episode_0011

If I were to speak of the results, the magic was successful. It was indeed an extremely thin and delicate membrane that emerged, but if one were to consider it a success, then it was a kind of success. Of course, there were also people around who could ignite flames on a thin membrane, so it wasn’t perfect. After all, there is a barrier called talent for humans. It couldn’t be easily overcome.

After all the classes were over, I moved my feet to the academy’s underground during dinner time. I had never heard in detail about the way down to the underground, but this was the only place at school considered dangerous. Carefully descending the stairs of the building where the professors’ offices were, I arrived at the first floor and saw the stairs leading further down.

Surely, they had said not to go down here when they gathered the freshmen. So, this is the underground, rumored to be where demons come out… Can I handle it? I have only faced a demon once. Even now, it’s a vivid memory. If I close my eyes, it feels like that moment will come back, so I forcibly open my eyes and approach the door leading down to the underground, clutching the key in my pocket.

Senior Leonar must be inside. I wonder if Senior Erica is here too. If it’s Senior Erica, she might be wandering around here and there.

Amidst such thoughts, I grasped the key with my hand and inserted it into the door of the underground room. When I turned the key smoothly, the sound of the lock opening echoed. Should I go in? I turned my head slightly and looked around, but I didn’t feel any eyes on me.

It didn’t feel great, as if I were doing something dangerous and bad.

The underground room was silent. It was natural, but not a single sound could be heard around, and although the magical lamps in the corridor emitted a faint light, it felt like they would immediately go out if someone touched them. However, suddenly, a curious thought came to mind.

Why is Senior Leonardo in the basement? Among the places I’ve seen while going back and forth to students’ research labs, some were located in the secluded corners of the academy. There were also some near the dormitory, but why is Senior Leonardo here? Is his lab located here?

Even as I slowly walked through the underground corridor with such thoughts, I didn’t see Senior anywhere. The increasing sense of dread and the gradual coldness of the underground seemed to weigh on me. Should I call out?

“Senior Leonardo!”

I shouted, but there was no answer. Could he really not be here? But the professor said he would be here. Wondering where he could be, I moved inside. As I walked cautiously, I heard the sound of wind in my ears. Feeling like something might jump out, I clenched my right hand.

There was nothing to be cautious about. I saw the end of the corridor. Just when I wondered why no one was there, there was a small door at the end of the corridor. As I reached out to grab the handle of the obviously old door, a voice came from my ear.

“This is a dangerous place.”

Startled by the voice, I turned around to find Senior Leonardo standing there. Unlike usual, he was holding a cane in his left hand. It wasn’t clear whether he had been practicing or doing something else.

“Moreover, first-year students are prohibited from entering the underground. Astan, don’t you remember the entrance ceremony? And how did you get in? You probably haven’t received the key to the underground lab yet.”

“I came to find you, senior.”

“Me?”

I rummaged through my pocket and showed him the vial that Senior Erika had given me.

“Senior Erika asked me to make something identical to this.”

Upon hearing my words, Senior Leonardo took the vial, glanced at it, and then returned it to me. Taking the vial from the senior, I carefully put it in my pocket and watched him. He put the cane in his uniform pocket and looked at me.

“She gave you a difficult task. There probably isn’t a first-year student who can do this magic yet.”

“I tried to make it, but the glass bottle broke the moment I put in the cold. I don’t know if I should use a different glass bottle or if I’m just not skilled at handling the cold yet.”

“There aren’t many glass bottles that can withstand mana. Unless it’s specially reinforced with magic, they will all break. Or you could reinforce them with alchemy, but I don’t think that’s what Erika wants. It’s still a lack of skill in handling the cold.”

“…I see.”

“Hearing the correct answer again sticks in your mind even more than you’d think. It doesn’t feel great to once again realize my lack of skill. How is it possible for Senior Erika to do that? Is she really just putting cold into the glass bottle lightly?”

“Of course, it’s not just cold that can be put into the glass bottle, you can put your own mana in there. Instead of trying to put in the cold first, try putting in mana. Then you’ll understand the method to some extent.”

“…I’ll remember that.”

“So, did you come to me to ask this question?”

I nodded slightly and smiled at Senior Leona.

“Erika Senior said to come find you if she doesn’t have a glass bottle.”

“What an amusing woman.”

“Welcome!”

Time flies when you’re working. There were always customers at the tavern, never a dull moment. Unless Ceresia rented out the entire place, the tavern was always bustling with the sound of people chatting.

Still, once the busy period at the tavern was over and there was some free time, the staff chatted among themselves. I cautiously approached them, and Daisy, who worked with me, started talking to me.

“How’s the academy? Must be busy as a first-year.”

“It’s not as busy as I thought… I don’t know if I’m doing well… Everyone around me seems so talented, am I the only one lacking? I’ve been thinking that.”

“But the fact that you got into the academy means you have talent. Those without talent can’t even get through the academy’s doors.”

I lightly scratched my neck at Toa’s words. They say it’s a talent, but it might not be my talent. After all, it’s the talent of this body.

As I thought about it, my thoughts became more complicated and my chest felt tight. …The talent of this body, not my own talent, I guess. It slowly started to feel itchy on my neck.

“Entering the academy is like a dream. Just graduating guarantees a noble position, doesn’t it?”

“Graduating isn’t easy.”

“I heard rumors that even by just reaching the fourth year, you can live while teaching the offspring of most noble families.”

At Daisy’s words, Toa let out a deep sigh and tapped Daisy’s forehead.

“Do you think the academy exams are easy? Making a mistake could cost you your life. Do you still not remember Zeroth?”

“Oh.”

“Zeroth?”

At my words, both Daisy and Toa looked at me and placed their hands on my shoulders.

“Don’t die.”

Hearing those words, a sense of dread washed over me.

To be honest, when I first received the offer to enroll in the academy, my family looked at me with pity. Of course, leaving my hometown to live in a foreign land wasn’t easy, but becoming a mage here in Araleria was no different from being affiliated with the nation.

Of course, I didn’t dislike it. Living by farming was also good. Quietly, without any fuss, maybe there was romance in that as well, but aiming higher was the right thing to do if I wanted to live.

And I knew. Even if I had refused the academy at that moment, fate would have led me here.

That’s why I met Sharen.

On the way back to the academy, I held a glass bottle tightly. Senior Leonar said we should inject mana instead of cold air from the beginning. Is it an easy task to contain mana in a glass bottle? Carefully, I grasped the glass bottle and gathered mana at my fingertips.

If I inject mana, will the glass bottle break?

At that thought, the glass bottle turned to gold the moment mana was poured into it. As I cautiously touched the glass bottle that turned to gold as soon as I put ordinary mana in it, the bottle shattered.

I reinforced my hand with mana to avoid injury from the scattered glass shards, removed them, and let out a small sigh. The glass bottle shattered as soon as I put my mana into it.

So, what should I do? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with an answer. With a somewhat disappointed heart at the task for which no solution seemed to appear, as I crossed the school gate on my way back to the dormitory, a voice reached me.

“It’s better not to wander around at night.”

Cerestia was there.

“That’s what I have to say.”

“You think it’s just a trivial escapade of royalty, Astan.”

She smiled at me, and as I looked at her, I carefully took out the last remaining glass bottle and showed it to her, holding my words.

“Is it possible for you, Cerestia, to contain mana in this?”

“It’s a joke to ask a child like me to do it.”

“…It’s difficult for me.”

Without saying a word, Cerestia did not touch the glass bottle but pointed at it with her finger, and mana was contained in the glass bottle.

“Is it possible to change the nature of mana?”

“Hmm…”

After looking at the glass bottle once, she shook her head.

“That’s impossible. I haven’t reached that level yet.”

“Is it easy to put mana in?”

“It might be easy in your mind, but it will be difficult in your body.”

“Can you teach me?”

After my words, Cerestia pondered for a moment and then softly spoke to me.

“If I teach you, what can you do for me?”

“If there’s something I can do, I’ll do it.”

At my words, she looked at me and smiled brightly.

“Be my friend.”