The next day, the students left the school building and cut across the beautiful garden past a statue of the One-Horned Goddess to attend a special lecture—one the academy designated as their first class.
“That girl was Shino Whytenight?! Seriously?!”
Randy’s hysterical yell rang out across the grounds.
“Do you know her, Randy?” Rix asked, walking alongside his friend.
Randy nodded. “Yeah, I know of her. She’s the same as you.”
“The same as me?”
“She’s a scholarship student. So that means she also has some kind of special magical ability.”
Annie and Serephina were behind Rix when Serephina chimed in.
“But isn’t it strange? If she’s a scholarship student, shouldn’t she have been able to deal with that sea monster and with that idiot Gordon somehow on her own…?”
“M-maybe she was scared? She is just one girl, after all…,” Annie said, peering forward.
About a dozen meters in front of them, they spotted the white-haired girl, Shino, walking with her back to them.
“Hrm, she wasn’t exactly cowering in fear, from what I could tell,” Rix mused.
“Then what is it? Why didn’t she resist?” Randy asked.
“Maybe she simply can’t use magic yet? I mean, I can’t yet, either.”
“Ha-ha-ha! C’mon, Rix! Good one.”
“Oh, stop! Really, you and your jokes! Oh-ho-ho!”
Randy and Serephina didn’t take Rix’s statement seriously at all.
“But man, the White Class’s level is really high this year!” said Randy. “We’ve got you, Serephina, and another scholarship student in Shino, too! I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to keep up with you guys…”
“Ah-ha-ha, I feel the same, Randy… I’m going to have to try my best to keep up even a little with Rix and Serephina…”
“Oh-ho! Best make sure to diligently apply yourself! And if there’s anything you want me to teach you, just say the word. I would be glad to help you out personally as a fellow student. Consider it an honor!”
“By the way, why are you guys lumping me in with the high achievers? Like I said, I can’t even…”
As the group chitchatted, they caught sight of their destination, a magic ceremonial ground called the Stone Circle.
Estoria Academy of Magic was a three-year boarding school.
Over those three years, students gained class credits required for graduation and, after passing a certification exam, could become a Rank Four Estoria Certified Mage. In other words, they earned the certification that proved they were competent and became able to enter the workforce.
At the academy, students took classes on nine basic subjects:
Physical enhancement magic
Black magic
White magic
Summoning magic
Magic potions
Magic tool craftsmanship
Magical combat
History of magic
Ancient languages
Ultimately, mages would move on to specialize in their own subject of choice and develop their own personal magic, but these nine subjects acted as the basic foundation of all magic, and therefore the students had to master them.
However, before even beginning to learn these subjects, there was one prerequisite class—the Sphere Unlocking Rite.
And it was the most important rite for turning from an ordinary human into a mage.
“Okay, everyone! I hope you’ve all come mentally prepared!”
Standing in front of the students of the White Class who had gathered at the Stone Circle was the young female professor in charge of the Sphere Unlocking Rite—Professor Anna Piyonelle. She was smiling cheerfully and waving her hand.
The robe Professor Anna was wearing was black and different from the ones the students wore.
It was proof that she was a full-fledged, certified mage.
“Apparently, Professor Anna is usually in charge of the summoning magic class. But since she’s an all-rounder with deep knowledge about all kinds of magic, they also put her in charge of our Sphere Unlocking Rite.”
“Oh yeah?”
Rix was only half listening to Randy’s explanation when Anna began speaking.
“Today, we will be opening the new students’ Spheres!” she announced. “That’s the one thing we will be working on in today’s class, so please be sure to concentrate! It may be a little boring for anyone who has already opened their Sphere, but later I’d like to use you all as examples to show what an actual opened Sphere looks like. Steel your nerves!”
“Oh-ho, Rix, are your nerves steeled?” whispered Serephina.
“No need.”
“I see… I should have expected as much. You have no need for special preparation, I take it?”
“Uh, no, I’m just saying…”
There still seemed to be some kind of misunderstanding between them, which baffled Rix all over again.
Meanwhile, Professor Anna continued. “Anyway, those who have passed the academy’s entrance examination should know this already, but…allow me to review with a quiz. What exactly is the Sphere? Yes, over there… Annie.”
“Oh! Yes, ma’am!” Annie hurried to stand up and answer. “The Sphere…refers to a supersensory phenomenon and its surrounding area that goes beyond the normal five human senses and the sixth sense at the level of premonition and intuition. It is what we would call a seventh or eighth sense. More concretely, among the three elements that make up life—the material, the astral, and the aetherial—it is an astral and aetherial body removed from the material realm…in other words, a supersensory perception possessed by the human soul.”
“Yes, well done.” Professor Anna clapped her hands. “Annie is correct. What we call the Sphere is the soul’s supersensory perception that goes beyond the material realm. Since the Sphere is free from the yoke of the physical world, it isn’t restricted by any of the laws of physics. That is to say, mages are omnipotent within the boundaries of their own Sphere. Within the Sphere, one can command and control every phenomenon. And that very command and control of phenomena within the Sphere is what we call magic. How does one expand their Sphere? And how does one strengthen its power? These are some of the eternal questions a mage will face over the span of their lifetime.”
Oh, okay… I have no idea what she’s talking about, thought Rix.
He gave up on trying to understand. In fact, he was feeling pretty sleepy.