WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 183

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183.

I slowly looked over the students. A strange heat came from them as they focused their eyes on me. It seemed my words had strongly stirred their desires.

Those desires rode their magical power and rippled around them. Perhaps the treasure phantoms sensed that magical power, because they began drifting among the students. Their desire seemed to please the treasures.

I could understand why they were acting that way. If I had been in their position, I would have reacted the same. In truth, as this lecture went on, the students had tended to split into two groups.

To complete the basic course and graduate from the university, they needed an acceptance certificate. The same was true if they wanted to move on to the advanced course. And only one-tenth of the lecture’s capacity could pass.

For our lecture, that meant only the top twenty out of two hundred could pass. Only they could leave with all that power. Those were the conditions of this lecture.

In that sense, this assignment might not be very interesting to those at the very top. I glanced at Luciella.

As if proving she belonged to a great family, she had held second place throughout the lecture. Aside from Cassian, who received none of the treasures’ power, she could be called the most outstanding student among them.

She stood with her arms crossed, showing little interest in what I said. Her position was already secure. Like her, the students up to roughly tenth place were already half-confirmed to pass.

Below that, however, the competition was extremely fierce. Schemes and clashes over the remaining ten spots were rampant. Since their realms were not far apart, the competition only grew more intense.

It could not be helped. If someone ended up in twenty-first place, they would have to return all that power. From their point of view, they had to avoid that at all costs.

That was why the upper-ranked students fought so fiercely. It was a desperate struggle to seize the remaining spots. By contrast, there were also those who lived at ease.

That tendency was especially clear among the students ranked around one hundred. Since they had not even secured territory on the third floor of the tower, they had already fallen out of the ranking competition.

They had realized long ago that they would not pass anyway. Because of that, rather than focusing on the competition, they were far more absorbed in building up their own strength.

The students ranked a little higher were the same. Even while competing, they were also preparing for what came after. Rather than clinging to treasure pieces, they focused more passionately on gathering the byproducts that came from them.

In that sense, this assignment was not aimed at the upper-ranked students. It was closer to being for those far below. I was trying to give a new opportunity to those who had given up on the power.

That was why, for most of the students, the assignment I had presented was sure to be very tempting. Perhaps that was why hands began rising here and there. They seemed to have many questions. I smiled and shook my head.

“I have not finished speaking yet. I will explain everything first, then take questions afterward. We have plenty of time anyway. Since this is the final lecture, I will proceed at a relaxed pace.”

When I waited quietly, the murmuring soon began to settle. The magical power settled as well. I glanced at the treasure phantoms above the students’ heads and continued.

“I imagine you are curious about what sort of assignment I will give you. At first, I considered methods such as duels. But if even the assignment is carried out through combat, the results will be decided by rank. That is why I came up with a new method. So this assignment should not require that much strength.”

I lifted a finger and pointed at the treasures. The students’ gazes followed my gesture toward the treasures in the air.

“What formed the foundation of this lecture in the first place? The treasures. Those chosen by them were granted power. The lines connected to you are proof of that. That is why I have decided to end the lecture in the same way.”

I could feel the treasures carefully studying the students connected to them. There was also a hint of enjoyment coming from them. They clearly intended to satisfy those desires to the fullest.

“All you need to do is persuade the treasures connected to you. If they allow you to take their power, that power will naturally become yours. That is the assignment I am giving you.”

At those words, the students stared at the treasures connected to them. An exceptionally deep desire swayed in their eyes. I let out a laugh and nodded.

If the treasures’ desires and the students’ desires overlapped, plenty of interactions would surely arise. And points would no doubt pour out from within those interactions as well.

Had I said earlier that this would not cost many points? That was true. If they did not want to, there would be no need to spend a large number of points.

But if they were desperate, they would have to pay more. The best way to persuade the treasures would obviously be points. Well, that was their choice. I calmly shrugged.

“How you persuade them is up to you. But please be careful. If you break the tower’s rules and try to take a treasure out, you will be eliminated immediately. I trust you will not throw away your gains over a moment of greed.”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the students. Many incidents had already happened, and many rules had been created because of them. Those rules would also be passed down to later lectures.

That was why I needed to leave this warning. I could not add yet another rule at the very end. Mira held me in her arms as she watched the students, then laughed softly. She stroked my head and spoke.

“Even when you say that, very few of them are listening. It seems the tower will become a little noisy from now on.”

I quietly nodded. I had already expected that. A mage’s desire was vast, and a treasure’s desire was even deeper. If the two joined together, accidents were bound to happen.

Hadn’t every lecture so far proved that? But accidents happening like that was actually a good thing. There was still plenty of power left to tear out of the treasures.

If they poured out more of their power, the puppets where my inner demon resided would surely awaken faster as well. This was an opportunity to legally tear that power out of them.

Of course, if they had any sense, they would not fall for this simple trap. I looked at the treasures interacting with the students. Those things had suffered plenty at my hands by now.

Of the fifty-one treasures, not one had avoided having power torn away by me. Through that process, quite a few treasures had ended up sleeping in Ring of the Sky’s room. And that was also a kind of filter.

A filter to determine whether those treasures could cooperate with me in the future. In that sense, this assignment could be called a test not only for the students, but also for the treasures.

I quietly crossed my arms. This course had come to an end, but that did not mean all lectures were over. Classes in the tower would clearly continue from now on.

So I needed to classify the treasures in detail. I had to grasp the tendencies of the uncertain entities more clearly. How much malice did they harbor? This was a chance to find out.

If they failed this test and gave in to momentary temptation again by trying to leave the tower, I would have no choice but to put them in prison. If they stayed there drunk on happiness, their thoughts would change someday.

-Aah, your gaze feels burdensome.

Ring of the Sky, the master of the prison, had approached my side at some point and shivered. It seemed to have come to me to avoid the students’ gazes. Ring of the Sky hid behind me.

When I glanced around, I was met by extremely passionate gazes aimed at Ring of the Sky. I understood why they looked at it that way. There were few things as useful as Ring of the Sky’s power.

The happiness Ring of the Sky bestowed was no different from a kind of brainwashing. And the power of that brainwashing was very useful for taming magical beasts. Since it had even been used to create a magical beast ranch, there was no better way to earn points.

On top of that, those chosen by Ring of the Sky were people who carried misfortune inside them. Most people with that kind of misfortune came from the lower floors, and many of them lacked much talent as well.

That was why, for those hungry for points and opportunities, obtaining Ring of the Sky’s power was necessary for their future lives. So they were naturally sending it such desperate looks.

“Please endure it for a little while.”

Saying that, I glanced at Mira. Receiving that signal, Mira smiled mischievously and pushed Ring of the Sky’s phantom toward the students. I gave a small shrug. It only had to endure it for about two months, like I had.

-Mm, I wouldn’t mind just scattering it all... Still, since the storehouse keeper asked me to choose as carefully as possible, I’ll try.

Ring of the Sky flew through the air with its glowing body drooping. I could not feel much interest in this assignment from it. That could not be helped. The power the students were raising fell outside its interests.

Ring of the Sky was sucking power from the treasures sleeping beneath that happiness. Perhaps because of that, the power I felt from it had grown stronger than before. Even Professor had nodded at that growth.

The reason I treated Ring of the Sky so favorably was that it was one of the few friendly entities among the treasures. It had shown goodwill to me first, so I had repaid it. That was why I did not think it would betray me either.

Why would Ring of the Sky betray me? I regularly put new food into its room. This matter was the same. If it continued cooperating with me from now on, its power would surely keep growing.

I looked at the students. They were already trying to interact with the treasures. I gave a light cough toward them. At the same time, the magical power flowing from me gathered the students’ gazes.

“As I said earlier, this assignment will continue until the lecture ends two months from now. I also intend to finalize the ranking of those who pass along with this assignment. During that time, whatever methods you use are up to you. So everyone, please put in a little more effort. This is also an opportunity I am giving you.”

I quietly bowed my head. Everything I had just said was my true feeling. I faced the students with a smile. The moment I said, “Then I will take questions now,” people quickly raised their hands.

That meant they had that many questions about this assignment. So I also needed to answer those questions perfectly. Like that, I carefully answered them one by one.

At the end of those questions, today’s lecture came to a close. It was also the moment that brought the past five years of the course to an end. Feeling a slight sense of accomplishment, I smiled.

And that entire process was conveyed to Professor Irian as well.

“So it ended like that.”

“Yes. I will prepare the next lecture now.”

I quietly bowed my head. Warm sunlight poured in through the wide window. I could feel that magical power linger on the table, giving off a soft light.

A faint clatter reached my ears. When I raised my head, I saw Professor stabbing the meat on her plate with a fork. I had come to see Professor during lunch.

As I watched her put the meat into her mouth, I could not help but frown slightly. What I had prepared today was not to my liking at all. I quietly looked down.

Short arms and legs entered my sight. I lightly shook my head. As expected, I did not like this body. It was so immature that cooking felt unbearably awkward.

I quietly fiddled with the knife inside my clothes. Professor’s distinctive magical power was leaking from within it. Without its help, I might not have been able to prepare that dish.

Still, I had somehow managed to cook by borrowing the tool’s power, but the result was unsatisfying. That was only natural, since I had no choice but to simplify the process far more than I had planned.

I glanced at Professor’s face. She looked rather satisfied. Thanks to that, I could let out at least a small sigh of relief. It was fortunate that she was satisfied.

Professor chewed with her cheeks full. As she savored the food, she fell into thought. I had already explained everything about how I had conducted the lecture.

No matter how much I was in charge of the lecture, the owner of the tower was ultimately Professor Irian. So I needed to report its conclusion to her as well. She swallowed what she had been chewing in one big gulp and wiped her mouth.

“There is one thing I find hard to understand, though. Why did you give them a final assignment? Wouldn’t it have been fine to just send them off?”

Professor frowned slightly as she wiped her mouth. I quietly scratched my head. Her words were completely reasonable. From the perspective of someone running a lecture, taking care of the top twenty alone was already enough.

In truth, from Professor’s point of view, even providing the tower’s space could be seen as a major concession. But now I was spreading even more of the treasures’ power through an assignment. No matter who looked at it, this was clearly a loss.

But I did not want to cling to short-term profit like that. I shook my head and met Professor’s eyes.

“It is an investment for the future.”

Professor tilted her head. I glanced at the mirror placed before her. The huge mirror floating in front of the table was showing the tower.

Inside it, the students were communicating with the phantoms of the treasures wandering through the tower. While this assignment proceeded, the phantoms would wander through the tower like that.

“If we look only at this lecture, it will be a loss. But I want to make our tower, this lecture, into a place everyone envies. This will become a foundation for that.”

I quietly closed my eyes and thought back to when I first started the tower’s lecture. Back then, I sold one seat for three thousand points. That was an enormous number of points to me. With that help, I was able to take Professor Heisen’s lecture.

If I had not explored the potential of the shadow there, the current me would surely not exist. That was why I was always grateful to Professor Heisen.

But apart from that class, it was also clear that three thousand points was no longer such a burdensome amount to me. That was thanks to the system I had built over ten years to earn points in this tower.

Once I extended that territory all the way to the city, even more points would gather. That was why the points earned from selling seats no longer left me with much profit. They were nothing more than a base score now.

Selling the seats for this lecture had been like that. Because the first course, Treasure Hunt, had received many bad reviews, I had received almost the same number of points as before.

This lecture was the result of fixing many problems based on those reviews. Naturally, the reviews for this one would be good. But I could not be satisfied with only that.

There was something I had thought about while running this lecture. I could already handle two hundred people well enough. Then could I not increase that number further? That would help my growth more.

The more students interacted with the treasures, the more the information and magical power produced from it would seep directly into my puppets. That was the direction in which I was building my territory and tree.

So the more people there were, and the higher their level was, the better. And to gather people like that, I needed to expand the lecture further.

This was groundwork for that. If I gave deep satisfaction to many of those who participated in the lecture, the score they left in their reviews would surely rise as well. And if I received a better score, talented people would naturally gather.

A lecture befitting Professor’s dignity would be completed. And if that work was repeated again and again, the score attached to the lecture would also rise. I lightly smacked my lips.

Of course, I did not have only such calculating thoughts. This was also respect toward the students who had taken my lecture. I opened my eyes and looked at the mirror. There, I saw the students approaching the treasures and talking with them.

They had become a foundation for my growth. It would have been impossible for me to reach the third floor without their help. In that sense, I could be said to owe them a small debt.

Then should I not also grant them an opportunity? This assignment had also been created from that thought.

I did not know how many of them would be able to persuade the treasures. The treasures were sensitive about their own power too. To obtain that power, the students would have to guarantee greater benefits to them.

But just by giving them this opportunity, I had done my part. They would surely know that too. I lightly stroked my chin and smiled.

Well, this too could be called calculating, depending on how one looked at it. If I earned their goodwill, my influence would grow. That was exactly what I wanted.

They would become my customers from now on too. Once this lecture ended, I would begin doing business in the city, and they would be the start of that word of mouth. How could I treat such customers poorly?

That was why this small loss was worth accepting.

Professor narrowed her eyes and looked at me. She seemed to have quickly noticed the chain of thoughts I had come up with. She lightly clicked her tongue and shook her head.

But Professor did not particularly find fault with my actions. She simply put another piece of meat in her mouth and quietly savored the taste. After watching the mirror’s screen for a while, she spoke.

“Do as you wish. I was the one who entrusted the lecture to you. As I said before, as long as you keep the treasures from escaping, I don’t care what you do.”

To think she trusted me this much. Feeling a little moved, I bowed my head deeply. And I made a vow once more. If Professor placed this much trust in me, I needed to repay it.

Professor picked up a few more pieces of meat and cleanly emptied the plate. She set down the fork and let out a satisfied laugh.

“Mm, today’s is good too.”

Professor patted her stomach. Today’s meal had come to an end as well. I quickly held out a teacup to her. No matter how much she liked it, I was unsatisfied with the dish I had prepared.

So I needed to do my best at least with the refreshments afterward. This tea had been brewed from spirit essence that cost five thousand points per piece. Its fragrance filled the room.

Professor accepted it and smiled. She seemed to like the fragrance. I carefully moved toward her.

“Then may I tend to your hair?”

Professor glanced at me and nodded. I made a foothold with magical power. Then I slowly moved behind her.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

I took a comb out of my clothes and brushed her hair down. Professor naturally entrusted herself to my hands and sipped her tea.

At that, I laughed softly. I did not like my immature appearance right now, but it did have one advantage. It had become easier to approach her like this.

Had my immaturity weakened her wariness? I could not know for certain. Still, it was fortunate that I had become at least a little closer to her like this.

As I arranged her hair, I carefully infused magical power into the comb. It gave her hair a sheen. I needed to care for this perfection and make it even more beautiful.

After that, time passed quickly. And during that time, just as I had expected, a few incidents occurred. A few treasures ended up embedded in the prison. It was the result of failing to overcome their desire.

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