Episode 133. Jang Education Committee (2)
Before the Jang Education Committee’s second contingent arrived at Cancion.
Rubin, who was waiting in the bushes, told Haneke what he knew about the future.
-… That kind of thing would happen.
Ten years later, a mana disaster strikes the Mohwi Magic School while they are taking the Jang Education Committee’s exams. It causes numerous casualties.
‘Of course, things could have gotten messed up when I regressed.’
-No, if what you say is true, then this is inevitable. The Magic Brigade always carries bombs. It’s a disaster that will definitely happen, but you never know when or where it will explode.
It seemed to Rubin that Haneke felt some sense of responsibility for future events. Sure enough, Haneke’s voice continued to sink deep.
-If you think about it, you could say that the explosion was caused by me… … .
The Long-Term Education Committee and the Selection Test.
I think the roots of all this started with Haneke himself.
While serving as a general, Haneke always wanted excellent officers. To do so, he thought that a test that could reveal their true abilities without the restrictions of social status was necessary.
This led to the creation of the General Education Committee within the General Staff. It was a nine-stage examination that solely focused on evaluating the capabilities of commanders.
-Of course, I couldn’t see the light within the General’s Office… … .
As he said, Haneke’s reforms could not succeed because of the opposition of the establishment.
The existing military aristocracy, including the prestigious swordsmanship families, did not accept the selection system created by Haneke. They insisted that only nobles should occupy high-ranking officers in the Imperial Army.
Even if he was an imperial general or the head of the Brion family, he could not persuade the nobles with just his voice.
Eventually, the Jang Education Committee lost its power and was put in danger of disbandment… … .
At that time, the Magic Brigade stepped in. They asked to have the organization incorporated into their group. The purpose and goal of the Jang Education Committee were clearly attractive.
-The person who came to persuade me back then was Keegan. He is the current headmaster of Capotini Magic School.
‘Interesting story. So what happened?’
-What can I do? I agreed. I am a loyalist to the Empire, not someone who plays politics. At least at that time.
It was like Haneke.
Even though he knew that the Grand General’s Department and the Magic Brigade were rivals, and that the balance of power would shift if he handed over the Education Commission, Haneke made that decision solely for the sake of the empire’s revival.
-Anyway. After that, I don’t know about anyone else, but I became close with Keegan. Should I say we became close friends?
‘So, do you have a rough idea of how the Education Committee operates?’
-No, not at all. Keegan is a man with a clear distinction between public and private affairs. There has never been any official talk between us. As I said before, the General’s Office and the Magic Brigade are not very close.
‘hmm.’
The two departments in charge of the axis of the empire, the ‘General Department’ and the ‘Magic Department’. The internal competition between the two power groups has always been fierce. And this naturally applied to their subordinate organizations as well.
In simple terms, the unmanned units were organized into the Grand General’s Department, and the magicians into the Magic Department. However, the boundaries between the organizations called ‘special brigades’ were ambiguous. Officially, they all belonged to the Grand General’s Department, but there were brigades that were exceptions.
For example, the ‘Geohyeoljok Brigade’ and ‘Suheoljok Brigade’, which are classified as special brigades, belong to the General Corps.
However, the ‘Wizard Brigade’ was a bit different. Although they were formally affiliated with the Grand General’s Department, they were actually closer to being affiliated with the Ministry of Magic.
Those people absorbed the pro-General’s Education Committee. Naturally, they had no choice but to become pro-magic.
‘But I know they still follow the testing method that Haneke devised. They even kept the nine-step testing system intact.’
-Yeah, I know that too. But they have a ‘testing tool’. The one you’re going to break.
The Magic Brigade, which absorbed the Long Education Committee, collaborated with the pro-magic Witherspoon family to create a test magic tool.
The decisive factor that differentiated the two was the testing tool.
Haneke built a huge testing ground in a wide plain to test the abilities of talented children.
On the other hand, the Magic Brigade did not want to be restricted by the physical space of the testing site. That is why they concentrated everything into one testing tool. The one and only testing tool in the world.
– In other words, if we can somehow destroy the test tool, we can abolish the test itself.
‘Yes, that’s correct.’
-Rubin.
‘yes.’
– I understand that you have to destroy it for revenge. And that you have to get a first-class magic stone through that. But I honestly wonder how you’re going to do that.
It was nearly impossible to destroy the test magic tool with physical impact, even for Rubin who had royal blood.
But Haneke couldn’t imagine how they were going to destroy it.
To this Rubin answered lightly.
‘To the memories before the regression.’
Rubin remembered clearly the report of a certain inspector he had assassinated before his return. It contained a detailed account of the cause of the mana explosion accident.
‘It is impossible to destroy it with external impact, but it is possible if the test is in progress. That is why I want to participate in the test.’
However, this required some specific conditions.
‘First, we need to reduce the explosive level by a thousandth, so that no one gets hurt.’
-How are you going to do that?
‘The test magic tool must not be overloaded. If I intentionally overload it, I want to lower the explosive power.’
-Is that the unit price?
‘No. There’s another one. The person responsible for the explosion before the regression. It has to be him this time too.’
This was so that the accident could be reproduced exactly as described in the report.
-Why? Is there a reason why it has to be the same person?
‘I’m going to use him.’
Rubin clearly remembered what was written in the Inspector General’s report before his return.
-The manager’s stubbornness and arrogance turned the test tool into a bomb.
In other words, this means that for this plan to succeed, ‘the stubbornness and arrogance of the person in charge’ is absolutely necessary.
But I’m not sure. It would have to be pure luck for the two to match up.
‘There is a ten-year gap between the time before and now. Haneke, do you know how long the term of office of the Chairman of the Education Committee is?
-Hmm. In any organization of the General’s Department, ten years is enough time for the position of the leader to change… I’m not sure about the Magic Brigade. Five years? Maybe ten years.
According to Naif Greers, the head of the Education Committee was newly appointed this year.
Because it was an organization that operated in such secrecy, further detailed information was not known.
‘If the person who arrives as the last one is the same person who caused the accident 10 years later… … .’
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Can destroy test magic tools.
Then Rubin will be able to obtain the first-class magic stone, and Haneke will be able to completely put to rest his anxiety that the accident might happen again. He will be one step closer to revenge.
That was when.
The dark smoke that Rubin had spread out wide shook slightly. A group of people appeared at the crossroads leading to Cancion.
-There you are.
Rubin hid deep in the bushes. Just then, Haneke, curious, asked him.
-What happened to the person in charge before the return? Of course, he must have been severely punished, right?
Haneke expected the death penalty as a punishment. If he was responsible for the accident that took the lives of so many Mohwi magic students, that was the expected punishment.
But there are exceptions everywhere.
‘No, I was not punished in any way.’
Knock knock.
I could hear footsteps in the distance.
The first thing that came into view were junior officers sweating profusely while sharing a huge load.
What they carried were the test magic tools before they were combined. There were five of them in total. As reported in my previous life, the test magic tools were divided into five parts before they were activated.
-Why wasn’t he punished?
‘At his current age, he would be a young officer, probably around twenty.’
-How did a young man with such a bright future end up in the position of head of the Education Committee?
‘You’ll find out soon enough. After all, he’s currently the Commander of the Magic Brigade. In ten years or so, the trust he receives will deepen. And-‘
The current position of Commander of the Wizard Brigade is held by the eldest son of the Witherspoon family, Chloe’s eldest brother.
‘That guy in charge will be a member of the Witherspoon family in about ten years.’
Haneke, who understood what that meant, laughed vainly.
Currently, the Witherspoon family only has one daughter, Chloe. This means that in 10 years, Iza will become her husband.
‘I don’t know if Chloe really loved him, but whatever. It was news that shook the continent.’
-The marriage of nobles is far from that. Especially if it is an imperial noble, it would be more, not less. However, it is strange.
‘What is it?’
-I thought Witherspoon’s daughter would naturally be connected to royalty… Maybe the Commander of the Magic Brigade gave her some strength.
With the power of the eldest son of the Witherspoon family, even Chloe would have had no choice but to marry. Rubin thought it sounded plausible.
‘Anyway, thanks to the strong support of Witherspoon, the person in charge was cleared of all responsibility. He was not subject to any disciplinary action for the explosion.’
Far from being punished, the emperor himself took care of the aftermath. He ordered an assassination investigation to uncover the truth about the incident.
This could also be called the power of the imperial nobility.
-Rubin. Is that the man walking from the very back?
When I focused the darkness on my vision, my eyesight was temporarily enhanced.
As Haneke said, a young officer was walking towards him. His gestures and expression were restrained and stern. At the same time, his characteristic arrogance was present.
‘That’s right. The head of the Education Committee, Pondrian Yepp.’
That arrogance that cannot be hidden and flows out will eventually become the cause of a huge mana disaster.
Although he looked younger than I thought, his appearance was the same as the portrait engraved in the report. He was clearly the person in charge before the regression.
‘Then one condition has been achieved, and now all we need to do is check the status of the test magic tool.’
-If we destroy it as you say, that officer, Pondrian, might not be able to become the son-in-law of the Witherspoon family.
It was as Haneke said. It might be different in 10 years, but the current trust that the Magic Brigade Commander has toward Pondrian probably isn’t that deep.
‘That may be true. It may be a shame for Chloe, but I really don’t care. I just need revenge on the Emperor and a first-class magic stone. That’s all I need.’
* * *
The examiners from the Jang Education Committee entered Cancion. The advance party that had been waiting quickly came out and saluted their superiors.
The Pondrian disguise waved its hand in salute. The five officers who had been carrying the test tools carefully put them down with the help of their colleagues.
As expected from an organization that drafts officer cadets, there were no enlisted men or non-commissioned officers among them.
All of these people took this exam while attending magic school, and achieved high scores, which is why they are here today.
The pinnacle of this precedent was Pondrian, who was currently in disguise. He was an elite officer who had been drafted and trained in Americmana many years ago.
Moreover, he had connections to the Witherspoon family, an imperial noble and a renowned magical family. He was a man that everyone could look up to.
“Adjutant, let’s start with the report.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. As you have instructed, I have leaked the test to the Capotini nobles.
Pondrian nodded. It was a secretly prepared and surprise test, but some nobles had been warned about it. He was a man who understood exactly what ‘politics’ was.
“What about this magic school?”
“I’m planning on contacting him this evening. However… according to the reputation I’ve gathered, the principal here is quite violent.”
“Are you saying that you might not cooperate?”
“It seems like the examiners’ movements might be limited. After all, we don’t have a Samhwi magician on our side… … .”
“Let them do as they say for now. Since this is the first time it’s being held at Samhwi Magic School, we should treat them appropriately.”
“But sir, the principal is a retired officer. So I requested his military service records from the brigade headquarters… … .”
“You were a member of the Magic Brigade? What’s your name?”
“This is Keegan.”
“Hmm… I think I’ve heard of it. Well, you’ll probably meet one or two retired old men when you go to magic school. It’s only Samhwi, right? You don’t have to worry about it too much.”
The immediate adjutant tried to say something but stopped himself.
He was a soldier of more than his stomach. However, as the adjutant of this young officer who was drafted from Americmana and was on a roll, he could not help but keep an eye on him.
In any case, it is true that Pondrian is holding a high position at a young age and that he is someone that Brigade Commander Conrad Witherspoon keeps close to him.
“Sir, when should I tell Young-ae Chloe?”
“Oh, that’s fine. I’ll come and see you in person after I set up the testing center at dawn.”
“All right.”
“Then, the adjutant will go to the empty barn in advance and wait, and control the surrounding area.”
Pondrian looked around at the officers and shouted.
“Okay! Let’s take a 15-minute break! After that, we’ll combine the magic tools and test-drive them!”
“yes!”
* * *
The barn, which was set aside for the test operation of the magic tool, was the largest building in Cancion.
“Is the Arpeggio Hall the testing location? Is there a space like this there?”
“Yes, there is a space that was used as a bunker during the old war. It is about three times larger than this.”
“It’s just right.”
Rubin watched the Education Committee, keeping a close eye on all signs. The Education Committee was more concerned with security outside of Cansion, so the barn for the test run was lax in security.
According to him, the entrance exam will be held in the Arpeggio building, which has a student cafeteria.
“Now combine.”
Following the instructions of the Pondrian commander, five officers came out carrying the parts of the magic tools they were in charge of.
What each of them took out was a small pillar. The pillars were divided into four sections, and each section seemed to have the power to maintain its own spacing.
Clank, clank.
As soon as they were placed on the floor, each pillar moved its segments to form a square. Five squares were thus created.
“Sir, here you are.”
“Handle with care. Be careful.”
The immediate adjutant brought a box with a barrier magic engraved on it. The Fondrian disguise removed the barrier magic and took out a glass bottle the size of a finger.
‘That’s… royal blood.’
The blood of the royal family that enables the magic embedded in the first-class magic stone.
Pondrian pulled the vial up to his eyes to check the condition, and immediately dropped a drop of the royal blood onto one corner of each square.
Wheeeeee.
The first-class magic stones that recognized blood began to work. The squares rose on their own and flew towards each corner of the barn.
Light radiated from the scattered magic tools, and that light created a certain afterimage within the space.
In the fleeting afterimages, the test site for tomorrow appeared for a moment and then disappeared. Tomorrow, when it officially starts operating, the spaces I am looking at now will become real.
But at this moment, that wasn’t what Rubin was focusing on. He was concentrating on the state of the magical tool that was performing the phenomenon magic.
‘There’s still some blue in it.’
The light emitted by the magic tool had a subtle blue glow to it.
In the report from the inspector I saw before the regression, it was written that the blue light gradually disappeared as the number of times the test magic tool was activated increased.
The key was that as the blue light disappeared, the mana pressure of the magic tool grew stronger and the explosive power also increased. In other words, that blue light acted as gunpowder.
‘I said that if the explosion had happened when the blue light was swirling around outside, there wouldn’t have been any casualties.’
Fortunately, the blue light was now visible. It was safe to assume that it had not been completely absorbed by the magic tool.
Then even if it explodes, the power will be minimal.
‘First of all, both conditions are met.’
From now on, all I had to do was take the test as scheduled, destroy that magic tool, and obtain a level 1 magic stone.
Rubin finally left the barracks. He easily passed through the security of the Jang Education Committee and headed straight for Capotini.
There is not much time left until the examination begins.
