Surviving at the Magic Academy

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Hao closed his eyes. His face gradually began to calm down. Yet, the flow of magical power emanating from his body swirled around him, filled with rage.

He quietly spread his arms wide. This grand gesture gathered the gazes of the followers. Amid their staring eyes, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and shouted.

“The Sky Ring has spoken to me! On the night of the third day since I faced Him, I asked, ‘Can I endure this long suffering alone?’ sensing my anxiety, He looked at me and said.”

He paused for a moment, locking eyes with each follower, his gaze shining as he pointed at the Mirror Bug.

“He said, ‘I see your sufferings and will always be with you; I will neither abandon nor forsake you. So trust in me. Wherever you go, I shall accompany you.’ He comforted me. Indeed! Such wicked spirits’ words are not to be believed! The Sky Ring will never forsake us!”

From beyond the Mirror Bug, Hao passionately shouted like that. Puff, Mira let out another laugh. She covered her mouth lightly while giggling and glanced at me.

“That kid is really amusing. Truly charming. I can’t believe they genuinely say such things.”

She took a breath and spoke with a voice full of humor, her eyes crescent-shaped in joy.

I quietly closed my eyes. Yeah, how fun can it be? A student making treasures flustered, even asking for our help. For her, it must be the most entertaining thing ever.

But I couldn’t enjoy it like she did. I sighed deeply. I was equally flustered. Thus, I couldn’t feel any joy. Instead, it felt rather demeaning.

What did I previously think? I said that I was playing a board game with treasures. The Sky Ring made a move, and I blocked it. In that way, I displayed an arrogant attitude, putting the students beneath me.

But that wasn’t the case. The Sky Ring had no such thoughts. One student, whom I considered just a piece on the board, was merely going wild. A hint of bitterness lingered in my mouth.

Hao shouted something more to the followers. They enthusiastically responded in kind. Their atmosphere grew even more heated.

They no longer cared about the Sky Ring. It seemed they weren’t concerned about whatever he said.

Instead, the more the Mirror Bug recited words, the louder they shouted. Some even wept while calling out for the Sky Ring. That was Hao. Tears streamed down his face like rain.

“I will definitely save you. No, we will! Let’s pray for the Sky Ring to always be with us!”

Hao clasped his hands into a circle over his chest. The followers bowed their heads and followed suit. Soon, they cleaned up and left the room. The space was then enveloped in silence.

The Mirror Bug we watched began to vibrate again. It briefly flashed, changing the screen. It was the communication screen of the Sky Ring they were conversing with. There, the Sky Ring was writing.

-Did you see them treating me like a devil? I have no idea why they transformed like that. Just yesterday, they were all so kind.

Disappointment oozed from the Sky Ring’s words. I forced a smile. It was as if the words continued to complain.

-Moreover, I don’t recall saying such things. That I would always be with them. I’m busy tending to this room!

“Didn’t you receive tributes from them daily? That might be what you told them. I think you said it was the third day since Hao met you; don’t you remember that day?”

The Mirror Bug briefly erased and rewrote the text. It seemed like the Sky Ring was organizing its thoughts. Eventually, it carefully began forming words.

-As for tributes, I merely answered their questions when they asked. And if it was the third day, I vaguely recall saying something similar… but that wasn’t my intention.

“Could you tell me what you said? If you don’t remember well, I could check the footage from that day.”

The Sky Ring seemed uncertain about its memory, so it nodded. The Mirror Bug quietly shifted. It started to reveal some ripples inside.

Offering tributes was classified as an unusual act. Therefore, related records were always kept on video like this.

On the third day after they met. I dug through the records and found the footage from that day. The Mirror Bug began showing it.

In the video, only Hao faced the Mirror Bug. He wasn’t dressed as he was now. Just wearing a plain robe, Hao bowed his head to the Mirror Bug with an expression full of hesitation.

“Sky Ring, can I really pass this tower, standing out from others? That’s been my concern lately.”

-Don’t worry. Even if you don’t pass, that misfortune will become a stepping stone for greater happiness. I will always wish for your happiness, so trust yourself.

The Sky Ring poured out those words. At that, Hao’s face brightened a little.

“Thank you. Hearing that makes me feel a bit more at ease.”

He offered a score to the Mirror Bug and then left. The video started to blur, marking the record of that day.

“Hmm, he looked quite normal back then.”

Mira slightly leaned against me and said. I quietly nodded. It looked more like a consultation rather than a kind of blessing.

Did that peculiar religion start from such exchanges? I had no prior thought of tracing back that far.

-Look. I merely encouraged that kid as they were struggling. I didn’t say anything grand.

The Sky Ring expressed those words. It was true. The memory of that day had clearly twisted in Hao’s mind. That stemmed from belief and faith, after all.

“Still, I’m sure the Sky Ring knew they were creating a religion.”

-Religion… you mean? Isn’t that something everywhere? Whenever I share happiness, something similar pops up.

The Mirror Bug spat out those words. Hearing that made me slightly dizzy. I rubbed my forehead. It seemed I hadn’t quite absorbed the treasure-like thinking.

I vaguely recalled a previous mention from Professor Ilian. About how they captured the Sky Ring. Finding a gathering of humans and monsters soaked in happiness in some remote area.

It had been said that a sort of religion formed there. The professor boasted that they tore the Sky Ring from the center of it. They said they felt like they stumbled upon treasure lying on the ground.

Thus, I thought Hao creating a religion was initiated by the Sky Ring. But seeing this process, I realized. The Sky Ring had no deep thoughts. It was just Hao who had independently created this religion.

The Mirror Bug seemed to notice me and flickered slightly. Then it began to reveal the words sporadically, as if cautious.

-Honestly, I expected the kids to gather a bit. The more happiness, the larger it becomes, you see? I just thought to receive a few tributes from them. I never imagined Hao would act this much…

It confessed like that. I sighed slightly. I hadn’t predicted Hao’s movements, so I could say I was just like the Sky Ring.

Then I remembered something that nagged at me. I initially thought the Sky Ring deliberately chose Hao because of this.

“Didn’t you choose him after knowing about Hao’s powers?”

-Powers? What powers did that kid possess? Ah, I think other treasures might have mentioned a little fragrance coming from that kid.

“That fragrance has become extremely strong now, didn’t you realize? It’s enough to enthrall monsters.”

-Oh? Is that so? I was trapped in the storage, so I had no idea. Now, I can understand that situation a bit more…

I heard Mira lightly laughing from beside me. When I glanced at her, she met my gaze and smiled brightly. Hmm, she must have had a reason for that. I slowly averted my eyes.

The treasures were going through the students’ information, evaluating which student they liked in advance. Among those treasures, stories about Hao circulated often.

There were rumors he emitted a delicious fragrance. It had come from treasures who participated in the last treasure-hunting lecture. Having caught that record, I thought the Sky Ring would know about Hao’s peculiarity.

With that thought, I expressed a bit of admiration towards Mira. The Sky Ring had crafted a trap that effectively drew in students. She was definitely smiling because she remembered that.

But that thought was also wrong. It was just Hao going berserk. To think belief alone could increase the fragrance, I had no idea what that meant. Surely Hao himself didn’t know either.

-I chose Hao simply because his past, the guilt within him, was incredibly deep and unfortunate. I only wanted to give him happiness out of pity.

“For that reason, you received tributes quite well. That’s why I thought you chose him on purpose.”

I squinted and looked at the Mirror Bug. It hesitated as it continued to write.

-The Tooth Necklace told me that child easily believes whatever is said to him. So I was told it was okay to respond comfortably… I never expected it to turn out like this.

I smirked. In the end, all problems culminated in one point. Hao was rampaging. I lightly clicked my tongue. It didn’t seem like he had stood out this much in the last treasure-hunting seminar.

Apparently, this week’s lecture fit him really well. He had already been chosen by two treasures. Gaining interest from beings beyond human status didn’t seem limited to just the fragrance territory.

-So, can you provide assistance? If you help, I can give you all the scores we’ve received from them. I originally planned to use them elsewhere, but addressing this matter is more crucial. About fifteen… points? Or so gathered.

Did they really offer so many points? In just under a month? Well, they were certainly focused on hunting monsters these days. The power granted by the Sky Ring was specialized for that.

They were both strengthening their powers and racking up scores, a perfect two-for-one situation. About twenty or so of them had consistently offered points, so it made sense a decent score was amassed.

-Those kids are trying to summon me, claiming the storage keeper is persecuting them. If Hao indeed possesses the same power as Ebron, I might not be able to refuse that call. That’s unacceptable.

The words spat out by the Mirror Bug trembled intensely. It was as if the unease the Sky Ring felt was manifesting. I nodded heavily.

Seeing the treasure expelling its unease, how could I simply ignore that? For someone who always strives for the rights of treasures, a treasure crisis equals my crisis.

To not only stop them but to normalize the tower and save the anxious treasure, and as a bonus, collect a few points. Yes, just a little bit of points. I certainly wasn’t stepping into this because of points.

“Trust me and leave it to me. I will perfectly resolve this. Of course, the Sky Ring will need to assist a little as well.”

-Of course. I will do anything within my power.

I quietly stroked my chin. I needed to devise a flawless plan. In fact, while conversing with the Sky Ring, I had thought of something. It was quite a promising idea.

Hao was half-trapped in a world of his own making. He even went as far as to call the Sky Ring a devil. That clearly indicated he was deeply immersed in the image of the Sky Ring he had fabricated.

If so, the story became simple. I just needed to show them what they wanted to see. I smiled lightly at the Mirror Bug.

“If they deny that what they see as their Sky Ring isn’t the one they envision, then all we need to do is create what they truly desire.”

-Huh?

“Let’s create their god for them. A Sky Ring they can genuinely believe in and follow.”

I gazed at the doll quietly sitting in one corner of the workshop. The doll with long violet hair was incredibly beautiful in appearance. It was made to explore what love Professor On had spoken of.

Hao seemed to really fancy it. Well, that made sense. Even I found myself slightly attracted to that doll I had created. It was the most beautiful doll I could make at this moment.

If that’s the case, should I give it a try? That appearance might evoke some fondness in Hao. If I could stir even a little of his heart, the plan would become even easier.

I had no idea what the Sky Ring truly meant by their notion of a Sky Ring. Perhaps they themselves didn’t know, either. Even the Sky Ring didn’t seem to know.

So I only needed to pretend to be a convincing Sky Ring. Who knows, I might even catch more than four rabbits. Imagining such a future made my face twitch uncontrollably.

“Hehe, that’s quite the sinister expression. Your intentions are all written on your face.”

Mira poked my cheek slightly as she spoke. I cleared my throat and composed myself again. First, let’s create a situation as close as we can. I’ll have to practice for a bit. I brushed off the seat and stood up. I needed to move quickly.

And so, the next day arrived.

Hao walked through the tower’s door with a slightly exhausted face. But the light in his eyes was downright incredible. Even from a distance, that radiance was visible.

Mira and I subtly blocked his path. Hao looked up at us. I smiled lightly at him.

“We came to check things out. I was wondering if perhaps you’d been preaching last night.”

Hao briefly stared into my eyes before shaking his head. I slightly tilted my head toward him. And as our gazes met, I spoke.

“Always keep in mind that we are watching over you. The Sky Ring is in our possession as well.”

As I held up the key, the magic emanating from it gently spread around. Hao saw that and nodded heavily. A hint of animosity towards us seemed to seep from his expression.

Mira and I crossed our arms and turned to leave. We waved goodbye to Hao and moved away from that spot. Following us was the doll with the violet hair.

It discreetly dropped a piece of paper behind me. A very small note. It fell to Hao’s feet, riding on a hint of magic.

Hao noticed it and looked at the doll. When the doll met his gaze, it offered a slightly sorrowful smile.

“Hey, don’t you dare fall behind!”

I turned my head and shouted at the doll. At my call, the doll bowed its head and started to follow us again. Thus, we departed further from Hao. From here, his voice surely wouldn’t reach us.

After casting a barrier infused with a hint of magic, I smiled at Mira. She tilted her head momentarily and then spoke.

“Do you really think this will work?”

I nodded lightly. A plausible appearance makes for a plausible story. I believed that. The doll blinked its gem-studded violet eyes as it looked at us.

In the distance, I could see Hao casually picking up the paper. He nodded with satisfaction and ascended the stairs.

That was the event of that night. As the students were leaving the tower, Hao stealthily entered the first-floor room. He fiddled with the paper. ‘I will always be waiting for you in that place you always prayed.’ The note read like that.

That place was where the Sky Ring Church always held services. Upon entering the room, Hao widened his eyes. There, a doll with violet hair was quietly gazing at the moon outside the window. Hao stared at that doll’s face as if he were enchanted.

Noticing Hao’s gaze, the doll looked at him. Bathed in the moonlight, it offered him a somewhat hazy smile. A fragile smile, as if it could shatter at any moment.

The doll handed Hao a piece of paper. The paper tossed in the air gently landed in his hand with a hint of magic. As Hao checked the paper, he froze like stone at that spot.

-I am the Sky Ring, the being you trust and follow.

The doll slightly bowed its head toward Hao. He simply stared blankly at the doll.

 

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