Academy’s Genius Mage

On their way back to the dormitory, Ian, Milo, and Edel engaged in various conversations.

“Edel, you’ve never been to a dungeon, have you?”

“I’ve been near one.”

“Oh, really? I thought you’d be a complete bumpkin.”

Edel seemed to take that as a compliment, judging by his shy smile.

“Well, it’s nothing impressive… I went a few times with my father to tend to the injured.”

“If you’re a healer, that’s understandable. So you’ve never actually explored one?”

“My father talked about it, but I don’t know much.”

“Dungeons are really terrifying places. If you make a wrong move, spikes might spring out from everywhere and turn your body into a pincushion! Sometimes ghosts appear too!”

Even though those weren’t completely false statements, it was a childish joke. Edel forced a smile.

‘Is he finally overcoming his phobia of Milo?’

Thinking this, they soon arrived at the dormitory.

There was a letter in the mailbox. Ian picked it up and commented.

“Shouldn’t we divide roles before the expedition?”

“Well, we’re all mages anyway, so there’s not much to divide, is there?”

“There is some division to be done, like cooking duties or keeping watch. We’ll need to sleep in the dungeon for two nights.”

Both of them brought up valid points. However, Ian was hinting at something else.

“Typically, a dungeon is tackled by a four-member party: two knights, one healer, and one mage.”

Ian checked the sender of the letter and opened the envelope. It was a reply from Frederick’s General Store.

“Milo, you’re good with a sword, right?”

“Not at all. I’ve heard I’m exceptionally untalented at least three times a day. My family calls me ‘Swotra’.”

“What’s ‘Swotra’?”

“Sword trash.”

Although Ian wasn’t supposed to laugh, he couldn’t help it.

“Well, outside your family’s standards, how about generally?”

“If it’s just general standards, it might be a different story.”

Milo seemed confident, even though Ian had never witnessed his skills firsthand.

“Then Milo, you can take on the warrior role. You’ll block, crush enemies, and clear the path at the front. Get a sword before we leave, just in case.”

“I feel like I’ve been tricked… Well, fine. Why not!”

“Edel, you’ll be the healer. You know how to use healing magic, right?”

“Yes!”

The division of roles went smoothly.

Thus, Ian naturally took on the role of the mage. The roles were swiftly assigned without any fuss.

Milo gave Ian a light nudge on the arm.

“Who are you staring so intently at?”

“It’s my letter, so I opened it.”

“I mean, who is it from? Tell us a bit about it instead of enjoying it alone. You’re trying to keep all the good stuff to yourself.”

“It’s not from a woman.”

“You always say that. You’ve got to be lying at some point. The rumor is all over that you, pretending to be a recluse, hold secret parties late at night with women. Don’t try to deny it.”

“The old me must have had a blast. Enjoying secret parties I don’t even remember, huh?”

“One day, I will unmask you.”

The three of them entered the dormitory.

Milo passed the time sharing dungeon tales with Edel, while Ian pondered over the letter.

Though it was short, he read it repeatedly to understand any hidden meaning.

‘So, meeting him is out of the question, I guess?’

The letter came from an employee at Frederick’s General Store.

In summary, it conveyed that ‘the owner is away for an indefinite period, so a meeting is difficult.’

Ian prepared some paper and a pen.

― I received the letter. I wish to discuss the delivery of potion containers we previously talked about. Even if a face-to-face meeting with Mr. Frederick is challenging, please provide an address where a letter can reach him. The deal is likely to be larger than what we discussed before. I prefer to handle the transaction with Mr. Frederick. It would greatly benefit the store.

He concluded the letter, thinking it to be the last one he would write.

Sending even this much, if a meeting was difficult, meant that the situation was serious enough to hinder any further business.

‘Time will solve the rest.’

Ian Oracle sealed the letter in an envelope and placed it in the mailbox. If he left the letter there, a postal worker would come by at a set time to collect it.

His next destination was the assistant office to gather some supplies.

* * *

A few days passed.

Ian spent busy days. He had to prepare for dungeon exploration, attend classes, and complete assignments.

The academy’s curriculum was more rigorous than he had anticipated.

It did not allow him any time to read books or sink into thought.

Ultimately, Ian decided to cut down on his sleep.

‘Phew, I’m exhausted.’

Around midnight, after finishing his daily routine, he would go to the Great Library.

This habit led him to read books until 3 AM before heading back. As such, he often only managed to sleep for three or four hours, leaving him consistently tired.

‘At least there have been some achievements.’

Ian had come across new spell techniques for a few basic magic.

Though they were not attack spells, he found useful utility magics.

The newly discovered spells were “Light” and “Decrease Weight”.

The Light Spell became much brighter while drastically reducing its magic consumption, allowing for prolonged use in dark places without strain.

Similarly, the Decrease Weight Spell improved significantly.

This spell, an application of weight reduction, was previously a bit challenging at the initial stage of level 2 magic, but with the new techniques applied, it became effortless to use, and the reduction effect improved.

More exciting than discovering these new spell techniques was the realization that there were many more spells yet to be discovered.

‘Why not combine several spells into a single book instead of writing individual papers for each?’

That thought occurred to him.

Writing a separate paper for each spell would certainly help him accumulate achievements, but creating a comprehensive textbook also seemed like an enjoyable endeavor.

‘I should discuss this with Isera Hebraim later.’

He began to harbor a somewhat lofty dream of perhaps creating a new textbook on basic magic.

‘By the way, there’s no news from Frederick.’

There was no reply to the letter he had sent earlier.

Given a choice between receiving news and not receiving it, the former was always better. A lack of response signified no further engagement.

‘He didn’t leave the capital for business matters. He’s hiding.’

Ian was convinced of this.

‘Now, should I just wait for Milo Vinettia’s news? Ah, there was also something Professor Frost was investigating.’

He thought once he returned from the dungeon, more clarity would emerge.

“Ian, are you ready?”

Edel’s voice called out.

Today was finally the day they would head to the Abyss Dungeon.

After finishing their afternoon classes on Steel Day and having dinner, the group began their preparations.

“We can leave right away. How about the supplies?”

“All checked! We’re well-stocked. We should hold out for about a week. We could even sell it for a big profit.”

“If we get caught selling it, we’ll be expelled.”

“Did you take that seriously?”

Milo Vinettia, with his extensive camping experience, checked the supplies himself.

The setup was better than they expected.

They had high-quality jerky and magic water bottles with purification spells cast on them.

There were even magical tools for emergencies among the items. Though it couldn’t transmit voices, there was a device that could send a distress signal.

“Allow me, Milo Vinettia, to give you a gift. Attach one of these to your waist.”

Milo handed them a sleek dagger, seemingly acquired for self-defense.

Seeing the sharp blade, Edel’s face turned pale.

But this was reality. Ian, without a word, attached the dagger to his waist, prompting Edel to reluctantly do the same.

It was common to see mages wielding weapons.

Even though swords were heavy and difficult to handle, various auxiliary spells could be used to adjust them to a reasonable weight.

Of course, this decreased their power, but it was still better than having none at all.

In other words, weapons were used when one’s mana was completely depleted, or for other reasons where magic could not be used.

Most mages preferred daggers or slightly longer swords, but occasionally, there were mages who wield longswords.

Just like Milo standing right in front of them.

“Looks good on you, Milo. You should have joined the Department of Martial Arts.”

“I’m sick of metal weapons. I’ll Master the Mana Blade soon enough!”

The Mana Blade.

It was one of the main spells used by combat mages. As one of the advanced spells of the sixth level, it was an immensely powerful magic that condensed strong mana into the shape of a sword to wield.

The Mana Blade was almost a versatile weapon, capable of both close-range physical and long-range magical attacks.

If Milo, who had mastered the swordsmanship of the Vinettia Family, could also handle the Mana Blade, he would be immensely powerful.

“Looks like we’re all set. Let’s get going.”

The three of them headed towards the main gate of the academy.

The capital was quite vast, so there was no need to walk all the way to the dungeon.

This expedition was both an assignment and a test of a national project, so the academy paid a great deal of attention. As a result, a number of carriages were already waiting for them.

Several peers could be seen forming their groups and choosing carriages.

“Looks like everyone’s heading out today.”

“It’d be beneficial to explore even one more day.”

“Slaves to grades, aren’t we!?”

Among them were Sebastian and Ophelia. Milo muttered.

“Unexpected? I thought they’d team up with Zickhardt. But they’ve joined up with an odd fellow.”

“Indeed.”

“Anyway, it makes me sick.”

Those two had teamed up with the peer who had recorded low points in the recent mana measurement. Ian seemed to understand their intentions.

‘Do they need a gofer?’

It was a formation with the intent of making someone else do the dirty work, in exchange for managing the dungeon cleanly. People likely lined up to join them.

“Oh! Are you guys heading out now too?”

Sebastian spoke with an oily tone.

Milo quickly boarded the carriage with Edel in tow.

Thus, Ian had to deal with him.

“No harm in being early.”

“That’s true. Which dungeon are you going to?”

“Abyss.”

Sebastian brushed his chin with a grin.

“Nice name, abyss. Hope you’re not swallowed by the depths. That way, you can come to my party.”

“I haven’t said I’d attend yet.”

Ian threw a curt remark and followed his friends onto the carriage.

Ophelia approached Sebastian, who was left staring blankly.

“Why bother and get humiliated? Didn’t I tell you not to associate with those vulgar people?”

“It bothers me.”

“Oh, was blue your taste? And to think you once confessed to me.”

“Sigh, how pathetic.”

Sebastian still believed Ian did not put forth his best effort during the mana measurement.

That was why he was displeased. It irked him that a student with the lowest mana score was receiving so much attention in the academy.

Moreover, he had heard unbelievable news today.

‘The first-year student who submitted a thesis to the Magic Society couldn’t possibly be that guy, right?’

The name had not been revealed yet. Students who heard the rumors naturally thought that first-year student was Zickhardt.

Yet, Sebastian couldn’t take his eyes off the carriage Ian boarded.

An inexplicable sense of anxiety and impatience gripped him.

“Ugh, seriously, what are you doing!”

“Let’s go, come on!”

Finally, Sebastian boarded the carriage.