Step Into the Spotlight
Alright everyone. Today, as I mentioned earlier, we’re moving from basic magic to advanced magic. I wonder if there’s any particularly diligent, kind, and talented student who did the prep work, but let’s dive in with the advanced magic I’ll be teaching you starting today…
Ultimately, this weekend turned out to be a full-day training session with Rie, unlike last time.
Even now, my body still ached from the places that got pummeled yesterday, and every muscle felt heavy and sore.
It had been revealed that the most widely used swordsmanship in Lebechia had been designed by my senior Edwin.
And to ensure no one else ever learns it, I had coldly warned Rie to train even harder than she was now and reach the point where she would stand right behind me.
Thanks to that, I’d been put through the wringer for the entire weekend. I finally understood why even my Martial Division classmates—and even my upperclassmen—were reluctant to train with Rie.
Alright everyone. Concentrate. With advanced magic, you’ll be combining two or more basic spells. Mess up and mana might backflow. It won’t just be a fizzling spell—it could manifest in other ways. Remember the senior who once botched an advanced spell and accidentally burned an entire classroom to the ground.
Raven Professor gave us a rather unsettling warning.
Everyone snapped to attention. Just as Raven Professor had said, the whole class focused fully and took that first step toward the advanced magic we were supposed to implement today.
And then, right as I was about to cast—following what Charlotte-senpai had taught me—the magic in my mind began to form.
Just a second.
Raven Professor caught my arm and stopped the mana from gathering.
While every other student was immersed in concentration, implementing their advanced spells, he suddenly singled me out.
I tilted my head in question, curious why only I was being halted.
Lucian-student, later.
He didn’t explain the reason, just stated that I would have to wait.
So, while my classmates continued working on their spells, I had no choice but to stand there watching, completely at a loss.
From then on, throughout the rest of the lecture, I didn’t implement any magic at all.
It wasn’t because I lacked the skill to cast like before—it was because Raven Professor had stopped me.
The magic theory lecture dragged on for an unusually long time before finally ending.
As my classmates filed out of the classroom for their next session, Raven Professor finally approached me and began apologizing.
I’m sorry, Lucian-student. If you suddenly unleashed something as powerful as before, it could really hurt someone. As a professor, I had to prepare for any possible fallout.
I had only recently been unable to approach the level of magic implementation, yet now I’ve grown so suddenly that the professor needs to worry about me?
Shall we check right now?
After speaking those words, Raven Professor guided me outside the classroom building and into the academy grounds.
Seeing that no one was around, Raven Professor lightly clapped his hands once and said,
Alright, Lucian-student. Now let’s try implementing one of those advanced spells I mentioned earlier. After picturing the basic spells of Ice and Heal Wind, gather a cold, icy wind and implement it.
It was nothing more than gathering coldness into wind—hardly difficult magic at all.
If I imagined a strong winter wind like a sudden blast, it probably wouldn’t be too bad.
With that thought, just as I always did, I pictured the magic I wanted in my mind.
And then, right as I was about to cast it—
Stop.
Right before the magic could manifest, Raven Professor’s light mana clash dispersed it.
Just like the feeling of a carefully stacked card tower collapsing, right?
Everything I’d prepared for magic implementation had been forced to abort, leaving a sour taste in my mouth.
As expected. You don’t know, do you? You haven’t even realized it.
What do you mean?
Do you know what kind of magic Lucian-student was about to implement just now?
…I was only thinking of a normal winter wind. You said to mix Ice and Heal Wind together, right…
Correct. I said to picture Ice and Heal Wind and mix them appropriately. I never told you to implement a Blizzard.
A Blizzard? The magic I know is…
Yes. It’s an advanced spell that even mages with considerable talent struggle to use freely. If mishandled, an entire region could freeze solid. It’s also extremely dangerous because it could cause casualties.
I blinked a few times, then let out a deep sense of injustice from the bottom of my heart.
I really had only imagined a simple winter breeze—mixing Ice and Heal Wind together.
I had never once pictured a murderous blizzard that would freeze the surroundings in seconds.
I already know what you’re trying to say, Lucian-student. That you never actually tried to implement that magic. I believe you. You haven’t even learned Blizzard yet, and you don’t know the formulas or calculations—how could you have cast it in mere seconds?
…
But just now, Lucian-student’s magic implementation ability has reached a very dangerous level. If you succeeded, it would have been Blizzard itself. Even if you failed, a spell of comparable power would have appeared for a moment. If that magic had exploded in the classroom… well, it would have been a little worse than I thought.
When I heard Raven Professor’s words, the danger was clear to me.
He’s never once warned us about danger during all the lectures so far. To say something is worse than expected is basically the same as saying it’s very dangerous.
I stopped circulating my mana circuits and spread the mana out wide, standing still in place. Raven Professor approached and lightly tapped my shoulder.
You don’t need to be discouraged. It’s because your mana core hasn’t been properly tempered yet.
…It feels like I’ve finally found the path, but that path looks even more rugged than I imagined.
When you use your natural talent half-heartedly before fully understanding it, it tends to show up in exaggerated ways. There’s nothing we can do about it. This is just one of the steps you have to go through.
After saying that to me, Raven Professor suddenly glanced around.
He lowered his head slightly and began whispering in a small voice.
Lucian-student… what time is the next lecture today?
The magic theory lecture ended, so the next one is in the afternoon.
Good. Then I’ll grant you permission to leave the academy for a short while.
What’s suddenly come up?
It seems my senior has also heard about Lucian-student’s news. I don’t know how he managed to slip out of his lab, but a full-body magic transmission reached me saying he’s secretly come all the way here from the Magic Tower.
I let out an involuntary eh?, a sound of confusion mixed with surprise.
The Magic Tower is basically a research institution. It’s famous for nonstop magic research day and night, and rumor has it that they can’t even go out properly because they’re so busy.
Even my acquaintances from the Magic Tower are suffering the same gruelling work as every other mage there.
They can’t even take a vacation, let alone go out. They’re so overworked it’s insane.
So, for private matters, I had to use the same method as last time—full-body magic transmission or communication.
I could only do it very occasionally.
Since my senior has come all the way here secretly, it must be something important. And since Lucian-student seems to need some new advice on magic, go meet him.
…
If my acquaintance is coming all this way personally to see me, it must be a very important issue.
I nodded in agreement, then immediately took the leave-of-absence slip Raven Professor had written out and left the academy grounds—even on a weekday, before the lectures had even finished.
I’d love to have a coffee with my senior and chat about something sweet, but considering my acquaintance’s odd personality, I had a feeling we’d probably end up sitting on a bench near the fountain, a little apart from each other, chatting like spies exchanging secrets.
…There he is. He looks way too suspicious from first glance.
Mages are all a bunch of weirdos. They probably stay locked in their labs researching magic and have no idea how the world works.
Look at this one right now—anyone would think he’s suspicious, yet he’s casually sitting on a bench near the fountain, looking around like a perfectly ordinary resident.
This isn’t some spy movie. I have no idea why he’s acting like this.
With a sigh, I decided to play along with the ridiculous quirk.
After all, he was an important acquaintance of mine, and no matter how busy he was, he had come all the way here for me. There had to be a good reason.
No full-body magic transmission, no communication, and not even a letter. What is this?
I wasn’t planning anything like this at all. I just came out of the lab for a bit, heard your news, and decided to come find you.
News about me?
Yes. The swordsmanship you swore to keep secret has been suddenly revealed. You helped design it by aiding the little dragon of Dragonshultz.
Things got complicated. Besides, I’ve finally reached a level where it’s acceptable.
They say your magic skills have also improved quite a bit. In a good way, it’s outstanding. In a bad way, it’s risen so much that control is slipping away.
…How did you find that out?
A junior told me. Thanks to you, he almost couldn’t even date or say goodbye to his life.
That was definitely Raven Professor’s doing.
Last time during the mid-term exam, I accidentally cast an absurdly powerful magic and Raven Professor got lightly injured while trying to stop it.
Anyway, after that incident, I heard you saying you’re going to become Lebechia’s outstanding knight or swordsman. I had to hold back. You’re supposed to join the Magic Tower. Why are you acting like a sword genius, a genius, a promising talent?
Ah, now I understand why my senior suddenly came here.
He must have thought a talented prodigy marked for the Magic Tower might be taken away by the knights, so he rushed over right away.
Otherwise, there’s no reason for him to leave his lab on a weekday.
Why? Did you think I might become a knight and never join the Magic Tower?
Of course not. I hate those guys who swing their swords and shout that they’re the strongest.
They’re being mobilized to protect Lebechia and the Magic Tower too.
I’m not ignoring them. I just don’t like it. They treat magic like mere tricks. Magic is a highly advanced and extremely difficult academic field.
Just like how science and liberal arts quietly clash in my old world.
Here, knights and mages maintain a strange adversarial dynamic.
We don’t ignore each other, but we prefer not to mix when possible.
So since it’s come to this, shouldn’t we at least reveal the magic formulas I designed?
What do you mean?
The magic formulas you came up with. Thanks to you, the kids in the Magic Tower are now implementing magic much more easily and quickly than before—but they don’t know where those formulas came from.
Hey…
Since we’ve decided to stand out, we should definitely do it properly. Don’t stay mediocre—become the mediocre person.
The Magic Tower, the institution holding the greatest authority over magic.
That’s what the Deputy Tower Master, Fryn Hiel Varkenburg, had to say.