Disguised As A Teacher In Magic Academy

Chapter 52 - The Past (1)

“O-oh? Professor Ludger? What the heck..”

He had heard that those who did not own property could not handle the elements themselves well.

He had heard that people like him were so rare that no one taught them methods to use their abilities.

So they have a book on non-property magic?

"Read it."

"Yes, sorry?"

"If you read what's there, at least you'll see a path you don't know so far."

Lynne still doesn't understand how she is.

Why would he suddenly take her to the professor's office and give her a strange book?

"Is ... is this real?"

Lynne stared at the title, [Understanding Non-property Magic], with an expression of disbelief on her face.

As far as he knew, non-property magic was extremely rare and the method to use it was never found correctly.

When he took a closer look at the cover, the book did not have the author's name, nor even the stamp on which it was published.

'Is this not fake?'

It was natural to have such doubts.

“It's natural for you to doubt it.”

“Hm? Uh! N-no! Not like that…!"

Was it revealed in his expression? Lynne hurriedly adjusted her cheeks and controlled her expression.

Fortunately, Ludger did not seem to have any intention of scolding him.

“It's okay for you to judge it after reading it first. It'll be more helpful than knowing nothing."

"There is no information related to non-property magic, even in the magic tower..."

"Is my source code spell in the magic tower?"

“…”

Lynne closed her lips for a very good answer.

'So is this really real?'

“In-where you get such a valuable item—”

"Fate took the book into my hands."

'Destiny took this book into his hands, he said?'

Lynne's head slightly tilted to the side hearing such a remark.

Is this something that can be 'obtained by fate'?

Lynne was confused while talking to Ludger.

"...Uh, does Professor Ludger know anything about non-property magic?"

Ludger, in Lynne's observation, looks so natural in treating him that he has no choice but to think that he is actually facing non-property magic alone and acquiring some knowledge about it.

He thought that if Ludger, who had created the source code spell, then he might know something that no one else knew.

"Little."

"Throughout?!"

"I've met someone with non-property magic before."

"Yes my. I didn't know there were any other non-property magic owners besides me. Then where is that guy now?"

"Lost. That guy is dead.”

"Well…"

Ludger's voice seemed somewhat regretful as he said it.

At least that's how Lynne feels. The usually cold and sharp Ludger somehow felt like wet cotton at the time.

Lynne became cautious as if she had asked him something unnecessary.

"I'm sorry."

"That's it. Anyway, it's been a long time."

"Then... did that person leave this book before he died?"

"Yes. It was the result of their studies of their own magic throughout their lives. It's not even in the magic tower."

"Why…?"

Why did he give it to her and not give it to the magic tower?

Lynne was unable to say the last words.

“Because he wants it.”

'Ah 'Ah. So that's it.'

Rather than that, what does he mean by "he wants it"?

Lynne suddenly wonders who the other non-property magic owners are.

"But wouldn't it be better to hand it over to the magic tower from most people's point of view?"

"Even if I hand it over to the magic tower, the place is full of greedy parents who will not acknowledge this book. No, some of them may admit it, but they will not show it to others and they will use it alone among themselves. It's much better to give it to someone who really needs it—that's why I keep it."

— It was to hand it over to someone suitable for the book someday.

Lynne looked at Ludger again when she heard that answer.

"I understand."

"If you read a book and practice hard, you will definitely find a new path there as well."

"Then...is there a way for me to learn the magic of other properties?"

"As far as I know, no."

Ludger's answer made Lynne feel depressed for some reason.

Although she did not reveal it on the outside, Lynne also had the desire to use extraordinary and beautiful elemental magic like the others.

"Are you disappointed?"

“To be honest, yes. I want to try to handle at least one element."

Others are capable of handling two, three, or more elements, and talented people are capable of handling five or more of the five elements.

Suddenly, Lynne recalled the appearance Ludger had shown her in class.

'In hindsight, how many elements could he handle?'

He had shown fire, water, earth, and wind, and had even used the ice element in the first session of class.

'Then... five elements?'

'As expected of a professor Soeren.'

"One element, yes."

Ludger was actually pondering over what Lynne said calmly, not knowing what was on his mind.

“Lynne. You say it because you don't know anything, but just being able to use one element isn't something that can be taken for granted."

"I'm sorry? Isn't it good to handle at least one element?"

"Everyone, to be precise, a witch, is born capable of handling at least two elements, so if they are only capable of handling one element, what do you think they are?"

“Oh, hmm. Are they people who are not talented?”

"No."

Ludger shook his head.

"Those who can only handle one element are those who have unlimited talent unmatched in that element."

Lynne opened her mouth in disbelief as she listened to Ludger's words.

But Ludger's words were not lies.

Although it was only a small part of the magicians, there were people who could only handle one elemental property.

But just because they can't handle other elements, doesn't mean they're weak.

Instead, they are outside of it.

“Lynne. Do you think the elemental magic that magicians use can affect magic from the same property? For example, can a mage who handles fire element properties conquer fire from a hot fire?"

"Oh, that's impossible, right?"

Lynne at least had a lot of general knowledge.

Being able to use fire elements does not mean you can handle real fire.

It is also a factor that many people misunderstand.

—That if someone is a fire witch, it means they can handle fire, so they will not be affected by the hot fire.

—If someone was a magician capable of handling metals, they would be able to handle all kinds of metals, so they would display great power in war.

That's the wrong word.

'The 'Casting' of elements and the 'handling' of elements are completely different concepts.

"Yes. Usually it is, but there are witches born with only one element; the magic they use is completely different from the nature of ordinary witches."

When others can use at least two elements…

A single property mage can only handle one element.

Instead of being unable to handle the attributes of other elements, they can 'set' the elements they handle.

"For the world-famous single attribute magicians, the magic tower gave them the title as the 'color' of the related elements. That means they are all people who have reached the pinnacle of their own element."

“So it feels like dealing with one element.”.

Lynne was fully aware that her knowledge was shallow and her face turned red.

Even the one element he looked down upon was a huge wall to him.

So did he really have to live like that for the rest of his life without being able to face any elements?

Lynn's scared.

“Lynne. What do you think of non-property magic?"

“Oh….Doesn't that mean they don't use any properties?”

Lynne pondered and replied according to what came to her mind.

"If you ask that question to a passing child, you'll hear the same answer."

"…I'm sorry."

"People say it's non-property, but the truth is, it's unclear if there really isn't a non-property magic element."

"I'm sorry? Are you real?”

"A typical example is sound magic."

Lynne opened her eyes wide and slightly tilted her head when she heard the words 'magic voice'.

"Does sound magic exist separately?"

"Yes." Yeah."

“But sound, to be exact, is a kind of wave transmitted through a medium called atmosphere.”.

"So you think it's like the wind element?"

"That's what I thought."

"No. You wrong. Wind properties and sound properties are very different. Although derived from the wind element, the sound property is more of a wave induced by vibration, to be exact."

“Oh, so they are different?”

“Although not through the air, sound waves still spread through the water. Does that mean the nature of sound can be referred to as part of the nature of water?”

"It's not like that."

Ludger suddenly asked one more question because he was a little interested in explaining it.

"What is poison?"

"Poisons ... you say?"

"It's a little more common than non-property magic, but magicians who deal with poison are also rare. Can the poison they deal with be called the element of nature?"

“Oh, hmm... isn't that.. plant element?”.

"Then what about animal poison?"

"W-there's that too."

Lynne explained the poison according to her knowledge.

"Hm. Poison or poison itself is a kind of self-defense tool created by plants and small animals to survive in the ecosystem, right? Isn't it a bit vague to call it an element of nature?"

"Yes. With the development of science and chemistry, it makes no sense to see poison as a natural trait. Poison exists as property. What if it was the mana itself that deciphered something and melted it down if it wasn't poison? If it's not poison, then the decomposition properties may have to exist separately."

"That's right."

“However, in the top 10 elements, except non-properties, poison cannot even be included as one of the elements. The same goes for voice. So why is that?"

"Oh, is it because there are so few people using it?"

"If that's the case, then those with light and darkness magic also belong to the minority of — they are also rare cases."

"But light and darkness are in nature."

“Then I will ask you. Lynne. What do you think is nature?”

"I'm sorry? Well nature is..”

Lynne tried to say something before closing her mouth.

Is it nature?

And what are the properties and elements implied in nature?

The natural? Isn't that the world? But is calling nature an overly inclusive world? What is an element?

"Your face looks complicated."

“Oh, hmm, yes…. Now that I think about it, I don't think I can define it clearly."

"Of course not. Because from the beginning man cannot arbitrarily define the world."

"I'm sorry?"

As she listened to the seemingly impossible words coming out of the professor's mouth, Lynne looked dumbfounded for a moment.

Looking at his wide-open mouth, Ludger spoke while maintaining his casual expression.

"Magicians judge themselves as rational beings, and they try to put the world in a frame in such a way as to fit that rationality."

“I-it's clear. First of all, magic reveals the mystery of human rationality and willpower—”

"That's what I call a stereotypical mindset, Lynne. You need to have a more liberating way of thinking. When do you think metal elements currently in the top 10 properties appear?"

Metals were not initially evaluated as property elements.

Metal comes from the ground. It was because it existed after being put together as land and earth property.

But as science developed and all kinds of iron-made machines and equipment became increasingly popular…

Metal is proudly included in the top 10 elements.

“It also applies to ice element. Ice is simply a change that occurs when water finally drops to freezing. Is water and ice the same thing?"

However, in the end, the properties of water and ice are separated.

The same goes for light and dark.

“Lynne. You think that the wonders of today are perfect and cannot be improved."

"Well…"

Lynne felt like lightning was grabbing the top of her head as she listened to Ludger's words.

His shoulders shook, and he stood stiffly.

Until then, he had thought that magic itself was something irreversible, something that had reached a faraway stage.

But did it really happen?

Can't magic change any further?

It's not like that.

Ludger shook his head when he realized that Lynne had finally realized something.

“You finally realized it. That's the point: a witch must master magic, not be governed by magic."

Ludger got up from his chair and walked towards the window.

Outside the transparent window, he could see the landscape of the Soren Academy that would determine the future of the era.

That must be a good place.

But if someone asks him if it's a perfect place, the answer is no.

“The world is changing, and of course, we, as part of the world, are also changing; the same is true for magic. The previous four elements have developed into ten elements, but that does not mean that the ten elements are everything. There may be unknown properties that have not been revealed. It could expand to 20 elements or maybe more than 30 elements.”

And it was a heart-wrenching situation of not knowing when it would stop developing.

“The same applies to your non-property magic. Now it is still non-property, but later it can be referred to as new property as well. If not now, then surely someday."

Lynne had a vague vision of something as she listened to those words.

—His successful performance in the future where he has made great achievements in one field.

It was the image he had dreamed of, and it was so dazzling that his delicate hand unwittingly clenched.

Ludger, who turned his gaze from the window, turned his body.

Uh.

As she was dragged back into the real world, Lynne subconsciously uttered a cry.

Ludger looked very different from the pushy gaze he usually showed as he looked at her with his back turned to the light flowing from the window.

The man who looked like a steel pole was not found anywhere.

Standing at that place was a magic explorer like him.

"Don't be afraid to be different. Do not be afraid of the unknown. Believe that you can be a pioneer in history, and be different from others."

Lynne opened her lips to say something, but nothing came out.

Just as something heavy and huge weighed down on his chest, even his mind was chaotic and could not be formed into words.

But he didn't feel stuffy or sick.

It was an incredible joy that he had never felt before.

Ludger's remarks tore apart the unsettling future he had seen so far.

No words came out of his mouth.

But even so, she should at least say 'thank you' to show her gratitude ...

"So, do your best from now on. Make sure you read the book I gave you today. This is a private homework I give only to you."

There was a gentle breeze after Ludger said it.

The wind gently whirled around Lynne's body, lifted her from her seat, and guided her out of the professor's office.

“Aduh, i...!”

When he passed the threshold of the professor's office, he could breathe a sigh of relief again after his magic was lifted.

Lynne turned around and was about to say something to Ludger, but…

Clik.

The door closed faster than his words of gratitude would appear.