CH 13

Chapter 13:Do it like earlier.

“Student Flan… Your result will be on hold for now.”

I wondered what grade the professors would assign to me. It was a situation that I couldn't immediately figure out, so I casually returned to my seat.

"...On hold? Why on hold?"

"The professors have differing opinions."

"Is that possible? They've been unanimous until now."

"Why are they hesitating? Just looking at the distance, it seems like a lower rank."

As I returned through the gaps in the students, I could feel their gazes and hear their murmurs without fail.

“He must have used a scroll.”

"A scroll? He should be immediately punished for cheating?"

"I don't know. It's not our business, so let it go."

Those gazes had one thing in common—they were definitely not positive.

However, I never felt discouraged. I was used to them. And in a way, receiving the gaze of those who misunderstood me could also be somewhat enjoyable.

"Hey, Flan. What's going on? What happened?"

Becky whispered as soon as I sat down. It looked like she was waiting for me to sit down with her neck stretched out.

"I don't know."

"You didn't use a scroll, did you?"

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, that's what I thought."

She continued with a rather serious expression.

“For some reason, if it were you… I thought you could get a good rank without it.”

I suddenly became curious about Becky's insight. It had been a long time since I had a conversation in this regard.

"Well, what do you think then?"

"Huh? About what?"

"The auxiliary magic I just demonstrated."

"Oh... It flew so beautifully."

Well, that was true. 

I let out a deep sigh. In a way, even this level of observation and appreciation was excellent. Most of the students who were observing seemed unaware of the fact that I was performing purification. Even if they didn't know the exact principles, simply observing was a good start.

"It was really beautiful, but I wish it had flown farther. It should have gone farther than Hailey..."

Muttering to herself, Becky suddenly turned her head towards me.

"Hey, how do you make it fly like that? Can you teach me too?"

Becky’s passion for learning was high.

Studying magic on your own wasn't the best way for any magician. The process of seeking advice and receiving instruction was also close to the right way.

However, the problem was deciding where to start and where to end the explanation of this concept of purification. It was ambiguous to delve into an explanation while in the middle of a test.

“I’ll teach you later when I get a chance.”

“Later? When?”

After that, I didn't bother with Becky anymore because I found it annoying. Fortunately, Violet resumed the test around that time.

“Next, Trixie von Fritz.”

Next up was Trixie. She was a female student who was recognized as the one who wrote the Agora board problem by the students, but to me, she was just a drunkard.

I was somewhat curious why Becky was so worried about her, so today finally, I could confirm her level with my own eyes.

The card that Violet’s frog spat out for Trixie was ‘Manipulation’.

“When you are ready… "

Before Violet could even finish her words, Trixie used her magic.

With her arms crossed, Trixie snapped her fingers, and the earth responded to her mana.

The perfect synchronization of the spell engraved in her mind, the precise blend of mana, and the unity of the earth created flawless manipulation.

With a clattering sound, the soil coalesced and created a beautiful statue.

The statue, which resembled herself, seemed to claim that it recognized its own existence as a work of art.

"Wow... This is unbelievable. Hey, Flan, imagine getting caught by someone like her. Horrible, right? It could have been a disaster."

Becky whispered to me as if relieved.

‘It's not just about handling mana well.’

Indeed, Trixie was naturally talented.

Her mana exuded a sharp aura, and above all, her calculation speed in blending mana into circuits was noteworthy.

‘However, she needs to guide her spell direction well.’

The flow of mana always followed its master. It was probably possible for her to achieve such sharpness because of her immense ego.

However, the moment she couldn't control herself, she was poison to herself. She had to be careful.

“Rank A.”

Violet belatedly assigned the rank. Trixie, as if already expecting it, had returned to her place.

“Rank A.”

“Rank C.”

“Rank C.”

The test continued.

“Next, Louis.”

When that name was called, the eyes of many of the female students began to twinkle.

'Louis,' I only remembered him as the boy who was with Hailey.

I heard a rustling sound beside me and turned my head. Becky was engrossed in various studies, wrapping mana around her hand.

“… What are you doing?”

“What? What am I doing? Huh? Where are you looking suddenly.”

Following my gaze, Becky glanced at Louis and shook her head.

“Ah, Louis~ Everyone says the boys are handsome, but I'm not so sure. Well, maybe he's popular because he's good at using magic."

Louis’ ensuing magic was quite outstanding.

“Rank A.”

He was extremely faithful to the basics, to the point that if textbooks were a person, they would be Louis.

In other words, it felt a bit flat to me. It lacked its own unique color. Nevertheless, there was no doubt that he was a natural gem as well.

“Louis, Hailey, Trixie… “

As Becky folded her fingers one by one, she began to go through the all A-rank students. Soon after, her face turned pale.

"Just imagining it takes my breath away. Can I go there and perform well..."

Turning around in my direction, Becky continued.

"Hey, Flan, you'll get an A rank too, right?"

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t know a single person…! You must get an A rank too!”

At that moment, Violet snapped her fingers, and the original classroom landscape unfolded before the eyes of all the freshmen.

There were three professors standing at the podium. Violet spoke up.

"That concludes today's test. We will write down the results on paper and provide separate instructions."

At those words, the students who received low grades let out a deep sigh.

“And student Flan.”

“Yes.”

I responded calmly, while the expressions of the professors remained subtle.

"Only student Flan will stay here, everyone else can leave."

Students gossiped and left the classroom. Everyone glanced at me at least once.

Becky looked at me with a worried expression until the end, but eventually, she couldn’t overcome the professor’s gaze and left the classroom.

Finally, when only four of us were left in the classroom, Violet opened her mouth again.

"Flan, you have to take a retest."

I nodded silently. If it had been already decided that way, I could only accept it, even if my mana reserves were running low.

"In which field are you most confident?"

"I handle them all at the same level."

"All, at the same level?"

A mischievous laugh leaked out from Violet’s lips. She continued speaking with a disdainful expression.

"What did I tell you during the test?"

“Start right away when you are ready.”

"No, I specifically told you to be quiet, didn't I? I clearly told you to not do anything strange."

I had nothing to say. I thought I had been quiet enough. I simply showcased the best I could with this body of mine.

Violet created a mana crystal and sent it in front of me.

"Do it like earlier."

"Like earlier..."

I tried to collect the mana inside me. Unfortunately, there was no remaining mana in my body to purify it. In other words, it was impossible to do it like earlier in the first place.

I circled my finger with mana and lightly flicked it to push away the crystal ball into the distance. No, I cleared it away. The presence of the impure mana crystal near me was as insignificant as dust or dirt.

The crystal, which stubbornly refused purification, extended across the classroom until it reached a distance similar to where Violet had placed the sign earlier, and then it finally stopped.

Violet tilted her head and looked at me with a puzzled expression. She let out a sigh and opened her mouth.

"Why didn't you do it like earlier?"

'Because I don't have mana.' 

I couldn't just reveal the truth about my possession to her, so instead, I asked her a question in return.

"It will be an A rank, right?"

“What…?”

Upon hearing my words, Violet’s forehead twitched.

◈◈◈

"Professor Violet, are you still upset about student Flan getting an A rank? Are you still bothered by it?"

Someone carefully placed a teacup in front of Violet's tense expression. It was none other than Professor Audrey. The sophisticated aroma of the tea tickled the tip of her nose.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. It's already been decided. Drink this and relax."

Violet, Quelin, Audrey, and the three professors visited the faculty-only café inside the Merchen Academy for a change of mood after the freshmen's rank test.

The problem was that Violet's mood was still not quite right, despite many attempts to change it. Violet opened her mouth with a sullen expression.

"I'm telling you, it's not about the rank that student received. He keeps trying to pick a fight with me."

"Oh, come on, he is just a student. How can he even think about picking a fight with a professor? It seems like Professor Violet is a bit sensitive..."

"What do you mean sensitive? It's you, Professor Audrey, who's too lenient! Just stay quiet for a while!"

"Ah, yes..."

Audrey shrunk her shoulders and sipped her tea. Violet's sharp gaze then turned toward Professor Quelin.

“Professor Quelin! Say something too. In the first place, you brought up the scroll topic and retested him!”

The male professor called Quelin avoided Violet’s gaze while sweating profusely.

"Well, that... Is it reasonable for a freshman to perform that level of purification? Naturally, I thought he had cheated by using a magic scroll."

Violet's razor-sharp gaze remained fixed on Professor Quelin. 

Quelin cleared his throat and then glanced at Audrey.

"And it's not just me who thought that way, right? Professor Audrey also agreed with the scroll incident, didn't you?"

Upon hearing that, Audrey hastily placed the teacup she was about to bring to her lips back on the table.

"Oh, no, of course! How could I not? Who would have thought a student admitted with an F grade would be capable of performing both purification and output assistance?"

"Yes, exactly. Purification is a concept that is typically taught to upperclassmen. How can you not be suspicious when a freshman uses it?"

Violet tapped her temple, showing her frustration.

"Enough from both of you. The scroll is not the issue here. Besides, if the scroll was used, there's no way I wouldn't have noticed, considering I was observing closely."

"Um, then Violet, what exactly is the reason for your anger?"

When Violet glared at Professor Audrey as if she didn’t know that, Professor Audrey secretly avoided her gaze.

"During the first test, I specifically instructed them that I will judge them with the output only. But he went ahead and performed purification without my instruction. And now when I told him to do it again, he conveniently left out the purification part? What's the meaning of this? Isn't he trying to provoke me?"

Audrey looked at Violet with a puzzled expression.

"But... you were the one who gave Flan the A rank, Violet."

"Then if their skills are deserving of an A rank, why not give them an A? How do you see me?"

“Ah, yes….”

The other two professors shook their heads anxiously, fidgeting with their teacups, while Violet herself picked up her teacup as if her throat was parched.

‘What is this person up to?’

Violet sank into deep contemplation, consumed by her doubts.

Flan's abilities undeniably warranted an A rank, but that alone wasn't the reason why she awarded him an A.

Putting together the stories from the three professors, Flan's progress was extraordinarily bizarre.

Entering Merchen Academy with an F rank but within a few days, he possessed the skills to disturb her projection magic.

That alone was enough to astonish others, but he didn't stop at that level. He also demonstrated an advanced concept like purification, which led the two professors to suspect the use of a magic scroll.

Violet felt her previously tucked-away suspicions resurface within her.

‘As expected, he was the one who interfered with my projection magic… ‘

As that thought reached her, Violet couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh, overwhelmed by incredulity.

If Flan's misdeeds were indeed true, it would mean that he could even handle interference magic proficiently.

‘…… I will always be watching over you.’

After all, Violet was the professor in charge of the A-rank freshmen.

She might not know what Flan had hidden or what his goals were, but she would meticulously observe his every move.

With a disinterested expression, Violet lifted her teacup.