A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Professor (2)

Thursday, March 20, Imperial Year 958

Level 9 cleared. Congratulations. There are no levels beyond this.

"Thanks."

As a result of my intense training up until the day of the lecture, I cleared the stage using only Basic Telekinesis and earned a bonus attribute as a reward.

───────

[Telekinesis Expert]

Grade:

Normal

Description:

The fruit of rigorous training. Telekinesis performance is improved by 11%, and mana consumption is reduced by 11%.

───────

The description was simple, but it was incredibly valuable to me, especially the 11%. As I advance, the value of this attribute would only be amplified. I glanced at the clock while sitting in my office chair.

It was 10 a.m., and the lecture was scheduled for 3 p.m.. I had plenty of time and there was no need to arrive early. I could wait until 3:30 p.m. and show up when Allen gives the signal. My ambitious plan for the day was to have the first lecture be a self-study session.

***

"Sigh..." Epherene sighed deeply in front of Classroom A on the third floor of the Mage Tower of the University.

Deculein was in that room, and Epherene would be attending his lecture in the same space. That alone was torturous. Whether Deculein would recall what happened during the lecture a month ago, or even recognize her last name, Luna—the very same last name of the mage he killed—was a thought that gnawed at her.

If the target of her revenge didn’t even remember the name, Epherene would be even angrier, utterly furious. She pondered her next move, debating whether to force him to remember his unrecognized crime. The tension was suffocating her.

"Epherene, what are you doing here?"

Epherene snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of someone's voice. A fellow female student in a robe was looking at her curiously.

"Oh, I am just a bit nervous. You can go ahead first," Epherene replied.

"Yeah, I’m nervous too. I looked up Deculein on the wizard board, and he’s supposed to be really strict. But at least he’s handsome..."

Her classmate walked inside as she was muttering to herself, leaving Epherene standing there. Epherene then noticed another woman approaching from down the corridor and momentarily lost her words.

"... Ah."

Her meticulously groomed blonde hair shimmered with every step. Her haughty demeanor was like the scent of roses, and her refined elegance radiated effortlessly.

She belonged to the highest class of nobility—even among nobles, she held a particularly high rank. Sylvia, daughter of the House of Iliade, hailed from one of the most prestigious bloodlines in the Empire. Sylvia Von Yossepin Iliade.

Epherene already knew that this noble lady was in the same classroom, yet she instinctively took a defensive stance. Narrowing her eyes, she licked her lips. Epherene disliked Sylvia, and it wasn't just a simple feeling of inferiority. It was a long and bitter feud.

For generations, Luna’s family had served as vassals in the Iliade territory of Juhale. It was said that they were distant relatives in the past.

However, ten years ago, when she was not even eight years old, she remembered the glare of Giltheon, the head of the Iliade family. She recalled how they surrounded the mansion with territorial forces and treated her family like troublesome trash.

Epherene still remembered the voice calling them lowly, all because their family's talents, particularly her father's abilities, were feared by their family.

But this wasn't their territory, it was the Mage Tower, and she was no longer a child. In terms of talent, she wouldn't lose to that girl who carried herself with an air of supreme nobility. In the Mage Tower, only one's name and talent mattered, not one's family or title.

However, Sylvia had merely glanced at Epherene and went straight inside. Her face showed no expression, no emotions—nothing. It was as if she didn't recognize Epherene at all. Epherene, who had struck a kung fu pose by herself, awkwardly scratched the back of her neck and followed inside.

"... Huh?"

She was surprised to find that the classroom resembled a spacious gymnasium rather than a lecture hall. The ceiling was incredibly high, and the floor was scattered with wells, trees, soil, sand, gravel, and metal scraps.

"Wow. Isn’t this different from Deculein’s usual lectures? Interesting."

"Yeah. The Wizard Board didn’t mention this. Is it because it’s the first class?"

Unlike the bewildered Epherene, the other mages appeared both surprised and amused.

"Hey, look at this."

One of the students pointed to something. A signpost stood in the center of the space.

For the first class, I, the Professor, intend to assess your abilities.

This place is filled with various elements. You are free to use anything you can manage on your own.

“Eh...?” Epherene frowned, approaching to confirm the message. “What is this?”

They were expected to manage everything on their own, but Epherene was unsure how to proceed. The other mages seemed familiar with this peculiar setup, suggesting it might be a common type of class at the academy. Having been self-taught before joining the Tower, Epherene wasn’t entirely certain.

“Oh, maybe like this?”

Suddenly, someone beside her seemed to have understood. She glanced over and saw that it was Geharon, the son of a well-known magical family. Epherene subtly moved closer to him.

“What~? Did you get it?” Epherene asked.

"Oh? Yeah. I think it’s like this?"

Geharon touched the ground. Immediately, water and soil mingled around his hand, forming a thin, tall structure—a mud tower.

"He said we’re supposed to do something with the elements here. This class is Understanding the Properties of Element Magic, right? So, don't you think we should create something with the elements here? It's all about handling Pure Elements," Geharon replied.

“Oh, that makes sense.”

Epherene and most of the mages agreed with Geharon. After all, the lecture title was Understanding the Properties of Element Magic.

“That should be easy then,” Epherene said, swinging her arms with a smile.

Should I make a sculpture? Or perhaps a tower? Should I aim for size or intricacy? I could probably do anything, really.

Epherene habitually fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist, an artifact her father had given her long ago. It had now become her property as a mage. Known as a rare artifact, it was the most limited yet versatile property. As long as she had the bracelet, she could freely manipulate all elements.

"I choose you."

While contemplating which element to choose, Epherene soon sat down near the pile of metal. As she crouched to prepare her magic, someone walked by and lightly pushed her back.

“Ow, what the.”

Nearly falling, she steadied herself by leaning on the metal railings. When she turned around, she saw Sylvia, who glanced at Epherene like she was just trash on the side of the road and continued on her way.

"... Unbelievable. Why did she bump into me? Can't she see where she's going, or are her feet just too big?"

Epherene muttered to herself while pouting, then began to gather the metal pieces into one place with great effort.

“Oof, it’s so heavy.”

After dusting off her hands, she placed them on the metal pieces and took a deep breath to prepare herself. Then, closing her eyes, she activated her mana.

Crackle, buzz—!

Mana sparked like fireworks. Before her hands even moved, her bracelet emitted a blue light, and a small, misshapen tower rose up.

“Hmph.”

Having only resumed practicing magic three years ago, Epherene was still lacking in many aspects. However, she was satisfied with this level of demonstration. Now that she had the hang of it, she decided to make it as large as possible.

“... Huh?”

At that moment, the tower she had created suddenly began to shrink and was swiftly sucked away to somewhere unknown.

“W-where are you going!”

She tried to stop it with her hands, but it was futile. She could only watch in dismay as the remnants of her tower were swept away.

“... Huuh?”

Sylvia was absorbing the material to create a statue. Epherene let out a scoff. She planned to dismantle it eventually, but Sylvia’s actions puzzled her.

“Umm, excuse me. What are you doing? I made that?” Epherene said, approaching Sylvia.

Sylvia blinked at her a few times and then replied in a lazy voice, “My mistake. It was so small that I thought it was scrap metal.”

“... What?” Epherene frowned.

Did she eat something bad? No matter how scrap-like my tower might have looked... Wait. Hold on. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she smirked.

“Ah~ Sylvia. You do recognize me, don’t you?”

“Knock, knock. Hello, I’m talking to you. You recognize me, don’t you? Why are you pretending that you don’t?”

“Ah, I get it~ Are you scared of being overtaken? I’ve only been learning for three years after a seven-year break. Meanwhile, you’ve had elite training from high-level magicians. Yet you’re afraid?”

My father? Did she just mention my father? Epherene was momentarily taken aback.

“... Ptooey! Hey bitch. What did you just say? Say it again, will you?”

Snatch!

Crack, crackle...

“Ugh!”