Chapter 220: Combined Class (4)

Louis’s voice was soft, but everyone present could hear it clearly.

The instructors quickly regained their composure.

They tore their gaze from the synchronization confirmation panel, their tense expressions easing.

”…You got lucky with the draw. You should be grateful to the graduated seniors.”

This situation occasionally occurred.

When the previous user’s physical condition and other factors were similar, high synchronization values could be achieved without adjustment or with minimal tweaking.

Since it happened frequently, the instructors accepted the current situation as such.

“Tsk. If we start like this, we won’t be able to practice… Can’t help it. You must find time later to study the adjustment process.”

“By the way, 99… That’s incredible.”

“This level of synchronization means fortune is smiling on us.”

A synchronization value of 80 to 90 was typically sufficient. Values above 91 required extremely fine-tuned adjustments, forcing even Beta and Techno Mages to expend tremendous effort just to raise the synchronization value by one point.

Thus, achieving 99 immediately was nothing short of astonishing.

“Your team shouldn’t attempt any further calibration work.”

“Don’t risk messing it up and losing that synchronization value.”

The instructors, attributing it all to mere luck, collected their synchronization verification devices and descended the makeshift stairs.

With their departure, Louis turned to the cockpit and demanded:

“You. How long do you plan to stay there?”

There was no answer.

“If you don’t come, I’ll go first.”

With those words, Louis left Sierra behind and departed.

Ding-dong!

Just then, the school bell signaling the end of class rang. No sooner had it sounded than two pairs of redheads and silver-haired girls converged on Louis.

“Brother Louis!”

“Louis!”

“Louis, I’m hungry! Let’s get snacks!”

“Quickly! If we’re late, we’ll have to wait in line! Hey, Shiba, you’re coming too!”

“I-I’m coming!”

In an instant, the group had formed around Louis, who wore an exasperated expression. Meanwhile, Sierra’s gaze remained fixed on the back of Louis’s head as the two beauties dragged him away, their arms linked through his.

That evening…

“What are you doing?”

A woman who had just finished washing up saw Sierra sitting blankly in a chair and asked.

Sierra finally snapped out of her daze at the question and shook her head.

“Nothing… Just thinking.”

Her face clearly showed she was troubled, but her roommate didn’t press further. She knew Sierra wasn’t one to open up easily. Besides, they weren’t close enough to share personal stories in the first place.

Sierra’s attitude felt like she was building a wall around herself. Even though they’d been roommates for quite some time, no real friendship had developed between them.

Because of this, the woman chose to spend more time with others rather than staying with Sierra.

“I’m going to visit my neighbor!”

”…See you later.”

As Sierra nodded, her roommate immediately left the room.

Left alone in the silence, Sierra found herself overwhelmed by the events of the afternoon replaying in her mind.

…Just lucky?

She had heard what the instructors said. They claimed her synchronization score was high because she’d randomly selected a compatible unit. But Sierra knew better than anyone else that wasn’t true.

That unit was clearly uncalibrated.

The difference was so obvious even a pilot experiencing their first Transcendent would recognize it. Yet everything changed when Louis intervened. That only deepened the mystery.

Is that… even possible?

All Louis had done was glance over her. And the tuning time was absurdly short.

No, could that even be called tuning?

He’d merely touched her hand briefly before withdrawing.

While Sierra lacked extensive experience, all previous tuning sessions she’d witnessed involved Techno Mages laboring over adjustments.

After class, she stopped another instructor passing by.

Can tuning truly be completed in the blink of an eye? And with… high synchronization values?

Sierra couldn’t bring herself to mention the exact 99% synchronization figure.

The response she received was a look of utter disbelief.

What exactly do you mean by “the blink of an eye”?

Roughly… hmm… about 10 seconds?

It felt like less than 10 seconds, but when I pushed myself to the limit, it took exactly 10 seconds.

The instructor burst out laughing.

Even a pilot and Techno Mage who’ve been working together for over a decade typically take at least five minutes to synchronize. Though if there’s a pilot who’s been partnered with a Master for a long time, it might indeed happen in the blink of an eye, as you suggest.

…Then how long would it take a Master to synchronize with a pilot they’ve just met?

Well… I’ve never witnessed that myself. For a Master, it might take around 10 minutes, perhaps?

Can a Master synchronize with a pilot without asking them anything first?

What nonsense. Even if they’re Masters, how could they tune a mage without consulting the pilot’s sensory experience? That’s impossible even for Grand Masters. They’re not Gods—how could they possibly know what’s in a person’s mind?

With that, the instructor left, warning Sierra not to spout such absurdities.

The exchange only deepened the confusion in Sierra’s mind.

Something she herself deemed impossible.

Something others confirmed as impossible when asked.

Yet it had actually occurred.

And at the hands of a mere Techno Mage from Transcendence Academy’s lower-tier class.

Sierra couldn’t fathom how to process this reality.

Her mind flashed with Louis’s smug face.

“What… exactly is that guy?”

A voice thick with confusion echoed softly in the empty room.

A few days later after school.

The travel party had gathered in Louis’s room once again.

Kani, sprawled on Louis’s bed, suddenly burst out in irritation.

“That Bui bastard! His eyes look so sinister!”

The source of Kani’s annoyance was Bui, her teammate in the same squad.

She constantly complained about Bui’s eyes being sinister whenever she got a chance.

It was a wonder she’d kept him alive this long.

“One time he glared at me like he hated me! But that jerk… he was actually enjoying it.”

“Huh? That’s completely twisted!”

“Right? Tania, don’t you think so too?”

“Totally twisted!”

“Exactly!”

Kani and Tania’s agreement was perfectly synchronized.

Meanwhile, Khan and Kendrick paid no attention to this, busy spreading snacks in the middle of the room and devouring them.

The room was in utter disarray.

Seeing this, Louis sighed in exasperation. “Ha… Why do these idiots keep crawling into this cramped space? And Tania, Kani. Why are you constantly sneaking into the boys’ dormitory? What will you do if you get caught?”

Both Tania and Kani answered simultaneously.

“We won’t get caught.”

”…These idiots.”

When Louis growled, Tania flinched and began her excuses. “But… there’s nowhere else to go.”

“Why not? You could go play somewhere else.”

“But Louis wouldn’t be there.”

“That’s right! Louis wouldn’t be there!”

“Right! If you’re going to play elsewhere, come with us!”

“That’s right!”

Watching the girls repeatedly exclaim “That’s right!” Louis sighed.

“Ha…”

Even in the well-equipped dormitory of Transcendence Academy, the six of them crammed into a two-person room made it feel even more cramped.

Noticing Louis’s dissatisfaction, Shiba spoke up in a small voice.

“Um… couldn’t we change the location?”

“Huh?”

“Well… if we apply for the Research Society, we could get a laboratory. There’d be plenty of space for all of us.”

“Can students use those too?”

“Yes, with a bit of application process, it shouldn’t be difficult to obtain.”

“Oh? Really?”

Louis’s eyes sparkled.

She’s truly useful!

Having dispatched the most capable Fin to monitor William and being stuck with the utterly useless quartet, Shiba’s practicality was now shining through. She had become a very useful fool, comparable to Pablo.

Louis patted Shiba’s shoulder and said, “Great! Now go find us a laboratory!”

“W-What? Me?”

“Then shall I do it?”

”…”

“You were the one who brought this up in the first place… How long do you plan to keep living like this with those guys? Don’t you want some space to spread your wings? Do you want to spend your days cooped up in a dorm room?”

“W-Well, that’s not it, but…”

“And one more thing,”

“Huh?”

“Who here would be suitable to handle this matter?”

”…”

Shiba was at a loss for words.

Louis was right.

Though this was supposedly about establishing a research society, given the people present in the room, there was no one who seemed capable of taking charge.

Not that anyone present was particularly qualified, mind you.

As Shiba nodded in agreement, Louis flashed a sly smile.

“Now now, go hurry up and form a research society. I’ll make you the president.”

“P-President? Me?”

“Exactly! All we need is a space to gather and loaf around. So you’ll be the president.”

And you’ll handle all the annoying administrative work.

In other words, a figurehead president.

Of course, Shiba didn’t catch on to Louis’s true intentions and nodded as if he understood.

As Louis patted his shoulder with a satisfied expression, Shiba suddenly remembered something.

“Ah! Right! I’ve found out about the Research Society you mentioned earlier, Lady Laura’s.”

Shiba had been diligently gathering information all day, serving as Louis’s personal informant.

“Really? Let’s hear what you’ve got.”

Under Louis’s expectant gaze, Shiba cleared his throat before speaking.

“The Research Society run by Master Laura specializes in circuit ritual studies. It’s located in Room 204 of the research building. The members consist of 15 advanced students and 18 intermediate students. They’ve recently been recruiting new members, and three lower-level students joined this round. They’re still accepting applications.”

“Oh?”

“Professor Laura is officially registered as the instructor, but I’m told the actual operations are handled by her first-grade disciple. The education of research members is managed by second and third-grade disciples.”

“How do you join?”

“Once you submit an application, they say they’ll contact you within a few days. But…”

“Why?”

“Well… the rumors I’ve heard sound rather peculiar.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“They claim… they demand payment. To join the Research Society, you have to pay an admission fee.”

”…Is that normally required to join a research society?”

Louis’s eyes widened in shock as Shiba shook his head.

“That can’t be true. It goes against the academy’s rules.”

”…”

Seeing Louis’s hardened expression, Shiba responded with an awkward chuckle.

“Ah, it’s just a rumor. No way would Transcendence Academy… especially a research society run by a Master, do something like that?”

Though Shiba tried to reassure him, Louis’s stony expression showed no signs of softening.

Is that really the case?

No smoke without fire. Such rumors don’t spread without reason.

Someone might have maliciously spread it, but…

Judging by Shiba’s tone, it seemed the rumors were subtly circulating among the students.

The academy was simply standing by while rumors about the Master—malicious ones at that—spread unchecked? That fact alone was suspicious.

It’s not impossible for those rumors to be true.

As one of Transcendence Academy’s renowned Research Societies, its influence would naturally extend far and wide. Being a society founded by the Master himself, it likely boasted even more extensive connections than other groups. Merely having a record of membership in the Master’s Research Society would undoubtedly be advantageous for career prospects.

Louis’s nose twitched.

There’s… something off here.

Continuing to sniff the air, Louis pulled out his death list from his breast pocket. He then swiftly wrote down a few words.

Laura Research Society Bribery Allegation Investigation

He swiftly tucked away his notebook and produced a large sheet of paper instead. The drawing on it consisted of intricate lines, resembling a bizarre tangle of water pipes.

Shiba tilted his head in confusion. “I’ve been meaning to ask… What exactly is that?”

He was well aware that Louis had been working on this peculiar diagram for days.

Louis smiled in response. “This? A treasure map.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s real. Something like this exists.”

Seeing Shiba’s head fill with question marks, Louis’s grin widened even further.