"So, what did you want to talk about? I don't think we have much to discuss," Mikael inquired.
"You're stronger than me, and this is the first time someone my age has ever defeated me," she said with a determined gaze. She continued, "That's why I'd like to spar with you—to grow stronger and eventually beat you."
He raised an eyebrow, surprised by her obsession with strength, especially given her typically calm demeanor. "I beat you, sure, but it was in a small space, and with you as a ranger, I was at a clear advantage. If I couldn't win under those conditions, I'd honestly be trash."
"The 'trash' you mentioned includes every other first-year student except you," she replied with a funny expression. "I came second in the battle royale, and considering the circumstances of our fight, there's no excuse. I was an E- Warrior, and you were just an F- Warrior. That's why I want to spar with you—to learn from you and grow stronger."
Mikael considered her words for a moment before answering, "I don't see a problem with sparring, but when do you want to do it?"
"I was thinking during the dueling class. We can use the sparring sessions with our classmates to practice against each other," she proposed.
"I'm fine with that," he replied.
Hearing his response, a faint smirk appeared on her face, quickly replaced by her usual composed expression. "Thank you for your time," she said politely before turning to leave.
'That was… an odd encounter,' Mikael thought to himself as he also walked away, heading toward his Mage Foundation class, which was about to begin.
The reason he accepted her offer was simple: it would help him grow. Sparring against a skilled warrior trained by a noble family was bound to be beneficial. Another factor in his decision was her beauty—he had recently decided to be more proactive in forming his harem. If he could grow stronger while spending time with a beautiful woman, it was killing two birds with one stone.
However, one thing was certain: he wouldn't bend over backward for her like the other guys at the school seemed to do. He had his pride and wouldn't allow himself to become a simp just because a woman was beautiful.
***
"And that will be all for today's class," said a middle-aged man, the teacher of the Mage Foundation class.
With that, Mikael rose from his chair and exited the classroom. In this introductory class, he hadn't learned how to cast spells yet but had gained a foundational understanding of magic. Magic in this world was divided into eight elements: the basic ones—fire, wind, water, and earth—and the advanced ones—light, shadow, lightning, and space.
Having an affinity with an element allows for faster and easier mastery of spells related to that element. While it is possible to learn spells from elements outside of one's affinity, it is not recommended, as time is better spent mastering spells aligned with your own affinity.
Of course, it isn't all he learned, he also learned other things like that the power of a spell depends on several factors, but the two main ones are potency and mana expenditure. The first factor, potency, is tied to the mage's rank and reflects the quality of their mana. The second factor is the quantity of mana used; for example, a fireball cast with 50 mana would be significantly stronger than one cast with only 15 mana.
Another key concept introduced was the three levels of spellcasting proficiency. The first level requires the mage to chant aloud to cast a spell. At the second level, the mage can recite the chant mentally, often reducing its length. The third and final level allows the mage to cast spells purely through intent, without the need for any chant.
During the class, the students' affinities were tested using a magical orb. Mikael, using his System, masked his true affinity—which covered all elements—and revealed only affinities for fire, wind, and space. While this combination was already impressive, it wasn't unheard of.
After leaving the class, Mikael wandered through the Academy until he discovered a quiet, secluded park surrounded by lush greenery. He sat on a bench and pulled out the control puzzle he had purchased the previous day but hadn't yet tried due to his visit to Kiara.
He began working on the puzzle. The first levels were so simple that they took less than a minute each to complete. However, as he progressed, the difficulty increased, requiring more precise control and time to solve. Mikael found this activity relaxing, enjoying the solitude and the peaceful natural surroundings.
Hours passed as he focused on the puzzle, and before he knew it, it was time for his Mage Specialization: Wind class. Skipping lunch didn't bother him; he had managed to clear up to the 21st level of the cube.
After a short walk, he arrived at the classroom. This was also the room for the Ranker Path class, which Emily taught. As his homeroom teacher, Emily was responsible for three mandatory subjects for his class, in addition to teaching Wind Magic to those who chose this specialization.
Noticing that the classroom was nearly full, Mikael found a seat and waited for the class to begin.
When the time came, Emily stood up and addressed the students. "Hello, everyone! I see a few familiar faces, but most of you probably don't know me, so let me introduce myself. I'm Emily Auror, an SS- Rank Wind Mage. I'll be your instructor for this class on wind magic."
She continued, "You can address me however you'd like—Emily, Miss Emily, or Miss Auror. I'm not too concerned about formalities so there's no need to stand on ceremony."
Some students frowned at her casual demeanor. Emily, unbothered, pressed on, "Now that introductions are out of the way, let's get straight to today's subject. I won't go into detail about how being a ranker works, as you all had your Ranker Path class yesterday and should already know the basics."
"Can anyone explain the difference between a mage and a warrior?"
"Yes." Emily spoke while pointing at a student.
A brown-haired girl began to speak. "Warriors use aura, which reinforces their bodies or weapons but isn't easily controlled outside of their bodies. Mages, on the other hand, use mana, which can't enhance their bodies directly but can be manipulated externally to cast spells, like a wind slash."
Emily nodded. "That's a pretty good explanation, but there's something I need to clarify. While it's true that we mages can't reinforce our bodies like warriors, our physical strength does increase as we rank up, just like warriors."
"I know it sounds surprising, but it's true. The base strength of a mage and a warrior is the same, provided neither of them trains specifically. The difference comes into play when a warrior activates their aura—it enhances their bodies to a level that makes it nearly impossible for us to confront them up close without preparation."
"To counter this, mages can envelop their bodies with mana infused with their elemental affinity."
Many students looked surprised by her words. Emily paused for a few seconds before a green-colored mana began swirling around her at high speed.
"Woah!"
"She can silent-cast!" a girl exclaimed excitedly.
Emily gestured at her and continued. "This is called a wind cloak, created with my mana. Using it, my strength is roughly equivalent to that of an S- Rank warrior while I am a SS- Mage so while I am weaker at least I while be able to react. Of course, the exact comparison depends on the potency of our respective energies, but this gives you a general idea."
"Learning to form an elemental cloak is an essential skill if you don't want to die the moment someone closes the distance on you," she said with a serious expression.
"I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to master an elemental cloak! However, before attempting this, you need to be proficient in wind magic. At the very least, you must be capable of casting 2nd-circle spells proficiently."
Mikael recognized the term "circle." The Mage Foundation teacher had covered it earlier. Spells in this world were classified into circles based on their complexity and strength, ranging from 1st-circle spells to the immensely powerful 6th-circle spells used by only the most elite mages.
"The first spell I'll teach you is a basic one—nearly useless except as a training tool for mastering more advanced spells. You'll be learning the 1st-circle spell, Gale."
Emily began drawing on the board at the front of the class. She wrote the spell's name, its circle level, the mana movement diagram, and the incantation.
She recited the incantation she had just written, "Gale winds, heed my call, sweep forth and appear before me!"
As she finished, a gust of wind materialized before her, scattering some dust in its wake.
After the demonstration, she spoke again. "This is the incantation. Of course, you'll also need to synchronize your mana flow with the chant. If your mana moves too quickly or too slowly, or if it doesn't flow in the correct way, the spell will fail."
"You're welcome to take a picture of the diagram before heading to the training section to practice. Alternatively, you can practice here in class since this spell isn't dangerous. If you have any questions, feel free to ask—I'll be available for the duration of the class."
"For those of you who can already cast 1st-circle spells, you may visit the Academy library to study up to 3rd-circle magic. However," she added with a stern expression, "do not attempt to copy or take pictures of the library's spellbooks. If you do, we'll know, and the punishments range from fines to expulsion."
She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing, "And that's all for now! I don't have much more to teach you at the moment. On the path of a mage, it's extremely important to learn things on your own rather than just copying what's been taught. So, I'll leave it at that for now. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
As she finished speaking, a small number of students left the class immediately, but the majority stayed and began practicing the incantation.
"Gale winds, heed my call, sweep forth and appear before me!"
Many students failed, but a significant number managed to succeed on their first attempt—it was, after all, one of the simplest 1st-circle spells.
Mikael saw the gusts of wind forming around the room but ignored them, focusing instead on the instructions on the board. The idea of casting his first spell excited him.
Following the instructions, he began by emitting mana from his core and then altering it to a wind-attributed state.
"Gale winds, heed my call, sweep forth and appear before me!" he recited, moving his mana as directed on the board.
"..."
Nothing happened, as expected. Undeterred, Mikael repeated the process.
His attempt continued the 2nd, 3rd, 8th and continued without results. However, on his 22nd try, an extremely small gust of wind appeared before him.
"Fuck yeah," he murmured, thrilled. Despite its weakness, he had successfully cast his first spell—a milestone nonetheless.
A nearby boy snickered at Mikael's feeble attempt, but Mikael ignored him, unwilling to waste energy dealing with another arrogant noble.
Seeing he was being ignored, the boy lost interest and returned to casting spells noisily, as though trying to attract as much attention as possible.
Mikael, meanwhile, kept practicing at his desk, even as the rest of the class grew lively with students chatting and comparing spells. He was one of the few who continued working diligently. Emily quietly observed, taking note of everyone's progress.
Throughout the remainder of the class, Mikael steadily improved his mastery of the Gale spell. Time flew by, and he was so absorbed in his practice that he didn't notice the class had ended.
"Mikael."
"Hmm?" He looked up to see Emily standing beside him.
"The class ended a few minutes ago."
"Huh?" he murmured, glancing around to find the room empty. "Oh, sorry! I didn't notice—I was too focused on the spell."
Emily smiled at his response. "Don't worry. It's always encouraging to see hardworking students. Keep it up! To excel as a mage, especially with your dual talent, you'll need to master both the path of a warrior and a mage, which means working twice as hard as others."