Dream Life Vol II Chapter 73.2: “Three Years Later: Part 1”

“Before I met you, it took me a year and a half to get from level fifty to fifty-one. I’m with you now, and I’m seeing that it’s gotten better.” (Beatrice)

　Beatrice then explained that I had the power to increase the abilities of my friends, and that it was a gift bestowed by the gods. Liddy and Mel and the others support her idea, but I deny it.

“Nowadays, my memories of coming to this world are a bit dubious, but I don’t remember being given that kind of power. And Dan, Mel, and Sharon are working incredibly hard. And of course, so are you. It honestly doesn’t feel good to be told that it’s a gift given by the gods. I think it’s the result of everyone’s hard work.” (Zack)

　Beatrice still looked like she wanted to say something, but I guess she understood my point and said nothing more.

　We had spent three peaceful years together, growing steadily.

　The only person who changed a lot in those three years besides us was Councilor Wagman of the Magician’s Guild. He finally became the head of the Guild, the chairman of the council, or the Guild Master as it is commonly called.

　His political rivals, Councilor Ibbetson, who was head of the personnel committee, was given a quiet post after his term ended, and now he is no longer mentioned in the guild. Another rival, Councilor Forsythe, chairman of the finance committee, has also been given a quiet post.

　And then there is Councilor Miles Isherwood, his biggest opponent, who did not succeed Councilor Ibbetson, but became the head of the branch in Primus, the imperial capital of the Caelum Empire. On the surface, this is a promotion, but in effect it is an exile.

　Primus is a historic city where the headquarters of the Magicians’ Guild was located before it moved to Doctus, and it is one of the five largest branches among the many branches. However, in the decadent imperial capital, there is little work for the Magicians’ Guild, and the empire has not approached the guild very aggressively, so there is no place for him to be active as a politician.

　Isherwood is said to have gone to Primus alone in the face of disappointment.

　Having neutralized his political opponents, the chairman is now reforming the Magicians’ Guild.

　And Chairman Wagman’s reform of the Magicians’ Guild extends to the Tyria Magic Academy.

　Wagman has introduced a qualification system for the academy’s teaching staff in order to select those above a certain level of ability. In introducing this system, my opinion was also taken into consideration.

　First of all, the system of teachers, in which guild employees were given teaching positions as an elevator-system, has been abolished. A qualification test such as a teaching license has been introduced, and teachers will be hired after their abilities as teachers are assessed. As expected, it is not possible to replace all of them within a few years, but many motivated young people, mainly lower grade teachers, have been hired, and they have achieved a certain level of success.

　Furthermore, as for researchers, those who fail to achieve a certain level of results within a certain period of time are now expelled from the institute. The results of research are evaluated by papers and presentations within the institute, and the Education and Research Committee is in charge of reviewing them. At the moment, it seems that a few researchers are on their final straws.

　Sharon’s and my life at the academy haven’t been greatly affected by the academy’s reforms.

　It feels almost the same as it did in the first year, and I don’t visit the classroom much, either under the guidance of Professor Ruspede or in the forest. The only thing that has changed is that Professor Kitley Elvine, an old friend of Liddy’s, has started lecturing in the fourth year, and I attend those lectures.

　According to the academy’s curriculum, students in the fourth year and above are required to receive specialized education for each attribute, so originally, they do not all spend much time in the same classroom.

　Last month, right after the fifth grade, there was the annual field training in September.

　The training was to go hunting for monsters in the northern forest as a class unit, but to tell the truth, it was something we didn’t need.

　The adventurers arranged by the academy would go to a place where dangerous monsters had been eliminated and only weak monsters of the tenth rank, such as goblins, wild dogs, and Horned Rabbits, were left behind. Furthermore, the class would be escorted by about ten mercenaries as well as their instructor.

　The other academy students were excited about their first real battle, but me, Sharon, and Quentin Wagman, who was working hard to improve our level in the forest, were taking the field training with a blank look on our faces.

　Incidentally, Sharon and I were at a higher level than the mercenaries escorting us. In the end, the three-day, two-night field training ended without incident.

　The most significant achievements of my three years at the academy were the development of original magic and the creation of magic tools.

　The original magic was created without the professor’s notice, but the magic tools are his area of expertise, and I am learning them with pride.

　In the area of magic tool making, I am able to make good products, despite the fact that I did not choose a production-related talent.

　Magic tools are made of a combination of magic stones, which are the source of power, and magic circles, which is the activation circuit.

　The magic circle is a simple logical circuit, and once you learn the logic, it is not so difficult. Thanks to my memories from my previous life, I am regarded as an expert in magic tools comparable to professors.

　At the moment, I have not invented any magic tools that will change the world. At best, I have only improved the performance of existing magical tools.

　This is the reason why I am getting more and more solicited by professors.

　Speaking of solicitations, since last year, I have been receiving frequent solicitations from people other than professors. At first, it seems that the chairman of the Magicians’ Guild, Mr. Wagman, approached me with the intention of buying my services, but soon I began to receive calls from the courts of various countries, including the kingdoms of Saltus, Lux, and Caum. Probably because the famous Professor Ruspede was invited to join conferences.

　It is probably not surprising since the famous Professor Ruspede praised me as a once in a millennium genius, and he said that I was on par with him regarding magical tools even as a fourth-year student, but I did not expect that the recruiting would start more than two years before my graduation.

　The recruitment by the Magicians’ Guild initially promised that I would be treated as an associate professor at the Tyria Magic Academy, but the Academy soon said that I would be made a professor upon graduation.

　This was the result of a recruiting war among various countries, with Saltus promising me a baronetcy even without any accomplishments, the Kingdom of Caum promising me an honorary baronetcy and an estate comparable to viscounts, and Lux promising me the same level of treatment, which was proposed by Chairman Wagman.

　It was like a scouting competition for professional athletes, and I had a lot of trouble turning it down.

　Furthermore, I was approached by the Caelum Empire, perhaps having heard about the competition. This was more like an order than a solicitation, a request to summon me to the imperial capital of Primus. Caelum seemed to think that it would be a formality, but that their pride would not allow them to lose their own vassals to another country, so they did not offer any great conditions.

　Among these, the most troublesome to refuse was the invitation from the Northern Count of the Caelum Empire, the Count of Roswell. The Lockhart family formally belonged to the Empire and, more directly, to the Count of Roswell. My grandfather had been knighted by the Frontier Count, and my older brother Rodrick was currently a knight in the Northern Count’s Knight Order in the Count’s territory.

　The problem is further complicated by the fact that my brother is engaged to the youngest daughter of the Frontier Count.

　In the end, I declared that I would not belong to any organization, and in the end I turned down the Frontier Count’s offer, half threatening to abandon the Lockhart name.

　While I am happy that my abilities are appreciated, I am also worried about the future, as my name is likely to become too popular and invite trouble.

　My older brother Rodrick, now 18 years old, is a platoon commander in the Northern Count’s army and has done quite a lot of good work in the Count of Roswell’s frontier territory.

　Despite his age, Rodrik is a modest man, and because he treats everyone without distinction, he seems to be well-liked by a wide range of people, from commoners to high-ranking aristocrats. This is evidenced by the fact that he has allowed the engagement of his youngest daughter, whom the Frontier Count loves the most.

　It seems that after the wedding ceremony in Welburn, the capital of the county next summer, my elder brother plans to resign from the Northern Count’s Knight Order and return to the village of Rathmore. This is the result of his fiancée Rosalind’s wish, but I have not heard the details.

　I should be returning to the village next summer, so the Lockhart family will be gathering on Castle Hill again.