I Need the True Ending to Graduate - Chapter 54

The lesson’s content was simple.

It was about creating physical objects using magic power.

Magic power was an invisible force used to activate spells, and giving it a physical form was extremely difficult.

It was similar to shaping rising smoke into a desired form.

Still, if one could form it properly, it was quite a useful spell.

Because it was made of pure magic, it could be freely controlled depending on the wizard’s skill.

For example, if one created arrows, they could make them track the enemy’s movements, unleash countless showers of arrows, or even use them as a medium to trigger a specific spell.

If one shaped it into a sword, they could rapidly change its size and form.

“…However, giving magic power a fixed form is an extremely difficult process. Even among the most skilled wizards, many fail to control it perfectly. Since it’s formless by nature, it lacks the solidity that something with a definite shape possesses.”

That was true.

Because of that, though it offered convenient advantages, it wasn’t commonly used.

Rather than wasting time and energy gathering magic to make one arrow, it was more efficient to use that same power to control hundreds of real arrows.

…Not that that was easy either.

Even so, the reason why this seemingly inefficient spell—something only a few wizards could use—was being taught as a lesson at the academy was simple.

“Because the very difficulty of giving form to something unshaped allows for flexibility. This unpredictability makes it highly effective in confusing the enemy.”

The professor explained in a dull voice.

“A bird flying in the sky might suddenly explode midair, and even an ant crawling on the ground could pierce through the enemy’s barrier spells. Just having one wizard who can do this on the battlefield could change the course of an entire war.”

That was why this lesson existed: to have the students practice it one by one, in hopes that among them might be someone with exceptional talent.

“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a difficult spell to perform. So don’t worry if you can’t create a perfect form during the exam. The practical score weight is low, and even if you manage to produce a stable form for just a moment, you’ll pass. Think of today as practice for that exam.”

Finishing his explanation, the professor instructed them to wear the gloves that helped with more delicate control of magic power.

Ruad put them on with a bored expression, but his eyes never left Lucia.

She slipped on her gloves indifferently, her face calm and confident, as if she’d never once ignored him. The arrogance on her face was enough to make him seethe inside.

Meanwhile, once the professor confirmed that all students had finished putting on their gloves, he spoke, “It doesn’t matter what it is, try forming something with your magic power. Since it’s your first time, start simple. A sphere or a cube will do.”

The moment he finished speaking, the students obediently followed his instructions and began attempting to give form to their magic under the professor’s guidance.

Of course, since it was such a difficult spell, almost no one succeeded. The magic they gathered scattered like fireworks instead of forming shapes.

In contrast, after just three or four attempts, Ruad managed to create a fairly stable sphere.

Forming a perfect object was difficult, but a simple shape like this was no problem. He had picked up the technique while studying abroad and attending practical lectures there.

The professor, who had been walking around the practice grounds guiding students, noticed and nodded in quiet admiration.

“Oh, Mr. Rochef, you’re a fast learner. You’ve shaped it quite precisely.”

At the professor’s praise, the other students’ attention immediately turned toward him. Their faces all seemed to say they couldn’t understand how he had made it so quickly and so easily.

The air was filled with admiring gazes and an atmosphere of reverence toward him.

The professor’s praise and his recognition—his delight at discovering a wizard of exceptional talent—contributed to that mood.

If it had been an ordinary person, they would’ve felt pleased to be acknowledged or embarrassed by the envious gazes around them. But to Ruad, all of it was completely natural.

So natural, in fact, that it stirred nothing in him. He didn’t even feel like reacting.

He was only thinking of Lucia.

Lucia, who didn’t glance at him even when everyone else’s eyes were fixed on him.

Lucia, who once had been his only friend, now looking at him as if he were a mad dog wandering the streets.

Lucia, who had given both her heart and body to him, only to act the next day as if nothing had ever happened.

That Lucia Even.

As his thoughts continued, the perfect sphere he had formed began to distort.

Then, something suddenly caught his eye.

‘What’s that…?’

Ruad lifted his head and looked around.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of butterflies had appeared out of nowhere, fluttering their delicate wings and flying freely around the practice grounds.

The countless butterflies that had appeared so suddenly circled aimlessly through the air for a while, then soon began to move toward a single point.

When he followed their movement with his gaze, the one they were gathering around was none other than Lucia.

“Lucy….”

Lucia’s two hands, held neatly together, overflowed with golden magic like a spring. And right at that very spot, butterflies seemed to hatch from that magic as if breaking free from their shells, spreading their wings and flying around her.

The butterflies scattered golden particles of magic through the air as they flew, each with wings of a different color and shape.

They would fly far across the practice grounds, almost as if they were about to disappear, then suddenly stop as if they’d hit an invisible wall in midair, and return to her side to perch with their wings folded.

Some settled gently on Lucia’s straight shoulders, others on her calmly arranged hair, her hands, and her arms.

Those that hadn’t yet found a place circled around her endlessly, fluttering their wings as if waiting for their turn.

The sight looked less like a spell that gave form to magic and more like a scene from an ancient myth. It was both profoundly mysterious and achingly beautiful.

But what truly overwhelmed Ruad wasn’t Lucia’s vast mana or the exquisite control with which she wielded it.

It was her talent itself—pure, unshakable, and divine.

He was sure of it: even if he devoted his entire life to studying magic, he would never reach that level.

That was the kind of talent Lucia possessed.

“….”

At that moment, for some reason, a memory from the past suddenly came flooding back to Ruad.

He remembered the first time he met Lucia. The time when he had approached her with the intent to exploit her weakness, thinking she was easy to manipulate.

Back then, Ruad couldn’t understand Lucia, who sat in the library chair day after day, emptying entire bottles of ink as she studied with relentless focus.

Unlike other academies, this one didn’t offer scholarships, and since she was of low birth, even if she managed to succeed, she would likely end up working under some minor local lord. So why did she study so desperately, with her eyes burning like that?

If he had been Lucia Even, he would have searched for a suitable husband, used that face and body to seduce him, and planned to rise in status that way. To waste that time studying instead, he had thought she was a fool.

But that thought had been completely wrong.

This wasn’t the kind of talent one could ignore and move past. It wasn’t something so trivial.

If he had been Lucia and possessed such talent for magic, he would never have let it rot for something as meaningless as marriage or social advancement.

Even if it killed him, even if it shattered him, he would have thrown everything he had into letting that talent bloom.

It was a talent that was destined to blossom.

Her lowly birth could never hold her back. No, her talent was powerful enough to transcend class itself.

‘I have to send her abroad. No matter what.’

Ruad thought to himself as he watched the butterfly that had landed on the back of his hand.

‘Lucia needs to see a wider world.’

The Calypse Empire valued social standing just as much as magical ability. That meant it wouldn’t be easy for her to gain recognition for her skills based solely on her talent.

‘First, she needs to graduate from Calypse Academy. After graduation, the Rochef family will fully sponsor her to study abroad. Then she can build enough experience and accomplishments that no one can ignore.’

If she attended one of the prestigious academies overseas, where even commoners had a chance, Lucia would surely be acknowledged for both her talent and her ability.

He could already picture it clearly: the sight of countless institutions competing to recruit her, fighting to claim her as one of their own.

Once Lucia’s value rose that high, the Calypse Empire would have no choice but to take notice.

After all, Lucia was a graduate of Calypse Magic Academy. The Empire would never be foolish enough to let such an exceptional wizard, one desired by every nation, be taken away before their very eyes.

‘Then, even if Lucia’s a commoner, they won’t be able to ignore her. To keep other countries in check, they’ll have no choice but to recognize her.’

After that point, she wouldn’t even need the Rochef family’s support anymore.

Lucia would advance on her own, like a ship with full sails catching a strong wind, swiftly reaching the highest realm a wizard could achieve. Wealth and fame would naturally follow.

And she would become the greatest wizard not just in the Empire, but in all of history.

Just imagining it thrilled him.

Ruad forgot entirely about the humiliation of Lucia ignoring him and began thinking eagerly about how he could use the power of House Rochef to help her.

‘First, after graduation, I should ask if she’s interested in receiving the Rochef family’s sponsorship.’

Ruad was about to approach her with that excited thought when their eyes met.

For the first time that entire class, Lucia looked directly at him.

The butterflies perched on her body all spread their wings at once and took flight. The ones that had been circling around her, waiting for a place to land, followed suit.

“Lucy—”

Before Ruad could finish saying her name, Lucia spoke first, cutting him off.

“Ruad. We need to talk after class.”