SMMA 89

Chapter 89

“Move.”

The less skilled or inexperienced a mage was, the more flamboyantly they swung their staff and the louder they recited their incantations.
Only through louder, stronger displays could such magicians shape their unstable mental image into reality.

In that respect, Ihan hardly moved his staff at all, and his voice was no more than a whisper.
He didn’t realize it himself, but the rigorous training under Professor Volady was showing its true effect.

“…!”

Yoener was in awe as he watched the assignments glide through the air.
Like paper birds, the thick reports of Ihan and Yoener gracefully sliced the air, soaring toward the professor’s hovering pile of assignments.

Even though they were merely floating pieces of paper, Yoener couldn’t look away.
It felt like a completely different level of magic—nothing like the stiff, intermittent “Lower Control” spells he’d seen before.

Focus.

Ihan gathered his mind.
It wasn’t just about slipping the assignments into the pile—he had to avoid being noticed by the professor.

Focus.

It was as though Professor Volady’s voice echoed beside his ear.

“It’s a simple task—just insert the paper in between.”

The voice grew sharper in his mind.

“But what about the barrier?”

“You can pierce through it. You’ve already learned how, haven’t you?”

The voice was now uncomfortably vivid.
That wasn’t… just in his head.

Ihan turned in dread—and nearly froze.

Two professors stood behind him, staring directly at him.

Even Yoener was holding his breath, terrified to move.

Professor Volady spoke in his usual cold tone.
“Why did you look away? Focus.”

Ihan instinctively turned his head back forward.

Then the other professor, one he didn’t recognize, said,
“Perhaps it’s better to give up and step back…”

“Ignore that remark. You can do it. Remember what you learned.”

“……”

Ihan recalled how everything this week had gone wrong.
Honestly, his luck had been absurdly bad.
Had he been cursed or something?

Of all people to run into, why these professors…

If it had been Professor Garcia, maybe it would have been better—but Volady?

He actually considered whether he should research a potion of good fortune after this.

“No, really, the barrier is too complex.”

“You can do it. Do it.”

“Um, professors,” Yoener finally blurted out, desperate, “could you please—uh—agree on one piece of advice first?”

The two ignored him completely.
Volady insisted he could do it. The unfamiliar one said he should back down.

It was a maddening situation, but Ihan still managed to figure out a few things.

So there really is a barrier.

He had expected the floating pile of papers following the professor to have some sort of enchantment—but not an actual barrier.

The unfamiliar professor continued,
“That barrier makes a loud noise whenever something disturbs it. You might not sense it clearly, but around that paper pile, hundreds of invisible rings of mana are spinning in layered rotations.”

Ihan concentrated to sense it.
His immense magical power could obscure subtle changes, but his talent extended far beyond raw mana.
His persistence, his unshakable calculation even under pressure, his unnerving presence that terrified spirits—and his talent for magical sensitivity were all extraordinary.

I see them!

As he focused, he could feel the rotating rings of mana encircling the paper stack.

“At a student’s level,” the unknown professor continued, “approaching without disturbing those rings is nearly impossible. Don’t let Professor Bagreg’s words push you into reckless attempts. Wait for another chance. He never really considers students’ safety.”

That’s definitely true.

Ihan agreed in his heart—but spoke differently.

“That’s not true. Professor Volady always thinks of his students’ best interests.”

“See? He agrees with me.”

Volady accepted Ihan’s words at face value.
Had Ihan agreed with the other professor, Volady might have reconsidered his methods—but this affirmation convinced him that his teaching approach was indeed good for students.

“That’s right, isn’t it? What a loyal pupil.”

“That’s illogical, Wardanaz. Do it. He’s walking away.”

“I’m telling you, don’t—!”

Volady urged, the other professor tried to stop him—
but Ihan moved.

Shff!

The thick report glided through the air, slipping between the rotating mana rings perfectly.
Even the slightest misstep would have ripped the barrier, causing a loud magical alarm.

Without hesitation, Ihan cast again—the second report, Yoener’s, landed neatly atop the assignment pile.

Yoener couldn’t help but clap quietly.
Volady gave the faintest approving nod.

“…Impossible! How?”

“Because he learned it.”

“Yes, thanks entirely to your guidance, professor.”

Ihan answered coolly; the unfamiliar professor looked astonished.

“Incredible! What a prodigious student! You must be Wardanaz, yes? I’m Professor Kirmin Ku. Normally I would shake your hand, but I must advise against it—racial complications, you see.”

Professor Kirmin was the complete opposite of Volady—
cheerful, bright-voiced, elegantly dressed, the picture of sophistication.
Just seeing him converse amicably with Volady was astonishing.

“What field do you teach, sir?”

“I specialize in illusion magic—particularly, barrier techniques. You saw one just now.”

“!”

Ihan’s eyes lit up. He had guessed it from conversation, but to confirm Kirmin was a barrier expert thrilled him.

“This term I’ll even teach in Professor Garcia’s classroom once. Students need to understand how delightful and dynamic illusion magic can be.”

“Illusion magic is useless.”

“……”

Ihan was aghast at Volady’s blunt disrespect.
To dismiss another professor’s entire field—were they about to duel?

But Professor Kirmin simply ignored him.

“Deceiving a high-class mage with illusion magic is far harder than wielding most other branches.”

“Right. I’ve said that a hundred times. But the ‘high-class mages’ you talk about make up less than a handful in this entire Empire. Anyway—Wardanaz, why were you trying to put those papers there?”

Ihan thought for a second, studied their mood, judged a lie would only backfire, and made the best choice.

“Because I was late submitting my assignment.”

“……”

Yoener flushed with embarrassment. Kirmin looked completely blindsided.

Over a late assignment?!

“I’m sorry, professor,” Ihan apologized to Volady as well, but as expected, Volady didn’t care.

“Why?”

“Because I was late on the submission?”

“Was that my assignment?”

I knew it.

“I thought not, sir.”

Kirmin stared at the two of them like they were some strange phenomenon.
Honestly, it had been a long time since he’d seen anyone capable of putting up with Volady for this long.

Professors or students alike, most would walk away after five minutes of conversation muttering, May the sun rise above your head, you damned bloodsucker.

“So, what class was it for?”

“Basic Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic.”

“Professor Alpen Naiten?”

At the mention of that name, Ihan’s shoulders tensed.
Among professors, friendship outweighed everything; between colleagues, student affairs meant little.

“Well done, well done! Honestly, that man’s assignments aren’t worth anyone’s effort anyway.”

“???”

Kirmin shocked Ihan further by praising him. Even Volady added rare commentary.

“Alpen Naiten was a mage who once worked as a high imperial administrator. He’s more skilled in wielding power than wielding magic.”

“That man cut half my research funding once, did you know that?”

The two professors ground their teeth together and badmouthed the Basic Geometry professor. Ihan exhaled in quiet relief.

Not all professors got along.
In truth, pure academic researchers often despised magical bureaucrats who held imperial positions.

Reasons usually involved “the purity of magic” or “the corruption of worldly temptation”—but Ihan suspected the real reason was simpler: the latter controlled their research budgets.

Even a mage capable of splitting the heavens couldn’t do research without funding.
Thus, imperial administrators regulating research budgets were natural enemies of academic magicians.

— My intuition tells me, this dungeon must be excavated even if we exhaust the entire fief’s budget! Gather all local adventurers—!
— You said that last time about your ‘intuition.’ Proposal denied.
— I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you, you snake! Watch your steps at night!
— You’ll have to wait your turn. There are thirty-three people already in line.

…Such refined conversations happened every year.

Yet even after hearing their banter, Ihan’s thoughts didn’t change.
In fact—

Wait, he was a high imperial administrator?

His eyes gleamed.

What did that mean, if not deep connections in the imperial bureaucracy?

And one of Ihan’s greatest career goals sat right at the top of that bureaucratic ladder.

His resentment toward Professor Naiten melted away like snow.
Even the absurd workload suddenly felt like the dignified burden of an imperial statesman.

I’ll have to make sure to leave a good impression next time.

“Wardanaz,” Volady said suddenly, frowning slightly. “Rumor says you’re quite talented. Be careful not to get lured into the imperial service—they’ll tempt you if you’re too exceptional.”

“Enough jokes, Ku. Wardanaz would never tread that pitiful anti-magic path. Would you, Wardanaz?”

“Of course not,” Kirmin chuckled. “He’s a Wardanaz—no way he’d become a bureaucrat, right?”

“……”

For the first time in a while, cold sweat ran down Ihan’s back.

*        *        *

After parting ways with Professor Kirmin Ku—who told him to attend the next illusion magic lecture and even encouraged him to take the subject seriously despite Volady’s protests—Ihan and Yoener headed off to meet their Blue Dragon Tower friends.

Earlier, they’d exchanged glances outside the lecture hall; everyone had clearly made it back safely.

Good.

Now to get the ingredients and prepare the potion—

“You guys must’ve had a long night…”

“Wardanaz! Gainando’s been kidnapped!”

“!?”

The Blue Dragon Tower students ran up in panic the moment they saw Ihan.
They looked a mess, as if they’d just been fighting.

Startled, Ihan asked,
“By who? Don’t tell me—those White Tiger Tower guys?”

“No! By a runaway summon!!”

Ihan almost felt relieved—but then froze.

On second thought, this was definitely not a comforting situation.