As I finished my preparations and stepped outside, Aila and the Demon King, dressed in their academy uniforms, were waiting for us in the hallway.
“Today is the last day in the hotel room,” Aila said.
“Huh? Then where will we stay?” Dahlia asked.
“We’ll be at the academy dormitory,” Aila answered with a blank expression.
“Well, it’s better than a mercenary lodging,” Dahlia noted.
“I’ll also be returning to the capital today,” Aila added.
“Really?”
Dahlia seemed a bit reluctant. Although she didn’t express it, she must have grown somewhat fond during our travels.
Aila chatted with the staff at the hotel lobby desk before we stepped outside. The distance from here to the academy was walkable enough.
It was already late morning, but it wasn’t considered late.
Interestingly, the academy classes started at 10 AM.
Since it was just before 9 AM, we had quite a bit of time.
We noticed other students wearing similar uniforms or completely different ones on the street as well.
“Is there another academy somewhere?” I asked.
“There are a total of four academies in this city. Sarita is the most famous one,” Aila replied.
By the time I finished listening to Aila, we had arrived at the academy entrance.
“Well, I guess this is where we part ways,” I said as the three of them entered the academy lobby without me.
“Then I’ll mention this in advance. Come to the hotel in a week,” I said.
“Got it. I’ll make sure to be able to use magic in actual combat by then,” Dahlia replied.
“Right. Do your best!”
I left Aila behind and stepped into the academy lobby.
Everyone appeared nervous, but only Jema calmly approached the front desk staff.
“I’m here to enroll today. Where should I go?” Jema asked.
“Oh, you all must be the new students. The introductory class is on the 3rd floor, the beginner class is on the 4th floor, and the intermediate class is on the 6th floor,” the staff member instructed.
After getting the directions, we headed to the elevator.
First, Catherine got off on the 3rd floor, and then I got off on the 4th floor for the beginner class.
Since it was still early, there didn’t seem to be many students around.
One student was reading a book in a corner, and another was practicing swordplay on the opposite side.
With no desks or chairs in sight, it didn’t look like anyone was learning by sitting down.
I started passing the time by glancing around the room.
As I lightly stretched while waiting, students began entering through the elevator and stairs.
Some groups formed, and as time passed, even those who were initially alone began to congregate.
After a while, I felt the curious gazes of the students in the room upon me.
Naturally, I was bound to attract interest as a new face.
Everyone seemed curious but did not approach me.
Soon after, a male and female instructor walked in, prompting the students to gather in one corner.
I stood awkwardly at the end of the line.
“I heard we have new students today. Have they arrived?” the male teacher inquired.
All eyes turned towards me, and the students gradually parted to allow the teacher to see me more clearly.
“So, one has arrived. Please come forward and introduce yourself,” the teacher said.
I stepped forward for my introduction.
“Um, I’m Ririan. Nice to meet you all.”
My greeting was a bit stiff, but I couldn’t help the awkwardness.
After quickly finishing my self-introduction, we split into two groups based on the teacher’s guidance.
“What’s this line for?” I asked.
“If you’re learning about weapons, go that way; if it’s magic, come to me,” the female teacher, responsible for magic, replied.
The teacher in charge of weapons was quite reticent and didn’t say much.
Naturally, my choice was magic.
It was imperative to learn magic that I could apply in real combat within a week.
Most of the students chose swordsmanship.
The number of students studying magic was negligible, barely enough to count on one hand.
Even the seniors I had seen during the exam focused more on weapons rather than magic.
It was an ironic situation, especially since the academy’s headmaster was a magician, yet the students receiving education below him primarily handled weapons.
“I’m curious, Ririan student. How proficient can you be with magic?” the teacher asked me.
Unlike others, my exam had taken place privately, so the teacher seemed not to know my abilities well.
I assumed the headmaster had informed them, but it seemed only that a new student was coming had been conveyed.
In response to the teacher’s inquiry, I created a fireball, the technique Jema had taught me the previous day.
Hushed whispers began to circulate among the students.
“I was worried about you coming late, but you seem to use magic more skillfully than the others who are currently learning,” one student commented.
“Really? Is this considered skillful?” I asked, surprised.
“Absolutely.”
The teacher called on one student to demonstrate creating fire.
That student managed to conjure a flame at their fingertip after some intense concentration.
The difference in skill was stark.
I was granted the privilege to engage in self-study among the other students.
The teacher encouraged us to ask questions if we got stuck, and I consulted about the concerns I had from the previous day.
“So, you want to cast magic faster than you currently can?”
“Yes.”
“Concentrating mana to transform it into magic will naturally take time. Try creating it without gathering it first,” the teacher advised.
This method was completely different from the exercises the Demon King had suggested.
While it was a technique proposed by the Demon King to help me become familiar with casting magic, it seemed other training would be required afterward.
This time, I concentrated and managed to produce flames like the student had earlier.
It took a bit more time than simply gathering mana, and I looked at the teacher with a perplexed expression.
“Gathering mana can be fast, but it does take time. If you keep practicing the method you just did, you’ll gradually become quicker. But who taught you how to transform mana into magic while in a gathered state?” the teacher asked, showing real curiosity about where I learned my method.
“From a magician I know,” I replied.
“Sounds like a good magician. That practice method allows beginners to feel a sense of achievement,” the teacher noted.
The Demon King had also mentioned it was just a practice method.
I would learn more detailed techniques at the academy.
“But how do you know about gathering mana?” the teacher asked.
“I can see it with my own eyes,” I replied.
Her eyes glowed a faint blue light.
“It’s a type of magic called Manaan. Once you reach a certain level of accomplishment, you can actually see mana with your eyes. Of course, high-ranking magicians use all sorts of methods to hide that from each other,” she added.
It seemed like the magic we observed during the enrollment consultation was this very magic.
“Now, why don’t you go ahead and practice?” the instructor encouraged.
The rest of the morning went by.
Casting spells without gathering mana consumed an enormous amount of mana.
I took breaks occasionally, and when my mana replenished, I kept repeating the process of casting spells.
I sat there practicing until the end of class, but my speed didn’t increase at all.
The teacher called out to me as I was left alone after all the students had left.
“It’s great that you’re working hard, but don’t overdo it, okay?”
“I’m fine with this much,” I assured her.
“Is that so? You seem to have plenty of mana, but aren’t you getting quite exhausted?” she asked.
“Well, I suppose I’m a little tired,” I admitted.
Hearing my response, the teacher smiled and said I should head back now.
“Can I come back if I have more questions later?” I inquired.
“Of course.”
I hesitated momentarily as I was about to leave but turned back to look at her.
“Ah, I just realized I haven’t caught your name yet.”
“Me? My name is Adelia,” she replied.
“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow, Teacher Adelia.”
I politely bowed my head and said goodbye before heading down through the stairs to the building lobby.
When I reached the lobby, the four of us who had nowhere to go gathered together.
Although I had said we would stay at the academy dormitory, I still didn’t know where it was located.
My group, waiting for me, suggested we head to the headmaster’s office together.
When I informed the staff at the desk that we had business with the headmaster, they seemed a bit flustered.
It was rare for students to have business at the headmaster’s office.
“They said they will send someone down shortly. Please wait,” the staff member told us.
After a brief wait, someone arrived by the elevator.
“It’s you all. Please follow me,” the person said.
It was Karna, who had been my opponent during the entrance exam.
She appeared to be in a hurry, evidenced by the beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
We left the academy building and began to walk after Karna.
“How was your first day’s classes?” Karna casually asked, but none of us responded, leaving an awkward silence.
“You can feel free to speak up. Though the classes are divided by skill, there’s no concept of upperclassmen or lowerclassmen,” she reassured us.
Upon hearing this, everyone began to share their thoughts about the class from earlier.
“I have a question,” one of the students chimed in.
“What is it?” Karna responded.
“Do most students prefer taking weapon classes?” they asked.
“Yes, that’s correct. Most of them learn magic as a supplementary concept,” Karna replied and even noted that this trend was evident in the introductory class with Catherine.
“Does the academy not focus primarily on teaching magic?” I wondered.
“It ultimately depends on the students’ choices. However, to graduate, you must pass certain levels of both. Therefore, everyone initially trains their bodies with weaponry,” she explained.
It’s like the saying that strong mental strength comes from a healthy body.
Students first develop their physical skills before learning magic, which relies on mental strength.
“Can’t we learn magic and train our bodies at the same time?” Jema asked.
Karna smiled and nodded, saying that was also a valid point.
With that, Dahlia interjected with a subtle comment.
“Isn’t the order of learning not that important?” she wondered.
“Perhaps,” Karna replied.
Karna mentioned that there were no definitive answers regarding class choices at the academy.
“By the way, I’m currently in the advanced class for spear skills, but I’m learning magic in the intermediate class,” she added.
It seemed that Sarita Academy allowed students to attend classes that fit their skill level.
For instance, if someone is in the advanced class for magic but a beginner at weapon handling, they would attend the beginner weapons class.
“We know. We saw you during class,” Jema said, indicating that she and Dahlia were also in the intermediate class.
“However, it doesn’t seem like Jema has the skill of an intermediate student,” Karna remarked, seemingly recognizing Jema’s abilities.
“I still need to learn more about magic. Until now, I’ve been self-taught,” Jema replied.
Karna came to a stop, her expression filled with surprise at Jema’s revelation.
“Y-you were self-taught? Very few students in the intermediate class can do what you’ve shown!” she exclaimed.
“Is that so? I thought there might be a few,” Jema said nonchalantly.
“They’ve all been receiving consistent education at the academy. But to self-learn…,” Karna trailed off, amazed.
When I was at Tolis Academy, there had been magical textbooks as well.
Of course, they were written from a human perspective and didn’t quite fit Jema’s needs.
Instead, I had seen Jema experiment and research magic on her own.
“That’s impressive. Before enrolling, I could only summon lightning,” I mentioned casually.
“Lightning?” Jema echoed.
“Yes. It’s the magic I primarily use.”
As we chattered away, we soon arrived in front of a building.
