Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 31

Lesson 8. This Skill is Mine - 1

Although Ban Yu-won had directly experienced it during his date with Luciel on Saturday, the video recording of the interior of the Tower could truly be called an extraordinary event.

No matter how much the Tower changes every time one enters, having vivid video footage of the Tower's interior would be an invaluable asset, the benefits of which are beyond measure.

The Academy officials, who had started buzzing from the moment Ban Yu-won entered the Tower with a camera, were on the verge of going crazy after seeing the well-edited exploration video of the Tower that he uploaded.

―To the point where they were more focused on this than catching the Tower's intruders.

"So..."

Sunday evening.

Nine professors sat around a round table barely large enough to seat ten people.

Yumina, not bothering to hide her displeasure, opened her mouth and spoke.

"You've proposed this meeting, even halting the search operation early, Professor Cantone?"

"Of course, Professor Yumina. In fact, while the Tower's intruder is merely an individual, isn't the Tower's video footage a matter that far exceeds that category?"

Yumina could only scoff at the words of Alex de Cantone, the professor of Tower Research Studies, famous for his oily manner of speaking, eye smiles, and the malicious intentions that perfectly matched them.

"An individual, when everyone knows the intruders form a group? Moreover, the Tower's video footage is very much a matter belonging to the individual category. I don't understand what you mean by saying such things."

"Professor Yumina, even your lies are beautiful. Your affection for your student is truly..."

"Shut up. Nobody here came to see how long your tongue is."

A petite woman with short silver hair forcefully cut off Cantone's words that were about to continue.

She was Thalia Liliana Campanella, a professor of the Artifact Creation Department, the only minority department in the Academy.

After silencing Cantone, she shot a sharp gaze at Yumina and probed.

"Yumina, the search operation was just a farce anyway. So stop being angry and explain. Who the hell is that guy?"

"Thalia, even you."

"An explanation is indeed necessary."

If Yumina was in charge of Magic Combat Studies, naturally there should be an opposite discipline.

The man who just spoke was Ryu Cheol-myeong, the professor of Aura Combat Studies.

It may sound grandiose as 'Aura', but all students who fight by imbuing weapons with ki and magic power were educated by this man.

While magic is an excellent skill, it requires tremendous talent, so the number of students is correspondingly small. As such, Ryu Cheol-myeong's influence in gatherings of professors was slightly stronger than Yumina's.

"We can't just cover this up because he's Professor Yumina's student. The Tower is the core of our Academy. A mere student has violated the authority of that Tower. It's unacceptable."

"Professor Ryu Cheol-myeong, your words are a bit strange. The reason no one has filmed the Tower until now is simply because they lacked the ability to do so. What we should be discussing now is how we can utilize this student's abilities to benefit the Academy..."

"That's why I'm asking what this skill is!"

Given the extraordinary nature of the situation, the professors' excitement was considerable.

The nine full professors gathered here are so old that Yumina, who has lived for 500 years, is among the youngest.

As such, they usually don't get excited over trivial matters, but this time, Ban Yu-won had caused the biggest incident since the Academy's founding, causing them all to act unbecomingly of their age.

"Everyone, quiet."

But the moment a young man's voice resonated, all the professors who had been loudly arguing fell silent.

He was a professor in charge of an advanced course called 'Babylon and Constellations', which was difficult to understand at first glance, and his name was Xenon.

He was also the man who held the position of the Academy's only vice-chancellor.

"First, we must be clear that we professors cannot force anything upon that student."

"But Vice-Chancellor."

"This is a matter that will not change for any reason."

The professors who were about to argue with him were silenced by his resolute tone, unable to utter a word.

The vice-chancellor's will is the chancellor's will.

No matter how much the professors discuss among themselves, if the chancellor doesn't approve, it all becomes moot.

"I will allow personal requests. However, if it is discovered that the student was pressured excessively or disadvantaged in the process, all involved parties should be prepared for expulsion."

"Of course, Vice-Chancellor. None of us would oppress a student that the Academy should protect and educate. But if that student doesn't listen to anyone's wishes... wouldn't that create quite a problem?"

Cantone spoke again.

It was clear that he strongly disliked Ban Yu-won.

"We're not the only ones paying attention to that student. Other students... especially those from the top ten families, will stop at nothing."

"That's right. It would be safer for the student if we shared his skill and made it available to everyone! In return, we could also grant the student a few artifacts..."

The way they exchanged glances with other professors and naturally continued each other's words suggested that they had already formed their own faction before the meeting began.

Yumina was simply appalled, wondering what the students would think if they saw their current behavior.

"It seems you two haven't properly understood what I said."

Xenon spoke in a stern voice.

"I clearly said all involved parties would be expelled. That, of course, includes the student as well."

"...Pardon?"

"No, Vice-Chancellor. You must be joking?"

"It's a lowborn who's been causing nothing but disruptions since enrollment. Are you saying you're willing to antagonize the top ten families to protect it?"

Most of the professors wore expressions of disbelief at those words.

Especially Ryu Cheol-myeong, who was openly contemptuous of Ban Yu-won and strongly arguing against him.

One might wonder why they unanimously approved Ban Yu-won's admission evaluation if this was their attitude, but among those who approved at the time, there were quite a few who harbored intentions of stealing only the useful skills from Ban Yu-won.

Their true intentions were being revealed here.

"You people, listening to you talk about my student like this, I really...!"

Just as Yumina, who had reached her boiling point, was about to stand up angrily, Xenon extended a hand to stop her.

He was looking down at the professors who had just spoken with cold eyes.

"Has the weight of the years you've accumulated in pursuit of wisdom and knowledge been this light? ...Professor Campanella?"

"Yes, yes!"

Professor Campanella, who has a one-sided love for Xenon - and thus has a special talent for becoming quiet and unable to speak when he starts talking - responded in a shrill voice to the sudden call.

"I understand you've been conducting research related to using machines inside the Tower."

"That's right! I've been devoted to that for about 200 years...!"

Artifacts are commonly said to be divided into two categories.

Natural artifacts born naturally under special environments and conditions.

Artificial artifacts created by humans who thoroughly analyzed and researched them, artificially assembling the environments, conditions, and materials.

Some argue that the magic machines actively produced and sold externally should also be classified as artificial artifacts, but that's foolish talk.

How can the byproducts of miracles born from humans' pursuit of divinity

and mass-produced items created by humans seeking to replace their hands and feet be the same?

These two are inevitably different in structure, and that difference determines whether they function in dungeons and towers.

However, that doesn't mean that those who create artifacts look down on machines.

"After all, artifacts are difficult to produce intended results, especially things like filming...! So I've been trying to modify machines to work in dungeons somehow."

"I understand some have been successful."

"Of course! Machines break down in towers and dungeons ultimately because their complex structures can't withstand mana waves and overload, so by simplifying the structure as much as possible, adding materials that help mana circulation, and additionally, synchronizing with the human's magic power every time a human hand touches it to delay overload as much as possible..."

As otaku often do when questioned about their area of expertise by someone they like, she enthusiastically continued her explanation.

But the unsympathetic Xenon had no intention of listening to her words to the end.

"But you've never succeeded with filming, have you? Am I wrong?"

"No, Professor Xenon is correct. We've certainly succeeded in filming for about 5 minutes in dungeons, even backing up the footage, but when we move the exact same model to the Tower, it breaks down before we can even turn it on properly..."

Campanella became dejected in an instant.

However, as the professors heard this, they finally began to sense something strange.

"It worked in dungeons, but not in the Tower...?"

"Other things worked though?"

"Yes, things like the mana bombs that appeared in Ban Yu-won's video could somehow be stored and detonated using tools that completely block magic power, but filming was just impossible..."

This was also why Campanella was reacting so strongly to this incident.

If he hadn't been Yumina's student in charge, he might have rushed to the dormitory by now and clung to Ban Yu-won's pant leg.

"No, but that's almost as if..."

"What's special is not his skill."

Xenon boldly declared, as if to control the professors who were starting to murmur again.

Then, turning to Yumina and Campanella, he added:

"Of course, it's already confirmed that he has an innate talent for creating artifacts, but it's important to note that it's not just that."

"Vice Chancellor, then what on earth is it?"

"He is being recognized by the Tower. Uniquely."

A declaration.

The professors groaned at the weight of those words.

"He's a student who entered the Tower for the first time just the day before yesterday. To say he's recognized by the Tower, that's something I've never heard before..."

"I heard he's from a lower dimension without even mana. For such a being to be recognized by the Tower? Even if it's you, Vice Chancellor, this is going too far."

"I think it's just that Professor Campanella's research was insufficient."

Yumina mentally noted down the names of the professors, including Cantone and Ryu Cheol-myeong.

Someday, there will come a day when she'll make them pay for their careless words, for sure!

"You're free to believe my words or not, but I'll declare in advance that even if you obtain his skill, it will be meaningless."

With those words, Xenon scanned each of the professors.

Now they all understood why this absurd meeting had been convened.

This meeting wasn't to discuss Ban Yu-won's skill and consider how the Academy could utilize it.

It was a place set up by the Chancellor to warn that anyone who messes with Ban Yu-won from now on should be prepared!

'The situation is good. The Chancellor really seems to like student Ban Yu-won...! Moreover, with talk of being recognized by the Tower, perhaps student Ban Yu-won is really...'

Given this, at least from now on, no one would dare to publicly mock or belittle Ban Yu-won.

Just as Yumina was feeling relieved and smoothing down her chest, it happened.

"And Professor Yumina."

"Yes, Vice Chancellor."

"Is it true that student Ban Yu-won was chosen by a constellation (星座)?"

"What?!"

Once again, the room erupted.

As Yumina had directly told Ban Yu-won, no one had been approached by a constellation on their first day in the Tower.

But Yumina, wanting to keep that hidden, showed reluctance.

"It's a bit... to speak about the personal achievements or abilities of the student I'm in charge of..."

"I am a professor who teaches students chosen by constellations. If student Ban Yu-won was chosen by a constellation, then he is also my student. Just letting me know about the contract status is enough."

"...Student Ban Yu-won has not contracted with a constellation."

She didn't lie.

The professors all understood that subtle nuance, and knowing that she wouldn't lie about something like this, they all fell into silent shock.

"You mean he refused. It must have been difficult to clearly express his will in the face of a constellation's pressure."

Yumina, not wanting to go into details, tried to brush it off with an ambiguous smile, but Xenon seemed to have read something and nodded quietly.

"I understand. Then it would be good for student Ban Yu-won... no, all students in Class 11 to attend my lecture."

"What? No, wait a moment, Vice Chancellor!"

Yumina cried out in surprise.

"None of our class students have contracted with constellations!"

"Professor Yumina, what's important is not whether they've contracted with a constellation. What's important is whether they've been chosen by a constellation."

At Xenon's words, the other professors nodded unconsciously, then realizing who he was referring to, their serious expressions were quite amusing.

"Being chosen by a constellation itself is proof of outstanding ability. And once someone receives the interest of one constellation, other constellations' interest also gathers. Rather, the fact that they refused a constellation once makes them even more attractive to them. And it's precisely such students who should attend my lecture. The other students who were there with him are also more than qualified."

"Ugh..."

Yumina didn't particularly mind Ban Yu-won taking classes from other full professors, but hearing that he would be attending Xenon's lecture made her feel uneasy, as if something was being taken away.

Xenon, as if to fuel her unease, smiled with satisfaction (Campanella fainted) and declared:

"With this, the meeting is over. Everyone, finish up your weekend well."

Xenon disappeared from the place first.

The professors who had maintained neutrality throughout the meeting disappeared next.

Ryu Cheol-myeong glared particularly at Yumina before disappearing.

"Professor Yumina, I always admire your heart that cherishes students, but wasn't it a bit excessive this time..."

"Thalia, wake up. If you sleep here, your mouth will go crooked."

"Uh, uhm."

"..."

Cantone approached with his usual unpleasant words, but Yumina cleanly ignored him and woke up Campanella, disappearing from the place together.

"Haha, got shot down again. Professor Cantone, let's go have a drink at the bar."

"...Tch!"

And so all the professors left the place.

Only the round table remained, bathed in the moonlight pouring through the window, when suddenly a crack appeared in the center of that round table, opening wide to become a large eyeball.

—Those who do not understand the purpose of the Academy, who eye each other with suspicion and engage in power struggles, who try to check and bring down those who rightfully deserve their qualifications.

A voice muttered quietly.

Eventually, the eyeball gently tilted towards the Tower visible outside the window.

—Has the time come for another purge? ...No, it might be good to observe for a while, expecting that child's abilities.

The eyeball closed.

Only the moonlight, gently soaking the darkness, remained alone in the conference room.

*

And the next day, Monday.

"Are you Ban Yu-won? I, I'm Mirei Oldena from a dimension called Hato!"

"Do you have time around lunch? Yes, I'm asking you out on a date right now..."

"Ban Yu-won? Do you know about the Academy's Student Council? I'm Graham, the council secretary. I came to invite you to join the student council."

"Wh-what's going on."

Ban Yu-won reached the peak of his life.