Surviving at the Magic Academy

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The world was beautiful, and the sunlight was blindingly bright.

Everything seemed so clear, as if receiving a new light. The scenery of this shabby slum felt refreshingly new, like I was seeing it for the first time, with hidden beauty lurking in all of it.

The slum’s main street was bustling with people. Perhaps because today was the end of exams, many were wandering the streets. I strolled with a light step, waving and greeting everyone passing by.

A smile crept onto my face. People looked at me with puzzled expressions, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to share this refreshing feeling and happiness with those poor folks.

My body felt as light as a feather, and my mind was soaring, like walking on clouds.

Hehe, a little tune escaped my lips.

I felt free from all worries and fears that had been weighing me down for a long time. The frustration from failing exams time and time again, the 11 years of hard work and sweat—they all seemed to be for this moment.

Even the junkies sprawled on the ground looked charming like a single flower. I zipped across the slums, feeling like I was flying.

This boring road I’d seen countless times looked so beautiful. How could I have not discovered this deeper meaning until now? Probably because I was too busy.

Using magic, I plucked a wildflower from the ground and inhaled its scent. A light sweetness lingered at the tip of my nose. Mmm, what a delightful aroma. I closed my eyes and took it in deep. But suddenly, a foul smell began to push that pleasant fragrance away.

“Looks like you’ve finally lost it.”

The swordsman, Evan. He stared at me with pity all over his face. I could smell the strong iron scent coming from him.

I almost scowled but quickly smoothed out my expression and smiled. Mmm, even this stinky scent surely had its own beauty. It’s just that I couldn’t appreciate it.

“You alright? You didn’t fail the exam and resort to drugs, did you?”

Evan waved his hand in front of my face. Drugs, huh. It could technically be considered one for my life. I brushed his hand away and spread my arms wide. The sunlight embraced my whole body.

“Fail? No way, I passed!”

He widened his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. While he was scratching his ear in disbelief, he asked in surprise.

“You passed?”

I nodded. He blinked at me. I pulled out a piece of paper from my pocket and waved it in front of him. It was my acceptance letter, layered with all the defensive spells I knew. Proof of my admission to the university, the fruit of my efforts.

His eyes followed the words on the paper. The look on his face was a mix of disbelief. After staring blankly for a moment, he finally stammered out.

“Uh… congrats.”

“Yeah, thanks.” I nodded with a smile. Seeing that expression on his face brought me deeper satisfaction.

Honestly, I had paused here just to see his face. Now that I’d seen a satisfactory reaction, it was time to leave. Just as I turned to walk away, I hesitated.

Thinking back, I realized I owed him a bit. I was about to leave for university soon, so I should probably give him a gift.

What should I give him? That’s when my store came to mind. The place I’d called home for the last 10 years.

When I left for university, I’d have to vacate it too. It’d be better to leave it in the hands of someone I knew rather than a total stranger. I turned back to him and said,

“I’m leaving for uni soon, so I’m giving the shop to you.”

“You mean your shop? No, it’s our land to begin with. You just squatted on it without permission.”

He argued. I had stayed there for 10 years, and it felt like my land to me. I shrugged with a smile.

He seemed like he wanted to argue more but then kept quiet. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded reluctantly.

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll take it.”

I’ll have to snatch it back when I come back from uni.

Thinking this, I started walking again. He stood there scratching his head as he turned around. I left the slum’s main street and headed toward my home.

I could see the open field I had cleaned up before. My shop stood tall in the middle of it, welcoming me. The sign that read [Ebron’s Doll Workshop] sparkled in the warm sunlight. I approached and brushed my hand over the sign.

I remembered the first time I hung it up. I never thought I’d be here this long. And now, 11 years had flown by, and I was finally seeing the fruits of that labor.

I opened the door gently and stepped inside my shop. The scene welcomed me, almost unchanged from two weeks ago.

Well, except for the professor lounging comfortably where the table used to be. Instead of the table, a kind of massage table was there now. It was a first for me.

Was she sleeping?

I cautiously approached the professor. She was deeply buried in the bed, snoring softly. The butler beside her was carefully kneading her limbs as if playing an instrument.

As if sensing my presence, the professor lazily opened her eyes. They were heavy with sleep. She stretched and yawned.

“Did the exams end already?”

I nodded. Then I took out the paper I had proudly shown earlier and handed it to her. She accepted it with two fingers and examined it.

At last, I had passed under her teachings. She’d be happy too. A smile broke on my face.

Then came the shock.

I found myself plastered against the wall in an instant. Wait, I blinked. The pain hit my body late.

Her powerful magic landed on me. She definitely struck me with it. I looked at her with trembling eyes. Why? I passed, so why?

“What’s this score? Almost last place!”

The professor shook the paper. I hadn’t considered this scenario. My pupils were shaking. Getting hit for a low score?

Suddenly, clarity hit me. I had been dazed like I was in a flower garden. I should have seen this coming, given her personality. I quickly collected myself and stood straight.

“I’m sorry!”

I bowed my head and hit the ground hard. I felt the magic swirling above me. If I had even delayed a little, I might have received another hit. Cold sweat trickled down my back.

“Well, it can’t be helped. I didn’t expect much from you anyway.”

She said this while yawning widely again. The butler quickly served her tea. She took a sip.

Her gaze drifted toward the window. She seemed to be checking the time, as the butler pulled out a clock to show her. She frowned at it.

“You woke up too early.”

She stood from the bed and touched the ground. I quickly stood by her side. She looked at me sideways and said,

“Anyway, what’s it feel like to pass the university? Like the world is yours?”

Passing! Just the thought made me smile. I felt light again. I tried to gather my thoughts quickly, but that happiness just wouldn’t fade. The professor noticed my state and let out a faint chuckle.

“You’d better wake up from this dream quickly. Getting into the university is just the beginning, not the end of the struggle.”

I bowed my head in politeness, listening closely to her words. I already knew that university wasn’t the end.

But how could I hide that anticipation and excitement? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t suppress it. Without caring about me, she unfolded my acceptance letter she held in her hand.

“Hmm, 12,000. Quite a few passed this time.”

She laughed.

“What do you think? More successful candidates than you expected?”

She was right.

To be honest, I’d only thought about passing, so I hadn’t paid attention to my rank. But when I thought about it, as she said, there were way too many who passed.

Universities were just full of rumors, with little actual information floating around. The mages who came from those universities claimed there was a sort of taboo preventing them from leaking what went on inside.

So besides the empire that directly administers the exams, few people could easily tell how many were admitted. I thought maybe just a few thousand would get accepted.

But so many people had passed.

If this many were accepted every year, how many mages must there be inside the university? That number was beyond my grasp.

Seeing my expression, she clicked her tongue.

“While the university is a coveted place for many mages, that’s only for rootless wanderers like you. Many mage families treat this as a mere rite of passage.”

She conjured a simple illusion with magic. In the illusion, countless people fell through a gigantic sieve. But only a few made it through. The rest were struggling within it, trying to break free.

“You barely made it through a filter to weed out countless mages. In that sense, you’re just at the starting point now.”

As the illusion faded, the professor crossed her arms, looking disgruntled. Despite her position as a professor, she seemed very dissatisfied with the university’s structure.

“Now that you’ve passed the university, I’ll tell you this. Lower your profile and be more competitive. Only those superior to you will be there.”

“Yes.” I replied with tension. She was right.

I had been too excited just about passing. Reflecting on the exam process, I realized I hadn’t passed on pure skill. I used some clever tricks.

The score proved that. So I needed to engrave my score deep in my heart. Just like the professor said, I had to approach everything with the mindset that I was the weakest there.

As the professor moved her fingertips, a sound like tearing emerged in the air. From that rift, she pulled out a hefty book. After slipping my acceptance letter inside, she handed it to me.

“You’ve got a month until enrollment, so here’s your assignment. Use that time to modify this doll further before you enroll.”

She pointed at the butler beside her. I carefully received the book. The professor settled back onto that massage bed and soon fell fast asleep, starting to snore gently. The butler resumed the massage.

I bowed my head in farewell and left the room. On my way down to the workshop, I couldn’t help but smile wryly. I didn’t expect to get hit right when I came back. But thanks to that, I was wide awake now.

The workshop, which I hadn’t visited in a while, was spotless, not a speck of dust in sight. I headed straight to the central workbench and placed the book on it.

The cover bore no title; it was just wrapped in luxurious leather. It was a book I had never seen before. I carefully turned the cover. Neat writing was listed in a simple table of contents.

I started reading it slowly.

And soon, my hands began to tremble at the unbelievable content.

This was a magic book containing spells for serving others, or servant magic. And it was a very special kind that had been passed down and developed over a long time.

Now I understood why the cover had no inscriptions. This wasn’t a type of book meant for public distribution.

It was knowledge shared among a revered lineage. As the book proved, it was filled to the brim with spells developed and passed down through generations specifically to assist mages.

Where had the professor gotten this? Had she dug it up while collecting treasures?

Thinking this, I turned the pages slowly. Each spell had a rich history, with countless delicate techniques crafted over time.

One of the most impressive was an environmental optimization spell.

This spell, which detailed ways to manipulate the air currents around to always regulate the surrounding environment comfortably, required only a small amount of magic, making it accessible to anyone.

But the flow of magic was peculiar. The magical circle that formed this spell could only be perfectly constructed using the intricate circuit patterns written in the book.

If even one line was off, the results of the spell would surely break down quickly. Finding that optimal flow couldn’t be done with mere talent.

It was an art born from extensive research and effort over a long time. Using this spell would ensure that an entire space was tailored to the preferences of the target, keeping it comfortably optimized at all times.

A thrill ran through me. Such magic existed.

The other spells also formed beautiful and intricate magical circles like this one. As I gazed at them, I felt a wave of shame wash over me.

All those spells I had labeled as ‘perfect’ rushed into my mind. Sure, I had named them that based on the professor’s tastes, but partly, I believed they had undergone countless improvements and had no flaws at all.

Yet compared to this book, all my spells felt embarrassingly meager. I had somehow thought I was the only one capable of creating such spells, that I was special.

But here, there were mages who crafted spells that were both superior and deeper than mine.

The world was broader than I had imagined, and there were undoubtedly countless gifted individuals out there. The historically rich families likely stood at the top. And as this book showed, I could feel their tremendous history even in this modest realm of serving others.

The professor was always right. I was a bug. Just a bug that had barely entered university. The joy and anticipation of passing had finally settled down. And in its place, anxiety filled the void. Getting into university was just the start. Now I had to think about how to survive there.

The entrance ceremony was in a month.

As I looked at this magic book, I felt the one month given by the professor was far too short.

I began to slowly learn the spells within.

 

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