A youthful voice echoed from deeper into the forest as it called out, "Where is it?!"
Now that the situation had already been resolved, I put my six beloved swords into my briefcase.
"Where is it?!" the Chairwoman repeated as she flew over on her staff, her Cherished Item.
Her eyes widened upon finally finding the demon, which now had a hole in its forehead.
"Oh! You've already killed it!"
I tried to use Cleanse to remove the splatter of blood on my face, but the mana infused in the blood resisted the spell. I had no choice but to wipe it off with a handkerchief and throw it away.
"As expected of a Yukline mage! What spell did you use? Oh! Judging by the cut, was it my Whirlwind Blade Awl?"
"What a silly name," I replied, my tone unintentionally sharp.
The Chairwoman's eyes widened in surprise and asked, "W-what do you mean? Everyone liked the name!"
"Do you really think anyone would dare criticize you, Chairwoman?" I asked as I turned away.
"R-really? Is it really that bad?"
"Yes."
The Chairwoman looked crestfallen. The Chairwoman feigned innocence, which made me feel uneasy, then did something genuinely brutal. She picked up the demon's corpse and hurled it like a shot put.
Boooom—!
It flew past my shoulder and hit the ground, bursting into pieces and splattering flesh and blood everywhere.
"I can't believe the Whirlwind Blade Awl wasn't good enough..." the Chairwoman muttered dejectedly.
I walked calmly through the bloodshed, not a single drop touching me thanks to my Telekinesis. Descending the mountain, I saw a crowd of mages from the Mage Tower. They reminded me of Epherene, whom I now regretted treating so harshly.
Grabbing one of the spectating mages, I asked, "Hey. There was a Debutant mage here. Where did—"
"Head Professor Deculein," an unfamiliar, gentle voice interrupted. "How have you been?"
I turned around, finding a handsome, golden-haired man in clerical robes. Thanks to his hair and outfit, I immediately identified him as Terfeit, a devout priest from the cathedral and a named character. He was known for helping those who held grudges against me, which made him a troublesome figure from my perspective.
"Now that I've rescued the mages, I would like to ask you about the situation, Head Professor."
"Talk to the Chairwoman. She's inside. For some reason, she blew up the corpse," I said.
"Aha, I see," Terfeit said with a nod.
He smiled and sent the rescued mages on their way before heading up the mountain. I then called the names of the remaining mages, who in turn, looked at me in fear.
"Julia, Ferit, Rondo."
Paling, Julia answered, "Y-yes?"
"Is the last person in your group okay?"
"Sorry? Oh, yes! Epherene is in the university hospital—"
"That's good."
I then turned away, choosing not to listen to the rest of what she had to say.
I felt mentally exhausted. I had never wanted to go home this badly before. In the distance, I saw professors running toward me.
"Head Professor! Are you alright?!"
Considering all the paperwork, the imperial report, and the coordination with the cathedral awaiting me, I felt an overwhelming urge to escape.
***
Chirp chirp chirp—
Epherene groggily blinked awake to birds chirping and sunlight streaming in through the window. Seeing the white ceiling, she realized she was in the university hospital. A voice as warm and gentle as the sunlight tickled her ears.
"You're finally awake. Nice to meet you."
Startled, Epherene sat up and saw a priest by her bed. Remembering the saying about being wary of handsome men, she pulled the blanket up to cover herself.
"W-who are you?" Epherene asked.
"I am Terfeit, a priest of the Euref Cathedral," Terfeit said.
"... Parfait?"
Terfeit smiled at her and said, "You've grown so much, Epherene Luna."
Epherene's brows furrowed in suspicion and asked, "... Do you know me?"
"I knew your father. I've seen many pictures of you."
"... So?" Epherene defensively asked.
"I came to ask about what happened at the Mountain of Darkness, but... it seems you still haven't fully grasped what exactly happened."
"... No. Unfortunately, I was caught by an enchantment spell—"
"Professor Deculein saved you," Terfeit said.
"Ah... I see."
"The entity that enchanted you was a demon. The Mountain of Darkness has been temporarily closed, and our cathedral is currently searching the area with the Mage Tower."
Epherene covered her face with her hands. Deculein saving her wasn't just a dream.
His cold voice still echoed in her ears, "You damn halfwit."
"I'm not here solely due to the incident, though. I also wanted to meet you, the daughter of an old friend—"
"A friend? Of my father's?"
"Yes. I may be wrong, but I do believe I understand what he had to go through. If you ever need any help—"
With a serious expression, Epherene resolutely shook her head and said, "No. It's fine."
Terfeit was slightly taken aback.
She had to resolve this matter between her and Deculein, as well as Deculein and Luna, on her own. She wouldn't allow anyone to help or interfere. At least when it came to her father's death, she was the only one who had the right to hold Deculein accountable.
"Please stay out of this, Mister Terfeit," Epherene said firmly.
"I see..."" Terfeit said, letting out a quiet laugh. Afterward, he asked, "Well, are you sure you want to keep resting?"
"Sorry?"
"Today is Wednesday, and it's currently a quarter before three. You've been out cold for exactly thirty-six hours."
At that moment, Epherene realized that she had forgotten something.
He continued, "You're about to miss Professor Deculein's class. No one will blame you for resting, but I doubt that strict professor will let your absence slide."
"... Oh no!" Epherene exclaimed, sprang up from the bed.
"Miss Luna, studying is important, but in your current condition, you shouldn't push yourself too hard."
"Ah, thank you! You be careful on your way back too, Mister Teporo!"
"Hmm? Haha. Thank you. You've called me by so many different names today."
Ignoring the nurse's call to pick up her medicine, Epherene ran out of the university hospital.
Normally, even at full speed, it would still have taken her at least fifteen minutes to reach the Mage Tower. However, due to her desperation, it only took her ten minutes to climb to the third floor.
Panting, she opened the door to Classroom A only to be stunned by the sight that greeted her.
"Huh?"
The classroom was now larger and had a long magic table for each student. On the tables were elements like soil, sand, wood pieces, and water.
"Ephie!" Julia said, waving. "Over here!"
Epherene nodded. She then walked over to Julia.
"How are you feeling? You were still unconscious when I visited you. It's not something serious, is it?" Julia asked.
"No, I'm fine. I finally got some good sleep after so long, so I'm actually in my best condition," Epherene replied.
She hadn't slept more than four hours a night since her father had committed suicide three years ago. Now, she felt as refreshed as if she had finally caught up on all her sleep debt.
"That's a relief..." Julia said.
Just then, Head Professor Deculein entered with a short mage.
"Class, this is Assistant Professor Allen."
Everyone was surprised, especially Epherene. Typically, once someone had become an assistant professor, they could undergo evaluations to become an associate professor or even a full-time professor. With enough achievements, they could even advance without Deculein's approval. Therefore, he usually didn't keep an assistant professor.
Epherene's father had worked like a slave under Deculein without ever advancing. As a result, despite already being thirty years old, he had failed to get past the Solda rank.
Thinking about those days made her neck stiff with anger. Why did he have an assistant now?
"As I mentioned last week, we'll have a Practical Application session today," Deculein said.
Feeling a brief, intense dizziness, Epherene pinched her thigh to stay focused.
"I will give you five tasks based on the lecture last week. Your scores will count toward your grades, so it's in your best interest to take them seriously," Deculein continued.
Assistant Professor Allen walked from table to table, placing a clock on each one.
"Here are the tasks," Deculein said afterward.
With a snap of his fingers, he made the assignments appear in midair. The first was Will-o'-the-Wisp, the second was Engulfing Smoke, and the third was Rising Metal...
"You have three hours. Start now," Deculein instructed.
The mages immediately warmed up their mana. Likewise, Epherene quickly placed her hands on the elements on her table. First up was the Will-o'-the-Wisp.
Quickly understanding that she had to merge the Pure Elements of fire and wind, she started constructing the spell in her mind, channeling her mana into the circuit... no, she needed to focus on the spell... no, more on the spell structure...
As Assistant Professor Allen walked past her, Epherene unknowingly glared at him.
Snap!
At that moment, the circuit broke, and the spell collapsed. Pain shot through her wrist, and her bracelet heated up, signaling that something had gone wrong.
"Ah, hold on."
To make matters worse, she couldn't seem to remember the spell.
She lowered her aching head to calm herself down, but despite her efforts, the uneasy feeling persisted.
"Will-o'-the-Wisp confirmed," Allen suddenly announced. "Time is four minutes, one second."
Already?!
Epherene looked over in shock. As she had expected, Sylvia had completed the Will-o'-the-Wisp and was already starting on the second task.
Epherene frantically tried to resume constructing her spell, but she found it hard to concentrate.
"... Ugh!"
Something was very wrong. Her mana was out of control, and her empty stomach churned. The mana she gathered kept scattering, the spell kept going awry, and the circuit kept breaking. Everything she had studied so hard seemed useless. As her spells failed, her confidence plummeted, making the magic even harder. In this vicious cycle, a voice echoed in her mind.
"You damn halfwit, you damn halfwit, you damn halfwit, you damn halfwit, you damn halfwit, you damn halfwit, you damn halfwit, you damn halfwit—"
The words repeated endlessly in her mind. Although she knew better than to think about it, she couldn't seem to stop herself.
"Why am I a halfwit... Why am I a halfwit..."
Epherene's breathing grew heavy, and tears welled up in her eyes. Her headache and auditory hallucinations were getting worse as well.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sylvia watched Epherene break down.
Remaining emotionless, she let out a huff. "Hmph."
Despite being a mage, Epherene wasn't calm, composed, or strong. She was fragile, easily broken, emotionally unstable, and quick to sway. Moreover, her magical disposition was Unstable and Delicate.
As a mage, she was full of weaknesses.
Epherene, you're really out of the race.
Sylvia sighed, turning away. On her desk, the Pure Elements were neatly preserved in their magical forms.
"Debutant Sylvia has completed all her tasks. Time is twenty-five minutes, fifteen seconds," Allen announced. Afterward, he called Deculein. "Professor."
Deculein walked over to Sylvia's desk and checked her work. Although feeling a slight tension, Sylvia blushed in embarrassment due to the previous scandal.
"Sylvia," Deculein said.
"Yes, sir."
Sylvia was prepared for any criticism. If she couldn't handle it, she wouldn't have taken this class.
"Flawless. You may go," Deculein said.
The unexpected compliment left Sylvia wide-eyed.
Feeling Epherene's gaze from a distance, Sylvia deliberately turned to her. Epherene quickly looked down in response, her hands trembling. She still hadn't finished her tasks.
Keep watching, but don't envy or concern yourself with me. You'll never reach my level anyway.
"Thank you," Sylvia replied.
She then bowed to Deculein and walked out of the classroom, making sure her heels clicked loudly on the floor as she passed Epherene.
When Epherene flinched and trembled like a frightened penguin, Sylvia finally realized what she was feeling—triumph. Watching the halfwit crumble utterly satisfied her.
***
"Julia. You may go."
"Lehin. You may go."
"Eharon. You may go."
The number of mages in the lecture hall gradually dwindled. From a hundred fifty, it dropped to one hundred, fifty, and then, finally, to twenty-five...
Meanwhile, Epherene still had only completed one task. She was hopelessly behind, and her mind had already blanked out.
However, she refused to give up. She forced herself to squeeze out more mana. Her bracelet and mana resonated intensely, but the accursed Engulfing Smoke showed no signs of materializing.
Drip— Drip— Drip—
Instead, dark-red droplets fell onto the dirt-covered table. Her nose was bleeding—a sign of mana exhaustion.
"Dren. You may go."
All the while, the persisting voice suffocated her.
"Roton. You may go."
Her hands shook and her knees buckled every time another student left the classroom.
"Kane. You may go."
She felt as if she was having a nightmare. Unfortunately, the realization that this moment wasn't just a mere dream filled her with even more despair.
"Doyan. You may go."
Finally...
"Eurozan. You may go."
"Yes, sir!" Eurozan exclaimed.
Epherene was now left alone. She didn't want to give up, but it was over before she had the chance. She let her arms drop.
Thunk!
Her face hit the table, smearing it with blood and dirt. She couldn't even think anymore; she felt hollow and numb.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
"Professor, three hours have passed," came the distant voice of Allen, the assistant professor.
"Alright. Let's finish up for the day," Deculein replied.
"Yes, sir. I'll stay here and..."
Their conversation faded away. She wasn't sure why. Maybe the dirt had clogged her ears.
Thunk, thunk.
Out of frustration, Epherene banged her forehead on the table, then buried her face in the dirt and cried. She despised herself for boldly vowing to avenge her father and swearing never to return home until she had succeeded only to end up failing such a simple task and struggling pathetically here.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
In a world that seemed devoid of other sounds, only the ticking of the clock remained, mocking her with every second.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
Time had slipped by unnoticed, leaving her unsure of how long she had been alone.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
Epherene slowly raised her head. Darkness had already engulfed the lecture hall and the world outside.
"... Sniff."
She blew her nose and wiped her eyes, then tried to use her sleeve to wipe away the dirt and grime on her face. Unfortunately, she only further smeared them.
She felt like a mess... much like her life.
A sigh of near despair escaped her. The lecture had long since ended, and she had long since failed her tasks. The lecture hall now felt empty and vast, as if it stretched out endlessly.
"... Whew."
Like a sponge soaked with water, her body felt so heavy and swollen with self-doubt and defeat that she could barely move her legs. Nevertheless, she staggered toward the door in hopes of getting back to the dormitory. However, before she could exit the lecture hall, something caught her eye. Her small lips, covered in grains of sand, parted.
"Ah...?"
Deculein was still at the podium, standing upright as always and looking at her. She hadn't realized that he had been waiting for her.
"... Five hours and forty-seven minutes," Deculein said.
In the darkness, his blue eyes were the only light, reflecting her pathetic, weakened state.
"Epherene Luna."
His voice was still cold, but unlike the previous night, it now had a clear, almost warm tone. The relentless ticking of the clock stopped.
"How long do you intend to keep me waiting?"
It felt as if time itself had stopped, trapping Epherene in that strange and surreal moment.