Chapter 60. The Revived Mana Training
'Thank goodness.'
Radel was inwardly relieved to see the female student who had appeared on time for the Mana Training class.
Since the course correction period was ending soon, many students were changing their classes.
Seeing her here again gave him hope.
It seemed the cancellation of Mana Training was getting a little further away.
Well, considering the skills she had shown in the last class, it seemed likely that the female student was also interested in Mana Training.
Radel, who had found the professor who was erasing his presence like last time, approached him.
"Hello, Professor."
"You're here."
Professor Bronson was sitting by the lakeside as usual, casting his fishing rod.
He didn't seem to care at all that the class might be canceled at any moment.
"Pick one and sit down wherever."
The female student with a cold face bowed her head to the professor in greeting, then picked one of the fishing rods piled on one side and sat down at a distance.
Radel also took a seat next to the professor.
As the two began to fish, their presences gradually faded.
Professor Bronson watched them and thought.
'They certainly have talent.'
He was bound to be interested when he saw a student with potential.
Still, he couldn't change the predetermined flow. Professor Bronson opened his mouth to the two of them.
"As you both probably expected, unfortunately, this class will likely be canceled next week because the minimum number of students has not been met."
Contrary to his words, Professor Bronson's expression did not look the least bit unfortunate, and a slight smile appeared on Radel's face.
However, he suppressed his smile and answered politely.
"That's a real shame, Professor. I really wanted to take it."
"I'm also very disappointed."
Professor Bronson's face was not the least bit disappointed.
But it was Radel who knew what kind of personality Professor Bronson had. It was surprising that he would even say that much.
"Then since this might be the last class, I'll have to work even harder."
Professor Bronson was puzzled by Radel's calm attitude. There were times when he couldn't figure out that guy's thoughts, which was strange.
Anyway, he was a peculiar fellow.
The three of them were silently looking at their fishing rods.
It was a moment when even the water's surface was calm.
"Excuse me, is this the right place for the Mana Training class?"
"There's no one here."
The voices of students could be heard at the quiet lakeside.
They were the friends Radel had persuaded.
"Your Highness, are you here?"
"Is this the right place? His Highness, Radel Silvert Cretian?"
Hearing that, Professor Bronson's expression changed.
One of his eyebrows went up, as if it was something unexpected.
'Your Highness?'
The prince those guys were looking for was sitting next to him.
The guy, who had a meaningful smile on his face, raised one hand to show his friends his location.
"Over here! Welcome, everyone."
And with his eyes shining, he said this to Professor Bronson.
"You have nothing to be disappointed about anymore, Professor. I look forward to your class."
Well, well. Look at this guy.
Last time he had surprised him by catching a kraken, and this time he was creating another surprise.
Professor Bronson eventually chuckled.
* * *
"He was right next to me a moment ago, where did he go?"
The first-year friends were trembling with fear, each holding a fishing rod.
It was a really strange class.
As soon as they arrived, they were told to pick a fishing rod each, and after that, he just made them fish without any other words.
He didn't even tell them what to do or how to do it.
It was the first time they had experienced such an unfriendly class.
The name of the class was Mana Training, but it felt like it was actually fishing training.
And there was something else that was even stranger.
The professor with the vibe of a neighborhood old man, and the prince who was fishing next to him, had both disappeared at some point.
The friends holding the fishing rods felt a shiver.
Don't tell me they're disappearing one by one like this?
As it happened, it was a foggy day.
The friends huddled together so they could see each other.
"W-wait, did I just see that alone?"
"See what?"
"Besides the professor and the prince, there was someone else here."
At one friend's words, another friend retorted.
"What are you talking about? There were only the professor and the prince from the beginning."
"No, I'm telling you! There was one more person. I'm pretty sure it was a woman……."
"Hiiieek!"
At the incredibly creepy words, the other friends couldn't help but scream.
It was a terrible thing to hear in a situation like this.
"Stop it! Don't say any more!"
"You must have seen wrong. Who else could be here!"
"R-really?"
Well, it was so foggy, so he could have seen wrong.
But she was wearing an academy uniform, and she was definitely holding a fishing rod.
"That's strange……?"
"What's strange! Stop talking!"
"That's right. She could be near us right now! Shh!"
At his friends' dissuasion, he stopped thinking any further.
He had also become scared.
At that time, the female student who was mistaken for a ghost by her classmates was reeling in her fishing line.
Although she was at a distance from them, her ears could hear even the smallest sound.
'Idiots.'
The female student maintained her ice-cold face and gripped her fishing rod tightly.
However, her hands were trembling slightly.
'Th-there's no way something like that exists, right?'
Those guys had just seen her and misunderstood.
But what if, by any chance, it wasn't her they had seen?
What if they had really seen a being that shouldn't exist?
The female student tried to calm her constantly wavering heart.
'I must erase idle thoughts. I should only think about the request.'
She calmed her mind by thinking of the target of her request.
The female student's name was Tunia Fiore.
She was the heir to the assassin's guild, the Black Fang, and a first-class assassin who had infiltrated the academy for a request.
The guild's target this time was the 8th Prince.
The guild she belonged to was famous for handling their targets by any means necessary once they received a request.
'I don't need to go to the next step. I will definitely end it on my own terms.'
She planned to definitely eliminate Radel, putting the honor of the Black Fang on the line.
Tunia composed herself again and focused on Radel's presence.
She could hear the sound of Radel casting his fishing rod.
Splash.
"By the way, Professor, I have a question."
"What is it."
"What do you do with the fish you catch? Don't tell me you eat them all?"
Tunia, who was eavesdropping on Radel's conversation, was dumbfounded.
What kind of question is that to ask during a class?
Sometimes when she was spying on the 8th Prince, she would wonder what on earth he was doing.
He spent his days in an incredibly ordinary way. That's why she thought she could finish the request quickly since he was such a sloppy opponent.
But strangely, things weren't working out.
Originally, Tunia's method was to handle the request so that it looked like a natural accident.
But this time, it wasn't easy.
'He's definitely not someone with great skills.'
It was because he showed no sign of noticing whenever she attempted an attack.
If he were a truly outstanding magician, it would have been difficult to even get close to him. But her assassination attempts had been missing every time.
He had dodged the falling flowerpot, and when she had coated his teacup with poison, he had accidentally broken it.
From Tunia's perspective, it was truly infuriating.
'I want to finish this quickly and leave the academy.'
In fact, Tunia didn't like staying in one place for a long time.
She was extremely shy.
Although she put on a cold expression on the outside, it was due to the assassin training she had received since she was young.
She had practiced controlling her expression thoroughly so that there would be no emotional turmoil at any time.
However, her innate personality did not disappear.
Tunia's original nature was cautious and timid.
The instructor who had taught Tunia had said that that personality would be helpful for an assassin, but Tunia's father did not think so.
Because of that, Tunia strictly controlled herself so that her original personality would not be revealed.
Nevertheless, anxiety was creeping in again.
'I feel uneasy for some reason.'
She looked at Radel reflected in the lake with a cold expression.
This request did not seem like it would be easy.
* * *
"Aaaah, Professor?!"
"When were you here?"
Professor Bronson said indifferently to the shocked friends.
"From the beginning."
In Radel's view, Professor Bronson was in a very generous state right now.
Normally, he was someone who didn't care much whether a student followed the class or not, but he was deliberately revealing his presence for the new friends.
'As expected, the professor is also happy that students have come.'
Radel smiled as he watched his friends struggling to follow the class.
It seemed he had done well to persuade them.
The professor is happy, the friends are happy.
And Radel is happy that the class he wants to take is not canceled.
Isn't it a good thing for everyone?
Tunia clearly saw Radel smiling contentedly as she took in the sight of her tormented friends.
Not only was he forcing them to take this boring class, but he was also smiling happily at the sight of his friends in pain.
'Could it be that he's doing this on purpose to torment those guys who have offended him……?'
A plausible hypothesis came to Tunia's mind.
The ordinary appearance Tunia had seen so far might have been a pretense.
It was evident just by the way he was punishing the guys who had fallen out of his favor by gathering them under the authority of the year representative.
A smile that genuine was not something that just came out.
He was truly enjoying it.
He was even wearing a mask of concern for them on the outside. Tunia was suddenly frightened, realizing the scheme he had concocted.
'Then did he know all along that the assassinations had failed and deliberately let it happen?'
Goosebumps appeared on Tunia's arm.
Just then, the class ended and Radel approached Tunia.
"Hello, I'm Radel Silvert Cretian."
"……Tunia Fiore."
Seeing Tunia's cold face, Radel smiled to ease her guard and asked.
"Are you going to keep taking the Mana Training class?"
She nodded silently.
He had wondered, but he didn't have to worry anymore.
Now that he had gathered everyone, he could continue to take the Mana Training class.
Radel said with a happy heart.
"I knew it. For some reason, I didn't think you would quit."
Even if Mana Training was difficult, it wasn't a class that a skilled person of Tunia's level couldn't handle.
Radel had said it purely thinking of her skills, but Tunia's heart was not the same.
'You didn't think I would quit?'
A suspicion, once started, grew uncontrollably.
'He knew all along that I was waiting for a chance to kill him from the side!'
To Tunia, it sounded like he was saying, 'try me if you can.'
Like he was telling her not to even think about quitting in the middle.
'He's a more vicious guy than I thought.'
Even with his own life on the line, he was enjoying the situation as if he were playing chess.
'Does he think someone would be scared by that?'
Seeing Radel's bright smile, Tunia clenched her fist invisibly. It was because she had almost forgotten her duty as an assassin and was about to throw a hidden weapon on the spot.
Since her assassination plan had been exposed, if she couldn't kill Radel, she would be the one to die.
I have to get rid of that guy quickly.
Tunia made a firm resolve.