Preparing for Enrollment

It was the twenty-seventh day of practicing Miniature Magic.

I sat in the study, holding a crystal ball the size of a fingernail between the fingers of my right hand and pouring mana into it bit by bit. The crystal ball lit up, its glow staying even for about eight seconds before it cracked. The pieces fell onto the desk with a crisp clink.

Eight seconds. Two more than yesterday. The old dwarf said I needed to keep it up for thirty minutes. At this rate, I might make it to fifteen seconds before enrollment, but that's still a long way off.

Master Roxy's training method went like this: wrap a crystal ball in mana and hold it for thirty minutes without breaking or cracking it. Once I could control five balls at the same time, I could engrave the miniature magic circles for my prosthetic arm.

I swept the fragments into a drawer. More than twenty broken crystal balls were already piled inside, every one of them ruined during my practice. The spare crystal ball the old dwarf had given me sat in the corner of the desk, transparent and refracting tiny points of light in the sunlight streaming through the window. I picked it up, looked it over, and put it back. I'd already broken three today. If I kept practicing, my fingers would cramp.

The sound of a wooden sword cutting through the air came from the courtyard outside the window. Norn was practicing again. Every morning, she got up before dawn to swing her sword, never missing a day. I leaned out the window for a look. She wore gray training clothes, her hair tied in a ponytail, and her movements were much sharper than last month. Father was beside her, too, leaning on his old sword with his right hand and occasionally correcting her stance. His empty left sleeve swung back and forth at his waist, though he probably no longer noticed it himself.

Working that hard at eight. What was I doing when I was eight? Right, I was tutoring Eris in the City of Roa. My talent for magic might be great, but when it comes to hard work, Norn has me beat by a mile.

That afternoon, I went to the university.

The winter of Armored Dragon Year 421 was nearly over, and the weather in Sharia was beginning to warm. Sunlight glinted off the joint crests on the two stone pillars at the school gate, while the magic-resistant bricks above it gave off a dull sheen.

I made a circuit along the main road. Seven academic buildings formed a semicircle around an open plaza. A stone sundial stood in the center, engraved with magic circle symbols for the six major attributes, glowing faintly beneath the gray sky. Three training grounds stood on the east side, the south side, and the northwest corner of campus. Each had its own barrier, and even from a distance, I could see pale blue-green patterns of light flowing across their surfaces.

The great library stood at the northernmost end of campus. It was a three-story stone building with small windows and dead vines covering its outer walls. I walked up and pushed on the front door, but it was locked. People who weren't enrolled couldn't get in.

The great library's restricted section is in the basement. I'll have to check whether special students have enough clearance to enter after I enroll. Maybe I can find a clue about the Man-God in there.

A roadside notice board was covered with club recruitment posters and notices for academic lectures. I spotted a poster for a "Mixed Magic Seminar," bearing the seal of Lecturer Roxy Migurdia in the bottom right corner. Every time I saw Master's name on a university notice board, it felt a little unreal. When she was teaching me magic in Buena Village eight years ago, who could have imagined she'd become a lecturer here?

Roxy Migurdia. Just seeing those words makes me want to worship her. The white cloth folded neatly inside that little pouch in my pocket-I touch it every morning before I leave home. As the sole follower of the Roxy Religion, I pay my respects devoutly every day. If Master found out, she'd probably whack me on the head with her wand.

A poster for the "Annual Swordsmanship Tournament" was posted beside the notice board. It was scheduled for two months after enrollment, and the eligibility requirements said "students enrolled at this school." Eris wasn't a student, but attending training classes as a family member should be fine. Whether she entered the tournament would be up to her. Knowing her, she'd probably charge straight over to sign up when she saw a poster like that, then drag me along to watch.

On the other side of the notice board was a faded announcement titled "Explanation of the Special Student System." Special students were exempt from tuition and could skip regular classes, only needing to attend a class meeting once a month. They were entitled to a private research room and use of campus facilities. The condition was that they be personally screened by the vice principal. Master Roxy had already told me all this, but seeing it written down in black and white made me feel a little more reassured.

When I reached the school gate, a blond male student stopped me.

He was half a head taller than me, wearing a carefully tailored dark blue academy robe with a silver brooch pinned to his chest, probably the emblem of some club or student organization. His hair was neatly combed, and his blue eyes looked me up and down.

"The mana fluctuations coming off you aren't those of an ordinary person," he said.

I instinctively took half a step back. He could sense my mana? I'd deliberately suppressed my mana fluctuations when I left home, yet he'd still noticed them.

"Are you a new student?" he pressed.

"I'm enrolling next spring, as a special student."

His eyebrows rose. "A special student? That makes this even more interesting." He nodded to me, then turned and walked away. He didn't give his name or say another word.

Who was that guy? He came up and started talking without even introducing himself. He's like an NPC in a game from my previous life, disappearing as soon as his dialogue is triggered.

On the way home, I kept thinking about what I'd do after enrolling.

Improving my prosthetic arm came first. The old dwarf said it needed three things: mana circuits, a joint structure, and precise control. Master was already helping me design the first two, but the third was up to me. I couldn't rush the precision training for Miniature Magic. One hour a day, taking it slowly. Once I enrolled and had a research room, getting equipment and materials would be much easier.

The second was the Man-God. He'd given me advice several times in my dreams, and he'd been right every time. But being right didn't mean he could be trusted. In the mystery anime I'd watched in my previous life, the most dangerous character was often the one who kept helping you. They helped so you'd owe them a huge favor, then made their move once you'd let your guard down. I didn't know what the Man-God wanted, but I didn't believe someone would do that to me for no reason.

The library's restricted section might hold a clue, so the first thing I'd do after enrolling was look. Of course, I might not find anything, in which case, so be it. At least I'd have ruled out one possibility.

The third was connections. The Ranoa University of Magic brought together elites from every country: children of Asuran nobles, people connected to the Millis Church, and international students from various kingdoms. After graduation, they would return to their respective countries and organizations. If I could build a network while I was a student, I wouldn't have to fight alone if I ran into danger in the future.

The prosthetic arm, the Man-God, and connections. Three things, one at a time. First I need to pass the entrance test.

Armored Dragon Year 422, spring.

Enrollment day.

Before I left that morning, Aisha thrust a cloth bundle into my hands at the door, saying it was lunch. "Don't go buying random things to eat for lunch, big brother. The university cafeteria is ridiculously expensive." Her hands never stopped moving as she spoke, and she turned straight around and went back to the kitchen to wash dishes.

Paul was sitting beside the long table in the living room, holding a cup of tea in his right hand. When he saw I was about to leave, he put down his cup, stood up, and walked to the door, where he patted me on the shoulder with his right hand. He put a little more force into it than usual.

"Don't embarrass me."

"...Got it."

The way Paul talks now really does make him seem like what they called a "good father" in my previous life. All right, off I go.

I stood at the front door in my newly made academy robe. The fabric was dark blue, with a special student's silver six-pointed star emblem embroidered on the cuff. Eris stood beside me, her sword at her waist and her red hair dazzlingly bright in the morning light.

"Let's go," she said.

I followed her out the door. The spring breeze smelled of earth, and it no longer felt cold against my face. After a few steps, I looked back. Paul was leaning against the doorframe, raising his teacup in his right hand as a farewell.