Quite Fortunate, Indeed
All things considered, the outcome had been excellent. Arina had found an efficient way to train her mana control, and the recipient of the gift was thoroughly satisfied. By forcing herself into a restricted state with the mana restriction cuffs, she practiced manipulating small amounts of mana before gradually loosening the constraints to handle larger flows while maintaining efficient control. It was a groundbreaking training method possible only because of Arina’s vast mana affinity, and Marily couldn’t help but admire the sheer ingenuity of the mage who had devised it.
“Still, it doesn’t look very good.”
That was a separate matter. Regardless of their practicality, the two rings chained together around one ankle like a shackle looked bizarre. In the best light, it was an original fashion statement; in the worst, it strongly resembled the ankle monitors worn by sex offenders. Actually, now that I think about it, they’re exactly the same. Both were mana restriction cuffs. The only difference was whether they came with a tracking function or not. She actually plans to walk around outside wearing these.
Even if Arina had brought them along intending to grow accustomed to them during daily life, Marily was certain that her friend’s diligence had crossed into questionable territory this time.
“It’s fine. Normally I just let the hem of my pants down, so no one can see them.”
She had only rolled up her trousers to show Marily. In everyday situations, no one would notice. As Arina began lowering the fabric again, Marily found herself unable to add anything further. That’s exactly how criminals hide the ankle monitors on their feet…
“I’ve gotten used to them now, though. At first, it was so suffocating I could barely breathe.”
It had felt as though the air itself had turned from gas into liquid. Even breathing had required conscious effort.
“Well, if you’re happy with it, then I suppose it’s fine.”
Marily smiled faintly as she watched Arina beam with pride over her own progress. It was no surprise she was so pleased. After being stuck for so long, she finally felt as though she had taken a real step forward.
“Still, there was no need for you to come along. I could have gone and returned quickly on my own.”
They were currently walking through the academy corridors. Marily was on her way to Professor Magnus’s office to submit the assignment he had given her, which she had finished solving in record time.
“It’s fine. I didn’t have anything else to do anyway.”
“Nothing to do? You’ve been busy reading books every spare moment lately.”
“Haha……”
Arina turned her head away with an awkward laugh. Whether she found it amazing that Marily had solved the assignment so quickly or was simply excited to see how Professor Magnus would react, it was clear she had tagged along purely out of curiosity. It wasn’t that big of a deal, though.
Honestly, even this had taken Marily quite a while. Of course, the assignment contained a large number of spells and formulas she had yet to learn, but all the knowledge up to the advanced levels was already stored in her mind. She had solved it leisurely whenever she had free time, which was why the submission deadline had been extended. Even so, to Arina it seemed remarkable, and she looked proud of her friend. At the moment, she resembled a parent nervously wondering how others would perceive their child’s genius.
She’s the truly remarkable one.
While exceptional intelligence like Marily’s was certainly a necessary talent for a mage, an even more important quality—one that underpinned all magical study—was affinity with mana. Unlike the mind, which could be improved to some extent through effort, mana affinity was something one had to be born with. Arina was currently struggling with spell formulas, mana control, and the academy curriculum, but Marily believed that once she overcame this moment, her talent would shine brilliantly. After all, Arina was both a natural genius and a diligent girl who never stopped putting in effort.
“Well, everyone needs a change of pace now and then.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“They say the brain works more efficiently after resting, too.”
“Exactly.”
Marily herself had never pushed her mind to the point of needing forced rest, so she couldn’t fully relate, but there had to be truth to what so many books claimed. Arina nodded in agreement at the excuse Marily had offered on her behalf.
“Just leave it there and go.”
With a lighter heart, Arina followed Marily toward Professor Magnus’s office. Her expectations, however, were thoroughly deflated the moment they stepped inside and heard what the professor had to say.
His voice was calm and indifferent, contrary to what she had anticipated. Professor Magnus, who had been looking over documents on his desk, turned his head toward them and gestured with his eyes toward the table in front of him.
“Is something the matter?”
“You’re not going to check it?”
The complaint slipped out before she could stop herself. Hadn’t he said he would verify the results when they brought the assignment? Of course, she wasn’t trying to argue about the unfairness of it.
“Hmm.”
Fortunately, there was no one present who would twist her words. Professor Magnus stared at Arina for a moment before turning his gaze to the green orb Marily had placed on the table—the one engraved with his own mana imprint from inside the spell puzzle.
“There’s no need for that.”
If it had been anyone else, he would have been suspicious. For example, if Arina had brought the results this quickly, he would have tested whether she had sought help from another mage. But all such assumptions became meaningless the moment the person in question was Princess Marily Raymond. Her genius was already well known throughout the magical world, far beyond the royal court.
“I actually thought you were submitting it rather late. Did you deliberately delay it?”
It wasn’t indifference. On the contrary, Professor Magnus was observing Marily with surprising accuracy.
“Don’t neglect your efforts. Even if you possess a special talent compared to others, if you remain stagnant without a clear goal, you’ll only be overtaken by the other students.”
No, it wasn’t just her. On the desk where Professor Magnus sat, across from the guest sofa and table, the stacks of documents contained detailed notes on the characteristics and evaluations of all the first-year students under his charge. He was a perfectionist who created work for himself, but that same trait meant he kept a meticulous eye on each and every student.
“I’m sorry, Professor.”
Arina’s question had turned into a scolding directed at Marily. As Marily offered a bitter smile and lowered her head, Professor Magnus returned his attention to the documents.
“If you’re done here, leave. I’ve already heard you’re busy with Professor Scape’s assignments on top of mine. Ah, and……”
He suddenly seemed to remember something and lifted his head toward Arina again.
“Manifesting magic requires extreme rational calculation and computational power, but moving mana requires a flexible, unrestrained imagination.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t just focus on the end result. Picture the flow of mana in your mind. For example, imagine a faucet.”
Picture a faucet in your head. Then imagine turning it to control the amount of mana that flows out—whether you use only a little or a lot.
“For the others, increasing their available capacity comes first, but for you, the priority is learning to handle what you already have. If you train by drawing images in your mind, it should become easier.”
“A faucet……”
It was advice worth its weight in gold, given as though he already knew exactly what Arina was struggling with most. Unlike the dark mage Kain, this was advice only a mage could offer.
“Thank you so much!”
In a way, the advice had come a little late for Arina. What he was essentially saying was to practice controlling mana by imagining the physical constraints of the mana restriction cuffs in her mind. Still, it wasn’t entirely unhelpful. What he had described was ultimately a methodology for how to handle mana. Depending on the person, everyone had their own way of using it. The experience of a master-level mage would benefit those who followed, one way or another.
“I’d like to explain in more detail, but doing so might overstep into Professor Scape’s territory. If you want to know more, ask him directly.”
“Yes!”
Professor Magnus watched the two of them leave his office and let out a small chuckle. The qualities of a good student were simple. It came down to how well they listened to their teacher and how willing they were to accept the knowledge being offered—in other words, how passionately they could apply themselves. By that standard, Arina was an exemplary student. The kind a professor would want to teach even more.
Student Marily, on the other hand, lacks a bit of passion.
That was simply because she lacked the right opportunity. There was nothing in the current curriculum challenging enough to ignite her competitive spirit. Well, a separate solution for that would be prepared later. Whether she would accept his proposal remained to be seen.
There are no good teachers. Only good students exist.
That was the belief held by the mage known as Spencer Magnus. Anyone could teach. What mattered was how much one could impart. As a professor, all Spencer Magnus could do was create an environment where their talents could fully bloom and pass on everything he knew within that space. Whether they accepted the knowledge he gave them or made excuses about it being troublesome or difficult and gave up was up to them.
He would produce as many good students as possible. To that end, he continued his efforts today as well, his brow furrowing as he recalled one of the topics that had come up during the morning faculty meeting.
“To make that happen, I suppose we first need to create an environment where students can focus on their studies without worry.”
It concerned the rumors currently spreading among the students. While the rumors hadn’t yet reached many of the first-year students, from the second year onward, one could hear them frequently while walking the corridors. The main content was that one day, a mysterious app that had never been installed would suddenly appear on one’s smartphone. The moment it was opened, the user’s mana capacity would increase dramatically.
Nonsense.
Struggling with mana control wasn’t limited to first-year students. In fact, the difficulty only grew as one advanced to higher years. Unlike the first-years who complained while learning the basics, what second-years and above struggled with was the sheer quantity of mana itself. The app commonly called “Mana Up” among the students offered an easy solution to that problem. But Spencer Magnus rejected the very premise of the app. The reason was simple. Equivalent exchange—nothing in this world was given without a price. Even elixirs that increased one’s mana had absorption limits based on the individual’s effort. Yet this app supposedly increased mana just by being turned on without any effort at all?
Setting aside whether it even existed, there were clearly side effects the students didn’t know about. Beyond that, the very existence of such a thing denied the importance of self-improvement through effort, something Spencer Magnus could not accept.
The most important thing when studying magic is the sincerity to keep moving toward one’s goal.
Relying on shortcuts would never make one a great mage. At the same time, he understood why some students might feel compelled to depend on such an app. They were still growing children, at an age more easily swayed by temptation than by suspicion. It was only natural that students exhausted by the competitive environment of the academy would seek an easier way out. If this app truly existed, the fault didn’t lie with the students. It lay with the adults who sought to exploit their hearts.
That’s why this is a problem the professors must solve.
Uncover the truth behind the rumors. If the app existed, find out how it worked and who had distributed it. That had been the topic of the faculty meeting, and the moment it ended, Spencer Magnus had begun his investigation.
“I’m sorry for being late, Professor Magnus.”
This was part of that investigation. Assuming such an app existed, he had been pondering hypotheses about how it might be possible. As one such theory replayed in his mind, Spencer Magnus’s gaze shifted toward the door through which Arina and Marily had left—now occupied by the slouching figure of Professor Karlsen.