The classes had been going on for a month now, and Lucian, Tresca, and Lucelle had each made significant progress in their respective fields.
Lucelle's mastery over aura manipulation advanced rapidly under her instructors' guidance, while Tresca continued to excel at the top of her theoretical and tactical magic courses. Outside of their academic studies, both Tresca and Lucelle had joined a newly formed club called the Afterschool Tea Club—a circle dedicated primarily to socializing, reading, and exchanging news across the academy campus.
Meanwhile, Lucian spent his free afternoon hours at the research facility.
Surrounded by scattered blueprints, brass gears, and disassembled prototype components, Lucian sat at his workstation in the Energy Blaster Research Group's laboratory. Ever since Lucian asked for permission to join the research group, he had been doing his best trying to understand the weapon. Day after day, he continuously assembled and disassembled the prototype, carefully analyzing how each individual part fit together. He traced the etching of the internal energy channels, tested the tension of the firing lever, and examined the structural integrity of the metal housing.
He couldn't shake the persistent feeling that the weapon was simply missing something fundamental—something obvious that lay just beyond his reach, yet he couldn't quite figure out what it was.
When the bell rang, its deep chiming echoed through the laboratory, signaling that his time was up and it was time for him to go fetch Tresca.
Lucian carefully placed the disassembled components back into their wooden storage tray, wiped his hands clean, and gathered his notes before heading out toward the Afterschool Tea Club.
He knocked on the door and entered.
Inside, he saw Tresca and Lucelle sitting at one of the tables alongside Celine, a friend they had made in the club.
Lucian offered a polite bow to the group. "Good afternoon, My Lady, Lady Lucelle, Lady Celine."
"Good afternoon, Lucian," Tresca replied, setting her teacup down onto its saucer.
"We were just wrapping up," Lucelle said, gathering her books from the table.
Tresca stood up and offered a warm smile to Celine and the rest of the group. "Thank you for the tea today. We will take our leave now."
"Of course," Celine replied with a nod. "Have a good evening, everyone. See you tomorrow."
After exchanging farewells with Celine and the other members, Tresca and Lucelle stepped out into the hallway, with Lucian quietly falling into step right behind them.
"I have come to fully understand the mechanism, My Lady," Lucian replied, keeping his pace even. "Yet every time I examine it, I feel as though it is missing something remarkably simple—a single piece or detail that could make it vastly superior. But no matter how long I analyze it, I cannot seem to grasp what it is."
Tresca paused her steps slightly and turned to him with a soft smile.
"Don't rush yourself, Lucian," she said, her tone light yet wise. "And stop focusing so intently on it. You have a habit of overlooking the obvious when you narrow your sight too much on a single detail, my dear servant."
Lucian blinked, taking in her words, before bowing his head respectfully. "You may be right, My Lady. I will try to look at it with fresh eyes."
Lucelle, hearing this, turned back to him with a thoughtful expression. "Why don't you try researching other weapons, Lucian? Maybe you could apply the principles of different weapons to the one you're currently working on."
Lucian paused for a moment, processing her suggestion. The idea of looking outside the standard design of the Energy Blaster to cross-examine how conventional arms handled energy efficiency was practical.
"That is a valid point, Lady Lucelle," Lucian acknowledged with a subtle nod. "Thank you for the suggestion."
Tresca then smiled and spoke up as they continued walking down the hall. "We actually heard a lot of interesting news during our club session today. Have you heard that next month there's going to be an exhibition match including the academy's top students?"
"Lady Celine mentioned it briefly when I arrived at the room, My Lady," Lucian replied, keeping his voice even.
"Good," Tresca said, satisfied. "It would be a nice break for you. Besides, I need you to give me your insights. You're much better than me in terms of how you'll react to certain situations in a fight."
"You praise me too much, My Lady," Lucian replied, keeping his expression calm and composed.
Lucelle nodded in agreement with Tresca. "Tresca is right. You fight more like a martial artist than a mage."
She continued as they walked, clarifying her point. "What differentiates a mage and a martial artist, other than the system they use, is the way they fight. A martial artist adapts based on their environment because they trust their body. Mages, on the other hand, prepare for every outcome possible because they doubt everything."
Tresca nodded in agreement. "That's right. Mages normally prepare spells in advance before they fight, setting up defenses and calculated sequences. Lucian, on the other hand, will cast a spell depending on how the opponent moves first."
She turned back toward him as they continued down the hallway. "That's why I'd like to hear your observations on the upcoming exhibition matches. I want a broader perspective on this matter."
"Understood, My Lady," Lucian replied, inclining his head respectfully. "I will do my best to meet your expectations."
Lucelle sighed slightly, her expression shifting to one of mild disappointment. "It's been a while since I last had a proper fight."
"Are you itching for a spar, Lucelle?" Tresca asked, amusement lacing her voice as she glanced back at her.
"The upcoming exhibition match made me want to fight," Lucelle admitted, crossing her arms slightly.
"Wanna fight, then? I'd like to test out some things I learned this month," Tresca said, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Lucelle's eyes instantly glowed with excitement. "I want to! Let's do it in my mansion again!"
"But before that, let me check the monthly bulletin board first," Tresca added, redirecting her steps down the main corridor. "I want to confirm the exact date of the exhibition match."
Lucelle suppressed her excitement with a slight huff, adjusting her composure as she followed Tresca down the hallway. "Fine, but let's make it quick."
After a short walk down the main corridor, the large wooden bulletin board came into sight. A wide variety of notices covered the surface: updated school calendars, vibrant club recruitment flyers, official announcements, and recent academy news.
Tresca stepped closer to the board, her eyes scanning through the rows of pinned parchment to locate the official notice for the upcoming exhibition match.
"There are certainly a lot of updates posted this month," Lucelle remarked, standing beside her while trying to maintain her composure despite her eagerness to head to the mansion.
Lucian's eyes scanned the board efficiently, catching the official seal marking the schedule updates.
"My Lady," Lucian said quietly, stepping forward and pointing to a freshly stamped parchment near the upper right corner. "The schedule for the exhibition match is posted here."
Tresca moved closer to read the flyer Lucian was pointing to.
"It looks like the exhibition matches are scheduled for the 20th day of the month," Tresca said, scanning the fine print on the official parchment. "That's roughly three weeks from now."
Lucelle's gaze drifted past the schedule, locking onto a pair of prominent flyers posted right alongside it.
"Tresca, look at this," Lucelle said, gesturing toward the displays.
Tresca stepped alongside her to inspect the notices. The first was a freshly updated leaderboard listing the top individual students, complete with their current academic rankings and accumulated contribution points. Right beside it hung the official faction rankings, detailing the power dynamics and standing of every major group within the academy.
"The top student rankings," Tresca noted, scanning the names listed near the apex. "And the faction standings are right beside them."
Lucelle looked at the charts, her interest piqued. "Tresca, do you have any idea how someone can join these ranks?"
"Based on what I've heard in the clubs, the academy awards contribution points based on three things," Tresca explained, pointing toward the detailed breakdown beneath the names. "Clearing Gates, academic contributions like research papers, and your grades on the monthly assessments."
"Clearing Gates yields the most points," Tresca continued, her eyes tracing the high scores near the top. "That's why most of the students in these rankings are upperclassmen—they have direct access to those missions. They also say you can exchange these contribution points for items or privileges of equivalent value from the academy."
Lucelle looked at the top names once more, her expression turning determined. "Our monthly assessment is coming next week, right? I guess we'll earn our first points by then. I really want to compete against these people."
Tresca smiled at Lucelle. "The contribution points from the monthly assessment won't be enough to climb that high, but yes, that's the start of us being registered to the academy ranking database."
Lucelle nodded, her eyes flashing with sudden intensity. "Yes. But for now, let's spar."
She looked at Tresca with high expectations, visibly fired up and ready for a fight.
"That's the spirit," Tresca replied, matching her enthusiasm with a sharp grin. "Let's see if you can keep up with what I've been practicing."
With their plans set and anticipation building, the three of them departed the academy grounds and made their way directly toward Lucelle's mansion.