Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Where Am I? Who Am I?
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Mage and swordsman.
There was one thing the two of us, born into completely different paths, fiercely agreed on.
Our first meeting was the worst.
Recalling the sage bastard picking a fight in the heat of the moment...
The sage bastard, whom I'd thought was gone, came back.
-What do you mean? Why do you remember it like that?
Because it's true.
You picked a fight with me on the street.
-No, I didn't! You only remember the parts that make you look good?
Only the parts favorable to me? What kind of nonsense is that? It was you remembering only the parts unfavorable to you.
-What's that supposed to...! And why would anyone pick a fight just walking down the street? I saw you causing a ruckus near the Academy and tried to subdue you!
Ruckus?
It was a legitimate protest.
-Smashing up the mercenary guild? That's definitely a ruckus.
They tried to cheat me out of my settlement pay first, so I had no choice.
And you stuck your nose in?
-Ugh...!
Got nothing to say?
True words leave you speechless?
-How many times are you going to chew on that... I felt bad back then and took care of everything for you...
True, I'd milked it a lot. Time to stop chewing on it.
I stopped teasing the sage bastard and checked the things I'd gathered.
Did I miss anything?
-You need to grab clothes.
Ah.
Right.
Thanks.
Forgot about that.
Unlike elementary school, the Academy requires wearing the cadet uniform.
But there was no cadet uniform in the closet.
Of course not.
I hadn't bought one.
I didn't need to grab clothes specifically.
The Academy would provide it tomorrow.
But I still needed to go pick it up.
I'd head out early tomorrow in casual clothes.
That way, I could get the uniform from the Academy and change.
Monday.
The day students and professors alike hated had arrived.
But not everyone hated it.
Academy cadets started arriving early in the morning.
"Seo-ah, hi!"
"Hi!"
Seo-ah greeted her friends warmly.
The new semester had just begun, so the children's faces were full of bright, positive smiles.
It was still the time when making friends and the exciting new commute felt thrilling.
"Magic classes start this week, right? Aren't you so excited?"
Her friend's words especially made Seo-ah's heart race.
Magic classes.
The reason Seo-ah had entered the Academy was to learn magic.
She wanted to become like that boy she'd seen at the mart recently, so she'd given up her school friends to come here.
Otherwise, she'd be attending a regular gifted school right now.
Seo-ah frowned.
Every time she tried to remember the boy, his image blurred. As if something was blocking it.
"Seo-ah, you like magic?"
"I love it. That's why I'm excited for today's class. The professor said we'd learn 2nd-circle magic today."
Up until last week, classes had been light to help them adjust to school, but this week they were ramping up.
The closer they got to the Academy's main gate, the more students there were. There were seniors she hadn't seen before, and kids from the entrance ceremony.
"Oh? Swordsmanship Department kids just passed by."
The Academy is divided into various departments. But the two biggest ones are undoubtedly the Swordsmanship Department and the Magic Department.
Departments assigned based on each person's talents.
Still, Seo-ah wondered if it really mattered that much.
Even in the Magic Department, you had to learn swordsmanship. Just a bit less. Everyone learned the basics regardless of department.
The Academy deliberately taught a broad range to widen future hunters' options.
As years progressed, they narrowed it down.
Swordsmanship prodigies focused on swords.
Magic prodigies on magic.
Then spears, ice-specialized mages, tanks, and so on.
Finding and specializing each student's talents—that was the Academy.
Seo-ah thought it pointless, but given its structured system for the future, the Academy's education was reliable.
As soon as she entered the classroom, her desk mate was already there.
"Sung-chan, you're early?"
"Yeah?"
Sung-chan had his book open, studying. 2nd-Circle Magic Fundamentals. Prepping ahead for today's lesson.
"Studying already?"
"Gotta preview it. That way, I can follow the professor right away."
"New book? You bought it?"
"Yeah. Mom got it for me."
Seo-ah opened her own book while looking at Sung-chan.
She'd already previewed it multiple times, but one more couldn't hurt.
Her passion for magic meant she'd read it three times already.
Finally learning real magic today.
It was an exciting day.
And Seo-ah wasn't the only one excited.
Like Sung-chan with his book since morning.
The class chatter was all about today's magic lesson.
Getting into the Academy meant talent and interest in the field.
"Dad said if I learn 2nd-circle magic this time, he'll buy me the Bankruptcy Ping Full Edition."
"For real? That's super expensive. Lucky."
"What about your parents?"
"They're taking us out to eat. Who knows. I'll see after I learn it."
And parents wanted their Academy kids to excel even more.
The Academy was a shortcut to success.
Just being an Academy grad opened doors to more guilds and companies.
So parents did their best to fuel their kids' passion for studies.
The recent surge of Bankruptcy Ping Full Editions in cadets' hands wasn't coincidence.
In the bustling classroom...
"Hello, everyone!"
The homeroom teacher entered.
The Academy was like a university but shared some traits with regular schools.
Homeroom teachers were one example.
Even different institutions needed similar admin structures.
Emotionally immature students needed a homeroom guardian.
Thus, homeroom was "teacher," not "professor."
"Today, I have a student to introduce! Come on in!"
A new student after the semester start?
Seo-ah tilted her head.
Not someone who'd skipped days...
From the tone, a transfer student?
Transfers at this time?
As all students wondered...
A boy shuffled in through the front door.
Casual clothes under his cadet uniform.
Seo-ah knew who he was.
The blurry image cleared.
"Hi."
The boy from the mart.
The new clothes felt a bit scratchy at the collar.
The cadet uniform was slightly uncomfortable, but better than armor, so I just wore it.
"Sit at that empty seat over there."
The homeroom teacher showed me the spot and hurried out.
A middle-aged man entered.
The students, about to buzz about the transfer, shut up.
Probably the professor.
He skipped self-intro since he'd done it before.
And dove straight into magic class.
"Everyone knows 2nd-circle magic adds attributes, right? The common four elements: fire, water, wind, earth. Then special ones like light, darkness, space. Light and darkness are treated a tier higher than others."
1st-tier magic is often called attribute-less. Just shapes without attributes.
Next is 2nd-tier: attribute magic.
Coat it in fire or water—once attributed, it's 2nd-tier.
A regular magic arrow is 1st-tier.
Fire arrow is 2nd.
Further: add series or traits for 3rd-tier. Synthesize for 4th.
"Professor, if you use a 4th-circle darkness spell, does it count as 5th-circle?"
A student's question reminded me of the sage suddenly ranting one day.
-Some idiots get confused, but tier and circle aren't the same.
-Tier classifies spells. Circle classifies mages.
-They're similar but totally different.
-People mix them because without special talent, 2nd-circle mages handle up to 2nd-tier, 3rd up to 3rd.
-But their essences differ.
-Don't mix them up out there. Use right.
Simply: tier for spells.
Circle for mages.
I pondered during class.
Class quality and student level were satisfactory.
No anti-magic weak content like elementary.
Just boring since I'd learned it all.
"......"
But why am I taking a magic class?
I'm a swordsman...