"Your magical power has already reached the level of a standard instructor."
"But for all these years, you've only studied existing, fully formed sorceries. That's made the way you use magic far too rigid."
"Even with such strong magical power, it's hard for you to break through the limits of what you already know."
After all the tests were finished, Sellen placed the exam paper on the desk. She pinched her chin, thought for a moment, then spoke again.
"For now, your biggest shortcoming is still your lack of foundational theoretical knowledge."
Nolan nodded lightly. Theory was indeed essential. Whether it was incantations or sorcery, everything grew and expanded from basic principles.
In fact, he had already seen similar forms of applied extension before, like what Lady Ghost had shown during their sparring match that day.
With a deep enough understanding and mastery of the Golden Order, incantations could break free from fixed patterns and be cast freely, guided purely by intent.
"You still have a great deal to learn."
Sellen turned around, her gaze lingering briefly on the bookshelf behind her. She casually pulled out several books and tossed them toward Nolan.
Nolan's reflexes were decent. He reached out and caught them one after another, then lowered his head to glance at the titles.
"Fundamentals of Magical Power Application Theory? Basic Principles of Glintstone Sorcery Channeling? Glintstone and Magic? An Introduction to Magical Theory Systems?"
He looked at the books with some surprise. They were all basic texts on magic, but for someone like him, a half-trained practitioner at best, they were almost completely unfamiliar territory.
"You'll start from the basics," the witch said, waving her hand, her tone serious and firm.
By now, she no longer saw Nolan as a stranger she had only met recently, but as her own student.
Nolan nodded slightly. He knew that learning magic required patience and time. Though he was full of anticipation for the lessons to come, he also understood that this was only the beginning.
"You've already planned out the future curriculum? As expected of the academy's brilliant genius witch."
Nolan stacked the books together and said it with a grin.
"Save the flattery. I really don't know what your previous teacher was doing. Starting tomorrow morning, you'll come here for lessons. We'll begin with the most basic theory."
Sellen waved her hand dismissively, pushed herself upright with both hands on the desk, and then pulled her hood back over her head.
"When you get back, preview Fundamentals of Magical Power Application Theory. That will be the main focus of tomorrow's lesson."
This could finally be considered a proper first step onto the path of magic.
The thought made Nolan feel a surge of excitement, and he nodded vigorously.
"Understood, Teacher!"
Seeing how enthusiastic he was, Sellen smiled in satisfaction beneath her hood and replied softly.
"Good."
Then she lightly snapped her fingers and continued.
"That concludes our first lesson. From today on, you are my apprentice."
"I should warn you in advance. I'm currently working on an important research project, so my time is tight. I'll be quite busy from now on."
Hearing this, a hint of unease rose in Nolan's chest.
Could it be that Sellen had already begun secretly researching Primeval Sorcery?
But he also knew that, at present, this was not something he could interfere with.
So Nolan set that worry aside for the time being and asked instead,
"Then what do you need me to do now?"
Sellen seemed to have already thought this through. She pondered briefly before replying,
"Let me see…"
"First, help me return these books."
"Then, on your way back, bring me some jerky and turtle neck meat."
"Your teacher still hasn't eaten enough. It'd be best to buy extra so I can eat for a few more days."
As she spoke, she pointed to the mountain of books piled off to the side, easily as tall as a person.
Hearing his teacher's request, Nolan couldn't help feeling curious and asked,
"Is that what you usually eat?"
Sellen remained completely unfazed. She shrugged and said casually,
"That's more than enough for me. Of course, if you don't like it, you're free to cook for yourself. There's a kitchen in the lounge."
Nolan nodded, thinking her suggestion over.
He wasn't especially good at cooking, but it still beat living on jerky. That stuff was basically marching rations, convenient but awful in terms of taste.
"Is there anything else I can help with? Like magic research, maybe? Is there anything I'm capable of doing?"
"At your current level, how could you possibly take part in magical research?"
"At the very least, wait until you've memorized all that basic theory inside and out!"
"I'm going to rest for a bit. Remember to wake me when I'm back."
Am I here to be a student, or a servant?
Sellen turned and headed toward the lounge, leaving Nolan standing alone in the room. Watching her tall figure disappear, he could only feel speechless.
...
Morning sunlight spilled through the windows onto the streets of the academy town as a new day began.
The noise of the street drifted in faintly from afar, yet inside a small shop, the atmosphere was unusually quiet and comfortable.
Nolan sat at the table, lifted his cup, and took a small sip. A rich milky flavor spread across his mouth, carrying a smooth, mellow aroma.
It had been nearly two months since he came to study at the Raya Lucaria Academy, and in that time, Nolan's reputation had changed completely.
Every day, he studied magic earnestly under his mentor, Sellen, approaching each lesson with enthusiasm.
Whenever he felt himself improve, he was eager to put it into practice.
And so, when people saw this young apprentice wield magic on par with that of the instructors, the so-called Bluntstone who once relied on connections quietly became a recognized prodigy in everyone's eyes.
Nolan had no intention of hiding his abilities. Who was he pretending for here?
Besides, having the title of a prodigy meant that even while residing in Lazuli Conspectus, a place viewed as heretical, he could still receive support and resources from the academy, as long as he didn't touch on dangerous Primeval Sorcery research.
With that in mind, there was even less reason to keep a low profile.
During this time, Nolan devoted himself to studying foundational theory.
Not only did it help him better understand the essence of magic, it also led to clear improvements in practice.
Take the most basic spell, Starlight. In the past, Nolan had treated it as nothing more than a simple illumination spell.
Now, however, he could freely adjust its brightness and was even experimenting with ways to give it more practical combat value.
This was precisely what it meant to break free from rigid magical formulas. Relying solely on stiff instruction manuals and textbook knowledge would never produce a true master of magic.
Moreover, these two relatively peaceful months gave Nolan time to think deeply about certain matters.
The Haligtree had been established only recently, yet the academy's collection of books exceeded it by more than a hundredfold.
Thanks to the academy's preferential treatment toward gifted students, Nolan was able to borrow the vast majority of its ancient texts.
Drawing on memories from his previous life, he gradually began forming his own conclusions about many things.