novelraw Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Before the first class of the second semester began, Rezi contacted me through a mob.
–Artel, could you come to the classroom first?
The day I reincarnated was the only time I had seen Rezi, and even then, I had fainted right away, so I had no idea what kind of personality she had.
I wasn’t particularly pleased by her summons, but since I would be seeing her until this wintere anyway, I couldn’t avoid it.
When I arrived at the classroom, the tiered arrangement of desks felt unfamiliar.
The place had been locked for the entire vacation; it had been two months since I last came here.
Rezi was sitting at the desk closest to the entrance.
“Artel, were you well during vacation?”
Did he call me just to ask how I was?
“Yes, I was fine.”
“……?”
But when I answered, Rezi’s eyes widened a little.
“Why?”
“Your tone has changed a lot. You’re speaking so politely now.”
I could roughly guess what kind of tone Artel had used before.
“Did you call me because of what happened before vacation when I collapsed?”
“That’s part of it, but actually, I got curious after hearing something from Kiena.”
The moment Kiena’s name came up, my chest tightened for an instant.
Could she have mentioned the book…?
“During vacation, you all trained together, right? Kiena is a summoner, and you and Hei are elementals? And both of you are fire-element?”
I was a fool for doubting them. Kiena and Hei cherished Artel terribly.
As expected, they must not have said anything about the book.
“Yes.”
“Could you show me once?”
Rezi was also a fire elemental.
Although he had bright red hair, his eyes weren’t a perfect red.
He was a fire elemental, but his attunement wasn’t complete—likely a 6th Circle Mage.
Maybe even low-ranked within the 6th Circle.
The Magic Academy of Etar operated in a way very similar to the academy I had attended in my previous life.
Even if one failed the promotion exam to the 7th Circle, one more chance was given.
If you became a teacher for a lower class for several years and guided a certain number of students to pass, you would gain another opportunity to take the promotion exam.
Rezi was likely that type.
“Why are you curious?”
But even so, I had no intention of obeying his sudden request to use magic.
“Well, I just wanted to get an idea of your level and whether you might pass this year’s promotion exam?”
Rezi seemed to be a teacher who was normally kind to students.
I could feel sincerity in the way he answered me.
“If you answer my question, I’ll try.”
“Alright, ask.”
“What Circle Mage are you?”
I simply wanted to confirm whether he was truly 6th Circle.
If Rezi was 6th Circle, that meant he was a dropout of Class 6, and that meant the academy’s operating system was exactly the same as the one in my previous life.
At the very least, I needed to know.
“6th Circle. That’s why I think I can judge your magic pretty well.”
As expected.
And it seemed to be the same here that teachers usually didn’t mention their circle when introducing themselves to students.
The way he answered without hesitation proved it.
“Now, since I answered your question, could you grant my request this time?”
“Yes.”
I deliberately stepped a few paces away from Rezi.
Because I had no intention of showing that I could handle higher magic, I pretended to focus as if I were truly a beginner mage, then produced only the most basic magic—a fire sphere.
Fwoosh!
“Ooooh.”
But Rezi reacted far more intensely than I had expected.
Was it because Artel, who always slept in class, had found his element and manifested magic?
“At this level, even 2nd Circle wouldn’t be a problem, you know?”
Huh?
I had only shown the level of a 1st Circle Mage.
“This is that level?”
I truly didn’t know. What exactly had he seen to conclude that?
“Of course. The brightness and size of the fire. Even just those two—when I was 0th Circle, I couldn’t even form something like that.”
I hadn’t thought it through.
Since I had always dealt with 8th Circle or higher magic, I had momentarily forgotten the basics.
Didn’t they say that size, density, and quantity all influenced the state of mana?
Since I was an Archmage in my previous life, even if it was the same 1st Circle magic, its firepower would naturally differ.
“Congratulations. You worked hard for five years.”
Even though the second semester hadn’t ended yet—it had only just begun today—Rezi said that while patting my head.
It didn’t seem like he was that deeply attached to Artel… more likely, because he needed to make a certain number of students pass in order to take the promotion exam herself.
Bang!
Just then, the previously closed classroom door swung open loudly.
The student who entered was Russel and his group—the ones I had seen in the hallway before class.
“Russel, did you spend your vacation well…? Oh, judging by your hair color, it seems you have something to celebrate as well?”
Rezi treated Russel with particular caution.
He spoke informally to me, yet he used formal speech toward Russel…
Rezi had no family name. That meant he was of commoner origin.
Especially since Russel was the type who constantly called commoners lowborn and looked down on and oppressed them endlessly—that must be why.
Russel’s gaze toward Rezi wasn’t pleasant either.
But Russel came straight up to me, stuck her face forward, and asked,
“Hey, how did you do that earlier?”
“What?”
“Are you also a light elemental? You used a flash spell on me.”
This brat actually distinguished that…?
Considering his lack of skill and control—he had used magic aimed at me that had ended up hitting his own friend—I thought he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
“Russel, what do you mean by that?”
Now even Rezi began taking interest.
‘This is troublesome.’
“This guy used a flash spell on me. Who taught you? You stayed at the academy all vacation—how did you acquire an element and even use a flash spell?!”
Russel now grabbed my collar and shouted.
At that moment, perhaps because it was close to class time, students began entering the classroom one by one.
The moment they entered and saw me being grabbed by the collar, the students stopped in their tracks.
“Russel, could you let go of him for now? Class is about to start.”
Rezi cautiously tried to dissuade Russel.
Russel must have had at least some sense; feeling the students’ gazes, he reluctantly let go and pulled his arm back.
Russel and his group then took their seats.
The last students to enter the classroom were Kiena and Hei.
Panting, the two of them rushed over to my side and asked,
“Where were you? We thought you were sleeping again, so we went to the dorm and you weren’t there, so we looked for you for ages!”
That was at least a relief.
Kiena and Hei had no idea what had happened between me and Russel.
“The teacher called me, so I came first.”
“Then you should’ve at least told us!”
I couldn’t avoid Kiena’s scolding instead.
“Sorry.”
“Now then, did you all spend your vacation well?”
Rezi’s face softened into a bright smile as he began the lesson in earnest.
The students who had witnessed the small scuffle between Russel and me still watched us anxiously, but Rezi proceeded as naturally as possible, trying not to show any reaction.
Still, one side of my face stung……
All because of Russel’s sharp, cutting gaze.
“Now that vacation is over, I see a few students who have grown. Especially you, Russel.”
“Why?”
He answered in polite speech, but his tone was dripping with insolence.
Did he really think his family name was some kind of title……?
It was just a pity.
And in Class 0, it seemed the only one from a noble family was that Mihael Russel.
Everyone in the classroom, including Rezi, was watching Russel’s mood.
“I heard you found your element. Did the head of House Mihael teach you?”
“Do I have to answer such a question? And don’t you dare speak my lord’s name so carelessly.”
The atmosphere in the classroom grew even colder.
The reason Rezi had forced himself to talk to Russel was probably to appease him, to ease the mood of the one who had been glaring daggers at me, but this guy simply didn’t understand common sense.
“……I apologize.”
Reading the room, Rezi tried to resume the lesson, when Russel suddenly shot to his feet and asked him,
“Teacher, Artel is a light elemental, so who taught him? That bastard clearly had nowhere to go and stayed at the academy all vacation.”
“Haa…….”
“What is he talking about?”
A sigh slipped out of me before I realized.
Hei whispered into my ear.
“I don’t know either.”
“Russel, there seems to be some misunderstanding, Artel is……”
Rezi began to explain on my behalf, then his gaze stopped on me.
“Artel, may I tell him?”
I could tell from context what he wanted permission for.
Fine, in times like this it was better to use the teacher than to step forward myself.
“Go ahead.”
“Russel, Artel did find an element, but it’s not light. It was fire. I saw it myself, so I’m certain.”
“Don’t lie to my face! I definitely got hit! He used a flash spell on me!”
“Russel…… that’s impossible. An elemental can only handle one element. Artel is a fire elemental.”
“And what do you know, that you dare try to teach me! Do you know how many teachers in my family are far superior to you!”
Utterly stubborn.
I had planned to just watch for a bit, but I needed to change plans.
“Russel.”
“How dare you call my name so casually?”
“You used magic targeting me and ended up hitting your own friends as well. Teacher, doesn’t that mean Russel still lacks control?”
Casting magic wasn’t the end of it.
You needed the control and proficiency to handle it exactly as you wished.
A mage without control was no different from a swordsman who couldn’t properly wield a sword.
I deliberately emphasized that Russel lacked control.
“Is that true, Russel?”
“Are you all looking down on me right now……?”
As it began to sound like Rezi was being convinced, Russel exploded.
Good, this was the moment.
“Then show us here, right now. Use a flash spell aimed at me. If no one else is affected, doesn’t that prove you have control?”
“No, I’ll blind every single one of you here. That’s your punishment for insulting House Mihael.”
“Do as you like.”
He really was a child.
Just because I provoked him a little, he had given himself an even bigger task to complete.
Russel was probably thinking something like this:
There were thirty students in this classroom.
If he blinded everyone, he would prove that he had the power to handle magic far beyond that.
“He says he’ll do it, teacher.”
“Russel, you may come down and try.”
Rezi must have wanted to settle this situation quickly.
If Russel somehow controlled it perfectly, I would be in trouble, but there was absolutely no chance of that happening.
I could be certain, because I had already experienced it once in the hallway.
“Your eyes are included too, Teacher.”
“…….”
Russel rose triumphantly and came down to the front.
Then, just before casting, he glared at me and warned,
“Watch carefully, and see the difference between a lowborn like you and a noble.”
“Do children of noble houses always talk this much? Just get on with it.”
“You insolent little…….”
Russel stretched his hand forward.
The moment his eyes widened, a sphere of white light brighter than the classroom lamps floated in the air.
Beeeep-!
Huh……? Something was off.