Magic Academy's Bastard Instructor

Vanitas decided to dive right into studying inside the estate library after breakfast.

Thankfully, it was filled with books that would most probably, provide him basic knowledge.

It was only a matter of comprehension.

But still, there were terms in the books that were similar to some of the narrative in the game.

Flip—

Vanitas flipped to the first page, reading the text aloud quietly to himself.

"Pyro. The domain of fire. It's the raw force of transformation, controlling temperature, ignition, and even the nature of flames themselves."

His eyes skimmed down to the next heading.

"Aqua magic bends liquid elements to the caster's will, reshaping water as if it were part of them."

He turned the page, glancing at the next entry.

"Gaia. It allows one to shape terrain, control minerals, and interact with plant life."

Flip—

"Zephyr. It harnesses atmospheric forces, from gentle breezes to violent storms, even manipulating lightning."

He nodded, flipping to the next section.

"Umbra magic bends light. Capable of creating illusions with deeper understanding."

Finally, he paused at the last entry.

"Aether. The essence of life, soul, and spirit. It grants access to Life magic, channeling the energy of vitality itself. Soul magic taps into consciousness, while Spirit magic connects to intangible forces beyond physical form."

Vanitas nodded then.

It was the same as he remembered from the game.

He checked his status.

———「Attainments」———

「Aqua」

◆ Master

「Pyro」

◆ Intermediate

「Gaia」

◆ Intermediate

「Zephyr」

◆ Grandmaster

————————————

"According to this, I'm capable of wielding four essences. If the ranking works like the game, then I have the ability to cast spells for the elements way above the beginner tier."

The hierarchy of spell difficulty followed;

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Master, Grandmaster, Sovereign, and Mythic.

"The rest are above beginner, but it seems like I have the talent to cast Zephyr and Aqua magic above advanced."

Most probably, he left off with Vanitas's previous capabilities.

"But I should test out beginner spells first."

The spell he had casted back then, was a mix of Gaia and Aqua, creating a spell akin to perfume.

In the game, it was a simple buff spell that served no purpose, other than increase an NPCs favorability to the player.

About a 1% increase.

Which classified it as a beginner spell.

"Casting an attack spell here would probably destroy the library. I should step outside."

Vanitas left the library and went to the estate's yard, carrying the book with him.

There were gardeners trimming the plants. Vanitas told them not to mind him, and to continue on with their task.

They were reluctant at first. He was the young Lord of the estate, after all.

But Vanitas insisted.

In any case, he read the contents of the book.

"In this section, basic spells for the Aqua essence, which have been discovered throughout history, are written down."

Vanitas scanned the page and found the basic incantation for Waterball.

Extending his hand upward, he opened his mouth.

"From depths unseen, gather and swell..."

As Vanitas channeled mana, he felt it pulse through him.

Each pathway was a node, a variable in a larger equation.

The mana accelerated up his arm, gathering momentum as if calculating velocity and trajectory in real-time. 

It moved as if it were gathered along vectors he instinctively set.

"...Shape into might, a torrent to quell—"

With the final words, the nodes aligned and the variables balanced themselves

The equation was complete.

"Waterball!"

Swoosh—!

A sphere of water materialized from his hand, and shot upward.

"..."

His eyes widened.

The first attack spell he had ever casted.

A simple Waterball spell, which he had seen used several times from a monitor, happened right before his eyes.

It was addicting.

Now that he had an understanding of the foundation of spells, he utilized his stigmata.

He clenched his hand, focusing this time on his stigmata.

「Silent Dominion」

With his eyes closed, he envisioned the spell, feeling the mana flow directly through him.

No chant, no words.

Just pure intent. 

He let his thoughts shape the water, guiding it to form in the air.

Waterball.

As he opened his eyes, purple sparks danced around his hand, forming a sphere of water above his palm.

"Ehe."

A grin tugged at his lips.

Focusing on the sphere, he willed it to move, sending it forward in a controlled arc.

Swoosh—!

Satisfied, Vanitas moved on to the next spell.

"Rise and flow, a barrier of tides. Guard and protect, where danger resides—Water Shield!"

In response, water gathered in front of him, swirling upward to form a protective barrier.

Once more, he utilized his stigmata, achieving the same results.

Vanitas continued like that for the next few hours.

"Form and fly, swift as a dart. Pierce the air—Water Arrow!"

"Circle and spin, the waters reel. Strike with force—Water Wheel."

Eventually, he moved on to intermediate and advanced spells.

"Oceans deep and rivers wide, gather strength from currents untamed. Surge with might, unleash the tide—Water Cannon!"

It was a much more powerful version of Waterball.

But, since he still wasn't used to it, it was hard to control its accuracy.

Then, he moved on to even more advanced forms of water.

"From winter's heart, cold as steel, gather shards that cut and peel. Shatter the air, swift as light—Icicle Break!"

"Edge of ice, blade of frost. Carve a path where warmth is lost. Strike true and swift, with winter's bite—Icicle Edge!"

"Rise from depths where frost lies deep. A spear of ice, cold and steep. Pierce the earth and rend the foe—Icicle Lance!"

It all felt natural. It felt as if forming its circuits was akin to breathing itself.

Most probably why, Vanitas could cast up to Master ranked Aqua spells.

Because his body already had a basic understanding of its functions.

"Hmm….."

He nodded and looked at his surroundings.

"..."

The gardeners looked at him with surprise.

"...Sorry."

Vanitas bowed his head in apology. He had gotten too into it. He hadn't realized the damage he just did to his surroundings.

It wasn't much, and it was fixable. But still, he added more to their plate.

"What are you doing?"

He turned around, only to find Charlotte, questioning him.

"Uh, warming up?"

Charlotte frowned, then shook her head.

"Is that so? Step back for a bit."

Vanitas did as instructed, gauging Charlotte. There was a lot in his mind regarding Charlotte.

But it wasn't time to act on it yet.

Charlotte extended her hand forward and began chanting.

"O gentle earth, by nature's grace, mend the fields, restore this place. Life anew, with colors bright, let blossoms bloom, and grass take flight. By Gaia's hand and Aether's light, weave again what's lost from sight—Nature's Delight!"

As Charlotte spoke, rainbow-hued wisps swirled around her.

They floated and spun, forming an enchanting aura around her.

The grass began to regrow, while the trampled flowers lifted. Leaves unfurled, and the broken stems repaired themselves as though touched by unseen hands.

"..."

The field was restored to its former beauty.

Vanitas tried to hide his surprise, but his expressions betrayed his hesitation.

After all, he recognized the wisps that floated around Charlotte.

'Spirits.'

Charlotte had the power to harness the spirits.

"Thanks, Charlotte."

Charlotte, with her mouth hanging agape slightly, froze for a moment.

Eventually, she nodded her head, "Un."

***

He continued studying relentlessly for the next few hours. He only stopped when his brain wouldn't function anymore.

He had a grasp of most of the basics, even some advanced information.

His understanding of the game's intricacies helped him so.

He knew he was supposed to teach at a University level. 

And of course, Vanitas already had some understanding of more advanced topics, due to his game knowledge.

It was just that, he lacked the experience.

Still, deciding he needed a break, Vanitas explored the estate.

"G–Good afternoon, my Lord."

The servant flinched upon noticing him.

Vanitas merely nodded his head, giving the servant a smile.

It had been like this for a while now.

Whenever he passed by a servant, they would look at him as if they were looking at a demon itself.

'What the hell did Vanitas do for them to be so scared of him?'

It was clear that all the servants working for the estate didn't like him.

They were afraid of him.

Yet, for some reason, Charlotte never treated him differently.

If he had to be honest, she felt like a tutorial guide.

So, Vanitas treated Charlotte kindly, regardless of the previous Vanitas's mistreatment of her.

For the servants, he acted friendly towards them. But still, their reactions were still questionable.

'Guess it'll take a while for them to get used to the change.'

"Hm?"

A door opened, and Charlotte stepped out of the room.

From what he knew, it was their Father's room. Their father, apparently, was bedridden.

"Ah."

He had never entered the room, yet. But would their Father even be glad to see Vanitas?

"Vanitas?"

She noticed him, her brows raised.

"...How's Father?"

"..."

Charlotte seemed to freeze. Vanitas found her reaction odd, but quickly dismissed it.

As if she found her composure, Charlotte spoke.

"He's….. resting." 

"I should check on him too."

"Ah—No!"

However, as soon as he tried to grab the doorknob, Charlotte abruptly grabbed his wrist, causing him to pause.

Vanitas turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze.

"..."

For a flicker of a second, she seemed to be terrified.

Then, again, she regained her composure.

"I… I wouldn't. He's asleep."

Vanitas paused for a second. Then gave her a small smile.

"Okay, I'll visit later."

"...O–Okay."

Things were starting to fall into place.