WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 94

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- Ring of the Sky: Ah, finally. How long I’ve waited for this day. My words can finally reach the others now. I hope everyone will share in my happiness.

[A picture of magical beasts laughing happily with their arms linked]

[A picture of several treasures lying on the floor and spewing magical power]

What do you think? They look happy, don’t they?

└ Tooth Necklace: They do. Everyone looks truly happy!

└ Blood Axe: Slaughter... That, slaughter?

└ Tooth Necklace: Now, now, you mustn’t say that. Brainwashing? As Ring of the Sky-nim said, don’t they all look happy? I am certain they are truly happy in there.

└ Blood Axe: You, there, slaughter. Slaughter!

└ Tooth Necklace: What a shame. I am in another room, you see! And I have no intention of going there!

└ Evron: If you ask, I can move your room for you. Also, if any treasure causes trouble, I plan to send it to that room. So please try not to cause any disasters that are too large.

└ Tooth Necklace: Oh, dear.

└ Blood Axe: What, slaughter! S-slaughter? I, slaughter slaughter!

└ Tooth Necklace: Shh, that is a secret between us, isn’t it? You mustn’t say that here!

“Goodness, it really is beautiful. I’m sincerely impressed.”

Mira’s voice reached my ears. I gave a faint nod and looked at the puppet before me. A week had passed since Professor On’s puppetry lecture ended.

Spending that time integrating what I had learned from the lecture into my own puppetry had been deeply worthwhile. The truth was, my knowledge of puppetry had been built on a very flimsy skeleton.

Puppetry was independent, personal, and closed-off. Far too few people learned it, and just as few taught it. Professor Irian had given me only a few pieces of advice. Developing my puppets had always been my responsibility.

I had gathered as many books on puppetry as I could and created several theories of my own based on them. But there had always been an undeniable crudeness in them. Since I did not know what I was lacking, I could not fill those gaps.

Now, though, I could see a little. Even though I had only listened to a three-hour lecture. Before the next class, I should visit Mauro. I should tell him how grateful I was. That was what I thought.

“So, when you look at this puppet, what do you feel? Is it lovely? Does it make you want to hug it?”

“I’m not sure.”

I muttered that. This was the result I had produced after a week and countless rounds of trial and error.

On the workbench lay a woman with her eyes closed. Her flowing purple hair reflected the light as if it had been made from jewels, drawing in anyone who looked at it, and her white-jade skin shone with such a luster that anyone would want to reach out and touch it.

In truth, the hair really had been made from jewels. The skin was white jade too. This was the result of recalling the strange puppets I had seen in Professor On’s tower and trying to make something as similar as possible. I had poured quite a lot of points into it.

This was a puppet made by gathering all the information I had. It could be called a collection of beauty, made by looking at countless women and taking only the most beautiful parts from each.

When I breathed magical power into it, the thing slowly opened its eyes on the workbench. Its purple eyes shone like jewels. Of course they did, since I had actually embedded jewels in them.

I quietly met its gaze. It looked at me and blinked. After watching it for a moment, I shook my head.

I was impressed by its appearance. I could recognize that it was beautiful. Even though I had made it myself, I could feel myself being drawn to it a little.

But that was all. During the process of making it, I had realized something. I would not love this.

This beauty was nothing more than a shell. It was only a collection of external features. The pull I felt toward it was not love. It was lust.

In fact, I was not even sure what love was. Professor On had told me to make a puppet I loved. I thought of him and his puppet, Tiena. Their displays of affection too. Was that love?

In the end, this puppet was also a failure. I quietly sent it a signal. At that, it went to one side of the workshop, to the area where the puppets were lined up, and gently sat down. Then it naturally closed its eyes.

Still, I had put quite a lot of points into it, so I needed to give it a shadow for now. Its appearance was probably one the students would like. If they saw it, they might even pay points to rent it.

“Hmm. You could simply submit me, you know. I wouldn’t mind. Even if you loved me, Evron-ssi.”

Mira let out a soft giggle. I glanced at her. She was leisurely drinking tea at the table. She looked perfectly relaxed.

She looked straight at me and gave me a mischievous smile. Her face was full of amusement. It made sense. These days, she was completely absorbed in teasing me like that.

I gave an awkward smile. Well, if the assignment had been to submit the most perfect puppet, I would have presented her without hesitation. But she could not be the answer to this assignment.

The Fog Heart inside her was her true body, after all. Even if I said I loved her, that would mean I loved her, not the puppet serving as her body.

Had that one thought of something, then? I looked at one side of the workshop. There was a huge lump of stone there. I could see No. 0 sitting on top of it.

It was carefully carving away the stone with absolute confidence. Ever since we returned, it had clung only to that single lump of stone. It spent hours just shaving off one span of it.

Out of curiosity, I had asked it several times what it was making, but it only smiled. It would probably take a month to finish. Until then, it did not seem to have any intention of revealing what it was.

While I stared at it blankly, a mirror bug flew up. It stopped in front of my eyes and trembled. It was an alarm telling me the time. When I checked, it was time to move.

A month had already passed since the fight Tooth Necklace had started in the first lecture. Today was the day the next treasure would conduct its lecture. The students were probably almost all gathered in the classroom by now.

“It’s time. Would you like to come with me?”

I said that as I held out my hand to Mira. She set down her teacup and rose from her seat. I gently led her out of the workshop.

The treasure conducting this lecture was the grade-three friendly entity, Ring of the Sky.

In truth, most of the treasures I had gathered on the message board were uncertain entities. There were some hostile entities too. Friendly entities were the fewest.

That was only natural. The standard was based on me.

Treasures were violent, impatient, and self-centered. To them, I was a single ant. How many would answer when an ant spoke to them?

In that sense, a friendly entity was more like an oddity among treasures. Like Mira beside me right now. I looked at Mira, who was holding my arm. When she noticed my gaze, she smiled softly.

Originally, Mira could not be called a friendly entity either. She had tried to eat me without asking any questions at first. After that was blocked by the key, she asked for cooperation. In that sense, uncertain entity would have been more accurate.

By now, I had a little certainty, so I had identified her as a friendly entity. Friendly entities, at the most basic level, were those who spoke to us first. Yes, those who spoke to ants. There was a reason they were called oddities.

They had shown a will to communicate with us first, and they had communicated. That also meant they were powerful. All of them had been given grade three. Maintaining a clear ego in the warehouse for a long time also meant they were that strong.

Of course, there were others who spoke first too. The problem was that most of them were traps. In the warehouse we visited the day before yesterday, there had also been something that spoke first. It was a treasure named Curse Blade.

It sent its will to me first. But that was nothing more than a snare for hunting. We were caught and attacked, then barely escaped. The side it had lightly cut still ached with a chill.

The ones who passed that safety standard, the treasures I judged safe to face, were friendly entities. I had cleared quite a lot of warehouse rooms by now, but I had only met three treasures like that.

Ring of the Sky was the strongest among them. It might have been the strongest treasure I had invited onto the message board. Because of that, I had been very wary. But it was extremely gentle. Sometimes I even visited that warehouse to talk with it.

I remembered the first time I met it. It had been Warehouse No. 8. Was it called the Room of Those Who Have Faith? The name was so unusual that I entered.

That place was a snowy field filled with falling snow. The snow falling from the sky showed no sign of stopping. And at the center of that sky, there was a ring. It was so enormous that it could be seen from anywhere in the room.

Several magical beasts quickly approached us after we entered the warehouse. I was about to deal with them when they opened their mouths and spat out magical power. It rippled in the air and formed several pictures.

A picture of people holding hands, another picture of people bowing their heads to each other, and so on. It was a kind of signal asking us to meet. After following them warily, what we faced was Ring of the Sky.

The place it invited us to was the center of the land. It was also the only area where snow did not fall, shielded by that ring. The inside was like a cozy garden. There was plenty of food, and the magical power was abundant.

Inside, there were several magical beasts. They rolled around on the ground with happy smiles. Beside them were treasures as well. They were asleep while spewing magical power in satisfaction.

In that strange sight, the ring sent us a signal. Perhaps because I had come close, I could feel its will more clearly.

-Do you not want to become happy? I can give you happiness. Just like them.

That will seeped into my heart. At its gentle tone, I almost nodded before I knew it. If Mira had not released fog beside me, I really would have.

I quickly shook my head and stepped back. I was fully on guard, wondering if it was trying to eat us, but it did not chase us. It only released its will once more.

-Is that so? If you ever need happiness, please come to me. I will wait for you.

It did not treat us coercively. It had simply offered. I had only been half-entranced because of the difference in our power. I sent a mirror bug to the ring. That was how it joined our message board.

Afterward, I met it and spoke with it from time to time. It said it was protecting the sleeping treasures. It had felt sorry watching them trapped in the warehouse and forced to keep fighting, so it had made them happy.

Yes, Ring of the Sky, the one conducting this second lecture, was an existence full of goodwill toward others. That was why I had identified it as a friendly entity.

But friendly did not mean safe. I looked at the students gathered in the classroom. They were looking at the sky. A shining ring hung from the ceiling. It spat out writing.

-I will not make you fight like the previous Tooth Necklace-ssi. What I want is one thing. For all of you to confess your sins. The things hidden deep in your hearts. The things even you do not properly recognize. And the things you want to hide. You only need to draw out those memories and whisper them to me.

The light pouring from the ring was very strange. It was like sunlight, like starlight, and in another way, like an endlessly dark abyss. There was a reason the students’ gazes kept being drawn to it.

-Where is happiness made? It is within unhappiness. The stronger that unhappiness is, and the more you recognize it, the greater your present happiness becomes. If your memories are true, if that unhappiness needs happiness, I will give you power. The power to become happy. The power to create happiness.

At those words, the students’ eyes began to shine slightly. The desires within them were revealed clearly under the ring’s light. Ring of the Sky circled the classroom ceiling in silence.

Among the students, I saw Hao’s eyes sparkling. Hao was wearing a skirt and had even powdered their face. It did not suit Hao’s large build at all. The people nearby had all seen it and moved away.

I could vividly picture Tooth Necklace clacking its teeth together merrily and cackling. This sight was probably visible to it too. I let out a small sigh. I really had not expected Hao to believe those words and come dressed as a woman.

-What I will give you is a part of my body. If you possess this, you will be able to make your opponent happy. To you, who have given them happiness, that opponent will offer everything without holding back. It will be a world where everyone makes one another happy.

Happiness, huh. Reading that left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth. Just as it said, those affected by that power were extremely happy. No matter what was done to them. It was like a form of powerful brainwashing.

-The power is lacking, so it may still be difficult to use on people. But magical beasts should be possible. If you gift this happiness to other things one by one, you will become happier with their help.

The students’ magical power lightly rippled. The mood said everyone had noticed how useful it was. It was an extremely alluring power. Enough for people to covet it like that.

-I will also tell you the precautions. If you try to hold too much, you too will be assimilated into their happiness. So do not use this power on too many targets at once. You must make them perfectly happy one by one.

Ring of the Sky quietly trembled. Then it slowly began to disappear, leaving behind only one last line of writing.

-That is the end of my story. Then, everyone, please whisper those inner thoughts to me. I will be looking forward to it.

I stepped toward the murmuring students. Then I clapped my hands and gathered their attention. Seeing their gazes turn toward me, I gave a light smile.

“For this lecture, I have prepared several soundproof rooms on the first floor. No one, including me, will be able to know what is said inside. So please speak without worry. Now, shall everyone stand?”

The puppets beside them began gently touching the students. Following the puppets’ guidance, they naturally headed out of the classroom.

I also followed them with Mira. When we reached the first floor, we stood before five tightly closed rooms. Beyond them, like in the classroom, several mirrors had been installed. Even I did not know what kind of conversations would happen inside.

Of course, if I wanted to know, I could. But that would break my relationship of trust with Ring of the Sky. Since it had treated me with goodwill first, there was no need for me to go out of my way to offend it. Trust had to go both ways.

“Now, Ring of the Sky-ssi will be waiting inside these rooms. There is no particular order. Those who want to go first may go first. For the next twenty-four hours, you may try as many times as you want, so please enter freely!”

No sooner had I finished speaking than someone quickly opened a door and entered. I saw a fluttering skirt. It was Hao. Still dressed as a woman, Hao vanished beyond the door.

The door closed firmly. Other than Hao, no one moved first. The atmosphere felt like they wanted to see Hao’s result first.

Hao came out not long after. They were holding the doorknob while shedding tears. Hao sniffled and stepped outside. Then Hao looked at us and smiled brightly.

“Ring of the Sky said, ‘Since I have learned your sin, you need only dream of happiness.’ Under that person’s guidance, my life has become even more blessed. Ahh, how kind that person is.”

Hao’s face, with the powder melting under the tears, did not look very good. They seemed deeply moved. Had Hao gone inside and been brainwashed somehow?

But the Ring of the Sky inside was only an illusion. It should not be able to project its power this far. Also, the ring had even promised not to do that.

I quietly floated a mirror bug. It began to record Hao’s scores.

-Physical score: 37 points, I can see the results of steady training. Let’s work harder!

-Mental score: 92 points, did something good happen? Your score has exceeded the highest value.

-Soul score: 33 points, you are in a very normal state. Same as usual.

Overall assessment: Your mental score grew greatly in a short time. Did you gain some insight? Let’s keep moving forward like this!

Mm, there was nothing wrong. If anything, Hao’s mental score had risen after entering. It seemed Hao had realized something while talking with Ring of the Sky.

Hao entered the room again. It looked like Hao wanted to talk to Ring of the Sky once more. After Hao disappeared like that, the first floor began growing noisy with the students’ murmuring.

They did look a little uneasy. Of course they did. Hao had come out looking half insane. To reassure them, I revealed part of Hao’s scores.

When the students heard that Hao’s score had actually risen after entering, they quickly lined up. Then they began entering the rooms one by one.

Like that, they poured out their sins and heard Ring of the Sky’s words. Time passed quickly. Mira and I watched them.

Some people came out crying. Some let out sighs with slightly bitter expressions, and some kicked the door open and came out looking extremely displeased.

Through those varied reactions, the rotation of two hundred people continued quickly. Hao visited that room seven times over the twenty-four hours.

-I have heard many people’s sins. I have chewed them over, and I came to wish for their happiness. But there were also many who did not fully realize their own sins. What a pity. I cannot give happiness to those who cannot be unhappy.

In the classroom, Ring of the Sky spat out writing. It began choosing people. Those selected bowed their heads while looking at Ring of the Sky. There were forty people chosen in total.

After that day, a small fragment of a ring began floating above Hao’s head.

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