The next day…
Leon sat at his desk, eyes scanning the schedule he had received the previous day.
His finger trailed across the parchment, pausing on the first class of the day—Introduction to Magic.
It would be his very first formal magic class, and the anticipation had him both excited and a little nervous.
He'd heard whispers from older students about how this subject was either the most inspiring or the most boring, depending on the teacher.
The classroom buzzed with chatter as students trickled in.
The atmosphere shifted as the door opened with a soft creak, and in walked their homeroom teacher—the same woman who had welcomed them to the academy, Professor Sylvia
With calm, confident steps, she moved to the front of the room and placed a stack of books on the desk.
"Settle down, everyone," she said, her voice carrying a natural authority that silenced the room instantly.
After taking attendance with a few quick glances and checks, Sylvia looked up and addressed the class.
"As your homeroom teacher, I'll also be guiding you through this first subject:
Introduction to Magic.
Many of you might think you already know what magic is. Sparks, fireballs, flying swords, glowing circles in the air.
But let me tell you now—you only know the outer shell."
She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing.
"Magic, at its core, is the art of will made manifest. It is the discipline of understanding the forces that shape our world and learning
how to mold those forces to our desire. It is both science and intuition, structure and chaos."
She began walking slowly between the rows of desks, her eyes sharp but not unkind.
"All living beings in this world have mana flowing through them. But only a few learn to sense it.
Fewer still manage to control it. And among those, even fewer can bend it to the laws of magic.
You are here today not because you have mana—every squirrel and insect has it—but because someone believes you can shape that mana."
Leon's eyes were glued to her as she spoke, the words echoing in his mind.
"There are three fundamental truths to understanding magic," she said, holding up her fingers.
"One: Mana is alive. It responds to emotion, to thought, and to conviction.
Two: Magic is bound by laws—like language. Just as words must be arranged to make sense, so too must runes, intent, and elements align.
And three: Power alone is meaningless without control."
Sylvia turned and snapped her fingers. A swirl of wind danced around her, lifting chalk and forming glowing symbols in the air. The entire class leaned forward, captivated.
"You will begin with the simplest of spells. Tier 0. The kind of spells that could light a candle or chill a cup of water.
But do not scoff. These are the spells that will teach you discipline. Even the mightiest Archmage began by struggling to light a lamp."
Returning to the front, she tapped the chalkboard with her finger, and a diagram appeared showing the flow of mana through the human body.
"Over the course of this semester, you will learn to feel mana, channel it through your body, and carve it into runes with your will.
We will explore elemental affinities, mana circuits, the structure of a spell, and eventually, how to cast your first spell."
Some students were scribbling notes furiously, while others simply stared, awestruck. Leon's heart thumped in his chest—this was it. The beginning of his magical journey.
The teacher gave a small, knowing smile.
"Now then—open your beginner's grimoire to page one. Let's start by learning what not to do with raw mana."
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As the class remained engrossed in Professor Sylvia's explanation, the bell rang, signaling the end of the period.
Professor Sylvia closed her book and gave a warm smile.
"That's all for today. We'll continue from this point next class."
And with that, she exited the room.
Leon stretched in his seat, letting out a small sigh.
"Thirty minutes break…" he mumbled, rubbing his neck.
He glanced toward Caelir, thinking of chatting a bit. But then he paused.
A swarm of girls had surrounded Caelir's desk, their voices a mix of giggles and admiration.
Caelir wore his usual calm-but-dying-inside expression, politely responding like someone trapped in a tea party he didn't sign up for.
Leon silently turned back around.
'Yeah… nope. Not walking into that mess.'
Just then, a dramatic voice beside him caught his attention.
"Be brave, my brother! Do not be led astray by women! We have only one true path—to become strong! Nothing else matters!"
Leon blinked.
'Huh?'
He turned slightly to see a chubby boy standing at his desk, one foot on his chair like a general addressing his troops.
His hands moved with passionate energy, eyes shining with the kind of seriousness that made the whole thing somehow even funnier.
His seatmate nodded with monk-like calm. "Yeah… we must focus on strength."
Leon couldn't help but smile at the absurdity.
The round-faced preacher suddenly noticed him. "Brother! You there! Yes, you! You look like someone with a strong aura! Come! We're discussing something sacred!"
Leon tilted his head. For a moment, he considered ignoring it… but the guy's energy was weirdly contagious.
So, he stood and walked over, keeping his usual calm expression.
"I'm Nilo Aquaros!" the boy declared with a grin, thumping his chest. "Water element! And this is my brother in arms, Zephin Gale. Wind affinity."
Zephin gave a small wave.
"…Leon," he said simply, giving a nod.
"Brother Leon! Join our discussion," Nilo beamed. "We were debating: What's more powerful? Love… or strength?"
Leon blinked again.
'Where do these guys even come up with this?'
"I say—power," Nilo continued without waiting. "Women are a distraction! Feelings cloud the path! We must focus! Train! Become legends!"
Leon listened quietly as Nilo went on… and on… for a solid 15 minutes, complete with exaggerated hand gestures and near-philosophical declarations.
'He was definitely rejected by someone,' Leon thought. 'No one preaches like this unless they've suffered emotionally.'
Still, despite the comedy of it all, Leon couldn't completely disagree. Power was important. But… so were the bonds he'd made—like Aaron and Reinhart. Those mattered too.
Eventually, Nilo ran out of steam and sat down, breathing heavily like he'd just finished a workout.
"...Anyway, that's what I think."
Leon gave a soft chuckle and a small nod. "Makes sense. In its own way."
That was all he said, but Nilo seemed satisfied anyway.
"Aha! A man of few words but deep thought. Truly, a wise brother!"
Before things could get any weirder, Caelir finally freed himself from the girl storm and walked over.
"Hey Leon. Next class's about to start."
Leon stood, brushing off his pants.
"Alright."
"Go, Brother Leon!" Nilo called out like he was sending a hero off to war. "May your journey toward strength be glorious!"
Leon gave a small wave over his shoulder and walked off with Caelir, his expression calm as usual—though he was quietly wondering how he'd just been inducted into a weird motivational brotherhood without even saying much.