Chapter 1048 – (Side Story)26. A Witch’s First Love (23)
“Be prepared just in case.”
“… Do you really have to go that far?”
After hearing Eunhyeon’s words, Illyana asked back with a skeptical expression.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him or doubt him.
It’s just that she thinks the magic tower she belongs to won’t do that.
If he really came off as narrow-minded and petty, he would feel like the Magic Tower that he and his teacher Aden belonged to was a very snobbish and dirty group.
“I am… I didn’t really care what other people did. I just thought it was enough for me to be proud.”
He didn’t care whether he was cheating, doing something bad, or doing anything else, as long as it didn’t directly harm him.
I just thought that if I didn’t deny it, didn’t harbor bad thoughts, and moved forward confidently and proudly, that would be enough.
“Because not everyone in the world thinks like you.”
My personal wish is that the place I belong to is not this embarrassing.
What Illyana thinks about is being a proud person who is not ashamed of oneself.
It is very correct, but at the same time it is also very difficult.
Eunhyun, who understood what she was thinking, shrugged her shoulders with a wry smile.
“If the situation I’m worried about doesn’t happen, that’s fortunate, and there’s no harm in being prepared for an emergency. It doesn’t take that much preparation.”
“… Okay.”
◆ ◆ ◆
It was natural that an emergency meeting of the Magic Tower was held.
The agenda of the meeting was simple.
A problem has arisen with the external evaluation being conducted for the first time, and how will we deal with this problem?
Of course, the problem started with Illyana’s score.
1st place: 157,000 points.
2nd place, 24,660 points.
Illyana’s score was 1st, with an overwhelming gap from 2nd place.
Many students have protested against this score.
“Does this make any sense?”
“How on earth did they do the grading, a score like that…”
“There were no problems with the evaluation.”
“These are all scores created through proper procedures and agreement.”
“That doesn’t make sense!”
Boom!
A senior member of the Magic Tower roared with anger and hit the desk.
His red face looked like a volcano ready to explode at any moment.
This means that he is very angry about the current situation.
“If you didn’t do your job properly, how could you get a score like that!?”
“But all the evaluations Illyana submitted were truly amazing!”
“Joy! Didn’t you give the points to the disciple of a magician from the same Blue Tower as a convenience?”
“Your words are harsh!”
The wizards in the conference hall were divided into two sides and were busy arguing.
Claims that the evaluators who set the scores for the evaluation items did not do their job properly or showed blatant convenience to Aden’s students who are affiliated with the Blue Tower.
And the claim that there was no irregularity or corruption in the grading of scores and that it was conducted fairly according to the rules set by the committee.
The conflict was intensifying as the two sides’ claims clashed.
“In the first place, is it possible for one student to defeat this many demonic beasts in just a few months?”
There is no explanation even when comparing it with not only other students but also the wizards currently active in the Adventurer’s Guild.
“What on earth? What is this activity record? Subdue the Swarm Serpents living in the swamp area and immediately clear out the Lizardmen’s habitat? And then, two days later, they immediately attacked the Orc settlement and subdued it?”
“Nonsense…”
“It’s not completely nonsense. Along the line… “The order of physical distance and time is consistent.”
“Who asked that? The question is, realistically, can humans withstand such an unreasonable forced march?”
“…”
The wizards in the conference room could not answer that question.
Although it is theoretically possible, in reality it is close to impossible.
In general, the activities of adventurers carry a lot of burden as they jump into danger directly, risking their lives.
Injuries, and even if no injuries occur, the physical and mental fatigue accumulated during activities eat away at the adventurer’s body and mind.
The reason why the higher the level of the adventurer, the higher the price is, is due to the burden of risk.
In general, it is common sense to take a break of about 7 to 10 days after completing an activity.
Wizards, too, cannot escape this mold because, no matter how outstanding their magical abilities, they are ultimately people who are tired and need rest.
But what on earth does this activity record and subjugation report submitted by Illyana mean?
For nearly three months, I had not had a proper rest and was pouring everything into subduing the demonic beast.
The only time I took proper rest was a little less than two days.
It could be said that it was a murderous schedule.
“… Is it a monster?”
Someone muttered.
It was a bit of an extreme expression, but no one else responded to the muttering and was giving a silent affirmation.
Is this really an achievement that humans can pull off?
But since it actually happened, I had no choice but to admit it.
“The subjugation log and report are so detailed that it is truly ridiculous. There is also a certificate of completion issued by the Adventurer’s Guild. Denying this means… It means you can’t trust the Adventurer’s Guild.”
Since the Adventurer’s Guild has officially acknowledged Illyana’s subjugation record, there is nothing to deny.
It would be correct to say that they were perplexed, as their activities and achievements were so shocking that they occurred in just three months.
Of course, there were some who openly expressed their discomfort and tried to bite, but it was not easy because of the opinions of the adventurer’s guild’s public figures and other wizards.
“But wouldn’t it be difficult to really acknowledge and give points to Illyana’s accomplishments with this record of her subjugation and the materials she brought?”
“Are you saying that?”
“Literally, this subjugation and material collection wasn’t accomplished solely with Illyana’s abilities. If you look at the activity records and reports, the names of the adventurers you went with come to mind. This… Eunhyeon? An adventurer named.”
“Umm…”
“Actually, it seems like this adventurer was in charge of all the preparations and materials needed for the activity, but it’s hard to say that Illyana, as a mage, played a proper role in this subjugation record?”
“If that happens, it becomes a problem for other students as well. Most of the students hired adventurers to build their performance and bring evaluation materials, so it wasn’t a violation of any rules.”
“Okay…”
One difference is that, unlike other students who brought at most two or three subjugation records and materials, Illyana brought an absurd number of over ten instead of two or three.
The difference was such a big problem.
As she continues to find fault with Illyana, she ends up harming other students who used her wealth and power to hire her adventurers to take external assessments.
Since the situation was complicated, it was very uncomfortable and difficult for the high-ranking figures of the Magic Tower who tried to accommodate them in exchange for bribes or favors.
In short, Illyana did too much, even if it was too much.
Since she hadn’t done anything wrong, she couldn’t find fault, and if she tried to find fault, the wizards from the noble family who had sponsored her would get caught again.
In addition, she subdued numerous demonic beasts and took the loot.
In addition, unique minerals, herbs, and magic materials discovered during the subjugation process were also collected as by-products.
There were no contradictions in the activity records that suggested fraud or corruption, and it was honest.
“We will make an announcement in response to the students’ protest. “There were no questions about this evaluation and no issues with Illyana’s score.”
The outcome of the meeting reached after a long discussion was very natural and had been decided before.
The meeting, which had a predetermined end from the beginning, ended like a petty third-rate play.
◆ ◆ ◆
After all evaluations and classes were over, the classroom of students about to graduate was not free from the stress of their studies.
“What on earth did you do?”
“…”
A male wizard led a large crowd of followers and stood in front of a single woman.
The situation where dozens of men and women are camped out to corner and intimidate just one person is enough to fill a classroom with an extremely unreasonable, bloody, and hostile atmosphere.
But even in the midst of a situation she was experiencing for the first time, Illyana did not give in.
It’s not that she wasn’t nervous, but she had already expected it, and her heart was ready.
“It’s funny. Do you think you were that interested in my grades? “If they come rushing in like this.”
“There are suspicions of cheating on the test, would you be able to stay silent?”
“How can someone like you be a senior?”
“I’m really shaking just thinking about it.”
They have their own sense of elitism and inferiority complex that never allows them to acknowledge Illyana as superior to them.
Illyana, who took the brunt of her malice, let out a small sigh.
In fact, she knew to some extent.
But that was all.
She had never thought that such a strong expression of emotion would be revealed.
Eunhyeon was right.
Not everyone in the world thinks like you.
While some people simply aim to follow their own path, there are others for whom comparing themselves to others or being compared is incorporated into their daily lives.
People who feel they need to be superior and great at all times and places and cannot stand being below others.
It is not always the right answer to endure and avoid the blatant malice of those who will somehow pull you down, trample on you, and only be relieved when you stand on top of them.
‘Until now, I thought that was the correct answer.’
If you act recklessly, it will soon lead to tarnishing the honor of your teacher, Aden.
I didn’t want Aden to be harmed because of that.
I had no choice but to endure it.
Unlike her other students, Illyana had no wealth, power, status, or fame to give her background.
Illyana is what she is today thanks only to her teacher’s warmth.
So she endured.
However, if there is an option to vent rather than endure.
As long as that option doesn’t tarnish her teacher’s honor.
“What on earth did you do to set so many conquest records?”
“I guess they hired a lot of adventurers?”
“By what means? Did you have the money for that?”
“Did you sell your pretty face and body?”
Provocation and ridicule that cross the line and are full of malice, saying, ‘I can’t accept that someone like you is superior to me.’
Illyana couldn’t hold back any longer.
Instead of answering their questions, he instead asked.
“Are you curious?”
“What?”
[Four-digit sub-magic]
[Psychokinesis]
It was an instant before Illyana’s magic struck the students surrounding her.
They are also excellent candidates for elite wizards who come to the Magic Tower and study magic.
However, Illyana’s magical power so easily takes over the students of the Magic Tower and makes them float in the air.
“What is this… !?”
Illyana said, smiling at her astonished students.
“Then I’ll tell you.”
