A few days had passed since the semester began in earnest.

If there was one thing that I felt while attending Stella, it was that high schools and universities in Korea could not even be compared to it.

If my stamina was not at a superhuman level, I might have collapsed right away.

“As you all know, 90% of the world’s population learns magic, but less than 20% of them can use offensive magic. The offensive magic should never be used without a ‘licence’, do you know why?”

“Isn’t that because offensive magic is dangerous?”

“Yes, that’s pretty much the answer. If there’s one bigger problem, it’s that you don’t know the trajectory of magic.”

Magic was dangerous. Incomparable to the Earth’s firearms, the wrong use of flame attribute magic could burn down an entire village. While the mismanipulation of water attribute magic could cause the collapse of an entire building.

There was also an unfortunate accident where earth attribute magic splattered on a passerby, killing him instantly.

“Offensive magic needs to be manipulated more precisely than any other magic. That’s why you must take this class, ‘Mana Orbitology’.”

Mana Orbitology's Professor Karleim wrote three words on the blackboard.

“Offensive magic is divided into three main categories.”

"Shooting; in which magic is directly fired from the caster’s body."

"Target; the offensive magic is well-controlled with the option to attack at specific coordinates."

"Wide Range; It targets a wide area."

“Each type has its pros and cons. Shooting Magic instantly locks its trajectory and allows you to quickly fire at the enemy, but the enemy can see, dodge, or block it. Target Magic can hit unconditionally if the enemy fails to recognise it early, but its offensive power is weak and the coordinates are very difficult to control, so the casting time is very long. So, what about the characteristics of the Wide Range Magic?”

“We can attack the entire area, targeting several people at the same time.”

“Yes, but the efficiency of mana consumption is very poor, so mages with a low amount of mana cannot use it well. There are downsides. Starting today, you will be learning orbitalogy with focus on shooting and targeting in interpersonal battles. You were bored of studying formulas in middle school, right?”

"Yeah!!"

Students shouted because they were tired of studying, and now wanted to see some real shit.

“Unfortunately, you have to memorise the orbitalogy formula today.”

A sigh came out, but it could not be helped. Because the professor had to train the students slowly according to the curriculum.

“Then, shall we solve this formula?”

Professor Karleim wrote the problem on the blackboard.

[At a distance of 760 metres from the north, Charles is running at a speed of 12.6m/s to the south. At this time, find the trajectory and expected observation distance needed for Yuvi to hit Charles with the water-attribute magic skill ‘Hydro Gun’.]

Yes. Orbitalogy was mathematics.

“Anyone who wants to answer this question?”

It was not any other attribute, but water.

The students frowned.

Water-attribute magic required formulas and fluid mechanics since it was a fluid, but this study was notoriously difficult to the extent that all mages avoided it like a plague. As a reason, only basic knowledge was known, and it was hardly touched unless you majored in water-attribute magic.

To throw this problem, it was not annoying, it was straight bullying.

“Ugh……”

“I feel like I’m going to vomit just looking at the problem…”

“What kind of superman is Charles, how can a person run at 12 metres per second speed….”

Most of the students turned their heads and looked away.

I stared blankly at the back of the professor.

‘His hairstyle is so fucking amazing.’

Professor Karleim was bald with a distinctive hairline on the back of his head, which was close to that of a ruler. To describe it more precisely, it was in the form of a y=ax (a>0) graph.

Expressing individuality in one’s head as a graph of a quadratic function in which the coefficients of the quadratic term were positive numbers.

He must have been born to do maths.

“Student Baek Yu-Seol?”

“Y-Yes?”

For a moment, I was stunned and stuttered in response.

'Don’t tell me, Stella’s professors even use mind-reading skill?'

Fortunately, it was not a concern. Karleim said as he patted the blackboard, “The only person who made eye contact with me is this student. Come out and solve it.”

“… Yes.”

“… Well, good job. You solved it so easily. Are you majoring in water-attribute?”

“No, I’m not.”

“I can’t believe you’ve arranged the Redinburg Equation so simply. It’s just great.”

“Yes.”

I solved the formula much more easily than he expected.

Professor Karleim, on the other hand, was visibly embarrassed but did not hide his exclamation. Possibly, since I solved it so quickly that it was almost mental arithmetic.

Even in Stella, where geniuses gathered, it was an unusually quick solution to the problem. It was almost comparable to the speed of a college student at that point, if not a professor.

“Yes, I like it. Then, make these problems your homework until next time.”

As soon as the lecture was over, I quickly left the classroom.

… And Eisel, who was watching me silently from behind, also followed.

As a result of following and watching me secretly these past few days, she was convinced.

Although I ranked last in the school year, I still seemed a little unusual to her.

…. Maybe a little too much.

“Excuse me.”

“…..?”

When she called me, I stopped my hurried pace. Then, looking at her, I wrinkled my expression in annoyance.

“Why?”

“Why that expression when you look at my face?”

“Every time I see your face, I get stressed.”

“You were stressed…?”

That was right, because I had been feeling Eisel was secretly chasing after me for the past few days.

“Okay, which lecture are you going to attend next?”

When Eisel shamelessly asked again, I was rather dumbfounded.

“Why do you keep asking me that? Are you interested in me?”

“What? It's rather offending.”

“I feel worse.”

After saying that, I started minding my own business and turned around to walk away, but Eisel hurriedly blocked my way.

“Come on… Wait a minute.”

“Why again?”

“Well, um, the classes you’re taking, I’ve looked into some of it”

“Even my background check? I don’t like to be followed.”

“… You’re also a high school student, aren’t you?”

'I forgot.'

I, who recalled my own loophole, did not answer and stood still, while Eisel continued.

“Anyway, when I looked at the classes you took, they all provided easy grades.”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

It took less time, and one could easily get grades, so I took those classes. As a bonus, I also took alchemy and magic engineering classes to raise my skill level.

“Where did you learn such a strategy?”

“Why do you need to know? You should know everything about me.”

Then, Eisel frowned and sighed.

“It’s okay to listen to something like the New Moon Studies because it’s an A+ anyway, so it doesn’t affect me at all. But, if I take other subjects, they will harm me since they don't suit me.”

“What?”

I was a little surprised inside.

I already had a lot to worry about right now, so I could not sit around worrying about other people's grades.

“Hmmm, your grades are already so good, so why do you care?”

Her thinking was quite mature, but she would not be able to digest if she took too much on the plate.

“Anyway, can you recommend just one lecture to me? Something good for my grades.”

“Why do you want me to recommend a lecture?”

“I knew it, so I prepared a price.”

“Price…?”

'Kids these days must really love it. Where did they all learn such snobbish things?'

‘As far as I remember, Eisel in her early days must have been an beggar who had nothing…?’

Knowing my confusion, she hurriedly continued the conversation.

“Do you know the secret of the academy's Seventh Main Tower’?”

“Huh?”

However, a word I was familiar with came out.