Chapter 94: 24 Hours Is Not Enough (1)
Clare was busy these days.
I heard it was because of the regular evaluation for summoners. It was an evaluation of all summoners belonging to the Summoning Association through research papers, regular performance, and other tests.
As a result, Clare had a lot of advice for me.
“Delay entering the association as much as possible. If you enter early, you won’t be able to have much of an academy life,” she warned me.
So, when I told her about Professor Delphineso calling me, she sighed and shook her head.
“The dean is still like that.” Sure enough. “If she sees any signs of talent, she calls them over. As for you, Dane, you don’t need to say anything.”
It seemed to be a ‘tradition’ for Professor Delphineso to gather talented students and send them to the Summoning Association.
“She wants to enter the palace. Her goal is to lead the summoning corps.”
“Is it a good position?” I asked.
“It’s a dream position for summoners to reach in this empire. Of course, I’m not interested.” Clare then asked me, “So, how was meeting a prince?”
“Well, it was kind of strange.”
“That’s it?”
“And a little nervous?”
Clare chuckled. “You really are different. If I had met His Highness the Prince when I was your age, I would have been shocked enough that I’d have trembled.”
Was that so? With her personality, I found it strange to imagine her acting nervous and shy in front of others.
“And he gave me this, too,” I added.
“Oh my goodness. You got the imperial seal, too?” Clare’s eyes widened when she saw the seal. “His Highness must have really liked you. This isn’t something that just anyone can receive. Do you know that even nobles would be so touched that they would cry if they received this?”
“Really?”
“Of course. The imperial family doesn’t give it to just anyone, so receiving one is an honor to the family.” Clare looked at the imperial seal in amazement, then suddenly smiled. “You really did well in coming to the academy, huh?”
“Of course.” I smiled back at her.
It was a good decision to come to the academy. Home was nice, but since I came here, countless things had happened.
“But aren’t you tired?” I asked.
“Of course not. Thanks to your visit, my fatigue has gone away.” Clare lifted her hand and ruffled my hair. “You don’t have to worry about me. You understand?”
Naturally, both of my sisters were people who could take care of themselves. That was how it had always been. Still, sometimes I wanted to help, just like how my sisters took care of me and loved me even though I was born much later.
“Actually, I’m worried because there are some papers that I’m having trouble with, but I think it’ll work out somehow,” Clare mused.
I glanced at her messy desk. Judging by the crumpled papers and used pens around, it must have been her thesis.
“Kikreuk?” At that moment, the little one started to wiggle and popped his head out.
“Oh my, Karnas!”
“Kikreuk!”
Karnas saw Clare and fluttered his wings, excitedly cheering her on. As soon as I released my hold on him slightly, Karnas jumped up and glided into Clare’s arms.
“You’ve become more handsome.”
“Kikreuk!”
“Can you really fly? And you’re a dragon?” Clare was rubbing her cheek against Karnas’ face and cooing at him. Karnas responded by squealing happily.
“Karnas really likes you,” I said.
“Right? Is it because I was next to you when he hatched? He kisses a lot!”
He really did.
“But he hasn’t grown in size as fast as expected?” Clare worried.
“Right? He eats a lot, but it seems like he’s not growing fast,” I admitted.
“That’s strange. Where does all that food go? Does it go to the wings, or is it used as fuel for his fire breath?”
“Kikreuk!”
“Ahahaha! It tickles!”
She was so happy that I didn’t want to disturb them, so I glanced at the desk. As Clare said, I saw a problem that seemed to be unsolvable, and there were question marks all over it.
[What is the effective way to use summoning and magic simultaneously?]
Hmm… It seemed to be a question of how to use summoning in conjunction with magic. It wasn’t like a math problem with a set answer, but it seemed like Clare was having trouble because there wasn’t a clear answer.
Summoning and magic. Was it a bickering relationship, like between my sisters?
“Dane?”
“Oh, yes. I was looking at the problem.”
Clare came to me, holding Karnas in her arms, and said, “It’s the problem I mentioned earlier. I’ve thought about it a lot, but I still can’t solve it easily. I need to write something new instead of something everyone already knows.”
Since it was to be a newly published paper, it seemed like she wanted something trendy. So, I mentioned something I usually just thought about.
“How about applying magic to summoned creatures?”
“Huh?”
“There are separate ways to strengthen summons, but I was wondering if it would be possible to strengthen summons by casting magic on them.”
Clare immediately shook her head and said, “It’ll probably be hard. It’s very difficult to analyze summoned creatures. Time is limited, and if you make a mistake, you have to be prepared for reverse summoning. It’ll also be too much of a burden for the caster.”
Then she added, “And it’s already been done. It’s a bit old-fashioned, though, and it’s not very efficient. It’s a method that only summoners who have built up intimacy with their summons for a very long time can use.”
I tilted my head at my little sister’s words and asked, “In conclusion, you are saying that there isn’t enough time to analyze summons? Even if you do, you can only use it against summons that you are very familiar with.”
“Usually, yes. It is difficult to test, and it is difficult to completely understand the flow of mana. It is difficult overall.”
Then what about this?
“Then, can I summon a beast for a moment?”
“Huh? Yes, well. It’s fine it’s a little one.”
I immediately gathered my mana.
“Answer my call.”
What I called out was—
“Altemar?”
It was Altemar, a 4th-grade summons I summoned as soon as I received the mark during the special selection test. The being had a small body with a rabbit-like appearance, and it was a support summons that bestowed various blessings on summoners.
“Kyuruk?”
Altemar greeted me as soon as he saw me, and then when he saw Karnas in Clare’s arms, his eyes widened in shock.
“Kyuuruk…” Then he dropped his ears and tail and lay down on the floor with his belly down.
“Is he greeting this little one?”
“I think so.”
Karnas raised his head and looked at Altemar with his usual proud and (what he thought was) dignified expression.
“Is there a hierarchy that applies because Karnas is a dragon?”
“Maybe so.”
Altemar was crouching like a herbivore in front of a wild beast. It just worked out well. I stroked Altemar’s soft fur and drew on my magic power once again.
“Kyuruk…”
“It’s alright.”
As I slowly focused and reassured myself, I finally began to see the flow of mana. Just like when I looked at the prince, I could see it in a summons as well.
“What are you doing?” Clare asked.
“Oh, um. I just learned something new.”
“Something new? Ah!”
By the way, I told my sisters about my new skill—that I acquired a second bit of condensed Ancient Magic and was able to see the flow of magic in living beings.
“If we can understand the mana flow, we can analyze it, and then we can figure out how to cast magic onto summons.”
Summoned creatures were first ‘summoned’ and, except for cases like Karnas, they all stayed in this world temporarily. Therefore, its existence itself was unstable, and if magic was applied recklessly, it might immediately be reverse summoned, or its existence might disappear.
The direct application of magic to humans had been studied for a very long time, but was still taboo except for some spells.
“Yeah…I don’t think anyone would have thought of that… Analyzing the mana flow of summons…” Clare muttered blankly. “To apply magic, you need to know the structure, but dissection is obviously impossible, and you can’t analyze it either… but Dane, you can.”
Yes, I could. I could analyze the mana flow without dissecting, without spending a lot of time, and without using a special analyzer.
“Take a look,” I said.
“Uh, yes.”
Clare looked at Altemar, whose fur had magically become slightly more voluminous, shiny, and full of energy.
“I guess I’ll have to rewrite the paper from the beginning…?”
Well, it seemed to have helped. Clare looked at Altemar with a slightly excited expression and then suddenly said, “…I guess I’ll be receiving a lot of help from our youngest?”
I smiled and said, “Tell me when you have time. I can come anytime.”
Clare shook her head and said, “No. You must be busy, too. Aren’t you studying for the midterms?”
Midterm exams.
At those words, I smiled silently.
* * *
“Dane Sogres, Autonomous student, full marks.” Professor Ingrid’s bright and lively voice echoed throughout the examination room. Professor Ingrid was so moved that she even applauded. “What a perfect basic spear technique…”
It seemed as if she would burst into tears in just a little while. Dane’s basic spearmanship was perfect, and since it was a test, he naturally got full marks.
“As expected, the son of Count Sogres…”
“His spear technique is also perfect… Honestly, isn’t it better than the seniors?”
“I’m telling you, it’s just ridiculous…”
“Is he really not coming to the Spearmanship Department…?”
Of course, the students of the Spearmanship Department were just as excited as Professor Ingrid. Everyone there respected Count Sogres, and his son—Dane, a genius spearman—was a star and a precious presence.
‘My father should have seen this sight.’
I thought that if I had the chance later, I would invite my father as a guest lecturer. I heard that they often brought in parents as lecturers. I was pretty sure everyone would be beside themselves.
“That was perfect, Dane Sogres. The thrusts, the cuts, the steps. All of the basic movements, as well as the applied movements and the flow of the basic spear techniques, were without a single moment of hesitation, wavering, or misalignment. Your test score is… of course, full marks.”
Dane expressed his humility at Professor Ingrid’s words, saying, “It’s all thanks to the professor’s guidance.”
“Oh my, how humble.”
“It’s true. Thanks to the professor who taught me the basics, my spearmanship has become more solid.”
A smile spread across Professor Ingrid’s lips despite the way she had been pretending not to notice anything. How could there be such a good student? He was the son of someone she respected so much, and he had everything a student should have.
“Are you going to continue attending the Spearmanship Department’s classes every semester?”
“Yes, Professor.” Dane nodded.
‘I came not because I was concerned about my father but because it was really fun.’
That much was clear.
“Alright. Then, you can go back to your seat. Everyone, did you see Dane Sogres’s test? If you can do even a third as well as he did, you’d be well above the level of a first year student, so I hope you will work hard.”
Professor Ingrid’s words were meant to encourage the other students, but they had the opposite effect.
“No, a third of that…”
“I don’t think I can even follow 10% of it…”
Anyway, the exam for the Spearmanship Department was over.
“Here, I’ll submit it.”
“Oh, it’s over already? As expected. I can’t wait to grade it.”
«Introduction to Military Science», taught by Professor Gavius.
“Haaah. Are you done already, Dane Sogres?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be leaving first.”
«Empire’s History» with Ernest.
Professor Temeric’s «Summoning Theory 1».
Professor Temeric nodded at the sight of the group of 7th-grade summons, ‘Nelka’, that Dane had easily summoned.
It wasn’t just one.
“How could he summon twenty of them…?”
“Even summoners with a mark can barely summon one!”
“How does that make sense? He summoned twenty of them, and it’s already been five minutes!”
Nelka, the main summoning target for beginner summoners. It was a very small summons with no special abilities, but it was often used as a summoning target to get used to actual summoning techniques.
Still, a summon was a summon.
Considering the fact that mana was used to summon and maintain summoned creatures, Dane, who had summoned twenty of them and maintained them for five minutes, was already beyond beginner level.
Since it was the midterm exam for students with marks, Dane was naturally…
“Full marks, Dane Sogres.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
He received the perfect score.
As Dane was finishing the test and leaving the classroom, Professor Temeric suddenly called him over.
“Dane Sogres.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“By any chance…” Professor Temeric hesitated. Then, feeling he had nothing to lose, Professor Temeric asked directly, “Did the dean suggest that you join the Summoning Association?”
To be precise, he was asking if she had said she would be Dane’s recommender. He wondered if she had taken the lead.
“No, sir.” Dane shook his head.
At the same time, Professor Temeric secretly cheered. There was still a chance! But that was only for a moment.
“Even if she had, I don’t think it would be particularly appealing.”
“Hmm?”
Dane added with a grin, “Everything is fun.”
Professor Temeric’s expression became blank, and Dane bowed his head to him, “Then, I’ll be leaving first.”
* * *
As I left the classroom, I began to think about the next test.
‘«Practical Magic Theory»… I heard that all the magic department exams take a long time and are difficult.’
This was true for any subject, but magic in particular was a subject that had several times more to study than other subjects. Magical fields of study were incredibly diverse, and the «Practical Magic Theory» that I was taking was a lecture that taught you a lot about all those fields, even if it wasn’t in-depth.
Therefore, the scope of the test was beyond imagination.
Also…
“The exam is from midnight to midnight of the next night,” Professor Dinavo declared.
He wasn’t talking about the test preparation period but the test period. A full twenty-four hours.
“The reason we give twenty-four hours is because the test scope is that wide.” He said it as if he were being generous, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Twenty-four hours. It was possible to take breaks here and there, but ultimately, you had to finish everything within twenty-four hours.
“Shit… Twenty-four hours?”
“You have to finish the test in that time?”
“How wide is the range…?”
Professor Dinavo continued speaking indifferently, watching the students’ desperate reactions, “Of course, there are those who give up halfway. However, those who give up halfway won’t get a good score. I hope that many students will hold on until the end.”
There were bound to be those who gave up halfway. After all… all questions were subjective. The portion of descriptive questions was more than half the test.
There was a reason they said that after taking a magic exam once, you’d feel a tingling sensation from your wrist to your shoulder and wouldn’t be able to hold a pen for a while.
“But I’m not that inconsiderate.” At that moment, Professor Dinavo smiled brightly. “It’s an open-book book exam, so bring anything you can use as a reference.”
While some students were relieved to hear that it was an open-book exam, many students looked even more displeased.
Open book.
It was called an open–book exam, but an open-book exam meant that the difficulty level was higher. Simply put, since most of the questions were unfamiliar, they were asking you to bring something so that you could at least take the test.
Only students who didn’t know the circumstances liked this news.
“Oh, the moment you enter the examination room, you are prohibited from using any communication tool and even a subspace. Talking to anyone during the exam or leaving to reference something else is also prohibited. Of course, you aren’t allowed to bring anyone with you. If you are thinking of bringing another mage, it would be best to give up early.”
Professor Dinavo added some harsh words, “Students who commit dishonest acts such as cheating, taking exams on behalf of others, or sharing answers will be banned from taking classes in the Magic Department until next semester—and of course, they will not receive a grade for this class. I really hope that no such students show up in this class.”
The sound of people swallowing hard in nervousness came from several directions.
“Since magic barriers will be installed throughout the testing area and the flow will be monitored, if you have any such nefarious thoughts, it would be better to give up early.” Professor Dinavo smiled faintly. “Oh, but I’m still quite humane. The Magic Department exams are difficult and brutal, but they’re not too tough.”
Some students had high hopes at those words.
“I’ll let you go to the bathroom.”
“…”
“We’ll also give you food. Our teaching assistant will deliver the food you want from the cafeteria by special delivery, placed under a preservation spell.”
“…”
Those were truly humane words.
“One thing I’d like to add is that being fast doesn’t mean much. If you hand in a blank piece of paper, you won’t get any points.”
Professor Dinavo was right. Those who dropped out midway would not receive proper scores, so students often ended up using the full twenty-four hours. Rather, there were so many difficult problems that most found that twenty-four hours wasn’t enough.
“Try anything—anything but cheating, anything but bringing people. Anything.”
Professor Dinavo placed a lot of emphasis on the word ‘anything’.
However, most students despaired at having to take a twenty-four-hour test rather than focusing on his words.
Everyone except me, that is.
“It’s an open-book test, huh?”
And the professor said I could bring anything except people.
A good idea just occurred to me.
