As the bell signaling that there were 10 minutes left of the lunch break rang, Luke borrowed Mary and Shirud’s student IDs and checked out all 15 volumes.
Each of them carried 5 volumes for Luke now.
Luke watched the two young boys and girls walking ahead with a delighted expression and muttered to himself.
“Py, don’t the kids these days have such good manners?”
They didn’t even need to be asked to help carry the load.
-……?
Py tilted his head, looking as if he didn’t quite understand.
Whether he didn’t understand the words or didn’t know if that was normal, it didn’t really matter.
“With your hands tightly held together, trying to deny it now has no persuasive power at all~”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Then, does that mean you aren’t officially dating yet?”
“No, we’re not even that close!”
As Shirud and Mary bickered and moved ahead, Luke smiled softly from behind and murmured.
“Kids sure become friends quickly, don’t they, Py?”
Just a moment ago before lunch, Shirud was quietly closing his mouth, saying he had nothing to say.
Has he already become that close to them?
“I’m glad to see Shirud has seemingly made a friend.”
One of the purposes for coming to the Academy has already been achieved, wouldn’t you agree?
-Luke, ……!
But Py shook his head vigorously, as if to say that was not the point, and began making strange noises.
Luke couldn’t understand what Py was saying this time.
The various noises Py was making overlapped so much that an ordinary person wouldn’t be able to differentiate them.
At this point, languages and everything else were just noise.
Luke lightly frowned and said, “Please restrain yourself from excessive noise, Py. I’m quite tired right now.”
Luke was currently exhausted from excessive mana manipulation.
If he hadn’t had the mental strength of a great mage in the past, it would likely have been impossible for him to get up like this.
-Kkiing…….
Then, Py let out a sound like a scolded puppy and slumped down.
——-
Break time quickly passed, and a cane was in Luke’s hand.
Luke raised the cane and examined it.
“Wow, is this what a modern cane is supposed to be?”
Once again, he used magic sight.
If he couldn’t disassemble it right away, all he could do was observe.
The first information that appeared was an analysis of the available spells.
‘It’s a very basic cane. There’s a lock that allows only class 1 magic to be used, and structurally, it can’t withstand class 2 magic or above. You might be able to squeeze out a few uses of class 2 if forced.’
Next, he analyzed the structure.
‘The clues to holding a circle within a non-living object are… This cane is too limited. It’s quite basic to the point where I can only assess its shape.’
Compared to the “real” canes used by adults like Gerard or Yerna, its output, structure, and shape were far too simple.
This could be likened to a practice wooden sword.
The canes used by Gerard, Yerna, and Dayton had varying shapes, structures, and outputs.
For example, Yerna’s “Iron Cane” was suitable for spell classes that involved projecting something.
Dayton’s “Gauntlet” was suited for spells that released effects through direct contact.
Gerard’s “Cane” specialized in supportive magic with its shape and structure.
Though it resembled Gerard’s the most, it was so simple that even Luke found it difficult to see any potential for improvement.
They say simple weapons are best, but a cane is a tool, not a weapon.
Being overly simplistic is certainly not an advantage.
In summary of this cane he received for the first time, it was interesting but nothing more.
It was a toy-level item for practicing class magic that could be given to a child.
Though it fell slightly short of expectations, it was still exciting to finally have the opportunity to use class magic directly.
‘Using only the grammar of class 1 should allow me to implement various spells, but I wonder how many syllables can be accommodated with this cane…’
While Luke was lost in thought, the practical instructor spoke.
“All right, since we have a new student, let’s explain the safety rules once again. First, you must never aim magic at a person. Well, your canes won’t hurt anyone too badly, but you never know.”
“Yes!”
The children replied in unison.
‘They certainly emphasize safety from a young age. After all, if everyone could use magic, that would be expected.’
Luke nodded, reflecting that due to such education, everyone could enjoy a peaceful life despite having been given magic.
If people from the broadly uncultured period 5,000 years ago were handed magic like today, such a peaceful society would never have formed.
“Secondly, only use the spells you are instructed to use. Canes can break, and spells that do not conform to standards can be dangerous.”
That was something Luke recognized immediately through his magic sight.
Luke nodded obediently, and the children echoed, “Yes!”
“Finally, do not go near containers that hold mana dust. Understood?”
Mana dust?
Luke was familiar with the concept from books.
In modern class magic that requires using mana from the environment instead of the mana accumulated in circles, if one continuously casts spells from one spot, the canes would certainly malfunction.
Moreover, connecting mana tubes in this wide courtyard would be dangerous.
There was a risk of leaks, and the cost of construction and maintenance could not be ignored.
Thus, people needed reusable mana accumulation devices, and that was precisely the mana dust.
It was a type of fungus invented by a mage named “Franthe D’Enoska,” which could absorb hundreds of times its own body weight in mana.
Luke raised his hand slightly.
“Yes, new student, what are you curious about?”
“I want to see the mana dust in person.”
Luke was indeed a mage.
“Hey, what did I just say?”
However, the teacher looked down at Luke with a puzzled expression, and Luke received that gaze and asked.
“I’m begging you. Just once, can’t it be arranged?”
The teacher hesitated upon seeing Luke’s earnest expression, but it was naturally not something that would be permitted.
“… No! Without protective gear, the mana dust will absorb even a person’s mana. If you take it out of that container and inhale it… it’s very dangerous for kids like you.”
“Is that so…?”
The book definitely explained the risks involved.
Still, being at the academy, he had hoped there might be a way around it…
But if it’s for safety, there’s nothing to be done.
“Okay, I understand. I’m sorry for being stubborn.”
“So, no! Huh? Ah, right.”
The teacher scratched behind his ear, surprised that the child would so readily give up.
It was hard for kids to bend their will easily.
Well, if Luke chose to give up on his own, it would be beneficial for him as well.
“Fine, then everyone get in line. The new student will go to the back. Make sure to closely observe what the students in front do and follow along.”
“Understood.”
The children lined up according to their attendance numbers in unison.
Mary was somewhere in the middle, and Shirud was nearly at the back.
Once the children finished lining up, the teacher nodded and said.
“Okay, then I will tell you the magic you need to use. For starters, you will try ‘Abet,’ to lift the red ball on the table by 20 centimeters.”
It was truly basic magic.
‘Abet’ helped in learning object designation, coordination specification, and due to its levitation magic property, it was fairly straightforward for kids to understand.
In fact, it was easy for them to use.
Although it’s too common and simple, it’s ironically not used for purposes outside of education.
The reason is that the mana consumption increases with the weight of the object, so it can only levitate very light items, and at that point, it would be simpler, more convenient, and cheaper to just move it by hand.
It was fundamentally a spell made for educational purposes.
“Begin.”
At the teacher’s command, the first child aimed the cane.
“Abet.”
The red ball placed on the tray rose about 10 centimeters off the table before landing back on the tray.
Seeing the ball drop without bouncing indicated that it wasn’t an ordinary ball, but rather made of a light sponge-like material.
“Mitchell, the height was too low. Try again.”
“Yes…”
Mitchell had two more chances but ultimately couldn’t lift it 20 centimeters.
—–
“Abet.”
It was Mary’s incantation.
The red ball lightly rose 20 centimeters before descending.
“Oh, Mary, you made it on your first try! What a surprise?”
“I went to the library today, maybe I got inspired?”
As Mary chuckled while scratching the back of her head, the boy standing behind Mary teased her.
“Wow, you actually went to the library?”
“Even if that’s the case!”
Indeed, Mary was lively and had a good personality, so she seemed to have many close friends.
As Luke was thinking that if Shirud also became close with Mary, he could quickly develop sociability too, time flew by and it was Shirud’s turn.
“Shirud, come up.”
“Yes.”
Though he answered well, Shirud looked a bit nervous.
He could feel a small tremor of mana.
That must have been due to Shirud’s anxious state.
Luke quietly offered encouragement to Shirud.
“Shirud, don’t be nervous. It’s just a simple task.”
“Luke…”
When Luke gave a small fist pump, Shirud mirrored the action, receiving encouragement.
‘Okay, it’s nothing to worry about…’
Yet, he still felt anxious.
Because Shirud had struggled with class magic due to his circle until now.
He had never been adept at using magic and had always been tense and prone to make mistakes. Since the circle had been engraved, each time it had fed on his anxieties, sharping his heart and making it even harder for him to focus on the magic.
When he hadn’t even known what the circle was, he had simply gone to the infirmary, complaining of chest pain.
It may have seemed like he was running away.
“Shirud?”
The teacher called Shirud.
As Shirud snapped back to reality, he nodded his head, pointing at the red ball.
“Do it.”
It was a short command.
Shirud nodded and readjusted his grip on the cane.
“Huuh…”
Taking a deep breath, he recalled the feeling he had while meditating.
When he had done this with Luke, it put him at ease.
In the calm that settled in him, at that moment, Shirud felt something.
Something that felt like water, fire, wind, and stone all at once.
‘This is mana.’
At that moment, Shirud was able to completely feel the mana.
‘So this is what mana feels like!’
It was undeniable, but it couldn’t be accurately described.
Feelings are abstract, while explanations are concrete.
This sudden realization pushed Shirud one step further.
Second circle, that was the result of Shirud’s epiphany.
Luke smiled watching Shirud through his magic sight.
“Kid, you’ve taken a good step.”
Luke’s mana was already well present in Shirud’s circle.
Thanks to that, his promotion to the next level occurred within that moment of enlightenment.
With this, Shirud would no longer have to suffer from mana surges.
That realization was truly satisfying.
Whooosh……
Somewhere a wind blew to celebrate Shirud’s second circle.
Second circle, it granted authority over phenomena.
Phenomena would now lie within his will.
“Abet.”
Shirud’s muttering was imbued with his will.
And at that moment, the table began to rise.
“What?!”
The sudden phenomenon astonished the teacher.
Is something wrong? This isn’t ‘Abet’!
There’s no way output like this could come from a child’s cane.
Lifting the table along with ‘Abet’?
“Shirud, stop! Something is wrong!”
The teacher immediately demanded Shirud to stop.
However.
“Huh?”
Shirud was also confused.
What the heck is this?
I just wanted to lift the red ball…
Fear of the unknown power consumed Shirud.
The will encapsulated in the magic was overlaid with fear.
Normally, Shirud’s will would have scattered, but the presence of the second circle and enough mana prevented it.
Even if he were to lose consciousness, that will would not disperse.
The cessation of the circle signifies the ‘cessation of the heart.’
-Luke!
Noticing this, Py called out to Luke desperately.
However, Luke’s circle had already shared mana with Shirud, so he didn’t have enough mana left.
Moreover, Shirud was now a second circle.
He could not interfere with the same second circle.
“I keep telling you, you’re too emotional, Shirud.”
Considering his magical talent, he normally wouldn’t have such a personality.
Undoubtedly, in the beginning, Shirud must have had a self-righteous and arrogant mindset.
To put it positively, that means a strong belief in oneself.
It indicates a character who has an unshakeable confidence in himself.
Such people do not question their actions.
But Shirud was currently in fear as he couldn’t understand what he had done.
He must have lost the confidence he once had.
In Luke’s magic sight, he could see Shirud’s scattered will heading toward the container holding the mana dust.
Crack!
A small crack formed in the container holding the mana dust.
If left alone, the container would surely be destroyed by the mana dust.
‘I must immediately quell this rampaging will.’
Luke mentally envisioned ways to suppress the surrounding mana.
The circle alone was not enough to resolve this situation.
But Luke had a cane in hand.
Using a class 1 incantation, he had to calm the current situation.
To quell the mana? However, to handle mana itself, the grammar of class magic is not suitable.
Should he just cast spells randomly and burn out all the mana? No, the cane wouldn’t withstand that output.
Sure, if he couldn’t act on the mana, then he could act on the target.
All the incantations Luke knew for class magic were specialized in ‘designating a target,’ as pinpointing a specific target is much more efficient regarding mana consumption.
Then, what is the target he needs to affect immediately?
Without a doubt, it was Shirud.
Luke calculated.
The way Shirud could safely withdraw his will.
‘Labet, Ahanoom.’
He mixed life target designation and mana manipulation.
That incantation was part of a spell that Gerard had also demonstrated in the past.
Body enhancement.
That is to say, it could exert influence over a body through magic.
Then, if he designated Shirud, he could forcibly slow down the rotation of Shirud’s circle.
That would end the situation.
The original ‘Labet’, ‘Ahanoom’ were class 2 and class 3 incantations, but by breaking them down to base units, he increased the length of the incantation.
“Riwu, Vera, Tdi, Anu, Hau, Numen.”
Breaking it down like this results in all class 1 incantations.
As the incantation grew longer, the complexity of the calculations increased, but Luke did not mind that much.
If there was even a slight possibility, it was enough to wedge his way in.
So, he would put aside thoughts like it was his first time using class magic or whether it would actually work.
Once they finished their lengthy calculations, when Luke aimed the cane at Shirud, the magic shot forth along the cane and struck precisely at Shirud’s heart.
After that.
Crash, thud.
The table and the red ball fell, and Shirud clutched his chest, gasping for breath.
“Huff, huff…”
It wasn’t a surge of mana, but a surge of will.
His heart clearly wasn’t in pain.
As he was flustered, Luke and the teacher hurriedly approached Shirud and supported him, asking.
“Shirud, are you okay?”
“Are you alright? Are you hurt anymore?”
“Yes, I… I’m okay.”
The teacher sighed and gestured to Mary.
“Class monitor, please take him to the infirmary.”
“N-Yes!”
Mary rushed over to support Shirud.
Being taller than Shirud, it was easy for her to assist him.
Luke felt slightly relieved seeing that.
What if even the calculations had been a bit off?
The on-the-spot calculations of class magic weren’t something he was very familiar with.
Looking back, splitting the incantations had also been a gamble, uncertain whether it would work or not.
“The cane is completely split in two. Was it a defective product?”
At the teacher’s sudden comment, Luke gripped his cane.
Splitting it in half was the same for his cane as well.
Noticing that, the teacher slowly rose and looked down at Luke.
“By the way, new student, was your name Luke?”
“… Yes.”
The adult looking down at the child had a certain forcefulness to it.
He looked quite angry.
“What was it I said? Didn’t I tell you to never use magic on people?”
“That was unavoidable; it was necessary to calm Shirud’s will to stabilize his circle and….”
“Stop making excuses. Regardless of the reason, using magic on a person is a serious issue. On your first day of school to be doing this, isn’t it a problem? Follow me to the staffroom after this class.”
“… I understand.”
“Then, go back.”
The teacher pointed to the seats where the students who completed their practice were sitting.
Luke turned away weakly, walking over to sit down in that space.
-Luke…….
At Py’s worried call, Luke smiled faintly and said quietly.
“There’s nothing to worry about. If I explain the situation, it will be resolved well.”
