ALL NOVEL Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Magic Tower
While Aria was perusing the chapter titled “The Human Body and Sexuality,” Leonardo was wandering around the lecture rooms of the Magic Tower.
“[There are so many lecture rooms. Do you think you can find it?]”
Leo pointed to a small dot in the distance. It was so far away that the Sage had to strain his eyes to barely make it out.
“[…Were you a nomad or something?]”
“[But you can see that far?]”
Citing the perseverance philosophy favored by the ancients, Leo walked over to a graduate student who was anxiously loitering at the entrance of a lecture room.
“…Where is it…? I’m sure it was here…”
“Miss Ameri, you dropped this.”
As she frantically searched her pockets, Leo handed her the wallet he had picked up.
“Oh…! There it is…! Thank you…!”
She nearly burst into tears as she took the wallet from him and opened the door to the lecture room.
“Thank you… All my meal vouchers were in there… If I’d lost it… I would’ve had to eat nothing but bean sprouts this month too…”
From the words “this month too,” it was clear that she had endured the same hardship the previous month.
Feeling sorry for her, Leonardo couldn’t even muster up a word of sympathy.
“…By the way… Would you like to attend the lecture too, Leonardo?”
“Pardon? Is that alright?”
“Yes…! Occasionally, visitors come to observe and listen to the lectures…”
Leonardo saw no reason to refuse. In fact, he thought it would be a good opportunity to gauge the educational level of the Magic Tower, so he welcomed the idea.
“Then I’ll gladly accept.”
“[Let’s see how well these juniors are doing.]”
When the door to the lecture room opened, it revealed a large auditorium-style space with students lined up in rows. At the center stood a professor at the podium.
With his fat build, greasy mustache, and unkempt hair, the professor did not leave a particularly good impression.
“…Leonardo, I think it might be better if you skip this lecture…”
“Pardon? Why?”
Leonardo couldn’t help but express his confusion at Ameri’s suggestion. She sighed, perhaps feeling it was difficult to explain.
“Then just listen for 10 minutes. But please, don’t misunderstand…”
To unravel this odd warning, Leo and the Sage silently listened to the lecture.
And after about seven minutes, Leo and the Sage found themselves in complete agreement once more.
“[Is this what they call a lecture?]”
“Is this supposed to be a lecture?”
They were beyond shocked, almost to the point of disbelief.
Of course, even considering that it was unfair to compare the professor with the Sage, it was still a pathetically poor lecture.
“[This isn’t a lecture; it’s just indoctrination.]”
So far, the lecture had consisted solely of rote memorization of advanced magic circles, along with basic usage and significance.
Aside from the sheer number of magic circles crammed into a short amount of time, the lecture was utterly worthless.
Even Rios wouldn’t have given such a pointless lecture.
The students were no different.
They were only evaluated on who could recite the shapes and definitions of the magic circles faster and more accurately, with no discussion of their significance or applications.
They might as well have been playing a speed quiz.
“Sigh… Now I see why I shouldn’t have listened. Let’s leave quickly…”
“…Excuse me… Leonardo…?”
Sweating profusely, Ameri looked at Leonardo with an expression of panic. Leo soon realized why.
Not only Ameri but also the students had turned their gaze towards Leonardo.
The professor teaching the class had done so as well.
“[…It looks like the professor noticed you first. That’s why everyone’s staring at you now.]”
A sigh almost escaped his lips.
He regretted not heeding Ameri’s advice earlier, to the point where he wished he could go back in time.
“Hey, you there. Who are you? Come down here.”
The professor’s tone was arrogant and overbearing. Not wanting to escalate the situation, Leonardo quietly walked towards the podium.
As Leonardo walked forward, the gazes of the students scrutinizing him only made his steps feel heavier.
“…I heard you had some thoughts about my lecture earlier. Care to repeat them?”
“That was because…”
Suddenly, the professor slammed his heavy hand down on the podium.
“That’s not what I heard. Repeat it exactly.”
Even the semblance of civility had vanished. It was unmistakably an order for reprimand.
“…I said, ‘Is this supposed to be a lecture?’ and ‘Now I see why I shouldn’t have listened.’ I apologize for causing a disturbance.”
[Hey, are you just going to apologize? Don’t you have any pride?]
Though Leonardo wanted to heed the Sage’s words, now was the time to bow his head and endure. If there were any issues with his intermediate magic permit, it would be an even greater loss.
“No. You might be right. So, I’ll graciously give you an opportunity.”
A clumsy display of hypocritical mercy—honestly, if there hadn’t been people around, Leonardo would have wanted to spit in his face.
“Since you seem dissatisfied with my lecture, why don’t you give one yourself? That would mean you think you can give a better lecture than a professor who graduated from a formal university, correct?”
It was clear to everyone that this was meant to publicly humiliate him. The professor’s intention to disgrace Leonardo in front of the Magic Tower’s students was blatantly obvious.
“…Well then, I’ll sit back and watch. I look forward to it.”
Some students sneered, while others sighed softly at the professor’s petty punishment.
However,
<…It can’t be helped.>
[This is perfect. Turn the classroom upside down.]
The Sage’s disciple showed no signs of anxiety. Neither did the Sage, who was with him.
Tap tap tap
Without saying a word, Leonardo began drawing three types of magic circles on the blackboard.
“I’m sure you’re all familiar with these spells. They’re basic 1st-circle magic, after all.”
Just as he said, these were all spells that Leonardo had first learned.
[Fireball]
[Lightning]
[Magic Missile]
“Are you trying to teach us such basic spells? This isn’t an elementary academy, you know?”
The professor, seemingly having gauged Leonardo’s circle level, sneered at him.
“…Then let me ask you something about these basic spells.”
Leonardo, perhaps feeling that such mockery was meaningless, looked around at the students with a dry tone.
“What are the similarities and differences between these spells?”
“That’s simple…”
“By the way, the question isn’t about circles or elements. I’m asking about something more fundamental, so please think carefully before answering.”
No one was able to answer easily.
It wasn’t that they were trying to disrupt Leonardo’s lecture; they genuinely couldn’t see any other similarities or differences beyond that.
“It seems no one has an answer, so let me explain.”
Leonardo then drew dotted lines across the magic circles in turn. He drew a vertical dotted line on Fireball, a horizontal one on Lightning, and a 180-degree rotated version of the Magic Missile circle on the side.
“The commonality of these magic circles lies in their symmetry. The difference is that the symmetry is divided into vertical, horizontal, and point symmetry.”
The others began to respond to those words little by little. Although they quieted down again due to the fat professor’s glare, a few students quietly nodded their heads.
“These magic circles are merely simple examples. In truth, every magic circle has symmetry. It just becomes increasingly complex and harder to understand as you move into higher-level magic.”
The questions continued.
“Then why do we incorporate symmetry into magic circles?”
No one could answer that question either. Although they knew the answer, it was hard to hide their sadness at the bleak state of education.
“The reason is simple. It’s because symmetry is the foundation that maintains the balance of the universe.”
Noticing their difficulty in understanding, Leo picked up a marble placed on the table and spun it to give a simple example.
“No matter how you spin this marble, it maintains the same shape. Something that remains the same even when altered—this is a simple example of symmetry.”
Now, a few students discreetly took out their writing tools. The instincts of these seasoned learners, who had spent a long time in the field of education, were triggered to at least jot down a few notes from the lecture.
“The reason magic circles are symmetrical lies here. To draw out the elements that constitute the universe—fire, water, wind… you could say that symmetry is the most efficient form to do so.”
The universe is composed of symmetry, and therefore, so are magic circles.
This logic and lecture were something that could be immediately understood with just basic common sense and an understanding of magic.
At that moment, a student cautiously raised her hand.
“Yes, please ask your question.”
“…Then… what’s the reason for differentiating between the types of symmetry?”
She hesitated, glancing around nervously. The reason for her hesitation was clear from the professor’s piercing gaze.
“That is also simple. It’s to adjust how humans use magic according to its purpose.”
Controlling the form of symmetry was a kind of processing work. Just as the fire used for cooking is different from the fire used to melt iron, there are also processing methods in magic.
“So, if you understand the meaning of magic circles, you can achieve things like this as well.”
Leo materialized a magic circle above his hand. It took the form of a Fireball, but instead of being vertically symmetrical, it was based on a 180-degree rotational symmetry.
As the magic was invoked, a flame like an arrow was fired.
“This is…”
“This is a fusion of Fireball and Magic Missile—a basic method of combining magic. Through understanding and application, you can develop countless new spells.”
Leo spoke as he placed his hand on the magic circles drawn on the chalkboard.
“Of course, these magic circles are fundamental and orthodox. They allow you to use magic in the quickest and most efficient way.”
Then, he began erasing the magic circles with an eraser.
“However, to live as a magician, not just a magic user, you must realize something beyond this. Remember the fundamentals, but pursue something greater—that is the essence of scholars and magicians.”
The professor was at a loss for words, and the students were busy hastily taking notes.
Satisfied with the scene, Leo gave a brief remark.
“Thank you.”
With that, Leo stopped speaking.
It signified that the lecture was over.
Clap… clap, clap, clap, clap!!
The weak clapping soon turned into thunderous applause. All the students cheered for Leonardo’s lecture without any dissent.
[Why? You did well. Not as well as I would have, but you’re several times better than that vile pig.]
Hagman Pugnon, the professor.
He wasn’t an immediate execution target or a dark magician, but Leonardo personally harbored no good feelings toward him.
As seen earlier, despite being an utterly incompetent professor, he was nothing short of arrogant and haughty.
[Hah… Do you really think he’s petty enough to object?]
Almost as if responding to that foreshadowing, Professor Hagman rushed over to Leonardo.
“You…! What’s your student ID and name!?”
It was clear from his tone that he didn’t intend to offer praise.
“Well… I’m Leonardo. I’m not a student, so I don’t have a student ID.”
At those words, the students all looked at Leo with puzzled expressions.
“Don’t tell me… you’re here to get a magic license?”
“…Yes.”
At this, a rotten smile spread across the hefty professor’s face. It seemed like the foreshadowing had indeed come true.
“Hmph… Then…”
Clap, clap, clap
A short, rhythmic applause, as if timed perfectly with the ticking of a clock, echoed through the room.
“An excellent lecture, Mr. Leonardo.”
The person who approached was a man dressed in black. Like Leo, he had black hair and red eyes, but he was so pale that the resemblance didn’t quite stick.
[…No way… Is that…?]
It was indeed the “no way” they were thinking of.
“The… the Tower Master…!!”
It was Vernan Verdein, the Tower Master of the Black Tower.
“You flatter me. There are still many things I lack.”
“Even so, you certainly deserve this.”
With an expressionless face, the Tower Master handed over a piece of paper.
《Intermediate Magic License》
〔Recipient: Leonardo〕
Next to it was a special seal, the proof of the Tower Master’s approval.
“…You’re giving this to me directly?”
“Is there a reason to delay? I skip unnecessary procedures. They’re a waste of time.”
[At least this guy is reasonable. Not everyone here is a fool.]
Leonardo agreed with that thought. He gratefully accepted the license handed to him.
“So, if the opportunity arises, perhaps you could consider the graduate program at the Black Tower…”
“I don’t want to.”
[Never mind. He’s a demon.]
This thought was something they both agreed on.