Chapter 46 : Chapter 46

Chapter 46

That night.

Though lights-out had passed, the first-year dormitory was still dotted with lit rooms.

Candidates with late-night passes were exempt from the curfew.

Eddie and Marcel’s room was lit for the same reason.

But only Eddie was inside.

Marcel was at the library, working on his speech.

Thanks to that, Eddie, for the first time since enrolling, freely used magic in the room.

Humm- Snap-!

Eddie grabbed the Clode he summoned and hung it around his neck, channeling mana.

The mana essence of one mage within Clode responded.

Humm- Humm-

The responding essence belonged to Macloren Hartz, his disciple, a master of summoning.

Eddie’s eyes began to glow green.

He wasn’t using Macloren’s mana but his summoning technique.

Even with Clode, using a summoner’s complex power required immense focus.

Flash-!

A brilliant green light gleamed in his eyes.

Mana circuits of the same hue shimmered on his skin.

Eddie drew a small summoning circle with his fingertip.

Whoosh- Flicker-

From the completed circle, a ‘Flame of Summoning’ appeared, revealing a tiny summon.

It was the kitten Fury, the same summon Brenda handled.

“Grr- Grr-”

As Eddie scratched its neck, the kitten purred happily, rolling over.

A small piece of paper tied to its body became visible.

Eddie untied it to read the letter.

The kitten rolled on his hand a few more times before vanishing in a green glow.

The letter detailed Brenda and Rick’s investigation into major family students, as Eddie had instructed.

His eyes quickly scanned the names.

Dalton Kirhausen’s information stood out.

After a thorough read, Eddie’s assessment was concise.

“…A prodigy.”

Top of his class since enrollment.

Never missing a year as class president or top student.

He even became student council president with an overwhelming vote margin.

His magical talent was exceptional, with a dazzling record of competition awards—a complete talent.

“Must be as irritating to Furas as Leodimir.”

Originally, Timus Kirhausen, Ivan’s eldest son, was to be the current head of Kirhausen.

But for some reason, Ivan changed the successor to his youngest, Furas, before his death, relegating Timus to a collateral branch.

And Dalton was Timus’s eldest son.

‘With Marcel’s mana faltering, Dalton’s brilliance makes him a significant threat.’

Despite his fame, Dalton was shrouded in mystery.

Rick and Brenda’s information on him was superficial, indicating how carefully he hid his true self.

The only notable detail was that he wasn’t particularly close with his sister, Aisa. And—

“He’s skilled in Muglin martial arts…?”

Eddie furrowed his brow at the unexpected information.

Muglin, a close-combat technique of a now-extinct prominent knight family.

Rick, who taught Dalton swordsmanship, discovered his proficiency in the long-lost art.

Though outdated, Rick’s report was confident.

[During sparring, he briefly showed it unconsciously, but it was unmistakably Muglin martial arts. It seemed highly practiced, even recently.]

“Hmm…”

Eddie sank into thought.

Connecting Dalton to Muglin was difficult for now.

But it was valuable information.

That was all on Dalton.

‘He doesn’t make moves that reveal his intentions.’

It was unfortunate, but unavoidable.

For now, he wasn’t a direct obstacle, so Eddie would keep watching.

He quickly skimmed information on Aisa and other major family heirs.

Memorizing it all, Eddie burned the letter.

Whoosh-

“The dynamics are getting interesting. There are useful talents too.”

He muttered, watching the flames scatter into the air.

Sitting at the desk, he pulled out a handout from earlier.

[Candidate Meeting Application]

He wrote without hesitation.

‘I’ll use every candidate benefit, as the young master ordered.’

With a meaningful smile, Eddie wrote ‘Fred Arno’ as the professor for the meeting.

***

Normally, a student requesting a meeting with a professor waited three to four days, sometimes a week.

Everyone wanted mid-level or senior professors with influence, causing delays.

Even the candidate’s priority meeting privilege couldn’t bypass this queue.

Dozens of candidates had the same idea.

For instance, Vice-Dean Carla Sinclair received about 30 meeting requests, combining her usual load with the election.

Quick meetings were a pipe dream.

“The election’s in less than a week, and we have to wait a week for a meeting? Absurd.”

“She’s the vice-dean. She’s probably doing nothing but candidate meetings outside lecture hours.”

“I wanted to make an impression with her.”

Eddie was an exception.

He strolled through the campus, passing grumbling students.

He headed to Fred’s office, holding a meeting approval copy received in half a day.

Knock-knock-knock-

“Come in.”

Eddie entered Fred’s office with a polite knock.

Fred, dressed sharper than usual, and a tidy office greeted him.

Eddie teased, “First time seeing you so dressed up, Professor.”

“Haha, it’s my first student meeting since becoming a professor, so I put in some effort.”

Fred scratched his head sheepishly at Eddie’s remark.

His usually unkempt long hair was neatly tied today.

Eddie chuckled, recalling Leodimir’s usual disheveled state.

“Leo could use some of that effort.”

He sat across from Fred.

With prying eyes possible, he got to the point quickly.

“Has the sparring test for the midterm been approved?”

“Yes, some senior professors were displeased, but there was no major opposition.”

“Those old-timers haven’t changed. Jealous that students spend more time on a younger professor’s test.”

“Thanks to Professor Showman, it passed smoothly.”

“At least they have some shame. They demoted Showman to a ridiculously small course despite his seniority.”

“Yes. But… the midterm’s on track, but what happened with the election?”

Fred pointed to Eddie’s meeting application on his desk.

That morning, Fred had been puzzled by Eddie’s request.

For attendants, the priority meeting privilege was meaningless paper.

Their benefits were solely for their masters, and Marcel wouldn’t have ordered a meeting with a commoner professor like Fred.

Something had changed for Eddie.

Eddie propped his chin, giving a wry smile.

“Marcel’s trying to kick me out of the family. My provocations didn’t just bruise his pride.”

“Hmm… Then he really doesn’t know about Well and Deer. Thinking he can get you expelled like this.”

“Yeah. Honestly, it’s a bit disappointing. He should know those incidents were for his growth, even if they hurt his pride.”

“He’s still a child, despite being Kirhausen’s next head.”

Coldly speaking, it was a minor inconvenience.

Fred’s expression held no tension, asking for a countermeasure.

But Eddie’s next words shifted the mood.

“Since I’m caught in his childishness, I’ll use this situation fully.”

“Use it…?”

“I’ll actually join the class presidency.”

“What?!”

Fred blinked in shock.

“…I don’t fully understand. It’ll restrict your movements and draw attention, increasing the risk of exposing your identity…”

Fred tried to dissuade him, his voice concerned.

But the great mage from a past life, who faced challenges head-on, was already brimming with confidence.

“You’re right. But think of it as a huge opportunity.”

“How so…?”

“First, publicizing my rift with Marcel can hasten a confrontation with Sylvia.”

“…Wow.”

“Second, it’s a chance to utilize the academy’s talents faster. The risk is worth it.”

High risk, high return.

Fred nodded, finally understanding.

He was also in awe.

Turning a crisis into an opportunity and merging it with another plan was remarkable.

“I see. Timus Kirhausen’s sons will indeed be a path to tackle the current Kirhausen.”

“…”

Eddie nodded subtly at Fred’s admiration.

In truth, the talents Eddie aimed to use weren’t just the Kirhausens.

But since Fred seemed unaware, Eddie stayed cautious.

It was a heavy secret.

‘Fred not knowing means Leo’s still keeping quiet. It’s better to inform the second-generation mages later.’

To avoid awkwardness, Eddie detailed his election strategy.

Fred couldn’t stop marveling at the airtight plan.

“If it goes as planned, you’ll have a solid foundation to use the academy deeply. But you’ll no longer be an ordinary attendant… Are you okay with that?”

The final concern was Eddie’s safety.

Could he handle the label of ‘Kirhausen’s uncontrolled attendant’?

Eddie paused briefly before continuing calmly.

“I’m already not an ordinary attendant. The time for moving in the shadows is over. For meaningful results, I must take risks and step forward.”

“True, but… the current Kirhausen might react harshly. If they sense something off, they’ll try to cut you off, even as a valuable mana source.”

“Exactly. That’s why I asked you to track prominent families’ movements.”

“Ah…”

“Once Eddie Summerson’s name spreads, Kirhausen won’t dare remove me recklessly.”

“…Wise words.”

Fred’s eyes filled with awe.

He marveled again at Eddie’s foresight, seeing steps ahead.

A great mage wasn’t just about magic.

Eddie, as a master, taught his still-growing grand-disciple.

“The academy isn’t just a place for kids. It’s a microcosm of the magical world, connected to their families. It’d be better to execute plans outside, but since we’re here, we’ll catch multiple rabbits at once.”

“You’re right. I’ll proceed as you say.”

Fred showed even stronger resolve.

Eddie’s gaze softened briefly, touched and apologetic for Fred’s sincerity.

“You likely know, but following me means no advancement in the magical world. It’s too late to turn back.”

“I knew that 12 years ago when I wrote my name in Palamedes’ roster. Everyone remaining feels the same.”

“You’ll think yourself foolish at times.”

“The most foolish one saying that is quite convincing.”

“Fair point.”

Eddie chuckled.

He had no counterargument.

“The academy’s atmosphere will get lively after this election. A commoner standing out among high nobles… It’ll be a big wave in decades.”

“The magical world’s as stagnant as this place. But I won’t be the only commoner standing out.”

“What?”

As the plan reached its final stage, Eddie shared the rest with the puzzled Fred, thinking of one student.

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