Prologue Story

She suddenly started to speak.

“I really like this school.”

The suddenness of her words left me momentarily speechless. I simply listened to what she said.

“I think I mentioned it once before. I can’t remember exactly how far I got, but… anyway, I told you I was scouted to come to Daehyun.”

“…Yes.”

I had heard that story from her once, on the day she was scouted. I nodded slowly in agreement.

“Well, you see, it’s all because I created magic back when I was in elementary school. Just out of admiration for the spirits I saw in novels, I ended up creating one… Although it took a long time to actually create it, I did end up creating magic at that age. I was so happy then that I didn’t even think before telling everyone about it—my mom, my friends, my teachers… everyone, really.”

I tried to picture her as a child, but it wasn’t easy to imagine. She sighed, almost as if lamenting.

“It was hard.”

“….”

“Everyone around me started whispering whenever they saw me, and when rumors spread, people… I was harassed to the point I felt sick. Um, I think I told you about how bad it was before. That’s why, coming here, I told you I really started to like this place, didn’t I?”

“Yes.”

“What I liked specifically was how ordinary things were.”

Her words made my eyes widen. Eun-hee unnie looked at me with a slight smile.

“It seems like you already know that. I wish I’d been that wise when I was younger….”

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, I avoided her gaze.

“Anyway, I really liked how everyone here treated me like I was just an ordinary person. Even if it all becomes known again once we move up to high school, they all treat me normally… and just knowing I can be protected, that I could be protected, was overwhelming. And… haha, I don’t know what kind of pride I had at that age, but back then, I thought I was the strongest among kids my age. Wow, thinking about it now, it’s so embarrassing.”

She brushed back her hair as it blew in the breeze, laughing lightly despite her words.

“Even though I was annoyed and troubled by how people treated me, I ended up feeling conceited, thinking I was so amazing… anyway, it was when I came here that I first realized there were people like me, and even some stronger than me. A prime example of that was the junior, Joo Ji-hyun.”

Even now, Senior Ji-hyun was stronger than her and still held the top spot in the school. Eun-hee unnie smiled, seeming nostalgic and relieved.

“At first, I was really shocked. Especially with Joo Ji-hyun—it was kind of annoying. Even though he was younger, he was stronger than me? I had significant talent even here, but he was even more talented. Well, it still bothers me a bit now, but now I think of him as a proud junior.”

“….”

“I made a lot of close friends, I have some good juniors, and I even have a modest number of fans, so I’m happy… so, what I’m saying is, I really do like this school that much.”

Listening to her go on, I smiled faintly. I think I somewhat understood her feelings. I wasn’t on Eun-hee unnie’s level, but I, too, liked this school.

I’d made friends, charming friends whom I got along with. I never thought I’d make friends besides In-ha. This meeting had been a real surprise.

Having friends made school life enjoyable. Ordinary, yet thanks to magic, not quite so ordinary days. Learning magic, chatting with friends, every day was enjoyable. I genuinely meant it.

“Do you have a dream, Eun-ha?”

It was another unexpected question. I looked up at her, eyes wide.

“Well, you’re still young, so maybe you don’t have one yet.”

I fell into a brief moment of thought. In my past life, my dream had been to become a novelist. In the end, I achieved it. They were incredibly fulfilling and meaningful days.

Then, I shook my head slowly. I didn’t exactly have a burning dream at the moment. Writing was still enjoyable, but learning magic had become equally fulfilling. If I had to name a dream, it would probably just be to achieve the goals I’d set for myself in magic.

Watching me shake my head, she smiled kindly.

“Really? Well, I have one.”

“Really…?”

“Yeah. It’s to become this school’s guard.”

It was an unexpected dream. At least, it was to me. Or rather, I hadn’t even thought of it. Once again, I looked up at her in surprise.

“I really do love this school. I have juniors I’ve gotten close to, and the kids are cute. So I’m going to become a guard here. I’m working really hard for that right now.”

She furrowed her brows and raised her index finger, wearing a serious expression.

“There’s not much time left for the student council handover, but to become a guard here, you need to be at least B-rank. I’m currently at C-rank… but the gap between C and B is so huge… I may be a strong magician for my age, but I’m still not at B-level. So between training and handling my duties, it’s no joke.”

I had heard that advancing from C-rank upward was quite difficult. The rank exams weren’t just qualification tests to separate levels of strength but a way to categorize magicians. For instance, E-rank was for low-level magicians, marking them as beginners. It wasn’t just a matter of magic power. Skills in using magic, applying it, overall balance, strategies—every aspect of magic was measured to assign a rank.

D-rank was for ordinary magicians, indicating average skill among magicians. C was for ‘strong magicians,’ and B for ‘high-level magicians.’ There was a distinct difference between those who were considered strong and those who could be called high-level magicians.

For reference, the requirements for A and S ranks, which are more explicitly defined, illustrate this. Between A-rank (Specialist) and S-rank (Transcendent), there is a special threshold. S-rank magicians possess a god-like level of magic beyond comparison with other magicians. In fact, among high-level A-rank magicians, a few have magic power that exceeds some lower S-rank magicians. Thus, the distinction between S and A isn’t simply about skill but whether magic has ‘transcended’.

─Has your magic surpassed ‘human’ limits?

It’s not just an exam to measure the size or strength of one’s magic power. That’s why the exam is conducted through a virtual system. If it were just to measure raw power, there wouldn’t be any need for such a complex program.

So, while the difference between E-rank and D-rank magicians may be trivial, the gap between C-rank and B-rank magicians is like night and day. Just as the strength of an ordinary magician’s power and that of a strong magician’s power can’t be compared as equals.

“A guard for the school…”

So, you could become our school’s guard from B-rank and up. I recalled the older students in black suits I’d seen around and felt admiration.

At the same time, I pictured the faces of Senior Ji-hyun and the Vice President. Those two were the only magicians among our school’s students who had achieved B-rank.

“But to think that kid, who’s younger than me, is already B-rank—this is such a scam, isn’t it?”

Was she talking about Senior Ji-hyun? I gave a slightly awkward laugh. But she wasn’t wrong. The fact that he had already reached B-rank meant he’d qualified on his first attempt last year… thinking about it again, it really did feel like a cheat.

She continued rambling on after that. Seonghu, she said, was planning to go to college. He wanted to become a teacher here. Since he was not only talented in magic but also great at academics, he might end up as my teacher someday.

Hearing that, I laughed. Having a senior I knew become a teacher a few years down the road… isn’t that a delightful thought?

“So, Eun-ha, I was hoping you could give me a little encouragement.”

“…Sorry?”

Crunch, a leaf was crushed underfoot. It was already that season… the thought left me with a strange feeling. It was October now. I’d been at this school for half a year already.

“Cheer me up a bit. The Mage Rank Exam is just two months away now. I’m really nervous.”

…Ah. That made sense. It was, in a way, the turning point of her dream.

Of course, failing this time wouldn’t mean she’d never become a guard for this school. But the longer a dream is postponed, the more anxious it becomes. I somewhat understood that feeling. So…

I looked at Eun-hee unnie, who was watching me with a serious expression, and thought hard. She was gazing at me with a playful smile, as if all she needed was some lighthearted encouragement. But I could quickly tell she wasn’t entirely joking. The magic around her, usually calm, wavered slightly, like rippling water.

I looked at it with calm eyes and realized something.

‘What was Eun-hee unnie’s rank again?’

CCC+, that was the rank assigned to her after she and I first met.

At that time, my detection ability was very low compared to now.

Since then, I had grown a lot, and as a result, my ability to sense magic had improved dramatically.

I could now see, feel, and distinguish much more magic in greater detail.

I clearly remembered the magic I had seen around her back then.

Even if my senses were different now, I could sharply and precisely compare it with my honed perception.

The magic surrounding her then and now differed distinctly in density.

What was needed in moments like this wasn’t comfort.

At least, not comfort from someone who didn’t know her at all.

There are times when simple words like “It’ll be okay” aren’t enough.

“…Your magic, compared to when I first saw it, has increased a lot.”

So, I spoke of the objective fact that I could see with my own eyes.

“By three times, maybe four…? Something like that.”

“What…?”

I remembered being quite surprised when I first saw her magic.

Not only was the shape of her magic unusual, but it was also beautiful like a jewel, so that image was burned into my mind and never faded.

But now, what I was seeing was something different.

The magic, clearer and more beautiful than before, naturally drew admiration from me.

I spread magic over my eyes to see her magic more closely.

Of course, I couldn’t fully sense the magic of someone stronger than myself.

It was beyond my level.

But strong magic had a different color, feeling, and quality.

I could gauge her growth to some extent by these things.

Around her body, there was a pale blue magic that sparkled, resembling round beads or jewels.

The strength emanating from each orb was remarkable.

She had definitely grown stronger compared to before.

Visually estimating, she was at least three times stronger.

In reality, she was likely much stronger.

I was sure of it.

This was the intuition I had from years of observing magic, so there was no doubt.

How much effort would it take to become this strong within just a year?

She must have worked incredibly hard.

Effort—a word I loved.

I looked up at her with a willing smile.

“You must have worked really hard to become that strong.

You put in all that effort, and you’ve gotten this strong… so, if it’s you, Eun-hee unnie, I’m sure you can definitely rank up.”

Eun-hee unnie looked at me with trembling eyes and a stunned expression.

“…Eun-ha!”

But soon, with a face on the verge of tears, she pulled me into a tight hug.

During the skill-level class, I let slip a bit about Eun-hee unnie while keeping my magic steady.

I didn’t give any details—just mentioned that Eun-hee unnie’s dream was to become a guard.

Min-hee immediately nodded.

“Oh, that. I know.”

I wasn’t surprised by this.

Since Senior Ji-hyun and Eun-hee unnie were on good terms, it was only natural that Min-hee knew about it, too.

“She said it’s been her dream for a long time. Eun-hee unnie frequently challenges our brother to sparring matches. She often spars with Sung-hoo oppa, too.”

“Well, since they’re two of the only B-rank magicians among the students.”

“Right, right.”

The other friends, hearing this for the first time, made noises of admiration.

I nodded and shifted the illusionary landscape.

I flipped through the illustrated book I held, spreading the scenery onto the ground, making it look like the whole room was covered in a hazy, translucent mirage.

Seeing this, the friends maintaining their magic looked back at me.

“So, what’s that thing you’re holding?”

“Is that the thing you said you were going to buy yesterday?”

At Hyun-ho and In-ha’s questions, I nodded.

Might as well join them. In-ha muttered softly, though I didn’t pay much attention, as I knew it might take a while.

I shook my head with a smile.

“So what is it? An illustrated book? Why’d you get something like that?”

Han-soo, with a curious look, snatched the book from my hands.

In-ha’s gaze grew sharp, but Han-soo paid no mind as usual.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I explained.

“Yeah. Teacher Joon-hwi mentioned yesterday that it would be good to practice expressing illusions more concretely.

So, I thought I’d look at pictures and practice imagining things in more detail.”

“Hmmm~ So that’s it.”

“Yes.”

“…I see.”

This time, In-ha snatched the illustrated book back from Han-soo.

In-ha quietly gazed down at the book, looking somewhat somber.

Even when Han-soo grumbled loudly in annoyance beside her, she ignored him completely, which was definitely unusual for her.

Why was she acting this way? Wondering, I turned and, without thinking, flinched.

Other kids practicing magic at a bit of a distance, as well as Yoo-jung unnie and In-ho oppa, had gathered around me.

Everyone… what happened to magic practice?

‘Hmm… if this keeps up, we’re probably going to get scolded by Teacher Joon-hwi…’

That prediction soon came true.

In the end, everyone was so focused on the illustrated book that I was the only one practicing magic when Teacher Joon-hwi arrived.

Everyone except for me ended up hearing Teacher Joon-hwi’s stern reprimand.

Even amidst the commotion, In-ha was especially quiet with her head lowered, so I asked out of concern.

“In-ha, are you okay?”

“…Why?”

“Your expression looks dark. Is something wrong?”

In-ha hesitated, lips quivering slightly, then shook her head.

“N-no.”

I foolishly felt reassured just by that.

I had no idea that this would later come back to me as a situation of any kind, and I was blissfully focused on practicing magic alone.