Let's Learn Magic
Let's Learn Magic
They say it's least annoying to strike while the iron is hot.
Duchess Mirea Denius, who had sorted out only the urgent tasks and finished them in a mere hour, took me to the mana training ground.
And as soon as we arrived, she stared straight at me and uttered her first words firmly.
"First of all, Zenon, no matter how much time you invest, you will never be able to use the Black Flame that I use, or the Blue-Black Flame that my daughter uses."
"Hmm... I see."
I had already expected that.
After all, the Black Flame, and the Blue-Black Flame derived from it, were unique traits that only the bloodline of the Denius Duchy could use.
"You don't seem as disappointed as I thought you'd be."
The Duchess reacted with slight surprise at how calmly I accepted it.
Well, I suppose it's understandable; until now, whenever something didn't go my way, I'd put on a sickeningly third-rate lover act.
"Of course. From the beginning, my goal wasn't the Duchess-nim's ability, but the knowledge you've accumulated over decades."
"... You bold brat. Anyway, I'm almost puzzled by how you dare to show such an attitude toward a Denius."
She reacted as if she were genuinely puzzled, yet at the same time, she didn't seem particularly displeased.
No, rather, she even looked a bit amused, so I shrugged my shoulders.
"There's a saying that you can't spit on a smiling face, right? Or maybe I've already taken a spot deep in the Duchess-nim's heart."
"... Haa, sure, let's say that's the case."
"Hmm, you seem to find me annoying; was my proof of love still insufficient?"
"No. Absolutely not, so don't worry."
Mirea shook her head, looking absolutely disgusted.
She looked cute in a way that didn't match her age, and I barely swallowed the laughter that almost leaked out as I continued.
"Then that's a relief. Anyway, let's get the lecture started."
"... Right, but first, I need to check one thing."
Saying that, before I could even reply, she lightly extended her right palm and placed it on my chest.
Then, she briefly poured mana in the form of black powder near my heart, and soon tilted her head slightly as she opened her mouth.
"I knew you had learned the basic training method from Rihel, but to think you've already mastered and succeeded in condensing mana in such a short time."
"Uh, to be precise, the Gongnyeo-nim didn't teach me; she just threw a magic book at me?"
"A magic book?... Don't tell me you're talking about that diary I wrote when I was a 1st Circle mage?"
"Yes, the Gongnyeo-nim handed it to me, telling me to train by looking at that?"
"......."
Suddenly, a bright red flush began to spread across Mirea's pale cheeks.
Not stopping there, she hurriedly withdrew the hand she had placed on my chest and averted her gaze to the air.
It was a reaction like a teenage girl who had been caught with her secret diary.
Don't tell me Rihel, that wench, just handed over her mom's diary to get rid of me without even asking for permission?
'Wow, damn, I was wondering why it was locked up so tightly, geez.'
No, before that, why on earth did she keep the diary in the library instead of her own room?
Faced with such an embarrassing truth, I couldn't react properly either and waited for the Duchess to regain her composure as quickly as possible.
"Hmm, hmmm...!"
After some time had passed, Mirea let out a few loud coughs, then tried to put on her usual indifferent expression as she opened her mouth.
"Th-that is merely a very immature and embarrassing record I scribbled down some twenty years ago. Anyway, Rihel, that child is so careless. To dare to carelessly throw the Head of the House's personal training log to an outsider."
"I see."
This is driving me crazy, seriously.
Why is her 'girly charm' hitting an all-time high the more I see her?
Was this my type originally?
'No, focus on the present first.'
I stood beside Mirea, who was awkwardly acting and blaming her daughter, and waited quietly for her next words.
Soon, Mirea, who had managed to calm her flushed face, looked at me again, her eyes shining quite seriously.
"However, it is truly surprising."
"What is?"
"The passages written in that diary... no, that magic book, are like codes written incoherently, based thoroughly on my own senses, so that only I could understand them in my childhood. Yet, for a commoner man who didn't even know the basics of magic power to perfectly understand that difficult content in just two days, and succeed in condensing mana within his own blood vessels..."
She crossed her arms and slowly scanned my body up and down.
As if she had realized that a pebble rolling on the street was actually a rare, uncut gemstone.
"If it's true that you've never handled mana in your life, it means you were born with the talent to become an Archmage, just like me. Of course, given your age, you won't truly be able to reach the 6th Circle."
Recognition of talent, coming straight from the mouth of an Archmage.
She said it was too late to reach the 6th Circle, but that didn't really matter.
My goal from the start was just to be at a level where I could protect myself and act cute enough to be favored by the villainesses, so that was enough.
'In conclusion, even if I can't be an Archmage, it means my potential is higher than most average mages, right?'
My heart began to pound like crazy with anticipation at that fact.
I couldn't hold back and asked urgently, my eyes sparkling.
"By any chance, if I have that much talent... would I also be able to use the Duchess-nim's Black Flame, or other destructive unique magic similar to it?"
The moment I expressed my inflated hope, imagining myself entering the academy and stylishly wielding black flames in the middle of a battlefield.
"No, absolutely impossible."
"... Ah."
Mirea shook her head firmly without a moment's hesitation, driving a thick nail into my vain hope.
"Black Flame or Blue-Black Flame are in a completely different realm from pure mana achievement. It is a bloodline inheritance ability permitted only to the Denius lineage, so no matter how genius a talent you are born with, you will never obtain that power."
"Ah...."
Even in this damn fantasy world, do you have to be born with something to succeed?
That story about starting from the very bottom, becoming a king, an emperor, and the pinnacle of the continent... is that not for me?
So, in the end, even if I have talent, it's too late, so at best, I'm just destined to be someone who floats water droplets or scatters wind, right?
It was at that moment, when I, having lost all my energy as my expectations were denied in an instant, hung my head low, showing my disappointment clearly.
"......."
Mirea, seeing me looking down at the floor, feeling gloomy, let out a laugh.
"Pfft."
A very small, light chuckle that seemed to have slipped out without her knowing.
I was startled and jerked my head up.
And Mirea, who entered my sight, was looking down at me with a defenseless and bright smile that I couldn't even imagine in normal times.
The brazen man who had always been annoyingly scratching at her nerves since the moment they first met.
Could it be that the sight of him looking sulky like a puppy over the fact that he couldn't learn just one magic spell had momentarily disarmed even her heart?
However, that appearance was only for a brief moment.
As soon as I raised my head and made eye contact, she was startled and quickly covered her mouth with the back of her white hand.
"Uh-uh? You definitely just laughed...."
"Don't talk nonsense, who laughed? Have you developed hallucinations from frustration?"
Mirea switched her stance in an instant, reminiscent of some game character, and quickly avoided my gaze.
Then, she changed the atmosphere with the voice of a teacher as strict and dignified as possible and continued.
"Anyway... the foundation itself is solid enough to exceed my expectations, so we can reduce unnecessary time wasting. From now on, I will instill in you the core theory on circle generation that will make you recognized as a true 1st Circle mage, so keep your wits about you."
I barely swallowed the laughter leaking out at Mirea's appearance, who was busily floating jet-black mana into the air while changing the subject so obviously.
Although I wouldn't be able to learn the unique magic of the Denius family, which was my goal.
Instead, I had succeeded in capturing the most beautiful and defenseless smile of that iron-wall villainess Duchess.
I thought this was quite an excellent result for the first lesson.
"Understood. This lacking second disciple, Zenon, will learn diligently so as not to bring shame to the Archmage-nim's reputation!"
"Phew, I should start my duties as Student Council President soon, I've been too distracted lately."
Cherndea Rodpen, who had been playing around after dumping all his duties as Crown Prince under the pretext of further solidifying his support base through social activities for the past few days.
Princess Ilusia Rodpen, who had been grinding her body away, sleeping less than an hour a day on his behalf.
On a leisurely day that had come after a very long time.
After sleeping for almost 14 hours straight, as soon as she woke up, she began to process the Student Council President's work that had piled up before returning to school.
"Useless talk, rejected."
"I'm pretty sure the Imperial Family notified them that it was illegal two years ago... I'll have to issue a warning."
The approval documents piled up like a mountain on one side of the desk were processed one by one by Ilusia's quick hand movements.
After that, there were minor tax collection proposals submitted by the merchant union within the academy, and employment documents for the newly appointed magic professor.
And even minor property damage incidents that occurred in empty classrooms during the vacation period.
She skillfully scanned the documents, scribbling her signature, and slowly moved toward the bottom of the pile of documents.
Finally, at long last, one document left as the very last item of work caught her eye.
Unlike other ordinary parchments.
It was a special document with double protection magic, with red mana shimmering so that even the Imperial scribes couldn't open it carelessly.
"Did the Dean send this himself?"
Ilusia lightly drew mana to her fingertips and unsealed the document.
As the red light scattered with a pas-seut sound, what revealed itself from within was an admission recommendation from a Great Noble.
[Academy Admission Recommender: Duchess of Denius, Mirea Denius.]
[Name: Zenon.]
"Ho-oh... I didn't know I would see a recommendation letter from the Pillars, of which there are only seven, in my generation."
Ilusia began to scan the contents written in the recommendation letter one by one with slight interest.
Below that, along with a few special notes such as status and age.
A small magic photo, precisely depicting the applicant's face, was firmly attached with a clip.
"... Hmm?"
Ilusia's finger paused for a moment as she faced the face of the man in the photo.
Features that were strangely familiar somewhere.
She quickly searched her memory.
And soon, a portrait that Lunos leader Kailok had carefully pushed over just a couple of days ago, claiming it was new information, flashed through her mind.
The very arrogant man who was strongly suspected of having touched the Golden Hand's request box and sent such a disgusting third-rate love letter to herself, who was called the greatest beauty on the continent.
The montage of the fugitive that Kailok had drawn after tracking him, and the face of the commoner man named Zenon, who was proudly hanging on the recommendation letter right now, overlapped perfectly.
No, since that man named Zenon had clearly headed from Alden to the Denius Duchy, it was certain that the two were the same person.
"Hah."
Her eyes, which had been flickering with boredom and anger toward the Crown Prince, seemed to calm down little by little.
Soon, a very bright and bewitching smile bloomed on her indifferent face.
Just like the smile a predator that had been starving for a long time would make when it discovered prey that had crawled into its trap on its own.
A chillingly beautiful smile.
'I was just agonizing over how to drag him out, since the place he arrogantly hid to avoid my feet happened to be the Denius Duchy.'
To think he would walk into the narrow birdcage called the Academy on his own; could there be a more perfect coincidence than this?
Ilusia quickly applied the ink, and stamped her approval seal as Student Council President at the very bottom of the parchment document with Zenon's name written on it.
Slowly stroking the clearly stamped red seal with her fingertips, she muttered in a voice full of enjoyment.
"Well, this... I'll be able to face that arrogant mug in person much faster than I thought."