Academy’s Genius Mage

Fortunately, the spirit had been concerned about its Master.

Reconnecting the hearts of these two distanced beings might have been a daunting task, but it was still worth attempting.

“Thank you for your help, Ian Oracle.”

“It might be tough, but hang in there a little longer. Good days will come soon.”

The Undine slightly nodded and vanished again. At the same time, Ophelia flinched and clasped her hands to her chest.

“What on earth… did you do?”

“Why?”

“It somehow… feels stable now.”

Thanks to the Undine finding hope, psychological stability reemerged.

It had been a long time since Ophelia felt such peace.

She could barely remember when she last felt it, but it was surely a warm feeling she experienced at some point, possibly when she first met the spirit.

“I had a chat with the Undine.”

“What? That’s impossible! You only sensed its thoughts, right? How did you suddenly manage to converse with it? You’re not a spirit mage, are you? Don’t lie!”

Ophelia shouted angrily, but Ian’s expression remained unchanged.

He simply crossed his arms and stared at Ophelia.

“Oh…”

Ophelia realized and accepted it herself. That wasn’t the demeanor of someone lying, nor was she in a position to shout.

“You need to acknowledge what you must, or anger will pile up in your heart. Eventually, its negative influence reaches the spirit. Why don’t you know such simple things, even though you’re said to be a genius?”

“Don’t meddle.”

“Is that so? Then should I stop?”

Ian got up from his seat without hesitation, and Ophelia, surprised, hurriedly blocked his way.

“W-Wait! You said you would help!”

“I did indeed.”

“What are you going to do if you just leave like this?”

Ian tilted his head slightly.

“You’re the one who asked, not me.”

“What?”

“Is that the attitude of someone making a request?”

Ophelia bit her lip but soon lowered her head. She was on thin ice as it was after already being warned about raising her voice one more time.

“P-Please…”

“That’s right. You should have asked like that from the beginning.”

Ian sat back down and started to recount his conversation with the Undine.

Each word pierced Ophelia’s heart. Her fists, resting on her lap, clenched tightly.

“Despite its torment, the Undine still cherishes and worries about you as its Master. It truly is a mature spirit. So, you’re not too late yet.”

“Let’s be honest. Without the spirit, I wouldn’t have been trapped here in the first place.”

“Do you really think that? Wasn’t it the spirit itself that helped you Master magic better? If you hadn’t contracted with the spirit, you might not have even been accepted into the Department of Magic.”

“…”

Ophelia couldn’t respond. It was evident that the spirit aided her magical learning and practice.

The mere act of contracting with a spirit greatly magnifies the practitioner’s mana and affinity.

Nobles without natural talent for magic often ended up in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

High-born noblewomen often excelled there, where no special talent was required and there were plenty of opportunities to meet people.

With the distinguished Drias Marquisate as her backdrop, reigning as the queen of the social scene wouldn’t have been difficult. Despite this, Ophelia chose the Department of Magic, indicating she held a lingering attachment to magic.

“Alright. Fine. Let’s say I admit that. Then how are you going to get me out of here?”

“Just claim, as I initially suggested, that you were in a magical rampage state due to disharmony with the spirit. If you plead magical and mental incapacity, there might be grounds for leniency.”

“Disharmony…”

“Exactly, it’s the truth, right? You hid the contract, and there are plenty of circumstantial evidence.”

From a summoner’s perspective, experiencing disharmony is a disgrace. If word got out, her reputation would be tarnished.

Yet Ophelia thought it was worth it if the incident could be resolved.

Now wasn’t the time to uphold pride.

“Will this alone be enough to escape punishment?”

“Of course, it’s difficult.”

“Then?”

“It’s not enough to just say, ‘I was in such a state, so forgive me.’ That only appeals to emotions. As an Academy student, you need to show a more active stance.”

Ophelia frowned.

No matter how she racked her brain, she couldn’t think of a way.

“Overcome the disharmony. Within a short period.”

“Do you think that’s… as easy as it sounds?”

“It’s difficult. But isn’t it better than facing the disciplinary committee’s punishment?”

She wasn’t confident.

However, Ian fully understood that his words were the correct solution.
It was something worth trying.

“Undine hasn’t lost hope yet. Make sure to communicate thoroughly with her.”

“But at this point…”

“Spirits are different from humans. They have no jealousy, no regrets. Naturally, they hold no grudges and only flow with the providence of nature and the currents of destiny. If you reach out first, she’ll appreciate it.”

“Alright. I’ll try.”

It was the first time she had looked so serious.

Ian thought he finally understood the meaning behind Undine’s words when she said that she had been kind and innocent when she was younger.

“There is a high possibility that Professor Elena will come as the investigator. You know you mustn’t lie, right?”

“I know.”

“And I’ll come here until the disciplinary committee convenes. I’ll document how close you’ve become with Undine. Today, take a good soak in the bathtub and think about how to resolve the disharmony.”

With his business concluded, Ian stood up.

Ophelia grabbed his arm.

“Why are you helping me? You haven’t mentioned what you stand to gain.”

“Nervous?”

“More than nervous…”

Ophelia clutched her collar. Her hands were trembling.

She seemed to misunderstand that he wanted to take advantage of her. Ian scratched his forehead, feeling he had to explain himself.

“I just wanted to talk to a spirit. Confirming that what I sensed was a spirit’s thought was enough for me.”

“For just that reason?”

The academy’s disciplinary committee was notorious for its severity.

It was best to avoid entanglements if possible, yet Ian had straightforwardly offered to help.

Ophelia, accustomed to only ever receiving, didn’t understand his actions.

“For just that reason? You might not sense it as a spirit mage, but feeling the energy of a spirit is truly a blessing from the heavens. It’s like having endless research themes pile up.”

“Then… can you now feel spirits, too?”

“Well, who knows?”

Ian took Ophelia’s hand from his arm and placed it back by her side.

“And there’s one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Ophelia of the Drias Family can no longer lie to Ian Oracle. Nor can she use harsh words. Isn’t that enough?”

Ian stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

A harsh metallic click sounded as the lock turned. From beyond the door, Ian’s voice echoed.

“Make sure to take a hot bath.”

* * *

The next day, Ian returned to see Ophelia.

“How’s your condition?”

“It’s just… whatever.”

“Did you take a bath?”

“You pervert!”

Ophelia snapped back and turned her head away sharply, closer to her usual, disdainful self.

‘She’s improved quite a bit.’

Considering it was only a day’s change, it was remarkably positive.

Ian sat down with anticipation. He placed the notebook and pen he had brought with him on the side, ready to take notes.

The notebook was already filled to the brim.

He had organized various details after returning yesterday, including his conversations with Undine.

Ophelia glanced at the notebook in surprise, then quickly averted her gaze again.

Ian chuckled at this.

‘It seems inevitable that the fact I’ve been blessed by a spirit will be revealed.’

As he worked on his report, it became impossible to avoid discussing his interactions with Undine.

He found he wanted to write even more.

With just a bit more experience, Ian felt he could write a paper revealing the structure and characteristics of the spirit language.

More than anything.

‘If I’m lucky enough to form a contract with a spirit, it might resolve my Mana Concentration Disorder.’

It was an unprecedented approach he hadn’t tried before.

Previously, he had relied on researching ancient scripts to find a theoretical solution.

But yesterday, Ian received the spirit’s blessing from Undine.

That changed everything.

“Mr. Ian.”

At that moment, a cozy aura of water surrounded him.

Undine had appeared.

Somehow, the title “Mr.” had been added. Just as Ophelia had changed, Undine also seemed more relaxed.

“How is Ophelia doing?”

“She’s doing well. She’s still a bit clumsy but much improved from before. Yesterday, we had a long conversation for the first time.”

“The situation was that severe. Don’t worry, she’ll improve quickly.”

“By any chance… once this situation is resolved, won’t it all return to how it was before?”

“We agreed yesterday that you didn’t choose the wrong contractor.”

“That’s right.”

“Then trust her.”

Undine smiled.

For some reason, Undine felt a strong sense of camaraderie towards Ian.

“Was it intentional when you suggested taking a hot bath yesterday?”

“Partly.”

“It seems to have had an effect.”

“That’s a relief.”

Undine vanished.

Ophelia had reached out, forcibly dismissing the summoned spirit.

“Why are they muttering among themselves like that, making things uncomfortable?”

“That sounds rather harsh, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, it was just to myself!”

Ian barely managed to suppress a laugh. He wished he could show this scene to Milo.

“Now, shall we see the results? We must adhere to the visitation time.”

“I was just about to.”

“Try not to grumble too much.”

Ophelia stood up.

They were in a fairly spacious room.

Even if it was a form of confinement, the convenience expected by nobles could not be neglected.

Thus, Ophelia had enough space to perform her magic.

“Undine.”

Ophelia, holding her staff, summoned the spirit.

Her voice was slightly awkward. However, the spirit appeared almost immediately.

“Yes, Master.”

“Let’s do what we did yesterday.”

Ian sat comfortably, arms folded, watching Ophelia form the rune for the spell.

He recognized the pattern being drawn.

‘A Water Bolt, perhaps.’

It was the magic Professor Frost had demonstrated during a practical lesson before.

‘This alone wouldn’t be enough, though. Training in water-based magic just for Undine might seem contrived.’

What kind of result had she achieved?

Ian took notes while closely watching the completion of the spell rune. Until then, there was nothing particularly special.

『Water Bolt.』

With a resonant voice, a blue water orb formed on the staff.

Ian’s eyes sparkled with realization.

‘As expected.’

It wasn’t an ordinary Water Bolt.

The water orb began to gather intense heat, and steam started to form.

Hissssss!

Soon, it rotated clockwise, releasing steam in all directions.

The heat was intense.

It felt like a furious bull exhaling through its nostrils.

‘She’s done it.’

The water orb swelled as if it were about to burst. Just as it reached its extreme, Ophelia extended her staff.

Whoosh!

The Water Bolt struck the bookshelf.

Boom!

Hissssss…

The bookshelf shattered, and the papers tore and scattered into pieces. From the soaked paper, wisps of smoke rose.

It was a power that couldn’t be expected from a typical Water Bolt.

“What happened?”

The door opened, and guards burst in.

Sergeant Jim was on duty again today.

Ian raised his hands, offering an explanation.

“We were just conducting an experiment. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“You’re saying it’s nothing when the entire bookshelf has been blown away?”

“It will all be explained later at the committee meeting. Truly, it’s nothing.”

Sergeant Jim glanced suspiciously between Ian and Ophelia. Ophelia addressed him coolly.

“Repairs can be made, and with something even better.”

“… I’ll report to the higher-ups if there’s any more disturbance!”

The guards issued their warning and left.

Once the door closed, Ophelia glared at Ian.

“Is this enough?”

“Remarkable.”

“If you mention baths again, I’ll really kill you… No, not you, I mean…”

Fortunately, the restriction seemed to have been set successfully.