Chapter 86: Librarian Ernst (7) - The Great Archmage's New Disciple

#86: Librarian Ernst (Ernst) (7) - The Great Archmage's New Disciple

A disciple of the Great Archmage.

Just how high was that level, exactly?

They say a disciple eventually surpasses their master, so even if they couldn't match her right away, shouldn't they at least be in the tier below?

To put it bluntly, that was not the case.

At the very least, the disciples of Delpinaris Waynehart were indeed somewhat lacking compared to their master.

Delpinaris herself was at the 6th tier.

But more than half of her disciples were only at the 3rd tier, and even those regarded as outstanding reached only the 4th tier.

They hadn't even set foot in the 5th tier, let alone matched their master at the 6th tier.

Some people blamed Delpinaris's excessive number of disciples for that.

Since she was trying to teach more than several dozen disciples all by herself, the time and attention she could devote to each one was limited, and as a result the disciples failed to reach a higher realm.

In other countries, there were even malicious rumors that Delpinaris was simply incompetent as a teacher, or that she deliberately hindered her disciples' growth because if one of them surpassed her, her own position might be at risk.

“That's ridiculous.”

And Librarian Ernst firmly rejected such public evaluations.

“Lady Delpinaris values the basics very highly. Her disciples may seem to grow slowly at first, but that's because they spend a long time building a solid foundation.”

Just as warriors treat the 4th tier, where sword aura can manifest, as the boundary between superhuman and ordinary people, mages also tend to regard the 4th tier, where mana itself acquires its own inherent nature, as something special.

That view isn't entirely baseless.

Even if you swing the same iron sword, the one reinforced with sword aura can shatter the other with just a few strikes, and spells cast by a mage who has awakened an inherent property boast superior power and efficiency compared to those who haven't.

That's why some teachers focus only on raising their disciples' tiers.

If they are knights, they make them devote themselves to qi training through mana cultivation rather than systematic swordsmanship or physical training, and if they are mages, they have them focus only on a specific attribute like fire or ice before locking their mana's nature into place.

But rather than rushing tier advancement in that way, Delpinaris makes her disciples learn as many different spells as possible and demands that they deeply explore the usefulness and principles of each one.

Her claim was that even if a mage eventually specialized in a particular attribute, that should only be decided after exploring and experiencing everything first; ignoring all other spells just to raise one's tier faster was foolish.

An educational philosophy that doesn't merely teach magic as something you 'use,' but as something you truly make your own.

“Such a teaching method may look like it slows growth in the short term, but as a mage's skill rises, its effects tend to become even more pronounced. It's like how a larger, sturdier house can only be built on ground that has been firmly compacted.”

“Hmm.”

The Great Demon, who had been listening quietly to Ernst's story, gave a nasal snort.

“Even if what you say is true, how many experts are actually out there who would properly understand and acknowledge it?”

No matter how diligent Delpinaris's educational policy was, from the outside she was still just a teacher who had failed to produce even one 5th-tier mage.

Given the reputation of a great archmage, very few fools would openly criticize or mock her, but even subtle gossip behind her back would be enough to put considerable pressure and discomfort on the person involved.

Even if they ignored it at first and went on their way, what if that went on for decades?

“It's not hard for an old man preparing for the twilight of life to suddenly say, 'Everything I've stubbornly insisted on all this time was wrong!' and change his policy. But it wouldn't be strange for him to desperately search for something, or someone, who could prove his theory right. Right?”

Lucidra did not deny Ernst's words.

She merely looked at him with calm eyes.

“What did you find?”

As always, Lucidra marveled at how sharp his intuition was.

And then she said it.

“I smell another of my kind.”

***

# Delpinaris Waynehart's mansion was very much the textbook sort.

In other words, it was close to the kind of place people would naturally picture when they heard, 'the mansion a great archmage would live in.'

A tall, broad verdant hill overlooking the city from afar.

A majestic yet mysterious exterior, with wood and brick interwoven.

Gray smoke rising above the chimneys.

It was, to put it mildly, not an easy place to get to, and yet the visitors to Delpinaris's mansion never stopped coming.

Whether to have a family member become her disciple or to borrow her strength as a mage when needed, maintaining friendly relations with her was extremely important.

But even those guests did not linger around the mansion today, when Delpinaris's disciples were visiting their master's home.

Because everyone in the kingdom knew that Rabelosia's living national treasure dotes on her disciples and values the time she spends with them dearly.

“It's been a while, Senior Brother. I heard the fur trade has been doing quite well lately, and you look even more hale and hearty because of it.”

“Doing well, my foot. Philip, isn't it your house that found a new iron mine? Good for you.”

“Oh? Senior Sister. That accessory... that's a Guillaume Atelier piece, isn't it? It must have been pretty hard to get. You didn't overdo it, did you?”

“Oh, come on, is it really too much to go this far? Sister, you've got real class when it comes to accessories. Old pieces really do have a different charm, don't they?”

That was true of the disciples themselves as well, so even those entangled in bad blood outside restrained themselves while inside the master's mansion.

They did try to exchange subtle jabs and barbs, but at this level it was just light sparring.

“Eiris, are you still thinking of going to Sky Academy after graduation? It's a dangerous place where the number of graduates doesn't even reach half of the number of entrants. Why don't you think it over again? Our house is recruiting mages at the moment...”

“I'm fine, Senior. It's already been decided.”

At Eiris's calm yet unwavering answer, the person making the offer let anger and irritation flicker in their eyes before quickly hiding it.

“Is that so? If you change your mind later, tell me.”

Eiris watched the good-natured senior leave with a calm expression.

Professor Mary lightly patted Eiris on the shoulder.

“You've had it rough. I can see why you don't want to get tangled up with alumni unless you really have to.”

“No, it's fine. Still, everyone here is persistent without being too pushy.”

“That's because they don't want to get on Master's bad side.”

Though Eiris was the youngest of the disciples, her skill still placed her within the top ten among all of them.

Considering that all the skilled people above her were over fifty, Eiris's level, at barely her early twenties, was truly lofty.

As perhaps the only talent among Delpinaris's disciples judged capable of aiming for the 5th tier, there were many who wanted to bring Eiris over to their side.

Among them, there were also many who couldn't understand Eiris, who was choosing a dangerous path despite already having a future that was all but guaranteed.

Of course, Eiris snorted at such attempts to hold her back.

Political power, a safe and comfortable road to success—everything like that was unnecessary and useless.

Because she had a clear goal: to reach a higher realm as a mage, and thus earn her master's recognition.

"Guaranteed to reach the 5th tier someday?"

That was nowhere near enough.

At the very least, the 6th tier. In other words, she would have to rise to the same level as her master before she could truly be said to have been acknowledged.

Murmur, murmur.

While Eiris was deep in thought, one side of the mansion grew noisy, and then a woman emerged from an inner room.

A brown-haired woman with a gentle, thoughtful expression.

Rather than stepping up onto a platform and beginning a speech, Archmage Delpinaris went straight over to her disciples and greeted them one by one.

"Welcome, Ron. Is your wife's health all right?"

"Thanks to the medicine you sent, she's much better now. I couldn't come here myself, but she asked me to pass on her thanks."

"Kiol. You've put on quite a belly compared to before. I told you not to stay at your desk all the time and to get out and move around a bit, didn't I?"

"Oh, Master. I'm getting on in years too. I can't move around as vigorously as I used to."

"Viola! Your skill has improved. I'm glad the results of your hard work have shown up."

"It's all thanks to your diligent guidance, Master. I'll keep doing my best."

The disciples each had their own thoughts and motives, but before their master they were as meek as lambs.

It wasn't an act completely free of political intent or calculation, either. They were adults, after all, long past the age of offering pure, childlike reverence.

But if you asked whether they dealt with their master purely by weighing profit and loss, that wasn't true either.

They, too, had once spent their youth under her and made memories there.

If you looked only at that, it was close to an annual event repeated at every gathering, but this event had one difference from usual.

At Delpinaris's side.

Because there was a boy who looked about the same age as Eiris, or perhaps a little younger, clinging to her like a chick following its mother bird.

Naturally, the disciples who had greeted Delpinaris couldn't help but show interest in the boy as well.

"Oh? Is this the new disciple?"

"Yes. He has remarkably fine potential."

At Delpinaris's unhesitating declaration, the disciples showed slight surprise.

The master they knew was someone who, in front of her disciples, tried as much as possible to avoid saying who was better or who was more talented.

In any case, with a new youngest disciple now having joined them, the proper thing here, as adults and as seniors, was to welcome him.

"Nice to meet you. Please take care of me from now on."

"Ah, yes."

"?"

And those who offered such greetings all failed to hide their discomfort and embarrassment.

The boy was extremely terse.

And not in the sense of being nervous because it was their first meeting or because the other person was high-ranking; he made no effort to hide his blatantly bothersome attitude.

They looked at Delpinaris with somewhat questioning eyes, but their master only looked at the boy with eyes dripping honey.

It was the face of an elder who could only find his late-born grandchild cute no matter what the child did.

It was somewhat absurd, but most of the disciples didn't bother to make that obvious.

If you thought of him as some adolescent brat, it was unpleasant, but not incomprehensible. And they didn't particularly want to play the bad guy in front of their master.

But there was also someone who couldn't let that slide so easily.

"You said you're Count Grimun's adopted son, didn't you? From the way you've acted since earlier, I can tell you have a bit of an attitude."

Rapher Zeppelin.

A young man in his late twenties, one of Delpinaris's relatively younger disciples, stepped forward.

"No matter how young you are or how little you know of the world, there are limits. Remember that your rude words and behavior could even tarnish Master's honor."

At that pointed rebuke, Delpinaris looked a little flustered, but the other disciples inwardly felt delighted.

However, the boy's reaction was different.

"So you're saying I tarnished Master's honor? I don't think so."

"I mean that this attitude of yours is the problem. Don't you get it?"

"Isn't it more of a disgrace that a grown man like you studied under Master and still only has that level of skill?"

"W-what?!"

Rapher's face turned bright red, and the other disciples also frowned.

Delpinaris seemed to think this was going too far and stopped the boy.

"That's enough. You're being too hard on your senior."

"...Mm, sorry, Master. I guess I got carried away for a moment and made a mistake."

The boy drooped his shoulders as if suddenly deflated.

But Rapher—and Eiris, who was standing in the same line as Rapher—could clearly see it.

That, from an angle Delpinaris couldn't see, the boy had sneered at Rapher.

Rapher exploded.

"Master, please don't stop me! Even if I have to stake my honor and my family's honor on it, I have to properly fix this brat's manners right here and now!"

"Calm down, Rapher. He's still just a child."

"No, it's fine, Master."

The boy respectfully made his declaration to his master, but with malice and arrogance hidden inside it.

"Since my senior says he'll teach me, I should gladly accept it."

"……! Don't you dare take those words back later. Master, since the person involved has said so himself, please allow us a mock battle."

"That's right, Master. Isn't it a good thing for senior and junior to get along?"

Since the parties themselves were stepping forward and the other disciples were also in agreement, Delpinaris couldn't stop it either.

***

Ernst asked.

"Does that mean there is another demon in this area besides you?"

"Not the one involved, I don't think? The scent is faint. Probably someone under contract."

***

"Kuhk!"

Hit by the mana bullet the boy fired, Rapher foamed at the mouth and rolled across the floor.

While everyone was reeling in shock, the boy said to Rapher with an innocent face.

"Was that the lesson? I learned a lot."

It was obvious enough that saying he had 'learned a lot' was nothing more than mockery.

Eiris's eyes trembled violently.