The Saintess's Clingy Plea
The curriculum at Stella Academy is broadly divided into two main tracks: the mage course and the knight course.
Naturally, there are other options—administrative courses for those aiming to become imperial officials, or alchemical studies specializing in magic tools and potion crafting—but the vast majority of students pick one of the two primary tracks when selecting their classes.
The same went for Iolet.
The lecture she was currently attending was called Understanding Circle Magic. It was one of the mandatory courses every mage-track student had to complete. While it was undoubtedly an important class, Iolet’s mind refused to settle. All she could think about was Gladia, drenched in blood.
It was the first time she had ever seen her maid so badly weakened, and the shock was beyond words. Until now, the Gladia she knew had always carried herself with effortless composure and strength.
-Ugh… My lady. This maid is dying…
…Well, there had been the occasional times she took to bed. But Gladia would always bounce back the next day as if nothing had happened, full of energy and mischief.
When Gladia first fell ill, Iolet had been terribly worried. After all, in that cold ducal household where she had no one else to rely on, Gladia was her only ally. So she had nursed her with clumsy but sincere effort.
The very next day, Gladia had sprung up with a cheerful cry of “Gladia revival!!” and gone back to scampering around like a sly little fox.
Then, a week later:
-Oof, this super-cute maid is dying.
She collapsed again. Only to shout “Gladia awakening!!!!!!” and recover once more.
After several cycles of this, Iolet had come to view Gladia’s bedridden episodes as something of an annual tradition. So when it happened again this time, she hadn’t paid it much mind. She simply assumed her maid would be up and about soon enough, just like always.
But after losing consciousness in the dungeon and waking to the horrific scene before her, that complacency had been ripped out by the roots.
Gladia’s usually crisp and perfectly pressed maid uniform was a ruined mess, soaked in crimson blood and caked with dirt. Tears of agony glistened in those sharp eyes that never lost their edge, and droplets of what looked like freshly vomited blood slid down her pale jawline, falling to the floor with soft, dreadful plops.
‘That idiot! If it hurt that badly, she should have said something…!’
Iolet barely remembered what happened after that. Only fragments remained—panicked, she had hoisted Gladia onto her back and carried her straight to their room. Even after returning, she couldn’t bring herself to leave her side. It felt as though the moment she looked away, Gladia would simply die. Just like her mother, who had left her behind in that frozen ducal mansion and never returned.
In truth, she hadn’t wanted to attend this lecture at all. But Gladia had practically shoved her out the door, so Iolet had dragged herself here, swallowing her tears like mustard.
‘As soon as it ends, I’m rushing straight back.’
Just as Iolet made that firm resolution, the elderly professor entered the lecture hall.
“Now, everyone, please settle down.”
The professor in charge of Understanding Circle Magic was an old man with a long, flowing white beard. He looked exactly like a wizard who had stepped out of a fairy tale, and the wisdom shining in his eyes made every student who met his gaze instinctively lower their head in respect.
With slow, measured steps, he walked to the front of the hall and stood behind the lectern.
“Greetings, everyone. I am Felix Lister, and I will be teaching Understanding Circle Magic this year.”
After his gentle introduction, Professor Felix offered a kind smile and swept his gaze across the room.
“You may address me as Professor Felix.”
Wherever his eyes landed, students swallowed nervously and sat up straighter.
“Since this is our first session, I’ll begin with a basic question before we dive into the main material. Can any of you explain to me what a circle is?”
A student in the front row immediately raised their hand.
“Yes, you there. Go ahead.”
“Yes, sir! A circle is an invisible vessel of mana formed within a mage’s heart! There are seven attributes in total—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, light, and darkness—and one circle can be formed for each attribute. Therefore, the theoretical maximum number of circles is seven!”
“Excellent. A perfectly textbook answer.”
Professor Felix nodded in satisfaction, stroking his white beard.
“As the student said, seven is correct in theory. However, reality is not so simple. Increasing the number of circles is far more difficult than it sounds.”
The students held their breath as the professor began counting on his fingers.
“First, the light and darkness attributes can only be wielded by those born with the innate talent. And second…”
Professor Felix’s gaze briefly brushed across Iolet and the Saintess before continuing.
“The more circles one forms, the stronger the repulsion between the different mana attributes condensed within the heart. Suppressing that repulsion and successfully weaving a new circle is practically a miracle. That is why the ultimate realm attainable by humans is generally defined as ‘five circles.’”
He offered no further explanation. Instead, he simply spread the five fingers of his right hand.
Taat—!
"Fire."
"Water."
"Wind."
"Lightning."
"Earth."
⟨ Five-Circle Harmony ⟩
A crisp sound rang out, and atop each of his five fingers bloomed magic of a different attribute.
A small flame danced on his thumb. A clear droplet of water formed on his index finger. A miniature whirlwind spun around his middle finger. Blue lightning crackled across his ring finger. And on his pinky, a solid piece of stone floated gently.
Fire, water, wind, lightning, earth.
These were the five basic attributes out of the seven used to form circles.
Professor Felix lightly closed his hand, scattering the flickering elements into the air.
Quiet gasps of admiration rose from the students.
The magic itself wasn’t particularly advanced. What mattered was that he had invoked five different attributes simultaneously, without the slightest hint of repulsion. In that moment, the students understood that the elderly man before them had reached the pinnacle of human capability—the realm of five circles.
“Over the next year, you will study the most fundamental theories and practices of circles with me. We will focus on calculating mana flow and learning how to safely and firmly weave circles into your own hearts.”
Even as the students marveled, Felix continued the lecture with practiced ease. After a stretch of rather dry, academic explanation, the moment every student had been eagerly awaiting finally arrived.
“We’ll conclude today’s first session here, having covered the orientation as well. Thank you all for your attention.”
“Thank you, Professor!”
The instant Felix declared the class over—
Thud!
The first person to shoot up from their seat, kicking the chair back, was Iolet, who had been sitting in the very last row. Ignoring the startled looks from those around her and the professor’s gaze, she bolted for the rear door without so much as a backward glance, flinging it open and dashing into the corridor like a whirlwind.
“Wait, please!”
But Iolet’s steps halted almost immediately.
Someone was blocking her path.
Given her usual temperament, she would have shoved them aside without hesitation, but the person before her was not someone she could treat lightly.
“Huff… huff… P-please wait. I need to speak with you.”
With every labored breath, the girl’s enormous chest rose and fell dramatically. Glossy pink hair swayed beneath her shoulders, and she wore pure white clerical robes that radiated unmistakable divinity.
The representative of the goddess, who had appeared for the first time in a thousand years.
Saintess Cruze spoke.
“It’s truly important.”
I ultimately couldn’t find any additional clues in the core room. The system window had clamped its mouth shut as well.
‘This thing’s suspicious too…’
Still, there wasn’t much I could do about it right now. At least I’d gained something tangible.
“Gladia revival!”
My body doesn’t hurt at all!
After drinking the Hero’s Blood, the recoil from the Trial of the World that should have hit me had vanished. I’d used quite a bit of force out of pure irritation when cutting down that stele, so I’d braced myself for a brutal backlash… but the pain I felt was noticeably milder than before.
It hadn’t disappeared completely, but this level was perfectly bearable. Hero’s Blood really is an incredible item! Physical enhancement and reduced recoil? If they’re handing out benefits this generous, what’s left for the game itself?
You guys are what’s left! Haha!
Now that my body had recovered, I felt fantastic. Riding that wave of good mood, I headed to the magic lecture building to meet my lady. She’d been so worried about me—seeing that I was back on my feet should make her happy, right?
‘She’s not going to start crying again, is she?’
Just then, my Mind’s Eye picked up a familiar flow of mana.
“My la—?”
But my lady wasn’t alone.
“Let go of me, I said!”
“It’s really, really important, I swear!”
“I’m not interested!”
“Please, just listen to me!!”
Some woman was clinging to my lady, pressing her vulgar, jiggling lumps of fat against her!
‘How dare she do that to the young lady I successfully bid on first…!’