I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 800 - Side Story 73: Sealing Magic (1)

For Eric the words to seal the magic eyes were a dream.

It wasn't that he had never thought about sealing the magic eyes. However, because the power of the magic eyes were so strong, he couldn't even attempt it with ordinary methods.

With the help of the Chancellor Elisa, he barely managed to suppress the activation with a large pair of glasses artifact.

'But sealing? Is that even possible?'

If someone other than Rudger had said such a thing, Eric wouldn't have believed it. But if it was Rudger, he could believe it. The image he had shown until now had given Eric trust.

Rather than speaking smoothly, showing one's skills decisively just once. Rudger's method was very concise and efficient. It was a choice possible because he was that confident in his own skills.

"My magic eyes are powerful, is it possible?" 

"Didn't I tell you? I've suffered from something more toxic than you." 

"Even if you say that, it won't be easy..."

To the point where it was difficult to live a normal life, the power of the magic eyes he possessed was far too strong. Even the Chancellor who specialized in handling magic eyes couldn't do anything about his magic eyes.

Of course, since coming here and seeing Mina's insane constitution, he no longer thought he was the only one suffering.

But he suffered from something worse than magic eyes?

Rudger knew the question contained in Eric's gaze. Well, it was natural for him to have quite a few doubts from his perspective.

"Hmm. Well, it should be fine to show a little."

For smooth lessons in the future, a bit of experience should be fine.

Rudger cast a solid protective magic barrier inside the classroom. As Rudger suddenly used magic, Eric instinctively sensed something was coming and tensed up slightly.

"What exactly are you going to show me?" 

"Eric Willow. From now on, what you see must not be told to anyone." 

"Wait, what exactly is it...?" 

"You'll know when you see it."

Rudger said so and quietly closed his eyes. The mana that had been flowing throughout his body drained outward like a receding tide, forming a blue mist. As the mist filled the classroom densely, Rudger gently opened his eyes.

'Huh?'

Eric realized that Rudger's pupils had changed. His pupils were a piercingly beautiful blue color. But now, they were glowing bright red as if rubies had been embedded in them.

Eric realized belatedly. That crimson color was originally his eye color, and the blue was because of excessive mana.

"Heaven's Gate Open."

A small ring rose above Rudger's head. It was a halo that could be called a symbol of angels.

However, unlike a halo that should be ring-shaped, there was a pitch-black hole inside it.

The size of the hole was small enough to fit only about one person's arm. But Eric could feel the irresistible, enormous presence emanating from inside it.

"Hmm. I only opened it a little but they're rushing in eagerly. I thought it had gotten a bit better compared to before, but was it just because my mana increased that I felt that way?"

Rudger muttered to himself like that.

"T-Teacher. What is that exactly...?"

Eric belatedly realized that his voice was trembling. He usually passed over most things coolly, but this time he absolutely couldn't do that.

At that moment Eric saw some small form that protruded from inside the pitch-black hole.

It was smaller than a human finger joint. But in that small thing, some indescribably overwhelming things dwelled.

Like, would this be the feeling if thousands of people were gathered in one place and then compressed to that size?

It was such a tiny size that he shouldn't even be interested, yet strangely his gaze was drawn to it on its own. Was it called the law of universal gravitation? Overwhelming mass has enormous gravitational force by itself and has the power to pull things in.

That small finger joint was the same. Though small in size, it had a density that couldn't be dared to be guessed. It was natural for his gaze to be drawn to it.

Eric's eyes soon began to throb. Along with a stinging pain, even a sensation as if something was burrowing into his pupils.

"Ugh!"

When Eric flinched without realizing it, Rudger watched and muttered quietly.

"It seems to have taken quite a liking to you." 

"Wh-what do you...?" 

"I was going to just show an appropriate example, but did I receive help?"

Rudger lifted his head and spoke toward the hole.

"That's enough. Any more than that is dangerous."

‘Who is the teacher talking to right now?’ Even amidst the pain felt in his eyes, Eric was curious.

It was the reason and curiosity of a mage. But his instincts were different. They were screaming madly that he shouldn't listen to those words, that he shouldn't lift his head and look at that.

Eric broke out in a cold sweat. For some reason, even breathing was painful. As Eric panted, Rudger said.

"Do it in moderation. This time I just opened it for confirmation. If you're going to continue being stubborn, I won't open it for the rest of my life."

-Ssssss.

Did the half-threatening warning work? Whatever was communicating with Rudger reluctantly accepted and disappeared to the other side. Rudger immediately closed the hole opened in the air, absorbing mana and weaving sealing magic.

"Huff! Huff!"

As the oppressive feeling that had been densely swallowing the entire classroom disappeared, Eric could finally breathe normally.

"T-Teacher. What exactly was that just now?"

Eric asked in a voice filled with fear and dread.

"A transcendent being." 

"What exactly is that, no, where did you get such... it's as if..." 

"Like a god?"

At the words that hit the core, Eric closed his mouth. Right. If you don't call such a terrifying existence a god, what can you call a god?

"Well, it's not wrong." 

"Yes. Yes?" 

"They were once gods with divinity, but now they're nothing more than those whose names have disappeared."

Their names have disappeared. Doesn't that mean that thing is a result of becoming weaker than before?

"Teacher, you've been...to such existences..." 

"I've suffered sickeningly. But now I'm fine. As I said, thanks to sealing magic."

Eric trembled. He thought he was the only one suffering because of the constitution called magic eyes. Of course, he knew that not all misfortune in the world applied entirely to him. Still, he thought he was quite unfortunate.

But today, Eric realized he was a frog in a well.

Just by slightly encountering that part of the body made his hair stand on end and made it hard to breathe, so what must Rudger's position have been like, directly communicating with and suffering from such an existence?

Now he deals with it so calmly, but Eric knew that he wouldn't have been like that from the beginning. Rudger's attitude was rather close to a state of enlightenment, because he had experienced it so sickeningly much.

"People think favor is good. Someone's favor, love, those kinds of things, they say it's blessed."

Rudger calmly dispelled the solid protective magic engraved in the classroom.

"But the reason they can say that is because that favor is exactly at a level they can handle. Rather, compared to the vessel of desire that humans possess, the favor others send is so little that it's hard to fill even half of half."

The traces of mana disappeared and the classroom returned to its usual atmosphere. But Eric couldn't help but feel a sense of alienation even in this atmosphere.

After facing an overly intense light, they say even when you close your eyes, the light flickers in the darkness?

Because he had seen an excessively shocking scene, even though he had returned to reality, this reality didn't feel real since that momentary memory continued to remain like an afterimage and rose in his mind.

"But the love of a transcendent being cannot be judged by human standards. The favor they impose breaks the vessel humans possess all too easily."

If human love is like pouring water into an ordinary vessel, a god's love was like pouring magma into an ordinary vessel but the vessel can't withstand it and melts down in an instant.

"In order not to be tormented by such existences, I developed sealing magic. Do you now understand why I'm trying to teach you?"

Eric nodded wordlessly. He thought his past self who had doubted Rudger for a moment was stupid.

"This is my constitution. Something hard for an individual to handle, similar to you or Mina." 

"So, that's why."

The reason Rudger had taken particular care of him and Mina was greed as a teacher who couldn't just leave excellent mages alone, but also an act stemming from compassion, unable to simply ignore children in the same situation as himself.

"Still Eric, you're on the lucky side. I didn't expect they would suddenly stick their finger in through the suddenly opened door, but your mind is fine even after seeing that." 

"My mind is fine, you say?"

Even now my head is dizzy and I feel like throwing up?

"That's pretty good." 

"What happens if it's not good?" 

"Do you want to hear?"

It was a question of whether he really wanted to hear, whether he could handle that truth. Ordinary students would be intimidated here and say no, but Eric was different.

"...I don't want to pass over it without knowing anything." 

"Huh."

Rudger let out a laugh without realizing it. He seemed like someone who found everything bothersome, but it turned out he had more pride and passion than anyone else?

"Well, what you saw is an extremely small part so there won't be major aftereffects. But if you see even a little more, it becomes different from then on. From then on you become drawn." 

"Drawn?" 

"When you saw that finger, your gaze was taken away without you knowing. Do you know the reason?" 

"That's..." 

"A massive presence draws everything in by itself. That tiny joint was your gaze and attention. If it gets bigger than that, from then on it's not just simple attention."

Your mind becomes drawn, and beyond that, your body becomes drawn.

"The one who is drawn has their body collapse and becomes one with it. It can literally be called union."

Eric felt goosebumps rise all over his body. If it gets just a little worse, your mind is drawn and you become a cripple, and if it gets even worse, even your body is drawn?

Is such a thing possible? No, there's no point in denying it. He already knows that what Rudger says is sincere, doesn't he?

"Moreover Eric, in your case you're very lucky." 

"...Even though I saw such a thing? Well, if being fine like this after seeing that is lucky, I can accept that." 

"You were the one who had curiosity, and I gave a warning in my own way. And what I mean by lucky has another meaning."

Rudger pointed at Eric's eyes.

"The state of your eyes, how is it now?" 

"Huh? Well."

Eric belatedly realized that the pain that had been stabbing his eyes had disappeared. At the same time, he realized that the world he was seeing had become several times clearer than before.

"Wh-what?" 

"It seems to have taken a liking to you. More precisely, they must have been curious about the sight of you being with me." 

"Wh-what exactly happened?"

Eric slowly removed the glasses artifact he was wearing on his face. Nothing was wrong. The world reflected in his eyes was no different from when he wore the artifact.

It was the result of the power of the Magic Eyes, which should have swirled normally, being strangely calm.

"I should say it's a goddess' gift. Congratulations, Eric Willow. You've become one of the few humans to receive baptism directly from a god."

Rudger spoke of an earth-shattering fact as if it were nothing.