Magic Academy
Magic Academy
"Lunia, if you miss your Master-nim, come anytime. Understood?"
"Yes, hehe."
A month had passed since I started learning magic from Master-nim.
I quickly absorbed Master-nim's teachings and achieved rapid growth, enough for Master-nim to acknowledge.
Of course, that didn't mean my Level had increased, so I hadn't gotten stronger.
Still, I had reached the stage where I could draw Runic Language myself and cast magic, so if I only raised my Level to increase the magic's power, a munchkin life I had only dreamed of might be possible.
Thus, it took a total of one month to reach a level where I could go to the Magic Academy, as Master-nim always said.
And during that month, whenever Master-nim taught magic, there was always a carrot and a stick.
Even if I cast an incorrect Magic Circle or a wrong Magic Circle, Master-nim never scolded me.
However, if I even came close to a Magic Circle related to life, Master-nim would sternly tell me never to try to understand it.
But conversely, if I understood it as Master-nim wished, or accurately grasped Master-nim's intention, Master-nim would always embrace me tightly, holding me close to her chest.
And rewards tend to make one desire more and more.
Perhaps Master-nim knew that fact, as the hugging time grew longer as time passed, and the frequency of Master-nim touching my body increased.
At first, she only stroked my head, but now we would embrace with crossed arms, and recently, Master-nim even started stroking my lower back.
One might ask why two women hugging is a reward, but,
Honestly, only my body was female; inside, wasn't I still a man...?
Moreover, as time passed, it seemed to have become a habit; now, even if Master-nim just opened her arms, I would naturally approach and embrace her.
Anyway.
So, now that a month has passed.
I was in the process of transferring to the Magic Academy, as Master-nim wished.
My residence would be the dormitory within the Magic Academy.
It is said that all students attending the Magic Academy must absolutely commute from the dormitory.
"You must come see Master-nim at least once a month, okay?"
"Yep."
Still, once a month, for dormitory cleaning and because I have to vacate the dormitory.
"Don't forget Master-nim."
"How could I forget Master-nim!"
Master-nim seems particularly worried today.
Still, I was happy to see Master-nim like this.
For Master-nim, who always affectionately stroked me, to say I shouldn't forget her,
'Is this that unexpected charm?'
Master-nim patted my shoulder.
"Our Disciple looks good in her uniform too."
"Master-nim also has a great figure."
That's right.
The clothes I was wearing now were the uniform of Reinhardt Magic Academy.
The base color was blue.
White fabric was appropriately mixed in, evoking a fresh and lively image.
Of course, that didn't make my cold appearance cute.
"I'll be back!"
"Come back safely~"
After a cheerful greeting to Master-nim, I left the mansion.
A few promises I made with Master-nim.
First, to hide my identity at the Magic Academy.
She told me to hide only the fact that I was Master-nim's Disciple, not my name or other identities.
She said that just being Master-nim's Disciple might make it difficult for professors or classmates to approach me.
'Just how amazing is Master-nim?'
If there were a magic tower in this world, Master-nim would probably be of the rank of a tower master.
Anyway, Master-nim said she wanted me to hide my identity, interact with as many people as possible, and broaden my thoughts and perspectives on magic.
Since I fully agreed with that, I accepted Master-nim's command without any hesitation.
And the second promise was not to be prejudiced against magic.
Nobles and commoners coexist in the Magic Academy.
And it is a principle of the Magic Academy's rules that nobles and commoners are treated without discrimination.
Therefore, they can speak informally to each other, and there's a possibility for nobles and commoners to become close.
And naturally, the magical philosophies of nobles and commoners are bound to differ.
Commoners, who are relatively less wealthy, learn and use magic to earn money, while nobles learn magic for honor.
Master-nim instructed me not to take sides among them, to always remain neutral, and not to disparage or ignore their 'ideologies.'
She commanded that as the second promise.
For me, who came from a democratic world, it wasn't particularly difficult in the first place.
And after making various other promises with Master-nim, I was able to make the decision to transfer to the Magic Academy.
"Hello."
-Startled.
Was my voice too cold?
At my sudden greeting, the woman sitting at the reception window seemed startled.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes, yes! What can I help you with!?"
"I'm transferring as a third-year student this time."
The Magic Academy is composed of first, second, and third-year students,
While the teaching method was similar to modern universities, the academy's structure felt like a high school.
Of course, unlike modern high schools, all students are adults.
Specifically, they start as first-year students at 19, when they become adults, and become third-year students at 21.
"Ah, ah! Lunia-ssi, is that you?"
"Yes."
"W-would you follow me?"
What should I do if the guide stutters like this?
Ah.
'Is it because of me?'
It might be because I was already frowning from nervousness.
##
Explanation about the academy.
Explanation about the dormitory.
And the academy's principles and rules.
Finally, explanations about the teaching methods and professors.
After listening to explanations for several hours, I was finally assigned a dormitory room.
-Thud.
"Haaah..."
I was psychologically exhausted.
In vulgar terms, my energy was completely drained.
In terms of the current period, it was roughly July, if compared to Korean schools.
The first semester of the Magic Academy had ended, and the second semester was just beginning.
In the end, I would only be here for about six months.
It's a short time if you consider it short, and a long time if you consider it long.
I didn't specifically come here to make close friends, but I thought it wouldn't be bad to have one or two like-minded friends.
And if there was something I didn't know because I only heard it from Master-nim,
Right next to the Magic Academy, there was a Knight Academy.
It was so close, literally the next building over, that students from the Knight Academy and the Magic Academy would interact with each other.
They said interactions were frequent, to the point where there were joint classes.
'If it's the Knight Academy...'
The image that immediately comes to mind is a red-haired female knight who always pursues justice.
There are many such stories in Adult Games.
Like female knights who are defeated and raped, or female knights who know nothing about lewd things being trained into lewd bodies.
'Did I watch too much anime?'
Still, if such a female knight existed, I wanted to get to know her at least once.
Anyway.
Classes would start tomorrow.
What kind of classes would I have?
What would be the magic level of my other peers?
It was a night where I couldn't sleep well due to too much excitement.
*
*
*
Thus, days passed,
"Hello. My name is Lunia. It's only half a semester, but please take care of me."
My first academy life began.
And during break time, a swaggering man approached me.
"Commoner. Date me."
"Get lost."
Perhaps, as long as I possessed this appearance and figure, my academy life wouldn't be peaceful.
##
A month had passed since I transferred as a third-year student to the Magic Academy.
Of course, while I vacated the dormitory, I also visited Master-nim's mansion, which had now become my home, to say hello to Master-nim.
That night, I shared countless stories with Master-nim.
About what academy life was like, and what thoughts my classmates, with whom I had spoken, held.
Such stories.
.....Of course, I also received 'praise' from Master-nim.
While walking, deep in thought, a woman with flowing sky-blue hair approached from afar.
"Hello, Lady Ehiton."
"Yes, good afternoon."
This was Lady Ehiton, one of the classmates I had started talking to over the past month.
Her name was Yuriana Ehiton.
Since she had a surname, she was naturally a Lady of a noble family, and the eldest daughter of the Ehiton family.
And she was also the person who approached me without hesitation, even though I had become a commoner due to hiding my identity.
Of course, even if I revealed my true identity, I wasn't a noble.
Still, the position of being Master-nim's Disciple received such excessive treatment that even considerably high-ranking nobles would show deference first—I learned this yesterday—
that is, when I went to see Master-nim after a month.
Anyway, Lady Ehiton, with her flowing sky-blue hair, was quite knowledgeable.
It was said that thanks to her parents' status as marquises, she began learning and researching magic from a young age,
and because of that, she enjoyed discussing magical knowledge with me.
She said something about how discussing magic with me was the most comfortable.
Since she was quite serious about magic, she was a Lady rarely seen in noble society, one who treated nobles and commoners without hesitation as long as they had sufficient magical knowledge.
Moreover, the noble etiquette I learned from Master-nim also seemed to play a part.
A commoner woman with outstanding looks, highly knowledgeable in magic, and also familiar with noble etiquette?
The reactions of my classmates who saw me were largely divided into two types.
Either they conversed with me without hesitation, showing the same courtesy, or they kept their distance because I was a commoner, no matter how polite I was.
Of course, it was similar even among commoners.
They would either badmouth me for trying to curry favor with nobles despite being a commoner, or react with admiration for knowing noble etiquette despite being a commoner.
Honestly, my standing in the class wasn't that great.
Since I was a commoner who used noble etiquette, neither side took my side.
Furthermore, there was the promise I made with Master-nim: not to take sides anywhere and to remain neutral.
I was simply keeping that promise properly.
Unaware of my fate, which would become desperate because of that promise.