Knight Students of District 4

Fortunately, there was a large map near the city plaza.

According to the bird's-eye view, the city was circular and divided into four districts.

District 4 was where I was now. This was where the Knight Students trained.

For some reason, the physiques of the people around me were no joke. From a child's perspective, I couldn't be certain, but there were countless individuals who looked to be over 190 cm tall, even at a conservative estimate.

I'm scheduled for *Public Sparring* with an Ogre next week. I'm going to die.

Unlucky bastard...

It was my first time seeing Knights, and their gait was definitely different.

Their strides were remarkably uniform. With hands on their hips, they conversed with acquaintances while their eyes constantly scanned their surroundings.

It was probably part of their training. I walked for a long time, trying my best not to draw attention.

It was *insanely* vast. No joke, it was a small city in itself.

Fortunately, District 3, where the Mages lived, was right next door.

"Huh."

The first thing I saw as I approached District 3 was a spire.

That is a Magic Tower. But these Magic Towers were like neighborhood repair shops, one every other block.

Usually, there's only one in an entire city, isn't there?

It was absurd. *Is this really the Academy?*

By this point, I was feeling a sense of awe as I entered a building that looked like some kind of school.

Pretending to wipe the surroundings with a rag, I made my way to the information board in the building's hall and read its contents—

It seemed I had found the right place.

But *Advanced Magicology*? I probably wouldn't understand this even if I eavesdropped.

Was there no *Beginner Magicology*? No, wait, was I even supposed to be learning *Magicology* in the first place? Was this even *Magic*—

Excuse me.

~~~~~~~!!!

I leaped up.

My heart nearly stopped. I turned around to see a student with round glasses tilting his head and looking at me.

In other words, he was a noble. I bowed my head at a perfect 90-degree angle.

Hello. What can I do for you? I apologize. I won't come here again.

Oh, no. Are you the *Janitor*? I was just going to ask you to throw away this cup...

"Understood."

I immediately took the empty cup and shoved it into my back pocket.

Fortunately, the Student didn't seem angry that I was looking at the information board.

No, now that I think about it, of course not.

What crime is there in looking at an information board?

Even if I were a *Janitor*, it's not like I wiped the Students' faces with a rag.

The Student examined my face with a curious expression.

Really? *Janitors* are quite young these days.

I'm on *Experiential Learning*.

Ex- *Experiential Learning*? You're doing *Experiential Learning* as a *Janitor*?

Yes. It's a tradition at our *Orphanage*.

Ah... I see.

The Student was a bit naive. He was a ten-year-old wearing clothes twice his size, claiming to be a *Janitor*, and he just accepted it as “janitors are young these days.”

Feeling like it might work, I blurted it out.

Since this is my first time at the *Academy*, could you tell me where the *Beginner Magic* lectures are held?

*Beginner Magic*? What kind of *Magic* are you talking about?

Magic is just magic, isn't it?

I heard it's just the absolute *Basic Class*.

Ah, you're looking for the *Children's Class*?

Yes!!!

*There is one!* I shouted in delight without realizing it, and the Student tilted his head before telling me the location.

It's close by. Just go straight, and when you see a hill, make one turn.

Oh, I see. Thank you.

I finally found it.

I bowed politely and ran in the direction he indicated.

The *Children's Class Building* wasn't small, despite its name.

Of course, rather than just being large, it was painted with gentle curves and warm colors, making it clear at a glance that it was a place for children to play.

It seemed a class was in session, as someone was lecturing inside.

Hmm, hmm...

I picked up a broom and, pretending to sweep, hummed naturally as I approached the door.

...Not even peeking, but eavesdropping, well, as an *Orphan*, I had to endure this level of humiliation to listen to *Academy* lessons.

I strained my ears—

Alright, what did I say were the *Three Elements of a Mage*?

Me!

...The same scene as in the *Orphanage* was unfolding.

The children were still full of energy and didn't seem to be concentrating much on the lesson. But the children's class teacher didn't give up and taught something diligently.

Mana, human, and... will! Right?

In a localized sense, that's correct, but more precisely, it's world, subject, and will.

Huh? Where's mana?

Where do we get mana? We get it from this world.

But do you really have to say 'world' instead of 'mana'?

If our Lia becomes the greatest <F1>Mage</F1> someday, she'll be able to create her own world, not the real world we live in, and gain mana from it. So, it's more accurate to say 'world' than 'mana'.

Create a world...?

You don't need to understand it now. Just know it.

Yes...

The content was exactly basic. I listened intently.

And finally, will... This is a topic where opinions are divided even in academia, because a *Mage*'s will is, how should I put it, too *sticky* to be expressed by the word 'will'.

What's a *sticky* feeling?

Well, you see, Excellent *Mages*' wills are so firm that they're a bit distorted from the word 'will', wouldn't you say?

Huh... What do you call it then?

210 years ago, *Corphenius* used the words 'madness' or 'frenzy,' and these days, a slightly milder term, 'dogmatism,' is used.

Those are all bad, though.

Are *Mages* bad people...?

No-no-no!! It's not that they're bad, it's just, well... the *Mages of the Vast Sky and Sea* are that kind of people. Only those who genuinely believe with immense stubbornness that this world is wrong and they are right can become the masters of a new world. Because in that world, that's the truth.

Even if they were *Noble Children*, they weren't much different from the *Orphanage* children.

They even seemed more ill-mannered, perhaps because the *Teacher* couldn't hit them.

Still, I don't like it...

S-shall we learn how to gather mana with *Teacher*? This is fun.

Yes!

The *Children's Class Teacher*, to lift the children's drooping spirits, moved from theoretical lessons to practical application.

This is it. I concentrated even harder.

Mana resides in everything in the world. So, you can replenish mana even by breathing and eating.

Then there's no need to specifically gather mana. You can gather it by eating.

*Magic* consumes a lot of mana. Eating and breathing alone are far from enough. Even for a very basic *Magic* like *Ignition*, it takes three months of eating and sleeping to accumulate enough mana to use it.

Then, the sounds of children exclaiming in surprise suggested that some *Magic* had been demonstrated.

So, the *Primeval Mages* researched ways to make eating, sleeping, and breathing dozens of times more efficient, compressed, and accelerated. And among those, breathing is what we do for the longest, isn't it? Naturally, *Breathing Techniques* of that kind evolved.

Aha...

Now, try to follow along. Imagine you're breathing in something other than air. Consciously focus slowly on something other than air around us, with the thought of inhaling it.

*Something other than air, huh?*

I tried to follow along—

...It's not working.

What else is there in the world besides air? Isn't this a scam? As I furrowed my brow, I heard the sounds of children succeeding, one by one.

Oh, wow! I really feel something building up in my chest!

Right?

I did it too!

Even though almost all the children were succeeding, I still didn't even understand what they were talking about.

Honestly, it was quite frustrating.

Even if it's knowledge from this new realm, I can't even beat one of these kids? Besides air, isn't there just seawater? Should I try inhaling that?

...*Cough, hack, cough!*

I shouldn't have done that.

The moment I consciously breathed in seawater, my lungs really felt like they were filling with water. I couldn't breathe. I bent over and retched several times. Nothing came out, though it was just dry heaves.

*Cough, cough*... Ah, I really feel like I'm going to die...

Only after I had calmed down did I stumble and hide behind the building.

I figured that if the class ended soon and the kids came out, they'd immediately notice something was wrong with my current condition.

I wiped the drool from my mouth and shivered. I'd never drowned before, but this must be what it felt like.

Grumbling, I wondered if this had actually accomplished anything. I tried using *Luminescence*.

Then—

A light incomparably brighter than what I'd produced in the *Library* filled the back of the building.

...?

I stared blankly at the *Sphere of Light* floating in my hand.

Strangely, I didn't feel the squeezing sensation in my chest that I'd experienced the first time I used *Magic*.

I felt something drain away, but if I had to compare it, it was like pulling a single strand from my abundant hair.

So...

*Should I just die peacefully?*

...It seemed I couldn't gather mana without experiencing drowning.

***

It wasn't all bad, though.

The seawater sloshing inside me didn't easily diminish, no matter how much *Magic* I used.

Of course, the only *Magic* I could use was *Luminescence*, but compared to last time, when I could only light it for a few seconds before all my strength drained away, this was a world of difference.

*Perhaps drinking it doesn't work?*

Instead of inhaling it like air, I tried swallowing the seawater as if drinking water. More precisely, I imagined doing so.

...Nothing happened.

I tried several other methods, but all I gained was a few desperate truths that offered no help.

1. I must put seawater into my lungs to convert it into mana for use.

2. That feeling is very similar to drowning.

3. But it fills up with a *really*, *really* large amount, enough to sustain *Luminescence* for at least three days.

I erased the notes I'd written in the sand with my foot and sighed.

...Why does it have to be my lungs?

It would have been much easier if it were my stomach.

Even without knowing much about *Magic*, I could tell this wasn't a normal method.

It was probably because I was born in the *Deep Realm*. If I could get used to the sensation of water filling my lungs someday, it might not be so bad...

*How could I ever get used to this?*

It's a net loss.

Still, for now, I've replenished my mana, so I don't need to worry until it runs out. I'll leave future problems for the future and pick up the broom again. My *Senior* will probably finish cleaning soon.

W-what? Where did you go? I've been looking for you!

Even though I had hurried back quite a bit, I found my *Senior* looking for me.

I feigned a timid expression and blinked.

I was looking for the restroom, but there wasn't one, so I went far away.

Of course there's one inside the building...!

My *Senior* sighed with a mix of relief and anger, then looked around and wore a bewildered expression.

...But what? You've already finished cleaning. How did you do it? It was big enough to take at least two hours.

I'm good at cleaning.

Really?... No, no, that doesn't make sense. Even I take two hours, so how did you—

Seeing that my *Senior* seemed to think something was amiss, I immediately put on a gloomy expression and used my trump card.

A-actually...

"Hm?"

I'm used to this... My *Orphanage Director* said he'd beat me until my backside was raw if I didn't clean a field even larger than this every day in 30 minutes...

At my tearful tone, my *Senior* made an unreadable expression, then let out a deep sigh.

...R-right. I asked a foolish question. Anyway, good job...

It always works.