Magician Marygold (6) - A Week of Explosions and Nightmares
"Mary's a bit much."
"Kinda, right?"
……?
Lancel got a sense of the rumors swirling around Marygold through the magic department freshmen.
Marygold. She was already a celebrity in the magic department—no one hadn't heard of her.
……
Fallen Lady Simulation
Creating schedule for Week 1 of March.
Mon - Dorm assignment. (Location: Academy Dormitory)
Tue - Intro to Magic Affinity. (Location: Lecture Hall)
Wed - Mana Collision Experiment. (Location: Research Building)
Thu - Light and Orb Guidance Practice. (Location: Training Grounds)
Fri - Mana Gathering via Meditation. (Location: Gardens)
Sat - Dorm Deep Clean. (Location: Academy Dormitory)
Sun - Group Outing. (Location: Academy Hunting Grounds)
※ Academy enrollment day approaches! Can she pull it off? The grand mage who mocks knights...!
"Hello!"
Up until enrollment and dorm assignment, Marygold's academy life wasn't so bad.
"Who's that?"
"Mary, I think."
If anything, it leaned toward a good impression.
Her stunning golden blonde hair, bright demeanor, the faint, oddly uplifting wildflower scent that wafted when she drew near, and those jewel-like sparkling eyes that drew people in without fail.
"She's pretty."
"Bit short, though."
"How old?"
"Seventeen."
"Yeah, she's tiny."
"Disciple of Baron Jenis, they say."
"No way?"
A commoner, but with a great mentor. A commoner, but with refined manners. A bit shy and sullen at first, but she warmed up quick once you talked to her, creating a comfy vibe. And so on.
Marygold was one of the most spotlighted new students on day one—in a good way.
"Yeah. Us mages gotta stick together. Pool our power till the day we overthrow the knights..."
"……?"
She just occasionally spouted weird stuff that left people baffled.
"Anyway, take care, Mary."
"Yeah."
The real issues started the next day, dragging on through the week.
-Tuesday.
-Intro to Magic Affinity.
"Mana truly begins in the interplay of crossing, fusing, repelling attributes. Carefully concentrate your mana and observe the collision phenomena. With utmost delicacy and caution..."
"P-Professor! Mary's—!"
"Hm?"
That was when it happened. Intense light and heat burst from Marygold's hand. The tangled mana swelled like yarn unraveling, giving off ominous vibes.
The professor's eyes widened.
"Evacuate! Everyone out!"
BOOM—!
The dull explosion left the area in ruins. Desks, chairs, floor—all splintered wood swirling in chaos.
Marygold's mana control failure had triggered it. It forced the professor and students to evacuate, but did it tank her reputation?
Not really.
Such accidents happened often with academy freshmen still clumsy with mana use. It passed as a minor mishap.
-Wednesday.
-Mana Collision Experiment.
"Professor! Mary again!"
"Mary! Lower your magic output! Hurry!"
"I-I can't! It won't go down!"
"Damn it, everyone evacuate!"
"Again?"
BOOM—!
Of course, back-to-back days raised some eyebrows, but it was still fine. Her peers saw her as a kid with insane innate mana talent but zero control.
"Sorry about that..."
"Uh, y-yeah. It's fine, Mary."
She apologized profusely after each big screw-up. Hard to stay mad at someone bowing nonstop, head to the ground.
Her long golden hair was just extra singed and frizzier from the blasts.
-Thursday.
-Light and Orb Guidance Practice.
"Professor! Mary's in a fight!"
"What? With who?"
"Knight department trainees...!"
"Damn!"
The next day. A brawl broke out between Mary and knights sharing the training grounds.
"What? Did I say something wrong? Didn't you guys mock magic first?"
"A commoner talking back..."
A knight department guy had Marygold by the collar. A good 40cm height gap had her toes nearly off the ground, but her face showed no fear.
"Say that again."
"Wanna hear it twice? I said muscle-headed knights mocking magic is ridiculous."
"W-What?"
"Swordplay's just pick up, swing—repeat. Magic's way more complex and advanced."
"...A commoner mouthing off to nobles like that? There's a limit to what insults I'll tolerate!"
"Act noble then. You started it, calling mages scrawny, saying one punch takes us out."
"Done talking, brat? You just insulted knights and nobles! I'm a noble! Not like you—House Solaris, renowned..."
"Want more?"
"Outside! Now!"
"Hmph!"
Mana rose from the collared Marygold.
"Stop, stop!"
"Won't talk it out!"
The next instant, a fist flew between them.
"Kyaa!"
A huge red bruise bloomed on Marygold's face. No time to cast—fist connected first.
"She lost."
"Mary lost."
Both departments got disciplined: lunch and snacks confiscated.
Even this wasn't the death knell for her rep.
The real problem hit the next day.
13.
"Nightmares?"
"Yeah, nightmares."
Lancel heard something unexpected from the magic freshmen.
"The whole dorm got hit with nightmares. Couldn't sleep a wink all weekend... ugh."
The freshman shuddered, hugging himself at the mere thought.
Nightmares?
Dream contents varied, but one common thread: triggered when Marygold slept. Lasted till she woke.
Every commoner mage in her dorm suffered identically.
"Knew it was a dream but couldn't wake, wanted to run but something chased... "
"Eek!"
Trauma reactions all around. Humans get cranky from one sleepless night—imagine days of that. Even Lancel wouldn't be thrilled.
"Mary's doing?"
"Yeah. Confirmed. Apparently from Friday's meditation lesson..."
Meditation.
"Simple exercise gathering mana around you with focus. She practiced it every night. Sounds diligent, but... that caused..."
"The nightmares."
"Yes. Professors think her gathered mana triggered some high-rank mental magic."
Talent, if that's what you call it.
"Hm."
Thus, in one week, Marygold became an outcast. Commoner, orphan, Jenis's disciple, magic newbie, cute kid, awkward companion, accident magnet apprentice mage, nightmare-bringer...
All that perception in seven days. Plus rumors of knight department bullying.
Fits with her fishing junk from the pond.
If you wanted to trash your academy life max in a week, it'd look just like this.
Thoroughly isolated, Marygold.
…
"A world where no one gets hurt—complete."
"Nah. All self-inflicted."
Lancel shot back at the frizzy-haired girl.
"...Sob..."
Marygold buried her face in her knees.
"Yeah. All my fault. I'm just a problem child who knows a bit of magic. When I heard you'd be temp professor, I wanted to impress you... but I ruined it."
"Snap out of it."
"Ow!"
Lancel peeled a leaf from her crown.
"Hm."
He picked up her dropped sandwich. She'd started avoiding the cafeteria, carrying food around.
What to do with this.
Munching a bite, Lancel pondered.
"Ah, my lunch...!"
"Want a bite?"
"...I'm good."
Back to knees.
Her grand mage potential's legit, at least.
Yeah. Just meditating triggered wide-area mental magic. Nightmares aside, her talent was real.
Air isn't your friend, Marygold! If you can't make friends, your 3 years at the academy will be bleak!
Seeing your pathetic self exposed to Lancel Dante makes you wish for death.
Marygold's poise, sensitivity, morality, and faith decrease.
Condition drops sharply.
This ain't healthy.
Bad. Leaving her like this could derail things weirdly. Especially if it hits stats—worst ending incoming.
Yeah. Like condition. Lancel knew what happened when hers hit single digits.
One of the game's nightmare endings.
Can't let that happen!
Needed drastic measures.
"Mary, from today, your goal isn't 100 friends—it's goddess of the magic department. Got it?"
"Huh?"
Lancel marched off.
"Lancel? No, Professor Lancel?"
He held her half-eaten sandwich. A hollow rumble followed him.
* * *
"So Sir Lancel means dragging magic department into knight training?"
"Spot on."
Joint knight-mage training under one roof. The knight professors were stunned by his proposal.
"Isn't this just pitting knights against mages?"
"Growth starts with rivalry and friction."
"Talk sense. They're already at odds—this fans the flames."
Sharp.
Exactly the point.