It was the second day at the Imperial Magic Academy, and thus the first day when the new students would truly learn something.
They would spend the morning again with Professor Burton. He taught general Spellcasting knowledge and was therefore the main professor for the first semester.
All new students would attend some compulsory courses together - Professor Burton's class was one of them. Then there was spellweapon training and practical application exercises.
In addition, each student had to choose two extra elective courses to attend during the first semester. The selection was almost endless, ranging from combat-focused subjects to research, and even to very normal subjects like art or architectural history - although even these had something to do with Spellcasting.
The selection of these additional courses wouldn't take place until the second week, to give students enough time to make a proper decision.
It was eight o'clock in the morning as the lecture hall gradually filled up. Croy had been one of the first to arrive, along with many other students who had spent the night outside and were grateful to feel the warmth of an indoor space again.
Those students who had passed Professor Burton's test all looked almost completely refreshed and happy - but of course, even among them, there were some morning grouches.
Actually, it was the same as yesterday - with a small but significant difference. Before Croy had gone into the lecture hall, he had made a detour to Academy Building Five. There, among other materials, he had received an identification card and a smartwatch.
And, of course, finally, the official uniform of the Imperial Magic Academy.
Croy looked at the sleeves of his uniform as he waited in the lecture hall. The uniform was simple, consisting of red and white colors. It included a buttoned jacket and extremely practical cargo pants, like the ones Croy had worn in the military - only the uniform's of the academy were more airy.
On his chest shone the symbol of the Emperor's golden flame - long live the Emperor.
Croy felt a sense of pride wearing this uniform. His military uniform would always be the first sign of belonging in his life, but the uniform of the Imperial Academy had a different taste in his mouth.
It was almost reverent.
The identification card was a simple ID with his picture, his name, year, and a mysterious number in the middle: 163.
The highly functional smartwatch was attached to his left wrist. Even though he had spent some time playing around with it, he didn't yet know all its functions. Besides a search function, a messaging system, and a calendar, the smartwatch apparently had many other useful features.
Croy felt quite good in the uniform and with the new equipment. Unfortunately, apart from the new gear, he had little else to offer - he wouldn't be handling his Spellpistol and Spellrifle anytime soon, not after the incident yesterday. He had managed to place his suitcase in his own room shortly before class.
The lecture hall was now almost full to the brim. All the new students were also wearing their uniforms, the colors practically blending into a sea of red and white.
"Yo, Croy!"
Croy recognized his friend's voice. Fredrik came up next to him. Croy looked at his friend with a smirk.
"The uniform suits you."
Fredrik grinned.
"I know. The ladies love men in uniform."
The two friends dapped each other up. Then Croy looked at Fredrik with a serious expression.
"So, now get lost."
Fredrik recoiled in shock.
"Excuse me?" he asked, confused.
"I can't be seen with you too often - or else I'll forever be considered a pervert."
Croy's voice and facial expression were steely. Fredrik looked a little hurt.
"And where am I supposed to sit then? It's all full!" he defended himself.
Croy looked around. It actually seemed that Fredrik would have trouble finding a free seat.
...Why then were the seats to the left and right of him unoccupied?
He sighed.
"Oh, whatever."
Fredrik chuckled and sat down. Croy spotted someone else.
"Inera! Over here," he called out.
'If Inera sits with us, maybe that will improve our reputation a bit. After all, she's an aristocrat.'
Inera turned her gaze to them. When their eyes met, she smiled.
Then she shook her head with a smile and went on to find a seat elsewhere.
"What's her problem? I thought we were getting along," Fredrik asked.
Croy put his hand to his forehead. He had a headache.
A few minutes passed, and then finally Professor Burton entered, rescuing Croy from his predicament.
...the seat to his left had indeed remained empty as one of the only seats in the lecture hall.
Professor Burton stood behind the lectern and looked at his students with a broad smile.
"The uniforms look excellent on you!" he greeted them.
"Reminds me of my school days. Delightful!"
"I hope you all slept well; today will be a long day," he said, and some students laughed softly, including Fredrik.
Croy looked at him with raised eyebrows.
Fredrik noticed and his laughter died away.
"Then we'll begin with the first theoretical lesson on general Spellcasting knowledge."
As the lesson began, Professor Burton let his gaze wander through the rows and waited until the last students settled down. Finally, he pressed something, and the large screen behind him suddenly displayed six symbols.
"Let's start with a fundamental question," he began calmly. "What is a spell? Who would like to define it?"
A girl in the front row raised her hand.
"A spell is the manifestation and manipulation of mana for a specific purpose," she said. "The mana from within us is influenced so that it can change or affect something outside of us."
Professor Burton nodded in satisfaction.
"Very well put," he praised her. "A spell is exactly that: the ability to channel our mana to shape the world around us according to our wishes. It can be a means of change, destruction, protection, and even creation."
He paused for a moment to ensure the students' attention remained on him.
"Very well," he continued. "Let's go through the basic categories of a spell. This classification will accompany you throughout your entire studies."
"We distinguish spells into six main categories: Elemental Spells, Body Spells, Sensor Spells, Creation Spells, Rune Spells, and finally, Space and Time Spells."
Burton smiled slightly as he saw some fascinated looks and explained further: "Elemental spells are probably the best known. These spells direct the forces of nature and shape them according to our will."
The shadow hand spell that Inera used yesterday also belonged to the elemental spells.
Some students exchanged knowing glances. Probably each of them knew at least one elemental spell. Others might have made it their main branch of spellcasting.
"Next, we come to body spells," Burton continued and pointed to a muscular student in the front row.
"You clearly work out. Do you also use body spells?"
The student looked a little embarrassed as he answered.
"Only a few, Professor."
"That's a pity. These spells direct the mana in your own body to specific areas, thereby changing its properties. Body spells are particularly popular among fighters and soldiers — after all, the ability to make your own body faster or stronger is invaluable in any battle. But body spells aren't just there to punch faster; body spells are also healing spells that save thousands of lives every day."
The cat's eye spell that Croy often used in the military to see in the dark was also a body spell, one of the few he knew. Fredrik's haste spell, which he cast yesterday, also belongs to this category.
He regarded his friend with newfound respect. Applying body spells to another person's body requires extreme skill. Perhaps he had underestimated him.
"Sensor spells," Professor Burton continued, "are particularly important if you want to learn to perceive mana in your surroundings. They were certainly useful yesterday for tracking down the ghost dogs. These spells give you the ability to sense other spells and mana sources, which can be crucial to detect enemy attacks early — or simply to find something. However, there are spellcasters whose mana is so receptive that they can perceive other mana even without special spells. These are called sensors."
A soft murmur went through the rows. Croy understood that a sensor could naturally perceive others' auras — a skill that had impressed him on several missions. The thought that some people were so sensitive to mana always fascinated him.
It was also said that in the presence of a sensor, one was practically exposed.
Croy shivered a little; he had experienced sensors in the military who were able to scan their surroundings without any sight and recognize opponents' mana, like they had them pointed out on a map.
"A subtype of sensor spells, if you will, are communication spells. With them, mana can be used as a medium to communicate over long distances. Theoretically, you're using the same methods as with sensor spells."
A student hesitantly raised her hand: "What about creation spells, Professor?"
"Good question," replied Professor Burton with a smile.
"A creation spell uses mana to create something out of nothing. A perfect example are the ghost dogs you hunted yesterday."
He paused briefly as some students nodded in agreement.
"Such spells are about transforming the mana itself into physical forms and structures. It's a flexible but also extremely energy-intensive process."
Croy involuntarily thought of the deadly mana bullet he had fired at Inera. That bullet was also a creation spell - even though one that shouldn't be used outside the military.
"The next category, rune spells, might be particularly interesting for some of you," Professor Burton continued.
"Because here, mana is embedded into objects to give them a permanent magical effect. They are everywhere: from Spellweapons to enchanted armor to the smartwatches you received today."
A murmur went through the rows as many students looked at their smartwatches. So that's what was up with the smartwatches - they were even Spelltools.
"And finally, the category that has probably sparked the most myths and legends: Space and Time Spells."
Professor Burton paused briefly as the class stared at him with full attention.
"These spells are virtually unattainable. In the entire history of the Empire, there was only one Spellcaster who mastered this magic. She was a gravity Spellcaster. Actually, this category was created only in her honor."
"But even if we categorize spells, new spells keep emerging that are hard to classify or that merge multiple categories. Many powerful Spellcasters even possess unique spells that they have developed themselves, not fitting to any of the six categories. And that's the beauty of spellcasting: The only limit is the spellcaster's skill - and the mana available to them."
Then Professor Burton directed his gaze to a point in the middle of the rows and pointed to a student with a dignified demeanor who was listening to him curiously. It was Princess Kadutor, the daughter of the royal family of Al'Kadutor.
"Lady Kadutor," he asked with a slight smile, "the family of the Emperor possesses some unique spells. Are there such spells in the royal family of Al'Kadutor as well?"
Lady Kadutor paused briefly, her lips curving into a self-assured smile. She turned her head slightly and looked back, her expression full of fiery pride. Croy followed her gaze and noticed the imperial twins, who sat in full dignity and listened attentively.
They truly shone like two diamonds.
'Guess the princess has already chosen her opponents,' Croy thought.
"Yes," she finally replied calmly, the confidence in her voice almost palpable.
Professor Burton nodded.
"Indeed. Spells are not static; they can develop, and with it, the unique abilities that appear in the great spellcasting families. Unique spells can further unfold with the talent of the spellcaster, and their diversity is limitless."
"Why, then, is mana still a limitation for some spellcasters?" the professor asked as his gaze swept through the room.
Croy saw Inera raise her hand, and Professor Burton nodded to her.
"Not everyone has the same amount of mana, and some theoretical spells consume so much mana that even for gifted spellcasters, it's impossible to cast them," Inera explained in a calm voice.
"And then there's the second, greater limit: the frequency at which a spellcaster's mana oscillates."
"Very good, Lady Clayford," Professor Burton praised her and raised a hand.
"Because mana indeed oscillates at a fixed frequency, and this frequency is unique to each person. The color scale ranges from red for low frequencies to violet for high frequencies."
On the screen hovered the image of a wavy spectrum ranging from dark red to deep violet.
Croy looked at the waves and thought of his own mana.
Violet, sometimes even a bit black - the highest frequency of all.
Professor Burton smiled at the students who were listening intently and then continued: "As we're seeing, the color and frequency spectrum of mana is an essential part of spellcasting. For those of you who have been paying attention," he nodded to the young Lord Jradan, "my own mana oscillates in a light blue tone."
He raised his hand, and for a moment, a delicate layer of bluish glowing mana gathered over his skin, almost as bright and clear as the morning sky.
"This light blue is quite a high frequency in the spectrum," he explained and let the mana gently fade in his palm.
"That means it has short wavelengths. Frequency and wavelength are inversely proportional. These wavelengths are not only pleasing to look at - they significantly influence how our mana behaves in spells. Each frequency has its own strengths and weaknesses."
He walked slowly along the edge of the lectern, his voice taking on a patiently explanatory tone.
"A spellcaster with a high frequency, like me, can achieve special detail and precision in spells because the mana allows for more complex effects. The more complex a spell, the easier it is to cast with a high frequency."
Croy nodded as he listened - perhaps with his mana, he could cast quite complex spells.
Too bad he didn't know any. Because there were hardly any known spells specifically designed for violet mana. Just as there were hardly any spellcasters whose mana was even remotely violet.
Spider and the others had always called him special because of it - and Croy suspected that his violet-black mana was also a reason why Major Maddox had taken him in at all.
The general had apparently seen something in him. Only so far, he had unfortunately not found an opportunity to make special use of his unique mana. On the contrary.
"But," Professor Burton continued, "each frequency has its price. Mana with high frequency, like blue or violet mana, is not designed to unleash powerful or destructive effects. The short wavelength gives it finesse and control but not the raw power that, for example, red mana possesses."
Croy grimaced. The rebel who had blown himself up with red mana was able to do so because his low frequency and great wavelength released a high amount of energy per spell. Such a spell is hardly feasible with blue or violet mana.
Burton let his gaze wander over the students and continued speaking with gentle determination.
"All this is meant to show you why it's important to know your frequency. Each of you can find yourself on this scale, and over time, you will learn to use - and even overcome - the strengths and limits of your mana."