Since time immemorial, humans had relied on the power of magic to construct and maintain their civilizations. It was a useful skill that not only improved the quality of people’s lives, but could also be employed as a weapon to fight against monsters. It went without saying, then, that such power could prove very dangerous if misused.
This was even more of a concern for the academy, as it would be teaching its students magic. There was no shortage of incidents involving overeager children recklessly flaunting their newfound power and causing all sorts of trouble. As society’s mastery over magic improved, crimes involving magic also increased. In turn, magic became a necessity in apprehending those criminals. Neutralizing threats posed by monsters and maintaining public security all but required the use magic, and for students who wished to take up jobs in those fields, duels involving magic were fairly commonplace.
“However, prepare to be stunned... because I have already accounted for that problem! I have, at long last, learned a dark magic spell!”
“No way. Not believing it until I see it.”
“Muahaha! I thought you’d say that. In that case, see for yourself and witness the truth of my words,” Sain declared in a supremely confident tone. “Watch and be amazed! Darku!”
Black particles began to gather in his palm. The mass slowly grew in size, beginning to pulse with dark energy. Its form elongated, and then suddenly launched from his hand as a bolt of pure darkness.
Or, it would have, had it not immediately scattered into a fine mist.
“What?!”
“Wow, I sure am amazed. You made that thing vanish. It was, like, magic,” sneered Melia, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Also, isn’t ‘Darku’ beginner-level magic?”
“Th-That didn’t count! I just wasn’t warmed up! Trust me on this! Even I can at least cast beginner-level magic.”
“Hmm. How often can you pull it off?”
“...M-Maybe six times out of ten?”
“...You know you’re going to be the butt of every joke at the academy like this, right? Oh, the bullying is going to be epic.”
“Auuuugh! Don’t say that! I’m already a little nervous about it...”
“Need I remind you you’re enrolling in the academy’s intermediate division? Just so you know, failing to use beginner magic puts you at sub-junior division level.”
“Gyeeeeeeeeh!” Sain let out an embarrassing screech as he covered his ears. “I’m not listening! I can’t hear you!”
Startled by the noise, their driver turned around to look at them. Sain ignored him, pretending nothing had happened. The sting of Melia’s words, however, had left its mark.
“Hey, uh, I’m not going to be bullied, right? Tell me I’m not going to be bullied.”
“Oh what wonderful weather it is today.”
“Damn it, maid!”
+ + +
Sain and Melia paid the driver and watched as he rode off in his monster cart. Then, they turned around to regard the enormous building in front of them.
“This is at least twice as big as our mansion back home.”
“Ours is better kept, though. Their cleaning people missed a window over there.”
Same building, two different viewpoints. One was decidedly more scrutinizing than the other.
As the largest learning facility in the kingdom, the Jenifa Royal Magic Academy was situated in the center of the capital city. The chalk-white walls of the school building were reminiscent of a castle, and its grounds exuded the air of a noble’s private garden.
But the grounds exuded more than just an aura of regality.
Elsewhere, dilapidated dormitories stood surrounded by barren land, further punctuated by shady-looking storehouses no reasonable student would want to enter. The clear budget gap between the buildings was likely due to the differing treatment of their students; weaker students were apparently pushed to the fringes.
“This is certainly the first time I’ve seen such a large institute of learning.”
“The one in Lightridge was more like a church than a school, after all. Not to mention most of its lessons were about missionary work, so you were just on the road all day going from place to place. On top of that, you were a member of the Knight’s Order... This might be the first time you settle down in one place for a while.”
“Indeed. But don’t forget, my maid. The reason I’ve come to this institute of learning is definitely not for rest or relaxation... I’ve finally done it. I’ve escaped that kingdom. And now, my soul, oh, how it hungers! It must feed on darkness... The darkness that I shall claim with my own two hands...”
“Yes, yes, of course you will.”
As the two traded idle banter, they passed through the main gate and onto the school grounds, which were already bustling with students. Some were holding paper bags packed with textbooks and looked to be already on their way back home.
“It looks like the proficiency assessment is already underway.”
“The assessment can wait. We’ve got all day to do it, after all. Let’s go deal with the headmaster’s request first.”
“Understood.”
“That headmaster, though...” There was a less than subtle trace of annoyance in his voice. “Classes haven’t even started and he already has a job lined up for us.”
“He is pulling a lot of strings for us in return, so let’s keep the whining to a minimum and make sure we do a good job.”
The headmaster knew who he really was, and Sain’s true identity was far too prominent to be concealed with something like a simple gag order. That was why Sain needed his cooperation. The headmaster would try his best to keep his “holy knight” identity a secret and, in exchange, Sain would do his best to fulfill any requests the headmaster asked of him.
He had no qualms about this arrangement, but with the proficiency assessment happening today and the entrance ceremonies tomorrow, there were plenty of students roaming the premises. He would have to be extra careful while he worked.
“Is this it?”
“It certainly seems so. The place looks exactly as described.”
Passing through a rather stately-looking door, the two came to a large spherical room. It was hard to tell what the room was used for based on appearance alone, but its unique aesthetic suggested it definitely had some purpose.
The ceiling glowed with a mysterious light, much like sunbeams streaming through a canopy. The ground was covered with soft soil, from which grew a short layer of grass. In the center of the room were flowers of all shapes and colors, and beside them were a number of small rocks and a pond. Were it not for the surrounding white walls, it would be easy to forget this place was indoors. That, and the obvious lack of wind.
Having taken in the surroundings, Sain made his way toward the grand pillar erected in the center of the room, which stretched all the way to the ceiling. It was, he thought, shaped very similarly to a staff—the kind used by mages.
“Hm, looks like the barrier’s main effect is to ward off intruders and defend against physical and magical threats. I heard it took the combined efforts of ten renowned mages of light to create this, and it shows. The quality is excellent. Granted, I am seeing some cracks here and there. I guess we’ll do a bit of a restoration job, too.”
“Compared to our barrier, it’s quite tiny.”
“This one’s made by people, after all. The one around the Forth residence was made with the power of a god. Which, I suppose, will also apply to this barrier pretty soon.”