"No, we came to school to learn magic," Yi Han instinctively defended himself.

The look in Ah San's eyes was filled with betrayal.

"Well... we did come to learn magic," Ah San conceded.

"And think about it. Do you really think the headmaster would be persuaded just because the two of us tried to convince him?"

"That's true," Ah San agreed.

Indeed, persuading Headmaster Rich seemed like a daunting task even to Ah San.

"From what I can see, there's a 95% chance we'll fail."

"The fact that there's even a 5% chance of success is more surprising..."

Anyway, once Ah San seemed convinced, Yi Han focused on reading the paper that explained the <Low-Level Control> spell.

The key to casting magic was will, incantation, and movement.

- The following incantations are suitable for <Low-Level Control>: Move, Move, Control...

"Move. Move. Hmm. Is this it?" Yi Han chose an incantation that felt right and tried to mimic the movements.

The motion involved lightly swinging the wand clockwise, but each time, the mana gathered differently.

'Magic is really... not as easy as it seems.'

Yi Han realized once again just how difficult the study of magic was.

Even the simplest spells required intense concentration and practice.

He had to focus his will, burn with the determination to cast the spell, recite the incantation to amplify the mana, and then precisely control the gathered mana without the slightest error.

It felt like trying to ride a unicycle while spinning plates with both hands.

"Wodanaz. But Professor Kim said not to practice magic outside the classroom, didn't she?"

"But the headmaster told us to do it. The headmaster is higher up, isn't he?"

"True..."

Ah San was convinced once more.

Of course, being convinced didn't suddenly make mana appear out of nowhere.

After about four attempts, Ah San staggered and collapsed to the side.

"Ugh... Sorry, Wodanaz. I suddenly feel dizzy... Ugh."

"That can happen. Just lie down."

Regardless, Yi Han immersed himself in practicing <Low-Level Control>.

"Move, move, move, move!"

He felt the mana gathered at the tip of his wand shoot out with a 'pop.'

The target was a quill.

The quill twitched or trembled slightly when hit by the spell.

'There must be something wrong with the movement.'

Yi Han's weapon was his overwhelming amount of mana.

While others would tire after a few incantations and need to rest, Yi Han could practice without pause.

Thud—

Yi Han even brought a mirror in front of him and began casting the spell.

He wanted to see the differences in his movements with his own eyes.

'Am I swinging a bit too much here? Let's try swinging a little less.

That seems better.

Next, is it this way?'

"Wodanaz. Are you sure you're okay?"

Ah San, still lying down, groaned and asked.

Yi Han nodded.

"As expected of the Wodanaz family... Ugh. I'm so dizzy I can't think straight..."

"Move!"

In that instant, Yi Han felt his mind connect with the quill.

It was as if a third hand had stretched out and grabbed the quill.

The quill, which had only twitched or trembled before, began to float gently.

Now, all he had to do was focus on controlling it.

'Slowly, don't rush...'

Bang! A small firecracker-like sound went off, and the quill shot out like a dart.

It flew straight out the open window.

"......"

"What... what did you do?"

"... Did the quill just fly away??"

"Wow... Wodanaz!? Did you succeed in casting the spell?!"

"No, I haven't succeeded yet."

<Low-Level Control> was a first-circle telekinetic spell, designed to delicately control small, light objects.

...

Yi Han still didn't know much about magic, but what he had just done—shooting the quill like that—was definitely a failure.

'There are two obstacles I need to overcome with this spell.'

<Low-Level Control> wasn't just about successfully casting the spell by getting the movements right.

After that, you had to focus and control the object.

Yi Han had succeeded in the first part but hadn't yet mastered the second.

'But it should be fine.

Since I succeeded in the incantation, controlling it shouldn't be too hard.'

Bang! Bang! Bangbangbangbangbang!

"......"

Ah San Dalkard stared at Yi Han in shock.

The quill had flown and embedded itself in the wall beside them.

"Wo... Wodanaz..."

"... Sorry."

Yi Han regretted the confidence he had just felt.

Surprisingly, the fine control just wouldn't work.

The moment he thought about moving it even slightly, the quill would shoot off like an arrow.

It was almost like memorization!

'Could it be... could it be because of my mana?'

Yi Han recalled what Professor Garcia Kim had told him.

Because he had much, much more mana than the average person, there might be some difficulties in casting spells...

'Let me try one more time.'

Click—

"Well, have you been practicing hard today? You can be proud! I'll take care of the rest with magic."

The door opened, and Headmaster Rich appeared.

Ping!

And the quill Yi Han had shot flew straight toward Headmaster Rich's forehead.

"Wodanaz...!"

In that moment, Yi Han became a hero in Ah San Dalkard's eyes.

A freshman sniping the headmaster? That was just too cool!

Surprisingly, Headmaster Rich didn't get angry.

"You found it faster than I expected. I'll admit, you have a decent iron head."

"Ah. Does that mean we don't have to do this meaningless note-taking anymore?"

"No. If you don't learn magic, you'll keep wasting time meaninglessly."

Ah San Dalkard glared at the headmaster.

The headmaster grinned, clearly pleased.

Yi Han cautiously asked, "Respected Headmaster!"

"Where is that sweet flattery coming from? What is it?"

"May I ask for some tips on controlling the spell?"

"From what I saw earlier, it seems you succeeded in the incantation. Is the control difficult?"

"Yes."

"Many novice mages struggle with that."

"Ah, is that so?"

Yi Han felt relieved.

He had thought it was because of his excessive mana, but it turned out to be a common issue for beginners.

Haha! That's a lie!

"......"

The incantation is the hard part.

Control usually comes after one or two tries.

But someone like you, who shoots it off like an arrow, is even rarer.

What can you do? You'll just have to work hard and figure it out.

'The headmaster is the headmaster.

The headmaster is the headmaster...'

Yi Han struggled to keep his expression neutral.

Headmaster Rich seemed quite disappointed.

Ah San Dalkard, being young, was fun to poke and provoke, but this kid from the Wodanaz family had the patience of an old man.

But don't be too scared.

Magic improves the more you use it.

Go have lunch!

Thanks to being held back until lunchtime after the morning lecture, all the other freshmen had already gone to attend or look for other classes.

Ah San Dalkard, still not fully recovered, left to rest in the infirmary.

'I should get some lunch too.'

Lunch was just hard, stale black bread and cold rice balls, but Yi Han was in a slightly better position.

He had some smoked meat he'd prepared earlier.

'I should look for some vegetables or fruits outside...'

At first, he wasn't sure, but he began to think that maybe the headmaster had prepared this on purpose.

The more perceptive students were probably already out looking for food.

"... Wodanaz." "?"

Hearing his name, Yi Han turned his head.

Flowing silver hair and a cold impression that made you flinch upon meeting her gaze.

Princess Adenart stood at the end of the hallway.

"What is it?"

Instead of answering, Adenart pointed to a piece of paper she was holding.

"... Ah!"

Yi Han realized why the princess had called him.

Because of the connection they'd made during the alchemy class, he had asked the princess, who had a much wider network, for a favor.

'I asked her to find some useful lectures.'

At Einrogard, freshmen had to find and attend elective courses on their own, aside from the mandatory ones.

But for freshmen, finding such courses was like trying to pluck stars from the sky.

Since they couldn't meet with second-years, exchanging information among freshmen was essential.

The princess, with her usual stoic expression, handed him the paper.

"Thank you. ... Huh?"

As Yi Han happily took the paper and began reading, he paused.

- Popular Course List -

<Introduction to Dance and Social Etiquette>...

First of all, the fact that 'Introduction to Alchemy' was on the list was suspicious, and the names of the other courses were different from what Yi Han had expected.

And it wasn't 'easy to get grades in' but 'popular'?

"Uh, Princess?"

"?"

"What exactly does 'popular course' mean?"

"??" The princess seemed momentarily flustered, her expression slightly crumbling as she raised an eyebrow.

Yi Han felt the need to explain further.

"Princess. What I asked for was courses that are easy to get good grades in, not popular ones. In fact, unpopular courses would be easier to get good grades in."

As a prepared student, Yi Han wasn't swayed by popularity or rumors.

Popular courses -> Talented students flock there, making it hard to get good grades.

Unpopular courses -> Fewer competitors, making it easier to get good grades.

Of course, the princess didn't agree with Yi Han's unique theory.

"......"

Adenart looked at Yi Han in disbelief.

He was really looking for courses where he could coast by.

She couldn't understand why someone from the Wodanaz family would be looking for such courses.

Adenart felt disappointed without realizing it.

During the alchemy class, Yi Han had seemed like the epitome of nobility...

Swoosh—

Adenart handed him another piece of paper.

While organizing, she had jotted down a list of unpopular courses to avoid.

- Unpopular Course List -

<Introduction to Repetitive Magical Combat Training>...

'Ohh.'

Yi Han was impressed by the list.

It already reeked of unpopular courses.

First, swordsmanship.

Not many people who came to a magic school wanted to learn swordsmanship.

With magic taking up so much time, who would want to learn swordsmanship?

Physical training was similar.

With magic already taking up so much time, no one wanted to waste energy on physical exertion.

It wasn't for nothing that mages were mocked for being weak.

<Repetitive Magical Combat Training> was bound to be unpopular.

Learning magic was about understanding great truths and changing the world, not about fighting well.

If you wanted to fight, you should join a knight or swordsmanship guild.

The students here each had their own dreams and goals, but none of them had come to become the best at fighting with magic.

The most important thing was learning magic, not using it in combat.

'But who cares.'

Of course, Yi Han didn't care about such perceptions.

Swordsmanship and physical training were areas he was confident in.

He had been training steadily under Alarron even before coming to the magic school.

And repetitive magical combat training was the same.

Learning how to fight with magic couldn't hurt.

It was just another way to protect himself.

And he could easily earn credits in less competitive courses...

"Thank you, Princess."

"......"

Adenart nodded with an expressionless face.

A faint disappointment and disdain flickered in her expression, but Yi Han, focused on the courses, didn't notice.

"Then I'll see you next time!"

Yi Han turned and left.

The princess sighed softly and turned away.