Chapter 55
“The Great Sage’s Inquisition”
(Kingdom of Conspiracies and Stratagems Arc, Part VI)
A few days after the emergency council meeting, when its tension had only just begun to fade—
An imposing carriage stopped in front of the academy’s main gate.
It bore the royal crest of the capital, and from it descended an old sage in white robes.
His long silver beard reached his waist, and the azure gem atop his staff gleamed with quiet authority.
—He was Marcel, the Great Sage of the Royal Magic Academy.
His name was so renowned that it appeared even in the academy’s history books.
Teachers and students alike stirred in awe, lining the hallway to bow as he passed.
“No way—the Great Sage himself came to the academy?!”
“They say it’s to test Professor Kai… is that true?”
“So the rumors were real…”
The murmurs spread like wildfire.
◆◇◆
In the grand auditorium, both teachers and students gathered.
Standing on the dais, Marcel’s sharp gaze shone with a clarity that belied his years.
“Kai Cross, the foreign teacher,”
he said, leaning lightly on his staff. His voice was calm, deliberate.
“I have not come to deny you—but to verify you.
To see whether your knowledge will become a blade against this kingdom… or nourishment for it.”
The hall fell silent.
Kai straightened his back, took a slow breath, and stepped forward.
“That’s quite the grand speech, but I’m just a teacher, y’know.
Put me in front o’ a blackboard, and that’s when I really shine.”
A faint chuckle rippled through the crowd.
Lutia, seated near the front, covered her mouth as a small laugh escaped.
Marcel gave his staff a gentle flick.
A vast magic circle flared to life across the floor—
lines and sigils intertwining in dizzying complexity.
Even a skilled magician would need days just to decipher it.
“This is a simplified version of the Kingdom’s Guardian Barrier,”
Marcel explained, his voice calm but firm.
“But there is a flaw. If activated as it is, it will collapse inward and consume the caster.
—Find that flaw.”
Gasps and whispers spread among the spectators.
“Impossible! No ordinary teacher could do that!”
“It’s the Great Sage’s trial…”
Kai gazed down at the intricate array.
Not a drop of sweat on his brow—he simply raised a finger, moving it through the air as if writing on an invisible board.
(Let’s see… this part’s linear… here’s a quadratic term… but at this intersection—the math’s off.)
(Aha. The energy inflow and outflow don’t balance. He flipped the sign on a squared term.)
A few seconds of silence.
Kai let out a low whistle and shrugged.
“The answer’s simple—it’s right here.”
He pointed to a single spot.
Light gathered where he indicated, and the entire circle trembled.
“This term’s negative, see? So the energy turns inward and eats itself up.
Flip it to a positive, and the whole thing stabilizes.”
He traced new lines in the air, rewriting the formula.
Instantly, the sprawling circle rearranged itself into perfect symmetry, radiating a calm, steady glow.
Silence.
Then, the auditorium erupted.
“He fixed it in seconds?!”
“That’s the most complex barrier in the kingdom!”
“Is he really… just a teacher?”
Lutia’s eyes sparkled wide with admiration before she burst into applause.
“As expected of my dear husband!”
“Stop callin’ me that! We ain’t filed no marriage papers yet!”
The audience broke into laughter at Kai’s retort.
Marcel stroked his long beard, his expression unreadable for a moment before he spoke softly.
“…A terrifying man indeed.”
But his tone carried no hostility—only awe and a hint of relief.
“You may become nourishment, not a blade.
Yet know this—many will covet your power. Be cautious.”
He tapped his staff lightly, and the magic circle dissolved like mist.
After the trial, outside the hall, Kai exhaled deeply and rubbed his forehead.
“Phew… that took more effort than an extra math class.”
“You were magnificent, Kai,” Lutia said proudly beside him.
“All I did was fix a sign error…”
“That’s precisely why everyone was so astonished.
What is ordinary to you, is a miracle to others.”
At that, Kai scratched his cheek, looking just a little bashful.
