HSTAV 30

Chapter 30

In front of me, a small booklet had already been placed.

“This is the spell you’ll need to demonstrate at this presentation: ‘Nine Rings of Fire.’ It’s somewhat difficult, but with your skills, you should be able to cast it without any issues.”

Excuse me.

I’m currently in a body that can’t even use magic. How am I supposed to perform a magic demonstration in front of people?

No. I need to clearly tell them I can’t do it here. If I let the situation sweep me up, I could end up in a truly worst-case scenario.

Surely, I won’t get expelled from the academy just for skipping this one, right?

“Professor, um… I have a bit of a problem…”

Just as I tried to voice my honest thoughts, there was a thud!

“P-Professor Pellen!”

The office door, which had been closed, burst open, and someone rushed inside.

“Hm? Genjin?”

A man who looked like a middle-aged professor shouted with a very urgent expression.

“Did you hear about it…? Oh? Were you in a consultation?”

“Ah, yes. This is the student, Kamon, who will be responsible for the spell demonstration at this seminar.”

“Oh, the demonstration. Is this the student recommended by the princess?”

What? The princess? Why is that crazy woman’s name popping up here all of a sudden?

“Ahem. Recommended, you say? Kamon’s name was already on the list.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

He nodded in agreement with Professor Pellen’s words, then quickly shifted to a serious expression and muttered in a low voice:

“Uh, Professor Pellen, there’s something I need to tell you…”

“Is this about Elmon, that bastard?”

“Y-Yes. How…?”

“I just heard about it myself. Elmon, the damn fool, dares to try to dissolve my guild?”

“P-Professor, there’s still a student here…”

“It’s fine. This student is also part of our guild, so they should know what’s going on!”

“It seems Elmon is trying to use the dissolution of the guild to check on Professor Pellen. He had nothing to do with the guild or its achievements until now, but now he’s pulling this stunt…”

“Elmon has aged a lot. As you said, he’s just trying to maintain his power by keeping others in check.”

“Then we need to make sure to show them during this seminar just how powerful and historically significant our magic guild is.”

“Yes, you’re right, Genjin.”

Nodding in agreement, Professor Pellen then turned his gaze toward me.

“Kamon. You’ve heard it too. A lot rests on this magic demonstration.”

W-what? Suddenly?

“This seminar will have many important guests and prominent figures attending. So…”

Wait a second.

If I say here, ‘Ah, I can’t use magic, so I’ll skip this seminar,’ what would happen? There’s no need to overthink it—it would be a complete disaster.

“In other words, the fate of our magic guild rests in your hands. You won’t disappoint me, will you?”

“…….”

“What? Why no answer? Can you give that bastard Elmon a proper blow?”

“Well, uh…”

“Professor Pellen, he’s still a student. Perhaps that kind of comment would just be too much pressure; it might be better to encourage him gently.”

The middle-aged professor beside him, Genjin, interjected.

“Yes, I suppose he’ll handle it. At least his skill is reliable. I trust you, Kamon Bayd.”

Muttering to himself, Professor Pellen then continued in a strict tone:

“But if anything goes wrong or any mistakes occur during this seminar, you will be held fully responsible. Understood, Kamon?”

“……Yes, understood.”

I was utterly dumbfounded at Pellen’s one-man-show attitude, but I had no choice but to nod here. What else could I do in this situation?

“Then go for now, Kamon. And you, Genjin…”

With Pellen immediately dismissing us, I quickly exited the office.

Alright, let’s summarize this properly.

Professor Pellen has now put me in charge of the magic demonstration for the guild seminar. And the person who recommended me to do it was…

‘Francia, that damn crazy woman?’

“Goddamn it.”

I couldn’t help but curse.

Damn it, what do I do now?

Ever since I had suddenly been told about the magic demonstration, I had been racking my brain to find a solution to this problem.

“Damn it. I have to learn magic somehow? But I can’t even sense mana.”

There was one question that I couldn’t resolve.

Originally, Kamon Bayd could use magic and was overflowing with talent.

“So why can’t I even feel mana now?”

Perhaps this was the fundamental question—and the biggest problem I had.

But I couldn’t resolve it immediately.

“I can’t tell anyone either.”

How could I confess that Kamon Bayd can’t use magic right now?

Of course, Chelsea had to tell someone due to the circumstances, but I had to minimize any risk to myself.

“Phew.”

I wished there was at least a sharp solution…

Rumble

“Fine. I’ll eat first and think later.”

I walked through the academy halls. Since it was a short vacation period, many students were still around, moving in small groups. Their casual attitude made me mutter internally:

“Wow, you guys live so comfortably…”

As I begrudgingly moved on, someone suddenly bumped strongly into me.

“What the—?”

I immediately snapped, glaring at the student who collided with me.

He wasn’t very big, but he stood there with a few friends, looking like he was trying to act cool.

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t see you there.”

He apologized immediately, and I frowned slightly but ignored him.

“It’s fine. Go on.”

He bowed slightly and moved toward his friends, and I turned back toward the cafeteria.

Step, step.

Then, from behind, I heard a whispered voice.

“Ha ha, that idiot. He’s really gonna do it?”

“Right? What if Kamon loses it and beats you up?”

What? Did he do it on purpose, that shoulder bump?

Unexpectedly, I turned to look, but then I overheard something even more shocking.

“See? I told you. That guy can’t even use magic.”

“Yeah. Normally he’d go berserk and just blast a fireball, but…”

“Still, he’s Kamon Bayd. Isn’t this overreacting?”

“Then what’s he gonna do? He’s neither a noble nor can he use magic, so he’s just a loser. Why should I be scared?”

What? Rumors are spreading that I can’t use magic?

Step, step.

Hearing that, I couldn’t even dare turn my head. I had to keep moving quickly.

‘Damn it, what’s going on?’

Being told to perform a magic demonstration was already stressful enough, and now rumors are spreading that I can’t use magic?

Could it be Chelsea? Or Bren?

Potential suspects for spreading the rumor flashed through my mind, but I shook my head firmly.

No, that’s not important right now!

If rumors that I can’t use magic spread throughout the academy…

All the huge accomplishments Kamon Bayd had accumulated until now would likely be dumped entirely on me.

Then I…

‘Can I even survive this?’

Just thinking about it made my spine shiver, and I gripped my trembling arm.

“No, I absolutely have to find a way.”

I had to recover my magic or find a way to learn it immediately. Somehow!

I went straight back to the dorm and sat at my desk, reviewing the current situation.

“Let’s break this down step by step.”

I had at most two weeks left. At the end of the vacation, I had to perform the magic demonstration at the guild seminar.

And currently, there were rumors spreading throughout the academy that I couldn’t use magic.

So first and foremost:

“I must be able to use magic again.”

Whether it was possible or impossible didn’t matter. Without this precondition, nothing else could even happen.

Let’s assume I somehow managed to recover my magic through sheer effort. Then what?

Of course, I would have to skillfully cast the ‘Nine Rings of Fire’ in front of everyone.

“Phew… can I even do that?”

I wasn’t asking anyone. I was just muttering to myself in disbelief.

Even these two preconditions were already hellishly difficult. But even worse was…

“The fact that I can’t sense mana in the first place.”

Through private lessons with Bren, I realized I couldn’t even see mana.

To cast magic, you must learn it.

To learn it, you must be able to sense mana.

But if you can’t sense mana?

Then, naturally, it’s completely useless!

“Ha… I’m gonna lose it.”

I let out a deep sigh and considered the only possible solution under the circumstances.

“Should I just run away?”

But I shook my head immediately.

“No, no. Running away will just have the same result.”

If I ran off, I could vanish like Kamon Bayd did in the original story, quietly disappearing without a trace.

Then the only solution left was…

“Why I, after being possessed by Kamon Bayd, have become unable to sense mana in the first place.”

I decided that this was the most urgent problem to solve, and a single name flashed in my mind.

“Jamie Hasselion.”

One of the few top-tier magic candidates in the original story’s world.

Red, blue, yellow.

A title given only to the strongest mages on the continent, divided into three primary colors, and Jamie held the Yellow title.

“Currently, a hidden character lurking in the academy as well.”

For reasons not explained in the novel, Jamie was hiding in the academy in the early part of the story.

Of course, in the original story, the Yellow Mage Jamie didn’t play a particularly meaningful role.

He appeared occasionally, just to show his face, and then disappeared without anyone noticing.

“At least he might know a method or the cause of the problem.”

Among the knowledge I had from the original story, he was the closest person I could seek help from.

But…

“I really don’t want to…”

The reason I delayed even thinking of Jamie, despite knowing about him, was simple.

“The person officially recognized by the author as one of the craziest in the novel.”