auxiliary parts for magic manifestation.

You need to infuse the core spell with your will.

"Core spell...?"

I explained the concept I discovered to Im Sol.

At first, she seemed confused, but as I demonstrated the magic again and explained, her eyes widened, and she started drawing a magic circle without a word.

- Wow, are you really a genius? How do you know all this?

"Doesn't this concept exist in Hell?"

Im Sol was so focused on the magic that she didn't respond when I called her, so I quietly whispered to Lilianna.

- In Hell, we use demonic energy, so our magic structure is different from yours.

"Hmm, maybe I should learn it sometime."

The last time the enchantment spell didn't help much, but you never know.

"...Done!!!"

Zap!

Bright blue electricity started flowing through Im Sol's body.

"Wow... Isn't that supposed to be a very weak spell?"

As far as I know, that spell is supposed to create a weak current around the body. Why did it turn into a Pikachu Volt Tackle?

"This, this... It can't be... Really...!"

Im Sol, incredibly excited, grabbed my shoulders and shook me. It hurts, Professor, I feel like I'm getting electrocuted.

"This is a discovery that could shake the entire magic world. Ugh...!"

"Calm down, Professor."

"How can I calm down after seeing this! I'm so glad! I'm so glad I met you before anyone else!"

Im Sol tightly hugged my upper body and rubbed her chest against me.

It seemed more like she was shaking with excitement rather than rubbing her chest, but I felt that way, so what can I do?

After making a fuss by hitting the sofa and table, Im Sol soon calmed down and leaned back on the sofa.

"Phew... I really like it."

"Did I do well?"

"It's not just that you did well! This is a world-class discovery! You're leaving your mark on the global magic community!"

Im Sol looked genuinely happy. What is it about magic that makes her so excited?

"Phew, you really are a genius. No, the word 'genius' isn't enough. I just... don't know."

"How was this idea?"

"Huh? Of course it was amazing... b... u... t... ."

Im Sol's words stretched like a rubber band.

We have a vague but definite contract. I help with her research, and in return, she does certain things for me.

"What, what is it? I've been looking for a suitable elixir for you, but I can't find any."

"Out of the blue?"

Look at how she's trying to change the subject.

"Um, but it's true! I still remember the wrong I did to you... and, I'm not good with words... What am I saying, alone. Ugh... ."

Her attempt to act cute to distract me was well-intentioned.

"Anyway... I'll settle everything at once, so please wait... ."

Im Sol's face was bright red as she said this.

She's adapted to Pella, but is she embarrassed by the progress here?

It's cute, but it's different from when she does Pella, which I'm used to.

It seems like her libido is rising again, though...

"I wasn't planning to do anything now anyway."

"R-Really?"

No matter how much I enjoy sex, I don't have the time right now.

The award ceremony is tomorrow, and the dungeon training is the day after.

From the state of Lumi yesterday, it seems I'll have to use my lower body more as I seduce the heroines.

I can't allocate too much time to Im Sol, who isn't even a heroine.

Of course, I can't avoid sex altogether. I'll do it when I have more free time.

"Instead, you have to do it properly when the research is done. Got it?"

"Ahem! I understand. I never lie about magic. Don't worry."

Im Sol, fanning her red face with her hand, seemed to be trying to hide her embarrassment.

"But even if the principal amount is settled later, I need the interest now."

"Uh? Oh... yeah."

Im Sol slowly put down her robe and, as if familiar with it, put her hand on my pants.

*

- Are you the first to use your magic talent to seduce women? Maybe you should check if you have an incubus ancestor.

"Shut up."

After receiving Pella from Im Sol, I left the Magic Tower and headed to the dormitory.

- I'm serious.

"Alright. I'll check later. Definitely."

The way to the dormitory is so familiar now that I could walk it with my eyes closed.

Compared to when I first arrived and was floundering, this is a huge improvement.

- By the way, what is this award ceremony?

"Ah... It's just a reward for doing a good job."

- What did you do to get a reward?

"I caught a mine. Without me, it would have been a disaster."

Actually, if I had reported it before Felix attacked Lucy, I would have only received a small reward.

It feels like I exaggerated the incident to get a bigger reward.

Of course, I don't feel guilty. What can I do? It's possible.

If they're upset, they should have found it themselves. What a bunch of incompetent academy guys.

Thinking of this, I looked up the award ceremony on EveryDay.

I was told to go to the dean's office by 9 AM tomorrow, but if it was just for me and Lucy, they wouldn't use the term 'award ceremony.'

I went to EveryDay and looked at some recommended posts. Fortunately, there was one about the award ceremony.

---------------------

Why is it mandatory for the entire grade? The content is a secret until the day? Anyone know?

Recommendations: 130 Dislikes: 5

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"Why is the award ceremony so big?"

The grand hall? The one used for the opening ceremony?

Ding-

Only then did a message fly to my smartwatch.

I thought it was just a small reward and a certificate within the A-class, but suddenly it's called an award ceremony.

Why did it get so big?

*

The next morning.

I put on the cleanest clothes I could find and left the dormitory.

I tried to style my hair for the award ceremony, but after a lifetime of being a loner, I couldn't do it. I just combed it to the side.

"Hey! I'm coming too!"

"Come quickly. I've been waiting."

Of course, Lucy was coming with me.

She also received a message to come to the dean's office by 9 AM. If they were going to call us both, they should have done it from the start. This is just making things unnecessarily complicated.

"Hey, you're dressed up for the award ceremony? How do I look? Good?"

She looks the same as usual. Oh, she's not wearing her cardigan. That makes her look much prettier. Uniforms are the truth.

"You look much prettier than usual? Your uniform is neat."

"Right? I upped my game a bit for the award ceremony. Men who take care of themselves can tell, right~?"

"Uh-huh. Of course. Let's go!"

"Okay!"

What does 'upping the game' mean? Is it similar to increasing weight?

"By the way, why did they call us? Were we selected as outstanding cadets?"

"You'll see when we get there."

She doesn't even know why she's going to the award ceremony. I'll keep the surprise a secret and look forward to her reaction.

While chatting with Lucy, we arrived at the academy administration building.

The dean's office was at the top of the building.

We showed our student IDs at the lobby and passed through. When we reached the dean's office, many students were already waiting.

There were some unfamiliar faces, but there were two familiar ones.

"Junior! What are you doing here!"

★ Heroine Status Window

- [Affection: 51]

- [Libido: 20]

- [Appetite: 30]

- [Fatigue: 59]

Current Status: I changed my glasses, will you notice?

"Hello, President."

Moon Soo-rin. Of course, as the best talent in the third year, it's natural for her to be selected as an outstanding cadet.

Seeing her beautiful chest and hip line after a long time made me happy.

"Hey... You changed your glasses?"

I mentioned what the status window said.

The old, clumsy horn-rimmed glasses were gone, replaced by round glasses.

"You noticed? I wanted to change my style a bit, so I tried it out."

She smiled and adjusted her glasses, which somehow looked sexy.

"But why are you here, Junior? I thought the first-year outstanding cadet was Ellis?"

"Because I caught a mine, they said I would receive a reward."

"Oh...! That's great! This is a good opportunity to introduce yourself to people. The guild VIPs will all be there for the ceremony honoring the fallen hunters and the rewarded hunters."

Wow, I can be there just for catching a mine? No, I must have a higher reward than the outstanding cadets. Maybe I'm actually a great guy.

"Haha... It's a bit overwhelming. Good luck, President. If you need any help, you know where to find me."

"Sure. Don't worry. I'll contact you first."

Moon Soo-rin said this and moved away.

It didn't seem comfortable to talk in a crowded place.

Still, her affection level increased by 3 from when she visited me in the hospital. She's a true auto-hunting heroine.

Still, for a more definite approach, I hope the stalker guy tries a bit harder.

And I hope he takes it slow so I can find a way in.

There was one more person to greet.

I approached Ellis, who was looking at her smartwatch with her blonde hair swaying.

"Hello?"

"Yeah. It's been a while. Lee Ho-yeon."

Ellis turned her eyes from the smartwatch she was looking at intently.

Definitely, it's been a while.

Of course, I see her face every day in class, but it feels like a long time since we've interacted. We met during the publicity department activity... and, oh, she glared at me when I took first place in the theory exam last time. Is she okay now?

As I quietly looked at Ellis, she also looked at me and tilted her head, fortunately not paying much attention to me.

"Yeah. You're the first-year outstanding cadet, right? Congratulations."

"You, too. Isn't catching a mine more impressive than being an outstanding cadet?"

Does Ellis not care about the rumors spreading in the academy? Moon Soo-rin believes me because she likes me, but Ellis, who is suspicious, should have some doubts.

★ Heroine Status Window

- [Affection: 26]

- [Libido: 20]

- [Appetite: 30]

- [Fatigue: 30]

Current Status: I need to study hard to get back to first place, but when will this end?

Ellis... You're still thinking about the first place, huh.

Well, if you don't suspect me, it's good for me. Let's move on.

"It was just luck. Thanks."

"Yeah. Do your best at the award ceremony."

She always adds 'yeah' to her responses. She's a one-word responder.

Ellis ended the conversation and started looking at her smartwatch again.

Is she listening to a lecture?

If she doesn't want to talk, there's nothing I can do.

I returned to Lucy's side.

"...You know a lot of people?"

Lucy's expression showed some dissatisfaction, her nose wrinkled.

When it shows on her face, I can't help but notice. She's a bit upset now.

"Uh? Yeah. It's been a while since I've seen them. I see you every day, but I don't see them often, so I try to greet them well. Isn't that right?"

"...Yeah. That's right."

"By the way, are you not making those cookies anymore? They were really delicious."

"Really? If you say so, I can make them again! I always make them. To be feminine, you know!"

Lucy was concerned about being feminine.

Her huge bust is already feminine enough, but I can't say that.

Fortunately, she seems to have cheered up. But I'll have to eat the poison tomorrow.

Creak-

At that moment, the door to the dean's office opened.