I Broke Off My Engagement and Got a Job at the Academy

46 – 46. Class

“No, can I really take charge of the top class?”

The academy’s curriculum involves teaching fundamental subjects such as major subjects, mathematics, statistics, literature, etc., in the first year. In the case of the magical department, the main subject foundation is magic itself.

Based on the grades of the entrance exam, the education is divided into different levels, with different levels of education.

But… is it really okay for me to be in charge of the alpha class?

“…Last year, I just managed somehow as a makeshift, but now they want me to take care of the top students? Can you believe they’re even drawing lots for this kind of thing?”

Looking at me like that, Professor Cordelia made a sound, a mix of amusement and disbelief.

“Why, lacking confidence?”

“…No, to begin with, I’m among the professors with a mediocre career, and I’ve just recently become an associate professor.”

“So, is it difficult for you to teach the basics to freshmen?”

I bit my lip. Professor Cordelia chuckled and spoke.

“You’re also a formal academy professor. So, even if the freshmen fly high, you don’t really have to worry. You’ve become a high expert, so what’s there to be so afraid of…”

“No… you know the relationship between that kid and me.”

Looking at me, Professor Cordelia said,

“Edun Kainus.”

And then, she called my name directly.

“…Yes.”

“I understand that the kid might be uncomfortable. And I know how much you’ve struggled and suffered. I won’t say that it’s wrong, but if that kid says they’ll take your class later, will you cancel it?”

“No, that’s…”

Since becoming a professor, I had to decide on my own specialty and teach it. This meant that Jezele Irkali, when she became a second or third-year student, might take my class.

Without saying anything, I bowed my head.

“The kid might feel uncomfortable. They might not like it. But you’ve already made a decision. Decide purely without carrying the baggage of being the child of your enemy. But is it reasonable to avoid the kid like this?”

“…”

“If you were the perpetrator, you might feel uncomfortable and want to avoid it. But you’re the victim. So, step forward confidently.”

I closed my mouth, closed my eyes, and then opened them again.

“…Yes, I guess I have to.”

Professor Cordelia pinched my cheek and said,

“I’m not telling you to do this because I want to change you, okay?”

“Yes.”

I responded appropriately to her words and sighed while looking at the sky.

“…Ha.”

It feels like I might go crazy, but what can I do about it?

It’s not something I can avoid for a lifetime, and it’s not a position where I have to be the one suffering.

So, in the end, the only thing I can do is face it head-on.

“… If it’s the Alpha class, just preparing for the lecture content alone would be intense, but I was worrying about unnecessary things.”

I scratched the back of my head, deciding to adapt to fate.

…

Since entering the academy, Jezel had been incredibly busy for a while.

She had to show that she had contributed to this incident, and that there were no problems. Despite her own achievements being considered nothing special, it was embarrassing due to the serious blunders.

Anyway, after leading such a busy life and even hosting a welcome party for new students, she finally started attending classes.

The class she joined was the Alpha class, representing the highest level of education.

‘Of course.’

Considering her family’s status as nobles, anything less than the Alpha class would have been a disgrace. Jezel sat in the classroom, tense even before the start of the class.

Other students were not as early as her, but their attempts to arrive early were evident.

‘That person was ranked 3rd in the entrance exam, and that one was 8th.’

As the Alpha class represented the highest level, there were only 10 students out of 300 new magic department freshmen. An incredible competition rate of one in thirty.

‘Well, some might change their positions in the next exam.’

Even with the name Alpha class, not everyone could maintain that status. There were those in Alpha class whose gap with Beta class was not significant.

Of course, Jezel overwhelmingly ranked 1st in the re-exam for admission, and even if it had nothing to do with such stories, it was still true.

So, she just needed to focus on the class without worries.

As she thought about it, the classroom door opened.

‘That person is…’

It was a face she already knew. A blond handsome man with a stern expression.

‘Edun Kainus…’

He was indeed the professor of the Alpha class.

He looked around once and spoke.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Eden Keynes. Among you, there may be those who will see me throughout the year, or perhaps only for half a month… but for now, please allow me to introduce myself.”

With just one sentence, the atmosphere grew tense. His voice was soft, but his words were ice-cold.

“I will be teaching you the fundamentals of magic. However, since you are Alpha Class, you probably don’t have any interest in learning how to wield magic at this point, do you?”

It seemed like a joke, but no one laughed. It was highly unlikely that anyone in this atmosphere would want to laugh.

“Now, what you need to learn, of course, is to become proficient in using basic spells.”

Straight to the point. Eden Keynes snapped his fingers.

“So, what you need to learn is elemental magic.”

Clap. His hands met.

“Even among the first circle of magic known as basic magic, there are spells that are easy to use and spells that are difficult. The most user-friendly spells are elemental spells.”

Fire, water, wind, earth. The four basic elements. They were the essence of elemental magic, and also the easiest to use.

“Now, let’s think about this. Does anyone here know why elemental magic is the easiest to use?”

No one raised their hand. Even Jezel didn’t know the reason. Using elemental magic was simply a matter of memorization.

As if he had expected this, Eden chuckled.

“The essence of magic is to change the world.”

The power to create something that shouldn’t exist in the world. The power of transformation, like creating flames without fuel, or water without moisture, that was the essence of magic.

“By imbuing your will into the form of a spell and channeling magic, you bring about changes in the world. That’s why elemental magic, which deals with the basic components already present in this world, is classified as an easy spell.”

Those who heard his words nodded in agreement. Eden paused for a moment and continued.

“After elemental magic, the next easiest is physical magic. Shaping pure magic into forms. Giving form to magic is what physical magic is all about, and most likely, all of you here will be able to use physical magic up to the fullest.”

And finally, the last one.

“The most difficult one, transformation magic. Changing the ‘nature’ of your own spell or the nature of something in reality. Your task is to master transformation magic.”

Jezel made a sound of contemplation. Although he wasn’t particularly familiar with transformation magic, he could use it to some extent. If he could overcome this last hurdle, he would truly become an expert.

Eden Keynes seemed to notice the look in Jezel’s eyes and smiled knowingly.

“And, once you can use all the basic spells… the next task will be combining spells.”

Eden closed his eyes and summoned his spells.

“Devourer.”

A magical sphere floated in the air. Jisel furrowed his brow and gazed at the sphere.

A form of magic he had never seen before. Jisel inquired to Idun.

“…What is that?”

Idun opened his mouth.

“It’s magic that turned me into a precision mage. A 5-circle magic called ‘Devourer.’ Who wants to try using magic once?”

Jisel furrowed his brow and conjured flames. It was a thought of testing how powerful he was.

And, the flames disappeared in an instant.

“What…!?”

Jisel stared blankly at the scene.

Idun explained as he watched.

“5-circle magic Devourer. The structure of devourer consists of Attraction, Absorption, Sphere, Storage, and Amplification. It’s magic that absorbs ‘power’ like mana or divine power from a target with supernatural abilities.”

It was unbelievable. What kind of magic was this?

Idun clapped his hands, making the Devourer disappear, then spoke.

“As you can see, combining devourers can greatly increase the power, and it can lead to results that were not even imaginable. That’s why learning how to combine devourers is the criterion for becoming an expert.”

The classroom was filled with silence. Everyone was mesmerized by the astonishing sight Idun showed, staring blankly.

Idun clapped his hands and said.

“Well then, let’s start the class.”