“I did it. I apologize for activating the magic without permission.”
Scroll magic consists of two stages.
The first stage is writing the spell formula on specialized paper. The second stage is activating the spell formula to cast the magic.
Professor Maia had instructed the students to stop at the first stage. She said she would personally supervise the second stage to ensure everything was done correctly.
“Did you… just activate a scroll spell?”
“Yes, it was my mistake.”
I had been fiddling with it, wondering if it would actually work. Before I knew it, the spell formula had activated, and the magic was cast in an instant.
“Come on, what are you doing?”
“You’re causing trouble.”
Monarch’s followers, who were nearby, shot me disapproving looks and muttered among themselves.
It was undeniably my fault, so I had no excuse.
However…
“Impressive!”
Maia approached me and picked up the scroll I had made.
The writing on the paper had already disappeared, but she seemed able to analyze it even in that state.
“You constructed the spell formula perfectly! How did you create such a high-quality scroll?”
“I just… copied the one you showed us earlier, Professor.”
“What? My scroll?”
“Yes, I used the one you demonstrated at the beginning as a reference.”
“…”
At the start of the lesson, Maia had shown us a scroll that emitted light.
I had recalled that brief glimpse of the scroll and recreated it. I still had a rough memory of how it looked.
“Eriol Valencia, have you ever studied magic outside of class?”
“No, I only had some basic general knowledge.”
“Really? You never learned from Professor Kaisel either?”
“I’ve never received magic instruction from Uncle Kaisel.”
“Hmm…”
Maia studied my face with an intrigued expression.
“You’re remarkable.”
“Sorry?”
“Don’t worry about activating the magic without permission. The reason I wanted you to do it in front of me was so I could correct any mistakes.”
“Then…”
“If you create a scroll this flawless, there’s nothing to correct. Well done.”
A murmur spread through the classroom.
Monarch’s followers, who had been mocking me, now wore completely sour expressions.
“But with that, you have nothing left to do for the rest of the class. There’s still a long time before we finish.”
“Then…”
As I debated whether to ask if I could just quietly read a book, Maia spoke again with a smile.
“How about you help the other students with their scrolls? It would be great if you could give them some advice.”
“Understood.”
And so, I ended up assisting Cain and Senia, who were seated next to me.
By the time second period ended, it was lunchtime.
We had our meal at the student cafeteria near the First Student Hall.
Afterward, we attended our third and fourth-period lectures, marking the end of the day’s classes.
“Eriol, what are you doing for dinner?”
Cain asked as if it were natural that we’d eat together.
“We can just eat at the student cafeteria like we did for lunch.”
“Come on, eating cafeteria food for dinner too is a bit much. Let’s go down to the shopping district and check out some good restaurants.”
“Hmm…”
I hesitated, not really feeling up to it. Then, Senia spoke cautiously from the side.
“Oh, then… could we stop by another shop while we’re there?”
“Which shop?”
“I wanted to visit a bookstore…”
A bookstore.
Hearing that, I flinched.
‘Right… I haven’t been to a bookstore yet.’
I’d been so busy that I hadn’t visited one since arriving at the academy.
“In that case, we can take our time looking around. What do you think, Eriol?”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Great, we can also pick up any supplies we need.”
Cain invited Charis and Milia as well, but they said they had other plans.
And so, I headed down to the shopping district with Cain and Senia.
‘The commercial district is quite developed.’
Although people often referred to the entire island as “the Academy” for convenience, strictly speaking, the academy only referred to the central educational institution and its affiliated facilities.
The surrounding area, especially the southern part where the docks were located, was packed with various commercial establishments catering to academy students and staff, making it as bustling as a small city.
The largest stores were concentrated along the main street connecting the docks to the academy’s front gate. So when people mentioned the “shopping district,” they usually meant this area.
“Oh, there’s a bookstore over there. Should we go in first?”
“It’s okay, Cain. We should eat first…”
“Let’s just check it out now.”
While Cain and Senia were discussing, I was the first to step into the bookstore that caught my eye.
Since it was located along the main street, it was quite large.
‘This place is nice.’
I looked around the store, feeling satisfied.
‘They have a well-organized selection across different fields. I should come here often.’
After picking out a few books to read at the dormitory, I headed to the counter to pay.
Just then, Cain, who had been glancing around, spoke to me.
“Hey, are you really buying all that?”
“There are only five books.”
“There are five? Do you have that much allowance to spare?”
“I usually don’t spend much money on anything besides books.”
“Even so….”
“Besides, my scholarship just came in.”
“Oh, right. You were the top scorer in the entrance exam.”
When I checked at the bank counter inside the academy, I found that a decent sum had been deposited.
After paying my first-semester tuition, the remainder would be enough for living expenses.
If I hadn’t received the scholarship, I would have had to take out a student loan and live frugally for a while.
“Couldn’t you just borrow them from the library?”
“It’s different.”
Replying curtly, I proceeded to pay for the books.
Meanwhile, Senia bought a novel, while Cain left the bookstore empty-handed.
“I don’t really read books that much.”
“Not like you have to.”
I can’t live without books, but whether others read or not is entirely their choice.
So, Cain not reading didn’t particularly bother me.
“Still, Eriol, if you know any good books, recommend me some.”
“…Really?”
Now this was a different story.
“Alright, I’ll give you recommendations by genre over dinner.”
“Uh… I feel like I just made a mistake….”
And so—
Cain ended up receiving an exhausting, hour-long lecture on book recommendations before stumbling out of the restaurant, completely drained.
That night.
Unlike yesterday, my dorm room was now clean and tidy, and I was preparing to read.
“Finally, a relaxing evening of reading.”
I placed the five newly bought books on my previously empty bookshelf, which now looked somewhat more respectable.
While Kane and Cain had bought various necessities today, I had purchased nothing but books.
Anything else I needed could be bought as the need arose, but books took priority.
“I feel like reading something historical today.”
Among the books I bought was The Complete History of Poleius—a longtime favorite of mine.
It was written by the great historian Poleius, and I had read it more than ten times.
Since it was a must-have for my collection, it was the first book I grabbed at the bookstore today.
“Alright then….”
I reached for The Complete History of Poleius.
But my hand stopped midway.
“No.”
Letting out a sigh, I shook my head.
“I should review what I learned today first.”
During today’s lectures, I realized something.
Many students had received prior magical education before enrolling.
Although I had excelled in certain areas, I noticed several students who possessed even more knowledge than I did.
Some had even undergone practical training before entering the academy.
‘I’ve never systematically studied magic before.’
I had read plenty of introductory books on magic.
But I had rarely read advanced magic textbooks.
Not for lack of trying—they simply weren’t available to the public.
‘Magic isn’t something just anyone can learn.’
Traditionally, magic was passed down through an apprenticeship system.
A master would take on a disciple and personally teach them their knowledge and techniques.
Although the academy had changed that system significantly, most mages still believed that magical knowledge shouldn’t be freely shared.
That’s why advanced magic textbooks weren’t commercially available.
‘The reason I subscribed to Ars Magica was that it was one of the few sources for professional magical information.’
Published by the academy, Ars Magica served to distribute the latest magical insights to mages worldwide.
It contained specialized content that couldn’t be found in ordinary introductory books.
‘I’ve learned a lot from reading it… but it’s still not enough.’
In that sense, I lagged behind classmates who had been privately tutored in magic before enrolling.
The only way to catch up was to study even harder.
‘Well… reading is still reading.’
I placed today’s course textbook on my desk.
It was handed out during third period in Introduction to Elemental Studies.
A massive book—over 500 pages thick.
‘The Elemental Studies Department specially created and distributed it for free to spark new students’ interest in elemental magic.’
It was bound like a high-quality hardcover, making it feel almost too valuable to receive for free.
‘I should study this and get a head start on elemental theory.’
Elemental Studies focused on elemental magic, which evolved from the ancient theory of the four classical elements—earth, water, fire, and wind.
Elemental magic included subdivisions such as fire magic and ice magic.
As one of the most fundamental and historically significant branches of magic, it was a core subject.
“Alright… let’s get started.”
I opened the textbook and began reading.
The book was so well-written that it felt more like casual reading than actual studying.
‘Even Professor Horizon’s introduction… is quite compelling.’
Before I knew it, I was absorbed.
Whenever I immersed myself in a book, I would tune out my surroundings and focus entirely on reading.
And this time was no different.
Without pause, I plunged into the 500-page textbook.
“Whoo…”
I closed the book and stretched.
And at that moment, I realized—I had made a mistake.
“Oh no, what time is it?”
Back at the mansion, I had always followed a strict routine.
I made sure never to stay up late reading.
But this time, perhaps due to the change in environment, I had completely lost track of time.
I rubbed my dry eyes and turned my head.
I had set a clock last night beside my bed, so I checked it for the time.
“Wait…?”
That’s when I noticed.
While I had been engrossed in reading, oblivious to my surroundings—
Something strange had happened in my room.
