"Finished."
Amidst the silence, Connie raised her hand from behind me.
At almost the exact same moment, I completed mine as well.
"Me too."
"Ho... Finished already, both of you? There’s still more than half the time remaining."
"I-I’ve double-checked it several times, so I think it should be fine..."
Connie sounded uncertain, but I was the one more worried about my own work.
When I’d tried to reassemble the formula, there was almost nothing left of the original structure. It had turned into... well, quite an original piece. I’d managed to weave it through to the final verse, so it should at least activate, but I wanted to be sure.
"Um, is it all right if I go ahead and activate it?"
"Now, hold on, Lloyd-kun. We shall start with Connie-kun since she finished first. Go ahead, try activating the spell formula."
"Understood... Here goes."
Nodding, Connie channeled mana into the spell seal paper. A spell formula shimmered into existence, floating in the air. Light from the mana raced through the three-dimensional structure in every direction, its glow intensifying by the second.
Finally, it surged from the top of the formula and—burst. Vivid fireworks bloomed in full glory, accompanied by a festive cacophony of bangs and pops.
Shido narrowed his eyes as he watched the display.
"Oho... Not only was it fast, but the formula was woven with impeccable precision. Magnificent. Without a doubt, you pass!"
I see. I’d guessed the gist from looking at the formula, but it really was illusion system magic designed to produce virtual images through light and sound. It was likely one of Shido's originals.
"Wait, that girl used mana to trigger the formula," Grimo noted.
"Indeed. She shouldn't have any mana of her own, so where could it have come from...? Something felt strangely off about it," Jiriel added.
Both familiars tilted their heads in confusion. I already had a good idea why, but...
"Now then, Lloyd-kun, it’s your turn. Give it a try."
Regardless, I had a test to finish. I flowed my mana into the spell seal paper as instructed. The spherical spell formula rose into the air, but then a section of it bulged out violently. It began to undulate unsteadily, flashing a chaotic array of colors.
Uh-oh. I had a bad feeling about this.
The sphere crackled with sparks and let out a low groan. Then, it expanded all at once and ruptured.
With a heavy, muffled thump, the bottom of the spherical formula burst open. A dark red 'something' began to gurgle out, pouring onto the floor.
"Master Lloyd, what in the world are you doing!?" Grimo shrieked.
"You’ve triggered a reaction that is the total opposite of the previous one!" Jiriel cried, sounding horrified.
My familiars were utterly appalled.
Hmm. I thought I’d assembled the formula normally, but it looked like a failure. I stole a glance at Shido. He was groaning, his face twisted in a complex expression.
"Mumu... This is the joke formula I assembled for a 'failure' performance...! The other faculty members complained it was in poor taste, so I reluctantly pasted the correct formula over it... but to think you would dig it out and reconstruct it! To activate this, one must completely decompose the correct formula, then reassemble the pieces that were broken beyond recognition. It is an impossible feat without a profound understanding of spell formulas, immense imagination, and structural prowess. To do all that in such a short time... What terrifying talent."
Shido was muttering something under his breath. I really wished he’d just tell me if I passed or not. As I fidgeted restlessly, Shido let out a long sigh.
"Very well. You both pass. And with an Advanced Grade rating to boot. Welcome to the Magic Department. Come, follow me; I’ll give you a tour of the facilities."
Phew. I wasn't sure how that would go, but it seemed I’d passed somehow. Good, good.
◇
We were currently ascending the stairs of the tower. Or rather, we weren't actually moving our feet.
These stairs were woven with a spell formula that allowed them to move on their own, carrying us upward without any effort. This was a magic tool—an item that produced effects similar to magic by imbuing the object itself with a spell formula. They were incredibly convenient, performing various functions even for those without mana.
Walking all the way up this tall tower would have been a chore. Though I suppose for a mage, it wouldn't matter since they could just use flight to soar up.
"Ho-ho! Impressive, isn't it? You won't find another set of automated stairs this grand on the whole continent."
"Yes, it's incredible technology," Connie replied, her eyes sparkling as she scanned the steps intently. A pendant at her neck caught the light and shimmered.
"Come to think of it, Connie, you have a magic tool as well, don't you?"
"...Yeah. You noticed?"
The reason Connie had been able to use mana during the exam was that she was drawing it from that pendant. It was likely a tool capable of storing mana in advance. I’d thought the flow of mana felt unnatural, but if she was using a magic tool, it made perfect sense.
"I see. That clears things up," Grimo muttered. "I thought that girl had a strange air about her, but she's a magic tool user, is she?"
"Many magic tools can exhibit power on par with high-level spells," Jiriel noted, nodding in understanding. "It explains how she reached this place before us and how she navigated that canyon."
To add to that, the backpack Connie was carrying was imbued with a spatial system formula. There was likely quite a lot of equipment inside—probably some travel-oriented magic tools. I’d love to take a look at them.
"Connie-kun is a gifted magic tool craftsman. It was her track record in that field that earned her permission to take this exam," Shido explained.
"Thank you for the opportunity. But... was it truly all right for someone like me, with no mana, to join the Magic Department?"
"There is no issue at all. In my department, we value an understanding of spell formulas far more than raw mana capacity. A mage is one who connects with the world through knowledge, technique, and formulas. Even without mana, a brilliant individual like yourself is more than welcome."
I nodded in total agreement.
It was no exaggeration to say that a mage spends their entire life trying to understand formulas; whether they have mana or not is a secondary concern. As expected of the headmaster, he makes an excellent point.
"However... the mainstream for modern mages these days is to simply brute-force everything with mana the moment a fight starts. More and more of them prefer simple formulas that focus entirely on raw destructive power. Even the students at our academy are beginning to lean toward that philosophy. As teachers, we find it deeply concerning."
Shido let out a heavy sigh.
Managing complex formulas in the heat of battle is quite a lot of work. If your only goal is to kill the enemy, it’s much easier to just dump a massive amount of mana into a simple, high-output attack spell. From my perspective, though, I couldn't help but wonder what was so fun about doing something so dull.
"Well, Master Lloyd doesn't exactly brute-force things with mana... usually," Grimo remarked.
"True. Though it often ends up looking that way in the end..." Jiriel added with a sigh.
My familiars shot me rather lukewarm looks. It’s just that even when I want to experiment, my opponents tend to go and destroy themselves. I do try to hold back, of course, but when I get absorbed in the magic, I sometimes... well, it happens.
"And so, Connie-kun, do not let it weigh on your heart. Simply focus on your studies. If you can accumulate new knowledge and shake up the magic world, nothing would make me happier! Ho-ho-ho!"
"...Thank you, Headmaster."
Connie thanked him with a look of genuine sincerity. I realized then that while she usually seems unreadable, she’s dead serious when it comes to magic. She must truly love it. To create those magic tools without mana of her own, she must have achieved a staggering level of understanding. She’s likely dedicated every waking moment of her life to it—a pinnacle she couldn't have reached otherwise.
I understood Connie's feelings perfectly. In my previous life, I had no money, no talent, and no connections, but I did everything I could to master magic. In that regard, Connie and I are very similar, even if we’ve arrived at different destinations. Plus, I’m really interested in the tools she makes. I was starting to feel a real sense of kinship.
"Let’s get along from now on, Connie."
"Same here. Nice to meet you, Lloyd-kun."
As we exchanged a handshake, Shido nodded with a fond smile.
"Ho-ho! Making friends already, I see. Good, good. Harmony is a wonderful thing. It reminds me of my own student days. ...Tell me, would you two like to go and observe a class in session?"
"We would!"
Connie and I spoke in perfect unison.
To be honest, the exam alone hadn't been nearly enough to satisfy me. What kind of lessons do they teach here? What kind of students will we meet? I could hardly wait.