I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
chapter-13

"What? He's going to shorten the time for the magic technique?"

"Is that possible?"

"Isn't he lying?"

Unlike the first years, who were not familiar with spells, the second years doubted what Ludger said.

Before teaching the basics of magic in his first class, he was going to show them how to cast the spell faster.

They had no choice but to doubt him.

The speed of spell casting was always considered a top priority for wizards.

One second was a lot of time in a battle of life or death.

Moreover, unlike knights who move their bodies in real time and wield swords, the sense of danger was much more acute for wizards—who took time to cast their spells.

Due to the development of science, wizards are less exposed to danger than they used to be, but the danger is not completely gone.

Since they were wizards who always had to think clearly and rationally, they had no choice but to focus themselves more on speed.

"Flora, is what he said true?" Cheryl asked Flora, her best friend.

"Well, I don't know. Have we ever been taught a proper way to shorten magic techniques?"

There was certainly a way to reduce the time of casting spells.

The representative example was a spell scroll, which was demonstrated by storing existing spells in a medium in advance.

However, in that case, there was a limitation that the spell can be used one time only.

Once you use the spell, the scroll will lose its effect.

Alternatively, you can also use a spell called Memory Reverberation that casts the spell in advance and stores it.

Even in that case, it was impossible to continue using the spell, and the maximum amount of stock that can be accumulated was set according to the wizard's level of proficiency.

"I don't think it's possible unless you change the structure of the spell technique itself."

After all, in order to shorten casting time, the fundamental techniques of the spell must be improved, and even that is impossible.

The spell was a commonly used spell that was the cumulation of thousands of years of history in which wizards had continued to refine, devise, and lead it to that moment.

For some, it might have only been a third-tier flame element spell, but behind the spell was the work of numerous geniuses throughout history.

No matter how genius one was in the current times, they would not be able to improve the existing spell in a better way.

—Because it's already so perfect that there's no more ways to improve it.

It was already a matter of fact that came to a conclusion more than a hundred years ago.

That was admitted by Flora Lumos as well.

'But if he has to change it, he has to lose something in the spell since there must be something for him to trade off.’

—If the speed of the spell casting technique was increased rapidly, the other areas would inevitably weaken.

Less power, less range, or less accuracy.

However, if he reduced the elements of the spell, could they see it as a well-established spell?

No.

From then on, it would become a completely separate spell.

If wizards who extremely valued legitimacy saw it, they would be foaming at the mouth.

'If that's what you really meant by reducing the casting time...’

Flora's eyes narrowed.

'They'll be very disappointed. Professor.’

No. Flora would rather see Ludger do that.

Only then would it be easier for her to bite him.

'I think our great Princess felt that way, too.'

The third Princess, who had hair that looked like a weave of golden thread, showed off a different beauty than hers.

Unlike Flora, Ludger's remarks would inevitably be annoying for her as well, who liked to be straight and confident.

As if to prove it, the face of the princess was also cold.

As soon as the atmosphere in the classroom started to flow strangely…

Ludger clapped his hands to evoke the atmosphere.

"Stop. That's all for the chatter."

All the students were silent, but the atmosphere itself did not change.

Ludger smirked and spoke as though he didn't realize the atmosphere.

"You seem to have a lot of questions. Good. Before I show you, I'll take a few simple questions."

At that moment, the students immediately raised their hands.

Ludger pointed at the student who raised their hand the fastest.

"Speak."

"My name is Alex Salain, a sophomore. Professor, you said that you would speed up the spell casting time, but what exactly do you mean?"

"Shortening the time of casting the spell, just like how I said it. Be more precise if you want to ask questions. Next.”

"I'm a sophomore, Dahlia. If you shorten the time of the spell casting technique, do you mean you're changing the spell?"

"It's not like that. I'm keeping the spell as is, but I'm just going to shorten the casting time."

Noises were heard from all over the classroom.

"Oh, for real? He's really going to shorten the spell technique?”

"It can't be possible. Wasn't it a challenge that no wizard was ever able to overcome?"

“It doesn't make sense. There can't be a method like that.”

Flora thought the same thing. ‘He's going to shorten the spell casting without changing or upgrading the technique?’

‘Don't tell me it's an obvious thing like improving our proficiency by doing it over and over again.’ But looking at the confident look on Ludger's face, she felt annoyed somehow.

"That's impossible."

Flora could not contain herself and spoke.

Ludger's cold gaze aimed at her. Flora's pride was slightly hurt by the look in his eyes that seemed to be asking who the hell she was.

"I'm Flora Lumos."

Her self-introduction raised the buzz around her.

"It's Flora. Flora has spoken up."

"Ha ha. That professor is done too."

Flora also had fame among the students. It was the same for new students who just entered the academy.

—A sophomore genius. She was already famous among first years, as she maintained her nickname as a genius in Sören.

It was natural for all the students to pay attention to her since she had a different view from Ludger's method right from the first day of class.

"I don't remember allowing you to ask me a question, but I'll let it slide this time. Yeah. What on earth is the impossible that you are talking about?"

"Of course, I'm talking about shortening the spell casting technique's time. To speed up the spell casting technique without changing it and giving any improvement to the spell… there's no other way but to do it fast through repeated proficiency."

"Why do you think there's no other way?"

"Because no one has ever done it until now. Even the geniuses whose names are remembered in history and the high-ranked archmages aren't able to do that, butI can't believe that you are going to do it."

Even then, countless wizards in the magic tower were racking their brains every day to continue doing research for new knowledge.

Nevertheless, unlike in the past, there were areas where progress was no longer made, and shortening spell casting times was a representative example.

To say that a new professor could do it, no matter how he became a professor in Sören Academy…

Beyond mere bluffing, it was more likely for it to be an overall insult to the magical academic world.

Chatter chatter.

* * *

* * *

Each student nodded in agreement with Flora's words.

There were no students who believed in Ludger or stood by him.

Little by little, the atmosphere of the classroom became hostile to Ludger.

But Ludger didn't even bat an eyelid.

He did not falter, as if no external pressure could even scratch him.

“'They aren’t able to do that' you said. That's an interesting thing to say. I see it differently. I think they were rather trying not to make any improvements."

“Pardon?”

"Magic values tradition and the lecturers, but it became stagnant at some point. Now that science has advanced, magic is under threat."

"…Are you saying that science is superior to magic?"

"In many ways. I just thought that magic, like science, has room for further development. 'There is no room for improvement' is wrong."

"That's never happened before."

"Because no one was going to try doing it."

"Everyone who did failed."

"Then I'll be the first one to do it."

"…Are you being serious?"

"There's no reason for me to lie in front of everyone like this."

Flora was overwhelmed by his brazen confidence.

‘Does that professor not know what he's talking about?’

"Well, I don't think you understand right now, so let's continue the lesson. You said you're Flora, right? Do you know how long it takes, on average, to construct the formula for the Fluttering Flame that I wrote on the magic board?"

"…It depends on who constructs it. Ten seconds for a wizard who has just reached the third rank. If you get used to it and the rank goes up, it'll be shorter than five seconds."

“Yeah, but I don't welcome the lame way of increasing the rank to shorten the spell casting. What I'm saying is that it's adapted to the level of the students who are taking my classes now."

"Then it'll be five seconds at the fastest."

"Are you referring to yourself?"

“Yes.”

"Hoo, that's a lot of confidence. Then can you show it yourself? Stand here on the podium."

Flora was not intimidated by the highly provocative words.

“Sure.”

Flora stepped down from her seat and stood on the podium with confident footsteps. She lifted up her wand and immediately casted Fluttering Flame.

Casting the foundation of it, the property element was flame, then heating, combustion, compression, expansion, diffusion, and acceleration.

Rising into the air was the spell technique of a burning flame.

It was a neat and efficient spell casting technique.

Her speed was like a raging wind, and the students who were watching burst into admiration.

‘As expected of Sören's genius. As expected of the daughter of Lumos family.’

Flora looked back at Ludger with an expression that seemingly said, 'How was that?'.

Ludger checked the golden pocket watch in his hand.

"It took you 4.78 seconds to cast it. It's a speed that doesn't seem like a sophomore’s. The process was perfect as well."

"It was nothing."

"But it's still slow."

It was Ludger's cold voice that chided Flora, who was trying to boast.

“...Pardon?”

"Among third-tier wizards, the fastest time to perform Fluttering Flame is 4.41 seconds. No one is faster than that. It's still slow."

"…I can do it faster once I get used to it."

"I'm saying that even 4.41 seconds is slow."

‘Is he being serious?’

Everyone was dumbfounded by Ludger's extremely confident declaration.

Ludger decided to show it himself after saying that.

Standing on the podium, Ludger began to focus on his mana.

"Take a good look, this is how you cast Fluttering Flame."

Mumbling like that, he lifted a small wand and pointed it into the air.

The mana from the tip of the wand soon began to form a spell.

…But something was weird.

After the base casting spell technique, it was not the stage of heating and combustion that had to be done in order to form the Fluttering Flame.

—It was just a very natural flow of mana with unknown meaning or intention that was made of a straight beam.

Isn't he casting a Fluttering Flame?

It was the moment the students thought so…

That the spell of Fluttering Flame had been completed in the air.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

“…!!!”

The whole classroom was filled with a silent outcry.

There was no one who missed it. Because first of all, Ludger slowly showed how he casted his spell so that everyone could see it.

The beginning wasn't a technique of Fluttering Flame.

His mana operation was completely different from the usual way…

But the results were identical.

The finished spell was Fluttering Flame. The result was perfect enough to look exactly like what was in the textbook.

‘How on earth?’

Only the beginning and the end of the process existed, yet the middle process seemed to have been cut off and done away with.

It was as if he threw a stone sloppily behind his back, but the accuracy was no different than him intentionally shooting an arrow forward.

Even the speed was incredibly fast.

One second? No. It didn't even take 0.3 seconds.

It was completely incomprehensible to the students' common sense.

"Did you see that?"

And Ludger's voice, who just accomplished such a nonsensical achievement, was neither high nor low.

—As if it was an obvious thing.

He didn't have the slightest interest at how great the spell casting that he just did was.

"Wh-what was that just now?"

"I'll show it one more time for those who haven't seen it."

Ludger said so as he broke down the existing formula and repeated the process.

—More slowly that time, so that everyone could see it properly.

The students stared at Ludger's spell casting technique with their eyes wide open in case they missed something.

Mana shot out at the tip of the wand, and it proceeded in a strange method again like the first time.

And right away, the Fluttering Flame was completed.

"Cr-crazy."

"Is that possible?"

"I don't know even if I look at it again."

It wasn’t an artifact, It wasn’t the spell of Memory Reverberation, and its implementation was not that fast either.

The process had to exist, no matter how quick it was.

…But he just skipped the whole process and showed only the result.

One should have pulled their bow's string, then loosed the arrow, making the arrow fly and hit the target—there was a cause for everything.

The same goes for magic. They should show that kind of flow when they perform a spell…

But Ludger's method was not like that at all.

He omitted the process of loosing an arrow and sending it flying, but the result was the same.

"No, what on earth did you just...”

Even Flora, who had watched it from the closest place without missing a single thing, didn't understand the method that Ludger just showed.

No, no one who came there and saw it would understand right away.

Mysterious? New? Innovative? Those words swirled through her mind.

"Finally, everyone's eyes have changed."

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing saliva echoed throughout the room. The students were so focused on what Ludger was going to say next.

"The Fluttering Flame that I just cast has a speed of 0.24 seconds. It's quite different from the old record. But at the same time, you'll think it's weird. Because the first spell technique wasn't Fluttering Flame."

Yeah, it was that part.

He used a completely different technique, and the result was what he was aiming for.

That didn’t make sense according to common knowledge.

"I definitely used a spell technique. To be exact, I used a spell technique to cast another spell."

“A spell technique to cast… another spell?”

"What on earth is that?"

The students who were muttering shut their mouths again.

"I call it Source Code."