[V2C9] An Understandable Goal
Translated by Jodas 2: Daily Lives of a New Teacher and the Apprentice MagesThe moment he laid eyes on the Black Lion Emperor’s little sister, the Barbarian Sword Princess Adelheid Sevil Lamea Krewing, the Smoke Fox, which is to say Caspar Hütter, thought.
(Ah— They definitely are siblings.)
Although the Black Lion Emperor and the Barbarian Sword Princess were only half-siblings, they looked very much alike.
While their facial structures did resemble each other, it was their unconstrained aura of power that that Black Lion Emperor and the Barbarian Sword Princess truly shared.
It was the strength of her aura, not the beauty of her features, that left a lasting impression. It was like her body was not enough to contain the enormity of her presence.
(How could I last with this walking aura right next to me…..)
Hütter led said walking aura, Princess Adelheid, along with the two kids following her, to his classroom down the hall from the room the group lessons were held in.
Each of the four Instructors were given their own classroom and preparation room.
The rooms for the individual lessons were like smaller versions of the group lesson room they were just in, with the vibe of a cramped war room.
They had a small blackboard and a desk big enough to seat three students. Then, they had a single bookshelf for materials. On top of that, Hütter brought in a chair for himself to sit in. He would get tired if he had to stand all day.
Hütter sat in the chair in front of the blackboard, and looked at each of the three wide-eyed apprentices in front of him.
The Barbarian Sword Princess, the golden-haired boy, and the white-haired girl—what kind of grouping was this?
“Ah~~~, well, how about we start with introductions, shall we? I am the Dream Mage, Caspar Hütter. I recently came here from the Mage Association just this past summer. My specialty is illusion magic. I don’t know much about any other kind of magic, so please ask the other teachers about that. That is all.”
“Eh? Then why are you working as a teacher…..?”
The golden-haired boy mumbled involuntarily.
(Why did I, I wonder? Even I’m not sure…..)
“Ooh, Mr. Hütter! What’s illusion magic? Is it different from magecraft?”
The next one to speak was the white haired girl, Tia.
He had prepared for this one, so he could answer her question.
“In order to answer that, I first have to explain the difference between magic and magecraft. Can any of you tell me what the difference is between magic and magecraft?”
All three of them remained silent. That meant none of them new anything about magic.
That was good news for Hütter. In this case, even though he only had the most surface level knowledge, he could make it work.
“If you use mana to light fires, control the wind, or anything like that, we call all of those things magic. When spirits control water……or when a fire dragon breathes fire, or a winged dragon deftly lifts its gigantic body into the air, they use mana, so in precise terms we include those under the realm of ‘magic.’”
If it uses mana, then it’s pretty much all magic. Hütter wrote on the blackboard.
“Humans, unlike magical beings like spirits and dragons, are not as adept at manipulating mana. That’s why we’ve weaved formulas to make use of mana—such human techniques created by humans are what we call magecraft.”
If it uses a formula, it’s magecraft. Hütter added to the blackboard.
“However, there are many kinds of this magecraft. There are elemental magics that manipulate fire, water, or such. There’s barrier magic that controls barriers, and there’s illusion magic that can manipulate illusions. The one I have specialized in is this illusion magic. Did you get that?”
“Pirorororo,” Tia made a strange sound. It sounded like the babbling of a newborn baby. It required vibrating your lips in precise ways that would be very difficult if you asked an adult to replicate it. Hütter could do it though. He’d mastered every party trick.
“Pirorororo……So within magic, there’s magecraft; and within magecraft, there’s illusion magic……Okay, I got it! Our teacher is good at illusion magic, which is a kind of magecraft!”
“Ooh, good job. You’re quick to understand.”
“I’ve been complimented! Piyopp!”
Tia smiled gleefully. He was grateful that she seemed so easy to manipulate.
At this rate, this whole teacher thing might be a piece of cake……As he secretly thought that, the Barbarian Sword Princess raised her hand next. He had a bad feeling about this one.
“Yes, umm….. Your Highness, Princess Adelheid?”
“I would prefer you simply refer to me as Sevil here.”
“Ah, yes, Lady Sevil?”
“Please treat me just as you would Tia or Wren. Here I am but another apprentice mage.”
He would really like her to stop showing off that aura of hers and talking down on everyone.
(At least don’t execute me for disrespecting royalty later on, okay….?)
Hütter’s stomach tied itself into knots as he spoke.
“Yes, Sevil, go ahead.”
“I would like to witness Mr. Hütter’s illusion magic.”
No way. Hütter whispered internally as he assumed the face of a man in anguish.
With the sunlight beaming through the window at his back, he hunched his body over and, crucially, dipped his head a little bit.
“Right, I should let you know before we continue……my circumstances.”
Hütter stole a glance at the students. All of them were engrossed in what he had to say. It was good that they were so diligent. Hütter continued.
“Certainly, I can use illusion magic……However, I pushed my practice a little too far. At this point, every time I manipulate mana, a searing pain runs throughout my whole body.”
He decided not to bring up the matter of chantless illusion magic.
If he talked about it here, and the other Instructors heard these students spreading rumors about his chantless magic, the whole idea that he had wanted to keep it a secret from the Mage Association would fall apart.
Upon seeing Hütter’s pained face, the students’ expressions dripped with sympathy. Tia especially made a concerned face.
“Mr. Hütter, you can’t do something that you used to be able to do anymore? …..That’s horrible……”
“Yes, so you three take care not to push yourselves too far either. It might be fine while you’re young, but it’ll come back to bite you when you get older. It’ll sting…..”
Mainly your shoulders and hips. Especially since coming to the Wedge Tower, after doing research and study for his classes, and after all the nights he’s spent drinking with the other mages, he’d slept many times hunched over his desk. His neck, back, and hips all ached terribly.
“Regardless, that’s enough about me. Next, I would like to hear each of you introduce yourselves. Say your name and….. oh, let me know what kind of magic you want to learn. I’ll get you in touch with a teacher who specializes in that magic.”
“Weren’t you going to teach us?”
Wren wasted no time in pointing out his failings.
You don’t get it, little boy Hütter snorted lightly.
“Didn’t I just tell you, I can only use illusion magic? That said, there’s almost no mage alive who can claim to know all forms of magecraft including barriers and illusions, you know? Anyone who could do that would basically be superhuman.”
That was the truth. The Wedge Tower in particular had a preference for mages who excelled at one specific area of expertise.
Regardless, if you truly wanted to learn magecraft, one year would not be enough.
The best they could hope for in this one year was to acquire some basic knowledge and consider what direction they wanted to head as future mages. That was why even Hütter could be an Instructor.
“Therefore, if you have a clear idea of what sort of magic you want to study, then it would be best to seek out a mage who is good at that and have them mentor you personally.”
Since coming to the Wedge Tower, Hütter had taken every bit of free time available to build ties with the other mages of the Tower. At times, he would bring a bottle of liquor as a gift, and would try to drink side-by-side.
As a result, he had a decent grasp on who was who among the Wedge Tower mages.
Wren rested his elbows on the desk and mumbled.
“But what’s the point of having an instructor, then……?
You are absolutely correct.
However, if there was a point to Hütter’s presence, then that would be bad news for him. He was a fake, after all.
Thus, he shrugged his shoulders with a face that said oh my dear child, you truly understand nothing.
“The purpose of an Instructor is not merely to teach you magecraft. I am here to help you think about which path you wish to follow as a mage, and to give you the tools you need to resolve the problems you face. But it will always be you and your own effort that has the last word. Don’t forget that.”
Making it appear like he was saying something profound, he twisted his words to ensure that no responsibility fell on his shoulders. This was the speechcraft of a con man.
“I’m repeating myself, but the most important thing to consider when choosing the path forward is ‘what do you want to accomplish with magic?’”
Hütter tapped his fingers on the lectern and flashed a confident smile.
The students were enthralled by his words. Not bad. Hütter loved crowds that reacted like that.
“Now, tell me. When you came to the Wedge Tower, what did you wish to accomplish with magic?”
The first one to raise a hand was the white-haired girl, Tia Vogel.
“Yes! I’m Tia! I want to fly through the sky with flight magic!”
“Flight magic, huh? I think there were two who specialized in that……Are you envisioning short-range high maneuverability flying, or long-duration long-distance flight?”
“I want to fly a lot!”
“Then you should check out the Management Office. There’s a mage there who specializes in long-range flying. They’re also in the process of developing a magical flying device, so if you have interest in that, you should check it out. I’ve gone drinking with the Management Office’s Director plenty of times, so if you brought up my name I’m sure he’d gladly help you.”
The Management Office was the department tasked with the collection, research, and production of magical devices. Many of its mages had the attitude of artisans.
Hütter was easily able to name someone who could fulfill Tia’s dreams of learning flight magic. Perhaps influenced by his clarity, the next to raise a hand was Sevil.
“I am Adelheid Sevil Lamea Krewing. I have interest in magical swords. I would like to take down my brother, but my brother possesses two contracted spirits, so I would also like to learn more about spirits.”
“……I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that part about taking him down, okay? For magic swords, you probably want to check out either the Extermination Office or the Protection Office. If you want to fight Monsters, then it’s the Extermination Office. If you think you might have to go against humans, then you should visit the Protection Office. Then, if you want to know more about spirits, then it’s the Library Office. Most of the folks there are quite knowledgeable about spirits…..but,”
Hütter narrowed his eyes and warned Sevil.
“Generally speaking, the ones in the Library Office who are knowledgeable about spirits are that way because they love spirits. If you ask them to ‘teach me a way to kill spirits’ when seeking their advice, you’ll start a fight, so please keep that part to yourself when talking to them.”
“I see. Much appreciated.”
He was a little worried, given this is the person who just casually stated her intent to ‘take down’ her brother.
Before Sevil could head straight to the Library Office, Hütter secretly decided he needed to put his foot down on that issue one more time.
At that moment, Wren asked “Hey, teach.” with his chin resting on his hand.
“Is it okay for apprentices like us to do those sorts of things? Well, I’m a lovable pretty boy, so I’m not worried, but Sevil has a pretty big presence.”
True, Hütter suspected that a lot of people would be taken aback if the Imperial Princess came in to their office.
However, setting that aside, he gave an answer to the question.
“The Wedge Tower is said to always be short on manpower……Basically, it’s ‘Help Wanted!’ everywhere except the General Affairs and Finance Offices. If you come in asking politely to learn something, I’m sure they’ll be glad to teach you.”
“Huh, so the General Affairs Office and the Finance Office have enough people?”
“That’s where people who have a part in the running of the Wedge Tower go. That’s why they generally don’t recruit newcomers. Instead their Directors usually pull away promising talents that they like personally.”
Sevil grimaced, mumbling “That happens often in the Palace.”
Ah, she’s absolutely right. Not just in the Palace, the same thing happens in criminal organizations as well.
(That’s precisely why those kinds of groups are the easiest to infiltrate.)
The con man internally stuck his tongue out, while externally keeping the face of an honest Instructor and turned towards Wren.
“Then, last is you, Wren. What is it that you wanted to do with magic that brought you to the Wedge Tower?”
“Ah, I……”
Wren failed to find the words, and his eyes darted around nervously. Hütter had an idea what caused that reaction.
(I see, I see…..)
However, he held back and silently waited for the answer to come without saying anything.
Eventually, Wren lifted his head off of his hand, and leaned back in his seat.
He pasted a thin veneer of confidence on his prized pretty boy face.
“I want to use magic to make money, become wealthy, fill a bathtub with gold coins, eat luxurious food every day, build a harem, and become the happiest and most beloved pretty boy in the world!”
“What’s the meaning of such an irredeemably vapid goal!?”
Sevil lashed at him with in a low voice.
She did not merely dismiss his goal coldly. The expression on her face showed clear disgust.
Wren briefly made a face like he had been hit where it hurt the most. However, he quickly recovered and expressed his determination.
“It’s better than just saying meaningless nice things. It’s a clear and understandable goal, isn’t it?”
“Understandable? To whom?”
Wren’s shoulders shivered.
Sevil delivered a piercing blow.
“Who are you trying to show off to by achieving that goal?”