A man with dark circles under his eyes called Theodoreâs name. The manâs thin cheeks pushed his cheekbones higher, giving off a bonier impression. He wouldâve been considered a resident of the slums if he had been dressed poorly.
However, this man was actually a third-grade professor and a 5th Circle master, making him one of the best within Bergen Academy.
The skinny man, Professor Vince, spoke in a businesslike tone, âYou should know why I called you.â
Theodore Miller, shortened to Theo, nodded with a shadowed face. This was because he couldnât bear to open his mouth and answer the question.
He had been prepared for a while, but it felt like his heart was falling apart now that it was actually happening.
âYour written grades are brilliant. You were only deducted three points among all your subjects. Even then, they were just minor mistakes. There was no one else who could answer it except for you, so you can think of it as a perfect score.â
Although it couldnât be confirmed publicly, some test questions had been âdesigned to be wrongâ. It was a tacit rule in the academy so that a full score wouldnât be granted easily.
Nevertheless, Theo only had points deducted for three questions. Perhaps it was a better performance than some professors. Vince admired the talent of this young man while feeling sad at the very same time.
It was because Theodore Miller lacked the talent to become a magician.
âHowever, you canât graduate because your practical results were a failure.â The decisive voice pressed firmly on Theoâs back.
The academy had two graduation requirements: one was to have a written score above 70 points; and the other was to become a 3rd Circle master. The former wasnât difficult, but the latter condition was the problem.
For Theo, who had been born with a low amount of magic power and sensitivity, the wall of the 3rd Circle was too high for him. Even though he had reduced his amount of sleep just so he could practice, he couldnât even reach the level of his classmatesâ feet. Despite his practice, his magic would pour out wildly.
As a result, Theo hadnât been able to graduate for three years.
âHuâŚÂ Theodore, what circle are you now?â Professor Vince asked with frustration.
He had asked the same question last year and the year before that. However, the answer had never changed.
Theo once again repeated the same answer, ââŚ2nd Circle.â
It was a terrible number.
Most of the academyâs students usually reached the 2nd Circle by the end of the first grade and the 3rd Circle when they entered the third grade. It wasnât uncommon for excellent students to reach the 4th Circle by graduation.
However, Theo had stayed at the academy for five years and still couldnât cross the wall of the 3rd Circle.
Additionally, that wasnât the only problem.
âHave you mastered 2nd Circle magic?â
ââŚI failed.â Theoâs voice died down even further.
If the only that was lacking  was just the amount of magic power, then he could supply it from outside sources. This was a bit expensive to do, but if he took reagents made of magic power, he could gain enough power needed for the 3rd Circle.
However, Theoâs sensitivity was close to the bottom, and this was indispensable for using magic. The lack of magic power could be overcome, but there was no method to increase mana sensitivity.
It was why Professor Vince had given up on sponsoring Theo.
âIt is a waste of Theoâs brilliance, but⌠with poor magic sensitivity, he will never survive as a magician. Spending 5 years and not even mastering 2nd Circle magic, it is hopeless.â
He looked down at Theo with a wistful expression.
Any other student wouldâve given up sooner⌠Theo, who knew better than anyone else that he was without talent, had been trying for three years. That commitment was incomparable to the other students who had grown up like plants in a greenhouse.
If Theo had ordinary levels of magic sensitivity, then the position of chief graduate wouldâve been his.
However, reality was too cruel to Theo.
Professor Vince pulled out an envelope from the drawer and hesitated for a moment. This wasnât the first time, but it felt like the weight of the envelope had increased as the years passed.
It was a letter given to a grade repeater.
âThis is my role as a professor, but⌠I canât help feeling like Iâm doing something wrong to you. Iâm sorry.â
ââŚNo, itâs fine.â
âRead it once and discard it. There shouldnât be anything different from last year, but you never know.â
Theo accepted the envelope calmly.
His fingers were continuously on the verge of trembling, but he managed to resist it somehow. This was his third repeater letter. Receiving it once would make someone an object of ridicule, while receiving it twice would make someone the shame of their family.
Theo was the only student at Bergen Academy ever to have received it three times.
More than anything, the third repeater letter had a separate meaning.
This was the last one.
A fourth letter didnât exist.
Professor Vince hadnât said it, but if Theodore Miller didnât graduate next year, he would be expelled.
It would be a scandal so disgraceful that it would be better for him to quit and defend his honour.
âIs it only up to here?â
Theo looked down at the repeater letter with empty eyes.
His eyes which had once been filled with dreams were darkening. The young man, who had stepped into the academy to become a great magician, now had to face the grim reality which would cause his knees to buckle.
âI can do it next year. I can graduate next year.â Such a hope was now devastating for him, as he stood on the precipice of ruin.
Theodore MillerâŚ
He was born the eldest son of a disgraced noble family. The Miller family, which at one time had served the feudal lords as earls, had been pushed to their downfall 100 years ago. Their attempts at re-establishing their family had left nothing for Theo.
So, Theo had wanted to become a magician. Unlike those who had to undergo harsh training since childhood, children with noble titles were able to enter the academy without much difficulty. He thought he was quite smart, so he convinced his parents and stepped inside, beyond the threshold of the Royal Academy.
However, it was up to there. Theo would go to sleep later and get up earlier than anyone else. He worked enthusiastically in class and reduced his amount of sleep in order to practice his mana. Rather than blaming the scarce environment, Theo had believed he would be rewarded if he put in more effort.
âWas I too optimistic?â
His classmates had graduated two years ago, and juniors one year younger than him had graduated already. Now, there would be juniors two years younger than him who would accept their degrees.
Even the new students knew his name.
He was the academyâs long-time dunce. Theo would bring dishonour to the fallen Miller family.
âWhere did it go wrong?â
Was it when the spells used in the first test had failed?
When he had realized that it was hopeless with his magic sensitivity?
When he had accepted his first repeater letter a few days before the graduation ceremony?
When he had thought that his efforts had been lacking after receiving two letters?
Or maybe⌠it had been when he first dreamt about becoming a magician.
âDammit.â
So far, he had never resented his own poverty.
There were people who ate less than him and those who couldnât live in abundance. Even though their status had fallen, Theo was still a noble and had managed to enter the Royal Academy.
However, his patience was reaching its limit.
The magic reagents which other students drank like water?
Theo had given up on those knowing that one bottle would cost two months of the Miller familyâs budget.
Hiring another magician as a private tutor?
He wouldnât be able to afford one even if he sold the Miller estate.
Of course, many students graduated without using such methods. They increased their magic power with natural born talent and didnât need to be taught separately.
With no talent or no moneyâŚ
One could still graduate even if they were lacking just one of these things.
However, Theodore Miller had nothing.
âI should be going back.â
As soon as the professor nodded in agreement, Theo turned around.
He wasnât confident about maintaining this cool composure much longer. His calm face was already half-distorted. At the very least, he didnât want the professor to see something so ugly.
Bang.
The door closed with a harsher sound than when heâd entered.
With a heavy expression, Professor Vince looked toward the door through where Theo had disappeared, but the professor soon dropped his gaze back down to the book he was reading.
The pages of the book werenât turned for a long time.
* Â Â * Â Â *
Ding!
The loud bell could be heard in the hallway.
It was a clock signaling that it was evening.
Due to magic, the volume was constant no matter where it was heard. Students staying in the dormitory couldnât leave school after this time, while students not staying in the dormitories were required to leave.
As Theo headed to the dormitory blankly, he suddenly stopped moving.
ââŚCome to think of it, I havenât eaten dinner yet.â
Should he go to the cafeteria now?
He thought for a moment before shaking his head. Due to the repeater notice in his hand, Theo didnât have an appetite.
Should he go back to the dormitory and sleep?
No, his drowsiness had been lifted a long time ago.
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It would be fortunate if he didnât get a nightmare while sleeping.
In the end, Theoâs footsteps headed to the same place as always.
It was a place that rarely had visitors, and it was the most comfortable place for him in Bergen Academyâthe library.
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