The Magic Academy's Physicist-Chapter 32: Divide And Rule

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

“I think it’d be best if Prince Klion was the TA.”

“What?”

Klion scowled at what I said. It was the same for Professor Hasfeldt.

It was two kills with one shot. But I hadn’t even gotten started.

“I received poor marks for the practical during the admissions test. My abilities as a TA are inadequate, Professor.”

“That isn’t true. Since you are proficient with theories, you’d sufficiently.......”

“I understand that magic aptitude won’t be a problem in being a TA since we’d mostly be handling scrolls in this subject. However, I am inept at using scrolls as well. I couldn’t even score fifty percent in the scroll category of the exams.”

[Is that something to be proud about?]

It’s not. I’m fucking embarrassed saying it.

“Well, the usage of mana grass wasn’t allowed during testing, so....”

“Even taking that into consideration, I wasn’t able to draw the circuit very well.”

Professor Hasfeldt chewed on her lip. It was the perfect checkmate.

The examiners had given me twelve points for the scroll that I fabricated during the practical. It wasn’t even half the total. The class’s average would have been far higher.

The scroll that was fabricated for the test couldn’t even be retrieved because only the Admissions Office had the authority to see it.

─ This is suboptimal. Can you not do better than this?

Hasfeldt used to say such things whenever there was even the slightest flaw in the scrolls I made. I was only repeating what she already said.

Lotte seemed to be the only one who noticed what was happening right now. She moved her lips a couple times then shut it completely with a sigh, smiling.

“You bitch, do you really think you can say whatever you want just because you have a mouth? Where did you learn to talk in such an insolent manner?”

[Man, he’s definitely pissed. He hates being a TA that much?]

From the viewpoint of an Imperial who lived his whole life ruling over others, certainly. They couldn’t stand being under anyone else. It was especially true looking at the personality of this miscreant of a Prince.

“You seem reluctant about becoming Professor Hasfeldt’s assistant, Your Highness.”

“Of course! Why would I bother with that?”

“Then who should do it? The professor said she is in need of an assistant.”

Having said that, I turned my head from Klion’s direction to where Professor Hasfeldt was. Her face was full of chagrin.

It was quite the sight. I intentionally kept provoking the Prince.

“Why don’t you reconsider, Your Highness? It isn’t just any teacher but you’d be the personal assistant of a Grand Duchess, the pillar of the Imperial court.”

“And I don’t want that!”

“But you’d be paid around twenty gold for accepting the position of a TA. To be honest, I believe it’s an excessive amount for a simple commoner like myself.”

The other noble children would agree with this. They might also be wondering why Professor Hasfeldt was this adamant about making me her TA.

─ Is there something special about that Golden-Eyed?

That was how things were playing out.

If today’s incident leaked from the class and spread by word of mouth around the school, Hasfeldt would keel over with rage. The other professors could target me after hearing the rumors and instantly ruin the big picture she had in mind.

And who knew? Another professor could follow up Miss Heerlein’s ‘Your assistant’s pretty badass’ with a ‘Your TA’s pretty badass’.

If that became a reality, then it’d be a nice ‘fuck you’ to the Prince as well. Since his goal was to get me expelled from the Academy, it would be bad for him if I were to work under any professor.

But this wasn’t the end. My gift to Hasfeldt was a bigass three-stage rocket ‘fuck you’.

[What on earth are you planning to do.......]

One male student raised his hand in question. It was Vermel, the top student.

“Miss Hasfeldt, isn’t it possible to be a TA for basic magic even if you didn’t get perfect on the written?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“Then there’s no need to limit the offer to Aether.”

“It’s true. I was also wondering about that.”

“It may be better to elect another volunteer if even Prince Klion is opposed to it.”

I got unexpected support. As the other kids started to voice their thoughts after Vermel’s initial comment, Professor Hasfeldt had no choice but to relent.

“Then we’ll elect someone else other than the Prince and Aether. Who’d like to volunteer?”

Lotte was the first to raise her hand. What was wrong with her?

“It’ll be difficult to simultaneously be a class rep and a TA, Miss Saliere. I’d prefer if you only chose one.”

“Then I’d like to be a TA. I’ve always wanted to learn from you, Miss Hasfeldt!”

With a sigh, Hasfeldt nodded. The discussion ended with Lotte maintaining the position of a temporary class rep and another student to be picked for the official position later on.

As soon as the ending bell for first period rang, I stood immediately from my seat. I made brief eye contact with Vermel just as I was leaving through the door. Startled, he turned away.

Was it the third time? If Vermel was a ‘transmigrator’ as the hardcover had said, then his reaction was understandable.

I needed to remain in the investigative stage regarding this. For now, I decided to just keep an eye on him.

I readied myself to dash out of the classroom.

“Where are you off to?”

“Just needing something so I’m going to get that done. You go ahead and eat first.”

The place I went after telling Lotte that I was doing so wasn’t anywhere else.

[Earth Magic-Magic Golem Research Lab]

Knock knock knock.

“Oh my, what brings you here?”

“Miss Heerlein, may I ask you for a favor?”

Miss Heerlein, who had been fabricating scrolls, nodded in an easygoing manner. It meant that anything was okay.

“I want to be an intern at your lab.”

**

As the bell sounded, Vermel fell into contemplation. He was recalling what had happened right before the morning meeting.

Prince Klion acted unexpectedly. He had randomly dropped 5000 gold on Aether’s desk and urged her to withdraw.

It’s still part of the branch up to here.

Furthermore, Aether’s polite decline of the Prince’s offer had also been stated in the route. It wouldn’t have affected the progress.

However.

SYSTEM : Named Entity ‘Dark Day Aether’ is expressing murderous intent towards ‘Klion Philiut’.

What’s this?

Things shouldn’t have gotten this far. To think that Aether thought about murdering Klion.

Is the corruption already starting?

No, it couldn’t be. The corruption shouldn’t occur until at least a year from now.

It wasn’t something to immediately worry about but this was why Vermel had been reluctant to meet Aether’s gaze until now.

He was aware that she was only a game character but the ending had been rather shocking when he went down that route. So shocking that he had laid numbly on his bed for a while after seeing it.

SYSTEM : Named Entity ‘Dark Day Aether’s state has changed to ‘Calm’.

The urge to kill had been there only for a moment before disappearing. But that didn’t mean it was safe.

If Aether grew resentful towards the Empire before the expected time and turned her back, that would be the day that Tilette Academy met its demise. As of now, there was no other way to stop the other Great Mechas except for her.

Vermel soon realized the context of what had occurred.

She must have been under a lot of duress before the Prologue. That’s why she said that.

Of course, this was a different world based off of a game. But the events of this world were unfolding in the same way as the game that he once enjoyed. With the exception of one event, there hadn’t been much deviation in the story’s overall flow.

Even after Aether put aside her murderous intent, Prince Klion kept demanding her to drop out. Any more than this and Aether’s stress level could surpass 75.

And if that happened, they wouldn’t be able to turn back.

Not that there was a good way to get rid of Klion at the moment. In order to draw out the mastermind, he needed to be kept alive until a certain time.

I need to stay alert. I came here instead of going to Iliad for a reason.

It was to prevent the destruction of the world. Vermel stood from his seat and walked decisively to where Klion was.

Vermel dropped a hand onto his shoulder with a Tap, and succeeded in diverting Klion’s attention from Aether to himself. Then carefully choosing his lines, he stalled for time until the bell marked the start of the morning meeting.

Professor Hasfeldt entered with the sound of the bell. This event was at least over.

Is it the next event, now?

It was one thing after another. Hasfeldt was going to ask Aether to become her TA, then Klion would object and chaos would ensue within the class.

In the original story, Aether reluctantly accepted Hasfeldt’s offer with high probability because she had a delicate and passive nature before her corruption in most of the routes.

But Aether’s character in the last few days was not quite the one that Vermel knew.

─No, thank you.

The girl spoke confidently. Direct speech. She explicitly expressed her refusal to Professor Hasfeldt.

What? Vermel was thrown off.

If Aether, who had been a slave for three years, decided to go back under the professor, he had been planning to do whatever it took to stop her. But she expressed herself so clearly that he didn’t even have time to prepare for it.

And that wasn’t all. Aether demonstrated a high level of sophistication by purposefully shifting the conversation over to the Prince and the professor while slowly slipping away from it.

This never happened in the original story.... Is the hiccup from the entrance ceremony influencing this as well?

Looking at it carefully, it was weird. No one expected that the sincere and hard-working Aether would be absent from the ceremony.

Once first period was over, Aether moved to leave somewhere. She then paused and looked his way.

SYSTEM : Named Entity ‘Dark Day Aether’ has begun to watch you closely.

SYSTEM : Take utmost caution.