Magic Academy (2)
As we stepped into the corridor, my head finally cooled down.
To be honest, I'd been pretty shaken earlier—but now, I think I acted appropriately.
Doing nothing. Neither affirming nor denying. Just keeping my mouth shut.
Judging by how obsessed that halfling professor was with rooting out possessors, there's a high chance that entire exchange was a trap deliberately laid for me.
Evidence, point one.
The halfling professor was far too hasty.
I hadn't even enrolled yet, and he barged in out of nowhere, spewing an anti-communist tirade straight out of 1950s McCarthyism, then casually slipped in a
"So, you're not a possessor, right?"
Why was he in such a rush?
Because the lie-detection magic might wear off.
Couldn't he just cast it again?
Maybe not.
Evidence, point two.
If that convenient magic could be used freely, it would make no sense that a fox-tribe possessor in Wyndham had been running labyrinths for years.
And it would make even less sense that I had to personally kill my fox-tribe companion.
Why?
Because reporting her would've been enough.
Just report her. They'd grab the fox-tribe possessor at the court, apply lie-detection magic, and ask,
"Are you a possessor?"
Done.
But instead of taking that simple route, why did I end up killing her myself—getting charged with murder and reduced to slavery?
'There are restrictions on lie-detection magic.'
Either it's hard to cast, or its usage is controversial—like medical marijuana permits.
Or maybe, just like in-game magic where lower-tier spells have higher failure rates, lie-detection magic can be resisted if the target concentrates.
I don't know the exact mechanics, but there must be significant limitations when using lie-detection magic on freemen.
Which means the halfling professor took advantage of the window where the spell was active for contribution evaluation—while I was still a slave.
He rushed in between the end of the evaluation and the enrollment counseling.
Then he gave a big speech about killing all possessors, and at the very end, smiled and casually asked,
"You're not a possessor, right?"
That interrogation method was subtle.
If lie-detection magic is controversial, openly interrogating me would be risky—legally and ethically. So instead, he waited until the evaluation ended and slipped it in as a joke.
'Fuck. This place really does rob you blind in broad daylight.'
If I'd panicked and answered "No," and the magic had triggered—execution on the spot.
And if it didn't trigger? Even better.
"Then join our club."
I'm seriously pissed.
I should've flipped the hourglass back then.
I was trying to conserve it since I didn't know how things would unfold—but if I'd used it, I could've reasoned all this out within twenty seconds.
And found a way out.
Was there a way out back then?
There was.
Bluff aggressively. Put on an openly hostile expression.
"I killed my fox-tribe companion with my own hands after years together. Don't you dare test me."
They wouldn't have been able to do anything.
They were the ones exploiting the remaining duration of lie-detection magic to conduct a leading interrogation—not me.
And since the academy is desperate to recruit mages, pushing back hard would've made them panic.
As long as lie-detection magic can't be abused freely, all I had to do was hold out until it expired.
That simple.
And I nearly walked straight into death because I didn't think of it.
My lack of cunning pisses me off all over again.
Get it together, Caleb.
Did you relax the moment you escaped the labyrinth?
Now that I look at it, the outside world is way more dangerous than the labyrinth itself. Wake up.
If things go south, flip the hourglass first and think later. Hoarding it just gets you killed.
Slap, slap.
I slapped both cheeks like dads applying skincare lotion.
Wake up.
Ah.
Come to think of it, there's an even stronger counter.
Next time that halfling starts babbling about possessors, I'll crush him with it.
"Caleb."
Clorence suddenly stopped and turned to me.
"Yes."
"My apologies for the late introduction. I'm Clorence, a senior-year mage."
He offered a proper greeting.
"Nice to meet you."
"I dislike Professor Meldini, so I just kept walking to get away from him."
"..."
"But having a conversation while lie-detection magic is active is discourteous for any mage with a sense of honor."
"Do you dislike that magic?"
"All mages do. We consider it extremely rude. Legally, it can't be used freely either. Within the academy, it's only permitted for evaluating slave team contributions."
As expected.
I knew it.
"But by now, Caleb, the magic should've worn off."
"Yes."
I'm certain. When the spell was active, my tongue felt numb—like after dental anesthesia. That sensation's completely gone now.
"Then let me properly thank you first. Caleb—I am Abison's elder brother."
No wonder they looked alike.
"Thanks to you, we recovered Abison's body easily. If not, I was prepared to go in myself."
"You were going to enter personally?"
"Yes. With Virtanen's party."
"A senior-year mage coming down to the first floor…"
If the larva had died and a monster wave erupted, parties like Virtanen's couldn't have pushed through to kill Backattack.
We fought with our lives on the line. If I'd known a senior mage was coming, I would've hidden in a corner and waited it out. Damn it.
"Which floor do you usually operate on?"
"Fifth floor."
"Summoning a fifth-floor mage all the way down to the first floor—Abison's family must be something else."
"And now, Caleb, you've gained an academic connection."
Clorence extended his hand.
I shook it and replied,
"I haven't enrolled yet."
"…!"
Clorence's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me you're refusing enrollment because Professor Meldini was rude earlier…?"
"No. I just couldn't find the admissions office yet."
"Thank goodness. You looked extremely displeased earlier, so I was worried."
Displeased?
That must've been the end result of desperately managing my expression while panicking under the halfling's interrogation.
"Anyone would be angry if questioned about personal history while under an active spell. Meldini is probably anxious right now—worried you'll bring this up and refuse enrollment."
Unintentionally, my silence became a warning to that halfling.
"And there are plenty of professors who disagree with Meldini regarding possessors."
"Really?"
"There are roughly three factions. First, Professor Meldini's faction—eradicate all possessors immediately upon discovery."
"..."
"Second, Professor Ishirov's faction—since possessors have exceptional labyrinth knowledge, they should be managed and supported to explore labyrinths instead."
That must be the professor who ran the labyrinth exploration club.
"And third…"
Clorence paused.
"…Professor Dalstream's faction—who believe we should venerate them."
"Venerate them?"
"Yes. Professor Dalstream specializes in ancient magic. After studying texts and grimoires recovered from deep labyrinths, he found records of a certain mage. Known as—"
At the word that followed, my shoulders twitched.
…Isn't that talking about me?
The core of Professor Dalstream's research, as explained by Clorence, was roughly this:
Otherworldly possessors are the natural nemesis of the Labyrinth Master, and the reason labyrinths erupt is precisely because of them.
It's like a war between two opposing sides, with the labyrinth entrance as the frontline.When otherworldly possessors enter the labyrinth, the Labyrinth Master focuses on defending against them.
But when possessors don't enter, the labyrinth erupts as a preemptive strike.
How long this state of warfare will continue is unknown.
One day, the Labyrinth Master may erupt every labyrinth in the world simultaneously and annihilate the surface.
And when that happens, no one will be able to oppose it.
Because the Labyrinth Master can seize human souls and plunge them into madness.
Only one person.
Among the otherworldly possessors, there exists a being known as the Turn-Based Mage, and only that individual can resist the madness.
"Because that mage's mental strength is overwhelming. It's said they can even halt the physical world itself and allow only their own reason to function."
That part is technically true.
But… does that 'halted physical world' happen to include my body?
"In any case, that mage alone is free from madness, and according to Professor Dalstream, that person is the only card capable of standing against the Labyrinth Master…"
Clorence said, adding a laugh.
"Of course, it's just a legend. Some scribble from ancient texts. We don't even know what 'turn-based' really means. Literally taking turns, like in chess, perhaps."
"..."
"In any case, Professor Dalstream's faction is tiny. Maybe three people at most."
"Can that even be called a faction?"
"Professor Dalstream is an elder, so they're treated as one out of courtesy."
Clorence opened the door to Professor Ishirov's office.
"Now then, please have your interview with our professor."
Ishirov was a middle-aged man who looked perfectly at home in a tailored suit.Human.
"One moment."
He glanced at me, raised his index finger, and furiously scribbled something on the documents on his desk.
Clorence and I sat on the sofa and waited briefly.
"My apologies. It was urgent."
Ishirov finished the paperwork, sealed it in an envelope, and aimed his wand.
"Message Transmission."
A spell I actually recognized for once—a practical spell, same-day express delivery.
"Pleasure to meet you, Caleb. You've become quite the hot topic among the professors. Everyone seems eager to recruit you into their own club."
Ishirov sat down on the sofa across from me.
"Have you decided to enroll?"
"Yes. I'll enroll."
In truth, I'd made that decision even before leaving the labyrinth.
Because there aren't many viable options. A frail ex-convict who dumped all their stats into intelligence doesn't exactly have a wide job market.
So enrollment is the right choice.I was hoping to avoid the labyrinth and aim for administrative or research work within the academy, but—
'If I don't enter a labyrinth for more than two weeks, it erupts.'
There's no helping it.
If I'm going back into labyrinths anyway, enrolling in the Magic Academy is even more essential.
"Excellent. The professors will provide you with the best curriculum. Will you also be joining a club? It's not mandatory, but most students do. I did as well."
Magic Academy clubs existed in the game too.They were like research labs—each professor gathered personnel to study their interests, and they paid wages.
Meldini had the possessor-hunting club.Ishirov's was—
"Our club investigates anomalies within labyrinths and incidents among adventurers. We also research secret rooms, ecology, and monsters."
Ishirov continued.
"Our current focus is possessed adventurers. Not otherworldly possessors—people like Mister Backattack, who were captured by the Labyrinth Master's madness. According to my hypothesis, their souls are imprisoned somewhere."
As expected.The people here still don't know about the Sanctuary of Souls. If even a Magic Academy professor reacts like this—
"With Backattack appearing, we've been given a perfect opportunity. We intend to track Backattack's soul. The letter I sent earlier was related to this."
Ishirov said.
"If you're interested, please apply to our club."
"What other clubs are there?"
"What are there?"
Ishirov tossed the question to Clorence.
"There's the Labyrinth Gastronomy Club, which classifies edible flora and fauna, the Alchemy Club that collaborates with temples to develop new potions, the Enchanting Club that researches magical equipment enhancement, the Labyrinth Diplomacy Club that studies native labyrinth inhabitants…"
Clorence listed several clubs.
"Would you like to hear about student-run clubs as well?"
"Yes."
"Flower Arrangement Club, Knitting Club, Magical Fireworks Show Club, Riding Club…"
"I think I can skip those."
"There's also the 'Professor Meldini? Are You Serious?' Club."
"..."
Judging by that, the halfling professor has quite the villain reputation.
"I'd very much like Caleb to join our club."
Ishirov said.
"You're extremely talented, and you've personally fought Backattack, so you'd be helpful when tracking souls. Don't worry—joining the club doesn't mean I'll force work on you."
Even to me, this option seems the best.Professor Dalstream's 'venerate the possessors' idea is way too heavy. And with so few members, they'd probably have no influence anyway.
But—
"Would it be possible for me to conduct club activities by forming my own party?"
I have my own way of developing parties.
"At the party level."
"That's a first."
Ishirov looked amused.
"Most people are terrified of labyrinths and ask to be added to senior parties."
"..."
"In principle, forming your own party is exactly how it should be done. I won't interfere with party composition at all—as long as you complete the tasks you take from me."
Just like the game.
Party composition doesn't matter. Professors issue quests. You can refuse them, or accept and get rewards.
So the quest Ishirov is interested in right now is—
"Finding Backattack's soul."
That's far too easy for me.
"I'll form my own party and handle it."
In the game, possessed adventurers whose souls you recovered could be recruited as companions.
Would that be possible here as well?