Mightiest Melee Magician

Prologue

There was a terrifying legend in the academy.

“You know, if you don’t practice more, you’ll end up like ‘Ruin Ardell’.”

“Dude, senior will hear you.”

“Who cares? It’s the truth.”

“……”

‘Ruin Ardell’

A name synonymous with a failed magician.

A testament to ‘failure’.

Those greenhorn underclassmen used the name behind my back to motivate others to study.

My damned name.

When this happened, I put my hand on their shoulders, smiled sincerely, and said this.

“He’s right, you know. If you keep that up, you’ll become like me.”

“S-Senior!”

“I-I apologize.”

I was kind of a ‘maverick of the academy’.

Well, currently I was a typical example of a ‘failed magician’.

“S-Sir.”

“What is it?”

“Can I ask just one question?”

“What?”

“When you first entered the academy, did you really enter as the best of the class?”

Someone worthy enough to enter the academy as the best of the class.

At first, I was more talented than anyone.

At first, I was the most promising magician.

I was someone smart enough to memorise most of the magic theories in the world.

While reminiscing about my glory days, I said,

“Yes. I was the best."

* * *

Most people knew the feeling of reminiscing about a better past.

That included me, since I used to be pretty well off.

Entering the Academy at the age of 10, most people in my vicinity associated the name ‘Ruin Ardell’ with ‘Magic Genius’.

The son of a no-name countryside noble.

A small dragon born in the wasteland known as the Ardell Territory, which couldn’t produce a single magician, let alone a court magician.

That’s right.

The dragon was born from nothing.

At age 6, I felt mana for the first time.

At age 7, I succeeded in materialising that mana.

At age 9, I successfully initiated 1st-circle spells without any tutelage.

On the year of my 10th birthday, I entered the ‘Ignit Magic Academy’, and was the best in the class, beating the children of many other prestigious families.

The Best.

I stood at the podium as the student representative, and many eyes stared at me with jealousy.

However…

“Wow, you’re so gullible. Don’t you know he’s actually ‘that’?”

“What?”

One summer night, the prestige of being the best disappeared like it was just a dream.

My level now wasn’t the best, nor the second best.

“That one with Evocation Inability Disorder.”

“Evocation inability?”

The worst.

A curse that magicians were too fearful to even say.

I was able to sense mana and materialise it.

But that was it.

My spells only floated around on my palm.

They couldn’t move more than a meter from my body.

It was because I lacked the innate ability to release magic.

In medical terms, ‘Mana Extension Inability Disorder’.

“Well, that’s that. An Ardell? It seemed weird he used to be the best when he’s from some no-name family.”

“Yeah Ruin, who are you to be a ‘Magic Genius’? A family with no prestigious bloodline is bound to be like this.”

“……”

The fall from a ‘Magic Genius’ to a ‘Magic Cripple’ didn’t take long at all.

A minor countryside noble who had their glorious title as ‘Best’ disappear.

A magician who couldn’t release magic. When hit with such a harsh reality, what do you think happened to that cursed boy?

Did he give up?

Did he run away?

No.

“Why do you keep coming to class?”

“He probably can’t accept his inevitable failure.”

“Even that ‘thing’ can be tenacious.”

“……”

I never gave up.

It had already been 6 years since I was trapped in that dark cave of despair.

Even though my magic talent had stagnated ever since I turned 10, I was still attending the academy.

* * *

One of the underclassmen who was quietly listening to my story suddenly asked me a question.

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why do you still attend the academy? Evocation Inability Disorder. It’s an innate problem that can’t be fixed by effort alone. You yourself should know that this is futile, so why do you keep coming?”

The curious student seemed to be very serious in his question.

Well, why wouldn’t they be?

• • A Legend of the Academy! (Not in a good way)

• • The failure of a student who refuses to die, Ruin Ardell!

• • Why is this damned upperclassman who can’t even become a magician still in the academy!

It was understandable that they would ask why I’m still living like this while paying that expensive school fee.

I looked at the underclassman straight on and said this,

“It really piques curiosity, doesn’t it? Why I’m still not leaving the academy.”

The student, as if they were waiting for me, immediately nodded their head.

“Yes!”

“Are you confident that, if I tell you, you can promise to never talk about me behind my back again?”

“Of course! I’ll even beat up anyone who dares to talk badly about you!”

“Is that so? Can I trust you?”

“You can trust me.”

“Then I’ll tell you. The reason I haven’t left the academy and am still attending it 6 years later is…”

“…is…?”

As they sat waiting seriously for the answer, I choked on my laugh and grinned at them.

“…is because the food at the cafeteria is too good.”

“…What?”

“I’m dead serious. You know the chicken soup they serve on Friday morning? It’s almost a specialty of the academy. Soups from other restaurants are like water now that I’m used to this beauty…”

“Huh? What the hell is that?!”

“HA!”

I couldn’t hold back my laugh after seeing them complaining.

As always, talking with people was great.

“It’s a joke, just a joke.”

“Obviously it’s a joke!”

The underclassman was pouting, so I patted them on the back.

“You asked before, right? Why I’m not giving up, even though it’s hopeless.”

“Eh? Ah, yes.”

“I’ll answer your question. Before that, I’ll give you a bit of advice as your senior.”

A bitter chuckle escaped me at the notion of ‘senior’.

But I told him my advice, a light smile on my face.

“Never give up.”

That’s it.

“If you do this, whatever you thought impossible will become possible. Miracles only come to those who endure it to the end.”

Do not ever give up.

Even when trapped in that gloomy, pitch-black darkness, one would find a path to freedom.

The ones who found those paths were those that never gave up.

This I knew.

I had personally experienced this, even with the death sentence to magicians known as ‘Mana Extension Inability Disorder’.

This was how,

I saw that ‘miracle’.