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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Taking Over the Disciplinary Committee (1)
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Zikel van Petunia.
A professor in Arden Academy's Magic Department, he was renowned across the continent as an authority on Resistance Magic.
Yet, in the game, Zikel was one of those characters who lived and died without much fanfare. From what I remembered, his personality wasn't bad.
Though he could be gruff, he treated all students equally, never shied away from questions, and taught with utmost dedication. He was, in essence, the quintessential academy professor.
At least, that's how I remembered him.
"Student Camel."
The Zikel I now faced, however, was very different from the one I knew.
"Utterly pathetic. For someone who knows that…"
All I did was answer his question about Resistance Magic correctly.
Zikel frowned deeply, clicked his tongue, and trailed off.
From the look of it, he seemed to be about to mention yesterday's incident but stopped himself.
I understood. The academy administration wanted yesterday's events to be quietly forgotten.
I, too, didn't want things to escalate, so I intended to let it go and focus on the lesson.
But then.
"Student Camel. I hear you deserted your group yesterday… What exactly were you thinking?"
"Is it because you're a commoner? Or did you get the top student position by sheer luck? Or perhaps the bedding in Felix Hall was so outrageously comfortable that it softened your mind?"
"Yesterday, I heard several students lost consciousness after being hit by crude mental magic. Let this be a lesson. Any student not constantly maintaining their Resistance Arts is a pathetic wretch unfit to attend this academy."
Throughout the entire class, Zikel continuously tried to belittle me.
Not only that, but every time he spat out a barbed remark, he would stare at me with eyes full of hostility.
It was as if he wanted the other students to lambaste me just as he was doing.
And sure enough.
Amidst the whispering of several students, Rachel's voice, brimming with venom, also reached my ears.
"Serves him right. Acting all high and mighty yesterday."
Was it because of her shrill voice?
Or was it Zikel's inexplicable hostility, directed at me out of nowhere?
'Did I do something wrong?'
I had to take a moment to seriously ponder, replaying everything that had happened since I enrolled in the academy.
Yet, no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't find anything. I hadn't done anything to displease Zikel, nor had I given him any direct reason to dislike me.
'He definitely hates me though.'
Even if I hadn't done anything to Zikel, the fact that he had changed was undeniable.
This is why the butterfly effect is so terrifying. A single trivial cause, unknown to me, was creating such a massive change.
'I don't know why he's acting like this, but…'
Regardless of what kind of person Zikel was in the original story,
and no matter how highly Hilda spoke of him.
He was currently showing hostility towards me.
Especially to me, who had decided not to be swayed by the original story's narrative.
So, could I just tolerate it? I had to match his energy.
And so.
"Professor. Isn't that magic circle incredibly inefficient? If you just add three more strokes like this, the mana consumption will be cut by three times."
"Professor, instead of engraving that magic circle to resist Confusion magic, wouldn't it be better to engrave this one? With similar mana, it can also block Memory and Sleep magic."
"Professor, that magic circle seems too excessive to engrave into one's mind or constantly maintain. I doubt it would even stop the magic cast in the 'Cave of Training' yesterday."
I began to raise objections to every single flaw in Zikel's lecture.
Even drawing upon the knowledge I had learned from my master.
At this, the students watching split into two reactions.
"Hiccup."
"Camel… that's enough…"
First were those who looked at me like a monster, like Daisy who hiccupped at the sight of my face, or Rose who tried to stop me.
By the way, Daisy's reaction seems a bit too extreme. I should probably have a talk with her.
"He's so annoying… Who does he think he is, being so rude to the professor?"
"…I agree."
Second were those who looked at me with disdain, like Rachel and Fran.
I didn't pay them much mind. After all, a quick lesson would shut them up.
"…Student Camel. It seems you have many complaints about my lesson. Step forward. I'll give you a chance to prove yourself."
Perhaps sensing the atmosphere, Zikel called me to the center of the training grounds.
"From now, I will cast mental magic on you, student. If what you say is true, you should be able to block them all. However, if you cannot, I will deduct points. Do you agree?"
"And if I block them?"
When I asked Zikel, who had drawn his wand, he frowned and replied.
"Though it's unlikely, I will grant you special bonus points."
"Understood."
I wasn't particularly interested in bonus points, but I nodded quietly, then did something that Zikel, if he possessed magical energy, wouldn't have needed to do.
I lightly manipulated the balance. I drew up mana and infused it into the Resistance Magic Circle I had engraved in my mind's eye.
Zikel's expression twisted violently, and he immediately raised his wand towards me.
Magic, glowing with a dark green light, burst forth from his wand.
Through my Heavenly Eye, the nature of the magic was revealed.
Confusion, Sleep, Illusion, Oblivion.
He's really going all out, isn't he?
—Fades—
But that wouldn't work on me.
The magic shot from Zikel's wand was all dispelled before it even reached me, scattering into the air.
"Wow…!"
"He dispelled all of that?!"
"That's insane!"
At this, I saw the students' astonished reactions and Zikel's wide-eyed expression.
"Not entirely."
Amidst this, Fran's voice reached me. What was she talking about? I'd deflected all of it.
"…So you're not just all talk."
See? Even Zikel, who had cast the magic on me, was sheathing the sword he'd drawn, wearing a frustrated expression.
"Student Camel has demonstrated innovative magic circles and exemplary Resistance Arts to the other students."
Zikel turned his back to me, faced the students, and began to speak in a stiff tone.
"Therefore, I will grant Student Camel 2 bonus points."
At this, the atmosphere in the training grounds noticeably stirred.
It was understandable. Not only had a mere student blocked a professor's magic, but they had also earned 2 bonus points.
'Wait a minute.'
I was walking back to my seat, feeling satisfied.
Suddenly, something occurred to me, and I stopped in my tracks.
Then I sharply turned my head to check Zikel's waist.
"…"
Sure enough. What was hanging from his waist was not a wand, but a sword sheath. Even though Zikel had clearly drawn a wand at first.
'I was hit?'
It was puzzling.
The magic Zikel cast wasn't high-level. And I had blocked it perfectly.
As proof, all of Zikel's magic had scattered into thin air, and no matter how I looked, I couldn't see any magic circle affecting me.
"…"
I sat down and looked at Professor Zikel, who was resuming the lesson.
As Hilda had advised, he might have an obnoxious personality, but he was certainly a professor with things to teach.
****
As a rule, humans are creatures who must constantly strive for progress.
For those who wish to rest on their laurels will inevitably be buried by reality.
Therefore, rather than being frustrated about being hit by Zikel's magic, I resolved to focus more on my own development.
I plan to visit Zikel separately soon and ask him what I missed, and how I should have responded.
To be honest, I even felt a sense of delight. This was the first time I'd thought I could learn something more since coming here.
"Camel, where are you going?"
After class, as I was about to head somewhere, Rose stopped me and asked.
"You go on ahead, Rose. I have somewhere to stop by."
"Okay— wait, Camel."
"Hm?"
"Tell me honestly. Are you going to beat someone up again?"
Rose's question made me choke. She sometimes had moments of unnecessary sharpness like this.
"Beat someone up? Me…"
"How long have we lived together? Do you think I wouldn't know? That expression, that's your 'about to beat someone up' face. Especially those eyes."
Was it? Without a mirror, I rubbed my eyes awkwardly, feeling embarrassed, and asked Rose back.
"When did we ever live together?"
"Tch. Didn't work."
"And I'm not going to beat anyone up. I'm going to *take over*."
"Take over? Doesn't look like it. No matter how I look, that's a 'going to beat someone up' face."
By this point, I was curious. What kind of expression was I making for it to be so obvious?
In any case, to ease Rose's worries, I told her the truth.
"I'm not going to beat anyone up. Though I *might* end up beating someone, I'm planning not to, if possible."
"Isn't that beating someone up?"
"No. My goal is to take over, not to turn someone into a pulp."
"…Just ask. What are you going to take over?"
"The Disciplinary Committee."
"Ugh, fine. But tomorrow, you'll join me for… huh?"
"Go on ahead. See you tomorrow."
Saying that, I quickly turned and began heading towards the Disciplinary Committee office.
To take over the Disciplinary Committee office.
No, to be precise, to have a deep conversation with Jane, who shares the same family as Sage.
****
"Daisy, where are you going?"
As I shot up from my seat, Peline asked with a puzzled expression.
"You go on ahead today, Peline."
"No, I'm worried. The girl who was hiccupping all class now looks like a hero about to sacrifice her life to save the world."
What about my expression?
Puzzled, I took out a mirror and began to examine my face.
—Oh, dear—
A moment later, I had to nod in agreement with Peline's words.
The reflection in the mirror showed a truly resolute expression, even to me.
"Hero, my foot…"
"Oops, sorry, Daisy."
As I trailed off, Peline apologized, flustered.
It was that ridiculous of a comparison. And it was also the comparison I hated the most.
Because, as someone who inherited the blood of Bluemont, I had a cursed destiny: in exchange for wielding excellent subspace magic, I was bound to follow a hero.
I didn't like that. Despite our family being recognized by the Empire and granted an honorable ducal title, we were still called the 'porters' family.'
It was only natural for me to dislike these 'heroes.'
"But where are you going?"
"There's someone I want to talk to."
"Who? Where are they?"
"Oh, right!"
Peline's question brought me back to my senses, and I immediately stepped outside, beginning to search for someone.
Camel.
I had something I absolutely had to ask that terrifying man.