Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

"If we start a fire..."

The students of the White Tiger murmured among themselves. It seemed they were seriously considering Gainando's words.

"Forget it, you idiots. If the library could be closed down because a first-year started a fire, it would have been wrecked long ago," Jijel said bluntly. The White Tiger students visibly expressed their disappointment.

Yet, Gainando did not give up.

"What if we make the fire bigger? Wouldn't it work if Yi-Han did it?"

"Hey, Gainando. Do you think Wardanaz is a dragon or something?"

"Students, we really shouldn't start a fire in the library," Professor Garcia interjected, clearly flustered by the students' reckless conversation.

The students nodded in agreement.

"Of course, Professor."

"It's not like we're going to start a fire."

"You really mustn't do it. You might end up in the punishment room even during the holidays."

"..."

"We really won't start a fire, honestly."

The fear of being confined in the punishment room during the holidays was a more effective threat than any other, deterring even the most radical student from considering starting a fire.

'This is serious,' Yi-Han thought to himself, lost in contemplation.

Surprisingly, the professors had been considerate in limiting the use of library books until now, but it seemed that would change. The problem wasn't just that the classes would get harder and the study material would increase.

At Einroguard, merely entering the library and retrieving a book was a challenge. Even finding a book near the entrance was a time-consuming task, let alone the ones deeper inside.

'Can't we just go outside and buy them?'

While some rare magic books were exclusive to the magic academy's library, some could surely be bought outside. If only they would open the main gate!

"Professor, please come in."

Professor Garcia, thinking to hasten today's class before the students despaired further, called another professor inside.

'A spirit mixed-blood?'

Yi-Han's eyes sparkled as he sensed an aura similar to that of spirits in the incoming professor. It wasn't surprising to find mixed-blood of spirits, angels, or demons among the students, so a professor with mixed-blood was no exception.

'It doesn't seem like a spirit, though.'

"Professor Parsellet Krair, a master of divination magic."

"!"

Divination magic.

It was one of the most intricate and difficult fields of magic.

While Yi-Han had heard a lot about other magics during his stay at his family's mansion, his knowledge of divination magic was limited to fragmented and brief snippets.

-A divination mage was called to solve the theft of the Ruby Necklace in the Jojeon family. Using coins for divination, they speculated the location of the necklace…-

-Have you heard that those finicky merchants took their pouches of gold coins and knelt before the mage? All that, just for a single divination.-

-They say an exceptional divination mage knows what he will eat for lunch the moment he wakes up in the morning.-

-The talent required for divination magic is entirely different from that needed for other magic. Only a brilliant intuition serves as a beacon.-

Although he had not fully grasped the nature of the magic, Yi-Han was deeply intrigued by divination magic.

'Exceptional divination mages are quite popular, aren't they?'

Mages who could alter reality to their will were feared and revered in the empire, but among them, exceptional divination mages received an extraordinary level of respect.

Everyone fears an uncertain future.

Who could fail to respect someone who could foresee the future?

Yi-Han harbored no desire to master the future, yet he longed to be able to say, "I am a divination mage," instead of admitting to being a dark mage, which would undoubtedly earn him more esteem.

-I am a divination mage.-

-Oh! A great mage has come to our village! Can you, perhaps, foresee my child's future?-

-I am a dark mage.-

-...Hey, the cemetery gates are locked, right?-

"Professor Krair?"

Upon being called by Professor Garcia, Professor Krair, lost in thought, nodded her head.

"...Professor, I asked you to visit us today with a sincere demeanor."

"That's right. But the future is unpredictable, isn't it?"

"Professor, I did ask you."

There was a forcefulness in Professor Garcia's voice. Professor Krair's eyes sparkled, and suddenly, her expression changed.

"Ah, yes. Divination magic. I was scheduled to lecture on that."

'...Multiple personalities?!'

Yi-Han was taken aback by the sincere guise of Professor Krair, as if she had transformed into a different person.

'Well, it's not that unusual.'

Professors often had multiple personality traits, to varying degrees. It was just that Professor Krair's were particularly pronounced.

"Please take care of me. I'm Parsellet Krair, a banshee mixed-blood, and I specialize in divination magic."

"We look forward to your guidance, Professor!"

The students chorused their greetings.

Professor Krair, annoyed by her long, obstructive hair, shook her head to clear it away.

"Does anyone know about Jundaer Dolphram?"

Asan, sitting next to Yi-Han, raised his hand and exclaimed, "A great mage who laid the foundations for divination magic of the empire!"

"Smart. Do you know Jundaer Dolphram committed suicide in the year 131 of the imperial calendar?"

"Uh... No?"

"Remember that. I wonder if anyone knows about Keltan Inan, a disciple of Jundaer Dolphram?"

Yi-Han recognized the name. Several students, including the princess and even Gainando, raised their hands. Yi-Han was surprised.

"You know about Keltan Inan?"

"Yi-Han, he's a key card in my deck."

"Ah, sorry. I didn't know because the game always ends before he comes out."

Gainando, panting and teary-eyed, glared at Yi-Han, who apologized at the genuine look of frustration.

"It's not that you can't... It's just a game of chance."

"Right? Right? It has nothing to do with skill, does it?"

"Maybe. Divination magic might help."

As they spoke, another student answered in their place. Professor Krair nodded.

"Well done. But did you know Keltan Inan committed suicide in the year 241 of the imperial calendar?"

"...No?? Wasn't he... missing?"

"Missing? Think of it this way. If a divination mage's records mention disappearance, missing, or lost contact, assume suicide. Now, as I just said... Jundaer Dolphram, the great mage who laid the foundations for the divination magic of the empire, committed suicide in the year 131. His disciple, Keltan Inan, followed in the year 241. Now it's your turn to learn divination magic." [1]

"..."

"..."

'This feels colder than last week.'

Yi-Han couldn't help but admire the professor's ability to chill the academy more effectively than the King of Frost Giants with just a few words.

Despite the warning, Professor Krair's lecture was neither particularly dangerous nor difficult.

In fact, compared to the classes of other professors, this one was somewhat easier.

Instead of engaging in action or dodging incoming attacks, all they had to do was listen to the explanation.

"Actually, divination is a skill that even non-mages can perform to some extent. A student who comes to the classroom without eating anything in the morning knows they will be hungry by the end of the lecture. And a professor who, despite Professor Garcia's request, comes to the classroom with a lazy demeanor knows what will happen to them after the lecture."

"Professor Krair, the students might misunderstand."

Warned by Professor Garcia, Professor Krair spoke more cautiously.

"Divination involves using information from the past to make judgments about the future. What makes a mage's divination special is the ability to draw upon and consider information that ordinary people might miss, even information the mage themselves might not be aware of."

According to the professor, divination magic was broadly divided into foreseeing the near future and the distant future.

Predicting the near future, that is, a few seconds ahead, was quite intuitive, accurate, and relatively easy.

However, divining the distant future, several hours or more ahead, was a difficult magic, fraught with uncertainty and immense strain for the mage.

"You there. What did you feel from this?"

Asan was taken aback when asked.

"Um... Divination magic is profound and endless, requiring endless dedication?"

"No. If you don't want to go mad, stick to foreseeing the near future. Especially if someone else asks you to do it. Keep trying to foresee the distant future, and you'll end up like Jundaer Dolphram, Keltan Inan, or Pheljun Zega."

"Professor, I've never heard of a mage named Pheljun Zega..."

"He's dead, so you wouldn't have. So today, we'll try to foresee the distant future."

"???"

Yi-Han was puzzled.

The other students seemed to share his confusion, tilting their heads.

Telling them not to predict the distant future?

Professor Krair was stern.

"If I don't tell you not to do it, you're not a mage. It's better to collapse right here in front of me while trying to foresee your final exam secretly, than to vomit blood and collapse alone."

"..."

"Indeed."

"What do you mean 'indeed'?!"

Asan was aghast when Yi-Han nodded as if he understood.

What was this...!

'Isn't that kind of considerate?'

A magic circle appeared before the students, with a disorderly arrangement of variously colored stones.

According to Professor Krair, the more skilled a diviner becomes, the more they find a divination method that suits them.

Of course, the freshmen, lacking such knowledge, chose stone divination, the easiest method.

"Hold the stone, chant the spell, and then gently throw it. The goal is to see what you will be doing in a day."

"Shouldn't we be able to know what will happen in a day?"

Gainando whispered. Professor Krair spoke impassively.

"They say a skilled divination mage knows what they will eat for lunch when they wake up in the morning. A day ahead is a distant future. Stop the nonsense and... throw!"

Kruruk-

The sound of stones being thrown and spells being cast echoed around.

"Stones of various colors, show me myself tomorrow."

"Red, blue, green stones. Show me myself tomorrow..."

The students who cast the spells first stared blankly at the scattered stones and then tilted their heads.

"Is it over?"

"If no image comes to mind, it's a failure. You need to visualize something."

"Can we try again?"

"Of course."

Professor Krair smiled faintly.

At that moment, a student who had just spoken rolled to the ground.

Thud!

"Cough...!"

"Seeing the future comes with a price. Losing just some mana is getting off cheap."

"But, I didn't see anything?"

"That's right. You didn't see anything, so that's all it was. If you had seen something, you wouldn't even be able to groan."

"..."

The students who were about to swing their staffs began to hesitate, fear apparently setting in.

As enticing as divination magic might be, at this point, it seemed more akin to a suicidal spell.

"Did well, didn't I? Professor Garcia?"

"You could have been a bit more delicate, but... you did give a proper warning. Well done."

"One needs to be this harsh to make the students seriously cautious. Divination magic is naturally prone to inducing vomiting blood if learned alone... Wait! What are you doing?!"

Professor Krair sharply called out to Yi-Han.

He was attempting divination a second time, despite having already tried once and after seeing another student collapse.

Such behavior indicated either a bold student or one intoxicated with their own talent and veering into arrogance.

Yi-Han hesitated before responding.

"I thought this much would be... alright."

"Alright? The mages who ended up dead thought it was alright too. Professor Garcia, a potion!"

"It should be fine to this extent..."

"?!?"

Professor Krair was aghast to see the usually kind Professor Garcia showing indifference to a matter directly linked to a student's life.

It was undoubtedly a sign of impending world doom.

[1] This was similar to the quotes of David L. Goodman: "Ludwig Boltzmann, who spent much of his life studying statistical mechanics, died in 1906, by his own hand. Paul Ehrenfest, carrying on the work, died similarly in 1933. Now it is our turn to study statistical mechanics". -- David L. Goodman "States of Matter"