Chapter 38. Magic That Makes Money
The guy Gusto found was extremely ordinary.
Other than the fact that he wore glasses, he had no distinguishing features.
He hadn't shown any suspicious behavior during class either.
He was the very picture of an ordinary freshman.
'But he shamelessly cast a scan magic on me.'
If Radel hadn't had Status Effect Nullification, it was so natural that he would have never known.
The fact that he had secretly approached with a magic skill that was unbefitting of a freshman fueled Radel's suspicion.
He could be from the 2nd Prince's or the 9th Prince, Leon's, faction, but he could also be from another royal's faction.
In any case, there was no harm in being wary.
"Gusto, don't you think you've seen that guy somewhere before?"
"I'm not sure. Now that I think about it, I guess I've gotten used to him from thinking I had to catch him."
It seemed that Gusto's mind had been filled with only the thought of finding that guy since yesterday.
His tenacity and passion could be felt.
"For the crime of bumping into His Highness's shoulder and not apologizing. He must be severely punished."
“Well…… thank you for now.”
However, Radel's feelings were different from Gusto's. Although it was hard to say for sure where he had seen him, he was definitely familiar.
After the lecture, Radel followed the guy, and surprisingly, the guy was also staying at the campsite.
Was he familiar because they were neighbors?
Radel observed the guy's movements, pretending to clean up around his tent.
The guy, as if exhausted from the Cryptozoology lecture, trudged back and didn't come out of his tent for a while.
Then, when it was lunchtime, he stuck his head out of the tent.
"What are you doing? Let's go eat!"
In the meantime, Inette and Gusto had come to see Radel.
"Did you hear about the afternoon lecture? It's a joint class."
“Do you mean alchemy?”
"I think so."
Inette, who had been tormented by her followers in Class A, seemed to be in a good mood just from being able to take the same lecture as Class B.
“You must be happy to be taking the class with us.”
“What did you say?”
“I understand. It’s not easy to make friends.”
“Y-you……! An apprentice holy knight! Do you have friends?! Do you!”
Inette, who had snapped at Gusto, made a fuss. Even in the midst of the commotion, Radel observed what the guy was doing.
'What's he doing?'
The guy wasn't going to the cafeteria right away and was dawdling. When he looked to see what he was doing, it seemed he was loitering near Leon's tent.
'Is he a follower of Leon?'
Radel thought he would have to watch a little longer.
* * *
After lunch, it was afternoon.
The place Radel had moved to was an alchemy workshop far from the academy's main building.
Most academy professors had their own workshops. It was also a place he would be frequenting if he chose alchemy as his major.
"By the way, have you thought about your major?"
“You haven’t even taken all the lectures yet, but have you already decided?”
“……I wasn’t asking you.”
Inette snapped at Gusto and then turned her head away.
She had been in this state since she found out during lunchtime that Gusto had apprentice holy knight colleagues.
To think that impertinent apprentice holy knight has more friends than her!
Radel, noticing that, spoke to Inette in a mature way.
"Inette, don't be like that. It's not a crime for Gusto to have many friends."
“Wh-what? You think I’m like this because of that?”
"Then you're not?"
Inette could never admit it.
"No! I have followers too, what's wrong with you."
At Inette's words, Radel and Gusto shook their heads.
Didn't she say she hated her followers because they were like attendants?
As soon as Inette's words ended, a murmuring sound was heard from far away.
"They say they saw the princess around here."
“Are you sure?”
"Of course. Is there anyone else with hair as dazzling as a flame besides our princess? We must find the princess and serve her immediately so that she has not a single discomfort!"
Inette turned pale when she heard that sound. It was undoubtedly Inette's followers.
Radel also doubted his ears.
No matter how intense the loyalty competition among the followers was, wasn't that a bit too much?
"Because she keeps sticking with the 8th Prince, we can't get close!"
"That's right. Why of all people is she being friendly with that prince?"
“Still, isn’t it better than the 9th Prince? Just thinking about those magic-crazed guys makes me shudder.”
Radel listened to the followers' words and nodded inwardly. Thinking about Leon's followers, this level of praise felt fine.
"Let's go somewhere else quickly."
Inette whispered through her clenched teeth.
"What did you say?"
"I said let's go somewhere else quickly!"
At Inette's urging, Radel and Gusto hid behind a nearby building. The followers who had been looking for Inette eventually couldn't find them and moved away.
Inette, who had let out a sigh of relief, saw Radel and Gusto and her face turned red. It was a pitiful look on her face, as she had been bragging about having followers and then desperately avoiding them.
“Th-this is, well……!”
"Yes, I know. Even I would be embarrassed if I heard that every day."
“I also understand.”
Inette was flushed with shame.
"No, I was!"
"Inette, wait."
Radel signaled Inette to stay still. It was because he felt a dangerously writhing magic power nearby.
Gusto also seemed to have felt something from Radel's actions and quietly gripped his sword.
Unconcealed magic power. A threatening flow of magic power was swirling in front of them.
As they held their breath, they could hear a small voice.
"You promised to fight me."
"I never did."
It was a voice he had heard before.
Radel spotted the professors facing each other inside. It was Professor Lilian Merchent, who taught Combat Magic, and Professor Marianne Painword, who taught Summoning Magic.
In particular, Lilian was emitting a menacing aura and pressuring Marianne.
“It’s no use whining like that, Lilian.”
Marianne sighed and turned around.
“Why would you and I? There’s no reason for professors to fight.”
“Is that so?”
Lilian's expression turned cold.
At the same time, a storm of magic power rushed at them.
The magic that changed the will of the world, which Professor Lilian had shown in her first lecture. Now, Lilian was trying to crush Marianne with just her strong will.
“Ugh……!”
It was an aura that was strong enough to shake even Radel's small amount of magic power.
“……Who’s there?”
Professor Lilian's eyes widened fearfully, as if she had noticed Radel's presence.
Radel instinctively knew that he was in big trouble.
“Looks like there’s a rat. Good timing.”
Professor Lilian's menacing aura was getting closer.
He thought about running away now, but he was a rat in a trap. He didn't think he could get away from a Professor Lilian in that state without being caught.
"Hehe. A bad child who eavesdrops on others' conversations should be punished."
Professor Lilian even hummed as she approached.
Seeing that, Professor Marianne put a hand to her forehead.
That battle maniac was being unusually persistent today, and it seemed she was determined to cause trouble.
"Stop. A student who had something to ask me was told to wait around here."
So she used teleportation magic to block Lilian's path.
Professor Marianne, who was naturally blocking the aura that Professor Lilian was emitting, glanced back.
Weak magic power.
It was the magic power he had felt when he had taught the freshmen elemental magic.
“Yes. What did you want to ask?”
Professor Marianne hoped that the freshman would make up a suitable excuse.
“Professor! You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting.”
The freshman spoke cheerfully, as if he had really been waiting.
It was a more natural attitude than Marianne had expected.
“Thank you for your valuable time. Actually, I was here earlier, but I found it difficult to speak to you as you seemed to be in a conversation with someone else.”
It was said so fluently that she wondered if she had really made an appointment with this freshman.
Professor Marianne turned so that Professor Lilian couldn't see and checked who the freshman was.
The 8th Prince was making a relieved face.
“Would it be alright if I asked about a magic other than Summoning Magic?”
"Of course."
He could hear Professor Lilian grinding her teeth behind him.
Professor Marianne chuckled. It didn't feel bad to have gotten one over on that battle maniac.
* * *
As soon as they got away from Professor Lilian and Professor Marianne, Radel, Inette, and Gusto headed straight for the alchemy workshop.
“How could you be so calm there?”
Inette asked, rubbing her arms which had gotten goosebumps. It felt like the powerful magic power that Professor Lilian had emitted was still there.
"It was a situation where I had no choice."
Radel opened the door to the alchemy workshop, answering nonchalantly.
When Professor Lilian had approached at first, even Radel's heart had dropped, but he had been able to get through it with Professor Marianne's help.
'I had something to ask anyway.'
Fortunately, he had been able to get the answer he wanted.
Radel sat down with Inette and Gusto in an empty seat.
Soon, a young alchemist with white hair came in and wrote his name on the blackboard.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Cailin Gamenter, and I’m an alchemy professor at the academy.”
When he, with his quite handsome features, smiled, a small commotion arose among the female students.
Professor Cailin, as if used to it, did not react and moved on.
“As you all know, alchemy can be said to be one of the important subjects for magicians. Is there a magician who has never handled a potion or reagent before?”
The freshmen nodded at his explanation. It was certain that magicians were not just beings who used magic.
Just looking at the streets of Marcellent, there were rows of shops selling various potions. The people who made them were all magicians.
“Does a magician have to become an imperial court magician of the empire or an official of the Ministry of Magic? No.”
Professor Cailin shook his head.
“No matter how much a magician seeks the truth of magic, they can’t study magic without money. Then can they use magic indefinitely to make money! No.”
Professor Cailin now had a completely pitiful expression.
“Unfortunately, magic power is not infinite. Then what can we choose? Something that can make a lot of money without using a lot of magic power! Something that only a magician can do!”
Professor Cailin explained in a tone full of conviction.
“That’s alchemy. Magic that makes money. I think it’s the most valuable magic among the numerous magics.”
At Professor Cailin's words, Radel was intrigued. He had been thinking that he needed more money in preparation for the time he would have to leave the imperial palace someday.
However, he couldn't believe everything Professor Cailin said. He had learned from making Hayden-style potions for training that it required quite a lot of ingredients.
And that the ingredients were quite expensive.
Radel raised his hand and asked the professor.
"But doesn't alchemy require a lot of money for ingredients?"
Professor Cailin wanted to coax the freshmen and increase the number of majors. It was because the more majors there were, the more budget he could secure.
In fact, it was the same for other magics, but alchemy was like a bottomless pit.
Precious ingredients were endlessly used for research, and money was always lacking.
However, there was no need to say that yet.
At the sharp question in the first lecture, Professor Cailin cleared his throat.
"Ahem, ahem. That's a good question. But the air is stuffy because we're indoors. Shall we all go outside?"
Professor Cailin guided the freshmen outside and glared at the freshman who had just asked the question.
He has the eye color of a royal, so why is he so worldly-wise?