"Enchantment magic is really fascinating," remarked the beaver mixed-blood professor with a sense of amusement.
The students, still half-frozen from the cold, were slightly taken aback by his words. What was he implying?
"Now, the enchantment magic for countering coldness would be..."
"????"
"Professor? Is that all there is to know about enchantment magic?"
The students were further confused by Professor Beavle's approach to dive straight into the main topic. Other professors who had come to teach new magic usually started with an introduction about the type of magic, its usage in the empire, and its potential future...
But Professor Beavle skipped all that, heading straight to the core of the lesson. Was this really acceptable?
"Why? I've said everything," he retorted.
"But, what kind of magic is enchantment? How is it used in the empire, and how does it differ from other types of magic?"
A student from the White Tiger raised their hand and asked.
Professor Beavle kindly replied, "Find out for yourselves. Now, to counter the cold..."
“...”
The students were more interested in enchantment magic than expected, especially those from the White Tiger. Enchantment magic, whether used to enhance one's body or equipment, was highly useful for knights.
Even students from other towers showed great interest, given the practical utility of enchantment magic.
'This professor seems a bit out of his mind.'
'Well, it's not unusual for professors.'
'I can't just not learn it... I came here to study enchantment magic.'
-Yi-Han, Yi-Han.-
Professor Garcia sent a telepathic message to Yi-Han.
"?"
-Yi-Han, I need your help.-
'Oh no...'
Yi-Han was flustered. He was just a freshman!
'Really, shouldn't this be something a professor or a professor's disciple does?'
Yet, Yi-Han nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but notice the corner of the lectern recently demolished by Professor Garcia.
'Such a kind student.'
Unaware of Yi-Han's fear, Professor Garcia was merely touched by his willingness to help.
How did such a kind student end up at Einroguard?
'Hmm. This won't be easy.'
Yi-Han pondered upon receiving Professor Garcia's request. A good professor would have just needed to answer the questions properly.
And, of course, Professor Beavle Verduus was undeniably insane.
Yi-Han devised a strategy.
"Professor, can enchantment magic be cast the same way on living and non-living entities?"
"What? No! Of course not," Professor Beavle reacted as if Yi-Han's question was absurd.
"Why not?"
"Obviously, because..."
Professor Beavle began to ramble enthusiastically.
“When casting enchantment magic on living beings, one must always consider the repercussions, limiting the types of enchantments that can be applied…”
"Indeed."
"Why would you ask such a thing? You should know."
"I'm sorry, Professor."
"Now, to prepare against the cold..."
"But, Professor. I've heard that one could starve to death if they only learn enchantment magic..."
"What!? No! You won't die!"
Professor Beavle vehemently denied, jumping in protest.
"Is that not the case?"
"Yes!"
Professor Garcia felt a thrill watching Professor Beavle vigorously defending his point.
He was truly a genius, seemingly born to become a disciple…
‘...on second thought, this might not be good.’
"Ah! You've just wasted my time unnecessarily!" Professor Beavle grumbled, though the students now looked more at ease.
Ah, so that's what enchantment magic is all about!
"Let's get into preparing against the cold. Originally, you weren't supposed to learn enchantment magic for cold resistance."
"Why not?" a student from the White Tiger inquired.
Professor Beavle responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because you're stupid."
"..."
"You freshmen should start with paper-strengthening magic."
"???"
Yi-Han was perplexed by Professor Beavle's words in a different sense.
'He had me making magic fireworks right away, didn't he? Is this discrimination?'
"Professor! Aren't you underestimating us too much?" exploded a student from the White Tiger, unable to hold back any longer.
The students, having endured the hellish midterm period, were a bit overconfident without any real basis. However, this was a reckless move. Their classmates gasped in surprise.
"It's not that I'm underestimating you."
"Excuse me?"
The professor's response exceeded everyone's expectations.
"I'm just stating the truth, right? Wardanaz. Isn't that so?"
"..."
Yi-Han pretended not to notice Professor Beavle suddenly speaking to him.
I don't know this person!
"Anyway, we need to prepare against the cold, so I'll have to teach you."
Professor Beavle waved his staff.
Well-tended leather appeared out of thin air. The professor cast a spell on it.
Pop!
"Now, try it."
"...Professor Verduus, at least recite the incantation or something, please..."
Finally, Professor Garcia couldn't hold back and spoke up.
<Lesser Cold Resistance>.
A spell that temporarily endows non-living entities with resistance to cold.
It was a familiar spell to Yi-Han, as he had been forced to learn <Lesser Flame Resistance> while making magic fireworks with Professor Beavle.
The problem was...
'...this is a 3rd Circle spell...'
First-year students usually learned 1st or 2nd Circle magic, but to be taught a 3rd Circle spell in their first encounter was the best way to lose interest in enchantment magic.
"Leather, push away the cold!"
"Leather, repel the cold!"
As always, when in dire situations, the cold and harsh environment of Einroguard forced the students to grow stronger.
Surprisingly, some students managed to succeed with the spell.
Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn't a perfect success. Enchantment magic was deemed a failure if it couldn't fully manifest the intended effects.
The leather that the students had enchanted only felt faintly warm.
Nonetheless, achieving this much on the first day of learning was remarkable, especially considering the academy's frigid environment...
"Professor! How about this?"
"This is no cold resistance! If you wear this out, you'll freeze to death!"
"..."
Yi-Han saw Professor Garcia's fist clench in frustration.
Professor Garcia took a deep breath to regain her composure.
There was a risk that all the students with talent and interest in enchantment magic might flee.
"Yi-Han, I'm sorry to ask again, but could you help once more? Could you assist your friends from other towers?"
"Professor, I still haven't mastered <Lesser Cold Resistance>."
Yi-Han looked at Professor Garcia incredulously.
He hadn't even swung his staff yet, busy explaining the nuances of enchantment magic to his friends...
"Try it."
"...Leather, repel the cold!"
Pop!
The magic precisely hit the leather. Professor Garcia nodded as if she had expected this outcome.
"Now, please help the other students."
"...Professor, this worked on my first try only because I had previously learned <Lesser Flame Resistance>. Normally, it doesn't work like this."
Yi-Han timidly protested as he stood up, feeling somewhat unjustly burdened.
An hour later, thanks to the efforts of Professor Garcia and Yi-Han, many students were close to mastering the spell as the lecture neared its end. Of course, Professor Beavle didn't offer a single word of praise.
"It's okay if you can't do it. It can't be helped. If you lack talent and are stupid, how could you do well? That would be even stranger. It's okay."
"..."
The students, already chilled, felt even more disheartened.
Professor Beavle, undeterred, continued, "If you find enchantment magic interesting and want to learn more, come find me. Got it?"
"Yes..."
"Thank you..."
Yi-Han wondered how many students would actually seek out Professor Beavle's workshop.
'Surely, I won't be the only one attending.'
"Yi-Han."
After the lecture, Professor Garcia spoke hesitantly.
"Would it be alright if I ask you for one more favor?"
"What kind of favor, Professor?"
"Could you help the students from the other towers, like you did just now? I'd love to do it myself, but the do... ah, the principal won't allow it."
'Did she just almost say 'dog'?'
Yi-Han looked at Professor Garcia's benevolent face.
Helping the evil friends who tremble and spread rumors at the mere approach.
He really didn't want to, but...
"Yes. I will do that."
Yi-Han responded immediately.
Professor Garcia looked at him with eyes filled with gratitude, unaware that Yi-Han had briefly glanced at the professor's fist.
'Hmm. She smashed the lectern with that hand earlier.'
"Thank you so much, Yi-Han! I'll find a way to repay you."
"How could I expect anything in return for the kindness I've received from you, Professor."
"Yi-Han, you really are..."
Professor Garcia's eyes welled up with tears.
How did Einroguard manage to have such a kind-hearted student…
"...Huh!"
"...Gasp!"
"Stop making noise every time you swing the staff."
Yi-Han looked at his friends from the White Tiger with annoyance.
They were now learning the rest of <Lesser Cold Resistance> from Yi-Han.
Even after hearing Professor Garcia's explanations, fear didn't just vanish.
The students from the White Tiger flinched every time Yi-Han swung his staff.
"Look. The magic structure of <Lesser Cold Resistance> is basically like this."
Yi-Han drew the direction of the mana flow on paper using a quill. A complex circuit of magic was outlined.
"Do you understand?"
"We understand. Wardanaz."
"These parts, these parts, and these parts are typically omitted in the visualization."
Keywords like 'cold,' 'resistance,' and 'enchantment' didn't require complex manipulation of mana every time; a mage's visualization often sufficed.
If every aspect had to be manipulated manually, the spell would become exponentially more complex.
"Exactly."
"It's important to keep repeating these parts to become familiar with them, right?"
"Yes."
"So, now repeat it."
"...What?"
"???"
"Repeat it."
"Um... isn't there any other trick to it?"
Still, the students of the White Tiger had hoped that Wardanaz, who came from a renowned family of mages, would share some ingenious secrets or techniques for finely controlling mana or solidifying their visualizations.
"There's no such thing. You improve by doing it."
"But if we keep repeating, our mana will deplete quickly."
"Ah."
"..."
The White Tiger students glared at Yi-Han.
"Hmm. Right. Repeating won't work then."
"Wardanaz. It would be helpful if you could share some tips on maneuvering mana. Doesn't the mana disperse or scatter when moving the staff in this process?"
"Did it? I didn't experience that."
"...Wardanaz. When you focus your mana in this part, doesn't it get tangled?"
"I don't think that happened to me..."
"..."
The White Tiger students glared at Yi-Han even more menacingly than before.
This is why geniuses are so frustrating!
"Wardanaz, didn't you encounter any obstacles while mastering this?"
"Of course, I did."
"Oh... What was it? Tell us."
The students looked at him with intense curiosity.
What could have possibly stumped Wardanaz?
"When I was moving the mana, I sometimes drew too much, causing the magic to amplify excessively."
"So, what happened then?"
"The magic was cast too powerfully."
"...How is that an obstacle?"
