Editor : Amethyst00



The first-year Magic Department students had gathered in the Magic Hall auditorium.

Seated on the temporary chairs prepared inside, they nervously flipped through their notebooks.

“Ugh! I’m shaking! My stomach hurts!”

Carl popped several stomach-soothing pills he’d made himself into his mouth.

Seeing that, the surrounding students rushed over and bought them from him.

“You’ve got good business sense even at a time like this?”

“Since my exam score’s pretty much expected, I have to at least do this diligently. By the way, Leo, as expected of an honor student, you don’t seem nervous at all?”

“Not really.”

“Not really? And yet you look so calm?”

Grumbling with envy, Carl sneaked a glance at Chloe sitting in the front row.

She had been a wreck, almost like a shut-in, during the exam period—but today she looked strikingly neat and tidy.

It wasn’t just Chloe.

Every student in the Magic Department was dressed up.

Today’s unique magic presentation wasn’t just a test—it was also a stage to present one’s achievements as a mage.

Anyone choosing the path of a mage would inevitably face many occasions to present magical research and papers.

So this was also practice for such presentations to come.

Just then, the auditorium doors opened, and three mages entered.

All neatly dressed, they ascended to the podium with stern expressions.

“It’s been a while, Associate Professor Len. Oh, wait—you’re a professor now, aren’t you?”

“Haha. Yes, it’s been a while. And yes—I’m a professor now.”

Greeting them warmly, Professor Len stepped up to the stage.

“Attention, everyone.”

As he stood at the stage, the students focused on him.

“Allow me to introduce them. From the left: Rilda Fedney, Aydmon Slak, Shin Huzda. They’re all your seniors, having graduated from Lumene’s Magic Department three years ago. Today, they’re here not as seniors, but as judges to evaluate you.”

The students’ eyes gleamed with excitement.

Len was popular among the Magic Department students.

Not just for his handsome looks and good personality, but above all for his exceptional teaching ability.

At the same time, he was also infamous for his extremely high standards.

So having him as judge would’ve been nerve-racking.

But hearing that graduates would serve as judges instead was a relief.

Carl too exclaimed, “Oh~ lucky!”

“I don’t think this is something to be happy about.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Professor Len deliberately brought in external judges. Do you think they’ll be lenient?”

“……”

At that, Carl’s face grew uneasy.

Meanwhile, the three took their seats at the judges’ desk in front of the podium.

Pulling out papers and pens, they showed they were ready. Len then called out a name from the list.

“Eliana Raden.”

Creak—!

At that, Eliana walked up to the podium.

“Hello, seniors. I’m Eliana Laden of Class 5! It’s an honor to meet you.”

“We’re glad to meet you too, Eliana. We’re looking forward to hearing the presentation of such a cute junior.”

Rilda adjusted her glasses and smiled gently.

Eliana twisted her body shyly, smiling as sweetly as possible, putting on the act of ‘I’m too cute for you to be harsh with.’

“Leo, that troublemaker acting all cutesy is making me sick.”

“Bear with it.”

“Well then, I’ll begin.”

“My main attribute is light.”

“Oh? That’s a rare magical affinity.”

Seeing the seniors’ interest, Eliana cheered inwardly.

‘The mood’s good~’

“…And so, by adding a ‘flame’ attribute formula into the light attribute system, I can release a powerful ‘thermal ray’ spell!”

Pointing with both hands at the chalkboard filled with her formulas, Eliana looked at the graduates.

Raising her eyebrows for emphasis, she then clasped her hands behind her back and smiled bashfully.

“That concludes my presentation.”

The students applauded enthusiastically.

Rilda, seated furthest left, adjusted her glasses again and spoke.

“Indeed, many light-attribute mages choose some form of ‘laser’ as their unique magic. In the past, unique magic was truly unique to each person, but… well, nowadays, in a world where inheriting power has become natural because of the Heroes, originality in itself isn’t required. However, the process must still show your own creativity.”

Her eyes grew cold as she looked at Eliana.

“How is this different from existing laser-type magic?”

“Uh… well… it’s… tied to my family’s secret formulas…”

“Related to secret family magic formulas, is it? How complacent.”

Clicking her tongue, Rilda relentlessly pointed out the shortcomings in Eliana’s work.

Eliana broke into a cold sweat, struggling to respond.

“One last question. Eliana, what tier do you expect this spell to reach once completed?”

“Um… I-I haven’t decided yet…”

She fidgeted with her hands, avoiding Rilda’s gaze.

“Dreaming big is fine, but you should present only what you fully understand. Do you think we’re here to watch a kiddie show?! C-! Next!”

“Eek!”

Rilda suddenly snapped, eyes wide, her voice booming.

Startled, Eliana practically fled the podium.

The other students’ faces stiffened.

From their perspective, Eliana’s presentation had been fairly good.

But a C-?

Len crossed his arms, watching.

‘Well done. It’s about time they hit a wall.’

Among his former students, Len had deliberately invited the harshest critics of magical theory.

The reason was simple.

First-years usually struggled with Lumene’s demanding classes.

But by midterms, they were starting to adapt.

In just a short time, they grew vastly compared to their entrance level.

And this was when arrogance set in.

Len, with long experience, knew that if left unchecked, students would slack off.

‘Other professors leave it be, saying the capable will rise and the incapable won’t—but letting promising ones slack off doesn’t sit right with me.’

He believed it was his duty as an educator to provide new challenges and push students to aim higher again.

‘In the first place, completing unique magic at the first-year level is nearly impossible.’

He had only given the assignment to emphasize its importance.

No matter how gifted they are, Lumene students couldn’t possibly complete something that other mages spent a lifetime perfecting in just a few months.

‘…Though there *are the rare geniuses who pull it off.’*

His eyes drifted toward a few students.

Meanwhile, the presentations continued.

“I expected something special from this year’s first-years, but their level’s disappointing.”

“In terms of originality, they might even be worse than past classes. Well, the higher-ups only called them special because of their ‘combat ability’ anyway.”

Rilda and Shin Huzda spoke loudly enough for the students to hear.

They too had agreed to play the villains for Len.

Of course they cared for their juniors, and wanted to praise them.

But remembering their own arrogance and the hardships they’d faced, they willingly took on the villain role for the students’ sake.

And so, as one first-year after another was thoroughly crushed, Len called the next name.

“Abad Lewellin.”

At that, the graduates’ expressions shifted.

The Lewellin family—at the peak of magical power in the Lordren Empire, the mightiest nation on the Western Continent.

Hearing that the heir of such a house was up next, anticipation was inevitable.

“The name of my original magic is Tempester.”

Ascending the podium, Abad gave only a short greeting before beginning.

His presentation left the audience in awe.

Abad’s magic was a natural disaster in itself—a spell that maximized the destructive force of wind.

“Once completed, its projected tier is top-rank.”

The students buzzed with excitement.

‘As expected, it’s truly the strongest magic representing himself.’

“Ugh, so annoying! But also so cool! Which makes it more annoying! But still cool!”

“Pick one.”

Carl crossed his arms, and Leo burst into laughter.

Abad’s radiant smile drew gasps from the girls.

Chelsea’s eyes sparkled—her face shouting, My brother is the best!

‘Leo-oppa’s magic system is amazing, but my brother’s no less impressive! Haah, who should I cheer for?’

“Remarkable. Just what we’d expect from the successor of House Lewellin.”

“The very definition of what original magic should be—the mage’s values, philosophy, goals, and ideals, all embodied into one spell.”

The graduates praised Abad endlessly.

“There’s always at least one monster in every class. Abad Lewellin, you get an A+.”

Amid thunderous applause, Abad stepped down from the podium.

“Phew~ whoever’s next is unlucky!”

“Next presenter: Carl Thomas.”

“Gulp!”

Carl, who’d been chuckling, went pale.

Sympathetic glances fell on him.

Dragged to the podium like cattle to slaughter, Carl was indeed torn apart and returned to his seat looking devastated.

With a hollow expression, he was comforted by nearby students.

In the meantime, Chelsea’s presentation also took place.

While Abad had presented an original magic of overwhelming destructive power, Chelsea chose a wind-based field spell that could influence an entire area.

“Impressive.”

“It’s hard to believe she’s only fourteen, even if she is a Lewellin. A!”

“Thank you.”

Smiling brightly, Chelsea bowed and stepped down.

With Chelsea done, only two presenters remained.

“Next presenter: Leo Plov.”

Creak—

At those words, Leo rose from his seat.

All eyes turned to him.

Before heading to the podium, his gaze met Chloe’s in the front row.

He smiled and waved, but Chloe only stared silently back.

Looking a little awkward, Leo stepped to the center of the podium.

“The original magic I’ve prepared is a non-attribute formula system.”

“A non-attribute formula system? What’s that?”

Rilda pushed up her glasses, puzzled.

She had never heard of such a concept.

“It’s simple. Every magic formula so far requires an attribute manifestation sequence, right?”

“Of course. That’s the minimum requirement for casting any spell.”

Shin Huzda answered immediately, as if wondering why he’d even asked.

Leo smiled.

“My original magic is a formula system that allows compatibility with all attribute manifestation sequences.”

“…What?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

The three judges looked utterly stunned, while the students gaped in confusion.

Professor Len’s eyes widened as he fixed his gaze on Leo.

“Leo Plov. Are you saying… you intend to create an entirely new formula system?”

Aydmon asked for confirmation.

Leo only shrugged.

“Yes.”