It was a bad habit one that Raze had picked up from his teaching days.
Whenever he listened to students explaining their answers, he would unconsciously shake his head every time they got something wrong.
It was the same with the X’s he scribbled down in the notebook in front of him. Being in a classroom again brought those old instincts rushing back. Every mistake he heard triggered an automatic reaction: an X.
It wasn’t something he could help. It didn’t matter that his position had changed, that his identity here was supposed to be different. The habit never left him.
Thankfully, it wasn’t something that carried over to battles.
What he hadn’t accounted for, however, was the student sitting beside him one who had been watching his every move. Piba had caught on, and he wasn’t shy about letting the rest of the class know.
As Raze turned his head, he saw that Piba was still wearing the same cheerful, amused grin.
“Well, am I wrong?” Piba asked innocently.
Raze didn’t say anything because, honestly, he couldn’t.
Piba wasn’t wrong, and judging by the expression on Moze’s face, the fifth-ranked student had noticed too.
“You were making corrections to my answer?” Moze said, narrowing his eyes. “If you knew what was wrong, then why didn’t you just say something?
“I’ll admit I might’ve missed a few things, but instead of just sitting there criticizing, why don’t you come up and showeveryone the answer?”
Panla clapped her hands and smiled.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” she said. “After all, we do need to know how much our new transfer students really understand. No need to be shy now, right?”
Reluctantly, Raze stood from his seat and made his way to the front of the room. As he approached the board, Moze moved to hand him the special magical marker.
But Raze simply raised a hand.
“No need,” he said calmly. “I think it’s better if you see what’s wrong, rather than just hear it.”
He turned to face the class, his tone shifting slightly now more like a lecturer than a student.
“All of you heard Moze’s explanation and thought it sounded perfectly correct, right?” he asked.
There were a few hesitant nods around the room. Only Piba raised his hand enthusiastically like a cheerleader.
“Right!” Piba beamed.
“But when Panla asked if anyone had noticed anything wrong,” Raze continued, “none of you could explain the strange feeling you had in your gut.”
He paused.
“Well… that’s because everything Moze said was technically correct.”
“That’s right!” Moze said proudly then frowned. “Wait, what do you mean… technically?”
All eyes turned to Panla, but her expression remained unreadable.
“Moze,” Raze began again, “your understanding of magical formations is clearly advanced. I could see it from the way you analyzed the formation.”
“You said it was a simple heating spell mana converted into heat. But you also said the formation was unnecessarily complex. You broke down each piece and explained their functions.”
Raze took a step forward.
“So, if I asked you to recreate the same spell in that exact complicated form could you do it?”
Without hesitation, Moze grabbed the magical marker and began drawing furiously on the board. Panla, anticipating this, had already used her magic to block the original diagram from view, ensuring Moze wasn’t copying it.
After a few intense moments, Moze stepped back, proud of his recreation.
But the rest of the class could already see it clear as day.
When Panla removed the magical shield, revealing the original formation, Moze’s smile quickly faded.
“They don’t look the same?” he said, scratching his head. “I mean… they look similar, but… not the same?”
“And that’s exactly what I meant,” Raze said. “Everything you explained about the magical formation’s components was correct. You understood each function well but you missed several small, critical details.”
Raze moved toward the board again, pointing at specific runes.
“When you broke down the formation, you were right about how each segment operates. But you disregarded some of the extra runes because on their own, they didn’t seem to add anything meaningful. You assumed they were just added to make the formation look more complicated.”
He turned to face the room.
“I’m sure you’ve had questions like that before. Trick questions. Ones with extra, unnecessary components to throw you off. That’s what most of you thought this was.”
He placed his hand gently over the original formation on the board.
“But it wasn’t a trick like that. This was something else entirely.”
Raze poured a bit of mana into the center of the spell, and all of the runes every single one lit up simultaneously.
Gasps filled the room.
It was suddenly obvious to everyone that every rune mattered.
If any of them had been extra, they would have remained dim.
None had.
The realization hit hard. Any one of them could have figured this out by simply copying the formation and testing it with mana.
Raze withdrew his hand.
“That’s why this was a double trick, and honestly, it was kind of cruel of Panla to throw this at you all,” he said.
He turned to walk back to his seat, but a voice called out from across the room.
“Wait!” Yolden said. “So… was Moze actually wrong? The task was to explain each part of the spell and its overall function. He did that.
“The only mistake he made was not replicating the formation perfectly.”
Raze and Panla almost in sync shook their heads.
“Have you forgotten your magical fundamentals?” Raze asked. “Sure, we often simplify spells and create more efficient versions. But when every rune and line in a spell is activated, it changes the spell’s output entirely.”
He summoned mana again, channeling it into the outer edge of the formation.
This time, only the outer ring lit up, and the heat concentrated solely in that zone rather than the center.
“If the goal was just to convert mana into heat, then yes, the simplified version would’ve worked fine,” Raze said. “But this version? This allows two modes of activation. That’s what makes this formation special and it’s one of the foundational breakthroughs used in advanced wind magic as well.”
With that, he stepped away from the board and returned to his seat.
Panla stared at him, stunned.
I couldn’t have taught it better myself, she thought. Who is this student who just appeared out of nowhere…?
As Raze sat down, he allowed himself a small smile.
I was the top professor at the Central Mage Academy. There are few people in this world who know more about magic than I do.
*****
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When Raze sat back down in his seat, the rest of the students were looking at him in awe. He had solved what was nagging at their head.
It was at that point they realized that one of the questions in the initial assessment, that was what they had gotten wrong. If anyone had completed this question correctly, then they would be admitted into the A class so it was no wonder he was here.
“I guess he’s not just strong at fighting, but he’s got the brains as well.” Yolden commented.
Moze was sitting by Yolden’s side with his arms folded. “I guess, the guy isn’t that bad.”
Yolden chuckled at the comment.
“Oh, has he come around to you as well. Is that because he said you got everything right?”
Rather than bring Moze down, Raze had shown Moze his strength and even told him what he had gotten right.
The way Raze had explained it was easy and clear for all of the others to understand as well.
It was the first time, where someone had gotten the question right, someone who had more knowledge than himself and he didn’t quite feel bad about it.
He didn’t know if it was the white hair or the calming voice, but whatever it was it worked.
When Raze made his way to his seat, Piba was softly clapping his hands together.
“What an excellent explanation. You know if you don’t want to be a mage or part of a guild I think you should become a teacher, it suits you very well.” Piba said.
The whole reason why Raze had to go up in the first place was because of this particular student.
“I want to ask, do you have a unique trait at all? You know, I just want to compare, after all I think me and you might be going head to head don’t you agree, and right now you’re winning out.” Piba claimed. “So I should have some advantages by knowing more about you.”
There was one word that Raze could think of when he looked at Piba, and that was honest. The kid was honest about his feelings, about what he wanted to know and more.
“I don’t have a unique trait, I wasn’t born so lucky.” Raze answered.
The others had heard Raze comment, because the words were said with part vigor. If he wasn’t lucky with his powers and star level, then what about them?
“If not a unique trait, then rare affinity outside of the usual elements?” Piba asked.
“Stop it.” Panla said as she had overheard too much. “You can share these things out of my lesson if you wish, and also Piba, do you not think it’s unfair that you learn everything about him and he learns nothing about you.
“If you want, we can make this a lesson about special affinities, and unique traits and I will happily divulge all of your information.”
As if surrendering, Piba put both of his hands up and smiled, keeping his mouth shut.
As for the actual answer, Raze before didn’t have any special affinities, but after absorbing Heino, he now had the time affinity, and it was hard to consider Dark a special affinity.
Because technically anyone could learn it, it was just no one did. It did make Raze wonder though, out of these top students there might very well be those with unique traits or at least have unique affinities.
‘The extraction technique can absorb unique affinities, but it can’t unique traits. The issue is the extraction technique also takes their whole life force.’
Raze quickly shook his head. Was he really going to take whatever he could from these students if he learned they had something he could use?
He was willing to go far for his revenge but was it necessary to ruin the lives of those that hadn’t wronged him or got in his way?
The lesson with Panla continued, with her showing more examples to the rest of the students.
They started to head up and break down what they could of the spells, and then using their creative thinking were trying to decipher what the rest of the spell meant.
Panla had felt some relief, Raze had practically done her job for her, as now the students were actively looking at the magic circle formation in full.
Even if they didn’t get it right, they were learning and were learning from each other. At least most in the room were.
For those who knew nothing about magic, the class was far too advanced.
“Alright, so is there anyone that wants to do this next one?” Panla asked scanning the room and then out of everyone an unexpected hand was raised.
“Can I give it a go?” Liam asked.
The group had only witnessed one of the transfer students answering the question so far. They assumed that Raze was far ahead from the others but now seeing a second one.
“That’s the guy who took the high enchanted wand as well right?”
“Yeah it is, but this question looks a bit hard. The teacher always saves the harder questions till the end.”
There was no reason for Panla to deny the student’s request so she gestured for Liam to come to the front, but her thoughts had questions.
‘Wasn’t he the one that had answered every question correctly if they were just one place up or down?’ Panla thought. ‘It was a clear case that they had all cheated off the star student Raze. In this situation, are they planning to do the same? To cheat right in front of my nose, if so I’ll pay attention and see how they do it. They might have gotten past Luka, but they won’t be getting past me.’
Liam picked up the feather, and he didn’t even look back at Raze as he started to write away.
The surprising thing was, as Liam was writing things down he was getting everything perfectly correct. He didn’t say a word and was just focused on breaking down the magical formation.
After breaking it all down, he was done, and looked at it.
“That works, right?” Liam asked as he looked at Panla.
She had her mouth wide open, and didn’t say anything.
‘Did…they really cheat somehow, I was looking at the two of them the whole time. But I couldn’t even sense any Mana being used at all, and the student himself it was as if they were so focused.’ Panla thought as she picked up a feather.
She then quickly drew another circle formation.
“Would you mind doing this one as well?”
The students were confused. They were surprised that Liam could complete it, but then they remembered what he had done so far and how impressive the rest of the transfer students had been, so it wasn’t so surprising, or surprising enough for Panla to give him another question.
Regardless Liam had completed that one as well with no trouble at all.
‘It looks like the system really works.’ Liam thought to himself. ‘I was taking in all the information from the other students and the system remembered and broke down the shapes and patterns.
‘What was amazing about the system, was after enough information was given, it was even able to guess how other formations or runes would make certain formations work.
‘I knew the answers before the students completed it, so I just wanted to give it a try, and it looks like there’s no problem at all.’ Liam then headed back to his seat with a smile, and smiled towards Raze.
Raze had figured it had to do something with Liam’s system. It was certainly impressive, whatever it was that Zon had given him in the end.
‘Even before Zon gave Liam the advanced system he was able to recreate magical formations after seeing them once. With the system Liam could get ahead of magical formations quicker than anyone.
‘It’s a shame though that he doesn’t know magic, but him learning magical formations won’t be a bad thing, especially if Safa is by his side so he can still activate them.
‘It does make me wonder as well. The others would have no use to learn magic. It would take them too long and the use of magic would be a deterrent to their power.
‘However, for Liam, if he did learn a bit of magic with his knowledge of magic formations, he could do quite a lot.
‘The issue is, the Qi attacking the body when a magic core is trying to be formed. Safa survived because her own Light Magic healed her…with Safa’s light magic powers now, if she used them…along with Liam’s special body, could he also learn magic.’
****
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Chapter 1311: Help Us
The surprises for the teachers and students would have to end there, for today, at least. The final bell rang, echoing through the academy halls, marking the official end of classes. And although the day had come to a close, what everyone had seen still lingered in their minds.
The students had witnessed more than they’d ever expected. There were mixed reactions spreading across the academy like wildfire. Some of the students looked defeated, realizing just how far behind they were compared to the transfer students. Others were buzzing with inspiration. They had gained a whole new perspective and were fired up, ready to push themselves harder, ready to improve. And then there were those who wore solemn, serious faces, silently vowing to train harder so they wouldn’t be left behind.
Panla watched the wave of students as they walked past her in the hallway, her eyes catching the different expressions on their faces, shock, admiration, frustration, curiosity.
Guess Principal Wilton was right after all, she thought. These transfer students really are lighting a fire under everyone’s belly. Though… I’m not sure this is the kind of flame he had in mind when he approved their arrival.
Just as Panla was thinking this, her gaze shifted, and she spotted Raze standing out in the hallway. And right on cue, two girls were already making their way over to him. Panla narrowed her eyes as she recognized them instantly: Chiba and Yolden, ranked second and third in the entire class.
“Raze, that explanation earlier was amazing!” Chiba said, her eyes practically glowing with excitement. She looked up at him like she was seeing him for the first time. “I always struggle with this kind of class, and honestly, I couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t know if I was just an idiot or if maybe Panla was just bad at teaching. Maybe it’s both!”
She laughed, embarrassed but genuine. “But when you broke it down with Moze, it just clicked. Everything made sense.”
Yolden glanced behind her, instantly sensing that burning stare boring into her back, and sure enough, Panla was standing nearby and had clearly heard every word.
“Anyway,” Yolden continued, shifting her focus back to Raze, “what we’re saying is… you’re clearly talented. Like reallytalented. And because of that, we had something to ask you.”
She paused dramatically.
“Would you be willing to tutor us?”
Raze turned his head slightly. Down the hallway, he could see the rest of his group waiting for him, getting ready to head back to the dormitory. He hadn’t even said a word yet before someone else made his entrance.
Dame strolled over with perfect timing. He moved to put a hand on Raze’s shoulder, then stopped himself just in time, remembering Raze’s aversion to being touched.
“Don’t worry about us,” Dame said with a laid-back grin. “We can handle ourselves. You don’t need to babysit us. Go help the pretty ladies here.”
Then he gave the girls a little wink, and that’s all it took.
Chiba and Yolden were momentarily stunned, eyes drifting upward to take in Dame’s face. The more they looked at him, the more their faces turned pink. He wasn’t just handsome, he looked like someone pulled straight out of a fantasy drama. No, scratch that. All of the transfer students looked like that. It was no coincidence.
Their refined appearances were a byproduct of their high cultivation. The further one progressed in the magical arts, the more their physical form evolved. But Dame? He was on another level entirely. He was born with good looks, and cultivation had only turned him into a living sculpture.
“I mean, you guys could join too,” Yolden added, still a little flustered. “You know… we could do a group study session.”
Raze immediately knew that was a terrible idea. Talking about the intricacies of magic in front of the others, especially when it came to things they weren’t supposed to know, would be the quickest way to expose themselves.
“I’ll tutor just the two of you,” Raze said firmly. “Let’s head to one of the study rooms and go over the material together.”
Then he turned back toward his group, giving them a subtle nod. “Since we’ve got some free time now, I think it’d be smart for you guys to get some practice with the new artifacts you’ve received. There are several combat rooms available. You should go and try them out.”
It wasn’t just advice. It was a pointed message, a warning.
He was telling them to learn their gear now, before they got caught off guard in a real test or worse. And with Liam around and his system, Raze hoped they’d figure it out in time.
“Safa,” Raze added, turning to her specifically, “you should head to the Nurse’s office. Trust me, they’ll welcome you with open arms.”
“Ohh… Is that why Luka let her pass straight away?” Chiba gasped, pointing at Safa. “I was wondering about that earlier. But now it totally makes sense! She’s a Light Mage!”
Light magic, one of the rarest and most prized magic types in existence. Every academy outside of the Central Academy would accept a Light Mage instantly, regardless of their Star level. They were too valuable to pass up.
“I’m so jealous,” Chiba admitted, sighing dramatically. “And with that artifact you’re using, you’ve gotta be a pretty high-tier Light Mage, right?”
Safa’s face flushed red at the unexpected attention and praise. Compliments weren’t something she was used to.
“And she’s a total cutie too,” Yolden added with a grin. “It’s always the good people who get all the good things.”
“Hey now, don’t get any ideas,” Liam said, stepping in defensively.
Both girls shot him a look.
“What are you, her boyfriend or something?” Chiba teased.
“No,” Liam answered, glancing at Safa before turning serious. “There was a time when we could’ve been together… but things are different now. These days, I’m her sword brother.”
There was an awkward pause. The girls blinked, then shrugged, and basically moved on from him entirely.
“No problem,” Safa said with a polite smile. “I’ll see what I can do.”
With that, the group broke up and headed in different directions.
Raze walked off with Chiba and Yolden toward one of the private study rooms. Dame, Beatrix, and Liam made their way to one of the combat areas to begin training. Safa was on her own, heading to the Nurse’s office like Raze suggested.
But Raze had a deeper reason for sending her there.
The Nurse’s office will have patients, real ones. That’s exactly what she needs. Using Light magic in a real situation, not just theory or tests. That’s how she’ll build her affinity.
And if she can increase her affinity with Light magic, even just a little, she’ll advance through the Star ranks quickly. After absorbing that Celestial energy, and fusing with Stoney, if she manages to max out her affinity, she could be the next Nine-Star Light Mage.
That was the potential he saw in her. But there was still something else that was gnawing at him. A mystery he couldn’t let go.
And then there’s the other matter. I still need to find out the truth, whether Time Magic is present in this academy… and whether those two students are part of the Dark Guild or not.
Chapter 1312: Light Trouble
For Raze to let Safa go off on her own in the academy, it could only mean one thing, he believed it was safe. Or at least, safe enough.
Safa trusted his judgment. If Raze wasn’t worried, then there had to be a reason for that. Maybe it was because their enemies hadn’t anticipated things turning out the way they did. Maybe they had no idea the cursed item would be used at all. Still, she expected Raze to be more cautious, especially after what they’d seen.
Even so, she wasn’t about to waste the opportunity. Safa had a good head on her shoulders, and she remembered where the Nurse’s Office was located. But when she got there, she was surprised by what she saw.
The hallway was packed. There were already five students waiting outside the room, and inside, she could see all four medical beds were filled.
What’s going on? she wondered. Why are there so many injured students? Is this because of the combat lessons… or is something else happening around here?
As Safa moved forward to get a better look, one of the students at the front noticed her and instantly flared up.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” the boy snapped. “Back of the line! Just because you’re a delicate little girl doesn’t mean you get to cut!”
He stood with a scowl, wincing slightly from a wrapped arm, but still puffing up his chest like he was ready to fight.
“Even in this state, I could take you down!” he added.
His voice drew the attention of everyone else in line, and a small crowd turned their heads to see what was going on.
“No, it’s not like that!” Safa said quickly, raising her hands. “I’m not here to get treated, I just need to talk to the nurse about something important!”
“Oh, right, right,” the boy said with heavy sarcasm. “Oldest trick in the book. You show up saying you just have a question, and five minutes later you’re walking out perfectly healed and smiling. I’ve seen it before.”
Others began to murmur, their attention locking onto Safa.
“Wait a minute… isn’t she one of the new A-Class students?”
“Yeah! Yeah, that’s her! I saw her at the assessment. She barely even did anything, right?”
A few more students nodded, nursing bruises and scrapes as they stared at her suspiciously.
“But Sting’s right,” someone else said. “Just ’cause you’re one of the new students doesn’t mean you get to cut the line!”
The shouting was escalating. Safa glanced between them, wondering how she could calm things down before it turned into a full-blown confrontation.
“Look at me,” she said, trying to stay composed. “Do I look like I’m injured? I’m not here to be treated. I just want to talk to the nurse about, ”
One of the students cut her off with a shrug. “Yeah, and how are we supposed to know that? We can’t see under all those layers. Maybe you’ve got wounds you’re hiding.”
Safa groaned inwardly. This is ridiculous.
Inside the Nurse’s Office, Diana, the head nurse, was already in the middle of a chaotic day. A woman in her thirties, she wore round glasses, and her long brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. She moved quickly between the beds, barely having time to catch her breath.
One student needed a prescription to heal their magic core. Another required a custom-drawn mana circle to redirect magical energy toward a damaged limb. On top of that, the enchanted blankets on the beds, which sped up healing, had already depleted their stored energy and needed recharging.
And she was doing all of it alone.
It’s days like this, Diana thought, that I start wondering why I ever signed up for this academy.
She could have taken an easier route. A cushy job at the Central Academy, surrounded by a full medical team, with the same pay and less stress.
But no, she continued bitterly in her head, I had to be the hero. I wanted to help the students that needed it most. I thought it would be more meaningful here. More fulfilling.
She sighed as she swapped out the magic blanket on the next patient.
What about my needs, though? Where’s my support? Where’s my healing?
Whether it was the same at other academies or not, one thing was certain: she had never experienced a quiet day. Not once.
Students constantly got themselves hurt, duels, pranks, accidents during magic lessons. It never ended. And half the time, it was like they didn’t even care about getting injured. They were reckless because they knew she’d patch them up no matter what.
And now, right in the middle of mending a badly broken arm, she heard shouting outside.
Her eyebrow twitched.
“Oh, come on!” Diana snapped. “If you’re injured enough to fight, then you’re not injured enough to be treated!”
Her voice carried loud and sharp. It cut through the hallway noise like a blade.
Then… silence.
Huh. That actually worked? That usually never works, she thought as she stood up and stepped toward the door.
“Hey! My arm’s half broken!” the boy in the bed whined.
“Half broken?” Diana scoffed. “Sounds like your head might need checking too when I get back.”
But as she stepped outside, she froze in place.
She saw something she never expected: a student, hands glowing softly, was moving from one injured person to the next, healing them with actual Light Magic.
That’s… Light magic, Diana realized, eyes going wide. A student… using Light magic?
Around her, students were standing perfectly still, mouths slightly open, watching the healing process unfold. Some were poking at their own injuries, wondering if they were dreaming, as the pain began to vanish.
Safa knelt beside a boy with burn marks, her hands still glowing. Right before Diana’s eyes, the burns faded, first the redness, then the blistering, until finally, the skin looked perfectly healthy.
Safa stood up, brushing her hands together.
“There. All done,” she said calmly. “Now I think all of you owe me an apology.”
The students blinked, stunned.
“I was here because I wanted to learn from the nurse. But none of you would even let me speak.”
They looked at each other, and the shame hit fast.
In the next second, the same group that had shouted at her was down on their knees.
“We apologize, dear Saintess!” one of them cried. “We’ll remember what you did for us today! We’ll spread your name through the entire academy!”
Diana stood silently in the doorway, staring. And then, for the first time in a long while, she smiled.
Chapter 1313: The Healing Goddess?
The healing light still shimmered around Safa’s fingertips as Diana, the academy nurse, practically teleported to her side. Before Safa could even fully register what was happening, a strong, surprisingly gentle hand had seized her wrist.
“Inside. Now!” Diana’s voice was a low, urgent whisper, laced with an excitement that vibrated through Safa’s bones. One moment Safa was surrounded by the murmuring relief of healed students on the sun-drenched grounds, the next she was being whisked through the swinging doors of the Nurse’s Room, the scent of antiseptic and something faintly herbal filling her nostrils.
The first thing Diana did was grab a voluminous, stark white robe from a hanger and practically enveloped Safa in it. It was thick, surprisingly soft, and fell to her ankles, instantly making her feel both swaddled and strangely protected. Safa was about to ask, What are you doing? but the words caught in her throat. The robe, even more than the simple white gown Diana herself wore, seemed to hum with a quiet energy, a soothing hum that settled over Safa’s frazzled nerves. It wasn’t just physical comfort; it felt like light itself was drawing closer to her, swirling around her, a gentle embrace. A wave of calm washed over her, making her shoulders relax for the first time since she’d arrived at the academy.
Diana, meanwhile, had already pulled up a sturdy wooden chair, patting the worn seat with a wide, beaming smile. “Sit, sit!” she urged, her eyes sparkling like she’d just discovered a hidden treasure.
“I’ve worked in this academy for four long years, Safa, and this is the first time a Light mage has ever graced our halls,” Diana practically chirped, her voice a rapid-fire cascade of words. “I’ve hoped and wished and prayed, but every single one of them, the gifted ones, they always go straight to the blasted Central Academy. Excuse my language, dear, but I am just so incredibly excited, I could burst!”
She leaned forward, her expression shifting to one of earnest curiosity. “Did you come here to help me, even though you’re a student yourself? Or… do you want payment? I can’t offer much, honestly, but I’m sure I can find some way to help you in return…” Diana’s voice trailed off into a fervent ramble, her hands fluttering in the air as if trying to grasp at ideas. Safa found herself awkwardly raising a hand, a small, nervous smile playing on her lips, to gently halt the flow of words.
“Please, don’t worry about that, Miss…” Safa began, feeling a faint blush creep up her neck.
“Diana,” the nurse interjected, her smile widening. “Just Diana.”
“Diana,” Safa repeated, a little more confidently. “I really don’t need payment, or anything like that. The truth is, I came here because of a good friend of mine.” She paused, thinking of the dark-haired boy whose advice always seemed to make so much sense. “He said that if I could use my healing powers more often, it would significantly increase my affinity. So, I think just helping out and learning from you, watching you work, would be more than enough.”
Diana clasped her hands together, her eyes practically turning into cartoon stars. “You’re truly an angel, Safa! Where have you been my whole life?” she exclaimed, shaking her head in delighted disbelief. “Your friend, he must be quite the knowledgeable one to have suggested such a thing. That’s a very advanced understanding of Light magic.”
Her expression, however, soon grew a little more serious. “Although,” Diana mused, tapping a finger against her chin, “healing small injuries like these, the scrapes and bruises, won’t really boost your affinity as much as you might hope. Tell me, Safa, what star level are you currently at?”
“I think… I’m at a three-star level,” Safa answered, her voice soft, suddenly feeling a surge of embarrassment.
“Three-star?!” Diana’s shout reverberated through the quiet room, her eyeballs nearly popping out of her head in genuine shock. “But how is that even possible? With how incredibly fast your healing was just now, the speed at which those students recovered… I honestly thought you’d be at least a five-star mage!”
Safa smiled nervously, her gaze flickering around the room. She wasn’t entirely sure what to say, but a sense of trust was blossoming for Diana. Maybe it was okay to be somewhat honest with her, especially since she wasn’t one of the other academy teachers, the ones who always seemed to judge. And unlike the other transfer students, Safa actually knew how to use magic herself, so there was no way for Safa to accidentally expose herself.
“To be honest,” Safa began, choosing her words carefully, “I only learned magic quite recently. Because of that, my star level increase has been pretty slow. But… he says my power is actually quite strong. So, as long as I increase my affinity, I’ll be fine.”
Diana’s smile returned, a knowing glint in her eyes as she listened to Safa’s explanation. “You must be truly blessed, then. And your friend… he certainly seems to know what he’s talking about. Is he a professor, perhaps?”
Safa shook her head, a small, involuntary laugh escaping her lips. “No, he’s a student. One of the transfers who arrived with me.”
Mulling everything over, Diana still kept a hand on her chin, a thoughtful frown creasing her brow. She clearly wanted to get to the bottom of this fascinating mystery. Finally, she straightened up, her eyes gleaming with renewed purpose.
“If you don’t mind, then, let’s get you to work straight away! How about we tackle some of the patients who are already here? We can clear these beds in no time!”
The two fell into a quick, efficient rhythm. While it was mostly Diana guiding Safa, pointing to specific injuries and offering quiet tips, Diana often paused just to watch. She was openly amazed by how much mana Safa seemed to possess, a seemingly endless well of energy. The wounds healed right before her eyes, skin knitting together, bruises fading like smoke. However, Diana soon noticed that with more complex cases, Safa struggled. She simply didn’t know the higher-tier spells, and even if she did, her three-star level seemed to prevent her from performing them. It was a bizarre contradiction: immense raw power, yet a lack of refined skill.
Nevertheless, with a clever mixture of their combined efforts – Safa’s raw, potent light magic and Diana’s knowledge of more intricate healing techniques – they eventually managed to clear all the beds in the Nurse’s Room.
Afterward, the two of them settled back into their original seats, a comfortable silence lingering between them.
“It’s truly quite amazing, Safa,” Diana finally broke the quiet, her voice filled with wonder. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard or seen a case quite like yours before. You have a truly considerable amount of mana, and not only that, but it’s almost as if the very power of your light magic is incredibly high. It’s so potent.”
She paused, her brow furrowing slightly. “Yet, that’s the strangest part. Because your affinity should be high if your light magic power is so potent. Out of all the things Light mages are capable of, basic healing is one of them. It’s just a fundamental trait of the Light Magic power itself. Due to your unique situation, your basic healing skill is supercharged, beyond what any three-star mage should be capable of. But your affinity is low, stopping you from performing higher-level spells, or using Light magic in a more advanced, nuanced way.”
Diana leaned forward, her voice dropping as if sharing a secret. “It’s almost as if you do have a high affinity, a natural connection to Light magic, but the very rules of our magical world are blocking it, keeping it dormant until your star level has somehow increased. It’s such a strange situation. It’s almost as if you’ve skipped all the foundational steps and just… have the raw power, and all you need to do is increase your affinity to unlock everything else.” Diana looked like she wanted to say so much more, her mind clearly racing with possibilities. If all Safa needed to do was increase her affinity, depending on how strong her light magic truly was, she would likely break through the star levels remarkably quickly just by healing people.
“Your friend… he was able to assess all of this?” Diana asked, her voice laced with admiration. “They must be quite the knowledgeable person. Are they a Light mage as well?” Her hopeful gaze indicated she might be able to get even more help from this mysterious expert.
“No…” Safa answered, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks as she thought of him. “He’s just a very special person… he’s like a brother to me.”
Just as the two were deep in conversation, a soft knock echoed at the door. A student, clutching his arm, peered inside, his eyes wide.
“Um… is this where the saintess is?” the student mumbled, his gaze darting nervously between Safa and Diana. “I heard she’s really good at healing.”
Diana sighed dramatically, but there was a hint of a pleased smile playing on her lips as she walked up to the student. “And here I thought we were done for the day,” she murmured, then peered out into the hallway. Her eyes widened. A line of at least ten students, some feigning injuries, some just openly curious, stretched down the corridor.
What on earth is going on? Diana thought, a mix of exasperation and amusement bubbling within her.
“I heard she’s a real beauty, and when she heals you, you feel like a whole new person!” one of the students in the line called out, loud enough for Safa to hear.
“Right? It’s worth getting a little hurt just to see if the rumors are true, isn’t it?” another chimed in, a mischievous grin on his face. Safa felt her face grow hot, a strange mix of embarrassment and a tiny spark of something akin to pride stirring within her. It seemed her quiet morning of healing was anything but over.
