Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 990

Chapter 990

'I worried for nothing.'

Jijel decided that from now on, she should ignore Wardanaz even if he said things like 'I'm tired of getting involved with crazy spirits', 'I'm troubled by getting involved with crazy demons', or 'I'm annoyed by getting involved with crazy giants'.

Everyone sometimes says things different from their inner thoughts.

Even White Tiger Tower students, when offered a ballgame match before exams, would say things like 'I really don't want to do this but I have no choice, just this once' while getting up.

Wardanaz was probably a similar case.

"It seems this lecture deals with the study of learning."

"?"

Yi-Han, sitting in front of the mad doppelganger, tilted his head.

What the mad doppelganger was reading now were books related to <Magical Algebra and Arcane Geometry>.

"Magical algebra and arcane geometry..."

"In royalty's era, they weren't called that. There's been quite a lot of progress in the content too."

"!"

Yi-Han brightened.

If the mad doppelganger's words were true, he might be a bit more lenient regarding this lecture.

In the past, not only were the names different, but they weren't as specialized, and many convenient formulas discovered later didn't exist.

If so, Einroguard students now must be much further ahead in progress than expected.

"Indeed. Then shall we skip this lecture?"

"But I see excessively complacent parts. A learner should not blindly memorize formulas they deal with, but should be able to prove and understand them."

'Uh oh.'

Yi-Han suddenly felt ominous.

It was like an instinct honed as a skilled student.

Could it be?

"Gather the other mages. Royalty's lecture will begin."

"...Yes..."

As he went to call his friends, Yi-Han thought inwardly.

'It's fortunate that <Magical Algebra and Arcane Geometry> is a 2nd year lecture.'

Even the same suffering would be more bearable if shared with friends.

...Of course, whether his friends would think the same was unknown...

  *

"Mage. Using only a rod and compass, construct this cubic sacred box into a cubic sacred box twice its size."

"Pardon?"

Gainando, who had pulled up a chair with other friends to sit in front of the principal... no, the mad doppelganger, was flustered by the sudden order.

"I... I can't do it!"

"I suppose not."

The mad doppelganger nodded.

Though they had many shortcomings, his disciple's companions were quite solid in the basics, befitting their status.

What the mad doppelganger had just asked was a problem that couldn't be answered from the start.

"This is a problem that cannot be constructed without borrowing the power of arcane magic or magic. It's been a famous problem since ancient times. Twenty-three mages died trying to solve this problem..."

"Wow. How did you answer right away?"

The Blue Dragon Tower friends admired slightly.

Of course, if they thought carefully, it was a problem they had learned before so they could recall it, but Gainando answered immediately without any deliberation.

Could it be that Wardanaz's education was finally bearing fruit?

"I just answered that I couldn't do it because I didn't know."

"..."

His friends threw contemptuous glances and turned away. Gainando felt somehow wronged.

He had just answered that he didn't know what he didn't know...

"However, simply memorizing that it's impossible and fully understanding the reason are different. A mage should naturally be the latter. You mages should rightfully be able to explain."

The students listening intently to the mad doppelganger's explanation suddenly had a question and asked Yi-Han.

"Wardanaz. Wardanaz."

"Why are you calling me?"

"Is this the final exam topic?"

This semester's <Magical Algebra and Arcane Geometry> was progressing in a quite unique form.

Because the professor was absent, Senior Yukbeltire was conducting the lecture instead.

Fortunately, Senior Yukbeltire's lectures were much more normal than expected (more precisely, than a certain Professor V's lectures). Even students who had been flustered by the professor's disappearance had all adapted now.

But the content the mad doppelganger was teaching now was different from what Senior Yukbeltire had been covering recently.

What was this?

"Uh. Probably not. Master wouldn't know the final exam topic in the first place."

"...Then why is he teaching this?"

"Hmm. A reasonable question."

Yi-Han, nodding at his friend's words, raised his hand and asked.

"Master."

"What is it?"

"Isn't our final exam on spirit polynomials? If the progress is correct..."

"That's not important."

"?"

The gathered students murmured.

What did he mean that wasn't important?

"What does he mean it's not important?"

"Could he be canceling the exam?"

"Is that possible?"

"Well, he is the principal's doppelganger, so he might have the authority..."

Despite the students' whispers, the mad doppelganger opened his mouth without changing expression.

"What's important is for you mages to find and reflect on the origins of the discipline you're learning."

"..."

"..."

"I'll start again. The purest and most artistic elements of arcane geometry are straight lines and circles. Outstanding mages could draw countless variations with just these two. Though many tools, magic, and laws have been discovered since then, the wisdom contained within hasn't disappeared..."

"Wardanaz. What should we do?"

"Isn't this a big problem?"

"You're noisy. Stand up."

"!"

Several whispering students were forcibly made to stand up at the mad doppelganger's designation. Gainando was among them.

"Explain the impossibility of the construction problem I just mentioned."

"Uh. That..."

"W-without the help of magic or spirits... it's... difficult... because..."

"To accomplish what you just said, we need to be able to construct irrational numbers with only straight lines and circles, which is not possible. Numbers that can be constructed are..."

"!!!!"

Not only the friends who stood up together, but even other students were startled at the sight of Gainando rattling off fluently.

"Did Wardanaz teach you?"

"Im-impossible. At that level he could even teach rocks to sing."

When Gainando's explanation ended, the mad doppelganger waved his hand. The students who had stood up sat back down.

"Though not perfect, you understand the essence. I'll forgive you this time. There will be proper punishment if you interfere with royalty's teachings in the future. Mages, be warned."

The friends who sat down sent grateful looks while asking with hand signals.

-How did you answer?-

Gainando also answered with hand signals.

-Yi-Han told me.-

-What? How? There was no opportunity...-

-When I stood up, he stuck a paper note to my hand with telekinesis.-

"..."

The students marveled.

What was growing wasn't the prince's magical skill, but Wardanaz's.

'What a monster. How could he do that in such a short time...'

'Can telekinesis magic be handled so delicately?'

'More than that, it's more amazing that he controlled it without being detected even while speaking.'

While his friends were admiring and the mad doppelganger was lecturing, Yi-Han was thinking of something else.

'Am I the only one taking a different exam this time too?'

Surprisingly, Professor Knighton, who was in charge of the <Magical Algebra and Arcane Geometry> lecture, was a mage with the brilliant educational philosophy of having students take separate exams tailored to their level (or more precisely, just one student).

Thanks to this, Yi-Han had been solving more difficult problems alone since last year. Even thinking about it again, it was truly unreasonable nonsense.

Still, he had thought it might be a little better this time since the professor wasn't at school and the mad doppelganger was helping...

'Hmm. It seems to have gotten even worse.'

It didn't seem right to be listening to the mad doppelganger's lectures on ancient history and the principles of arcane geometry during time he would have originally studied for the exam.

While thinking that, the mad doppelganger called Yi-Han.

"My disciple, you should teach the other mages."

"Pardon?"

"They're not understanding, are they? Someone is needed to explain royalty's teachings at their level."

When he looked up, his other friends were staring at Yi-Han with haggard and miserable faces.

It seemed the mad doppelganger's questions had repeatedly knocked down his friends.

"...Ah. So that's it."

At his disciple's answer, the mad doppelganger nodded as if to say 'now you understand'.

Yi-Han grumbled inwardly as he stood up.

'It has gotten worse indeed.'

  *

Intarendals, the head servant serving the mad doppelganger, left the mountain workshop on his master's orders and moved to Einroguard.

Fortunately, since the skull principal was absent, he could worry less about the Death Knights' eyes.

If the skull principal had been present, it would have been unthinkable to wander near the main building in broad daylight.

'More than that... Isn't Master acting a bit strange?'

Lately, Intarendals had been feeling something off.

It was a sense of discomfort that only a head servant who had served his master with loyalty for a long time could feel.

Who was his master?

Wasn't he a seeker who tried to solve this world's deficiencies with magic?

Of course, due to an unfortunate accident, he had lost his physical body and become a thought entity exiled from the world, but for a great mage, that was merely a trial.

In fact, just looking at the current situation showed his master's extraordinariness.

How long had it been since he descended, yet he was already finding a disciple to inherit his robe of dharma and transmitting teachings. This was something only those loved by heaven could do, beyond mere extraordinariness.

But...

'Then shouldn't he transmit magic more boldly?'

The reason his master sought a disciple was ultimately to transmit and complete the unfulfilled wish that had become difficult for himself, exiled from the world, to achieve.

While it was understandable when the skull principal, an evil remnant interfering with his master, was around, now he was nowhere to be seen and quiet, so Intarendals couldn't understand why his master was hesitating.

-Master. The situation seems to have settled somewhat, so I will prepare to transmit high-level magic.-

-Enough. Wait.-

-Then the small world...?-

-No. There's no need for that.-

-???!-

-Wait. Royalty has something in mind.-

Intarendals wondered if it was because of the evil aspect within that had awakened last time.

It was certainly surprising, but conversely, that was the extent of it.

Though the timing and degree were unexpected, both the mad doppelganger himself and Intarendals knew such a thing could happen.

Losing one's physical body and becoming a thought entity exiled from the world meant such things.

A life of constantly being rejected by the world, not knowing when the flames of fear would strike.

...If so, shouldn't he whip his disciple even more?

If his master was considering the possibility of being summoned back, this complacent teaching was even more incomprehensible.

Shouldn't he teach more fiercely so that the legacy of those teachings would remain when his master descended again in the future?

Yet this leisurely attitude. It was even more incomprehensible.

Intarendals debated whether he should give presumptuous advice beyond his duties as head servant.

'It doesn't seem there's any reason to transmit these items to Master Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family now either...'

What Intarendals was carrying from the workshop now were items the mad doppelganger had instructed.

Reagents and materials gathered to create the workshop and set up surrounding magic after descending.

And several books written by the mad doppelganger.

Though they were certainly valuable items, it seemed giving them to the now leisurely disciple would only make him more lax.

"Strange... Though royalty taught directly, the remaining amount has increased?"

"Isn't it because Master keeps adding content that won't be on the exam!"

"!?"

Intarendals nearly fainted at the sight before his eyes.

What on earth was going on here?