Chapter 48 - The Magic Otaku Reveals All
A strange atmosphere had enveloped the reception room of the Talgum Magic Academy. The only ones maintaining a calm expression were Saki, who had risen from the sofa, and Ruria, who sat beside him. Levi, Sarah, Maria, and Azadh stared at Saki with pale, stunned faces. Only Ester wore a stern expression, her sharp gaze fixed upon her grandson.
Bathed in the adults' gazes, which were filled with a mixture of awe and alarm, Saki began to speak with perfect composure.
"First, allow me to explain yesterday's events. After our afternoon practicum, Ruria and I conducted an experiment in the spell experiment room to perform an Evocation of a spirit. However, during the ritual, I lost consciousness, and the summoned spirit went on a rampage. This resulted in the destruction of the spell experiment room. I am truly sorry."
The adults had been listening in silence as Saki calmly spoke, but the moment he paused, they all began to bombard him with questions. Even Azadh, who had been trying to keep everyone in check at the start of the meeting, was now shouting with an agitated look on his face.
"Honestly, you all. Saki won't be able to get a word in edgewise. But I suppose everyone is too curious to just listen. Fine, how about we allow one person to ask a question at a time, in between his explanations. What do you think, Saki?"
Grandma said with a sigh, looking at me. I nodded in agreement, then gestured toward my father, inviting him to speak. Father cleared his throat once to compose himself before posing his question to me.
"This 'Evocation' you keep mentioning—what exactly does it entail? I can grasp the general meaning, but it's an unfamiliar term."
"'Evocation' is a technique for summoning beings from other worlds, such as spirits. The summoned 'thing' appears before the caster as if from nowhere, and in most cases, it will cooperate with the caster or follow their commands."
"Like the Third Tier spell, [Unseen Servant]. Evocation spells start at the Fifth Tier, so you'll be able to understand them yourself soon enough."
Grandma supplemented my explanation from the perspective of a magic user. Oh, so there are high-level spells that use Evocation. Come to think of it, she did mention [Evocation of the Fire Elemental] earlier. ...You can summon a spirit with just a gesture and an incantation, without performing a ritual? Isn't that insane? And powerful? Oh, so that's why it's a high-level spell that only Grandma can use, a Fifth Tier one at that.
"To continue, the being I summoned this time was an [Earth Elemental Ruler], but my mana was depleted near the end of the ritual, and I lost control of it."
"Hold on a minute! What did you just say?!"
Whoops, now it was Grandma's turn to lunge at me, her face aghast. She was breaking the very rule she had just established. Was there something in my last sentence that was so jarring?
"My mana ran out, and I lost consciousness—"
"Before that!"
"Um, the ritual to summon an [Earth Elemental Ruler]—"
As soon as I said that, Grandma covered her face with both hands and her shoulders slumped in defeat. The other adults stared at her, holding their breath as she remained motionless and silent. After a moment, Professor Azadh spoke, his voice tentative.
"M-Master? Master! What's wrong?"
"…"
Grandma still didn't respond for a little while longer. Then, with her head still bowed, she spoke in a low, strained voice.
"[Evocation of the Elemental Ruler]… is a Seventh Tier spell…"
""""SEVENTH?!!""""
In perfect, unplanned harmony, all the adults except Grandma shouted as one. What do you call that again? A mixed four-part chorus? Soprano (Sarah-kaasan), alto (Maria-kaasan), tenor (Father), and bass (Professor Azadh)—they were perfectly in sync. Hmm. Everyone's reaction is a little unexpected, and my thoughts are starting to stray in a weird direction.
The reception room fell completely silent. Grandma still had her face down, and the other four were looking at me as if they were seeing something terrifying. I had no choice but to break the silence myself, tentatively raising my hand.
"Um, may I continue?"
Father and the others exchanged nervous glances, then looked at Grandma, who was still hunched over. She finally lifted her head, her expression haggard, and told me in a weary voice.
"…Hah, fine. Go on, tell us the rest."
She looked so frail, a far cry from her usual vigorous and powerful self. I'd never seen Grandma this worn out… well, actually, she was like this when I taught her the Mana Forging Method, too. Was what I said really that shocking?
No, Grandma said that the Evocation of an Elemental Ruler is a Seventh Tier spell. The Seventh Tier was the pinnacle of magic, a level Grandma herself had only just managed to reach this year. It was the supreme state she had finally attained after decades of dedicated training. For a seven-year-old child to have reached even a fraction of that… yeah, of course she's in shock. Sorry, Grandma.
"That said, there isn't much left to tell. According to Ruria, after I lost consciousness, the Earth Elemental went on a brief rampage and destroyed the spell experiment room, but it disappeared shortly after. Most likely, its supply of mana from me was completely cut off, so it could no longer maintain its physical form in this world. I'm told Professor Azadh and the others arrived a little while after that."
I recounted the events immediately following my blackout, phrasing it as something I'd heard from Ruria. In reality, it was Isis, who is currently perched on Ruria's shoulder, who sent the rampaging "Mountain King" back to Yetzirah with a [Punishment] spell.
Well, I can't reveal Isis's existence just yet. If word got out that Ruria has an avatar of the Goddess of Magic as her familiar, there's no telling what kind of trouble would come our way. I'd like to think I'm not foolish or dense enough to knowingly step on such an obvious landmine.
…Somehow, saying that about myself doesn't feel very convincing. To be honest, I have a few more not-so-normal things I plan to talk about after this. I should probably be prepared to be met with more stunned silence.
While I was lost in thought, the adults formed a small huddle and were whispering amongst themselves. Eventually, they seemed to reach a consensus and returned to their original seats. Father raised his hand and looked at me.
"Go ahead, Father."
"I assume you learned how to perform the Evocation of spirits from the secret scroll, Saki, but did the scroll also describe how to evoke an Elemental Ruler?"
"No, I learned that from something else. This book, in fact."
I said, pulling out the [Book of Spirits] that I always keep on my person. The moment I did, everyone's eyes changed, and they crowded around me, all starting to talk at once.
"What is this book? I can't read a single word of it."
"This is a very old book. Where did you get it?"
"From the academy's Great Library. It was stored in a place called 'the room no one has ever entered.'"
"What?! I'd heard rumors of such a room, but I thought it was just nonsense spouted by the librarians!"
"I've heard of it too. I even searched the entire library for it once, but I never found it."
"Even you, Mother-in-law… That must be a very old rumor."
"Sarah, are you trying to say I'm old?"
"My apologies, Mother-in-law, that was a slip of the tongue."
"So you admit it? Sarah, you've really gotten brazen… Maria, this is your fault! How are you going to take responsibility?"
"Why are you dragging me into this?!"
"Alright, that's enough."
As things were getting out of hand, I stood up, spread my arms, and silenced the adults. They all froze and fell quiet, then returned to their original seats. Ruria, who had been sitting silently the entire time, was looking at me with her usual half-lidded eyes, which now held a strange sparkle. Isis, on her shoulder, gave a small clap.
The adults coughed awkwardly, but soon Sarah-kaasan timidly raised her hand. I nodded to her, and she asked hesitantly.
"Um, Saki, how did you find that 'room no one has ever entered'?"
"I met the Academy Head in the Great Library, and he told me about the room then. So I went looking for it and found a bookshelf on the first floor where a large amount of mana particles were welling up. When I pushed it, I was able to get inside."
At my answer, all the adults let out a collective sigh. Father shrugged his shoulders and spoke in a resigned tone.
"You mean the mana floating in the air that only you can see, Saki. In that case, it makes sense that no one else could find it until now."
"It's also suspicious that the Academy Head would go out of his way to tell Saki about a hidden room. That old man is definitely hiding something."
"It may be odd for me to say this as a professor, but this academy is full of mysteries. It wouldn't be surprising if that gentleman, who has been the Head of this academy for decades, were privy to such secrets."
Father, Grandma, and the professor all crossed their arms, grumbling "hmm" as they fell into thought. At that moment, Maria-kaasan raised her hand with a little bounce. When I prompted her with a "Go ahead," she crossed her legs on the sofa and posed her question to me. Oh man, she's completely dropped her formal demeanor. Grandma and the professor are twitching their temples. Not that they were behaving much better a moment ago.
"Sorry to bring things back to the beginning, but what is this 'ritual' you mentioned? Does magic involve rituals?"
"A ritual is exactly what it sounds like. It's the same as the rites and ceremonies held at the royal palace or the temples. From the scroll and this book, I learned the 'ritual for summoning spirits,' and in practicing it, I brought about this situation. I was unable to fully control the spirit, and I apologize for the trouble I've caused everyone."
"In short, Saki, you're saying that you didn't summon the spirit this time through magic?"
I nodded deeply at the professor's question. Then, after a deliberate pause, I declared the fact that had been forgotten in this world.
"That is correct. This is the true knowledge bestowed upon me by the Goddess of Magic, the mystic art used in the ancient magic kingdom. This is sorcery."
Perhaps an hour had passed since the debriefing began. I took a sip of the tea that had been brought from the Guest Hall's kitchen and took a breath. Ruria was single-mindedly munching on the tea cakes that had been served alongside it.
As for the other adults, they were all in various states of dejection—holding their heads in their hands, hanging their heads low, or slumped over the armrests of their sofas. It seemed the final bomb I had dropped had hit them particularly hard. Not a single one had spoken since, maintaining a complete silence.
Just then, Isis, who had been nibbling on a crumb of a pastry given to her by Ruria, flew over to me. She whispered softly in my ear.
(Hey now. I, or rather, Magisa, never directly taught you sorcery, Saki-kyun, did I?)
Ah, well, that's true. Isis gave me advice on summoning the "Mountain King" this time, but she didn't teach me the evocation ritual itself. The basic knowledge of sorcery is something I brought with me from my past life, so my earlier statement, which made it sound like I first learned sorcery through the teachings of the Goddess Isis, was misleading.
But well, I have no intention of revealing that I'm a so-called reincarnator, or an "outsider" as they're called in this world. And since I've established the premise that the various knowledge I possess comes from revelations from Isis, it's easier to explain that sorcery is part of that too. As long as I don't get a complaint from my client (the Goddess), I plan to stick with this explanation.
I wanted to convey this to Isis, but the reception room was so quiet right now that even a whisper would stand out. So I didn't answer and silently brought the tea to my lips again. Apparently, just like her form, Isis's voice is inaudible to anyone but me and Ruria. As expected of an avatar of the Goddess of Magic.
At that moment, there was a stir among the adults. Father ran a hand through his hair, lifted his head, and drained the tea that was on the low table in front of him in one gulp. Then, clapping his hands together, he declared in a loud voice.
"Alright, sitting around like this won't get us anywhere. For now, let's at least decide how we're going to handle this situation."
At his voice, Grandma also lifted her face from where it had been bowed and, taking out her long pipe from her pocket, continued.
"You're right. It's pointless to endlessly worry about things that can't be helped. As Levi says, let's just settle this and think about the future later."
Grandma's statement seemed to be the deciding factor, as the other three, though grumbling, sat up. And so began the discussion among the adults on how to handle the "Spell Experiment Room Destruction Incident."
"A stern warning for Saki himself should—"
"He won't listen even if you tell him—"
"As long as the academy gets it restored to its original state—"
"Letting him off without any punishment would—"
"Throwing him out would be far more—"
"Letting him run wild is dangerous—"
Their opinions were exchanged so animatedly, it was hard to believe these were the same people who had been utterly defeated and silent just moments ago. Hey, I'm hearing some things I can't just ignore. Even if we are family, couldn't you at least show some consideration and sugarcoat it a little?
And just like that, the discussion was wrapped up, and a conclusion was reached with a, "Well then, it's settled." The adults all turned to face me and Ruria, and Father, representing everyone, announced the decision.
"First, regarding the matter of the broken spell experiment room, many of the academy's professors and some students have already seen it with their own eyes, so we cannot pretend it didn't happen. And while Saki did not do this himself, there is no doubt that his actions were the main cause of this situation. Therefore, the responsibility lies with Saki, and with the Arcalai family. Are we clear so far?"
I put on a solemn expression and nodded. "Yes."
"To maintain the academy's fairness, we cannot keep the details of the matter confidential. Therefore, the Arcalai family will officially apologize to the academy and bear the cost of the repairs. Of course, the fact that Saki broke the experiment room will also be made public. We won't release the details of how he broke it, though."
Hmph, sounds reasonable. I'm still a child and a student, so it's natural that my parents, as my guardians, are held responsible. I feel truly sorry about it, but I'll have to treat it as a debt and repay it in the future.
"As for Saki himself, nothing will change. You are permitted to continue your studies at the academy as before. I hereby declare that this will not affect your evaluation as a student or your graduation. However, from now on, I must ask you to refrain from experimenting with that, uh, 'sorcery' of yours within the academy. We can't allow a second time, you understand?"
Wow, Professor Azadh said that with a very strained look on his face. Well, I get it. The academy can't have me causing this kind of commotion over and over again.
But is this really it? I'm relieved there's no severe punishment like disownment or expulsion, which I had initially imagined, but it feels a bit anticlimactic to have no penalty at all. As I was thinking this, it turned out the professor wasn't finished.
"However, it would set a poor precedent to have no punishment at all. Saki, and you as well, Ruria, are hereby placed under a three-day suspension, effective immediately. You are forbidden from attending classes. And…"
The professor paused and turned his face toward my father. Father nodded and took over the explanation.
"The bill for the repairs to the spell experiment room will be assigned to you personally, Saki. Our family will cover the costs for now, but after you graduate from the academy, you are to repay that amount to the house in some form. Understood?"
Whoa, a big one at the end. But this is what I expected, and in fact, by setting a clear amount and saying, "If you work and pay this back, it's settled," it's a rather lenient measure. I bowed my head and replied to everyone present.
"Yes, I understand. I am truly grateful for your generous consideration. From now on, I will conduct myself with prudence and devote myself to my studies."
When I raised my head, my eyes met with the adults, who all had ambiguous expressions on their faces. Hmm, that's the look of people who don't trust me one bit. Well, given my track record, I can't really blame them, so I'll just ignore it. No point in worrying about it.
"And I'm sure you already know this, but not a word to anyone about the spirit evocation or 'sorcery.' Honestly, I'm at a loss as to what to do with this whole situation, but until we decide on a course of action, everyone is to keep it to themselves and not leak it to anyone outside this group. Saki, that 'experimentation' of yours is also forbidden. Got it?"
Finally, Grandma gave me a stern warning with a truly intense expression. Her tone was normal, but I felt an extraordinary intensity in her gaze that honestly made me tremble. It conveyed an unspoken will: next time, she wouldn't show mercy, even to her own grandson. I couldn't even reply; all I could do was nod repeatedly. In fact, I should be praised for not freezing up in fear.
And so, the debriefing, which felt both long and short, came to a close. Everyone else had more to discuss, so Ruria and I were practically ushered out of the reception room.
"Ah, Saki-sama, Ruria-sama. Has the discussion concluded?"
In the Guest Hall lobby, Nathan-san was waiting on the sofa, just as he had been when we arrived. He stood up and greeted us, and I returned his words.
"They've decided on our punishment. The others are having a serious discussion, without the children."
I said this in a slightly playful tone, and Nathan-san asked me with a thoughtful expression.
"I can't imagine there are many topics beyond Saki-sama's understanding… But regardless, a punishment?"
Oh, so they didn't tell Nathan-san why my parents came to the academy. Well, it's going to be made public soon enough, so it shouldn't be a problem if I tell him.
"Actually, I broke a spell experiment room. I was ordered a three-day suspension from classes and have to bear the cost of repairs, which I'll pay back when I'm older."
"What? … Huh… You broke an experiment room? That room?"
After hearing my reply, Nathan-san's expression went blank. He mumbled to himself and then froze on the spot, as if he'd been hit with a [Hold] spell. I stretched to wave my hand in front of his face (though with our height difference, I could only reach his chest), but he didn't react at all.
I waited for a moment, but he showed no signs of rebooting, so I bid him farewell with a, "Excuse me, let's meet again," and left the hall. I led Ruria out of the Guest Hall. The time was still mid-morning. The academy grounds were deserted and silent, with everyone in class.
Come to think of it, we were just told not to attend class for the next three days. I looked at Ruria, who was clinging to my left hand, and made a suggestion.
"There's nothing to do back at the dorm. Want to go to the library?"
"Mhm."
With my childhood friend (and her familiar), whose expression shifted into one of satisfaction in a way probably only I could discern, I started walking toward the academy's Great Library, determined to make this suspension a meaningful one.
I would later learn that the cost of repairing the spell experiment room was approximately five hundred gold coins. At the time I was told, however, I had absolutely no idea what five hundred gold coins were worth.