《Commoner White Mage》 Volume 1 - Prologue Magic. The mysterious medium that materializes hallucinations to the real world. Using mana as fuel, mages create illusions and influence the very essence of reality. ¡°Hmm, what an unusual child¡­,¡± a voice in the meeting room spoke out as he scanned the records. ¡°His attribute is a raw one, but it¡¯s top-class if we just consider his mana content. What¡¯s even more interesting is that he is just a mere commoner.¡± The meeting was taking place at the renowned ¡®Beralt Magic Academy¡¯. It was a school of wizards that imparts education to its students on the ways of the mage. The Academy is one of the leading educational institutions in the country, that welcomes many famous wizard families. Of course, all of them were nobilities. The word ¡®family¡¯ itself was associated with the nobles for the commoners had no worth in their eyes. But today, the atmosphere was different for teachers were discussing the admission of a commoner boy. ¡°But the boy has no practical skills. He can¡¯t even use ¡®conversion¡¯ making his vast pool of mana practically useless. We can¡¯t take him in our academy!¡± One of the teachers complained. Everyone nodded in response to his rebuke. Except for a solemn man who neither agreed nor disagreed with him. ¡°It¡¯s because of the peculiar form of his mana core that it cannot be converted into an attribute,¡± the man claimed. The essence of magic was created in mainly three steps: ¡°Assimilation¡±, ¡°Conversion¡± and ¡°Release¡±. Assimilation is when a mage draws in mana in his mana core. While ¡®Release¡¯ it to materialize the magic itself! But raw mana can¡¯t be materialized into the real world. A wizard needs to ¡®Convert¡¯ that mana into a specific magical attribute for its use. ¡®There is also non-attribute magic. But¡­ that is absolute in this era.¡¯ The man thought. It is common knowledge that mana¡¯ itself is just phantom energy that is invisible and has no specific shape or nature and cannot affect reality. It is the wizards that act as a medium for their conversion magic power that can influence reality by envisioning specific shapes, properties, and nature. For example, when using magic such as ¡°Sword of Flames¡± the sword has a specific shape and nature whereas the attribute of the magic is fire. Thus, the skill of the wizard lies in how much mana he can convert into what kind of properties and attributes. Someone who can¡¯t even convert mana into magic power like the damnable commoner who was in the limelight can never hope to become a wizard. It is the most basic of basics of being a mage! The so-called ¡°no-attribute¡± magic was only being used in the early stages when magical technology was being established. It might be the foundational magic, but it is defective weak magic that can never reach up to the magic of the present day! ¡°Hmm, he is inferior in every way. We should cancel his admission!¡± ¡°Well then¡­ ¡° No matter where a commoner goes, he will only be met with scorn. The treatment he receives would never change. Had he been from a noble lineage, the teachers of the academy would have to rethink their decision even with his defects. But for trash like him? There was no need for them to be courteous. The decision was easy. But the flow of fate changed with just a single voice. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to enroll.¡± The line of sight of all the so-called intellectuals gathered to a single man. He was a stubble man who had a solemn expression as he picked up the document placed on the table. ¡°Why?¡± One of them asked with question marks on their face. But the man didn¡¯t reply. His eyes traveled on the enrollment letter of the commoner. [I don¡¯t know which master is reading this. But know this! I would become a wizard by hook or crook. By any means possible even if you don¡¯t enroll me!] The man squinted his eyes as he read those words. But his face became solemn once again. The words of a commoner weren¡¯t even of any importance to anger him. His eyes traveled across the paper. It was the origin of the commoner that the man was interested in. ¡°He is from Carrera, an unattended countryside. The Academy of Gazas is closer from its origins than ours. If we decline him here he would be definitely pulled in by Gazas,¡± the man continued. ¡°If his talent blooms over there after our rejection, our ability would be doubted by many.¡± The circle of nobility had no hope from commoners. But it was his vast mana pool that enshrined the man in doubt. A ¡®What if?¡¯ floated on top of his forehead. ¡°Mu¡­ Certainly,¡± the others nodded. They had no confidence in opposing the man¡¯s decision. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if my ability is suspected, but I don¡¯t want to be stolen by someone next to me.¡± Carrera is the eastmost village of Manalil. Gazas is a neighboring country and in a friendly relationship with Manalil. And Gazas is not particularly interested in his village. Not to mention no one believes in the skills of a commoner. So, the probability of them picking up this commoner is extremely low. But in a world of magic anything can happen. Even this too could transpire. There was also the possibility of that commoner rushing into that country because of the friendly relationships shared between the two. If something like that ends up happening it would be a matter of shame for their academy. ¡°That is why I think it is better to enroll and see what happens here. If his talent blooms, it¡¯s all well and good but if it doesn¡¯t work, we will throw him out of the academy. Our responsibility would be fulfilled.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The jury of men nodded. ¡°It seems unlikely for it to be disadvantageous for us.¡± Given the school¡¯s system, it didn¡¯t matter at all if there were dropouts. The people in the conference room recalled that it was natural for some students to fall out and it was a daily routine. If those lower nobles who dropped out. couldn¡¯t harm the academy in any way, then what could a mere commoner do? The very reason why they were discussing the admission of this boy, was because he was a commoner. He would be just an eyesore to the others hence no one would want to be his practice partner. After all, won¡¯t it be a disrespect to those nobles if they were to be paired up with a commoner? There was nothing to expect from the talent of a commoner in the academy where the children of aristocrats and wizard families with hundreds of years of history came in. ¡°Then this child is going to enroll.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rule, let¡¯s use it for successful applicants.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll get rid of the material.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you¡± ¡°Then please.¡± The participants indulged in the last bit of formality before ending the meeting. In the end, everyone who was attending left as if they were busy except for the stubble man who had supported the admission. ¡°Writing skills are only so-so. And practical skills are at rock bottom? But only mana capacity is high¡­ no top-class even. What a biased child. Or should I call him balanced?¡± the man muttered. Not all nobles have high mana reserves. It was like what the commoner lacked in background, he made it up with his reserves. There was only a single man in the conference room and there were only his mutterings that accompanied him. But his mutterings itself were insignificant to the sound of paper as he turned over the materials. That was when his eyes traveled over to the commoner¡¯s enrollment letter again. [Oh, I am pretty good at writing skills. Why? That¡¯s because I can solve magical problems¡­ but I am not good at practical skills and etiquette alike.] The man furrowed his brows. The commoner was naive. It was a claim that just because he can solve problems easily made him good in writing. But what else could the man expect from a worthless commoner? Most commoners could hardly read and write. The man¡¯s frown subsided as he realized the naivety of the commoners. The man throws the materials he has just finished looking at into the trash can and leaves the conference room. ¡®Trash¡¯ was the place that a commoner ought to be. No one wants a commoner to enroll in the academy. Thus the boy who is judged to only have high mana reserves could only be considered as fortunate to be getting a chance to be here. *** [The day of admission to the academy.] From the window of a carriage, a boy peaked out and glanced at the seemingly unusual destination. ¡°Coachman, what is that flat mountain?¡± The boy asked pointing up ahead. ¡°Yes!? Mountain!? What are you talking about, it¡¯s a castle wall!¡± the coachman shouted in a flustered state. ¡°Is it good?¡± the boy tilted his head to the side. But his question left the coachman troubled. ¡°In what country do residents don¡¯t know of walls¡­ oh¡­ that¡¯s right¡­ ¡° The carriage coachman appeared to be stupified as if he had given up. He remembered the place. The place where he had picked up the boy was so rural that he had thought that it was a different era. Rather, it was a mountain top clustered houses that couldn¡¯t even be called a village. The mountains were the geographical barriers unlike the man-made barriers that surrounded the city. Above all¡­ this boy was definitely different than the other students which the coachman had picked up in his line of duty. He was the only commoner who attended the Magic Academy, which was a hub for aristocrats. ¡°This place is called a city¡­ !¡± The boy didn¡¯t notice that the coachman was stupified¡­ He was thinking about life outside the village which was the place he was born. ¡°Over there, I¡¯m going to become a ¡®Wizard¡¯.¡± Volume 1 - CH 1 Arum from the countryside ¡°Hmm,¡± a black-haired boy stared at a map as he tilted his head to the side. It took him a while to realize that he had held the map upside down as he walked through the streets of Beralt. The city of Beralt. It was the place where Manalil¡¯s leading magic school was located. And that itself was enough to make it the second most important city after the royal capital. Many noble people have walked down these streets in their youngster years. But today, for the first time ever the streets were humiliated by the footsteps of a peasant. ¡°I thought everything would go smooth after I get inside¡­ but it¡¯s still a puzzle.¡± The black-haired boy found it hard to find his way. The wizards who would be bearing the future circle of nobility would be gathering in this city as students. Due to which the security was specifically very strict. When viewed from the outside the city is surrounded by a castle wall. The people who enter and exit the city are recorded in detail and the guards are very thorough with it. Not to mention that the process took a lot of time especially for the black-haired boy creating a heavy atmosphere between the guards and the boy. Their lack of trust on a peasant was clearly indicated by their sharp gazes. But inside, the craftsmen were proud to support the food. The clothing and shelter of the students were unexpectedly lively. Serving the nobility was like a great honor for them! Had they known that the black-haired boy was not nobility but a peasant, they too might have eyed him with suspicious gazes. It was only thanks to the good security that the residents of the city were lively and thriving. The air had a blossoming atmosphere. Not to mention that the landscape around the city had left room for nature to thrive making the place an untapped tourist resource! But even in such a comfy city, the peasant in the academy¡¯s uniform was at a loss for being unable to find the way to the academy. ¡°Which way should I go? This¡­ this city has too many roads!¡± The high-class uniform didn¡¯t look good on him, not to mention that he was a boy with a mediocre appearance except for his black hair. How could a uniform made for those glittering nobles ever be fit for a peasant like him? It could only be considered a disgrace. Beralt city itself was not too urbanized despite being the second most important city in the country. The reason? Not many people were allowed to live in the vicinity of the nobles. There were a lot of conditions to be fulfilled. Not to mention that lot of nature was allowed to thrive around the city to aid in the development of the wizards. But, a country bumpkin like the peasant got lost even in such a simplistic city as this. ¡®As expected of a peasant¡¯ was what most people would have claimed. ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­¡± The boy glared at the map he had received, but it doesn¡¯t make any sense to him because he didn¡¯t know his current location in the first place! He had wandered off into the city without paying any attention. The boy knew about the mountains of the countryside he used to live in. But he knew nothing about Beralt city. The boy¡¯s shifted from the map to a narrow road he was traversing. ¡°Let¡¯s follow this trail for the time being¡­¡± The boy had a mysterious conviction that if he moved along the road for the time being, he would reach his destination which caused him to move his legs. In other words, it was just a hunch. The road he was traversing isn¡¯t exactly the opposite direction to the Academy. But it was a narrow road that the people who lived there would never advice to take. But what could he do? The map in his hand had become a useless tool. ¡°Where are you going?¡± A feminine voice objected to his actions knowing that something was wrong. ¡°Huh?¡± The boy turned around to face the young girl of the same age who stood behind his back. The girl had the same uniform as his with the exception of trousers which were replaced by her skirt. But unlike the boy who looked completely out of place in the high-class uniform, the girl was wearing the uniform with the perfect fitting and her appearance and atmosphere gave her an elegant touch. ¡°Good morning,¡± the boy tried to do a curtsy bow but miserably failed. ¡°Good morning¡­ Fu Fu¡± From the girl¡¯s point of view, it was immediately apparent that the boy was not accustomed to being courteous and it was funny seeing him try to be courteous while not accustomed to it. But the boy tilted his head in confusion as he did not understand what the girl was laughing at. The girl continued. ¡°So what happened? Judging by that uniform you are a classmate right? Why are you heading there when you should enter the academy? The academy should be straight¡­¡± As the girl spoke she mysteriously stole a glance at the direction the boy was going. ¡®Is there something special there?¡¯ That was what she thought. But the boy¡¯s thoughts ran in a completely different direction. ¡®With this, it is proved that I don¡¯t have much of an intuition. But thankfully, I was lucky.¡¯ He was grateful to have met a gentle woman before he made a grave mistake on his first day in the city. ¡°Thank you. You saved me. I was lost¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If so. I¡¯m glad to hear from you. We would be competing with each other from now on.¡± ¡°Compete?¡± the boy had a stupefied expression. ¡®Not to learn?¡¯ That was what he wanted to say. But before he could voice it out, the girl already guessed his thoughts. ¡°Of course we will learn. But it¡¯s more accurate to say that we compete to understand about where we are going.¡± The wizards that come to study at the Beralt academy were all from prosperous families. If learning was their only goal why would they even bother to join the academy? Knowledge? They can buy as many books as they want. Practical Skills? They can hire private tutors for those kinds of things. The only reason why they come to the academy was thus to ¡®compete¡¯. But the black-haired who was told at his village that the academy was a place to learn to become a wizard had no idea what was going on. He didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind her words. In fact, this wasn¡¯t the only thing he was told. There was something else as well, that he was told firmly. ¡°Oh, sorry! I¡¯m late to introduce myself! I¡¯m Arum from Carrera. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The abrupt timing of the introduction stupefied the girl. [When you meet a classmate, say hello and give your name. Because, unlike our village, no one there knows about you.] The advice ringed in Arum¡¯s ears as he recalled his village, so he just put it into practice. But his abrupt introduction seemed to have broken the waist of the stupefied girl who stumbled upon hearing his words. The girl straightened up as she tried to get back her composure. ¡°So why is it right to compete? Isn¡¯t the academy all about learning?¡± the boy asked to clear off the awkward silence. The girl was even more concerned when Arum asked her this. ¡®Why doesn¡¯t he doesn¡¯t know even such simple things?¡¯ The weird atmosphere around Arum caused her to be on her guard. But as she took a glance at the guy she realized that Arum had no malicious intentions. He just wanted to hear the continuation of where they left. His eyes had no evil making his efforts sincere. That was when the girl remembered the name Carrera. Carrera was one of the countryside villages of the country. Surrounded by nature, this small village made a living from hunting and farming, and only the tax colletors visited this remote village. Perhaps the only person other than them who had visited the village was the messenger of the academy who had dropped by to deliver the school uniform to Arum. The girl¡¯s eyes widened in realization. It was only then that she was able to come on tabs with his unusual self-introduction and his own effort to firmly identify himself as the person she had met for the first time. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­ No need to be sorry.¡± The girl claimed finally snapping back to reality. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I was late to introduce myself too. My name is Misty Tren Caesius¡± A bewildered expression dawned on Arum¡¯s face. ¡°Are you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes,¡± The girl replied without even letting him complete thinking that she had guessed his thoughts. After all, the family of Caesius was famous. They are a family of wizards who are good at water-based magic, and is active in various fields, including researchers and military arts, as well as artists who also work on ice sculptures with their delicate control. The family has produced excellent wizards for generations and is a well-known family. There was hardly anyone who aimed to be a wizard and didn¡¯t know of their name. Misty believed that Arum¡¯s stupified expression was a cause of learning that she belonged to that family. She was the second daughter of the family and although she does not have the qualifications to become the owner, she is a talented woman who has scored top class ranks in both mana reserves and practical skills. Not to mention that even her writing was a little above average. One must note, most people in this world could not write. As such being average in writing could be considered a great feat! ¡®Even he knows?¡¯ Misty was surprised for a moment that her family name was known was even in the countryside, which seems to have nothing to do with magic. ¡®He wants to be a wizard. So it¡¯s only natural that he knows about it,¡¯ Misty thought. But what happened next made her think if she was a fool! ¡°Are you¡­ an aristocrat?¡± ¡°What?¡± Misty cried in surprise. This wasn¡¯t certainly the kind of response she was expecting. Her assumptions and reality seemed to be incoherent to each other. Meanwhile, Misty¡¯s shocked expression caused Arum to be confused. ¡°Well, are you not?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes? Yes¡­ that¡¯s right¡­ I belong to an aristocrat lineage.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure why she was even asked such a question in such a place. But she seemed to have given up. ¡°Oh, I had my guesses when I realized that you have quite a long name. It¡¯s my first time meeting a noble. I think I will brag about it once I get home.¡± Family names were something reserved only for the nobles as such it wasn¡¯t a surprise that Misty had a long name. Misty held onto her forehead. ¡®I guess I had got used to people changing their attitude towards me when they learn of my family name.¡¯ Misty was worried that Arun¡¯s frank attitude would change after she gave out her name from her childhood experiences. But she was worried for naught. Arum might be impressed by her knowing that she was an aristocrat, but his attitude remained the same. ¡°Well then, I want you to see if my uniform is okay. These kinds of uniforms are only worn by aristocrat people so I didn¡¯t know if there was something wrong with the way I wore it. You are a nobility, right? So you should know if there is something wrong?¡± ¡°Yes? Yeah¡­ There is nothing wrong about it.¡± Misty was amazed yet again. She wasn¡¯t expecting such kind of casual behavior. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. I was a little unsure but I am saved. I tried to wear it as I was told but no one in the village knew the right way to wear it. They were all equally confused.¡± Arum stroked his chest as if he was relieved. Misty just stared at him, clueless as to what she was supposed to make out of the previous exchange. But seeing her stare at him made the boy conscious. ¡°What? Is it strange?¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s really okay! It suits you well.¡± ¡°Please, that must be a lie¡­¡± Whether it was a lie or not? Misty didn¡¯t know. She said so without even thinking. A nobility like her was taught to respect the dressing sense of her company no matter what they wore. Opinions don¡¯t matter, it was basic courtesy. And before she knew it, she had unconsciously stopped to even check out the outfits before complimenting on them. But Arum¡¯s sudden remark as if brought her back to the world. A ¡®lie¡¯ that was seen through caused her to be plagued by guilt. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the case!¡± She denied it in a last-ditch effort. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry ¡­ I already know. The villagers have already told me.¡± Arum said as his shoulders drooped. ¡®What did they tell you?¡¯ was what she wanted to ask. But she swallowed her own words in guilt. Melty was a little worried as to what it was that they had told him that caused him to react in such a way. She chose to change the topic instead. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. If you¡¯re lenient, you¡¯ll be late.¡± ¡°Oh, sure¡± When she urged him to make haste, Arum walked next to Misty without any concern. On the way, Misty glanced at Arum, and at the same time Arum also stared at Misty. ¡°What?¡± Misty asked a little flustered. ¡°No, I thought Misty looks good in her uniform¡­ I wonder what¡¯s the difference¡­¡± Arum compared the uniform on him with Misty¡¯s. Even if he did that there was no difference other than his trousers and her skirt. ¡°You don¡¯t read the air do you¡­¡± Misty was troubled. She felt that it was rude to stare at someone with such a serious expression. Volume 1 - CH 2 Distance between them ¡°Arum san is a commoner isn¡¯t he?¡± Misty asked, poking her cheek. ¡°Ah, yes!¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you were able to get admission. Since normally only nobles can enter the Beralt School of Magic.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because I had a master.¡± ¡°Master?¡± Evelyn tilted her head in confusion. But when Arum was faced with that question he smiled happily. Misty was a little fascinated by the unexpected bright smile of Arum that seemed to be akin to that of a child about to brag about his toys. ¡°Yes, she seemed to have traveled a lot but he taught me magic when she came to Carrera about 10 years ago and said she wanted me to become a wizard.¡± Misty held onto her chin in thought. ¡°So, there was such a person¡­¡± ¡°I remember jumping around her whenever she came to the village with a big wand in hand and her body covered in a hood.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s ¡­¡± Misty was able to discern what kind of wizard she was. ¡®She is either someone who is not blessed with children or who could not inherit the magic of her clan.¡¯ The world was a cruel place even among the nobility. There were many who were dubbed as trash. A black sheep in the name of the family. Many wizards have clan specific magic that the house inherits. It was the privilege of the house and the crystallization of their long history. Unlike the magic that one learns and acquires themselves this was a trump card that could only be acquired with their bloodline as the key. And conversely, there were many trash sons and daughters who could not inherit the clan¡¯s bloodline ability. They are treated as black sheep who are not a part of the clan. Or would it be better to say that they were not suitable to be one? They are branded as a shame to the name of the house and are kicked out of the house. Sometimes they don¡¯t get rid of them but there was nothing good with that either; it was like a life long sentence as a tool used by the possessors of bloodline magic. No one can understand the plight they go through. Only the victims know of the cruelty of the world. There are also those who are not blessed with children. Branded as ¡®infertile¡¯ they are doomed for a life of shame. Not to mention that the clan slowly dies down as there is no one to inherit. But, there are records of such people resorting to adopting a child. Lucky or Unlucky? Only they themselves knew. Perhaps because of such precedent the cornered wizard branded as ¡®infertile¡¯ goes on a journey to find their miraculous adopted child. Misty knew quite a few wizards who had to go through this misfortune because they were quite well known due to their achievements. ¡°Do you know who that person is?¡± Misty asked. ¡°Ah, even if I ask the master for a name. Master refused me to tell any. I used to call that person master so everyone in the village followed after me and called her master too.¡± ¡°Oh, looks like you received quite a bit of help.¡± Misty nodded. ¡°Oh, Master came to the village once a week for some reason. If my teacher didn¡¯t help me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get admission here. So I¡¯m indeed grateful.¡± Arum had no way of knowing what kind of person his master was. But the person who he calls master was like a shining star in his life just like the blooming smile that he had on his face. The society had quite a disparity. The have nots had nothing while the nobles had it all. Even if a peasant had talent he couldn¡¯t learn magic because they didn¡¯t have the opportunity and money to learn. Only aristocrats can be wizards. For Arum, it was a turning point in his life and memory that he wanted to share with everybody because he knew that it was his master that gave him the opportunity to study here. ¡°By the way, there is a rumor floating around Carrera recently.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Arum tilted his head in worry. How come he himself didn¡¯t know about a rumor regarding his own village? As they came closer to the academy Misty suddenly remembered a rumor and told Arum about it. ¡° ¡®A tower of light is erected in the middle of the mountains¡¯ that¡¯s what I heard,¡± Misty continued. ¡°Is there any such event that takes place in the village?¡± It¡¯s was a strange rumor that floated a while ago. A rumor basked in mystery. Around dawn, a mysterious tower of light stands tall in the Carrera Forest. But, The tax Lords who went to the village for tax collection all refused such claims. [I never saw such a thing.] was what they claimed. So it was soon concluded that it was just a false rumor¡­ a hoax that shed Carrera, which had nothing to do with reality. It was most certainly an aim to attract tourist to the village and empty their pockets. A scam. So Misty couldn¡¯t help but remember about the rumor once she heard of Carrera¡¯s name from Arum. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± But Arum suddenly became silent. His face became stiff refusing to move. Misty had brought out the topic as a casual thing to chat on. But it seemed to create a heavy atmosphere between them. ¡°Arum-san?¡± Misty poked Arum and called him causing him to snap back to reality. It was only then that his mouth began to move. ¡°No, I think it is just a baseless rumor. We don¡¯t even have any harvest festival let alone doing such an extravagant thing. Not to mention that no one in our village can use any magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡®There seems to be something wrong,¡¯ Misty thought as glanced at Arum. But she immediately dropped the topic since the rumor was denied by the very people who lived there. Misty doesn¡¯t have a hobby to pester someone when they don¡¯t want to say something about their personal life. But for some reason Arum moves awkwardly as his body shivered. ¡°Arum-san, Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°That¡­ something tickles¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Misty tilts her head without knowing what Arum wanted to say. ¡°Being referred to as ¡®san¡¯ by an aristocrat when I am just a commoner is a little¡­¡± Arum was a peasant. In the circle of nobility there was no respect for a peasant like him let alone doing formalities. As time passed by, peasants got used to such a treatment. And now? They felt more awkward if they were treated with respect rather than as trash. Misty didn¡¯t care at all. But it seemed to be a problem for Arum. Indeed, he looked embarrassed by how the situation went. ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Misty tried to say that he didn¡¯t have to worry about that but she was cut off in between. ¡°Well. Can I call you Misty?¡± Arum asked. But Misty¡¯s body shook in shock. In the circle of nobility, dropping formalities was an act of disrespect. No one had called her in such a manner in her entire life. ¡°Ah sorry if it offended you. It just sounded easy to call you that. Welp, then I will call you Misty¡­ san¡± On the other hand commoners had quite the opposite ways. They never used formalities. That was why Arum felt awkward when Misty greeted him formally. Not to mention that Arum felt awkward to use formal speech himself as well. The difference between the peasants and nobles was becoming apparent. The difference between the wild and the ones that carried themselves with etiquette was apparent. Misty seemed dissatisfied by the turn of events. It was clearly apparent on her easy to read moody face. Her beauty and cuteness didn¡¯t change even with such a face but it was a matter of life and death for Arum. Misty bore a tight lipped smile. From his past experiences with his sister, who was also his parent, Arum knew that his situation gets terrible whenever he angers a woman. It was almost a rule. Whenever his sister got angry the dinner for the day disappeared. Not only that! Whenever Arum angered his master, she didn¡¯t talk to him for quite a while stalling his studies. Thus, a tight-lipped smiling woman was the biggest fear of Arum. ¡°If so, let me call you Arum.¡± Arum¡¯s proposal was blatantly refused by Misty even though it wasn¡¯t normal for her to do so. Misty¡¯s earlier grumpiness had been because of her own commitment, and Arum wasn¡¯t at fault. She hates getting overly friendly with people. It is just a difference in how they called each other. But Misty was dissatisfied earlier that the first sense of distance between them seemed to have opened up. ¡®But since things have progressed so far, there was no point in turning back.¡¯ ¡°Eh, but¡­¡± Arum rebuked. ¡°You¡¯re Arum. And I¡¯m Misty. Is that clear?¡± Misty spoke with a lovely smile. However, Arum felt pressure from that smile. Arum knew that it was better to not go against that smile. ¡°¡­ Yes¡± His counter argument never left his mouth. It retracted at the back of his throat. Because Misty¡¯s smile was the same smile as the ones given off by those two woman who he had angered in the past. His master and his sister. ¡°Oh but I feel relieved with the formalities dropped.¡± The ticklish feeling that Arum was feeling had stopped. Now he could converse more freely. ¡°FuFu. What¡¯s that? You are a weird person.¡± Misty smiles as she saw Arum muttering as if he was relieved. This time it was a natural smile without the killing intent along with it. Volume 1 - CH 3 Who cares? When Arum and Misty arrived at the academy several people had already gathered in front of the school gate. The uniforms of the different grades of Beralt Academy were slightly different for each grade. Thus it was not hard to distinguish a fresher from a sophomore. It was easy for Misty to discern that all the students gathered here indeed had the same uniform; they were all freshers. All of them had accumulated at the same place to attend the ceremony. The gate marked the location and the start time of the auditorium where the entrance ceremony was held. ¡°Big¡­¡± That was what Arum¡¯s heart said as his eyes widened in awe at the mysterious majesty of the place where he stood. For a country bumpkin like him, it was indeed a sight to behold, a structure that spoke of the strength of man. Arum kept looking at the walls that continued sideways, altering left and right. All the while he wondered how long this wall would continue. ¡°It seems that we still have a lot of time,¡± Misty interjected, bringing him back to reality. ¡°Yeah, what was the point of being in a hurry like that?¡± Arum recalled how he was panic-stricken in a hurry and tried to take the wrong route in an attempt to reach the academy. ¡°Yes, the number of students that have arrived still seems to be sparse than what we were supposed to have.¡± Noble houses range from busy homes to leisure homes. They come in all varieties and all shapes and sizes. Keeping some of the nobles¡¯ leisurely lives into consideration the ceremony time was postponed to a much later hour. And Arum and Misty seemed to be the upright ones who had come at the previously determined time forsaking their laziness. But Arum, who didn¡¯t know how the nobility worked, could only feel deceived. ¡®I was told that the meet would happen in the morning but the time written in the guide is that of noon. How is this fair?¡¯ Arum glanced around as he glanced and took a look at his classmates who had already arrived. That was when he saw a boy walking up to them. ¡°Isn¡¯t it Misty-san?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± It seemed that one of the fellow students knew Misty and walked here. When they came in front of them, the boy bowed a little. ¡°I¡¯m Lux Orrick. I believe that our parents are acquainted with each other.¡± ¡°Oh! The Orrick family. It was my first time talking to you, my name is Misty Tran Caesius.¡± Misty also took a curtsy bow in a way of greeting him. Meanwhile, Arum¡¯s eyes traveled over the boy. Lux too finally noticed Arum. Lux was a blonde boy as tall as Arum, with a gentle expression on his face. It had a nice and smooth face with an even smoother nose bridge, big eyes, and neutrality in his demeanor. ¡®He is a pretty boy. I have never seen anyone like him back at my village,¡¯ Arum thought. To the current Arum who had grown up watching rugged men who lived their life hunting in the forest, Lux appeared to be quite feminine in appearance. But there was no femininity in his behavior, not to mention that he had a solid posture. ¡°Who is this?¡± Lux asked. Lux turned to Misty and asked for a referral. It was disrespectful but he didn¡¯t believe that Arum was an important figure. He had never seen him before. ¡°It¡¯s Arum for Carrera.¡± But Before Misty could reply Arum formulated a suitable reply. This was because he adhered to the advice of the villagers to introduce himself whenever he met someone new. ¡°Arum¡­ sorry, what¡¯s your family name?¡± Arum shook his head. ¡°I am a commoner, I don¡¯t have a family name.¡± ¡°¡­ commoner?¡± Lux was stupefied learning of Arum¡¯s true identity. But after learning of it Lux¡¯s gentle expression disappeared into thin air. ¡®I wonder if other fellow students also heard it?¡¯ Arum thought. Arum felt that the gazes of multiple people were on him at the moment. They had all turned their attention onto him, making him in the limelight of several gases. Lux got back his composure as he continued. ¡°¡­ is that so?¡± he held onto his chin, ¡°I had heard that one of the students this year would be a commoner. Is that really you?¡± ¡°One of the students?¡± Arum squinted his eyes. But Lux laughed it off. ¡°Of course, usually only nobles can be wizards. Commoner has no place here.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I have heard that¡­ I see¡­ I¡¯m alone then?¡± Seeing the expression that Arum adorned, Lux couldn¡¯t help but bloom into a smile. The feelings that run through your heart when you are isolated. The feelings that run rampant in your heart when you realize that there is no one there for you. It is not easy to bear. Lux knew it well. ¡°You won¡¯t be disheartened and drop out will you?¡± Lux saw Arum with a gaze filled with pity. But in his darkest heart, a devilish smile had resurfaced. Lux kept muttering bullshit while looking into the distance with a keen eye. But unlike what he had thought his muttering was turned to a deaf ear. ¡°No, why would I? I was just thinking that I am luckier than I expected.¡± Arum claimed with a blooming smile. ¡°Lucky?¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s because I got the chance to prove that even a commoner can be a wizard. There is nothing special about nobles.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Lux cried. Arum¡¯s statement couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. It was as if a declaration of war. A disgrace in the face of nobles. It was as if he was saying that nobles had no special talents. The arrogance that Arum bore got on Lux¡¯s nerves. But that was not the case. Arum was not arrogant, in fact far from it. Arum always believed that it was unusual for him to meet his master and it could only be described as a work of fate. A sense of gratitude always adorned his beautiful heart. ¡®Thank you for everything. If not for you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to become the man I dreamed to be.¡¯ Arum thought. Lux nodded with a frown on his forehead. ¡°Looks like you have quite a bit of confidence.¡± He replaced the word ¡®Arrogance¡¯ with ¡®Confidence¡¯ in his speech. Such was the way of the nobles. Always talking in circles to maintain their dignity. ¡°Confidence?¡± But Arun shook his head denying his claim. His response was indeed unpleasant to the recipient, Lux. He was an eyesore to Lux. And the eyes with which he glared at Arum already seemed to be cold. ¡°I¡¯m sorry then, Arum.¡± Lux shrugged. ¡°I have something to talk to Misty- san, could you excuse us a little?¡± Lux¡¯s face quickly returned to a peaceful look, mixed with unfriendly emotions. His intentions were easy to understand. He wanted Arum to leave the seat for him. Lux didn¡¯t believe that a commoner like Arum deserved to sit beside Misty who was from a renowned noble lineage. ¡°Oops, is that so?¡± Arum stuck out his tongue. ¡°Then, I am going elsewhere.¡± But as Arum left, Misty turned to him with a look of conflict in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s okay. There might be a lot of things in your conversation that I won¡¯t even understand.¡± Arum didn¡¯t care about the appearance of Lux. He was thankful to Misty but he didn¡¯t care about her business either. Arum believed that the talk between two nobles would be irrelevant to him. ¡°Oh, Arum¡­¡± ¡°Now, Misty- san. Let us introduce ourselves to the other people over there.¡± Lux knew how to play his cards. When a group of nobles introduces themselves together it is usually believed that they share similar beliefs and objectives. Thus, such an approach would only uplift his position in the circle of nobility. But Misty thought otherwise. ¡°Well then, with Arum¡­¡± Lux frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? You don¡¯t have to worry about me,¡± but Arum rebuked. Arum refuses her. Arum firmly believed that he could hold his own ground and introduce himself when needed. He doesn¡¯t need a woman to shield him. But such a response from Arum was misunderstood by the other nobles present. ¡°So he knows what his position is, damn commoner. Ha Ha,¡± such were the whispers that reached Arum¡¯s ears. Lux had also reached the same conclusion but he was a little skeptical since he was facing Arum himself and his attitude looked far from submissive. ¡°See you again, Misty.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ again.¡± Misty waved a little. As Arum passed through the gate of the academy, he turned back to Misty as he smiled and waved back too. Arum did not notice that Lux was looking back at him as well with a frown on his face. ¡°Now, let¡¯s learn this place from one end,¡± Arum whispered to himself. ¡°I cannot afford to get lost anymore.¡± Arum overlooks the academy without showing any signs of regret about parting. Perhaps because he was lost in the city a while ago, he was enthusiastic not to get lost in the academy at the very least. ¡°If I get lost in school, I may not always meet a kind person like Misty¡­ Oh, I want to use magic quickly! What kind of magic would everyone use?¡± As Arum was lost in his own world of thought he strode through the academy as if he were sightseeing. Arum didn¡¯t care that he was treated coldly by Aristocrats. Arum only looks forward to his future school life. He spoke of his desire to use magic quickly time and time again as if he was addicted to the very essence of magic. For Arum, this was a paradise. Yes, it was a paradise. It might have been riddled with many demons and satans in the form of nobles but that didn¡¯t matter to him at all! Unlike the nobles, he had not come to the academy to build connections but to learn magic instead. The only wizard Arum knew was his master. He recalled how fun it was to see him chant those spells. His eyes glistened like a child budding up. It hoped that the contents of a picture book would become a reality. It was a school of magic. A school that meets his expectations. But perhaps he would soon realize that, unlike the picture books, good doesn¡¯t always triumph over evil. Volume 1 - CH 4 During the walk ¡°It really is big¡­¡± Although Arum was walking through the academy at a slow pace, he could not tell which building was what kind of facility just by looking from the outside. Arum turned to his booklet as his eyes traveled across the guide of the Academy. It was the same guide that the academy¡¯s envoy had left on him when they came to Carrera. Nobles whose fathers and forefathers had attended the academy never needed such guides. But alas! Arum was helpless against his fate. He had only the guide to follow and even that was just a futile preview. According to the guide, there are six different buildings for the training of practical skills at the main branch. There was also a library that was off-limits at this hour on the third floor of the same building, a canteen room that seemed more like a dining plaza, an auditorium room where the entrance ceremony would be held, and a courtyard at the dead center that spanned across wide adding to the beauty of the academy with its exorbitant fountains and sculptures. There was also a large communal bath and a botanical garden. The size of the school alone was enough to exceed the village of Carrera where Arum lived. Of course, there were more buildings that Arum had no idea of even with the aid of the guide. But alas, he could only bear with his curiosity as there was no one else to help him figure it out. Arum shook his head. ¡°No the village should have been bigger in size at least¡­¡± A strange sense of rivalry grew in Arum as he compared the village with his school. He wasn¡¯t willing to accept that his village lost in size at all! No matter how beautiful a foreign land might be it can never compare with your homeland. That was what Arum believed. But you could only expect so much from a hunting village in the countryside. ¡°Even so, why are there so many buildings for building practical skills?¡± Arum thought. There were two buildings that Arum couldn¡¯t wrap his head around. The first was the building for practical skill training. He was more concerned about its size rather than its use. ¡®Practical skills might be important. But there are too many of them here. Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a magic school?¡¯ Arum felt incongruity in the perfect school that he had imagined. As he glanced at the surrounding walls it was impossible for the building for practical skill to be a small one. The school had three grades. But there were not many students in it due to the tough selection procedure and the frequent dropout rates. Then how could there be such a large area dedicated to practical skills alone? ¡®Does that means that there are a lot of practical lessons?¡¯ Arum thought. And the second one that he couldn¡¯t come to tabs with was the communal bath. It was the facility that bothered Arum the most when he read its information. ¡°What is a communal bath¡­?¡± Arum didn¡¯t know what a communal bath meant in the first place. Being from a commoner background that was dilemmas he faced. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± As Arum wandered off lost in thought someone called out to him. ¡°Hmmm?¡± Arum turned around and found a man standing there. With a long beard and messy hair, he had an unkempt appearance. The man was tall but with the dark circles in his eyes and the lack of etiquette in dressing he had a dull appearance. The man stared at Arum¡¯s face for a long time as he creased his brows. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen your face before here. Are you a fresher?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Arum nodded. ¡°There is no need to go in there yet. After the ceremony is over our personnel would guide you through the academy.¡± ¡°I am sorry but I want to take a look. I would be back soon.¡± The stubble man raised his brows. There seemed to be no filter in Arum¡¯s words. He seemed to speak what he thought. There was no fear and no anxiousness in his voice unlike some who have butterflies in their stomach when going through a new experience. ¡®He seems to be always clear about what he wants to do. He is bluntly honest. Arrogant even.¡¯ Under the old man¡¯s experienced gaze that was accumulated through years of experience, he was able to discern Arum¡¯s personality to a certain extent at the very first glance. The strange attitude that was unheard of made the man suspicious of Arum. ¡°YOu are bluntly honest¡± ¡°Well, is there any problem if I speak the truth. I like to speak my mind.¡± Ir was the first time that Arum saw someone frown upon getting honest replies. Little did Arum know that in the circle of nobility deceit was as usual as breathing. ¡°No,¡± the man shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s good, to be honest. Speaking of which, what is your house?¡± ¡°House?¡± Arum didn¡¯t understand why he was being asked that. He didn¡¯t know that nobles judges positions based on such names. ¡®Speaking of which, Sister¡¯s church had always been my home. But is that the house that this man is referring to?¡¯ ¡°I am asking for your title. The name of your house.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Arum finally realized what he was being asked. But he had no answer anyway. ¡°Since I am a commoner. I don¡¯t have a house.¡± ¡°Ah? Commoner?¡± the man squinted his brows. ¡°My name is Arum from Carrera.¡± Carrera. The stubble man remembered the name. It was the birthplace of the commoner who was the topic of discussion two months ago. The fact that Arum was among the freshmen this year meant that he was the same commoner that was being frowned upon. The old man remembered that Arum only had a large mana capacity but his practical skill of evaluated as a complete NIL. But for whatever reason, the student passed the admission criteria anyway. ¡°Well, I wish you luck for your hard time in the academy in the coming year in advance.¡± ¡°Same here. I thank you for your support to us in the next three years, teacher.¡± ¡°Welcome,¡± the man spoke in pride. The man turned around to leave the place since he had nothing to talk about anymore. Even a casual parting greeting couldn¡¯t adorn his lips. ¡®Even though the commoner was able to enter the school, I don¡¯t expect anything from peasants. The imbalance in him with the practical skills at the bottom and the magical skills at the very top was indeed interesting to behold and never seen before. But it is only interesting. There was no value in it.¡¯ ¡®You can never be a wizard with mana capacity alone.¡¯ The long history of magic had already screened out the good bloodlines from the bad ones. It was a process of natural selection. The ones who were deemed to qualify as wizards were already at the top with no questions asked. In today¡¯s era, a noble just had to study and procreate to continue their lineage and to preserve their magic and bloodline abilities. Even if a commoner with a little magical power is born, it makes no difference. They are doomed to live a life of worthlessness just like the others. ¡®Congratulations on the fact that you are even thinking of staying here for the next three years,¡¯ the man smirked looking down upon the boy. But the man notices a sense of incongruity. It was then that he turned around and watched Arum enter through the gate as instructed. ¡°Wait a minute! How do you know that I am a teacher?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Many people mistakenly end up with the conclusion that he was a commoner for chors because of his appearance. The beard and hair that are always left unattended because they are troublesome seem to help him to hide his actual abilities. And every year a fresh or two would have their jaw slacking after knowing that he was an aristocrat instead. It was common for these haughty nobles to pick up a fight with him due to their arrogance. And it was his secret pleasure to remind them of their difference in abilities. However, Arum in front of him seemed to be convinced that he was a teacher. ¡°That¡¯s because your magical power was sealed.¡± ¡°¡­ What!¡± ¡°My master also used to walk around sealing her mana. So I felt that every teacher had a habit of sealing their magical powers.¡¯ Arum had a hunch but his hunch was not far away from reality. Wizards are beings that always leak mana from their bodies. This was common not only for wizards but for everything that had magical powers in it. And it was one of the reasons why there was more mana in places with a lot of nature. Normally it is never a problem. But it was a problem for those wizards who had high levels of mana capacities. Their mana which was stronger than others could be detected giving away their whereabouts. It is hard to pinpoint a specific tree in the forest, but what if the tree is several times the size of the regular trees? That was the dilemma of such wizards. There was also the existence of spells that aided in picking up information on magical powers and if the magical power was used in an easy-to-understand way not only the location but also the nature of the spell used could be easily discerned. Thus, a powerful wizard defends himself from such detection by controlling the mana so that the information is not leaked. That was the technique of ¡°sealing¡±. ¡°You are correct. I am a teacher. But it¡¯s a big mistake to assume anyone who is a teacher would have their mana sealed. Many teachers don¡¯t prefer to seal their mana at all.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± The man nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you. You can leave now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This time Arum walked away. The man saw kept his eyes on his leaving visage. ¡°Hey, wait a minute! The gate isn¡¯t there! It¡¯s over there!¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Arum was completely walking in the wrong direction. So the teacher had no choice but to call him again. When the man pointed in the direction of the gate Arum apologize and stormed off in the direction of the gate. ¡°Hmmm¡­ it seems he has some talent.¡± The man shook his head. ¡°No, he has no talent since he can¡¯t practice magic.¡± In the previous evaluation, the man changed his view of Arum from useless to interesting. But he was only so- so. There was no hope for him. The man walked away but suddenly a thought came to his mind as he remembered Arum¡¯s application. ¡°Wait? Wasn¡¯t he the commoner that only had a high mana reserve?¡± ¡°Then why ¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t feel anything?¡± Volume 1 - CH 5 Hostility from the nobles ¡°I messed up¡± Arum cussed himself realizing his own foolishness. He was about to get lost again if not for the teacher who showed him the way. Arum drooped his shoulders and returned back to the gate of the entrance ceremony. ¡®Come to think of it, I am not enrolled yet,¡¯ Arum thought. The earlier meeting with the teacher and his disdain for him had made him realize that they did not like his presence. ¡®After all, I am an outsider and not a student yet. It would only be natural for us to be guided inside only after the enrollment ceremony is over.¡¯ Arum failed to realize that the earlier disdain was not for him being a fresher wandering off rather it was for him being a commoner. ¡°Oh, so is that the reason why everyone was waiting in front of the gate?¡± Arum regrets not thinking this beforehand. He believed that this was the reason why the other nobles were waiting in front of the gate. ¡®They must have been considerate of their own academy.¡¯ ¡®Certainly, when new students wander around they need extra eyes to look after them. That would only bother them who are already busy managing the academy.¡¯ But Arum cussed himself in embarrassment. The nobles who were in the front of the gate were able to restrain themselves unlike him who could not hide his inner excitement. But alas! With his little knowledge of the circle of nobility, he could only jump to the wrong conclusions. The chief objective of the nobles was not sightseeing an academy that they had already seen many times before and would keep seeing every day. But it was building good connections with the other nobles even before the inauguration begins. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­¡± ¡®Actually, it doesn¡¯t really matter but it¡¯s quite unusual indeed.¡¯ When Arum came back near the gate, the nobles seemed to continue their conversation paying no heed to him. What was even more unusual was that they had moved to the edges so as to not to be overheard by the others. Arum could only wonder what kind of conversation they had. He was curious but he chose not to ask anyone since he was already driven away once. Arum stood in absolute silence as he began overhearing some conversations. ¡°Lake Miller seems to be particularly active this year, so I would love to visit your place.¡± ¡°Please let me invite you then.¡± ¡°I heard that the number of beasts has decreased sharply this year in that area. The power of the Trapel family is indeed a gift from the heavens!¡± ¡°I am honored to be complimented.¡± It was Arum had suspected. He understood none of it. The conversations full of flattery and lies could only make him frown. His face distorted as he covered his ears instinctively. ¡°Arum¡­?¡± ¡°Ah what?¡± Misty was the first to notice Arum¡¯s return. The nobles were seemingly having a peaceful conversation full of flattery but that wasn¡¯t enough to keep her attention. Misty¡¯s voice interrupted the conversation as Lux and the others turned to Arum. One person even spilled his drink when he saw Arum. ¡°¡­ What are you doing?¡± At the end of their line of sight, there was the figure of Arum that covered both of his ears with both of his hands. He had a posture that doesn¡¯t make sense in such a public get-together. The noble¡¯s evaluation of Arum changed from a commoner to that of a strange commoner. Their judging eyes could only do so good. ¡°Oh, Misty!¡± Misty rushes to see the reason behind Arum doing such a mysterious thing. After all, they were in a magic school where people who use different forms of magic gather. Misty was genuinely worried that some kind of vicious spell was cast on the poor boy with someone toying him as he was a commoner. ¡°Arum¡± Misty stood in front of him calling out to him as her voice shook in worry. As Arum was brought back to reality he let go of his ear as he smiled wryly. ¡°Misty, did your conversation with the other nobles end?¡± ¡°Yes, it did. Are you okay?¡± ¡®Why? What would happen to me?¡¯ Arum thought. Misty placed her hand on her chest as she gazed at Arum who seemed to have no idea what she was worried about. ¡®You have no idea Arum, how dangerous this place is for you.¡¯ ¡°Why won¡¯t I be okay?¡± Arum had no backer, no family to rely on in times of danger. This place could very much result in his worst trauma. Seeing Arum¡¯s expression Misty continued. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it if you are perfectly fine. So, what were you doing just now?¡± ¡°I was taking a walk and I was told not to go in there yet. I thought I will look around elsewhere. But I didn¡¯t know where to go and so I came back.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ that¡¯s not what I was talking about¡­. Why did you block your ears?¡± Arum paused. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you guys tell me to leave a while ago? Since you guys had something important to discuss. But when I am here I can¡¯t help but overhear. Now I can¡¯t be shameless here can I?¡± Misty was stunned by Arum¡¯s words. ¡®Are you aware that you had been driven away instead of being asked to leave? Or you unaware of it?¡¯ Arum¡¯s words that were mostly true and had a tinge of arrogance that seemed to bother with the kids around had indeed caught Misty off guard. Arum willing scoffed off the fact that he was driven away as if he had gone away on his own accord. No one could control his actions There was a sense of maturity in his words, only if one were to judge its inner implications. ¡°Fufufufu!¡± Misty laughed covering her mouth with her palm. Arum smirked. ¡°Did I stay something strange?¡± Misty was amazed by the misaligned words and the underlying implications ¡°No, of course not. It¡¯s can never be strange.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­.¡± Even if he was reassured, Arum began to seriously wonder why he was laughed at. Misty smiled again as she saw Arum holding onto his chin. But soon a shadow walked past her and cut in between both of them. ¡°Hi, Arum¡± ¡°Oh, Lux welcome back.¡± Lux nodded. ¡°I see. I know your malicious intentions. You are trying to get on the good side of Misty aren¡¯t you?¡± Watching Misty smile, that was the conclusion that Lux had ended up with, ¡°¡­ Are you trying to take advantage of her kindness?¡± Lux didn¡¯t try to hide his hostility against Arum this time. Arum also changed his expression to a grim one as he noticed that Lux was not friendly anymore. But this time, Misty chose to be on his side, unlike before. Arum no longer had to comfront him alone. ¡°Is that an insult to me?¡± Misty rebuked. It was clear as a day that Misty was on friendly terms with Arum. As such Lux coming in between them could be a grave insult. Had Arum not been a petty commoner Lux might had have to face the consequences. But fortunately, Arum was a commoner. The worth of a commoner was nothing in the face of a noble. ¡°It¡¯s sad that you take my goodwill that way. I was just warning you of a pickpocket.¡± Misty greeted her teeth. ¡°Are you going to keep insulting?¡± ¡°He is a commoner and we are aristocratic nobles. There is a difference in positions between us. Isn¡¯t it unnatural for you to side with him against us?¡± Lux shrugged as if he had said the most obvious thing. ¡°We are going to compete at the same school. There is no difference in our positions!¡± Misty glared at Lux with a piercing gaze. The air between them became heavy. There was no sense of fellowship between the nobles. It was all but mind games. But a noble might have a lot of enemies around. And even now a gap between two nobles was about to be formed. Sparks flew in the air as the mana in their bodies got intense. ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± Arum intervented between them as if stopping two kids from fighting. He broke in without any care of the heavy atmosphere and mana in the air. His look turned serious as it pierced both of them. One might have called the atmosphere till now as one filled with anger but now it had turned to one with animosity as the tension sharpened further. Both of them were unaware if Arum knew of the implications of what was happening. But they both saw Arum holding onto his chin for a moment and then he slowly spoke. ¡°Why are the two of you fighting?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why are the two of you fighting?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± As usual Arum¡¯s mature remark had caught all the people on the stage off guard. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know what the reason was. He himself had seen everything. But Arum believed that it was not a reason fitting enough for nobles to fight over. The mana and tension in the air that existed till now disappeared into thin air as they were stupified with Arum¡¯s remark. ¡®Is he a cretin?¡¯ Lux thought But Misty thought otherwise as she knew what Arum was like. She smiled and dropped her shoulders in dismay. ¡°Arum, don¡¯t be so dull.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But Misty at least you don¡¯t need to get so angry. It¡¯s an unimportant matter.¡± ¡°Why? Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t feel alienated when she sees her friend getting insulted? Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t get angry?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Arum¡¯s eyes widened. Arum had never thought Misty considered him to be a friend. After all, she was a noble. If at all, Arum was going to brag in his village that he had met someone like her. Misty knew why Arum reacted in such a manner but she chose to keep silent. Arum too finally realized his folly and held back his mouth but it was too late. It was also at that moment that the misunderstanding between them was cleared. ¡°¡­ Arum you are unexpectedly a heartless person aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No. No¡± Arum shook his head. ¡°I was just surprised. I was just surprised. I¡¯m a commoner, so I don¡¯t think that Misty would claim something like that¡­¡± Arum didn¡¯t believe in his inability for being a commoner. But he too was aware that the nobles and the peasants had different social circles. They don¡¯t go well with each other. Arum realized that he had angered Misty twice. Both on the way to the Academy and now too, even though they had just met. It was more problematic for Arum to offend women than to be glared at by aristocrats. Arum had his own harsh experiences. He knew that there was the double pain of counterattack from the woman and also of guilt in himself in case he had really done something wrong. That is why he chose to be careful around women. ¡°Okay, I am glad that MIsty got angry with me. Thank you.¡± Arum chose the easy escape. ¡°Hope you understand.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have to get angry the next time. I can manage.¡± But that didn¡¯t do a good work of changin Misty¡¯s opinion. It was time for the real thing. Arum faced Lux head-on. ¡°Lux claims that he doesn¡¯t like me. So there is a problem between me and Lux. Not you Misty.¡± Arum didn¡¯t need a woman to defend him. He had his own pride. ¡°You seem to understand it unexpectedly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember doing anything to you. But it¡¯s not uncommon for guys our age to fight. It¡¯s just that when the fight is over, I hope we get along.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit too optimistic?¡± At last, they recognized each other as enemies. At last Arum and Lux recognized each other as their enemies. Arum shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t remember doing anything to you. What is it that you don¡¯t like?¡± ¡°If you want to know then let me tell it to everyone here. Your practical skills are at rock bottom. You are utter shit! Your writing is not outstanding either. All you have is your mana reserves. You should have never got admission into the academy.¡± ¡°So what? I did get admission didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the fact that you, who entered with only mana reserves tries to take advantage of that luck and rub it against us nobles.¡± ¡°Do you think that you are standing at the same status as ours just by entering the same school? The clan of us wizards and you who happened to have high mana reserves are vastly different from each other. There is no merit the school can have in dealing with you. If you have some shame in you for entering the academy by unfair means. I want you to keep your head low and leave this academy immediately basking in your shame.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s it?¡± Arum finally understood why he has driven away. Rumors of commoners entering the Beralt Magic Academy had reached the ears of the nobles to some extent in advance. There was a bit of noise for a while but it soon subsided. It would have been a different thing if the commoner had scored high marks in both practical skills and mana reserves in the academy¡¯s assessment. But since he had only great mana reserves which were only something gained from birth and no practical skills in him it was soon passed off as a fake rumor. That was only until it was proven to be right. Lux immediately concluded that Arum had entered the academy through unfair means. In the eyes of the nobles, no, in the eyes of Lux specifically it appeared that Arum was just lucky with only great mana reserves and no talent and he was rubbing it against Misty, the second daughter of the famous Caesius family. Arum held onto his chin. After pondering for a while Arum clasped his hands as he finally came to a fitting solution. ¡°Then if I win against you in a battle. Am I in the same rank as you?¡± ¡°!!¡± Other nobles who heard Arum¡¯s words also began to rustle as they whispered amongst themselves. The nobles received some magical education from an early age. In addition to being able to use magic to a certain extent, they are also taught by their parents and instructors who are successful are already successful as wizards. All the young masters who gather here already had some ability. But Arum was supposed to have none. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°It is what you said yourself. Wouldn¡¯t I just have to prove my skill if I have to be in the same rank as yourself?¡± ¡°¡­. All right!¡± It was a simple conclusion from Arum¡¯s point of view. It was a statement with non-malicious intentions. Arum believed that if they doubt his ability and thought that he only had good mana reserves. Then he would just have to show them that there was more to him than just high mana reserves. ¡°But you and I are both students of this magic school. It would be bad if we fight here on our first encounter. So let¡¯s use the building for practical skills instead.¡± ¡°¡­ Well then, but it would be a showdown of magic.¡± ¡°¡­? Of course, follow me.¡± Whatever Arum proposed till now was logical from every standpoint. But Lux seemed to think that Arum was a jerk due to his arrogance. He felt that Arum was just rubbing his luck on him. ¡°Is Lux and the commoner dueling?¡± Questions begin to float in the air. ¡°Is it a match?¡± This can¡¯t be possible! The Orric family is certainly a prestigious family and Lux is certainly the eldest son!¡± ¡°Hey, hey. We would be able to see the magic of the Orric family.¡± ¡°There seems to be no loss in checking it out.¡± The nobles were certain of the outcome of the match. A commoner couldn¡¯t certainly stand against a noble, can he? They were only interested in witnessing the match since they would be able to see a glimpse of Lux¡¯s power as he crushes the peasant under his power. However, there was one amongst them who was worried sick. ¡°Arum, are you okay?¡± Misty asked. ¡°Yeah, I am completely fine.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± As Misty gazed into Arum¡¯s face. Arum smiled a little. The smile was unlike the trembling of a warrior stuck with fear before the battle. Rather it was the smile of a pure and innocent boy who was about to catch insects in the forest. Volume 1 - CH 6 Arum vs Lux ¡°Can we use the facility without permission?¡± Arum asked. ¡°All of us here are already students here¡­ at least for today,¡± Lux said glaring at Arum. The implications of his words weren¡¯t lost on Arum. ¡°There are facilities that are already available to students like us except for the senior student dormitories and the staff buildings. The buildings for practical classes is one of them.¡± ¡°¡­ then why were you being so considerate for using it before?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lux tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Must be because of the conversation,¡± Arum whispered to himself. ¡®Why were you waiting in front of the gate?¡¯ That was what Arum wanted to ask. The question kept resurfacing in his mind. But Arum who was a commoner couldn¡¯t come to a conclusion. The entrance ceremony. An event where many famous nobles meet for the first time in a single place. Arum a commoner did not know that it was customary for noble¡¯s houses first in front of the gate and hopefully try to build strong connections and factions from beforehand. When all of them arrived at the building for practical skills, Lux held his hand over the sphere placed at the front of the entrance. ¡°I have never seen a magic stone used in such a manner before,¡± Misty exclaimed. Magic stones were minerals that could contain mana well and if one interjects their maa inside it, the stone is capable of creating simple magic all by itself depending on how it is crafted. But it cannot go through complex magical formations that wizards use while creating their magic so its use is only limited to things like a switch at most. But that didn¡¯t mean it was any less useful. It will only react to mana that is registered with it. So not everyone can activate it. Thus it has excellent security. There were other simple uses for magic stones too, such as putting mana into a mana tank, but because it is expensive it can only be used by wizardry schools like the Beralt Academy and some nobles houses who were particularly rich. ¡°This school really is filled with luxuries¡­¡± Misty nodded. Even for magical Academy¡¯s, it wasn¡¯t normal for them to possess them. Beralt however was an exception. Lux smirked. ¡°Is this your first time seeing one Misty-san?¡± Misty shook her head. ¡°No, I have one. But I can never imagine using it for door locks.¡± The inside of the building was large and divide into the first level and the second level. The second floor was lined with something that resembled gallery seats for watching tournament matches. On the other hand, there was nothing on the first level. It was just a few magic stones to operate the doors and windows with a wide and open space. The space was wide enough to accommodate both Arum and Lux and their heated battle. ¡°I¡¯ll open the ceiling since it seems that the magical power from the outside is not allowed to enter here. Is that okay?¡± Arum nodded. ¡°But even if you open the ceiling now, it won¡¯t be enough to collect enough mana to fill up this large space,¡± Arum whispered under his breath unheard by Lux. The ceiling opened up as Lux operated the magic stone attached to it. As the ceiling opened up it lined itself at the same vertical position as the walls. SO much so that it appeared to be an extension of the walls. The ceiling opened up and the sunlight seeped portraying the blue sky above. Arum felt as if he was out in nature instead of in a civilized city. ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°Arum¡­¡± misty called out to him, ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that things would turn out like this¡­ But please do your best!¡± ¡°Oh thank you. You don¡¯t have to worry Misty¡± After the ceiling finished opening up. Arum and LUx naturally moved to the center of the room, while the other nobles moved to the edge of the stage clearing up the space for them. Misty too left Arum¡¯s side as she was told. Now Arum was on his own terms. ¡°Since, you and I are both students of this school today. We will naturally follow the school rules for duels.¡± Arum tilted his head, ¡°Rule?¡± ¡°Both of us won¡¯t use any forms of magic that can cripple the opponent. You should be aware that you and I are both students.¡± Arum noded. ¡°I see, I can¡¯t use that kind of magic anyway.¡± ¡°The winner will be decided when one of the participants surrenders or faints. The one who faints would be taken to the infirmary immediately so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Lux smirked as if challenging Arum. ¡°Who would be kind enough to carry me?¡± Arum started laughing. He had no choice but to win. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Misty-san will carry you to the infirmary.¡± Looking at how they were talking with each other they didn¡¯t seem to be hostile. But the inner implications of the jokes and formalities weren¡¯t lost to the watchers. With that, the formalities were over, ¡°Someone come here and act as the referee.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll do it.¡± One of the girls from the galleries took the initiative and stepped forward. She was a cheerful girl with bright teeth missing. She smiled as if she was really looking forward to the duel. ¡°Then, begin!¡± The girl shouted her lungs out. ¡°What!¡± Arum jumped in shock at the girl¡¯s sudden screaming. Arum was definitely not accustomed to such duels. Lux, on the other hand, chanted magic at the same time as the girl shouted. [Lightning Blade] There was no unnecessary movement in his body. It was just an effortless chanting that caused a blade of lightning to appear in front of him. The blade charged towards Arum as soon as it was created. [Lightning Blade] was a good starting move to gauge the opponent¡¯s strength. It was a popular starting move amongst the nobles. ¡°Isn¡¯t it Lightning- attribute?¡± Arum was immediately able to identify the attribute that Lux used. He might be a greenhorn in the ways of the nobles but he wasn¡¯t a greenhorn in magic. Arum extended his hand pointing his finger towards Lux. [Mana Bullet] A white ball of condensed mana was deployed from Arum¡¯s fingers as he sang his chant. Arum shot too charged at his opponent. ¡°Non- attribute magic?¡± Lux muttered with a stupified look. *Screech* The mana bullet made a shrilling noise as it collided with the Lightning blade and bending its trajectory while being destroyed itself. Thankfully [Lightninng Blade] had no operability. If its trajectory was changed there was no way it was going to hit Arum. [Reinforcement] [Paralysis Resistance] [Flash Protection] Arum cast axially spells in rapid successions. Arum¡¯s legs and eyes shone brightly for a second. He kicked the floor to cross-check the effectiveness of the spell. The [Reinforcement] Spell reinforced his muscles while the Paralysis protections would protect him from any possible side effects from the lightning attribute. Lastly, the protection in his eyes was defensive magic for protecting his eyes from flashes. ¡°Fast¡­ !¡± Lux was astonished. Even though Arum was using cheap non-attribute magic. What was astounding was the speed at which he was casting it. It was indeed abnormal. The speed and continuous casting of magical power were indeed proof that he was proficient in using magic unlike what they had assumed before. Arum with the three buffs closed in the distance between him and Lux. The three meters of distance was closed in within a moment. It was the effect of the reinforcement buff he had used. But, Lux smirked. ¡°Are you aiming for hand-to-hand combat with me who uses thunder?¡± ¡°!!¡± ¡°[Thunder Knight]!¡± Arum jumped sideways instinctively due to the unpleasant chills he felt on his spine. As Lux chanted mana wrapped around his body as his whole body appeared to have been charged with lightning. This Lightning magic was magic of higher grade than auxiliary magic that was used by Arum in every way. The spell {thunder Knight] was not just for strengthening. It was both offensive and defensive magic all at the same time. It attacked the opponent with the mana converted into the lightning attribute. Even Arum with three different Auxially spells cast on him couldn¡¯t compare to the defensive capabilities provided by it. ¡°So it is impossible after all?¡± Misty whispered under her breath. The difference in abilities between Arum and Lux was clear as a day. Only a miracle could allow Arum to win. Lux Vs Arum Only a miracle could help Arum to win. That¡¯s what the audience thought seeing the difference in their abilities. The lightning magic attribute was something that could be generated extremely quickly as a means of attack. Why? Because even if the caster didn¡¯t really cast any spell, as long as he channels mana and converted it to the lightning attribute it could do some damage to the opponent. This was unlike the other attributes which seemed to be harmless without the spells. Take the water attribute for example. Water itself is harmless. It is something that is essential for life. But couple it with the force of a few strong spells? It can even destroy mountains! But unlike the water attribute that needed spells to back it up, every spark of the lightning attribute itself was a lethal weapon! That itself spoke of the superiority of the attribute. Arum knew about all of this. He had studied other attributes meticulously even though he couldn¡¯t use them. Yet he chose to barge forward in hand to combat. ¡®Looks like a hand to hand would be no good.¡¯ Arum thought. The only reason why Arum had chose to charge in despite knowing the dangers was simply because he was curious. He wanted to know the limits of Lux¡¯s strength. But witnessing Lux¡¯s [Lightning Kinght] spell Arum changed his mind. ¡®Well, even if I can¡¯t fight him in melee anymore. The spells that I cast won¡¯t be wasted.¡¯ All three spells that Arum had cast might be just simple non-attribute supportive spells. But each one of them had its own value. All of them were specifically resistant to the lightning attribute. ¡°I didn¡¯t use any high mana consuming spell anyway,¡± Arum whispered to himself. What¡¯s more? Arum was able to understand the ability of Lux to a certain extent. Those sparks of thunder that floated around his body and covered it from all directions were enough of a clue. Their intensity¡­ their brightness¡­ their noise¡­ they were enough clues for Arum. *Crackle* *Crackle* Meanwhile, on the other side of the ring, Lux had his own thoughts. ¡®Hmm, interesting. He¡¯s been using only non-attribute magic till now. Looks like he is a person who adheres to his foundations¡­ or is it something else?¡¯ ¡®I have to say that I was surprised a bit before with his fast casting speed but the tables have already been turned to my side.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s time to teach him his place!¡¯ That is when Lux heard a weird whisper he had never heard anyone chant. ¡°[Stand-By]¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Arum cast a spell that Lux was not familiar with. All of the spells that Arum had used were non attributed so far. The attribute of magic that a wizard uses is bound by the shape of their mana vessels, which was largely hereditary. As such all wizards of the same house usually used the same attribute of magic. But there was one big exception to this. Non-attribute magic. As the name implies it was a branch of magic that could be used by all wizards in common since it was independent of the shape of the mana vessel in the body. But it was the most basic form of magic. Most talented wizards could use this magic without even having to learn it. Lux was lost deep in thought as he watched Arum cast a spell that he was unfamiliar with. For some reason, he had assumed that Arum would keep casting Non attributes only. ¡®Even I had learned non-attribute magic even though I never use it. Most wizards do the same¡­ it is after all taught as an introduction to magic and is obsolete in today¡¯s era.¡¯ Lux squinted his eyes. ¡®But even then, I thought that there was no spell of non-attribute that I did not know. But I can¡¯t seem to recall hearing a spell similar to the one Arum used despite its short and simple wording.¡¯ Lux¡¯s eyes traveled over Arum¡¯s body as he tried to figure out any sense of changes but he found out nothing! ¡°Is this one also a buff¡­?¡± If the spell affects or assists the body it should have appeared as a fluctuation of mana somewhere. But that didn¡¯t happen. There were no changes. ¡®It¡¯s stupid to not be on alert. But if I pay too much attention to it, it would only affect my performance in the battle as I would be paranoid about it.¡¯ ¡®Since it has shown no effect till now, let¡¯s just let it be for the time being.¡¯ ¡°[Mana Bullet]¡± ¡°¡­Fu¡± Arum cast another spell at Arum. But Lux could only try to hold back his laughter. *Sigh* ¡®I thought he was trying to do something mysterious. But it¡¯s just non-attribute magic again.¡¯ ¡®Are you ridiculing me and thinking that you can win with your mana bullets alone?¡¯ ¡°You are getting on my nerves as usual.¡± Lux¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°Go¡­¡± Arum whispered. Under his command, five mana bullets of the perfectly same size and symmetry left his five fingers as they charged towards Lux with their maximum velocity. ¡°[Lightning Blade]¡± Both of them fought with the same magic as they had released before. It was just that on Arum¡¯s side the number of spell cast had increased to five. But even then Lux had confidence in his superior attribute. After all, even the last time. Arum¡¯s mana bullet was only able to ¡®deflect his blade and couldn¡¯t destroy it.¡¯ Lux¡¯s reason was simple. If Arum wasn¡¯t playing any cards, he didn¡¯t have to show him any of his secret cards either. Why should he? When he could win the match with just his normal spells? Lux smiled. But soon his smile disappeared. What he had hoped for didn¡¯t happen. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little more this time.¡± Arum was only mocking him by calling it a ¡®little¡¯ as he smirked. All the mana bullets collided with the [Lighning Blade] and they destroyed each other. The mana released dispersed into the air. Arum had made his proper estimations. He knew properly that this time around he would only need five bullets to be on equal grounds. He truly was a genius for such accurate measurement was impossible by most of the audiences watching the show. Lux stood astonished with his jaw slacked trying to find answers. But it was Arum¡¯s smirking face that finally told him what he needed to. ¡°It is the one used in advance. He used it to increase the power of the spell!¡± Lux was no fool either. He also knew how much power the mana bullets should have packed. His [Lightning Blade] should have been to destroy all five of them whole and still persist. Thus he could only reach to one conclusion. It was the unknown spell that Arum had used before! ¡®That must be the one which increased the power of the mana bullets.¡¯ Lux clicked his tongue in annoyance for not figuring it out sooner as he glared at Arum. ¡®What kind of magic it was? Was it a non-attribute spell that I couldn¡¯t use due to the shape of my mana vessel? Is that why I don¡¯t know about it?¡¯ Lux pondered but soon he shrugged it off. ¡°So what? That doesn¡¯t change a thing.¡± Lux was using basic rank magic till now. ¡®If his mana bullets were just good enough to counter [Lightning Blade] then raising the rank would definitely do the trick.¡¯ The balance that Arum had achieved was bound to collapse as long as Lux increases the output a little. ¡®I have to say. Being a non-attribute user, your achievement so far was indeed great. But you would never be able to make up for your lack of power. The non-attribute has always been the weakest magic for use in battle. It was defective magic, to begin with that later improve into the attributed spells.¡¯ Lux raised his right arm as his fingers closed in into a claw. ¡°[Claw Of Thunder]¡± ¡°Oops¡± Arum took a step back. And with that very chant, Lux summoned a huge thunder claw that was several times larger than his own height. *crackle* *crackle* They were the claws of a ferocious beast coupled with the crackling of the equally ferocious thunder. The difference in mana used from Lux¡¯s previous [Lightning Blade] could be easily seen at glance. Even a complete novice to magic would be able to judge how terrifying the spell was. Even if Lux had prepared as many Lightning blades as there were nails on one¡¯s body, they would have been wiped off like scraps of paper *crackle* The beast roared with its thundering noise ringing in the ears of everyone present in the room as its claw was swung down on Arum. Volume 1 - CH 7 Non-attribute Magic *thud* The thunder claws were slammed on the floor and remained there as they held down their prey. Even if one were to escape the deathly claws of the beast, they would have been crushed by the palm alone considering its size. And even if one managed to dodge that, their bodies would be paralyzed because of the very nature of the lightning attribute that paralyzes any target that it touches. *crackle* Mana leaked in all directions from the claw taking the form of lightning as it threatened to paralyze anyone who might have dodged its attack. ¡°¡­¡± There was a deathly silence in the stadium. As there was no movement, Lux continued to channel his mana in the claw with care. Even though the floor was made up of very sturdy material, there were a few scratches caused on it due to the power of his spell. ¡°¡­ Did he die?¡± One of the audiences from the galleries murmured as he was unsure of the outcome. The usual stillness of the battle floor didn¡¯t give many clues to guess. Even from a professional wizard¡¯s perspective, the spell used was a fairly decent one. And if it hit properly, there was no chance that Arum could survive it, since he couldn¡¯t use any defensive magic. Most people didn¡¯t think that he was dead, but they believed that the match was already decided. The match had proceeded as they had expected. And all they got to see was a daredevil commoner whose only fate was to be sandwiched between the floor and the lightning spell. ¡°Arum¡­ Arum¡­?¡± Misty¡¯s light whisperings reached nowhere as she scanned the floor with her disturbing eyes looking for the peasant boy. But she couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. ¡®If he is nowhere then he must be really under that claw.¡¯ It was then that Misty noticed an unusual change around her. She turned around only to find a girl holding onto her chin. ¡®Since when was she here?¡¯ Misty couldn¡¯t help but have her cheeks flustered. She realized that the girl had already heard her whisperings of that boy. And as if to confirm her thoughts she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I am also vouching for that person.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Misty tilted her head in confusion. The girl was the same girl who was asked by Lux to start the match. She was the one who was acting as their referee but she seemed to have backed off in between. The girl took a glance at Misty from the corner of her eyes. ¡°That person is interesting.¡± Misty noticed that the girl next to her was looking above instead of below as she spoke. ¡°Lux does not use unusual spells.¡± Misty followed the girl¡¯s line of sight causing her eyes to shoot out wide. Arum for some reason was standing at the far edge of the gallery on the raised floor. He too noticed Misty¡¯s and the girl¡¯s gaze as he turned towards them. The right side of his uniform was torn apart as it was difficult for him to completely dodge Lux¡¯s attack. The whole stadium was covered with the sparks of Lux¡¯s thunder so Arum had no choice but to jump up above the raised floor of the stadium among the audience to avoid getting his paralyzed. His anti paralyze spell could only help him so much. Arum smirked as their eyes met. ¡°It¡¯s just a little enhancement spell that I used, it¡¯s not the magic of Manalil.¡± ¡°Rather it¡¯s a magic from my master¡¯s country and it suits my style more.¡± Lux too noticed the tone of the voice coming from the stadium to be a little unusual. He turned around to find Arum there only for Lux¡¯s brows to twitch. He removed the claw magic from the floor but of course, there was no loser commoner there causing the audience among the stadium to gasp in surprise. ¡°Where is he?¡± Lux was finally able to solve the mystery of Arum¡¯s unusual spell that he had used before. And he was finally able to figure out why he hadn¡¯t heard of it before. Arum didn¡¯t immediately go back to the stadium as their gazes met. Rather he took a glance at his torn uniform with a look of awe as if he loved its new form. He always felt that he was wearing his uniform in the wrong way. It looked weird on him for some reason despite it being the same uniform that others wore. But now, after it being torn, everything has changed. ¡°Cool! It¡¯s fierce, rough¡­ but even then it looks amazing! Thank you, Lux¡­¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± Lux almost stumbled upon hearing that claim. Arum¡¯s soft voice seemed to be grateful for having his shirt torn. But unlike what Lux thought, it was heartfelt praise for him and not a sarcastic remark. Arum didn¡¯t realize that his words had angered Lux¡¯s heart all the more as he jumped out of the gallery seat. His reinforced legs aided him to make a perfect landing from the second floor as his eyes met with Lux again. ¡°Are you fooling around?¡± Lux snorted That was the only conclusion that Lux could come to. Arum seemed to be using non-attribute magic on purpose. It was as if he was shouting to the world that ¡®I can fight Lux with basic magic alone!¡¯ It was indeed a disrespect to Lux who was at least using his attribute. ¡°Nope, I am very serious about this.¡± ¡°But you are using just non-attribute magic since the very beginning. Even the unusual spell you used now seems to be only countering mine and strengthening your spells. But it seems to have decreased your casting speed. Are you sure you want to continue like this?¡± Lux couldn¡¯t help but admit that Arum had some skill. The speed of casting of his spell and the fact that he could successively cast one after another spoke for itself. Not to mention that Arum could dodge Lux¡¯s spell showing that he was somewhat talented. What Lux couldn¡¯t understand was why Arum was using only non-attribute magic. Was it just to mock him? Could a commoner have such balls to mock a noble? Would he be able to bear the consequences if he did? Lux had no idea why Arum was hell-bent on destroying himself when he could very much have a respectful defeat. After all, no one would mock a commoner for losing against a noble. ¡®It is only natural that commoners would lose to the nobles.¡¯ No matter how fast Arum casts his spell and no matter how many times he casts it, it wouldn¡¯t make up for the lack of power in his spells. The quantity could never make up for quality. Not to mention that Lux had enough reserves that he could cast a lot of quality spells too. ¡®Looks like he is trying to hold back his cards maybe? But if I let him survive without showing his hand, then I would be only disrespecting myself.¡¯ But soon Lux changed his opinion as Arum tried to answer all of those questions of Lux with a simple nonchalant line. ¡°No, I can only use non-attribute magic.¡± Arum shook his head. To Arum it didn¡¯t matter what form of magic he uses as long as he becomes a great wizard. But the same wasn¡¯t true for Lux and the others. ¡°¡­ What the hell?¡± It was an answer beyond anyone¡¯s expectations. One must note that these nobles who were spoon-fed from their birth had never seen a single magic-user who couldn¡¯t use one of the attributes. Non-attributes? That was common to all of them. But no one used it due to its lack of power. A shocking silence befell on everyone as they couldn¡¯t believe what they had just heard. The voice of Arum that even reached the gallery thanks to the reverberation continued. ¡°My mana vessel doesn¡¯t allow me to convert mana to any other attribute by its very nature. So I can only use it directly as non-attributed magic.¡± Arum presented a more logical explanation. Everyone wondered whether Arum was joking. There was a silence that waited for the next words as the audience gazed at him with a stupefied expression waiting for him to confirm that it was a joke. But no words came for Arum¡¯s voice as he seemed to be not the least bit bothered by his physical shortcomings. The moment everyone realized that there was no lie in Arum¡¯s serious expression, the gallery burst out into laughter. ¡°Ha Ha Ha! Seriously!¡± ¡°There was such a guy alive!¡± ¡°Look what that fool claims! He thinks he can be a wizard with that. A cripple can be a wizard. Ha Ha Ha!¡± Everyone ridiculed Arum as they burst into laughter. No one knew whether Arum was used to such mockery or if he didn¡¯t care at all, but there seemed to be no change of expression on his face. The spoon-fed audience jumped to the conclusion that Arum was indeed used to such mockery from his very birth. After all, in the circle of nobility who wouldn¡¯t laugh at a cripple such as him? But one thing they failed to notice was that Arum had never come into contact with the circle of nobility. Thus he was never ridiculed for not being able to use attributes. And why would he be? The people back in his village couldn¡¯t use magic at all! Let alone using attributes. Yup, that was the scenario. Arum indeed didn¡¯t care all all, as he passed it off with a shrug. Arum shrugged. The laughter of those nobles didn¡¯t matter much to him. A girl sitting beside Misty held onto her chin as she calmly made an analysis of Arum¡¯s case. ¡°I see that¡¯s why his scores in practical skills are so low in the entrance examination¡­ Otherwise, it would have been weird for him to get such low scores even with such a high casting speed¡­¡± She was the only one who took the situation seriously and put some thought into it. Others only ridiculed except for Misty who was still finding it hard to believe. ¡°Arum¡­ is that really true?¡± ¡°It is. I can¡¯t use anything but auxiliary spells.¡± Arum shrugged. But Misty had a bewildered look on her face that didn¡¯t seem to believe what she had heard. She was amongst the very few who weren¡¯t laughing at Arum along with Lux. Indeed, Lux didn¡¯t laugh either unlike the others. Rather he had a disappointed expression on his face. ¡°Arum there is no point in continuing. Let¡¯s end the game here.¡± Arum squinted his eyes. ¡°Why?¡± Lux sighed. He felt somewhat guilty for wrongly accusing Arum of dishonoring him and cussing him in his heart. ¡°I admit that Non-attribute magic is somewhat necessary sometimes too. And I admit that your simple and easy to use auxiliary magic might be convenient to have at times. But it¡¯s a magic form that is eating dust. It¡¯s obsolete in today¡¯s world and it is fatally unsuitable for combat and battles. You use auxiliary magic yourself, shouldn¡¯t you know all of this already?¡± The ridicule of the nobles¡­ Misty¡¯s astonishment and Lux¡¯s disappointment. All of them were due to the weakness of the non-attribute magic. In a battle of wizards, it is magic that determines victory and defeat. So what were the things that determine the strength of the spell itself? The first was the amount of mana used. The mana used for activating a spell was fixed but after activating it a wizard can keep channeling mana into it thereby increasing the power of the spell. But this method is highly inefficient considering the nature of the process itself. A wizard would be just trying to forcefully break the horizon of the spell. Thus, the power of the spell doesn¡¯t change unless a lot of mana is put into it. The second factor that determines the power of magic used is the rank of the spell. There are three levels of magic namely basic, intermediate and advanced with their power increasing in ascending order. The higher the rank of a spell is, the more difficult it is to activate. What¡¯s more? A higher rank spell also consumes more mana than a lower rank one. And the third and the most important factor is ¡°Mana Conversion¡± Mana cannot affect reality as it is. Even though it is possessed by all living things alive, it is but a phantom energy and has no real meaning or significance. But, mana changes its appearance in the hands of a wizard. A wizard can transform mana into magic making it actually envision characteristics such as shapes, properties, and attributes. This is the very basics of ¡°Mana Conversion¡± and the more magician is good in their conversion the stronger will be the raw power of their magic. While ¡°Transformation¡± is the next process after ¡°Mana Conversation¡± which involves tempering the converted mana into shapes and properties through means of spells and the user imaginations. The more concrete the form his the better would be the magic effectiveness. Having raw power itself is not enough the magic should be able to hit the target as well and that is determined by the wizard¡¯s ability in ¡°Transformation¡±. So in other words¡­ ¡°Mastery of Mana Conversation¡± = greater raw magic power, and ¡°Mastery of Transformation¡± = greater effectiveness of the magic spell. ¡®But that is not the case in non-attribute magic,¡¯ Lux reminded himself. In the case of non-attribute magic, it can be said that the very basics and important aspects of magic casting were in a state of collapse from the very beginning. As the name implies, the non-attributed magic has no attribute. It is a magic form that was originally created to train wizards to master the ¡°Transformation¡± process. This form of magic skips the very essence of ¡°Mana Conversation¡± and jumps directly into ¡°Transformation¡±. Hence the raw power of non-attribute spells is almost nil except for some weak power spells like the [Mana Bullet]. And that was the biggest reason why the non-attributed magic is flawed. With no raw strength to speak of it was a magic doomed to be eating dust. The ¡°Mana Conversation¡± of the non-attributed magic is insufficient, and its effects appear as an ambiguous phenomenon that is something in between ¡°mana¡± and a ¡°magic spell¡±. Since it is not even considered magic spell its influence on reality is almost negligible. Even the efficiency of the magic is at rock bottom. For example, if suppose one can cast 10 spells of a certain attribute in a day to consume all of his mana reserves, he would be only able to cast 3 spells of the non-attributed had he had the same reserves on another day. Not to mention that if one uses attack magic like a [Mana Bullet], he would have to waste even more mana to increase its attack power even after casting the spell. And indeed, it was very inefficient to increase the power of a spell by channeling mana into it after it is cast. If using ¡°Mana Conversion¡± to convert to other attributes was like multiplication, then using non-attribute magic was just like addition. You need to keep adding more and more mana to hope for the spell to have any power at all! That was the very reason no one used non-attribute and it was ridiculed to such a degree in the magic society. It was considered a waste of mana and nothing else. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think that would be a problem.¡± Arum smirked. There was all the reason in the world for him to be confident. ¡°¡­¡± Lux could only sigh at Arum¡¯s stupidity. But Arum thought otherwise. Arum had strong beliefs that went contrary to what the spoon-fed nobles had. ¡®A wizard is accompanied by battles no matter where he goes.¡¯ Wizards are born to be fighters. To defeat monsters under their overwhelming strength of magic spells. To do things that a mere knight would never be able to do regardless of upbringing and training. Their path is something that is riddled with blood and corpses. They had to fight ferocious monsters and sometimes even worse! They have to fight the wizards of other countries. Wizards are thus none other than those that use magic to confront threats regardless of their nature. ¡®There is a saying that magic is given only to those humans that are suitable for it.¡¯ ¡®This is equivalent to saying that as long as someone has magic, they would have no choice but to walk on the path of wizards. Their fate is bound to be riddled with battles.¡¯ Lux shook his head. He was definitely going to refuse to continue any further. ¡°If¡­¡± But Arum interjected in between. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°What?¡± Arum was going to back down neither now nor in the future. ¡°My master sent me here, and I came here to be a wizard. It doesn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t attribute or not. I will become a wizard regardless. As long as I become a wizard nothing else matters.¡± Things were quite simple. That was what Arum believed. What is power? What is strength? Isn¡¯t all of that relative. You might think that your attribute is the strongest but you would only be a frog living in the well. ¡®What really matters is whether I can accomplish my goals or not.¡¯ ¡®Power is not important. What is important is to physically make things happen.¡¯ Lux was a little dazzled by Arum, who stood straight with a puffed-out chest and could speak clear and confident words. ¡°You want to know what a true wizard is?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Lux nodded. Lux didn¡¯t want to use it. But Arun¡¯s stern words made Lux think otherwise. There was a need to crush this commoner whose feet weren¡¯t on the ground. There was a need for him to know what the true reality is. ¡®Being positive is good. But in the face of raw strength, it is useless.¡¯ ¡®Well, you can think of it as a cruel execution. This is the least bit of kindness I am willing to show you to make you realize that your words are nothing but a pipe dream.¡¯ Someone had to make Arum realize his ruthlessness. ¡°¡­This is what a wizard is!¡± A different kind of mana runs on Lux¡¯s body. What Arum saw was the appearance of Lux raising his arm as he took a casual stance. Golden mana circled around the hand as it took form. It rose like a beam of golden light as it rose from his hand making it appear as a tribute to the heavens¡­ [Thunderlight Giant] Volume 1 - CH 8 Non-attribute Magic [Thunderlight Giant] Voices overlapped as the whole army of wizards chanted at the same time. It was like a chorus of melody as a tribute to heaven. The mana tributed to the heavens became a whirlpool of magical power and transformed into a gate of another world that threatened to suck Arum inside of it. A chill that Arum had never felt before ran through his spine. ¡®Something is coming¡­ !¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s is this¡­!¡± His premonition soon became a hard reality. After all, that was the very essence of magic. It transformed imaginations into reality. *Thump* *thump* A deafening thumping sound resounded that caused the ground to shake. The space in the building tore open as a giant like monster about eight meters long in size. It seemed to have a humanoid structure but its form was hardly visible, as sparks of lightning flew in all directions from it adorned with an armor of thunder. Thunder ran like veins in the vessels of the giant, and it made Arum realize that the giant was the magical manifestation of thunder itself! ¡°Oooo¡­ Gooooooo!!¡± The giant roared causing some to cover their ears in fear. The giant was an heirloom of the Orrick family. It was a bloodline spell that was a privilege and trump card of the Orrick family itself. Only the ones having the pure Orrick blood flowing in their veins could use this ability. The giant who had stood against the clan¡¯s enemies in many a war had now emerged on this battlefield to crush Arum¡¯s hopes and dreams. ¡°Bloodline Magic! Oh my God.¡± ¡°It was indeed worth to come to see¡­¡± ¡°He really used it!¡± The gallery burst into hustle and bustle. Indeed they too were excited at the appearance of the thunder giant. After all, most of them had a tiny bit of urge to see it. But they knew that against a battle with a worthless commoner Lux would never have to use it. As such they could only gasp their breaths at the emergence of the thunder giant. While the crowd had burst out into cheers, Lux had a frown on his face. He was dissatisfied with the result. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a little small but it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The muttering of his was terrifying in its own right. It proved that the already prominent threat that rival a plethora of enemies on the battlefield was not at its full strength. That could only leave one wonder how strong the Thunderlight Giant would be at full scale. ¡°So this is Bloodline Magic¡­¡± Arum whispered in awe. Arum who had only learned about magic from a single master can¡¯t help but be ignorant of a plethora of spells. In fact, it was more reasonable to not know about Orrick¡¯s bloodline spell since it was something exclusive to the Orrick family. But so what? Arum had a vast pool of knowledge about the nature of mana itself! He might not know a few exclusive spells but his vast knowledge only made up for what he lacked. From the very beginning, Arum could only use non-attribute magic. That led him to be super curious about the magic of other forms. He was hungry for knowledge and he was a magic nerd. He had absorbed all the magic knowledge that was bought to him by his master and also from the book that his master brought for him like a dry sponge that absorbs water. Indeed he was not just a sponge, rather he was a ¡®dry¡¯ sponge. His crippled state that didn¡¯t allow him to use magic other than non-attribute was what had made him ¡®dry¡¯. ¡®Of course, I don¡¯t know about bloodline spells because I only have the knowledge that can be found in books.¡¯ The bloodline magic. It is a clan only magic that the wizards have passed down from generation to generation. Unlike the many magics passed down to the public by books, this form of magic was a proof of the clan and was only passed down to the successor. It was a trump card for wizards and only bloodlines could activate it. No matter how much mana one uses, one can only create similar products. And no one else can truly reach its glory. Bloodline magic is inherited. Unlike the magic that the wizards of today¡¯s age cast and created. These magics exist from ancient times and will continue to exist for the clan since it was cast by their ancestors. Civilizations might pass. Countries might fall. But as long as the clan exists and has someone with the blood flowing in their veins, this magic too would continue to exist Born from the existence of a single clan it was something that was considered magic while at the same time some disregarded it as magic altogether. It jumps over the frame of magic and appears in reality as a breathtaking existence. ¡°Do it!¡± The giant lifts his right arm in response to its master¡¯s voice. THe giant¡¯s arm was stronger than Lux¡¯s arm could ever be even when imbued with his [Lightning Knight] Spell. ¡°Ku¡­!¡± The floor which had only scratches from Lux¡¯s previous spell was mercilessly crushed. The strength of the spell is determined by its influence on reality and Lux¡¯s bloodline spell had quite the influence here. The Orrick family bloodline magic was first cast 600 years ago. the magic that had been chanted more than 6 centuries ago had endured quite a lot of beasts and numerous wizards alike and had survived the assault of time. It stood as an unshakable solid existence that could be threatened by none. Throughout the 600 yeras, numerous wizards of the Orrick family had modified and only improved the power and efficiency of the spell. A spell that had such a long history, how could it be simple? The huge arm that had threatened to kill Arum was an ancient disaster that was chanted by Lux casually. This was one of the reasons why even the greatest of scholars could not copy the bloodline spells. A great scholar of magic might be able to imitate it to a certain extent and cast a thunder giant of similar form. But the effectiveness and power won¡¯t be the same. A single generation of scholars can¡¯t make up for the trial and error that a single spell had gone through more than 600 years! The true threat of the bloodline magic is the improvements it had received through time. It was almost t like the bloodline spells matured through time and gained superior strength. ¡°Amazing! That¡¯s cooler than I had expected it to be¡­!¡± Arum gasped as he couldn¡¯t hide his sense of surprise and awe anymore. The arm that had crushed the floor didn¡¯t hit Arum. Rather it hit empty space. Lux intended to show Arum the difference in strength and crush his dreams. He didn¡¯t believe that Arum would able to dodge this spell of his if he were to go all out. Because of the specific rules of the academy, Lux was refraining from killing the commoner. Had he met with Lux somewhere else? Lux wouldn¡¯t have hesitated at all! The death of a mere ant doesn¡¯t count as any loss to society. ¡°You should surrender already since you can¡¯t win this. If you prolong the match any further, the only destruction awaits you.¡± Lux calmly spoke as he looked at Arum with disdain. A worthless commoner. A cripple who can¡¯t use attributes. A cheat who came into the university through unfair means dishonoring the nobles. Those were the labels he had for Arum. But Arum smirked. ¡°Only time will tell¡­ it¡¯s still too early for you to decide.¡± With reinforced legs, Arum jumped to the gallery upstairs. No one could guess what Arum was planning next as they mocked and scoffed at him. He aimed his fingers at Arum. ¡°[Mana Bullet]¡± ¡®This is getting fun.¡¯ Arum thought. Lux didn¡¯t know. That due to the effect of Arum¡¯s spell [Stand By] Arum¡¯s power was increasing every moment. Five magic bullets formed on Arum¡¯s five fingers. ¡°Go!¡± *swish* *swish* The crowd mocked as they watched Arum shoot his magic bullets again. But unlike the others, Lux squinted his eyes. ¡®That direction¡­¡¯ The body of the giant was essentially controlled using Lux¡¯s own body. The direction from which the mana bullets came was such that if he wanted to destroy them, he would need to move his body in such a way that his very movement would cause a chain reaction and the giant would be crushing Lux under its arms. *sigh* Lux sighed. It was a good move that others might have not been able to predict but Lux was different. One must not that Lux was the successor of the Orrick family. Being in such a situation it was only natural that he would be trained in battle tactics from a young age. ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­¡± The move would have been fatal had Lux been a spoon-fed noble like the others. But Lux had seen through it and wouldn¡¯t act carelessly. ¡°It¡¯s your turn,¡± Arum claimed with a smile. *crack* Lux cracked his fingers as he stared at Arum with disdain. The distance between Arum and the giant was still far off. Arum knew how far the giant can go when he swings his arm down. Arum had to just stay out of the giant¡¯s range to avoid being crushed like a bug. ¡°Gooooooooo!!¡± The giant roared as it betrayed Arum¡¯s expectations. Mana concentrated around the giant as it kept surging higher and higher making the air concentrated with it. ¡°Now¡­!¡± Then suddenly all of that mana was as if released from its restraints as they charged towards Arum of their own accord. An unexpected attack that was quite different from the ones the giant was launching. It was a blast of the magical power of the lightning attribute Had Arum known of the existence of such a phenomenon, he would have dodged the attack. But alas! He was unaware that the giant could do magical attacks at well. Arum had been dodging around the giant¡¯s physical attacks ever since the beginning and hadn¡¯t expected a magical attack out of nowhere. One must note, that although Arum knew about most forms of magic portrayed in books, he knew almost nothing about the effects of the bloodline spells making Lux¡¯s surprise attack successful. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The spell of the thunder attribute mercilessly struck Arum. Only wizards can use spells created by them. The very fact that the giant could use spells of itself despite being just a manifestation was a miracle in itself! A sharp pain rushed through his body as the electric forces ripped his body apart. ¡®Damn¡¯ But Arum was somehow able to survive the attack as he gasped for breath. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t used Lightning resistance from beforehand, my body would have been numb enough for me to lose the match.¡¯ The three auxiliary spells that Arum had cast one after another. All three of them aided him to resist the lightning attribute. They were spells that were best suited for it. Through the years of knowledge acquired through books, Arum was well aware of the compatibility of the spells. ¡°Wow, that giant has a long range attack too¡­.!¡± While stretching the stiff muscles of his body Arum exclaimed in awe and amazement. As long as the giant uses its long range attack the distance between them wouldn¡¯t matter anymore. ¡°So cool¡­¡± But his voice was soon interjected. ¡°Arum, please surrender!¡± Misty cried. Her patience had reached its limits. No one had any faith in Arum from the beginning. No expected anything from a peasant. But at least she did. But her trust had crumbled to dust. She knew how the battle would end up like. The rate at which it was progressing made the future clear. Arum had no hope of surviving through it. It was a worthless struggle. The pain that he was putting himself through would amount to nothing. The other nobles were just enjoying the show. They took quite the pleasure In watching the fish squirm as it brought to the land waiting for only its death to end its squirming. Arum had indeed come out of the waters. He should have stayed in the countryside, the place where trash like him belonged. There was no place for him on land in the circle of nobility. No place for him in the world of ¡®wizards¡¯. But Misty wasn¡¯t as heartless as others. She could not watch him squirm in agony. She felt the need to speak up. ¡°Lux is a wizard. The strength of the wizard is dependent on how vast their history is. It lies in studying the history and traditions of their predecessors. Did you think that a commoner like you would carry such magic and privileges history? You who have no history or tradition would inevitably be defeated here.¡± Lux nodded to Misty¡¯s claim. Lux had no intention to cripple Arum even more than he already was. As long as Arum understands the difference between him and the nobles and walks out of the university with his tail in between his legs Lux would be satisfied. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to be bothered with the likes of a commoner. Lux understands that bearing a dream that can never come true is painful. It¡¯s just a reality that couldn¡¯t be achieved just by being stubborn. In the harsh world, the privileges received at birth were a major factor in determining what one could achieve and what one could not. And Arum certainly had no hope of achieving anything. Even a slave wizard was at a better standing than him. It was but Lux¡¯s conscience that led him to point out the reality of the situation to Arum. Unlike the other nobles who mocked Arum, he could only hold pity for him. ¡®The sooner he gives up, the better it is for him. At least his heart wouldn¡¯t have to bear the pain of failure even after he gave it his all.¡¯ Lux stared at Arum¡¯s eyes. The eyes that burned as bright as fire and gazed at his bloodline spell with awe. No matter how much they tell him to quit, the fire in Arum¡¯s eyes quite unbefitting for a commoner doesn¡¯t seem to fade away. Lux sighed. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. I have to cut in further.¡¯ ¡°Do you have a teacher?¡± Lux asked. ¡°Yes I..¡± ¡°You are not bad, Arum. It is your teacher that is bad.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What!?¡± Lux nodded as being quite sure of his analysis, while Arum had question marks on his face. ¡°The teacher who didn¡¯t tell you that you couldn¡¯t be a wizard would definitely be bad. He gave you half-hearted hope and asked you to pursue your dreams when you have not a single speck of chance. He must have been a scam, to begin with. Your teacher should have told you from the beginning that you couldn¡¯t be a wizard aren¡¯t worthy to be taught magic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your teacher is a terrible scam. I don¡¯t know what your teacher was thinking and I even doubt his credibility as a wizard to a great extent. Or maybe he just wanted to keep a fake mask of a teacher-like attitude that kept encouraging their student in the subjects they teach no matter how bad the students are at them. I don¡¯t know. But you should know that you cannot be a wizard if you can¡¯t do Mana Conversion. You are a cripple ad you should know that.¡± Lux was definitely pointing at the sole master at Arum had. Lux had no idea what that person was like and what he was even thinking. Non-attribute magic wasn¡¯t even considered magic in some places without the ¡®mana Conversation. A thing for the wizard¡¯s children to play with ¨C that was the analogy that was used for this form of magic. If one is a teacher why won¡¯t he mention all of this to Arum? Lux would even go to the point that such a person wasn¡¯t worthy to be a teacher if he had to. ¡°Shut up you are noisy.¡± Lux was so involved in his soliloquy that he hadn¡¯t noticed that when Arum¡¯s face had darkened up. The air around him seemed to have turned heavy too. Arum¡¯s usual casual demeanor that seemed to be stricken with excitement every time magic came into play was never to be seen. Indeed, Lux had made a big mistake. ¡°Hmmm?¡± Lux raised his brows in anticipation. ¡°If you are not a fool¡­ then take back what you said.¡± Lux was glad till now that he was reprimanding Arum as he basked in his own sense of righteousness, but suddenly the reality of the situation hit him. If the one who taught Arum is a bad teacher, then a righteous and upright noble would have directed the words to Arum¡¯s master and not to him. He would have spoken them to his master¡¯s very face! But what he did just now doesn¡¯t make him any different from those ¡®girls¡¯ who do nothing but gossip behind one¡¯s back. It might have been a different scenario if he was just a random person. But he was the successor of the Orrick household. How could he stoop so low? He felt his dignity being trampled by himself. In a sense of superiority, he had forgotten his manners. And why wouldn¡¯t he? The presence of a commoner could only bring emotions of disdain in his heart. ¡°It¡¯s fine if someone mocks me for not being able to use attributes, but I won¡¯t allow anyone to belittle my master!¡± For the first time, a wave of clear anger was directed towards Lux. Till now Arum had just thought of the other nobles as kids who would laugh like parrots with half-closed eyes at the tune of a bagpiper. So he couldn¡¯t care less when they laughed at him either. But making fun of his master? That was his borderline. Volume 1 - CH 9 Climax ¡°It¡¯s fine if someone mocks me for not being able to use attributes. I am aware that I can¡¯t really do it. But I won¡¯t allow anyone to belittle my master!¡± As Lux was subjected to Arum¡¯s intense glair a sudden realization dawned upon him. He hadn¡¯t realized it before but now that he actually knows that Arum was a cripple the reality of the matter little by little became clear to him. Arum¡¯s words at the gate in front of all the nobles weren¡¯t meant to challenge him, neither were they a show of arrogance. After all, how can a cripple ever be arrogant of his crippled magic? ¡®I see, so he was aware all along.¡¯ ¡®He must be wanting to prove his skills through this battle to prove because he wanted to prove that he is not inferior despite being a commoner. He wanted to prove his skills.¡¯ Lux jumped to his own conclusions. He believed that it wouldn¡¯t make much sense otherwise. But a sudden scream brought him back to the world. ¡°You don¡¯t have the right!¡± And at the same time, he realized that he had stepped into forbidden territory. ¡°Well, I apologize. It was my mistake,¡± Lux claimed. He had his dignity on the line. Arum shook his head. ¡°No, don¡¯t do it yet.¡± Arum said something strange causing Lux to raise his brows. Arum didn¡¯t want to receive Lux¡¯s apology. ¡°I am sorry for using weak magic. But I can¡¯t let you disrespect those big boobs! I will demolish you here and now.¡± Arum said something even stranger. ¡°What are you saying? Don¡¯t you only use non-attribute magic¡­¡± Arum interjected Lux not allowing him to complete. ¡°You have crossed your line!¡± Arum didn¡¯t want to hear any reason. He would definitely not allow anyone to disrespect his master. ¡°¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine. I will apologize to you and your teacher.¡± ¡°Do you think I care?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Arum¡¯s line of sight intersected with Lux. Lux was stunned while at the same time he received a piercing gaze from Arum that told how serious he was. Arum descended from the gallery to the stage under everyone¡¯s sight. It was like a completely different person had descended that caused them to choke on their own mockery. ¡°[Stand-By]¡± A towering monster of thunder stood against him. The true battle had thus commenced. Lux¡¯s eyes widened for Lux knew the nature of the magic used now, The Spell [Stand By] was not an attack in itself but it was only something used in the preparation of an attack. It was a preset spell. Arum¡¯s chant of such a spell was like a declaration of his attack pattern. It was like he had changed his tactic from defensive to a more offensive one. ¡°Accumulation,¡± Lux whispered under his breath. Mana from the surroundings began to accumulate from his mana vessel for him to charge the very next spell. Accumulation itself was no magic process. Rather it was one of the four foundational blocks of magic namely, ¡°Accumulation¡±, ¡°Mana Conversion¡±, ¡°Transformation¡± and ¡°Release¡±. ¡°Accumulation¡± was a process that was usually done subconsciously and was the most underrated to the point of often being ignored. But not for Arum, who took this process seriously. For some reason, unlike the others, he had to chant it in the same manner as spells were chanted. Others mostly could do it without chanting at all! Mana erupted from Arum¡¯s body. The fuel that slept in the depths of Arum¡¯s body began to channel in his veins creating a mystic aura around him that was never seen before. ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± Lux gasped at the sudden surge of vast amounts of mana around Arum. It was like mana was leaking out from him unable to be contained. Lux shook his head as he gained back his composure. ¡®No matter what you do. You cannot match me.¡¯ There was no way that Lux could have lost from Arum by any means. But now that he had used his bloodline magic it was only natural that he would win. How many generations did his bloodline magic pass through? How many battles had his bloodline magic won? There was no way he was going to be pushed back. Lux awaited Arum¡¯s next move and also pitties him for getting in his way. Lux at least felt a bit of guilt for insulting Arum¡¯s teacher in an ¡®unethical¡¯ way. And that¡¯s was exactly why Lux was willing to go through Arum¡¯s cheap pretend to be a wizard at his heart¡¯s content, no matter how much time it took to make Arum realize. ¡°Is it okay for you to not defend yourself?¡± Arum asked. Lux was standing completely defenseless without any defensive spell cast on himself. It was clear as a day that Arum was going to attack. Then why not defend it? ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t believe that your magic would harm me in any way. And with your worthless spell, it would be proved and you would realize that my words were indeed true.¡± ¡°Hmm¡± Arum nodded with a pinched expression. His face looked grim as he stared at the cracked floor. Soon a realization dawned upon him causing his lips to arch to a smile. ¡°In that case¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He reached an amazing conclusion. ¡°Then I can prove that everything you said is rubbish if I defeat you..¡± Lux raised his brows. Lux didn¡¯t make any reply. But Arum didn¡¯t expect any reply. Arum¡¯s body trembled at the number of things he could prove here. There was not just one mockery that he had received. He had received a plethora of them! He had a chance to prove all of them were rubbish and prove that he was right all along. ¡°Transform¡± Arum activated another one of the foundations completely skipping onto the ¡°Mana Conversation¡± step. It was another non-attribute spell indeed. For Arum this was the most important step as this was the one that manifests his mana. ¡°What?¡± But this time he had a noticeable change compared to the other spells that he used before. Magic should not have been released yet. The process of ¡°release¡± had not been executed. But contrary to what one might expect, Arum¡¯s veins bulged with a white glow. The others would not have noticed it if not for Arum¡¯s torn shirt. The torn shirt along with his white veins gave him a wild appearance never to be seen before. There was a perfect balance in his veins. The mana had not been released yet and neither was it leaking out due to an excess. The white lines stretched from his right arm and then from both of his feet unnoticed by anyone covered by his trousers. The white mana branched off like a waterway with him as a source as they eventually drew something like a magic circle on the floor. ¡°Misty stay away¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Misty tilted her head in confusion. ¡°This is a bit dangerous. There might be some backlash.¡± Arm advised Misty as he glanced at her with the corner of his eyes behind his shoulder. His mana surged as he prepares for his spell ¡®I know what my magic is like.¡¯ ¡°Move!¡± Arum shouted at the top of his voice ordering her. ¡°Yes!¡± She squeaked as she moved as far away as she could. ¡°Good luck!¡± Misty and the other girl retraced along as they said their wishes. Arum¡¯s ears twitched as he heard the voice of someone he hadn¡¯t heard before. ¡°A summon¡­?¡± Lux observed Arum¡¯s spell and muttered. The only spell in which a magic circle is deployed before activating the spell is the magic circle. ¡®But something like that should not be possible.¡¯ The summoning magic was also an attribution-based spell. The attribute of the magic depends on what is actually being summoned. Take Lux¡¯s Lightning Giant for example, while it wasn¡¯t summoning magic by its very nature and Lux didn¡¯t have to use a magic circle either. It indeed portrayed well how the summons represented the user¡¯s attributes. Someone like Arum with crippled magic shouldn¡¯t have been able to do summoning magic. Arum was doing something that Lux had no idea about. But lux wasn¡¯t worried. No matter what Arum does, in the end, it would be another non-attribute magic. It was unlikely to be powerful enough to be a threat to Lux. Because of the lack of ¡°Mana Conversation¡± non-attributed magic can only manifest itself as auxiliary magic. Auxillary magic only strengthens certain parts of the body and does not actually exert any magical power. That is why it is not even considered magic. Its defenses themselves were fragile, not to mention that the attack was non-existent. The act of simply applying the mana without any conversion had been sent to the dust of history and wasn¡¯t able to find its place in the realm of magic. ¡°History would not be overturned by your efforts alone.¡± A long history of magic. It was also a barrier for Arum to cross. He not only had to make up for the defects of his own magic but also the years of strength that Lux¡¯s bloodline magic had accumulated. ¡°History would not be overturned by your worthless efforts!¡± ¡°We will see that¡­!¡± Arum spat on the floor, with his spit mixed with a bit of blood thanks to the earlier damage he had taken from Lux. The white vein of mana that had extended from Arum¡¯s body had finally formed into a complete circle. A part of the same had formed a circle on his right palm as well. Arum stretched his right palm as he reached out for the heavens in the same manner that Lux had. It was then. The circle began to glow in a majestic white light. Surprisingly enough the mana used by Arum had the same magical properties as the magic stone that Lux had used while entering the building along with the others. ¡°Fixed conversion formula¡± Tradition? History? ¡®Oh, that must be certainly important¡¯ One should be proud of the pain and sufferings their ancestors had gone through to accumulate knowledge and resources. It¡¯s a precious privilege that not many have. A magic spell is judged by its power. Bloodline magic. It is an irreplaceable resource that brings the clan name, fame, and also money. ¡®I don¡¯t know anything about history but the power of the giant in front of me speaks for itself. The history that the giant has accumulated over the years is sure to be something prosperous.¡¯ ¡®But, it does not determine the outcome of the match. I refuse to believe that. It might be something that might bring fame to the house but it¡¯s not an unshakable existence.¡¯ Arum glared at the towering giant as he said his vows. The giant was a wall that he ought to destroy. Even in the face of absolute power, Arum had refused to give up hope. He had refused to cower in fear. It was either nothing or everything. ¡®There is no reason why magic without history cannot surpass bloodline magic!¡¯ Arum glared at Lux. ¡°Did you see something like this for the first time?¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Arum smirked. ¡°Feast your eyes because you won¡¯t see something like this anywhere else.¡± It turned out the mana was driven by emotions. Arum was excited to show his own version of magic. His own card. Mana rushed to the white veins making its brilliance rise a notch further. A torrent of mana was ready to be released any moment. Lux could only watch in apt silence. One must note that Lux and Arum were just exchanging pointers. In a real life battle, one would hardly give the others room to breathe. The mana rose further and further as the rate of rising only accelerated further. ¡®Everything for the giant in front!¡¯ Lux held onto his chin as he pondered for a moment all the while taking not of Arum¡¯s piercing glare. Accumulation, transformation, and release. They were things that the wizard normally doesn¡¯t have to chant. It was then that Lux picked up the next words Arum spoke that caused his ears to titch. ¡°Release¡± The words caused Lux¡¯s forehead to crease. ¡°No way¡­¡± Lux¡¯s eyes opened wide when he considers the impossible. It is its influence over the reality that determines the power of a magic spell. And what Lux had seen were just the three steps of magic channeling, there was no spell involved! Not to mention that Arum had completely skipped the ¡°Mana conversation¡± process. How can magic channeling exist without a spell? The very thought caused shivers to run down Lux¡¯s spine. ¡°Then that is-!¡± The white circle is drawn around Arum that had branched off as multiple veins originating from Arum was the true answer to Lux¡¯s question. Arum was using a magical formation instead of a magical spell. A magic formation has more influence on reality than a normal spell. But that wasn¡¯t what Lux was concerned about. In fact, summoning magic was also a kind of magic formation. Usually, mana can only be released once it had been converted into one of the attributes. The magical power locks itself forever in that attributed state. You can convert mana into any of the attributes but you cannot convert the converted attribute into another attribute of a totally different nature. Neither can the attribute be converted into mana back again. ¡­ But there was one form of magic that never involved converting mana into the attributes! It was something that existed between true magic and mana. A pseudo magical art of wizardry. Non-attribute magic that was driven to the edge of history had raised its voice. Indeed, the magic formation that Arum had created. Its essence was to convert the non-attribute magic back into mana. Mana cannot manifest in reality. But if it is converted to non-attribute it can manifest and can be made to travel to the magic formation from Arum¡¯s mana vessel. Once it reaches the circle the magic formation converts it back into mana again and stores it, ready to be released. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Lux only had a hunch. But he was seeing the impossible being possible. The magic was once said to be trash and was labeled with inefficiency. With the mana being stored as mana itself instead of its physical manifestation, there were no limits to how much mana could be stored. Arum can go through the three magical foundations almost indefinitely to pump in as much mana as he wanted. It was a folly that could only be done because the non-attribute, lied between true magic and mana. A simple alternative that kept storing mana instead of releasing it. It was just a desk theory that wasn¡¯t even practically possible! A theory that does not consider fuel depletion. One must note that the process that was being talked about required mana to be converted into non-attribute twice! Considering the inefficiency of the non-attribute the final output of the magic would be minuscule if one were to consider the average mage. But there was a person who could make it a reality now! ¡®Is it real? I had heard about his mana reserves but could it be so vast?¡¯ Lux thought as he watched the impossible being possible in front of his eyes. ¡°Mega Transform!¡± The whole of the mana stored in the formation began to transform all at once. ¡°[Light Beam Cannon]¡± Arum finally cast his spell. The mana was already transformed and the spell did the perfect job to propel it. ¡°Yeah Yeah Yeah!¡± Arum had become a deathly cannon with his magic barrel. The mana circle as the barrel and with him being the gunpowder himself! With no defensive spell upon Lux¡¯s side. Lux couldn¡¯t help but have the lightning giant block the burst of mana with its body. ¡°This is-¡± The lightning giant took the magic head-on. A magic attack that was only comprised of mana that was not converted into any of the attributes pierced the giant¡¯s torso. If such attributed magic would have been used by normal means Arum would have just been scoffed at. But the spell didn¡¯t end in a moment. It was a continuous attack where the barrage of mana continued. Even if the bombardment was received by the giant, by no means did it show any signs of stopping. ¡°That¡¯s stupid¡­!¡± Lux stared at the sight with a terrified expression. His widened eyes refused to blink as they feared missing out on the important details. The thunder giant took a step back as it was finally having a fluctuation in its energy. Just the thought of having his giant take a step back was enough to send a shiver down his spine. What was the thunder light giant? It was the crystallization of the years of inheritance of the Orrick House. Lux who faced such a situation couldn¡¯t help but be stricken with shock. ¡®Have you started to lose? How could [Thunderlight Giant] lose? With just mana alone and no attributes?¡± ¡®That¡¯s not possible. How much mana would be required to do something like that?¡¯ The giant was a manifestation of magic! It was something that was created by bending reality and was a living existence in itself. Yet it was being pushed back my mere mana alone! ¡°Go¡­ oh¡­! Ohooooo !!¡± The giant screamed as it moved according to his master¡¯s control. Lux refused to believe that Arum had a chance against the current him. The thunder giant begins to release its own type of thunder magic towards Arum countering the spell. The giant too was unwilling to have his master face any more humiliation than he already had. ¡°All hail Big Boobs!¡± Arum screamed at the top of his voice. The output of his magic increased as it was affected by his fortified emotions. He stressed his body more and more to increase the output of his spell. His own physical conditon didn¡¯t matter anymore. All he knew was that he had to avenge his master and that he had something to prove¡­ he had to fight for a great cause. Volume 1 - CH 10 In the Courtyard ¡°All hail Big Boobs!¡± *crackle* The magic power of the lightning attribute assaulted Arum. With no defensive magic up and being unable to dodge the attack thanks to his locked position, he couldn¡¯t help but be subjected to the tyranny of the sparks that seemed to have passed by his own Lightning Cannon and threatened to paralyze him. But Arum gritted his teeth as he bore onto the pain. ¡®All for the glory of master and her assets!¡¯ The pain felt from the lightning seemed to be meaningless to Arum. Because no matter what the giant does, it won¡¯t change his resolve. As long as Arum defeats the giant in front of him, all the pain in his body would be paid for with good returns as he exacts revenge for the disrespect shown for his teacher. He would be able to prove that his teacher was the best! Such was the bond that he shared with his teacher who had been with him in times of despair and always only propelled him to move forward despite his crippled state. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of ¡®emotions¡¯. Arum had to do this and any upright person would have. The favors that his master had done for him weren¡¯t easy to repay. ¡°Go Go Go!¡± The lightning reinforced body of the giant got crushed under Arum¡¯s continued assault. A heavy beam of light pierced through his torso and reached out to heaven as it rose further and further up at a slanted angle. The knight that had bought victory to its many a master of the same house now knelt on both of his knees. ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± Finally, the giant collapsed on the floor with a thud. The streaks of light that went up to heaven built a tower of light in the sky for everyone to mesmerize. ¡°Go¡­. Oh¡­.¡± The last voice that the giant raised was not a winning battle cry, unlike its usual endeavors. Arum walked up to the giant to deal the death blow to it. The giant was killed by a mere man who was not even a noble¡­ who was never supposed to be a wizard. The magical power of the lightning attribute burst out with shimmers as the giant finally dissipated living its last breath. ¡°I Won!¡± A declaration filed with self-satisfaction resounded in the hall room. There was no response, it was just apt silence. Everyone was too shocked to respond. It was then¡­ Arum¡¯s eyes turned dim. The adrenaline rushing through the body that pushed him so far to subside the attacks of thunder was no more as concentrated as before. *Thud* He fell to the ground as his body gave out paralyzed. The only thing that hadn¡¯t given out yet were his drooping eyes that gazed into the sky. The rising light had its source cut off and nothing of it remained. Now the only thing that was in front of Arum was a beautiful blue sky clear as ever. It had totally slipped out of his mind the victory condition of the duel. The wizard who won¡¯t be able to continue anymore would definitely be the one losing. But¡­ ¡°I¡¯m glad I opened the ceiling before¡­¡± Someone¡¯s muttering already told who the winner was. *** What happened after that? The duel that had rung out everything from both sides ended in vain with no clear result or official announcement. Everyone was left at their own assumptions to make an estimation. Alas, it was the teachers who had caused such a fate to a well-fought duel. As soon as they heard of the turmoil, they came running into the practical skill-building. Arum also soon remembered, what the victory condition was. So he had no choice to get up putting every ounce of strength he had to resist his stiff paralyzed muscles to continue till the very end. But alas, the duel was canceled by the teacher who saw the rundown state of the practical skill-building. The parties involved, Lux and Arum, were heavily scolded by the stableman for not respecting and preserving school property. ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t think I would get so angry at the duel,¡± Arum whispered to himself as he walked into the courtyard. The torn uniform on his body was already replaced with a new one. On the first day of school, for Arum to get his uniform damaged and get a new one was a big deal or so was what he was told by the tailer who rushed to the site. Had the tailer known that Arum was a commoner he might have made a different statement. There were also a few freshers who came to chat with Arum after the duel. They were the ones with sparkling eyes of interest whose curiosity overwrote their disgust. Unlike Arum however who no one wants to approach. The other freshers had already deepened their friendship or so was what Arum though judging from their frequent conversations. Some were even friends with the seniors as they were already acquainted with each other. Soon enough the entrance ceremony also commenced. And now that everything was over Arum had a lot of free time in his hands causing him to stroll around the school in solitude. After all, it was like a tourist spot for him. No matter how much he looks around he cannot help but be amazed. ¡®But it¡¯s indeed strange. I lost my cool in the duel and caused some major destruction. But aside from the little scolding, there was no blame put on me.¡¯ Arum was able to act without any particular punishment. Arum who was naturally avoiding using the [Mana Cannon] from the very beginning so as to not cause any destruction, was prepared for any sort of punishment when he actually used it in anger. He was overwhelmed with the result at first. Why wasn¡¯t he punished? Thus thought bugged his mind. But everything finally became clear at the entrance ceremony. It itself did not have any major physical trouble but it had many psychological ones, especially for Arum was new to all of this. It began with Mr. Stubble, who Arum had met around in the school ground and also the one from whom he had received scoldings for the damage caused to the school, walked up to the stage in a drowsy manner and spelled out his little speech. And after that, it was the words of the director of the school, which were the cause of major concern for Arum. The director of the school was a young and handsome man, with an impressive facial mole adorning his face. Everyone claimed his name to be quite famous. But Arum had no recollection of him. But after his little speech, he had become unforgettable for Arum. The dangers receptors in Arum¡¯s brain were ringing loud as a horn as they warned him to stay as far away as possible from that man. Just by remembering that man again, shivers ran down Arum¡¯s fragile spine. Indeed his heart was too fragile to bear that madness. The director walked up to his podium as he went through his notes to make a speech. ¡°Guu¡­ He was a really weird man,¡± Arum wrapped his hands around his arms as he felt his body shaking. The series of memories flashed across Arum¡¯s mind as he couldn¡¯t help his shivering self. ¡°Well, I was prepared to talk about this content in advance. Since it is an integral part of your school. But I decided to toss that aside since a much more interesting event occurred compared to this boring monologue. It was the event where two freshmen had a duel in one of the practical skill-building before the entrance ceremony. I too had just recently heard of it. Were any of you there during the event?¡± At that point, Arum was prepared for punishment as he knew that the story referred to him as the one in limelight. It was then that the director continued: ¡°Excellent! I am amazed indeed¡­!¡± The director hugged his own body as he trembled in joy with his face portraying an ecstatic expression that resembled a beast that had achieved extreme pleasure with his mate. Everyone who was present there was horrified to see such a sight. Never before had they seen a man act in such a manner even when they had peeked on their parents. Arum was no exception. ¡°When I received the news I was trembling with joy. I didn¡¯t know that we would have such brilliant students this year who would understand our academy¡¯s policy so quickly¡­! Indeed we have a great batch this time who can pave their own paths.¡± ¡°Private fights are always welcome here. We allow any forms of magic as long as it does not make the opponent unrecoverable or severely injured that might pose a threat to life.¡± It was then that Arum had understood why he had received no punishment for his actions. It was because they had such a director. ¡°We will allow as many magical duels as you want to have as long as you don¡¯t spells that might make your opponent unrecoverable or severely injured.¡± It was then that Arum understood why he wasn¡¯t being punished even after destroying such a facility. It was because they had such a director governing them. He was a weird one indeed. ¡°But the loss or victory of such a match is your own responsibility of course. If you lose and fall unconscious at such a duel and because of that lose any of the lectures in the academy then you would have only yourself to blame. That is why you should never lose! Always reflect on why you had lost.¡± ¡°And lastly, welcome to the Beralt Academy. We sincerely welcome you and hope that you would cause our heads to continue rising hide in pride.¡± No matter how abnormal the first half of the director¡¯s speech was. At least the second half wasn¡¯t as revolting. In fact, it was quite a passionate one from Arum¡¯s perspective. But to the nobles who were used to such sweet coated tongues, it was just boring. Most of them wouldn¡¯t remember a thing about the entrance ceremony after a day or two. But Arum shriveled up every time he thought of the director. Even though he was walking the calm courtyard the thought never seemed to stop bothering him. ¡°It was so creepy¡­ what will we learn from a hentai like him sitting at the topmost place of the academy?¡± Arum sighed. For Arum, the person seemed more like a hentai than a director of such a prestigious academy. The thought that he was a great wizard never crossed Arum¡¯s mind. And how could it? His actions were too perverted for a dignified wizard or a noble. Every time Arum thought about it he felt a certain sense of weakness assaulting his body as he felt nauseatic. It was then¡­ ¡°Oh, I finally found you! Aren¡¯t you Arum?¡± A voice called out to him. After the duel, Arum had got more well known than he had expected in more than one way. Not to mention that even his reputation as a commoner was quite the eye-catcher in the circle of nobles. He was the odd one amongst them, a lowly commoner that couldn¡¯t hope to befriend them. ¡°Hmm?¡± Arum turned around at the sudden voice. It was a cheerful girl whose life had arched into a half-moon all the while showcasing her white teeth. ¡°¡­Who?¡± Arum tilted his head at the unknown presence. ¡°Oww!¡± But the girl frowned with a disheartened expression. ¡°You are so terrible. You don¡¯t remember me, even though I supported you.¡± The girl was amongst the rare few who were actually supporting Arum in the duel. Arum had even talked to her asking her to move away but he was too focused on Lux during the duel and also on a certain aspect of his master that he didn¡¯t remember much about such an encounter with an unknown noble. That was why Arum was unable to recognize the girl at once. Arum squinted his eyes. ¡°Support¡­?¡± All Arum remembered was mockery from every direction that his eyes went. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience for most at the least but Arum didn¡¯t care. Let bygones be bygones. But then a sudden realization dawned upon him. ¡°Wow looks like you don¡¯t even remember.¡± Arum shook his head as he realized how rude his responses might have been in case the girl was genuine with her claims. Arum didn¡¯t remember much but that wasn¡¯t the girl¡¯s fault, was it? Arum shook his head. ¡°¡­ No, I remember¡­ I think¡­¡± But his honest and slightly arrogant self couldn¡¯t lie so easily. Even though he tried. The girl was quick to catch onto this as she made a slight unnoticeable pout. ¡°Then, what¡¯s my name?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name¡­¡± Arum pondered for a moment as he glanced into the distance looking for an answer but nothing substantial came to his mind. Arum was completely confused at his own lack of memory. ¡®Was I consumed by anger to such a degree that I can¡¯t remember a thing?¡¯ If the girl had given her name, then it would indeed be very bad for a commoner like him to forget it. Not only was it socially dangerous for Arun if a word were to get out but also Arum felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Arum was quick to formulate an apology but soon realized that he was deceived. ¡°Oh yeah, I didn¡¯t tell you my name. Oops,¡± the girl said so without any fear. Arum was stupified. He was getting worried for almost nothing. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Pfft¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I just thought I would just tease you a little since you started thinking so seriously about it. You are an unexpectedly serious person for a commoner.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay, you sure are among the bad guys. Left me worried for nothing.¡± ¡° I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that you have such a face that it makes me want to tease you.¡± At that moment, Arum decided to look into the mirror later wondering what kind of face he actually had for people to want to tease him. Indeed, being a commoner things like mirrors were a luxury he could never have but the academy seemed to have many of them. The woman continued not knowing that Arum had made a strange decision of assessing his face later on. ¡°Again, I¡¯m Elmira Roadpis,¡± she claimed, ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Arum from Carrera. Nice to meet you too.¡± The girl nodded. ¡°Oh you are more polite than I had expected I¡¯m also a noble like the others, but unlike Lux and your friend Misty who supported you during the duel, I¡¯m a poor noble with no territory, so don¡¯t be afraid of me okay?¡± Arum¡¯s brows twitched. Since when was he afraid of the nobles. He felt a bit repulsed at such a claim. He was not sure what sort of even gave the others an impression that he was ever afraid when he fought so gallantly against them for a great cause. But Arum chose to dodge that topic. Their opinion was not something Arum could be bothered by for too long. ¡°How can you be a noble if you are poor?¡± Arum had no clue. To him, nobles seemed to be the extravagant spoon-fed child who had no worries. Indeed, they might have a lot of things to worry about maybe, but money should definitely not be one of them or so was what Arum thought. He was suddenly exposed to a totally new aspect of the nobles. He who had lived his life in the countryside couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°There are many kinds¡­¡± the girl spoke softly, but she didn¡¯t explain further. Elmira looked far away into the distance at Arum¡¯s pure-hearted question. Such a question seemed to have done some damage to her. Arum who was just a commoner could never understand her circumstances. But her melancholic expression was enough of a giveaway. Arum nodded. ¡°Looks like nobles also have it hard.¡± Elmira¡¯s glance turned back to Arum. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little too blunt?¡± Arum pretended to be calm but he was a bit upset with that remark. What was wrong with being vocal about one¡¯s beliefs and claims? One should always speak their hearts out with no fears troubling their minds. Arum wasn¡¯t the type to cower in fear despite being a commoner. ¡®Is she teasing me again?¡¯ Arum sighed. Arum learned it for the first time in his life of such a cruel reality about himself. ¡®It seems like my face makes others want to make fun of me. I wish I could find out what she is even thinking.¡¯ ¡°Hey, then that. How did you do that?¡± Arum raised his brows. ¡°What is this ¡®that¡¯?¡± ¡°It the spell that was the deciding factor in the duel. It¡¯s the one you had used to defeat the thunder giant. Wasn¡¯t that just so cool?¡± Elmira peaked into Arum¡¯s eyes with her pupils shaking in curiosity. Arum felt complicated in his heart. Her eyes were bright, but it seemed like that behind those bright eyes there was something to sympathize with. But it was just a wild hunch. ¡°Oh¡­ no, I¡¯m not really doing that much in it, as it looks like.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! Oh, I understand, you can¡¯t tell others about it because it is your secret card?¡± Arum shook his head in reluctance. What could he say? It was an easy magical theory that was only good in writing but had no practical implications. ¡°No, really it¡¯s not a big deal. I have no trouble in revealing anything.¡± Volume 1 - CH 11 Suitable Place ¡°No, really. It¡¯s not a big deal. It is something easy to figure out.¡± Arum didn¡¯t lie. But Elmira frowned when she was denied her request. Arum appeared to be the type to keep secrets and there was no humility in his words. Little did she know that she was completely wrong. ¡®How can I explain that anyone can do that magic?¡¯ Arum scratched his head realizing that he would have to do something bothersome. ¡°Non-attribution magic doesn¡¯t go through Mana Conversion. So this magic is something that is an intermediary existence between attributed magic and mana.¡± ¡°Yes Yes.¡± Elmira nodded. This was something she knew from her childhood. ¡°So if you create attributed to magic, you have no choice but to release it. But the same wasn¡¯t true for the non-attribute. You can convert it back to mana. So I created a magic spell, that stores mana outside the mana vessel in our bodies with it being transported in the form of a non-attribute. Since mana has no physical existence, in reality, I can therefore store as much mana in it as I want.¡± Arum¡¯s magic was something that had overthrown bloodline magic, it was quite a simple form of magic. But the downside was that only a monster like Arum could bring such a spell to fruition. As Arum continued to explain Elmira¡¯s face bloomed to a half-moon smile. ¡°Well, is that really just non-attribute magic? Isn¡¯t it just bloodline magic of your own?¡± Arum shook his head. The spell might have countered a bloodline spell but by its very nature, it wasn¡¯t related to Arum¡¯s bloodline. ¡°I think everyone here can do it as long as they have enough mana reserves. Since my mana reserves are particularly high it was something that went well with me. That¡¯s all, it¡¯s nothing special.¡± Arum said in a matter-of-fact tone. He felt that Elmira should have realized this much for now but he told her nonetheless. Elmira poked her cheeks as she pondered over a topic unknown to Arum. ¡°Hmmm¡­ then take me for example. If I cast that spell of yours can I defeat the thunder light giant in the same way?¡± Arum shook his head again as he shrugged. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. Non-attribute magic has a higher consumption rate than the other attributes. If someone else were to use that spell all he will be able to produce would be a small gush of mana since the spell requires you to convert the mana into non-attribute twice! It¡¯s a magic spell that works only when you have high mana reserves like the current me.¡± ¡°¡­ Oh that¡¯s right.¡± One might assume that Arum¡¯s spell had some advanced magical technology to it since it was powerful enough to destroy the bloodline magic of Lux. But that was hardly the case. In reality, it was just brute force and nothing else. Elmira sighed audibly. What could she do? Her expectations certainly had been betrayed. The majestic spell that seemed to be strong enough to defeat a towering giant was just about pumping more and more mana. Arum didn¡¯t respond to the sigh. From the very beginning, he was a commoner without any glittery background. The means that he uses were ought to be simple and he didn¡¯t care as long as the job is done. Let bygones be bygones. Elmira turned to Arum with a conflicted look as she continued. ¡°Sorry¡­ Arum you fought well in the match so don¡¯t worry¡­¡± Arum shrugged. ¡°It appears I have not lived up to your expectations.¡± ¡°No, it was my fault. I had expectations without any base just because your spell seemed powerful¡­ By the way, did the matter regarding your master came to an end?¡± Arum raised his brows. ¡°What was supposed to happen at the end?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Lux tell you that he would apologize for your master if you win the duel?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah¡± Lux had promised Arum that he would apologize for his misbehavior. But unlike Elmira Arum wasn¡¯t expecting much from a noble like him. It was unlikely for a noble to apologize to a commoner no matter how grave a mistake they had made. Not to mention that as soon as the giant was destroyed the duel between the two was canceled by the teacher making it have no clear winner. Thus, Arum believed that it would be childish to pursue the matter any further. He might have got angry then but at present, he had a cool mind. Arum nodded. ¡°Nothing like that happen yet but it¡¯s okay. I think I was able to prove that my master¡¯s teachings are valuable. At least for now¡­ by defeating them and shutting their big mouths.¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± Elmira pondered as she poked her cheek. But Arum felt the need to make matters clearer lest rumors begin to spread about him. All the nobles had a weird fetish for gossip. ¡°And also I didn¡¯t even win the duel. The duel was canceled so there is no point in pursuing the matter for the time being¡­¡± Arum spoke nonchalantly but he was interjected in between by a scream from an unknown source. ¡°That¡¯s no good!!¡± A voice that denied Arum¡¯s words was overheard by both of them. Instinctively they turned their heads to learn about the source. Their eyes flickered as they blinked several times wondering if something was wrong. Two familiar figures were gazing down on them from the window of the second floor of the main building. There was Misty¡¯s modest figure waving at Arum and also a breathless Lux who just seemed to have shouted out his lungs. Who knew for how long they were eavesdropping? Arum had no idea. But Arum wasn¡¯t particularly worried about it. NOthing that he spoke was something he didn¡¯t want others to learn from anyone. Gossips about him were bound to spread and Arum himself wasn¡¯t a fan of it. *** ¡°I am sorry,¡± Lux apologized in a light tone. That was what Lux said as soon as they arrived in front of the gate. It was the same place where Lux and Arum had first met back at the entrance ceremony. It was Misty¡¯s idea to avoid the eye of the other nobles lest more gossip would spread. And Lux¡¯s position wouldn¡¯t be any good either, if others were to know about him apologizing to a commoner, his reputation would surely pummel to dust. Not to mention that Arum and Lux had already gone through a duel sturring the rumors about them like crazy. ¡®Did it have to be like this?¡¯ Arum didn¡¯t care about the rumors. But in the end, Lux¡¯s reputation was more important than his apology. Arum could only wonder if there was any sincerity to it. The academy gate was a quiet place. No student was going to enter the exit the academy at this hour. Not to mention that the residents of the city weren¡¯t allowed to enter the academy. Why? A place meant for nobles was unwelcoming for the commoners. Thus the place was as quiet as it could be. In fact, there were only four people present there at the moment. Arum and Lux, who was just bowing in front of him. And Misty and Elmira who were watching over it. As Elmira watched Lux unexpectedly bowing she understood their intentions to bring Arum to such a place. They aimed to keep it a secret and prevent rumors. She turned to Misty with a conflicted look adorning her face. ¡°Should I leave?¡± she asked. Her presence might be troubling to Lux since she could be the very person to spread the rumor. They just want their privacy so Elmira asked to clarify her doubts. But Misty shook his head. ¡°I think it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t think Lux would mind.¡± It was Misty¡¯s idea to find a less crowded place, not Lux. Misty didn¡¯t know how sincere his apology was but it didn¡¯t seem like he had a problem with Elmira being around for such an event. ¡®Not to mention that she had already seen the important parts.¡¯ ¡°Ha ha,¡± Elmira smiled wryly, ¡°I think I am on the verge of falling from shock.¡± It seems strange to leave the place now, so Elmira will continue to watch. But besides the awkwardness, she felt there was also some shame. ¡°I have already apologized to Misty. Let me apologize to you too at this place for degrading you and your master.¡± Arum was a little surprised that Lux would go to the extent of bowing to him. Till now all Arum had expected was a verbal apology and even that seemed to have a low possibility let alone this. He couldn¡¯t find words to express what he felt. ¡®I wonder if the other nobles would ever take such actions of their own accord if they are told to apologize.¡¯ ¡°Well, that¡¯s surprising¡± Arum claimed as he pierced Lux with his eyes alone. Lux could feel his glare making shivers run down his spine. ¡°??¡± Lux raised his face Arum as he muttered. ¡°At that time, I had blood in my head. Yes, you have indeed done a great job of wrecking the hell out of my emotions. If playing with them and making me lose was your purpose, I would probably give you an A+ or any better grade if that even exists.¡± Arum spoke with rage in his words. It seemed that the after effect from that battle had yet to subside. Even Misty stood by the side with a daze and pursing lips not sure what she should say. ¡°But it is also true that the challenge that I had thrown at you was just a one-sided one. You had never accepted the challenge¡­ Neither had anyone claimed the existence of it. Yes, the challenge to avenge my teacher with a victory in the duel was just an empty one. It was not enough¡­ it could never be enough. I have to do much more to prove how great my teacher is.¡± Arum turned back to Lux. ¡°And yet here you are, bending on your knees even when there was no promise. No need for you to apologize. Tell me what brought you to such a state?¡± ¡°No, I can testify. It wasn¡¯t one-sided and it is I who should apologize to both you and your teacher.¡± Arum raised his brows. The fact that Lux was apologizing to him wasn¡¯t the only thing that came off as weird to him. Certainly, Arum wanted him to apologize for disrespecting his teacher. But what was the need for him to be so serious about it? One must note that Lux was bending on his knees when instead he could have just left a casual apology. Even when Lux had called out to Arum, he had a shout out his lungs causing himself to be out of breath. Arum rolled his eyes. ¡°It was just a verbal promise. No one would blame you if you deny standing to it. More than anything, you should be more mindful of your position before doing anything funny¡± Lux shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. The duel was to prove whether you are worthy to attend the school or not. And you have already proved so after defeating my [Thunder Light Giant]. You were the victor and that naturally means that I am the vanquished. And yet in such a duel, it was I who had insulted the master and the people who ought to be recognized for bringing you up, the one who was able to defeat me. Mud had already been spurted on my reputation as I lost to you despite you being of common birth. Thus there is no way I can go back on my promises and let myself be further groveled into the mud. It might be a verbal promise but it had a lot of importance for me.¡± Lux claimed. But Arum pursed his lips. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit too specific?¡± It seemed like, despite Lux apologizing to Arum, his disdain for Arum had not yet completely disappeared and was still affecting his way of speech. After all, years of superiority to the commoners wasn¡¯t easy to shrug off just because of a single loss. Arum glared pierced Lux all the more as a visible frown appeared on his face. No matter what he did, Arum¡¯s anger was not quelled. Under Arum¡¯s piercing gaze Lux looked down a little and kept silent for a while being mindful of the situation. Arum didn¡¯t know what Lux was thinking in that head of his but it certainly couldn¡¯t be anything pleasing. Even the apology seemed to be kinda half-hearted. Or so was what Arum had thought. As Arum and Lux¡¯s eyes met again it seemed as if Lux felt the need to speak up. His lips pursed but he continued. ¡°I had always believed that humans should attain only those positions in life that they had rightfully deserved. I have met many people in my lifetime who didn¡¯t put mind to such a rule and used any means from bribes to threats in order to acquire positions and posts that they should have never deserved. And yet it is so hard to judge one¡¯s deservings. I had always thought that the struggles of one¡¯s ancestors, one¡¯s talents, and one¡¯s skills were the absolute measure; everything in their life including what they were born with and what they had worked hard on. I always thought that based on such measurements we can always find a suitable place for everyone to stand on. That¡¯s why I thought that you weren¡¯t the right person to be studying in this academy. A human who had no ability who had no talents had come to this academy passing the exams through unfair means. That¡¯s what I thought and I couldn¡¯t bear it. This is the Beralt Magic Academy after all, where only those with the abilities of the clan of wizards should come to study, not a commoner like you. I judged you by the scores of your exam results which was only one aspect of your ability. I was wrong. I was looking down on you. I know that I have angered you too.¡± Lux explained his first impression of Arum based on his own morals and values. He had indeed judged a book by its cover. Lux bit his lips as he cursed himself and clenched his fists tightly in lamentation. There was no lie in the impression of Lux that was riddled with regret. And with such an expression Arum¡¯s impression of Lux improved as he nodded. ¡°I was stupid¡­ really stupid. This apology is also my self retrospect. Please forgive me for my stupidity.¡± Arum held onto his chin. ¡°But I am a commoner. There was no need for you to facilitate your relationship with me. And thus there was no need for you to apologize either. You would have no benefits in dealing with a commoner like me.¡± Just because someone felt guilty doesn¡¯t mean that he will always apologize. Many guilty men would pass away as guilty but never apologize for their own mistakes lest they would hurt their egos. But, there was one big exception to all of this. That was when the offender saw some benefit in apologizing to the victim. As such Lux had no benefit in apologizing to Arum. ¡®Yes, I am a commoner. I am aware of that more than anyone else.¡¯ There was no need for someone of Lux¡¯s standing to keep his promises to a commoner like Lux. At least that was what Arum had learned about the ways the accursed world worked. Even if Arum would pass it off as the nature of Lux that was too respectful and chivalrous, there was something that Arum found amiss in the situation. A hidden puzzle that he couldn¡¯t figure out. Arum didn¡¯t know how much of a gap there was between the nobles and the commoners but there should definitely be a huge wall in between them. Why would a noble bent on his knees in front of a commoner? Just because he was feeling guilty? The world didn¡¯t work that way. By doing such funny things the noble would only bring about more trouble for himself if rumors were to be spread. People would soon begin to doubt his authority threatening his rule. Such was the disdain for the commoners that the circle of nobility harbored. ¡®He is just a kid,¡¯ Arum thought. There was no other explanation. Take the Carrera village¡¯s tax collector for example. The man rarely visited the village very rarely only with the thought of collecting the tax in mind. Even he didn¡¯t want to be among the commoners let alone someone from a wizard clan like Lux. Wasn¡¯t such a limiting visit proof enough that nobles hated to be with the commoners and didn¡¯t expect anything from them? It was one fateful day that Arum had realized from the other villagers that the reason the collector didn¡¯t get involved with them was that he saw no benefit in us. The commoners existed solely to pay their taxes. There was no other identity associated with them. They were somewhat like piggy banks to them that generated money. And it was on that fateful day that Arum had realized how cruel the world was¡­ a world that distinguished by birth and blood¡­ a world that gifted only a chosen few allowing them to grovel the others under their feet only using them needed and tossing them away otherwise. Indeed, it was in such an accursed world that Arum was born. Volume 1 - CH 12 Questions to be Accumulated ¡°You have grown up indeed, but above all¡­¡± the woman spoke in a melancholic tone as her gaze shifted to the boy. He was just up to her waist when he had first met him. But unlike what one might expect from a child of his age, his persona had already matured a lot even at such an age. But now? The boy has grown much more and has grown taller. The woman who called herself his master couldn¡¯t help but be sentimental and melancholic of the past as she realizes that she would be soon leaving the boy all on his own. The fletching that leaves the dam brings both joy and sorrow to the mother who had painstakingly raised him to be able to fly. The woman stood in a daze as no thoughts crossed her mind and no words adorned her lips. All she did was stare at the curious boy who was waiting for a response. *swish* A sudden jolt of wind in between the forest brought her back to reality. Her pupils rippled as she continued. ¡°You need to know more and experience more and build up your knowledge over your already concrete foundation. You need to meet new people and meet new wizards too. If you spend your days in such a manner I am sure that you would be able to find goals that are much more important and concrete than your current one.¡± Arum frowned. ¡°Master, tell me more clearly.¡± Arum wasn¡¯t impatient per se. But was his master asking him to loof around hoping for possible enlightenment that had very much a probability of never happening? He would like to avoid it if that were the case. At least Arum wanted some clues as to what that new goal might be. Arum hadn¡¯t realized when the hands of the woman had reached out to him, holding onto his cheeks. She looked at him with a look of love that was bound by no chains. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to get out of this little garden, Arum¡­ you are no longer a boy from the countryside unnoticed by all. You are going to be fletching the would one day grow to be a wizard. The answer to such questions must be found out by you and you alone and not guided by me.¡± Arum raised his brows. He couldn¡¯t quite understand what his master was pointing at. But he felt like he couldn¡¯t refuse her. Neither could he look back. The only option for him was to strive forward. The master reached out her hand with her palm facing upward asking for the boy to hold onto it¡­ asking him to move forward. It was now her turn, as a master, she needed to push Arum off the cliff so that he could fly and soar in the boundless skies. The boy took hold of her hand. ¡°Move ahead, my disciple. I hope that you can achieve your dreams no matter how hard the going gets for you. I hope that you would strive forward no matter how much your wings hurt.¡± Arum was pulled along with her master into the forest. He realized that the cold words from her master weren¡¯t blessings but the sorrow of parting forever. She had come into his life ten years ago. She had been teaching Arum all about magic fuming the spark in his heart into glorious flames. Ten years they had spent together sharing joy and sorrow. Now it was finally the time for them to part. [Flashback Ends] *** Two weeks had already passed since the entrance ceremony inauguration. By this point, the newbie freshers had already got accustomed to living in the new places assigned to them. At the very beginning of the school life, everyone seemed to be open with everyone else and talked their hearts out as if they had found their once long-lost brothers and sisters. But as time passed by and things started to get root in their hearts. They formed factions amongst themselves. They had worn on a mask on their faces that was rare to find. Everybody had stopped interacting which each other and tend to stay within their peer circle. Not to mention that they had stopped talking about their family matters to those outsides of factions. But such a negative environment soon gave birth to a positive side effect. With no one bringing up their backing and family background the academy family seemed to be a normal school rather than a circle of nobility where every other person was scared of offending someone higher than themselves in political standings. It was like a truce that was created¡­ an unspoken rule that would be broken as soon as they were let loose in the outside world. After all, here family backings weren¡¯t going to save them in any way inside the academy which didn¡¯t differentiate between the different noble houses. Or so was what was written in the academy rules. However, there were still a few who weren¡¯t affected by such a truce. ¡°What is so funny?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so triggered¡­¡± ¡°What is that teacher¡¯s name? I have no idea, to be honest. When everyone turned to Arum all at once the teacher seemed to be agitated.¡± Arum murmured looking down. ¡°The topic of the class was so unusual that I didn¡¯t understand some parts. So I just asked a question. What is wrong with a question or two? I felt like everyone was staring daggers at me.¡± A group of four people in the cafeteria had little to do with all of those ominous changes among the nobles. Arum and Lux, who was scolded by a teacher quite a lot, along with Misty and Elmira who were accompanying them on the same table. They had naturally gathered together at the same table drawn by an unshakable habit. The others might claim that they had formed a small faction of themselves but that was hardly the case. Two of them were from prestigious families, while the third was a noble no less. But the fourth companion was quite unusual being a commoner. Not to mention that he had a duel with one of them making their situation even more interesting. The other nobles were quite curious about this small faction but the parties involved could care no less. They were quite used to public attention. But none of them cared about it. The time was already past noon. Afternoon, it was becoming a daily routine for four people to have chats on various topics at the cafeteria. Oday was no exception. What was being talked about now, was the first act f today¡¯s lecture. It was a lesson about the history of Manalil but it was quite unlike the history that one might think. For teaching the students about the actual history of Manalil would be completely pointless. Beralt Magic academy didn¡¯t spend any resources on generic studies at all! All the resources were spent on teaching magic and magic alone. As such the history that was taught was also a history of the origins of magic and nothing else. One must note, that most students at the Beralt Magic academy came from noble houses. They had already learned all the generic subjects back at their home under the care of their private teachers before coming here. Not to mention that self-study was sufficient for such knowledge. But the same wasn¡¯t true for Arum who had to struggle hard to keep up with the others. Arum had read countless books about magic. But none of them were about the history of magic! How could Arum cope with such a situation? He was literally the black sheep of their batch in the history classes. But even the nobles didn¡¯t know that the main purpose of such simple lectures was to provide some leisure time for the kids. It was the calm before the storm. But the calmness didn¡¯t come without its own purpose. It was a training exercise devised by the college to calm the student¡¯s mind. Since a wizard¡¯s magic was influenced by his or her mental state. As such the lectures at the beginning of the year were simple with a calm atmosphere on the air to the point where one might even call it boring enough. But a single line from Arum¡¯s side changed the atmosphere of the lecture to a heavy one. ¡°Calcesis Ambrosia Albert¡­ Who?¡± All of the eyes turned to Arum with squinting gazes as they threatened to pierce Arum¡¯s very soul. And why won¡¯t it be? The name of their king was suddenly muttered. And such an unusual muttering was followed by an unscrupulous question. The name of their king was suddenly muttered. And it was such an unscrupulous muttering that it caused all of them to jolt behind and stare daggers at Arum. It was certainly a bomb that was enough to incite the wildest fires. Arum had got himself in a troublesome position albeit by mistake. Even the voice with which he had spoken was fluent enough that it couldn¡¯t have been passed off as a misunderstanding. Considering the context of their studies it was indeed their king who was being referred to. Ignorance was bliss indeed. But ignorance can sometimes even be quite terrifying. It was an event that had disrupted the calmness of the classroom. Just by looking at their gazes, Arum was made aware of his situation. But contrary to the three¡¯s expectations Arum began to chuckle. ¡°I see, it can¡¯t be helped after all. I am a commoner. All I have learned about is magic from my master and hunting from the village. It is understandable that I don¡¯t know about these kinds of things¡± Arum replied to the other three sitting with him at the cafeteria. Arum began to reason with himself. His words as if brimming with arrogance for no good reason! It was as if he was proud of being a problem child and knowing about nothing but magic. He was a magic nerd indeed and didn¡¯t care about the bias of his knowledge compared to the other students who were nobilities. ¡°Why are you so confident?¡± Lux asked tilting his head. But he was soon to hold onto his chin. ¡°Maybe even in the writing exams of the admission tests you only solved the problems that were related to magic?¡± Arum nodded. ¡°I only knew about those so it couldn¡¯t be helped. I just ended up guessing the others with random answers¡­¡± Lux smiled bitterly at such a response. It was as if such a thing was very natural to the Arum of today. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why your scores are only about average,¡± Lux responded. But that also went both ways. It also meant that Arum had scored full marks in all of the magic related questions! ¡°Because this is a magic academy, many of the questions were based on magic so it was kind of easy for me to pass¡­¡± Everyone was stupified. ¡°How could you even sit for the exam without knowing about these basic things?¡± Elmira asked with her voice containing a stunning nuance that she didn¡¯t even try to hide no matter how rude it was. But Arum failed to notice the teasing coming from her side as he nonchalantly replied. ¡°I was just told that my master that I should come to this place because several magic practitioners of young age gather here every year.¡± ¡°So, all of us were told the same? Do you mean to say that¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know that it was a school at all. And I didn¡¯t even know that they would be taking an entrance exam. I only got to know that I have to sit for an exam after the examiner reached our town.¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± For some reason, the others ended up believing every word that Arum spoke. If it was someone else they might not even have had bothered with it and passed it off as another one of unusual self flattery. But with Arum it could certainly be a possibility. He was a commoner after all. The whole country of Beralt knew about the Beralt Magic Academy. It was a famous spot renowned among the circle of nobility and many a noble wants their children to be enrolled for the same. But for a kid that had lived all of his life in the boonies? The same law never applied. ¡°Somehow it feels like he there isn¡¯t even a shred of falsehood. If you combine his miscellaneous background with his ignorance it could certainly be possible. Well, it was never possible for a commoner who knows about magic activities of the wizards so we can assume the same went true for the magic academy as well.¡± Lux seemed to be a little reluctant in believing if it was possible and was trying to justify the statements in his own way. But Elmira seemed to be convinced. ¡°So what about you guys? What about you Elmira? Why did you come here?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Oh, I was just curious. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Arum was almost talking to himself but by a slip of tongue, the message was relayed to the other thee instead, especially to Elmira. Arum was worried that Elmira would probably give him a sloppy reply and fume his curiosity even further. But his worries were unfound as Elmira didn¡¯t seem to mind it and answered normally. ¡°I am representing my Roapis house here. Irrespective of whether we are rich or poor, as long as we can prove our abilities here, I am sure that our house would be recognized. After all, it¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An impartial stage where anyone can prove their skills.¡± The word ¡®impartial¡¯ might have touched a sore spot in Arum¡¯s heart but he chose to turn a deaf ear to it. ¡°So it was like that¡­¡± Arum seemed to have fed his curiosity. But he hadn¡¯t noticed the curious faces of the other two that were intently staring at Elmira. They were surprised as soon as they heard the name of Elmira¡¯s house as they looked at each other to confirm their thoughts. Rhapis. It was a clan that was renowned as the master of fire based magic just a few generations ago. And it was also a tragic clan that had met with its decline in just a mere two hundred years. A house that was once a towering giant in the world of wizardry wasn¡¯t even acknowledged today. At a position that seemed to be solid turned out to be frail instead as the house went to its decline. ¡°It must have been hard for Elmira. But to be honest I thought that the House of Roapis have been completely wiped out,¡± Lux claimed. ¡°I apologize but actually I too¡­¡± Misty spoke as her voice sank into that of a mouse. ¡°Oh, it is okay. Actually, the wizards of the generation before me were all terrible. So doesn¡¯t come off as a surprise if you thought that way.¡± ¡°By the way do you guys also have bloodline magic?¡± Arum interjected his eyes sparkling in joy and curiosity. ¡°There is one. But it seems like anybody can hardly use it except for me.¡± Elmira spoke nonchalantly. It appeared as if Elmira didn¡¯t have any particular feelings for the clan. She was more concerned about herself rather than her clan. She wanted to prove herself rather than aim for the resurrection of the house. Not to mention that she was quite confident in her ability and didn¡¯t care about the inability of the other members of her house, who had failed to match her ability. ¡°Ah, and the main reason is that I want to trample on the annoying and rich nobles,¡± she recollected her thoughts. ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± The other two knew about the condition of the house but Arum didn¡¯t know, He could only wonder what drove Elmira in such a manner. Was it her loneliness being aloof and different from the other members of the house? Or was it her intense ambitions that wanted to trample on the rich nobles that seemed to annoy her? Two rich nobles were sitting on either side of her but she didn¡¯t seem to care. It appeared that Elmira was similar to Arum in ways more than one. Just like Arum she had no qualms about declaring war against them irrespective of the situation or at least that was what Arum thought. ¡°You are talking to Misty and Lux every day like this¡­. Aren¡¯t you completely fine with that?¡± Arum couldn¡¯t help but consider the hypocrisy in her words. ¡°No, I am not. I am just getting along with the Caesius and the Orrick families, hoping to get closer to them.¡± Elmira didn¡¯t even try to hide the fact that friendship for her was a computational thing and relayed that as if she didn¡¯t care. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°So you are aiming to have good relations with their families?¡± ¡°I told you once already but I would tell you again¡­¡± Arum had told Elmira in advance that she didn¡¯t have to answer his questions if she didn¡¯t want to. But Elmira did so anyway to the point of even repeating her answers. ¡°I just hate rich and well-known families, but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t be using them.¡± Misty frowned. ¡°Oy! Do you hate me?¡± But Elmira shook her head. ¡°No, I like Misty.¡± ¡°Well, that makes me happy,¡± Volume 1 - CH 13 Cafetaria Misty and Elmira joined hands as they glanced at each other. Watching such a scene of intimacy Arum began to wonder if he truly understood what the meaning of ¡°hate¡± was. Or was it possible that Misty had awakened to her own sense of masochism? Arum had no clue. The curiosity riddling his heart made him ask further questions. ¡°You say that you hate rich kids but at the same time like Misty, so which one is it after all?¡± Arum questioned Elmira¡¯s hypocrisy hoping to quench his curiosity. Elmira rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s both. I like my friend Misty while at the same time I don¡¯t like the rick Misty Tran Caesius.¡± Arum raised his brows. ¡°By the way, what about Lux?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ a bit better than dislike I guess?¡± ¡°Ah¡± ¡°What would you call it then¡­¡± Arum asked such a question. But seeing the conflicted look on Lux¡¯s face. Arum changed his mind. It would be rude towards Lux if Elmuira were to verbalize it. Elmira seemed to be stopping at nothing so it was better for Arum to stop instead. But such a concern was meaningless as Lux already understood Elmira better than Arum did. Both of them being nobles sure helped them to understand each other. ¡°Even so, don¡¯t be so honest about it. It might backfire,¡± Lux claimed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it unpleasant to gossip about it in hiding? I would rather say it on their face.¡± Arum and Elmira had this single thing in common in between them if not anything¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Well, I certainly don¡¯t like backstabbers.¡± Lux nodded. ¡°Is that the case?¡± Arum whispered a bit troubled by the flow of the conversation. The way of the nobles hadn¡¯t been internalized inside him yet. But there was one thing he was confident about. Just like Elmira, he would usually say it out aloud if he dislikes someone. ¡°What about the two of you then? How do you feel about it?¡± Arum was intrigued to know more about the nobles and the lineage of the wizards. It was like questions were on the tip of his tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t really think about it much. There are too many people around me who want to use my house¡¯s name that it doesn¡¯t even make a difference.¡± ¡°Same goes for me¡­ I would rather like to be with someone who dares to say it to face rather than gossiping behind my back.¡± Alas, for the innocent Arum their answers only deepened the mystery for him as to why they would be okay with someone who hated them and why would they even get along with them in the first place! There were some things that a commoner like him with his lack of experience could never understand and he had already given up on it altogether. Had Arum been in the same situation as the two of them, he wouldn¡¯t have accepted such maliciousness by any means. Was it because of his birth alone that he thought differently? But he didn¡¯t completely hate it either It was a mysterious feeling that was accumulating in his gut as he was beginning to understand albeit little by little¡­ he was learning more and more about how the nobles worked and how weird they could be. Conversing with the three every day at such an hour had gained him quite a few insights that he would have never received otherwise. ¡°Hmmm?¡± Suddenly another question popped into his head. One that he had never asked before. ¡°Then what about me?¡± Arum turned towards Elmira. ¡°Arum was on good terms with both of them so it naturally followed¡­¡± ¡°Ah, really?¡± Arum wanted to know why Elmira accompanied him. But the answer to his question was fairly simple. She was accompanying Arum only because the other two were accompanying him. There was no direct link between the two of them. Arum couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit conflicted at his lack of importance. But being a commoner what else could he expect? His past would never be glorious. Now it was only upon him as to how he would build his future. *** ¡°It¡¯s too quiet isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Elmira muttered. Most of the students had finished their lunch since it was past noon. But Some were like Arum and the others who stayed behind to chat among themselves so the atmosphere in the cafeteria wasn¡¯t usually so ominous. It couldn¡¯t help but raise some questions in their mind. Arum had no clue, but the others seemed to have their own assumptions. ¡°Are they still searching?¡± Misty whispered. She pushed her silver hair behind her ear as her lips touched the tip of the cup sipping on it. It seemed as if the world full of magic had manifested an liberating picture into the physical reality. It was a magic spell that could entrap many hearts. ¡°Who came to Misty then?¡± Elmira asked with a smirk on her face. But Misty shook his head seemingly used to such questions. ¡°No, I have nobody.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t think that there exists an idiot who would blatantly go after the daughter of the Caesius family.¡± Elmira turned to Arum after this. She had a mischievous grin on her face. ¡°What about Arum?¡± Arum shook his head ¡°I don¡¯t know. No one came to me either. It¡¯s really frustrating you know. I thought that a lot of them would come at me since I am a commoner. Even my so-called crippled attribute was also revealed to all of them at the entrance ceremony so they should find me an easy target right? But in the end, no one came.¡± *Sigh* ¡°Maybe, they are wary of me because I defeated Lux¡­¡± What Arum and the others were talking about was the duel system of the academy. It was a specialty that was original to the Beralt Magic academy and was found nowhere else. The duel between students was a major activity that attracted many competitive minds. At any given time the student is allowed to fight each other in practical skill-building. Even the tally of their scores is maintained by a magic stone! The director of the academy had encouraged them to participate in such duels. But it was also bound by rules that didn¡¯t allow such duels to be forced. As such many students struggle to find dueling partners for themselves which is not essentially a good thing, as the score of such duels is added to the student¡¯s grades. Some rules prevent the seniors of the academy to challenge their juniors. But if a junior wants to he could challenge a senior under the condition that the senior can never use any lethal spell in such duels. If any of these rules were to be found to be broken, the teacher would immediately suppress such a battle;e with a heavy fist. Though the conditions placed on the students were kind of problematic. But such an endeavor was a quick way for students to measure their own fighting ability and also gain a lot of battle experience at the same time. But in the end in such battles, it is the juniors that suffer the most. When a student had already stayed in an academy for a lot of time, most of his spells and powers are already known making room for proper estimations. But what about the freshers? No one had any knowledge about the spells the freshers use! There was utter chaos in the battles during the first year. No one could predict which side would win bringing absolute enjoyment and euphoria to both the participants and the audience. The sense of unknown drove them forward aiding them in battling more and more. Therefore, it shouldn¡¯t come off as a surprise, that the freshers fought more duels compared to the sophomores. With so many battles taking place, who would give up the opportunity to fight more and more and gain as many credits as possible? Thus everyone was busy finding a battle mate. But alas, Arum who was commoner gained none. His status as a commoner should have got him more matches than the others in the usual scenario. But his absolute victory against Lux changed the tides. He had won the battle but he had lost the war. One must note, that Lux was the sole successor of the Orrick house. An indomitable existence. If Arum can defeat Lux he could certainly defeat many. But, which noble can bear the shame of losing to a commoner? Thus it was only understandable that no one would challenge Arum. ¡°What about you?¡± Lux¡¯s situation should have been no different than Misty but Lux seemed to have a different answer to that. ¡°Ah¡­ Actually, I have been challenged twice.¡± ¡°What! Is that so?¡± Elmira exclaimed seemingly caught off guard.