“The practice will be conducted by choosing a partner.”
Out on the large ground behind the building, the practice session for attribute magic began.
“Partners will be randomly assigned, and changes will not be permitted. Please keep this in mind.”
At Professor Dande’s announcement, a wave of tension rippled through me.
In the original story, the Crown Prince is paired with Sophia.
Reina ends up with Helen—but that only happens if Ike isn’t enrolled in this class.
My presence had altered the student roster, and I had no idea how that would affect the pairings now.
I hoped Reina would get the chance to bond with the Crown Prince.
“D*mn it.”
But reality is always cruel.
Just like in the original story, the Crown Prince was paired with Sophia, and Reina ended up with Helen.
Apparently, my presence in this class wasn’t enough to disrupt the story’s natural flow.
As for my own partner…
“Please take good care of me, Young Master Ike.”
It was Atal—the third-highest scorer in the entrance exam and a candidate for the future Pope.
“Thank you very much, Atal.”
In the original storyline, Atal was one of Sophia’s silent patrons.
Of course, Sophia herself was unaware, but Atal’s support played a significant role in her journey.
Thinking about it now, forming a bond with Atal might not be such a bad idea.
“Young Master Ike, your attributes are Earth and Wind, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I wield Water and Light. During combat training, we’ll need to coordinate closely.”
Atal, with his white hair and perpetually half-lidded eyes, looked every bit the gentle cleric I’d imagined.
“It’s an honor to be partnered with Atal, the future Pope.”
“That’s far too generous of you.”
In the original work, Atal didn’t stand out much due to Sophia’s overwhelming presence, but he was exceptionally talented in Light Magic.
In fact, it was Atal who saved Sophia in a moment of crisis, and the scene where he encouraged her to rise again as a Saintess became one of the story’s most memorable moments.
Of course, I won’t witness that scene myself.
I made this change to protect my life, but I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of regret.
“Have you all finished greeting your partners?”
At Professor Dande’s cue, class resumed.
“Spells, in simple terms, are a form of self-suggestion used to intervene in the natural laws of the world. You impose a defined rule upon reality and fix it there. Spells carry layered meanings. In essence, understanding a spell means crafting your own equation to produce the desired result.”
It was similar to what Reina had explained to me earlier.
Yet, those around me—including Atal—showed no reaction.
Was I the only one who didn’t know this?
“What I’ve printed for you is my version of an equation for basic magic. I take pride in presenting it in a clear and understandable format.”
This time, Atal and the others nodded in agreement.
So it was just me who had been in the dark.
Did this explanation exist in the original story?
I couldn’t recall.
“Now then, for today’s practice. Before our next session, use your equations to develop a new formula for basic magic.”
Practice began, and I faced Atal.
I wanted to keep an eye on Reina and Sophia, but of course, I couldn’t afford to get distracted.
If a conflict erupted between them, it would surely cause a scene. For now, I had to focus on the task at hand.
“Maybe it’s just because this is our first class, but the assignment seems rather simple,” Atal said with a soft laugh.
I was momentarily speechless.
Creating a new formula for a spell that already exists meant you needed deep understanding of that magic.
And here I was—just beginning to use attribute magic today.
This was anything but easy for me.
I needed to come clean.
If Atal was the person I knew from the story, he’d definitely explain things kindly.
Trying to bluff and then failing would only make things worse.
“Hey, Atal.”
“Yes?”
“Actually, about this assignment…”
“Didn’t you say something similar the other day?”
Just as I was about to confess, someone else’s voice cut through.
I turned to look.
“Did you already forget?”
Reina stood there, looking down at Sophia with cold eyes.
“I’m sorry…”
Sophia bowed her head and apologized.
“Miss Reina, I believe you’re being too harsh with a classmate,” the Crown Prince said, stepping in.
I turned back to Atal and apologized, choosing to eavesdrop on their exchange.
“Your Highness, I’m simply correcting a mistake. That’s not harsh, it’s responsible.”
“That may be true, but the way you go about it is rather severe.”
D*mn it.
This was playing out exactly as it had in the original.
Sophia stumbles and falls during practice. The Crown Prince catches her.
Reina sees it—and confronts Sophia over it.
She tells Sophia that, as a special recruit, she should behave more appropriately. It’s the same kind of criticism she gave her when they first met.
Sophia trembles at the memory of their initial encounter, and the Crown Prince ends up defending her, accusing Reina of going too far.
Reina walks away, frowned upon. Meanwhile, Sophia and the Crown Prince grow closer over the incident.
“She’s lived her whole life without any manners. Were you expecting too much from her?”
“It’s been over two weeks. She’s had time to learn.”
“Two weeks isn’t enough. Couldn’t you show a little more patience?”
“…Fine.”
In the end, Reina left, her face twisted with frustration.
Because of this incident, her relationship with Sophia became completely antagonistic, and more importantly, her connection with the Crown Prince soured.
This should have been avoided at all costs.
When Reina first met Sophia, her reaction had already been harsher than what was written in the original story.
And I’d done nothing.
I was too complacent.