Academy’s Genius Mage

The night after the induction ceremony, Milo returned to the dormitory with some intriguing news after a brief outing.

“The atmosphere isn’t quite ordinary.”

Ian, who was in the midst of designing a new experimental device he would ask Milo to create, had to pause his sketching.

When he turned around, he noticed Milo’s expression was unusually serious.

“Is something the matter?”

“Well, for starters, our dear Edel’s debt has increased to 30,000 shillings.”

“People are too harsh….”

Edel’s debt had quietly been growing, much like clothes getting soaked by a fine drizzle.

Frankly, 30,000 shillings wasn’t an outrageous amount.

Given that one could have lunch at the market for about 3,000 shillings, it equated to roughly ten meals’ worth of money.

However, Edel was from a commoner background. He was in a position where he needed to be frugal with even small amounts of money.

“Stop teasing Edel and come have a seat. Let’s hear you out.”

Soon, the three of them gathered around the table.

They had only known each other for a day, but they were united under the name ‘roommates’.

The Academy was not an easy place.

“I met a friend I know indirectly. He also enrolled in the Department of Martial Arts this time.”

Upon hearing about the Department of Martial Arts, Ian knew what was going on.

“That troublemaker seems determined to duel with you, Ian. He seemed pretty furious. I heard he went berserk after the induction ceremony ended. Did something happen in the meantime?”

“I was with you guys the whole time at the ceremony. If something had happened, you would have known about it too.”

“Well, then maybe he’s just holding a grudge for no reason?”

“Probably.”

“Oh dear, it’s as if he got bitten by a mad dog passing by!”

Milo didn’t hold back his harsh words.

Normally, such words could be problematic, but he had a safety net.

This is the academy, after all.

Here, Helios wasn’t a prince. He was just a new student in the Department of Martial Arts.

So calling him a ‘troublemaker’ and using words like ‘scoundrel’ were all permitted.

“If that’s the case, does that mean a duel is inevitable?”

Edel narrowly prevented his debt from increasing to 40,000 shillings.

Milo nodded with a somewhat regretful expression.

“It’ll probably happen soon. This time we got by because of a senior, but next time we won’t be able to avoid it.”

At the words ‘won’t be able to avoid it,’ Edel’s expression turned serious.

“Then what do we do?”

“What can we do? We either fight back or run away. Ian, have you ever sparred with a warrior?”

“You know well enough what kind of family I come from.”

“Tsk.”

It meant he hadn’t sparred before.

Theoretical mages are literally people who research the theories of magic. They could harness magic, but using it to take someone’s life was rare.

At best, it was often used at a level sufficient to protect oneself.

It was the same for Ian and everyone who had continued the Oracle Family’s legacy until now.

‘Father seemed to be a bit different, though.’

In Ian’s memory, there were memorable scenes.

Such as the Fireball Casting Spell with his father’s vast magical power.

— Every power comes with a price.

That saying was a teaching from his father, who had cast a Fireball. The Fireball had dropped in the middle of a wide forest, causing a tremendous explosion.

It was indelibly etched in his memory because it was entirely different from the Fireball Ian usually knew.

It was an incredibly powerful spell.

It seemed believable to call it ‘Meteor Fall’ instead.

Back then, he merely thought his father was amazing, but now it felt a bit different.

‘If Father had returned from the ruins, could I have wielded such powerful magic as well?’

If that had been the case, Helios’ threat would have seemed somewhat more entertaining.

However, as his thoughts reached that point, Ian chuckled.

‘It’s meaningless.’

No matter how many times he entertained such thoughts unless he could turn back time, it was an unattainable scenario. It was a waste of time.

“Why are you suddenly laughing like that? It’s unnerving. Did you think of something good?”

“No, just lost in thought.”

“In these times, are you sitting around daydreaming?”

Milo looked at Ian with an unconvinced expression. Ian merely shrugged his shoulders.

“You already gave the answer.”

“When did I do that?”

“You said it was either fight back or run away.”

“That’s not an answer; it’s a choice. What are you going to do?”

“I should fight back.”

If he alone had been insulted, he might have laughed it off as the rant of a madman.

But they insulted his family and parents.

And all his academy classmates had heard the insulting remarks.

This had now become a matter beyond just Ian and Prince Helios.

It was a family issue.

Hence, backing down was unthinkable.

However, Ian remained calm.

He was not so emotional as to accept a duel recklessly.

‘If I confront them now, I don’t stand much chance. I need to buy some time.’

Milo and Edel looked at Ian with worried expressions.

“I understand that the insult you suffered is unbearable, but wouldn’t it be better to endure it for now? There’s nothing to gain by facing a mad dog.”

“That’s for me to decide. Anyway, Helios won’t be able to do anything immediately.”

“On what grounds?”

“Since there was such a big commotion earlier, he’ll at least get a warning. He’s not bold enough to act recklessly despite that. He’ll wait for the right time.”

“Are you saying you’ll buy some time?”

“For now.”

There was something else that needed attention at the moment.

Ian stood up and carried the unfinished blueprint back to the table.

He spread it out in front of Milo.

“What’s this?”

“An alchemy device you need to prepare starting today.”

“Hmm.”

Milo meticulously examined the blueprint. It was a relatively simple experimental tool compared to other magical devices.

It consisted of a lamp for heating, a flask for boiling water, a glass container for passing and cooling vaporized gasses, and a collecting apparatus for the condensed steam.

Milo was familiar with various alchemical tools, but he had never seen such a device.

“What is this?”

“What do you think is the most commonly used ingredient in potion-making?”

“Water!”

Edel answered instead. As expected, he was the son of a military doctor who had served the country.

“It’s a device to enhance the effect of water. In simple terms, it makes purer water.”

“Is there such a thing?”

“I got the idea from my father’s research notes. His conclusion is that the secret lies in the water.”

Ian thought about explaining in detail but decided against it, as it would take too long. He could explain again during the experiment anyway.

“You’re aware that the effectiveness of potions varies by region, right?”

“I am.”

“There are many reasons for that, like the maker’s skill and the freshness of the materials, but I focus on the influence of water among them. If the region is different, that means the water is different.”

While Milo appeared puzzled, Edel found the idea very refreshing.

He was an aspiring healer, and for a healer, potions were akin to weapons.

“So if we can get purer water, it might have a synergistic effect when mixed with the materials. This would naturally improve the performance of the potion.”

“You had something up your sleeve! Of course, if you’re planning to make a deal with Professor Frost, you need to have that level of leverage. I was worried for nothing!”

“I haven’t proved it yet. This is the first time.”

“…… Are you in your right mind?”

Proving a hypothesis is crucial.

As with many theories, no matter how plausible, experimental results often deviate from expectations.

But Ian replied calmly.

“We can test it while reporting it this time.”

“What if you fail? How do you plan to handle that?”

“Failure doesn’t matter. The fact that Professor Frost is coming to our dormitory is already a plus for us.”

With such convincing words, both roommates couldn’t help but nod.

Milo looked down at the blueprint again.

“When does this need to be ready?”

“By tomorrow.”

“Hey! Do you think I’m some kind of workshop owner? This material is all glass. Even if I order it, it’ll take a week.”

“It doesn’t have to be identical. Shops sell things like flasks and glass tubes for experiments.”

“Oh, so you’re saying you need my money?”

“I’ll pay you back tenfold later, so just invest a bit.”

Milo sighed, feeling as if he had just bargained with a smooth-talking trader.

“Then I… ”

At that moment, Milo glanced at Edel as if he were a predator who had found his prey.

Just before Milo added 10,000 shillings, Edel hurriedly interjected.

“The initial stage! Milo handles the preparation… what should I do?”

“Is it just me, or did it seem like you slipped out of something?”

“……”

Milo decided to let it go this once.

Ian answered.

“Select some decent herbs for me. You’re more observant than I am, after all.”

In truth, Ian’s skill in herbology was of a high level. Still, he knew how to engage others in their tasks joyfully.

“Then I’ll apply for home leave tomorrow. It’s herb-harvesting season, so there should be some good ones.”

“For this reason, mark it as assisting Professor Frost with research. That should avoid any issues.”

“Got it.”

The division of tasks was complete.

Then, sensing something amiss, Milo asked with a suspicious expression.

“But if we prepare everything, what will you do?”

“The final stage. Magic infusion.”

It was the process of imbuing a potion with magic energy, a crucial step in maximizing the efficacy of the blended herbs.

It was also Ian’s second hidden card.

After all, it was virtually impossible to double a potion’s effectiveness with just plain water.

“I need to go home too. I left my research notes there.”

“Great. It’s not exactly the academy life I envisioned, but this is fun.”

Ding-dong!

At that moment, the mana speaker installed on one side of the dorm room broadcasted an announcement.

― Attention, please. Ian Oracle from the Department of Magic’s first year, please come to the student counseling office immediately. Once more, Ian Oracle from the Department of Magic’s first year, please come to the student counseling office immediately.

All three people’s gazes fixed on the speaker.

The announcement ended there.

“If it’s about the student counseling office, could it be that the earlier incident with that bully got reported to the higher-ups?”

Ian stood up without a word.

Whatever it was, he would find out soon enough.

“I’ll be back.”

“Please return alive. We should at least try the experiment, shouldn’t we?”

Ian chuckled lightly and left.

* * *

The student counseling office was located within the main academy building.

Ian entered the place he had visited earlier in the afternoon.

He climbed the stairs and reached the student counseling office. He turned the doorknob.

“Welcome, Ian Oracle.”

Inside, two people were waiting for him.

One was a familiar face—Professor Frost, Ian’s academic advisor.

The other was someone Ian didn’t recognize.

He was a middle-aged man, and his overall impression was sharp and intimidating.

Ian sat in the empty seat across from them.

The unfamiliar man placed his clasped hands on the table and spoke.

“Calling a student at such a late hour is quite unusual, but it seems to be a serious matter which is why you were summoned.”

“It’s alright. If it wouldn’t be impolite, may I ask your name?”

“My name?”

The man frowned but then laughed as if he found it absurd.

“It’s surprising for a noble of the kingdom not to know my name. Somewhat shocking, really.”

Ian understood immediately that this meeting would not be easy.