Chapter 211 : Chapter 211
Chapter 211. The Approaching Second Semester Midterms
The quiet Lord’s Castle of Raviedel.
When Chariot, the Lord’s Deputy, was sitting at the table reviewing documents, an attendant approached and held out an envelope.
“It is a telegram sent by the Prince.”
“Is that so? I should open it immediately.”
Chariot gladly accepted the telegram the attendant held out.
He had been having a headache due to the Meteor Shower Knights who had suddenly appeared.
He was grateful that they blocked the attack of the flock of Harpies, but despite giving them sufficient payment, they had no intention of leaving Raviedel.
Even the commander of the Meteor Shower Knights was muttering like this.
‘Do you think I came here just to receive this pittance?’
Are they gangsters?
Seeing Chariot’s expression harden, the vice commander struck the commander’s back.
SMACK!
‘What do you mean by that?! Are you crazy?’
Fortunately, there is at least one sane person.
‘We need to receive the payment to pay off our debts!’
……He was not.
They settled down in Raviedel, saying that since they had arrived, the Lord of Raviedel would take care of it.
‘What should I do about this.’
Chariot had also heard about the Meteor Shower Knights.
The rumors said their skills were excellent, but their personalities were a mess.
Chariot opened the telegram feeling like he was hugging a bomb.
Hoping that the Prince’s solution was contained therein.
The telegram read as follows.
Welcome the Meteor Shower Knights.
Treat them exactly like the Lizardmen.
Chariot’s eyes widened after reading the telegram.
“Exactly like the Lizardmen……?”
And soon, he smiled.
As expected of the Prince.
“It is time to expand the potato fields.”
* * *
Combat Magic class.
The first-years were gathered on the middle floor.
They were students majoring in Combat Magic.
They shuddered at the fact that midterms had already approached.
In particular, Inette was appalled, as if she could not believe it.
“What have we done to have midterms already? At this rate, when on earth do we play!”
At Inette’s words, Gusto made a face that said he did not understand.
“Didn’t we go out to Marcellent last week saying it was the shop street festival week?”
“We did go out. But there wasn’t anything for me to enjoy, you know?”
She did plenty of shopping for the shop street festival, but that was not what Inette had wanted.
She was looking forward to the event that would be held at Radel’s shop the most.
Because Radel was good at staging fascinating things.
However, what greeted Inette was a party that was terrible beyond measure.
A party in a house where ghosts appear?
Who would like such a nonsensical party!
However, unlike Inette, the enthusiasm of the people was hot.
There were even people who deliberately bought items at the Dice Shop to get a chance to attend the party.
“Inette, it would have been nice if you came to the House of the Undead party too.”
Inette got goosebumps at Radel’s words.
Tell her to walk into the place where those ‘real things’ appear with her own two feet?
“Wh, why would I go there? And it is selected by lottery anyway. Even if I applied, I wouldn’t have been picked, right?”
“If you want, I will open it again.”
Radel shrugged his shoulders.
Since the House of the Undead was his property, he could hold a party whenever his friends wanted.
“That worked out well. I am also interested.”
For some reason, Gusto was also active.
Radel nodded to Gusto, who had to return after only helping with work because he was returning to the temple.
“Right. There are friends who worked hard helping out, and Gusto, you wanted to attend too. I should open it for my friends this time.”
It was the moment Inette’s face turned pale white upon realizing Radel was serious.
“Everyone! Before we knew it, midterms have approached, haven’t they?”
Professor Lilian appeared in front of the first-years, beaming.
“Gasp, it’s Professor Lilian……!”
“She isn’t holding her staff right now, is she?”
The first-years inhaled sharply as soon as they saw Professor Lilian.
There were even students who hurriedly checked for her staff.
This was because, while majoring in Combat Magic, they had learned what happens when Professor Lilian appears in the tower.
Combat Magic majors spent time conquering the tower during their major class hours.
They felt proud looking at the records displayed on the bulletin board as they navigated through various monsters and diverse terrains that appeared as they went up floor by floor.
While conquering the tower like that, there were times when they would encounter Professor Lilian.
While the students hesitated, Professor Lilian would attack the students as if she had been waiting.
It was too much for the inexperienced first-years to block Professor Lilian’s attacks.
There were many times when it was harder than catching a Dungeon Boss.
The first-years were still too weak to welcome her teachings.
“I will let you know the scope of the practical exam for this midterm. Of course, the theory is separate.”
The expressions of the first-years, who had expected a little something, darkened.
Climbing the tower is hard enough, but to have to prepare for theory as well…….
“You just have to clear up to the 10th floor for the midterms! It’s really easy, right?”
Professor Lilian smiled and clapped her hands.
However, the atmosphere of the students, excluding her, was gradually darkening.
“There is even happier news. A special gift awaits the person who clears the 10th floor first.”
A special gift?
At the word gift, the first-years felt a sense of anticipation, albeit a little.
“Here, I will hand out one of these papers to each of you. Your seniors all have this.”
Professor Lilian handed out bundles of paper to the students.
A slime shape was drawn on the small paper.
‘This is……?’
While everyone was puzzled, Radel’s expression became subtle.
He was the only first-year who knew what this was.
PRESS.
Professor Lilian stamped the paper she was holding.
Then, a smiling expression appeared on the face of the blank slime.
“Here, you saw it, right? It is precisely the praise stamp. If you collect 30 stamps, a special gift! A tremendous opportunity to have a one-on-one duel with me arises? Isn’t it too wonderful?”
That is the special gift……?
The students were lost for words in great shock.
“It seems everyone is so happy that words aren’t coming out? That is understandable. I am thinking of stamping as many as five stamps for the first place winner!”
Professor Lilian said so and smiled meaningfully towards Radel.
Radel avoided Professor Lilian’s gaze and thought.
‘I can take my time clearing the 10th floor.’
He was in a situation where he had even received praise stamps for clearing the 20th floor with Senior Tarun.
What would happen if five more were added to this?
‘Why am I getting goosebumps……?’
Radel rubbed his arm where goosebumps had risen.
* * *
Mana Training class.
The big friends did not act noisily anymore.
Their hairstyles, which were rough at the beginning of the semester, were now very neat.
They were casting their fishing rods while erasing their presence with a mature appearance.
SPLASH.
Tunia was also fishing on the opposite side with her presence erased.
In the bucket placed next to her, a yellow-tailed eel was swimming.
It was a fish that lived at the bottom of the lake, and because it was a fellow that reacted sensitively to mana, it was common to lose it if concentration wavered even a little.
This practical midterm exam was precisely to catch five or more yellow-tailed eels.
‘How did she catch that?’
Radel smacked his lips while looking at the yellow-tailed eel Tunia had caught.
Not a single eel was in his bucket yet.
Now, feeling the flow of mana was not difficult, and he had also become accustomed to drawing out magic power thinly to catch fish.
However, this yellow-tailed eel did not get caught easily no matter how thinly he made the magic power and scattered it.
It had to at least come close for him to try something, but it was not easy because it was so wary.
In Radel’s eyes, as he was thinking deeply, the sight of Tunia fishing was seen.
‘Huh?’
Tunia originally had almost no presence, but no presence was felt from the fishing rod either.
Radel realized only then that he had to hide even the presence of the magic power flowing out through the fishing rod.
‘Just erasing presence isn’t enough!’
Radel, having obtained realization, cast the fishing rod again.
SPLASH.
Then, suddenly, curiosity about Professor Bronson arose.
No lecture he had heard at the Academy delved into mana control as persistently as this.
Most just focused on strong concentration and accurate imagery.
Because if one could do just those two things properly, magic power would move on its own.
Radel asked Professor Bronson.
“Professor, is there a reason you came to control mana to this extent?”
Including the defensive magic he used, Professor Bronson’s mana control was incredibly precise.
Radel wanted to know the reason Professor Bronson became a master of mana control.
When Radel asked, Professor Bronson opened his mouth with a nonchalant expression.
“To not make a mistake again.”
“Pardon?”
He asked back what that meant, but Professor Bronson just kept his mouth shut tight.
* * *
‘To not make a mistake again?’
If so, that meant Professor Bronson had made some mistake in the past.
Considering he had broken a contract with a spirit before, it did seem like he had some kind of past.
Radel observed Professor Bronson while taking the defensive magic class following the Mana Training.
Professor Bronson was demonstrating defensive magic in front of the students.
“Block.”
When he recited shortly, a round sphere wrapped around Professor Bronson.
The students struggled to copy his defensive magic.
“Block!”
“Repel!”
“Defend!”
However, even though they shouted spells related to defense as much as possible and swung their staffs, the magic was not completed.
To them, defensive magic was still no different from an unknown world.
At that moment, someone asked Professor Bronson.
“Professor, surely succeeding perfectly in defensive magic isn’t the midterm scope, right?”
“I don’t even hope for that much.”
At his question, Professor Bronson answered as if it were bothersome.
“Judging by what you guys are doing, there will be no end to this. I will use magic appropriately, so try to block anything, whether it is defensive magic or elemental magic. If you just withstand it, I will give you the midterm score. While we are on the topic, let’s try it now.”
As soon as his words ended, the air changed in an instant.
The mana spread in the air had reacted.
The students were flustered.
“No, now?”
“We are doing it right away like this?”
“That makes no sen……. Urgh!”
And suddenly, their breath was blocked.
The students looked at Professor Bronson feeling a huge pressure.
The flow of magic power that started from Professor Bronson was crushing the air.
‘What kind of magic is this?’
Radel also clenched his teeth tight in the situation where his breath was choked off.
There was a person who came to mind in that instant.
‘Professor Lilian.’
This sense of overwhelming pressure was similar to the chill he had felt from Professor Lilian at the beginning of the semester.
‘I just thought that I wanted to break every single one of you.’
Professor Lilian’s spirit directed at the students back then.
Changing the will of the world with just a thought.
That too was magic.
Magic is will.
Radel recalled the fact he had realized while watching Professor Bronson’s defensive magic before.
At that moment, a notification sound was heard in Radel’s ear.
DING.
[You have realized the essence of magic.]
[Hidden skill promotion conditions have been met.]
[All remaining promotion conditions are met.]
[Skill: Hayden’s Normal Mana Training Method (B)]
[Would you like to promote the skill? (Y/N)]