Academy’s Genius Mage

Late at night.

A knock echoed through the quiet study.

“Master, it’s Wilson.”

“Come in.”

The young man sitting at the desk kept his gaze fixed on the thick book in front of him.

Soon, the door opened, and Wilson, dressed in a butler’s uniform, appeared.

“I apologize for disturbing your studies.”

“What is it?”

“A guest has arrived.”

“A guest?”

The word sounded foreign to Ian Oracle, who led an almost reclusive life.

‘Who would come to visit?’

Despite his genius mind, no names came to Ian’s thoughts.

It had been ten years since his parents had gone missing.

Since then, the number of visitors had steadily dwindled.

The name of the Oracle Family, once famous for theoretical magic, had slowly faded from people’s memories.

It had been a long time indeed.

When the suspension of his parents’ disappearance had been fully concluded and he was forcibly made to inherit the family, no one came by anymore.

‘And now a guest?’

Ian closed his book and stood up from his seat.

Wilson, who had served him for a long time, answered the question that Ian was curious about.

“It was someone I’ve never seen before. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to be a mage.”

“A mage?”

“Yes, they even carried a staff.”

“Could it be someone who used to visit father?”

That had happened a few times before.

People who had been traveling far across the continent and hadn’t heard about his parents’ disappearance.

Ian thought this might be another such case.

“That’s not it. The guest specifically asked for you by name.”

“Where are they?”

“I’ve escorted them to the drawing room.”

Ian left his study and headed towards the drawing room. The Oracle Family’s house was a modestly-sized mansion. Thus, it didn’t take long to reach the drawing room.

The door was half-open, and inside, a man in shabby robes was drinking tea.

‘I don’t know this person.’

Ian opened the door fully and stepped inside.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

“Oh, baron Ian.”

He neither looked young nor old. The staff in his hand was rugged, and his shoes were worn out and tattered.

To anyone’s eyes, he seemed like an insignificant mage.

But Ian greeted his guest in a friendly tone without showing any signs of displeasure.

“Have we met before?”

“No, this is our first meeting.”

“I’m curious about the reason for your visit. Visitors are quite rare here.”

“I heard a skilled mage was living in seclusion here.”

“It seems you were looking for my father after all.”

“Are you referring to Baron Lefevre? No, that’s not it. I, too, have heard about Baron Lefevre’s disappearance. I hope you find them soon.”

“Thank you for not expressing it as condolences.”

“Stay strong.”

If they knew about his father’s disappearance, they must have come to see him specifically.

“Could you introduce yourself?”

“My name is Mist.”

That was it.

Ian sensed that Mist didn’t particularly want to elaborate on his identity.

In that case, the only choice was to observe and find clues directly.

Ian shifted his gaze.

—

In an instant, numerous bits of information caught Ian’s sight.

“Did you come from the forest?”

“Wow, you’ve got sharp eyes. That’s right. I’m staying in the forest for a while. How did you know?”

“I see dried mud. There are traces left by scratches from grass, and your robe seems to be used for camping. I also see a feather. There, on that side.”

Mist looked at the spot Ian was pointing at. A crow’s feather was stuck on one side of the robe.

“When did this get stuck here?”

“Elwynn Forest? It’s famous for having many crows.”

“Haha, you’re spot on! What a splendid insight.”

Finally, mist began to open up.

“I’m a wandering mage. Before coming here, I was camping in Elwynn Forest. Hmm, I’m not particularly skilled, so there’s nothing else to introduce.”

“I see.”

At that moment, Mist took out an old book from his pocket and placed it on the table. He then offered the book to Ian.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you take a look at this book?”

It was a small but thick book with some decorations.

However, it looked very old. The book must have been once flashy when it was newly made.

The gold leaf and various ornaments had faded.

It didn’t look ordinary at first glance.

“What kind of book is this?”

“It’s not a cursed book, so you don’t have to worry. I recently found it while exploring a dungeon, and I wanted to know its publication date. I’ve tried several times but couldn’t figure it out…”

“If you want to know the publication date, it might be better to check elsewhere.”

“No. This one is a bit special, it’s a grimoire.”

“A grimoire?”

Then the story changed.

It was likely filled with content beyond the reach of bibliographers.

“I thought only someone with excellent knowledge of magic would know. It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I’m not very good with theory.”

“Then please excuse me for a moment.”

Ian placed his hand on the book and released his mana.

‘There’s no negative aura.’

Mist was an unidentified guest. It was somewhat burdensome to suddenly be handed a grimoire and asked to look at it.

After carefully examining it and confirming there was no issue with the book, Ian opened it.

‘No bibliographic information, no pages, no table of contents.’

This implied it was not formally published.

This would make estimating the date much more difficult. Clues would have to be gathered solely from the content.

Ian flipped through the pages quickly, skimming the contents.

‘Is this a general theory book on magic? It seems quite old.’

Expressions that were no longer used in the present day appeared often.

However, this was an easy problem for Ian. His eyes, shining brightly as if containing all the knowledge in the world, moved swiftly in search of clues.

It didn’t take long to reach a conclusion.

The tea Mist was drinking still had a faint steam rising from it.

“Around 500 years ago, this book was written during the St. Helena period!”

Ian concluded.

“500 years? Is it that old?”

Mist’s face brightened.

Ian nodded.

“There are traces of preservation magic. If it hadn’t passed through many hands, this level of preservation is quite possible.”

“Wow. It’s more extraordinary than I thought!”

“Of course, it’s not precise. We can only roughly estimate the period.”

“That’s fine. That’s more than enough! Could you then give me some more explanation?”

It seemed the mage wanted to sell the book. An explanation would increase its price.

“There are certain characteristics of this period. It was when the distinctions in circle magic became complex. The Fire Wall spell, now classified as five-circle magic, was considered six-circle magic during that time. According to recent studies, in the late St. Helena period, the Fire Wall spell was even upgraded to seven circles. So, if we had to guess, the book would be from the early period. And here.”

This time, Ian pointed to another section.

“The technique of spirit magic is slightly different from today. It’s handled within the category of circle magic. This is also a feature of magic theory from the St. Helena period. Additionally, many of the terms used to express magic are from that era.”

“Oh! I see!”

There was a sparkle in Mist’s eyes.

Ian was convinced that the mage in front of him wasn’t from the academy or a magic tower. Although deducing it was a bit difficult, someone who had undergone formal training would know these details.

‘That doesn’t mean his skills are bad.’

There were various kinds of mages in the world. The man before him probably had his own aspirations.

Ian returned the book to its owner.

“You finished reading this thick book in such a short time. As the rumors say, you are indeed exceptional!”

“You flatter me.”

“However, I am curious. With such remarkable insight, why don’t you enroll in the Academy?”

Ian found himself unable to respond quickly to the unexpected remark.

Mist awkwardly laughed and spread his hands.

“Oh, I don’t have any other intentions. It just suddenly came to my mind.”

“What did you hear from outside?”

Mist, looking uneasy, cautiously added an explanation.

“I happened to hear that if you don’t enroll this time, your eligibility will be revoked. Isn’t the Royal Academy a place everyone aspires to?”

“Well, I have some personal reasons.”

“So, you’re giving up on enrollment? It’s a shame, considering your amazing talent.”

Ian shook his head with a smile.

“I have never thought I was talented.”

“What? What do you mean? That’s ridiculous! This book too. Didn’t you just glance at it and determine its publication date?”

“That was…”

He stopped short of saying it was an easy task. He didn’t want to boast to someone he’d just met.

Ian had never received formal education from any institution.

He had learned from his parents when he was young and the rest through self-study by reading books.

In short, Ian was a genius. He could understand ten things after reading one and never forgot what he had memorized.

However, he had a limitation in the manipulation of magical energy. Academic circles defined it as “Mana Concentration Disorder”.

“A mage who excels only in theory isn’t a true mage.”

Such thoughts had kept him from enrolling in the Royal Academy until now.

The Royal Academy was the kingdom’s premier higher education institution with fierce competition.

Surviving there with only a small amount of mana was impossible. At worst, he would bring disgrace upon his family.

“It’s really unfortunate. Truly. I wanted to go to the Academy but couldn’t due to my status. I learned magic by chance, but that was it.”

“Mist, it’s alright. I have to handle my own affairs.”

“Handling it yourself. That’s the correct answer.”

Leaving that cryptic remark, Mist stood up. Ian, taken aback, also stood up.

“I apologize for the late visit. I shall take my leave now.”

“It’s late. Shall I prepare a room for you?”

“No, that’s alright. For a wanderer, the outside is home.”

“I won’t see you far. Take care.”

After the guest left, Ian leaned back on the sofa and sighed.

The lingering feeling was uncomfortable.

“Who would have thought the Academy would come up?”

Every noble in the Kingdom of Sonokin was given the right to enroll in the Royal Academy.

As a baron who inherited his family, Ian held this privilege.

However, Ian thought he could continue his magical studies without attending the academy, so he hadn’t considered it seriously.

But an unexpected guest had come, throwing a stone into his calm lake.

“Huh?”

Ian suddenly stood up.

A worn-out book was left on the side of the sofa where Mist had sat.

“That’s the book from earlier?”

It seemed Mist had forgotten it in his haste.

Ian quickly rushed outside, book in hand, but Mist was nowhere to be seen.

“Wilson! Wilson!”

Wilson hurried out from inside the estate.

“Yes, Master. Did you call me?”

“Where did the guest go?”

“Guest, Sir? I haven’t seen him come out… Weren’t you inside with him, Master?”

Ian felt as if he was possessed by a ghost.

“Where on earth did he go?”

Just then, with the sound of a crow cawing, something slowly descended from the sky.

Ian’s eyes followed it.

Reaching out, a finely sculpted black feather landed in his hand.