“Huh?!”

“...You don’t understand at all? Take a seat, I’ll explain”, Professor Allen said in a concerned tone.

“O-okay”, the girl lowered her voice and sat at the front desk, though the Professor’s words still left her disoriented.

“Do you at least understand Essence?”

“No…”

“Then how did you sense the staff before Orientation? Your lack of understanding over rudimentary knowledge is… concerning. I’ll need to explain Essence before I explain Magic”

‘Wait, how’d he know I sensed the teachers before?’, as the girl thought Professor Allen spoke pushing the thought back for later.

“Essence is a unique type of energy present in all living beings in some form and is used by Combatants to fight. While Vanguards and Rogues make minimal use of it, at least in their beginnings, Mages rely on Essence to cast Magic”

‘So it’s like Mana? In the Novel, the Protagonist mainly used her physical strength so there weren’t many details on it’  

“While everyone has Essence, their reserves of it are all limited. For Mages, this means they can only cast a certain amount of Magic before they run out and need to rest. To minimize this disadvantage Mages increase their reserves through training…”

“When it comes to training Essence there’s a ‘Golden Period’ when most of the training is done and the most results are produced. This period is from 4 to 10 years old, once this period passes all training to increase Essence reserves ends with minimal results”

With those words, the girl’s head dropped onto her desk as her mind fell from haze to despair.

‘Golden Period? Is that why he said I was too old? Do all Mages start practicing from childhood or something? 

“Wait, that means my Essence won’t ever get bigger… Professor, how much Essence do I have?”, the girl desperately asked as the realization began crushing her. 

“Compared to the average Mage, below average”

The girl’s head dropped once again and she began scratching her head.

“Seriously… Even if I didn’t have any talents or cheats I thought I could at least be decent but…”, the girl muttered, her voice dropping and her head down. 

For a few minutes, the room seemed like it stood still, with its only sign of life being the heavy panting of the girl.

‘Should I leave? If I can’t be a Mage, Neras will quit the Squad. And then the bullying will start and there’s no point in going through that if I can’t improve… What should I do? No matter how I look at it, I’m screwed! I, I-’

“Normally, someone in your situation wouldn’t make it as a Mage. But this isn’t a normal school, and none of our students are normal”, Professor Allen said, breaking the girl’s thoughts and drawing her attention.

“But… You said I’m too old to start practice”

“That was my mistake. You’re too old to experience the Golden Period but you can still start practicing Magic and become a good Mage”

Professor Allen moved toward the girl and started speaking in a confident tone.

“There are 3 factors that determine a Mage’s ability. Their Essence Reserve, Essence Control, and Creativity. Your Reserve is small and will likely stay that way, but as long as we push your Control and Creativity to the absolute limit, even if you can’t be the strongest, I guarantee you’ll succeed”      

For a moment the girl just stared at the Professor, with feelings of hope and despair clashing within her.

“Are… you serious?”, the girl asked.

“I don’t joke about things like this. What I said is possible, as long as you put in the work. The question is, will you?”

“...I will”, with renewed spirit the girl accepted the Professor’s words in an unusually firm voice.

“Good, your training and lessons will start tomorrow. Also, wake up at 5:30 tomorrow, now get out of here”

Once Professor Allen finished speaking, the girl quickly left, heading back to her dorm in thought

‘Well, at least I can get stronger. Though I’ve always been pretty lazy, I’ll probably die if I half-ass this, so I’ll need to work harder than all the other Mages. This is gonna be tough…’

*****

*****

The next morning the girl groggily woke, struggling with her body once more. Although the girl went to sleep early, the colder temperature of the early morning left her body with an even firmer grip over her bed covers. Even so, she eventually rolled out of bed.

“Is Mr. Allen going to be teaching me something, or training me? I mean why else would he tell me to wake up this early?”

As if in sync with her words, the girl heard a knock on the door and peeked her head out, finding Professor Allen behind it in a sweatsuit holding a box.

“Put this on and follow me”, were the only words he said before handing the girl the box and walking to the side.

Inside the box were Navy blue sweatpants and a zip-up hoodie. In a few minutes, the girl freshened and put on the clothes before joining the professor outside and following him. 

Once they were out of the dorms the professor finally spoke.

“From now on, you’ll get up almost every morning and run. Run around the school a few times”

“W-why? Aren’t I training to be a Mage and use Magic?”, the girl asked in slight bewilderment.

“There are many essential abilities a Mage needs to succeed. One of those abilities is to be able to run away. Mages have the worst physical capabilities because they fight with Magic rather than their body, so competent Mages train their speed and stamina to be able to run away”

“Oh… I guess that makes sense”

‘I won’t be running from normal people but from monsters and supernatural beings so I’ll need to be a good runner but… Cardio?! Every morning?!’

After a few stretches, the two began running. The Professor seemed relaxed and held good form while the girl was decent, for about 15 seconds before her breathing turned heavy and she slowed down into a jog. After 2 minutes the girl couldn’t even move.

‘Ugh! My everything hurts! Why is my throat burning?!’, the girl thought, greedily gasping for air.

“Hmm… While I knew you had a weak physique I didn’t think it was this bad… I’ll have to make changes to your training routine”, Professor Allen said to the girl, though she didn’t even register his words.

The professor disappeared for about a minute before returning with a water bottle for the girl, who desperately gulped half the bottle before taking another large breath.

“Now that I’ve got a good idea of what you can do, we’ll be focusing on your stamina from this point on. We need to strike while the iron’s hot so in a minute we’ll start jogging”, Professor Allen said, completely ignoring the look of despair on the girl’s face.

‘Again?! So soon?! Aghhh…’

Once the minute was up the two began jogging, with the Professor, once again, slowing down to the girl’s speed and the girl attempting to keep up with him. The girl would eventually stop running, losing the mobility in her legs and they would take a break. This cycle would continue until the two finally finished 3 laps around the school.

“Alright, that’s enough for now”, Professor Allen said, his words seemingly turning the girl’s legs into jelly.

“Finally… It’s over… Will I really have to do this every day?”

“You have rest days on the weekend, so no. And this is only hard because you’re doing it for the first time, you’ll get used to this”

And just like that Professor Allen walked away leaving the girl in her thoughts as she walked back to her dorm.

*****

*****

After a shower, change of clothes, and breakfast in the cafeteria the girl walked to the school’s general classroom and took notice of her Squadmates.

‘Neras and Riley…I didn’t see them at breakfast so they might’ve eaten quickly… Should I sit next to them? We are technically Squadmates’

With quick contemplation, the girl moved toward the two students.

“Oh, hey Erica!”, the Curly-haired Student called out.

“Hey, guys. Since our first class is Survival we'll be heading outside right?”

“Yes”, the Quiet Student answered.    

Some classes in Combat Institute are taught outside to be made more applicable like Survival and Monster Physiology, Sparring is taught inside and outside.

With no idea about what to talk about the group just sat in silence and in a minute a professor walked in.

“Morning class. Follow me to the field”, the professor said as he left the room as fast as he entered with the students following him. 

*****

*****

Hours passed and it was the final general class of the day, Sparring was about to commence and took place in the outside sparring ring.

“Finally a break. I wonder when I’ll get used to these classes…”, the girl muttered in an exhausted tone.

General Classes started work immediately without doing much to ease students into them. Survival consisted of a demonstration by the Professor and construction by the students following it. Monster Physiology involved the study of monsters, their weaknesses, valuables parts, edibility, and habits. Strategy was a variety of topics, from critical thinking to research and even hints of psychological warfare. Finance was simply about the management of money, from personal funds to that of a group. Equipment covers the large range of gear used by Combatants, weapons, armor, artifacts, etc. Sparring was self-explanatory and between students.

“If Professor Allen hadn’t told the Sparring Professor about my lack of Magic I’d probably have to fight…”           

Two students stepped onto the Sparring stage. A Mage with a simple wand and a Vanguard with a wooden sword.

“Begin!”, the Professor cried out, signifying the Spar’s start.

Immediately, the Vanguard dashed forth, intent on landing the 1st and final strike, though the Mage swung her wand in the same instant holding similar intentions.

A burst of fire shot out of her wand causing the Vanguard to back-step instinctively. For a moment, the two stared at each other, trying to figure out what the other would do. Then, the mage swung her wand toward the Vanguard once again.

In response the Vanguard quickly moved, evading the wand’s direction, and slowly closing the distance between the two. 

In the second the wand turned crimson the Vanguard took a step back and prepared himself, dodging the ball of fire heading toward him and dashing at the Mage. 

The Mage’s eyes expanded as the sword as the Vanguard came closer and then, the moment his sword was inches from her face, her eyes turned sly.

The Mage’s left hand turned crimson and launched a ball of fire at the Vanguard’s chest, launching him off of the stage and searing his chest piece. 

“The spar is over! Kella wins! Next Combatants on the stage! ”

With those words the preselected Combatants made their way to the stage while the Mage, Kella, walked off into the spectator seats, swarmed by a few of the students.     

The girl sat away from Kella but stared at her awestruck, her mind rewinding the fight over and over again and her heart beating unrecognizably.

“That… was Magic?! That was amazing! I’m gonna be able to do that?!” 

Despite the fight barely lasting half a minute the girl just sat there in a reverie, entranced by Magic, her initial curiosity evolving into an overbearing desire. It was only when the other students started walking away did she notice that class had ended.

An outlandish excitement took over the girl as she barely stopped herself from sprinting to the Mage building, knowing she needed to head to lunch.

*****

*****

By the time the girl reached the cafeteria and got her food, the rush she felt had been calmed, though not extinguished.

“I’m still by myself here…”

The girl saw the Curly-haired student leaving the cafeteria with his food as soon as she entered and exchanged quick greetings but she never even saw the Quiet student outside of general classes. 

“We’re allowed to take food to our dorms so they might be eating there. I might as well do that too”

As the girl started walking toward the exit, a voice called out to her.  

“Excuse me. I was wondering if we could sit and eat together”

Turning around the girl found Kella, the Mage from the sparring match, staring right at her with a plain smile.

“Uhh… Sure…”

The two walked back and sat at an empty table and began eating their food with the girl taking occasional glances at Kella.

‘The Mage… Looking closely she seems familiar… Is she a character in the Novel? She seems like a noble’

“Um… why are you sitting with me?”, the girl let out.

“I wanted to talk with and learn about you because you’re quite strange”

“Strange?”

“Yes. I take an interest in anything I don’t understand and you’re someone I don’t understand. Your hair and behavior to be precise”     

‘Shit… It hasn't even been a week and I’m already under a noble’s radar? Why couldn’t black hair be the rare hair like in every other Isekai?!’

“From the looks of it, you’re just learning Magic with Professor Allen, but you’re way too old to be starting Magic. And your reaction to my match wasn’t of admiration for my skills but of marvel, and you weren’t paying attention to the other matches. You were like a child, entranced by seeing Magic for the 1st time”

“Umm… What exactly do you want?”

“To satisfy my curiosity. There are just so many things about you I’m curious about, though my biggest question would be, where are you from?”

‘What do I say? Even if she wasn’t in the novel, telling anyone I’ve been summoned would alter the plot too much, especially a noble. But there’s nothing linking me to anywhere and I don’t know enough about the world to competently lie about where I’m from…’ 

“I… can’t say… I’m sorry”

“Hmm. That’s fine”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes, how you’re hesitating tells me you’re unable to tell me, rather than unwilling. I’ve still learned quite a bit about you, well besides your name”

“Oh! Erica”

“Erica then. Are there any foods you like?”

“...I like lasagna. You?”

“My favorite is shrimp, fried to be specific”

The two girls spent the rest of lunch eating and asking each other simple questions. Though there was an air of awkwardness the initial tension was gone.

 “Well, it looks like lunch is wrapping up. Would you like to walk to class together?”, Kella asks the girl. 

“Sure”

After throwing away their trash, the two left the cafeteria. 

*****

*****

The pair’s walk to the Mage building was short and quiet, though the girl had plenty to think about.

‘Going off everything I just learned and looking back, Kella could be one of the Protagonist’s allies, Helly. Both use magic, are nobles, have fire as their elements, and she’s going to CI at around the same time Helly did’ 

The girl took a glance over at Kella. Kella had short black hair, with CI's blazer, dress shirt, tie, skirt, and sneakers. 

‘While Helly’s hair was shown to be dyed and in a ponytail, she mentioned that she looked very different in CI and the Protagonist doesn’t call or remember side characters by their real names so that might be why I didn’t recognize her'

The Mage building came into view and thoughts of learning Magic sped up the girl’s heartbeat.

‘If Kella really is Helly then I should stay on her good side. I have no plans of meeting the Protagonist, though it wouldn’t hurt to be friends with her friends’ 

Once they walked in the two found Professor Allen waiting for them and some other students. Immediately, Professor Allen told the girl to head into the classroom and take a seat.

After 10 minutes, Professor Allen walked into the classroom with a book, titled, “Fundamental Magic”.

“Normally, it would take a few months for a beginner Mage to completely grasp this book and then various tests afterward before being allowed to cast Magic. But, to make you a high-ranking Mage we can’t afford to spend months of your time here just teaching this book. So, we’ll cram it down into 3 weeks”, the Professor said.

‘3 Weeks… 3 Weeks?!’

“Y-you mean, you’re cramming a semester’s worth of knowledge into a few weeks?”

“A month if need be”

‘That’s still not enough!’

“Why can’t I just start Magic and learn the basics at the same time?”

“After the basics, the first step to learning Magic is sensing and manipulating your Essence. That’ll take much longer to do without a clear understanding than with. And once you try casting your first spell the risk of self-injury rises exponentially”

“Okay… Self-injury?!”, the girl cried out, her voice dropping then rising like a wave.

“Yes, improper control of Essence can lead to self-injury. Damage to your Essence Points, Portal, or Circuits can severely harm, if not destroy, your career as a Mage”

Those words left a silence in the room with the girl’s thoughts in disarray.

‘So if my understanding isn’t good enough I could get a permanent injury? Then why the hell would I just skim the basics?!’

“Erica, you shouldn’t be worried about injuries. If you don’t have a firm understanding by the end of my teachings then I won’t let you start practicing Magic. I’ll just keep teaching you past that”, Professor Allen reassured.

“But… Still…”

‘I’m not a genius and I’ve never been hardworking. This is impossible no matter how I look at it…’ 

While the girl thought over his words Professor Allen dug through one of the room’s cabinets, finding a notebook and pencil and placing them on the girl's desk.

“Didn’t you agree to put in the work to succeed? Well, this is the moment, I’ll be back in a bit”, with those words Professor Allen left the room, likely to check on the other Mage students.

“...I’m pathetic. I can’t even follow through with what I say. I’m untalented and my Essence might always be small. If I want to survive I can’t just do what everyone else does”, the girl said.

“I need to do more, put in more work than Normal”, committing herself, the girl gripped her pencil and started titling her notebook.

In a few minutes, Professor Allen returned, finding the girl sitting upright waiting for him, with the initial doubt in her eyes gone.

“Looks like you’ve made up your mind. To start off, I’ll go into further depth about Essence. You had Monster Physiology so you know a little more about it right?”, Professor Allen asked the girl, taking a marker and moving to the whiteboard.

“That it’s everywhere and in everything. Monsters are organisms who’ve evolved because of Essence and its effect on their bodies and environment”, the girl dutifully answered.

“Yes. Essence exists in the land, water, and air. Living beings absorb and expel it through a variety of different ways, animals generally do it through breathing. This is done through Essence Points, the gateway between an organism and Essence”

Professor Allen drew two dots on the board, one with an arrow going up and down and another with just an arrow going down. 

“There are two types of Essence Points, Lone-Points and Ambi-Points. Lone-Points can only expel Essence and are generally used for Magic or Augmentation. Ambi-Points expel and absorb Essence, though most combatants, leave it untouched”

“Why aren’t the Ambi-Points used?”

“For humans, the Ambi-Points are located behind the nostrils and in the mouth, they unconsciously absorb and release Essence in a natural cycle similar to breathing. Interrupting this cycle is much more difficult than just releasing it in a Lone-Point, also inconvenient since most don’t use their nose or mouth to attack”

“Oh, so that’s why… Then how do dragons do it with their Breath?”

‘The Protagonist is a hybrid Dragon and has a Breath attack, it might be worthwhile to know the mechanics behind it’ 

   

“...You’re not trying to mimic Dragons right? If you are, I suggest against it. Since releasing Essence through Ambi-Points is more difficult the chances of self-injury are significantly higher and more dangerous. Injuries to Essence Points typically involved small explosions… You remember where Ambi-Points are located right?”

“...Oh. But I’m not trying to use a Dragon’s Breath I was just curious”

‘Definitely don’t want anywhere near my face exploding…’     

“Dragons are fundamentally different from Humans. They have a greater innate perception and understanding of Essence and even have their own type of Essence called Draconic Essence. These vast differences are what allow them to use their Breath easily” 

Professor Allen began erasing the board.

“That’s enough knowledge on Essence for today. The rest of class will be spent awakening your Essence”

“Huh?”

“Your Essence is currently in a Dormant state and can only be used unconsciously in emergencies. To cast Magic, you need to directly control it, so we need to Awaken your Essence”

The girl’s pencil fell from her hand as her eyes expanded, her beat increased rapidly, and her mouth began widening.

“...Really?!”