I Broke Off My Engagement and Got a Job at the Academy

51 – The Empire Trembles and the World Turns Upside Down

“…in a month.”

A month later. The event to which I was invited by the magic tower was taking place in a month.

Well, it was a convenient time. Usually, around that time, the academy would release students and teachers alike to gain experience outside. Besides, such experiences were often considered part of one’s career.

I had attended conferences at the magic tower during my student days around this time. It was a common occurrence.

However, the difference now was that back then, I attended the conferences to observe and learn about others’ magic. Now, I was being asked to present my magic.

I showed it to Professor Cordelia. In response, she furrowed her brow and said,

“…Well, it’s not particularly strange. The research results of academy professors naturally extend towards the magic tower. It’s for the advancement of knowledge through exchange. Did the high-ranking individuals at the magic tower marvel at your magic?”

Is that so? The magic I created was fundamentally designed, as Professor Cordelia taught me, to counter other mages, a spell created to interfere with their magic.

By some twist of fate, it turned into a malicious item that rendered inspectors, archers, and all others powerless to use magic. Still, fundamentally, it didn’t change.

What a 5-circle magic did was simply disrupt the opponent’s magic usage; something that could be achieved with 2 or 3-circle magic.

Because of that, I didn’t think my Insidious Devourer, despite its practicality in combat, would be highly regarded at the conference.

After all, the conference preferred efficiently combining low-circle magics over high-circle ones. In other words, it meant that the magic tower conference had a preferred syntax.

However, according to Professor Cordelia, contrary to my expectations, my magic would likely receive high praise at the conference.

“Why? Isn’t the preference at the conference for magics that are simply good for use in actual combat?”

Unless it was a duel, there weren’t many people using high-circle magic in real battles. Logically, would the opponent wait patiently while they performed complex calculations?

For that reason, the criteria highly valued in Matap were detached from actual combat. In the lower circles, diversity in applications that could be used anywhere. And principles completely distinct from conventional magic. That was the preference standard in Matap.

On the other hand, the magic used by combat magicians was not the soft and innovative kind, but rather things like the Fire Arrow or Lightning Spear seen on a daily basis.

The principles and applications were so simple and mundane that, in Matap, they would be dismissed as “unimaginative and commonplace magic” at first glance.

The reason for such a difference arises from the significant gap in perception between combat magicians and Matap researchers from the beginning. In that sense, I classified myself as a combat magician.

The Predator is a magic highly tailored for practical combat. Just float a sphere and absorb and store energy inside it. There seemed to be no visible corners to apply.

And in response to my words, Professor Cordelia tilted her head.

“Weren’t your spells initially considered non-combat magic at the academy?”

“What?”

Professor Cordelia made a dry, amused sound.

“Think about it, my apprentice. There’s a magic that absorbs magical power. Now, what should it be used for?”

“Absorbing the magic of opponents to neutralize them?”

Initially, that was the reason I created this magic. However, Professor Cordelia snapped her fingers.

“No, think again. If you can absorb magic just by using it, imagine eavesdropping worries disappearing with just one use when having a confidential conversation.”

“…What?”

I hadn’t thought about it that way. Since I had lost interest in politics long ago and had been living for quite some time, I had forgotten about political tactics and the like.

“Is that all? Since you can’t use magical power in the first place, it’s quite valuable as a protective magic. If you turn that magic into an artifact, it easily creates a safe zone.”

Crazy. Why did I think I could only use it in a fight? In my confusion, Professor Cordelia continued speaking.

“And, the principle itself is quite unique, isn’t it? It was known to be a method used only by the weak, reversing and blocking the opponent’s magic before activation. You, as my apprentice, must feel that your magic is unique.”

Upon hearing those words, I finally understood the situation. I hadn’t thought of it, but its applications were quite diverse, and it had practicality and a unique principle.

Truly… it could be considered an optimization agenda for the academy.

If it were someone else, I wouldn’t have known, but I trusted Professor Cordelia, who spent her childhood in Matap, to be more knowledgeable about how Matap worked than anyone else.

I nodded my head and looked at Professor Cordelia.

“Should I go?”

Upon hearing my words, Professor Cordelia shrugged her shoulders.

“It would be better to go if possible, wouldn’t it? If you don’t care about things like honor and reputation.”

I furrowed my brow upon hearing those words.

“…I don’t particularly care about that.”

At this moment, I was not the successor of a duke. To be precise, I was never the successor to the noble family since my father passed away quite some time ago. Merely being the heir to the Kainus family invoked a burning sensation. In other words, I had never been interested in things like honor from the start.

Cordelia, the professor, then nodded and said, “No, on the contrary, wouldn’t it be better to attend? If you receive a favorable response at the conference, the words attached to your name might change. Instead of being known as the heir of a fallen family, people might see you as a resilient and capable individual.”

Oh, this was a bit enticing.

Living while constantly being labeled as the heir to a fallen family for centuries would be unbearable. The fact that I could shut the mouths of those who mocked my status… was quite appealing.

Besides, if I received positive feedback at the conference, the value of a magician skyrocketed. Why, you ask? Because even though magic praised at conferences was often useless in actual combat, conversely, it meant that in real life, those combat magics were far more useful than the ones acclaimed at conferences.

After hearing Professor Cordelia’s words, I glanced at the date written in the letter.

“One month. Just a month.”

That seemed sufficient time to generously elaborate on the content of my presentation.

I nodded my head. “Great. I’m planning to participate; can you help me a bit?”

Professor Cordelia nodded in agreement.

“As much as you need.”

…

Matopju, Graeme Irelion, tapped his desk with his fingers.

The more he thought about it, the more absurd the magic seemed.

“A Devourer, was it?”

It was an absurd magic that could absorb not only magic but also other powers like divine energy.

“Where did this fellow come from?”

He, who could be considered the leader of all magicians in the world, had no interest in politics. He only heard about the downfall of a single influential duke. And the creator of the magic he was interested in turned out to be the successor of that fallen duke.

“This… isn’t a personal combat magic. It may be suitable for protective use in important places, but its real value lies elsewhere.”

In an instant, images began to form in his mind. The sight of an army collapsing in an instant, deprived of the protection of magic.

The concept of magical warfare, essential in war, was completely turned upside down.

“This is war magic.”

It acted only on the energy of the desired target. Absurd. Although for now, it might be a magic used exclusively by Idun Kainus, what if more people could use it?

Blatantly, what if this magic were taught to the state-affiliated wizards? Even if it’s not known, it would create a buzzing machine, limiting the use of magical power beyond a minimal force in war.

Knights, wizards, archers, even priests, all endowed with elite capabilities without exception.

And if they couldn’t use those elite abilities? What remained was nothing more than an ordinary person, indistinguishable from the common folk.

In other words… the moment the Imperial Army possessed this magic, the empire would immediately embark on a conquest war towards the entire world. This magic held such power and strength.

“To present this magic to the academy, are they insane?”

Well, had those managing the academy ever seen something sensible?

“Do these fools not realize that the world will be turned upside down once they learn of this magic?”

No, perhaps they do and are still doing this. Even if he called himself a Magus, he had no choice but to invite him to the academy.

“…Wasn’t this guy’s family originally opposed to the emperor?”

Maybe the empire could find itself in a position where it’s at the mercy of a single magician. Thinking that way, Matopju took out an envelope.

It was a reply from Idun Kainus, stating that he would attend the academy.