"Ha! I know this one! I studied Basic Magimath—it's a classic 'chickens and rabbits in a cage' problem!" a student confidently declared, giving his answer a minute later. "Sixty-three Shadow Rabbits and fifty-seven Crimson Fire Chickens!"
But that answer earned him a rap on the head from Kira. "Nope! Wrong answer!"
The students cried out in confusion. "Huh?! Why?"
"I know!" This time, another student seemed to have a breakthrough and shouted, "I read the Magical Creature Codex in the library! Shadow Rabbits only look like rabbits; they aren't actually part of the lagomorph family. They only have two legs! And the Crimson Fire Chickens are mutated magical beasts unique to a certain mountain range in a neighboring country. Those beasts have four legs!"
"So... the answer should be fifty-seven Shadow Rabbits and sixty-three Crimson Fire Chickens!"
Kira smiled and nodded. "Correct answer!"
The other students suddenly understood. "Ah, I get it! Professor Kira is trying to tell us that just rote memorization isn't enough! We have to broaden our horizons, too!"
"No wonder it's called Advanced Magimath! That's a tricky problem!"
Konas, standing outside the classroom: "..."
"Now that everyone has grasped the introductory basics of Advanced Magimath, let's move on to the next problem."
Kira flipped through the textbook and continued with the next problem: "How much 70% concentration Freezing Potion is needed to turn 1 liter of Exploding Potion into a Burning Potion with a 50% concentration? This is a variation of a Basic Magimath problem; it's quite simple..."
The calculation for solution concentration is relatively easy—you just use the formula. Many students here had taken Basic Magimath, so they listened easily and seriously.
Fifteen minutes later...
"Next problem: How do you use the Resen Rune to engrave a magic circle with a 1-meter diameter so that it achieves both a 'Capturing' and 'Attacking' effect simultaneously? This problem involves the writing and distribution of magic runes within a fixed area. We should..."
The topics were changing a bit quickly. Not every student had taken Magic Theory, so this time, some students found it difficult to follow, and others started to drift off.
Another fifteen minutes later...
"As shown in the diagram, when ideal magic pressure changes from state A to state B, how will the magical particles in the space change?"
This time, the students were completely lost. Many started whispering and passing notes.
"Carefully observe the following twenty magic cards. How many possible decks can be constructed from these cards?"
"ZZZ..."
Kira taught diligently, but perhaps because the content was too advanced, very few students understood. They listened attentively at first, but as the lesson went on, fewer and fewer people paid attention, with some even outright sleeping.
Reluctantly, Kira had to stop and console them. "Don't be discouraged, everyone. It's okay if you don't understand it, but at least your attitude toward learning is commendable!"
Ding-dong... ding-dong...
'Finally, it's over!'
The sound of the dismissal bell interrupted Kira's teaching. He sighed with relief and told the students, "That's all for today. Class dismissed!"
"Yay!" The students who had been sleeping on their desks instantly woke up, full of energy, and bolted out of the classroom.
The few remaining, serious students at their desks finally let out a collective sigh of relief, leaning back in their chairs. "It's finally over. Is this what Advanced Magimath is like? It feels more intense than the academy's regular curriculum!"
"Little Kira, could you stop by my office?"
After class, Kira, who was planning to return to his quarters for a break, was hailed by a familiar voice. He turned around, and sure enough, it was Konas.
Kira asked, "Headmistress, what's up?"
Konas offered a mysterious smile. "I need to talk to you about something!"
The Headmistress's office had undergone a major renovation in the period following the battle. Konas had enlarged it significantly—so much so that Kira thought it should be renamed the "Headmistress's Office Building."
The first thing Kira saw upon entering was a mini-model of the valley and the academy, enclosed in glass. The model was situated right in the center of the building, and light streaming through the stained-glass skylight illuminated it perfectly.
Just one glance and Kira was captivated by the design. He commented, "The lighting is excellent. It definitely has the style of a powerful Mage!"
Following the light upward, Kira noticed the office building was four stories tall with an open center. The walls on every floor were lined with thick, rustic mahogany bookshelves, holding thousands of magical tomes. Illuminated Magic Crystals of different colors dotted the space between the shelves, making the magical atmosphere truly complete.
"With books as walls, no one would believe this isn't a library!"
Kira looked down, returning his gaze to the first floor. The flooring was made of wood planks from the valley's giant trees, treated with special magical compounds to make them mold-proof, non-slip, and bug-resistant.
Behind the model was a wide, long, grand wooden staircase. Going up to the second floor, he saw four rooms, with the stairs to the third floor on the right. The third floor also had four rooms, with the stairs to the fourth floor on the left.
"This Headmistress's Office Building is my ideal home! I'm going to build a house just like this someday!"
"Hehe, I did a good job on the renovation, didn't I?" Konas turned back, sticking her chest out proudly. "It cost me a fortune!"
Hearing the word "fortune," Kira's mind instantly cleared. He asked seriously, "Headmistress, can you tell me what the matter is now?"
Konas smiled and patted Kira's shoulder. "Come into my room. This is a big deal, so let's sit down and discuss it properly!"
Kira's heart skipped a beat. This strange atmosphere... is this the legendary 'confession setup?'
With that thought in mind, he boldly followed Konas into her office, only to find Hyberion and Goldmine already waiting inside.
Guess I was overthinking it!
"Oh?! Chairman, Senior Mage, you two are here, too?"
You two are here drinking tea and chatting instead of preparing your lesson plans for the next two days? What kind of teaching attitude is that?! Are all teachers this irresponsible nowadays?
The two men nodded and greeted Kira warmly. "Mr. Kira is here? Come, take a seat!"
Their attitude suggested they hadn't just met ten days ago, but had known each other for a decade.
Sensing that their demeanor was a little off, Kira felt a shiver run down his spine. He pulled up a chair on the other side and sat down, then looked at Konas. "Has something happened?"
As soon as he spoke, Kira felt a strong sense of déjà vu. He grumbled internally, 'Why do I always feel like I'm the last one to arrive whenever there's a big meeting? This definitely isn't my fault! They just always tell me last!'
"Since everyone is here, I'll explain the situation."
Goldmine, the new Chairman of the Council, spoke first. He frowned and addressed the three of them, "You all know about Oración Seis, right?"
Kira: "..."
Hyberion nodded. "They're one of the Balam Alliance Guilds, just like Grimoire Heart!"
Konas walked over and handed Kira a cup of black tea, adding, "Though they're a Dark Guild, if you don't count their subordinate forces, they only have six Mages. Their numbers are very small."
Even though she rarely left the valley, as the Headmistress of the academy, she had reliable intelligence channels and was well-informed about the magic world.
"I know that Guild. They've been very active this year. Not long ago, several official Guilds in the Kingdom formed an alliance army to go after them, and Fairy Tail is one of them," Kira said, taking a sip of tea. "What about them?"
Goldmine stated gravely, "Intelligence from the Council shows that they are currently lurking around the Worthwood Sea area. Their target is the ancient magic Nirvana! We have records of this spell in the Council. It is a powerful magic, sealed away centuries ago, capable of converting light and darkness. If they get their hands on it, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Kira's eyes narrowed. It's for this, just as I thought!