The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 13

The dormitories were called Twin Dragon Hall.

It was named that way because two identical dragons were coiled around twin towers.

The left tower was Jin [representing truth or reality].

The right tower was Ri [representing principle or reason].

Dorm assignments were primarily based on social status. Nobles went to Jin, commoners to Ri.

Originally, they were mixed randomly, but frequent conflicts led to this division.

Next, they were divided by grades and academic performance. The higher the grade and the better the entrance exam scores, the higher the floor they occupied—a simple structure.

“What floor are you on?”

“Probably the highest floor among the freshmen.”

Christa snorted, tilting her chin up haughtily as she ascended the stairs. Gertrude gave a light bow and followed behind her. As an additional exam entrant assigned to the lowest floor, Lane didn’t need to climb any stairs.

“Look at that, the first floor.”

“The eldest son of the Ludwig family.”

“Ha, unbelievable. Hey, I don’t know why the young master took the additional exam, but if he had taken the regular exam, he would have been in the room next to Christa Warden.”

“Who would believe that? If he really had the skills, he would have taken the regular exam.”

Commoner students peering inside murmured.

Would a typical noble get angry?

But Lane didn’t feel like it, nor did he feel the need. In Lin’s life, this kind of treatment was familiar.

He took the student ID card and the Dragon’s Ring he received from the dormitory supervisor and held it to the door. A dazzling magic circle appeared on the door’s surface, resonating with the ring.

The magic circle interlocked and rotated like gears, then with a click, the latch of Room 107 released, and the door opened.

‘Dormitories are single rooms…….’

Some places have double rooms, but single rooms are assigned to the descendants of prestigious families. Desks, beds, bookshelves, lighting magic tools, and other facilities necessary for studying were perfectly equipped.

“Ha, is this some kind of Magic Tower experience……?”

Magic Towers are the headquarters of each school of magic, the so-called towers of magicians.

To stay away from the disturbances of the secular world, they are generally built far from the city in nature, and the place where Lin was, was the same.

‘Interesting. Is this to help me adapt quickly to Magic Tower life later……?’

‘I used to be stuck in such a small room, dedicated only to studying magic.’

Recalling the Osarius School of Magic Tower, my soul’s home, an uncontrollable sadness washed over me, and I quickly shook my head to drive away the memories.

– Lin, will you promise me?

I flopped onto the feather-filled bed and reached for the lighting magic tool on the ceiling, casting a shadow on my face.

A long, pale hand.

The hand of a noble who has never suffered any hardship in life. A hand Lane could never have imagined, the first day at university Lane could never have imagined.

‘It still doesn’t feel real.’

The first day of classes was interesting, but not informative. There had to be something to learn. It might have been better to just storm into the Papal State and search Lin’s corpse.

The problem was Lane’s status and abilities.

If he caused such a mess, his family would collapse in no time, and more than anything, he didn’t have enough power yet.

‘It seems my physical talents are definitely inferior to when I was Lin…….’

A magic circle was born on the palm of my hand, blazing like a flame. One, one, and another. A total of three layers of magic circles harmoniously interlocked and rotated.

The moment a fourth magic circle was about to be added, a stinging pain in the scapula where the magic core was located caused the magic circle to scatter and disappear into mist.

‘I still don’t have enough magic power to use 4-star magic…… hmm.’

I need to find a way to faithfully follow the school curriculum while also reliably training in magic.

─Flap.

At that moment, I heard the sound of flapping wings from the wide-open window. I raised my head and saw an owl perched on the windowsill.

“An owl?”

Magicians used owls, the only birds with magical sensitivity, as a means of communication.

Hanging from its feet was a wooden box as big as itself.

Who sent it, I wondered, as I picked up the wooden box and tried to check it, but the owl flew away.

[Dellaiten 1388th Class Student Lane Ludwig.]

The sender’s name was not written, only the recipient’s name was written on the bizarre wooden box. Was it my father?

“Huh?”

Inside the wooden box were two books.

The larger one was clean, as if it had been newly bound, while the leather binding of the smaller one was so old and decayed that pieces of leather were falling off.

My heart started racing like crazy. A violent sense of déjà vu made my breathing rough, and cold sweat formed on my forehead.

『The Life and Achievements of Archmage Lin.』

The bigger problem was not the new book with that cover, but the old book. Without even opening the book, Lane knew what it was.

This is Lin’s diary.

Not Lane’s, but Lin’s.

A diary from my previous life, not my current one.

The diary I always carried with me during the 5-year expedition, recording the magic I devised or found in other regions. And the one I entrusted to Rista at the last moment…….

“What, no, who is it?”

Muttering blankly, I ran to the window and looked outside, but the owl’s trace had already disappeared.

* * *

Besides educational facilities and dormitories, also provided students with magic training facilities. To properly train in magic, facilities incorporating advanced magical engineering were essential.

For example, how could you use your magic at maximum power without a magic tool that possessed [Shock Nullification Magic]?

Or imagine not having a magic tool to activate [Magic Targets]. How could you train to improve the precision of your magic attacks?

“30 seconds to the target.”

The place was called the Battle Dragon Field.

During peak hours after dinner, 2nd and 3rd-year students flocked to this attractive, high-tech facility as if competing.

Therefore, it was common for freshmen, who were still afraid of their seniors, to avoid this place during peak hours, but there were always exceptions.

Despite the uncomfortable gazes of the seniors, two freshmen confidently visited this place from the beginning of the semester.

“25 seconds.”

A girl with an old-fashioned braided hairstyle, Gertrude Panton. The girl watched the stopwatch and reminded Christa Warden, who was sweating profusely in the magic arena, of the time in 5-second intervals.

Around her, five sand soldiers rose up, fiercely stabbing the moving combat targets with spears.

This was magic training and, at the same time, training to control multiple summons simultaneously, honing the Warden family’s bloodline limit.

“20 seconds.”

Gertrude was the young lady of Christa’s subordinate family. She had always watched her since she was young.

This genius who possessed endless academic enthusiasm and worked tirelessly. Everyone called her a genius, but…… in Gertrude’s eyes, Christa was just a fragile swan.

To appear that way, she worked several times harder than others, desperately paddling her feet beneath the surface. Always repeating this painful training.

“15 seconds. Did something happen today?”

“What.”

“10 seconds. It seems like you’re more excited than usual, young lady.”

“What?”

“5 seconds. Is it because you met Lane? I’m curious if something happened between you two.”

Contrary to Gertrude’s expectations, Christa calmly annihilated all the targets in the last 5 seconds. And when she turned her head, the sand soldiers who had been spearing drew their spears with precision.

“Something? What something?”

Gertrude playfully covered her mouth with one hand, smiling mischievously.

“No. I saw you lingering in front of the gift corner in the store earlier…… I wonder why? The only male student you’ve been involved with today is Lane, so I was wondering if something happened between you two.”

“Ah, that?”

Christa, who had rotated her brain 500 times faster than usual for a moment, calmly replied.

“It’s for you.”

“Young lady…….”

Then tears of emotion welled up in Gertrude’s eyes. She grabbed the head of Gertrude, who was running into her arms, to stop her, and then sighed.

“Forget it, stop stalking me.”

“I can’t do that. I’m your confidante, I have to be with you anytime, anywhere.”

“Sigh. Never mind.”

Although she was embarrassed by Christa’s cold reaction, deep questions still remained in her heart.

Well, if the young lady is giving cookies as a gift, it means that Lane Ludwig gave her tremendous help on the magic exam, but is that even possible?

Like when I met him at the Sega Council when I was young, Lane Ludwig is…… huh?

‘That’s strange.’

He definitely didn’t have the same atmosphere as he does now when he was a child?

* * *

The 4th floor of the Ri dormitory was the highest floor among those assigned to freshmen. The 2nd floor above was used by 2nd-year students, and the last 1st floor was used by 3rd-year students.

“Oh, here comes the loser with the C grade.”

Those sitting in the lounge in the center of the 4th floor in their own poses—some with magic books, some with magic meditation—raised their heads.

“Don’t provoke him, Logan. You might really die.”

The male student who caught their attention was Hubert, who was the center of attention today. The later generation of the Rohinum School, one of the Eight Great Schools [prestigious magic academies].

The muscular male student, Logan, chewed gum and crossed his legs, mocking such a later generation without fear.

“Calm down, man. I almost pissed my pants in fear just now. If someone hadn’t only gotten a C grade today, I really would have pissed myself.”

Logan spoke playfully, but his eyes were not smiling.

Logan, with his short hair, roughly took off his school cloak to reveal his body, and healthy beauty emanated from his tanned muscles.

This clearly proved that he was the later generation of the Chaihark School, the home of Wing-type magicians who strengthen their bodies and engage in hand-to-hand combat.

“Even Christa got an S grade while wearing sandbags.”

“Sandbags?”

“She was paired with the genius young master. You know that, right? What’s he like? Is he really incompetent? Is he pathetic? But he’s still better than you, right?”

“Are you trying to start something?”

“If you want.”

As the two men’s magic intertwined in the air, something like heat haze flickered in the atmosphere, and lightning occasionally flashed.

“Don’t make a fuss in the dormitory. Are you the only ones using the 4th floor?”

There was a voice that stopped such childish fighting.

It was a beautiful woman with long red hair that burned fiercely like flames in emotionless gray eyes, like ashes left after burning all things in the universe.

“Ah, Lily, no. I wasn’t trying to cause a commotion. I was just joking around.”

Feeling a slight tremor in his heart, Logan smiled lightly.

All three were the later generations of the Eight Great Schools, but Lillian was on a different level. Her sculpturally beautiful face was just a secondary element.

Whenever he met her at the academy, she would instantly attract the attention of many magicians. Not with her appearance, but with her ridiculous skills.

“I was thinking of making a strategy on how to get rid of Christa and the genius young master, Lily, do you want to join us?”

“Your achievements never improve because you’ve only been playing such meaningless pranks since the old days. I can understand Christa, but what do you get from bullying a weakling?”

“This was also a joke.”

Even though Lillian gave him insulting remarks, Logan smiled brightly. Seeing that, Hubert snorted.

“Those guys are mine. If you touch them carelessly, I’ll grind your face first, Logan.”

“Oh, really?”

Hubert withdrew the magic power he had been threateningly pouring out, clicked his tongue unsatisfactorily, entered his room, and slammed the door shut.

“This fucking…….”

And by punching the wall with his fist, he roughly calmed his agitated breathing.

‘Lane Ludwig, what the hell did that genius young master do? No matter how great Christa is, there’s no way she could have done that in 2 minutes…….’

But because it was so strange, he grabbed a student from the Magic School and asked him. Then the guy rattled off Lane Ludwig’s ridiculous heroic tales.

– L, Lane was better at teaching than most professors! Easy for anyone to understand! That’s why he was so popular!

– What?

– As proof, Headmaster Scalzi just took him around every day! He was a teaching assistant for 3 years!

He was a teaching assistant to the former Archmage for 3 years?

That wasn’t a position that could be given to a relative to give them experience. He had to be able to explain various magic formulas to the students.

It was a hard story to believe. That’s because, how incompetent would he have to be for the Eight Great Schools to call him the Genius Calamity?

A disaster (災) that the heavens (天) bestowed upon the Ludwig family…….

But what was up with that look in his eyes that I saw at the end? I don’t want to admit it, but I instinctively felt something similar to fear…….

‘If that’s true, then what the hell is he? And why doesn’t he have any rank?’