[231] 3. Where Is Shirone? (6)
"Where's Shirone?"
"How should I know? Isn't he in the dining hall?"
"I'm asking because he's not there."
Kanis had a guess. He'd probably gone to Alpheas to report on the Heaven faction's affairs.
He wouldn't mind telling someone if it meant getting rid of annoying people, but he wasn't in the mood.
"What are you going to do if you find Shirone?"
"Crush him. They say he's the best, so if I break that guy you'll have to come under me too."
"Hahahaha!"
Kanis laughed in disbelief. Closer narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.
"Is that funny? Don't you know who we are?"
"Do you lot even know who Shirone is?" Dante said.
"I do. He's the one who reached the realm of Immortal Function. But so what? If you think being a mage is some kind of ascetic calling, you're mistaken. Magic, plainly put, is a killing art."
Kanis had no quarrel with that. After spending time with a sage-like Shirone, hearing such blunt words felt oddly refreshing.
But if Shirone were really just a soft, harmless do-gooder, he'd have been trampled long ago.
Shirone was different. That was the point.
"I'm saying this because I really worry about you—if you can, leave that guy alone. Seeing you reminds me of how I used to be," Dante said.
"Hahaha! So what, you lose and I lose too? Now I see—you were just a loser," Kanis replied calmly. He'd lived long enough that cheap provocation didn't faze him.
"Winning and losing isn't the point. How far have you fallen?" Dante taunted.
"I don't know what you mean. I've never fallen. Not like you," Kanis answered.
"Then give it a try. I'll make you feel what it's like to be trampled to the very bottom you can imagine. Heh heh heh."
Dante's face flushed. In the capital Bashka, no one looked down on him—not because the place was grand, but because people there were ignorant. He hadn't been raised to deal with bumpkins like these.
"Fine. I'll crush him. When that time comes, you'll kneel before me."
When Dante and his group left, Kanis lost all appetite. Why were so many nobles so arrogant?
Arin chewed and said, "Surprising, Kanis. You just admitted Shirone's the best so easily."
"I hate troublesome things. I don't want attention in a place like this."
"Well, Shirone will handle it himself."
Kanis puckered his lips. Even if he didn't worry, Arin—as a member of the Heaven faction—ought to show a little concern.
"Still… doesn't that sound a bit irresponsible?"
"No, really. I think Shirone will be fine."
Arin sucked her finger and glanced at the rice ball in Kanis's hand.
"Have you finished it?"
"No, this is—"
Kanis pulled the rice ball back defensively. He should've eaten faster. Because he'd gotten into a pointless squabble with some nobodies, he nearly lost a meal.
"Oh, you've finished. Here, take mine."
"Hehe, thanks."
With her hunger somewhat sated, Arin regained her composure and asked, "Come to think of it, Shirone sure has a lot of enemies."
"But he has just as many allies. He won't be lonely."
Kanis looked up at the clear sky. Harvist was, even now, analyzing the books of Light and Darkness brought from Heaven.
Having inherited the Arcane's legacy, there was no need to rush. Sometimes it was okay to take it easy—they'd been running without stopping up until now.
"Slowly. Take it slow."
"Yeah, let's do that."
Kanis smiled and turned to Arin. He shook his head as if to say she was hopeless, and patted her back.
"Eat a bit slower."
4. Combat Simulation (1)
Lunch ended and the combined advanced-class session resumed. As always, the instructor was Etella and the location was the training ground with the Image Zone.
About ten minutes later, Shirone came running in, out of breath.
He'd gotten used to teleporting during the break, so jogging here was unexpectedly tiring.
"Ah, Teacher Etella. I'm sorry. I tried to make it on time."
"I heard from Nade. Go in and get ready for class."
Dante and his group realized it had been impossible to meet Shirone at lunch from the start, and their faces showed how annoyed they felt.
If they'd just said so—what was the point of making people run around?
"Welcome, everyone. This semester I see some new faces. Dante, Closer, Sabina—welcome to Alpheas School of Magic. Give them a round of applause."
Dante forced a wry smile. He had expected more from Romi Etella, who had a reputation even at the Royal Magic Academy, but her impression defied expectations.
She had a gentle face, wore big glasses, and tied her hair up sloppily. Knowing she was a monk made that somewhat understandable, but her teaching style felt like watching the nanny who taught you when you were seven.
What was more surprising was that, despite the childish manner, the students were earnestly clapping.
"Let's begin. Lower classes will focus on converting the four-way method and sequence formulas; the advanced class will proceed with mental pulsing, targeting, then sequence formulas."
Sabina whispered to Closer, "Looks like the graduation class and the advanced class are getting totally different lessons."
"Right. I was hoping for practice time, but it's just as boring."
Sabina had transferred in hoping to take Etella's class—the one tied to the Triple title. If a student achieved level 6 or higher in three fields, they earned the Triple designation, and Etella was a legend in education, having level 6 in magic, martial arts, and Spirit Zone cultivation.
But the actual class wasn't only childish in tone; the curriculum was nothing but tedious basic training.
Sabina raised her hand. "Teacher, don't we do other training? I want to learn Sniper Mode."
"That's a major subject, not taught in the advanced class."
"But if it's Teacher Etella, you could teach it. Honestly, I transferred just to take this class."
"The advanced class is about finding your aptitude. Sniper Mode is ultimately a conversion of the four-way method. Applied techniques can wait until you've thoroughly built the basics."
"Ugh, then can't I learn it privately? If I say I learned it from Etella, I could brag to my friends."
In the metro area, whom you trained under was apparently a point of pride.
Etella would like to oblige, but fairness rules prevented it. According to Alpheas School of Magic regulations, teachers couldn't teach subjects outside their assigned courses.
A clear voice came from the entrance of the training ground.
"That's not always the case. Being overly orthodox can hinder development."
Olivia walked in, trailed by the advanced-class teachers like attendants.
Along with Etella, Sade and Shiina—the other two pillars of Alpheas—were visible.
The two who met Etella's eyes shrugged as if to say, "Can you believe this?"—a gesture they could only get away with because they were out of Olivia's line of sight.
"Good day, Headmistress," Etella greeted with a monk's courtesy. Olivia nodded and scanned the students.
"I saw at the entrance that one student wanted to learn applied techniques. If a student's passion lies in learning, shouldn't a teacher be able to teach them?"
"But according to the rules—"
"I know that. But rules change with time. Keeping Jonah, renowned across the kingdom, as an instructor while forcing students to do basic drills forever is inefficient."
Etella had taken Jonah on purpose so Alpheas would drill the basics into the advanced students.
Olivia saw it differently. Basics were important, but to raise the school's standing, visible results were necessary.
"Each of these students is different. Trying to force them all into one mold is pointless. If you see potential, you should actively push them."
Sade and Shiina—who never missed an argument—kept quiet this time.
That was the stance of an accredited Level 2 archmage.
Classification of mages is standardized worldwide: it's called the Line, a massive manpower network that manages all mages.
There are three Lines, and the channel with the widest bandwidth is the Red Line, run by the Magic Association.
All mages—certified and uncertified, from Level 1 to Level 10—belong to the Red Line.
Teachers under the Red Line knew how impossible it was to reach Olivia's position. There are usually fewer than five certified Level 1 mages in a kingdom, so being a certified Level 2 puts you at the top of the Red Line.
No matter how eccentric their philosophy, a mage who reached certified Level 2 can't easily be contradicted.
Etella spoke. While Jonah was part of the Red Line, Etella herself was a monk with no ties to the mage manpower network, so she had more freedom to speak.
"Advanced students lack understanding of magic. What's important is not a mere personality that differs from others, but finding an individuality no one else can imitate. That's why I emphasize basics."
The teachers paled. Sade and Shiina quietly gave thumbs up. Etella looked gentle, but she was firm at heart.
"Is that what you think? Fine. Then shall we verify how faithful Etella's students are to the basics with a Spirit Zone lifting evaluation?"
Etella had heard of the lifting evaluation at academic conferences. It was often praised as more objective than other methods and effective for gauging the Spirit Zone's overall level.
Shirone and his group felt their hearts tighten at the teachers' power struggle.
"Phew, not just Teacher Etella but Headmistress Olivia means business," one muttered.
"Yeah. Isn't this going to explode into something?"
"Surely not. Even Shiina didn't say a word."
Etella nodded confidently.
"Alright. I'm proud to say the fundamentals my students learn can stand up to any school."
"Then let's begin. Has anyone here done Spirit Zone lifting training in Class Four?"
Only Dante's group raised hands. Alpheas had rejected it earlier for lack of proven efficacy, but the Royal Magic Academy had formally adopted it a year ago.
"Good. Since everyone's curious about the transfer students' skill, Dante, would you come out and demonstrate?"
"It would be my honor, Headmistress."
As Dante walked into the Image Zone, Olivia instructed the teachers to set the target's sensitivity to maximum.
Etella explained the lifting.
"The lifting test evaluates the Spirit Zone's functions as a whole. You trap a highly springy target in the Spirit Zone. Because the target will bounce off in unpredictable directions depending on the Spirit Zone's density, specific gravity, and shape changes, the longer you can hold it, the better the Spirit Zone's function."
Dante took his place at the center of the Image Zone. He snapped his fingers and a spherical target appeared above the crown of his head.