NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31
#031 The Clumsy, the Talented, the Genius, and the Wallet Warrior (1)
Professor Neville Brix of the Magic Department stared at the gathered students in the classroom.
“Out of 184, we’ve got 52, which is a tad more than expected.”
He continued addressing the murmuring students.
“This isn’t some sort of sarcasm. Most students likely entered this academy with only vague images of what magic is or what spells entail until they enrolled. It’s only natural for them to gravitate towards the more familiar and straightforward realm of martial arts.
Ah, though, there might be some who chose magic or support roles solely to avoid rolling around under that woman.”
At that remark, a few students quietly averted their eyes and pretended to focus elsewhere.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Avoiding danger is a wise choice. But remember this.”
Professor Neville fixed a sharp gaze on the class.
“This academy is not a cradle for the incompetent or the lazy. It is a forge for cultivating practical combat abilities. Specifically, there are three strikes. Those who fail to pass periodic evaluations will be expelled at that point, so you’d best listen closely.”
A deep silence enveloped the classroom.
Starting the first official class this way truly set a beautiful tone for learning; he continued as if he couldn’t care less about the tense reactions of the students.
“First off, we need to understand what magic power is. Who wants to give it a shot?”
A woman with red hair seated at the front, ‘Laila Everblaze Barhart,’ answered.
“It’s an unrefined force that exists all over the world and is a power that any living being possesses, whether in abundance or scarcity.”
“Correct. So what are the three criteria used to evaluate a living being’s magical ability?”
“‘Magic Capacity’ measures how much magic one possesses.
‘Magic Control’ assesses how skillfully one can utilize their magic.
And ‘Magic Refinement’ evaluates how quickly one can recover expended magic.”
“Good, you seem to know your stuff.”
A small gasp of admiration rippled through the students.
Laila remained unfazed, as if this was all common knowledge.
“Magic is abundantly present throughout the world. However, that natural magic is often chaotic and tough to control, and its efficiency is poor, so living beings instinctively refine and store the magic of nature in quantities and attributes suitable for their own bodies.
If one disregards this and attempts to hoard excessive magic within, or forces their way without going through the proper refining process, their body won’t withstand it and self-destruct.”
Professor Neville continued speaking.
“The reason potions that heal wounds or neutralize poison exist, yet there are no potions that restore magic, is the same. If one were to gather pure magic into a potion, but the individual lacks the ability to refine it into something usable, it would be no different from poison. The only exception is ‘White Light,’ which dilutes that rejection response to the extreme and possesses properties that are friendly to the human body.”
A girl with green hair, Pino, raised her hand with a question.
“Professor, if we can produce a magic potion with properties similar to ‘White Light,’ wouldn’t it allow recovery without side effects?”
“Your idea isn’t bad, but as of now, it’s impossible. The principle of ‘dyeing’ involves improving the magic user’s constitution so they can unconsciously refine the magic into something optimized for a specific purpose. Even if one managed to produce ‘White Light’ magic in its natural state, it would quickly mix with other magic and lose its properties.”
I recalled the phrase from a post written by some user from a past life.
“I think they said it’s easier to understand if you think of it as a lake mixed with several liquids, with a container inside it.”
In summary, ‘magic amount’ is the size of the container, ‘magic refinement’ is the speed at which the filtered liquid enters, and ‘magic control’ is the ability to handle the filtered liquid.
‘Dyeing’ is the act of manipulating that filter to allow only specific properties of liquid to pass through. If one ignores the filter and forcefully scoops water from the lake, the inside of the container could become a mess with contaminants or could get damaged or corroded by something hazardous that slipped in.
The magic power of ‘White Light’ is pure water that does not damage the human vessel and leaves no aftereffects, so pouring it into another container doesn’t cause any major issues. However, pouring it directly into the natural lake will only result in a muddled mess, leaving no trace of its original purity.
Professor Neville continued, “Today, we will be assessing each of your magic capacity, magic control, and magic refinement. It’s just a more detailed breakdown of what we did during the qualifying exam, so there’s no need to be nervous. Step up in the order I call you.”
Although the students murmured among themselves, the overall atmosphere wasn’t too bad. After all, those who intentionally chose to take magic classes had either laid down foundational knowledge of magic from their families or they were among those who performed decently in the magic assessments during the qualifiers.
The called students placed their hands on a crystal ball the size of a soccer ball and were instructed to channel their magic, while a young man acting as a teaching assistant monitored the results.
Next to the crystal ball was a small notice which read:
[Magic consumption per spell grade.
Low-Level: 1–9
Intermediate: 10–90
Advanced: 100–900
Ultimate: 1000 and above.
Magic capacity refers to the raw maximum amount, magic control is the maximum amount that can be controlled at once, and magic refinement is measured based on the amount recovered in one hour.]
“Dudu. Magic Capacity: 70, Magic Control: Intermediate, Magic Refinement: Low-Level.”
“Margaret Roze. Magic Capacity: 150, Magic Control: Low-Level, Magic Refinement: Low-Level.”
“Roto. Magic Capacity: 100, Magic Control: Low-Level, Magic Refinement: Low-Level.”
As the teaching assistant announced each result, the faces of the students reflected a mix of joy and disappointment.
“Well, I performed decently in the qualifiers, so I had higher expectations…”
I said to Roto, whose shoulders slumped.
“Don’t be disheartened. There are plenty of ordinary folks out there with a magic capacity of less than 1. Having around 100 is just about the average for magic users, and magic control can always improve with training.”
This was an undeniable fact, not just a consolation to cheer him up.
The most basic spell, the Magic Missile, requires a mere consumption of 2 magic points, yet it can pierce a person’s head, and seasoned martial artists can break trees using just 1 point of magic to enhance their physical power.
‘There are bound to be plenty of those who are even worse among those who chose martial arts.’
In that sense, Roto’s talent could certainly be described as average, whether that was a good thing or bad.
In fact, the majority of the 52 students couldn’t even exceed a magic capacity of 200, and their other abilities were predominantly below intermediate levels.
Of course, there were exceptions, notably the twin siblings from an ancient noble family of the Morian Kingdom.
“Eagle Pendevig. Magic Capacity: 3000, Magic Control: Intermediate, Magic Refinement: Advanced.”
“How Pendevig. Magic Capacity: 2000. Magic Control: Advanced, Magic Refinement: Low-Level.”
The siblings exuded class and confidence as they lifted their heads proudly amidst the gasps of the astonished classmates.
Their slightly smiling faces bore a striking resemblance to the ones in my memories.
Those twins were also key characters in ‘Planetarium’; if Crow represents the physical aspect, then they are the outstanding talents of the magical realm.
Eagle, with his rapid magic recovery rate and large capacity, could rain down intermediate spells like a machine gun, while his sister, How, initially performed worse than him, but her ability to execute top-tier spells solo, provided magical control assistance through gear, was a compelling advantage.
‘Many disliked them for their bad attitudes, but there were also plenty of users who found their arrogance appealing.’
While I wasn’t particularly attached to either side, I never employed them as allies. Viewing their personalities through a screen was one thing; the limitation of needing both of them to maximize their potential was another, and I disliked being restricted in party formation.
‘Since there’s no game-style party limit here, getting to know them wouldn’t hurt, but would they listen if I were friendly with them?’
“Pino. Magic Capacity: 2500, Magic Control: Intermediate, Magic Refinement: Intermediate.”
“Wow, Mr. Pino is impressive too,” Roto remarked, to which I nodded in agreement.
“Right?”
‘How come a guy like him wasn’t a major character in the original work? Did he possibly fail during the entrance exam?’ This wasn’t far-fetched if he had great talent in magic but didn’t know how to use it.
If that’s the case, it would be like hitting a jackpot after not buying a lottery ticket at all.
“Rabaul. Magic Capacity: 5. Magic Control: Low-Level, Magic Refinement: Low-Level. …Hey, you all! Stop mumbling!”
“…It’s alright; you don’t need to worry about me.”
“Uh, um. Magic aptitude isn’t absolute, so don’t sweat it too much.”
As the teaching assistant tried to reassure him, Rabaul returned to his seat looking unusually dejected.
‘Hmm, while there are ways to increase magic capacity, a score of 5 is quite severe.’
If Pino and the Pendevig siblings were considered prodigies, Rabaul’s result could be labeled as a disaster. Sure, he might somewhat overcome it through effort, but the amount of work involved made me want to suggest he explore different paths.
‘By the way, my turn should be coming up soon.’
I glanced at Laila, who was quietly waiting for her turn in a corner of the classroom. It wasn’t just me; other students sneaked looks at her, and when her name was called, almost everyone shifted their attention to her.
Adjusting to such overwhelming attention with grace, Laila stepped forward and placed her hand on the crystal ball.
As the measurement began, I noticed the male assistant’s eyes widen in surprise.
“…Uh, um. I’m sorry, no, my apologies, but could you please do that again?”
“Yes, of course.”
A buzz of excitement filled the room. Students’ expectations soared as the assistant nervously announced the results.
“…Laila Everblaze Barhart. Magic Capacity: 8000, Magic Control: Advanced, Magic Refinement: Advanced.”
“E-eight thousand?”
“Are we talking about the same person?”
“Whoa, Lady Laila!”
Shock, doubt, admiration, envy—all sorts of emotions ignited among the students, creating a raucous atmosphere that spiraled out of control.
The assistant’s voice urging everyone to calm down was nearly drowned out.
Bang! Bang!
“Hey you lot! If you want to collectively fail your evaluations, keep it up.”
Only when Professor Neville tapped his wooden staff on the desk a few times did the students quiet down, allowing him to call my name.
“Finally, Chrome Midas. It’s your turn. Come forward.”
“Yes.”
I confidently stepped forward. Some students cast sympathetic glances, given I was about to be evaluated right after the astonishing results from Laila, while others looked smugly amused.
Not that it concerned me; rather, I smiled internally as I placed my hand on the crystal ball.
Indeed, Laila, the “Heir of the Red and Blue Blood,” was the genius incarnate.
At this point, she should be considered less of a silver spoon and more of a platinum spoon.
However—
“Chrome Midas. Magic Capacity: 4000, Magic Control: Low-Level, Magic Refinement: Low-Level.”
—it’s known that if you have money, even if you’re not born with a platinum spoon, you can at least mimic a golden one.