The Retired Supporting Character Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 155 - Head Theoretical Professor Kaiden (7)

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 155 - Head Theoretical Professor Kaiden (7)

Hindrasta clenched her teeth, her fists tightening with fury.

Dragons are powerful beings.

In their true forms, no ordinary magic could so much as scratch their scales.

That was why, during the war, neither the Demon King’s army nor the Human Alliance could properly restrain Hindrasta, no matter how recklessly she rampaged.

If Hindrasta weren’t currently in her polymorphed state, she wouldn’t have been fooled by this kind of trickery in the first place.

Suddenly, anger flared within her. What a joke.

Hindrasta initially thought to confront Kaiden immediately but quickly changed her mind.

Mages were cunning, and Kaiden in particular was exceptionally so.

If she charged in without a plan, she’d only end up tangled further in his schemes. She simply wasn’t smart enough to outwit someone like him.

Instead, she decided it was best to first contact Dian.

She’d inform him of the mage’s petty tricks and let him handle the situation.

But not now.

Judging by the way the paths were deliberately twisted, Kaiden was clearly still with Dian.

For now, Hindrasta decided to retreat, swallowing her frustration.

# # # # #

"Dian, do you have plans for this evening?"

Kaiden asked as we ate.

"Not really."

"Then join me for dinner. There’s a place I saw while exploring the city the other day."

"Dinner? In the city?"

"Yes. Will you be available?"

"I suppose I am…."

I trailed off, and Kaiden smiled faintly, his gaze questioning.

Since Kaiden’s arrival, we’d been having lunch together almost every day and heading into the city in the evenings.

I didn’t dislike it, but doing this every single day was starting to feel a bit overwhelming.

"Are you finding it bothersome or unpleasant?"

Kaiden asked, his subtle smile making it seem as though he could read my mind.

"No, it’s not that."

"Then please accompany me today. I also have a gift for you, Dian."

"A gift?"

"Yes, for helping me adjust so well to the Academy. It would be unbecoming not to show my gratitude."

Hmm, was it really such a big deal?

I hadn’t done much. Kaiden was simply smart enough to figure things out on his own.

Still, a gift? Now I was curious about what it might be.

Just then, Orendi approached us and greeted us cheerfully.

"Good afternoon, Professors."

"Where are you off to?"

"Not going anywhere. I actually have a question for the Head Theoretical Professor."

Orendi smiled politely as he rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a notebook.

"Um, about the illusion magic you taught me last time—there are a few parts I’m stuck on. If it’s okay, could you…?"

"Of course. Have a seat."

With Kaiden’s permission, Orendi beamed and eagerly took the seat beside him, flipping open his notebook.

"Right here, the part about ‘sensory overlap’—it’s causing problems. When I cast it on a target, the effects become distorted and disperse over time. Especially when visual and auditory senses overlap, the entire illusion starts to wobble."

As Orendi pointed to the notebook and spoke in incomprehensible jargon, Kaiden smiled.

"The key to sensory overlap lies in continually calibrating the overlapping senses to maintain balance. The flow of magic becomes extremely delicate during this process, and it seems the issue stems from here."

Kaiden pointed to a spot in the notebook.

"Right here, at the moment the overlapping senses begin to cause confusion, you miscalculated the sensory calibration point. If that’s off, the entire illusion falls apart. Adjust this formula accordingly."

"Hmm, how exactly…?"

"The basic structure works like this: visual and auditory senses operate on different frequencies. The caster must synchronize these frequencies using the flow of magic to stabilize the illusion. To synchronize them, you’ll need to recalibrate using this resonance adjustment value."

Kaiden’s fingers moved quickly, conjuring a formula mid-air.

"This here is the synchronization resonance value. If it’s set too high, the visual aspect will dominate; if too low, the auditory aspect will overpower, causing the illusion to destabilize. Adjust it this way, and your sensory overlap should become more stable."

"Oh, oh… ohhhh…."

Orendi was on the verge of tears, his voice trembling with emotion.

"This is incredible… so clear, so brilliant… how is this possible…?"

"Good luck with your studies."

"Thank you!"

Orendi shot up, bowing so deeply that his forehead hit the table. He didn’t seem to notice as he ran off in high spirits.

"Such enthusiasm. Typical of mages."

"You can’t become a mage without being obsessed with magic, Dian."

"You’d know better than anyone."

"Perhaps."

Kaiden smiled.

"I’m not obsessed with magic, though. My true obsession lies elsewhere."

"And that is?"

But Kaiden didn’t answer.

# # # # #

After work.

The evening sky was dimming over the staff living quarters as Hindrasta stomped down the street, snorting with irritation.

She was on her way to Dian’s house, intent on reporting everything Kaiden had done.

When she spotted Dian’s house up ahead, her pace quickened.

"Wait a second…."

Her sharp dragon eyesight caught something odd behind a nearby wall—just barely visible, but unmistakable.

It was someone’s head. A person crouched low, hiding poorly.

Was that Maya, the priestess? What was she doing there?

Still, Hindrasta ignored her. A dragon’s priority was her goal, and her goal was Dian. She made a beeline for the front door.

"Olysia! Olysia!"

She banged loudly on the door until Olysia rushed to open it.

"What’s wrong?"

"Is Professor Dian here?"

"No, he’s out. He said he had plans."

"What kind of plans?"

"He mentioned having dinner with the Head Theoretical Professor."

"Hmm…."

Hindrasta stroked her chin in thought. So they’d gone into the city….

"Ah! Good evening, Lady Knightley! Lady Merilda!"

Olysia called out to someone behind Hindrasta.

Turning, Hindrasta saw Knightley and Merilda approaching.

Merilda waved first.

"Hi, Sophie. What are you doing here?"

"What about you two? Don’t tell me you’re here to see Dian too?"

"Yeah. We haven’t seen him in a while, so we came to say hi. I ran into Knightley on the way here, so we came together."

"Dian’s not here. He went into the city with the Head Theoretical Professor."

"Oh, really? I guess we’ll have to come back another time…."

As Merilda sighed in disappointment, Hindrasta’s face lit up with an idea.

"You two, come here. I’ve got something to tell you."

Hindrasta pulled them aside and whispered her plan. Knightley scoffed.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

"I’m serious!"

Hindrasta retorted angrily, doubling down.

"Listen, we’re going to follow Dian and see… this and that…."

After some persuasion, the three girls reached a consensus. They bid farewell to Olysia and headed off toward the Academy, running side by side.

Unbeknownst to them, Maya, the priestess, discreetly followed from a distance.

# # # # #

The Academy gates.

As I waited for Kaiden, the rain began to fall, a light drizzle turning heavier.

"Dian."

I turned at the sound of his voice to see Kaiden approaching gracefully.

He wasn’t carrying an umbrella, yet not a single drop of rain touched him. Looking closely, I realized a translucent barrier hovered above him, keeping the rain at bay—magic, of course.

Despite the muggy, damp weather, Kaiden was dressed as usual in a black robe and white shirt. I’d never seen him wear anything else.

"Aren’t you hot in that?"

"Not at all. I’ve tricked my body into feeling cool with illusion magic."

"But isn’t your body still actually hot, even if it doesn’t feel that way?"

"Perhaps. I wouldn’t know."

Kaiden smiled and gently tugged at my sleeve.

"Let’s go."

We boarded the carriage and headed into the city.

Even though it was humid, the rain made the capital feel romantic.

I’d always liked rainy days, even in my previous life, and the medieval fantasy aesthetic of this rainy city suited me perfectly.

Despite the rain, the streets bustled as always, glowing with light and life. With over half a million residents in the imperial capital, every day was crowded.

After the carriage stopped, Kaiden led me to a restaurant. It looked fancy—clearly expensive.

Would this be okay?

Then again, Kaiden probably had more money than I did.

Ten years ago, the Emperor’s reward for our work had been extraordinary, enough to last me through a decade of idleness in Brunswell.

Considering that, and the fact that Kaiden likely had Tower research funding on top of that, money was no issue for him.

Still, an odd chill ran down my spine. What was that?

I turned to look, but saw nothing unusual.

"Dian, come inside. It’s raining heavily."

"Yeah, I’m coming."

I turned back and followed Kaiden into the restaurant.

# # # # #

"Are they gone?"

Hindrasta, sprawled flat on the seat of the carriage, whispered.

"Yeah, they went inside."

Peeking through the curtain, Merilda confirmed.

"That was close. He almost spotted us when he turned around."

Hindrasta sighed in relief, only for Knightley to shove her aside in annoyance.

"Can you move already? You’re so heavy—it’s like sitting next to a boulder."

The three of them had rented a carriage and were now tailing Kaiden and Dian.

It all stemmed from Hindrasta’s earlier, shocking claim.

"Kaiden used illusion magic to keep me from getting to Dian," she had said.

Knightley and Merilda initially scoffed, dismissing it as Hindrasta’s usual antics.

But Hindrasta had persisted.

"I’m telling you, Kaiden’s trying to monopolize Dian for himself."

"That’s ridiculous! Professor Dian is public property!"

And so, outraged, Knightley and Merilda had reluctantly joined Hindrasta in her pursuit.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]