The True Gap
The green-haired student, Bulria Arishion, glared at Eugene with eyes full of murderous intent.
'I don't like him.'
The Arishion family was a prestigious ducal house that had produced exceptional mages for generations.
Moreover, the current duke leading the family had surpassed the title of archmage to earn the moniker of Sage. As the duke's sole heir, Bulria had grown up showered in every possible indulgence.
And like his father, he had inherited tremendous magical talent.
With his noble bloodline and innate genius, he was the top student at this academy.
Or rather, he should have been.
'How dare a commoner like you... ruin all my plans?'
But because of Eugene—this weird special admittee—everything had gone to hell.
Not only had his carefully laid plans fallen apart, but he'd barely scraped into S-Class on the provisional exam when he should have sailed in effortlessly.
'Hmph. I'll show you. The real difference between you and me.'
Caught the boss solo?
The other students must have worn it down first.
He could do that much, too.
The boss had seemed like mid-rank knight level... but with his specialty—vast mana reserves and spellcasting prowess—he could overwhelm it with grand magic.
'He's probably all cocky about it.'
Without even knowing his place.
So all he had to do was show him the level gap and make him learn his place.
Shrrrk.
He exhaled a bit of his mana, shaping it according to the pattern Professor Jayyan had drawn.
'Not like there's nothing to learn from her.'
Her tips were worth copying.
Just that much, though.
Basic mana control?
Once he learned stronger spells, that'd be handled. Sure, Jayyan had ranted passionately about it, but he had a better teacher than her.
His father, Sage Reubra Arishion.
The only one on the continent to reach 8-circle, one of the Absolutes. As a mage, no one surpassed him—even if he wasn't the best mentor.
Growing up under such a father, Jayyan's words naturally fell on deaf ears.
'Easy.'
Bulria smirked triumphantly at his mana bending to his will.
Nothing in life had ever gone against him. This time had veered off course a bit, but in the end, things would go his way.
He glanced back casually. The red mana Eugene had emitted was wriggling sluggishly.
'Hmph.'
Having trouble, huh?
Of course. Special admittee or not, the guy was a knight. No clue why he wore those priest-robe-like garments, but there was bound to be a skill gap in mana handling.
Bulria scanned the other students. Excluding Yahan and Adria, who were off somewhere, the rest were controlling their mana steadily...
'...What?'
Bulria doubted his eyes for a moment.
Sitting right behind Eugene, the girl with light blue hair—Ashy—held a mana-forged sword in her hand.
She swung the dagger-sized blade this way and that, muttering softly.
"Hmm. A bit light. But if I add more here, it might burst... When's the professor coming back?"
Impossible!
Simply shaping mana to your will was one thing; maintaining and stabilizing it was entirely different—and far from easy.
'Name was... Ashy Blue, right?'
The genius who'd bested his rival Yahan Horain in swordplay, a monster who'd made a name in the mercenary world before even enrolling.
Her physical prowess already outstripped any peer, and she was expected to reach professor level in no time.
'But her position's knight, no?'
A knight handling mana this well?
Bulria gritted his teeth and refocused on his mana.
He couldn't lose. Not to some same-age student, some worthless commoner!
Woooong, wooooong—
Mana gathered and coalesced at his command.
But was it anxiety? Mental fatigue? The mana wouldn't obey perfectly, faltering in minor ways, distorting the shape.
'If that bastard can do it, so can I!'
Drip—
Blood trickled from his nose.
It smeared his lips, filling his mouth with iron.
Normally he'd flip out, but this time he ignored it, concentrating on the mana.
It'll work, it'll work, it'll work...!
He stretched the mana into threads, then balled it into a sphere.
But had he drawn it too thin?
The mental strain of managing each strand was immense, and the constant drain made his vision swim.
"Ugh!"
Mana depletion. Normally he'd recover it or disperse it, but Bulria clenched his jaw and held on.
The mana, unable to return, began to agitate.
Forced to maintain, but losing control—it started rampaging.
'Ah, no.'
Pop, pop...!
"Dangerous."
At that moment, Professor Jayyan—who'd returned midway—seized the rampaging mana.
Under her control, it calmed.
She released the now-docile mana, like a pup returning to its owner, and said,
"Student Bulria?"
"...Yes."
"Your nose is bleeding. Why push yourself so hard? This lesson was just to get a feel for it. I didn't expect this much strain."
Jayyan wiped his nosebleed with a handkerchief, her voice flat.
"A mage's most vital skill is knowing your limits and level. Don't overdo it."
"...Understood, Professor."
"Stop practicing for now, Bulria. Rest up. No practice until I say so."
Why? Blocked by something this trivial?
Bulria, practice banned, scanned the class with bloodshot eyes.
The other students, excluding himself, were maximizing results within safe limits.
Standouts: Ashy, who'd already achieved object manifestation, and a purple-haired girl he'd never noticed before.
"Oh? That's... quite impressive. You've made the planet shape more appealing."
"Ah."
"Keep going like this, Jenella. If you hit mana depletion, recover without pushing."
"Yes!"
"Ashy... hm, nothing for me to critique. Excellent."
"Professor. I want to make it heavier here, but drawing more mana feels like it'll burst. Can you help?"
"I'll assist to prevent bursting. Instead of adding more, think of thickening each thread. It needs precision, but you can handle it, Ashy."
Bulria bit his lip hard. Things he'd deemed inferior were surpassing him—his gut boiled.
"Adria, right? You have an innate ability?"
"Ah, yes. That's why I couldn't practice alone..."
"Sorry I didn't check sooner. Use this clay lump for practice."
"Ah! Yes! Thank you!"
Even Adria, who'd been sidelined, started late.
After advising several others, including Banasi and the bespectacled girl, Jayyan stopped before Eugene.
"Hm."
He was the only S-Class student who hadn't shaped his mana yet.
He scrunched his nose in effort, adjusting the red mana.
Pop.
A small burst, mana scattering.
Bulria sneered inwardly at the sight.
'Serves you right.'
But Eugene persisted, emitting mana again.
Viscous like blood, it oozed into the air, squirming.
"Having trouble?"
"Ah. Pro... Professor? Yeah. Won't move how I want."
"Hm. Try just emitting it without shaping for now?"
"Sure."
Was shaping the issue, not emission? Eugene maintained it casually.
His face calm, but inwardly he grew a tad anxious watching her inspect his mana... no, divine power.
'She won't notice, right?'
It looked like mana at a glance, but up close, the differences were clear.
Jayyan looked young; unlikely she knew the War God's divine power, lost centuries ago...
'Nipella knows, so Jayyan might too.'
Fortunately, she didn't spot it.
Just thought it unusual mana.
"Very unique mana."
"Haha, yeah. Caught a magic beast once by chance. Think it messed with my mana."
"Must've been strong. To affect mana like this..."
"Yeah. Nipella helped me take it down."
"Lucky. Explains the wildness. Tricky to control, but practice will fix it. Take it slow."
"Got it! Thanks. Can I ask more later?"
"Of course. Anytime."
Eugene nodded, gently manipulating the mana obediently.
...Two hours later.
As class wound down, Bulria's expression changed.
'...Impossible.'
What he'd dismissed as a blob at first... over time, as he shaped and reshaped... it visibly perfected.
Unbelievable growth speed.
Even he, dubbed a genius, couldn't match it.
And his mana was unusually docile; a wild one like the professor described would've taken twice as long.
'...How long did he practice?'
Conversely, Eugene looked a bit disappointed.
'Would've been easier in real combat.'
No blessings active in this daily routine, so handling familiar divine power was tough.
With blessings, ten minutes—no, one second.
But he shook his head.
'No. Can't keep relying on that.'
As she said, solid basics were key to higher realms.
His current level: high-rank knight.
Same as Jenella, but her mastery far exceeded his inherited power.
She'd built hers from the ground up; his was bequeathed.
'To wield this, I gotta overcome hurdles like these.'
Unfortunately, class was ending.
More practice would've been nice.
Ding~ dong~ dang~ dong.
"Class dismissed. Good work, everyone. 20-minute break—head to the next classroom early."
"Good work, Professor!"
"Good work, Professor!"
Eugene shouted the loudest, approaching the professor—maybe for a question.
"Professor, trouble controlling this part..."
"Ah, think of folding it like this..."
Jayyan glanced at Bulria, still in the room.
'Really stimulated, huh.'
Two paths here.
Strive harder for greater heights, or crush superiors to prove yourself supreme.
If the former...
'He could reach new heights.'
If latter...
"Ah, gotta move. Thanks for the advice."
"No problem."
She'd have to intervene.
From the screen footage, Eugene wouldn't lose to such a student... but students didn't attack students anyway.
'Need to watch closer.'
Jayyan rubbed her tingling fingertips, pondering.
His mana... wilder and fiercer than any she'd seen.
Starting to control it in just two hours? His talent awed and excited her.
"Hey, hey. Don't sleep."
-Guhack... Huh? Over already?
"You little shit, while your sky-high big bro's working, you nap so carefree? Huh?"
-What're you on about? Didn't sleep. Just zoned out.
"Same damn thing, punk."
Jayyan eyed Eugene's retreating back with a professor's sharp gaze.
Until he vanished.