And so, while the journey ahead didn’t look like it was going to be easy, Rix started off his new life at Estoria Academy of Magic.
The first class of the day was physical enhancement magic.
Rix and the rest of the White Class gathered at a magic training ground behind the school building—a large oval-shaped dirt field surrounded by a magic barrier.
In general, classes at Estoria Academy of Magic were separated by color, each under the supervision of an instructor.
All these instructors were Rank Two Estoria Certified Mages or higher and were accomplished in their own rights.
“Aaahhh… So sleepy… I’m exhausted… This sucks… Even breathing is a pain… If only the world would just end…”
However, the instructor who appeared before the White Class was extremely shabby.
He looked to be about in his late twenties. He was tall and lanky, like a bean sprout, with raggedy gray hair and eyes like a dead fish, and he wore a threadbare, wrinkly black robe.
There were deep, dark circles under his eyes. His face was covered in stubble, and he had a cigarette in his mouth.
He was like the living embodiment of sloppiness, laziness, drowsiness, and apathy all rolled into one.
“Ugh…I’m Crawford Rockwell,” the man began. “It’s a pain, but for the record, I’m a Rank Two Estoria Certified Mage, and I’ll be your instructor. Nice to meet you. Anyway, not like I really want to, but it’s time to start the class… I guess it is my job, after all…”
Professor Crawford announced this while puffing a billow of purple smoke into the air from his cigarette.
At the same time, the bell signaling the beginning of the class period rang out across the school grounds.
The students were clearly wondering, Is this guy okay? But they tried to put their uncertainties aside as class began.
“Uh, what class is this again? Oh yeah, I’m in charge of physical enhancement magic… It’s, you know. Basics of the basics. Super-basics of magic. The foundation of all magic. Like, if you can’t do physical enhancement magic to a certain extent, you won’t be able to do anything else. Ugh, what a pain.”
Crawford kept puffing away at his cigarette.
“You’ve all opened your Spheres, yes? Oh…right, I guess some of you haven’t yet…” He glanced over at Rix and Shino. “Well, whatever. I’m gonna explain to everyone regardless. First off, you all know how within the bounds of your Sphere, you’re omnipotent, right? Within those bounds, you can perceive everything and control all phenomena freely. That’s basically what magic is. So a question for you. Raise your hand if you know the answer. Within the bounds of your Sphere, what is the thing you have the most ability to control and manipulate?”
After Crawford asked the question, he must have thought it was too much of a pain to call on anyone, so he just answered it. “That’s right, yourself. Good answer. Have a gold star.”
Serephina, Alfred, Annie, and a few other students who had been raising their hands confidently now turned red and awkwardly lowered their hands.
“Humans have this pain of a biomagnetic spiritual power we call magnetite,” said Crawford. “It’s a stupid fundamental life energy that arises from all your stupid emotions—joy, anger, sadness, fear—as well as a result of all the stupid activities in your daily life. Mages also call this mana. Though explaining it’s a pain.”
The students were starting to think, This guy just wants to say “stupid,” “dumb,” and “pain” as much as possible, doesn’t he?
“Ordinary people who haven’t opened their Spheres aren’t able to sense this spiritual energy, or mana. But you are all mages with open Spheres. And mages are omnipotent within their Spheres,” Crawford went on. “Obviously, that means you can grasp the sensation of that stupid mana stuff. And while the necessary training is a pain, eventually you can manipulate it like an extension of your body. Magic, in itself, is the supernatural phenomenon of taking that stupid mana as an energy source and using it as a driving force within your Sphere.
“Then that means it’s possible to strengthen your physical abilities, sharpen your vision and reflexes, and enhance your self-healing abilities by pouring mana into the self at the core of your Sphere, right? That’s what we call physical enhancement magic. The basis of all other magic. I know it’s a pain, but in this class, we’re gonna focus on training in that basic physical enhancement magic over and over.
“What’s even more of a pain: We’re gonna work on increasing your mana, expanding and strengthening your Sphere, and other kinds of spiritual ability training like that, too. Think of it like an athlete building up their basic fitness.
“It may be a huge pain, but you’ll need to do your best to keep up if you want to call yourself a mage.” Crawford sleepily gazed at the students. “Honestly, what you all have to do in this class is simple. Move your body while pouring mana into it, meditate while manipulating your Sphere… I guess I’ll make up a training schedule later that accounts for people’s individual levels. What a pain.
“Anyway, in today’s physical enhancement magic class, I wanted you to understand the basic concept and how it works…and it just so happens we’ve got a good example for comparison here with us.”
Crawford called on a few students.
“Alfred. Your Sphere is open, and you’ve got some proficiency with using it. And Rix. Your Sphere isn’t open yet. I know it’s a pain, but please come stand in front of the class.”
The two boys got up, cocking their heads in confusion.
Crawford continued speaking as the students started to mumble among themselves.
“Let me first say this: There is absolutely no way for an ordinary person who hasn’t opened their Sphere to win in a physical competition against a mage who has opened their Sphere,” Crawford told the class. “That’s because a proficient mage can use physical enhancement magic just as easily as they breathe. I want you all to witness firsthand how much of a difference this physical enhancement magic can make in a mage compared to an ordinary person. You two. I know it’s a pain, but I want you to race to that pole over there. No need to hold back. Give it all the power you’ve got.”
“W-wait just a second, Professor Crawford!”
“Yeah, hold on! This is a bit much, isn’t it?”
Annie and Randy began to shout.
“Allow me to dissent as well, Professor,” Serephina offered. “You cannot allow such an act of public humiliation, for the sake of the person’s honor!”
“Public humiliation? …I guess I can’t help it if you all feel that way. What a pain.” Crawford scratched his head awkwardly. “Still…I know it sounds dumb, but you’ve really got to see it to believe it. If you can just see the obvious difference that exists between ordinary people and mages, I think you’ll want to put more effort into this stupid class going forward, won’t you? Rix, I’m sorry for making you play such a crappy role, but…you don’t mind, do you?”
“Oh, I’m totally fine with it! You just want us to run as fast as we can to that pole and back, right?” said Rix. “Hmm, looks like it’s around two hundred meters…”
Rix started leisurely stretching his legs in preparation for the race.
“H-hey! Rix!” Randy cried. “I said wait a second!”
“Professor, please, can you call off the race?!” Serephina urged.
The two of them kept trying to put a stop to things.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! How touching that you’re so concerned for your friend!” Alfred sneered. “You’ve only just met, but you sure are close already, huh?! You really don’t want Rix to embarrass himself in front of us that badly?”
“No, that’s not it! That’s not the concern here!” said Randy.
“Indeed! Alfred, don’t go along with this stupid race!” added Serephina.
“Hmph! As if!” Alfred shot a hateful look at Rix. “I’ll tell you straight up, Rix… I never liked you, right from the start.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yeah, you! Magic is supposed to be a special right of the privileged noble class! In the first place, I hate it when commoners think they can use that pathetic potion to become mages. But even you, some common idiot from who knows where, gets to be a scholarship student? Ha! And you can’t even open your Sphere. You’re a failure!”
Alfred smirked faintly as he declared this in front of everyone.
“I’ll crush you, Rix,” he said. “I’ll show everyone how different we really are. You’d better get ready for this.”
“S-stop, Alfreeeeeeed! Please, don’t do iiiiiiiiiiiit!” Randy screamed, clutching his head.
“He’s right! Listen to him! Oh goodness… This poor boy! I can’t watch…” Serephina held back tears.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Rix, you may have zero ability as a mage, but you clearly know how to work some magic with your words! Maybe you should become a professional swindler!”
“Huh, so like being a wizard but using only words…,” said Rix. “That’s a good way to put it!”
“““No it’s not!””” Randy, Annie, and Serephina cried simultaneously.
“…What a pain. Can we just start the race already?” Crawford said as he wearily exhaled a cloud of purple smoke.
“All right, I know it’s a pain, but…on your mark, get set, go…”
Following a lazy starting call from Crawford, Rix and Alfred started running.
And off to a perfect start, taking the lead was…Alfred.
“…Hmph!”
In a flash, he had used his Sphere to pour mana throughout his entire body, concentrating his physical enhancement magic on strengthening his legs.
He had probably already had quite a bit of training in this at home.
With not a single second of hesitation in the flow of his mana, his physical enhancement magic was almost a perfect example.
His body continued to explosively accelerate as he flew like an arrow toward the pole they had set as the race’s goal.