The Academy’s Weakest Became A Demon-Limited Hunter
chapter-198

The rain was pounding on the wooden shutters of the carriage, threatening to break them. It was a gloomy and depressing day, fitting for the challenging test set by Aria Lilias.

Luce and I skipped class for “study purposes” with the permission of Professor Fernando and the authority of the Hegel Tower Master, who had a partnership with Märchen Academy.

Missing a few classes should be fine. I had asked Amy and Mateo to take summary notes for me.

We were neatly dressed in casual clothes. We were meeting a very important person, and Professor Fernando had told us to dress nicely.

A few days ago, Professor Fernando rummaged through his office and claimed to have found Aria’s second messenger which he hadn’t gotten around to disposing of. Before throwing it out the window, he asked, “Why did you call Luce Eltania too?”

She said that she had heard of Luce’s overwhelmingly talented and that she wanted to teach her because they share an attribute.

Good.

Luce was being considered for the Evil God Slayers. In other words, if Aria were to make Luce stronger, it would be good for me too.

After some time, we arrived at the Hegel Tower in Professor Fernando’s personal carriage. It was a two-hour trip.

“This is Hegel Tower.”

Hegel Tower was, as its name suggested, a tall building in the form of a tower. It was no exaggeration to call it the tallest building on the island.

However, despite being called a tower, it looked quite shabby compared to the castle-like magic towers that were built in cities. It had a humble appearance and the shops that were a short distance away only added to the cozy charm of this place.

Luce and I followed Professor Fernando inside Hegel Tower. The high ceilings gave it an old-fashioned design.

It had a serene atmosphere. As we entered, Professor Fernando explained various things as if he were a tour guide, mentioning the numerous magical researches conducted here and the achievements made. He was someone who enjoyed teaching.

As we walked by, we occasionally saw wizards in robes. Their attire was so cool, so I glanced at them curiously.

We took an elevator powered by telekinesis magic to go to the highest floor. According to Professor Fernando, only a select few, like himself, were allowed to go up to the top floor.

When we reached the top, we found ourselves in a luxuriously decorated hallway. A short walk across the hallway brought us to a large door.

“Can we just enter?”

“It’s fine. She already knows we’re here.”

Creeeak.

As Professor Fernando opened the door, a vast library came into view. The circular space was filled with numerous books and magic tools floating around.

Looking up, we could see the high glass ceiling, beyond which rain was pouring down. The whole tower had a barrier that prevented rain from hitting the windows and causing noise.

Once we entered, we saw a petite woman sitting on a desk, swinging her legs as if waiting for us. She appeared bored.

This was the first time I had directly faced her since I was brought into this world.

“Greetings, Master.”

Professor Fernando bowed, and I followed suit.

Auburn hair swept to one side, tired eyes, and a wizard’s robe.

It was Aria Lilias, the Tower Master of Hegel.

She stepped down from her desk and approached us.

“Follow me.”

Aria pushed past us and out the door.

Professor Fernando followed her without question, and Luce and I exchanged glances before following them.

We took the Tower Master’s private elevator to the rooftop, where the sky was covered with gloomy dark clouds.

Aria created an invisible umbrella using telekinesis over our heads. Then, she walked to the center of the rooftop and looked up at the sky.

“Isaac.”

“Yes.”

Aria called for me.

“Can you explain to me what ice magic is?”

“...It’s magic that freezes by taking away heat. That’s why its more accurate name is freezing magic, but that alone would make it less versatile, so it also creates ice using the mana from nature and the caster’s mana. That’s why it’s commonly known as ice magic.”

“No need for a detailed explanation. You’ll see it with your own eyes.”

Why did she ask that?

Aria took out a magic tool from her robe and tossed it upward. The small, baseball-sized tool, a messenger. It fluttered like a swift bird and hovered under the dark clouds.

Then, she reached out her right arm towards the messenger.

A powerful mana enveloped the rooftop.

With a whir, seven pale blue magic circles unfolded behind Aria. Runes were engraved on them, each intricately detailed and complex.

“This is [Icebolt].”

Boooom!!

From the seven magic circles, a pale blue bolt of energy shot toward the messenger.

A beautiful frenzy was carved into the air, and a deafening roar rang out.

Booom!!

A cold explosion swept around the messenger. Cold air flew in all directions, and for a moment, it snowed.

Ohh.

Amazing…

The blast hit the constantly moving messenger with pinpoint accuracy. It was like the work of a marksman.

If one’s mana mastery wasn’t properly trained, it would be difficult to aim at a target accurately, let alone produce such a sophisticated spell. It was admirable.

Aria gathered the magic circles and turned to look at me.

“Applause.”

Without hesitation, I applauded Aria’s display. Luce, catching my cue, also clapped a few times.

“This is the 7-star ice spell [Icebolt] that I will teach you. Whether or not you can master it is up to you.”

I responded loudly with a, “Yes!” my lips twitched with excitement.

Was Aria always this cool?

“Luce Eltania, the same goes for you. I will make you stronger, so follow me.”

“…”

Luce didn’t respond. She tended to avoid speaking unless absolutely necessary, except when talking to me.

Aria frowned.

“Respond.”

“Luce, answer.”

“...Okay.”

Luce answered reluctantly.

Aria held up three fingers.

“For the next three days, you will be tested. This is to determine if you are worthy of my teachings, so do your best without being arrogant.”

“We’ll do our best!”

“Yes…”

I replied loudly, and Luce answered forcefully with a frown.

“You should go downstairs first, Disciple.”

“Yes, well then…”

Professor Fernando turned his back.

“Isaac, Luce Eltania, I’ll be back in three days.”

He had fulfilled his role. Professor Fernando turned on his heel and headed down the elevator.

“You two.”

Aria raised one corner of her mouth.

“Brace yourselves.”

* * *

Three days passed.

Fernando Frost finished his lecture and immediately took his carriage to Hegel Tower.

Isaac and Luce Eltania must have completed their test and were resting by now. They probably haven’t eaten or washed properly in three days, so they must be exhausted.

For Fernando, Aria's test was brief but it left a strong impression in his memory.

He believed Isaac and Luce would pass the test. He wanted to quickly take them back to the living quarters so they could rest comfortably.

Upon arriving at Hegel Tower and taking the elevator, he reached the top floor and slightly opened the door to Aria’s lab to peek inside.

“…?”

Isaac and Luce were nowhere to be seen.

All he could see was Aria Lilias, hovering in midair, reading a book indifferently.

Fernando stepped inside. Aria glanced up at him, then turned back to her book.

“Master, how are you? Where are the kids?”

Fernando asked as he approached her, and she let out a deep sigh.

“My disciple.”

“Yes?”

“Those kids are monsters.”

***

After talking to Aria, Fernando headed to the lab on the 15th floor.

He heard an unbelievable story. Isaac had passed the test in just 10 minutes, and Luce in 5 minutes.

So Aria went straight to teaching and realized…

…Their learning capabilities far exceeded her expectations.

Isaac was able to figure out how to construct [Icebolt] as soon as she gave him some directions.

No matter how difficult the mana control task was, Luce would correct it immediately after receiving feedback.

— My accumulated knowledge, wisdom, and abilities are insufficient for them. There's not much I can do for their growth, not as much as I thought.

She was impassive as usual. But for the first time, Fernando felt that she seemed disheartened.

It was a teacher’s dilemma. A capable student was preferred because they were fun to teach, but if the student was too exceptional, the teacher could start to doubt their abilities.

Perhaps Aria experienced the latter this time.

Fernando quietly cracked open the door to the lab and peeked inside, his eyes widening in surprise.

Three large blackboards, several times taller than him, were filled with formulas.

Isaac, with deep dark circles under his eyes, was reading a book and writing down formulas.

He was surrounded by dozens of books. It wasn’t hard to guess that Isaac had studied for three days and three nights without sleeping.

His level of concentration and stamina were frightening.

Unless it was a power bestowed by a fairy, like Kaya Astrea’s plant element or Dorothy Heartnova’s starlight element…

Most elite wizards invest over thirty years to master 7-star magic. That boy was drastically compressing that time.

Meanwhile, Luce Eltania was sitting at a desk, reviewing the formulas Isaac had written and sharing her opinions. She also looked tired but seemed to be in better shape than Isaac.

They were provided with room and board. Aria had offered them one room as a joke, but it seemed like the two hadn’t properly utilized the accommodations yet.

“Hehe…”

These kids are really something.

Fernando smirked and left the room. He figured it’d be better to come back later.

***

After a week.

The sky was clear and tinged with the colors of sunset.

Fernando headed back to Hegel Tower. He received a summons from one of Aria’s messengers in his office, instructing him to come to the tower immediately. He had heard that Isaac was on the verge of reaching the next level.

He took the elevator to the rooftop. The sky was a deep shade of blue, with stars beginning to shine.

Isaac, Luce, and Aria were standing on the rooftop.

“Master?”

“Shh.”

Isaac stood in the middle of the rooftop. He looked weary and exhausted, but his eyes were clear and sharply focused on the sky above.

Luce, Fernando, and Aria watched him from a distance.

Looking ready, Isaac silently released Aria’s messenger. It flew into the sky and began to circle above.

Isaac concentrated on sensing the natural mana around him, taking into account its strength, density, and the direction of the wind.

Like a craftsman assembling parts with precision, he meticulously drew the formula for the 7-star ice spell [Icebolt], ensuring the lines were connected correctly.

Then, he reached out his right arm.

With a resonating sound, seven pale blue magic circles trailed behind him. Each had a complicated configuration.

“He really… deployed seven magic circles.”

Fernando’s eyes widened in awe.

Seeing Isaac correctly deploy the magic circles for the 7-star ice spell [Icebolt] was unbelievable.

It was truly a phenomenal talent.

Considering he was once the academy’s weakest, the endless manifestation of his potential felt dramatically impactful.

Isaac’s eyes locked on the flying target.

He furrowed his brows. It was difficult to aim properly. The mana mastery needed to launch [Icebolt] was also difficult, making his mind feel extremely chaotic.

“Hooo.”

He took a deep breath.

Isaac extended his right hand, making the shape of a gun with his index finger and thumb. His index finger calmly chased after the messenger.

Soon, the pale blue magic circle glowed simultaneously.

Isaac unleashed a blast of cold mana.

「Icebolt (Ice Element, ★7)」