Academy’s Genius Mage

That evening, the news Ian had been waiting for finally arrived.

A postal worker delivered a letter to the dormitory.

During working hours, letters were preferably delivered directly. The reason Felix’s letter had been left in the mailbox was due to the early hour.

“It seems letters are coming in frequently for you, Ian. Is it from a girlfriend?”

“No, it’s probably a letter from my family.”

“For urgent matters, using the communication sphere is better than letters. Academy students can use it at a discounted rate, so come to the post office.”

“Thank you.”

Even if Ian wanted to use the communication sphere, he couldn’t. The Oracle Family did not have one installed.

Communication spheres were extremely expensive, and the financial situation of the Oracle Family made it difficult to afford one.

Once the worker departed, Ian closed the door and sat on the bed.

The letter in his hand was from the Oracle Family. More precisely, it was sent by Wilson.

‘He sent it faster than I thought.’

Ian had expected it to take a few days, but Wilson seemed to have acted immediately after receiving the message.

After meeting with Felix, Ian sent an important directive to Wilson.

Ian opened the letter.

“A letter from a girlfriend? You said you didn’t have one. Or did you already woo someone at the academy?”

Milo grumbled while tinkering with the distillation apparatus. Ian waved his hand, signaling him to continue his work.

Fortunately, Edel diverted Milo’s attention by asking him something, allowing Ian to escape the scrutiny.

Ian unfolded the letter.

— Master. As per your instructions, I visited Mr. Frederick’s general store. According to the clerk, mr. Frederick left the capital a few days ago. They say he went on a business trip to a far location. No further helpful information was obtained. Should you need anything, please command me at any time.

‘Just as expected.’

Ian had gleaned an important clue. Frederick was unlikely to return to the capital anytime soon.

‘Leaving without notifying me when there’s a potion delivery deal on the line is unthinkable, especially for a merchant.’

This firmly established the connection between Frederick and Felix in Ian’s mind.

It was indeed true that Frederick met Felix. Ian had heard it straight from Felix at the salon. Felix did not bother denying it when probed about Frederick.

‘If Frederick was involved in forging contracts and fled the capital when things got heated…’

The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together.

Ian conjured a flame in his palm and incinerated the letter into ashes.

‘Now, I just need to make some money, get out of debt, and hire a source to investigate.’

Hiring a skilled informant required a significant amount of money.

However, if the potion’s quality was recognized and the patent was registered, the situation would change.

At the very least, potions were such a universally used product that everyone needed one.

If one could double the effectiveness using the same ingredients, making a fortune was only a matter of time.

‘The whereabouts of Frederick and the asset status of Hamel Trading Company.’

Once Ian acquired these two pieces of information, the next steps would become clear.

Having organized his thoughts, Ian stood up.

Milo and Edel were seated in front of the distillation device, discussing their opinions. Both were already deeply engrossed in the potion project.

“How’s it coming along?”

“Well, we enhanced the steam cooling mechanism and changed the materials to prevent contamination of the distilled water. Doesn’t it seem like we could even call the professor now?”

“See if there are more aspects to improve. We still have enough time.”

“I just want to get it over with.”

“Before that, we should prepare for the mana measurement first. While Edel has figured it out, you’ve been concerned about it too.”

“Yikes!”

Milo, startled, quickly turned his head towards the clock. It was already past 9 PM.

“Darn it! It’s this late already… I need to head to the training grounds. Edel, can I leave the rest to you?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Let’s go together.”

“You too, Ian?”

Ian nodded.

“I have something I want to experiment with.”

“Really? Then let’s go. By this hour, everyone is probably at the training grounds, fueling up on mana tonics and recklessly casting spells. I wonder if there’ll be any spots left.”

Simply consuming mana tonics didn’t increase one’s mana capacity.

The purity of one’s mana circle was crucial as well.

To increase purity, one needed to exercise mana regularly. However, due to time constraints, many resorted to using magic as a workaround.

Mana measurement was more significant than the regular exams.

Being ranked within the top three could widely spread one’s family’s reputation in social circles.

‘I’m not interested in the mana measurement itself. I need to experiment and see if I’ve understood the aphorism I read correctly.’

Not long ago, he recalled seeing Isera brilliantly succeed in casting a Lightning Spell in the training room of the Great Library.

“Let’s go before it’s too late.”

“Hehehe. Is it finally time to show my skills?”

“You don’t really need to be a mage, do you?”

Ian pointed at Milo’s staff. He held it as if it were a hammer.

“Just hitting things doesn’t give a good feeling. You need to coat it with mana smoothly to get that satisfying sound when you crack a skull.”

“Tsk, as always.”

Ian headed to the magic training ground with Milo.

The training ground wasn’t exclusive to the Great Library. There was a special magic-only training ground set aside for the use of the Department of Magic’s students.

Of course, all spells that academy students could use were covered here.

Since magic duels occasionally took place in this location, it was almost plastered with all sorts of anti-magic materials. Therefore, magic could be flung around without things breaking.

“Everyone’s going wild as always?”

Crackle!

Whoosh!

Blazing flames and lightning flew in from all sides.

There was also the ice-cold spell of an Ice Bolt.

Over ten freshmen positioned themselves and were recklessly casting magic.

One student, having exhausted all their mana, sat down and chugged a mana recovery potion.

Unlike health recovery potions, mana recovery potions were traded at a fairly high price. This was due to the rarity of the ingredients.

“Is this the only spot here?”

“Looks like it.”

A safe distance was crucial in magic training.

Getting hit by magic without any defense could result in serious injuries.

To prevent accidents, a suitable distance was marked on the floor.

“Shall we take turns?”

“No. You go first. I’ll have a go when a spot opens.”

“Then, if you’ll excuse me!”

Milo closed his eyes and formed a spell sign with his left hand.

Then, the head of the staff held in his right hand started to concentrate with magic power.

『Fire Bolt.』

Fire Bolt was the lowest-tier offensive spell of the first circle.

A fireball the size of a head formed on the staff. As Milo pointed the staff at the wall, the fireball shot out fiercely.

Boom!

Ian, watching, whistled.

‘He didn’t join the Department of Magic for nothing.’

For a first-circle spell, it had considerable power.

With skills like this, he could compete for the top spot in magic power measurement.

“How was it? My skills.”

“Pretty good, surprisingly.”

“Hahaha! Of course. I’ve been through all sorts of insults in the academy. I need this level to hold my head high.”

Milo, showing confidence, formed another spell rune.

Graceful curves were embroidered in mid-air.

『Ice Bolt.』

This time, cold air gathered like a sphere at the end of the staff. As he moved the staff once more, the cold rushed towards the wall.

Crash! Shatter!

With the sound of shattering glass, ice fragments scattered everywhere. Naturally, the wall remained intact.

“What do you think? My skills!”

“Enough with the boasting.”

“Meh.”

Ian understood Milo’s desire for recognition.

He was a mage from a renowned martial family. He probably got scolded every time he used magic.

Ian chuckled, watching him practice his magic.

“Ian.”

A fellow student from the adjacent spot spoke up.

“I’m done with my training. Want to use the spot?”

“Sure.”

As Ian stepped into the area, the atmosphere in the training ground changed.

The place, which had been filled with non-stop spells flying around, suddenly had no one forming spell signs.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Ian.

Their gaze was intense.

Some students even started whispering. One could almost tell what they were saying without hearing them.

‘Damn Helios making things difficult for everyone. I should’ve snuck out early in the morning.’

However, there was no time to waste. Having mastered the theory meant he needed to demonstrate it.

’No, it’s actually better to show it here. That will make bluffing the magic measurement results easier.’

Ian Oracle began forming the hand signs. His hand, imbued with a blue light, started to move.

“Hmm?”

“What is that?”

“Have we seen hand signs like this before?”

“It’s a Lightning Spell, but it looks a bit different.”

“That’s a casting failure. If the hand signs are that disrupted…”

A first-circle Lightning Spell was not particularly remarkable. At least, not to the peers gathered there.

But Ian didn’t need to bother himself with their remarks.

These hand signs were the very same ones Isera had experimented with recently at the Great Library.

『Lightning.』

Zap!

Boom! Crackle, crackle!

“Whoa!”

“What is happening!”

Gasps and screams erupted from all around.

It was no surprise. The current that erupted from Ian’s staff was not the ‘lightning’ they had expected.

Those present felt, even if only briefly, as if they had been dropped into the midst of a storm, instilling a deep sense of fear.

Some peers even reached out to touch the wall struck by lightning, worried that it might have been damaged.

“This is…”

“Is this supposed to be a Lightning Spell?”

“Impossible!”

His peers were murmuring incredulously.

However, the experiment was not yet finished.

‘The Lightning Spell was demonstrated by senior Isera. It’s a method already proven and even documented. Now I need to confirm if I’ve truly understood it, with a different spell.’

Ian once again began forming hand signs.

“What’s next?”

“Looks like a firebolt, although slightly different.”

“Where in the world did that guy learn magic?”

“Was the Oracle Family this great?”

With everyone unknowingly setting the stage for him, Ian felt a strong urge to laugh openly.

‘Yes. Go ahead and misunderstand all you like!’

Having completed the hand signs, he extended his staff.

『Firebolt.』

This was Ian’s first magic to objectively test his power.

The image of the firebolt Milo had just cast was still fresh in his mind.

In comparison, he could gauge how powerful it was.

Fwoosh!

Boom!

“A shockwave!”

“That’s not a firebolt; it’s a fireball!”

“No! The trajectory is different! It’s not a fireball!”

“Then what on earth is it?”

Ian lowered his staff.

Smoke and dust fell from the wall it had struck. Of course, the wall wasn’t broken, but Milo’s firebolt hadn’t delivered this level of power.

And it had even produced a shockwave.

A shockwave was a unique feature of the higher-tier fire spell, ‘fireball’. Creating a shockwave with just a firebolt was an extraordinary feat.

“If my circle level had been one or two steps higher.”

The situation would have been even more remarkable.

But greed was dangerous.

Recalling his father’s lesson that every power comes with a price, Ian lowered his hand.

“In any case, it’s a success.”

For the first time, he tasted the thrill of accomplishment.

Now, he could compete on equal footing with others. And with the glasses he possessed, he would only continue to grow stronger.

Suddenly sensing eyes upon him, Ian turned his head.

He saw his peers staring at him with dumbfounded expressions.