Editor 38

“Not getting up, Francis?”

“Well, is it something to be proud of? Do I really have to stand and introduce myself?”

His voice alone was grating. It was like his every word was laced with sarcasm.

Cleio, sitting at the very back by the window, stretched his neck to find the owner of the voice.

A gray-haired boy lounged back against his chair, not bothering to sit up straight.

The boy’s appearance was a sight.

His jacket was missing somewhere, several buttons of his waistcoat were gone, his sloppily rolled-up sleeves were stained with ink. Even the metal-framed glasses clinging to his nose were smudged and dirty.

“I’ll say it again. Stand up and introduce yourself. Do you realize that if you fail again you’ll be expelled?”

“I know. Wouldn’t mind quitting this school anyway.”

“Stand up!”

Only when Professor Zebedi banged the lectern did the boy sluggishly get up. He had no motivation at all.

“Call me Fran White. As you can see, I’m a second-year magic student who’s repeating the grade. Ether level 2. No talent for magic. That’s it.”

He yawned widely as if he couldn’t care less about the class, then slowly began to wipe his glasses.

‘Why is that guy here?!’

Cleio glanced back and forth between Arthur, who was dozing quietly right next to him, and Francis slouched in his seat, falling into confusion.

Arthur snoozed on, oblivious to any trouble that might threaten their future. Cleio was so frustrated he wanted to smack him on the head.

He had already run through the “Promise” 「Memory」 twice.

Francis Gabriel Hyde-White, at age eighteen, was supposed to be graduating top of his class from the Royal Science Academy and entering government service as a new official in Albion’s Ministry of Mines!

‘Even if the settings for every character changed slightly in the , Chel and the Angellium twins were fine. Since they’re swordswomen, being at this school together wouldn’t disrupt the plot. But Francis…!’

Caught off guard by an unexpected revision, Cleio was so busy scrambling his thoughts that he didn’t even hear the professor calling him.

“Cleio. Cleio Asser!”

“Y-yes?”

“Are you listening? Come up and give a demonstration. Since you don’t respond when I show it myself, maybe you’ll inspire your classmates.”

‘Ugh, he didn’t even say what he wants me to do.’

Cleio stood up hesitantly and approached the professor.

“Now, everyone pay attention. If you still don’t know how to open a circle after break, you need to review your ether circulation. Let’s watch Cleio Asser’s demonstration.”

“A demonstration of ether circulation, right…?”

“That’s right. I noticed your circulation technique was perfect during the last exam. Whether you’re group one with a goal of swordsmanship or group two aiming to be a mage, ether circulation is the same for both. It’ll help everyone.”

Unused to being in the spotlight, Cleio stiffly turned to face the class.

He didn’t have much to explain. He simply relayed what Behemoth had told him.

“You all know this by now, but ether isn’t just released outward… you circulate it around your heart once, then release it. Make it leave in the same direction it came in. Draw out the ether that leaves the heart as thinly as you can, then imagine a circle outside your body, and turn it round—”

Cleio’s voice was quiet. The students hardly paid attention. Some made jokes and snickered.

“Hey, reciting the textbook won’t change anything….”

“Haha, don’t even get me started.”

Even though he’d come top in the last magic exam and had shaken off the stigma of being an unqualified admittee, Cleio was still a feeble classmate when not using magic.

Only Isiel and the twins listened with burning academic curiosity.

“Ether forms a circle, and that circle then expands the body’s internal ether veins….”

From where Cleio stood in front of the class, ether began to form, gradually taking on the shape of a circle.

Surprised by the shimmers of light spreading around the room, students started murmuring.

“…You widen your vessel.”

Paaaah―

In an instant, the entire classroom was enveloped by Cleio’s circle.

A thick golden ether, like an early sunset, bloomed along the circle’s edge.

The overflowing ether shot up to the ceiling, scattering brilliant rays among the students.

No additional formula was added to the circle. Cleio had flooded the entire area with this intensity of light using nothing but pure ether.

Everyone in the classroom, for a moment, held their breath.

Like a harbinger of something absolute, Cleio’s circle overwhelmed everyone inside it.

A few seconds enclosed within the circle felt as long as eternity.

Even after the afterimage faded, no one spoke.

Even the professor was silent, leaving only Cleio to feel awkward.

Forty pairs of eyes stared at him all at once. It was extremely uncomfortable.

‘I didn’t even mean to create a whole circle, but I keep doing it out of habit….’

It was Zebedi who broke the awkward silence.

“What happened to you over the holidays? We’ll need to update your ether level registration right away.”

“Ah, yes….”

“I’ll make it official. You are now a level four mage.”

‘I forgot to register my new level, and I got caught at just the wrong time.’

Cleio watched for Zebedi’s reaction, but the professor didn’t seem inclined to scold him for the delay.

The professor continued in a dry tone.

“There have only been three mages in a thousand years of magic to reach level four at seventeen. Truly remarkable.”

The statement was matter-of-fact, but its impact was enormous.

The classroom, which had been as quiet as a mouse, suddenly erupted into excited chatter.

The Angellium twins, who’d been amazed by Cleio’s magic the night before, now excitedly talked over seeing a full-scale circle for the first time.

Arthur, who’d barely risen to his feet and let out a yawn, pretended to clap.

Cleio could only stand there, blankly, as though he didn’t know what all the fuss was about.

Zebedi looked at the young boy with both mild affection and concern.

Now, an old mage, he recalled the perilous choices forced upon him in his own youth.

The division between Philip and Edward, localized wars with Brunnen… a narrow and treacherous path through dead knights and mages.

Zebedi’s pacifism was not born of conviction, but necessity—a means of survival.

‘Sometimes power takes its owner too far.’

He sensed the fate awaiting this weak boy would not be easy.

‘The late blossoming of talent, his reluctance to show his strength—these might have been the boy’s way of protecting himself.’

If Cleio had known, he would have been dumbfounded at such a massive misunderstanding, but fortunately or unfortunately, he had no mind-reading ability.

With a wrinkled hand, Zebedi lightly patted Cleio’s shoulder, then swept his robe and turned to the students.

“Let’s go back to basics. What is a circle?”

“Isn’t it a field for magic?”

“It’s called a circle because it’s round.”

“Right, that’s the general definition. But there’s a deeper meaning. The ancients called this world and the universe ‘Orbis Terrarum’—meaning round earth. So, the circle is a world created with the mage at its center. Inside the circle, ordinary scientific laws don’t apply. There, other rules take hold.”

Looking each student in the eye, Zebedi continued slowly.

“You’ve had a valuable experience. Most people don’t see a circle like that in their lifetimes. Train diligently as Cleio explained. And Cleio, if you’re so good at it, why were you letting your mind wander?”

“I was a bit short on sleep last night….”

“Sure, that’s an excuse. Stayed up too late having fun, I suppose? As punishment for daydreaming in class, you’ll take charge of Francis for a while.”

“Me? You mean me?”

“That kid has brilliant potential but got held back because he’s lazy. It will be good stimulation for both, so pick a day each week and spend an afternoon research period together.”

Francis alone kept his cool in the now-bustling classroom, but his face twisted in dissatisfaction.

“I refuse.”

“Refuse? Francis, you don’t have the right. I’ll check on your progress once a month. That’s all for class. Cleio, follow me.”

.

.

.

Cleio was brought along on the professor’s errands, stopping by the campus post office.

After sending a telegram to register his ether level and residence with the Royal Capital Defense Corps, there was a two-hour interview.

‘Is he about to die or something? The old man, usually so cranky, is suddenly sweet-talking, coaxing me like a grandchild.’

Zebedi urged him to skip a grade, but Cleio protested that he’d have trouble keeping up in higher-level non-magic subjects.

Since the excuses didn’t work, he finally insisted, “If I can’t go with my friends, I don’t want to go to school.”

It was true.

‘I need to stick by Arthur’s side. Just in case, to prevent the end of the world.’

That childish insistence unexpectedly worked on the dean, who’d resisted all logical arguments.

“Right, it’s the age when friends matter most.”

Stroking his white beard, Zebedi, as if convinced by something, allowed Cleio to remain a first-year.

“But there’s a condition. You won’t be learning much, but don’t doze off in class, and from now on take good care of Francis.”

Cleio didn’t like this condition at all, but as a student, he couldn’t refuse the dean’s order.

“…Understood.”

“If you have any questions about magic, come to me anytime. My door is always open.”

Leaving a thank you that wasn’t thankful at all, Cleio exited the administrative building.

Slumping off toward the dorms, he looked like a scarecrow swaying in the wind.

Kwakwa-kwang—

Suddenly, a huge sonic boom from the drill ground snapped his attention. Explosions echoed in rapid succession.

Grabbing the railing, Cleio poked his head through the wisteria and his jaw dropped.

Chaekang— Keeeeek—

Kuwaaang—

‘Is that really the sound of a sword fight?!’

It was a duel between Arthur and Professor Rosa.

An exhibition of truly formidable martial skill.

With Cleio’s eyes, all he could see were the afterimages and flashes of sword energy.

He couldn’t even follow the fight, but only “Promise”’s 「Understanding」 worked overtime.

[Level 8 Swordsman

Title: Knight of the Rose]

[Level 5 Swordsman]

‘Knight of the Rose suits Professor Rosa perfectly.’

Just as in the previous manuscript, high-level swordsmen had titles. The other, at level 5, must be Arthur.

‘Wait, did that guy level up again in just one month?’

When Arthur was ambushed before, his ether level was 4.

Leaning over the railing, Cleio helplessly activated 「Perception」.

The familiar dizziness struck, as always. He just had to endure the initial hit. Through the rising dust, his vision sharpened.

The two swords moved as fast as beams of light.

Cha-cha-chang!!!

Each time the blades clashed, the weapons shuddered with the impact.

Even though the practice swords were top quality, they seemed about to shatter under such force.

Swoosh!!

When Rosa thrust in, Arthur dodged with astonishing speed.

Or, if he couldn’t, he didn’t mind.

Even as his shoulders and thighs were already stained with blood, Arthur ignored the cuts and dove into Rosa’s range.

‘Wow… that brat really gave up on hiding his strength now.’

Rosa’s rose-hued sword energy was on another level from the dark, bloody blades the assassins had used that night a month ago.

It was as clear and brilliant as her nature.

Arthur, too, unleashed a fierce blow with a golden sword energy as vivid as his own hair.

Chaekang— Chang-chang-chang!!!

Arthur was brave and reckless.

A handful of Rosa’s white hair was sliced off by Arthur’s sword energy.