Battle magic was the most popular subject in the academy. Achievements in battle magic were also highly sought after when assessing academy graduates. There was even a heated recruiting competition for certain reputed graduates of Bergen Academy. Therefore, the professor in charge was naturally the best magician in the academy, Vince. In fact, he had a distinguished career as a war magician and had received a noble title for it. However, it was all just annoying to Vince.

He spoke clearly to the assembled students, “Magicians have had a very close relationship with war since ancient times. You may wonder why, but the reason is very simple. Magicians are extremely efficient killers. While a well-trained knight can cut down more than ten people with some effort, a 4th Circle magician can expend the same energy and annihilate a hundred people.”

Some of the students paled. Murder and war were overly heavy topics for them, and Vince’s cold choice of words caused a shiver to run down their spine. However, not everyone responded in the same way. The eyes of other students began to shine. There was no faster or greater route to success than the path of a war magician. These students had no use for the moralities of war, and only sought recognition and success. In any case, this type of personality was much better. At the very least, they wouldn’t throw up.

Either way, they’re just young chicks.

Vince assessed the students with a sober eye. According to his experiences, neither reaction produced the kind of magician who could fight in battle. A true war magician would bury their emotions deep in their heart, and go to war as a different person. The ability to transform into a different person on the battlefield; that was the talent required of a true war magician.

“This academy was once a facility to raise magicians who would be sent to the battlefield. While graduates are no longer required to enter the army, this combat magic course will allow you to develop a sense of real warfare.”

The curriculum had changed through the years, but the one-on-one spar in the first class had stayed since those early days. Although a few steps had been erased, there was no better way to identify a student’s qualities. Two students would alternate between the roles of attacker and defender, and the one who was superior would be decided as the winner. Even if it was a little more structured than the past, it was a proven method of assessment.

Vince started explaining the rules of the spar.

“Well, the rules are simple. I will keep watch, so don’t worry about getting injured. Just do the best that you can... However.” For a moment, magic power flashed in his eyes. “If you commit a foul, such as disregarding the roles of attacker and defender, or striking maliciously, I will use my name to get you expelled from the academy. Understood?”

“Yes!” The students replied with serious voices. After all, they were well aware that Professor Vince’s warning was no bluff—the professor was known for being strict and fair.

Vince took out the attendance sheet and pointed to the first person on the list.

“Then we will begin immediately. Number 1, Evans. Pick a person.”

***

Bang!

A fireball exploded against a shield, followed by dozens of magic missiles. The shield survived the fireball, but began to deform under the impact of the magic missiles. Elsewhere, lightning skittered across a curtain of water, and a wall of wind deflected an arrow.

The students had been nervous at first, but gradually relaxed as they began to cast naturally. The presence of Professor Vince and the pleasure of using spells like this for the first time started to draw out the students’ potential. Meanwhile, the students who weren’t sparring weren’t idle. They watched their classmates closely, discussing areas of improvement.

What a mess. The vast majority don’t know about the details of the attributes, and the magic they use is too obvious. Why are they taking ten seconds to use 2nd Circle magic? If the roles weren’t being alternated, they would have been attacked and finished already.

Theo pressed a hand against his temple as he tried not to sigh. Alfred’s memories were giving him a headache. There was no end to the problems. The eyes of the legendary magician who had spent his whole life on the battlefield saw all the flaws. Having absorbed his experiences, Theodore had the same opinion.

As time passed, the students who had yet to spar dwindled to single digits.

Professor Vince called out another name, “Number 25, Garcia Carter. Choose your sparring opponent.”

As soon as his name was called, a hush fell over the students. Garcia, the second son of the famous Carter family, rose to his feet, and the faces of the students who had yet to fight hardened. Thanks to the generous support of Garcia's family, Garcia’s magic power was close to the 4th Circle. He was also blessed with naturally high sensitivity. It was obvious that they couldn’t defeat such a person.

Don’t choose me, not me...

Pick some other guy...

Garcia looked around in a lazy, almost predatory, manner, as if he knew the students were earnestly praying to avoid him. Then he noticed Theodore Miller, who met his gaze calmly. To his mild surprise, Garcia didn’t find fear or curiosity in his eyes, just neutrality.

Garcia opened his mouth and said the name impulsively, “Theodore Miller.”

Professor Vince raised his eyebrows. “... Um?”

Theodore casually got up and moved to stand opposite Garcia, tacitly accepting the nomination. Vince hesitated for a moment before stepping back. It was ridiculous to stop them when the other person had already accepted the challenge. Above all, he knew that Theo was a student who never acted without thinking.

No, I don’t know why but...

Vince had the strange feeling that Theo would be the victor. However, that was impossible. Theo, a dunce who was only close to the 3rd Circle, was going against someone who was from a prominent family and was almost at the 4th Circle. The odds clearly favored the latter. Had his intuition grown rusty after leaving the battlefield?

“... Start as soon as you are ready.”

After that moment of hesitation, Vince stood between the two students and started the spar. Garcia Carter won the coin toss to become the first attacker. He was from a family of prestigious battle magicians, so he raised his hand without hesitation.

“Lightning Bolt!”

Blue lightning shot out of Garcia’s hand and toward Theo. Lightning was the best attribute to use in an actual fight against people. It was still at a student’s level, but Garcia had a solid understanding of battle.

Theo created a wall of magic power in response as he murmured, “Shield.”

The lightning flared as it struck the translucent barrier before losing its momentum and fading away. Lightning Bolt was a practical and brilliant spell, but its strength was limited to its speed and destructiveness. The output itself wasn’t very high and it could be blocked easily if one timed their defenses well.

This time, it was Theo’s turn to attack.

“Fire Bolt.”

A total of twelve fire arrows appeared in the air. It was the maximum number he could create at once as a 3rd Circle magician. However, Garcia’s defense was completed before Theo could direct them forward.

“Shield!”

It was much thicker and denser than a conventional shield. Garcia was confident that it could hold up against twenty-four fire arrows, let alone Theo’s twelve. He grinned fiercely at Theo, who smiled back.

“Go.”

The twelve fire arrows shot through the air. The strength and disadvantage of bolt-based magic was that it struck randomly within a certain range. It was good at dealing with a large group, but it often didn’t have enough power to penetrate a solid defensive structure. Thus, Theo added some things to the magic formula.

Pepepepeng!

More specifically, he had added a targeting function, so that all the fire arrows focused on one point.

“Keuk...! What is this?!”

Garcia was forced to take a few steps back as his shield cracked from the unexpected firepower. He stared at Theo through the crumbling shield as suspicion and surprise warred in his eyes. That wasn’t the power of a mere Fire Bolt. However, Garcia couldn’t see through the changes Theo had wrought in the magic formula.

After adding the rotation and acceleration, it’s pretty usable.

Theodore’s Fire Bolt had been elevated to a different level from the original magic formula. Theo had added functions to make the arrows spin, fly faster, and target a single spot. These three supplementary functions had created a Fire Bolt that Garcia’s Shield couldn’t block.

“Then what about this?!”

The troubled Garcia couldn’t understand why his Shield had failed to a common Fire Bolt, and a ball of fire appeared on his palm. It was the 3rd Circle attack spell, Fireball. Since Garcia’s magic power was close to the 4th Circle, it was already three or four times more powerful than ones other students could cast.

I can’t stop it head on, but a magician should also use their head.

A shield wouldn’t be able to take the full impact. For this situation, something more efficient and optimized was required. In Theo’s mind, dozens of magic formulas intertwined until he created one which met the conditions he needed.

“Shield.”

A pyramidal shield appeared around Theo in the same moment that Garcia shot his Fireball at him. A direct hit would create an explosion that would engulf a three meter area!

It was literally a collision of power and technique.

Peeeeeong!

But technique won.

“What?!”

The fireball was bisected by the edges of the pyramidal shield and lost its shape, leaving minor scorch marks along the shield’s faces. It was a perfect defense that even Vince inwardly praised. If the creator of [The Application of Defense Magic] had witnessed it, he would have enthusiastically applauded.

The roles reversed, and Theo became the attacker again. A Fireball appeared in his hand.

“Fireball.”

It was much smaller than Garcia’s Fireball, but it was comparable in power. Theo had improved the formula to compress its explosive strength. It would be difficult to block it with Shield, which was vulnerable to pinpoint attacks. It would be much more advisable to use a wall of dirt.

“S-Shield!”

A confused Garcia reflexively used Shield as the Fireball shot toward him. A giant wave of heat exploded in front of Garcia as it impacted his Shield.

Kwaang!

“Kuaaaak!”

The shockwave shattered the shield and threw Garcia’s body back a few meters. If Professor Vince hadn’t reduced the impact using magic, then he might’ve been seriously wounded. This was proof that there was a clear difference in skills.

A member of the Carter family was defeated by the dunce! The students who witnessed the sight couldn’t help but cry out in surprise.