Surviving at the Magic Academy

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“When will they arrive?”

It was the third day since I finished organizing the shop. The dolls that were piled up haphazardly were now neatly arranged in the display case, each striking a pose. All the cheap dolls were shoved into the workshop. I didn’t want to make my guests uncomfortable by showing them that junk after all. Only the highest quality, most expensive dolls were left.

With that, the cramped shop suddenly felt spacious. I even placed a table for receiving guests in the remaining space and splurged on a magically enchanted chair. Now, all I needed was for customers to come in.

But there was still no sign of any customers coming. Occasionally, some common riffraff would wander in, but nothing of note.

I sat behind the reception desk and pulled out a book. ‘Circuit Installation Made Easy for 3-Year-Old Mages’. It was a general introduction to doll manipulation, supposedly made by a renowned ancient doll manipulator! I snagged it from the underground market yesterday. The seller had no clue what it was, so I got it for cheap.

I had no idea if it was authentic or not, but the knowledge inside was undeniably real. I excitedly read it all through the night. The more I read, the more I learned. Various doll designs, ways to optimize circuits, how to efficiently store magical power, and so on.

Once I mastered all this, my magic was bound to improve immensely. While I wrestled with the book for quite a while, the shop door suddenly swung open.

Hmm?

There were no signals from the dolls I had set up around the shop. The fact that someone got past my surveillance meant they were someone of a higher caliber than me.

I set down the book and straightened up. Walking through the door was a tiny girl who barely reached my waist. Her long hair shone like spun gold, immediately catching my eye. Then I met her emerald glowing eyes. She was an extremely pretty and adorable girl.

But my insides twisted with unease. I knew the vicious magical power hidden beneath that cute exterior. She was the mage and explorer Ilian, the one who had wiped out the drug dealer organization in a single night three years ago.

“Welcome!”

I greeted her with precision and quickly stood beside her.

“Lady Ilian, it’s been a while. Please, this way.”

I led her to the guest table. She followed, looking around as she went. I seated her and manipulated my magic to awaken the heart of the reception doll.

The doll expertly presented tea and snacks. Ilian then began to eat the sweets.

“Oh, this is delicious.”

Of course it is, that costs ten pieces of magic stone each. It was a rare treat made with great care by a mage, meant to help with the circulation of magical power.

I regretted buying them and not eating any myself. Maybe I should have just tried one. Swallowing my disappointment, I rubbed my hands together next to her.

“Thank you for visiting. If I had known you were coming, I would have prepared something better. I’m really sorry that this is all I have.”

“Hmm, that’s fine. This will do for next time too.”

For a moment, I almost dropped my smile. “Next time?” Damn, I really need to stock up more. I merely nodded in gratitude.

“If I may ask, how did your last expedition go?”

She loved to flaunt the results of her explorations every time she came. She probably just liked showing off. It was better to ask ahead to score some points since she would boast anyway.

“Yeah, it was a success.”

She beamed with pride. Her magical power tore through the space in an instant. From that gap, she pulled out a small bell.

I couldn’t help but swallow hard. I felt nothing, yet somehow the bell appeared right in front of me. It seemed to emanate an impressive aura of danger.

“This is the result of my latest venture. It’s filled with monsters.”

“Congratulations!”

With all my effort, I clapped along with the reception doll. Her satisfied smile in response to our congratulations was quite heartwarming.

“Now, about the dolls….”

“Ah, the dolls! They’re all broken.”

Her magical power seeped back into the crack in space. Then she pulled out what appeared to be the remnants of the dolls. A quick glance revealed there weren’t any intact parts. They were all scrap. I sighed internally and called the cleaning dolls to collect the debris.

“I’ll make sure the next dolls don’t break.”

“Yeah, I expect that.”

She nodded. How refreshingly honest.

These dolls weren’t made for battle in the first place. None of the dolls I sold were for combat purposes. They were purely for the convenience of the user. I couldn’t understand why they broke.

“So, may I ask what brings you here today?”

I questioned her as she shoved sweets into her mouth.

She must have come to buy dolls. With sparkling eyes, I infused magic into the dolls I had prepared in advance. I would showcase their performance, and after that, she’d have no choice but to buy them!

I waited for her to ask to see the dolls. However, she kept her mouth shut for quite some time, simply staring at me as she munched on sweets.

What’s going on? Cold sweat trickled down my back. Wasn’t she here to buy dolls? Finally, she spoke up.

“You failed the university exam, didn’t you?”

Gulp! That was an unexpected question. I was momentarily flustered but quickly replied.

“Yes, I lacked the ability, so I ended up failing.”

I kept a watchful eye on her. Why would she bring up the exam?

“Yeah, the dolls you brought last time were shabby too. They were far too inadequate for getting into the university.”

I shut my eyes tightly. I couldn’t fathom why she was saying this. What did I do wrong? Should I run? Thoughts raced through my mind.

She continued to simply gaze at me without a word. Unable to endure her stare, my gaze dropped to the floor. After a while, she crossed her arms and said.

“You might just be suitable.”

Perking my ears, I was utterly confused by what she meant by suitable. Suitable for what?

“Here, I received this.”

She pulled out a stack of papers from the gap.

I carefully took it and looked it over. My personal information was all over it.

It listed my actions for the past 20 years and even had a rough outline of things happening on the island.

I turned pale. Who had been investigating me? No, the investigation itself didn’t matter much. What mattered was who passed this to her.

“A kid who raised five swords gave it to me. The strongest one here.”

That little brat! Evan, I won’t forgive you for this! My body trembled with anger.

“I needed someone to use, so I was going to use that kid, but he already passed university. It was a missed opportunity. But he recommended you and handed this over. Even though your dolls are shabby, he liked you. So, I choose you.”

Damn it, I never imagined he’d send my information as well just because he told me to send my stuff to him. That swordsman made me a sacrifice.

What did she mean by choosing me? Did she intend to turn me into a doll? I barely managed to keep my smile, but I couldn’t stop my lips from twitching.

“What use could someone like me be to you, Lady Ilian?”

I hurriedly said. She ignored my words and kept munching on the sweets.

“You’re not really helpful.”

She responded.

“But all the better options than you are passing the university.”

Critical hit! I felt dizzy from the sudden mental attack.

“It’s easier to pick someone desperate like you. Plus, your dolls are interesting. I’ve never seen anything like them at the university.”

Fear gripped me, but a significant portion of her words caught my ear. University? I looked at her with trembling eyes. Now that I think about it, she continuously bringing up the university was suspicious.

“D-Did you work at a university?”

Hadn’t she just been a wandering mage all this time? That’s what I thought. She tilted her head.

“Didn’t I mention? I’m a professor.”

A university professor! Not a student, but a professor. She was a big shot!

It made sense now why she kept calling my dolls shabby. From a professor’s perspective, they must indeed be useless trash.

But why would a university professor keep buying my dolls? I had no clue. No, that was not the point. She said she needed me.

Could it be…?

“Are you saying that you’re going to let me into the university?”

“Mmm.”

She nodded while sipping her tea. University! University! For me, who hadn’t even touched the university’s threshold for the past ten years, it felt like a dream.

“How long until the next exam?”

She asked. I hurriedly calculated the time. It had been about two months since the last exam ended. About ten months to go. Upon hearing that, she pulled out a piece of paper.

“What’s your name?”

“Ebron.”

“Got it. I, Ilian, will teach Ebron and help him pass the university. Afterward, you, Ebron, will serve Ilian until you graduate. This holds true until you graduate.”

Her magical power enveloped the paper, inscribing the words she had just spoken. It was a contract. I swallowed nervously.

I had faced many contracts throughout my life. The very first contract was with Ojo. Ojo was bound for 200 years to his clan by that contract.

Since then, I had made many contracts. I had even entered contracts myself. Through those experiences, I had firmly learned one thing.

Contracts shouldn’t be entered into lightly. No matter how tempting the rewards might seem.

But the university…

The letters on the contract were crystal clear.

It was what I had dreamed of my entire life. What I had failed to achieve over the last ten years. She claimed she could help me realize that.

I couldn’t remain calm given the sudden turn of events. What should I do? How? No, more importantly, what was going on here?

I stared blankly at the contract.

It was an attractive offer. But I didn’t know anything about this person. Serving her? If I messed up, I might end up suffering like Ojo. I tried to form the words to refuse.

But at that moment, my hand moved, infusing magical power into the contract.

Huh?

I didn’t do that!

Panicking, I checked my body and found the sapling in my chest casting magic. It was the ‘Magical Deep Breath’. Half-rooted in me, it was controlling me. My own tree betrayed me!

I desperately tried to withdraw my magic, but it was already too late. The contract had absorbed my magic perfectly, achieving complete balance.

With a satisfied smile, she tore the contract. The magic that had formed it drifted down to our wrists.

‘If one passes the university with Ilian’s teachings, they promise to serve Ilian until graduation.’

The contract was complete. If I broke it, my tree would rot away.

What the heck?

I interrogated the tree inside my chest. But it merely kept greedily absorbing magic as if nothing happened. I was boiling with anger at its shamelessness. Why?

Then it hit me.

Could it be that this tree thought I’d never pass the university like this?

I slumped down to the floor. Even the tree didn’t have faith in me. Was my talent really that pitiful?

“Interesting. I didn’t expect your tree to sign for you.”

Ilian remarked, watching my chest with fascination. I could no longer hide my expression. I looked at her with a heart full of sorrow.

“Okay, I’ll consider the contract done. I’ll start the lessons from tomorrow.”

She said this, sipping her tea.

“I’ll be here until the next exam, so prepare my room. Right now.”

That was a bolt from the blue. I stared at her, bewildered.

I’d planned to sell a bunch of dolls and make some money. But in the blink of an eye, I found myself in a bizarre contract and even losing my home.

But I had no words to express my feelings. Contracts require mutual consent. Though my tree signed for me.

Having finished her tea, she frowned slightly.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you moving quickly?”

Along with that, her magical power growled. I came to my senses in a flash.

No matter what, it was done now. Whatever was hidden in the contract, one thing was clear. This lady is a university professor, and she’s going to get me into the university. I had to do my utmost to serve her.

“Yes! I’ll clean right away!”

I got up and woke the dolls I had set aside. I had intended to sell them, but now they’d be put to work for cleaning. I had to create a space that would satisfy the professor as quickly as possible.

 

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