Having stayed with the Wodanaz family for so long, I had forgotten just how much the nobles of the empire loved to show off.

These nobles valued honor more than life itself, and even if they were on the brink of bankruptcy, they would still consider it a matter of pride to indulge in luxurious meals. 'Ugh, I went through all that trouble for nothing.'

"Impressive! Two people from the Blue Dragon Tower have made it," someone exclaimed.

"Huh?" Ihan turned to look.

The princess was also raising her hand.

Not only that, but she was also glancing at Ihan.

And her gaze wasn’t exactly friendly.

Her blue eyes were filled with a cold emotion.

'What’s going on?' Ihan was lost in thought.

Being disliked by the princess, who was one of the top talents in the Blue Dragon Tower, wasn’t exactly beneficial.

And Ihan couldn’t recall doing anything wrong to her.

In fact, he had only been kind to her.

They had hunted wild boars together, discussed lectures that would benefit the students, and even planned how to help each other with assignments and exams later on. 'Why is she acting like this? Is it because I’ve been hanging out with Gainando?'

Tap tap—

"Wodanaz," Asan Dalkard whispered softly.

"It seems the princess believes some strange rumors about you, Wodanaz."

"Strange rumors?"

"Rumors that you’ve found a way to slack off without focusing on magic. Nonsense, of course."

Asan looked as angry as if it were his own issue.

After all, there was no way Ihan, from the Wodanaz family, would do such a thing.

But Ihan was shocked. 'Wait, that’s accurate? How did they find out?' It was so spot-on that it sent shivers down his spine! And strangely, Ihan didn’t feel any shame about it.

Because it was true.

However, Asan seemed extremely furious about such baseless rumors.

"I’m disappointed in the princess because of this. Of course, the person who spread these rumors is the worst, but to believe such nonsense..."

"Well, it’s possible to believe, right?"

"...?!" Asan was stunned.

Wodanaz... just how lenient are you planning to be?!

Although the students of the Blue Dragon Tower were from noble families, none of them embodied the essence of nobility as much as Wodanaz did in front of Asan.

Asan suddenly realized why his family had sent him to this school.

It was clearly to meet someone like this friend.

"You’re truly amazing, Wodanaz."

"??" Ihan was puzzled by Asan’s reaction. 'Did he eat something weird?'

"Light!"

"Shine!"

Ihan and the princess successfully cast the <Light Creation> spell.

A glowing orb of light formed at the tip of their wands, lingering like a lantern.

The princess’s <Light Creation> spell felt cool and sharp, while Ihan’s felt like a blazing sun.

Professor Garcia clapped his hands in delight.

"Well done! It’s rare for students to succeed in light magic in the first week. I’m thrilled to meet such talented individuals. Of course, there’s no need to feel anxious or disappointed. Light magic is the most basic of the first-circle spells, and it helps you understand what magic is. Being a little faster or slower won’t change your path in magic."

'That doesn’t sound very convincing,' Ihan thought.

Of course, as Professor Garcia said, the <Light Creation> spell couldn’t be used to evaluate a student’s talent.

Just like being quick at addition doesn’t mean you’ll be good at solving complex calculus problems later.

But the competitive students weren’t buying it.

They were all thinking, 'I’ll definitely master this before those from the other towers!' and were burning with determination.

Professor Garcia continued with a smile, "The reason we start with <Light Creation> is... because the magic we’ll be learning this semester is elemental magic. By learning <Light Creation>, you’ve unconsciously picked up the knack for using elemental magic."

"!" The students straightened up with excitement.

Elemental magic! It included basic elements like fire, water, earth, and wind, as well as more challenging ones like darkness and plants.

Elemental magic served as a solid foundation for learning more complex and difficult spells later on.

Want to summon a spirit? If you want to summon a fire spirit, you need to master fire elemental magic to some extent.

Otherwise, you won’t be able to control it.

Want to create artifacts? If you want to handle fire-attribute gems or infuse fire-related magic, you naturally need to learn fire elemental magic.

Traveling far or working in remote parts of the empire? Even simple elemental magic can earn you respect.

Lighting a campfire or preparing drinking water alone can make you a highly valued asset.

Thus, elemental magic, starting from the easier elements and extending to more complex applications, served as the foundational education every novice mage needed to learn.

It was like learning addition and subtraction before moving on to higher mathematics.

"Today, we’ll continue practicing <Light Creation>, but we’ll also test you on various basic elemental magics. Everyone has an element that suits them, and finding that element is crucial."

The students buzzed with excitement.

In truth, mages didn’t need to learn all types of magic.

They only needed to focus on the fields they were interested in.

Therefore, rather than mastering all elemental magics, it was better to find the element that suited you and focus on it.

This was why Professor Garcia didn’t insist on <Light Creation>.

"Now then..."

Professor Garcia tapped the classroom floor with his large staff, and candles appeared in front of each student, lighting up.

"The trick is the same as with <Light Creation>. But this time, instead of light, you’ll be creating fire. Be careful, though. Unlike light, fire can burn people."

Gulp— Some students looked nervous.

"With the incantation that flows from your heart... Burn!" A blazing fireball appeared in front of Professor Garcia.

It was a magical fire that burned without any fuel.

"Now, everyone give it a try. Don’t be too afraid. I’m here with you."

"Burn!"

"Flicker flicker..."

"Sizzle sizzle..."

"Whoosh..."

The students concentrated, trying to visualize 'fire.' Some quick-witted students realized Professor Garcia’s intent and brought their hands close to the candles or stared at the flickering flames.

Having the target nearby made it easier to focus their minds.

With the unique mental strength of a mage, they visualized the image of fire.

They chanted the incantation with a strong will to draw out their magical power and create the fire!

Ihan also focused, trying to learn fire magic.

Unlike with <Light Creation>, he planned to learn it properly without being fooled by others.

"Wait. Wait."

"Huh?" But Professor Garcia stopped Ihan.

"Ihan, don’t practice fire magic."

"???" Ihan was confused.

Now that he thought about it, there was no candle in front of Ihan.

Instead, there was a copper bowl filled with rippling water.

"Why is that?"

"It’s dangerous."

"......"

Ihan understood.

When practicing <Light Creation>, he had failed to control it several times, causing the light to explode.

At least with light, it only hurt his eyes a bit, and explosions weren’t a big deal.

But if fire exploded... 'Hmm, a lot of people would die.'

Ihan nodded in understanding.

There was no way he couldn’t understand.

"Once your control over magical power improves and your sense of the elements becomes more refined, then you can try. Until then, practice <Water Creation>. Even if you fail, it’s not as dangerous."

Water.

Like fire, it was one of the representative elements.

While it might be hard to clearly visualize metal or lightning, few people couldn’t visualize water.

It was an easy and familiar element.

And unlike fire, it wasn’t dangerous if you failed.

But... 'Water is a bit... meh.'

The downside of water elemental magic.

It wasn’t cool...

Well, that too, but more importantly, 'It’s a bit... useless.'

Attack? Fire or lightning were better.

Defense? Earth or metal were better.

If there was any advantage, it was that you could create drinking water while traveling... 'But that’s a pretty meh advantage.'

For Ihan, whose goal was to land a sweet, cushy job as an imperial mage, such survival-based usefulness was a bit too meh.

But what could he do? He couldn’t practice fire magic and risk burning everything around him.

"Spring forth!"

"Wodanaz, I’m jealous. Getting special guidance from the professor," Asan, who was practicing nearby, said enviously.

To Ihan, it just sounded like nonsense. 'Does this count as special guidance?' He just wanted to learn fire magic like everyone else.

Not some meh elemental magic...

"Spring forth!"

Splash! On the third attempt, a ball of water appeared in the air.

"!?" Not just a droplet, but a fist-sized ball of water! Both Ihan and Professor Garcia were shocked.

Even though he had succeeded in light magic and was somewhat familiar with it, succeeding in water magic on the third try was no small feat.

And it wasn’t just a droplet, but a fist-sized ball of water.

This was only possible if one had a strong affinity with the element.

'Amazing!'

"Everyone, look here! Ihan has succeeded in water elemental magic!"

"Wow...!"

"Amazing!"

"As expected of Wodanaz!"

The students of the Blue Dragon Tower looked on with joy, while those from the White Tiger Tower frowned with jealousy.

Clap clap clap— Professor Garcia applauded and said, "Ihan, you’ve done well. Everyone, take note. But don’t feel anxious. Everyone has an element that suits them. Once you find your element, you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Those who grew up near volcanoes or forges will find fire easier, those from rivers or seas will find water easier, and those from windy, barren lands will find wind easier... The more familiar you are with an element, the easier it is to visualize and control."

Listening to this, Ihan was puzzled. 'But I didn’t grow up near a river or sea?' The only memory he had related to water was getting soaked by the professor.

Was it just that his innate nature aligned well with water? It wasn’t a bad thing, but still... 'It would’ve been better if I had an affinity for something rare like lightning or ice.'

It was a strength, but a bit too meh, making him feel strange.

Suddenly, he felt a gaze and turned to see the princess quickly look away.

She had been staring at him just moments ago.

'?' As soon as he thought of something else, the ball of water in the air lost its form and splashed to the ground.

Professor Garcia nodded and said, "Ihan, your next task is to maintain and stabilize the water after creating it."

"Understood, Professor."

Now that he had grasped the trick of creating water, maintaining it with focused concentration would be easier.

Ihan answered without much thought.

But then a question popped into his mind.

"Professor, how long do I need to maintain and stabilize it?"

"Ah, until your magical power runs out... No, wait a moment."

Usually, novice mages would run out of magical power before their concentration gave out.

But this freshman in front of him was the opposite.

With his immense magical power, that wouldn’t happen.

Professor Garcia nodded and cheerfully replied, "Just maintain it until the end of the class!"

"...???" Ihan doubted his ears.

Uh... isn’t that punishment?