> "I'm the principal of the Dream Mage Garden Academy…"
"Never in my life have I seen such a thing."
"Except… when I myself stepped into the spellground."
It feels as if I'm seeing myself.
Just like a mirror.
"Who are you, kid?"
"…Or should I say—Jane."
---
I remember when I was a kid.
I was a noble—good for nothing. It was flabbergasting for me, and for everyone else.
Just like what happened today.
The moment I stepped into the spell circle...
It broke into two pieces.
Everyone laughed.
They looked down on me.
Until the principal stood up and congratulated me.
He was so shocked that tears fell from his eyes.
He said, "Another hero has been born. You should be proud. You are a gem in a bag of stones."
But that very moment… I lost my freedom.
My life got complicated.
I became a prodigy too early.
And that's why—I won't make the same mistake my principal made with me.
"Jane… I look forward to seeing how your life will turn out. Just like I was, you are a gem in a bag of stones."
---
You're probably wondering what happened.
Why the principal said that.
I get it.
I was just… waiting for reactions.
At least I'd learned a little magic from the old man, Zane.
But when I stepped onto the spellground…
Nothing happened.
No sound.
No mana.
No light.
No strange aura.
Nothing.
Literally nothing worth talking about.
So I walked to the center and touched the mana orb.
Again…
Nothing.
But then…
The orb cracked.
The circle shattered—split into pieces of stone.
You're probably thinking, "How embarrassing."
But that's not what I thought.
If something like that happens, there are only two possibilities:
1. The user has very little mana.
2. The user has unmeasurable mana.
Mana itself can't be measured directly, but it can be interpreted through its manipulation. Most of that ability is determined by bloodline.
And the color of a person's mana reflects their magical affinity:
White Mana – Light Magic
Blue Mana – Water Magic
Black Mana – Dark Magic and Shadow Spells
Red Mana – Explosion and Flame Magic
Green Mana – Wind and Nature Magic
But then there are outliers...
Take Princess Liliana, for example—her mana is pink.
Not one of the five elements.
It's close to red and white, meaning she's adaptable.
She can wield flame and light magic.
---
If a person has no mana signature at all… it's not that they're empty.
It's a sign that their mana is either insignificant—or completely unmeasurable.
In my case?
It's definitely the latter.
Everyone thought the spellground broke because of the Princess' royal mana.
But some weren't convinced.
Most just laughed.
Their laughter filled the hall.
They didn't even care that the spell circle had just been destroyed.
Even three teachers were laughing with the students.
I couldn't believe it.
But what really irritated me was the principal's face.
His mana was leaking out—more than usual. I could feel it.
Out of the five teachers in the room, only two noticed:
1. Edwinn Ademar – Light Magic
2. Alora Richard – Wind Magic
The others?
Zakken Worthy – Flame Magic
Emery Benmark – Water Magic
Leyorik Zacheus – Shadow Magic
They didn't notice… or didn't care.
Then one of them—Zakken—stood up.
"Disqualify this kid."
The murmuring started. Everyone stared at me.
I didn't flinch.
Hands in my pockets.
I leaned back slightly.
Zakken:
"Didn't you hear what I just said? Move."
Still, I said nothing.
Zakken (gritting his teeth):
"What is a worthless student like you doing ignoring me?"
He was furious.
So I spoke.
"There are five judges. Only one is blabbering."
Zakken:
"How dare you—!"
Principal:
"Enough, teacher. He passed. Next."
Zakken:
"But Principal—"
Principal:
"Enough is enough."
Zakken's glare could've burned through steel.
We locked eyes.
---
Later…
Now here we are.
I'm about to be assigned into a class.
It'll be revealed tomorrow.
But I'm more interested in finding out what job is suited for me.
There's a hall where mages receive job signals—predictions based on spell resonance.
As I walked in, I spotted the Princess.
Liliana:
"Oh… s-sorry about what happened. I… didn't mean it."
Me:
"Don't sweat it. I passed. That's what matters."
Liliana:
"But because of me…"
Me:
"Forget it. Anyway, what did you get? Your job?"
Liliana:
"It says… Princess or Queen."
Me:
"Wow. So… they judge based on status and appearance. Expected, I guess."
Liliana:
"Yeah…"
Me:
"So I'll be judged by status too. Sucks to be me."
Liliana:
"No… it's the opposite. I hope you do well."
She turned to leave.
Me:
"Wait, Princess… aren't you coming with me?"
Liliana:
"Wait… where to?"
She turned quickly, a little flustered.
She's engaging—even though she's neither bold nor confident.
Me:
"Let's check out mine too."
Liliana:
"O… okay."
---
We reached the supervising mages.
One of them called out:
"Are you Jane?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Come and sit here."
I sat.
Supervisor:
"We reviewed your results. It seems like your job is… Adventurer. You're suited for travel, but not necessarily for combat."
"However…"
"…your case is strange. The signals we received from the teachers and the broken circle don't align."
"We can't confirm it because of the damage, but we're confident that your true role is—"
> "Blacksmith Artifact Maker."
"Good luck."
Me:
"Thank you for your service, sir."
---
The truth is...
The spell circle responded to me—and broke—yet I showed no emotion.
Sure, I may have sounded excited, but that's just me losing it quietly in my own mind.
I wasn't shocked by the teachers' rage.
I even went further—confronting one of them directly.
That's why I'm suited for discovery.
They said I'm not into fighting because my mana seemed small.
I'm not a noble.
But that other job?
The one about artifacts?
That's not random.
It's because...
> I am an artifact myself.
It's not that getting into the special class with the nobles is hard. With my Artifact Blacksmith potential, I could earn a spot easy.
But if that self-righteous bishop is involved...
It's going to get awkward real fast.
---
[To Be Continued...]