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"Professor! You said that book would arrive today, right? I'll go to the bookstore."
Professor Liliana Rachel, who had been intently analyzing two papers side by side, looked up at Liber.
"Would you? I could go."
"No, I'll go."
Liber, now a third-year student, was spending most of his time with Professor Liliana Rachel, a mental magic professor.
Liber and Professor Liliana Rachel hadn't known each other for many months, but they were living almost like research colleagues.
Liliana didn't try to teach Liber, and Liber wasn't eager to learn from Liliana.
They just spent time researching papers together, finding mistakes, supplementing them, and comparing and analyzing them with other papers.
In the process, Liber was able to gain insight from time to time.
Liliana was surprised at Liber's amazing analysis results.
Today is the day the specially ordered book arrives at the bookstore.
Liber opened the door to the lab and went outside.
Liliana Rachel didn't immediately turn her attention to the paper, but stared at the door Liber had left through for a while.
"To think that such a smart kid was here... It's been a long time since I met someone who could talk about mental magic."
Liliana's gaze returned to the desk.
"Wow, is this the book?"
"That's right. It's a direct transcription of the contents of a recently discovered book. The original is said to be over 200 years old."
"Of course, it's written by Marinneum, the master of mental magic! Thank you!"
"It's been a long time since I've seen an academy student so interested in mental magic. There was one person before..."
"Professor Liliana?"
The elderly bookstore owner tilted his head.
"Liliana? Are you saying Liliana Rachel has become a professor?"
"Yes. It hasn't been long. She came as Professor Billian's successor."
"Ah... I've heard about Professor Billian's situation. Anyway, Liliana is becoming a professor."
"Do you know the professor well?"
"She was the most frequent visitor to our bookstore during her seven years at the academy."
"Oh, that's why you became close."
"Of course. No one has come to our bookstore so often before or after her."
The bookstore owner is showing respect to Liber, a nobleman's son.
Liliana Rachel is also a nobleman's son.
But it seems they became close enough to call her so comfortably.
"She's guiding me now. The professor ordered this book."
"I see. Please tell her to stop by when she has time."
"Yes, I will. And I think I'll be coming to this place often now, so please feel free to talk to me. You look older than my grandfather."
A nobleman doesn't take the initiative to disrespect someone because of their age.
But the bookstore owner had a dignity befitting his age.
The bookstore owner smiled warmly.
Wrinkles naturally deepened, but the deepened wrinkles revealed the face of a sage.
"I'll do that when I become as close to Liliana as you are. Anyone who loves books can be a friend."
"Yes! Then I'll go. Goodbye."
"Be careful on your way back."
Liber, who left the bookstore, moved with light steps.
Marinneum, a magician who left great achievements in mental magic.
His old book was discovered a while ago.
Even though it was protected by magic, the state of preservation was so bad that it was difficult to recognize the letters.
Before putting the discovered book in the royal magic department's preservation vault, they first underwent restoration work.
And they succeeded in transcribing all the contents of Marinneum's book.
The title of the book is "A New Approach to the Scope and Drift of Mental Magic According to the Magic Power of the Caster and the Subject."
"Wow... I can see Marinneum's book."
Unable to overcome his curiosity, Liber opened the large book while walking.
The book contained a vast amount of content spanning hundreds of pages.
The original is a historically significant item to the magic world.
"Oh... Oh."
Liber's eyes sparkled as he quickly turned the pages one by one.
Content that completely captivated Liber from the beginning.
"Oh..."
His legs were walking the road, but Liber was completely immersed in the book.
How long had he been walking like that?
Thud.
"What?"
"Oh? Ah. I'm sorry."
He collided with a large academy student.
A dozen friends were following behind.
Looking at the grade mark on his chest, there was a gray bear symbolizing the first grade.
The emblem on Liber's chest, who became a third grader, is Cerberus.
"Ah... the freshmen who just entered this time. Sorry, I was just skimming through it for a while, but I got so caught up in the book that I couldn't see in front of me. Then see you later, juniors."
Liber, who expressed his apologies with an awkward smile and a palm, passed by his juniors.
"Hey, Conrad. What grade is that mark?"
"Huh? Uh. Cerberus. 3rd grade."
"3rd grade? Is that the grade with that legendary senior?"
"Oh, right."
A voice that Liber could also hear.
There is not a speck of respect for seniors in his tone.
But Liber wasn't the type to care about that.
He has no intention of trying to catch the discipline of juniors like a senior.
At that time.
"Hey, 3rd grade."
Thump.
Liber's steps, who was about to pass by the juniors, stopped.
'Hey 3rd grade?'
He's not the type who likes discipline between seniors and juniors.
But that doesn't mean a freshman who has just entered the academy should call a 3rd grade senior like that.
'These guys...'
Liber turned around.
"Are you calling me now, freshman?"
"Yeah, you. You look flimsy when you walk, so I guess you're a magic student. Keep your eyes open."
Liber strode up to the junior who collided with him.
"What's your name? I'll let you see this time because you don't know anything yet, but please act more politely when you meet academy seniors in the future."
"My name is Werner Dyke. I'm the eldest son of the Dyke Marquis family, a family of swordsmen."
"So, I don't care if you're from a family of swordsmen or the eldest son of a Marquis family, so be careful in the future. From the moment you enter Elton Academy, your parents' titles don't matter."
Werner Dyke smiled and bent down to bring his face to Liber's face.
In terms of height or size, Dyke looks more like a senior.
Even his face.
"Hey, senior. We're just following the actions of you respected 3rd grade seniors, why are you doing this?"
"What?"
"Senior Davian Naone of the 3rd grade had a conflict with a 4th grade senior when he was in the 1st grade and had a formal duel? Isn't that right? Conrad."
"Uh, as far as I know, Senior Davian, who was in the 1st grade at the time, and Senior Dylan Nedon, who was in the 4th grade, had a conflict in the cafeteria."
"Did you hear that? 3rd grade. You know about this incident, right?"
I know.
Liber was there too.
But at that time, Dylan Nedon intentionally approached Davian and provoked him.
Dylan was a spy for the Marino Empire and tried to kill Davian that day.
But isn't the situation different now?
He just bumped into him while walking, and he apologized.
"Senior, you're a magic student, right? I wanted to fight a magician once. How about it? Would you like to have a formal duel with me? Of course, according to the academy's rules, you can't be held responsible even if you die or get seriously injured."
"What are you talking about, you cheeky bastard? Why would I have a formal duel with you? And do you know the weight of a formal duel?"
"Yeah. I know what I'm talking about. How about it? Are you going to run away because you're scared?"
"Ha, run away? Me? Scared of a 1st grade freshman? That can't be. But let's see each other later. I have to go to the professor now. The 3rd grade is not as free as you freshmen."
Werner Dyke grabbed Liber's shoulder.
When he squeezed his hand tightly, Liber felt a pain that felt like his shoulder was breaking.
"Don't do that, huh? Give some teachings to our juniors and go. 3rd grade senior."
The gang next to him stopped Werner with a worried tone.
"We, Werner. Shouldn't we do it around here? No matter how weak you look, you're a 3rd grade senior... What are you going to do with the aftermath later."
"What, you. Are you scared now? Do you think I, Werner Dyke, am going to be scared of a senior who is only two grades above me?"
The gang tried to say something but closed their mouths again.
It's not that he's not afraid of a senior who is two grades above him, but he's doing this because this senior looks easy.
He didn't bother to say the words out loud.
There's no point in bothering Werner Dyke.
"So, sorry. Werner."
Werner, who was glaring at the gang, turned his gaze back to Liber.
"How about it, senior? Let's have a formal duel once. A junior is acting so cheeky, are you just going to let it go? You have to punish him severely, right?"
The opponent is Liber Specula.
In the first grade, he barely avoided expulsion with the mental magic professor's super pass.
Even after that, he barely avoided failing with high written scores and excellent mental magic skills.
He was a very suitable prey for Werner Dyke, who was determined to grab a senior and have a formal duel soon to catch up with Davian, who is called a legend.
Of course, he didn't know Liber's detailed circumstances and grades, but Werner could instinctively know that the opponent was weak.
"You guys are very cheeky."
The instinct of a predator.
Werner Dyke's feeling could not be wrong.
No matter how much of a 3rd grader he is, the opponent is just a weak herbivore.
You can tell from his walk, expression, tone, and appearance.
But he is not afraid at all in this situation and continues to urge himself.
'Does he have something to believe in?'
Let's say he's a magician with some skills because he's a 3rd grader.
Even so, isn't the opponent just one person?
There are a dozen swordsmanship students gathered here.
He looked at the family a bit, but Werner Dyke directly selected and gathered the gang with a focus on skills.
Even so, magicians are very disadvantageous in compatibility with swordsmen, so there is no way he can face all of Werner's gang alone.
"I guess our senior is still not good at judging the situation? If you really hate formal duels, let's just get hit a little here. There's no one watching right now."
One of the shortcuts from downtown to the academy.
There is a high stone wall on the right and a small stream on the left.
It's a quiet path with no one passing by in all directions.
"Stop it. You'll regret it if you do it again."
"This bastard really!"
Werner Dyke, who couldn't stand it anymore, finally raised his arm to throw a punch.
He didn't use his internal energy in case he got hit and died.
At that time.
"Who are you?"
A guy stepped in between Werner Dyke and Liber Specula.
"What are you doing now?"
"..."
There is no answer and his eyes are strange.
Creak, squeak.
He moves strangely creaking and spreads his arms to completely block the two.
And slowly opens his mouth.
"Do. Not. Go. Over. Board. Fresh. Man."
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