Chapter 190
“I just let my guard down for a second. If I had responded properly, it would have been you getting hurt instead.”
Arha rubbed her cheek where she had been hit and nodded her head from side to side. Her eyes showed no signs of breaking and instead reflected a hint of curiosity as she looked at Vargan.
Vargan shot her a look that suggested she was nothing more than a bug he’d rather ignore.
“Weaklings always have one common trait.”
“Huh?”
“They make a lot of excuses.”
“Aha! That’s the first time anyone’s ever called me weak!”
Arha seemed to take it as a joke rather than a slight against her. She was clearly enjoying the flattery, with absolute confidence in her abilities. That conviction was what drove her actions.
“There are so many interesting people in the Academia. I want to fight Alicia, but now I also want to fight you, Vargan.”
Her curiosity piqued at Alicia, who had come into Academia through a similar path.
She wasn’t unaware of Vargan’s existence, but Arha, who focused solely on whatever captured her interest, had given him little thought. Now, however, her attention was shifting.
“You’re definitely not sane.”
Vargan shook his head dismissively.
He ignored Arha’s eagerness to start combat, knowing that escalating things would only lead to annoying complications.
Just as he resolved that, professors who had been summoned for dialogue began to appear.
“What on earth is going on here!”
Some professors frowned and showed their displeasure.
“Tch.”
Arha clicked her tongue. Even though she didn’t care about the eyes around her, stepping up in front of ‘that person’ would definitely result in her being swiftly subdued.
As the group of professors seemed to fill the room, two final figures made their entrance.
Chancellor Gulemashia of Academia and the young Chancellor Heigel of Rikeion.
“It seems one of our students has caused a disturbance.”
With his arrival, the situation was completely resolved.
* * *
In the end, Rikeion offered their apology.
Arha’s stiff neck was forcibly bent down by Edina, the Student Council President. Several times she tried to raise her head, even using magic to suppress it.
“This commotion was caused by a student from our Rikeion. As the one responsible, I, Heigel, sincerely apologize to everyone in Academia.”
As Heigel bowed, his long hair swayed along.
Even while making an apology, there was an air of dignity in his every movement. Despite holding the title of Chancellor, he was still a remarkably young man.
When Heigel, the Chancellor of Rikeion, directly apologized, Edina’s expression slightly darkened.
A hint of injustice and anger could be seen, but not overwhelmingly so.
Being her first official appearance as Student Council President and having such an incident occur was bound to be embarrassing.
This must be pretty embarrassing for her.
Moreover, she couldn’t wrap up the incident herself.
No, to be precise, I intervened at the moment she was trying to sort things out, preventing her from doing so.
No matter how outstanding a genius Arha is, she can still barely be kept in check by Edina.
Edina, being the princess of the Ocel Kingdom, comes from a prestigious lineage and has received extensive education. Even without my interference, she could have handled it herself.
‘However, by intervening, I completely shifted the weight of the situation.’
If Edina had managed to restrain Arha and organized things smoothly, Rikeion wouldn’t have had to apologize so deeply.
From the beginning of the problem to its resolution, it turned out to be a nuisance for the Academia, so she has some right to feel wronged.
…Well, it’s not like I did this on purpose to be considerate or anything.
In the beginning, the difference in perspectives became a driving force by which I could lead the conversation. Thus, Academia gained a relative advantage.
‘Hmm…?’
In an instant, I locked eyes with the Chancellor of Rikeion.
He’s a man skilled at hiding his expression. With a gentle smile, he conceals his inner thoughts. One could say he has significant eyes.
“Well then, I’d like to discuss the final exam for this second semester.”
As the atmosphere settled, a professor from Rikeion began to speak.
Following his lead, the discussion finally commenced, and matters were determined step by step.
……About two hours later, all the detailed arrangements for the final exam were set.
At the end of the dialogue, the professor announced the key decisions.
“With this, I’d like to conclude the joint meeting for the second-semester final exam between Rikeion and the first-year students of Academia.”
The designated location for the exam is Rikeion.
“The exam will be held on December 24th and 25th. It will proceed over the course of two days.”
It’s been decided on the sacred day celebrating the birth of Jesus in modern times.
…And at that time, due to trials, my ‘eyes’ will also be blinded.
I knew about it, but things don’t just resolve easily.
* * *
After finishing the discussion with Rikeion, I tried to leave the conference room with my companions.
However, suddenly, I was stopped by the Chancellor of Rikeion, so it ended up being just the two of us. He wanted to have a chat.
While others exited, Arha blabbered, “Let’s have a proper match next time!” but I ignored her.
‘Alicia overcoming her trauma is a blessing.’
Maybe the very thought of using someone like her as a substitute for Alicia was a mistake.
As I pondered these trivial thoughts, Heigel spoke in a gentle tone.
“He’s an exceptional student, but he’s unpredictable, so I apologize for the trouble.”
He mentioned Arha, as it seems he doesn’t see my punch thrown at her as unfair.
I silently observed the long-haired man, Heigel, in front of me.
Sure enough, he was trying not to show what he was thinking. This attitude was quite familiar and adept.
…Since he brought up Arha, it’s typical to comply. He might reveal why he wants to chat with me.
“You’re right about that. I’ve heard rumors about Arha; she is indeed a genius, but her social skills are excessively lacking.”
I openly used derogatory expressions about Arha. Despite belittling a student from Rikeion, Heigel merely chuckled awkwardly instead of taking offense.
“That’s undeniable.”
“To be honest, I don’t think it’s a good choice to present her as the representative for the first-years.”
“It’s not suitable to set her up as the first-year representative… That’s also hard to deny.”
He seems to agree with my statement, but Heigel holds firm to his stance.
Highgel, unyielding as ever.
“Is there really a need to put Arha forth as the representative for the First-Year Students, despite these blemishes?”
I tried to guess his intent while observing the ensuing reactions.
Having already finished a cup of cold tea, Highgel seemed to be reminiscing about something. Calmly, his lips parted.
“Have you ever witnessed a ‘genius’, Vargan?”
The man, in his late thirties who had risen to the pinnacle of Rikeion, said that.
The term genius did not sound out of place for him. However, the definition of genius he spoke of seemed to deviate far from conventional standards.
“…Yes. I have.”
I answered honestly, recalling Alicia.
The insane genius Alicia. I can never forget the first moment I witnessed her talent.
Even now, recalling the thrill that coursed through my body gives me chills.
He likely anticipated my response. After all, I had entered the Academia with Alicia as my servant, and her genius had become quite well-known by now.
Upon hearing my answer, he offered a bittersweet smile and continued.
“You must have heard the term prodigy or genius repeatedly, Vargan. It’s embarrassing for me to say, but I too have experienced that.”
“…Yes.”
After going through the tumultuous age of thirteen, I had lost meaning and became lax in my training, yet I was still able to grow rapidly in a short period due to acquiring fortuitous circumstances, the advantage of mana quantity, and Vargan’s innate talent.
It was possible because all three elements were in place; otherwise, reaching my current level would have been impossible.
“However, as you may feel, Vargan, the term ‘genius’ does not exist for us.”
What is a true genius?
Arterion, who is said to become the Sword Master of the future, also lived under the name of genius. Edina, who shares his bloodline, was once called a genius magician.
The same goes for Erica. When her suitability for unique Warp Magic and challenging Ice Magic was revealed, there was quite a stir about the genius of Portlet Family.
Geniuses are everywhere, here and there.
To put it bluntly, if someone is slightly superior or exhibits a bit of uniqueness, they are hailed as geniuses, no matter who they are.
Of course, those people are still a minuscule minority compared to the total population.
So, they receive recognition and garner envy and glory.
—However, I must assert this.
The term genius does not refer to these common folk.
It should not be cheap or trivial. It must encompass a nobility that feels almost divine.
“The pinnacle of current magicians, Gulemashia. Those who witnessed his prime universally deemed him a genius who carries the legacy of the very first magician.”
Was there a leftover scene being recalled? There was a hint of elation in Highgel’s voice.
While he regarded the Chancellor of Academia, Gulemashia, as a rival, he also viewed him as a destination he desperately wants to surpass someday.
“…Vargan. I believe only those beings are worthy of the title genius.”
Others, at best, are mere imitations of the true article.
No matter how exquisitely decorated or high-quality they may seem, in the end, they are counterfeit.
There is a difference between the real and the imitation.
“……”
Highgel took another sip of his tea, calming his slightly excited heart. His tone shifted as if now we were getting to the main point.
“On a certain day three years ago, the Third Danger Group invaded a rural village.”
A bishop from the Goddess Church, seeking to expand his influence, brutally raided the village, using the villagers as hosts.
It was a cruel act, yet it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary happening in various parts of the world today.
At that time, Highgel happened to be passing near the village and sensed the danger, rushing to the scene.
“Many people had already become hosts, and I was cremating them while searching for survivors.”
Many people were in a state of a host, and I was searching for survivors while cremating them.
However, Heigel, who was exterminating the priest-level beings, suddenly sensed something was off.
The priest-level beings seemed to be moving chaotically, as if they weren’t receiving any orders. They had no clear purpose.
It was as if they had lost their leader.
They appeared to be wandering around.
“…Then, I discovered an entity that seemed to be the Third Danger Class. However… incredibly, that entity was already dead, and only a 14-year-old girl was sitting there soaked in blood.”
That was the first meeting between Arha and Heigel.
Arha killed the bishop.
A 14-year-old girl who had never received any magic training.
She killed the intellect of Altife.
She sprayed the bishop’s perfume on herself faster than Vargan could react.
As unbelievable events unfolded, the world couldn’t properly see the truth and believed that Heigel had defeated the bishop, and so it was known.
But it was written correctly in the original, so I knew the facts.
Heigel didn’t try to persuade me but continued speaking. It was a response that indicated I would understand if I found Alicia without needing further explanation.
“I was able to become more certain by bringing Arha along for teaching her. The fact that she is a genius.”
Until then, Arha had used magic, but only in a playful manner.
In other words, she had naturally self-studied magic to use it as a toy.
‘Is it to align with the story’s coherence?’
An absurd level of genius.
I saw it as a setting for the story’s progression.
The heroine Alicia, who started learning magic the latest in terms of timing.
Liam, the protagonist, whose innate talent was not even on par with an average person.
And among their competitors, there was also Arha, the rival from another school, who also started significantly later than her peers.
For them to fight against those previously deemed geniuses, grow, and defeat monsters, something to compensate for this difference on their part was needed.
Thus, ‘mad talent’ was given to Alicia and Arha.
And ‘status window’ was granted to Liam.
Perhaps Vargan’s ‘wandering’ can also be seen as a tool to match the levels of timing.
The villain must be struck at the appropriate moment.
“Of course, I’m not belittling Vargan’s talent. It’s just that, at that age, rarely would there be such achievements.”
Heigel’s words made me chuckle softly.
Those words implied that geniuses like Gulemashia had already surpassed my achievements at my age.
In fact, if Alicia or Arha had received the same process Vargan did without going through the ‘wandering’ period, they would have achieved higher accomplishments than I have now.
No, even if they had gone through it, it would be the same. They are definitely superior to the original talent Vargan possessed.
Moreover, Heigel wouldn’t be properly aware of Vargan’s wandering, and it would be correct to judge based on the visible results alone.
However… that’s…
“The reason I brought this up is that I believe Vargan’s actions will resonate with mine.”
Heigel pointed out that I was creating rules in the Research Society called Arbol Frutal and that I was systematically nurturing talents.
He also recounted my journey so far and said that my method could harmonize and coexist with Rikeion.
“I want to support each other with Vargan.”
For the first time, he showed his true smile.
It was a smile of a negotiator, like a businessman seeking profit.
“I will assist you in the trials of Unique Spells. In return, please help me in my endeavors.”
Somehow he seemed to know everything about the trials clearly.
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