Chapter 52
“How did you know that someone sensed something?”
Professor Frost, before answering, tilted an old teapot to fill a cup.
“I think I just explained that, didn’t I? There was a student who showed some strange reactions.”
“But it seems a bit much to conclude that they sensed something just from that…”
“You mean it’s hard to accept.”
Ian nodded.
Professor Frost poured tea into the cup in front of Ian this time. A fresh fragrance rose with the hot steam.
“Miss Ophelia experienced symptoms similar to a mana surge. Well, I’m not trying to suggest that this exculpates her actions, but I believe you might have sensed something.”
“You trust me a lot.”
“It’s been a month since you enrolled. Considering what you’ve shown us during that time, having some expectations isn’t unreasonable, is it?”
“That’s true.”
Ian discovered a connection between Professor Frost and his father.
However, neither Professor Frost nor Dean Jessica offered kindness that felt burdensome.
Instead, they endeavored to evaluate Ian’s abilities objectively.
Ian was genuinely grateful for that.
“I’m not here to defend Ophelia. I just came to consult with you about a peculiar experience I had.”
“A peculiar experience, huh.”
“When Ophelia got enraged, I saw something strange. It was like a shimmer of magical flow, but I couldn’t figure out what it was based on my knowledge.”
“Explain it to me in more detail.”
Ian explained everything to Professor Frost, except the capabilities of his glasses.
Professor Frost stroked his chin with an intrigued expression.
“Interesting, indeed. Such occurrences are rare. What do you suppose it might be?”
“I think it’s the power of a spirit.”
Professor Frost’s eyes sparkled.
“A spirit, you say. Why did you conclude it was a spirit?”
“Like I mentioned before, it was due to the shimmering magical flow.”
“If it’s a magical flow, couldn’t it just be the ordinary magic we commonly use?”
“If that was the case, I’d have seen a shimmer whenever others used magic. But it only appeared when Ophelia’s emotions erupted, which was strange. Above all, I sensed the presence of someone’s will.”
“A will, you say.”
“There was no one else who could send me telepathic thoughts at that time. Hence, I concluded there was a third presence, a spirit.”
“Hmm, your reasoning is clear.”
If this were just a neighborhood market, his statement would’ve been dismissed as nonsense.
However, this was the Royal Academy.
More specifically, the Department of Magic, where students gifted in magic gathered.
The idea of someone contracted to spirits wasn’t outlandish.
Yet, the question remained why Ophelia was hiding her spirit.
Occasionally, senior spirit mages were seen openly moving about with their spirits.
Being able to command a spirit was incredible in itself.
“Professor, did you not sense anything at that time?”
“Regrettably, I’m not a spirit mage.”
It appeared Professor Frost only sensed the magic.
After a brief pause, he organized his thoughts and spoke.
“Your story is fascinating, but it’s merely a hypothesis. Hypotheses are supposed to undergo verification before establishing them as theories.”
“I understand that well. Do you possibly know if Ophelia is a spirit mage?”
“I don’t. If she’s tried to hide it, she could manage that. Perhaps Professor Elena from the Major in Spirit Magic sensed something, but…”
The matter could escalate from there. Besides Professor Elena, Ian didn’t know any other professors from the Major in Spirit Magic.
And this was about magic, possibly even a secret family power.
Seeking someone with no prior connection to investigate it would be a profound discourtesy.
“But it’s too soon to be disappointed, Ian Oracle.”
“Too soon to be disappointed?”
“A theory is foundational knowledge for all magic. The benefit is that it leaves room for engagement, regardless of the field.”
“You mean…”
“If it’s troublesome to seek help from others, why not observe directly? You might resolve the matter by having an honest conversation with Miss Ophelia.”
Have a conversation? And frankly, at that?
While Ian blinked, puzzled, Professor Frost began jotting down something on a paper.
A little later, a densely packed list of books was completed.
He handed the paper to Ian.
“These references should be useful. You might want to read them before having that conversation.”
“But, Professor, there’s a fundamental problem before that.”
“What is it?”
“Ophelia won’t meet me. We’re not on good terms, you see.”
“Hahaha. Don’t worry too much about that. Even if she doesn’t want to meet you, she will have no choice but to meet you.”
After delivering this meaningful remark, Professor Frost picked up his teacup and savored the tea.
This was the extent of his advice.
* * *
That night, Ian entered the Great Library as he usually did.
The knights guarding the place no longer glared at Ian with hostility.
However, if there was something different from usual, it was his destination.
Instead of the ancient magic section, where he usually spent hours until dawn, he moved towards the spirit magic section.
‘It’s quiet here as well.’
Spirit magic was literally a magic that only the chosen could wield.
Therefore, Ian could read the books quietly without anyone meddling.
‘Spirits use languages as well. Then, what I sensed was not a thought, but the language of the spirits?’
He judged that there was a strong possibility.
The powers of the glasses, as revealed so far, translated ancient languages related to magic.
In other words, they had abilities related to written words.
There were mainly two kinds of spirit language.
Among them, spoken language followed the language of the contractor.
If one used the continental common language, the spirit used the common language too and would use dialects if the contractor did.
‘But written language seems to be a bit different.’
Written language was the literal characters used by spirits.
Characters were visual symbols.
Humans primarily used black pens to write words and convey meanings.
However, spirits did not use ink like humans.
They reportedly scattered unique letters through the use of mana and this letter system was said to be very profound.
‘However, this theory is merely a hypothesis.’
Spirit magic was not as researched as general magic. Especially regarding the spirit language, very little was known.
‘So, could it be why I didn’t understand the meaning? Was what I thought to be a thought actually the spoken language of the spirits? Or…’
The nature of it was still unclear.
To find out for sure, Ian had to confront it directly, just as Professor Frost suggested.
‘Anyway, if the spirit letters relate to magic writing, it’s not strange that they appear through the glasses.’
Ian grew certain of his intuition.
Eventually, he knew which parts to omit and which parts to pay attention to.
The once abundant list of books gradually diminished.
‘This should be enough.’
Ian put the book back in its place and left the section.
He wasn’t aiming to master spirit magic. If he could learn the characteristics and habits of spirits, it might help solve the problem more easily.
‘Of course, this presupposes that Ophelia is a spirit mage.’
When he stepped outside, the dawn starlight was already bright.
Yet, he felt refreshed.
He felt he was nearing the answer to the puzzle that had been troubling him.
‘But will Ophelia agree to meet me? I can’t imagine it.’
Ian couldn’t shake off this doubt until he returned to his dormitory room.
But as soon as he laid down on his bed, a plausible idea came to him.
‘Is it because of that reason?’
Ian caught onto the thread.
From there, everything unfolded smoothly.
Various clues swirled in his mind, forming a clear proposition.
‘It’s worth trying.’
And then, the dawn broke.
Ian hadn’t slept much. However, he greeted the morning feeling more refreshed than ever.
Milo seemed to be out exercising, as he was nowhere to be seen, and Edel was immersed in battling with books early in the morning.
He had gladly accepted Isera’s suggestion.
He gave his all to pass the entrance exam.
“Big news!”
Milo burst into the dorm room.
Both Ian and Edel turned their gaze towards him in unison.
“Ophelia’s been confined to a solitary cell!”
“Confined, you say?”
“She’s being isolated for three days until the disciplinary committee finishes? Rumors are spreading that the knights took her!”
“Oh my. Knights?”
Edel covered his surprised mouth with his hand.
Ian, on the other hand, remained calm.
He knew Ophelia was going to be subject to discretionary measures. Although it was called solitary confinement, it actually meant relaxing in a rather spacious and pleasant area for about three days.
They aimed to prevent the hassle in advance if she recklessly left the academy to hide with her family, while also somewhat preserving the family’s dignity.
Until the official decision from the disciplinary committee concluded, she could not leave that place.
This meant a conclusion was expected within three days.
“Where is she confined?”
“I heard she was taken to the academy’s Security Solitary Building. Why do you ask?”
“I’m thinking of visiting her.”
Ian rose from his seat, startling Milo who grabbed onto him.
“Visiting? Are you unwell? And visiting Ophelia of all people?”
“I need to confirm something.”
“What do you need to confirm? Well, do you think Ophelia will even agree to see you?”
“She won’t be able to refuse.”
Ian smiled slyly, a grin that sent chills down Milo’s spine.
“What kind of confidence is this? Are you planning to win with your looks? You sly devil!”
“It’s not like that. It won’t be a loss for Ophelia either.”
“And what might that be?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Ian left the dorm room.
Although he had been perplexed until he lay down to sleep, he realized the true meaning of Professor Frost’s words this morning.
Now, he brimmed with confidence. He was certain Ophelia would not avoid meeting him.
‘She must not avoid me in order to survive.’
* * *
In a luxurious parlor, Ophelia sat on the sofa, lost in thought.
‘I have shamed my family. I… who was called a genius…’
Tears welled up in her eyes.
She didn’t quite understand why her emotions had exploded, although there was something she could guess. But she didn’t want to admit it.
She believed it was a blessing.
It felt like a dream, as if she had fallen into a half-sleep and encountered a nightmare. The reality of it was hard to accept.
Yet, looking at the firmly closed door, she couldn’t deny the reality.
A sturdy lock secured the door, and two skilled knights stood guard.
‘The word must have reached my family by now, right?’
If the fact spread that a direct descendant of the honorable Drias Marquis family of the kingdom had opposed a professor and ended up in solitary confinement, it would create a scandal.
If she were expelled from the academy, it would mark the first expulsion in the history of the Drias family, an indelible disgrace.
‘It’s all because of this wretched power!’
Rage surged within Ophelia’s chest.
A hot sensation swirled inside her.
Simultaneously, a seizure began. The power of water, which contradicted fire, pleaded for its life.
‘Just die… Let me die like this!’
The scream of water echoed, yet no one could hear its cry.
‘It’s all your fault! If I hadn’t met you…’
Clink!
At that moment, the sound of the lock opening was heard. Soon, a knight entered the room.
“Ophelia, you have a visitor.”
“Who is it? Is it someone from the family?”
“The visitor is Ian Oracle.”
Ophelia’s expression twisted, but she lacked the strength to be angry anymore.
Her shoulders slumped.
“I don’t want to see anyone right now. Send him back.”
The knight hesitated for a moment.
However, he recalled the request from Sergeant Jim of the security team: if she refused, relay these words, and Ian would make a special potion for him in return.
“He told me if you wish to leave this place, you should meet with him.”
“What did you say?”
Ophelia’s eyes quivered intensely.