Surviving at the Magic Academy

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“The evil mage has successfully executed the plan.”

Of course, that was merely a metaphorical allusion to stories. I couldn’t possibly be evil. It was just how the situation flowed.

Reality is different from stories. I wanted to let Hao know that. And I firmly engraved that lesson into him. He was led to fix their belief in a ring-like shape, and he bestowed that upon my doll—Hari.

Yeah. Up until then, it was quite successful. I could grasp all four hares in my hands: stabilizing the tower, protecting treasures, scoring points, and acquiring new powers.

But there’s always a twist in a story.

The tale featuring a beautiful lady, a gallant swordsman, and an evil mage was quite famous. Many mages were displeased with it, yet it spread deeply among the weeds.

Yeah, that story circulated widely throughout the empire. And widely spread stories always tend to change in various ways.

The swordsman could turn into a country boy, their genders could swap, and there were even cases where an evil female mage was inspired by the swordsman and became a new lover.

Of course, the one who spread the last story was burned at the hands of a female mage who perfectly matched the description in the story. I witnessed it with my own eyes during my travels across the continent.

Anyway, there were tales that transformed like this throughout the empire. And among these diverse tales, new characters were often added.

Helpers, we could call them. Those who aid the protagonist in times of crisis.

So, what kind of helpers do weeds typically think of? They must possess absolute power to help the protagonist overcome insurmountable obstacles. And the weeds knew well who had that power. It was the deity.

In times of crisis, the heavens open, and the deity reveals themselves. Then they pass down the judgment of justice upon the evil mage threatening the protagonist.

The scale varies from story to story, but what’s important here is that the evil mage dares not oppose it. I didn’t either.

In our staged play, there appeared a deity I never considered. A deity that throws all plans into disarray.

Of course, that deity did not punish the evil mage—namely me—like in the stories. On the contrary, the deity rewarded me. Truly, reality was different from tales.

And there the deity stood right before me. I carefully observed their form.

The golden hair radiated a brilliant light infused with magical power, and the eyes, seemingly embedded with emeralds, sparkled toward the plate in front of me. It was Professor Ilian. It was lunchtime for her.

The professor gently lifted her fork. Long strands of noodles twirled around it. She cautiously pushed it into her mouth.

She soon began to slowly close her eyes and chew. A smile grew deeper on her face with each bite. Seeing that, a proud smile crept onto my face.

She lightly swallowed what was in her mouth and began twirling the noodles around her fork once more. The fork was drenched in her magical energy. She delicately controlled that magic to hold the noodles.

That was her way of eating those noodles. It didn’t remain in the realm of reality.

I quietly looked down at the bowl. The noodles within emitted a faint light. Among that light, they appeared delicate, as if they could vanish at any moment.

If it weren’t for the magic placed on the bowl, they would have dissolved into thin air long ago. It was clear that a considerable effort was put into fixing that in reality. I even gleaned a bit of enlightenment from it.

She again put the noodles into her mouth and began to chew. I could see her feet lightly tapping. Her cheeks appeared quite flushed. There seemed to be a deep satisfaction within her.

I nodded slowly. It had been worth honing the flavor over the past few days. It was a reward for her.

The professor then looked at me. With cheeks full of what was in her mouth, she swallowed. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement.

She lightly poked the noodles with her fork. The magic-free fork simply went through the noodles and clinked against the bowl. She moved the fork like that and opened her mouth.

“Wow, this tastes fascinating! I liked it. I expected it to be good since I gave it to you, but I didn’t know you could refine it this much. How did you make it?”

“Thanks to you, Professor.”

I deeply bowed my head towards her.

If I were to score that, how many points would I get? Ten thousand? No, that wouldn’t even come close. Then maybe a hundred thousand points? No, given the raw ingredients, that would surely be insufficient.

That was something she had personally brought from the Sky Ring Church.

I pictured the Sky Ring crying, slightly torn apart. It was unavoidable. The professor’s will was absolute. She could be called the deity of our tower.

What she wanted to eat was none other than due to Hari. Hari often devoured the spirits of students. That caught the professor’s attention.

Later, the professor mentioned wanting to try eating a spirit like Hari did. And the one most fitting for that was from the Sky Ring. Casually bringing that up, the professor immediately went to fetch it.

I was the one responsible for preparing that dish. That high-level ingredient emitted such profound magical energy that it was nearly impossible for me to touch it with my own power. If I tried to handle it with bare hands, I would surely dissolve into nothing.

But I had an item bestowed upon me by the professor. With its help, I was able to refine it perfectly. I pulled out a small knife from within my robes and presented it respectfully in front of her with both hands.

The professor accepted it. Rising quietly, she looked at me. When she examined the knife, her mouth parted slightly. She blinked in disbelief. Eventually, her gaze turned to me. I could see her pupils wavering.

“You… made that with a cooking knife?”

I shook my head gently. A cooking knife? That wasn’t its only purpose.

“It’s not a cooking knife. It’s a carving knife.”

She stared at me blankly. Carefully, I reached out my hand toward her to retrieve the knife. She placed the knife onto my palm.

I looked at the golden knife. The flow of magical energy swirling inside and outside was nothing short of enchanting. Just holding it awakened all my senses anew.

Returning it to my arms, I pointed at the bowl in front of her with my hand. Her gaze followed my hand to the bowl. I gently continued.

“Using this knife, I perfectly separated the magical energy from what’s contained in there. As a result, only a faint spirit remains. I added a bit of additives and kneaded it, and then I attempted to form it into something akin to pasta. Can you feel the flavor of happiness well?”

The professor nodded quietly. In front of her, I placed a bowl filled with sauce. The sauce was radiating a bright light.

I lifted it and lightly drizzled it over the noodles. The sauce blended with the noodles, making their previously blurry forms slightly more distinct. She picked up her fork again and poked the noodles.

“It’s made with the power you separated. There’s another happiness contained within. You’re going to experience a more complex flavor this time.”

The professor once more spun the noodles on her fork and brought them to her mouth. Then suddenly, there was a pop sound as something burst in her mouth. At the same time, her eyes widened.

“I received help from Hari in making the sauce. I infused a little of the story of Hao you saw into it.”

“…It’s tastier. My head feels filled with happiness.”

The professor closed her eyes and savored the taste. It was a little while before she opened her eyes again. She glanced at me.

“So, what’s that child doing now?”

At her words, I focused my mind. I felt a faint connection through the Shadow Tree. It contained a distinctly different flow than other selves. It was the connection with Hari. The creature was in the infirmary. A slight smirk appeared on my face.

“She’s with Hao.”

“Hmm, good. That’s how it should be.”

The professor said with a pleasing smile. She nodded and resumed her meal.

It had been two weeks since the Sky Ring Church performed the ceremony to create the Sky Ring. They had returned to their daily lives. During that time, there hadn’t been much commotion in the tower.

Only the occasional accounts of Hari’s sightings surfaced.

During that week when Hari had vanished, she was with the professor.

The professor had thoroughly examined whether what was contained within her was an emanation from the Sky Ring or not. It was, in a sense, a kind of assessment.

Hari was, in a way, my first successful project. A result to prove the promise made with the professor. To enhance the power of treasures. That’s what I had promised while constructing my lectures with the professor.

Well, the professor didn’t conduct just examinations. She allowed Hari to permeate into the tower. Because of that, she couldn’t leave the tower. Of course, thanks to that, she woke up so quickly, but still.

If I had left her be, Hari would have had to digest her power while asleep for several decades. Just several decades. Considering that power, that amount of time was nothing. I thought that while proceeding with my plans.

The professor seemed displeased with that. Engrossed in the story I created, she wished for Hari to wake up as quickly as possible to meet Hao. And the result is right here.

I fiddled with the knife in my hand. This knife was a reward given to me by the professor, who was pleased with the story. It was also a reward for imbuing Hari into the tower.

Initially, it had the shape of a large scale glowing in golden light. The professor had said that if infused with magical power, it would change into the form I desired most. This carving knife was the result of that.

Truly, as she said, this carving knife was incredibly useful. It allowed me to handle materials beyond my limits much more freely.

I was thoroughly satisfied. Surely, there exists no better item for sculpting the doll’s body. It was also good for cooking, just like now.

The professor happily continued her meal. Her cheeks were puffed up. While sucking in the noodles, she wore a blissful smile. I quietly observed her.

Noticing my gaze, she paused chewing and shot me a puzzled look. I slightly bowed my head toward her. She chuckled and resumed her meal.

Hmm, in the past, I surely would have frowned at this situation. Since the beginning of this lecture, she hadn’t even raised her magic against me.

Initially, I thought it was simply because I had taken over her burdens with my lectures. But she had become so much gentler in her behavior. At that time, I had no idea what that meant.

But now I had some understanding of the reason. The magical energy originating from the knife flowed through my body. Somehow, that flow of magic felt somewhat similar to Professor Ilian’s.

It didn’t take long for her meal to conclude. She smiled contentedly and showed me out of the room.

I headed straight to the infirmary. I figured I needed to do another cleansing.

Upon entering the infirmary, the first thing I saw was Hao lying on the bed. He was sprawled out, unconscious. I sighed at the sight. This was already the fourth time this week.

Next to Hao was Hari. The creature, gazing intently at Hao, turned to look at me. A hint of joy flickered in those purple eyes. It pointed at Hao with its finger.

“Just wait a moment. I’ll cleanse you right away.”

I activated the magic of the infirmary strongly, directing it toward Hao. ‘Cleansing.’ Inside, Hao’s spirit began to gradually recover.

To check the results, I summoned a Mirror Bug.

-Mind Score: 88, the submerged score is recovering. Cleansing is in progress; please maintain a stable position!

It was completely normal. I nodded lightly. In response, Hari smiled slightly and patted Hao’s head. The white ring floating above its head emitted a faint glow.

With that, Hao’s mind score dropped a bit more. Even amidst gradually losing his consciousness, he wore a very peaceful expression. I clicked my tongue weakly at that sight.

Since Hari settled into the tower, I had informed the students about the second rule. Others adhered to it well, but this guy didn’t take the warning to heart at all. The moment he saw Hari, he followed her as if mesmerized.

Because of that, Hari had been eyeing him zealously. Compared to others, the frequency with which she blocked him was different altogether.

She would once devour his spirit and then once again consume him back during the cleansing. It seemed to really match with his tastes.

Hari continued to gaze down at Hao. The feelings contained within those eyes surged intensely through magical energy. I immediately knew what it was. It was hunger. Mira used to look at me with such eyes as well.

“I’ll check your body for a moment, so just stay still.”

With that said, I approached Hari. It nodded. I lightly let out some magic to check its body. There was no anomaly. It was still not bound in reality.

Hari’s form had transformed to be closer to that of a spirit than a doll. That was the result of the professor fixing her to the tower. That was also the characteristic of the Sky Ring floating above her head.

I originally aimed to bind the ring to the doll’s body. Conversely, the professor aimed to bind the body to the ring. The outcome was that this was now more fittingly called the Sky Ring than merely a doll.

This was a miracle created by Hao. The magic that formed the Sky Ring would never have succeeded without his profound faith.

The Hari thus created bore a clear potential. The potential to become another treasure. The professor wasn’t uninterested in this event for no reason.

Though too weak to leave in the vault, it was a splendid pet-like creature to raise within the tower. The professor had chosen to let it roam freely, allowing it to grow by consuming the tower’s magic.

Hari consuming the spirits of others was merely a manifestation of her instinct as an embodiment of the Sky Ring. She was a being formed from the amalgamation of the spirit and faith of the Sky Ring Church.

That could be considered a sort of hobby. Even using the first floor as a hunting ground was due to that.

Such miracles surely wouldn’t happen again. I gazed at Hao, who had a happy face in Hari’s embrace. His expanded mind was already occupied by something.

He had attained a hundred points, and at that endpoint, Hari was residing. It was an indelible mark. Someday, he might reclaim those lost memories. The professor was quite excited for that moment.

At last, Hari’s meal came to an end. Along with that, Hao’s score was perfectly restored. The magic in the infirmary began to awaken his consciousness. He groaned softly and opened his eyes.

His blurred gaze seemed to meet Hari’s for a brief moment. But at that instant, Hari dissolved into thin air. Simultaneously, the connection through the Shadow Tree was severed.

Hao gripped his head and sat up.

“Where… is this?”

“This is the infirmary. You certainly ignored the warning again. I found you collapsed and brought you here.”

“I’m sorry. I must have been a nuisance to Ebron.”

I lightly shook my head at that remark. Hao blinked, then looked down at his hands. Eventually, he forced a wry smile.

“I wonder why. I know it in my head, but I keep following.”

Given the situation, it seems he was likely to end up here again next time.

I shook my head slightly. At least it was a relief that the cleansing wasn’t eroding his strength. It clearly wasn’t an issue stemming from contamination.

No, that might actually be more problematic. That could be the reason why Hari could feast on him without worry. Well, it wasn’t a matter I needed to concern myself with.

“Well, since you’re awake, I’ll take my leave now. Please rest a bit longer.”

I spoke to Hao. The rich scent emanating from him had considerably diminished. Now, only a faint refreshing scent lingered around. I observed as he dazedly nodded and exited the infirmary.

All tasks within the tower were complete. Now, it was time to resolve my own affairs. A sigh escaped me, filled with a sense of overwhelming emptiness.

I climbed the stairs and headed to the workshop. Upon opening that door, I found Mira.

I stood still in place. She was gazing into the mirror, dressed in a deep red dress. She locked eyes with me through the mirror.

She lifted her skirt slightly, turning half a circle on the spot. The dress flowed gently, exuding soft magical energy. She looked toward me with a smile on her face.

“So, how do I look? Does it suit me?”

“…Yes, you look very beautiful.”

I nodded slightly. Seeing my response, she brightly smiled and approached me. She gently took my arm and led me toward the mirror.

“Why did you dress up so nicely?”

As I asked, looking into her eyes through the mirror, she responded with a mischievous twinkle.

“Hehe, to be loved. Lately, you’ve been sighing a lot over assignments. So, I thought I’d help by trying this on. It seems you, Ebron, don’t quite understand love.”

She placed her hand over my heart while saying that. A faint rose scent wafted from her body. I felt my heart beat a bit stronger at that aroma. Clearly, the magic of allure was contained within it.

I cleared my throat softly. Assignments, I hadn’t thought it would come back up from her lips. I thought she had stopped teasing me.

I gazed into Mira’s eyes through the mirror. Those eyes sparkled with mischief and curiosity.

I couldn’t deny her words. A task to create a doll I could love. That was Professor On’s assignment.

I still hadn’t found a clear answer to that. That was also the reason for the sense of overwhelming emptiness warming my chest.

 

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