“Oh for G.o.d’s sake!”
Reina and Abel had met up to go to the common lectures. Abel started shouting.
“What is it?”
She knew that he was slightly strange, but he seemed stranger than usual today.
“It’s too hard… I’m practically first place for casting, but… this d.a.m.ned ‘mana theory’…. What do I do about my scholarship? Does this place have cram schools?”
“…Ask the duke for help, then.”
There was an obvious answer. Why he didn’t go with it, was out of Reina’s understanding.
“I said all that too… isn’t there another way?”
“Hm, why don’t you try joining a club. A study club related to theory. There should be one.”
“A club? Hm, thanks. I’ll look into that.”
However, after experiencing the inefficacies of group studying while he was in Korea, Abel was skeptical about group studies. In Korea, they would always go get some nice food even though they met up to study.
Moreover, the study place was always a café in Daehak-ro (a bustling place for youths in Korea). There was no way they could get any studying done there. To add oil to the flame, there just had to be a man and a woman who end up becoming a couple…. They just simply won’t study!
‘Let’s try to do it myself, and if I get stuck, I’ll then look for old man Kyle or some club.’
The campus was cold on the first week of March, but it was always bustling with warmth.
The students were filled with vitality after winter holidays.
The new entrants with dreams about campus life
And flowers that just started budding.
In a large lecture room that fitted all the 300 new entrants. They had gathered here to listen to the common subject ‘Comprehending Monsters’. Abel and Reina were also sitting down at a corner of the lecture hall.
“Oh! Abel, you take this cla.s.s too?”
When he turned around at the familiar voice, he could see Ian and Loki. Though, Loki didn’t speak at all.
“This is a common subject though.”
Abel spoke as though it was natural.
“I can sit here right? And who’s that next to you? Your girlfriend?”
Asked Ian after looking at Reina.
“What girlfriend…. She’s Reina, and she came from Sellion just like me. She’s in the swordsmanship department just like you and you haven’t seen her yet? …Oh, and these are my roommates Ian and Loki.”
Abel introduced Ian and Reina to Loki.
“h.e.l.lo, I’m Reina.”
“Whoa, to think I haven’t noticed a beauty like this… looks like I was rude. If you have any troubles with the sword, then just look for me. I’ll teach you in detail.”
Ian said that to show good will, but that touched Reina’s pride.
“I don’t cross swords with people who are weaker than me.”
“Whoa!”
Ian was dumbstruck at Reina’s words.
“Ahahahaha.”
Even Loki, who didn’t say much, ended up laughing.
This was how the greatest specialty(?) of the academy was born.
‘I need to take drastic measures!’
He had to admit. He had absolutely zero talent for mana theory…. He spent 70% of his study time during the past 3 weeks on learning mana theory, but it was all useless. Completely new concepts! Completely new mechanisms! Although mathematics hadn’t evolved due to magic, magic itself was very difficult. Perhaps maths didn’t develop because magic was too hard?
It was as though it was a mixture of philosophy, physics and biology. Only after understanding all of that would he gain enlightenment(?) or something… and only through enlightenments can mages increase circles!?
‘I don’t need all that since the white mana erased my circle!’
There was no need for an enlightenment. Just the mid-terms in two weeks… Please, a B+ was all he wished for…….
‘Though, at this rate, it would be a C that will greet me in my grade card….’
The credits system was like the universities back on Earth.
However, you know what they say, there’s always a way out!
Abel thought back to the last page of the first volume of the Book of Thrandriel that he read yesterday.
However, us Eternal Elves have researched into the study of mana for a very long time. And have reached a stage where we can understand some of the traits of the tree types of mana.
Why is white mana more efficient without a circle unlike grey mana, what kinds of effect black mana has on the user’s psyche…>
But then, the first volume ended with a super cliffhanger….
“Arrrgh, the parts I need the most is in volume 2….”
The first volume’s content was about the fundamentals of white magic. How to gather white mana, and ancient spells that could be considered up to 3-circle magic.
There were 3 volumes in total, so volume 2 should have magic up to 6-circle! Though, he didn’t exactly need that since he hadn’t even learned the spells in volume 1 yet.
However, his comprehension of mana was in dire straits! The enlightenments and insights of Eternal Elves who practically lived forever! He needed those juicy contents.
‘Okay! Let’s take it!’
He decided.
Boom!
Abel slammed open the door and came out to the living room.
“Guys! Come out for a sec!”
Then he called for Ian and Loki.
Creak.
They seemed to be doing something together(?) and came out of the same room.
“What, did something happen?”
Asked Ian in doubt. Loki was also blinking on the side.
“My fellow friends! I believe that we should be able to split the seas with the friendship we have piled during the past 3 months. And that’s why, I want to ask you for a favor.”
Abel started flattering them.
“Haha, what is it? Something hard?”
Ian laughed as though he found Abel’s words interesting.
“There’s a book I need from Paraminu Library. Help me out.”
“Paraminu? Aren’t we not allowed there? Moreover, it’s way past curfew. The door should be closed right now, you know?”
“That’s why I’m asking you. Well, for the dorms, we can just go out through the window.”
FYI, this is the 3rd floor.
“Haha, you want us to break three school rules? Leaving dorms without permission, breaking into Paraminu, and stealing a book? The least we’d get will be expulsion once we’re found out.”
Ian laughed in vain as though he found this funny. Even with three years of friendship, he would probably still refuse.
“We just have to be not discovered! Also, I’m just borrowing the book for a while. After that, I’ll cook you guys some pork belly. Okay?”
Gulp.
Hearing the word ‘pork belly’, Loki and Ian gulped.
The two were definitely unwilling until just now, but were shaken by Korean BBQ.
“What’s the plan?”
At least let’s hear about the plan first.
“Loki will be on watch, and you and I will go inside and take out the book. That’s it.”
It couldn’t get any simpler than that.
“That’s perfect. Let’s go!”
Ian seemed blinded by the pork belly. Loki stared at Ian from the side dumbfounded.
Tap, whoosh.
The night wind blew inside the open window.
“Loki, hold tight!”
Abel wrapped his arms around Loki.
“….Low gravity!”
Gravity reduction magic. The gravity around Abel and Loki had reduced to 1/8 of the norm.
Although gravity magic was lost magic, it was one of the basic magic on the first volume of the Book of Thrandriel.
Tah.
Abel jumped out the window just like that.
Tap
Thanks to the reduced gravity, he landed lightly.
“Hey! Get down!”
Abel urged Ian from the bottom.
“…This better be good.”
Ian focused his mana on his legs. Although it was the same mana as what the mages used, the utilization technique was different.
Tah.
And he jumped as well. Although he jumped down from 3rd floor, he inserted mana into his legs to strengthen them and rolled on the ground to dissipate the impact.
He did a perfect forward roll.
Clap clap clap.
Abel, who was watching from the side, spoke while applauding.
“As expected of a swordsman! You are quite nimble! Looks like we’ll be able to get that book quickly.”
“Sheesh, let’s just go before people find out that we aren’t in the dorms.”
Although he found all of this absurd, they had to be quick and urged Abel to go.
Being careful not to get caught, Abel and the others arrived at the library.
Behind the building, they went through the plan again.
“It’s an old book, so it should be amongst the ancient texts. And that’s the 2nd and 3rd floors. I’ll take the 2nd floor so Ian you take the 3rd floor! Loki, you stay here and tell us if someone comes by.”
Abel a.s.signed each of them a task. After hearing those words, Loki nodded his head. Loki’s job was not hard.
Abel took out the Book of Thrandriel from the magic pouch and showed it to Ian.
“You just have to find a book that looks like this. Okay?”
“Okay, but how do we go up?”
He accepted the mission, but was worried about how to get to 3rd floor.
Abel started rummaging through the pouch again. Then, he took out a pair of gloves and threw it to Ian.
“Here! Spiderman gloves. There’s adhesion magic cast on it. Climb up the walls. I’m in charge of 2nd floor so I’ll go up there by myself.”
Abel didn’t know why the old man put such a strange set of gloves here, but to think it would be used like this….
‘Thanks Kyle!’
“Then let’s begin!”
Shouted Abel in a small voice so that he wouldn’t get found out.