“Eh?”
Ezra blinked, staring at the notice in disbelief. He thought it was a one-time thing, but somehow, it happened again this month.
Another 500,000 Rend sponsorship.
“….”
He sat there for a moment, letting it sink in. He knew he couldn’t let the sponsor think he was ungrateful.
“I should write a letter….”
Ezra took out a parchment and began jotting down a letter of appreciation.
———
To my unknown sponsor,
I’m writing to say thank you for your generosity. Receiving your support once was already surprising, but to receive it again… I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve it.
.
.
If there’s anything I can do in return, I hope you’ll let me know. Until then, I’ll continue working hard to prove that your support wasn’t wasted.
Ezra Kaelus
———
“Alright, that should do it.”
The words weren’t perfect, but they were honest. Ezra wasn’t particularly eloquent. Though he read it over once more before folding the letter neatly.
Standing up, Ezra immediately headed for the administration office.
A clerk with round glasses glanced up at him from behind the counter.
“How can we help you?”
“I’d like to submit this letter.”
The clerk raised an eyebrow, taking the letter from him. She eyed it for a second.
“Addressed to a sponsor. You want it sent through the university’s private channel or public mail?”
“Private,” Ezra replied. “If it’s possible, I’d like it to reach them as soon as it can.”
“Not a problem. It’ll be delivered before the day’s over,” the clerk said, placing a small stamp on the envelope before tossing it into the secure mail chute.
“Thanks,” Ezra said, bowing his head.
“Good luck, kid,” the clerk said with a grin. “Seems like you’ve got someone watching your back.”
Ezra blinked.
“Yeah…. seems like it.”
Ezra glanced at the clock. It was still early. His first lecture didn’t start until 1:00 P.M.
He only had to attend Professor Vanitas’s class twice a week—every Monday and Wednesday.
With plenty of time to spare, Ezra decided to head to the university gym. He usually worked out four times a week, and this seemed like a good chance to squeeze in a session.
The gym was quiet at this hour. Hardly anyone was around, which made it all the more peaceful.
But, of course, there was always one other person who showed up around this time.
Ezra had seen it enough times to know.
His Spellcraft Fundamentals Professor, Vanitas Astrea. There were other students around, but didn’t pay him any attention.
“Good morning, Professor.”
Vanitas, who was adjusting the weight on a lat pulldown machine, glanced over. “Morning, Ezra.”
During the first week, they didn’t interact much. Ezra was still a bit intimidated by him back then.
But over time, things changed. Their gym sessions created a feeling of camaraderie. Outside of lectures, they spoke casually, almost like friends.
The age gap wasn’t that big either. Most first-year students were around 18, but Ezra, having been held back during elementary school, was now 20.
Of course, in the lecture hall, the boundary between student and professor was clear. But here, in the gym, they could almost be considered acquaintances.
“What are you doing today, Professor?”
“Pull day,” Vanitas replied, gripping the bar and testing its tension.
“Oh, same here. Have you started yet?” Ezra asked.
“Just about to,” Vanitas said, pulling the bar down smoothly, his back muscles flexing as he did. “You can jump in after me.”
“Okay.”
They went through their workouts together. Vanitas spotted Ezra as he pulled through his final reps on the weighted pull-ups, ready to assist if needed.
“Two more,” Vanitas said.
“Yeah,” Ezra grunted, pulling with every ounce of strength.
His arms trembled, but he got it done.
“Haah….”
“Form was good, though,” Vanitas said, tapping him on the back. “Better than last week.”
“Appreciate it, Professor,” Ezra said, wiping his face with a towel.
They swapped roles. Ezra spotted Vanitas on the seated rows. Though if he had to be honest, Vanitas didn’t need it.
Moreover, for a mage, Vanitas’s endurance and strength was no joke.
“Haah….” Vanitas took a deep breath and stood up.
Their routine continued, one set after another, cycling through every workout.
By the time they finished, both of them were drenched in sweat. Vanitas grabbed his flask and took a long slip. Ezra sat on a nearby bench, catching his breath.
“Not bad,” Vanitas said. “You’re getting stronger.”
“Haah… You’re a monster, Professor,” Ezra panted, wiping sweat from his forehead. “With that stamina, you could probably pass as a Crusade knight.”
Vanitas scoffed. “I doubt it. Besides, with the way you’re progressing, it’s only a matter of time before you catch up to me.”
“Is that so?”
Vanitas grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. “I’m heading out. Work hard, Ezra.”
“Will do, Professor.”
***
“What did you just say?”
Vanitas blinked, caught off guard by the Headmaster’s sudden statement.
After showering and changing, he made his way to Headmaster Elsa’s office, having been called in unexpectedly.
“During your absence, the faculty voted on which member of the Crusade of the Round Table would take part in the Crusade Instructorship Program,” Elsa explained.
“Yeah, I know that part,” Vanitas said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But…. who did you say it was again?”
“Margaret Illenia.”
“….”
At this point in the narrative, the role was originally meant for Tanya Eden. However, it seemed Margaret’s accumulated achievements had shifted the decision.
With Vanitas giving her credit for the capture of the Mage Killer, and tipping them off about the Wyndales, the faculty likely saw Margaret as the ideal candidate for this year’s Crusade Instructorship Program.
“And I want you to guide her.”
“Come again?” Vanitas blinked.
“You, Vanitas,” she repeated, “her former schoolmate, will be tasked with guiding her through the program.”
“….I see.”
It wasn’t a difficult task. Margaret was a Silver Tower alumna, after all. But teaching was a different matter.
“Are you up for it?” Headmaster Elsa asked.
“I don’t see any reason to refuse,” Vanitas replied with a shrug.
“Good,” Elsa nodded. “You could use this chance to mend your….”
She trailed off from there.
“Perhaps,” Vanitas said. “When should I expect her arrival?”
“The start of August.”
“So, next week,” he muttered, already calculating how to adjust his schedule.
“Best be prepared.”
Vanitas nodded and left the office, rubbing his chin in thought.
Indeed, it was a chance to mend whatever was broken between him and Margaret.
A knight as honorable as Margaret wasn’t someone he could afford to have against him.
He needed her on his side.
Especially for the upcoming future.
With those thoughts in mind, Vanitas made his way to the alchemy department. It wasn’t long before he reached his destination.
Roselyn’s ‘lab,’
Calling it a lab was generous. In reality, it was just a storage room which the alchemy professors had allowed her to use.
To– Tok.
“Roselyn, it’s me,” Vanitas said, pushing the door open without waiting for a response.
“Ah, Professor!”
Roselyn turned from the chalkboard. Surprise and delight lit up her face. Her eyes sparkled as she lowered the chalk, brushing the dust off her hands.
“How’s it coming along?” Vanitas asked.
“There’s still some progress to be made. But I’ve just cracked the formula’s six layer.”
“That was fast.”
“It’s thanks to you, Professor!”
“No,” Vanitas shook his head. “It’s all your efforts.”
“Hehe~”
The Mana Crystallization Formula had a total of eight layers. With her current pace, she’d likely finish it before the conference.
“Has Claude noticed?” Vanitas asked.
“No,” Roselyn shook her head confidently. “I’ve been careful. I scribble notes whenever I get the chance, but I do all the finishing work back at my apartment.”
“That’s good.”
“Though…. I’m a bit stuck on the seventh layer,” Roselyn admitted, tapping her pen lightly against her notebook.
“Let me see,” Vanitas said, stepping closer.
Roselyn turned the notebook toward him. The page was filled with complex formulas and annotations scribbled in the margins. Vanitas scanned.
After a moment, he reached out and tapped a specific part of the equation with his finger.
“Here. This part,” he said. “You’re treating it like a fixed variable, but what if it’s more fluid than that?”
Roselyn’s eyes widened as her pen froze mid-tap. Her gaze darted between the spot he pointed at and the notes she had written around it.
“Fluid…?” she muttered.
Then, slowly, realization dawned. Her eyes lit up.
“Oh…. Oh! I see it now! If I treat it as a shifting coefficient instead, it changes how it interacts with the adjacent sequence!”
Vanitas nodded in agreement.
That was all he needed to do to assist Roselyn. For the past week, he had been stopping by whenever he had free time.
After all, in the future, it was Roselyn who cracked the entire formula. There was no need to spoon-feed her the answer.
A hint here, a clue there—that was enough. She could figure out the rest on her own.
“Ah… I think I got it!” Roselyn said suddenly.
She circled something on the page and looked at Vanitas like a child showing off a perfect score on a test.
“This is it, right? It lines up perfectly with the third layer’s logic.”
Vanitas glanced at her work. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“Good. You’re on the right track,” he said. “Keep going. You’re almost there.”
Despite the assistance, initially Roselyn couldn’t help but be skeptical. After all, she knew Vanitas and Claude were friends.
It wouldn’t be strange if this was some sort of scheme devised by the two of them.
However, as days passed, that doubt began to fade.
Vanitas’s help was subtle. He had never given her direct answers, just small hints and nudges to guide her.
He never hovered or forced his presence on her. Instead, he let her figure things out on her own. He even provided her with new equipment, which she stored away in her apartment for the time being.
It didn’t feel like the actions of someone with ulterior motives.
If she had to be honest, the professor was an enigma. It seemed like he already knew what the formula was.
But that thought didn’t stay for long.
If he did know, he would’ve solved it himself and taken the credit.
Roselyn glanced at him as he scanned her notes. He wasn’t rushing her. He wasn’t pressuring her.
“Try reworking this part,” Vanitas said, tapping his finger on a specific symbol in the seventh layer. “The sequence here feels off, don’t you think?”
Her eyes widened. She leaned forward, squinting at the spot he pointed to.
“Ah… I see it now,” Roselyn muttered.
Her pen moved quickly as she scribbled adjustments in the margins.
Vanitas stepped back, letting her work. That was enough for today.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearing 1:45 PM.
“Keep at it,” Vanitas said as he grabbed his coat from the back of the chair. “I’ve got a lecture at 2. I’ll check in later.”
“Okay!”
***
Inside the magic facility, where students could rent private rooms for magic testing, a bright golden glow flickered and sparked.
Tzz~
Before a baby could run, they had to learn to walk. That was Astrid’s mindset.
So, instead of jumping straight into creating her first official spell—a Master-ranked spell, she decided to start with something simpler.
With Professor Vanitas’s guidance back then, the process wasn’t as difficult as she’d expected. It felt like riding a bike with training wheels.
Tzz~
Beads of sweat formed on Astrid’s forehead as she channeled her mana into the magic circuit.
For her, it wasn’t anything too complicated. Just a simple Intermediate spell.
After all, settling for a Beginner-level spell was never an option.
Not for Astrid.
Her specialty was Gaia magic, but being a perfectionist, she pushed herself further and mastered its advanced form, metal magic.
The mana in the air swirled and twisted, emitting a bright glow as metal began to take shape.
Moments later, the metal shifted and contorted, forming the figure of a small creature.
Chirp~ Chirp~
The sound echoed softly. It was a bird.
“Yes!”
Growing up, Astrid had always loved birds. She even once had a birthday party with a bird mascot as the main attraction, just like her favorite stuffed toy, which was also a bird.
Chirp~
The metal bird perched on her shoulder, and Astrid playfully tapped its beak. Moments later, it hopped onto her fingertips.
With a gentle toss, she sent it soaring into the air.
“It’s so cute~”
Astrid took a deep breath, channeling her mana. Closing her eyes, she focused intently. Moments later, she slowly opened them.
Her vision shifted.
She was no longer seeing from her own perspective. Instead, she saw herself from above through the eyes of the bird.
With a deep breath, she closed her eyes once more and, upon reopening them, her vision returned to normal.
Astrid’s face lit up with joy. Clenching her fist in the air, she hopped in place, laughing like a child.
“Yes! Yes! It worked!” she cheered, unable to hide her excitement.