NOVEL NEXT Ch. 33
Chapter 33 - A Good Thing, in Any Case
“The origin in Origin Magic signifies the outer world, the starting point of this world.”
After a brief overview of the lecture, Professor Albert began the academic discussion.
Was it to solidify the concept since it was the first day, or was he being considerate of me, who was likely ignorant about magic due to being from the Combat Department?
“The world we live in is composed of mana that has flowed in from the outer world. This means that the laws of the world were not determined from within the world, but from the outside.”
With the brisk sound of chalk, a diagram began to fill the blackboard. A round circle signifying this world, and a black hole-like spiral shape signifying the origin that supplies mana to this world.
“As mana flows from the outside to the inside, the mana is altered. Into a form that we can accept.”
He added that this is expressed in Origin Magic studies with the term ‘Internal Magic Conversion.’
“In any case, through such a process, mana becomes subordinate to this world, and thus is included within the laws of the world.”
The content went on to explain that, for this reason, one cannot use internal mana to cast magic that changes the laws of the world.
‘It was a story I saw in the original work.’
I listened to the lecture with my hands clasped.
“However, very rarely, an irregular appears. A human with a constitution that can internally convert internal mana into external mana, that is, into the magic of the origin.”
And, that’s us, he meant.
“……Are you saying that the reason we can use Origin Magic is because we can use the mana from the place where the laws of the world were created?”
“Correct.”
After asking for confirmation once, I looked at Arien sitting next to me. The girl was sitting there with a completely emotionless expression, as if she already knew.
‘Even if I’m considered an irregular from the start, how can this girl use Origin Magic?’
***
“……This concludes the course overview. Dismissed.”
Thanks to Professor Albert’s characteristically direct manner of speaking, the lecture’s orientation didn’t drag on. As if he wouldn’t tolerate inefficiency, he ended his words with only the minimum necessary explanation and left the room.
‘Now, she’s the problem.’
After the professor left, I turned my gaze toward Arien. I had no idea how to deal with this girl who had acted so completely contrary to my expectations.
“……Well then, I’ll be going.”
Becoming friends with Arien was the best-case scenario, but in this situation, I couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say.
For now, since we would continue to meet in this lecture, I decided to first speculate on Arien’s behavior and then slowly close the distance.
As I finished my calculations and bid farewell with the intention of leaving…….
“I would like to ask for a moment of your time.”
Arien, with her characteristic way of speaking, reached out and grabbed my sleeve.
“Yes……?”
I couldn’t help but be even more flustered by that action. It was not at all an action that Arien, of all people, would take. To even make a request first.
However, the shock didn’t end there.
“I have not been able to make any friends at the academy so far. Therefore, I request this. I would like you to become my friend.”
“……”
Her expression, too serious and emotionless for words intended to form a friendship. It created a synergy with Arien’s doll-like appearance, making it sound as if a robot were speaking.
No, in the first place, it wasn’t like some kind of contract, and the approach of asking ‘shall we be friends?’ itself…… no, in the first place…….
‘What am I hearing right now?’
I was dizzy.
In any route so far, Arien had never approached another character in this way. Was it because of my aptitude for Origin Magic? But why would that be?
My mind suddenly became flooded with thoughts, but rationally, it was definitely a good opportunity.
No, it would be more fitting to say that there was no greater windfall than this. To have the person I thought would be the most difficult to build trust with approach me first and ask to be friends.
“Uh…… shall we……?”
I replied in a voice dripping with bewilderment.
I couldn't help but think that this might be the moment a friendship was formed in the most absurd way in the world.
“I am pleased. In that case, I suggest we have a meal together to commemorate this.”
Once again my mind went dizzy, first at her emotionless voice that sounded not at all pleased, contrary to the content, and then at the stiff content itself, which sounded as if it had been translated from English to Korean, but I just nodded my head.
***
I was already in a position that drew a lot of attention due to my special status, but today, the gazes stabbing into my back were even more intense.
The reason was simple. I was eating a meal alone with the Magic Tower Master’s daughter, that is, the next Magic Tower Master.
-Crazy, why is he eating with the Magic Tower Master’s daughter?
-He seemed close to Miss Serene too. What on earth did he do after quitting the academy?
The murmuring voices were also louder than usual. That’s how much of a conversation starter the girl in front of me was.
“……”
I let out a small sigh and slowly turned my gaze to Arien.
What came into my view then was Arien, staring fixedly at me without blinking an eye while munching on her food.
‘Damn, you scared me……!’
Honestly, I was so startled I almost flinched in my seat, but I barely managed to hide my reaction.
A great deal of composure was required to act nonchalant afterward and ask a question in return.
“Is there something you wish to say?”
For the first time, I was grateful for my face, which maintained a poker face in any situation.
“I wished to strike up a conversation, but I could not think of what to talk about, so I was thinking.”
It was a statement that made me want to facepalm if I could. I knew Arien’s social skills were abysmal, but experiencing it firsthand was a new kind of feeling.
“……I see.”
Unable to come up with a fitting reply to that, I could only give such a lukewarm response.
And upon hearing my words, Arien stared at me for a long while before finally opening her mouth again.
“I have thought of something.”
“Pardon?”
“A topic of conversation.”
“Aha……”
“I am feeling a considerable amount of mana from within Mr. Rain’s bag. Question. What are its contents?”
At Arien’s words, I glanced at my bag out of the corner of my eye. She was probably talking about the magic stone inside the bag.
“It’s a B-grade Magic Stone. I had a chance to obtain it recently.”
“I recall that item being the prize for second place in the practical test. You are strong, Mr. Rain.”
“……You flatter me.”
Arien praised me with her still emotionless expression, but considering this was the girl who had single-handedly taken down a Gargoyle and rewritten the history of Archenia Academy……. It probably wasn’t something she said with sincerity.
“That magic stone, are you going to sell it? Or will you process it into equipment? If not that, then enchanting?”
“Ah, I’m thinking of processing it through magic engineering. I have a function in mind.”
“I see. Have you thought of a place for the processing?”
“Yes, I’ve been introduced to a few places…… I plan to visit them around the weekend.”
“I see.”
Hmm, the conversation was definitely in trouble. Should I call it a back-and-forth conversation that seemed like it came out of an English textbook? The conversation was as stiff as it could be.
“……”
In this situation, Arien’s face seemed to have a strangely triumphant feel to it. Surely not, right? The corners of her mouth seemed to have risen slightly.
‘What on earth is she thinking.’
I considered trying to lead the conversation, but whenever that thought came up, my head became complicated.
The gap between the Arien I knew from
The only distinct reason she would approach me so friendly, the clear difference between me and the other students, was my aptitude for Origin Magic.
Did that aptitude for Origin Magic hold great meaning for Arien?
……The answer was ‘no.’ As the story progressed, villains who had been granted power by the final boss and could use Origin Magic would occasionally appear, and apart from being a bit flustered at first, Arien didn’t show any particularly noteworthy reactions.
With these thoughts, unanswerable questions followed one after another. While I was having lunch with such a complex state of mind…….
“Yo!”
With a single, short syllable of greeting, someone placed a hand on my shoulder. Hearing the familiar and easygoing girl’s voice, I turned around to see Yuna standing there.
“Lunch…… huh, you’re eating with someone else?”
“Yes, well. We became acquainted in a lecture.”
“Who is it this time……”
And Yuna, who raised her head to check who I was eating with, trailed off as if at a loss for words for a moment.
“……She looks like a doll.”
Then, she inadvertently let out such words.
‘Well, it’s understandable to have that impression.’
As it was a game faithful to subculture, Yuna was also described as beautiful enough, but it was a different kind of description from Arien’s appearance.
While Yuna was described as a fresh and youthful girl, Arien was described as an unrealistically beautiful person, like a doll.
Honestly, even I, who was somewhat prepared for it, had stared blankly for a moment when I first saw her.
“Thank you. And I have a question. Are you a friend of Mr. Rain?”
Arien, who had been watching Yuna for a moment, spoke to her first. Well, honestly, this was also surprising.
“Oh, your way of speaking is interesting…… I mean, yep.”
“I am Arien Ortega. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ari…… huh?”
“Arien.”
Yuna, who had been listening casually, widened her eyes upon hearing the name.
Well, she probably learned a thing or two about Arien while hearing the rumors about the practical test results.
She must have heard the rumors about her being the next Magic Tower Master too.
“A-are you by any chance…… the Magic Tower Master’s daughter……?”
“Technically, that is correct.”
What kind of organization was the Magic Tower? Wasn’t it the most authoritative group on the continent when it came to magic, where all the renowned mages gathered to study magic?
To the point where even ordinary people had heard rumors about it.
To use a familiar analogy, Yuna’s current feeling could be presumed to be like finding out that her friend’s friend was the person who would become the next chairman of SamXung Electronics.
And Yuna’s reaction was…….
“Hic.”
It was a reaction I remembered seeing somewhere before, one that truly did not disappoint my expectations.