Chapter 45: Professor Hodde’s Plans

Mages are a new profession that has gradually replaced knights over the past few hundred years. It can be said that the emergence of mages has brought about tremendous changes in the overall power balance of the human world.
Take the empire, for example. Aside from the royal knights who serve as the imperial guard, almost all knights have become mere pawns. For instance, during the war against Salonia a decade or so ago, the empire deployed four or fifty thousand ordinary knights, whose task was merely to drive away the enemy or clean up the battlefield.
It must be said that compared to knights, mages have more diverse attack methods and a greater range of attack distances. Fortresses that seem impregnable to ordinary knights appear worthless in the eyes of mages.
In fact, the war between the empire and the church a decade ago was essentially a battle between black mages and white mages, with knights playing only a supporting role.
Yet, despite their strength, mages are extremely fragile. If two knights of similar strength compete, it may take a long time to determine a winner. But mages are different—even if two mages are equally skilled and equipped with the same magical artifacts, if one of them loses focus, they are likely to be defeated.
Mental strength, willpower, magical power, and physical stamina are all crucial factors determining whether a mage can continue fighting. Beyond these, a mage’s survival ability is also a significant concern—especially on the battlefield, where mages are often the first targets.
Some say that knights of the same rank have little resistance against mages of the same rank, but this isn’t entirely true. If a knight is equipped with highly resistant magic armor, it might be the mage who suffers instead. In such cases, the mage needs the support of attendants or companions.
It should be remembered that there were many adventure teams in human society—some sent by the state to search for ancient ruins in ruins, others driven by greed for wealth and treasures left by predecessors. These teams rarely returned alive, and even if they did, many members were missing. The reason? The absence of mages in these teams…
Some say that a competent adventure team needs two to three mages to survive in harsh environments—a statement that holds true.

After all, mages are not knights. Their speed in regaining stamina and magic power cannot be matched by that of knights, who can simply sit down and catch their breath. A competent mage team usually has two mages casting spells while the third maintains full magic power throughout to handle unexpected situations. Moreover, the spells these two mages specialize in are quite different. In the adventure groups organized by the empire, there are never two fire mages or two water mages, as this would be a waste of talent. The best combination is one high-damage mage paired with one who excels at restraint. Similarly, knights are also essential in such a team. It’s not because knights possess great strength, but because their resistance is much higher than that of mages. What might be a fatal blow to fragile mages often seems trivial to knights. If there’s a royal knight wearing highly resistant armor, the survival chances of the mages in the team increase even further. With this in mind, it’s clear that while mages are powerful, they have their limitations. After all, no genius mage can master all spells. Even if they could, without knight protection, they might not be able to overcome all difficulties and dangers. An excellent adventure team should have at least one thief, two warriors, three mages, and three knights, with one or two archers added for better resilience against threats. This principle was once again proven during last year’s anniversary event at Rexox Academy. Among the student teams, some had strong offensive capabilities but were weak in defense and restraint, while others had sufficient restraint skills that frustrated their opponents, but their offensive power left the academy professors ashamed. Teams like Room 1-101 at Rexox Academy can be considered to meet the standard for a good team. Throughout Rexox, I can hardly think of any student teams that could compete with Jiang Zhe’s team—of course, referring to students from the same grade. Bertram Brandt, a proponent of magical studies and a renowned mage, once said, “As a mage, the basic requirement is to learn how to work well with your teammates.” In this regard, Jiang Zhe’s team can be regarded as a role model at Rexox.

But Bernie Gossop, the famous magician who proposed the principle of antimatter transportation, also said, “Learning how to face an enemy alone, without companions or their interference, is a lesson that magicians must learn throughout their lives.” In Dormitory 1-101, neither Jiang Zhe nor Scott or Allen realized this, yet it seemed that the dean of Rexx Academy intended to teach them this lesson “in person.” Two days wasn’t long nor short—it passed in the blink of an eye. Jiang Zhe and the others didn’t pay much attention to the extra strangers in white magic robes at the academy; the only thing that concerned them now was the exam on ancient magic history the next day. As for this exam, it was widely resented among Rexx Academy’s students, but none of them seemed as bold as the members of Jiang Zhe’s dormitory… Stealing exam papers from the basement warehouse the day before the exam? Such a thing was unheard of! So, taking advantage of the bright moon in the sky and the silence in the academy, the three kids sneaked out of their room and quietly made their way to the basement of the garden. Unbeknownst to them, the old dean was watching their every move through a crystal ball, sipping tea and chewing on a pipe with a smile… To reach the basement, they had to pass through the potion-making class, which was also that underground botanical garden. Speaking of that garden, Jiang Zhe couldn’t stop thinking about that sunflower… Remembering how that strange plant drooled at him during class, Jiang Zhe wished he could send it flying with a fireball. Even though his own body had an abundance of fire elements, he hadn’t seen that plant drool at Lavia either. Although Ms. Vera Covetti from potion-making had repeatedly explained that it was just the sunflower’s natural saliva… As the three kids walked through the underground botanical garden, all the other plants seemed to be asleep and unresponsive, except for that sunflower, which suddenly raised its head, trembling as it sensed its surroundings. Then, like a carnivorous plant, it opened its mouth filled with dense, sharp teeth toward Jiang Zhe… Disgusting! Every time he saw that green, yellow plant, Jiang Zhe felt a tightness in his chest. “Cough cough, hurry up!” Allen, who was leading the way, waved his hand behind him and whispered.

Coming out of the underground botanical garden, Jiang Zhe and the others turned right and arrived at a long, quiet underground corridor. Walking down this corridor to the end led to the room where the exam papers were kept.
It seemed these three kids were lucky, as they didn’t encounter any professors on night patrol along the way. Of course, it was just seems…
Finally, they reached the door of that room, but upon seeing the locked iron door, the three were stunned.
Huh? They hadn’t expected this when they came…
The three of them looked at each other, their expressions awkward.
Hesitantly staring at the iron door, Jiang Zhe whispered to Scott, “Scott, you remember so much. Do you know how to open this lock?”
At Jiang Zhe’s question, Scott was caught between laughter and frustration. With a wry smile, he said, “Sos, we’re magicians, not thieves. Why would I learn how to pick locks?”
“Right…” Jiang Zhe nodded sheepishly and glanced at Allen.
“Don’t look at me… Although I can break down this door, I can’t guarantee the noise won’t attract the professors on night patrol…”
“Well…” They had come this far; they couldn’t just turn back now. If they told Lavia tomorrow, she would surely laugh at them. With this thought, Jiang Zhe looked at Scott again, filled with hope.
Seemingly sensing Jiang Zhe’s hope, Scott seemed to remember something. With a hint of surprise, he whispered, “Wait, I remember reading in a book how to open this lock…”
“Then you…” Allen instinctively wanted to say something but quickly shut his mouth.
“Let me think,” Scott said, as if nothing had happened. He glanced at Allen, habitually pushed up his glasses, then his eyes lit up. “Let me do it!” He stepped forward to the door and recited in a low voice, “Ou pein eiretiou ou rui…”
As soon as he finished the spell, the iron door made a rustling sound, and with a click, the lock opened…
“Great job!” Jiang Zhe and Allen cheered softly. At the same time, the old dean, who had been watching their every move through the crystal ball, smiled and chewed on his pipe, saying gently, “This kid has indeed read many magic books. He even remembers this spell—something even the professors in the academy might not know… Not bad, not bad!”
While the old dean spoke, Jiang Zhe and the others gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. But once inside, they were stunned.

Behind the iron door was not a room, but another dark and quiet corridor. Strangely, as soon as Jiang Zhe and Scott entered, they sensed something was off.
“Illusion!” Scott said firmly after observing the corridor for a while.
“It must be the academy’s basic defense measure, or maybe to keep students like us away…” Jiang Zhe shrugged self-mockingly, not really caring. After all, as a magic academy, it was normal to set up illusions in important places.
Compared to Jiang Zhe, Allen seemed even more indifferent. He rubbed his hands together and said, “Whatever it is, illusions or not, let’s grab the test papers and leave quickly. If we get caught by the night patrol professors, I don’t mind, but I’m worried you guys won’t stand Professor Manhert’s nagging…”
Jiang Zhe and Scott nodded and followed Allen down the corridor.
The corridor seemed very long. It took Jiang Zhe and the others at least ten minutes to reach the end… no, not the end, but a crossroads.
Scott clearly felt something was wrong. Looking at the three paths, he said to his companions, “Something’s off, Thos, Ai… Allen, I feel something’s not right…”
“What’s wrong?” Apparently because Scott called his name, Allen spoke in his usual tone, but it still sounded a bit unnatural.
“I can’t explain it. I just have a feeling…” Scott glanced around but couldn’t pinpoint it.
Looking at the three identical corridors, Jiang Zhe turned to Allen and asked, “Allen, do you know which way to go?”
“How should I know?” Allen shrugged nonchalantly. “We can just try one by one. One of them will lead us somewhere. Whoever finds it, just remember to bring back three copies of the test paper. Wait, bring a few extra and give one to Ravia…”
“She won’t want it!” Jiang Zhe was sure of that.
“I know she won’t,” Allen shrugged casually, resting his arm on Jiang Zhe’s shoulder and whispering, “Dude, don’t blame me for not warning you. I’m doing this for your own good. If she doesn’t want it, that’s her problem. If you give it to her, it shows you care about her. Otherwise, she might feel awkward asking us for more…”
“Why should I remember her?” Jiang Zhe rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Hmph!” With a habitual sneer, Scott sarcastically said, “I think it’s a real shame you’re not going into politics!”
Allen glanced at Scott with a hint of confusion before breaking into a grin and saying, “That’s true, but I still think it’s more suitable for me to be a knight… ah, no, a combat mage…”
“…” Scott stared deeply at Allen before inexplicably saying, “Yeah…” They exchanged glances and smiled simultaneously. Though it was slightly unnatural compared to before, it was much better than a few days ago.
“What’s… going on? Why are you smiling?” Jiang Zhe seemed puzzled by what was happening between the two.
“It’s nothing serious,” Allen said softly, patting Jiang Zhe’s shoulder. “I’ll go left, Scott will go right, and you, Sos, go in the middle. Go all the way to the end, get the test papers, and then head back to the dormitory… One of us three will definitely make it to where the test papers are…”
Jiang Zhe turned to look at Scott. Though he looked hesitant, he still nodded.
“Allen, Sos, I have a feeling something’s off. Be careful!”
“What’s there to be careful about? This isn’t some other place—it’s Riox!” Unconcerned, Allen waved his hand and entered the left corridor.
“It’s better to be careful, Sos!” Scott nodded at Jiang Zhe before entering the right corridor, leaving Jiang Zhe to take the middle corridor.
And just like that, the three of them parted ways…
Meanwhile, in the dean’s office, the old dean, who had been smiling at the crystal ball, suddenly raised his head and said to the person in front of him, “Hod, those three kids have fallen for it…”
“Hehe,” Professor Hod smiled slightly, looking at Jiang Zhe’s image in the crystal ball, and said softly, “I’ve spent more time with these kids than any other professor in the academy. I can guarantee that all three of them have outstanding talents. Their strength far exceeds that of students in the same grade, but their weaknesses are also quite obvious…”
“What weaknesses?” Abel asked curiously, resting his head on his hand.

With a wry smile, he glanced at the old dean. Seeing the dean cough twice and look away, Professor Hodd couldn’t help but complain inwardly a bit before saying, “Firstly, as my apprentice, Thos possesses strong magical combat abilities. I can confidently say that even the fifth- and sixth-year seniors aren’t necessarily more skilled in controlling fire elements than him…”
“And he also masters Flashflame, right?” the old dean added with a smile.
“Just the most basic, the very basics…” Though he said that, it was the smile and pride in Professor Hodd’s eyes that showed how proud he was of his apprentice’s achievements.
“Ten years apart, and you’ve even learned to praise yourself indirectly?” Saying this, Abel glanced at Professor Hodd’s embarrassed expression, chuckled, and asked curiously, “So as this kid’s mentor, do you know his weaknesses?”
“Of course,” Professor Hodd nodded, speaking with a hint of regret. “This brat has innate talent in learning magic… and he’s quite diligent, at least when it comes to using magic. But unfortunately, he prefers offensive magic and is very weak in restraining enemies and defensive tactics. His attack methods are also quite limited… Oh, the same goes for other students too!”
“Hmm, I know that,” the old dean nodded gravely. “But the reason I only let these children master one offensive magic is to prevent their focus from being scattered. A magician can’t master all types of magic; they must know what to prioritize and learn only what will help them better master their skills… But this also has negative effects. If they encounter an opponent whose elemental attribute counters theirs… Well, I’ll discuss this with the academy’s professors. When the students reach fifth grade, they can learn another offensive magic, which will greatly vary their attack methods…”
“Fifth grade? Isn’t that too hasty?” Professor Hodd seemed hesitant.
“There isn’t much time left…” the old dean murmured. Then, raising his head and seeing Professor Hodd and Abel’s puzzled expressions, he coughed and said, “Let’s discuss this in a few days. Hodd, what kind of opponent have you assigned to that kid named Thos?”
“A Phantom Water Monster, Dean!”

Before the old dean could speak, Abel exclaimed in surprise, “The Illusory Water Monster of Lake Bibinis? Good heavens, Hod, aren’t you just bullying this kid? Not to mention that kid—even your Fire Magic professor at Rex Academy couldn’t defeat the Illusory Water Monster!”
“Not necessarily. Don’t you have one right in front of you?” the old dean said with a smile, biting his pipe.
“Him?” Abel glanced at Professor Hod and pouted, “Nonsense! Of course he can. He already masters the highest level of fire magic—[White Flame]. That kid doesn’t even have that!”
“Huh? How do you know Hod masters White Flame? Did he tell you?”
“Well…” Abel’s expression suddenly became awkward; his face turned slightly red as he glanced secretly at Professor Hod before changing the subject. “Alright, I get it. Anyway, you’re not planning to let these three kids succeed. So, what opponents have you arranged for the other two? Let’s start with that interesting kid named Allen!”
“Allen, huh,” Professor Hod smiled faintly as he recalled, “He’s indeed a very interesting kid, cheerful too. But to be honest, sometimes I can’t believe he’s also a student at Rex Academy. He seems more like someone from the Royal Knights Academy… Well, I spent some time with this kid. He’s very strong—I mean, in terms of raw strength. Even ordinary adults might not be stronger than him. Due to his talent and his admiration for knights, his combat style is more limited than Thos’s. I bet he still hasn’t learned any offensive magic. So, I assigned a ghost as his opponent…”
“Hmph. Assigning a ghost, who’s immune to physical damage, to a student who’s good at physical attacks—what a ‘great’ professor you are…”
Seeing Professor Hod awkwardly enduring Abel’s sarcasm, the old dean couldn’t bear it any longer and interjected, “Actually, Hod is doing the right thing. After all, Rex is a magic academy. If someone can’t even use any offensive magic, how can they be called a magician?” With that, he turned to Professor Hod and asked, “So, what about that kid named Scott? I remember he’s learned quite a lot…”

“Yes, Dean. Scott is the most diligent and hardworking student I’ve ever met. He’s also extremely intelligent. As far as I know, he began studying various spells such as enchantment and curses on his own long before the required college courses started. However, his weaknesses are obvious—he’s good at defensive spells and curses to hold opponents back, but he’s very weak in offensive spells. That’s why I plan to have the mechanical guards from the alchemy lab as his opponents!”
“Hmph, mechanical guards?” Aibel glanced at the crystal ball and shook his head. “What a heartless professor. Won’t that make that kid’s curse spells completely ineffective?”
“How else can they discover their shortcomings?” The old dean said with a smile, watching the scene in the crystal ball. “Actually, this test is indeed a bit too difficult for these kids. But I have a feeling that in the near future, they will become influential figures in this world… truly remarkable! Even if Rexos is no longer around one day, these students of the academy will keep Rexos’ great name alive!”
“Old Dean?”
“Oh, I’m just making an assumption, nothing more. There’s nothing more joyous than watching these kids grow up day by day. They will all be Rexos’ pride!”
“Yes, Old Dean!”
“Look, look, Hode! Your apprentice’s battle with that Water Phantom has begun. Ah, that spell must be your pride and joy, Flare Flash, right? But sadly, this kid’s flame level is only barely at yellow flame… without white flame, he can’t defeat the Water Phantom. Your mentor is quite heartless… poor kid…”
“How can that be heartless? You don’t understand. I’m just afraid this kid will become arrogant once he masters Flare Flash…”
Watching Professor Hode and Aibel, the old dean silently smoked his pipe.
Indeed!
Even if Rexos perishes one day, the academy’s students will survive. They will live on and rebuild Rexos Academy!
I am certain of this, because they are all my pride—my pride as Great Keynes!