“Erika Angelina.”
Miona Drake sat in the seat next to the girl as if no one were there, casually calling out her name like she was ordering from a menu. No particular emotion leaked from her voice.
Erika decided to give a plain greeting in return. “Hello, Miss Miona.”
“I heard you made quite a stir before the classes even started?”
‘Is she talking about that duel from earlier?’ It seemed the commotion had been significant enough for even Miona Drake to hear about it.
“Did it disturb you?”
“This place is different from Noelle. It’s best not to cause unnecessary trouble. It will be better for you — and your Queen — if you behave yourself.”
‘Is she warning me not to act rashly?’ No, she seemed to be suggesting it was best to avoid diplomatic incidents. However, Miona was such an arrogant and sharp-tongued girl that even her well-intended advice sounded harsh.
“Thank you for the advice.”
“Still, winning the duel is worth praising. It would have been a great disgrace and a laughingstock if someone carrying the flag and name of Noelle lost to a mere Barbarian.”
‘Oh, she’s more talkative than I thought.’
Erika had assumed that if she tried to start a conversation, Miona would say something like, ‘How dare a commoner speak to me so rudely!’ or just ‘Who gave you permission to speak? Humph!’ and then ignore her.
‘Is this great lady just bored?’
*Creak!* Someone suddenly pulled open the sliding door and stepped into the classroom.
A woman wearing a simple black dress with striking deep blue hair appeared before everyone. It was hard not to be impressed by the heavy dark circles under her eyes.
And her pupils were an unusually vivid red.
If Miona’s pupils were a dark crimson like red wine, and Erika’s were a lighter scarlet like a flame, then this woman’s eyes were blood-red. Blood-colored eyes were usually considered an ominous omen.
“Alright, everyone sit down. L — let’s begin the lesson, hehe.”
It seemed this was Professor Balan, the one in charge of this Ancient Dead Language course. She had pale skin and a gloomy aura, fitting the stereotype of a powerful Black Mage or Necromancer.
She looked completely lifeless, yet her chest was exceptionally full, as if brimming with a vital energy that could burst the buttons of her dress at any moment.
“U — um, first, let’s confirm your course nameplates. P — please place them on your desks.”
‘Is this teacher feeling a bit uncomfortable?’ She was stuttering.
However, Erika had heard that among Black Mages and Necromancers, those who stuttered like this were often the most terrifying.
The girl obediently placed her nameplate on the desk. Professor Balan drifted through the spacious classroom like a ghost, checking the nameplates on the students’ desks as if she were “gliding” before returning to the podium.
“Alright, th — then let’s begin. Since today is the first day, we’ll start simply with what Death Speech is… Does anyone know?”
In response to Professor Balan’s question, everyone maintained their right to remain silent as students. Miss Miona, sitting next to Erika, raised her small hand high.
“Very good. Sequence Sixth, Miona Drake, please answer.”
*Swish.* After receiving permission to speak, the elegant Miss Miona stood up and spoke in a calm voice, as if reading a narration.
“Fragments used by the gods to create the laws of the world at the beginning of creation… The lost characters that constitute the rules of the origin of magic and the unique language of the dead are collectively known as ‘Death Speech’.”
“V — very good. That was an excellent explanation. 80 points. However, let me supplement what’s missing — Death Speech is power. Power, yes, power with infinite possibilities.”
*Skritch.* Professor Balan held a piece of chalk and lightly sketched something on the blackboard.
Along with the squeak of chalk scratching against the board, a perfect circle was born!
It was a truly flawless circle. How could a person draw such a perfect shape freehand without using a tool like a compass?
The gasps of admiration echoing through the classroom showed that Erika wasn’t the only one surprised.
“Is this the strength of an Ark professor? Drawing a circle freehand… how terrifying!”
“I can’t believe my eyes! A perfect Golden Circle!”
“What’s the use of my 1,000kg arm strength? I couldn’t create such a miracle!”
‘Hey, that’s a bit much!’ Erika thought. Was it really worth being that surprised?
*Skritch, skritch.*
Professor Balan ignored the students’ amazed reactions. She continued drawing a pattern inside the circle that resembled a “Rook” from chess, then traced swirling letters around it that looked like coiled incense.
They connected to form — **SERAPHINA**. Rather than a word or an incantation, it looked more like a name.
“Th — this is a magic nullification spell circle. It’s a very primitive magic circle. Ancient sorcerers and priests used it to block an opponent’s attacks. However, drawing magic circles one by one is a troublesome and difficult task.”
‘This is really magical.’
Although Erika had known for a while that this was a fantasy world and not just the Middle Ages, sitting here and listening to such a dreamlike lecture still felt novel and exciting.
It felt like listening to a dense history or an academic subject that had actually happened, while also feeling like the world-building of a game or novel. This was a world where fantasy and reality intertwined.
Of course, regardless of what the students thought, Professor Balan continued her explanation. “Mhm. So, the method of casting evolved from drawing magic circles to chanting, and then from chanting, it was simplified into an even more convenient self-suggestion. This is the simplification of spells. I — I, Balan, can even cast this spell with a whistle.”
*Phiew —* Balan whistled softly.
To put it simply, magic was released through the medium of a “spell.” Just like English, Japanese, or Spanish, a “spell” contained concepts similar to a language’s expression. Naturally, it included listening, speaking, reading, and writing; it was a language born specifically to express and manifest magic.
Initial magic was researched starting from those complex geometric patterns, so magic circles became the first written “spells.” Those tedious patterns were gradually replaced by chanting, and chanting eventually evolved into convenient, short self-suggestions.
People always liked to simplify complex things. The progress of technology followed the same logic.
“Self-suggestion is indeed fast and convenient, b — but simplification also has its drawbacks. For example, using chanting as a medium is weaker than a magic circle, and the original meaning might be distorted… Actually, this spell might not have been originally used to nullify magic or destroy magical structures.”
In other words, although they were all mediums for releasing magic, the magic circle was still the most accurate and closest to the magic itself?
*Tap!* The professor’s slender finger pointed to the magic circle drawn on the blackboard. At that moment, someone raised their hand and asked, “Then, what was the original magic?”
“According to my research of over ten years, this is a collection of negation, unreasonableness, worthlessness… It can be said to be a magic that contains all negative concepts. Because the ancient language is inclusive, it is read as **SERAPHINA**.”
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