Spatial magic is one of Flanders Academy's specialties, boasting abundant resources and faculty. However, with planar summoning entirely prohibited, summoners are restricted to calling familiars from the current plane. The demons that accidentally breach spatial barriers and land in this world are usually weak, low-level creatures. Without powerful familiars, summoning magic lost its prominence and was relegated to transport magic.
Now, spatial magicians focus on large-scale teleportation arrays and crafting teleportation scrolls. From battlefront warriors, they became logistical supporters, eventually turning into peaceful constructors under military protection. This transformation drained the field of passionate youths aspiring to serve their nations. Despite the academy's historical and national commitment to funding spatial magic, the discipline has waned, leaving a surplus of mentors and a dearth of students. It's no wonder that non-combatant protection policies exist when instructors compete for the few students left.
Felice has three mentors. Her primary mentor, Furen, is the direct disciple of Enya, one of the five remaining eighth-tier Grand Magicians at the academy, specializing in spatial magic and summoning arts. Another is Catherine, an alchemist skilled in crafting scrolls. The third is Rahar, a master in schematic design, focusing on simplifying inscriptions, reducing complexity, and minimizing material consumption—a niche yet highly practical field. Felice was heading to Rahar to report on a task.
A month ago, Rahar assigned her to a spatial calibration experiment in the neighboring nation of Synthes, validating a new discovery in spatial measurement. The experiment concluded smoothly, but during her return, the teleportation scroll malfunctioned and stranded her in the Dusk Marshes.
Mass-produced teleportation scrolls, particularly low-tier ones, are prone to errors. First-tier scrolls have a failure rate exceeding one-third, second-tier around one-fifth, and third-tier about one-tenth. The error likelihood depends on craftsmanship and materials; lower-grade materials are less stable and degrade quickly. Thus, even a skilled inscriber using substandard materials would produce error-prone scrolls.
Since Felice's task was minor, she didn't plan to use her own premium scrolls. The frugal Rahar provided her with a batch of third-tier scrolls, clearly expired. The distance a malfunctioning scroll deviates depends on its teleportation range—the farther the intended destination, the greater the deviation. Using third-tier scrolls for international travel is a high-risk gamble, often leading to remote, uninhabitable locations.
For an experienced spatial magician like Felice, however, any location is just a waypoint. Unbeknownst to Rahar, Felice had deliberately caused the error by tampering with the scrolls. Her expertise in scroll-making allowed her to manipulate them easily, giving her extra time to handle personal matters.
Now, with the timing perfect, even the most stubborn "accident" had run its course, and she returned to report to Rahar.
Rahar, a wiry old man with thick glasses, enthusiastically embraced her upon arrival.
"Felice, my dear! Finally, you're back! Without you, it's been so dull!" he exclaimed theatrically. Felice, used to his dramatics, brushed it off and briefly explained the incident.
"Ah, expired scrolls! How careless of me," Rahar lamented, pretending to be heartbroken. "From now on, you can use my fifth-tier scrolls!"
Fifth-tier scrolls, with an error rate below one percent, allow longer distances and fewer mishaps. While Felice no longer had an excuse for "accidents," she wasn't concerned; she rarely reused old tricks. Feigning excitement, she asked about recent academy happenings.
"Oh, you haven't heard? Something big happened while you were away!" Rahar whispered conspiratorially, leaning in. "During your absence, planar summoning magic was activated in the dormitory zone!"
"Planar summoning? The forbidden magic?" Felice feigned shock.
"Yes! The resulting magical turbulence destroyed three of my seventh-grade mana crystals and caused academy losses exceeding 30 billion gold coins!" Rahar exclaimed.
Felice hadn't expected such massive damage. "Hasn't the headmaster gone mad?" she asked, wide-eyed.
"Oh, absolutely," Rahar confirmed. "All our combat-trained spatial magicians were dispatched under Captain Katis's lead!"
"But wasn't the summoning conducted within the academy?" Felice asked.
"The storm lasted less than three minutes before Katis calculated the coordinates and pursued the target. The perpetrator used a masterful framing array, implicating our academy!"
"A framing array? Impressive," Felice mused.
"Yes, a high-level one at that, spanning 350 kilometers! Remarkable precision," Rahar marveled.
"What did they summon?" Felice asked, feigning curiosity.
"No one knows. Even Katis returned defeated and hasn't revealed anything. You might want to ask your mentor, Furen. She's close to Enya, and Katis has a soft spot for her," Rahar suggested with a sly grin.
Felice laughed along but silently worried. What could have forced Katis to retreat? What truly happened after her departure?
Before leaving, Rahar noticed Alpha and asked, "Who's this?"
"A homeless boy I found on the way back. He's my assistant now," Felice replied.
Rahar inspected Alpha closely, his gaze sharp. "He's decent-looking but too scrawny. Is this your type?"
Felice chuckled awkwardly.
"Well, this attire—red crocodile leather, isn't it? Stylish, but you should be careful. The Dusk Marshes were where the incident occurred. This might raise questions," Rahar warned.
Felice realized her oversight. She quickly excused herself to report to Furen, leaving Alpha under Rahar's watch with stern instructions to keep his story straight. Alpha nodded earnestly, understanding the stakes of his identity and the distance limitations of their bond.
"Five hundred meters. No more!" Felice emphasized.
Alpha nodded again, but Felice still felt uneasy. She sighed and left, praying nothing would go wrong in her absence.
Phyllis gritted her teeth and left. Lahore looked excitedly at Alpha and called out, "Your name is Alpha? Come on, tell me how you met this girl Phyllis...