The Obsessive Regressor of The Academy

9. The Witch’s Gathering

The day after constructing the mana core.

The lunch hour hadn’t even arrived yet, and Asel was already out in the bustling streets of Weiheim with Ena.

Ivelyn was learning the mansion’s duties from Hailey, so she didn’t come along. Since she had little interest in magic, she remained at the mansion without any particular sign of disappointment. Thanks to that, Asel felt a bit more at ease as well.

“…”

“Ooh…”

Asel followed behind Ena, who led the way, observing the lively cityscape.

Mana-powered vehicles traveled along the neatly paved roads. Transport that moved solely by the power of mana, without the need for carriages. All the occupant had to do was adjust the direction and speed, easily accessible even without learning to ride. A common sight in Weiheim, where magitechnology was highly developed.

Golems were also actively moving about the streets. Their forms were diverse, ranging from ordinary stone to those composed of elemental materials like fire and water. Most of them were transporting materials necessary for magic or research.

Their speed wasn’t particularly fast, but considering the number and weight of the items they carried, they were undoubtedly excellent laborers. Humans couldn’t do that. Unless they were someone who had awakened their Aura, perhaps.

‘But someone like that wouldn’t be working as a transporter,’

Asel chuckled to himself, thinking so. Just then, Ena turned to look at him and spoke.

“Disciple, do you remember why we’re out today?”

“Ah, yes. I remember.”

Asel nodded in response. Yesterday, the day they’d established the core, after dinner, Ena had called Asel aside to inform him that they would be going out together tomorrow.

The purpose was twofold. One was to receive his certificate of affiliation with the Witch’s Coven, and the other was to determine his magical affinity. Both piqued Asel’s interest considerably. Of the two, Asel was more fascinated by the prospect of discovering his magical affinity.

He understood that the Witch’s Coven was a formidable organization. He’d read a book about the Coven yesterday, after all. He’d already crammed his head full of how deep its history ran and how many achievements and great figures it had produced. He understood that being affiliated with such a place was a glorious thing.

But that was it. He understood it with his head, but his heart remained placid. Perhaps it was because he’d only just dipped his toes into the society of mages, but the thought of becoming a member of the Witch’s Coven didn’t make his heart pound. Maybe he was just skimming the surface with shallow knowledge.

On the other hand, the magical affinity test—simply hearing about it made his chest swell.

‘All existing magics are greatly influenced by the caster’s affinity.’

The most widely known elemental magic, necromancy, magic that treads on the heretical side like black magic, and even peculiar magic like lightning magic. You couldn’t just learn all of them simply because you wanted to. The magic you could learn differed depending on which type of magic the caster had a greater affinity for.

For example, if one’s magic was highly compatible with fire, then fire magic would be easy to learn, and if it meshed well with water, then hydro-magic would be the easiest. The potency and efficiency of the magic were also exceptional.

It wasn’t that you couldn’t learn magic of other types at all. However, the limits of what one could achieve were distinct, and the hierarchy one could ascend was significantly lower. Thus, most mages tended to learn magic of a lineage that aligned well with their magical nature.

However, peculiar magic was a little different. This unusual magic lineage was influenced not only by the nature of one’s magic, but also by one’s individual imagery, talent, environment, and various other factors. The lightning magic that Ena had learned was no exception.

‘What am I?’

If possible, he hoped it would be something related to electricity. With that thought, Asel quickened his pace.

“First, let’s stop by the Witch’s Coven, then have lunch before going to take the affinity test. Sound good?”

“Yes. You can do whatever you’re comfortable with, Master.”

“Then let’s do that. Is there anything you want to eat?”

“Anything but moldy garbage is fine.”

“…I’ll choose something appropriate.”

Ena gave Asel a pitiful look and stroked his head. Asel realized he’d made a slip-up and gave a wry smile. He should have just said any food. Now she’d worry.

“Let’s just go for steak, then. I know a good place.”

“Yes. Sounds good.”

They continued walking, exchanging small talk. Before long, the two arrived in front of a building of immense size.

A building that stretched out more horizontally than vertically. Countless windows were clustered together on the exterior walls, and a lightning rod was planted atop the pointed roof.

A black cat sat at the front entrance, wearing a cat-sized witch’s hat on its head, unlike any ordinary feline.

An indelible wisdom was etched into the depths of its yellow eyes. The cat was licking its paw, grooming itself, when it noticed Ena approaching and flicked its gaze towards her. Then, it beamed, straightening its body.

“Ena!”

Human words burst from the cat’s mouth. Asel’s eyes widened at the unbelievable sight, while Ena, seemingly accustomed to the spectacle, opened her mouth without any particular reaction.

“Long time no see, Bell. How have you been?”

“Me? Fine as can be. What about you? You went after that b*stard Gervill, didn’t you? Did you catch him?”

“Missed him, unfortunately.”

“Bullshit!”

A feline named Bell bared her fangs in a hiss, leaping into Ena’s arms. Ena caught her with practiced ease.

“You, missing *him*? You could snuff him with a flick of your wrist!”

“He was holed up in the kingdom’s slums. Couldn’t exactly blast magic around willy-nilly. Plus, he took hostages.”

“Ha! On purpose, no doubt. Filthy rat. I knew something was off when I caught a whiff of rot following him. Hostages are *exactly* his style. And a noble mage resorting to such tactics…”

Bell clicked her tongue, clambering onto Ena’s shoulder. Ena idly stroked her back, turning to face Asel. Caught in her blue gaze, Asel, who had been staring blankly at Bell, snapped out of his daze and approached her.

“My apologies. I was just… startled.”

“It’s alright. Everyone’s like that when they first meet Bell.”

“Am I some sort of monster? Why the special treatment?”

Bell, as if complaining, lightly nipped at Ena’s shoulder. Then, she glared at Asel, her eyes narrowing.

“So, who is this wet-behind-the-ears brat? And why are you dragging him around?”

“Haven’t you heard the rumors?”

“What rumors? Sounds like you’re full of yourself.”

“Hmm, really?”

Ena let the squirming Bell be, looking down at Asel in silence for a moment. Then, she chuckled softly, gently stroking his hair.

“He’s my apprentice.”

“?”

Bell’s expression twisted strangely at Ena’s words. Ena’s lips quirked up as she repeated herself.

“My apprentice, Asel. Say hello, Asel. This is Bell, a Shape-shifting Adept from the Witch Coven.”

“Ah, hello. Bell-nim. I’m Asel.”

Asel offered a polite bow to the stunned feline. Bell peered down at the top of Asel’s head, then suddenly thrashed, wriggling free from Ena’s arms. Ena readily let her go.

“Nya!”

Landing on the ground, she let out a cat’s cry, her tail held rigidly upright. Asel recognized the gesture as a form of channeling. Waves of magical energy, beginning at Bell’s tail, soon enveloped her entire form. With a series of cracking sounds, the cat’s body shifted back into that of a human.

Shorter than Ena. Purple bobbed hair that reached her shoulders. A striking girl with sharp, feline eyes and golden irises that shimmered within. She stared at Asel, her mouth agape in surprise, before abruptly spinning around and darting into the Witch Coven’s building.

As she ran, she shouted,

“The lightning-obsessed mage has taken on a successor! The sky’s gonna tear apart again! Kyaaa!!”

“Still as loud as ever.”

Ena watched Bell’s retreating figure, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

“Let’s go, Asel.”

“……Yes.”

Asel answered with a hesitant expression. Ena, giving his forehead a light tap with her finger, began to walk slowly into the building. Asel followed her.

Upon entering the building, a deep scent of books and wood filled the air. Intermingled within were the fragrance of women’s perfume and the acrid tang of various reagents. One wouldn’t have noticed it before crossing the threshold, but it was immediately apparent once inside. It seemed they had taken measures to conceal the activities within from the outside world.

‘A barrier technique, perhaps? I didn’t sense any magical power at all…’

Asel frowned, turning his head in all directions.

Now inside the building, he could detect a lingering, potent residue of magical energy. The very air he breathed was saturated with dense magic, and the floor, walls, and ceiling were all imbued with magic and magical power. None of this was perceptible from outside. It was a curious thing for Asel, so sensitive to mana and magical energy.

“The exterior is disconnected from the interior, yet there are no traces of magic. It seems they utilized a different kind of artifice.”

“You noticed.”

Ena said, regarding Asel with a surprised expression.

“When this building was first constructed, we invited a geomancer from outside. That person separated the space at the elder’s request. I heard it was a delicate undertaking, requiring a month dedicated solely to incantations.”

“I presume they are no longer here?”

“No. I’m often away on excursions.”

Asel nodded, raising his gaze upward.

One of the books floating in the air settled precisely above his outstretched hand.

The title read, *Revised Edition: Witch Council Fire Magic*. Asel began to read the book slowly, opening his mouth to speak.

“Even among geomancy arts, those dealing with spatial manipulation are known to be rare. This must have been a geomancer of considerable skill.”

“They were a seventh-circle geomancer. And quite aged, too. One would expect they would have mastered spatial geomancy.”

“Even someone like that required a month to cast the artifice?”

[This book revises Ignis Magic Tower’s fire magic into a form similar to the Witch Council’s peculiar magic, differing greatly from conventional elemental magic.]

“That’s usually how it is for anything related to spatial arts. Not just for geomancers, but for warriors, too.”

“The same amount of time, I presume?”

“Time is even more demanding. There are likely no living time geomancers in existence anymore.”

[The fire magic presented in this book does not rely solely on tinder and embers within the core. Instead, it comprehensively utilizes external magical power, mana, physical flames, embers, and flames spread by the caster. As such, an exceptional level of magical power control, suppression, affinity, and a fluid magical circuit are required. If any one of these is lacking, it is best to abandon the attempt quickly.]

“Speaking of which, how far are we going? It feels like we’ve been walking for quite a while…”

“Just a little further.”

[The following is a basic fire magic spell. If you can use the spell with ease, you can also learn the next spell and the magical concepts discussed in this book. If the spell is impossible or difficult to cast, close the book and get some more sleep.]

“There aren’t many people on the way.”

“Most are likely on assignment, or holed up in their personal laboratories. Few people actually come to the Witch Council building in the first place… What are you doing?”

“Pardon?”

“Acel,” she repeated, her face serious as she pointed at Acel’s hand.

“That… what is that?”

“This, you mean? It’s a book titled *Revised Edition of Witch Coven Fire Magic*. I happened to pick it up and started reading.”

“Not that. The thing in your other hand.”

“Ah, this one?”

Acel lifted the hand not holding the book with a casual air.

A crimson flame danced above his palm. A spark feeding not only on the sorcerer’s own magical power, but also devouring the mana and magic drifting in the air, using it as kindling.

“It’s a spell called *Scorching Flame*. I tried it out after reading about it in the book.”

“…How?”

“Uh, well…”

Acel hesitated for a moment, then scratched his head and replied in a small voice.

“…Just? I just did it, and it worked.”

Ena’s jaw dropped.