Framework (1)

"Did you hear that? They said that the magic festival is going to be held right after the second exam period!"

"Really?"

The news that Sören's traditional magic festival was pushed forward spread in an instant.

The official document with the principal's mark had already been issued to the professors, and the students who heard the news were all happy without an exception.

"Yeah. They said that it will start especially early this year. It seems like the principal decided on it."

"Whoa. I've only ever heard about Sören's magic festival, this'll be my first time seeing it. I really look forward to it."

Unlike most students, who were joyful, the professors' reactions were the opposite.

To be exact, they were divided into positives and negatives.

The principal had clearly written down the reason for why she was initiating the magic festival earlier than usual.

A couple of the teaching staff understood the reason, but there were many professors who weren't like that. To be exact, they didn't have any choice but to voice out their opposition, even though they understood the reason.

"This is unfair!"

The professors were gathered in Sören's main building's conference hall.

Marquis Hugo Bourtag's thick cheeks trembled as he strongly protested the principal's choice.

"I can't believe you changed the historical and traditional Sören's schedule! Even for the principal, this is an abuse of power!"

Behind Hugo Bourtag, who shouted so, stood the professors who agreed with him.

Something that they had in common was that all of them were aristocrats. Also, they were the ones who'd formed a network with Bourtag.

Principal Elisa didn't even blink as she listened to their complaints.

"So, you don't want to follow it, Professor Hugo?"

"I said this is unfair! Even though you're the principal, there hasn't been a single principal who changed the schedule as they please like this until now!"

"Oh my, no way. Three years ago, the academic calendar was changed, and nine years ago, and 11 years ago, the previous and more prior principals did it as well."

When Elisa replied with facts that could directly be confirmed, Hugo flinched.

It was just something that he'd blurted out, so he was confused because he didn't know that she would already have an answer prepared.

"Th-that's because the schedule was changed after they discussed it with other people, they wouldn't change it as they please using their personal authority like you're doing now!"

"That's why I asked for your opinion now, right?"

"What kind of opinion is it if you already took the action?! This is oppression! Oppression!"

"Aah. I'm not deaf so can you please talk a bit more calmly?"

Elisa shook her head, but Hugo Bourtag didn't have any intention of stepping down.

He had to definitely pounce on that opportunity as the person who opposed the principal so that he could have the upper hand.

It was the perfect chance for him because the principal, who hadn't shown any signs of weakness until, had crossed the line.

"So, you don't want to follow it?"

"Who said I don't want to? However, I'm saying that even the people who will follow it don't have any choice but to hold hostility toward you if you make decisions as you please."

"As you already know, I advanced the opening of the magic festival to change the recent uneasy atmosphere. The right time is right after the second exam period is over."

"You should have told us about it earlier."

"Then it would have been too late. It's not long until the second exam period, and we need the preparation time for the magic festival. If we coordinated it one by one, how long would it be delayed?"

The principal was right. Even if she'd formally called the professors and board members to hear their opinions, Hugo would have refuted her there as well.

Even Hugo knew that she was right, but still, he wouldn't have agreed there.

Opposing for opposition's sake…

Hugo Bourtag was showing that he was the kind of human who didn't care about anything else for the sake of his political view.

"So you thought it would be best to just do whatever you wanted?"

"I'm sorry about that. However, please know that this is the foremost thing."

"Your Honor. I'm worried about this. You did it this time because you had no choice, but now that you've done it, there's no guarantee that you won't do this again, right?"

After maintaining her consistent attitude, Elisa couldn't help but frown at Hugo Bourtag's attitude as he explicitly tried to argue her injustice.

"You seem like you're certain that I will be like this in the future as well?"

"You never know."

When the atmosphere between the two flowed alarmingly, a third party interfered and stopped them.

The third party was the longest-serving worker and one of the people who had the most right to speak, Professor Mary Ross.

"Now, stop it right there. What happened has already happened, and it's not like I don't understand the principal and Professor Hugo's points of view. However, the problem won't be solved if you criticize each other here."

"…Professor Mary Ross. Are you taking sides now? It's the principal who crossed the line first. This is certainly something we need to make clear."

"Then can you bring out a definite answer for the current situation, Professor Hugo? You must have known about the situation in Sören and also inLeathevelk city. The principal's action is reasonable."

"Even so…!"

She couldn't do things as she pleased.

Before he said that, Mary Ross's sharp gaze pierced through Hugo.

"Then we'd all be thankful if you tell us what we should do instead to solve the situation. Looking at how you shouted so loud like that, doesn't that mean that you have a fantastic solution, Professor Hugo?"

"…Why are you being so sharp all of the sudden?"

Mary Ross's stare sharply shone at Hugo who hesitated.

"Or, is it that you don't have any solutions and you're just rejecting other people's opinions for the sake of rejecting?"

"…"

It wasn't good.

Professor Mary Ross had high popularity, so she was a person with a quite strong right to speak even among the other professors.

If such a woman took sides and stepped up, it would be like he was just hitting a wall.

Hugo had a hunch that he should step back. However, he didn't feel like it.

If not then, when would he be able to pierce the principal's thick hide?.

It was a chance that he'd gained after a long time, so he wanted to swing opinion a bit more to his side.

Then, the professor who had been standing behind Hugo as if he was backing Hugo approached him.

It was Chris Benimore.

He whispered to Hugo right away.

'Vice-president Hugo, I think you should stop right here.'

'Chris, are you telling me to let go of a caught fish?'

'They must have understood what you said well. However, since Professor Mary Ross has stood up, we'll suffer a heavy blow if we keep going on here.'

Chris's advice was right.

Hugo had an excuse for arguing against the principal, but even so, not everyone condemned the principal's action.

On the contrary, Hugo's behavior of arguing without offering any alternatives made his image bad instead.

'So, what are you telling me to do? Step down neatly?'

'How about doing this?'

Chris whispered something to Hugo, and Hugo's eyes sparkled as he listened.

After he conveyed his words, Chris silently stepped back again.

Hugo cleared his throat to gather attention.

"Ahem. Well, if the principal is really going that far, it's not like we don't understand you."

Elisa stared at Hugo with the expression that seemed to say, 'What kind of plot does he have now?' at the sudden change of heart.

Looking at his smiling face, her anxiousness was getting deeper for some reason.

"Well, it can't be helped now that the festival is already going to be held earlier. Isn't it something that has already happened? Alright. I'm saying that all of this~ is good. However, now that it has become like this, I have a requirement."

"Requirement? What are you going to do again?"

"Can't I voice out my opinion? It's not something that will bother you or anything, so please hold onto your worries."

"Go ahead."

"Ahem. What I want to say is now that the festival is going to be held earlier, how about adding a novel event unlike the prior festivals?"

As if that was his point all along, Hugo naturally proposed his opinion.

"What kind of event?"

"Adding something new to the dueling event that's going to be held in the magic festival. For example… yes. A special event duel between the professors."

As he said that, Hugo's face was full of malicious intent.

* * *

After I checked the official document issued in the office, I lightly pressed my temples using my fingertips.

'I think it's decided that the festival will be held right away after the second exam period is over. The schedule is tighter than I thought.'

Because, right after the second exam period was over, I had to prepare for the festival right away.

The scale of the festival that was going to be held was so huge that the preparation period itself would take a week.

It had to be at least a week, considering the many employees and wizards who dwelled in Sören and worked there.

'On the contrary, it'd be rather surprising if the preparation period takes only a week with the amount of people to consider.'

Moreover, the second exam period was soon.

It hadn't even been long since the first exam results had come out, but there was a second exam period right away.

It was obvious when I considered that there were a total of four exam periods in one semester.

'Still, I can relax because it has been decided that it's magic square practice for the second exam.'

As that place was Sören, there would be no half-assed students.

I wanted to believe that with my honest feelings. There would be no half-ass students here, right?

'Still, I gave them some satisfying information.'

Perhaps I wasn't the only one who thought like that.

The people who'd received the magic square had been in awe, but if I was asked whether it was really a surprising invention of the century, it wasn't.

The foundation of my magic squares had already been written about in this world, after all.

As of that moment, the research on magic squares had been stopped, but the system itself wasn't a completely new magic.

Thus, I hadn't created something from nothing. I'd just added new firewood to the bonfire that only had its ember left.

I would've been embarrassed instead if I'd acted all high after teaching them about the magic square.

'I'll hope that a better reaction will come out.'

I had finished my preparations to travel from the Academy.

Because the second exam period was approaching, I intended to visit a bit of a faraway place.

'The Rothen Village in the Kingdom of Durman.'

I intended to stop by that place that had been burned by a great fire and didn't have anything left in order to investigate the First Order's real identity.

That was why I'd told Sedina, who was usually still around, to leave the office. Sedina had said that she wanted to hang around a bit more, but she couldn't break my firm will.

'Shall I go now?'

When I put on my overcoat that hung on the hanger, someone knocked on the professor's office door.

"Come in."

After the door opened, I could see the familiar girl with indigo blue hair.

The person who entered the professor's office with confident steps was one of the students who took my class, Flora Lumos.

I wondered why she'd come to me all of a sudden before guessing the reason right away.

"Flora Lumos. Did you come to receive the framework?"

"Yes. Right."

"You came later than I thought you would."

Except for her, the four other people had previously come and received the framework from me.

I'd thought that she would visit me on the very first day and receive it, so it was very unexpected for her to come last.

"I was a bit busy."

"Did you have some business?"

"…It's not something you have to care about, Professor."

It was something I'd asked out of courtesy, yet such an answer was returned to me.

However, if I interrogated her there, wasn't it an excessive intrusion? I had to respect the students' privacy.

When I didn't ask her anymore while thinking so, Flora looked slightly sulky, as she seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

"Aren't you curious?"

"You said that it's not something I have to care about?"

"…Hmph. Never mind."

What? She looked like she was somewhat mad.

I was very confused at Flora's unpredictable behavior.

No way, did her stormy period of adolescence come late?

"Anyway, I want to say that this is the perfect time for you to come to receive the framework because I'm about to leave the office. If you were a bit later, you would have knocked on the door of an empty professor's office."

"…That's a relief."

"Flora Lumos. This is late, but congratulations for being the first rank."

I conveyed a light compliment toward Flora.

I knew that she was great and smart. Still, she had scored highest as a student in my class, so I had to compliment her as a professor.

When Flora widened her eyes as if my congratulatory message was unexpected, her face slightly flushed red as she avoided my stare.

"It… it was nothing. It's a piece of cake for me… Of course, it's a shame that it's a joint first rank.

"I got it. Your opponent is a very gifted person as well."

Julia Plumheart from the first year…

She'd shown an equal result to Flora Lumos and had seized the honor of being joint first rank.

As if proving that she didn't receive attention since the start of the semester for no reason, she also possessed an awesome talent.

"A-anyway. The framework… Please give it to me."

She was confident.

However, because Flora had gained a prize as a result of her own ability, she had all the rights to be that confident.

That behavior suited her appearance more.

I naturally stretched my hand and faced my palm toward the ceiling.

I applied my mana, but when I was about to launch the framework technique…

Tap.

There was a slender white hand that covered my palm.

It was Flora Lumos's hand.

"…"

I stared at Flora Lumos, who'd put her hand on top of mine without a word.

"Why are you like that? Do you not want to give it to me?"

She looked like she didn't know what she'd done wrong yet. On the contrary, she was even fretful, asking me why I wasn't giving it to her.

I slightly sighed.

"Flora Lumos…"

"What's wrong?"

"The framework technique doesn't have to be received by skin-contact."

"Pardon?"

Flora Lumos showed an incredulous reaction.

One second…

Two seconds…

When exactly three seconds had passed…

"…!!!"

Flora Lumos belatedly realized what she'd done and hurriedly took away her hand.

Her face was flushed red to the ears as if she was a ripe persimmon.