The classes at the Royal Academy are divided into required courses and elective courses for each department.
The required courses for the Magic Department are "Introduction to Magic," "Magic Acquisition," "Herbology," "History of Magic," "Monster Studies," and "Practical Magic"—six in total.
Electives include "Alchemy," "Magical Medicine," "Barrier Arts," "Astronomy," "Magical Biology," "Divination," and "Ancient Languages," among others.
In addition, students could take courses from other departments as electives, and there were even classes that taught the refinements expected of nobles, such as "Dance," "Lady's Education," and "Etiquette."
The first class Rest and the others would attend was "Introduction to Magic," one of the required courses for the Magic Department.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself—I am Nefilim Carder, your homeroom teacher for Class A, and I'll be in charge of both 'Introduction to Magic' and 'Practical Magic'! You may call me Ms. Carder, or—"
"Mom—"
"—that works too!"
The woman who appeared in Class A's classroom was their homeroom teacher, Ms. Carder.
She was the same strong-willed female instructor with flaxen hair tied behind her head whom they had met during the orientation on the day of the entrance ceremony.
"Now that I'm your homeroom teacher, I'm going to push you all hard! Any underperforming students should expect to be demoted to Class B before the final exam even comes around!"
Class assignments were generally determined by entrance exam and final test results, but there were cases where promotion or demotion occurred at the homeroom teacher's discretion.
It seemed Ms. Carder was the strict type of instructor.
"Well then, let's begin the class… Luido Gistal, stand up!"
"Huh? M-me!?"
Ms. Carder pointed her teaching stick at one of the students.
The male student, who had been stifling a yawn, scrambled to his feet.
"Now then, we're going to discuss the principles of magic… Tell me about the Five Great Schools of Magic in general magical theory!"
"Uh, well…"
The sudden shock of being called on must have rattled him.
The question was basic entrance-exam material, yet he floundered, unable to produce an answer.
"Minus one point. That's one step closer to dropping to B class."
"S-someone help…"
"Very well, then… Primula Rosemary! Let's hear your answer!"
"Yes, I understand."
The next student called on was Primula, seated right beside Rest.
She rose without the slightest trace of panic, her movements composed and unhurried. After taking a light breath in and out, she answered.
"The five schools are Elemental Magic, Biological Magic, Physical Magic, Summoning Magic, and Divine Magic."
"Good. That is correct."
Ms. Carder nodded as Primula answered calmly.
"Elemental Magic — the use of attributes such as fire and water. Biological Magic — the enhancement and healing of living bodies. Physical Magic — the manipulation of inanimate matter such as rock and metal. Summoning Magic — the command of magical creatures called forth from other worlds. Divine Magic — offering one's mana to gods, angels, or spirits and receiving miracles in return. These five are considered the foundation of modern magic. Beyond these, you should also be familiar with Alchemy, which encompasses the creation of potions and magical tools, and Barrier Arts, which involve the manipulation of space."
Ms. Carder swept a sharp glare across the entire classroom before fixing her eyes on another student.
"Jewel Easel! Name every school of magic taught in this academy's Magic Department out of the five!"
"Yes… Elemental Magic, Biological Magic, and Physical Magic — those three…"
A bespectacled girl who looked rather timid answered in a cautious, halting tone.
"Hmm. And can you explain why the other two are not covered in Magic Department coursework?"
"Um… Divine Magic is studied in the Clergy Department. As for Summoning Magic, failed casts can cause dangerous magical creatures to appear, so it can only be used by individuals who have obtained special permission… Is that right?"
"Correct. Now then — regarding the magical disaster caused by a failure of Summoning Magic… Rest, let's hear your answer."
(Here it comes…!)
Rest stood up, holding his breath.
It was a fairly challenging question, but... it was something he had learned during exam prep.
"About fifteen hundred years ago, the ancient Diamond Kingdom summoned demons for a war against a neighboring country, and the capital was destroyed in a single night by the demon army that appeared. More recently, about twenty years ago, a research facility within the Gaiselle Empire caught fire under mysterious circumstances. An incident occurred in which every researcher burned to death. The Empire has not released details, but nearby residents reported witnessing a giant of flame, and it has been suggested that a failure of Summoning Magic may have been the cause."
"Very good. That is correct."
She seemed pleased with his answer.
Ms. Carder pulled the corner of her mouth upward with satisfaction.
Rest let out a breath of relief and sat back down in his chair.
"It is not uncommon for magic users to injure themselves even outside of Summoning Magic when a spell goes wrong. To prevent such harm, it is beneficial to drill the fundamentals of magic into your minds. Introduction to Magic covers mostly basic material and can sometimes be taken lightly, but do not forget that precisely because it is foundational, it is important."
Ms. Carder tapped the blackboard with her pointer, then opened her textbook.
"Now then, let's continue the lesson. Open your textbooks to page ten."
It seemed the preamble before the start of class had finally come to an end.
Ms. Carder began the lesson in earnest, and the students started copying the contents written on the board into their notebooks.
She appeared to be quite a strict teacher, but... Ms. Carder's teaching style was easy to understand and didn't bore the students.
Amid the tension, Rest and his classmates finished their first class since entering the academy.