Academy’s Genius Mage

Ian was startled.

Something he hadn’t anticipated was placing its paw on his leg.

‘A… cat?’

It was a cat of pure, snowier white than the first snow, so immaculate that it seemed to shine.

To his amazement, the cat kept its paw on Ian’s leg, looking up at him.

As if telling him not to leave.

‘Could it belong to someone?’

It’s not uncommon to keep pets in the academy.

Some high-ranking nobles bring animals they have grown up with since childhood.

However, it was the first time he’d heard of a cat living in the Great Library.

Such a place was meticulously managed.

‘Could it have lost its owner? Or perhaps it wandered off?’

Ian knelt on one knee and gently picked up the cat.

It was very lightweight, and its fur was soft and smelled pleasant, suggesting it was well cared for.

At that moment, Ian noticed something on the cat’s face, precisely on its forehead.

‘A scar?’

He cautiously brushed the cat’s forehead.

At first, he thought it was injured and the blood had dried, but that wasn’t the case. It was a hard substance.

‘Not a stone… a jewel?’

Looking closely, the hard object shimmered as beautifully as a gem. It resembled a red ruby.

Ian had never read or heard of a cat with a jewel embedded in its head.

What’s more, he could sense faint mana from the cat.

‘Could it be a mystical creature instead of a regular cat?

A mystical creature refers to a sacred object or beast.

If it was indeed a mystical creature, the jewel on its forehead was somewhat understandable.

Ian’s expression turned serious.

In fact, the idea of a mystical creature residing in the royal academy’s Great Library made more sense than that of a regular cat.

Numerous magical books were housed there.

It wasn’t strange to think that a mystical creature would live off that sacred aura.

“Still, isn’t this too sudden?”

Ian was somewhat bewildered.

If it were a regular cat, he could merely leave it to the care of the library staff, but dealing with a mystical creature was more complicated.

If it chose to follow him, he would bear the responsibility for it until death.

That was an implicit rule.

“Go home.”

Ian set the cat down and turned away coldly, wanting to see if it would follow him.

“Meow?”

The cat tilted its head and started to trot behind Ian.

Even when he changed direction and entered another aisle, it kept following him. Moreover, when he sat at a reading desk, it leaped onto his thigh and lay there quietly.

If someone else had seen this scene, they would’ve thought Ian had raised the cat for a long time.

There was not the slightest discord in the scene.

Seeing the cat dozing off, Ian chuckled wryly.

“It’s already considering me its owner.”

With this situation, there was no choice.

Ian decided to adopt the cat.

“Professor Elena’s advice seems to have been useful. Although it was a mystical creature that appeared rather than a spirit, I’ll have to attempt it more in the future.”

While spirits had infinite lifespans, mystical creatures did not.

Spirits use magic-based elemental abilities, while mystical creatures utilize highly developed physical organs.

There are fundamental differences between the two beings.

However, they are common in their connection to nature.

Therefore, it was not bizarre for Ian’s actions to have summoned a mystical creature.

“So that’s why spirit mages often have mystical creatures too.”

Ian learned a new experience.

As if the cat had read his thoughts, it waved its paw, as if asking to be acknowledged.

“Meow.”

At its adorable gesture, Ian gently scratched the cat’s cheek with his finger.

A smile naturally appeared on his face.

His heart felt ticklish.

He had never considered himself fond of animals, but holding the cat made it look incredibly pretty and adorable.

“Nevertheless, if word spreads that I have a mystical creature, it might become a nuisance.”

Both students and professors from the Major in Spirit Magic might want to see it.

After all, they would be curious about what kind of mystical creature it was, being researchers themselves.

Moreover, the fact that it was discovered in the Great Library of the academy held symbolic significance.

“The Great Library is a fountain of knowledge and wisdom.”

Research might be conducted on what abilities this mystical creature possesses, having appeared there.

In any case, the reason why people coveted the mystical creatures was because they possessed abilities far superior to ordinary animals.

“Even so, I can’t help it. Since it chose me, that’s something I must bear.”

Ian braced himself with determination.

First, he decided to return to the dormitory and discuss future issues with Milo and Edel.

He needed to identify what abilities this mystical creature had.

“That way, even when tangled deeply with the Hamel guys, I can avoid danger.”

Cats were animals with keen senses.

If the mystical creature took the form of a cat, there could be some ability related to its senses. In that case, he could be safe from enemy attacks.

“And I need to give it a name too.”

There was a mountain of tasks to tackle.

At that moment, the cat lifted its head and meowed.

Simultaneously, Isera entered the ancient magic library.

Ian thought he might already know the ability of this mystical creature.

“Senior.”

Isera glanced briefly at Ian before averting her eyes and sitting in her usual spot. She then took out various books from her bag and placed them on the desk.

Ian approached her with the cat nestled in his arms.

Something seemed odd.

Surely, she had seen the cat, but Isera didn’t glance at it even once.

No matter how indifferent one might be, surely a quick look would be possible.

“Could it be that she dislikes cats?”

There were people who, when close to dogs or cats, would sneeze or have a runny nose. Hence, Ian stood at some distance.

“Senior?”

Only after she had finished arranging everything did Isera look at Ian.

“If it’s about having a meal, I’m still thinking it over.”

“We agreed to eat together once I passed my entrance exam.”

“That was a basic condition. Like the introduction in a thesis.”

“Anyway, that’s a different matter.”

Ian hugged the cat a bit tighter so that Isera could see it better.

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“Isn’t it cute?”

Isera tilted her head.

“I don’t know what’s supposed to be cute.”

This was strange.

Ian responded while looking at the cat.

“This little guy. Isn’t it fluffy and cute?”

“…….”

“Would you like to pet it?”

Isera flinched in surprise.

Ian was also startled.

It was the first time he saw Isera react like that.

“Why, why are you like this?”

“I hope it’s not what I’m imagining. Contextually, that seems right, which is quite confusing.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve placed your arms atop your abdomen, exactly at your stomach, and pushed your chest forward. And then you asked me if it’s not cute. To my knowledge, you’re a man, so what should my response be here? What am I supposed to touch?”

“What? What?!”

Ian’s mind went blank. It was such an incredibly huge misunderstanding.

“The cat! The cat, you know! Here! On my arm! A white cat!”

“What are you talking about? Where’s the cat?”

“…….”

“You’re not saying you’re the cat, are you…?”

Ian was at a loss for words.

The cat, nestled comfortably, mischievously scratched Ian’s cheek.

“If you’re hurt, go to the health center. A mental ailment is a disease too. Don’t hold it in only to make it worse.”

“Meow.”

The cat meowed indifferently as if following Isera’s advice.

Ian was left feeling completely bewildered.

At first, he thought Isera was playing a prank.

Perhaps more apt was that she looked like she was venting frustration from some personal discontent rather than just joking.

However, upon further reflection, it was indeed odd.

‘Senior Isera is a genius in theoretical magic. Could she really not be curious seeing this cat with a jewel embedded in its forehead?’

Moreover, there was another reason to consider.

‘Even the most observant mage cannot see certain things.’

Ian recalled a series of recent events.

There were times when things were visible only to his own eyes and invisible to others.

Such was the case with Ophelia’s rampage incident involving the water spirit Undine.

At that time, most people hadn’t known that Ophelia was a spirit mage. However, Ian Oracle had, through a twist of fate, gained the ability to see spirits.

‘Though it seems unlikely, could this possibly be… a spirit, not a mystical creature?’

A hypothesis that broke existing common sense sprang to his mind.

It is not a story that anyone could easily accept since, no matter how one looked at it, there is nothing to suggest that the cat in his arms is a spirit.

The only fact is that it is visible to Ian, who could sense spirits, but invisible to Isera Hebraim, a theoretical mage.

Yet, his heart raced.

Despite the weight of the cat he could feel, he wondered if he had formed a connection with an extraordinary being. Hence, Ian took action.

“I’ll head back first! Senior! Forget about today’s events!”

“I told you not to run in the library.”

Ian had already disappeared from the stacks.

Isera sighed lightly and opened her book again, trying to focus on her reading. But, unlike usual, she found herself unable to concentrate and kept staring at the entrance through which Ian had disappeared.

“His appearance is fine, but his tastes are just…”

Muttering this, Isera tried to regain her focus. However, it seemed it would not be easy today.

* * *

While returning to the dormitory, Ian drew one conclusion.

‘This cat is not a mystical creature.’

He walked together with the cat all the way here.

Along the way, he encountered many students—not only ones from the Department of Magic but also those from the departments of martial arts and natural science. Yet none of them paid the cat any attention.

Still, Ian was cautious about jumping to conclusions.

‘It’s possible that the people passing by simply weren’t interested or it was a coincidence.’

Thus, he decided to experiment one last time with his roommates.

If he assumed this cat was an unknown entity, showing it to elements professors, like Elena, or Ophelia could be a method. However, if it turned out that the cat was indeed a spirit, things could get complicated.

A spirit is no different from a mage’s weapon. If it is a common spirit, showing it wouldn’t matter. But for a special spirit, it was best not to show it to others unless they were trustworthy.

Thus, Ian resolved to handle this matter by himself.

“You’re back? You said you’d be late today, but you’re early!”

Milo Vinettia remarked, glancing at Ian.

Edel, who was studying, waved his hand lightly.

Ian entered with the cat, but neither Milo nor Edel noticed it.

Even when the cat leapt onto Milo’s bed, they didn’t react.

‘They definitely can’t perceive it.’

Ian observed the cat’s actions more closely.

The cat leaped around on the bed, yet the sheets were not pressed down at all. This indicated it wasn’t having any physical effect.

‘Only a spirit mage can perceive the cat when it hasn’t materialized?’

Before he knew it, Ian propped his chin and gazed at Milo’s bed, which had become the cat’s playground.

Milo, who was fiddling with an experimental device, frowned at this.

“What’s with that suspicious look at my bed?”

“Nothing.”

Once was enough for strange misunderstandings.

Ian picked up the cat that had been playing on the bed with both hands. Then, boldly, he placed it on Milo’s head.

“… What’s this?”

“Just for fun.”

As expected, Milo couldn’t feel the cat. Judging by the way Edel chuckled, he couldn’t either.

“Are you sick?”

“I’m perfectly healthy.”

“Then why?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

“This guy always says he’ll tell me later!”

Ian returned to his bed and lay down comfortably.

The cat trotted over and climbed onto his stomach.

Ian and the cat locked eyes.

‘Alright, Mr. Cat. I roughly understand that you’re a spirit. Of course, I’ve never heard of a spirit in the form of a cat, but still. Now, how do I communicate with you? And, what about a contract?’

The cat showed no reaction. It simply stared at Ian with bright eyes.

‘This will be quite difficult.’

A sigh escaped Ian’s lips. It was another hurdle standing before him.