She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

HALFWAY THROUGH the conversation, Hinata began to reboot. In the meantime, Mira discussed the current state of summoning education with Cleos. Seeing as she could make Blasting Stones, she recommended that they put some of the department’s budget toward materials. Cleos heartily agreed.

As the catatonic cat woman listened to the conversation meander, Amarette grilled Mira regarding the technomancy robes. Mira answered in as much detail as she could, explaining the benefits provided by Mobility Stones and Magic Stones. The necromantic Elder’s eyes lit up, and she stared covetously at the outfit until Mira said she’d check with Lily to see if another set could be made for Amarette.

Hinata couldn’t bring herself to butt into a conversation between Danblf’s pupil and two of the acting Elders, so she just remained quiet and tried to make sense of the situation.

She’s Master Danblf’s pupil?! I didn’t know he’d taken one! But those spells! Besides, Master Cleos wouldn’t lie. Oh! Is that why Master Danblf secluded himself? Was he focusing his efforts on training his disciple? Hang on—I think they just decided what to do with my department’s budget! Oh, well, we only got it thanks to Mira’s help anyway… I should probably show her more respect. But Master Cleos doesn’t use a title for her. Then again, he’s Master Cleos. So maybe Mistress Mira? I dunno… Maybe it’s because of how she talks. Always so headstrong! And now it looks like Mistress Amarette is really into magical-girl fashion? I mean, it is super cute. But Mira’s—I mean, Mistress Mira’s—clothes seem slightly different. Are they the same style? Maybe I could pull it off… No, it wouldn’t suit me. Wait. WHAT AM I EVEN DOING HERE?!

Cleos may have said he was only an acting Elder, but during the Defense of the Three Great Kingdoms just ten years ago, he and Luminaria were the strongest forces on the battlefield. According to him, the little girl sitting next to her on the sofa held even more power than that. Considering the display earlier that evening, she couldn’t even argue.

She was surrounded by three world-class powerhouses. How in the world was she supposed to stay calm? As she tuned back into the conversation, Mira and Cleos moved on to discussing the training of new summoners and the difficulties in acquiring their first summoning contracts.

“Hrmm, I suppose I should refine more enhancement gear to up the number of students being trained at the same time.”

“I agree. With the growing number of hopefuls and only one set to share, it’s taking quite some time. I did try collecting various types of gear before, but it wasn’t that powerful. We can’t put the students in harm’s way, and the equipment you gave me before makes it safe.”

“Oho, do the items you gathered augment abilities?”

“Strength and stamina, mostly. But the effect was weak enough that there was still a danger.”

“I see. I might be able to do something about that.” Mira pondered for a moment. “Even if the gear you collected only provides a small benefit, with enough pieces, I can refine and consolidate the effect.”

“Really?!”

“Leave it to me.”

Hinata continued to watch on, feeling detached from the world around her.

***

Leaving the guest room, the four made their way through the academy to the Department of Evocation’s storeroom. The academy’s intricate lighting arrangements and furnishings seemed more suited to an aristocrat’s mansion than a school building. As Mira learned about the history of the academy from Cleos and Amarette, she asked about the various aspects that seemed at odds with her own university experience. Hinata trailed nervously behind.

Students hastily took up positions along the hallways and bowed as they passed, after which Cleos would apologize for disturbing them. It was little wonder that he’d become a beloved and respected figure.

But that wasn’t limited solely to him. While each of the acting Elders was unique, all were humble. None of them exploited their position for selfish desires. This often put them at odds with some of the nobility, who would try to control the Elders’ words and actions or compare them against their own reputations. Thankfully, those nobles were a tiny minority, and most of Alcait’s upper class were honorable.

As the group passed by, they left gossiping students in their wake.

“I know Professor Hinata, but who was that other girl?”

“Wow, she was cute!”

“I know! Mistress Amarette is a cutie, but that girl was ah-dorable.”

“But who is she?”

The speculations grew fast and furious. Cleos’s illegitimate child? Amarette’s younger sister? A new student? A tower researcher? Amarette’s fellow magical girl? The students amused themselves by coming up with all sorts of outlandish theories.

***

Amid the various storerooms in the basement, Cleos drew to a halt before a somewhat lonely looking door. Hinata produced a key she’d borrowed from the staff room, and a moment later, the door swung open. The faint scent of metal and paper hung in the air. The room was well kept, with little dust or clutter—Hinata had a lot of free time to keep things cleaned and organized these days.

“Miss Hinata, can you please pull out those accessories I sent?”

“Of course! It’ll just take a moment.” Back and tail stiff, she charged into one corner of the storeroom. Meanwhile, Cleos unfolded a portable refining table in the center.

A few moments later, Hinata returned carrying a box in both hands, saying, “Thank you for waiting.” She placed it carefully on the table.

Inside were countless rings, necklaces, and other trinkets. The materials were standard, but they seemed to hide a secret power.

Cleos scanned the shelves. “We’ll also need…these.” He snagged a small bag and emptied it out on the table. Inside were gemstones: turquoise, moonstones, crystals, and so on. Necessary materials for refining.

“Hrmm, let’s get this taken care of, shall we? Can I use all of these?”

“Absolutely.”

With Cleos’s blessing, Mira laid the gems out across the refining table and got to work. Despite having seen the spectacle during the demonstration of the Accord Cannon, Cleos and Amarette couldn’t help but stare in admiration. Seeing it for the first time, Hinata could barely process what she was witnessing. She had been taught that refining was a slow and deliberate process. It might take thirty minutes to transform several gems into a single Refining Stone.

Before she could finish the thought, Mira had processed the gems into Refining Stones and moved on to the next task. She was now extracting the weak enhancement effects from the accessories and accumulating them within the refined gemstones to create Magic Stones, each with a single condensed power boost. The individual efficiency didn’t improve but by repeating the process the overall effect was increased. As she concentrated the effects from a dozen or so necklaces into a single Magic Stone, the process turned the accessories into a small pile of sand.

Is this…refining?! I’ve seen it before in practice, but this is so different! Hinata looked on in wonder. That pile of sand just keeps growing and growing… Oh!

“I-I’ll do that,” Hinata said, sweeping in to remove the sand pile just as she saw Cleos leaning forward to do it himself. 

His shoulders slumped. “I’ve been replaced,” he muttered.

Amarette admonished him quietly. “Think of Miss Hinata’s feelings.”

Long used to being Danblf’s attendant, Cleos often found himself jumping in to do menial tasks—much to the chagrin and embarrassment of his subordinates. This wasn’t the first time Amarette had reminded him of this, but he still found it difficult to fight the urge.

Half an hour later, all the accessories had been broken down into sand, and twelve Magic Stones sat on the table, holding their condensed effects.

“That truly is amazing,” Cleos said.

“Indeed, it is,” Amarette agreed.

Hinata struggled to comprehend how the two of them could react so calmly when witnessing such a wondrous feat.

“These are for strength; these for stamina,” Mira said. “Now we just need jewelry that can withstand the power, and we’re set.”

“Jewelry, hmm? You know, I think we had something somewhere around here…” Cleos fished through the storeroom shelves, digging through boxes of metal and assorted work tools. A pile formed around his feet, and finally, he resurfaced with a small box plucked from the very back.

It was about the size of two hands put together. Placing it on the table, he opened the lid to reveal an unadorned ring and necklace set. He’d created them years ago when he was trying to develop new ways to learn summoning techniques. A failure, they’d been consigned to this shelf.

Now their time had come. The true art of refining wasn’t just in extracting effects from objects, but also in reintroducing them.

“Not very glamorous, but they are pure gold, so it should make for a decent foundation.”

Gold had a high tolerance for taking on additional effects through refining, making it a valuable material beyond its glint and glitter.

“Hrmm, indeed. Let’s put them together.”

Taking the ring and the necklace, Mira carefully began work, step by step. As the condensed effects were transferred to the jewelry, the Magic Stones lost their color and crumbled into dust. The process continued smoothly, and after a dozen transfers, the refined equipment was complete.

“Thank you, Mira! These will help even more hopefuls acquire their contracts! Thank you so much!” Cleos smiled widely and picked up the new gear.

This was also great news for Hinata. She may not have fully comprehended everything she just saw, but she definitely understood that the enhancement gear meant more students would be coming her way. “As the summoning professor, I would also like to offer you my sincerest gratitude, Mistress Mira.”

“Hinata, what’s wrong? You’re talking weird.”

“Why, nothing at all. I am quite all right.” After the shocking revelation that Mira was Danblf’s pupil, Hinata couldn’t help but show a little respect.

“Well, I might be to blame for this,” muttered Cleos with a sheepish grin.

“Hrmm.” Mira frowned with a furrowed brow. “Listen up: I don’t have some fancy title like those two. I’m just an adventurer. I’ve no need for any of that pomp and circumstance,” Mira said, brow furrowed, and Hinata’s mind went swirling back—back to the many times that Cleos had asked her not to stand on formality, and how foolish she’d been not to change.

After a moment mentally wrestling with herself, Hinata’s mouth slowly opened to speak.

“Um, M-Mira…?”

Mira smiled. “Yeah?”

“Thank you. I’ll do right by the students!” Hinata exclaimed as the tension drained from her and her ears stood up straight. Perhaps due to her nature as a teacher, Hinata had a weakness for a child’s smiling face.

“Well, I couldn’t sit by and ignore what was going on. Any time you need help, you make sure to ask.” The future of summoning was on the line, after all.

Whether she knew it or not, Hinata had just forged a crucially important relationship in the school’s basement.

“So Mira, what are your plans after this?” Cleos asked as the group climbed the stairs.

Mira thought back over the symposium. No doubt some of the spells presented were unknown to her after a thirty-year absence. A few had different effects than she remembered, and it was clear that the representatives still had room to grow in their abilities. She wanted to know more.

“If possible, I’d like to take a look around the academy.”

Delighted, Cleos prepared to lead the tour himself. “Well, then, I—” he began, then stopped when he remembered Amarette’s advice. “Say, Miss Hinata…you don’t have classes today, do you? Can I ask you to give Mira a tour?”

Hinata beamed at the direct request for her assistance. Even though Cleos’s recruitment efforts were causing the program to expand, there were still only enough students to warrant holding classes a couple of times a week. Hinata had plenty of time on her hands.

“Of course, I’d love to!” Her cat ears perked up with pride.

Mira and Hinata parted ways with the two acting Elders on the first floor. Cleos only left after he’d bowed and thanked Mira a dozen times. Amarette departed with a final “Pleasure meeting you” and a reminder to mention her to Lily as she headed off to another building on campus. After seeing them off with a bow of her own, Hinata straightened up and turned to Mira excitedly.

“What would you like to see? We can go anywhere!”

Watching Hinata’s ears and tail twitch this way and that, Mira considered her options. “I’d like to see some practical spellcasting, like a mock battle or something.”

“Battle practice, huh? There should be some drills happening. But this time of day, it’ll be sorcery.”

“Oho, that’s fine. Lead the way.”

She thought of Caerus. Putting aside his personality, his spells were quite unique. A lot had changed in the years she had missed. Interest piqued, she signaled she was ready to head off.

“All right, this way,” Hinata said.

They passed through the first floor of the Advanced Studies Department, making their way out of the rear exit and crossing a courtyard to a building half the size of the big three. If anything, it resembled a gymnasium. The faint sound of voices and the roar of spell-fire echoed from within.

Entering through the main doors, they found themselves in a lobby that felt like an event space. There was simple seating and even a concession stand, where a few students were wiping away sweat and purchasing drinks.

“Oh, it’s Professor Hinata. How can we help you?” a middle-aged man called to them from the back of the lobby. He looked slightly nervous as he approached. “I wasn’t aware that the Department of Evocation had also booked time today.”

But something else caught Mira’s attention.

A tracksuit. He’s wearing an actual tracksuit! I suppose that is the best clothing to exercise in.

Sure enough, he was wearing a blue tracksuit—perfect for exercise, lounging, or even going shopping. It was absurd! Even so, Mira was stunned by just how…practical it was.

“Ah, Professor Siegfried. How’s your class? We haven’t booked any time; I’m just showing Mira around the academy.”

He briefly glanced at the other summoner. “Oh, that’s very kind of you.” 

A noble name like “Siegfried,” and he’s here in a tracksuit…

The incongruity struck a chord with Mira, and she had to turn away, holding in a giggle.

“I know my name is a bit of a mouthful. You can just call me Sig,” he told Hinata, his voice gentle.

“So you’ve said, but you’re still my superior here on campus,” Hinata modestly replied. It seemed that the battle between familiarity and formality would not be decided today.

His shoulders drooped, and he looked again at Mira, who was looking around the lobby. “Right, a tour, huh? Well, today we’re doing sorcery training drills, as you can see. It might be a bit dangerous for a child, though.”

It was clear he wasn’t boasting but rather giving an earnest warning. The art of sorcery consisted of aggressive techniques and could be dangerous for unwary onlookers, especially if the casters were students without full control of their abilities. Certainly not a threat to Mira, but her adorable, innocent looks were deceiving.

“Don’t worry about that,” Hinata said confidently. “Mira here is pretty strong.”

A light appeared in Siegfried’s eyes. “Oh! So this must be the last-minute replacement who took first place.” Stepping over to Mira, he extended a hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mira. I’m Siegfried, a professor in the Department of Sorcery. It was a shame we lost today, but you did a fantastic job.”

“Heh—hrmm! It was nothing special.” Mira swallowed a laugh as she shook his hand. The juxtaposition of a sorcerer in a tracksuit was still too much.

She was a bit confused by the polite greeting, considering she was the one who had knocked sorcery down a peg, but the professor seemed happy as could be. He waved his hands in the air as he turned back to Hinata.

“Congratulations to you too, Professor Hinata! And Master Cleos as well! I know he’s putting in a lot of work. It’s time for summoning to shine!”

“Oh, thank you very much.” Hinata smiled, and Siegfried blushed bright red.

Hinata was too discombobulated by the day’s events to notice that he had feelings for her—but Mira could tell just by watching. That was why he was happy to have lost, why he smiled so brightly. It must have hurt watching the person he cared for sink deeper into depression with each and every passing symposium.

“Well, then, I guess we don’t have to worry about the danger,” Siegfried said.

“Thank you very much, Professor Siegfried.” Hinata bowed and led Mira through the building to the training area.

He turned and watched her go, letting out a great sigh of disappointment.