Chapter 3: The Magic Within and the Challenges Ahead

The luminous bird created by Professor Rhonda Magrette flew around the auditorium a couple of times before being drawn back into her sleeve.

The students’ eyes sparkled with renewed interest as they watched.

Thanks to this display, the orientation concluded on a positive note.

As a rule of thumb, orientations should always end in less than half the allotted class time.

‘The orientation went well… Freshmen are always so simple to impress.’

Professor Rhonda Magrette organized her materials on the podium. The lecture hall was now completely empty, with the students having left like an ebbing tide. She allowed herself a small, private smile as she recalled the earlier scene.

Demonstrating a high-level spell always heightened students’ focus.

This method wouldn’t work as effectively with upperclassmen, but for freshmen experiencing their first day of class, it was a resounding success.

However, there were two students who hadn’t reacted to her magic at all.

She remembered their names.

‘The top student, Serene Camillea.’

Serene had sat in the corner of the front row, her sky-blue hair cascading down as she gazed at the professor with sleepy eyes.

She acted as if the class was insignificant, glancing briefly at the original magic Rhonda had demonstrated before looking away.

Her demeanor was more fitting for a senior nearing graduation than a first-year student.

It was clear she had instantly recognized that the spell was purely ornamental, lacking any practical utility.

Rhonda couldn’t help but acknowledge her as the top student.

“…But what’s with that other one?”

Rhonda’s gaze shifted to the center of the front row.

The seat wasn’t one where even the most dedicated students usually sat.

And yet, there he was.

‘Sion. Judging by the lack of a family name, he must be a commoner.’

The Byzantine Academy outwardly prided itself on being an institution where nobles and commoners could study as equals. Professors and students were trained to maintain this philosophy.

However, centuries of entrenched classism couldn’t be erased through policy alone. The hierarchy that thrived outside the academy couldn’t simply be ignored.

Even professors unconsciously drew lines between nobles and commoners. Rhonda Magrette, the second daughter of the Magrette Count family, was firmly aligned with the noble faction.

Naturally, she didn’t think highly of Sion.

He had already given a poor first impression during roll call.

“Sorry! I’m Sion.”

“…Tsk. Focus on the class.”

“S-Sorry…”

A commoner who couldn’t even respond promptly during attendance.

While his face was somewhat cute, magical ability was what truly mattered in a student. Given his clumsy behavior, Rhonda assumed he was likely admitted through a donation.

And yet.

‘Why didn’t he react to my magic?’

Despite witnessing Rhonda’s original spell, Luminous Bird, Sion had shown no reaction.

Instead, he stared intently into empty space, as if her magic wasn’t worth his attention.

It reminded her of Serene Camillea’s reaction.

‘Could he really have magical skills on par with the top student?’

Rhonda’s expression grew serious.

If that were the case, it would explain his reaction.

After all, her spell was purely for show and had no practical application.

It was a first-circle spell called Light, molded into the shape of a bird.

The spell animated the bird to mimic wing flapping and repeated the motion.

Finally, it guided the bird to circle the room before disappearing.

The spell couldn’t attack or scout, nor did it offer any practical utility. It was simply an illusion meant to captivate those unfamiliar with magic.

It made sense why Serene Camillea had dismissed it without interest.

But Sion, who wasn’t even the top student and was a commoner to boot, had also seemingly understood its lack of value.

Could his blank stare have been out of disappointment with her magic?

“…That’s impossible.”

Rhonda shook her head.

He wasn’t from a distinguished family known for producing exceptional mages.

He was just an ordinary commoner.

Rhonda Magrette couldn’t bring herself to believe that Sion, a commoner, could possess such a deep understanding of magic.

“Professor Magrette, there you are.”

“…Hmm?”

“It’s time for the next class. Shall we go?”

Her assistant had come looking for her.

Rhonda dismissed her thoughts and gathered her materials before leaving the lecture hall.

As she closed the door to the now-empty room, her gaze lingered momentarily on the seat where Sion had been sitting.

“Professor?”

“…It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

“Yes, let’s.”

With a lingering sense that she had missed something important, Rhonda Magrette headed to her next class.

“Good thing the orientation ended early. I was terrified we’d have a full class. Seriously…”

“Sion? Why are you zoning out?”

“Huh?”

Patrick’s voice snapped Sion out of his daze.

They were walking across the Byzantine Academy’s campus.

During the opening ceremony, the academy had been described as the world’s finest, and the clean, picturesque surroundings lived up to the claim.

But Sion hardly noticed.

“Hey, Patrick. About the magic Professor Magrette showed earlier—do you know what it was?”

“Huh? Oh, that? Maybe it was spirit summoning? I’m not really sure. It’s the first time I’ve seen magic like that.”

“Spirit summoning…”

“Or maybe the glowing bird was captured and tamed. There are beasts like that sometimes. But why do you ask? Were you overwhelmed by the professor’s magic?”

Patrick chuckled, patting Sion on the shoulder.

Overwhelmed by magic…

‘If it weren’t for the translucent screen, I would’ve been overwhelmed too.’

It was the first time Sion had ever witnessed magic.

In his previous life in South Korea, magic didn’t exist.

In a way, it was as if he were seeing it for the first time in decades.

“…Could you show me a spell?”

“Huh? My magic? Sure, I can show you. Oh, primeval force and power of fire, reveal yourself now and burn my enemies!”

Unlike Professor Rhonda Magrette, Patrick’s incantation was quite long.

As soon as he finished, something appeared above his palm.

It was a small flame, similar in size to a lighter’s flicker.

The moment the magic manifested, a translucent screen appeared before Sion’s eyes.

[Spell Name: Fire]
[Attribute: Fire]
[Circle Level: 1st Circle]
[Description: A basic fire magic. It conjures a flame. The intensity depends on the user’s mana and skill.]

[You have discovered a spell matching your own circle level!]
[A new spell has been added to your Magic Compendium.]
[You can now use the spell: Fire.]

‘What the…?’

Another translucent screen had appeared.

Unlike the professor’s 4th-circle spell, which Sion couldn’t fully analyze, Patrick’s 1st-circle spell showed all its details: name, attribute, and description.

‘What’s this Magic Compendium?’

The moment he thought about the Magic Compendium, a new screen appeared.

[Magic Compendium]
[Welcome to the Magic Compendium!]
[Here, you can view all spells you have witnessed or can use.]

[Currently Accessible Spells:]

• 1st Circle Magic: Fire
• 2nd Circle Magic: X
• 3rd Circle Magic: X
• 4th Circle Magic: X

‘There really is a Magic Compendium?’

This was different from the previous spell descriptions.

With two translucent screens floating before his eyes, Sion felt slightly dizzy.

When he wished for them to disappear, they vanished with a sudden swoosh.

The whole experience felt like something out of a video game, leaving Sion dumbfounded.

“…Sion? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”

“Then why did you want me to show you my magic?”

“Well… I wanted to try it out myself.”

Sion stared at his palm.

Patrick’s spell was simple—just a small flame in the palm of his hand.

Since Patrick had called it his most reliable spell, his other spells were likely weaker.

Patrick grinned.

“Hey, don’t push yourself. I only learned this after a lot of effort. Fire magic, in particular, is harder to master than other elemental spells.”

“Can you repeat the incantation for me?”

“You have to recite it exactly, word for word, or things could go wrong. Listen carefully: Oh, primeval force and power of fire, reveal yourself now and burn my enemies. That’s the chant.”

Thanks to Patrick’s clear explanation, Sion felt confident enough to try.

He swallowed hard, stretched out one arm, and began.

“Oh, primeval… force of fire, reveal yourself now and… ignite?”

“Hey! You messed it up already. If you’re that careless, the spell won’t even—whoa?!”

Patrick stopped mid-sentence.

His gaze was fixed on Sion’s palm.

Whoosh.

A beautiful flame rose from Sion’s hand.

Its size and vibrant color far surpassed Patrick’s.

The fire exuded a comforting warmth, like sitting by a campfire, leaving both Sion and Patrick momentarily entranced.

‘…It worked. This is what magic feels like.’

Even with a botched incantation, Sion had succeeded.

It was just a 1st-circle spell, but it was the first magic he’d ever performed.

A grin spread across his face.

“H-How did you do that?! If the incantation isn’t perfect, the spell should fizzle or explode…”

“Thanks for teaching me. Let’s head to the next class.”

“Uh… y-yeah…”

Sion walked ahead of Patrick.

Unlike the hesitant steps of the previous day, his strides were confident and purposeful.

The worries he’d had about surviving in the Byzantine Academy’s magic faculty seemed less daunting now.

‘The Magic Compendium and the ability to analyze spells… With these two powers, I’ll manage just fine.’

The ability to automatically analyze magic he saw.

The Magic Compendium, which allowed him to use the spells he witnessed.

With these two abilities, Sion felt he could hold his own even in the world’s top academy.

As he walked into his next class—

“Greetings, everyone! I’m Professor Huriju, and I’ll be teaching the essential elective, Swordsmanship for Protecting Mages!”

“…Huh?”

Standing in the center of a dusty, coliseum-like arena was a small humanoid resembling a squirrel, holding a sword.

The professor introducing herself as Huriju was in charge of Swordsmanship for Protecting Mages.

‘…This is an elective?’

To survive in the academy’s magic faculty, Sion knew excelling in magic was vital.

But he had overlooked one key detail: in the first semester of the first year, the schedule was fixed.

Having never wielded a sword in his life, Sion felt a cold sweat trickle down his back.