Chapter 62
"Hmm, in this ritual... even a slight increase in the mana core's rotation rate... causes the magic's destructive power to multiply exponentially..."
Academy classroom.
The old professor on the podium slowly filled the huge blackboard as he delivered his lecture at length.
My full-fledged academy life had begun.
I stuck close to Rinoa and attended classes with her.
Since Rinoa was in the magic department, most of the classes were magic-related, aside from a few liberal-arts courses.
That was the problem.
Frowning, I did my best to understand the formulas written on the blackboard.
But the spell formulas, the arrangement of elements, the professor's explanations—I couldn't make heads or tails of any of it.
Even an old chronic condition I'd forgotten about had flared up again.
Haaahm....
The old professor's voice sounded like a sweet lullaby. Just listening to it made me want to yawn.
I wasn't even a proper student, so I didn't need to worry about grades, and I was itching to just flop over and sleep.
Don't doze off. People will laugh at you.
Every time I yawned, Rinoa immediately threw a jab at me from right beside me.
But I don't understand a single thing you're saying.
That's because you don't study.
That's pure hypocrisy. Why can't commoners learn magic? Because they're too busy trying to make a living. If I'd learned magic instead of picking up a sword, I would have overthrown the head of the house long ago.
Slave knight wasn't enough, now it's slave head of the house. That's funny too. Why don't you just become a slave emperor? Then I'd be the emperor's master.
For some reason, Rinoa's lips lifted slightly.
But I was dead serious.
At this point, I'd rather invade the duke's mansion and wipe out everyone suspected of being a dark mage.
Lady. Should I just wipe out all the family's rivals? Then I wouldn't have to suffer like this at the academy. And could you cut me some slack too?
If you're going to talk nonsense, just sleep.
Since I'd gotten permission, I was about to sleep at ease.
Sir Leon, do you know how to use magic?
Elodie, who was sitting next to me and taking the class with me, leaned in and asked.
I just know how to handle a sword a little.
A little? Have some shame. Sir Kalven must be crying in hell.
He isn't dead, though. Don't kill off a perfectly alive person.
Elodie asked with a puzzled look.
Why can't you? You look like you'd be good at it.
Do I?
Of course. Even someone like me can do it, so someone as amazing as Sir Leon should naturally be able to. If you learn even a little, you'll probably end up better than me.
That was clearly sincere encouragement, but knowing her background, I couldn't take it at face value.
Elodie was the real deal—a genuine genius with the greatest magical talent in the world.
Later, she becomes a great mage and leaves most nobles unable to even compare.
Such a talent monster was telling me, 'You can do better than me.'
It was hypocrisy she herself didn't even realize.
Magic isn't something you can do just because you set your mind to it.
Since I couldn't exactly say that out loud, I answered vaguely and brushed it off.
Are you pretending, or do you really think that?
Think what?
You can use magic, can't you?
Huh? Me?
Since when?
Seeing my reaction as if I'd never heard of it, Rinoa looked at me with an exasperated expression.
That golden circle you showed during the assessment. That's a kind of magic too, isn't it?
The golden circle Rinoa was talking about referred to the [Oath of Protection] skill.
That's more like a kind of fighting spirit? Or maybe grit.
You twist the entire structure of magic with grit?
Knights are supposed to live on guts, after all.
I don't understand what you're saying, and I don't want to, but you'll do better than you think. At the very least, you're better than me at mana control.
At Rinoa's sudden praise, I tilted my head.
Me? Better than you?
Don't you remember the time you handled mana while wearing those bracelets at the imperial banquet? You can't do that without a fair bit of talent.
At that, I thought seriously for a moment.
If I could use magic, I'd definitely gain advantages in many areas.
Above all, magic is fantasy's grand romance, isn't it?
If I can learn it, I genuinely want to.
But my power ultimately comes from proficiency and the skill system. Proficiency that doesn't fit my role doesn't appear.
As a knight, would I gain magic proficiency? A magic knight exists in this world, so maybe I would.
It would be worth trying once.
But, Lady.
What now?
Why aren't you telling me to learn magic? When I first learned swordsmanship, it was all 'become the strongest' and whatnot.
…….
Don't tell me you're acting like this because you're afraid you'll get jealous if I end up better at magic than you? Come on, there's no way a master would feel inferior to a mere slave...
-Grab!
Agh!
There in the back... please, could you keep it down...
***
From the academy onward, the real story begins.
Various events occur, and it's possible to develop the character.
Depending on the goal you set, the stats you need to raise change, and so do the events that occur.
Among them, there are also hidden events.
Some help with growth, while others don't.
Some of them end once you're satisfied with just watching the event and clearing the challenge.
What I want right now is the former.
What you need for Elodie's Great Mage route. It's not mandatory, but if you want to aim for the highest possible ceiling, it's an event you can't do without.
Which means...
That I can use it too.
Using information only I know is the privilege of someone who's been transmigrated here, and at last I can put it to use.
For that reason, I visited the academy library. Rinoa and Elodie came with me.
Aiter was busy, so he didn't come.
Wow... There are so many books.
Elodie let out an exclamation and stared fixedly at the library.
I, too, swallowed my admiration and tilted my head back to look at the ceiling.
The ceiling was impossibly high.
Massive wooden bookshelves stretched all the way to the edge of sight.
Floating magical lights illuminated the hundreds of thousands of books.
It's the Great Library, built by decree of the former emperor. He gathered scattered knowledge into one place for the students.
Rinoa continued her kind explanation from beside me.
Just looking at the number and scale of the collection, it's hard to find a place with this many books in the world. At most, maybe the imperial palace library in the imperial capital.
Wow! Then can we read all these books?
You can read anything you can see.
Woo!
Please, just don't act country bumpkin-ish next to me. It's embarrassing.
Rinoa chided Elodie, whose eyes were sparkling.
Soon, those narrow green eyes turned toward me.
Why is it that, of all times, you were the one who suggested coming to the library first?
We have to study so we don't stain the family's honor. And I thought you'd like it too.
Hmph.
Though she didn't show it, she seemed to like the library's scale quite a bit.
I figured Rinoa, who spends all day reading even in the annex, would naturally like it.
If I stretch it a bit, isn't this paradise?
Then shall we each go find a book we want to read and meet back here?
Yes!
Sure.
Elodie answered brightly and dashed off. Before long, I saw her get caught by the librarian and lectured.
Rinoa also headed off to look for books at a quicker-than-usual pace.
Then I should get moving too.
I headed to the innermost reading room in the farthest corner of the library, where even the magical lights barely reached.
Most students would be looking for grimoires or specialized textbooks that would help their grades right away.
That was why this section, packed with old, dusty history books and ancient tomes, was usually deserted.
The continental history corner. More specifically, the very edge of it...
I reached my destination, following my faint memory.
I crouched on the floor and rummaged beneath the dust-covered bookshelf.
This should be around here somewhere...
Old books that all looked the same from the outside. There were plenty so badly damaged you couldn't even make out the titles.
Back when this was still a game, all I had to do was rub against the bookshelf here and click, and it would come out automatically.
Now I had to search through them one by one myself.
After a long while searching while covered in dust, I managed to find a familiar book spine.
This looks like it...?
What I carefully pulled out was a thick hardcover bound in jet-black leather.
In the center of the worn cover was a drawing of an eyelid the size of a fist.
Even using force wouldn't open it, so this was definitely it.
The hidden event and item that would greatly help Elodie's growth later on: [Sealed Sage's Grimoire].
It doesn't open by force. You infuse mana into it to awaken the sage sealed inside the grimoire.
Shall I open it right away?
I glanced around. After confirming no one was there, I placed my palm on the cover.
I slowly let mana flow into the grimoire.
-Brrr.
At that moment, a slight vibration ran through the book. The tightly shut eyelid on the cover opened wide as if it had been torn apart.
The purple iris hidden beneath the eyelid rolled this way and that before fixing its gaze squarely on my face.
[...You are the brat who woke my long sleep?]
A voice that felt ancient yet powerful flowed into my head like telepathy.
Well, for now, yes.
[A rude brat. But judging from the mana I sense, you must be a highly skilled mage.]
No, I'm a knight.
[...What?]
A knight. A sword-wielding knight.
The eye on the cover blinked a couple of times.
[...A knight who uses magic, then.]
Sorry, but I still can't use magic. I'm planning to start learning now.
[Gaaah——!]
Agh!
The old man's shout slammed directly into my head.
[How dare you awaken me, you ignorant sword-swinger who doesn't even know the 'ma' in magic! This is an insult to magic!]
That much I know.
Mㅏgic.
ㅁagic.
Magic isn't all that special.
[I, the great sage Iscalon, will give you nothing at all, you worthless brute! Close the book right now and put it back where it belongs! ]
What?
The sage I knew had a different image.
When Elodie broke the seal, he was clearly a wonderfully kind old man.
But the one in front of me now was just an old man. A cranky, cantankerous old man.
Wait, could it be...
Understood. I'll bring you the best mage suited exactly to your tastes. But I'll be listening in from the side too.
[Hmph! A mage recommended by some sword-swinging fool is obviously not worth much!]
I tucked the grimoire under my arm and returned to my seat. Rinoa and Elodie were there.
[Wow! Stunningly beautiful girl mages! And there are two of them!]
Should I burn it to ashes right now?