Chapter 184 : Chapter 184
Chapter 184. Meeting a Direct Senior (4)
Before he knew it, it was Transmutation Magic major time. Radel found familiar faces in the white expanse of the Transmutation Magic Workshop.
Happy to see them, he approached and offered a greeting.
“Edward, it's even nicer to see you here.”
“It is all thanks to Your Highness.”
Edward, who had become a Transmutation Magic major, bowed his head as if he were shy. Radel chatted briefly with Edward and then approached the next friend.
“Armandy, so you were a Transmutation Magic major too.”
You too? Armandy was dumbfounded by the words of Radel, who was greeting him.
‘He doesn't know how I feel.’
He sincerely wanted to avoid being in the same major as Radel. Seeing his face every day during the break had exhausted him, and he wanted to stay away at least during major classes at the academy.
However, no matter how hard Armandy tried to avoid Radel, there was no way.
‘I never thought he would take every major.’
Armandy had to accept the harsh fate that had befallen him. The result was Radel standing in front of him.
Radel, who had greeted him happily, looked around and then lowered his voice to whisper.
“Come to think of it, I have something to ask you.”
“……What is it?”
“You've monitored Leon in the Imperial Palace before, right?”
Armandy’s body stiffened at the mention of Leon’s name. Armandy checked that there was no one around and opened his mouth.
“What do you mean by that?”
Radel was the one who had come to find him not long ago and taken information about the 4th Princess. He had wondered if he would really clash with her barehanded, but Radel was even crazier than Armandy had thought.
Confronting the 4th Princess without preparation. Armandy had clutched the back of his neck at the news that Radel had been carried to the Treatment Room after a duel with the 4th Princess.
No matter how much he tried to stop him, he wouldn't listen, and one could never know what he was thinking. It was natural for Armandy to stiffen at Radel’s question.
“What are you planning to do this time?”
“That's hurtful, Armandy. I have never planned anything.”
Radel shrugged as if he had heard something strange.
“I am the one who is really tired. It would be nice if we could all get along peacefully.”
Radel made a lonely expression as if he genuinely felt regret.
Peacefully. It wasn't something a person who recruited an assassin, annihilated the Black Fang, and beat up the Lizardman tribe should say.
But because Armandy knew those words were sincere, he became even more afraid.
“Actually, it's nothing special, but I've felt it from before, Leon seems to have a problem with his personality. I don't think it was this bad when we were young. Since when did he become like that?”
“A problem…… you say?”
This time, it was Radel’s turn to be flustered. What followed from Armandy was also perplexing.
“That can't be true. Prince Leon does not act emotionally and leads his followers rationally. Furthermore, despite possessing cool-headed judgment, noble dignity, and immense magic power, he does not use his power for private reasons.”
“Really? He seemed quite emotional to me.”
“Please place your hand on your chest and think about that……. Anyway, he possesses all the virtues a magician should have. He also doesn't show the irrational tendencies often seen in powerful magicians. To say such a person is a problem.”
Through Armandy’s words, Radel could understand why Leon enjoyed high popularity among the Magic Supremacists.
Magic Supremacists, for whom magic was the center of the world. They distinguished those who could not use magic from themselves and often spoke extremely or ostracized them.
In other words, Leon was like the ideal of a magician. In the world of Magic Supremacists, Leon’s personality was considered very moderate.
“Moreover, as a royal, he is impeccable. He is a very fair person who does not condemn subordinates without reason and maintains an appropriate distance from everyone.”
It meant Leon did not show favoritism toward anyone. Certainly, that was one of the virtues as a superior.
Radel, unable to hide his surprise at the newly learned fact, nodded.
“It is a bit surprising. I knew you were an ardent supporter of Leon, but I didn't know it was to this extent……. You really like Leon.”
“……I only told you the facts I know because Your Highness asked!”
Anyway, it became clearer with Armandy’s words. In the world Leon lived in, he had no problems at all. Rather, to Leon, Radel would appear to be more of a problem.
Low magic power, an attitude unbefitting a royal. One who draws a sword when disadvantaged without any pride as a magician.
Radel looked at Leon surrounded by Magic Supremacists. Within that group, Leon was already no different from an emperor.
* * *
“Hello, Senior.”
Radel greeted his Transmutation Magic direct senior. The senior with ashen hair and a gloomy impression looked at Radel as if glaring at him.
Then, as if he hated even opening his mouth, he slowly revealed his name.
“My name is Zirco Lev……. I am your direct senior.”
“I look forward to working with you. I am Radel Silvert Cretian.”
Zirco, who was looking at Radel with disapproving eyes, turned around abruptly and said.
“Follow me.”
“Understood.”
Zirco inwardly disliked Radel answering politely. No, Radel’s existence itself was very annoying.
Was it since he heard the rumor that Professor Thomas was watching a certain 1st-year with interest? From then on, jealousy began to grow in Zirco’s heart.
The Professor Thomas he knew was someone who did not pay much attention to students. When he heard that such a Professor Thomas had even offered a major to a 1st-year, his insides boiled.
Zirco possessed considerable skill in Transmutation Magic. Although he was lacking at first, as a result of working day and night, he had unknowingly become the student who could wield Transmutation Magic the best among the 2nd-years.
He had grown to the point where he could proudly say he was a disciple of Professor Thomas.
However, fear was always hidden in his heart. Fear of a true genius.
Transmutation Magic was a field that required innate talent, to the point where there was a saying that it was magic majored by geniuses. Zirco knew that too well.
Because while doing Transmutation Magic, he had hit the limit of his talent hundreds, thousands of times. Yet, a 1st-year that Professor Thomas coveted.
Perhaps he was the true genius he feared most. But Zirco was not one to admit it meekly.
‘That can't be. That guy's magic power is terrible. If anything, the 9th Prince is closer to a genius.’
The magic power felt from Radel was also nothing special.
Zirco cast a mana detection spell on Radel secretly just in case. However, the spell did not take hold.
‘……He deflected my magic?’
Zirco’s pupils began to tremble with anxiety.
* * *
Ding.
[An unknown magic detects the user’s magic power.]
[Status Effect Nullification is activated.]
[Someone’s magic has failed.]
Radel turned off the notification window and observed the direct senior walking in front of him.
‘I should assume that senior cast the magic.’
It was indeed the academy. He had forgotten because he had met only overly comfortable seniors so far, but the senior-junior relationship was not always easy. Naturally, there were seniors who were prickly toward juniors.
Radel realized the senior’s intention to train him strictly and smiled brightly.
“……You can go in here.”
Standing in front of the door, Zirco turned his head and flinched for a moment upon seeing Radel’s smile, but then led Radel inside again as if nothing happened. However, inwardly, he was calming his wildly beating heart.
‘What is that smile? Does it mean he knows all my intentions?’
Indeed, seeing as he deflected his magic, he didn't seem like an ordinary guy. He had to assume he had prepared something.
But Zirco also had something prepared for his junior. He vowed strongly inwardly.
‘Professor Thomas. Please watch. Even if a genius exists by any chance, I will show that the one who works hard is superior!’
RUMBLE!
When Radel opened the door, a massive maze Zirco had prepared revealed itself. It was something he had made by staying up all night alone for several days.
“Wow, this is amazing? Did you make a structure of this size by yourself?”
Startled, Radel asked Zirco. Zirco answered with a gloomy expression.
“Yes. It is for you.”
Radel wouldn't know, but this maze was designed so that the exit could never be found. In other words, it was a masterpiece he had created with great care to torment Radel.
‘Get trapped in here and suffer while feeling the difference in talent!’
Zirco smiled inwardly. Now, he just had to coax this junior well to make him enter that maze. Of course, he had also prepared something separately in case he refused to enter.
“If you escape the maze, this artifact……?”
However, the junior who should have been standing in front of Zirco was already gone. Only a voice shouting energetically from inside the maze could be heard.
“I couldn't wait and came in early, Senior. You'll give me an artifact? To think you prepared even such a thing because of me……. I will escape quickly!”
What? Is that guy mocking me?
Anger surged for a moment, but Zirco calmly controlled himself. Since he had entered that maze anyway, there was no way to get out.
He could just slowly let him out later while appreciating the junior writhing in defeat. Very slowly.
Imagining that guy collapsing after feeling the limits of his talent quickly made him feel better. If he returned after strolling around the academy for about half a day, the timing would be perfect.
Come to think of it, didn't they say that guy had visited the Transmutation Magic Workshop a while ago? He seemed to recall he had made something in the workshop back then.
Thinking how great could something made by a 1st-year be, he hadn't even checked.
Thanks to that, Zirco’s response had to be late. That included the response for when the junior escaped the inescapable maze.
BANG, BANG, BANG!
Behind him, as he turned to leave the room, a strange sound was heard. The sound of something collapsing continuously.
Zirco turned around, and his face turned pale. The walls of the maze he had made with great care were collapsing helplessly.
BANG, BANG!
From between the walls that had fallen consecutively like dominoes, Radel walked out, dusting himself off nonchalantly.
“Senior, may I receive the artifact now?”
Zirco stared at Radel with a bewildered expression. It was the expression of looking at a robber, not a junior.
* * *
Leon’s direct senior happened not to be a Magic Supremacist. Pondering how to treat Leon, who was a prince and a junior, he thought of something perfect for spending the awkward time.
“Oh right, there's something amazing a junior made and left a while ago, want to go see it?”
He said it was made by a 1st-year who had come to tour the Transmutation Magic Workshop a few days ago.
‘It's that guy.’
If it was a 1st-year who had toured the Transmutation Magic Workshop recently, it could only be Radel. Leon nodded without much emotion.
“Sure.”
Amazing, my foot. Still, it wouldn't be bad to see that guy's skill while I'm at it. That was exactly the extent of his feelings.
However, Leon, who entered the room guided by his direct senior, ended up losing his words. There, a world he had never seen before was unfolded.
It was the very world Radel had created.