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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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I had applied for a total of eight courses.
Professor Rond’s “Introduction to Hunting” and “Hunting Practice”
Professor Cassia’s “Fundamentals of Magic” and “Fundamentals of Resistance Acquisition”
Professor Laf’s “Fundamentals of Hand-to-Hand Combat” and “Practical Combat Training”
Professor Yandel’s “Fundamentals of Weaponry” and “Fundamentals of Survival”
A total of 22 credits.
I had never even taken more than 20 credits in college…
Why would I apply for 22 credits now?
It was all because of our protagonist.
These were all the courses he was taking.
Of course, the reason I followed the protagonist’s schedule was to maximize my advantage as a transmigrator.
While “The Strongest of the Dragon Academy” went into more detail about classes than other academy-themed web novels, it only focused on the courses the protagonist was taking.
This meant that I could potentially encounter unexpected situations if I took other courses.
So, I had to make the most of my advantage as a transmigrator.
No, I had to milk it for all it was worth.
And midterm season was just around the corner.
It was almost time for the cherry blossoms to bloom.
Why were we having midterms already?
I sighed and stood in front of the door.
Knock, knock.
Ethan knocked on the door.
A gentle voice replied from inside.
“Yes, come in.”
He opened the door and entered the room.
Professor Cassia was sitting at her desk.
A siren in a cage behind her tilted its head curiously.
“Hello, Professor Cassia. I saw the notice about the assistant position, so I’ve come to submit my application.”
Ethan bowed respectfully.
He couldn’t afford to be picky right now.
He needed money for living expenses.
He had invested most of his savings.
“Ah! Ethan, right?”
Ethan’s eyes widened in surprise.
Honestly, he was a little shocked. He hadn’t expected her to remember his name.
“Don’t be surprised. Haha, you’re famous among the professors because you defeated the demon Andromalius.”
“It was thanks to my teammates.”
Cassia smiled at Ethan’s humble response.
“Anyway, thank you for applying. While you’re here, why don’t we have a quick interview?”
“Ah, yes, of course!”
“How are the classes? Are they bearable?”
“Yes, they are. I think they will be very helpful.”
“Fufu, I appreciate the compliment, even if it’s just a formality.”
Professor Cassia’s “Fundamentals of Resistance Acquisition” course was unpopular.
It wasn’t surprising, considering the class involved drinking poison.
On the other hand, her “Fundamentals of Magic” course had a decent number of students.
“Would you mind extending your hand?”
Ethan obediently extended his hand towards Cassia.
His palm was rough, calloused from years of sword training.
Most warriors who excelled in mana control channeled their mana into their weapons, creating a protective barrier that prevented calluses from forming.
“You primarily use a sword, right?”
“Yes, I do.”
Calluses despite being a skilled swordsman?
It could be a sign of poor mana control.
Or maybe he was intentionally avoiding using mana.
‘Could it be that Ethan doesn’t know how to properly control mana?’
Cassia suddenly thought of Sylvia.
She had heard rumors that Sylvia had taken on a disciple.
And that disciple was Ethan.
‘Ah, Sylvia sometimes prohibits the use of mana completely…’
If that was the case, it explained Ethan’s calloused hands.
“Ethan, I’m going to measure your mana now.”
Cassia took Ethan’s hand and closed her eyes.
She could sense his mana flowing through his body.
Her consciousness sank, like a diver descending into the depths of the ocean.
She carefully measured his mana, its overwhelming presence pressing down on her like a heavy, unyielding force.
3 minutes… 5 minutes… 7 minutes….
10 minutes passed.
‘What’s going on? Did I use the spell incorrectly?’
No, that was impossible.
She had measured the mana capacity of countless students.
And she had never encountered any problems before.
Something felt strange.
Normally, measuring the mana capacity of a first-year student only took 3 minutes.
It seemed like Ethan’s mana capacity was greater than she had anticipated.
“Is there something wrong?”
“Ah, no, no. It’s just…”
Cassia straightened her posture.
She took a deep breath and prepared to measure his mana again.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Yes, come in.”
The door opened and Sepia entered the room.
She was holding an assistant application form.
She froze as soon as she saw Ethan.
‘Ethan… Why are you here?’
She bit her lower lip.
‘You’ll regret choosing the Erze family, Ethan.’
Regret, anger, disappointment, betrayal…
A whirlwind of emotions had kept her awake at night.
She had even asked Vivian to cast a sleep spell on her.
She then realized why he was there.
‘Humph, you’re here to be an assistant because you’re out of money…’
She wanted to prevent him from becoming an assistant.
Maybe then he would come back to her.
Maybe then he would apologize and beg for forgiveness.
She was ready to forgive him.
‘I’ll even pretend to reluctantly accept if you come back…’
Sepia smiled, a practiced expression she often used in social gatherings.
“Hello, Professor Cassia. I’m Sepia von Logness. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Almost everyone in the magic world knew the name “Logness.” They were a prestigious magic family.
And most renowned mages dreamed of teaching a Logness child.
They were even willing to pay for the privilege.
The reason Sepia, the daughter of the Logness family, wanted to be Professor Cassia’s assistant wasn’t simply because of the money.
Becoming Professor Cassia’s assistant would be a great opportunity to expand her network.
‘I ran into Ethan here? This is even better! No matter how hard you try, you’ll be rejected once I apply. I’m the one who’ll be selected.’
Sepia handed her application to Cassia.
A smug smile curved her lips.
“Ah, welcome, Sepia. So, you’re from the Logness family.”
‘She doesn’t need me to tell her that I’m a direct descendant, not a distant relative, and that I’ll inherit the Logness territory after graduating, right?’
Sepia maintained her smile and replied politely.
“Yes. I’m enjoying your class very much.”
“Ah, I see. As it happens, I’m in the middle of an interview right now. Would you mind standing next to Ethan?”
Cassia gestured towards the empty space beside Ethan.
A chair glided across the room, stopping beside him.
Sepia bowed her head and took her seat.
Ethan glanced at her, his expression unreadable.
‘Ethan, I wish you felt as hurt as I do. I wish you would cry and beg for forgiveness. Because of you…’
She had even shed tears.
She hadn’t cried in years.
Ethan had caused her to fall ill for days.
Vivian had even expressed concern about her sudden weight loss.
In terms of pure ability, Ethan didn’t stand a chance.
And she wanted to sabotage his job search. Maybe if he hit rock bottom, he would come crawling back to her.
‘I’ll even treat you well if you come back…’
Sepia clenched her small hand.
Cassia quickly read through Sepia’s application form.
“Ah, Sepia, you seem to have a talent for magic. It’s impressive that you’ve already achieved a 5-star rating.”
“Oh, you flatter me, Professor.”
“Your TOMA score is also quite high. 990 points?”
Test Of Magical Ability.
TOMA for short. It was a national magic aptitude test.
The average TOMA score for Neydia students was in the 700s.
990 points was practically a perfect score, placing her in the top 0.1%.
“I’ve been learning magic since I was young.”
As far as Sepia knew, Ethan didn’t have a Toma score.
He had never taken the exam, so it was only natural.
“Sepia, would you mind extending your hand? I’d like to measure your mana capacity.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Sepia obediently extended her hand.
Her hand was soft and white, untouched by hardship. Cassia began measuring her mana.
5 minutes… 7 minutes… 10 minutes passed.
14 minutes.
Cassia reached the bottom of Sepia’s mana capacity.
“Wow, Sepia! Your mana capacity is more than three times the average.”
Cassia had been impressed when the measurement surpassed the 10-minute mark.
Sepia’s mana capacity was almost four times the average Neydia student. It placed her in the top 1% of the academy.
It wasn’t surprising.
The Logness family was born with twice the average mana capacity. And Sepia had consumed countless elixirs and undergone rigorous training to increase her mana capacity since childhood.
‘Humph, Ethan, this is how impressive your master is.’
Sepia glanced at Ethan, hoping to see a reaction.
But Ethan’s expression remained unchanged.
‘You’re pretending to be calm because you’re nervous?’
She almost laughed at his pathetic attempt to hide his anxiety.
Now it was Ethan’s turn.
Sepia waited patiently for Cassia to finish the measurement.
‘Ethan’s measurement will be over in 3 minutes.’
It would take less than 3 minutes.
The measurement would be over in 3 minutes.
People commonly referred to this as “mana premature ejaculation.”
With that level of mana, he could only expect an average B grade in magic courses.
1 minute… 2 minutes… 3 minutes…
Time passed. However, even after 5 minutes, Ethan’s measurement was not over.
‘What? Did he secretly train to increase his mana capacity?’
It was incredibly difficult to increase mana capacity.
If it were easy, there would be countless high-level mages.
Sepia glanced at the clock on the wall, counting the seconds.
Only the ticking of the clock filled the silence.
7 minutes… 10 minutes… 12 minutes… 15 minutes passed.
Sepia’s face contorted in disbelief.
And then it surpassed the 20-minute mark.
Suddenly, the alarm on Cassia’s communication crystal went off.
Cassia quickly silenced the alarm, her expression surprised.
“Ethan, I apologize. I have another class scheduled… Ah, the mana measurement took much longer than I expected.”
“Professor, did you finish measuring Ethan’s mana?”
Sepia asked urgently.
“Um… No, not yet. I haven’t completed the measurement yet. Hehe.”
Not yet.
That meant Ethan’s mana capacity was greater than Sepia’s.
Sepia was speechless, as though she had been struck by a blunt weapon.
“Ethan, would you mind coming back when I have more time?”
Ethan nodded calmly.
To Sepia, the situation felt like a rigged game.
‘Ethan’s mana capacity is greater than mine?’
Impossible.
It was absurd.
Sepia clenched her fists.
She wanted to confront Ethan as soon as they left the office.
She wanted to demand an explanation.
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Annoying af