Magic Class (3)
“Hey now. If it's an academy, shouldn't it celebrate its students' growth? Is a little damage to the auditorium such a big deal?”
“Haa... Professor Rafel Straht. Do you have any idea how much it'll cost to fix this? We can't hold classes during the barrier repair period, so what do you plan to do about it?”
“And where do you think that money's coming from?”
Professor Rafel Straht turned out to be more principled than Kael had expected.
She'd taken full blame for the auditorium's devastation.
Thanks to that, even though the academy guards had shown up amid the explosions and chaos to grab them, Kael hadn't faced any real consequences.
After a quick investigation, he was released right away.
And Professor Rafel hadn't been detained long either.
Kael was about to head out now that class was over, but the moment her questioning wrapped up, she bolted out and grabbed him.
“Wait! Kael!”
“What now.”
“Come to my class again next week. And... do you have time this weekend, by chance?”
She glanced up at him sneakily.
To look at her, she was the picture of a kid begging to play...
But he couldn't let appearances fool him. Her speech patterns, her reaction to the word 'grandma'—she was no child.
Regardless of how he teasingly called her one...
“Why. Planning to kidnap me to grad school? Does the academy even have one?”
“What are you saying? I haven't given you your class perks yet, so I was thinking of a special lesson, you see.”
“Hmm...”
This gave him pause.
For one, today's gains had been massive.
He could now cast Fireball properly, and he'd learned how to tackle spells he'd been too scared to try.
Overall, Professor Rafel Straht's class had been incredibly helpful. On a whole different level from the Straht family tutors.
Not that he was entirely sure she was even really from the Straht family.
“Ah, come to think of it—you have a girlfriend, don't you? Was I... intruding?”
As he hesitated, she looked up at him with worry.
“Don't get the wrong idea. Elia and I aren't like that.”
Her face lit up at that.
“Ahem. Perfect, then. Come find me this weekend! I'll show you even greater things, genius!”
“Genius?”
“See you next time!”
The little white-haired girl beamed innocently and waved goodbye.
The spitting image of a young child...
“What a presence.”
She had such an overwhelming aura, it was a mystery why she never appeared in the original story.
Actually, on second thought, she didn't quite fit a women-oriented romance fantasy.
Her personality was too eccentric; she'd just get in the way of funneling all the plot to the male leads.
Plus, there was a huge gap between the female characters women liked and the ones men did. If anything, Professor Rafel leaned toward the latter.
And...
Ding—dong—ding—
The bell signaling the end of lunch rang out.
“Ah.”
He'd missed the whole break while being questioned with her.
Well, Kael really is a genius, huh...
The original story's undisputed top pure talent: Kael Lotus.
It was mentioned he was a once-in-a-generation genius in both magic and swordsmanship, yet somehow he'd lagged behind in magic.
Until now, that is.
The moment he first saw a magic circle up close, he'd instinctively grasped its structure and reproduced it perfectly.
If that wasn't talent, what was? Some people had to grind for months just to learn Fireball...
But how did Rafel figure out I was a genius just from watching?
At this point, Rafel—who'd recognized his talent—seemed more impressive than his own gifts.
That said, the original Kael Lotus was so arrogant and lazy that the crown prince overtook him.
What makes me different from original Kael?
It left him with a twinge of self-loathing.
The fact that he'd never bothered examining a magic circle closely until now...
He had glanced at them before, sure. But closely? Shockingly, never once.
Whoosh!
Now he could cast Fireball without deploying a magic circle.
Once he'd learned one, he'd grasped its principles—and with that, he could wield magic using mana alone, no circle needed.
Normally, even the fastest casters still had to draw the circle first. But he'd skipped that entirely.
It was the complete chantless magic Professor Rafel Straht had described.
Chantless with a circle was incomplete chantless magic; chants plus circle was the most common, standard magic.
“Let's try it once more.”
He scanned the area. Club time at the noble academy meant most students were in club rooms— it was pretty empty.
Firing a spell into the air should be fine.
This time, with a twist.
Without the circle, he could infuse his mana with different intent, shape it differently—for something even greater.
“Hup...”
Whoosh!
This time, no Fireball—a flaming spear ignited in his palm.
A Fireball variant, essentially.
The tip was designed to cut wind cleanly; the shaft stabilized its flight.
He hurled it skyward. It streaked faster and more satisfyingly than a Fireball, trailing a burst of flames.
“Not bad.”
He was stunned. Was this Kael's true talent?
It reminded him of first learning swordsmanship—pure shock at Kael's innate gifts.
A strange sense of omnipotence washed over him.
I can build real strength fast.
As he'd said, this was a women-oriented romance fantasy world. Mastering sword and magic was nothing but upside.
He shook out his hands, mentally tallying the day's gains.
That's when it happened.
Rustle.
“Hm?”
A presence stirred from the bushes where he'd just fired the spell.
Something shook.
Then a tiny something popped out.
“Eek! Stay back! Don't come closer!”
“Huh?”
“Protect! Protect Maria!”
It was Maria's spirits bursting from the bushes.
And Maria herself tumbled out after them.
“You were spying?”
“N-no, that's not what I meant at all!”
“What the hell.”
His face twisted involuntarily.
She'd already cost him Professor Temiri's capture—not to mention she was this damn world's heroine. He just couldn't warm to her. And now she'd been peeking at his magic practice? It soured his mood even more.
But she approached undeterred.
“I... I wanted you to accept my apology. For suspecting you last time. For interfering on my own, thinking Professor Temiri couldn't be that kind of person. I'm sorry for all of it.”
And out of nowhere, she bowed deeply before him.
He froze. Her spirits did too.
Lucas Deverlu.
He'd started tailing Maria Prendisra out of simple curiosity.
Nothing more to it. To him, she was a fascinating new face. Purely wanting to observe her.
“Your Highness, do we really need to come all the way out here? Why not just have some tea?”
Alei Yustinia, tagging along, suggested as much—but Lucas ignored him.
He just kept a careful distance so Maria wouldn't notice.
“Shh. Quiet. You'll blow our cover.”
“...”
As he shadowed her, Maria finally stopped.
She ducked behind some bushes. Like him, she was tailing someone.
And he spotted the target.
Kael Lotus. That guy infamous in high society for all the wrong reasons... Why's Maria interested in him?
“Your Highness, look. Maria Prendisra's just taken with that wastrel. We should—”
“One more word, Alei, and I'll go alone.”
“Eek...”
Alei bit his lip.
Undeterred, Lucas kept watching the intriguing scene.
Then—
“Hm?”
Whoosh!
Fizzle!
Suddenly, Kael Lotus hurled magic straight at Maria's hiding spot.
A razor-sharp reaction. That power and speed? Clearly meant to kill.
But right before the bushes, Kael's spell dispersed—like it was designed to.
Tiny creature-like things rose from Maria's body, arms outstretched in a barrier before her.
As Maria emerged, Kael's demeanor shifted.
“You were spying?”
Lucas's heart sank.
Is it true? Is he really some intel agent my father sent that even I don't know about?
He'd uncovered Professor Temiri as a kingdom spy. Political reasons kept it unacknowledged publicly, but as part of the imperial family, he'd heard the rumors.
So that sharpness in detecting a tail? No way it was coincidence.
“I'm out. This could get ugly if I'm not careful.”
Lucas slipped away before it was too late.