Chapter 81: Reaching a Consensus with the Forces of Darkness

"Ah, are you a victim?"
Upon seeing Principal Harvey seething with fury, Mayuna immediately understood. She was well aware of her own teacher’s questionable reputation; though the Archmage was mischievous, she was not as shameless as Yura. Faced with her teacher’s debts, Mayuna had never intended to silence anyone. So even as the chair beneath her froze solid, she remained unperturbed.

"..."
Harvey regretted his rash action as soon as he made his move. No matter whether Mayuna was telling the truth, this impulsive attack would do him no good. If it were true, he certainly wasn't a match for an Archmage. If it were false, Mayuna’s body would shatter along with the chair. Yet, seeing her sit calmly atop the ice, it was likely she was indeed unharmed.

"What did your teacher do to you—swindled money, or something worse?"
Mayuna knew Yura had tricked countless people throughout her life. She didn’t expect someone as prominent as Principal Harvey to have fallen victim as well. Now she was quite curious what scandal had provoked Harvey’s anger.

"Do you know of the dragon-slaying incident fifty years ago?"
Now things were clear: Harvey realized he’d encountered a formidable opponent. Facing Mayuna, he could only sigh and ask resignedly.

"Yes, the foolish dragon who was lured by gold coins, right?"

"I was involved in that event. It was only thanks to my ice magic that we succeeded in slaying the dragon. Those bastards had promised to give me the dragon crystal, but in the end, they betrayed me."

"Wait, my teacher wouldn’t do such a thing, would she?"
The Archmage girl refused to believe her teacher capable of such deeds. Though a thief, Yura had never killed for loot, which was what Mayuna admired most about her.

"Yura didn’t attack me, but damn it, I fought for that dragon crystal for three days and nights. After freezing those fools into blocks of ice, my magical core was damaged. I intended to use the dragon crystal to repair it, but Yura stole my last hope. If not for her, I wouldn’t be just a half-saint now!"

Principal Harvey was so furious his beard nearly curled upward. It was hard to imagine the usually gentle elder showing such an expression and uttering curses—likely the result of losing his treasured possession.

"Well then, let bygones be bygones."
Mayuna vaguely recalled her teacher giving her a yellow crystal to aid her cultivation; the magic array formed from that crystal accelerated her training tenfold. She hadn’t thought much of it then, but now realized it was probably the dragon crystal.

Mayuna felt touched that Yura had left her such a precious item, yet facing its original owner, she couldn’t help but feel awkward.

"She wasn’t just a thief—she was a liar. When she took the dragon crystal, she promised to help restore my magical core, but to this day she’s never come to see me!"

"My teacher is dead."
Mayuna spoke calmly. Perhaps she once struggled to escape the sorrow of her teacher’s passing, but after visiting Yura’s grave with Ruby, she no longer felt weak in front of others.

"...Forget it; telling you all this is pointless."
Hearing of Yura’s death, Harvey’s expression changed: anger, grief, disappointment, and finally a long sigh as he sank into silence.

"But I will fulfill the promise she left behind. I’ll repair your magical core."

"You? That’s a joke. Since the dawn of magic, no one has ever managed to restore a damaged core. I’ve tried countless remedies over the years, none succeeded. Even with the dragon crystal, recovery wasn’t guaranteed."

"Is that why you attacked the venomous dragon who snuck into the Academy?"
Mayuna suddenly asked. She’d once overheard Feiloxis complain to Ruby about the despicable actions of the Academy’s humans; now she realized Harvey must have needed dragon blood to treat his old wounds.

"Unfortunately, the venomous dragon’s blood was useless."
Harvey admitted without hesitation. He didn’t know how Mayuna learned of the incident, but he’d tried every remedy imaginable over the years, all to no avail.

Mayuna saw no point in further words. She strode up to Harvey and pressed her fingertip against his forehead. At first, Harvey was puzzled by her action, but gradually he sensed something amiss: the magical core that had lain stagnant for years suddenly stirred and began to slowly heal.

"Think about my rank, dear Principal. An Archmage can make the impossible possible."

Before Harvey could express his astonishment, Mayuna withdrew her hand. Though she’d never treated a magical core before, she knew instinctively she could do it. There was no harm in trying, so she simply used Harvey as her test subject.

Naturally, the mischievous Mayuna wouldn’t heal him completely at once. She wasn’t like Ruby, who’d treat people for free. Now was the perfect time to use her advantage to strike a deal.

"What did you two talk about?"
Ruby had waited outside for nearly half an hour before Mayuna emerged, wearing a triumphant smile that told him she’d surely been up to something dubious.

"Nothing at all. Anyway, I can enroll now."

Despite Principal Harvey’s repeated questioning about her reasons for joining the Academy, Mayuna brushed him off. She certainly couldn’t admit she was here for a man—it would invite endless teasing. So she improvised an excuse, and soon the two reached an agreement: Mayuna would help Harvey repair his magical core, and to outsiders she would be known as his disciple, which would conveniently aid her future endeavors (or mischief).

"What are you up to?"
Since she refused to explain, Ruby didn’t press further; the Archmage girl hardly seemed like someone who’d suffer losses. Just then, a playful finger poked his cheek, creating a dimple in the soft skin, as its owner twisted it teasingly.

"You thought I was causing trouble, didn’t you? Is that really how you see me?"

"Do you even have a reputation left?"
Ruby batted away Mayuna’s hand and retorted. He could easily list her greedy, playful, and restless traits.

"Hmph. Anyway, since you rushed over so quickly, I’ll let you off this time."
The Archmage girl huffed lightly. It was a shame she hadn’t recorded Ruby’s anxious expression earlier; it would have made for a good laugh. Remembering the magic test, Mayuna suddenly asked, "By the way, were you tested?"

"You’re only asking now?"
Ruby handed her a golden card bearing his personal information. He hadn’t realized how troublesome the magic test was before; now he figured it was best to just go with the flow.

"A teacher’s certificate—eh!"

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A little aside:
Ruby: You promised we’d show off together after enrolling, but now you’ve hogged all the glory. I’ve become a mere sidekick. If you stop showing off, we’ll still be friends.
Mayuoten: If I don’t show off, would you even consider me your friend?