Chapter 55

"Teacher"

"What's wrong, Alair?"

"That spell formula, the third line from the top is incorrect."

"Huh? ...You're right. Good catch."

Upon receiving my comment, the instructor, a middle-aged man named Bacchus, immediately corrected the error in the spell formula.

This is a Red Magic class.

It has been a month since I enrolled.

However, the class is still covering the basics, which are too easy for me.

Well, I hardly ever attend, so it doesn't really matter.

Today, I came to check on the progress, as I occasionally do.

At first, Bacchus lightly scolded me for not attending classes regularly, but he must have realized that I didn't need them, as he now completely ignores my absences no matter how many I take.

"Actually, there's no need to make this spell formula so complicated."

"What? What do you mean?"

Since explaining it verbally would be troublesome, I stepped forward.

The spell formula Bacchus had written on the blackboard spanned ten lines and eighty-three characters. It was a relatively advanced beginner-level spell.

I eliminated the unnecessary parts as much as possible and wrote a simpler version of the spell formula next to it.

It was reduced to just six lines and fifty-one characters, a reduction of about thirty percent.

"You mean you can activate the spell with a formula this short...?"

Bacchus frowned in confusion, scrutinizing the formula for a while before nodding with a sigh of admiration.

"I see... Indeed... It's not impossible in principle..."

As expected of an instructor, he understands things quickly. The students, on the other hand, seem to be completely lost, looking bewildered.

Without the assistance of skills, a simpler spell formula is more convenient for me.

So, after much trial and error, I streamlined it to the extreme.

"But, this way, there's a risk of a magical backlash. Considering safety, the original formula is better."

The spell formula Bacchus wrote is formed semi-automatically with the help of skills.

In fact, all the spell formulas taught in class are like that.

However, the spell formulas provided by skills have a large safety margin.

As Bacchus said, this is to prevent the risk of a magical backlash when the spell fails to activate.

Spell activation can fail.

And when it fails, the magic power, having nowhere to go, will explode.

Naturally, the caster will be directly affected by this.

"...? But there's no need to worry about that, right?"

Because I have the blessing of a goddess.

If the blessing is at its maximum, even if there is a backlash, I shouldn't die. Of course, it depends on the scale of the magic.

So, I don't understand why I should fear a backlash. The more I use magic, the lower the probability of failure, so there's even less reason to be afraid.

"Even with the blessing, you will still feel pain..."

"I think it's just a matter of enduring it..."

When I said this, Bacchus looked at me as if I were something unbelievable. When I glanced at the students, they had the same expression.

"?"

Indeed, when I was young, I disliked pain, but now I find it rather pleasant.

Don't most people feel this way as they grow up?

For example, bitter food.

When you're a child, you can't eat it, but as an adult, you might find it delicious.

"Maybe it's just that you're special..."

Well, most of the students are in their early teens, so they might not have reached that stage yet. ...Bacchus is an older man, though.

"If you're afraid of pain, you can reduce the power of the backlash with a simple trick."

"What? Is there such a method?"

"Start with a small amount of magic power. If it backfires, it will do so at this stage, causing much less damage than if you used a large amount of magic power right away. If it seems safe, you can then put in sufficient magic power."

It seems this method is not well-known.

"I've always thought you were beyond a new student... Where did you learn this?"

"At home."

"At home..."

Actually, I discovered this through my own trial and error. I don't use it regularly because it takes a bit longer to activate.

Bacchus stroked his chin beard as if thinking for a while, then made this proposal.

"Alair, would you like to take the promotion exam?"

"Promotion exam?"

"Yes. I doubt there's any reason for you to be in the First Grade."

"Isn't the Second Grade promotion exam only held once a year?"

"Yes, normally. But students who are recognized by instructors can take the promotion exam at any time, and if they pass, they can advance to the next grade."

I see.

There's such a convenient system.

"That's exactly what I wanted. Of course, I'll take it."

"Good. I'll file the application right away. We can conduct the exam in a few days if everything goes well."

The lecture hall buzzed with the sound of the conversation, but amidst the noise,

"Wait!"

The guy who challenged me during the entrance exam... Rois? That's right.

He stood up and came down to the front of the classroom.

"I want to take that exam too!"