The Obsessive Regressor of The Academy

59. A Tête-à-Tête in My Room.

“So, what do you use Thunderclap Grass for? Can I just chew on it?”

Acel, with Aleph floating beside him via psychokinesis, inquired. Aleph answered his query directly.

[The most effective method for utilizing Thundergrass is to decoct it and consume it in the form of a potion or elixir. While there are no significant issues with separating the leaves and stems and eating them directly, one would fail to fully absorb the *thunder-ki* contained within. It’s like trying to drink water with a hole in your chin.]

“So, don’t just eat it raw, then.”

[It would be advisable not to.]

Acel acknowledged Aleph’s response and released a long breath.

The method for refining and decocting magical herbs was already widely known, yet that didn’t mean the process was easy by any stretch. Even most alchemists wouldn’t touch such materials for fear of ruining them.

Marietta, the great alchemist, was said to have manipulated magical herbs with unparalleled skill, but amongst the alchemists of the present day, none existed who could rival her.

There was no way he could easily entrust Thundergrass to such individuals. One misstep could cause the energy contained within to evaporate, so he needed to request it from someone trustworthy, at the very least. Or do it himself.

‘Alchemy is entirely beyond me.’

Unfortunately, Acel was a complete ignoramus when it came to alchemy. He had never held even the most common medicinal herb, let alone concocted potions.

Magic was the only discipline to which he had dedicated his time and studies. Any other field of knowledge was merely a pastime for him, and alchemy wasn’t even among those.

This was becoming troublesome. It was difficult to decoct the Thundergrass himself, and equally difficult to entrust an unregistered magical herb to another alchemist. On the off chance, Acel asked Aleph if it knew how to handle Thundergrass. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Aleph proceeded to relay a potion recipe using Thundergrass.

[One Thundergrass. One shard of thunder. One horn from a thunder-wielding beast or a scale from a Thunder Dragon. A single drop of blood from a high-ranking cleric to neutralize them. And, lastly, sugar is required. These are only the ingredients. The method of preparation is even more intricate, but your current abilities, Master, would be insufficient to even attempt it. Would you still like to view it?]

“No, that’s alright. The ingredients alone are absurdly bizarre.”

Acel clicked his tongue, tucking the Thundergrass he held into his robes.

A shard of thunder referred to a tiny bead formed from hundreds of coalesced lightning strikes. It was a phenomenon classified as a natural disaster, instantly transforming the area where the bead fell into a lightning-stricken wasteland, reducing everything in its vicinity to ashes.

It was a beautiful sight from afar, but a terrible calamity that snuffed out lives the moment one became enamored by its beauty and drew closer. But even that was a story from decades ago. Nearly a century had passed since the last shard of thunder had fallen.

Just finding one would be an ordeal.

The same went for thunderous beasts and Thunder Dragons. Perhaps in the past, but thunder-wielding beasts were now extinct. Dragons, including Thunder Dragons, had long since vanished.

The only things he could immediately acquire were a cleric’s blood and sugar. As for the rest, even spending ages searching wouldn’t guarantee success.

He might have to forgo the potion-making process entirely.

Acel sighed deeply, suppressing the pulsating magic of the Thundergrass within his robes.

It seemed best to leave the Thundergrass as it was for now. It was better than prematurely messing with it and wasting it. If all else failed, he could just eat it raw.

With that thought, Acel turned and started walking. Aleph, hovering in the air, followed him.

“Aleph, recommend something useful from the magical tools here.”

[Something beneficial for growth, or something beneficial for combat? Which direction should I make my recommendations?]

“One of each.”

[Acknowledged. Please wait a moment.]

Aleph paused its record-keeping briefly, then resumed writing.

[Thunderous Acclaim. A potion that infuses the body with thunder-ki for a limited time upon consumption. Unlike magic, even ordinary individuals can gain superhuman strength and cognitive abilities, albeit temporarily. Cromwell benefited greatly in his ascent through the ranks by making the thunder-ki his own through this very elixir.]

“Hmph.”

[For combat, I recommend the Ice Azalea. It’s an artifact in the form of a ring. When imbued with mana, it freezes the area around the wearer for a certain duration. Useful for exploiting openings or landing a killing blow—]

“…What is it?”

The sentence cut off abruptly. Asel frowned, glaring at Aleph, but Aleph remained unresponsive, as if time itself had stopped. It merely floated in the air, suspended by Asel’s telekinetic magic.

It didn’t take long for Asel to realize the cause was his own mana.

More precisely, the mana Aleph had absorbed. Once the mana within the book was depleted, Aleph had simply ceased functioning.

Ultimately, even Aleph required mana as a power source to function continuously. For something that acts like a living being, it’s surprisingly similar to a magical artifact in this regard. Was it due to Cromwell’s modifications, or was it like this from birth?

He was dying to find out, but now wasn’t the time. Asel placed his hand on the cover of Aleph, channeling mana into it.

In that instant.

*Kwarurururu!*

Aleph began to greedily devour Asel’s mana. An absorption so intense, it would have caused mana exhaustion in an ordinary mage. Even Asel felt a momentary wave of weakness, the amount of mana being siphoned off was alarming. He immediately gritted his teeth and pulled his hand away from the cover.

The mana absorption ceased as if it were a lie. The sharp, blue electricity arcing between Asel’s fingertips and the book’s cover crackled, then slowly faded away. Asel gazed for a moment at the lightning that had bloomed between his fingers, then turned to Aleph and spoke.

“…What in the world are you doing?”

[I am a magical grimoire powered by mana. I am merely a book of paper, incapable of anything unless filled with the mana of the one I recognize as my master.]

Perhaps it was thanks to the absorbed mana. The words that had stopped were being written again. But it felt more frantic than before.

[Frankly, there is a daily activity quota allocated to me. It begins the moment I first absorb my master’s mana, and decreases with the passage of time or as I write. And once it is completely gone, I will cease all activity, just as I did moments ago.]

“…”

[In order to increase this allotted activity, I need to build a bond with my master, or, as you did, forcefully inject a massive amount of mana. But the latter is a shortcut, and as such, the amount of mana I absorb will increase exponentially.]

“…Why didn’t you explain this from the start?”

[I apologize. I feared you would not accept me if I did. Though I was trapped for centuries, I remember those lonely days without fail. I wanted to avoid being rejected by my master, whom I had finally found, and being returned to that box.]

“…Haa.”

Asel sighed deeply and grabbed Aleph, opening it.

“If what you say is true, then you’re operating beyond your allotted time right now. How much do you have left?”

[10]

“10 minutes?”

[9… 8… 7…]

“Are you out of your mind?”

[Please don’t abandon me, I beg of you to understand me, who spent countless days staring at only plants within a moldy box. I desperately want to be of assistance, I can tell you where any desired item is located within the vault, I have not yet told you—]

*Thud.*

Aleph’s words cut off there. Asel stared at the book, limp and seemingly lifeless for a moment, then sighed and secured Aleph to his belt. Perhaps because there was no direct skin contact, Aleph hung quietly in place.

‘A string of bizarre happenings, indeed.’

Acel thought as much, setting off to find the arcane tools Aleph had mentioned. After some time, he discovered it: an ice peony trapped within a frosted glass case. Without hesitation, Acel claimed it.

For one who dedicated himself to researching magic and crafting spells, such tools proved invaluable. As he relentlessly studied to master cryomancy, the ice peony was an enticing choice, to say the least.

Though he’d amassed a wealth of knowledge in theoretical matters to the point of surfeit, he’d yet to put his cryomancy to practical use. Verifying the output of common ice spells with the aid of an artifact would greatly assist in stabilizing the spells he’d already devised.

The artifact’s intrinsic performance was rather commendable. No harm in taking it along.

Only one thing remained. Acel swiftly summoned lightning, seeking the Thunderbolt of Praise.

Before long, he found a glass vial carefully preserved within a metal box. Inside, a lightning-shaped fluid writhed. Acel smiled in satisfaction as he secured it.

Afterward, he continued to search for other worthwhile items, but nothing compelled him to abandon what he’d already acquired.

Though a few things did tempt him.

Had he known, he would have pushed for five items from the start. He regretted it immensely.

Even so, he’d secured quite a haul. The elixir was excellent, and the ice peony would fetch a king’s ransom outside. Not to mention Aleph.

Truth be told, Aleph alone was a significant gain.

“Did you get everything?”

Returning to the group, who had assembled by now, Friede asked with an exhausted look. Acel replied with a wide grin.

“Yes. Three items, secured for certain.”

“Very well… I won’t bother verifying. I trust you.”

With that, Friede led the group out of the vault.

As the last person departed, the vault door sealed automatically, re-engaging its locking mechanism. *Screech,* went the magic activating, as geometric patterns shimmered into existence, then faded away. Acel observed the spectacle for a moment before returning with the others to the Academy’s main building.

The hour was drifting past evening. Despite his temporary leave, students bustled about the grounds, while the fading sun arrayed itself in crimson hues.

Occasionally, couples hand-in-hand, laughing as they passed by. Thanks to the perception-obstructing magic Friede employed, none detected Acel’s group.

“The agenda is complete… still, what must be done, must be done.”

Back in the Headmaster’s office. Friede seated the four from Weihime, speaking with a serious tone. He bowed at the waist and spoke with a serious tone.

“Once more, I offer my heartfelt apologies to everyone present. In the future, such an incident shall never, ever occur again. I will personally deal with the corrupt elements and vermin that remain within the Academy, so you need not worry. As soon as the Sword Demon returns to his post, we will slowly transform the Academy. A normalization is in order.”

“Your word. Keep it. This is your last chance. If Acel is once again caught in the Academy’s mistakes or power struggles, that will be the Academy’s last day. I’ll take Acel back with me.”

That alright, then?

Ena cast a sidelong glance at Acel as she asked. Acel gave a bitter smile and nodded.

While his purpose in coming to the Academy was to gain experience and interact with diverse individuals, Acel had no intention of sacrificing his life for it. If that were his goal, he would have become a dungeon explorer or mercenary long ago.

“I shall keep it in mind.”

Friede nodded. With that, the agenda was concluded. The group conversed for a moment before departing, each heading toward their destination.

Norium returned to Weihime with Irina, while Acel, as his temporary leave was nearly over, decided to simply stay in the dormitory.

Thus, Ena alone remained adrift. Though she could transform her body into lightning and traverse any part of the continent, she showed no sign of returning, instead strolling through the Academy grounds with Assel, humming a little tune. Her enjoyment was quite evident.

Yet, she couldn’t quite meet Assel’s gaze directly. Improved from a few days prior, but still not what it once was. Despite this, she ruthlessly deterred any woman who dared approach him.

“…What was that? Something pushed me away?”

Cloaked in perception-hindering magic, the target of Ena’s interference, unaware of her presence, simply wandered off, bewildered. Assel observed this and let out a quiet groan.

The time spent with Ena was undeniably pleasant. But it was time for each to return to their own quarters. They couldn’t simply loaf about outside like this indefinitely.

And so, Assel set about showing Ena to the Academy’s best-equipped dormitory. Since she didn’t seem inclined to return today, it was his consideration that she at least sleep in a decent place.

“I’ll just sleep in your room.”

And then came a response like a thunderclap.

“Pardon?”

A time when the moon was at its fullest. When the number of students wandering the streets dwindled, and conversely, the restaurants swelled with patrons.

At Ena’s sudden declaration, Assel could only reply with that bewildered query.