Academy’s Genius Mage

The next day, Ian woke up early in the morning.

Unlike Milo, who was snoring away, Edel was already awake.

“You’re up early!”

Ian remarked.

“Oh, yeah! I feel like my body has gotten lighter…”

“It must be the effect of the elixir.”

“Is that so?”

It seemed like Edel’s mana had increased thanks to Milo’s help from the previous day.

The elixir didn’t just increase mana; it also cleared the meridians.

Feeling lighter was a natural result.

“Before the semester starts, it would be good to circulate your mana and make it completely yours. That will allow you to use it stably. It’ll be helpful in many ways.”

“Thanks. Oh, here you go.”

Edel handed Ian a flask from the shelf.

Inside was a mysterious green liquid.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a potion base made with distilled water. Can you take a look?”

“What’s your evaluation?”

“It was fine. I don’t know if I should say this, but… it was far superior to what my father made. It’s a bit frustrating, but it’s a new method.”

The effectiveness was evident.

Ian spilled a bit of the liquid onto his palm and tasted it. The bitter yet rich flavor tingled his tongue.

“Hmm. It’s good.”

“If we make it with this, it will definitely have an effect. Maybe not double, but we might be able to increase its efficacy by at least half.”

“That would be nice.”

“But Ian, can I tell others about this method?”

Edel asked very cautiously.

His family business was in healing, so it was understandable to be tempted by an innovative potion formula.

Ian returned the flask to Edel and said, “There’s no need to. I’ll be filing for a patent with the patent office soon anyway. It’s only a matter of time before people find out.”

“You’re filing for a patent?”

“Yes. Anyone wanting to use this method will have to pay royalties. To us.”

Edel was slightly taken aback by Ian’s confident statement.

He realized Ian had been planning further ahead.

“So it wasn’t just an experiment?”

“At first, it was. But there’s more to it. We’ll talk about it in detail later.”

“Uh-huh.”

Ian turned around, and Edel, who had been hesitantly clasping his hands to his chest, spoke carefully once again.

“It feels very cautious to ask this…”

“Isn’t it better not to ask cautious questions?”

“No! I didn’t mean it like that…”

Ian looked at Edel as if he would levy a fine, and Edel gulped, not wanting his debt to increase. He continued speaking.

“Yesterday’s elixir, the Blue Mushroom. Why did you give it to me? You could have sold it for a good price.”

“That’s a cautious question?”

Ian chuckled.

Edel blinked rapidly, not expecting this response.

“I told you before, didn’t I? Making potions isn’t easy.”

“Y-yeah, but it was only a matter of time, right? Since you know the distillation hypothesis.”

“I haven’t met many people, but you were the first who accepted my request so readily. Excluding my own family.”

“Oh!”

Edel blushed.

It wasn’t about the money.

He felt sorry for dredging up Ian’s past unnecessarily with his question.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, just work harder. Don’t worry too much about the elixir. Milo also got a distillation device, so that’s enough compensation.”

“Okay.”

Seeing Edel’s smile, Ian stepped outside.

At that moment, something caught his eye.

‘A letter?’

There was something tucked in the mailbox right next to the door. The recipient’s name read ‘Ian Oracle’.

It wasn’t a letter from anyone he was particularly glad to hear from. He tore open the envelope and took out the contents.

— I hope you are well. I will visit the academy at noon today. Let’s meet at the salon by the gate.

It was a letter from Felix of the Hamel Trading Company.

‘He didn’t send the debt invoice directly.’

When Felix first came to visit, Ian Oracle had told him to send the debt invoice to the academy. However, instead of a debt invoice, there were only two lines written in the letter.

‘What is he scheming?’

Not sending a debt invoice but coming in person indicated there was some other business to attend to.

‘Frederick.’

Frederick from the general store, whom he had visited a few days ago, came to mind.

‘But there’s no decisive evidence yet. I have no choice but to wait until noon.’

Whoosh!

Flames erupted from Ian’s hand, turning the crumpled paper into ashes.

* * *

Ian headed to the great library.

He passed through the gate with ease and entered inside.

The knights’ gazes remained fierce as ever.

‘Knowing the hidden ability of the glasses, I can’t afford to waste time. I will devour everything that can be translated!’

This was a battle against time. He planned to peruse as many tomes as possible while time permitted.

Once the personal maintenance period ended, the semester would begin in earnest.

When that happened, a lot of time would be consumed by assignments and practices. There wouldn’t be much leisurely time to sift through old documents.

‘Graduating from the academy is important, but getting good grades is just as crucial.’

Thus, he needed to make good use of the remaining time.

So, Ian naturally headed to the ancient magic section.

There were two days left until the magic measurement and the start of classes.

He needed to make the best use of that leftover time.

After walking through the hallway for a while, he entered the ancient magic section.

Despite the early morning, someone was already sitting there.

It was someone Ian knew.

‘Still here?’

Isera Hebraim was sitting there just like yesterday. Her straight posture showed no sloppiness, exuding an air of nobility.

The attire inside her cloak was the same as yesterday, indicating she had indeed stayed the night.

Even when Ian confirmed the ability of the glasses and returned to the dormitory last night, Isera was here.

The only difference from yesterday was that she was holding a quill instead of a book.

She was diligently writing something.

“Hello, senior. Did you spend the night here?”

“I had a bit of work to do.”

“I see.”

She showed no signs of fatigue. Indeed, she too was no ordinary bookworm.

At that moment, her pen stopped.

Isera looked up and gazed at Ian.

“What brings you here so early in the morning? It’s not common to see a freshman in the library at such an early hour. You’re not planning to use me again, are you?”

“Use you? That’s a misunderstanding. How could I possibly exploit a senior like you?”

“You only asked for supervision to modify the Lightning Spell formula.”

‘In that case, why didn’t you refuse?’

Ian wanted to say, but now was the time to bow his head.

“I’ll be careful next time.”

“It’s strange when I think about it.”

Isera began questioning Ian, her eyes glittering.

“I can’t exactly put it into words, but I feel like you’re hiding something from me.”

“Perhaps it’s because you stayed up all night?”

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“That’s what many say before collapsing from overwork.”

Ian laughed slyly.

Isera sighed.

He couldn’t talk about the ability of the glasses. If that fact were revealed, it could lure danger.

Of course, there was no guarantee anyone else could use the artifact. Sometimes, devices respond only to specific family bloodlines or mana.

‘Still, it doesn’t hurt to be careful.’

Ian decided to remain cautious about the glasses from now on.

“Actually, I was going to call you. Ian Oracle.”

“Me?”

Ian was startled.

Isera continued speaking as if it were nothing.

“Last night’s event is an important discovery that should be communicated to the Magic Society. It’s too significant to just pass by with only us knowing. You presented a new possibility for interpreting the aphorism.”

“I want to graduate quietly from the academy.”

“And yet, someone like that is starting a potion business?”

Isera smiled wryly, leaving it unclear whether it was a sneer.

Ian realized that he knew very little about this person.

“How did you know I was starting a potion business?”

“Because my advising professor is Professor Frost. He mentioned you.”

“I see.”

“He said there’s a way to double the effects of a potion? And you proposed a new interpretation of Lightning Spell. Could these two pieces of information be coincidental? I think the probability is almost negligible.”

It was a cold and precise analysis. As he listened, Ian unavoidably nodded his head.

“I understand your point well. However, I am currently overwhelmed with many tasks and haven’t fully adapted to the academy.”

“So what?”

“I was wondering if it might be better to delay notifying the society for a little while. After all, it needs to be submitted in a format akin to a thesis, doesn’t it?”

“If that’s the issue, it’s fine.”

Ian expressed a look of doubt at the abrupt remark, but that doubt was soon dispelled with ease.

Isera handed the paper, which she had been diligently writing, over to Ian.

“The thesis is already completed. All it needs is your signature.”

“This is……”

It was something unbelievable.

Of course, depending on the field, some magical theses were just a few pages long.

Nevertheless, finishing a thesis overnight is a miraculous feat.

“You wrote all of this, senior?”

“Who else would have?”

“But still… wouldn’t it take a considerable amount of time just to review research methodology or the academic history?”

“A student of theoretical studies should handle such things with ease.”

Faced with her decisive words, Ian closed his mouth.

‘She was more of a monster than I expected.’

Any ordinary mage uninterested in magical theory, particularly in ancient language, would take days just to conceptualize.

Ian once again looked over the thesis.

In contemporary Magic Society, there were three major criteria for classifying magic.

Runes, word, and mind.

Runes are the belief that every image possesses inherent power.

Just as one can understand an image by looking at it, runes draw magic by depicting symbols or images with mana.

Word supports the view that every word possesses strength.

An elf’s words carry sacred energy, while a dragon’s words contain absolute laws.

Word involves manifesting magic through speech.

Lastly, mind is the ultimate realm.

Mages who reach this stage can skip Runes and Words, casting magic instantly.

Currently, it is only passed down as a legend.

‘A thesis on the ancient script in runic magic. Though short, it’s quite impressive.’

Ian, who grew up surrounded by books, swiftly perused the 8-page thesis.

Above all, the person who discovered the new formula was none other than himself. There was no difficulty in understanding it.

“Still, it would be best to publish it solely under your name, senior. You are the one who wrote this thesis in its entirety.”

“There are cases where those who contribute ideas and assistance in empirical verification also get their names listed.”

“Well, still, that’s a bit…”

The matter was becoming too big.

Judging by the thesis’s format, it was co-authored. How many students have written a research paper as soon as entering the academy?

Actually, are there any?

“If that’s the case, it would be better to scrap the thesis. It falls under research ethics violations. The new Lightning Spell formula will be reintroduced to the world in the distant future. Anyways, since it’s known only to the two of us, it shouldn’t matter, right?”

Realizing for the first time that one could be threatened in such a way, Ian raised both hands.

“I yield. Where should I put my name?”

“Here.”

Ian’s name was inscribed on the very last page. Just like Isera had done, Ian imbued his name with mana.

Now, the authorship of this thesis has been clarified.

“Is this sufficient?”

“It’s enough.”

“I feel like I’m mooching off you somehow.”

“You’re surprisingly naive. Ever consider it might be the other way around?”

Isera stood up from her seat and quietly exited the library. Ian couldn’t take his eyes off her departing figure.

‘A monster in the guise of a beauty… This academy is quite interesting.’

Ian found himself smiling unwittingly.