“As you all know, this magical formula takes on a typical form. It allows the user to…”

During class.

Wendy was focusing intently, staring at the blackboard.

As expected of the top magic university in the country, even the first-year classes were quite challenging.

Moreover, Wendy had skipped a grade, making her the youngest in the class.

Despite that, she was desperately trying to keep up with the lessons.

‘Haam…’

As she diligently took notes, she heard Myohail’s carefree voice.

‘These are all spells I already know…’

‘Master…?’

‘They’re all just boring spells. Watching this all day makes me want to yawn.’

‘Well, you’re a sage who knows everything, after all…’

Myohail, known as the pinnacle of magicians, was currently disguised as her hairpin.

‘Hoho. Do you think I know every spell?’

‘Huh? You don’t…?’

‘Of course not. I don’t know everything, just a lot. If you exclude what I’ve forgotten, it’s only about 700 million spells.’

‘…Isn’t that pretty much everything…?’

‘Nonsense! There are still countless unknown spells in this world. Not to mention the forgotten ones. Knowledge is endless, after all.’

Since becoming Myohail’s disciple, Wendy had learned a lot about magic.

From the transformation of magical energy to reading and creating formulas.

It was difficult for Wendy, who was a novice in magic, but with Myohail’s guidance, she managed to get by.

Myohail always knew the way.

He had deep knowledge and confidence in magic.

But even he didn’t know many spells… The world of magic is truly boundless.

Wendy sighed inwardly.

‘Ugh… I must be talentless… At this rate, I won’t even pass the exams, let alone come in first…’

‘Hoho. What are you worried about? I’m here, aren’t I?’

‘Huh…?’

‘Have you forgotten? I’m a sage. The exams at this school are child’s play to me. My disciple just needs to trust me. Hehe.’

Myohail spoke in a triumphant voice.

Certainly, his words were true.

With the vast knowledge of a sage, one could easily top the school’s exams.

But Wendy shook her head.

‘I’m sorry… Master.’

‘Hmm?’

‘I, I know it’s presumptuous of me… but I really want to come in first on my own…’

The reason was, of course, the promise she made with Tristan a few days ago.

The promise that if she came in first, he would grant her a wish.

It had to be done entirely by her own efforts to be meaningful.

Realizing this, Myohail sighed.

‘Well, well… Should I say you’re admirable… Hehe… So, my disciple, what wish do you plan to ask the Count for if you come in first?’

‘Huh? W, well…?’

Come to think of it, she hadn’t thought about the wish yet.

That day, because Tristan had patted her head, Wendy couldn’t sleep.

At the same time, she was determined to meet his expectations.

Perhaps it was the first time the Count had placed expectations on Wendy. That’s why she absolutely didn’t want to disappoint her master.

Originally, Wendy had no desire to come in first. But now, she wanted to pour everything into achieving it.

She wanted to confidently make a wish to the Count.

But… what wish should she make?

If it’s a wish, it should be something Wendy truly desires.

What she desires is…

‘Really… really, will he grant me anything…? The Count…’

Wendy muttered to herself.

Unbeknownst to her, her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Seeing this, Myohail sighed.

‘Hoo… This master hopes our disciple makes a wholesome wish…’

‘Wholesome…? Wholesome?! Why are you talking as if I would make an unwholesome wish?!’

‘Did you think you could hide it from me? Disciple. A sage can use magic to read people’s minds.’

‘Huh, huh?!’

Wendy was startled.

Magic to read people’s minds?

Could such terrifying magic exist?

‘No. No. That can’t be!’

But Wendy wasn’t easily fooled.

She had been tricked by Myohail’s pranks many times before.

‘Y, you’re lying again! If such a thing existed, you would have used it by now!’

‘Believe it or not, it’s up to you. But this master is sad… My little disciple is already trying to climb the stairs of adulthood.’

‘T, that’s not it! A, adulthood?! I’m not thinking anything strange!’

‘Are you really planning to see the Count’s grandchildren?’

The moment she heard that, chills ran down her spine.

‘Huh?! W, what?! How did you?! Y, you really have such magic?!’

‘Yes. This is the magic of lying.’

‘Ugh…! Such a vicious magic exists… But the magic’s name is “Gura”? Gura…? Gura?! That means it’s a lie, right?!’

Only then did Wendy realize she had been tricked again, but it was too late.

‘You believed that? You still have a long way to go, disciple. I just said that because your face looked like you were imagining the Count’s grandchildren. I didn’t think I’d hit the mark…’

‘P, please forget it! Master! Please forget it! Please!’

Unintentionally confessing her inner thoughts, Wendy could only bow her head in embarrassment.

Regardless, Myohail was furious.

‘How can I forget! His grandchildren? No way! No!!!’

‘Hic…’

‘That’s absolutely out of the question! I can’t send my precious disciple to that thief…!’

‘M, marriage…? How could someone like me to someone like the Count…’

‘Hmph. Such an impudent wish is not allowed. Even if the Count grants it, I will stop it.’

‘I, I won’t make such an impudent wish!’

‘Hehe… Seeing you now, it seems like you might just do that…’

‘N, no!’

Wendy desperately denied it. And because of that, she reacted the same way to the voice calling her.

“Wendy.”

“No…! I wasn’t thinking that…”

“Wendy.”

“Huh…? Huh?!”

Only then did Wendy jump up from her seat.

And she was faced with a scene that was extremely terrifying for her.

The entire classroom was staring at Wendy.

The whispering students and the worried looks from Sia and Luna.

If it were just them, it might have been bearable.

“Finally, you see me.”

The heavily made-up female professor standing in front of the blackboard was looking at Wendy.

“So… what were you saying ‘no’ to?”

“I, it’s not that…”

Professor Ariel Rizeute, who taught the basics of magical formulas, spoke in a cold voice.

“If there’s something wrong with the formula I drew, would you like to correct it, Wendy?”

“Huh?”

Ariel pointed to the formula on the blackboard.

A rather complex formula was left unfinished in a circular magic circle.

Ariel had stopped drawing it upon hearing Wendy’s muttering.

“N, nothing’s wrong… I’m sorry for not paying attention…”

“Ah, come on. Why don’t you come up and finish it? I’d like to see the skills of our top freshman.”

“Huh?”

“Come on.”

Ariel gestured to Wendy with a smile.

But her eyes were extremely cold.

“If you don’t come down, I’ll deduct points for your class attitude.”

“Ugh…”

If she lost points, coming in first would be out of reach.

Wendy had no choice but to reluctantly go down to Professor Ariel.

As she dejectedly walked down the stairs, Myohail whispered in her ear.

‘Don’t be nervous, disciple. Remember what I taught you. If you follow my teachings, there will be no problem.’

‘Okay…’

Wendy took a deep breath.

As she approached the blackboard, the formula became clearer.

‘That formula is…’

She knew how to read formulas, having learned from Myohail.

Although the formula was incomplete, Wendy could roughly understand what Professor Ariel was trying to draw.

However… there was something she couldn’t understand.

‘Why was the professor drawing ‘that kind of formula’…?’

Such doubts aside, Wendy stopped in front of the blackboard. Ariel handed her the chalk as if she had been waiting.

“Here you go. Wendy, why don’t you finish it?”

“Professor…”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Ariel’s eyes were still cold.

The professor she had encountered with Tristan during the entrance ceremony.

Just like then, she was looking at Wendy with cold eyes.

Wendy couldn’t bring herself to look directly into those eyes. She only asked in a timid voice.

“I, is this perhaps a wind magic…”

“Hmm… If I tell you that much, it wouldn’t be fun, would it? Besides, as the top freshman, you should be able to figure this out.”

Wendy hesitated for a moment.

It wasn’t because of Ariel’s inexplicable hostility.

“I, is it really okay for me to complete it…?”

“…? Of course. Are you not confident?”

“N, no, it’s just too dangerous…”

“Is that what you’re worried about? Instead of worrying, why don’t you finish the formula? I’ll give you three minutes.”

“T, three minutes?!”

Time was tight.

Wendy had no choice but to make a decision.

‘Ugh… I don’t know anymore!’

Wendy quickly grabbed a nearby step stool.

She was too short to reach the top of the blackboard, so she had no choice.

Wendy began to complete the formula on the blackboard.

Seeing her struggling, Ariel smirked slightly.

“Unfortunately, the formula I was trying to draw wasn’t… that… Wait…?”

It didn’t take long for Ariel’s face to harden as she watched Wendy draw the formula.