The Royal Academy of Valoria was a fortress of tradition. Built three hundred years ago, it stood on a cliff overlooking the capital, a sprawling complex of gothic spires, gargoyles, and ivy-covered stone.
It was majestic. It was magical.
To Arthur (Age 8), it looked like a fire hazard.
"No sprinkler systems," Arthur noted, stepping out of the Steam Wagon at the front gates. "Narrow staircases. If there is a panic, the stampede mortality rate will be 40%."
The other students were arriving in horse-drawn carriages. They stared. Arthur's Steam Wagon was black, sleek, and hissed menacingly. He wore the Academy uniform (a blue blazer with gold trim), but he carried a leather briefcase instead of a wand.
Princess Vivian was waiting by the gate, surrounded by a clique of noble girls. She saw him and rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
"Try not to blow up the school on the first day, Arthur," she called out.
"I cannot promise that," Arthur replied seriously. "It depends on the stability of their laboratory equipment."
....
The entrance ceremony was skipped (inefficient speeches). The students were immediately ushered into the Great Hall for the Placement Exam.
Three hundred children sat at wooden desks. Floating candles provided dim, atmospheric light.
"Atmospheric but horrible for reading," Arthur muttered, clicking a pen he had invented (ballpoint, replacing the messy quill).
Professor Ignis, the Head of Fire Magic, paced the front of the room. He was a man who looked like he had been singed one too many times—wild red hair and a temper to match.
"You have one hour!" Ignis boomed. "Prove you understand the Arcane Arts! Begin!"
Arthur flipped the paper.
Question 1: To conjure a Greater Fireball, one must invoke the Spirit of Salamander. Why?
Arthur stared at the question. Invoke a spirit? That's superstition. Magic is just energy manipulation.
He began to write.
Answer: The invocation is a psychological trigger to focus the caster's intent. However, the efficiency of the spell relies on the ratio of Mana Output to Oxygen Consumption. To increase potency, one should not 'pray' to a Salamander; one should compress the mana into a spherical shell and ignite the hydrogen in the air. See Equation A below...
He sketched a thermodynamic graph next to the question.
Question 2: What is the weakness of the Wind Blade spell?
Answer: It lacks mass. Rigid structures easily deflect it. A superior alternative is the 'Compressed Air Cannon' (3000 PSI), which delivers blunt force trauma capable of shattering armor.
Arthur blazed through the test. While other students were sweating, biting their quills, and trying to remember ancient poems, Arthur was writing a doctoral thesis on Mana Physics.
...
Thirty minutes later, Arthur stood up. "Finished."
Professor Ignis blinked. "Sit down, boy. You cannot be done."
"I am," Arthur said, walking to the front and placing his paper on the desk. "The questions were... subjective. I corrected them."
Ignis snatched the paper. He read the first answer. His face turned red. He read the second. His face turned purple.
"Blasphemy!" Ignis roared, smoke rising from his shoulders. "You deny the Spirit of Salamander? You speak of... 'Hydrogen'? What is this nonsense?"
"It is science, Professor," Arthur said calm. "Your 'Salamander' is a metaphor for rapid oxidation. I am simply cutting out the middleman."
Ignis trembled. He looked ready to incinerate the child.
Suddenly, a hand placed itself on Ignis's shoulder. It was Headmaster Alaric—a tall man with a long grey beard and eyes that twinkled with too much knowledge. He was the King's older brother, who had renounced the throne to study magic.
"Let me see, Ignis," Alaric said softly. He read Arthur's paper.
He didn't get angry. He raised an eyebrow.
"Equation A..." Alaric muttered. "If you compress the mana here... and ignite here... the yield would indeed be double."
He looked at Arthur.
"You are Kaelen's boy. The one who built the loud wagon."
"The Steam Wagon," Arthur corrected.
"Fascinating," Alaric smiled. "Professor Ignis, give him full marks."
"But Headmaster!" Ignis sputtered. "He insulted the Salamander!"
"The Salamander is a dramatic lizard," Alaric dismissed. "This boy understands the source. Arthur Pendelton, you are placed in Class S: Advanced Theory. Do not burn down my school."
Arthur nodded. "I will try, Headmaster. But you really should install fire exits."
End of Chapter 20