Worthlessness of Magic

A poor judge was screaming as angrily as silently… 

W-What?! Old Blue had been splashed with blood and had gone up on stage, but just as he started berating Teacher Gale… he suddenly shut up?! And that's when came the screams: 

"Crap! This is bad. I can't hear the lecture anymore!"

"Me too! My Badge's bugged, I can't hear shit!" 

"G-Guys, there's no sound even if you turn it off!" 

"How?! That shouldn't be possible unless…" 

"Wait, look at Teacher Gale?!" 

Yep. There they had it. Ding Ding! 10 points to Student E!

Gray hadn't just silenced the entire stage, but he was even grinning, all but admitting that he was the culprit! But that's when it got even crazier. 

Teacher Aldor? He who had been lecturing muted rolled his eyes and then stopped anyway as he watched the rest unfold. Had they agreed beforehand or something?! 

Giving his colleague a thumbs up. Gray finally turned toward the still gesticulating judge who was now running out of breath. Then, as soon as the man paused… 

"Sigh, you again? How can I lecture if you keep interrupting? Let me teach you: the first step of judging is listening. So, shoo!" He spoke to the judge as if a petulant child?! 

What a freaking madman! The judge instantly went mad: 

"...….." 

"...….." 

"...….." 

Only after what felt like a solid minute of non-stop muted swearing did the man finally give up, barely resisting the urge to slam Gray's smug face into the stage!

Since all eyes were on Gray, it was time for the actual lecture! 

"Wonders of Magic? It's a goddamn trap!" 

"Tell me, who amongst you ever thought: 'If I become a mage, all my problems will be solved'? C'mon, raise your hands. I'm sure there's a couple of you here." 

"Me, Teacher!" o/ 

Sera was the first one to raise her hand, but she was soon followed by many. Except Gray had far more in store… 

"Who amongst you ever thought: if only I had more magic potential? Or maybe: if only I was born in one of the Great Magic Clans? What about: if only I had a renowned Magic Teacher?" 

By now, all their hands were raised, even Teacher Aldor, who gave an intrigued smile awaiting the rest. Oh, it was coming! 

"Magic! Magic! Magic! That's all you'll bloody hear in the years that come. Oh, I'm sure the third years can agree, right? Now, don't get me wrong, Magic's good. But just Magic? Worthless!"

"Someone who only knows magic and nothing else? Useless! Dogshit! A mere pawn for others to use and bully. Even lower than an ant! Now, hear me out…" 

He swept his gaze across the room, none daring to say a peep. This guy was truly mad! Saying stuff like that at a Magic Academy?! Yet, they couldn't help but keep listening…

"Brain, heart, and balls. Oh, not just regular balls, but huge motherfucking balls, ones that you have to carry in a wheelbarrow!" 

"No brain? Oh, you're so doomed! See that super-strong mage? He killed your dog, raped your crush, and beat up your mother. Now, go avenge them! Pfft— You believed me? DEAD!"

"No heart? Godly Potential, Great Magical Clan, Legendary Teacher, and all fucking wasted. Without the persistence to actually practice magic, then there's no point. USELESS!" 

"No balls? Without courage, you could be the strongest Mage ever to live, and it wouldn't matter. An enemy? Run! A challenge? Run! Hard decision? Run! HOPELESS!"

"So, what kind of Mage do you want to be? The one that ONLY knows magic? Or the one that will have the last laugh? Now, that's for you to decide…" 

Gray powerfully waved his hand. 

As he did, he suddenly summoned… Ectoplasm?! The blue, glowing, soul-like floating substance was pretty much useless, and yet he was now using it to draw in the air! 

Worthlessness of Magic > Wonders of Magic 

"…."

"…."

"…." 

Holy fucking shit! 

Worthlessness of Magic. Why did it suddenly sound powerful?! The initial words were bullshit-like, and yet there was such a profound philosophy hidden beneath?! 

At this moment, many were rocked to their core. Trash teacher? Merely good for riddles? Nothing compared to Aldor?! They suddenly weren't so sure! But just as they were confused. 

Gray suddenly grabbed his Teacher Badge and… threw it on the ground?! Then he gave them all a brilliant smile, one with a hint of… bloodlust?! 

"This lesson isn't for mages. It's for taking them down! Requirements? None! Limits? None! But first, you'll have to discard your mage identity, if only temporarily. Do you guys have the balls?" 

"YES!" 

"Balls? Of course, I do!"

"Taking mages down? Pfft— Count me in!"

"Scoff— Fine, but Teacher Gale better deliver!" 

Sera was the first of many, but more and more students quickly followed suit! —Slam! Slam! Slam! This was the sound of countless badges being slapped down! 

As for the ones who didn't, Gray stared at them until they either did or switched back to Aldor's lecture! Thus, the room became divided once more, and Gray restarted teaching. 

Aldor → 60% 

Gray → 40% 

Aldor still had more students? No shit! He was a genius praised as if the second coming of Jesus! But this was plenty! Gray just wanted to be a bench Candidate anyway. 

"Now, where were we? Ah, right. Brains, Heart, and Balls… Let's get started, shall we?" 

As for what followed, it was insane by mages' standards— or anyone's, really. Gray had his own teaching style, one that defied common sense so damn much! 

Smarts? → Riddles

As for Heart? → Inspirational Quotes

Finally, the Balls? → Lots of Moral Dilemmas

"Ah?! One can solve a problem like this?!"

"Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage? Wow!" 

"Save one friend or save 100 fellow mages? Arg— This is so hard!" 

Gray had a world of knowledge to instill upon them. This wasn't just a clash of ideas but a clash of realities. He was akin to a deity instilling forbidden knowledge into them! Really forbidden… 

"All those things that require magic, there's a way to accomplish them without. It's fine to use it, but don't tunnel vision either. You guys get my drift?"

"Ah? But what about flying? That's impossible without magic!"

"Hehe, you think it's impossible, but is it?" 

Gray chuckled as he waved, bringing a majestic ectoplasm bird to life! Ah?! Once again he was so right! Magic? Even a mana-less farmer would fly if he tamed a Giant Eagle somehow! 

Just like that, he kept teaching and teaching, even the judges finding themselves swept by his lecture. Even they had to admit that it kinda made sense? In fact, they even lost track of time! 

— Ding! Ding! Ding! — 

It was already over?! That was way too soon! At this moment, both groups of students suddenly found themselves wanting more. Those lessons were so goddamn amazing! 

Wonders of Magic → Tips to quickly rise as a mage 

Worthlessness of Magic → Tips to rise, period, no matter how long it took. 

Ah, but there was still one step left, the judging! To be fair, only now did most students remember that those were new Teachers and not experienced ones. 

One of the judges, a severe-looking grandma, rose: 

"This has been… quite something. As expected, Teacher Aldor has been exemplary! As for Teacher Gale, it's been… enlightening. Now, are you two ready to be graded?" 

This would be out of 40 total, and the passing mark was 25! At this moment, the crowd held their breath, fists clenched. Surely both would be accepted, right? 

"Now, let's start with Aldor…" 

Every judge would wave, magic exploding out of them as they wrote a number in the air. But why did it seem like they were copying Gray's earlier feats?! 

[10]

[8] 

[9]

[10] 

What?! Aldor had lost three points in total? The students could have sworn that he done it all perfectly. What had he done wrong? The grandma spoke again. 

"Aldor, the Lecture was excellent. The issue is that you let another Teacher interrupt it. There's a fine line between being benevolent and naive. Understand?"

"Yes! I'll keep your words in mind, Teacher Carie!" Aldor had barely replied that there was a commotion in the crowd. 

"Carie?! Don't tell me THAT Carie?"

"The one that cured the princess' curse?!" 

"There was a legend right here all along! 

"Shh, guys, it's Teacher Gale's turn. Listen up!" 

What kind of score would he get? Coming in bloody, talking back to a judge, interrupting Teacher Aldor, and giving a weird lecture. Then again, it hadn't been a bad lecture either… 

One after the other, the numbers rose… 

[9]

[6]

[7] 

Even Old Blue, who had been utterly pissed at him, had given a 6! Didn't this mean that he had passed? By now there was only Lady Carie left, who seemed to be hesitating. 

Gray patiently waited. He'd be happy as long as it was three or more! Then, she finally gave him a score. 

[0]