The Academy Regressor is Obsessed

As soon as morning came, Asel and Ena started their education in the library. Ena took out only the necessary books from the hundreds on the shelves and placed them in front of Asel.

“These are the characters used in magic formulas. Memorize them.”
“Understood.”

The books Ena handed over totaled 10 volumes. It was too much to go through in a short time. But Asel took all the books without any sign of dislike and settled in a corner of the library. Ena stayed by his side, waiting for him to finish reading all the books.

Time passed like this. As a result of focusing solely on reading except for sleeping and meal times, Asel was able to finish all 10 books in a week.

Just reading everything wasn’t the point, the goal was to memorize all the characters, but this wasn’t a big problem for Asel.

“What does this character mean?”
“Expansion. It’s used to increase or amplify the range of magic.”
“And this one?”
“Delay. It’s a character used to determine when magic will activate depending on how much magical power is injected. It’s effective for magic used with a time difference.”
“Then this one?”
“Autonomy. It’s included in the magic formula for magic that operates by thinking and judging on its own.”

Answers come out without hesitation to Ena’s questions. After confirming that Asel had definitely memorized all the characters in the books, Ena moved on to the next stage.

“I’ll teach you about the basic knowledge of magic.”

The second period was lecture time. Asel sat in a chair, watching Ena start to explain while standing on a podium, and recalled memories from his past life.

It seems professors gave lectures like this in a place called ‘university’. It wasn’t a bad feeling. Asel focused on Ena’s lecture.

The lectures on the basics of magic were mostly knowledge-based. There weren’t many opportunities to actually use magic. At most, there were occasional cases of using it without nature change, and the rest was just sitting down, taking notes, and listening.

“Magic is a miracle that manifests through magical power. There are quite a lot of branches, and those called great masters even develop new original magic. The great master of lightning magic was an archmage named Cromwell, but he’s gone now. He died a thousand years ago.”
“……”
“Just because you’ve learned the same magic doesn’t mean you can project the same power. Depending on the mage’s capabilities, lower-level magic can sometimes have the power of high-level magic.”
“Can you do that too, Master?”
“If I concentrate.”

The lectures continued for about 4 months. During that period, Asel was able to accumulate a great deal of knowledge, starting from the history related to magic, methods of reading magic formulas, how to arrange characters, how to create magic formulas, how to assign characteristics to magic, and so on.

It was quite a meaningful achievement. Asel smiled with satisfaction as he confirmed that the efficiency and power of fire magic, which was now familiar to the point of being intimate, had dramatically increased through Ena’s lectures.

Meanwhile, time continued to flow.

By the time Ena’s lectures ended, the season was already looking towards summer. From then on, Asel began to learn lightning magic in earnest from Ena.

There were five magic books related to lightning magic in Ena’s library. It was a very small amount considering that magic books of other branches exceed hundreds easily, but most classified as unusual magic were in a similar situation. To begin with, since there were few users, it was natural that there was little organized content.

Moreover, lightning magic was a magic that no one except its creator Cromwell and Ena had been able to learn. Thinking of it that way, even five books seemed quite a lot.

“Have you finished reading the introductory book?”
“Yes. I’ve read it all the way through.”

Asel answered to Ena’s question.

Currently, the two were standing in an open space behind the mansion. They had moved locations because it was too dangerous to conduct magic guidance in the library where they had always continued their education. Here, compared to the narrow library, it was easier to cope and not bad for firing magic indiscriminately.

“What’s the most basic magic of lightning formulas?”
“Lightning Release. It’s magic that changes magical power into lightning nature and fires it.”
“Try using it.”

Asel nodded, facing Ena with a serious expression.

He had read the books on lightning formulas dozens of times. The same was true for the rest, excluding the introductory book. The contents of the books he had read numerous times while going in and out of the library still remained in his head.

As he raised his hand, he recalled the characteristics of lightning magic.

The activation speed is slower than light-based magic that handles light, but the power is double. Although classified as a branch of destruction magic, unlike other destruction magic, lightning magic has no recoil thanks to the specialness of its circuit. However, not only the power but also the speed, calculation, and delicacy of handling the power of lightning all depend solely on the mage’s capabilities without the aid of formulas, so ordinary people can’t even touch it.

This was Asel’s first time using it directly too. Although he knew the knowledge through books, he had refrained from using it following Ena’s advice. Therefore, changing magical power into lightning, assembling the formula, and calculating the amount of magical power were all firsts for him.

But…

‘This is strange.’

Asel thought with a comfortable expression as he moved his magical power.

Woong.

The magical power in the core moves instantly. The magical power that has increased through using magic slowly changes its nature in response to his will. Accordingly, a circuit with good compatibility with lightning magic is formed.

It was a circuit instinctively pieced together. A type of magical power circuit that can be flexibly designed to fit each branch of magic. Through this innate talent, Asel could assemble any desired form of circuit.

The same was true for lightning magic. He felt that the lightning magic circuit he had currently assembled was more familiar than the circuit he had assembled for fire magic so far. Perhaps he had even better aptitude for this side. No, that would definitely be the case.

“If you judge it to be dangerous, cut it off. I’ll block the recoil.”

Ena’s words. Asel nodded, still with an unperturbed expression.

He assembles the circuit and changes the nature of the magical power. The work done together without paying attention to order simultaneously produces results.

Crack.

The sound of lightning striking resounded in his mind.

A smile naturally bloomed on his lips.

He manifested magic without any incantation, just by recalling the formula.

[Lightning Release]

Crackle!

Dark blue lightning is fired at high speed from Asel’s hand. The lightning, advancing without any interference, struck a tree and disappeared with a huge thunder sound. Ena glanced at the tree that had started to tilt with its center punctured, then smiled back at Asel who was smiling at her.

It was the birth of the third lightning mage in history.

Time flowed like running water. Seasons passed to the point where it was impossible to know how many times they had repeated, and Asel finally welcomed his first day as an adult.

Just like Evelyn’s coming-of-age celebration party last year, this year a party was held to celebrate Asel’s coming of age. However, while only the mansion’s personnel attended the party last year, this year some magicians from the Witch Association joined the party. They were all people who had connections with Ena or had formed new relationships with Asel.

After receiving most of his education from Ena, Asel often went to the Witch Association’s library alone to immerse himself in books or attend magic exchange meetings, and in the process, he was able to build quite a few relationships.

In a way, it was natural. Asel, who had grown up without any reverse growth, maintaining his appearance from when he was young, had long since become a celebrity in the Witch Association where women make up the majority of the population. Moreover, unlike his master who was famous for her bad temper, he was easy to talk to, and was receiving the love of similar young magicians with his whole body.

There were even those who tried to seduce him physically to gain his interest or favor. Of course, they were somewhat restrained by their masters, but still, there were many who struggled to receive Asel’s attention.

It was the same at this party.

“It’s been a while, Asel! Have you been well?”
“Ah, Hera. I’ve been fine. You look even prettier when you dress up.”
“Ugh… Ahem. Thank you. This is a coming-of-age gift. Will you accept it?”
“…Is it a letter?”
“Yes! I put money in it too! So, Asel! Won’t you spend your life doing magic research with me?!”

A confession befitting a magician from Hera. Asel returned the letter to her with a bitter smile and gently expressed his refusal.

“I’m sorry. I’m not ready to be with someone yet. I’ll accept your feelings.”
“Ah……”

At this clear expression of will, Hera stood still as if her soul had left her body, then turned around with tears in her eyes. Asel scratched the back of his head as he watched her fluttering hair. At that moment, Irina, with her pipe in her mouth, chuckled and draped her arm over Asel’s shoulder.

“You’re popular, aren’t you? How many girls have you made cry so far?”
“…I don’t know.”
“How many are there that you don’t even know?”
“Come on, why are you asking such things? It’s uncomfortable.”
“It’s fun.”

Irina laughed, blowing smoke infused with magical power into Asel’s face. Asel raised a flame to devour all the smoke, then gently slipped out of Irina’s arms.

“They’re all still young. It’s just that I’m the only man they often meet, so they make mistakes confusing interest with affection.”
“You sound like you’ve lived decades longer. You’re about the same age as them, you know.”

Irina let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded, then pulled a glass of wine placed on the table with her smoke and took a sip. Asel also drank wine following her, and when his eyes met Evelyn who was busily moving around the tables, he smiled and waved at her. Evelyn also smiled brightly and waved back.

Irina said, watching this scene:

“The siblings get along well.”
“We’ve lived relying on each other since we were young. We can’t help but get along. More importantly, Irina. Didn’t you have a meeting today? Why are you here?”

Asel asked this as he put down the wine he was holding on the table.

Coincidentally, this year there was a meeting led by the Federation on this day. There wasn’t one last year, but due to the suddenly held meeting this year, even Ena left for the meeting venue after just leaving words of congratulations. Yet Irina, who belongs to the same Federation, was sitting at the party drinking wine instead of attending the meeting.

When he first saw her, she was full of intimidation and mystery, but after getting to know her somewhat, the impression was completely opposite to the first. To the point where he wondered if she was the same person. Perhaps that’s why Asel thought that Irina might have been expelled from the Federation and couldn’t attend the meeting.

“Ah, that.”

But the answer that came out was different from what he thought.

“It’s not a meeting I particularly need to attend. If I just vote briefly or give an opinion, I don’t have to go to the meeting venue.”
“But Master went…”
“Ena has to attend. The topic of this meeting is related to Ena.”
“What could it be?”
“It’s confidential.”

Irina smiled slightly and tapped Asel’s head with the end of her pipe.

“If you’re curious, get a high position in the Federation.”
“…Is this what an archmage is like?”
“Amazing, right? I know.”

Irina chuckled as she inhaled the smoke, then suddenly remembered something and turned to Asel with an “Ah” sound.

“I think I can tell you this.”
“…?”
“Congratulations on your admission to the Academy.”
“?”

Asel’s face crumpled at the words delivered with a smile.

“According to the contract between the Federation and Luminous Academy, we need to enroll one outstanding magician who has just come of age in the Academy. The candidates are Asel, Ena’s disciple, and Carl, Quirm’s disciple. These two. The result of the preliminary vote is 25 votes for Asel and 3 votes for Carl.”
“……”
“Even if all the votes of those gathered here go to Carl, it’s not enough for Asel. I will confirm Asel’s admission to the Academy.”

Bang bang bang.

The elderly magician sitting at the end of the round table finished speaking and struck the table with a magical hammer. At the same time, thunderous applause filled the room, followed by Ena standing up from her seat and bringing real thunder.

[Thunder Bow]

BOOM!!!!

In an instant, the wall of the conference room was shattered. Ena looked down at the silent people with ominous eyes and muttered softly.

“No. I don’t want to.”

He’s my disciple.

Ena’s expression as she murmured this was distorted with anger.