(CLYDE POV)

“Thank you for helping me, Clyde. I couldn’t finish these on my own before the deadline tomorrow. The thesis is already halfway done.”

In the Royal Academy’s library.

I decided to join Bridgette’s study group after she sent me an invitation. Many students wanted to work with Bridgette but she rejected them all in order to work with me.

“It’s not a problem. Let’s both do our best this semester.”

We took out our work and laid it on the big table in the middle of the library. Nate hadn’t accepted the invitation yet so it was only the two of us. Damian clearly stated that he’d study alone. He wasn’t a mage per se since he could only conjure stuff. For that reason, he was better suited for the Conjurer special course of the Magic Tower.

Bridgette frowned when she looked at the assignment.

“Writing our own magic thesis? Our professor is a little too crazy.”

Bridgette mumbled.

“Well, she’s the Head Mage so it’s a given that her work is harder than the work of other professors. She comes up with her own teaching materials after all.”

It hadn’t even been a week since we returned to the academy but we already had to do so much. We received two assignments which were: A magic thesis and a spell recovery test.

Since today was the fourth day of the week, and days are the same as it is on earth, if I took earth’s calendar then today would be Thursday.

The days in this world aren’t named the same. Today would be 《Blossoming Spring of the Blue Moon》. It’s fairly lengthy but each of these names represented something important that had to do with history.

‘Four days but we already did so many assignments worth our total yearly mark.’

I wasn’t expecting it to be easy but still...

Bridgette got full marks on all the assignments we received before while I got between seventy and eighty percent. That wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to make Eleanor and George proud after all. They were ecstatic when I told them I would become the vice president later at the end of the year.

The ceremony for that usually happens after the Joint Academy Dungeon Raid which happens during our last term.

That is the time when the final year students also enter an apprenticeship to the program of their choice. Arielle would’ve joined the Knight Corps if she graduated. Since she left the academy to pave her own path, that option was no longer available.

I wasn’t sure what Artoria would do, though. Will she become the ninth seat of the White Order after all?

‘Man, now I feel bad for ignoring her for this long.’

They were still keeping her under custody at the Sky Fortress. It was unknown when she’d be able to leave. I wanted to see her and apologize.

‘What should my answer be to her confession...’

We were lovers in her previous lives. It seemed she had hope that I’d accept her again.

“Something on your mind?”

Bridgette’s voice shook me out of my daze.

I shook my head.

“Just sorting out my thoughts. Anyways, where do we begin?”

“Ah, right. I wanted your help on this Magic Law. Since we managed to get everything else out of the way, we can focus on the thesis for now.”

She pointed at a page in the textbook.

“Shouldn’t be too hard if we put our heads together.”

“Alright. Then first–“

◇◇◇

(Bridgette POV)

The time passed by as the two of us sat in the middle of the library engaged in our work. Since we were students busy with important work, the librarian didn’t mind giving us time to work in peace.

‘I heard that he was smart but I didn’t expect him to be this smart.’

I thought to myself while the two of us were immersed in our work. He was able to accurately answer all the questions Professor Viria gave us. There were even some trick questions meant for final year students that he was able to answer, although he didn’t get all of them correct. The fact that he was able to answer a few was amazing enough as it is.

After the two of us were finished with our writing work, we moved on to the practical work. That involved testing ancient magic spells in groups. Our professors gave us the instructions in perfecting the spells.

Since ancient magic comes from the era of the United Empire, it had many mysteries undiscovered. Professor Viria wanted all of us to fix one ancient magic spell on our own for this assignment.

Although I came from a magician family in Magic Empire hailed as the nation of magic, even I found the work hard. Why did Viria give us such difficult work? I was sure that the other third year classes didn’t go through the same things we did.

“Are you ready? I’m going to chant it.”

Clyde spoke to me as he held his hands above the scroll. He would use his mana to fuel the spell’s manifestation while I use my own mana to fire the spell.

We had to divide the work like that between the two of us. After not sleeping for two nights we were finally able to perfect the ancient spell.

“-----”

Clyde chanted the magic in ancient tongue while reading it from the instruction manual.

Purple lights flickered above the scroll.

“It’s working!?”

A few seconds later it manifested.

A purple flame was above my hands. It was far stronger than normal fireballs. I could tell from the intense heat being emitted.

We came to the academy’s training grounds after we started our practical assignment. There wasn’t a worry of damaging academy property since advanced class defensive magic protected the training room.

“I’m firing it now. Brace yourself.”

The purple flame burned more intensely as I aimed it at the target.

‘He does indeed have a lot of mana...’

He had to constantly supply mana from my side as I aimed the spell. I could only see a few droplets of sweat forming on his forehead. Ancient magic spells were known for their large mana usage so there always had to be five or more people if they wanted to cast a spell.

But Clyde and I were enough given the fact that we had the most mana in the academy.

The spell was finally complete.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

“[Blaze]!”

WHOOSH...!

The spell shot out. Due to the power behind its burst, I was thrown onto the ground.

The fireball lit up the darkened academy grounds as it flew.

BOOM...!

The target was absolutely destroyed when the spell hit it. Since there were mana crystals floating nearby, the excess mana began repairing the destroyed ground.

“We did it.”

I fell down on the ground out of breath. I unbuttoned my robe uniform to let some air in.

“Phew. Viria said that she’d give those who score the highest something special, right?”

“Yeah. I wonder what it could be?”

She announced this in the note that came with the assignment. The students in the top ten were apparently in for a treat.

That was why I sought Clyde’s help to pass this assignment. I couldn’t contain my excitement and hugged him.

“Thank you so much!”

Without him I wouldn’t have been able pass like this. This was my first step to taking Viria’s title.

“Y-Yeah. Anyway, it’s getting late.” He looked at the darkening sky. “I should head back. My roommates might annoy me to no end if I don’t go back by dinner time.”

“Ah, right. Thank you for today once again. I’ll take you out for cake sometime. A new shop opened up near the shopping district.”

The two of us walked the path towards the dorm houses. There were multiple on each of our sides.

“Do you have any intention of becoming the Head Mage?”

“Hm? That’s a strange question to ask so out of the blue.”

“I know but... I’m curious.”

‘If he wants to become the Head Mage then is he my rival?’

The only reason I came to the Kingdom of Colchis was because I wanted to get into contact with the Head Mage. I wanted to learn from her and improve my magic. Once I graduate I’ll do whatever it takes to take the title of Head Mage from Viria.

Clyde laughed as if finding my question funny.

“W-What?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. No. I don’t have any intention whatsoever of becoming the Mage Association’s lap dog. Do you want to become the Head Mage?”

I nodded.

“Well, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m still unsure of what I’ll do in the future besides becoming the head of the Bentinck family. Maybe I’ll live a slow life and do adventuring in my free time?”

“It sounds like you’re just lazy to do anything serious.”

“Hahaha. You got me. I’m not interested in anything at the moment, though.”

We arrived under a lamp pole. The entire academy was silent since it was already night. We walked past a few students who were doing their own things but all in all it was a quiet night.

“Be confident when you hand in our work. I’m sure we’ll succeed.”

He said with a bright smile.

“Yeah. Um... Same time, same place next week?”

“I’m going dungeon raiding this weekend so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it at the start of the week. I might be too exhausted to even come to class.”

“Ah, you’re racking up experience in dungeon raiding?”

“That’s right. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow in class .” He shouted one last line before disappearing into the darkness. “Don’t lose our work!”

I clutched the assignments in my arms before going back to my dorm room.

When I got there, a young woman with dark blue hair in a maid uniform greeted me.

Rebecca, my personal maid. She travelled with me to the kingdom back when I first enrolled.

“How was your studying session with your classmate?”

She took off my robe and asked.

“I was able to find out a lot of things about Clyde Astley. The intel we received about the students were a little off.”

‘He was far more capable than what the documents stated.’

Before I enrolled to the academy, I had one of my agents get intel from the Magic Tower. This was so that I could find any talented individuals and form relationships with them. They would be important for my future after all.

The future where I become the Head Mage.

As they say, the future leaders were born right at the Graponia Royal Academy.

“What are your plans, young lady?”

Rebecca casually asked.

“Hmm... I’ll need to get closer to this Clyde Astley. He showed no interest in becoming affiliated with the Magic Association. I heard he already had a wife but could seduction still work?”

I had to make him a part of my plans. His skills will become necessary.

Rebecca silently looked at me as she put down my plate.

“I need to look after my appearance better. I heard that Clyde is quite the prince charming. A lot of academy girls flirt with him because of his feminine features. Maybe he’s interested in having multiple wives?”

“You are truly vicious, young lady.”

“I have to do this to get closer to him. Something tells me that he is hiding far more than what he shows on the surface. By the way, how is the development of our plan coming along?”

“...The workers are being put under too much pressure so some of them collapsed. We were able to produce less than a hundred scrolls.”

“Tch. Bring in new ones then. You know our future relies on this.”

I stole formulas from the Magic Tower in our empire and decided to mass produce the spells in this kingdom and spread it throughout the continent. The Magic Empire had many spells that weren’t known to the rest of the world. There were some truly spectacular spells among the ones I stole using my family’s influence.

All the workers had to do was draw the magic circles. It was as simple as that.

If I succeed then my reputation will drastically rise.

“Young lady, this...”

Rebecca sighed as she looked at me.

“I will head to the slums tomorrow to find new people.”

“Good.”

I began eating my dinner.

I had to get in contact with this Erica girl as well so I had to write a letter to her.

This Erica girl who scored full marks in one of the hardest exams in history was much more mysterious than Clyde Astley. I was sure that she’d be an even harder opponent.

I could already see myself wearing the robe designed specially for the Head Mage.

‘One day, Bridgette. One day...’