The Next Morning
When I stepped outside the dormitory earlier than usual, I noticed a girl doing calisthenics in the front yard.
It was Senia Artian.
“Oh, Eriol.”
Realizing I was watching her, Senia stopped moving.
“You’re up early.”
“Do you exercise every morning?”
“Yes, it’s a family tradition…”
As expected of someone from the Artian family, known for their swordsmanship.
“Oh, you’re all up early.”
At that moment, Cain approached, dressed in workout clothes and yawning.
“I just finished a lap around the area. The early morning peace is nice.”
It seemed Cain had also been training.
“You guys haven’t eaten breakfast yet, right? Want to eat together before class?”
“I’m not eating hot dogs.”
“Haha. I checked while I was out—turns out the hot dog stand isn’t open yet.”
So he was planning to eat hot dogs for breakfast.
“Let’s start the day with a proper meal.”
And with that, our second day at the academy began.
Since the academy doesn’t provide meals, students have to buy their own food.
We took our time choosing a place to eat and had a relaxed breakfast, which made us a little late for class.
By the time we barely made it to the First Student Hall, the classroom was already buzzing.
“You’re telling me you still couldn’t find the book?!”
“It wasn’t there! We even checked the outer library, and it’s nowhere to be found!”
“You talked all big, and this is what we get?!”
Monarch was arguing with the other students.
“What’s going on?”
“Oh… They couldn’t finish the assignment. Monarch was supposed to get the book, but in the end, he couldn’t find it.”
Hearing that, Cain smirked.
“Eriol, I’ll take out the book now.”
Cain pulled out a thick book from my bag.
It was The Oquitraust and the Philosophers Dialogue, the book we had borrowed from the central library yesterday.
“Alright, everyone, calm down!”
Cain raised his voice as he walked to the center of the classroom.
“The book we needed to borrow? We already have it right here, so no need to worry. No need to fight, either.”
“…!”
The moment Cain held the book up high, all eyes in the room turned to him.
“Wait, what?”
“Our top-ranking student, Eriol, solved the problem in an instant.”
“What? The top student?”
“Eriol did it?”
“W-Wait a second!”
Monarch and his followers rushed over to Cain.
“T-This is The Oquitraust and the Philosophers’ Dialogue”
“Yeah. You can read the title, can’t you?”
“Damn it! Then it’s your fault we couldn’t borrow it!”
Monarch glared at Cain and me, his eyes burning with resentment.
“Do you have any idea how much trouble we went through because of you?!”
“Oh, that’s funny.”
Cain replied with his usual carefree attitude.
“Didn’t you kick Eriol out and tell him to figure things out on his own? Now that he solved the problem before you did, you’re blaming him? Does that even make sense?”
“…!”
Monarch and his followers fell silent.
Even the other students looked uncomfortable and averted their gazes.
“The professor specifically told us to work together on this assignment. But instead of doing that, you picked a fight and pushed Eriol out, remember?”
“T-That was…”
“Reflect on your actions, Monarch Orson.”
Cain poked Monarch’s chest with the edge of the book.
“Because of your stubbornness, everyone had to suffer.”
“…!”
The atmosphere in the classroom shifted completely.
Monarch’s face paled as he realized he was at a disadvantage.
“You guys should apologize to Eriol, too. You were way too thoughtless yesterday.”
Cain turned to the other students, who now looked guilty as they glanced at me.
“Cain, that’s enough,” I interrupted.
“I really don’t care.”
“Wow, our Eriol has such a big heart.”
“It’s not about having a big heart. It just doesn’t matter to me.”
I took my seat as I spoke.
“As long as the professor’s assignment is completed, that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter who did it.”
“…”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
But the ones who looked the most miserable were Monarch and his followers.
“Hm? It’s awfully quiet today.”
Just then, our homeroom professor, Klein, entered the classroom.
“Is there a problem? Surely you’ve all completed the assignment, haven’t you?”
“Of course.”
Cain quickly handed The Oquitraust and the Philosophers’ Dialogue to Klein.
“This is the book we needed, right?”
“Yes, good job.”
“Oh, just to clarify, I wasn’t the one who solved the problem and found the book. That was—”
“I know.”
“What?”
Klein spoke in a calm voice.
“It was Eriol Valencia, the top student. Am I wrong?”
“…”
The room fell silent once more.
“There will be similar assignments in the future. Make sure to work together and rely on Eriol when necessary.”
At Klein’s cold statement, Monarch’s expression twisted into an ugly scowl.
First Period: Introduction to Magic Studies
The first lecture was Introduction to Magic Studies, a theoretical course that established the fundamental concepts of magic.
“People in ancient times believed in sorcery. They worshiped transcendent beings, offered prayers and sacrifices, and even concocted and consumed various substances in their rituals.”
Professor Klein wrote several examples of sorcery on the blackboard before promptly crossing them out with a large X.
“But all of these are nothing more than superstition.”
“……!”
“Superstitions are rooted in vague desires. Humans believe that if they wish for a certain outcome, it will come true. But the world does not change based on mere wishes. If one perceives an effect, it’s nothing more than an illusion.”
Then, Klein wrote a single word in large letters beside it.
‘Language.’
“There is only one way to change the world—by using a language the world can understand.”
“…….”
“Incantation language is a means of communication between humans and the world. No matter how many times we say, ‘Let it rain,’ in our own words, the world will not listen. However…”
Klein swiftly wrote something new on the board.
It was an incantation.
“When a request is made in the language of incantations, the world responds.”
At that moment, rain suddenly began pouring over the podium.
“Wow…!”
However, the rain lasted only for a brief moment before vanishing. Not a single drop touched Klein, and even the moisture that had dampened the floor disappeared as if it had never existed.
“Even ancient people had a vague sense that there was a language the world responded to—magic circles, rune magic, talismans… Though crude, they made efforts to understand it. Over time, they gradually discovered what truly worked, and thus, systematic magic was born.”
Klein wrote a new term on the board in large letters:
‘Scrolls.’
“Scroll magic is a type of magic that activates by writing incantation language onto paper infused with mana. The advent of scroll magic marked the beginning of serious research into incantations. It was the moment magic stopped being mere superstition and started evolving into a field of science.”
Having said that, Klein set down the chalk.
“And then… At some point, the wizards who used scrolls came to a realization—what if one didn’t need to write incantations on paper? What if they could construct incantations directly within their minds and project them into the world?”
Tapping his fingers against his temple, Klein triggered a sudden shift—the room darkened instantly.
The students trembled uneasily. The curtains hadn’t been drawn, yet everything dimmed.
But just as quickly, a white screen appeared in midair, drawing gasps of amazement.
Klein had used magic to display the contents of a book in the air.
“The first person to propose this idea was a philosopher from two thousand years ago—Oquitraust.”
It was from Conversations with Philosophers and Oquitraust, a book I had borrowed.
Klein magnified a page, making it visible for everyone.
“It took over a thousand years for modern magic to be properly completed. But the fundamental concept was already presented two thousand years ago by Oquitraust.”
As Klein flipped the book’s pages, the projected text in the air changed accordingly. With a simple swipe of his finger, key passages were underlined.
“The most important principle is this—humans are beings capable of altering the world through their will. Incantation language is merely a tool to achieve that end.”
“……!”
“Remember this well. You all have the power to change the world. The magical formulas you construct in your minds, the incantation-based programs you implement… they shape reality.”
With an impressive display of modern magic, Klein concluded his lecture with unwavering confidence.
“Believe in your ability to change the world. After all, you are wizards.”
Second Period: Scroll Magic
Klein continued to elaborate on the core philosophy of modern magic, guiding students through key passages from Oquitraust’s book.
While not directly applicable to spellcasting, the lecture was essential for establishing the mindset of a true wizard.
‘I read this book before, but back then, I never considered becoming a wizard myself.’
As I followed along, I slowly understood the fundamental concepts of magic.
With the first period concluded, a new professor entered for the second lecture.
“Nice to meet you all. I am Maia Wright, from the Artificing Department.”
Maia was a middle-aged woman with dark skin.
“Today, you will be learning about scroll magic.”
Scroll magic—
The very same method mentioned in the previous lecture, involving writing magic onto paper.
“Professor, isn’t scroll magic considered outdated in modern times?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then why do we need to learn it?”
“A question I hear every year,” Maia responded calmly, undeterred by the blunt inquiry.
“There are two major reasons.”
She held up a single finger.
“First, scroll writing forms the foundation of magical artifact creation.”
“Ah…”
“Magical tools function by inscribing incantation language onto objects. Thus, practicing scroll writing is the best way to train for artifact crafting.”
It was a logical explanation.
“And the second reason… Even with your current talent, constructing magic formulas in your minds will likely be a mess.”
“……!”
“Forming spell structures purely in your head is no easy task. That’s why you must practice by writing them down first.”
Watching the students nod in understanding, Maia pulled out a sheet of paper.
“The five lines written on this paper form an incantation for a light-producing spell.”
“Wow…!”
She tossed the paper into the air, and it flashed brilliantly before disintegrating.
“In today’s lecture, you will first learn the incantation language used in this spell. Then, you will write your own scrolls. Focus carefully.”
With that, Maia turned to the board and began writing the incantation, explaining each component as she went.
Once the explanation was complete, she distributed practice sheets to the students.
“This is arcane parchment, a special type of paper for scroll-making. If you write the incantation correctly, the magic will activate.”
The parchment given to us was about the size of a palm, and it certainly felt different from ordinary paper.
“Now, begin.”
“Yes, Professor…!”
The students eagerly started copying the incantation onto their parchments.
‘This won’t be easy.’
Maia Wright observed the students diligently writing and thought to herself:
‘Magic won’t activate just because you copy words onto paper.’
If it were that simple, mages wouldn’t be necessary at all.
‘Each word must be fully understood, infused with mental energy, and structured properly for the spell to work.’
They were in for a tough time.
Even the most gifted students rarely succeeded on their first try.
‘But if they learn well under my guidance, they’ll improve quickly.’
Magic wasn’t something one could master just by memorizing books.
It required hands-on training under an experienced mage to truly grasp its essence.
Maia planned to examine each student’s scrolls and provide personalized feedback during today’s practice.
However—
“Ugh…!”
Flash!
A sudden burst of light forced Maia to instinctively shut her eyes.
“Who—who did that?!”
Blinking rapidly, she scanned the classroom.
Elliot Valencia had raised his hand.
“My apologies, Professor. It was an accident.”
