Academy’s Genius Mage

The major lecture hall was designed in a semicircular shape, allowing students to focus on the podium.

On one side, various tools for magical experiments were prepared, and three blackboards were lined up consecutively.

About 40 students filled the classroom.

When Ian entered, the students’ attention slowly started to shift towards him until all their eyes were fixed on him.

‘They seem curious.’

It was only natural.

Logically, a mana score of 77 shouldn’t allow one to cast a basic spell that powerfully.

Students who witnessed or heard rumors about Ian casting a spell in the training area thought he hadn’t been measured correctly.
Hence, they grew curious about his true intentions.

There is no reason to hide one’s mana unless there is something special.

That is why there are many eyes on Ian, some friendly, others wary.

‘Still, I feel relieved now that it’s over. I should thank Professor Frost personally.’

Ian sat in the seat saved by Milo and Edel. It was in the front row; Edel was on the far left, Milo was in the middle, and Ian was on the right.

Milo lowered his voice and asked, “So, what happened? A love letter? Or did you set a wedding date?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Ian replied.

“Why are you being so dull? The senior came all the way here for a reason, right? Looked like she had some business with you.”

“It’s nothing, so don’t worry about it.”

Ian took out his textbook. However, he felt a prickling sensation on the back of his head. On reflex, he turned around and met someone’s gaze.

It was two people, Ophelia and Sebastian.

Ophelia frowned and turned her head away, while Sebastian wore an arrogant and smug expression.

‘That person’s name was Ophelia, wasn’t it? The Drias Family is a renowned family even in magic. The same goes for Sebastian.’

Then a name came to mind.

Ian gazed at the very back seat, where Zickhardt, eyes glazed, was staring at the ceiling with an unreadable expression.

‘Zickhardt, Sebastian, Ophelia. These three are the top among the freshmen. And they harbor ill feelings toward me.’

Ian didn’t let it bother him much.

‘You all can continue playing with numbers. I have lots to do at the academy.’

Shifting his focus away, Ian prepared for the class. Though he had already memorized all the content of the textbook, he reviewed it once again.

At that moment, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

“Ian Oracle.”

Turning around, Ian saw Sebastian looking down at him with a hand draped over his shoulder.

“I’m curious about something. Not much, but… what exactly did you do during the mana measurement?”

“What do you mean, what did I do?”

“The number seemed too low. I heard you cast pretty powerful spelsl. But the result was like that. If it were me, I would’ve requested to redo the measurement, but you just let it slide. Isn’t that strange? People might not say it aloud, but they’re curious, aren’t they?”

The last question was directed toward the surrounding students, not Ian.

Sebastian was quite sociable. The students around him quickly agreed with what he said.

‘He knows how to manipulate people.’

If he were just a brat relying on his family’s power and his own strength, he wouldn’t bother with such troublesome methods.

‘He must have threatened me to be honest when I was talking nicely.’

Manipulating public opinion requires considerable skill.

Sebastian possessed that skill.

“Is there any reason to mess with the measurement? At the academy, mana is weighed more heavily than grades. The higher, the better, right?”

“There might be something we don’t know about. That’s the conclusion I reached.”

How arbitrary.

Yet, compared to Helios, he seemed more composed. At least he wasn’t using derogatory language.

“Don’t you think you should reconsider your conclusion? In a situation where a higher level favors me, what gain is there in manipulating the score? Wouldn’t an overwhelming figure from a mere baron’s family making a name for themselves be a better story? Don’t you agree?”

This time, Ian sought agreement from those around. Quite a few students nodded.

“And even if there really is something, it will eventually come to light, won’t it? We’re not here at the academy for just a day or two, right? What’s the rush? It’s not like I’m running away.”

Ian brushed off Sebastian’s arm from his shoulder with a flick.

Flustered by his failure, Sebastian glanced at Ophelia with a troubled expression.

Naturally, Ophelia’s expression had turned hostile.

Sebastian, who had been hesitating, suddenly leaned in. Then, he whispered secretly into Ian’s ear.

“Kid, you should know it’s not fun getting close to Ms. Isera, right?”

“What?”

“Don’t even think about reaching for something that’s out of your league.”

Sebastian warned quietly, smiling all the while.

It was truly unexpected.

On the surface, it seemed like he was pursuing Ophelia, but his true intentions were different. He saw Ian as a rival for Isera.

‘That’s a huge misunderstanding. Me, interested in the senior?’

But if he thought about it, it made some sense.

There was the incident before the induction ceremony, their meeting in the library, and now she came to look for Ian in the lecture hall.

Following Helios, even Sebastian had misconceptions. Suddenly, Ian realized how remarkable this person named Isera was.

Probably, there were many more people who had their eyes on her.

“Alright, let’s say you understood. Next time, let’s grab a drink. I’ll invite you to our family, so don’t refuse.”

Sebastian returned to his seat, bragging to Ophelia about how appropriately he had given his advice.

‘It looks like he’s showing respect for her, but in reality, it’s far from the truth.’

In truth, it was Sebastian who was playing the higher stakes, not Ophelia.

‘He’s more dangerous than I thought. Better be careful.’

Not only did he have a dual nature, but he also concealed it perfectly.

In card games, it’s scarier when you don’t know what cards your opponent holds, rather than when they have a strong hand.

The Drias Family and the Kent Family were both of Marquis standing in the kingdom of Sonokin.

They were invisibly competing.

Ian suddenly wondered if Sebastian was pretending to be interested in Ophelia to gain information about the Drias Family.

“Ugh, so annoying.”

“Ugh… so greasy. Makes me feel unwell.”

His roommates made comments as though waiting for the moment, ensuring their voices wouldn’t carry.

“Leave it be. Maybe there was some misunderstanding.”

“My, you sure have a good heart. A real saint.”

“Wasn’t he a recluse before?”

“Must be nice having so many nicknames.”

Ian chuckled and took out glasses from his pocket, putting them on just as the professor walked in.

* * *

When the long lecture finally ended, a low murmur of astonishment echoed in the lecture hall.

The students realized that life at the academy would not be easy.

Milo felt the same way.

“Damn. This turned out to be so boring.”

“Weren’t you saying the lecture title was promising?”

“Exactly what they say about an empty vessel making the most noise. Guess I’m more suited to practicing magic at the training grounds.”

Milo yawned widely.

Meanwhile, Edel was diligently reviewing his notes.

“It seems ancient language is essential for theoretical subjects, after all…”

“Of course! Removing ancient language from magic theory is like a social gathering without wine and ladies.”

Edel seemed disheartened.

For a commoner, accessing ancient language was nearly impossible.

Learning it was even harder. Being from a healer’s family, he might have seen bits but likely hadn’t learned it systematically.

Ian said, “Want me to teach you ancient language?”

“Oh! Really… can you?”

“Since you’re helping me with experiments, I can certainly do that much.”

“Can I ask for your help?”

“Let’s start after we finish the potion-making. You’re smart, so you’ll pick up the basics quickly.”

Edel’s face brightened. Milo cast a grudging glance at Ian.

“And what’s your problem?”

“You’re nice to Edel but discriminate against others? If you’re going to discriminate, at least do it behind people’s backs!”

“You know ancient language well, don’t you?”

“It’s not as much as you.”

Ian sighed.

It was pointless when a muscular guy acted like a little child.

“Are you acting like this because you don’t have anyone you like? Why don’t you look into some club activities?”

“I was planning to check that out today anyway. Ian, do you have any place in mind?”

“I don’t even know what clubs are available.”

Then, he suddenly recalled Isera’s image.

‘I forgot to ask.’

He decided to ask later since he would see her soon anyway.

Ian got up from his seat.

“I’m leaving first.”

“Where are you going? Didn’t you say we should prepare for potion-making?”

“To Professor Frost’s lab.”

“Alright. Then we’ll head to the dormitory first to get ready.”

Ian felt that he needed to ask earnestly as he noticed something strange.

“Edel, keep a close watch on Milo. Make sure he doesn’t get distracted.”

“Okay!”

“I really must be someone untrustworthy…”

Milo sighed.

After parting ways with the two, Ian knocked on Professor Frost’s lab.

“Come in.”

Professor Frost was leisurely reading a paper while sipping tea.

“Hello, Professor.”

“How was your first lecture?”

“It was informative.”

“I doubt it was of any real help to you.”

Professor Frost spoke as if he knew Ian well. Ian assumed he was just trying to encourage him.

“No, I learned a lot of new things.”

“Have a seat.”

The two sat facing each other. Ian greeted him before bringing up the main issue.

“Thank you for your brilliant idea. Thanks to you, things were resolved well.”

“I’m not worthy of thanks. Even if I hadn’t thought of misleading the results, people would have been fooled regardless.”

“Pardon?”

“I heard you’ve been modifying the formulas of basic spells. I confirmed your submitted paper, too. I also heard that your techniques are slightly different, which would have led students astray without any intention to deceive them.”

“No, my gratitude is for something else.”

Professor Frost tilted his head in curiosity. Ian spoke candidly.

“Thanks to you pointing out my biases and preconceived notions, I was able to completely set aside my worries. It allowed me to focus on other matters.”

“You knew that already, didn’t you?”

“There’s a difference in weight between knowing something on your own and having someone else advise you.”

“I see.”

Finally, Ian brought up the reason for his visit.

“And the preparations for potion-making are complete. As promised, I’ll show you an effective potion.”

“You finished sooner than I expected.”

“The help from my colleagues was significant.”

Professor Frost showed an intrigued expression.

It was rare to see a student who didn’t exaggerate their own achievements, especially among nobility.

“Let’s reconfirm our agreement. We were aiming for a potion with twice the effectiveness of the low-tier healing potions used by the knights’ order, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll invite two knights tomorrow. They’ll drink it and tell us how effective it is.”

“Is there a standard for measuring double effectiveness?”

“There isn’t. But knights, who frequently drink potions, should be able to judge that much. For potions and similar remedies, word-of-mouth is more trustworthy than objective figures. Any objections?”

“No, none at all.”

Just having the opportunity was a blessing. Professor Frost stood up.

“Tomorrow at 6 PM. It’s when the knights’ afternoon training ends. I’ll visit the dormitory with two knights after their training, so be prepared.”

“Understood. I look forward to it.”

Ian bowed respectfully and left the lab.

Then the next day, as promised, Professor Frost arrived at the dormitory with two knights.