Book 13 Chapter 14

Episode 8

I greeted the early spring of my twelfth year.

In the meantime, I had devoured all the magic books of the magic tower except for three volumes. Now I have reached a level where I can use up to the beginner and intermediate stages of 4-star magic.

I did not tell the Dean this fact. There was a reason I intentionally left three volumes behind.

"Now that there's nothing left to teach, you may leave the magic tower."

It was for the excuse that if he were to say that, I would have unread books.

My growth was tremendous, a high-flying ascent, even if not necessarily viewed with a celebratory perspective.

If the measure of growth were to be expressed as a function graph, it would be a straight line piercing right through the coordinate system. And it was the same for Gizela.

"Gizela, begin."

"Yes, Dean!"

A whole four months passed since then… It was an arduous period, enduring repeated blood reflux throughout the body.

From a teaching perspective, with immense effort to the point of spitting blood, I succeeded in injecting mathematical knowledge into a gorilla's brain. Perhaps I should have studied biology.

According to the evaluations of the Dean and my Eldest Disciple Brother, they could say, 'This is not the magic skill of a twelve-year-old.'

"Then I will create an illusion of a log. Don't be too scared. You just have to block this using one magic spell of each attribute. The Bandoran (1-star) ranking exam is like this."

The Bandoran (1-star) ranking exam had a total of four subjects. However, depending on the examinee's choice, it can reportedly increase from five to six subjects.

The reason for this is that if one subject among the four major elements is given up, one can take the exam by replacing it with two minor elemental subjects.

Up to two subjects can be given up, and in this case, since one has to take the exam with two major elements and all minor elements, it becomes a total of six subjects.

Indeed…

For assessing mathematical understanding, the four major elements would be more suitable than the minor elements, which involve many simplified calculations for practicality.

"Yes, Eldest Disciple Brother!"

I wasn't very interested in how Gizela was preparing for the exam now.

It was such a waste of time even to supervise this, so I leaned against a pine tree in the academy's courtyard and was just reading a magic book.

But I couldn't understand the inductive reason why my gaze kept drifting to Gizela instead of the words in the book.

"I can do it, I can do it, I, I-I-I-I-I-I-I ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-can do it-it-it-it."

Every single movement of Gizela as she opened the magic book tied to her waist (a calculation wizard, that is, a Remediere type) was stiff.

"Hey, hey, are you really okay? You're completely stiff, like a decorative head."

"Shut up!"

Just as Gizela seemed to let out a shout, a little life began to stir in her movements.

"I'm ready! Rin, you watch closely! I'm going to smash that arrogant nose of yours!"

Soon, the log suspended by a rope charged towards Gizela. Gizela opened the part she had marked with a bookmark in the magic book.

Just preparing magic by calculating it in the magic book is not the end.

As if reviewing the magic, one must calculate it again in one's head and rewrite the coordinate values anew to fit the situation.

*Rustle… Wooooosh!*

The sound of pages turning was soon buried by the effect of magical light swirling from the magic circle.

The first magic spell was of the earth attribute.

Suddenly, an earthen wall shot up between Gizela and the log. The illusionary log judged it to be an obstacle. After the collision, having completed a short periodic motion, it stopped, leaning against the earthen wall.

"It, it worked! Just as I practiced!"

Gizela said with sparkling eyes.

The Dean, the Eldest Disciple Brother, and even the younger disciples made a fuss.

"Good!"

"It's a success, Gizela!"

"It's magic! Big Sister Gizela cast it in an instant!"

What's the big deal about that, how pathetic…

I, who was thinking that, did not know why my hand, holding the pages of the magic book, was clenching.

The Dean cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted.

"Gizela, you need to cast the next spell immediately!"

"…"

"Gizela?"