Wizard: The Emperor of Magic.

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Chapter 17

Ava Heart hadn't attended a single lecture all week.

Ever since the academy's professor was injured—during that battle—their classes had been taken over by a newly appointed assistant professor named Mike.

He was a sharp-featured man with dark under-eyes, always tapping his pen against the desk as he spoke.

His tone was dry, strictly theoretical, and he often repeated that "When the professor recovers, the practical lessons will begin."

A week had passed since the battle, and still, Ava's mind hadn't settled.

She stood up from her bed, the early morning sun barely warming the walls of her small house.

Her thoughts heavy and tangled, she washed her face and pulled her hair back with the red ribbon she always wore.

Then, slipping on her uniform cloak, she left the house, walking alone through the misty streets toward the academy.

That morning, the students had all been instructed to gather on the training grounds for an announcement.

Ava stood among the crowd now, arms folded, her back straight but her eyes avoiding everyone. Her mind drifted again, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular.

'Seems like today is for practical spellcasting… so that guy must be fully healed,' she thought, her brow furrowing slightly. 'But that doesn't make sense. A top-tier healer should've been able to restore him in two days or less, even with internal damage. So why did it take a full week? Unless… he was hurt somewhere healing magic can't reach. That spell he used—there's no way a Tier 3 Archmage could cast that without consequences…'

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice someone walking up beside her until a voice broke through.

"What are you thinking about?" a girl asked playfully.

"Professor Lucas," Ava replied automatically, her tone distant as her thoughts clung to the mystery.

She blinked and turned her head, eyes meeting the gaze of a girl with striking crimson red hair.

Her irises gleamed like fire, and despite her youthful face, there was a matured beauty in her features—her body curvaceous and her presence bold, almost unnaturally charming.

She had the air of someone who always stood out, someone who knew she was being looked at.

Solana.

Ava knew her name, of course.

Solana grinned, her lips curving mischievously. "You and the professor have a thing, right?"

"What?" Ava's expression twisted in confusion—and a touch of disgust.

Her eyebrows knitted together.

"You know…" Solana leaned in, her voice soft and teasing.

"Even when he's lecturing, you're always trying to get his attention. And he's… well, he's weirdly nice to you. To everyone else, he's rude as hell. He talks like nobles and commoners are both beneath him. But you? You're like his favorite student or something."

Ava's body stiffened.

Her lips tightened.

Solana didn't let up. She giggled, her voice lilting with amusement. "Or maybe you're his hidden girlfriend or something?"

"Don't ever say that, Solana," Ava snapped, her voice sharp and cold.

Her arms dropped to her sides. "It's just… we share a past. One that involves someone we both knew."

But even as she spoke the words aloud, her thoughts whispered deeper doubts.

'She's not entirely wrong,' Ava admitted silently.

'Except for the first day—when he was harsh with me—he's always been kinder afterward. More… gentle, like he's holding back judgment. He still looks down on me, but… just slightly less than the others. Is it because he feels guilty about what he did to my father?'

That thought lingered, heavy in her chest.

But the truth was more complicated.

Lucas did feel guilty—but not for what happened to her father.

He hadn't even known her father was that man until days later, when he returned from his brother's dinner party.

No, the guilt was for something else entirely.

It was for the way he dismissed her—so casually—when she once asked him a question.

"Why do some people have more talent than others?"

A question so simple, and yet it struck something inside him.

It clung to his mind, echoed in his thoughts even as he tried to sleep.

It had made him restless, obsessed, driving him to experiment, to search for answers.

And in doing so, he had realized how foolish he was to ignore her.

Now, that guilt sat quietly in his heart.

Ava didn't know any of this.

She only stared down, jaw tight, as Solana smirked beside her.

Solana's eyes narrowed playfully, clearly unconvinced.

Her expression screamed, 'You're lying, girl.'

Before Ava could reply, another voice chimed in—bright and amused.

"Ohhh, did I hear something about a past?"

A boy approached with a wide grin on his face.

His blue hair caught the light like water under the sun, and his lean figure swayed with every step.

His blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and his ears—slightly pointed and twitching like a fox's—betrayed his excitement.

Ben.

He looked between the two girls with a grin that only grew wider.

"Get away, Ben," said the two girls in unison.

Ben only grinned wider, as if he'd expected that response.

Without any signs of offense, he shrugged and casually walked away, heading toward another group already chatting among themselves.

"What's wrong with him?" Ava asked, shaking her head as she watched his figure retreat.

"I don't know," Solana replied with a smirk.

"But with the way he loves gossip, I doubt he'll ever get a girl."

"Yeah," Ava added, her expression softening slightly. "He always looks like a sad guy whenever I see him… like someone trying too hard to be happy."

That made both girls chuckle under their breaths.

For a moment, the tension melted, and the morning didn't seem as heavy.

But then Solana's eyes sparkled again with curiosity, and she leaned closer. "But anyway… what's this past you have with the professor?"

Ava froze.

Her eyes drifted to the side, her lips parting slightly but no words coming out.

There was a long pause before she finally spoke, voice low.

"Maybe… another time."

Solana pouted, crossing her arms. "That's unfair! You can't just tease a mystery like that and then shut it down."

"I'm serious," Ava said, trying to maintain a neutral tone. "It's complicated."

Solana opened her mouth to push further, but she was interrupted by a loud clap that echoed across the training grounds like a thundercrack.

Everyone turned toward the source of the sound.

Standing at the edge of the field were two figures.

One was Assistant Professor Mike, his posture stiff and unreadable.

Beside him stood someone who needed no introduction.

Professor Lucas.

He wore the same blue coat, fastened only at the collar and flowing loosely behind him in the breeze.

His black gloves gleamed faintly, and his eyes—those cold, sharp eyes—scanned the crowd with silent judgment.

He didn't need to speak to convey his authority.

The weight of his gaze alone told every student present one simple message:

"You are all beneath me."

Yet no one dared to resent it.

If anything, their respect for him had only grown.

After all, word had spread—of how he stood alone against overwhelming odds, and still emerged victorious.

That battle had become legend among the students, and now, just seeing him in person again made their spines straighten.

"Hello, students," Lucas said. His voice was low, almost soft, but it reached every single person as if he had whispered directly into their ear.

"Nice seeing you all again."

"Welcome back, Professor!" the class responded in chorus.

Lucas gave a curt nod. "My assistant, Professor Mike, should have taught you all the theory of mana control, elemental control, and spell casting during my absence."

His eyes swept across the field.

There was something otherworldly about them—like you could see mana itself swirling in their depths, liquid and alive.

No one dared to break eye contact once caught in it.

"Yes, Professor," they all answered.

"Good," he said. "Then today, we'll be applying all of it. Listen carefully, and move carefully. Everything you learn today will be essential for tomorrow's practical test. If you fail to understand to today… you will fail tomorrow."

A few students stiffened at the weight of those words.

Lucas then gestured forward and added, "With that said, I want everyone to form pairs. We'll begin with the fundamentals."

Immediately, the field buzzed with movement as students scrambled to partner up. Ava turned to Solana, who gave her a bright smile.

"Guess we're stuck together," Solana said with a wink.

"Works for me," Ava replied with a small nod.

As the class settled into pairs, Lucas stepped forward once more, his voice calm and controlled.

"We are starting with mana control," he said. "There are many stages, but today we focus on the first."

The students listened in silence.

"The First Stage is Containment—learning to stop your mana from leaking. Leaking mana weakens your spells and wastes your energy. By containing it, you enhance your casting efficiency and preserve power."

He looked across the field, pausing as his eyes met Ava's for the briefest moment before shifting away.

"So," Lucas continued, "I want everyone to sit down. Close your eyes. Focus inward. Begin sensing your own mana core."

As murmurs faded into silence, students began lowering themselves onto the grass, legs crossed and backs straight.

Lucas clasped his hands behind his back. "I'll come to each of you one by one… and tell you what to do next."