13. Prelude (1)
“There are two paths for the magicians of our empire. Of course, these are the main branches. If we include the smaller sub-branches, there are too many, so let’s first talk about the main ones.”
The empire holds the largest territory on the continent, but there are still several nations that rival or potentially could rival the empire. Though ostensibly maintaining friendly relations, there are many potential adversary nations that could quickly turn into enemies. Given the current situation, the empire undoubtedly needs stronger military power.
In the various battlefields, the largest group and most significant component is the infantry.
The role of ‘support magicians’ is to cover these infantrymen to allow them to advance safely in close combat by conducting magical artillery bombardments or by forming defensive barriers to protect their progress. They handle either direct firepower support or take on supporting roles.
“Support magicians are the path chosen by those who didn’t come to the Academy or didn’t qualify. After fulfilling a two-year mandatory service period, they can live freely and pursue other options.”
And then, there are the ‘military magicians,’ or officer-level magicians, with only one or two employed per unit. These magicians project a wide range of destructive force—different from the artillery bombardments—taking charge of enemy obliteration, crowd control, and other tasks.
“Since you’ve entered the Academy, you should consider yourselves as military magician candidates. You’re required to serve for six years, and afterward, you will be placed in reserve forces. However, some of you will be deployed to the Imperial Magic Research Institute to conduct magical research. The purpose of today’s test is to determine whether you are suitable as a war magician or better suited as a researcher. In short…”
Albina smiled slyly.
“You’re going to have to cut loose for me.”
Albina’s smile was filled with anticipation as she paused, sweeping her eyes over the students.
The students just stared blankly at her, failing to respond in any way.
“…Guys? Wouldn’t stories like this usually ignite some fierce competitiveness or excitement?”
At this, Ivan finally let out an exaggerated “Oh, oh—” in a strained tone.
Encouraged by this, Regina and Emil also gave small, “Ohhs.”
It would have been better if they hadn’t reacted at all.
Albina thought this, shaking her head side to side.
“It’s awkward because your fake enthusiasm is too obvious, kids. Anyway, the explanation is over. Any questions?”
At this point, Albina glanced towards Karla, standing at the back.
Karla, with her usual violet eyes, glanced over Albina’s shoulder, sidelong, and all around—her demeanor clearly implied she hadn’t paid any attention to Albina’s explanation.
“Seems like there are no questions, so let’s start, shall we?”
Albina traced a small magical array with her fingertips.
“Magic, liquid. [Summon].”
With her incantation, a thick green slime appeared mid-air.
The irregular-shaped slime was rather large, human-sized, and because of its irregular form, it continuously squirmed, looking rather unpleasant. This made Regina grimace in disgust.
“This is your target. Since I’ve summoned it, unleash all the firepower you’ve got. It’s unlikely you could truly erase it, but imagine a one-on-one scenario with enemy magicians and attack accordingly. Now, since we’re doing it alphabetically…Emil, come forward.”
“My, my turn…?”
“Yes. Please come forward.”
Emil hesitantly stepped forward.
As Albina pointed her finger, the slime wobbled its way toward the clearing’s center. Emil positioned himself about ten paces away from the slime.
“Alright, I’ve set up a containment barrier, so unleash all you’ve got.”
“Yes!”
Emil crossed his fingers to form a magical glyph seal while his wrists crossed as well.
A series of magical arrays lit up around him. Karla observed that the pattern closely resembled the visual magic employed by—though not as sophisticated as—the dimwit Lucas. However, this was far more impure. It was like the magic power was unrefined, tainted with a lot of impurities.
“…Am I the only one who senses this?”
Karla glanced around. Neither her classmates nor Albina seemed to notice anything unusual about Emil’s magecraft. This perplexed Karla.
“[Magic Bombardment]!”
On Emil’s shout, a flurry of magic bolts shot out in a brief but powerful sequence toward the slime. With a loud roar and an eruption of dust clouds, fragments of the slime were torn apart, but the pieces soon reassembled into its original form.
“Good job, Emil. I’ve got a sense of how far you’ve come. Such a magic bombardment would be effective in both human combat and large-scale battles. Well done.”
As Emil returned to his spot, red-faced and evidently proud, it was Ivan’s turn next.
Even though Karla had been uninterested up until now, she now felt a new tension growing as she scrutinized Ivan—until the moment Ivan lifted his hand toward the slime. That sudden motion caused an involuntary chill to run through Karla.
Ten years ago, ten years ago…the same moment Ivan had emerged from the dust during what Karla was certain was her victory. That same menacing aura.
The cheerful Ivan was gone, replaced with a cold and ruthless presence, like a mysterious entity wearing Ivan’s shell. Upon seeing this expression, Karla instinctively looked down at her own hands.
They were trembling.
Her hands were shaking uncontrollably. That terror she had felt towards Ivan ten years ago had somehow leapt through the decade back into this very moment.
Karla clenched her teeth and gripped her hands together. Though it was an attempt to stop her trembling, deep down she knew it was futile.
Ivan slowly raised his forefinger and pointed at the slime. Quietly, he started chanting.
“Magic, [Compression].”
—Whoosh…
The air rapidly surged toward Ivan, converging on him with tremendous force.
The air gathered between his forefinger and thumb, compacting under immense pressure, until it transformed into the shape of a small orb.
“Ugh…!”
Even Liam let out a soft groan in response to the overwhelming pressure emanating from Ivan’s surroundings.
Karla maintained her stance with great effort, knowing that if she relaxed even a bit, she’d groan as well.
‘Crazy bastard…’
How far does that guy’s talent reach?
Karla gritted her teeth and stared directly at Ivan’s magic, determined not to miss a single detail.
“Magic, [Air Currents].”
—Snap…
There was no sound at all.
The compressed air sliced through with no noise, becoming a blade as it traveled through the small crack Ivan had created. Each new crack further multiplied the blades.
Silent, rapid, but immensely powerful, the air blades soared and shredded the slime into fragments. All without a sound.
“…Hmph.”
Even Albina was momentarily speechless at the sight of the raw power Ivan had displayed.
Not only did he shred the slime, but the rush of air pressure and the blades it expelled also cut down and toppled the trees at the back of the field.
“Good job, Ivan. If this were a simulation for human combat, one can only imagine the vast area you could cover in an actual battlefield. There are similar magic techniques, but the fact that you combined compression and air currents deserves extra points. Compression and air currents are both basic magic within wind techniques, but you’ve combined them to generate advanced magic. Excellent.”
Ivan only chuckled nervously in response.
“Of course, Ivan! Incredible!”
Regina greeted him enthusiastically as Ivan returned to his spot, while Karla continued staring him down with a penetrating gaze.
‘This time, it’s different. When you see me, you’ll be the one astonished.’
Next was Karla’s turn.
But it took a while.
The slime took a considerable amount of time to recover after being so thoroughly fragmented by Ivan’s attack. Although it eventually healed, the minute pieces never fully reconstituted, forcing Albina to intervene and repair it.
“Alright, next. It’s Karla’s turn.”
Looking at the squirming slime in front of her, Karla steeled herself.
If Ivan had performed so admirably, Karla was determined to surpass him. The force she possessed would leave nothing to chance.
Taking her position in front of the slime, she quietly steadied her breath and channeled her magic power.
The wave of magical energy coursing through her—it was enough; she could do it…
“[Awakening].”
For a moment, Karla’s entire body appeared to glow with a violet light.
An intense violet lightning power exploded around her, overwhelming everything. Her heart raced, her blood surged in perfect sync, and her hair levitated as the violet sparks danced uncontrollably in the air, creating a storm of power.
“[Charge].”
The violet lightning surrounding her coalesced into electrical currents, intensifying with a brilliant shine.
The residual magic power, too much for her body to contain, seeped out of her hair and sparked the surrounding air with electric violet sparks.
‘This is it. One strike, and it ends. That’s how I win.’
The charged air heated up as it filled with electric tension. The ground beneath Karla’s feet ignited with small flames, burning a violet hue.
—Kwaaang!
Leaving a massive footprint as she took a step forward, Karla vanished from sight.
In the next instant, she reappeared before the slime and launched a precise punch directly into its midsection.
—KWAAGGGHHHH!!!
