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3.33% Magic Academy's Bastard Instructor / Chapter 3: Vanitas Astrea [2]

Chapter 3: Vanitas Astrea [2]

Vanitas entered the grand venue with his sister, Charlotte, by his side.

The hall was enormous, with marble floors polished to a mirror-like shine. 

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the room buzzed with quiet chatter. Nobles mingled in small groups, as their laughter and voices blended with the classical music playing in the background.

Rich velvet drapes framed the tall windows, and servants in formal attire moved between the guests, carrying trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

'...Damn.'

Vanitas took a deep breath as he tried matching the confident strides of the nobles around him. 

He glanced at Charlotte, who moved with an effortless grace, giving him a reassuring nod.

"You nervous?" Charlotte's lips curled up and chuckled. "You're usually calm and composed in settings like these, even more so than me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Vanitas shook his head. "Just... my stomach is aching."

"Still? I don't know where the bathroom is."

"That's not what I meant….."

"Nervous then?" Charlotte eyed him once more, gauging his reaction.

"Maybe?"

"Still, you passed the Ascension Licensure Exam in the top twenty. If anything, you should be proud." Charlotte said, her mention of specifics catching Vanitas's attention.

"Y–Yeah, you're right…." Vanitas took note of the details.

Ascension Licensure Exam?

The hell was that?

He passed no such exam at all!

"Oh, Vanitas?"

A soft voice cut through the siblings' conversation. 

Turning around, what greeted his sight was a woman, with hazel–brown hair and captivating blue eyes.

"You're here."

"Yes?"

This is...

There was no mistaking it.

"You look like you've seen a ghost~"

"...Headmaster Elsa?"

"Nice to see you again, Professor," Elsa said.

Indeed, it was Elsa Hesse. The appointed Headmaster of Silver University Tower.

She was a popular NPC in the forum community due to her captivating appearance.

In fact, he could solemnly swear he had seen R18 fanarts of her on the internet.

But somewhere down the storyline, there was uproar regarding her death which was done off–screen.

Elsa turned towards Charlotte, who looked flabbergasted by the sight of her.

"Hello there," Elsa gave her a small smile.

Charlotte blinked her eyes and composed herself. Then, offered a light bow and introduced herself.

"Greetings, Headmaster Elsa. I'm Charlotte Astrea, a first year student at Silver University."

"Oh? Our Professor's little sister?"

"...Y–Yes," Charlotte nodded awkwardly.

Charlotte relaxed a little, her stiff posture easing.

Then, Elsa turned towards Vanitas, who was lost deep in his thoughts. 

'I swear she was my Senior's wallpaper at one point….'

"Hmm~ What are you thinking about, Vanitas?"

'No, I'm right, it's definitely her.'

"Eh? Vanitas, why are you looking at me like that?"

'So this woman was the reason why my Senior's wife left him, huh?'

"Uh, I…. I don't know if I should take this the wrong way. But you're a bit…. Uh, too young for my taste…."

'I understand the appeal, Senior. But I don't think losing your wife over your obsession was worth it….'

"Gosh, at least speak up!"

"Yes?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Headmaster Elsa exclaimed.

"..."

Vanitas's brows raised, noticing the expression Elsa was making. Her face looked like a tomato.

"What's wrong—" Vanitas paused.

"Headmaster, over here!"

A deep voice resounded, urging for Elsa.

"I–I'll be right back, V–Vanitas."

"Okay?"

Vanitas eyed the other Professors first. Some of them were giving him looks of disapproval. However, as soon he met their gaze, they quickly shifted into fear.

"..."

Elsa disappeared after that brief interaction. "Gosh~!"

Charlotte blinked her eyes, then turned to look at her brother.

"Are you targeting the Headmaster?"

"What?"

Targeting?

What sort of nonsense.

Then, he looked around, scanning the aristocrats loitering about.

The game's narrative had told him about the rogue Professor, Vanitas Astrea, accused of severe allegations.

However, for how those allegations came to light, he had no idea at all.

He had simply acted according to the quests given.

But if that were the case, it was highly likely it was a fellow Professor at the university.

It started with rumors, blatant evidence, then persecution, eventually leading to the boss fight.

But who?

It could've been anyone. The Professors, who seemed to disapprove of him. It could even be Elsa herself.

Indeed, his main suspect could be anyone present in the banquet.

When the game began, Vanitas Astrea was already oddly suspicious.

However, he wasn't particularly sure at which point in time he was in the game's storyline.

His mind went around in circles as he formulated theories and conjectures.

But ultimately, it led to nothing.

"Haaa..."

Vanitas sighed, realizing he had to interact with the nobles around him, just so he could paint himself in a positive light.

"Let me introduce you to my Brother."

Charlotte spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts as he turned to the side.

There were three girls around Charlotte. Most probably, her friends during high–school.

Charlotte introduced Vanitas to her friends, in which Vanitas nodded with a charming smile on his face.

"Looking forward to your class, Professor. Please go easy on me."

One of the noble girls spoke. She was rather petite, way shorter than Charlotte.

"I'll do my best." Vanitas said.

Then, he leaned close to Charlotte's ear. There was a question in his mind.

"Are you in my class too?"

Charlotte whispered back. "Didn't you check your course schedule?"

"...N–No."

Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle. "No, relatives aren't allowed to enroll in a course taught by a family member."

"...Ah, right."

"What's with you? You seem forgetful today," Charlotte eyed him.

"Is that so? Haha."

There were several other nobles, who had an established relationship with the Astrea's that approached.

It seemed like they wanted to speak with Vanitas, but Charlotte would always answer instead.

Nonetheless, Vanitas managed to gather quite a bit of information just by eavesdropping on nearby conversations.

Aristocrats of all ages offered him praises, expressing high expectations for this semester. 

However, they didn't seem genuine. He could tell by merely observing.

Many came from prestigious branches, including the Magic Department and the Crusade Order.

Yet they all told him the same thing.

—I'm eager to see what the mage with the fastest recorded casting speed has in store for this year.

Magic normally required chanting to imprint circuits and bring spells to life. 

But apparently, Vanitas held the record for the swiftest magic creation in history.

However, none had ever told him about his incantion–less casting.

From what he knew about the game, talented people had unique traits known as stigmatas.

If he had started off with Vanitas' base stats, then that meant, it was highly likely Vanitas was hiding his stigmata.

Now that he thought about it, during the boss–fight against Vanitas, his casting actually was swift.

But then, another question arose in his mind.

He leaned over to Charlotte once more, and whispered, "Why did the Imperial Family host this party again?"

There were plenty of aristocrats here, sure. But it didn't seem to be an exclusive gathering for Silver University Tower students and alumni.

Nobles from all kinds of backgrounds, hailing from different University Towers filled the room.

"Didn't you read the contents of the letter?"

"I forgot..."

"Is that so?" Charlotte tilted her head, about to say more when—

Flick—!

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight glowed at the center of the staircase. 

Instantly, the room fell into a hushed silence.

A voice echoed through the hall. 

—Presenting the Princess of Aetherion Empire.

Amidst the announcement, Charlotte leaned close to Vanitas, whispering, "It's a celebration for the Princess. She passed the ESAT—the Essence Scholastic Ability Test—placing second overall."

"Second?"

In the game, she was always third, while the player was first. He realized now that there was no player.

In any case, the game's tutorial was the ESAT entrance exam.

However, he couldn't measure its difficulty appropriately. It was just a point and click tutorial game with a mouse and keyboard, after all,

Then, as the announcement concluded, the spotlight shifted, catching a figure at the top of the staircase. 

A beautiful girl with flowing blonde hair and jewel–like golden eyes stepped forward, gracefully descending in a gown that shimmered with every step.

"...It's her," Vanitas whispered under his breath.

He realized now at which point in time he was in the game's storyline.

The announcement came again.

—Astrid Barielle Aetherion, Third in Line to the Throne.

"The very beginning."


Chapter 4: Vanitas Astrea [3]

Astrid glanced around the hall, feeling drained.

The endless stream of congratulatory praises from Aetherion Empire's nobles felt more like an insult than an honor.

They were praising her for second place?

This party... she had never asked for it. 

Yet, her father, the Emperor, Decadien Aetherion insisted on it.

Everyone in this venue had completely forgotten the fact that there was someone who had placed above her.

A commoner, even.

"Ezra Kaelus…."

The name was a single reminder of her incompetence.

It was more so, hate for her inadequacy than for the person itself.

And she was being praised for that?

She wanted to be the best just like her ancestors.

To live up to her name as an Aetherion.

Yet reality washed over her like a tidal wave. 

Astrid, who had always been the best in her academy years, was easily surpassed just like that.

If anything, she felt like she was simply a big fish in a small pond.

The world was vast, filled with talents everywhere she turned.

Of course, Astrid was eligible to attend the Silver University Tower.

Only the top 100 passers were eligible to attend Silver University Tower, after all.

Additionally, anyone who passed ESAT could attend any University Tower depending on their rankings.

Across the continent stood six prestigious University Towers, ranked in strict order: Silver, Viridian, Cerulean, Ember, Amethyst, and Umber.

Only the top 100 to 250 could attend any Tower except Silver.

Those ranked 251 to 500 lost access to Silver and Viridian. 

By 500 to 1000, Silver, Viridian, and Cerulean were out of reach. 

For ranks 1000 to 2000, only Ember, Amethyst, and Umber remained.

Beyond that, for ranks 2000 to 5000, Umber Tower was the sole choice—the entry point to magic for those lower on the hierarchy.

"Princess?"

Astrid blinked, pulled from her thoughts as a voice cut through.

Raising her head, fellow nobles stood in front of her, eager for her attention.

Some were familiar faces—former classmates from her academy years, others well-known names within noble circles.

"Congratulations on your exam, Princess!"

"Second place in the ESAT is remarkable!"

A punch to the gut.

"...Thank you."

She forced a polite smile, though the words of praise and shallow congratulations began to blend into one another.

Astrid's gaze lingered elsewhere. There were some more noblemen wanting to approach her.

However, what caught her attention was the woman with jet–black hair and amethyst eyes.

Of course, she knew who it was.

Charlotte Astrea, a Viscount ranked noble.

Due to the iffy rumors surrounding her family, she was often a target for bullying.

Though she lacked natural talent, Charlotte wasn't incompetent. She was the kind of student who, despite harsh circumstances, lived quietly and studied diligently.

For that reason, Charlotte placed 99th.

But then again, they weren't acquainted. The invitations were all automated, sent to every noble residing in the capital.

"Huh?"

Something caught Astrid's eye.

A handsome man, who bore strikingly similar appearance to Charlotte.

There was no other person that crossed her mind beside one person.

"Vanitas Astrea….?"

A Professor at the Silver University Tower.

He, who was once hailed a genius in the past, due to how fast he could cast magic.

However, in the middle of his university years, Vanitas Astrea faced a limitation.

Soon, strange rumors began to circulate about him. But there was no hard evidence.

After hearing about him for quite a bit, Astrid wanted to gauge his personality.

"Princess?"

Astrid's attention returned to the group of nobles.

"Yes?"

"Did you see the decorations?" one of the nobles asked. "Father says they imported everything from Celestine."

Astrid nodded, glancing around. "It's beautiful, but a bit much, don't you think?"

Another noble laughed lightly. "Only the best for the Princess! Did you hear about the feast?"

"Oh, the feast!" A girl beside her clapped her hands. "I heard they brought in chefs from Zyphran!"

A boy nearby chimed in, "Have you tried the pastries? They're like nothing else!"

It was a sheltered children's conversation. Young aristocrats who were ignorant of the real world.

Professors even came to congratulate Astrid. 

However, amidst the flow of conversation, she found her gaze lingering on the only Professor who had never approached her.

"..."

Before she realized it, he was nowhere to be seen, leaving his Sister eating alone at the table.

Was he up to no good?

***

"Shit, again!?"

Vanitas muttered as soon as he was alone. 

He picked up speed, practically lunging into the bathroom and finding the nearest stall as he clutched his stomach. 

Whatever Vanitas had eaten before his transmigration here was clearly not agreeing with him.

He had no idea how to cast purification magic at all.

So, Vanitas just took a desperate, satisfying dump.

As the sound water plopping echoed beneath him, Vanitas pondered.

'Astrid, huh?'

'She was definitely staring at me.'

Regardless of the player's choices, Astrid was always involved in Vanitas Astrea's apprehension.

'She's suspicious of me.'

And he had no idea of Vanitas's past just yet.

"Ugh…!"

Seconds turned into minutes.

It just wouldn't stop!

His stomach was still in pain!

A sudden thought struck his mind at that moment.

"Purification magic!"

He had no idea how to do that all.

But still, he had a stigmata for this kind of situation.

"God I hope this works."

Vanitas clutched his stomach and closed his eyes.

「Silent Dominion」

◆ Allows spells to be cast purely through intent, with magic flowing directly from thought, silent and swift as an extension of will.

A faint warmth flickered, and for a split second, relief washed over him.

But then.

"Ugh... still hurts!" 

He groaned, realizing that his attempt at purification magic had done little more than distract him.

Minutes dragged on, his mind desperately trying to summon anything resembling a purification spell. 

'Think, think!'

Finally, as if by sheer desperation, he whispered. 

"Gaia and Aqua….!"

He closed his eyes, focusing on the symbols of Gaia and Aqua he remembered from the game. 

The problem, though, was that symbols alone weren't enough to shape a spell.

He knew he needed the right structure, like building blocks in an equation. 

He envisioned the flow of energy, mentally arranging it like a formula, focusing on each "node" as if assigning values to variables. 

'Gaia for grounding, Aqua for cleansing.'

A slow, steady circuit forming, guided by a stable series of "functions" ran through his mind.

He had practically pictured his Professor during his university years, teaching arithmetic formulas.

His round belly, the glasses….

The allegations of sexual assault!

'That Professor!'

A faint shimmer of energy pulsed through his body.

Just as he held onto that balance, the pain began to ease.

He exhaled in relief, muttering to himself.

"It's like... setting the right coefficients. Who knew calculus taught by a sex offender would help me in a time like this!?"

Vanitas stepped outside the stall soon after and washed his hands.

He stared at his reflection for probably the sixth time or ninth time today.

After all, it was completely different to Chae Eun–woo's face.

If anything, he seemed even more handsome now.

Or maybe it was the narcissist in him talking?

Vanitas narrowed his eyes, staring deep into his reflection's amethyst gaze.

"Whatever happened here, no one will know."


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