After returning to my room, I flopped onto the bed and muttered to myself.
"I cannot shake this feeling of unease..."
Serina Rinsburg.
The daughter of the esteemed Royal Head Elementalist, possessing an overwhelming power in the early stages of the story.
But why does she wield such formidable power early on?
The answer lies in the nature of elemental magic.
Magic, in its entirety, demands numerous elements such as comprehension to understand concepts and one's responsiveness to mana.
All these factors were not entirely related to talent.
Certain aspects can be compensated for through diligent effort or financial means.
Naturally, a modicum of talent is essential for such growth, but the majority of individuals possess that minimum threshold.
Yet, when it came to elemental magic, the dynamics changed.
For elementalists, talent was everything.
A prodigious elemental wizard can be distinguished from an average one from birth.
This is because elemental affinity, paramount to an elementalist, is determined from the beginning.
Elemental affinity denotes the degree to which an elementalist can establish contracts with elemental beings.
Should one possess low affinity, summoning an elemental becomes an insurmountable challenge.
With high affinity, it is the opposite.
Of course, summoning high-ranking elementals necessitates a sufficient mana pool to accommodate.
So high affinity is merely one of the requirements.
Elemental affinity doesn't change much no matter how hard you try.
Living in places like forests and getting along with animals could increase affinity.
However, it only gave slight improvements at most.
Moreover, investing substantial sums of money never gave returns of the same value.
Rather than trying to increase affinity, it is more common to explore methods of optimizing the utilization of the elementals already under one's command.
In that regard, Serina possessed an extraordinary aptitude.
Since birth, she exhibited a remarkable affinity for elemental magic, enabling her to summon high-ranking elementals as long as she had the necessary mana.
"The story will start soon."
However, the fact that Serina was a bully in the early stages did not help us.
Rather, it was a headache.
Because she was the boss of the story that was about to start.
The story that was swiftly approaching—Homecoming Day.
Homecoming Day was an occasion where alumni returned to the academy, fostering a gathering of graduates and current students where they enjoyed various festive activities.
However, there was a problem with this event.
The entry of outsiders into the academy.
Although they were academy graduates, from the moment of graduation, they were practically strangers.
Moreover, most of these graduates hailed from esteemed backgrounds, inevitably bringing along entourages and escorts, expanding the influx of outsiders.
While it was true that only those with valid connections were granted entry, the event still rendered the academy's security vulnerable.
The watchful eyes of the academy's guards were divided, and their focus diverted away from the students while their attention was focused on the outsiders.
Thus, Serina saw an opportunity at this moment.
The Elemental Sword, Priscilla.
Within its hilt resided a special elemental—an ice elemental named Priscilla.
However, there was a hidden truth about Priscilla.
Priscilla had once been under the control of Serina's mother.
In short, after Serina's mother's demise, Priscilla went berserk, and the sword was used to seal her.
Now, the sword resided within the academy, serving as a subject of research.
This was the precise reason behind Serina's entry into the academy.
She sought to steal the sword, release Priscilla, and form a contract with her.
Of course, this was not the only way to encounter Priscilla.
An alternative approach involved pursuing a career as a researcher devoted to the study of Priscilla, a path accessible only after completing the academy's curriculum.
However, Serina opted not to spend her time in that manner.
Her choice was driven by the desire to free Priscilla at the earliest opportunity.
"Well, Evan will handle it anyway..."
This matter was one that Evan had to confront on his own.
A significant event unfolded on Homecoming Day.
The saint graced the academy with their presence, imparting a prophecy regarding the academy's future.
It is given to the Student Council President.
Homecoming Day began this way.
There were several prophecies.
One of which urged caution regarding Serina.
Thus, Astina promptly relayed this information to others.
People from the academy start looking for Serina, but in the end, it is Evan who finds Serina.
Evan meets Serina like this, fights with her, and eventually wins.
There were various stories in the process, but they were not particularly important.
The prophecy concerning Serina was the only one worth paying attention to.
Many interpreted it as a warning that Serina sought to steal Priscilla.
But in fact, that was not the case.
It was just that the timing coincided well, the warning to be careful of Serina had a different meaning.
It was actually unrelated to it.
"I hope I won't need to intervene this time...."
If the story goes as it is, there was no part where I had to step in.
I might have to exert some effort when an incident related to the prophecy arises later, but there was nothing for me related to this incident itself.
The only possibility would be checking whether Evan could beat Serina or not?
But, I didn't think I really needed to do that either.
From the rumors about Evan, it seemed that he was growing well.
"I need some rest too...."
I've been working hard, so I can take a break for one story, can't I?
In this incident, I'm never even mentioned, so I think I can stay still.
"Besides."
I rose from the bed and settled into the chair.
My gaze fell upon the desk, where a lone book lay.
The magic book of Levian that Luna had given me.
"I guess it's time to start using it?"
This tome held significance in itself, but the spells contained within held great importance as well.
A compendium of a royal wizard's lifetime, it possessed a wealth of extraordinary knowledge.
Amongst its pages, what I would take were the dark magics that had not been revealed to the world.
The unexplored realm of dark magic resided within these pages.
Mainly dwelling in the shadows, dark magic had long been stigmatized as an art practiced solely by villains.
As a result, individual practitioners guarded their findings closely.
The dark magic that Levian researched, were in this book.
However, these spells were not solely reliant on the confines of the magic circle.
Magic circles served as instruments of modification, granting alterations to magic you can use.
For example, in the case of the magic circle that Luna used last time, it was a magic circle that gave a modification to the light magic.
There was a normal magic, Light, which could be used normally, and that magic was transformed through a magic circle.
Pondering my next course of action, I clasped the magic book in my hands.
"Should I show this to Professor Robert......"
I've been observing Robert for several weeks.
He struck me as a reliable individual.
Though he appeared lazy in most matters, he was more diligent than anyone in his research on dark magic.
I didn't see any significant issues in terms of his character.
Also, I could tell that Robert, despite his constant complaints to the people around him, cared for them.
He treated Professor Cromwell well, and he seemed to be on friendly terms with the old lady at the shabby restaurant.
"But just in case......"
Even though I thought he was a good person, I figured there's nothing wrong with being cautious.
I decided to show him just one magic circle before showing him this magic book.
I opened the magic book Luna gave me and pulled out a piece of paper.
Then I began to draw the magic that Luna had failed at in the library last time, using the paper beside me as a reference.
I didn't have to draw it perfectly, just showing the general idea would be enough.
"...It's more challenging than I anticipated."
However, it was nearly impossible for me, who lacks artistic skills, to draw it perfectly.
The main pattern itself was complicated, becoming more so for higher level magic.
"Um......"
After roughly tracing the pattern, I scrutinized the paper.
A sincere realization struck me: proficient drawing skills were essential for a wizard who relied primarily on magic circles.
"But...isn't it somewhat similar?"
I looked at the magic circle in the magic book and the one I drew.
It might be a bit skewed, but it was somewhat similar......
---
Raei Translations
---
The next day, I visited Professor Robert's office and handed him the paper.
Robert stared at the paper intently before asking me,
"What is this?"
I responded calmly,
"It's a magic circle."
Robert took the paper, looked at it for a moment, and handed it back to me.
After that, he held it up to the sunlight, shook it back and forth.
I stared at Professor Robert's strange behavior.
"What are you doing......"
"......Isn't it a code?"
"It's a standard magic circle. Frequently used on scrolls for practical applications."
"......"
Professor Robert took the paper and made his way toward his desk.
Without a second thought, he discarded the paper into the wastebasket nearby.
"What kind of magic circle is this? What do you think a magic circle is?"
"......I put effort into drawing it."
I did my best.
I tried my best to replicate it, but my drawing skills were lacking.
"Even a seven-year-old child could draw better than this. How do you manage to draw magic circles in Magic Theory class?"
"Hmm..."
Initially, I attempted to draw them myself, but as the tasks grew more complex, I began relying on Luna's help.
Since Magic Theory class covers more than just magic circles, opportunities to practice drawing them were limited.
Besides, my intention wasn't to study magic using magic circles, so I sought help wherever I could.
To be honest, I only drew them for the sake of submission, and Luna would then redraw them for me.
Whenever I thought I had done a decent job and was about to submit it, Luna would always reject it.
Like a caring mother who redoes her child's drawing during an assessment, she would take over and create a new one for me.
I felt sorry for constantly burdening Luna, but according to her, it didn't take much time since she was merely copying an existing magic circle.
Observing her recreate my magic circle in less than 10 minutes, I had to admit she was right.
After discarding the paper, Robert seated himself on the sofa and inquired,
"So, what is this? What kind of magic is it?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself."
When I admitted that, Professor Robert gave me a disbelieving look.
"...Did you just give me a circle from your imagination?"
"No, it's a real magic circle that exists."
"But why don't you know? If you saw it in a book, there should be an explanation."
How should I explain this...
After pondering for a while, I made up my mind.
"I'll return another time."
"...Alright."
With that, I departed from Professor Robert's office and made my way to the library.
All I needed to do was show Luna the magic book and ask her to draw it for me.
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