"Oh, I see. Of course, no problem at all. I would love that. Generally speaking, our academy does not have a specialized curriculum for training familiars. After all, there are too many different types of familiars. To become a 'Familiar Instructor,' one must have knowledge of most magical attributes and magical species."
As Osman said this, he glanced at Dak.
He felt that Dak might not fully understand the responsibilities of a Familiar Instructor, so he subtly gave him a reminder.
However, seeing that Dak's expression remained unchanged, he couldn't help but feel secretly shocked.
'Could it be that Dak truly has the ability and qualifications to become a Familiar Instructor?'
In reality, that wasn't the case.
Dak had no real knowledge of this world's magical species. He only had vague impressions of the ones that had appeared in the original work.
He was simply confident enough.
From what he had observed in the original work, familiars and Pokémon were essentially no different.
The only distinction was that familiars did not have an 'evolution' system.
In other words, familiars were basically Pokémon with a single form.
Dak had trained Pokémon across all eighteen types and had raised hundreds of them. In terms of Pokémon training experience, even in the Pokémon world, there weren't many people who could match him.
Compared to that, the number of magical species in Halkeginia, let alone those within this magical academy, was insignificant.
This was why Dak remained calm and composed.
Before long, the two arrived at the headmaster's office.
Along the way, they encountered several students and teachers, who curiously observed the man being personally escorted by the headmaster, assuming he was a noble from some kingdom.
Dak simply responded with a warm smile and a nod, leaving a humble and kind first impression.
Inside the headmaster's office, a woman with dark green hair and an impressive figure was seated at a desk, writing up a class roster. She seemed to be handling clerical work.
Dak only glanced at her before looking away.
He did not remember her name but knew she was an earth-element mage skilled in thievery. She had infiltrated the academy in search of the so-called "Staff of Destruction"—which was, in reality, an M72 anti-tank rocket launcher.
The green-haired secretary raised her head, glanced at Dak twice, and smiled before returning to her work.
Her thoughts were similar to those of the others.
Because of Dak's refined demeanor and noble-like appearance, she assumed he was a high-ranking noble from some major kingdom visiting Tristain Academy of Magic.
Every year, a few of these idle nobles would show up for no apparent reason.
"Dak-sensei, your arrival truly brings great honor to Tristain Academy of Magic!"
Once inside the headmaster's office, Osman dropped his formalities and excitedly shook Dak's hand.
"You're too kind, Headmaster Osman," Dak replied with a gentle smile, continuing to maintain his image as a respectable teacher.
In truth, this was not much different from his usual demeanor, except that he was generally more laid-back.
Unnoticed by the others, he subtly glanced toward the door. He could sense a few people eavesdropping outside—it was likely students.
Osman noticed Dak's gaze and immediately chanted a spell, conjuring a strong gust of wind toward the door.
BAM!
The door was blown open, and three to five students, who had been leaning against the wall to listen, tumbled to the floor.
"We've been caught!"
"Run!"
The students quickly scrambled away, their movements so practiced that it was clear they had done this many times before.
It was only a matter of time before this peaceful and secluded academy was swept up in a wave of rumors—"A New Teacher Has Arrived!"
"Dak-sensei, from now on, I will entrust you with the 'Basic Ice Magic Education Course' and the 'Familiar Training Course.' My idea is to set them up as elective classes first, so that interested students can attend. What do you think?"
Osman explained his plan, adding a clarification to avoid any misunderstandings. "After all, both of these courses are quite difficult. If they were mandatory, it would be too challenging for the students."
"Of course, I have no objections," Dak replied with a smile, glad that this arrangement would give him plenty of free time.
Becoming an Ice Magic Instructor was an experiment to see if he could further develop this world's magic system. If successful, he could introduce it to Pokémon Island without having to research it from scratch.
Having students conduct experiments of their own would speed up the results.
Meanwhile, becoming a Familiar Instructor was an opportunity to see if these "familiars" could be trained into a new Pokémon species.
The green-haired secretary seemed to have heard something astonishing. Her pen stopped moving, and she subtly perked up her ears to continue listening.
Beneath her hair-covered face, her expression mirrored the same shock that Osman had displayed earlier.
"Ice magic?!"
While it was true that very few mages specialized in training familiars, it wasn't because the profession was particularly prestigious.
The reason was simple: training familiars was too much effort and not worth the investment.
Most mages simply allowed their familiars to grow on their own, occasionally guiding them. Hiring a specialized instructor was practically unheard of.
To put it bluntly—why would a human even think they could train other magical species?
The reason the green-haired secretary was so shocked, of course, was that she had never even heard of something called "Ice Magic."
In a certain past era, there was indeed a group of lunatics who tirelessly attempted to develop a sixth magic attribute beyond the five great magic systems. They even went as far as forming a cult and abducting numerous noble heirs as test subjects.
However, not only did they fail to create the new magic attribute, but they also provoked widespread outrage and were ultimately wiped out by a coalition of the six major kingdoms.
Since then, no one had dared to attempt developing a sixth magic attribute.
Partly because they feared being targeted by other mages due to possessing something too valuable, and partly because it simply seemed hopeless.
But now—
She had just heard Osman say that this man would be teaching a Basic Ice Magic Education Course?!
Even though it was only a basic education course, such courses were essential and compulsory in every magic academy across the continent.
Since ancient times, there had only been four fundamental elements for a mage's introductory studies: Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth.
Yet now, Tristain Academy of Magic was about to establish a fifth.
If word of this got out, the entire continent would be thrown into chaos. Countless royals and nobles would undoubtedly flock to Tristain Academy for further study—or even attempt to recruit this man at all costs.
At that thought, the green-haired secretary swallowed nervously and couldn't help but look at Dak again.
The more she observed him, the more she found him unfathomable, as if a mysterious aura now surrounded him.
She had no doubt that this man truly possessed Ice Magic.
Even though Osman was an eccentric old man, she completely trusted his abilities, knowledge, and keen judgment as a mage.
"Excellent! This is Longueville, my secretary. She will be in charge of arranging your courses. From here, she'll also take you to your dormitory," Osman introduced, gesturing toward the green-haired secretary.
Longueville stood up and gave a slight bow before Osman continued, now introducing Dak to her.
"Longueville, this is Dak-sensei. You heard what we just discussed, right? Be sure to take good care of him. Dak-sensei is a Grand Mage who has developed the sixth magic attribute—Ice. Also, do not let this information spread for now."
Grand Mage was a title reserved only for Rectangle-ranked mages.
Osman had no idea what Dak's actual mage rank was, but even if he was only Triangle-ranked, the mere fact that he had developed a new magic attribute was enough to justify calling him a Grand Mage.
"Understood! Dak-sensei, pleased to meet you. Please follow me," Longueville responded smoothly. On the surface, she remained calm and composed, maintaining her usual poised demeanor, but inside, she was utterly shaken.
She had been right.
This man—who looked even younger than herself—had actually created the first new magic attribute in over six thousand years.
This would change the entire world's magic system.
She had no doubt that the name Dak would go down in history, second only to the Founder Brimir himself.
'Why have I never heard of him before?!'
As she walked ahead, her mind raced with theories.
At this moment, she no longer doubted Dak's noble heritage. In her eyes, he had to be closely related to Brimir.
Perhaps he was even a direct descendant.
Only a prodigy of such lineage could accomplish something so earth-shattering at such a young age.
But if that were true, why had no one ever heard of him?
'Unless… there's a powerful force backing him, deliberately keeping him hidden?'
She couldn't help but suspect it.
Developing a sixth magic attribute and completely concealing it from the world were both feats that no single person could achieve alone. A force of immense power had to be assisting him.
And another thing—
If this man wanted to make a name for himself, why had he come to Tristain Academy?
Tristain Academy of Magic was tucked away in the remote northwestern corner of the continent—practically the middle of nowhere.
If he wanted fame and recognition, going to Romalia or Albion would be the fastest route.
She mulled over all of this silently, never revealing her suspicions.
After all, her own identity was hardly normal.
Partly out of guilt, and partly because she trusted that Osman must have already considered these issues, she chose to remain quiet.
"Dak-sensei, your dormitory is in Block B1 of District One. This is the teachers' dormitory, and the environment here is excellent. If you need anything, just let me know—I can retrieve it from the storage for you."
Longueville did her best to appear harmless and approachable.
After realizing that Dak was likely someone with hidden motives—just like herself— she became much more cautious.
The last thing she wanted was to be noticed by this extraordinarily dangerous 'kindred spirit.'
(End of Chapter)
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