Chapter 53. Award Ceremony (2)

Chapter 53. Award Ceremony (2)

After class, I went to see Professor Im Sol.

Lumi subtly mentioned she was heading to the clubroom, but we can’t be doing that every day.

- Are you going to see that female professor again?

“Yeah. I’ve got some research to do.”

- Hmm.

Normally, she’d be nagging about how I’m just going to get another blowjob, so why is she staying quiet this time?

“Hello.”

“Hello. You’re here to see Professor Im Sol, right?”

“Yes.”

“You can take the elevator up!”

My name was now registered in the lobby of the Magic Research Building.

I could enter Im Sol’s lab without needing her explicit permission.

I thought there might be some issues, but she just approved it, saying she’s always in her lab anyway and wouldn’t even recognize if someone stole something.

That’s how confident she is.

I took the elevator up and entered Im Sol’s lab.

Since she wasn’t here, she was probably in her office dealing with paperwork again.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Oh~ come in.”

As I slightly opened the door and stepped inside, I saw Im Sol sitting in her chair, looking at some printouts.

“Hello.”

“Huh? Oh, it’s you. I thought you were my assistant.”

“I told you I’d come by after class today.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve got nothing else to do anyway. Sit down.”

She said she had nothing to do, yet she didn’t even lift her eyes from the papers.

Does she live in a different world than the rest of us?

As I sat on the office sofa, I got lost in thought.

Clap, clap.

Im Sol clapped twice, and a tea set floated over, pouring coffee.

Sip.

As expected, it was instant coffee.

“You said you had an idea? Let’s hear it.”

“Have you made any progress with the fast magic manifestation method I showed you last time?”

“No, I think that’s tied to your skill. I just can’t get it to work.”

Im Sol grumbled, set down her printouts, and took a sip of coffee. Then, she happily grabbed a chocolate cookie.

“But this time, I think you’ll be able to do it too.”

“Nom. What is it?”

It would be easier to show her than to explain.

Using Double Casting, I formed a Fireball in each hand.

In one, I infused the magic circle with the intent of ‘destruction,’ while the other was just a normal magic circle.

Both Fireballs had the same amount of mana and used the same formula, but one burned slightly stronger.

“What the…?”

Im Sol had just lifted her cup for another sip but froze with her mouth slightly open.

As her grip weakened, the cup began to fall, so I quickly caught it and placed it on the table.

“Wait, did you just figure out how to control spell potency?”

Im Sol, who had been momentarily dazed, quickly came back to her senses.

“Spell potency control? What’s that?”

“How do you not know… Oh, right. You haven’t been using magic for long. Even with the same mana and the same formula, spells sometimes turn out stronger. The leading theory is that it depends on the caster’s condition at the time.”

Ah. That is the most logical conclusion if you don’t truly understand how mana functions.

But that theory only exists because most mages can’t properly sense mana.

Just as blueprints outline key structural supports for a building, magic circles have core formations that drive spell manifestation, while the rest provide support.

You have to imbue intent into the core formations.

“Core formations…?”

I explained my findings to Im Sol.

At first, she didn’t seem to understand, but after I demonstrated the concept again, her eyes widened, and she immediately started drawing magic circles.

- Wow, are you some kind of genius? How do you figure this stuff out?

“Is there nothing like this in hell?”

Since Im Sol was too focused to respond, I quietly whispered to Liliana.

- Hell uses demonic energy, so the structure of magic is completely different from yours.

“Hmm, should I learn it someday?”

The Charm Magic from before wasn’t too helpful, but who knows?

“…It worked!!!”

Crackle!

Bright blue electricity began to flow across Im Sol’s body.

“Whoa… isn’t that spell supposed to be weak?”

As far as I knew, that magic only emitted weak currents around the body. So why does she look like Pikachu using Volt Tackle?

“This… this is unbelievable…!”

Im Sol was so excited that she grabbed my shoulders and shook me. I think I’m getting electrocuted a little, Professor.

“This discovery could shake the entire magical academia…!”

“Calm down, Professor.”

“How can I calm down after this?! I’m so lucky! It’s a blessing that I met you first before anyone else!”

Im Sol pulled me into a tight hug, rubbing her chest against me.

Well, maybe she was just shaking in excitement, but that’s how it felt to me.

After wildly slamming her fists on the office sofa and table in excitement, Im Sol finally calmed down and slumped back onto the couch.

“Haa… this is amazing.”

“I did well, right?”

“‘Well’ isn’t enough! This is a groundbreaking discovery! You’ll leave your mark on the global magical community!”

She looked genuinely happy as she said that. What is it about magic that makes her this excited?

“Haa, you’re a genius. No, genius isn’t enough of a word. I don’t even know what to call you.”

“So, how was my idea?”

“Huh? Of course, it’s amaz—…ing…”

Her voice suddenly dragged out.

Our contract was still faintly in place—I helped her research, and she, in turn, provided certain services.

“W-Well, I’ve been looking for a suitable elixir for you, but there’s just nothing available.”

“That’s random.”

Look at her trying to change the subject.

“No, really! I still remember what I owe you… I’m just bad at saying things properly… what am I even saying… Ugh.”

Her attempt to distract me by acting cute was obvious but amusing.

“A-Anyway… I’ll settle everything properly later, so just wait.”

Her face was completely red as she said that.

She got used to giving blowjobs, but is she embarrassed about taking the next step?

Seeing her act more nervous than before somehow made her look cute again…?

I could feel my lust for her rising again…

“I wasn’t planning to do anything right now anyway.”

“R-Really?”

As much as I love sex, now isn’t the time.

The award ceremony is tomorrow, and the dungeon training is the day after.

Judging by Lumi’s state last night, the more heroines I seduce, the busier my lower half will get.

I can’t afford to spend too much time on Im Sol, who isn’t even a heroine.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop having sex. I’ll just wait until I have more time.

“But once your research is done, you have to make up for it. Got it?”

“Ahem! Alright. When it comes to magic, I never lie. Don’t worry.”

Watching Im Sol fan her flushed face with her hand, I couldn’t help but smile.

“But even if we settle the principal later, I still need to collect the interest.”

“Huh? Oh… okay.”

Im Sol slowly lowered her robe to the floor and, as if it were second nature, placed her hand on my pants.

*

- Seriously, you might be the first person in history to use such magical talent just to sleep with women. Are you sure you don’t have an incubus ancestor?

“Shut up.”

After receiving a blowjob as interest from Im Sol, I left the Magic Research Building and headed for the dormitory.

- I’m being serious.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll make sure to check someday.”

By now, I could walk back to the dorm with my eyes closed.

Compared to when I first got here and wandered around cluelessly, I had made huge progress.

- By the way, what exactly is this award ceremony about?

“Ah… It’s basically a reward for doing well.”

- What did you even do to deserve an award?

“I took down a demon, idiot. If I weren’t there, things could’ve gotten really bad.”

If Felix had been caught before he could attack Lucy, I probably would’ve only received a minor reward.

But since I escalated the situation, I ended up earning a bigger prize.

Not that I feel guilty about it. Whatever, these things happen.

If they didn’t like it, they should’ve handled it themselves. Useless academy staff.

Thinking about it, I decided to check EveryDay for information about the award ceremony.

The dean told me to be at his office by 9 AM tomorrow, but if it were just for me and Lucy, they wouldn’t be calling it an “award ceremony.”

As I scrolled through recommended posts, I found one about the ceremony.

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[Does anyone know what the award ceremony at Victoria Academy’s main auditorium tomorrow is about?]

Why is it mandatory for all years? The details are a secret until the day of. Anyone got info?

Likes: 130 Dislikes: 5

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[Lol, why is it mandatory for everyone?]

[I heard they’re giving awards to hunters who died fighting the sudden gate outbreak and to those who came as reinforcements.]

[Apparently, they’re also awarding outstanding students. My friend was told to be at the dean’s office by 9 AM.]

[I also heard Lee Hoyeon and Lucy are getting rewarded for taking down a demon.]

[Damn, if that’s true, then this is insane. The media’s gonna cover it too? They’re straight-up boosting their public image.]

[Well, to be fair, Lee Hoyeon is actually strong. And he’s good-looking.]

[Doesn’t change the fact that the whole thing is rigged.]

[Regardless, after this award ceremony, their popularity is gonna skyrocket. So jealous, fuck.]

“Wait, why is the award ceremony so huge?”

The main auditorium? The same place they used for the entrance ceremony?

Ding—

Just then, my smartwatch received a message.

[All first-year Class A students must gather at the main auditorium by 10 AM tomorrow.]

At first, I thought they were just giving out some small awards within Class A, maybe a certificate or something.

But now they’re calling it an official award ceremony?

How did this get so big?

*

The next morning.

I dressed as neatly as possible and left the dorm.

Since it was an award ceremony, I even tried fixing my hair, but as someone who’s been an introvert all his life, I gave up and just combed it to the side.

“Hey! I’m coming too!”

“Hurry up. I was waiting for you.”

Of course, Lucy was coming with me.

She told me she was also contacted privately to meet at the dean’s office by 9 AM. If that was the case, they should’ve just called us together from the start. Annoying bureaucratic nonsense.

“Oh, you actually dressed up a little for the ceremony? What do you think? Do I look good?”

She looks the same as usual… Ah, she’s not wearing her cardigan. Just that alone makes her look way better. School uniforms really are the best.

“You look way prettier than usual. Your uniform is neat too.”

“Right? I made a slight effort for the ceremony. Only guys who take care of themselves would notice~.”

“Yeah, sure. Let’s get going.”

“Okay!”

What does “tone-up” mean? Is it like increasing weight resistance?

“Why did they call us? Did we get selected as outstanding students?”

“We’ll find out when we get there.”

She doesn’t even know why she’s attending. I decided to keep the award a secret and look forward to her reaction.

Chatting idly with Lucy, we arrived at the academy administration building.

The dean’s office was at the top.

After showing my student ID at the lobby checkpoint, I walked up to the office, where several students were already waiting.

Some were unfamiliar, but there were two familiar faces.

“Junior! What’s up!”

★ Heroine Status Window

[Moon Surin]

- [ Affection: 51 ]

- [ Lust: 20 ]

- [ Appetite: 30 ]

- [ Fatigue: 59 ]

Current Status: Wondering if anyone will notice her new glasses.

“Hello, President.”

Moon Surin. Of course, she was the top student in the third year, so it made sense for her to be selected as an outstanding student.

It was nice to see her gorgeous figure again after so long.

Though we were two years apart, her body was noticeably more mature than the other heroine students.

“Oh… You changed your glasses?”

I made sure to mention what her status window hinted at.

Gone were her old, dorky horn-rimmed glasses—she now wore round ones.

“You noticed? I wanted to change my vibe a little.”

She gave a small smile and adjusted her frames, looking oddly seductive.

“But why are you here? I thought Elise was the top first-year student.”

“They’re awarding me for taking down a demon.”

“Ah…! That’s great! Use this opportunity to make yourself known. All the guild VIPs will be attending since they’re also awarding the hunters who died in the line of duty.”

Damn, am I really supposed to be there just for taking down a demon? Wait, I’m actually getting a higher award than the outstanding students. Maybe I’m a bigger deal than I thought.

“Haha… It’s a bit nerve-wracking. Good luck to you too, President. And if you ever need anything, you know who to call.”

“Mhm. I’ll reach out first.”

With that, Moon Surin stepped aside.

She didn’t seem comfortable talking in such a crowded place.

Still, my affection points went up by three since my hospital visit. As expected of a heroine whose affection rises automatically.

For a solid strategy, I hope that stalker bastard puts in more effort.

And I hope he takes his time, so I can find an opening.

There was still one more person I needed to greet.

I approached Elise, who was flicking her blonde hair while staring at her smartwatch.

“Hey.”

“Oh. Long time no see, Lee Hoyeon.”

Elise lifted her gaze from the smartwatch to look at me.

It really had been a while.

Of course, we see each other in class every day, but it still felt like it had been a while since we actually talked.

The last time was during the promotional club activities… Oh, and during the theory exam results when she glared at me after I took first place. Is she over that now?

As I quietly stared at Elise, she tilted her head slightly, seemingly unconcerned now.

“I heard you’re the top first-year student this time? Congratulations.”

“Likewise. Isn’t taking down a demon more impressive than being an outstanding student?”

Does Elise not pay attention to academy rumors? Moon Surin might believe me because she likes me, but a skeptical person like Elise should at least be suspicious.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Elise]

- [ Affection: 26 ]

- [ Lust: 20 ]

- [ Appetite: 30 ]

- [ Fatigue: 30 ]

Current Status: “I need to study and reclaim my first-place rank. When will this nonsense end?”

Elise… You’re still hung up about losing first place, huh.

Well, it’s better for me if she doesn’t get suspicious, so I’ll let it slide.

“I just got lucky. Thanks.”

“Mm. Do your best at the ceremony.”

Why does she have to end every sentence with “Mm”? She’s such a short-response type.

Elise cut the conversation short and turned her attention back to her smartwatch.

Is she listening to a lecture?

If she doesn’t want to talk, that’s fine.

I returned to Lucy’s side.

“…You sure know a lot of people.”

Lucy scrunched her nose in slight displeasure.

It was so obvious from her expression that even I couldn’t ignore it. She was a little sulky.

“Huh? Oh. It’s just been a while since I last saw them. I see you every day, but I only meet them occasionally, so I have to be polite. Right?”

“…Yeah. I guess.”

“Oh, by the way, are you not making cookies anymore? The ones you made last time were really good.”

“Really? If you say so, I’ll make some again! I always bake, you know, like a proper lady!”

So Lucy was conscious about seeming ladylike.

She already has massive boobs—there’s no need to try harder, but I can’t exactly say that out loud.

At least she seemed to be in a better mood now. Though I’ll probably be eating poison again tomorrow.

Creak—

Just then, the door to the dean’s office opened.

Chapter end