Chapter 9
"...Why do you ask?"
Could this be what it feels like for one's heart to plummet and all the blood in one's body to turn cold?
I couldn't hide my trembling voice as I asked Rina in return. At the same time, I made sure to subtly cover my right hand.
Rina looked puzzled for a moment when I panicked, but soon gave her answer.
"Most of the scribes working in the Imperial Palace have a callus in that spot. I was wondering if Isaac's was for the same reason."
As she said, typewriters had yet to be invented here, so documents had to be written entirely by hand. Thus, people who wrote documents—especially the scribes working in the Imperial Palace—couldn't help but develop calluses on their hands.
I rapidly racked my brain in this hair-trigger crisis. The one fortunate thing was that Rina had no idea I was writing books. If I gave her an answer that made sense, I could skillfully get past this situation.
After agonizing over it, I finally managed to voice a suitable answer.
"...It came from studying. I have a habit of taking notes in my notebook while I study. It helps me remember things more easily."
"Hmm... Really? Well, it isn't strange to develop such a habit if you want to fully absorb knowledge. I used to do the same when I was receiving my education in the Imperial Palace."
Fortunately, it seemed to have worked to some extent. Maybe because of my reaction, she was still eyeing me suspiciously, but it was far better than being found out.
Just as I was inwardly heaving a sigh of relief, it wasn't Rina but Marie who suddenly barged into the conversation.
"But now that I look at it, your hands are really pretty. Can I take a look?"
"Huh? My hand?"
"Yeah. Let's compare them."
Marie showed me her fully outstretched hand and suggested it. I was initially dumbfounded, but since it was hardly a problem, I readily agreed.
"Wow. Your hand really is pretty. I think it's even prettier than mine."
Marie compared her hand with mine and exclaimed in genuine admiration. And no wonder—aside from the pen callus, my hand itself was quite beautiful.
Not only were my fingers long and slender, but my skin was white and smooth as well, making the four-character idiom "delicate jade hands" a perfect fit.
I scratched my head with an awkward smile at Marie's admiration. It was something even my mother had praised me for, but hearing it from someone else somehow made me embarrassed.
"Do you do anything special to take care of them?"
"No. They've always been like this."
"I'm so jealous. My skin cracks at the slightest thing, and it drives me crazy."
Marie grumbled, but her hands were quite pretty too. As the daughter of a ducal family, she must have devoted attention to various things besides her appearance.
Perhaps because the mood had changed, I could feel my heart, which had been pounding with tension, gradually calming down. Watching Marie grumble as she looked at her own hand, I chuckled.
"Oh, right. Cecily, will you show us your hand too?"
"Huh? Me?"
"Yeah. I'm curious what a demonkin's hands look like."
Cecily blinked her red eyes at Marie's sudden question. She didn't seem to mind the fact that Marie had spoken informally.
Eventually, Cecily hesitated for a moment before cautiously showing us her hand. But it had far too many calluses for a princess of a nation. Her palms in particular were rough and cracked like a turtle's shell.
When everyone was left speechless by the utterly unexpected condition of her hand, I felt that I'd seen Cecily's palm somewhere before, so I examined it closely. Looking carefully, it was exactly like my father's and my older brother's and sister's hands.
These were the traces of countless hours of training.
"Do you use a sword?"
"Ah."
At my question, Rina belatedly let out a gasp of realization. Cecily covered her hand bashfully as she answered.
"Yes. I've been learning swordsmanship since I was young."
"Aren't demonkin specialized in magic?"
That's what I had heard when I was gathering information about demonkin.
Along with elves, demonkin were innately superior to other races when it came to magic. If humans had to perform all sorts of complicated calculations to cast magic, demonkin wielded it as naturally as breathing.
On top of that, the "black mana" that only demonkin could use had several times the output of ordinary mana. So if an ordinary mage threw one fireball, a demonkin would drop a meteor instead.
"That's true, but I'm the princess of Helium, so I've been taught various martial arts. As you know, 'restraint' is an essential virtue for us demonkin."
"A sound mind in a sound body. Is that what you mean?"
Even in my previous life, athletes, firefighters, and special-forces soldiers had bodies and mental strength that were fundamentally on an absurd level.
They couldn't do what they liked and had to do only what was required of them, and since they were sometimes pushed into extreme situations, their mental strength had no choice but to be tempered.
When I spoke to Cecily while thinking that, her eyes went round. No, why were you looking at me like that? What had I even said?
Cecily then nodded as though she had gained some profound insight and murmured softly.
"A sound mind in a sound body... That's a really good saying. I should always keep it in mind."
"...If it was helpful, then I'm honored."
I discreetly checked Rina's reaction and saw that her eyes had taken on an odd look. I pretended not to notice.
A little while later, just before Rina's lips were about to part—
Clap!
A sudden clap of applause rang out inside the classroom. If it had been ordinary applause, it would have been drowned out by the surrounding noise, but it rang out as though echoing, drawing everyone's attention.
Naturally, I and the other three turned our heads toward the front. An elderly man who had apparently entered the classroom without our noticing was standing boldly in front of the blackboard.
If Vyrus, the humanities professor, had projected a generally strict image, the professor who had just entered looked benevolent.
Moreover, with his abundant beard and long white hair, he looked like Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.
"Hmm. Now you're ready to listen. Break time is over, so I want everyone to pay attention."
The new professor gave a weighty nod and instructed them once the students focused on him. I stared at the Gandalf-like professor, then checked my timetable first.
The timetable listed him as "Leif Megner," a professor of magic studies and one of the critics who had denounced The Chronicle of Xenon.
"My name is Leif Megner, and I will be the professor passing on knowledge of magic studies to you. It is a pleasure to meet you."
The moment Professor Megner announced his name in a monotone, applause erupted in unison. While clapping, I took out the notebook and Magic Pen I had brought beforehand and placed them on the desk.
I hadn't felt any particular need to take notes during Professor Vyrus's humanities lecture, so I hadn't taken them out then, but this time seemed different. Not only was his style completely different, but this was magic studies, of all things.
Magic—the power that naturally comes to mind when one thinks of fantasy.
As I mentioned before, magic was practically a privilege available only to the upper classes. To make matters worse, even when books on magic were published, they were filled with words no one could understand. They were recorded so that only mages could make sense of them, making them terribly inaccessible.
"You must be really interested in magic. You weren't taking notes like this earlier."
"Yeah. I'm really interested. I've never seen it before."
I answered bluntly when Marie asked from beside me in a voice that sounded surprised. Magic! What a magnificent ring that word had!
Although, unlike martial arts, I wouldn't be able to manifest magic directly, simply hearing the theory was enough. To someone like me, who had been from Earth, this was more valuable knowledge than anything else.
Before long, the applause that had filled the classroom died down, and Professor Megner opened his mouth in a hoarse voice.
"Before we begin the actual lesson, I heard something that grated on my ears. The Chronicle of Xenon, was it?"
"...Hmm?"
Why was The Chronicle of Xenon being mentioned right at the beginning? It was just as I was thinking that—
Professor Megner's expression made no attempt to hide his displeasure, and he made a remark that made my lower eyelid twitch.
"If possible, be careful not to mention that lowbrow novel during my lectures. I don't want to acknowledge something like that as a novel."
"... ..."
Was this a new kind of hate comment? No, hate comments were what I'd seen in newspapers; that was simply an insult. An insult hurled right in the presence of its target.
The man himself didn't know that the subject of his insult was in the same room, but it still left a very bad taste in my mouth. More than that, it made me feel absolutely filthy.
Still, what could I do? I had to think of him as nothing more than an old fogey. I let out a long snort of frustration and looked from side to side.
As expected, not a single one of their expressions was pleasant. Cecily's was the worst by far; she was contorting her face and radiating such a fierce aura that she looked ready to pick a fight at any moment.
I assumed she was somehow summoning all her patience to keep it under control, but as an ordinary human, I found it a little frightening.
"...Cecily?"
"...Yes?"
"It's starting to get a little cold..."
"Ah...! S-sorry..."
Fortunately, when Rina quietly pointed it out, Cecily hurriedly reined in her energy and apologized at once. I gently rubbed my arm, which had broken out in goosebumps, and looked straight ahead.
Should I call this a sudden mood killer? After Professor Megner openly trashed The Chronicle of Xenon, the classroom fell so silent you could hear a mouse die. Regardless, Professor Megner clicked his tongue sympathetically.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... That piece of kindling has lowered people's standards. How regrettable. Truly regrettable."
Then he should have avoided using difficult words in the first place. He had stuffed his writing with words difficult even for nobles to understand, yet he blamed everyone else. I could practically see absurdity wave at me from a great distance before running away from home.
Professor Megner began his lecture without caring in the slightest that the atmosphere had turned cold in an instant. It was markedly different from Professor Vyrus's class, but for now, listening to the lesson seemed best.
"First, you should know that learning magic studies does not mean you can use magic. So what is the difference between the two? It's simple. Magic studies means learning knowledge related to magic, while magic means learning magic itself, just as the word says."
Compared with my previous life, magic studies was like learning the history of machines, while magic was like building those machines. Even if magic was a power permitted only to the upper classes, it had already become part of daily life, so its history must be incredibly vast.
'It would have been better if he hadn't said all that pointless stuff at the beginning.'
I'm very interested in magic studies. But the professor is a complete asshole.
My dislike of Professor Megner had long since broken through the bottom and reached the mantle. Anyone would get pissed if a work they had painstakingly created were insulted right in front of them.
Scratch- Scratch-
I calmed my boiling anger and took notes in my notebook with the Magic Pen. Perhaps because no one but me had a notebook and pen, the scratching sound seemed unusually loud.
"Then, before I take questions... You there, red-haired student."
"...Yes?"
Why me again? Was it because of this damn red hair?
While I was thrown into utter confusion, Professor Megner explained why he had called on me.
"You've been writing something down for a while now, but don't take notes if it's related to magic."
"...Why not?"
"Magic has been a power that only the chosen could use since ancient times. It must never be allowed to spread indiscriminately. Even if it is only fragmentary knowledge."
"No, what the..."
Such an old-fogey way of thinking, right? Then what about this Magic Pen and the temperature-control device installed in the dormitory? The refrigerator?
I was so dumbfounded that the words above wouldn't come out of my throat. What was more, that statement directly contradicted Professor Vyrus's convictions.
No wonder books related to magic were so rare. It seemed mages were nothing but old fogeys like him. You could tell from the fact that they considered such ideas perfectly normal.
"Then are you denying that knowledge should be made widely available, Professor?"
In the end, one student who couldn't stand it any longer fired off a question. I wanted to say the same thing, so I waited for Professor Megner's answer.
But after hearing the question, Professor Megner stroked his magnificent beard and gave an unexpected answer.
"That is not what I mean. I'm speaking only of magic; other knowledge is irrelevant. Magic is an extremely dangerous power, after all. You can see that by looking at the races that use such power as naturally as breathing—the demonkin and elves. And what if, like the demonkin, they occasionally lose control of it? They would be nothing less than walking calamities."
"... ..."
"That kindling depicts them as beings with a tragic destiny, but demonkin are ultimately demonkin. No matter how much they pretend to be human, their essential nature will never change."
That's blatant racial discrimination. Naturally, the moment Professor Megner made that remark, countless gazes converged on Cecily.
I worried that Cecily might lose her temper, but she merely gave a bitter smile. Her expression seemed to say she had more or less expected this much.
Well, no matter how much The Chronicle of Xenon had changed people's perception of demonkin, many still regarded them as a source of anxiety. And Professor Megner was both an old fogey and someone who rejected The Chronicle of Xenon, which made it even worse.
"It's all right, Cecily. You don't have to pay attention to what that professor says. All right?"
"...Yeah."
Even when Rina comforted her in a whisper, Cecily's expression showed no sign of relaxing. Instead, she lowered her head dejectedly.
After seeing that, I thought as hard as I could. Even if it meant getting thrown out of the classroom, I was going to screw Professor Megner over. I was going to give him a humiliation he could never forget.
As luck would have it, Professor Megner called on me again.
"Then let's put the useless talk aside for now, red-haired student."
"...Yes, Professor."
"What do you think magic is?"
What else could it be? A damn fascinating power.
If I said that outright, I wouldn't even get the chance to screw him over; I'd just be thrown out immediately, so I gave a vague answer.
"...I think it's a power that can lessen people's burdens."
"Could you explain in a little more detail?"
"Hmm..."
I slowly rose from my seat. Just as with Professor Vyrus, I could feel everyone's attention focusing on me when I stood up once again.
Then I threw Professor Megner's earlier words right back at him.
"Magic is certainly a dangerous power, but when used properly, it can save people's lives or help them achieve what they desire."
"What?"
"...Mr. Isaac?"
Professor Megner frowned at my presentation, while Cecily stared at me with her eyes wide. But this wasn't the end.
"Magic can only be used by the chosen, but if you look closely, it has already become part of our daily lives. The fact that we can regulate the temperature in this classroom is magic, and the identification card we received upon enrolling at Halo Academy is enchanted as well. In this way, magic is a power much like a double-edged sword. Sometimes it threatens people's lives, but at other times it can save them and make life more convenient."
"... ..."
"Even if the one using that power is a demonkin, it doesn't matter. We humans already use magic as a weapon of mass destruction, so discriminating against demonkin simply because they are demonkin is absurd. Therefore, I believe the calamity you mentioned should be considered not demonkin, but mages themselves."
The more I continued, the stiffer Professor Megner's expression became. Honestly, I would have been annoyed too. It was like some inexperienced novice had denied everything he believed was right to his face.
Professor Megner let out a deep sigh as if calming his anger, then spoke in a low, flat tone.
"...Dressing up bullshit beautifully must be a talent too. But I asked for the definition of magic, not some ridiculous defense."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"I asked you to state the definition of magic. The definition of magic."
I answered the question in a sarcastic tone.
"If I explain it with difficult words, they won't understand any better, will they? As you know, Professor, the students here have such low standards."
Hahahaha!
A faint ripple of laughter spread through the classroom at my words. Marie burst out laughing with a "Pfft!" and Rina also let out a mature laugh, apparently finding it satisfying.
Cecily alone looked at me with an inscrutable expression, but when our eyes met, I gave her a small smile.
When I smiled at her, even she, who had been gloomy until a moment ago, let out a faint laugh.
"Phew... You there, student."
At that moment, Professor Megner called out to me. The instant he did, the classroom, which had blossomed with laughter, fell silent.
"Yes, Professor."
"I have no need for an insincere student like you."
Then Professor Megner pronounced his sentence with a face twisted by anger.
"Get out."
"...Pardon?"
"I'll kindly lower my standards and put it in terms you'll understand. Leave."
Professor Megner pointed firmly toward the classroom exit. The classroom's mood plummeted even further than before.
I stared him down for a while, then looked around at both sides. Marie was watching nervously, Rina looked shocked, and Cecily was gazing at me with concern.
I gave a small laugh and spoke as if to reassure them.
"I'm coming back next period anyway."
"What are you muttering about? Get out, now!"
In the end, Professor Megner couldn't hold back his anger and shouted. His voice was so powerful that it echoed through the room.
The moment he shouted, I hurried toward the door. As I walked there, Professor Megner muttered at me through clenched teeth.
"You insolent brat. Kids these days..."
Yes, yes. I heard the old fogey loud and clear.
But did you know? The real kick in the teeth isn't over yet.
I pretended to head toward the door, then turned back as though I had just remembered something. The moment Professor Megner saw me coming back, he asked irritably,
"Why are you coming back in?"
"I left something behind."
"What is it?"
As soon as Professor Megner asked, I faced him squarely. I could vividly feel the students sitting at their desks watching us.
Now it was time to deliver the final blow, you old-fogey troll.
Without stumbling even once, I rattled off a vast number of words.
"It is made up of a large quantity of blank sheets, on which one can write, summarize or organize the knowledge one has learned, and which is sometimes needed to analyze information or draw pictures; its production requires the help of a printing press, and although it used to boast a high price, it is now something that can easily be purchased on the market."
"... ..."
"... ..."
Whew. I'm out of breath. I guess movies really are just movies. Still, I was satisfied that I'd made it all the way through without stumbling.
I checked Professor Megner's reaction while pretending to be as calm as possible. His mouth was slightly open, and he wore an expression that suggested he had no idea what he had just heard.
"...What on earth is that?"
What else could it be?
"A notebook."
The notebook I had deliberately left behind.
Hahaha!
In contrast to my long-winded explanation, the object's identity was so simple that laughter blossomed in the classroom once again. Professor Megner, however, had a faintly reddened face from humiliation.
At last, Professor Megner glared at the students, then berated me in a voice closer to bewilderment than anger.
"Why did you explain it like that when you could have just said 'notebook'? Are you testing me?"
No. I'm trying to screw you over.
I couldn't say those exact words, but I could give an answer with a similar meaning.
"I thought a professor with such high standards would be able to understand."
Hahahaha!
Unlike the now uproarious classroom, Professor Megner's expression was a sight to behold. I left the dumbfounded professor behind, returned to my seat, and retrieved my notebook and pen.
"Wasn't that too reckless? What will you do if you get suspended, or even expelled?"
As I was retrieving my notebook and pen, Rina expressed concern for my safety. Even so, she was smiling, as though she had found it satisfying too.
I shrugged at her question and answered in a calm voice.
"Then that professor's reputation will suffer even more, won't it? Well, it's already in the gutter."
This level of political maneuvering was easy. If I really received excessive punishment, I could no longer guarantee Professor Megner's continued good standing.
Professor Megner had disparaged The Chronicle of Xenon, which had caused a storm, as a lowbrow novel in front of a large number of students, and had even discriminated against demonkin. Even this alone gave him at least some chance of being socially ostracized.
'I suppose my parents will give me an earful...'
It was at that moment.
"...It really is interesting."
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. It's nothing."
Even when I asked her again, Rina merely gave me a faint smile.
*****
The next day came. When I sat down in the classroom, a beautiful white-haired girl, Marie, took the seat beside me and told me some astonishing news.
"Hey. Did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"You know Professor Megner? He got stripped of his professorship."
"What? Seriously?"
"Yeah. Apparently, calling The Chronicle of Xenon kindling was already enough to get him fired."
"... ..."
I once again felt the power of my work.
'At this rate, if I give it a bad ending, am I going to be burned at the stake?'