Academy’s Genius Mage

The owner of the voice was, of course, Ophelia.

“Gasp?”

“Ophelia?”

Milo and Edel, who were goofing around in the back making bomb drinks, were startled. So much so that they almost dropped their glasses.

“Wha-what? Why are you here?”

“That’s what I should be asking. Why on earth are you dressed in such bumpkin attire? It’s embarrassing.”

Ophelia snapped her fingers.

Swoosh!

The image of the undine instantly disappeared. It seemed she had been in material form.

Naturally, Milo was uninterested in spirits. He shot up, his face flushed.

“Bumpkin attire? Do you even know how stylish the academy uniform is?”

“They checked your ID at the entrance, didn’t they?”

“Uh…well…”

“That’s proof you’re a country bumpkin. Smells like milk. Not even a kid.”

Ophelia crossed her arms and stared down Milo with a haughty look.

Her fashion was undeniably outstanding.

Rumors said she wielded considerable influence in high society, and going by her attire, it seemed quite plausible.

She wore an intensely vibrant red dress. The deep cut at the chest boldly attracted the gaze of men. Jewelry on her marble-white skin glistened under the lights.

“Meeting outside means you should greet instead of gossiping.”

As Ian spoke up, Ophelia quickly turned her head.

“It’s not gossip. I’m just stating the truth.”

“If I’m wearing the uniform, I must be a country bumpkin too.”

“N-no, that’s not it! You’re nothing like these guys…”

Ian, Milo, and Edel perked their ears for what she would say next.

Realizing her mistake, Ophelia covered her mouth.

“You seem quite shy, miss Ophelia. Haha.”

Milo latched onto her misstep.

“Well, it would be troublesome to be unkind to your lifesaver. We’re all drinking here in this fancy place thanks to Ian, aren’t we?”

“S-shut up!”

“Oh, don’t be so coy~.”

Ian gave Milo a look, signaling him to ease up.

Ian had no desire to get caught in an awkward fray.

Ian said, “You look different outside. The dress suits you well.”

Ophelia flinched at the sudden compliment. Then quickly covered her chest with her hand.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not like I wore it for you!”

“I’m just stating the truth.”

“…”

Ophelia’s face turned red. Ian had been saying unexpected things for a few days.

He was indeed a unique person.

Other men would scan her up and down when she wore such clothes. It felt rewarding when handsome men looked, but unpleasant when unattractive ones did.

However, Ian was different.

From start to finish, he only looked into her eyes. Yet, the conversation never felt awkward. She’d never met a man like this before.

Her heart fluttered.

Though she didn’t want to admit it.

Of course, Ian was thinking entirely differently. He changed the subject as Ophelia seemed upset.

“Did you come alone?”

“O-of course, I came with friends! You’d have to wait about a month to drink with me.”

“I was going to ask you to join us if you were alone, since there’s just the three of us.”

Ophelia wondered why this offer sounded so tempting. Her face suddenly felt hot, and she fanned herself with her hand.

“Hey, Lia. What are you doing here?”

“We’ve been looking for you. Who said we should go all out today?”

At that moment, two women he had never seen before appeared. They were quite attractive.

‘Lia? Using a nickname means they must be friends.’

Ophelia seemed flustered as her friends interrupted. Things were starting to get interesting.

“Oh? You’re an academy student?”

“Indeed.”

“My, oh my…”

The two women showed interest.

But it was directed at Ian, not Milo or Edel.

He had taken off his hood, unapologetically revealing his distinct features.

“Nice to meet you! I see your staff, so you’re a first-year. I’m Claude, also a first-year in the Department of Natural Sciences.”

“I’m Winkle. I’m also a first-year in the Department of Natural Sciences. Not seeing anyone!”

“Are you Lia’s classmate?”

It turned out they were all new students at the same academy. Ian interacted with them, smiling warmly.

“I’m Ian Oracle, a first-year in the Department of Magic. This here is Milo, and this is….”

“Ian Oracle? The rumored genius of the Department of MAgic?”

“Isn’t he the one who’s in a recently published journal in the Magic Society?”

The rumor had reached even the Department of Natural Sciences.

Ian silently resigned himself to the fact that drinking quietly was not an option today. Still, the situation was better than Edel, who had been interrupted during his introduction.

“That’s amazing! A first-year featured in a special column? Wow! I never thought I’d meet you here!”

“Yeah, yeah! Didn’t you also help collect monster blood from the educational dungeon this time? I actually work at the lab! It has been a huge help!”

“What a coincidence!”

“Ha ha ha!”

The ladies were indeed full of energy.

Ian sighed lightly, responding modestly.

“The paper was a joint work with seniors, and the monster blood collection was done with friends here. I can’t take all the credit.”

“So humble!”

“Is it even fair to be so perfect and handsome?”

“Unfair, unfair!”

Ultimately, all the attention converged on Ian’s appearance.

Milo, who had nurtured a small hope, silently picked up a glass of strong liquor and downed it in one shot.

“It’s not something to be taken lightly. This is Milo from the distinguished Vinettia Family, who excels in swordsmanship despite being a mage.”

“Wow?”

“And Edel is the son of a man of merit and has a talented healer for a father. He’s a hard worker.”

“So cute!”

Finally, an opportunity had arrived.

Milo’s eyes sparkled.

“Noble ladies! Since we’ve met by chance, how about joining us? We have plenty of time to spare.”

“Sounds good!”

“Eek! This’ll be fun!”

Ophelia’s friends eagerly took the bait.

Milo handed a glass to each of them, motioning towards Ophelia to leave quickly.

‘Go! Please, just go! It’s bad enough with your personality, but if you also lack awareness, it’s a disaster!’

Those words seemed to echo around him.

Naturally, Ophelia wasn’t one to comply easily.

In the end, she also took a seat.

Somehow, it turned into a casual social gathering.

With the table between them, the men sat together and the women with women, facing each other.

Ian naturally led the conversation.

It was inevitable. Not only was Ophelia, but her two friends were completely absorbed in Ian.

“Heh~ That’s really something. Discovering new magic formula is an incredible feat, isn’t it? I don’t know much about magic, but it sounds amazing.”

“I just happened to precede anyone else who might have done it.”

“So cool!”

Ian felt it was best to stop speaking.

A sharp pain shot through his thigh.

Milo had pinched him as a warning.

“Alright, let’s pause the dull talk and have a celebratory drink, shall we?”

“Anything unusual to drink?”

“I’ve drunk so much that I’m a bit tired of the usual.”

Ophelia’s two friends seemed formidable drinkers too. That’s when Milo flashed a triumphant smile.

“That’s why I’ve prepared something special. Potion liquor!”

“Potion liquor?”

Milo pointed to one side of the table as if a magician performing a trick.

Edel was there, meticulously mixing finely ground herbal powder.

Exactly six glasses were prepared.

Milo distributed the thick concoction to everyone.

“I’ve mixed a bit of herbs in the liquor. It not only restores energy but also gets you delightfully tipsy! And there’s almost no hangover the next day! Truly, a miraculous drink!”

This was the one thing Milo could boast about, his love for a good drink. Yet, the looks he received were skeptical.

“It’s not… some strange drug, is it?”

“Like something that oddly bulks up your muscles?”

“Of course not!”

Milo nudged Edel, signaling him to explain.

“Well, um… it’s actually something I enjoy drinking at home. My father taught me…”

“Oh, your father is a healer, right?”

“Why is he speaking formally?”

Given that they’d uncovered they were all fellow academy students, Ophelia’s two friends watched Edel with curiosity.

Edel scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Well, I’m not really used to it.”

“A new concept?”

“Blushing is so cute!”

“Hahaha… thank you.”

Now Edel is also beginning to receive attention.

Ophelia, who had been mocking Milo Vinettia with a smirk, subconsciously took a sip from his glass.

“… Huh?”

“What’s up?”

When Claude asked, Ophelia blinked blankly.

“This tastes good!”

“Has picky Lia ever said something is good?”

“I must try it too!”

Their two friends brought their glasses to their lips.

As expected, the real deal was the real deal.

They only intended to take a sip but ended up emptying their glasses in no time.

“Kha! This drink is nice!”

“Indeed, healers are different!”

“Hey. So, you’re aiming to Major in Healing Magic?”

The assessment of Edel shifted completely positive with just one drink.

“Uh… yes, for now. I’m thinking of inheriting the family business.”

“Is being a healer a family business?”

“How romantic! Hey, hey! Can I consult you if I’m sick?”

“Come to think of it, I’ve had a bit of a headache lately.”

“Well, maybe if you drink a little less…”

“Khehehe! What are you saying! How can I drink less?”

Surprisingly, Edel’s innocent nature resonated well with the two students from the Department of Natural Sciences.

In fact, Edel benefitted from aspiring to Major in Healing Magic. No matter how noble one’s status, everyone is equal before illness.

In other words, it was a good connection to have.

From Edel’s perspective, forming connections with nobles could only be beneficial.

Thus, Milo inevitably ended up being somewhat isolated.

“Hang in there.”

Ian Oracle raised his glass to the disheartened Milo. With a clink, the two made a toast.

“I don’t even know why I suggested drinking now.”

“Let’s say you did a good deed.”

“Ugh!”

As time passed, the drinking gathering warmed up.

The six people exchanged various stories comfortably as if they had known each other for a long time.

The topics were varied.

There was a lot about the academy, but issues about families and personal stories flowed smoothly too.

Edel mostly did not join the conversation and continued to make potion drinks on the side.

However, that alone was enough to earn attention and affection.

“How’s the spirit?”

Ian asked Ophelia.

“Well, not bad.”

“The results?”

“Do you take yourself for a professor?”

“Wasn’t I better than a professor in at least that regard?”

Ophelia was at a loss for words.

He was right.

“It’s utterly annoying. Undine keeps whining about wanting to see you. I tried to materialize it to teach it how to drink, and look where it got.”

“Teaching spirits to drink?”

“We need to get along, you know. Everyone in our family is a drinker, so spirits should learn to drink as well.”

“Do spirits get drunk?”

“I’m not sure. It seems like it. Well, it did wander around looking for you in the pub, so I suppose it was drunk. I better refrain from materializing it next time.”

It was an intriguing idea. Ian thought it would make a good thesis topic and decided that he must ask Undine about this issue when he meet it again later.

“Are you listening?”

“Oh? Ah, sorry.”

Ophelia narrowed her eyebrows but soon softened her expression.

“… How about you? Have you contracted a spirit yet?”

“Not yet. I’ve been busy with some work lately, so I haven’t had time to visit Professor Elena.”

“I honestly can’t believe it. Everyone finds Professor Elena difficult, yet you, aspiring to Major in Theoretical Magic of all things, caught the professor’s interest…”

It was something to be genuinely envious of. Especially for Ophelia, who has been blacklisted by the professors before.

“If only I could focus solely on studying like you guys. Honestly, I’m the one who’s envious.”

“Envious of what?”

“Oh, just saying. Let’s have a drink.”

Their glasses collided with a resonant sound.