Chapter 237: Back to Holy Trinity [1]

Returning to Holy Trinity Academy after several weeks of assisting the Imperial authorities, Ilya Valentinovich Belozersky discovered that his professors had been remarkably considerate.

They had preserved every assignment he missed.

Unfortunately, their generosity didn’t extend to reducing the workload. Two written examinations, several practical exercises, and a collection of lecture notes awaited him, enough to occupy an ordinary student for the better part of a week.

Ilya supposed he should be grateful. At least nobody was asking him to dismantle a dangerous magical formation surrounding a building full of hostages.

Compared to that, academic examinations seemed almost relaxing.

His morning lecture passed without incident, although the moment class ended, several students approached him with questions about Saint Aurelia.

Most were curious about SkyRune’s involvement. A few wanted to know whether the Imperial Guard had really encountered forbidden magical equipment beneath the school.

Ilya answered the questions that concerned his research and declined to discuss the investigation itself. The Imperial authorities had already released their official findings, and he had no intention of supplementing those reports with information that wasn’t his to disclose.

Fortunately, the students eventually lost interest when they realized he wouldn’t provide anything particularly sensational.

He had barely escaped the lecture hall when someone called his name.

"Ilya!"

Elise Margaux de Beaumont was approaching from the opposite corridor.

The silver-haired young noblewoman attracted the usual attention from passing students, although she appeared completely unconcerned by their curious glances.

That was something Ilya appreciated.

There had been a time when Elise would have considered openly approaching him a matter requiring considerable preparation. Their reconciliation following the events at Mount Serebryany had changed that, and she no longer treated their childhood friendship like a diplomatic secret.

"I heard you returned to classes yesterday," she said. "You could have come to see me."

"I spent most of yesterday discovering how much work I’d missed. By the time I finished, the instructors had already gone home."

"You could have visited afterward."

"You’re right. I should have."

Elise blinked.

Apparently, she had expected him to argue.

Ilya considered his response perfectly reasonable. There was little point defending himself when she had a legitimate complaint, especially when an apology cost considerably less than the prolonged interrogation she might otherwise conduct.

"Well, at least you’re back," she said. "How is Professor Chastellain?"

"Much better. He’s returned to SkyRune, although his physician has forbidden him from taking on too much work."

"That must be difficult for him."

"His greatest challenge now is remembering that other researchers are capable of completing assignments without his supervision."

Elise smiled, relieved by the news.

They continued toward the dining hall while she brought him up to date on recent developments within the Magic Department.

Apparently, one instructor had introduced an advanced formation exercise that required students to maintain several spells simultaneously. The assessment had proven considerably more difficult than expected, particularly for those accustomed to relying on their magical output.

Elise had received one of the highest marks.

Naturally, she mentioned this without the slightest embarrassment.

Ilya congratulated her, although he suspected she had deliberately waited for an opportunity to bring up her results.

Some things never changed.

By the time they reached the dining hall, their usual acquaintances had already occupied one of the longer tables.

Garen was the first to notice them.

"There he is! I was beginning to think SkyRune had finally decided to keep you."

"They considered it," Ilya answered. "Apparently, the academy refused to refund my tuition."

"That’s a shame. We were enjoying the peace."

Solveig and Ma?lle greeted him warmly, while Wolfram and Lisbet made room for the newcomers. Their conversation soon returned to the practical assessments scheduled for later that week.

The Magic Department had apparently decided to introduce a series of controlled engagements designed to evaluate students’ judgment under changing conditions.

Students would face different restrictions depending on their assigned opponents, including limitations on spell selection, mana consumption, and preparation time.

The announcement had naturally attracted considerable attention.

Garen was particularly enthusiastic about the possibility of earning additional access to the academy’s advanced training facilities, although Ma?lle pointed out that his current examination results hardly justified such confidence.

"That’s why they’re called opportunities," Garen argued. "If everyone already qualified, there wouldn’t be much point."

Ilya found himself agreeing with him.

A competition that rewarded practical ability offered considerably more value than another assessment based entirely on theoretical knowledge. His recent experiences had demonstrated how important it was to apply what he learned under unfamiliar conditions.

He was considering participating when another familiar figure approached their table.

"Belozersky."

Tristan Amaury de Bellacourt stood nearby, accompanied by two students from his usual circle.

The heir to the Southern Grand Duchy appeared as dignified as ever. His uniform was immaculate, his bearing confident, and his expression suggested that he had come to discuss something important.

Ilya regarded him with mild amusement.

"Bellacourt. I was beginning to wonder whether you’d forgotten me."

"Unfortunately, your reputation makes that difficult."

"How flattering."

Tristan ignored the remark.

"I heard you’ve resumed attending lectures. Are you participating in the practical assessments?"

"Most likely. Why?"

"Then I suggest preparing properly. I have no intention of accepting another result like our previous examination."

Ah, so that was the reason.

Apparently, Tristan had been carrying the memory of their competition with remarkable dedication.

Ilya could sympathize. Losing to someone who subsequently called you a loser would probably remain unpleasant for quite some time.

"I see. You’ve been training for our rematch."

"I’ve been training because I take my studies seriously."

"Naturally. And our rematch is merely a fortunate coincidence."

Tristan gave him an unimpressed look.

Garen was already struggling to contain his laughter, but Ilya decided against continuing the provocation.

There was a limit to how much amusement he could extract from someone before the conversation stopped being productive.

Instead, he asked about the assessment’s rules.

Tristan explained that the instructors intended to prioritize efficiency and battlefield awareness. Participants would be evaluated according to how effectively they adapted to unfavorable circumstances, and later exercises might involve cooperation between students with different specializations.

That interested Ilya considerably more.

During their previous examination, he and Tristan had briefly cooperated while investigating the Basilisk. Their methods had differed, but both had demonstrated enough judgment to recognize when working together was advantageous.

Tristan was an excellent opponent precisely because he wasn’t foolish.

His preparations were thorough, his execution disciplined, and he could recognize weaknesses in an unfamiliar situation without requiring someone else to explain them.

"I suppose we’ll see how the instructors arrange the matches," Ilya said.

"Indeed. And if we’re opponents, don’t expect me to underestimate you."

"I’d be disappointed if you did."

That answer apparently satisfied Tristan.

He exchanged a few words with the others before returning to his companions, leaving Garen to watch his departure with an increasingly amused expression.

"You two are getting along surprisingly well."

"Are we?"

"He came all the way here to ask whether you were participating."

"An admirable display of sportsmanship."

"He’s going to challenge you the moment the instructors announce the pairings."

Ilya suspected Garen was right.

The prospect didn’t particularly bother him. Tristan was talented enough to provide a meaningful challenge, and the opportunity to compete against someone familiar with his methods could reveal weaknesses that ordinary training overlooked.

Besides, there was something entertaining about having a rival who took their competition so seriously.

After lunch, Ilya returned to the Magic Department to finish reviewing the assignments he had missed.

The afternoon passed quickly, and by the time he completed his remaining written work, the training grounds had begun filling with students preparing for the upcoming assessments.

He joined them.

Rather than immediately practicing his strongest techniques, Ilya concentrated on refining his control over Niflheim’s Blizzard.

His experiments at SkyRune had given him several ideas concerning the coordination of magical forces. The regulating formations surrounding Saint Aurelia had demonstrated how carefully timed disturbances could redirect mana without increasing the total energy involved.

He wanted to determine whether a similar principle could improve his combat efficiency.

His initial attempts involved maintaining three independent currents of cold mana around a fixed point.

The difficulty emerged when he tried changing their directions simultaneously. Although each current was individually manageable, coordinating all three required enough concentration to make the technique impractical during combat.

Ilya adjusted the sequence and repeated the exercise.

After several attempts, he discovered that arranging the currents into a repeating pattern reduced the effort required to maintain them. Once the movements became consistent, he could concentrate on redirecting their combined force whenever necessary.

The improvement was modest, but useful.

Unfortunately, the resulting pattern also became predictable.

"You’ve found a way to reduce the burden of controlling multiple currents."

Professor Hakon Vinter had arrived during the exercise.

Ilya greeted his instructor and briefly explained the principles behind his experiment.

Hakon examined the formation before instructing him to demonstrate the technique against a practice construct.

The first exchange exposed its weakness immediately.

Ilya successfully redirected the construct’s initial attack, but the repeated circulation pattern made his second movement easier to anticipate.

The construct adjusted accordingly and forced him to abandon the formation.

"Your control has improved," Hakon observed. "But an experienced opponent will recognize that sequence quickly."

Ilya agreed.

He had reduced the mental burden by making the currents follow a predictable arrangement. The solution was effective during ordinary practice, but an opponent who understood the pattern could exploit it.

"Then I should prepare several sequences and alternate between them."

"Eventually. First, learn to maintain one without disrupting your movements."

That was sensible advice.

There was little value in developing increasingly elaborate techniques when their foundations remained unreliable.

Ilya resumed his training, concentrating on maintaining the formation while responding to the construct’s attacks. His progress was gradual, although the exercise became easier once he stopped attempting unnecessary adjustments.

By the end of the session, he could maintain the currents through several exchanges without losing control.

Hakon instructed him to continue practicing the technique during their next lesson.

As Ilya finished gathering his belongings, he noticed Tristan entering the training grounds.

The southern nobleman had evidently come for his own practice.

Their eyes met briefly.

"Still training?" Tristan asked.

"Naturally. I heard the competition was becoming serious."

"It always was."

Tristan continued toward an empty practice area, but Ilya called after him.

"Bellacourt. If you notice anything wrong with my technique during the assessment, feel free to mention it afterward."

Tristan regarded him with interest.

"You’re asking me for advice?"

"You’re a competent opponent. It would be foolish to ignore useful observations."

The answer seemed to surprise him.

After a moment, Tristan nodded.

"Very well. I expect the same courtesy."

"Of course."

Their agreement was simple enough.

Ilya had no intention of abandoning their rivalry, especially when Tristan made himself such an entertaining target. However, having someone equally determined to improve was valuable.

And judging from the way Tristan immediately began preparing his own training formation, the upcoming practical assessments were going to be considerably more interesting than Ilya had expected.