Academy’s Genius Mage

The ancient magic section of the Great Library was quiet as always.

However, unlike the usual days when Isera Hebraim was the only one guarding it, there were quite a few students present.

First-year students could be seen, as well as seniors who Ian Oracle had never seen before.

The standard exams were just around the corner.

Ancient languages were truly the essence of magic. Although a dull, difficult, and boring subject, one must study them to achieve good grades.

“Meow!”

A cat scurried over and leaped onto Isera’s lap.

Isera smiled.

“It’s been a while.”

“Meow.”

The cat rubbed its head against Isera’s hand, asking to be petted. It was an endearing act.

In a way, it felt a bit disappointing.

The one who should have been told it had been a while was Ian himself, not the cat.

“Seems like the creature has better manners than people. It greets you first.”

“Shh.”

Isera placed a finger on her lips.

Some students glanced over.

Even though it was understandable for classmates, the seniors’ eyes lingered on Ian for a while, having recognized him—or perhaps not, which was curious.

‘It’s probably because it’s rare to see someone naturally get along with the icy Isera.’

Isera stood up from her seat.

“Follow me.”

She carried the cat in her arms and exited the ancient magic section.

The place she headed to was the magic training ground within the Great Library.

It was the place where Ian had previously discovered a new interpretation of the Lightning Spell, and where Isera had tested the validity of that interpretation.

Unlike the reading room, there wasn’t a single student here.

The midterms were theoretical exams, so there was no need to practice magic in the training grounds.

Isera settled on one side and sat down.

Her small, pretty hands softly petted the cat’s head and back.

“Aren’t you curious, senior?”

“About what?”

“About the Hamel Trading Company incident.”

Although Isera had said it had been a while to the cat, it had been less than a week since Dimon had attacked the mansion.

Nevertheless, she hadn’t pointed it out specifically because it truly felt like it had been a while.

A lot had happened in those few days.

Just as the rapidly changing surroundings had, so had Ian’s inner self become stronger and more resilient.

But it seemed that Ian wasn’t the only one who had changed.

Isera also exuded a noticeably different atmosphere than before.

“You must have handled it well. You wouldn’t be here if things hadn’t gone smoothly, right?”

“That’s true, but I thought you might at least congratulate me.”

“Congratulations.”

Even though Ian heard what he wanted, a sense of distance lingered.

When he passed the entrance exams and became a member of the Ancient Literature Reading Club, he felt closer to Isera.

Most significantly, she had rushed in to wipe out the assassins who tried to attack the mansion.

Moreover, they had spent nights conversing alone in the study.

But why had things suddenly changed?

“You weren’t questioned because of me, were you?”

“No one said anything.”

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood.”

“There really isn’t anything wrong.”

“Are you stressed about the standard exams?”

“Only lazy people who don’t study are stressed about exams.”

For the first time, Ian felt like Isera was back to her usual self.

“I should definitely relay that message to Milo.”

“Have you decided on the cat’s name?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I want to find a good name, but nothing comes to mind.”

“Meow.”

Goyang let out a plaintive meow while secretly glaring at Ian Oracle.

It seemed that because he hadn’t been disciplined recently, it was trying to climb up at every opportunity.

“Senior, let’s have a meal together after the exam. You’ve helped me a lot, and I mentioned it before. It feels awkward to just let it slide.”

“Thanks, but I’ll politely decline.”

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped naturally.

He had anticipated her refusal, but hearing it in person left him feeling deflated.

“I was going to let it go, but with your constant refusals, it’s making me stubborn.”

“How about channeling that determination into your studies?”

“I’m confident in my theoretical exams. Exams are just about showing what you know, right?”

Isera Hebraim placed Goyang on the floor and gazed intently at the opposite wall. Her expression suggested she was deep in thought.

“I can’t understand.”

“Can’t understand what?”

“I don’t get why you’re trying to do something separately with me. Sure, having a meal isn’t difficult. But what if that girl sees us and misunderstands?”

“That girl?”

He had no clue who she was referring to. However, Isera didn’t readily provide an answer.

Ian Oracle’s astute mind went to work.

The only conclusion for someone misinterpreting a one-on-one meal was romantic implications.

Isera was clearly misunderstanding something.

“Surely… you’re not talking about Ophelia, are you?”

There was no answer.

It was a silent acknowledgment.

Ian sighed again.

Ophelia had visited the dormitory a few times, and it seemed Isera had seen it by chance.

“It’s a complete misunderstanding. I have nothing going on with Ophelia. In fact, we don’t get along well at all, so why do you have such a misunderstanding?”

“She’s the one who defied Professor Frost, wasn’t she? I heard you actively defended her.”

“That was for a reason. Didn’t you hear from Professor Frost?”

Isera nodded slightly.

He was at a loss for where to start explaining.

Milo Vinettia’s warning suddenly came to mind, about the problem with female students frequently visiting the dormitory.

“In any case, there’s nothing between us. Would someone who always criticizes me as a vulgar noble really like me? That’s absurd. I’d be lucky if she doesn’t magically stab me in the back.”

“A person’s mouth may lie, but their eyes don’t.”

“What kind of eyes are you talking about?”

Isera recalled the image of Ophelia standing in the corridor, looking at Ian.

The look in her eyes contained emotions that were not ordinary.

They were feelings that Isera could recognize because she was a woman herself. However, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Ian about it.

It made her feel petty for some reason.

At that moment, she felt something tickling in her chest.

‘This feeling is….’

It was a strange feeling, as if her heart was swelling with mixed emotions of anticipation and insecurity, as though she was walking on clouds.

Though it was an emotion she was experiencing for the first time, she felt like she knew what it was.

Her heart began to race, and her breathing quickened.

Isera realized that staying silent wouldn’t serve her well.

It had been over a year since she enrolled in the academy. In that time, she met many people, but few left a lasting impression.

‘But Ian was different.’

He didn’t seem particularly outstanding in skill, yet she couldn’t help but pay attention to him. She recalled the scene of him helping staff in trouble after a carriage overturned.

Most notably, his passion and knowledge about magic were exceptional.

The general praise about his looks was not particularly significant to Isera.

What was most striking was that he was the head of the Oracle Family. Anyone devoted in Theoretical Magic inevitably read the works of Baron Lefevre, the previous head of Oracle Famly.

Isera hadn’t told Ian, but she had read all of Baron Lefevre’s books.

Lefevre was one of the people she respected the most.

It wasn’t just Isera’s innate insight that allowed her to decipher Ian’s new spell and organize it into a thesis in just a day. The title of being Lefevre’s son served as a kind of guarantee.

‘A strange connection indeed.’

As time went on, she couldn’t help but acknowledge that she was drawn to him.

Ian Oracle found it difficult to talk about Ophelia because he was embarrassed to hear the expression ‘jealousy.’

Up until now, he had described all magical phenomena through theses. But even Isera Hebraim felt at a loss when it came to expressing this complex emotion in words.

‘Is staying close like this not ultimately going to harm Ian?’

As a noble of a vassal state, Ian was under constant surveillance by the Sonokin Royal Family due to his extraordinary talents.

Therefore, Isera couldn’t shake off the thought that she might cause harm to Ian at any moment.

“If you really can’t trust me, I’ll call Milo and Edel. Those guys will testify for me. Please wait for a moment.”

As Ian attempted to stand, Isera reached out her hand.

It was an instinctive reaction, as if she felt that if she didn’t hold him now, she would lose him forever.

“No… that’s okay.”

“Then you trust me, right?”

Ian smiled brightly, and after a slight pause, Isera responded.

“I admit that I misunderstood.”`

“Senior, in times like this, you should just say ‘I trust you.’ Saying you admit you misunderstood is too formal.”

Isera burst into laughter.

Ian was a little surprised at her sudden laugh, as she usually brushed off comments with a cold expression.

『Is the lady upset?』

“Upset?”

When a cat suddenly interjected, Ian also sent his thoughts to it.

『Her body temperature is rising, and her heart is beating fast! Just apologize quickly! Upsetting a beautiful lady, what a foolish partner you are!』

Now that he thought about it, Isera’s face did seem a bit flushed.

Worried that he might have given unsolicited advice, Ian bowed his head.

“I’m sorry. I was too presumptuous.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

For the first time, Ian felt grateful to the cat.

Even though both him and the cat had missed the mark completely.

“Then I’ll tell Wilson to prepare a dinner. I’ll invite you to our mansion on the evening after the exams.”

“No. Since you’ve helped me before, let me invite you to our mansion this time.”

It was an unexpected offer, but Ian knew that it was the finest consideration Isera could show.

“I’ve been curious about the Count Hebraim’s residence, and now I have the chance to see it.”

“It’s a modest place. Don’t expect too much.”

“How can I not be excited? I wish the exams would finish quickly.”

Isera, who had been staring at Ian, nodded slightly.

* * *

The afternoon before the standard exams, an unexpected guest arrived at the academy.

Ian walked briskly into the salon.

The guest was waiting for Ian while having tea in a private room.

A man wearing black robes with red accents. He was Lumiere, a judge Ian had a connection with from handling the Hamel case.

“Lumiere, I’m surprised you came without notice.”

“Oh, I apologize for that. I heard it’s close to the standard exams, so I might have come very suddenly.”

Lumiere stood up and greeted courteously.

Even though he was much older than Ian and held the title of baron, he was polite to Ian.

“The exams are fine. I’ve already completed all my preparations.”

“Oh, that’s quite some confidence.”

“I plan to take it based on how I usually perform.”

“I look forward to seeing your ranking.”

Nevertheless, it wasn’t polite to keep the guest waiting long.

Lumiere stopped with the pleasantries and got to the main topic.

“The news you’ve been waiting for has just come out. That’s why I requested this meeting.”

“The news I’ve been waiting for…?”

“Yes, all the criminals from the Hamel Trading Company, including Hamel and Felix, have been sentenced.”