Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 31

Lesson 8. This skill is mine – 1

Although Ban Yu-won personally experienced it while having a date with Ruchel on Saturday, filming the inside of the Tower was truly a huge event. It was said that everything changed the moment you entered the Tower, but it was an indescribable help to have actual pictures of the Tower’s interior.

Several academy officials began to make a fuss when Ban Yu-won entered the Tower with a camera and were on the verge of going crazy when they saw him upload his nicely edited Tower exploration video. To the extent that they were more intense about that than catching the Tower Intruders.

“Therefore….”

Sunday evening, nine professors sat around a round table that was barely large enough for ten people. Yoo Mina spoke to each of those arranged around her, not even trying to hide her displeasure.

“Did you even stop the exploration early to propose this meeting, Professor Cantoné?”

“Of course, Professor Yoo Mina. In fact, the Tower Intruder is only an individual issue, but the video is far beyond that category, isn’t it?”

Yoo Mina snorted at the top research professor Alec de Cantoné’s response. He was famous for his cheesy tone, smiling eyes, and the insidious feeling he exuded.

“Everyone knows that the Intruders are forming a group, so what do you mean it’s an individual issue? Furthermore, the Tower video could be sufficiently put in the individual category.”

“Professor Yoo Mina, you are beautiful even when you lie. You truly care for your students….”

“Shut up. No one’s here to listen to your crap.”

A woman with short silver hair forcibly shut down Cantoné as he waxed on. She was Thalia Lyriana Campanella, only one of a few professors from the Artifact Production Department in the Academy. After quieting Cantoné, she then focused her sharp gaze on Yoo Mina.

“Yoo Mina, stop getting mad and explain it to us; how the hell could he do this?”

“Thalia, even you….”

“It needs an explanation.”

If Yoo Mina was in charge of Magic Combat Studies, there should also be an opposite. The man who spoke just now was Ryu Chul-myung, the professor of Aura Combat Studies. Aura sounded grandiose, but it was actually just fighting by putting Qi in one’s weapons, and all of the students who fought that way were educated by this man.

Magic was an excellent skill, but the number of students who practiced it was small because it required great talent. Hence, when the professors gathered, Ryu Chul-myung’s influence was slightly stronger than Yoo Mina’s.

“Professor Yoo Mina, your student’s actions are not something you should cover up. The Tower is the heart of our Academy, and a student violated the authority of the Tower, and this is unacceptable.”

“Professor Ryu Chul-myung, your words are a little strange. The reason why no one has ever taken a video of the Tower is because it wasn’t possible. What we need to discuss now is how to use the student’s abilities to benefit the Academy….”

“So, what is that skill?”

The professors’ excitement was unusually heightened. The nine professors gathered here were old enough that Yoo Mina, who had lived for 500 years, was the youngest. They didn’t usually get excited about anything. Still, this time Ban Yu-won had caused the first major incident since the establishment of the Academy, so everyone was acting wild despite their age.

“Everyone, be quiet.”

However, when a certain young man’s voice resounded, all the noisy professors shut their mouths. He was the professor in charge of a subject exclusively for senior students called ‘Babylon and the Constellations,’ and his name was Xenon. He was also the only one to ever serve as the Vice-President of the Academy.

“The first thing we need to be clear about is that there is nothing our professors can enforce on the students.”

“However, Vice-President.”

“This is something that will not change, no matter the reason.”

The professors trying to argue with him were left without a leg to stand on. The will of the Vice-President was the will of the President, and no matter how many meetings they held, nothing would happen without the President’s approval.

“I will allow personal requests. However, if it is found that the student has been subjected to pressure during the process, all the people involved will have to prepare themselves for expulsion.”

“Of course, Vice-President, none of us will oppress the students the Academy is supposed to protect and teach. But if the student doesn’t listen to anyone…wouldn’t that be quite the big deal?”

Cantoné hesitantly asked. It was obvious that he hated Ban Yu-won very much.

“We’re not the only ones paying attention to that student. The other students…especially the children of the Ten Great Houses, will do whatever they can.”

“That’s right. Rather, sharing that student’s skill and making it available to everyone is a way to keep him safe! In return, we will also provide some artifacts….”

Given how they exchanged glances and naturally connected their ideas, it seemed this professor had planned this all before the meeting. What would their students think if they saw them now? Yoo Mina was simply speechless.

“I think you don’t understand what I was saying, you two.”

Xenon said in a stiff voice.

“I clearly said that all the people involved would be expelled. Of course, students are no exception.”

“…Pardon?”

“No, Vice-President. Are you kidding me?”

“He’s an exceptionally lowly student. Are you saying you would now antagonize the Ten Great Houses to protect him?”

Most of the professors were speechless. In particular, Ryu Chul-myung openly despised Ban Yu-won and strongly criticized Yoo Mina. In that case, it was questionable why they were unanimously in favor of him at the time of the admission evaluation. Still, among the professors who supported Ban Yu-won, many only wanted to steal his skills.

All pretenses dropped at this meeting.

“Everyone, I know you’re all interested in my student, but I’m the one in ch-!”

When Yoo Mina, her anger rising, was about to jump from her seat, Xenon reached out a hand and stopped her. He looked down at the professors who had just spoken with cold eyes.

“Is the weight of the years you accumulated coveting wisdom and knowledge so light? …Professor Campanella?”

“Y-yes!”

Professor Campanella – who actually had a crush on Xenon, which is why she went silent when he spoke – shrilly responded to suddenly hearing her name.

“I know you are researching the utility of machines inside the Tower.”

“Right! I’ve been working on it for about 200 years…!”

Artifacts were often divided into two categories. Natural Artifacts were naturally born under special circumstances and conditions. Artificial Artifacts were created by human beings who had thoroughly analyzed and studied the environment, conditions, and materials leading to their creation. Some argued that the Magic Machines actively produced and sold outside should also be classified as Artificial Artifacts, but that was silly.

They were simply miracle by-products that were created in the process of man’s pursuit of God. How could mass-produced products created by humans be the same? These two inevitably had different structures, and the difference to determine them was whether they worked in Dungeons and the Tower. However, that didn’t mean Artifact Makers looked down on those machines.

“Anyway, Artifacts are difficult to produce, especially when it comes to filming…! So, I tried to work on a machine that would run in the Dungeon.”

“I know some have been successful.”

“Of course! Machines break down in the Tower and Dungeons because the complex structure can’t withstand the mana wave, and it overloads. So, making the structure as simple as possible, adding materials that help with mana circulation, and synchronizing with a human’s slows the overload….”

As is often the case with otakus when questioned by their favorite people about their area of ​​expertise, she excitedly continued. However, the cold-hearted Xenon didn’t want to listen to her long-winded explanation.

“But the filming was never successful. Am I wrong?”

“No. You’re right, Professor Xenon. Obviously, there have been times when we succeeded in not only shooting a video for about five minutes in a dungeon but also backing it up. However, when the same model is brought into the Tower, it breaks down before it can be turned on….”

Campanella felt disappointed just by saying those words. But when the professors heard that, they felt something strange.

“It worked in a dungeon, but it didn’t work in the Tower…?”

“How about the other artifacts?”

“Yes. I found it was possible to store and detonate the Magic Bombs that also appeared in Student Ban Yu-won’s video by using a tool that completely shuts out mana, but the filming is just….”

That’s also why Campanella reacted violently to this news. If it hadn’t been for her friend Yoo Mina, she might have run to the dormitory and kidnapped Ban Yu-won.

“No, but that’s how….”

“It’s not his skill that’s special.”

Xenon boldly declared to crack down on the professors starting to murmur again. Soon after, he looked back to Yoo Mina and Campanella.

“Of course, it’s already been confirmed that he has a natural talent for creating Artifacts, but it’s important to note that it’s not just that.”

“Vice-President, what do you mean?”

“He is being recognized by the Tower. The only one at that.”

The professors groaned under the weight of those words.

“That student only entered the Tower for the first time yesterday. Even if you say something like that, to be recognized by the Tower the first time he entered it is just….”

“I heard he came from a lower dimension that has no mana. How can such a thing be recognized by the Tower? Even if you are the one saying it, I think you are exaggerating this time, Vice-President.”

“I think Professor Campanella’s research is just lacking.”

Yoo Mina engraved the names of those professors, Cantoné and Ryu Chul-myung, in her mind. Someday the time would arrive when she would be rewarded for making a fool of them, for sure!

“You are free to believe or not believe what I say, but I will declare in advance that even if you obtain a skill from him, it will mean nothing.”

Xenon’s gaze scoured the professors one by one as he spoke. Now everyone understood why this absurd meeting was held. This meeting wasn’t to discuss Ban Yu-won’s skills and devise how the Academy would utilize them; it was a place prepared by the President to warn them.

‘Things are fine. I guess the President really likes Ban Yu-won…! Moreover, if it is true that he has received the Tower’s recognition, perhaps Student Ban Yu-won is truly the Tower’s….’

Now that this had happened, they would think twice before publicly ridiculing or intimidating Ban Yu-won. But it was when Yoo Mina felt relieved.

“And Professor Yoo Mina.”

“Yes, Vice-President.”

“Is it true that Student Ban Yu-won was chosen by a Constellation?”

“What did you just say?!”

Once again, the meeting hall was filled with excitement. As Yoo Mina told Ban Yu-won directly, no one was ever approached by a Constellation on their first day in the Tower. Yoo Mina had wanted to hide it.

“I can’t talk about the individual achievements or abilities of the students I’m in charge of….”

“I am the professor who teaches students chosen by the Constellations. If Student Ban Yu-won was chosen by a Constellation, he is also my student, and it is enough just to let me know if he has a contract or not.”

“…Student Ban Yu-won does not have a contract with a Constellation.”

She didn’t lie. All the professors understood the subtle nuances, and each one fell into silent astonishment.

“So you mean he refused? It must have been difficult for him to express his intentions clear in front of a Constellation.”

Yoo Mina, who didn’t want to talk about it in detail, tried to pass over it with an ambiguous smile. Xenon nodded silently to himself.

“All right. Then, Student Ban Yu-won…no. It would be great to have all the 11^th Class students listen to my lectures.”

“Huh? No, wait a minute, Vice-President!”

Yoo Mina shouted in a panic.

“Nobody in my class signed a contract with the Constellation!”

“Professor Yoo Mina, the important thing is not whether they have signed a contract but if they were chosen.”

It was very funny to see the other professors nodding involuntarily at Xenon’s words, realizing who they were referring to, and then smirking.

“The fact that a Constellation has chosen him proves his extraordinary ability. And once he gets the attention of one Constellation, he will draw more attention. Rather, the fact that he rejected one makes him more attractive to them. And such a student should listen to my lectures, and the rest of the students there also qualify.”

“Ugh….”

Yoo Mina didn’t really care about Ban Yu-won taking classes from other professors, but she became anxious. After all, it felt like he was somehow being taken away because it was Xenon. Xenon declared with a contented smile (Campanella fainted) as if to encourage that anxiety:

“Then, this is the end of our meeting. I hope you all wrap up the rest of the weekend well.”

Xenon disappeared first. The professors who remained neutral throughout the meeting disappeared next. Ryu Chul-myung disappeared while staring at Yoo Mina.

“Professor Yoo Mina, I always admire your heart for caring for your students, but this time it was a little too much…”

“Thalia, calm down. You’ll only feel bad if you’re bothered by him.”

“Urgh.”

“…”

Cantoné approached her with an unpleasant look as always, but Yoo Mina ignored him, calmed Campanella down, and then disappeared together with her.

“Haha, you got ignored again. Professor Cantoné, let’s go get a drink at the bar.”

“…Tsk.”

So all the professors left. While only the round table remained under the moonlight gleaming in from the window, a crack formed in the center of the table. In the next moment, it opened wide, becoming a big eye.

―Those who do not understand the purpose of the Academy look down on each other, fight in secret, and want to bring down those who deserve the qualifications.

A voice whispered. Then, the eye slowly tilted toward the Tower that could be seen out the window.

―Is it time to reshuffle once again? …No, it’s okay to wait for a while, relying on that child’s abilities.

The eye closed. Only the lonely moonlight remained in the conference hall.

* * *

And the next day, Monday.

“Are you a Ban Yu-won? My name is Mirei Oldena from the dimension called Hatto!”

“Are you free around lunchtime? Yeah, I’m asking you out on a date now….”

“Ban Yu-won, right? Do you know about the Academy Student Council? I am Graham, the Secretary. I came here to invite you to the Student Council.”

“W-What’s going on?”

Ban Yu-won reached the peak of his school life.