“…Well then, that one’s gone home, but you lot aren’t going anywhere. Now, head outside. It’s time for a new type of training.”
After seeing off Exus and Ada, teacher Kuruges made this announcement, picking up the coat draped over his chair.
The students, observing this, followed suit, unfolding their jackets.
“It’s freezing outside!”
“Ugh, not this again…”
“Hey, idiot! Didn’t you buy a ‘Magical Warmer’ at the shopping mall? This thing’s amazing!”
“What’s that?… Whoa, it’s warm! I want one!”
“Heh, it’s super popular right now, you know? You should check out the mall more often!”
“But my allowance…”
“It’s cheap enough that even commoners can afford it!”
“Really?! As expected, Lord Exus is incredible…”
The children chatted noisily as they moved.
Among them, a particularly standout group said:
“We need to collect data on the new magic techniques ourselves.”
“Right. And we’re not using ‘Rune Magic’ but the advanced ‘M Language.’ If we don’t submit a new spell soon, our evaluations will drop.”
“Well, I’ve already submitted this year’s new spell, so I’ll help you out,” one of them said cheerfully.
“What?! Yuki, really? When did you manage that?”
“Even with the Homunculus Dragon for travel, the client nations are far away. I spend all that idle travel time developing spells!”
“For someone with such a goofy face, you’re surprisingly competent…”
“Goofy face?! Seriously?!”
“Uh… I think it’s more of an adorable face, Yuki.”
As expected, it was the “Mistress Group”—the team led by the Aurora Brigade executives.
Aside from the outlier that is Exus, these three stood out the most. Even the seasoned warrior Kuruges admitted their talent was off the charts, with strength that defied common sense.
Typically, their team would include Ada, but she was absent, busy with work.
Meanwhile…
“Haah… She’s not here again, huh?”
“Don’t be so bitter, Zes. Let’s do things our way,” Holman reassured him.
“Yeah, exactly. And even if Exus were here, it’s not like he’d help us. I mean, being taught directly by someone hailed as the ‘Greatest Mage’ comes with its own set of problems.”
“True… Honestly, getting anything for free from him sounds more terrifying than helpful.”
“…You have a point. He already knows the answers to our ‘problems.’ Rushing for answers without thinking is a mistake.”
The next notable group comprised Zes, Holman, and Hector—team members under Exus.
Within the “realm of reason” that Kuruges understood, they were the top performers. Without the disruptive presence of Exus and his group, they would undoubtedly be the best in their class.
Moreover, their well-rounded training in magic, combat, and survival skills earned high praise from Kuruges, who valued adaptability and self-reliance above all else.
Even so, he secretly held great respect for Exus, despite the latter’s audacity.
The academy grounds.
A flat, open area where students usually trained with running drills and swordsmanship for self-defense. Makeshift wooden dummies and sandbag targets allowed for magical practice as well.
The fledglings who once struggled to break even the wooden dummies…
“Winter Blast: Launch!”
“Sting Ray: Launch!”
“Lightning Bolt: Launch!”
…Now obliterated them without leaving a trace.
Their progress was remarkable.
“At this rate, I could probably manage 20 shots,” one student remarked.
“I might hit 30!” another replied.
“Really? You’ve got a lot of mana!”
Not only had their destructive power improved, but so had their sustained combat abilities.
In the past, mainstream spells used in wars or monster subjugation could barely be cast ten times before exhausting a mage. Now, even average students could cast twice that.
This improvement stemmed from two factors: the activation of their mana circuits due to the new-style magic, and the optimization of spell formulas for energy efficiency.
Some students even developed more focused and efficient destructive magic.
To mages of the old era like Kuruges, who viewed spell formulas as secrets to be guarded, this was both astonishing and unsettling.
In ancient times, magic was seen as divine truth bestowed by gods. Over time, wars and internal strife caused many spells to be lost.
Yet now, mortals had reached a point where they could create their own spells.
This was nothing short of a paradigm shift.
The magic academy, as a result, was expected to become the leading institution in developing new, powerful magic formulas.
Until now, it had been an advanced institution where apprentice mages from across the country were trained into capable magical soldiers, generously teaching them combat-oriented intermediate magic—classified as state secrets.
This intermediate magic drew on fragments of techniques once held by now-defunct noble houses or the royal family’s secret archives. By the standards of this world, it was a forward-thinking organization, but…
…not anymore.
The level had changed. Students themselves now created their own magical formulas and shared them with one another…
It had transformed into a more advanced academic institution for magic.
“Hmm… As expected, the longer the formula, the higher the mana consumption.”
“But shorter formulas can be easily countered with simple defensive spells, you know?”
“Then how about releasing control midway? Automating the process might reduce the strain.”
“If you do that, the formula could be hijacked…”
Even the younger students—no, precisely because they were young—adapted quickly.
They understood: clinging to existing formulas wouldn’t secure a prominent position in the future.
This understanding had already permeated the faction of the First Prince, Exus, despite its stagnation.
“Damn it! I must create a formula capable of defeating Exus, or I’ll have no excuse to His Highness, the Crown Prince!”
“But isn’t this different from Exus’s formulaic system? Shouldn’t we demand something more fitting?”
“I’ve told you before! Unless we master this rune magic at this stage, we won’t be granted access to M-language!”
“I never cared about the conflict between Exus and His Highness the Crown Prince in the first place! It’s my parents’ fault I couldn’t get M-language! If I’d known I’d have to bow and accept this inferior rune magic, I would’ve deferred to them from the start…!”
“Hmph, and yet you didn’t defy your parents, did you? It’s too late now! Just do what you have to do!”
Despite the varying opinions and personal grievances, there was consensus on the nation’s ultimate objective.
—“As a magical nation, to enhance the power of magic.”
Though not completely unified, many noble mage families were advancing toward this shared goal…
