Academy’s Genius Mage

Upon reaching a secluded area after traversing the forest, a grand and mysterious tower revealed itself.

Standing tall near the capital of the kingdom of Sonokin, it was a place all mages revered for its height.

This was the Sonokin Branch of the Magic Society.

It was also called the “Tower of Magic”.

The Tower of Magic was a sacred space where mages gathered to study and hone their magic.

Even the highest nobles could not enter this place without permission.

Thus, unlike the bustling outside world, this place was always quiet.

It was a sanctuary where the troubles of the world could not easily intrude.

The mages were engrossed in their research and training, isolated from the rest of the world.

However, today was a little different.

The sound of hurried footsteps climbing the stairs stopped outside the room of the tower’s Master.

The eyes of Karahan, the tower Master, twitched as he read an old parchment.

“What’s with the ruckus?”

As Karahan reached out his hand, the door flung open. Standing there was a young mage, looking startled.

“Brussel. What’s the matter? Your footsteps sounded like thunder.”

“My apologies, Tower Master.”

The young mage, Brussel, bowed his head.

Clicking his tongue, Karahan pushed the parchment aside. His sharp gaze was fixed upon Brussel.

In Brussel’s hand were several books.

Something seemed to have happened. With a slightly softened demeanor, Karahan inquired.

“And what’s in your hand?”

“These are papers submitted to the Magic Society this time.”

“Paper submissions are nothing new. Why did you come running with them? That’s not like you. Don’t tell me you want this old man to review them?”

Karahan was a meticulous mage. The air in the room changed according to his emotional state.

Brussel swallowed nervously.

“It’s… Dean Jessica sent a paper.”

“Jessica?”

That was unexpected.

She had withdrawn from research after assuming the position of Dean at the Academy’s Department of Magic. Sending a paper now was unusual.

‘Strange.’

For Karahan, who had taught Jessica magic since she was young, this was peculiar.

She was not one to labor tirelessly but was instead a lazy genius.

She had believed that magic is passed on through the heart, not through writing.

To the tower Master, it was disappointing.

Writings preserve experiences and knowledge for posterity, after all.

“Did someone solicit her? She’s not one to send papers out of the blue.”

“It’s not precisely her paper. A student from the academy authored it, and she sent it on their behalf. It came with a note asking for a favor.”

“An odd request from her indeed. A paper by an academy student, huh? Have you read it?”

“Yes, I have, but…”

“Why are you hesitating? That’s not like you. What sort of paper is it?”

“A first-year student’s paper was submitted as the primary author. I thought you should take a look, so I brought it.”

Brussel decided that showing the paper was better than explaining a hundred times.

As a member of the editorial board in the Magic Society’s journal, he had reviewed the paper, yet could not comprehend how its remarkable insights had come to be.

It felt as though the inspiration of a genius had been directly transcribed into words.

Karahan took the paper and flipped through the cover.

“It’s Isera, as expected. Yes, a student with brilliant talent. I remember she submitted a paper recently; she’s sent another?”

“It’s been just a month.”

“Excellent pace. Early graduation should be no problem.”

Isera was already known not only to the Sonokin’s Tower of Magic but also to mages from other branches and the headquarters. She was one of the students Karahan paid special attention to.

“Hmm?”

Next to Isera’s name, a new, unfamiliar name appeared.

Seeing the name was good, but that was not the end of the surprise for Karahan.

Not long ago, he heard news that the second son of Count Telomian had enrolled in the academy.

However, the name on the thesis was not Zickhardt.

“If a first-year student is listed as the primary author, it would most likely be Zickhardt. But… Ian? It’s a name I haven’t seen before. Is this the first-year student you mentioned?”

“Yes, that is correct. He is the head of the Oracle Family.”

“Oracle… Oracle?”

A low groan escaped from Karahan’s lips.

For a brief moment, a complex expression flickered across the archmage’s face.

“Hehehe. Indeed. No wonder you’re so worked up. Time has passed so quickly. He must be Lefevre’s son.”

“Apparently, he recently inherited the head position and enrolled in the academy.”

“Have you met him?”

“Not yet.”

“How long has it been since the academy semester started?”

“It hasn’t been a full month yet.”

Archmages like Karahan had little sense of time. Still, anything under a month felt too soon even for him.

“What a peculiar combination. As far as I know, there’s no connection between the Oracle barony and the Hebraim county.”

With no choice, Karahan turned to the next page of the thesis.

The title he saw made him tilt his head in puzzlement.

“What has been done with the basic magic formula for Lightning? Such efforts seem pointless. Does he intend to wreck an already complete magic? Youngsters these days are indeed arrogant, thinking the world revolves around them.”

Yet, as Karahan turned the page, he realized his assumption was profoundly off.

It contained formulas he had neither heard of nor considered.

Furthermore, the mathematical notations used in the thesis slightly differed from those currently employed.

“What is this!”

His right hand, holding the page, slightly trembled.

As an archmage, that slight tremor was all the more pronounced.

“Ha-ha!”

Karahan felt genuinely astonished for the first time in ages.

Being an 8th circle Master, he had lived more days than he had left. He was a senior figure in the magic community and a teacher to notable archmages, including Jessica.

To think that someone praised as ‘one who understood the laws of nature’ could be this surprised.

If the mages of the tower had witnessed this scene, they would have thought they were dreaming.

“The formula follows such a sequence? Is it because it’s been a while since I last used Lightning Spell that it feels so unfamiliar? No, what sort of magic is this? Am I just senile?”

“I couldn’t believe it myself, so I demonstrated it.”

Karahan, who was about to form a rune, paused. He stared intently at Brussels and demanded an answer.

“The magic’s power increased significantly, just as described in the thesis. Mana consumption decreased as well. The thesis is accurate.”

“So, you’re saying this isn’t nonsense?”

“That is correct.”

While others might have been skeptical, the person in front of him, Brussels, was his protégé. There was no reason for him to speak untruthfully.

“It’s not that I doubt you, but I’ll confirm it myself.”

Finally, Karahan formed the seal.

Crackle!

A lightning bolt, seemingly encapsulating the harmony of the heavens, rested in his palm.

Karahan laughed heartily.

“Hahahahaha!”

It was a laughter he hadn’t known for how long.

The mana-fueled laugh echoed throughout the entire tower.

Soon, commotion arose from the stairs. All the mages of the tower rushed to the tower Master’s chamber.

“Tower Master!”

“What happened?”

Ignoring the concerned gazes of the mages, Karahan dispelled the Lightning Spell and tossed the thesis to Brussels.

“A first-year in the Department of Magic made such a discovery?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Isera, one of the co-authors, stated in the thesis that Ian interpreted the ancient scripts, while she was responsible for verification and writing.

Thus, to the archmage and his disciple who read the thesis, the name Ian stood out overwhelmingly more than Isera.

“How did you handle this paper?”

“I made the decision to publish it. I’m reporting it to you separately before it is officially announced.”

“Who else knows about this?”

“Aside from Dean Jessica and me, no one else should know.”

With a stern expression, Karahan solemnly commanded, “Convene the council immediately.”

“The council… you mean?”

The council was the central body of the Mage Tower, where elder-level mages would gather to handle matters. Such a meeting was very rare since most issues could be resolved by other mages of the Mage Tower.

Karahan became furious when Brussels hesitated.

“You fool! You seem to know one thing but not another. You’re like a smart-aleck!”

“I-I apologize, Tower Master. Please, bestow your mercy and guidance upon me.”

“This isn’t just about publishing something in a journal. It means that the content of the magic texts we’ve studied up until now completely changes. What we considered absolute laws have been shattered. If that rock of yours hasn’t turned completely dull, you should understand what this means, right?”

Brussels didn’t dare to argue back. Other mages who rushed to the Tower Master’s room without knowing the reason merely gauged the atmosphere.

“Above all, it’s an audacious discovery that nearly made me look like a senile old fool! Convene the council immediately!”

Startled, Brussels ran outside as though fleeing, with other mages following closely behind. Thus, the council was urgently convened at Sonokin’s Mage Tower.

At that very moment, Ian, the man behind the convening of the council, had just arrived at the Abyss Dungeon with his companions.

* * *

Ian and his companions disembarked from the carriage and surveyed their surroundings.

“Wow. It really looks authentic, doesn’t it? Doesn’t it seem like a cave in the forest?”

“It’s a dungeon created by the kingdom’s top elite group. It wouldn’t be poorly made.”

“True. Looking at it like this, it feels like we’re doing something remarkable.”

The entrance to the cave looked so natural that it didn’t seem artificially created. Two knights were guarding that place.

‘Royal Knights?’

They wore impressive red cloaks and donned silver plate mail engraved with a golden lion emblem on their left chest.

They carried long swords and also equipped themselves with short daggers as auxiliary weapons.

Anyone could tell they were well-trained knights. Their aura was entirely different from the two sergeants Ian had met during a potion experiment.

‘The elite of the elite.’

Their faces were obscured by helmets, but Ian could feel the intense presence directed toward him. Milo, next to him, felt the same.

For someone usually confident in his skills like him to feel intimidated, the two knights in front of them were of no ordinary caliber.

Ian approached the two knights and greeted them.

“Hello. I’m Ian Oracle, a first-year student from the Department of Magic. This is Milo, and this is Edel. We will be accompanying you on this expedition. Pleased to meet you.”

When Ian greeted them politely, one of the knights lifted the visor of his helmet with a metallic clink, revealing two determined eyes.

He was not young and appeared to carry the experience of many battles.

He was undoubtedly a strong man.

“It feels like you’re on an outing.”

The knight muttered while looking at the bags Ian and his companions carried, but not in a mocking way.

‘More pathetic than mocking, actually,’ Ian thought, understanding why the middle-aged knight seemed indifferent.

“I apologize for causing you concern. The objective of this expedition is to gain practical experience. We are students who have just entered the academy, and we lack in many areas. We will humbly accept any advice you offer.”

The knight, who had been staring at Ian bowed, completely removed his helmet.

His splendid golden hair shimmered. The rough scars on his cheek attested to his expertise.

“Well, indeed. What you say is true. The beginning is inevitably full of lacking moments, especially for apprentice mages. Nice to meet you. I’m Lancelot from the Royal Knights.”

He extended his hand for a handshake.

Ian, recollecting as he accepted the handshake, thought, ‘Lancelot… I’ve definitely heard that name somewhere.’