MHP 08

Chapter 8

Thok.

When Flint Smelter tapped the air once with her staff, tiny translucent mini-versions of the student representatives popped out from the tip.

• Welcome to Spellmore Academy, everyone who has been admitted!

• Welcome!
  A voice-supported hologram?

Come to think of it, if they had repeated the same greeting every time a new student arrived, their throats would have been ruined by now.

‘Still, being able to use magic like this as a second-year is amazing.’

Before Selli’s sparkling eyes, the representatives’ avatars floated in the air and guided the new students through the academic system.

• Spellmore is a six-year course.

• Until second year, all students study the same subjects to build a foundation. From third year onward, they choose a major and begin the path of a specialized mage.

• It is a harsh path.

• But do not relax just because you are only first-years. At the end of every academic year, students must take a year-end evaluation, and those who fail to meet the standard must return home.

• In technical terms, that is called failing.

• Students who survive two near-failures are allowed to choose a major.

• Mr. Silvergrove, what majors are available in magic?

• Would you like to ask the teachers about that?

Just when the atmosphere started to feel like a half-baked school intro video from an entrance-exam briefing session…

Videos of teachers and students who had clearly been forced to participate with awkward smiles began playing for real.

There were so many majors that Selli could not keep track of them as they flashed by.

The only things she remembered were that each major had a different emblem attached to the uniform,

and that the students in each department gave off very different vibes.

The divination department, marked with a crescent moon, all smiled vaguely in unison, making Selli think of those internet cult-recruitment ladies who look possessed.

Meanwhile, the blank-faced students wearing horn-rimmed glasses and looking like they had not seen sunlight in days probably did not need to wear gear-shaped emblems at all.

The plaid shirts gave them away.

‘So that’s the magic engineering department.’

Even here, engineering students wore plaid as their uniform? The whole universe really needed to burn all plaid shirts.

While the video dragged on with individual department introductions and the students’ energy gradually drained away, a sudden voice made everyone’s eyes light up.

“Whoa.”

The students all opened their eyes wide at once.

Three absurdly handsome men had appeared on screen, clearly chosen purely for their looks.

‘They could definitely be actors!’

Selli watched with bright, gleaming eyes.

‘Ah, no, they probably can’t act.’

The handsome men introduced themselves as professors of Spellmore and each delivered a line of hilariously wooden acting, as if they had been forced to do it.

• Double majors are possible.

• In theory.

• We recommend it if you dream of shortening your life. However, Miss Smelter, what exactly are you recommending?
  “Sorry, that was an editing mistake.”

Flint Smelter explained, her face slightly red.

They had clearly hidden the fact that once all the lines were collected, it would become “run away now.”

• Understood. Then if I graduate safely, can I become a mage too?

• Not immediately. After graduation, depending on your major, you must spend a fixed period of time apprenticing under an experienced mage, learning knowledge and wisdom as a trainee mage through practical training before you are recognized.
  …Am I imagining it, or does that sound like forced graduate school kidnapping?

• Please look forward to tomorrow’s entrance ceremony, the first gate on the path to becoming a great mage.

• The elemental aptitude test is waiting for you!

Huh?

A test right after enrollment?

Confused, Selli raised her hand the moment the video ended and fired off questions.

“How is the test done? Do I need to prepare anything? Should I study in advance? What exactly should I study?”

The senior students, who were only a year older than Selli in appearance, laughed as though the frightened new student was cute.

“No need. You don’t have to prepare anything or do anything at all.”

“Elemental aptitude is innate. No matter what students do to prepare, it won’t change anything. If you just stand there, it will automatically determine which element suits you.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

Then nothing terrible would happen, right?

She felt relieved, but her heart was still pounding.

‘An elemental aptitude test!’

It was exciting because it felt so much like a real magic school.

‘I wonder what element I’m suited for?’

Would multiple elements show up at once?

‘Hah, it would be troublesome if I drew even more attention with my genius again.’

…said the person grinning from ear to ear.

With her heart fluttering, Selli followed the seniors up the stairs.

“Lastly, I’ll introduce the interior of Spellmore Tower.”

The two representatives stopped on a landing so wide it could almost be called a hall.

On the tall, broad wall they pointed to hung a giant tapestry embroidered with a map of the tower’s interior.

The Tower of Every Color in the World

The black Spellmore Tower had a name.

“The tower has a total of 496 floors.”

As Idril Silvergrove explained, Miss Smelter suddenly threw the first-year students a quiz.

“Strange, isn’t it? Why would they build it to an odd number like this instead of adding four more floors to make 500?”

While everyone merely blinked blankly, Selli—standing in the very back—immediately shot her hand up.

“Because it’s a perfect number!”

A number that equals the sum of all its divisors except itself. To a dyed-in-the-wool science nerd, 500 was a far more pleasing number.

That meant the question was absurdly easy for Selli, who was a complete and utter science nerd.

The two second-year representatives dropped their jaws like they had fallen to the floor and shouted,

“Correct!”

Wizards really were just science nerds without answers, so for Selli to simply guess and get it right…

“Wow… you’re the first first-year student to get that right since Professor Crowley, aren’t you?”

As the senior, whose jaw was still hanging open, asked, the elf boy closed his eyes and made a show of rubbing an invisible crystal ball.

“I foresee that child being locked in Crow Nest.”

The first-years burst out laughing.

Everyone seemed to know something Selli did not.

‘I want to laugh along too!’

She had even asked what “Crow Nest” meant, but the seniors only gave meaningful smiles and said she would find out soon enough.

“Now, back to the main topic. As you can see, the main tower is divided into six zones.”

The way it was split vertically felt almost like a pyramid hierarchy.

The underground level was called Abyss.

Spellmore is not responsible for any consequences arising from unauthorized access.

Judging by the warning, it certainly lived up to its name.

Above ground, from the bottom up, were:

The Abyss of Ignorance, the Sea of Awakening, the Land of Knowledge, the Breeze of Wisdom, and the Light of Truth.

‘That’s clearly where they dump the ignorant first-years in the abyss.’

But just looking at the names didn’t tell her what was actually in each zone. There were only labels, no explanations.

“I have a question.”

Selli raised her hand again.

“This doesn’t say what’s in each area. Is there a more detailed interior map?”

• Wanderer.
  “Ah, jeez!”

The tapestry suddenly spoke. Startled, Selli jumped in place.

• Where do you seek to go?

What is this? A fantasy-style navigation system?

Selli calmed herself and asked the first destination that came to mind.

“The bed—no, the dormitory.”

• The girls’ dormitory is in the Dreaming Tower, east of the 18th floor of the Abyss of Ignorance.

A wizard embroidered into the tapestry flew toward the “Dreaming Tower” and tapped the tower roof with a magical staff, causing a pattern of golden fireworks to appear.

“Well, since I’ve gone ahead and shown you how to find your way around, I’ll wrap up the school introduction here.”

“If you have any questions or difficulties with school life, please come to the student council tower anytime and find us or any other seniors.”

“Thank you!”

The first-years bowed and began climbing the stairs, but Selli walked up to the seniors instead. She already had another question.

“Do you only divide the dormitories by gender here? Doesn’t a magic hat sort students by talent or something?”

It might sound like a strange question, but for someone from Earth, it was a very serious issue.

And yet, was that really such a shocking question?

The second-year representatives stared at Selli with round eyes and tilted their heads. Maybe they were surprised because everyone already knew this.

“I’m from far away, so I don’t know much.”

Perhaps her guess was right, because they finally answered.

“Back in the old days, yes. There were four dormitories, each proud of its long tradition and history.”