WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 190

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190.

Many desserts were laid out on the table. The sweet aroma rising from them seemed to brush the tip of my nose. And I was not the only one who noticed it.

When I felt something lightly tug my hair, I looked down. Myoil was pointing at the table. It wanted me to set it down.

I laughed softly at the sight. The little thing used to enjoy floating around in the air in the shape of a soul. Perhaps because it now dwelled inside a body, though, it was being careful with every little action.

It seemed a little afraid to climb down by itself. I lightly stroked Myoil’s head, placed it on my palm, and set it down on the table. The turtle that had been staying near my chest also followed Myoil and slowly headed toward the table.

The two puppets began playing on the tabletop, nibbling at the various desserts. Myoil soon climbed onto the turtle’s back and started picking out only the desserts it wanted to eat. The turtle looked happy about that too.

Maybe it was because they were similar in size, but the two got along very well. Myoil looked at me with sparkling eyes and let its will flow out. It was saying the desserts were tasty. Feeling that, I could not help laughing.

It felt like all the effort I had put into making its body had paid off. I gently stroked Myoil’s head again. Through our faint connection, a little of Myoil’s delight reached me.

My connection with it remained very faint. If I did not pour magical power into it and keep the connection going, it felt as if it might snap at any moment.

The fact that our connection had grown this faint was also proof that Myoil had finally taken the shape of life. An independent being no longer needed a connection, after all.

Myoil, now dwelling in the flow of life, could become freer. It had gained a foundation that would let it leave me and build something of its own.

Of course, even then, I could still feel a slight flow connecting us. It came through the stars of the shadow tree where Myoil had taken root. This also meant it had become a small pillar supporting my shadow tree.

It was no longer only feeding off the shadow tree. It had become a being that lived in mutual support with it. The moment Myoil gained a body, and the moment my unique magic was engraved into me, the shadow domain expanded even further.

Feeling the vast domain beyond my chest, I smiled in satisfaction. This was exactly the result I had wanted.

What I wanted to make was not a tree, but a forest. And a forest was not simply the sum of beings subordinate to me. If it was full of nothing but things connected to me, then it was only another form of a tree.

The trees of a forest had to exist independently from one another. Only when small things with their own value gathered together could it truly be called a forest.

That was why this small life called Myoil had exceeded my expectations. As soon as it entered a body, it had become another pillar. Perhaps Myoil sensed that will of mine, because it put on a confident face.

Myoil puffed out its chest from the turtle’s back, picked up another cookie, and began gnawing on it. Across from me, Tiena watched it with a pleased expression.

“It really is cute.”

Tiena carefully reached out toward Myoil. Myoil made a prickly face and tried to smack her hand away just as it had done to Gunda. But Myoil’s hand swept through empty air. The turtle had lightly swayed its body.

The turtle let out a meeeng, then naturally climbed onto Tiena’s hand with an innocent face. Feeling the utterly sly will coming from it, I could only shake my head.

The turtle rubbed its head against Tiena’s hand. Since its mount had climbed onto Tiena’s hand, Myoil naturally had no choice but to approach her too. Myoil looked thoroughly wary, but soon relaxed.

It was because of the strange magical power coming from Tiena. I could feel the trace of that warm, gentle magical power I had sensed once before. Myoil could not resist it and began watching Tiena’s expression.

Tiena gently stroked Myoil’s head. At first, Myoil remained wary, but it soon melted under Tiena’s touch and began entrusting itself to her.

Tiena laughed as she played with Myoil. Between those two, the turtle watched for a moment, then crept away from Tiena’s hand. It was headed for Tiena’s embrace.

Held in that soft embrace, the turtle let out a satisfied meeeng. Myoil, still in Tiena’s hand, seemed to notice the turtle and waved its arms wildly at Tiena. Tiena smiled slightly and set Myoil down beside the turtle.

I could see Myoil burrowing into Tiena’s embrace like the turtle, its face slack with happiness. It seemed to like Tiena’s softness. Tiena looked at the two as if they were adorable, then slowly took a sip of tea.

Soon, she set down her teacup and looked at me. Tiena’s eyes, meeting mine from close range, sparkled with a very strong light. I could clearly feel the expectation dwelling inside them.

Along with that expectation, I could also feel some kind of obsession. It was an emotion that often surfaced whenever I talked with her about the commission. I had felt it a few times before, but now it was even clearer.

And that meant she was deeply serious about having a child. The possibility Myoil had shown this time must have been better than anything she had seen so far.

“I truly didn’t think you would complete life. I was very surprised.”

Tiena poured me a cup of tea and offered it to me. I carefully accepted it and savored its aroma. A gentle scent of magical power rose from it, as though good tea leaves had been used. I smiled slightly and bowed my head toward Tiena and Professor On.

“It is thanks to everything I learned over the past five years while attending your lectures. I did my best to repay what I had gained. I am only glad that you seem satisfied with my assignment.”

“Satisfied? Of course I am. This child has stepped a little beyond being a puppet. With this form, it should be possible to carry life even with a puppet’s body. It truly is amazing.”

Tiena lightly stroked Myoil’s head as it burrowed into her embrace. I could feel a little envy from her as she did. I quietly nodded.

Myoil dwelled in a puppet body. At the same time, though, it also carried the trace of life. It was not simply imitating life, but truly functioning as a living being.

Of course, it was still only a fake created by my magic. But even if it was fake, the little thing was clearly alive. That meant it would be possible, even if imperfectly, to create new life.

As Mira had said, it had surpassed the limits of a puppet. I quietly stared at the magical power rippling from Myoil. Just as I had planted the Sapling called Myoil, it too would be able to carry life.

The forest would naturally expand that way. And new life would bloom within it as well. That was why I dreamed of a forest and achieved Myoil’s independence.

Of course, right now, the little thing had to grow first. Myoil was smaller than my palm at the moment. So in order to plant a new Sapling the way I did, it needed to grow larger.

And for that growth, I needed to offer my tree and foundation more deeply. Since it had gained a body, the magical power Myoil needed must have increased as well. I had a feeling that building my realm would become harder from now on.

Still, if that made Myoil grow, it did not matter. Its growth was my growth. And this structure could exist only because it was me.

I glanced at Tiena. For her, taking on a form like Myoil’s was impossible. She was not a being that originated from me.

The same went for Professor On. Professor On stood behind Mira, deep in thought. Their eyes were fixed on Myoil, and there was a careful look around them.

I could feel a little of the magical power rippling beside Professor On. It was a flow I had sensed once before. It was the same as when Professor On had turned back time at the competition grounds.

Professor On seemed to be looking into a single space beyond time and space. They were definitely replaying the process from the lecture room over and over, when I had mixed Myoil and its body into one. Were they analyzing the grain I had mentioned?

Professor On soon stopped the rotation of magical power. Amid the quietly settled magical power, they tore open the air and pulled out a small block of wood from within.

Professor On silently stared at the block of wood filled with dense magical power. Then they slowly lifted a finger and began lightly carving it.

Watching that sight, I could not help widening my eyes a little. The carving Professor On was making contained exactly what I had shown them.

Inside the sculpture was the grain of life. A vital point formed where those grains overlapped, and I could naturally feel a single flow forming along those vital points. Professor On had imitated the flow of life.

The flow Professor On created was rough, but clear. Professor On continued making several more wooden pieces. And the more they carved, the more their skill improved.

At that, I nodded slightly and let out a sound of admiration. I had only just taught Professor On, yet they had learned it this quickly. As expected, this was Professor On’s skill.

Professor On had simply been unable to perceive it because they had not known about it until now. Once they recognized it, they surpassed my level in an instant. I could not even imagine what they were feeling.

Still, I could tell that Professor On liked this new possibility. A faint smile crossed their face as they toyed with the carvings.

Tiena lightly poked Professor On in the side. It seemed she had also realized that Professor On had learned everything about the grain. So she was probably telling them to take part in the conversation now. Following her gesture, Professor On met my eyes.

“So, how much do you want?”

The moment Professor On opened their mouth, that abrupt question came out. Tiena looked slightly flustered. It was probably because she did not understand the question.

That was understandable. The question had skipped over everything. Still, I fully understood what it meant. That was why I could not help feeling even deeper awe toward Professor On.

Professor On truly seemed to have understood everything about the grain of life. I glanced at Tiena. She needed to grasp the flow of the conversation as well. I bowed my head slightly to her.

“It seems I will need some materials to resolve Tiena’s commission. Professor On seems to have noticed right away what I was going to request.”

Tiena’s eyes sparkled. With her eyes full of expectation, she moved slightly closer to me. I felt the puppets in Tiena’s embrace grow flustered at her movement. Tiena took my hand and smiled brightly.

“Please say anything. If it is something I can give you, I will give you as much as you need!”

Behind Tiena, I saw Professor On click their tongue softly. At the killing intent rippling from Professor On, I gave a small dry cough and quietly pulled my hand away. Then I smiled bitterly.

Anything was fine, she said. Her thoughts would change once she heard what I was going to ask for. I lowered my eyes slightly and put on as respectful an expression as possible. Then I carefully opened my mouth.

“You do not have to respond that seriously. I have only judged that there is a possibility. To be honest, I think the chance of failure is higher.”

“What do you need for you to be this cautious? Do not feel burdened. Please say it.”

Tiena tilted her head. It seemed the preparation for bringing it up was complete. I swallowed lightly and spoke quietly.

“...Your trees. I would like to receive a small part of both of your trees.”

The moment I spoke, a fierce trace of magical power began to rise from Tiena. Her face hardened. Myoil, still in her embrace, looked a little startled at her sudden change in attitude.

I had expected this reaction. Even so, it could not be helped. I quietly placed a hand on my chest. Then, beyond my chest, I felt the flow of the unique magic I had newly woven.

Unique magic was no different from the process of engraving the traces of my soul into the world. And based on that, I could use true magic instead of a simple shortcut. With this, I might be able to resolve the commission.

Professor On had their eyes quietly closed as they waited for Tiena’s answer. The grain of life I had taught them was certainly excellent knowledge. But that alone could not create life.

The flow of the grain only wove life together more naturally. The more important part depended on this magic inside my chest.

The moment Professor On recognized the structure of this life, they must have noticed right away what I needed. That was probably why they had asked that question earlier. Professor On truly was a mage of an amazing level. I watched them and carefully continued.

“There is something I realized while composing this new life. It would be difficult for Tiena’s body to carry a child directly. My magic is not perfect yet, after all. So I focused on forming it outside the body.”

Professor On’s soul was perfect. So perfect that I had never seen a soul more outstanding. Tiena’s was similar. Even though she was a puppet, her soul and body were crafted to an excellent degree of completion.

Because they were like that, creating a new soul in the same way as me would be difficult. The more perfect a soul was, the more it was bound to fall into a lower existence the moment it was split apart. Just as Isabella’s case had shown.

Even so, there was a way to obtain something similar to a soul. That was the tree. A mage’s tree had roots in the soul. That meant it could be considered part of the soul.

A tree like that could be called the best material that could be obtained without damaging the soul. If I used the tree, I could carry out experiments with a structure similar to a soul.

But this method had a huge problem. I carefully looked at Tiena. The magical power rippling from her was creating a vicious current I had never seen before.

A tree was the same as a mage’s life. No, perhaps it was even more precious than life. It was their realm, and a realm was something one had to obtain even if it meant burning away life.

That was why, aside from someone like me, no one carelessly tore off their tree. It had been the same even when I was in the back-alley slums. Tearing off a tree was something done by people who had fallen that low.

That was why Tiena was reacting so fiercely. It was also why I had approached the request as carefully as possible. Perhaps those efforts bore fruit, because Tiena only let her magical power ripple and did not threaten me.

Tiena stayed like that and thought, then thought again. The expectation and obsession that had lingered on her face gradually faded as she continued to consider it. The burning magical power faded with them.

Soon, she gathered her magical power and faced me. With a slightly sad smile, Tiena lightly shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but I think what you requested will be difficult.”

I nodded at her refusal. Mm, I had wondered if maybe, but it was as expected. I had expected this reaction too. This was not a perfect possibility.

“I see. Please do not mind it too much. This was only a request. I will look for another method.”

“There are other possibilities too? That’s a relief.”

Tiena looked slightly relieved. I quietly stroked my chin. I had brought this up despite knowing such a reaction would come because it had the highest possibility among the methods I had thought of.

The other methods still remained in the realm of impossibility. Still, since I had been refused, I needed to find another way. This was the commission she had given me, after all.

As I was facing Tiena, I felt magical power ripple from somewhere. It was coming from Professor On. When I looked at Professor On, I saw that they had placed a hand on their own chest.

I felt the magical power in Professor On’s hand gradually amplifying. Within that magical power, the hand sank straight beyond the chest. Tiena, who had turned back after sensing the magical power, saw it and opened her eyes wide in shock.

Professor On frowned slightly and let out even stronger magical power. Soon, they began slowly pulling their hand back out. In that hand was something small.

Pure white, it gave off extremely pure magical power. Its purity was similar to the magical power that stayed around Professor On. The professor quietly looked down at it, then turned their gaze to me.

“I think this amount will be needed to use it in your plan. You have to prepare for failure too.”

I nodded blankly. That was Professor On’s tree branch. Calling it a tree branch felt so disrespectful that I hardly dared to say it. It contained such dense magical power that even if countless people like me gathered, we clearly would not measure up to that one small branch.

Professor On waved a hand and wove magical power together. Then they began sealing the branch inside the magic. The branch, now quietly settled, was soon placed inside a small box Professor On had taken out.

Professor On looked it over briefly and tried to hand it to me. But that hand had no choice but to stop in midair. Tiena had grabbed Professor On’s hand. Her face showed deep bewilderment as she looked at them.

“Why did you do something like that? If you tear out your tree like this, the time it takes for you to leave this place will grow longer...”

Professor On raised a finger and lightly covered Tiena’s lips. At that touch, Tiena could not finish her words. Professor On met Tiena’s eyes and smiled clearly.

“If there is a possibility of fulfilling Tiena’s wish, this much sacrifice is nothing. Tiena’s happiness is my joy. So please do not be sad.”

Professor On lowered their head and pressed their face to Tiena’s. They had begun kissing again. Tiena’s eyebrows trembled, then she quietly closed her eyes. I could see her gently embrace Professor On.

The two continued that deep kiss. At their movement, the two puppets that had been staying at Tiena’s chest naturally came down onto the table.

Covering the eyes of the turtle and Myoil, I also quietly turned my gaze away. No matter how little they cared about me, would it not be rude to stare openly? Even I needed to be this careful.

Then I felt a hand tapping my shoulder. It was Mira’s. She had been quietly drinking tea so as not to interrupt the conversation, and now she looked at Professor On and Tiena with great amusement.

“How moving. Somehow, I’ve started wanting something similar myself. I’ll give you my heart, so will you make a life for me too? The price can be one kiss like that.”

She tapped her own lips. With a mischievous expression, she smiled with her eyes. At that, I cleared my throat and shook my head slightly.

“I will accept only the sentiment. My physical condition is a mess right now, after all.”

I placed a hand on my chest. It had only been about two months since I made the third Sapling. Perhaps because of that, my tree was still dried and thin. So right now, instead of making a Sapling, I needed to continue recovering.

Mira lightly licked her lips and leaned her head against me. Then shall I look forward to next time? Leaving her words behind, I quietly closed my eyes. Mm, it seemed I would have to make another new puppet next time.

While I was talking with Mira for a short while, Professor On and Tiena’s kiss also came to an end. As they slowly drew apart, they looked at each other with affection.

After giving Professor On one last kiss, Tiena looked at me and let out a faint laugh. She composed herself and slightly bowed her head to me.

“I’m sorry for showing you that. Since Professor On has gone this far, I suppose I should try trusting you once, Evron. Please wait a moment.”

Tiena placed a hand on her chest. Then, just as Professor On had done, she pulled out one small tree branch from within it. The tree dwelling inside her was a little different from a mage’s, and it had a different form from the mana heart I had made too.

That could be called the trace of an artificial mage created by Professor On. It was also the reason Professor On’s puppet could contain even more magical power than me.

I knew a little about how to make that, since I had bought Introduction to Puppetology at the previous gathering. Still, this was my first time seeing the real thing like this. Besides, since it was Tiena’s, it was definitely top quality.

Tiena sealed it and placed it inside the box containing Professor On’s tree branch. She briefly stroked the surface of the box, then handed it to me. I bowed my head slightly and carefully accepted it.

The box was thoroughly sealed with magical power. It did not seem like I needed to handle it any further. As I placed the box inside my clothes, Tiena let out a light laugh.

“Since I have handed you something so precious, I trust you will do your best for the commission. Of course, it is all right even if you cannot complete it. I was only leaning on a possibility too.”

Tiena smiled softly as if trying to reduce my burden. Even so, her eyes were shining with expectation. I firmly nodded.

“Since you have given me something like this, I will do my best. No, I will stake my life on succeeding.”

Tiena seemed to like my answer, because she smiled brightly. I let out a relieved sigh, but then I felt a gaze settle on me. It came from Professor On. The professor quietly opened their mouth.

“I have one good method for you.”

What was Professor On trying to say? As I met their eyes, I could see deep interest within them. Professor On lightly hugged Tiena and continued.

“How about staying in our tower? Knowledge, puppets, everything you need is in this tower right now. If I help you a little from beside you, wouldn’t the chance of your magic succeeding increase too?”

At those words, I could not help swallowing. I had not thought Professor On would view me this favorably. This could be called a kind of recruitment offer. For a moment, it was tempting.

As Professor On said, if I stayed here, my puppetry would definitely develop further. This place could be called heaven for puppeteers. But I could not accept the offer. I slowly shook my head.

“I am sorry, but I think that will be difficult.”

I had already established my own base. If I had no affiliation, that would be one thing, but how could I leave when I already had a tower I belonged to?

Besides, I did not know how long this work would take. I quietly fiddled with the box. It would clearly take years just to understand the tree branches inside. I could not spend that time bound only to Professor On’s tower.

Professor On tilted their head, as if they could not understand my attitude. I glanced at the magical power rippling from the professor. If things went wrong, Professor On might stop me by force.

I felt a slight sense of crisis filling my chest. At that moment, Mira leaned against me and let a little mist flow out. She smiled with her eyes and met Professor On’s gaze.

“Hu hu, I can finally obey Irian’s order. Unfortunately, Evron already has a contractor. So no matter how much you covet him, you must not touch him carelessly.”

Had Professor Irian expected this situation to happen? Mira felt along my wrist. It was where the contract stayed. I immediately understood what Mira intended.

When I channeled magical power into the contract, it slowly began giving off light. Soon, it showed one clear line of text. It was the contract with Professor Irian. Professor On slowly read through those words.

A contract was a law that acted absolutely. As Mira said, I was bound to Professor Irian by that contract. That meant leaving the tower without her permission was impossible.

Professor On thought for a moment, then nodded. I felt the magical power rippling around the professor slowly scatter.

“Irian, was it? I’ve heard of her. Was she that young dragon from back then? I still remember that she had an incredibly rare body. Is that what makes her a dragon? She certainly knows how to recognize good things.”

Professor On softly smacked their lips. Then they slowly continued.

“Then it can’t be helped. If I steal something belonging to a dragon, the president will go wild. ...Still, leaving behind a small loophole should be fine.”

Professor On let out a little magical power. It shot out swiftly and pierced my wrist. Then it engraved several small letters on it.

Inside them was a force that could not be called a contract, but still bound me. Professor On refined the magical power, completed the text, and nodded.

“This is a promise. If you use up all the tree I gave you and still fail, I will bring you to this tower. Your possibility is interesting, you see. At that time, even the young dragon won’t be able to stop me.”

After thinking for a moment, I nodded. They had already provided me with something far too great. To be able to peek at a tree made by a mage far higher in realm than me, where else could such an opportunity be found?

This could be called an opportunity no one could easily grasp. So of course there needed to be a price if I failed. This was not something where I could simply move on after failing.

Afterward, I continued talking with Professor On. And at the end of it, I was able to leave the tower. I quietly looked at my wrist.

I could feel the promise with Professor On remaining on my wrist as a kind of provisional contract. Stroking it, I smiled bitterly. To think Professor On would engrave a promise like this by force. Once again, I could clearly feel the difference in power between Professor On and me.

But this could also be called an opportunity. If I managed to resolve Tiena’s commission, they would definitely grant me an even greater reward.

Of course, there was one thing I was worried about. I had no idea what I would hear once I returned. I could not imagine how Professor Irian would react after seeing this.

Well, something would work out. It was not as if I had wanted to have this engraved on me. I lightly shook my head. It was time to return to the tower now.

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