The rumor that an eight-year-old freshman had defeated a professor in a game of mana control spread throughout the entire Academy in an instant.
For the next several days, students and staff alike made Lee Hyunwoo their favorite topic of conversation.
“He’s a prodigy, a real prodigy. They say he beat a professor who’s studied nothing but magic for thirty years.”
“Even taking into account that the professor didn’t use the mana inside his Circles, that kid’s still an absurd monster.”
And those stories eventually reached some of the top guilds in South Korea as well…….
“No matter what it takes, we have to secure that kid named Lee Hyunwoo. Even if a lifetime contract is impossible, we need to make sure he at least receives support from our foundation!”
Golden Heart Guild’s Deputy Guild Master Son Euna gathered her subordinates and launched into an impassioned speech.
She had been keeping an eye on Lee Hyunwoo since a year ago.
However, the employees under her looked troubled.
“Deputy Guild Master. We’ve heard that the government is discussing measures to prevent anyone from approaching Hyunwoo, Lee Yeowoo, and Yoon Sia. It seems it’ll be difficult to put contracts in front of those children until they’ve grown old enough…….”
“Who told you to sign a contract with him? Give him a scholarship or something! Make sure that kid’s parents develop a good impression of our guild. And what was it…… Hyunwoo’s father is currently hovering between life and death, right?”
“Yes.”
“And Leviathan threw Hyunwoo’s father away like a hunting dog once the rabbit was caught, correct?”
Son Euna clicked her tongue and called Leviathan a bunch of idiots.
“This is an opportunity. Tell Hyunwoo’s mother that we’ll cover all of his father’s hospital expenses until he’s discharged. Make sure to add that there are no ulterior motives and that we’re simply doing it on humanitarian grounds.”
“Understood.”
The same thing wasn’t happening only within Golden Heart Guild.
Similar discussions took place in Guiding Light Guild, the second-ranked guild, as well as the third-ranked, fourth-ranked…… and countless other guilds, all of which began holding meetings about Lee Hyunwoo.
Before I knew it, an entire week had passed since I entered the Academy.
Our student IDs were issued on Friday, and since we had no connections whatsoever in this area, we spent the weekend watching television, taking walks, or playing card games with Sia, who occasionally came over to our room.
That was Saturday.
Today was Sunday.
There was somewhere I needed to go today in order to determine whether certain information was true.
The library nicknamed the Academy’s treasure trove of knowledge.
I wanted to go alone, but there was no way Yeowoo would allow that.
So Yeowoo and I walked leisurely to the library together and arrived at its main entrance.
[Dawnlight Library]
That’s quite a nice name.
We each took out the student IDs we had brought, scanned them at the recognition device by the entrance, and went inside.
True to the rumors, the library was incredible.
Maybe magnificent would be a better word.
Yeowoo and I stood there silently for quite a while with our mouths hanging open, staring at the library, which looked like an enormous temple covered in books.
A library that looks like something out of mythology actually exists on Earth.
Once again, I compared the civilization of my previous life with that of Earth and gave a hollow laugh.
Other than magic, they’re truly on completely different levels.
“Hyunwoo. What kind of books did you come all the way here to read?”
“Yeah. A little bit of everything.”
Dark Magic and Divine Magic.
And even Earth’s medical systems and technologies.
There were far too many things I needed to reference if I wanted to treat Father’s illness.
My knowledge of divine-type magic―which included healing and blessings―was shallow, so I hoped Earth’s level of magic was higher than I had expected.
Using magic that already existed to treat Father would be far simpler, easier, and faster than developing new magic from scratch.
With excitement in my heart, I wandered through the enormous Dawnlight Library.
***
“Yaaawn!”
Yeowoo stretched as she woke up.
Before we knew it, the sky outside had already begun to darken.
“Hyunwoo. Let’s go now. It’ll be dark soon.”
“……Yeah.”
Having finished reading through materials on Dark Magic and Divine Magic, I reluctantly decided to get up.
Today wasn’t my only chance.
I checked out the medical books I hadn’t even gotten to touch yet with my student ID and left Dawnlight Library.
***
The weekend ended, and Monday began.
Standing behind the lectern with his usual impeccable posture, Kim Jongseok calmly delivered some new information.
“It has been one week since classes began. Starting today, club season begins as well.”
“Clubs?”
After about a week, the awkward distance between teacher and students had lessened enough that the students could at least ask questions now.
Our homeroom teacher nodded.
“Yes. Clubs. Club participation is mandatory, so every one of you must join at least one.”
The homeroom teacher tapped a stack of papers against the lectern and handed the notices to the desk in the front row.
When the notice reached me, I took one, passed the rest behind me, and looked over its contents.
The page listed all kinds of clubs within the Academy.
Music Appreciation Club.
Band Club.
Reading Club.
Puzzle Club.
Architecture Club.
Clay Club…… What does that club even do?
Anyway, every imaginable kind of club was packed onto that small sheet of A4 paper.
“The class president should collect these and hand them to me before everyone leaves today. Any questions?”
For reference, Moon Mujin was our class president.
No one had particularly wanted the position, so in the end, Moon Mujin, the freshman representative, had practically been saddled with it.
“Question! Can each person only join one club?”
“No. If you wish, you may choose as many as you like. However, it would be wise to avoid joining too many.”
“Teacher~ Give us some advice on choosing clubs!”
When a girl from the Martial Arts Department spoke in a deliberately cute voice, Kim Jongseok’s lips twitched slightly before he nodded.
“You are first-years now. You are still very young, and I believe this is a year when you are allowed to simply enjoy the Academy. Do whatever you want. I recommend avoiding clubs that would merely become extensions of your classes.”
After saying that, our homeroom teacher slowly swept his gaze across the seats.
His eyes lingered unusually long on where I was sitting before he left the classroom.
Once Kim Jongseok was gone, the students gathered in small groups with their friends and began discussing their choices.
Most of the conversations sounded like this.
“What are you going to pick?”
At Sia’s eager question, I didn’t give her a definite answer.
There was still plenty of time before I had to choose.
***
Lunchtime at the Academy.
We didn’t eat in the classroom, but in a separate cafeteria building.
The menu changed every day, and three different meal sets were prepared each day.
Most of the time, they consisted of Korean food (Course A), Western food (Course B), and a special meal (Course C).
The special meal wasn’t anything particularly unusual.
It simply rotated through dishes from different countries every day.
Sometimes it was Japanese food, sometimes Chinese food, and on other days, they served food from interesting countries I had never even heard of before.
BEEP―!
And every meal cost the same amount.
“Hyunwoo, what are you going to eat?”
“I’ll have Course A.”
Today’s Korean meal consisted of army stew, my absolute favorite among stews, stir-fried sausage, rolled omelet, and seasoned seaweed flakes.
The Western and special meals looked fairly appetizing too, but after living on Korean food for all eight years of my life on Earth, this menu was practically an offer I couldn’t refuse.
“Really? Then maybe I’ll have Korean food for the first time in a while too.”
“I’m getting Course A too~!”
Yeowoo and Sia also ordered the same Korean meal as me.
We took the prepared cafeteria trays, sat down, and began eating.
SLURP.
The army stew was incredible.
Munch, munch.
The rolled omelet was fantastic too.
Crunch, crunch.
Seasoned seaweed flakes were always delicious.
Chew, chew.
As for the stir-fried sausage…….
“Hyunwoo. Have you decided which clubs you’re joining?”
“Hm?”
The stir-fried sausage was pleasantly salty and delicious too.
I looked at Sia, who had suddenly asked the question, then felt Yeowoo staring at me as well and turned toward her.
Apparently, she was curious too.
“Hmm…… I’m going to…….”
I had roughly decided while spacing out during English class.
After swallowing the stir-fried sausage in my mouth, I told them which clubs I had chosen.
“Hunting and archery. I’m going to do those two.”
“Huh? Hunting and archery? Not reading…… or something like foreign languages?”
“Yeah.”
As for why I had specifically chosen hunting and archery, it was to relieve stress.
I didn’t want to keep straining my brain even during club activities.
I figured it would be fun to hunt animals and shoot arrows without thinking about anything.
“Hmm…… I see. If you hadn’t decided yet, I was going to ask you to join a music club with me.”
Sia looked disappointed as she meaninglessly spun her spoon around on her tray.
Yeowoo thought for a moment before looking at me.
“Then maybe I’ll join the Archery Club too……?”
“Uh…… Sure?”
The moment Yeowoo cautiously announced that she might join the Archery Club, Sia’s strange competitive spirit flared up again.
“Actually, I’ve always been interested in archery too. I’ve wanted to try it for a long time. We can do it together. Hehe!”
“Ah…… Big sis Sia too?”
Sia, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly flinched at my words and widened her eyes.
“W-what? What did you just say?”
Huh?
Did I say something wrong……?
I slowly repeated myself, enunciating each word clearly.
“Big sis Sia, are you joining the Archery Club too?”
“……Yeah.”
Sia, who had frozen like a statue, answered my question only after a long pause.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward, so after that, we focused on eating.
***
Several days later, during Combat Magic, one of the Magic Department’s specialized classes, the professor drew a Spell Formula on the board that was complicated enough to be difficult for a first-year to understand.
“Now. As I mentioned in our previous lesson, there are two methods of casting Combat Magic. One is to recite an incantation and invoke magic quickly, while the other is to draw a Spell Formula and invoke magic that way. Of course, these methods apply not only to combat but to other everyday applications of magic as well.”
The Combat Magic professor, who had a white mustache, possessed the miraculous ability to make sleepiness creep over us whenever he opened his mouth.
The Magic Department students rubbed their sleepy eyes and forced them wide open in a desperate attempt to concentrate, but it was difficult to remain fully focused, as though sleeping pills were hidden somewhere in the professor’s mouth.
“But everyone, think about it logically. Reciting words aloud and pointing with a staff is much faster than drawing something by hand. So why have drawn Spell Formulas not disappeared and why are they still being used today? Does anyone know?”
Silence.
In the end, the Combat Magic professor played his trump card.
“I will award extra credit to whoever gets it right! Anyone?”
“M-me! I think I know!”
The students who had looked half-dead only moments earlier sprang up like zombies and thrust their hands into the air.
“Yes! You there! Go ahead!”
The excited professor pointed at one of them with a smile.
“Yes, Professor! Drawing it manually is inconvenient, but I think it is still used because it produces a much stronger effect than reciting an incantation!”
“Close! That is only half correct! Next? Anyone else?”
“Me! Me!”
Sia eagerly raised her hand to earn the extra credit.
Apparently pleased by her enthusiastic appeal, the professor called on her.
Sia stood and answered confidently.
“I don’t know the reason, but I think mages continue using it because there must be a need for it and because it’s useful.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at Sia’s bold answer.
She has a surprisingly scatterbrained side.
The professor also seemed slightly taken aback.
He gave an awkward smile and tried his best to validate Sia’s intent.
“Ah…… Haha. I suppose that is one way to look at it. What you said is certainly true, but my question is asking you to find that ‘reason.’ Anyone else?”
The students continued raising their hands in hopes of earning extra credit, but those chosen by the professor repeatedly failed to produce convincing answers and tasted defeat.
“Anyone else?”
The professor looked around the classroom with a satisfied expression.
By now, however, the students’ enthusiasm had been thoroughly crushed, and no one raised a hand.
Just as the professor, pleased by the sight, was about to reveal the answer himself, I raised my hand.
After overwhelming Professor Kim Namwoo last time―though his carelessness had accounted for at least seventy percent of it―I had intended to avoid drawing any more attention.
Still, answering something like this probably wouldn’t attract too much attention.
More importantly, I wanted to earn extra credit at least once.
If someone else had already taken the points, I wouldn’t have bothered raising my hand, but no one had gotten the answer right.
When the Combat Magic professor saw my raised hand, he seemed flustered.
He cleared his throat and nodded.
“V-very well. Our Academy’s youngest student. Lee Hyunwoo, correct? Let us hear your insight.”
There was no need to call it insight.
The answer to this question was far too easy.
I stood and answered in a dry voice.
“I think Spell Formulas are still used despite being far less efficient because magic recited through incantations and magic drawn through Spell Formulas are different types.”
“D-different types? Could you be more specific?”
“I mean that they use different magic systems. To put it simply…….”
Explaining something at length with my little tongue made my mouth ache, but I endured it and continued as maturely as I could.
Magic invoked through spoken incantations was fundamentally different from magic invoked through drawn Spell Formulas.
Separate from raw magical power, there were types of magic that could only be used through incantations and other types that could only be invoked through Spell Formulas.
When I finished explaining…….
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP―!
The professor applauded with an impressed expression.
“Have you done advanced study already? How did you know that……?”
“I just…… thought it might be that way. Haha…….”
Does this professor realize he just admitted that he asked a question no one could reasonably know without advanced study?
Regardless, the professor’s stream of praise continued.
“When I heard you had defeated Professor Kim Namwoo the other day, I assumed the story had been exaggerated. But now I am beginning to think it may not have been exaggerated after all. That was a perfect answer, Hyunwoo.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
Even after that, the Combat Magic professor continued praising me for a while before finally returning to the main lesson.
Naturally, I received the extra credit as well.