Surviving at the Magic Academy

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The three essential elements of life are classified as body, mind, and soul. Of course, there are many other classifications, but all of them are based on these three elements.

So, which of these three is the most important? I can say with certainty that most people would talk about the soul. It can’t be helped, really. The soul can be said to be the archetype of that life.

It’s the purest entity that exists even before one has a body, before the mind awakens. Therefore, unlike the other elements that can change easily, the soul is absolute. Even trees are based on this.

The same goes for cultivating power. Simply accepting magical energy and accumulating knowledge doesn’t change the soul. The only way to bring about change is to transcend one’s limits and become a better being.

Thus, being the foundational part of life, the soul possesses immense value. It’s for this reason that some criminals across the Empire harvest weeds to perform magic. Even if they can’t grow trees, the soul remains intact.

And my important soul was being torn into thirteen pieces. Through the exact cracks of those fragments, I felt a strong magical power. It was Professor Ilian’s. Her power was violently ripping me apart.

Seething anger was conveyed to my soul through that power. The anger flared up like an endless flame, consuming my soul.

The soul began to collapse rapidly within that inferno. With it came an indescribable intense pain that sought me out. I had experienced it several times before. I should be somewhat accustomed to it, yet it still felt foreign.

And no wonder. The sensation of the soul being burnt is something no one can easily endure. Moreover, since she seemed really furious this time, the scale of that pain was colossal. My torn soul screamed silently in endless agony.

Hmm, Mr. Ebron, your heart has a sweet scent. Quite delicious.

A faint connection I couldn’t identify was heard through that feeble link, a whisper. It was Mira’s voice, lightly chuckling with a ‘huhuh.’

But was it right for her to laugh? I couldn’t be sure. I couldn’t tell if even this connection was genuine. Amidst the pain, another whisper brushed past me. It was more like a scene than a whisper.

A glimpse of the island. I was staring at the tomb of the deceased caretaker. It was something I had not experienced.

Perhaps these were just simple memories. Or maybe they were a divergence of possibilities engraved in my soul. Perhaps they were events of a future I hadn’t chosen or what lay ahead.

In this state where my soul was torn apart, I couldn’t be certain if the current version of me and the countless things rising within me were genuine. I had become incomplete, and time tangled within that.

A slight realization brushed against my soul. Yes, time is something that belongs to the individual. All those possibilities are contained within me. That realization permeated my soul.

It was a chance born from the anger-laden power of the professor. Of course, the agony persisted alongside that epiphany. From my shattered self, a glimpse of the future appeared, the present got tangled, and the past began to flow backward.

Within that endless time, one thing became apparent to me. I would fall into endless suffering within this time. That was the determined future for one who had sinned.

Thus, the flames of magical power burnt my soul swiftly. In that blaze, I left only a single trace before vanishing. But that was not the end. Even as my soul turned to ashes, I couldn’t lose consciousness.

Because my soul was regenerating rapidly. The magical power that burned me immediately reversed time the moment my soul became ashes. Alongside that, my soul was revived once more. It had become whole again.

And then it was torn apart again. Once more, within the intense magical flames emitted by the professor, my soul ignited again while maintaining its sanity. It was an occurrence that had already repeated dozens of times.

Within that blazing soul, there was only one thing I could grasp. Just one realization I had obtained. Holding onto that thin thread, I began to flow through my memories.

So, from within those thirteen fragmented memories, I reflected on many things. And at the end, I could see things that did not belong to me.

Those were memories of my previous life. In an unknown world, on an unidentifiable battlefield, memories of killing people I didn’t know. Within that, I was a soldier, a general who commanded them, and also an innocent civilian who died at their hands.

All those mixed memories rushed by swiftly. And soon faded into obscurity. But within those memories, I finally found the complete me. I recognized the pure state of the soul, free from the body.

Thus, the flames of magical power washed away some of my obsession toward the professor. That stemmed from my body, which was consumed by the power of the treasure. It was then that the reason for her anger began to make perfect sense.

Hmm… I had indeed acted excessively. How dare I steal the professor’s body without a word and implant it into a doll? If I were in her place, I would be furious too. It was fortunate that she didn’t kill me on the spot.

This punishment was quite deserved. While thinking that, I felt a sensation pulling at my soul from somewhere. Along with it, the magical power that was corroding my soul began to dissipate.

That faint pull started to grow stronger. And began to slowly guide me. My rapidly regenerating soul caught a whiff of a scent within that flow. The intense fragrance of roses that enticed my soul.

That pull swallowed my soul whole. It felt like a natural inclination. Thus, I was slowly submerged into the darkness, swept away by that unknown flow.

And then I blinked. I began to feel a thumping resonance in my chest. I placed my hand calmly over it. My heart was beating rapidly beyond my chest. I had returned to my body.

I quietly looked down at my hands. My slightly trembling fingers caught my eye. Cautiously, I tried to clench my fists. That sensation felt oddly awkward.

Then someone reached out to me. I felt a faint rose scent from the tips of that hand. It was Mira. She gently took my hand and lightly tapped it. With that, I began to feel that the punishment had come to an end.

The sensation of my body gradually returned. Whether my soul sensed something or realized something, at that moment, it quickly faded away. Only that trace remained faintly.

“Huhuh, you’ve come back. I was quite worried watching your soul burn.”

And then I faced her. She looked at my eyes and gave me a light smile. I blinked gently. Before my soul was extracted, she had swiftly sold me out. I hadn’t noticed that before. Didn’t she say she was doing it just for me?

A slight resentment arose in my chest toward her. As I looked at her with that resentment, she softly poked my chest and let out a small sigh.

“I always told Mr. Ebron to hold back. You just went out of control, didn’t you? And the ones who are supposed to live must live.”

She was right. It was truly out of control. Nodding my head quietly, I accepted that expression as accurate. I only realized how excessive I had been when the soul remained. This issue was wholly my fault.

She covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled lightly. And then looked somewhere. Since I was laying on her lap, I couldn’t see properly, but I quickly figured out where her gaze was directed—at the professor.

“I really don’t want to get hit by Lady Ilian again. Once was enough for those unpleasant memories.”

Had she ever been hit by the professor? Oh, there was that one time. It was when she failed to retrieve a treasure. Apparently, that had bothered her quite a bit.

Thus, after I adapted to my body sufficiently, I got up from Mira’s lap. I exchanged a silent nod of gratitude with her and then stood up. As I did, the scenery around me came into view.

We were still in the palace. The first thing my eyes caught was a firmly shut door. I could also see two people watching me.

A girl with flowing blonde hair and a boy with white hair—the professor and the chancellor.

Upon seeing the professor, my body jolted. She was making an expression that I had never seen before.

The emotions contained in her eyes were vividly apparent. And those emotions were many. There was anger, contempt, betrayal, and even a hint of disgust.

Amidst those mixed emotions, she glared at me. Her magical power began to ripple again and poured down onto me.

It seemed the professor’s anger hadn’t subsided. That was only natural. I deeply understood the feelings she must have been experiencing. Thus, I closed my eyes and braced myself for it. It was something I had to endure.

But in the midst of it, the magical force subtly halted. The pressure that had been bearing down on me melted away like snow. When I opened my eyes, I saw the chancellor waving his hand and dispersing the professor’s power.

The professor snorted lightly and withdrew her magical power. She turned her gaze away with a sulky expression. The chancellor looked at me and smiled brightly.

“Hehe, are you okay? I was quite worried about you. I asked him to stop.”

The professor clicked her tongue at his words. Somehow, the punishment ended quicker than I expected. I gave a slight nod of acknowledgment toward him. It was a small gesture of greeting.

It was clear that he helped. But I didn’t feel grateful. If he hadn’t said a word, it would have been a perfect crime. A sense of disappointment flared up in my chest, only to quickly dissipate.

And then I glanced at him nervously. He was the professor’s foster parent. What I had done could be considered quite a serious offense. If he had been furious about my actions, I might’ve been done for.

But thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case. Rather, he appeared quite delighted. He laughed heartily while looking at the turtle on his lap.

The darkness in his eyes seemed to spill out, shimmering through the room, shrouding the palace in shadow. After having laughed for a while, he began rubbing his eyes and collecting it back.

“I can only apologize to you. If it hadn’t been for me, this wouldn’t have come to light. Hehe, I never imagined you’d create a doll like this without Ilian noticing.”

He lightly tapped the table. The turtle that had been resting on his fingertips let out a bleat. The chancellor chuckled again, observing it.

“With your determination, execution, and intuition—all very impressive. You truly are quite the mage. Perhaps a bit tainted, but still good. Ah, it’s clear to see you’re following that Ilian friend of yours.”

He added that the two made quite a charming pair, waving his hand lightly. A gentle breeze brushed past me, revealing the turtle.

The turtle that had been sitting in the chancellor’s hands was suddenly in front of me. It appeared as a girl. It looked just like the professor. That must have pleased the chancellor.

It cautiously began to gauge my reaction. It seemed to send me a question asking if I was alright. This cheeky little thing. Just like Mira, it had tossed me aside, flawlessly.

Of course, this was all my fault from the beginning, but this turtle could be considered a part of me. But to throw me away like that? I looked at it with some resentment. Then it quietly withdrew into its shell.

Trying to hide, huh? Not a chance. I’d make sure you sampled even a fraction of the pain I felt. Thinking that, I used my magic to knock on its shell.

But that shell was surprisingly tough. It had a strength I had never felt before. It firmly blocked my magic and even bounced it back with its elasticity.

I massaged my numbed fingers, widening my eyes. The turtle poked its head out slightly to check on me before hiding back inside. The chancellor spoke up in response to me.

“This is an apology gift for ruining your plans. Since you seem to like turtles, I enclosed part of the shell from this continent.”

With that, the chancellor stroked his chin. He smacked his lips together in disappointment. He proceeded to speak again.

“I never thought of such a fun idea. Why couldn’t I come up with something like this? I should try it myself next time.”

“Giving me such a precious gift; I truly thank you.”

I bowed deeply toward the chancellor. Instead of just apologizing, he had even given me a gift. A sense of gratitude blossomed in my heart for him. Somehow, it felt like we were on the same wave length.

While I was thinking that, a strong presence began to make itself known. A gaze that pierced through me. Following that gaze, I spotted the professor.

She was looking at me with an incredulous expression. She made eye contact with me and scrunched her brows tightly. Her face was filled with contempt directed toward me.

“I had a hunch you two would be similar. You, let’s meet outside again.”

The professor said, grinding her teeth slightly. I gulped quietly. It seemed the punishment I was about to receive wouldn’t come to an end easily.

The chancellor burst into a hearty laugh while observing us.

“Hehe, I considered it just a joke, but you’re giving quite a reaction.”

As he said that, he lightly scratched his head. As our gazes met, he gave me a light smile.

“I was worried I might have disrupted the bond between you two. It seems she won’t abandon you.”

He whispered to me to not get caught next time, then he winked. He then clapped his hands lightly.

“And don’t worry. I won’t reveal to anyone that you’ve reincarnated. Reincarnation is also one of the possibilities that we humans can strive toward.”

As he said that, he rubbed his chin. Adjusting himself, he propped his chin on his hand while looking at us.

“Since you’ve peered into my secret, I’ll share one of my own. You hold no value for me at all. So you don’t have to worry about me eating you like the others. I’m merely a manifestation of the Archmage who founded this university.”

Hearing that made me blink slightly. A manifestation, huh. He lightly knocked on the floor. Suddenly, the caves surrounding the palace began to resonate loudly. I could even feel the flow of magic reaching here.

“The carcass of this turtle is also a mark that signifies humanity’s first victory over a disaster. It was used to create the land, and its eyes were extracted to summon the sun. And I became contained within it. This university is essentially my body.”

As he said that, the chancellor pointed to his own eyes. I could see the darkness undulating within. Instantly, I understood the meaning behind those words. In this university, he could see everything that couldn’t be hidden from him.

“So don’t worry. Eating you wouldn’t benefit me at all. There are others who have reincarnated besides just you in this university.”

That surprised me slightly. So there are other reincarnated souls in this university besides me? The chancellor grinned upon seeing my face.

“The university is a place to filter out talented individuals. Most reincarnated souls naturally congregate here. Of course, they all keep their true identities hidden, though. It could be entertaining for you to seek them out. This is my final apology gift for you.”

With that, the chancellor concluded his speech while stroking the teacup in front of him. I immediately cast a spell toward him to express my gratitude. The tea slowly flowed into his cup following the magical circle. He nodded while drinking it.

“Well then, shall we conclude this turtle’s story here? I’ve roughly assessed the situation. Now I must have a chat with you. You’re quite a bit older now, yes? Over five thousand years old, I believe. You’ve officially reached adulthood.”

The chancellor gazed at the professor. Over five thousand years old? That was a new discovery. The professor was puffing up her cheeks, unleashing her magic. I could sense her annoyance coming through.

“How can you so easily discuss someone else’s age? Especially when you know that time is power for us.”

The chancellor dodged her magic lightly and chuckled. He then glanced at me.

“As a meaning of living truthfully with each other without hiding, I revealed your secret. Umm, I hope that your bond grows more harmonious than it is now.”

He said that while alternating his gaze between me and the professor. I quickly nodded. This time, I had indeed gone too far. The moment I recognized the professor as a dragon, my body and mind had naturally acted out my desires.

Now that I fully recognized that, this wouldn’t happen again. With that thought, I looked at the professor with bright eyes. Yes, it absolutely wouldn’t happen again! …Unless I could keep it hidden, right?

The professor stared at me with an indescribable expression. She soon let out a sigh. Her magic seemed to dissipate, and she waved her hand weakly.

“Just say what you need to say. I want to leave quickly. I’ve gotten rather tired of all this. I need to hurry back and rest.”

As that hand motioned, her magic began to be contained within her body. Once she gathered all her magic, she glared at the chancellor. She crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks slightly.

“You’re in such a hurry. Haven’t we spent long enough without seeing each other?”

The chancellor looked at her with a regretful expression. But she merely snorted, glaring at him. Under the unspoken pressure to speak quickly, the chancellor finally sighed.

“I didn’t expect it to get this rough. So, about the matter, I’ll let you know. Primarily, I called you because I was curious if you were doing well. Even if I wanted to see you, you’ve never come out of the tower. I also grew curious about the people you involved.”

As he said that, he gave me a sidelong glance. He lightly nodded and then turned to the professor, giving her a mischievous smile while clapping his hands.

“Well, since you’re such an interesting being, it seems you’d fit right into your fondness for rare things. I now understand why you treasure it so much.”

“Shut up. Is that all you want to say?”

The professor said that and made a face. The chancellor looked at her and smiled brightly. He then gently tapped the table and continued speaking.

“Of course, if that were the only reason I called, I knew you would be quite angry. There is another purpose. This is a task not as your guardian but as a chancellor.”

As he said that, a section of the table he was tapping slightly opened, and some documents popped out. He directed them toward the professor.

She lifted them up. As she read them slowly, her expression began to crumple. As if the papers in her hands were getting wrinkled.

“You’re also a professor now. After a thousand years of playing around, you must have rested quite a bit. And with that rest, you must also fulfill your responsibilities. It’s time for you to work and uphold your duties as a professor.”

At his words, the professor threw the crumpled documents in disgust. Her face was fully displaying signs of annoyance. The chancellor gently smiled, unfurling the papers again and offering them to her.

I watched this scene, blinking quietly. It seemed there were things she needed to do beyond merely managing the tower. I glanced at the professor. Work, huh? I had a premonition I would somehow end up taking care of that.

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