The Master of the Villains Has Disappeared

Mana Design Basic Class.

Originally, it was just a lecture called Mana Design, but with the establishment of intermediate and advanced classes, it was renamed the basic class.

Perhaps because the students were relatively young.

The inside of the auditorium, where the lecture would start soon, was filled with voices that had not yet shed their youthful tone.

However.

-Creak.

-Click, click.

As the auditorium door opened and Irina, the assistant, appeared, the auditorium quickly fell silent.

After all, even for young students, the weight of the title "princess" was not light at all.

None of the students were unaware of the meaning of the pendant around Irina's neck.

In addition, her overall elegant features made her presence even more distinct.

Therefore, by the time Irina started calling attendance for the basic class students, even the smallest chatter had completely disappeared.

The only sound heard was the responses to Irina's calls.

"Hmm, it seems there are no absent students."

After confirming the attendance of all basic class students, Irina finally begins grading the assignments.

Assisting with class matters like checking attendance or grading assignments was the assistant's role.

Scratch scratch. Only the sound of Irina's quill pen echoed leisurely in the quiet auditorium.

Except for the slight blush on her cheeks for some reason, it was no different from usual.

Not long after, other footsteps are heard and the auditorium door opens again.

And almost simultaneously, Irina stands up, startled.

"Th-There are no absentees, Professor. All assignments have been submitted as well."

Irina, with her gaze slightly lowered, said this with a voice containing a slight tremor.

Leta, who looked slightly puzzled at Irina's behavior, still responded with an "I see."

'...Is she nervous because of Lilian?'

As Leta was guessing that the First Princess was the cause of Irina's changed state, thud.

Evan, the other assistant who entered next, immediately distributed study materials to the students in the auditorium.

Only then realizing that she hadn't brought the study materials, Irina apologized to Evan and helped him.

"Hmm."

Leta, who had been quietly observing Irina and Evan, first started writing on the blackboard.

Although she had to float slightly with levitation magic because her hand couldn't reach the top of the blackboard, even this had become familiar now.

｢Topic: Automation of Magic Circles｣

｢Time is better saved the more you save it｣

A moment later, after confirming that study materials had been distributed to all students, Leta finally opened her mouth.

And then, slowly making eye contact with each of the students seated around the spacious auditorium.

"Does anyone know how many seconds it typically takes on average for the 2nd rank light magic, Lux, to manifest?"

She started the class with her usual calm voice.

About a dozen students raised their hands to Leta's initial question.

"Sera."

"Yes─!"

Leta, choosing one of them to give a chance to speak, listens to the student's answer.

At the correct answer that followed, Leta nodded and added praise for knowing well.

And then, before the student could sit down again.

"Then, is it possible to make the manifestation time, which is originally between 4 to 5 seconds, 0 seconds? That is, zero?"

She asked again.

With words that deny concepts considered common sense in magic studies.

'0 seconds? ...Is that possible?'

In another class, an answer that it's impossible would have come immediately.

However, because of the out-of-the-ordinary things they had seen in Leta's classes so far, the student hesitated to answer.

A brief silence followed.

Seeing the student unable to affirm or deny her question, Leta slightly turned her body.

And after extending her hand towards the blackboard.

"Usually, it's impossible. However, it's possible under certain conditions."

She began to write down the prerequisites for making the manifestation time of magic 0 seconds.

Among the neat writings on the blackboard, the most emphasized word was the three characters 'automation' from the lecture topic.

"It's probably an unfamiliar concept. Automation for magic that only functions after drawing up mana from within the body, creating a magic circle for the mana to spread evenly, and then chanting the spell. It must sound strange."

Speaking from the perspective of an ordinary student rather than a professor, she elicits empathy from the students.

At the same time, she makes them curious about what Leta will explain next.

"Well then, let's go backwards first. Does anyone know why we need to recite spells to use magic?"

A moment later, young hands were raised one after another.

To this, Leta called the name of the student who raised their hand first, allowing them to speak.

"Isabel."

"Y-Yes, Professor. Reciting a spell is an action to activate mana. Activating mana means triggering the magic."

"Hmm, that's correct."

A brief praise followed.

Isabel, whose expression noticeably brightened at Leta's praise, was about to sit down like that, but.

"However, is there no other way to activate mana besides spells?"

"Huh? Um, well..."

Faced with another unexpected question, Isabel had to make a troubled expression.

After all, what the girl who was both her sister and professor asked was content they hadn't learned yet.

Isabel had prided herself on not falling behind in Leta's lectures, even if they were a bit difficult.

Therefore, Isabel concluded that the previous question was not meant to hear an answer.

As expected.

"It's normal not to know. Things like silent casting are only learned in the graduating class."

Leta, not letting Isabel's silence linger for long, immediately resumed the lecture.

Almost simultaneously, a calm voice was delivered to everyone in the auditorium.

"What I want to tell you is not something difficult like silent casting, but a method to 'prepare' the three stages of magic in advance. In a way, it could be called a trick."

Eventually, the small finger that swept through the air soon drew the magic circle for the 2nd rank light magic Lux.

As it's a relatively simple form compared to higher-level magic circles, there wasn't a single student who couldn't recognize the shape of the magic circle.

However, the action after drawing the magic circle was somewhat strange.

"...There's too little mana."

"The magic circle isn't even glowing."

Although the structure of the magic circle was very accurate, the amount of mana poured into it was very small.

In other words, even if the spell was recited, the magic wouldn't activate.

Nevertheless, Leta, who quietly recited the spell, clapped once to focus the murmuring students.

And then, pointing to the inactive magic circle, she asks once again.

"I drew the magic circle, poured in mana, and recited the spell. Yet, why didn't the magic activate?"

"The... the amount of mana is too small!"

"Yes, that's correct. There wasn't enough mana."

Leta nodded at the answer that came back from one male student.

What followed was repeating the same action several times to create multiple incomplete magic circles.

"These magic circles didn't activate not because the spell wasn't recited, but because the amount of mana was insufficient."

Looking at the magic circles that were just floating silently in the air, Leta began to explain the core of the lecture.

The topic of the lecture, 'Automation of Magic Circles'.

The identity of the method that could make the manifestation time of magic absolutely 0 seconds.

"Well then, thinking simply."

-Whoosh...!

"Couldn't we just pour in mana belatedly? Since the magic didn't activate because of insufficient mana."

Simultaneously, flash-!

The magic circles that had lacked mana all lit up at once, filling the auditorium with huge light sources.

"There, I activated magic by a method other than spells. Without any separate delay time."

An idea never thought of before.

A sight that couldn't be encountered because there was no reason to go against the common sense of the three stages of magic.

"I never told you not to recite spells. I just suggested changing the activation conditions for magic."

The explanation that followed was about the characteristics of mana, which, come to think of it, was a very basic explanation.

The basic nature of 'mana' learned at the beginning of the class.

"As you all probably knew, mana has the property of transmitting its state to surrounding mana."

The youthful voice, having retracted the huge light sources with a brief gesture, says.

That the 'small amounts of mana' poured in at the very beginning were in an activated state due to the spell recitation.

Therefore, the 'sufficient amount of mana' just poured into the magic circle was automatically activated by the already activated mana.

"The method I just showed you is not limited to the Lux spell. For any magic, if you can 'prepare' it in advance as I did, you can significantly reduce its manifestation speed."

A moment later, after looking around at the students in the auditorium once, Leta gave a final piece of advice.

That time is always insufficient no matter how much you have.

"Remember. In any situation, time should be the highest priority value."

In the future Stage of Advancement.

More precisely, Leta's mouth closed with advice that would be of great help in solving the 'Mana Design' task within the Stage of Advancement.

And, in less than 10 seconds.

-♪♫~

The bell signaling the end of the lecture rang.

"Well then, I'll see you next time."

Leta, who was lightly waving her hand towards the students, said this and left the auditorium.

Eventually, two assistants followed behind the small shadow.

What remained for the students in the auditorium was the study material listing example spells where they could apply what Leta had explained.

And a new way of utilizing magic circles.

○

"Your Highness."

"Y-Yes?"

"I'm thinking of teaching what we just covered in the basic class a bit more difficultly in the advanced class."

Is that okay?

Irina nodded at the question from the slightly pondering face.

And then, she added that it seemed like a class where the advanced class students would benefit even more.

"The advanced class students will gain a lot too. Certainly."

"Hmm... I see."

However, at that time, Irina didn't know.

The existence of the geometric patterns that the advanced class students would face due to her previous statement.

"If you temporarily deactivate ■■■ using the Yuta-Girt method, and then pour mana into the Eriter diagram, more delicate adjustments are possible─"

'...How is this just a bit more difficult, Professor...'

Irina's eyes spun at the countless number of diagrams.