Rattle.
A man entered somewhat roughly through the wooden classroom door and slowly walked toward the lectern.
The man, dressed in a worn suit, came in with his neck and back hunched like a modern office worker’s, giving off a strange sense of nostalgia.
He was the kind of man who strongly gave the impression of a deskbound office worker who spent his days sitting and studying.
Step, step, thud.
Having walked to the lectern rather feebly, the man planted both arms on top of it with a thump and raised his head to look at us.
With fatigue written plainly across his face, the man opened his mouth.
“Ah, pleased to meet you, first-years of the Mysticism Department. I am Associate Professor Lagrit.”
The man who introduced himself as Lagrit lightly stroked the stubble jutting out from his unshaven chin and calmly looked over the first-years of the Mysticism Department.
“As you likely already heard from Professor Ran yesterday, the person who will usually be meeting and speaking with you is me. Professor Ran is not an associate professor like myself, but a full professor, so he is quite busy. More importantly, one of your seniors is currently at the ‘critical juncture’ of becoming a mage, so he must focus on that… Ah, was I not supposed to say that? In any case.”
Lagrit shook his head, giving a rather halfhearted reaction of must watch my mouth, must watch my mouth, and turned his lifeless eyes in my direction.
To be precise, toward Isil, who was sitting beside me.
“You there… Your name is Isil, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Mm. Among imperial citizens, it’s rare to find someone without a family name, but as fellow people without surnames, let us do our best… As all of you know, Student Isil is the representative student of our first-year Mysticism Department. Don’t ask me how Student Isil was chosen as the representative student, because I don’t know either.”
Lagrit gestured for Isil, who was looking at him with an expressionless face, to stand.
Rattle.
Seeing his gesture, Isil rose from her chair with a sound and looked around.
“The representative student is the figurehead who represents the department. Fortunately, this year’s figurehead won’t be teased for being ugly. Well, she is also the student here closest to becoming a mage. Up to now, there has never been a representative student who failed to become one. So if the moment ever comes when you desperately want to become a mage, kneel down and beg Student Isil or something. Fortunately, thanks to Student Isil’s radiant appearance, the men should be able to kneel quite easily.”
“...”
“Ah, was the joke not funny? At any rate, you may sit now, Student Isil.”
As Isil quickly sat down at Lagrit’s words, the gazes of the students who had been looking at her turned back to Lagrit.
Scratch, scratch.
“Mm… And since Professor Ran explained most things yesterday, now what should I explain—”
“Professor.”
“Hm?”
Rin Edinburgh, who had been sitting in the back, spoke to Lagrit, who was scratching his head with an expression that seemed to say, What comes next again?
“Student Jin Frach over there in the front was unable to attend yesterday’s class. So why not give a basic explanation, even if only briefly?”
“Oh, there is already someone thinking of a friend. Good.”
Clap, clap.
Lagrit clapped weakly a couple of times, then looked down at me, sitting beside Isil, and said,
“Student Jin Frach?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“I heard the general circumstances from Professor Ran. It seems you went on quite an eventful adventure starting from the very first day.”
“Though it was an adventure I didn’t want.”
“Well, that is the fate of a mage. A life where you get caught up in unwanted mystical disasters, and if you’re lucky, you become a mage; if your luck is ordinary, you die on the spot; and if your luck is bad, you mutate into some strange being that is no longer human.”
After saying something that seemed to have a barb hidden in it, Lagrit quietly looked at my face, then lightly shook his head.
“Student Jin Frach did not hear it, but yesterday Professor Ran explained the history and general characteristics of our Mysticism Department. He is someone with a great interest in history, so he explains it in a way that goes straight into the listener’s ears.”
“Yes.”
“Unfortunately, I have neither the ability nor the will to do that, and it is not to my taste either, so I will keep it short.”
Ahem.
After clearing his throat briefly, Lagrit took his eyes off me and stretched his neck out to take in the entire first-year Mysticism Department at a glance as he spoke.
“Our Academia has been a famous educational institution since before the Empire was founded. The ether sensitivity you all possess as a basic trait is an ability that has been passed down since before His Majesty the Emperor founded the Empire, since the savage age before humans became human. And the desire to control it has existed in every era. The predecessor of the Mysticism Department was the place that taught such people.”
With that, Lagrit briefly explained the human mages who had appeared throughout history.
The princess of an island who tamed a ferocious sea monster.
The saint who resisted the temptations of demons and made known the nobility of mankind.
And even the priest who calmed a volcano that had been spewing disaster.
Beings who accomplished “feats” that seemed utterly impossible for humans had existed since before the Empire was founded. They had been called by many names—heroes, messengers of gods, demons—but now, they were all called “mages.”
To be precise, the Empire had “defined” them that way.
Those who wielded mystery were mages.
“Mages are beings who wield mysteries far beyond what an individual should be capable of. Professor Ran, who summoned thunder and lightning during the entrance ceremony, would be a good example. Magic is miracle, and magic is power. That is why the Empire went to such lengths to gather all of you, who possess the possibility of using magic, here today. To cultivate mages who will use magic under the Empire’s rules.”
Of course, I am naturally a mage as well, and one of your seniors. Saying that, Lagrit feebly pointed to himself, then smiled faintly at the attentive students and continued.
“I do not know how many of you will become mages. However, every year, as few as five and as many as about half graduate after becoming mages. So there is no need for all of you to get along that well right now. In any case, after a year or two, more than a quarter of you here will be expelled from the Mysticism Department.”
Lagrit spoke of expulsion as lightly as someone stating the obvious, like saying that a person would be injured if they fell from a high place.
“Of course, being expelled does not mean you will be expelled from the Academia. Expulsion from the school itself will not happen unless you commit some serious crime. However, a student expelled from the Mysticism Department is no longer officially a student of the Mysticism Department.”
“...Then where do they belong?”
“Oh, good question, Student Isil. As expected of the representative student, that was sharp. Well, it is something you would learn later anyway, but generally, they either transfer into another department, or simply attend the Academia without belonging to any department.”
Without belonging to any department?
Was it something like being an odd extra?
“You have a question on your face, Student Jin Frach.”
“Ah, what exactly does it mean to have no department, Professor?”
At my question, Lagrit put a mischievous smile on his lips and asked,
“Everyone, were you not curious why you have not met your seniors inside Twilight Hall?”
“...Now that you mention it.”
Right. Now that he mentioned it, even though only a few days had passed since the semester began, we had yet to meet anyone who could be called our seniors in the Mysticism Department.
I had simply assumed we had missed each other due to bad timing, but was there another reason?
“For the next year, all of you will take a midterm and a final exam. Exactly two exams. In your first year, even if you fail an exam, you have one more chance. But after becoming a second-year, if you fail even one of the two exams.”
If you fail?
“You will immediately be judged to have no prospects, and the various benefits you have received from the Empire up to that point will be suspended.”
“...Benefits?”
“On the lighter end, support such as the meals and lodging provided to you will be cut off. On the heavier end, you will have to dutifully pay the Academia tuition you have not been paying.”
“What?!”
No sooner had Lagrit finished speaking than the students of the Mysticism Department who seemed to be commoners rather than nobles or from wealthy families asked back in shock.
“W-We have to pay the Academia’s tuition?”
“They are commonly called dropouts. Those who fall out of each department lose various forms of support. That is why you do not see your seniors right now. They are working in District 3 or various places within the Academia to earn their tuition.”
“...”
“Do not worry too much. As long as you have the possibility of becoming a mage, you can continue enjoying your completely free life as you are now.”
Lagrit clapped his hands toward the students staring blankly at him, refreshing the atmosphere.
Clap! Clap!
“Now then, since the rough explanation of the Academia is finished, shall we talk about the curriculum?”