Chapter 184 Chapter 41.2 - Change of Hearts
"Let's go. We still have a report to write."
Irina approached the group of two. Now that the instructor has left the class to write their reports, they will need to group and analyze the magic formula together.
However, for some reason, she felt annoyed. Seraphina's words and her expression bothered her a little, but she was also quite mad at the scene that had just occurred in the classroom.
"Okay," Sylvie said as she gathered her things. "I will call you when we finish."
"K."
After she informed her friend, she immediately followed Irina. As for Astron, she was already ready to leave from the start.
But his gaze was narrowed at Irina, observing her actions.
"Since we have recorded quite a lot of different formulas, we will need to be fast to analyze all of them."
On the way, Irina briefed the two about how fast they needed to be, and none of them decided to go against her. Surprisingly or not, when it came to magic and theory, she was quite fond of studying them.
Just like that, they entered the library of the academy.
"Come with me; I rented a special room."
Upon entering, Irina guided Astron and Sylvie to a small soundproof section tucked away in a quiet corner. It was specifically designed so that students could work on their group projects.
The three found their seats, and with the privacy ensured by the soundproof walls, they could discuss and work on their assignment without disturbances.
"Now. We will all start with analyzing formulas. You both should know what kind of steps we need to use, correct? I assume none of you failed the [Introduction to Mana for Hunters] exam?"
"…."
"I didn't."
Looking at their reactions, Irina understood that the two at least passed the exam for this course. Now, the previous exam didn't specifically mean how well they would do at the end of the semester, but it was an indicator of their previous knowledge.
"Good," Irina said, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask. We need to be thorough."
With that, they delved into their respective tasks. The small soundproof section became a hub of focused concentration.
Irina meticulously examined the elemental compositions of the captured magic formulas while scrutinizing their structural integrity. Her keen eyes narrowed as she deciphered intricate patterns.
However, while she was looking for the formulas, her mind was elsewhere.
'What is the deal with these two?'
Causing a scene in the middle of the class was unnatural for Sylvie. If it were natural, she would have already heard her name. From her initial experience, she thought Sylvie was an innocent normal girl.
'Well, she still might be.'
Of course, just because she did one thing didn't mean she was a bad girl. But….Something was bothering her.
"This is how you will deal with this formula. You remember the pattern I showed you last time, right?"
'Last time? When did they?'
Looking at the two talking with each other fluently, she felt like they knew each other way before.
'Is there something I am not aware of?'
As if a knot appeared inside, she pushed her pen to the side.
"Yeah, I remember."
"You will need to use that method for this question."
"But, isn't this formula a third-order one?"
"It may seem like this, but you are using the wrong loop. You should use this one."
"Ah….."
The more she watched, the more she got annoyed. She especially felt like Sylvie was a bit too close while listening to him.
'Is there a need to get this close?'
She didn't even question why anyway and decided to act.
Acting on a whim, Irina joined the conversation, her voice cool and collected. "Oh, Sylvie, are you having trouble with this formula?"
Sylvie looked surprised by Irina's sudden intrusion. "Uh, well, not really. Astron was just helping me out."
Hearing this, she threw a small look at that guy and sneered, masking her annoyance. "No need to bother him. You can ask me if you have any questions. I doubt that guy can finish his own work, anyway."
"No, it is not like-" Sylvie wanted to say. They were doing just fine, but looking at Irina's emotions, she felt something was wrong.
'What is it?'
It was a new emotion.
"Why are you looking for a fight all of a sudden?"
"What do you mean? I am just stating the obvious."
"…..You really are something…."
Astron sighed as he looked at Irina with a deadpan expression.
"If you really want to play the teacher that much, okay, go ahead." It was rare for him to take a step back, but it seemed he was tired of constant bickering.
"Good that you know."
After that, Irina sat at her table while signaling Sylvie to come beside her. And, even though uncomfortable, Sylvie had no choice but to comply with her leader's request.
Just like that, the two continued their study as hours passed.
******
'What a weird assignment.'
While we were analyzing the magic formulas, that was what I had in my mind. Making calculations like a robot and understanding magic wasn't that hard, but doing it constantly started taking its toll.
'And I don't even understand what that is supposed to mean.'
The weird thing wasn't calculating. It was the results we got after going through all that. Normally, in the end, we would end up with a clear result of the name for magic, but this time, it was a bunch of patterns.
"Aaah….What the hell is this?"
It seemed Irina had the same opinion as I did.
"How are we supposed to put these results into the report and make comments."
I never thought I would agree with Irina, but she was right.
"I've never encountered anything like this before. Magic formulas are supposed to reveal something concrete, not leave us with a bunch of cryptic patterns." It was as if, after solving an equation, you ended up with another, and this loop continued.
"I don't get it. The more we analyze, the less it makes sense."
As Sylvie completed solving her last formula, a sense of fatigue settled over the group. She looked up, a mixture of exhaustion and confusion on her face.
While we were studying, I noticed that her talent wasn't limited to theoretical things. I don't want to mean she is dumb, but at least her intelligence hadn't suddenly improved after she awakened.
Seeing she was the same Sylvie as before at least made her seem like a human.
'Not that I am the one to complain.'
In any case, as I was pondering my thoughts, suddenly, something got my attention.
As Sylvie gathered her papers on top of each other, I noticed a subtle connection between the symbols, thanks to the shadowing from the light.
'Wait?'
It was as if a spark ignited in my mind; I turned my attention to my papers, comparing them with Sylvie's. And, something made a connection. Like when you remember the thing you see resembles something, but you can't name it; it was such a thing.
"Wait a moment," I said, leaning forward. "Sylvie, can you show me that last formula again?"
Trying to get the same connection, I gestured to Sylvie for a second.
Puzzled, Sylvie handed him the paper. "Sure, but I don't see what..."
"Wait for a second." Right now, what I needed was silence.
"….."
As I focused more on the formulas, I grabbed them and arranged the order while also mixing my own formulas in between.
And, slowly but surely, the more papers I put on top of each other, the more it became evident.
'Is this a land?'
The diagrams that appeared as the result of our analysis slowly formed a picture underneath.
"Irina, give me your papers."
"What? It is not like-"
"Just shut up for a second and give them to me."
"...Here."
As Irina reluctantly handed me her papers, I carefully arranged them on top of the pile Sylvie had provided.
The cryptic patterns and symbols on the pages seemed to align in a way that I couldn't quite comprehend. It felt like solving a puzzle, and with each additional paper, the picture became clearer.
As I placed Irina's papers in position, a sudden realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. The patterns were forming a map, a detailed depiction of a location we had studied in class—a place where the Mana Phenomenon occurred.
I leaned back in astonishment, my eyes fixed on the amalgamation of formulas that now revealed a hidden landscape. The lines and symbols intricately shaped the contours of a terrain, highlighting key landmarks and features.
'Phantom's Land.'
The moment the realization hit me, I finally understood what this test was supposed to do.
Why did they want us to capture as many magic formulas as possible, and why did they want us to analyze all of them?
Why the results weren't actually clear?
It made all sense.
After all, if you have a partial fraction of a map that you would need many other fractions to complete, that would mean your chances of finding what this test was about and what this land was would increase.
'It was good that I paid attention to the class at that time.'
Since my memory was good, especially things related to photography, I was able to connect the dots.
Sylvie and Irina, noticing my sudden shift in demeanor, exchanged puzzled glances.
"So….What is this about?" And after a second, Irina could no longer contain her excitement.
"Come here." I signaled them to come to my table while also opening the map of the Phantom Island.
"Don't these two seem familiar to you?"
Both Sylvie and Irina leaned in to scrutinize the map, their eyes scanning the intricate details. After a moment, Irina's face lit up with recognition.
"Wait, these patterns resemble the ones we've been analyzing in class… Don't tell me?"
"Yes."
"It is the map of Phantom's Land."
I nodded, confirming her observation. "Exactly. This entire assignment was a test to see if we could piece together the different magical formulas to create a comprehensive map of the Phantom's Land."
Sylvie's eyes widened as the realization dawned on her. "So, the cryptic patterns were like puzzle pieces, and when we put them together, they revealed the hidden landscape we've been studying."
"Yeah….."
"Then, what do we do know?" Irina asked, looking at me.
"Nothing much. We just need to include what we found in the report, and I am sure we will get bonus points for this."
Even though we found out what this test was about, I am sure that wouldn't be the case for all of the students. Most of them wouldn't be able to find it since, even with such a large number of formulas, it was hard for us to connect the dots.
That meant we would get a special reward.
'Let's see what it is.'
If it was about analytics, I didn't mind the attention much since I am sure most of the credit will go to Irina in this assignment.
"Hehehe….."
Though seeing her expression, I suddenly regretted revealing it.
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