Never Die Villain

"That student... is he actually allowed to do that?"

Several professors were monitoring the examination through projection crystals, each one displaying a different section of the hunting field.

More accurately, however, most of their attention had gradually shifted toward a particular student who was traversing the field through the air, raining spells down on weaker magical beasts with remarkable accuracy before moving on to the next target.

Ilya Valentinovich Belozersky.

"It’s not against the rules." One of the professors leaned closer to the projection. "But still, this is interesting. The Belozersky boy can use telekinesis at that level?"

Another magical beast appeared beneath Ilya.

He barely slowed down.

A spell descended from above, struck the creature before it could properly react, and moments later, Ilya was already moving again.

Rather than wasting time navigating the forest like most of the other students, he simply passed over whatever terrain stood in his way and searched for targets from above.

"At his age, using telekinesis on his own body with that much control is already ridiculous," the professor continued. "Moving an object is one thing, but applying enough force to yourself to fly without losing control is... something else. If he can already do that as a first-year, then we might have another monster on our hands."

"Is that even really telekinesis?"

"What else could it be?"

"Wind magic, perhaps?"

The professor shook his head. "Not with the distance he’s already covered. Look at how often he changes direction, and he’s still casting offensive spells without showing any signs of slowing down. He shouldn’t have enough mana to sustain that kind of movement for this long while fighting at the same time."

"No, that’s not what I meant." The other professor continued watching Ilya. "It could be a Domain..."

Silence followed.

The first professor slowly turned his head.

"...Are you hearing yourself right now?"

"I said it could be."

"Tell me something. How old were you when you manifested your Domain?"

The professor hesitated. "...During my fourth year as a scholar."

"Exactly." He pointed toward the projection crystal. "That boy is seventeen years old and still an academy student. Does what you’re suggesting make any sense to you?"

"When you put it that way..."

"There is no other way to put it."

Another professor nearby chuckled, although his eyes remained fixed on the projection.

"Telekinesis is already difficult enough to believe. Jumping straight to a manifested Domain because you can’t explain how a first-year is moving through the air seems excessive."

"I’m aware of how ridiculous it sounds."

"Good."

"But telekinesis doesn’t explain everything either."

That earned his attention again.

The professor gestured toward the projection, where Ilya abruptly changed direction in midair without any visible preparation.

"Look at him carefully. His offensive spells require hand signs, but whatever he’s using to move doesn’t. He isn’t maintaining any obvious casting posture either, and I haven’t seen him perform an incantation for it once."

"Silent casting."

"From a first-year?"

"You’re the one who suggested a Domain."

"Fair enough."

The professors fell quiet again as another spell descended through the projection and struck a magical beast below.

Ilya swept past it without even landing, apparently trusting the identification seal to tell him whether the attack had been enough to finish it.

One of the professors crossed his arms.

"Whatever it is, he certainly wasn’t doing this in the Knight Department."

"No."

"And he’s only been seriously studying magic for half a year?"

"Approximately."

The professor stared at the projection for several seconds longer before his attention shifted toward a certain assistant professor who had just entered the room and begun placing several documents on the table.

"Hey, Assistant Professor Adelheid. You’re quite close with Ilya Belozersky, aren’t you?"

He leaned back in his chair before she could answer.

"No need to deny it. Apparently, it’s become rather popular gossip among the students lately."

Vera looked up from the documents.

"You could say that, sir, although it’s more of a friendly relationship than anything else."

She fixed the papers into a neat stack before glancing toward the projection displaying Ilya.

"I used to know his mother, you see."

"His mother...?"

The professor frowned for a moment before recognition crossed his face.

"Ah, right. The Black Rose Madonna." He snapped his fingers. "I sometimes forget the boy is the son of a celebrity as well as a Grand Duke. Wait a moment, Assistant Professor Adelheid, you actually knew the Black Rose Madonna?"

"I wouldn’t say we were particularly close, but I spoke with her quite a few times backstage. My uncle, Professor Nordberg, had connections with her manager, so whenever she performed nearby, I occasionally managed to get a backstage pass through him."

"Occasionally?"

"Quite often."

The professor stared at her. "You’re telling me you had regular backstage access to the Black Rose Madonna?"

"I suppose so..?"

"And you never thought this was worth mentioning?"

Vera raised an eyebrow. "Why would it be?"

Another professor turned away from his projection entirely. "Assistant Professor Adelheid, with all due respect, some of us spent an embarrassing amount of money trying to get seats for her performances."

"That sounds like a personal financial decision."

A few of the others laughed.

The first professor shook his head before returning his attention to the projection. "Well, that at least explains why you took an interest in her son. I was starting to wonder how a Belozersky and an assistant professor from the Magic Department ended up becoming so familiar with each other."

"It started that way," Vera replied. "Ilya barely knew what he was doing when he first began seriously studying magic, so I helped him here and there. One thing led to another, and eventually I ended up supervising most of his practical training."

That brought the conversation back to the boy currently flying across their projection.

"Wait."

The professor slowly looked from Vera to Ilya.

"You trained him?"

"For the most part."

"Then what exactly is he doing right now?"

Vera followed his finger toward the projection crystal.

Ilya swept over another section of the forest before abruptly changing direction, his body accelerating without any visible spell accompanying the movement.

A moment later, he raised one hand and sent several Fire Bullets toward a beast below before disappearing beyond the crystal’s range again.

"Moving around."

"I can see that."

"Then why did you ask?"

The professor’s eye twitched.

"I’m asking what spell he’s using."

"Oh."

Vera looked back at the projection.

"I couldn’t tell you."

"You trained him!"

"I trained him in magic. That doesn’t mean I know every trick he decides to come up with when I’m not looking."

The professors exchanged glances.

One of them leaned forward again. "So it isn’t telekinesis?"

"I never taught him telekinesis."

"Wind magic?"

"Not like that."

"...."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"...We were discussing another possibility."

"Oh?"

"...A Domain."

For the first time since entering the room, Vera hesitated before an amused smile appeared on her face.

"A Domain?"

Then, she chuckled.

"Sir, Ilya has been properly studying magic for what, half a year?"

Vera shook her head as though the suggestion itself was ridiculous.

"If that boy had already manifested a Domain, I wouldn’t be standing here filing paperwork. I’d have dragged him into my office months ago and refused to let him leave until he explained exactly how he managed it."

The professor who had first suggested the possibility frowned.

"...That’s more or less what he said too."

Vera walked closer to the projection crystal and watched Ilya move across the hunting field, maintaining the same relaxed smile despite knowing the truth perfectly well.

"A Domain at seventeen would already be crazy enough, but from someone who only began seriously studying magic several months ago? You’re giving him far too much credit."

"So you don’t think it’s possible?"

"I know Ilya well enough to say that if he had manifested something like that, I would know."

The entire time, everything Vera had said had been a lie.

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