“Poof.” A small, pale red fireball appeared at the tip of Li Yue's wand. She gave the small wand a casual flick, and the fireball swayed along with her movement.
“Excellent. To think you've successfully completed the magic so quickly.” A man wearing round-framed glasses stood beside Li Yue. He clapped softly, the gold cufflinks on his tight suit jacket gleaming in the sunlight.
Li Yue allowed the magic on her wand to dissipate before putting it away and bowing to the professor.
“Thank you for your guidance, Professor Black.”
“No, no. I merely taught you the simplest of incantations, nothing more. Though I did modify it myself, it's at a level any street vendor could manage—just a couple of shouts to hawk their wares.” Black smiled. Beneath his refined exterior, he was a humble gentleman.
Li Yue didn't share his sentiment. She had seen the incantations for fireball spells in ancient books; they were extremely tongue-tying and difficult to memorize. It was considered the hardest to grasp among basic magics—if it could even be called basic, given its difficulty.
This seemingly unremarkable professor was undoubtedly a Great Mage with a profound understanding of incantations. Li Yue had seen many Great Mages whose Supreme Arts required mandatory chanting; his incantations, however, were exceptionally concise.
“You can stay and practice for the rest of the period, or you can go do whatever you like. I'm not a teacher who enjoys wasting a student's time. Today's lesson is complete.”
He patted Li Yue on the shoulder and, after marking an S+ evaluation in the course booklet, began to inspect the handiwork of the other students.
Li Yue breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that her wandless casting hadn't been discovered. For these spells, she didn't need a wand or incantations at all; she could manifest them simply by channeling her mana. However, if she did use the incantations, the power would certainly be greater. She had struggled quite a bit just now to hold back her strength.
She tidied her cluttered desk and tucked her notebook into her small bag, walking out of the classroom one step at a time.
She had initially faked failure several times, thinking she had stalled for a long while. As it turned out, no one else seemed capable of performing the spell yet. Even though she had intentionally only produced a rudimentary flame at first, she had already been labeled a genius.
“A genius...” Li Yue sighed, her face remaining expressionless. In her memory, she had been an ordinary person just four months ago. Now, she was a Calamity class.
For most students, four months was just a single semester—time to build a foundation as an apprentice and prepare to push for trainee status in the second half of the year.
“By the way, with talent like yours, remember to choose carefully when picking your first magic book. Don't waste your gifts and passion on magic you aren't suited for.” Black called out to Li Yue as she was about to leave, sharing his own insights. Roland had also mentioned his experience of switching magic types before, though Li Yue hadn't paid much attention at the time.
“I'll keep that in mind.” Li Yue smiled. This smile held a bit of genuine warmth, tinged with her personal emotions—perhaps a touch of helplessness and self-deprecation.
At least having the right to choose is a form of freedom...
In the classroom, where only the crackle of flames could be heard, a chorus of sighs erupted. The students watched Li Yue's retreating figure, marveling at her beauty while speculating about her identity.
“Is she a noble from the Royal Court? How can her magic talent be so high?”
“Her appearance really looks like one. She even looks like the descriptions of gods in books... It turns out those flowery adjectives in the texts weren't exaggerating at all. She's truly beautiful...”
“They say the vassals who carry His bloodline are all world-defying geniuses.”
“But it's not the season for Royal Court exchange students yet...”
“Ah, then she is...”
“Could she be the illegitimate daughter of some high-ranking figure?”
Li Yue closed the classroom door, sealing herself off from the noise and the silence of the mundane world. She was, after all, an expert at doing exactly that.
“Quiet!” Black's calm voice fell, and the students suddenly found that they couldn't make a sound even if they tried. He signaled for everyone to return to their tasks with a look, warning them not to waste time on idle gossip.
“Did you hear what I just said? Choose your magic based on what suits you, not just interest.” Black rubbed the corner of his mouth, softening his expression slightly.
Then he turned away, letting out a helpless, self-deprecating chuckle.
“Back then, I was a quiet person who couldn't squeeze out a word in half a day. Now, I'm lecturing students with such confidence.” Black smiled wryly. “Choosing magic... In a way, magic chooses you, and it changes you...”
Since she had another class in the afternoon, the idle Li Yue headed to the library. She found a random seat and picked out a few books from the shelves to begin self-studying.
These were the basic magical concepts that apprentices were supposed to study systematically before enrollment. For the current Li Yue, not knowing them didn't really matter, but because of the upcoming exams, she had to spend time teaching herself these strange professional details she would likely never use in her life.
However, Li Yue was a demigod, after all. She learned at an incredible speed; she just needed time to digest the information. She rubbed her brow and turned to the next page.
Time drifted slowly by. Li Yue took out some slightly charred cookies from her ring. They tasted sweet with a hint of bitterness, but they were edible enough. Perhaps it was because they were seasoned with what one might call happiness and love.
Though if Li Yue hadn't been quick with her hands, those “seasonings” would have been burnt to a crisp along with the cookies.
Rate on N.U.
