Academy’s Genius Mage

Ian visited the old item storage early in the morning.

This place mainly collected discarded items, so apart from the regular workers who came to deposit things, it was rarely visited.

Therefore, the yawning staff was startled when Ian and Goyang appeared.

“What brings you here?”

“Hello. I am Ian Oracle, a first-year student in the Department of Magic.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Good morning.”

The young staff member adjusted his glasses and stared intently at Ian.

Ian gave a friendly smile.

“I’m sorry to come so early.”

“No, that’s fine… but what brings a student from the Department of Magic here?”

“I plan to create some experimental tools, and I need some scraps. Can I take some from inside?”

“Uh… are you going to use them yourself?”

“Yes.”

The staff member, who had been looking blankly at Ian, suddenly clapped his hands and laughed brightly.

“Oh! Right, Ian Oracle, I’ve heard about you! You’re that remarkable student leading the potion business, aren’t you?”

“Please leave out the word ‘remarkable’. It’s thanks to Professor Frost’s guidance.”

“I heard you made a lot of money from that, haha. I envy you.”

Ian chuckled awkwardly, slightly bowing his head.

The staff member handed over a file and a pen.

“Please write down the purpose and your name here.”

Ian filled out all the blanks.

Then, as he returned the file and pen, he asked, “Is there a limit to the amount of scrap I can take?”

“Generally, it’s limited to 3 kilograms per visit. But since it’s you, Ian, you can take as much as you want.”

“I don’t want to do anything against the rules.”

“If it’s for assisting your advisor’s experiments, there’s no limit, so it’s alright.”

Ian smiled and nodded.

He picked up a basket handed by the staff and entered through the door at the back.

Unlike the cramped office, a vast warehouse unfolded.

If he hadn’t seen the building beforehand, he might have mistaken it for a space-warping warehouse.

“Finding a needle in a sandpit, isn’t it?”

The warehouse was filled with a strong, harsh scent from all kinds of waste and discarded items.

Ian walked around, observing the internal structure.

The scrap and junk seemed to be piled up indiscriminately, but they were stored with some kind of classification.

‘Still, it’s better than I expected.’

Ian moved toward the area where old items were collected. Unlike the scraps randomly scattered on the floor, they were stored on tables and display cases.

『No matter how much I look, nothing seems usable.』

“Well, usually so, since they’re already assessed once. But appraisals are a formal procedure. It’s a human task, after all. But since you’re a great spirit, you might spot something special.”

Upon Ian’s remark, strength visibly filled Goyang’s posture.

A satisfied smile crept upon its face.

『Of course. I am a great spirit, after all.』

“You can find it right away, then?”

『 Let’s give it a try. But wouldn’t it help first to narrow down the shape or function a bit?』

“First, find everything. It’s better to choose from what you gather.”

Artifacts came in a plethora of shapes, with options so diverse that none could be specifically defined.

This was why he thought it more efficient to collect first, then choose.

Goyang slightly twitched its lips yet complied silently with its partner’s request.

‘It’s finding things incredibly well.’

Goyang began swiftly moving items around, to the point where it was almost invisible.

Being a spirit, rather than an animal, it could accurately place even the largest and heaviest objects at Ian’s feet.

‘Indeed, I was right.’

Even though the hypothesis was unproven, Ian operated under the assumption that Goyang, being a Primordial Spirit, must have a special ability.

That was the ‘Appraisal of Items.’

This method was inspired by the theory that spirits of the four elements could better identify items imbued with their own element.

No matter what properties were imposed, Goyang would find them.

After all, it had truthfully proclaimed itself to be a spirit of everything.

‘If it could also identify magical properties, that would be fantastic.’

Ian Oracle calmly scrutinized the items that Goyang retrieved with its mouth, arms crossed.

After some time had passed, Goyang spat out an old brooch and spoke.

『This is it. The rest aren’t worth looking at. It’s just a complete pile of junk.』

“Still, you found more than I expected.”

Goyang had pinpointed exactly five items.

There was a short dagger, two necklaces, one earring, and one bracelet.

All of them appeared rusty or damaged, making them seemingly useless at first glance.

『If you were planning to do this, why not go to the equipment rental shop instead of coming to this junkyard? You’d find more valuable items there.』

“If you place yourself in another’s shoes, the answer becomes clear.”

Ian picked up the dagger first.

He channeled a bit of magic into it.

“If I borrowed equipment from the rental shop, wouldn’t that information reach other people’s ears?”

『Isn’t it natural to need equipment for dungeon exploration?』

Goyang asked.

“The academy is full of people who would exploit even that. Especially if the person who orchestrated this deployment is behind it.”

Helios’ mocking expression crossed Ian’s mind.

He set down the dagger and picked up a necklace this time.

『So you’re saying you’re not giving them any chance to find fault in the first place, right?』

“Exactly. Completing the exploration perfectly is our best form of resistance.”

『You live such a weary life.』

Ian set down the necklace.

Although he passed some mana through it, he only felt a slight echo, nothing particularly special.

“Could you explain the attributes attached? I can’t sense them well.”

『Huh. If the top student of the academy is like this, the kingdom’s future seems dim.』

“If I could do everything well, I wouldn’t need to have you with me.”

Goyang, with a subtle warning, began its explanation.

『This dagger has an option for additional damage to undead. The reason you can’t feel it is because the blade is damaged. Repair the blade, and it’s back to normal.』

“Pass.”

Ian tossed the dagger aside.

The next explanation began.

『This necklace is quite good. It has options for increased casting speed and reduced mana consumption.』

The options were intriguing even upon first hearing.

“With options like that, why was it just stored away? That’s strange.”

『The chain was broken. The chain acts as a circle in a magic array, so repairing it will make the artifact functional again.』

“I see.”

Using the Flint Spell, Ian slightly melted and reattached the chain. Instantly, genuine magic could be felt.

“Truly.”

『Hehehe, it’s a very effective item for a novice mage like you.』

Ian decided to keep the star-shaped necklace.

“And next?”

『This one is similar. If you repair the chain, its function will activate. It’s a protective ornament that blocks physical and magical attacks.』

“To what extent can it block attacks?”

『It depends on the wearer’s level of magic or aura. But since it’s single-use, it might not be very useful.』

“You mean it breaks after one use?”

『Yes.』

In other words, it was an extremely polarizing artifact, either completely useless or extremely valuable.

Ian also tucked the moon-shaped necklace into his pocket.

The other artifacts weren’t particularly appealing, so he tossed them aside.

“You truly are a great spirit.”

『Naturally!』

“Looking forward to working well with you in the future.”

『Just leave it to me!』

Now, even if they ventured into dungeons or ruins, with Goyang, item identification would no longer be a problem.

‘Coincidentally, they’re star-shaped and moon-shaped.’

Ian had a special reason for pocketing both necklaces.

One of those was intended as a gift for Isera.

The items, shaped like the moon and a star, felt like a couple’s item, making it appear quite fitting.

“I’ll take the star shape. Casting quickly is more important than defense.”

More than anything, he worried about Isera.

It wasn’t that he doubted her skills, but her beautiful appearance had the potential to attract individuals with sinister intentions.

In a dungeon, an enclosed space, it could become dangerous if traps were precisely set, no matter how skilled one was.

“Stopping that kind of situation before it happens is crucial. We must assume we’re surrounded by enemies.”

Ian placed a suitable amount of scrap in the basket and headed outside.

* * *

Around noon that day, Jessica, the dean of the Royal Academy’s Department of Magic, summoned Ian and Isera.

She held a decree in her hand.

Jessica personally conveyed the contents of the decree.

“A report has come in of a newly formed dungeon about 11 kilometers north of the city. It was discovered accidentally due to some monsters escaping.”

Jessica’s tone was businesslike, embodying the dignity of a dean.

The weight of the command from the royal court was indeed enormous.

Ian asked, “How old is the dungeon?”

“It wasn’t detected in the regular exploration five years ago. Assuming the exploration team’s skills were above average, it means the dungeon has formed within the last five years.”

“It’s fortunate it was discovered quickly.”

Some dungeons remained unknown for hundreds of years.

When that happened, the dungeon became extremely dangerous.

Like aging wine, everything within the dungeon matured in magic and became ferocious.

In that regard, the discovery of the new dungeon was somewhat fortunate.

“But the situation is not favorable. Apparently, strong demonic energy is leaking from the dungeon.”

Ian and Isera were slightly taken aback.

“Strong demonic energy?”

“Yes, it’s an uncommon occurrence.”

Dungeons were structures created under the influence of demonic energy spilling from the demon world. Thus, sensing magic in a dungeon was natural.

The problem, however, was the monsters that escaped the dungeon.

“A mutation was discovered. It was a goblin with a single horn. Ten veteran soldiers were killed. Do you know what the horn represents?”

“I do. More horns indicate a higher-ranking demonic presence, and for monsters, it correlates with strength.”

“Correct. The more deeply influenced by demonic energy, the more horns grow on the head or elsewhere on the body. Occasionally, there are those who hide their horns, leading to unexpected encounters.”

“How strong was the one that was discovered?”

“Just one horn, so approximately at 1-star. You both should manage that. However, the presence of a mutation among those that escaped raises concerns.”

Ian immediately grasped the implication.

“You mean there could be stronger ones deeper inside.”

“Yes.”

There followed a brief silence.

Jessica looked between the two, sighing softly.

“I do not wish to place you in danger, but this is a direct order from His Majesty the King. As students of the academy, you are obliged to comply.”

“We accept the command.”

Ian knelt on one knee, receiving the decree handed by Jessica. Thus, the mobilization order was formalized.

If they failed to fulfill the mission, they could not return to the academy.

“Ian Oracle and Isera Hebraim. Both of you are to proceed to the dungeon immediately. There, join other comrades and hope to successfully explore the dungeon.”

The mention of comrades was supposed to be reassuring, but it piled on pressure.

“It must be people recommended by the Department of Martial Arts, undoubtedly.”

There was no knowing which year would be sent, what skills they possessed, or what schemes they harbored.

“Regardless, we will succeed.”

Ian regarded this not merely as a royal internal conflict but as a matter of personal growth.

“If we can’t overcome hardships, we’ll inevitably be left behind. At least, I don’t want to spend my remaining life buried under a pile of books.”

Ian accepted this as a trial destined to make him stronger and propel him into the outside world.