Chapter 56. An Unpopular Class
Splash.
Radel cast his fishing rod again.
'It's quiet.'
As his presence faded, a new world opened up.
He could clearly feel the movement of the swaying blades of grass and even small insects.
The sensation of mana flowing.
The sensation of becoming a part of nature.
- Chirp, chirp!
Birds flew over and sat near Radel, chirping.
They seemed unaware that a person was there.
- Chirp?
Then, as if they were surprised to find Radel, they flew away in an instant with a flutter.
Seeing this, a smile naturally escaped Radel's lips. He had erased his presence, albeit for a moment.
Although he couldn't completely erase his presence like Professor Bronson, he was definitely getting the hang of it.
'If I keep training this, it will be a huge help.'
The academy had an ironclad nighttime security system. Flying golems and guards thoroughly monitored the outside of the academy, so it was impossible to go outside through normal means.
Radel had tried to find a way out through the secret passage several times, but it wasn't easy.
It was good that it prevented external intrusion, but they had also made it so that one couldn't go out from the inside.
This training was especially necessary to approach the dungeons Radel was targeting.
If he could erase his presence, it would be possible to avoid the eyes of the guards and golems.
However, reality was harsh.
"Are you going to keep taking this?"
Professor Bronson asked, taking a break from fishing.
"Mana Training? Of course, Professor."
When Radel answered promptly, Professor Bronson replied indifferently.
"But the academy has its policies. We can't hold a class just to teach one person."
"Does that mean……."
Radel's face turned serious.
"Could this class be canceled if things continue like this?"
Professor Bronson nodded.
In fact, he had no particular reason to teach the Mana Training class.
Even if the class was canceled, he wouldn't be fired from his position as an academy professor, and he had many other things to do.
Like most academy professors, he was in charge of various commissions in addition to his personal research.
For example, a secret request from the principal.
But it was also true that he felt like teaching Radel.
'A guy like that is rare.'
These days, magicians tended to focus more on how quickly they could cast spells and how splendidly they could unfold their magic.
While fast casting and large-scale magic were also necessary, Professor Bronson didn't want to teach those who only pursued such magic.
That's why he deliberately hid his presence at the beginning of the class so that the students couldn't find him.
He didn't feel like teaching unless a student noticed the flow of mana and found him, but if they weren't at that level, he wasn't particularly inclined to hold the class.
'He's a guy who properly understands that the source of magic power is mana.'
Basically, the freshmen who entered the academy were those who could use magic to some extent.
Once they learned to use magic, they later took it for granted that magic was manifested as they chanted the spell and moved their magic power.
Especially as freshmen, they only thought about getting stronger quickly by learning more complex and difficult magic, and they had no interest in handling magic power through steady training.
Although there were occasional types like Radel…….
'Well, shall I watch for now?'
Professor Bronson left Radel, who was deep in thought, and turned his eyes back to his fishing rod.
It was then.
"Excuse me. Is this the place for the Mana Training class?"
Someone appeared between the two of them.
It was a female student with a cold impression.
'When did she come?'
Radel was inwardly surprised to see the female student who had approached without a sound.
It was surprising that she had recognized Professor Bronson, who had erased his presence, but it was also surprising that there was someone else besides himself who had come to take the Mana Training class.
The female student greeted Professor Bronson, who nodded, and then silently picked up a fishing rod and sat down near the two to start fishing.
How much time had passed?
Her presence gradually faded.
'There was a skilled person like this?'
While Radel was once again surprised by the female student who adapted to the class quickly, he also had hope that the Mana Training class might not be canceled since there was someone else taking it besides himself.
'Maybe more will come?'
But no one else came until the end of the class.
How to save this unpopular class…….
It was Radel, who had started to worry about something even the professor wasn't worried about.
* * *
"Are you saying the 8th Prince has become the first-year representative of the academy?"
The voice of the 2nd Prince, Arteo Kudent Cretian, turned cold.
He looked calm on the outside, but his eyes were spewing all sorts of curses.
Arteo's aide, sensing the mood, lowered his body.
"That's right. The information just came in."
"The 8th Prince, not the 7th Princess or the 9th Prince?"
"Yes, Lord Arteo."
Although information about the academy's classes or exams was restricted and could not be leaked to the outside, the news of who had become the year representative spread outside the academy in just a few days.
Arteo swept back his hair.
It had been getting on his nerves since the Grand Temple of the Supreme Deity Order, and in the end, it had come to this.
The 8th Prince had not yet properly established his power, but he was growing rapidly.
It was no secret to most of the royal family that the Supreme Deity Order acknowledged the 8th Prince.
'At this rate…….'
It was dangerous.
The 2nd Prince's intuition was warning him that he couldn't leave the 8th Prince as he was.
He thought of his younger sister who was attending the academy with the 8th Prince.
The 3rd Princess, Shartea Kudent Cretian, was not interested in politics like this.
That's what made it more dangerous. If the year representatives had a meeting, he didn't know what the 8th Prince might try to do.
He was someone who had even won over the sly Archbishop of the Supreme Deity Order.
"He's undoubtedly an ambitious guy."
"It seems so. To snatch the first-year representative position as soon as he entered."
To take on the role of the year representative, surpassing the 9th Prince who had the 'Dragon's Blessing', made the record of him never having learned magic seem meaningless.
The 8th Prince seemed to have no intention of living quietly.
He had to step in.
It was necessary to break the 8th Prince before he grew any bigger.
'Perhaps he knows that I was behind the fall.'
Although it was swept under the rug, it was not difficult to know that the 2nd Prince was behind it.
If so, he would be sharpening the blade of revenge in his heart.
"I should have finished it before he manifested his Ability."
In Arteo's experience, it was safer to uproot a dangerous bud from the beginning.
"Indeed. For his Ability to manifest while he was on the verge of death, the 8th Prince was lucky."
At those words, Arteo muttered.
"Luck……."
Could it be called simple luck that he had safely overcome the crisis of death several times?
Even if he was hiding his abilities, Arteo was confident.
It was because he had something to rely on.
"You must have contacted the Black Fang, right?"
"Yes. They said they succeeded in infiltrating an assassin into the academy."
The assassin's guild called the Black Fang was a group of assassins that had disappeared about 10 years ago and then reappeared.
They moved so secretly that it was not easy for even the 2nd Prince to contact the Black Fang.
The information fee he had invested just to meet the Black Fang's contact was the price of a house in the capital.
But it was worth spending that much money.
They were famous for succeeding in their assassinations no matter what happened once they received a request.
It was their rule to attempt the assassination until the request was successful, even if the assassin failed and died.
"They promised to get rid of him within a month."
"Tsk, it's taking quite a while."
Arteo clicked his tongue in disappointment.
If only the 8th Prince had been in the capital, he could have done something without the power of the Black Fang.
Because he had entered the academy, he had to go through all this trouble.
Since Arteo was also an academy graduate, he knew how tight the academy's security was.
He didn't care how much money it took, as long as they succeeded in breaking through it.
"The 8th Prince must be eliminated. By any means necessary."
Only then would he and Shartea be safe.
A sword once drawn cannot be sheathed again.
This was the life of a royal as he knew it.
* * *
"Your Highness, how was the morning class?"
"It was a good class. Gusto, what did you say you were taking at that time?"
"Understanding of the Supreme Deity Order."
Gusto is a no-go.
Radel gave up his plan to persuade Gusto to take the Mana Training class with him.
Still, he casually tested the waters just in case.
"Is Understanding of the Supreme Deity Order fun?"
"Yes. The senior holy knights and priests who attend the academy take the class together, so my mind is at ease. It feels just like being in the temple."
What should I call this.
Since it's a connection made through the Supreme Deity Order, is it a church connection, not an academic connection?
Radel, seeing Gusto making strong connections, completely gave up.
He couldn't interfere with Gusto's social life.
It seemed he would have to find someone else to take Mana Training with him.
Radel and Gusto were at the training ground to take the Basic Physical Fitness class.
At the academy, students were required to take one physical training class to prevent their stamina from dropping.
Although swordsmanship was also one of the physical training classes, Radel had chosen the Basic Physical Fitness class instead of swordsmanship.
It was because the syllabus for the Basic Physical Fitness class stated that they would train their stamina and apply it in a real battle.
He thought he could both improve his stamina and his swordsmanship skills.
Inette had run off to the Liberal Arts Swordsmanship class.
It was the physical training class with the least burden, chosen by many first-years.
In other words, the first-years who had bothered to come to take Basic Physical Fitness had grit.
He might be able to find a friend to take Mana Training with him here.
"Alright, first, we'll run 30 laps around the training ground. Begin!"
Just then, the professor started the class right away.
Radel looked around as he ran around the training ground.
Running was something he did every morning, so it wasn't difficult.
Finding someone to take the Mana Training class with was the more difficult task.
As he looked around while running, he spotted the female student he had seen in the Mana Training class.
It seemed she was taking the Basic Physical Fitness class.
The female student didn't look tired even while running, and her expression remained cold.
'I have to get that friend to take the class.'
She had the same face when she was fishing earlier.
It didn't seem like her expression was because she didn't like the Mana Training class.
'There might be some hope after all.'
He was thinking that he should ask her if she planned to take Mana Training in the future.
As he turned his head, his eyes met with the professor who was standing in front of the training ground.
"C-choke!"
As if he had suddenly choked on something, he saw the professor clutching his throat.
Coincidentally, it seemed he had swallowed his saliva the wrong way when his eyes met with Radel's.
"Uh……?"
Looking closely, it seemed he had seen that professor somewhere before.
'That's not possible. I just saw this professor for the first time today.'
But strangely, the Basic Physical Fitness professor didn't make eye contact with Radel throughout the class.
'Is he shy?'
Radel thought nothing of it.