Getting into the lab hall was a rather easy task considering it was just the building across from where the lectures had been held. Stepping inside even with the little mana I had, I could feel the purity just by breathing it in. Stone walls with high glass windows and a ceiling easily thirty metres above us with all manners of sigils and runes inscribed everywhere to ensure the durability of the building. Even with seventy-five students the entire lab felt incredibly spacious to stand in with the person standing at the podium to the end had about five people either side. Looking a little closer it was Professor Goldwin.
“Students, stand in front of the podium and you will be assigned into different segments based on your experience. Now students with a formal education in magic, stand to the right and those without stand to the left. Do not feel targetted or insecure about your group after all not everyone would have the same education before coming here.”
“I mean you technically have an education in magic but let’s be real you can’t do much with it.” Ashroth commented with a snide snicker as I moved to the right side.
‘If a Duke’s son were to go to the left side people would question the quality of education given in the household. Afterall every noble above a Viscount is expected to study magic from a young age.’ Quietly replying in my mind I lamented whatever this class could be. The split between left to right had been about twenty five to fifty, the majority being nobles. The left side had been filled with lesser Barons or students without any nobility in their status. Though that was to be expected as to be taught magic you have to get a tutor and majority of tutors that would provide an education would be from the Magic Tower. Tutors outside of them existed but too many con-artists or failed magicians trying to make a quick coin filled the unverified markets. Being a Duke’s son my tutor had been a Magus as any higher ranking mages stayed holed up in the magic tower or would only answer to royalty. Though if I did have an ounce of talent the Magic Tower would have sent someone higher simply because the Grand Duke families, the royal family and the Magic Tower all are the main pillars that formed the current empire.
The Ashran royal family had boasted the strongest abilities of any human even beyond the continent and were the driving force in the Age of Abyss which is what we call the cataclysm that drove humanity out of most of the continent. Along with the Alphonse, Dolvan, Belarune and Rothhart families they built the modern day empire with each of the dukes handling either the east, west, north and south respectively. The Magic Tower had only been a small coalition of mages at the time that grew in their power as they stayed within the centre of the empire providing magical education and acting as the only legislative force for the arcane. Answering solely to the Ashran family they act as their enforcers for rogue mages and assist the Alphonse family’s frontier against the other races.
Pushing back those thoughts I saw that the smaller group had the same amount of instructors as we did. Which in a way made sense since the most dangerous times of studying magic are when you are first starting and studying higher tier magics to increase your rank. A bad foundation can cripple your potential and delving into high tier magic without caution could turn the mage into a literal bomb.
“You there, you’re in group seven.” Shouted an instructor with short silvery hair and glasses. Though judging by his face he may have been in his twenties, the bags under his eyes also showed a level of despair you would see in a sixty year old labourer. A small badge of gold with the depiction of a dragon and spear told me that he was most likely someone from the Belarune family. Many of their children who are not vying for succession often go off to pursue a career as an educator or instructor. Also those within the Belarune family are the second group outside of those from the Academy graduates who are ever certified by the Magic Tower as official instructors.
“Ah, are you talking to me?” I pointed to myself a little unsure.
Clicking his tongue he nodded. “Yes, Lucas Alphonse, I am talking to you.”
Sheepishly I nodded and joined the group only to freeze up as I saw a familiar shade of navy hair. ‘Fuck me, of course he’s in my group.’ I cursed watching as Damian gave me the sort of death glare that would definitely be evidence of motive to my murder.
“Did you sleep with his mother or something? Why does he look like he wants you dead?” Ashroth muttered on my shoulder. He had taken the form of a small man in a suit with that all too toothy grin and barely formed face. Eating what looked to be a bag of popcorn.
‘I didn’t sleep with his mother, why the hell would I do that?’
“He looks like he wants to kill you, skin you and then use it to make himself a leather belt.” I shuddered hearing how quickly Ashroth even threw out that string of events.
As I went to respond I heard a harsh cough and looking forward I had seen the instructor glaring at me for being distracted.
“Lucas Alphonse I understand you may have possessed quite the education being a Duke’s son but I would like to be shown some level of respect during an explanation.” I nodded as he began to continue after my acknowledgement. “As I was saying I will be gauging the level of proficiency you all possess currently. Based on this will determine if you move to be instructed with the students who lack a formal education or not. Now can you all present me a cantrip, preferably one you possess the strongest elemental affinity towards.”
Relaxing a little it was something I had confidence in as I simply thought of the sparks and thus they began to burn atop my palm. The instructor looked at me with a burst of shock only to be followed by his resting expression as if to say ‘it’s the Alphonse family, this much is to be expected.’ Around me a plethora of other magics from shards of ice, gusts of wind and Damian had created a small black orb that seemed to be pulsating and writhing in his hands.
“Excellent work to both Damian and Lucas. Truly both exemplarary level of beginner magic. Damian I am impressed you had managed to manifest dark magic in such a well containted form.”
Damian seemed a lot more smug as he puffed out his chest a little. “It’s nothing much for someone sponsored by the Magic Tower afterall.” It seemed he would have bragged some more if the instructor had not turnede to me.
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“But Lucas, I have not seen such a well refined adaptation of sparks. The interlocking runes and removal of certain aspects had rose its mana efficency to costing miniscule amounts. Most mages only ever possess a shallow level of depth to lesser magics but this is truly an impressive display.”
I felt a little happy hearing that praise, as mongst my family members they would simply say to me ‘is that all?’ and move on. Spending most of my time learning magic was to help make this spell as efficent as I could.
“Now I want you all to cast the highest tier of magic you safely can. Do not risk anything above what you can do as if it fails then you have proven you are not proficent enough in understanding your own limits and will be made to learn from the basics again.”
Inwardly cursing I had nothing higher than a cantrip. So I just bit the regus and casted sparks.
“Really this again? You are incompetent to the point it isn’t funny.” Ashroth muttered as he sat on my head.
The instructor simply looked over and sighed it seeemed he was not going to publicly commment on it. Whilst Damian had been causing the wind to swirl at his palms and it was quite obvious from how quickly it began to gather and accumulate into quite the Aero spell.
“I have an idea…” Snickered the demon atop of my head and with a sudden jerk of my hair I winced causing me to accidentally set off a sparks which got swept in by the wind and I could only watch in horror as the spell Damian was casting suddenly became an inferno.
“What the fuck?” Damian cursed out as the entire thing had burst into a swirling storm of flames that engulfed him. In that brief moment the instructor had charged forward and a cold splash of water doused over Damian before he could be burnt. Damian had sat on the floor catching his breath after a swirling flame like that most likely burnt up the oxygen around him once it set alight.
Dispelling the spell my entire body shook as Ashroth began to laugh hysterically finding amusement in what he had just done whilst Damian now a little more steady genuinely now wanted me dead. A girl came rushing upto him, a lilac haired girl that was practically hugging his arm with concern. Glancing over it seemed she came from the other section, possibly some friend of his. Looking away I could not help but feel guilty only to be broken out of that thought by the instructor tapping my shoulder.
“I understand what had happened was an accident judging by your expression and how you winced before accidentally sparking. But its clear you seemed to have failed to properly understand the basics of temperature control and fire resistive runes for your cantrip so you will be moved to the basics class. Am I clear Lucas Alphonse?” His look to me felt harsh but it was not suffocating as I nodded I could feel it’s harshness lessen. “Then go over to the insctrutor with teal hair and tell him Riley sent you.”
Nodding I headed off to the basics group whilst wishing Damian would stop staring at me like he wanted me dead. Though as I got to the class it was clear everyone was looking at me a little skeptically.
“Excuse me, Instructor? Instructor Riley sent me over.” The teal haired man was a lot bigger than Riley and built rather broad as he looked towards me.
“Riley sent you? Well I’m Instructor Alex and what did you do to get moved over?” He looked at me paitently waiting for the answer more out of curiousity than anything else.
“I accidentally burnt myself with my sparks spell and it caused some sparks to set off another student’s Aero spell.” I looked to the ground a little embaressed.
“Its fine accidents happen. Now why don’t you stand with the others. We are currently doing mana capacity testing. It doesn’t hurt to check yours every now and then.” Alex offered a sympathetic smile as I stood next to a couple other students. They seemed a little uncomfortable next to me which considering I just caused a small explosion was warranted.
“Clasp yours hands together and circulate the mana throuhg your body. I want you to imagine the mana around you is just like the air and take it in best you can with every inhale. Hold the breath for three seconds and exhale holding onto as much mana inside you. We will do this for ten repititions and I will see how much mana you accumulated.”
Nodding along to his words we did as he told us. Clasping my hands I could feel the circuits intertwine and form a full loop as I took each breath the mana would trickle into my lungs and into my core. Yet I could only lament as I had to release the clasping hands after just two cycles having already filled my core. Looking at the others it stung as I quietly watched as only a couple had stopped around the eighth or ninth cycle. Alex glanced over us and approached us. It was clear by the runes that danced along his retinas he was reading our capacity.
“Well for those who did all ten cycles you will have an easier time moving onto the next step of understanding magic. While the two who stopped at the eighth and ninth cycle should focus on practising getting yourselves to ten cycles. Lucas, can you step to the side so I can talk to you?” There was a look of concern which reminded me of Alice, my tutor from back home when she also realised my issue. Nodding I followed him as we walked to an empty side of the hall to talk.
“Lucas I am assuming you are aware you have a restrictive core. Did you tutors explain what this was to you in any way?”
I looked at him and nodded admitting to my knowledge. After all to anyone who intends to pursue magic, possessing a restrictive core is arguably worse than being blind. It meant that the core your body had been born with had no capacity to grow and forcing it to grow with mana injection would simply be a painful way to guarantee a death through burst arteries.
“I am aware of my condition. Is it going to pose a problem?” I replied trying to at least seem formal enough even with how bad it hurt to be reminded of such a thing.
“I won’t hide it from you but even if you excel in the theoretical a major part of the magic studies comes from practical application. By the current standards of the exams that take place in this school without at least reaching a secondary rank of magic you would be lucky enough to pass. Best I can advise is focusing your time on studying the theoretical materials and a small note of advice is after the second semester exams you can apply for theoretical theory presentations which will take place during the middle of the holidays. If you can secure a high enough place on those, they will be able to bring you a better grade.” He patted me on the shoulder and gave me a reassuring smile. “And just so you know I can inform Professor Goldwin to give you permission to be absent from practicals and access to the theoretical magic section of the Mage Hall library.”
My eyes lit up hearing that an instructor would actually offer such benefits to a student like me that was more or less a magical cripple. “I would really appreciate it, Instructor Alex.”
He chuckled seeing just how excited I was and in truth I genuinely was. Due to my lack of flags the amount of resources I had access to this semester would be restricted anyways.
“Well it's good to see someone happy enough to read. Most aspiring mages prefer to be casting spells than studying. Anyways take this note.” With that a silver piece of card with an insignia atop of it was handed to me conjured from strings of mana in the air. “This will excuse you from the class today and let you head into the library a little early.”
Taking it from his hands I smiled as I headed off to the Magic Hall. The idea of having access to its theoretical magic books was enough to excite me.