Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Volume 10 - Graveda Academy (3)
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ah, messed that up. This one's trash."
Why on earth do magic characters only work properly when drawn in one continuous stroke?
And not just that—they have to be drawn with a dot at around 12 o'clock, then clockwise from there.
The more I practiced, the more these finicky little requirements annoyed me.
Last time Rozaria taught me this, I asked what happens if you get the direction wrong or lift your pen midway. She told me to try it myself, so I did.
The character, which had been absorbing mana, collapsed in an explosion.
Apparently, the mana I pour into the character remembers the path, and it only flows along that exact route.
Record magic uses the stable mana from mana stones, so as long as the shape matches, it's fine.
But with spells you cast yourself, these restrictions are strict, so you have to be careful not to mess up.
If even one part collapses, all the mana drains out through it, canceling the entire magic circle. No room for errors there.
"Who knew all that practice drawing without mistakes would actually help with magic."
I'd adapted to drawing in this world purely for art.
Guess it's no accident that magic and drawing are treated as similar fields here.
A magic circle is basically just a drawing, after all, so they have to share these fundamentals.
Of course, I still don't get why they're lumped together even in advanced stuff...
Anyway, magic study was going surprisingly smoothly.
All the drawing practice I'd done since coming here was turning into know-how, letting me adapt faster.
The exam was soon, but since I was picking it up quickly, I wasn't too worried.
'Huh?'
In the empty lot where I'd once swung my sword until the day was gone.
Now I was spending time drawing magic circles and characters.
The big difference? I could actually feel myself improving.
Before, even if I drew the circle straight, there'd always be slight imperfections.
A faint glow of leaking mana would shine from the circle.
That lost mana meant inefficiency when activating the spell, so drawing a perfect circle with no glow was key...
"Isn't this one perfect?"
I hadn't specifically practiced magic circles, but while casting spells, I'd tried to make them as round as possible.
And it paid off—I'd finally drawn a flawless circle.
Rozaria said you don't need perfection to pass, so this gave me another weapon for the entrance exam.
'Let me try the same spell as before...'
I drew the character for "darkness" and the one for "expand."
Pour mana into the circle and activate.
I'd used this spell before, but at that size, a faint light seeped in, preventing true darkness.
"Oh?"
Nearly perfect blackout. The effect was clearly better.
Same mana cost, but a proper circle made all the difference in efficiency.
No wonder they drill this as essential practice.
"Ha, practice is supposed to feel this good when you see progress..."
Unlike swordplay, where I hit my limit every day, this was actually fun.
If this meant I had real talent for magic—and if it kept feeling this way—maybe I could pick it up as a sub-skill.
Everyone else mains magic with art as a side, but I could flip that.
An artist dabbling in magic as a hobby? Why not?
"Kali, still practicing?"
"Yeah. Why? Magic's done for now, so I could take a break."
"Time for lunch! Ta-da!"
"What? You brought sandwiches on purpose?"
"You've gotta practice hard, right? Can't waste time eating out. Hehe, plus, after that picnic scene in Avatar Devotion where they bring bentos, I wanted to try it."
Oh, right. No picnic culture here unless it's club stuff.
She probably saw our group as club-like, but Rozaria doesn't do clubs, so she must've been curious.
Honestly, my only experience was booze-soaked engineering MTs.
School trips, sure, but honestly, picnics from novels, comics, anime, and movies felt more familiar.
That picnic scene in Avatar Devotion was like that too.
"Oh, right. Lemme wash my hands first."
I draw the circle, then the character for "water" ▷, and water sprays from thin air.
I rinse roughly, but Rozaria spots the circle's purity and freaks out.
No big deal to me, but nailing one perfect circle made the next ones come easy too...?
"What? Kali, you already perfected magic circles?"
"Just succeeded for the first time now. Didn't expect it to chain, but if this counts as success, maybe? Still need more practice."
"That's insanely impressive! I trained at home for ages to get this. I just explained it, and you nail it? You're more of a genius than me!"
"Nah, no way."
I downplayed it, but deep down, I was catching on.
My magic talent wasn't just average.
Sharon the Elder called my mana a raw gem or something—I didn't get it then.
His tone even suggested I outshone Rozaria.
"Talent's a good thing. You're a genius too, Rozaria, so we'll have even more to geek out over."
"R-Right? Graveda Academy entrance is basically proof."
"You sure about that already? What if I screw up?"
"I'll ask Grandpa to pull strings for a retake."
"Absolutely not..."
Sharon the Elder would totally hook me up.
But it'd expose our connection and stir up drama.
Plus, cheating's not my style.
"I'll practice properly so I don't mess up. These sandwiches are great, though."
"Made 'em with that ham and cheese we bought last time. Seasoning good?"
"Yeah. This feels so weirdly nice."
Chilly weather, but Rozaria's warming spell made it spring-like and cozy.
Winter picnic with spring vibes? Kinda magical.
She'd done similar for me after sword practice before.
Guess mindset changes how you feel about the same thing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In a World Where Lewd Comics Are Legal
"Do great out there."
"Just do exactly what you taught me. Your teaching was top-notch, so wait without worrying."
"Got it. Ehehe, we're finally gonna attend the academy together, Kali. This isn't a dream, right?"
"I'll let you know when the acceptance letter comes."
If I fail, it really would be a dream.
Half-joking, but recent practice made failure seem unlikely.
Rozaria wouldn't lie—barring a huge mistake, I'd pass.
"Man, the inside's no joke."
Rozaria griped about it being inconvenient, but the visuals said otherwise.
Not capital-level, but dedicated eateries and shops everywhere.
It felt like a proper university campus, packed with essentials.
'Ah, well. First impressions are always good.'
I thought campus food was fine pre-college, then skipped it after one semester.
Humans get bored with routine, no matter how nice the facilities.
Looking closer, the "bookstore" was just textbooks.
The "clothing shop" sold uniforms and basic bedding.
Looks legit at first, but it's standard college campus setup.
'Gonna be a hassle.'
Rozaria rarely leaves, it seems.
For my comics, I need to haul finished manuscripts out sometimes.
Good thing: second-years can take first-years out via club activities.
Maybe ask Rozaria to start a club that suits us.
"Let's see, exam room's... Ah, this way."
Following signs, I found a buzzing building.
Mostly humans, but some other races mixed in.
Orcs rarely apply due to discrimination, but after The Elf Dreaming of an Affair with an Orc Feels Frustrated Again Today, I spotted quite a few.
Unplanned, but nice outcome. Felt good.
"Ah, Kali Hu Gladys."
"Confirmed. You're Team 37. Enter together when 37 is called. Wear this exam badge."
"Okay."
They called 37, we filed in.
And there— a familiar face. Threw me off.
Right, Professor Rondo's on staff here...
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