Angus began remembering back what had happened previously. Even though the silence of classroom echoed, he always determined the miracle as the farce.
The uproar had only just begun to settle when the Great Wizard slowly turned his gaze toward Baston who was still kneeling with exaggerated reverence in front of him.
The performance had been flawless, too flawless that everything had been calculated. He understood immediately that Baston had not awakened because of him.
The boy had used him. He used his presence, his reputation, and his authority. Worst of all, it was done in front of many witnesses.
"Did you see that?" one student whispered loudly, "Even someone like him can become a wizard!"
"It's all because of Great Wizard Angus!"
"Incredible… Just a little guidance and he breaks through!"
The classroom buzzed like a disturbed hive. The hope spread faster than the logic. Even the noble students leaned forward with bright eyes since the implication was dangerous.
If Angus could casually push a poor student into a wizard, then perhaps, the shortcut indeed existed. There was no need for the power in years of study. They only needed a guidance for the miracle.
Back then, Angus raised a hand and the silence soon fell. He stated that Baston's situation was circumstantial. In other words, it was just a coincidence. It was the politest word he could choose.
The disappointment rippled through the classroom. Some people tried to mask it while the others didn't bother.
The same noble boy who had once forced Baston out of his seat, looked as though he had swallowed the poison. The envy burned openly in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the fat boy kept his forehead pressed to the floor. The humbler he acted, the safer the story of miracle became.
If he stood proudly, the suspicion would grow. If he trembled gratefully, the story would become simple. A poor boy was just lucky and such luck was harmless.
*****
Baston had calculated this event carefully.
The academy was still investigating the cafeteria explosion. If he suddenly displayed the magic without the explanation, several questions would follow.
Where did he learn it?
When and from whom?
Why now?
There would be too many uncertainties, but if the awakening occurred under the supervision of Great Wizard Angus, the answer became effortless.
It was a fortunate coincidence, a moment of inspiration, and a spark that was ignited by a master.
No one would connect him to the strange phenomenon and no one would connect him to hidden motives. Eventually, no one would think too deeply.
People trusted such authority and Angus had just unknowingly become his shield.
*****
Back at Alicia's room, Angus studied the kneeling boy inside his memory.
Baston was still praising him, still thanking him, and still speaking as if he had received the divine blessing. If not for the dozens of watching eyes, he might have flicked his forehead just to see whether his act would crack.
He had underestimated the boy. The realization irritated him more than the manipulation itself.
Until now, he believed Baston was either a frightened child who was hiding something or a pawn who was entangled in the matters beyond his comprehension.
However, the today's event suggested something else. The fat boy's action was deliberate, calculated, efficient, and disturbingly bold.
Alicia noticed the subtle tension and her lips curved faintly. She knew her uncle had not awakened Baston. She also knew that the entire spectacle was intentional.
Even though so, she wondered why the fat boy finally decided to show his strength. Despite an opportunity to always keep it hidden, he chose to reveal himself.
*****
In the meantime, some students swarmed toward Baston after the class was dismissed. They hurled several questions and congratulations while hiding their thinly veiled jealousy.
He escaped quickly, muttering about his exhaustion and dizziness. He did not stop walking until he reached the underground dormitory.
It took a long time until he reached his so-called home. The air there was damp and heavy but he was familiar in this place.
It was safe here. He closed the door but he soon froze. Angus was already inside, leaning casually against the wall.
"So…" Angus said, "You dare to use me as a stepping stone?"
Baston's heart tightened but his face remained obediently confused, "I only acted naturally under your guidance…"
"Spare me of your little acting..."
The word was soft but sharp, "You were already a wizard before today, right?"
"If that were true," he replied carefully, "Why would I need to expose myself?"
Angus watched him. The silence stretched inside such a small space. The fat boy was still playing around despite the pressure against him.
"Because…" Angus said slowly, "You are either reckless or you are very confident of yourself."
Baston smiled faintly, "I'm just being careful toward my own strength…"
That answer made Angus' eyes narrowed. The boy was not denying. Instead, he was reframing the explanation. It was clever, very clever for just a simple poor fat boy.
"I had no choice…" Baston continued, "If my magic appeared without explanation, people would suspect me."
"I can guess that you are worried of being implicated by the past explosion," Angus replied immediately.
Baston lowered his gaze, "I am just a poor student. When the disaster happens, the people like me are such convenient suspects. After all, such miracle could not possibly happen unless it was not one from the beginning. Because of that, I need the statement from such famous wizard to make it safer."
The statement was not entirely true and Angus did not dismiss the logic. In this kingdom, the talent elevated status but the poverty erased such trust. In this case, the assurance from the noble was a must.
"So… You borrowed my name…"
"Yes…"
Baston was very blunt and he almost amused Angus. No one dared to blabber such disrespect yet there was a single person in front of him who had done it.
"You assume I will tolerate that?"
"I assume…" Baston replied softly, "The Great Wizard Angus values the results over his pride."
The statement was dangerous since his flattery was disguised as the logic. Angus almost laughed since he found an interesting person. Rather than discussing about the matter instead, he changed the direction.
"What do you know about Joker?"
The temperature in the room suddenly shifted and Baston had expected this.
This so-called Alicia's uncle truly cared about his niece, making sure that no danger entity was around her. Despite missing from the surrounding, Angus still insisted.
"My instinct tells me that you know him," Angus said, "I do not like such unanswered instincts."
"Why pursue him? Why not just let him go?" Baston countered.
"Because he threatened my niece..."
There was no hesitation in that answer. It was for Alicia since everything always circled back to her. Angus did not care about the rumors, the cults, or the theatrics. He cared about his family.
Baston understood immediately which meant he needed a different angle.
If Angus aggressively hunted Joker, the risk increased. It was not because Joker was real but because the puppet could be traced or cornered. If that happened, the old book might be revealed then.
Such thing was a variable that he could not measure.
"Joker is dangerous…" Baston said carefully.
"Explain it to me more thoroughly..."
"I cannot..."
Angus' aura sharpened slightly, "Why not?"
"Because you have a family…"
The sentence hung heavy and Angus' expression changed. It was just slightly but Baston saw it. Just by the word, the old man should understand the complication. His family would be his weakness. As for him, he would not have such weakness.
In the end, he just played around with the great wizard. Everything was a lie yet Angus never knew such thing was a lie from the beginning.
"You are implying that he will target my family?"
"I am implying…" Baston replied evenly, "That some enemies prefer such indirect methods."
The silence loomed the atmosphere. Angus was powerful but his power did not make the loved ones became invincible.
Joker had demonstrated something disturbing that day. He had appeared and disappeared without a trace. Even Angus could not fully explain it which meant the uncertainty existed. This uncertainty was dangerous.
Baston sensed the hesitation.
He needed a reinforcement, another thing that he could use to push forward. Then, he remembered the line from the old book that he had dismissed earlier. It sounded random, but now, it was a perfect situation to use.
"Mana potion infused with ice magic can cure the poison from mana turbulence…"
"What?" Angus frowned as Baston muttered it aloud.
"That was something Joker mentioned," Baston said.
It was half lie and half truth. He only spoke it now to escape from the predicament.
"I do not understand it," Angus stared, "That makes no sense."
"Joker's indeed out of sense…" Baston said quietly, "However, I believe he wouldn't speak about such matter carelessly. Despite his craziness, there was a truth behind his words."
Angus' mind moved quickly. The mana turbulence was rare but it was unstable and often fatal. There was no reliable cure until now. It was pointless to struggle over that symptom and everyone knew that.
One must take a long rest before their condition became better. That was the known treatment over the years.
However, the statement was intriguing.
If Joker had said it and if Baston believed it was worth mentioning, then it should have a value. Either it was meaningless noise or it was insight hidden beneath conventional ignorance, only an expert could check it.
Angus disliked such unresolved statements. He also knew Baston was not speaking randomly. The boy was seemingly redirecting him but he just accepted it. After all, it was very irresistible if it was the truth.
"I will verify this…" Angus said finally.
He stepped toward the door but paused himself, "If I discover you are misleading me…"
He did not finish the sentence since he did not need to. Baston only bowed down as his reply reverberated around his simple damp room.
"I would not dare…"
Angus left but his suspicion did not.
Before departing the academy grounds, Angus activated a communication sigil. A small transmission crystal glowed in his palm. He sent a concise message to an old friend.
The old man was a director of the foundational arcane research. This man was more interested in the formulas rather than the prestige. If anyone could test a ridiculous theory properly, it would be him.
After that, Angus did not linger. He avoided the ceremony and the farewell banquets before he vanished as quietly as he had arrived.
*****
Several miles away, within a stone complex built more for the stability than the beauty, an elderly man read the message twice. By the third time, he adjusted his spectacles.
"Mana potion… ice infusion… turbulence poison?" he snorted softly, "It's quite absurd!"
For decades, the researchers had tested such attribute infusion.
The fire strengthened the aggression and the wind improved the diffusion. As for the ice, it stabilized but only temporarily. It had never showed such result in the turbulence cases.
The instruments showed no measurable improvement which meant the hypothesis was abandoned. However, the instruments measured surface patterns and not the micro-oscillation between mana layers.
The old man's eyes soon sharpened.
If Angus sent this, it meant the information was worthy and not whimsical.
He turned toward the dim laboratory hall. Most researchers were idle inside since the funding had shifted toward a combat spell development. Eventually, the foundational research became unfashionable.
It was boring yet he believed it was necessary.
"Attention…" he called, creating the groans and reluctant faces among the people, "I have a new direction."
He changed his posture, clamoring confidently, "It comes from Great Wizard Angus, so you already know what it means…"
There was a silence but in this calm atmosphere, the interest soon was embroiled. Angus reputation indeed carried much weight.
"Prepare the controlled turbulence samples. We will attempt the structural infusion but this time, monitor the sub-layer resonance."
A younger researcher blinked, "No one monitors at that level anymore."
"Then, we will..."
The old man's voice held quiet authority.
If this proved nothing, it cost them a week. If it proved something, the history would remember the first discoverers. Apparently, it became a gamble.
*****
Back in the underground dormitory, Baston exhaled slowly. The room felt smaller and darker. He walked toward the old book which was resting on his bed.
Its cover remained still and silent. Still, he could feel it watched and judged about how he had redirected Angus successfully before.
Whether if he actually tested that formula seriously, he didn't quite care. Even though so, he wondered inside his head.
What if it worked?
What if it failed?
Either the result would shift the board.
He opened the old book slightly and the last page was blank. It seemed to be waiting for any development. He wondered whether the quest was truly random or had the book anticipated certain moment.
Unknowingly, he felt the old book was playing a deeper game than he thought. In the end, he only began to understand its scale.