I’ve become a second-year student.
This year, the goals for the Aurora Group are leadership training for the executives, educating the members, and recruiting new first-year students.
As for our projects, the only one is the release of a new game.
Meanwhile, in terms of the academy’s curriculum…
It’s still the same: the three terms—fall, winter, and spring—and you have to pass the exams at the end of each term to advance to the next grade.
That basic structure remains unchanged.
However, it seems that military science and military magic will be added to the curriculum going forward.
During the first year, everyone, despite having magical talent, was still an amateur and not yet at a level to be considered a force in combat… But after a year of classes, we’ve all become capable of at least basic combat.
We’ve even experienced our first “kill” with goblins, and we’ve gained the ability to hurt others with magic…
On top of that, each of us has learned at least one type of “intermediate magic.”
I think I’ve mentioned before that magic is broadly classified into levels.
To recap, those who possess weak magical power that cannot be used for military or combat purposes are called “magicians” in this world. The spells they can cast are called “beginner magic.”
This would be something like lighting a small fire on your fingertip or producing a bucket of water—things that lack direct destructive power, though you could get creative with their uses.
On the other hand, spells that possess minimal lethality are defined as “basic magic.”
Even basic magic can serve as a decent force in battle, and it can be a weak attack or defensive measure for a “mage.”
Now, as for “intermediate magic.”
This refers to powerful attack magic that only a “mage” can cast.
The role of a “mage” is akin to that of a “tank” or “fighter jet” in warfare.
Whether it’s against enemy nations or monsters, the mage’s role is to unleash destruction on par with siege weapons or hunting rifles—something ordinary humans can’t achieve. That’s why mastering intermediate magic is essential for fulfilling the mage’s role.
For example, let’s consider “fire” magic.
A beginner spell would allow you to produce a flame the size of a lighter.
A basic spell would let you launch a fireball about the size of a person’s head, which could ignite and kill.
And an intermediate spell would allow you to shoot a spear of intense heat, capable of piercing and burning through even a monster’s shell or a castle gate—with the same force as an anti-tank gun.
There are soldiers who can enhance their physical abilities with magic, but even so, neither plate armor nor shield nor sword can withstand an intermediate magic attack.
Castle gates would be breached if hit directly, and it could deal a devastating blow to massive monsters beyond the strength of humans…
Intermediate magic, except in cases like family traditions within mage lineages, is generally state-controlled. While basic or lower-level magic can be learned from publicly available books, intermediate-level knowledge is considered too dangerous and isn’t publicly accessible.
The academy teaches intermediate magic. In other words, it’s the state.
You might wonder why this stingy country would give out such valuable knowledge, but most nations take the training of mages very seriously. Plus, teaching the same intermediate magic to all helps to align military forces.
In fact, in most countries of this world, it’s normal for them to develop strong, efficient intermediate magic and share it with their mages to strengthen their military power.
In any case, all the first-year students, or rather, the current second-year students, have mastered at least one intermediate spell in their preferred element.
So, regardless of the specifics, they are now at least capable of fulfilling the basic duties of a “mage.”
But of course, just being able to use magic doesn’t mean you’re automatically qualified as a soldier or a noble. That’s not how things work.
From now on, we’ll be drilled on coordination with other mages and military duties, all assuming we can use intermediate magic.
In other words, we’ll learn the specific “applications” of intermediate magic—how to “deploy” it.
Given the power involved, a friendly fire incident would be disastrous. We’ll be learning how to move in sync with others when casting spells as part of a battle line or a team.
That’s the main focus for second-year students.
After that, there will be collaboration with the academy’s knight-class squires and mock military exercises to simulate large-scale battlefield maneuvers, which will continue through the third and fourth years…
It seems like it’s going to be pretty tough.
Apparently, there are quite a few dropouts and failures. Those who fall behind end up being expelled, disowned by their families, and sometimes become adventurers out of necessity, where they might eventually find success. Well, that’s just an aside.
So, after giving it some thought for a while…
‘’Wait a minute, would it be a bit problematic if I didn’t attend school this year?’’
That’s the conclusion I reached.
Since I’m just an ordinary person, I don’t really know much about military studies.
I mean, sure, if we’re talking in extremes, I could just assemble an army of the robots I created some time ago and send them charging in to wipe out any country, but when it comes to military studies in this world’s context, I honestly don’t have a clue.
While I have read all the books in the academy’s library, I don’t have any practical experience.
So, when it comes to military studies, it seemed like I wouldn’t get any credits unless I attended classes.
Also, for the regular military drills and unit command training, I wouldn’t understand anything if I didn’t show up.
With that in mind, I decided to attend the classes as usual…
‘‘The teacher for the new “Military Studies” course starting this year is Bal Kurgess. I’ll be teaching not only the techniques and knowledge you need, but also the essential mindset required for a mage in military service. Those who possess power must understand the responsibilities that come with it.’’
And so, that’s how it went.
The teacher in charge was the usual old geezer.
Kurgess, a noble who is nicknamed ‘the battle maniac.’
‘‘…Why are you here?’’
‘I’m a student. Is it weird for me to be here?’
‘’…Well, fine. Do as you please.’’
He grumbled a bit, but I expected as much.
I just brushed it off and listened to the lesson.
‘’…Before we get into the techniques of command and combat, there’s something you must understand first. There are two types of conflicts: “feud” (fehde) and “war.” Do you know the difference?’’
‘Yeah, basically a fight with rules and a kill-or-be-killed situation where you can’t communicate, right?’
‘‘Well, roughly speaking, that’s correct. A feud refers to things like duels between nobles, where both parties agree beforehand on what is at stake. War, on the other hand, is a fight without any agreements. Right now, we’re in a period of relative peace, so we’ll start with the etiquette of feuds…’’
So, just like that, I’m attending classes as usual.
