Inside Jerome's garden villa at the Douglas Magic School.
"Heh heh, you're also named Lucian? Evans?" A handsome young man with messy black hair spoke with undisguised amusement. He wore a black vest casually thrown over a white shirt, without bothering with a long coat or suit. "K always said his name was very common, but I never believed him. I didn't expect it to actually be true—to run into someone with the same name in the same school! Well, I'll admit names like Tom and Jack are common enough. There are five pairs of students in the school with identical names!"
He was the second-circle mage Roc, introduced to Lucian by Lazar. He specialized in elemental magic and mathematical foundations, and was known for his eccentric thinking, lively personality, and love of jokes.
Before Lucian could answer, Roc launched into another torrent of words: "I absolutely have to introduce you to K! How great would that be—two people with the exact same name! Don't worry, Lucian—he's very easy to get along with, even if he's a bit quiet and introverted. He's hardworking, talented, and happy to help others. Whenever you have a problem and ask him, he'll always do his best to give you an answer. Not like those electromagnetic school types who look down their noses at everyone!"
"Ever since the last issue of Arcane, when Lord Brook used magical experiments to prove that light is a special electromagnetic wave, those fellows started claiming that spiritual power is also a wave, mocking us particle-theory supporters every single day. They don't even consider that there are still several magical experiments that can't be explained by wave theory, and the Chairman hasn't even responded yet!"
Lucian glanced at Lazar with amusement. He'd thought Lazar was talkative, but compared to Roc, the difference was enormous. Still, from Roc's words, Lucian had grasped the latest research trends at the Continental Magic Parliament, so he listened with a polite smile throughout.
Lazar said helplessly beside him, "That's just how Roc is. Sigh—since the last issue of Arcane came out, someone like me who's always on the move doesn't feel it as much, but those who've been living in Arling for a long time, like them, insisting on the spiritual particle theory, have been feeling immense pressure. Fine, I also prefer the idea that spiritual power is particles, and the proof that light is an electromagnetic wave upset me greatly. But the real devastation is to the Church—their theory that 'light was created by God' has been completely shattered. When I think about that, I actually feel very happy. Proud and triumphant, even."
Jerome, who was more skilled in stellar magic, and his beautiful wife Vera did not interject, simply smiling as they listened to Roc and Lazar's complaints.
Elemental mages who studied the elements and had established the concept of atoms seemed to be natural supporters of the spiritual particle theory. If not for the pressure from the Church outside, it looked like Roc would have relished a fierce battle against those electromagnetic-school mages.
Once their discussion finally stopped, Lucian and Jerome were already sitting on the sofa, leisurely drinking the Earl Grey tea that Vera had brewed.
Jerome, with brown hair, ordinary looks, and a slightly plump build, didn't talk much, but his entire being radiated an aura of contentment and vitality. His wife Vera was a beautiful red-haired young woman, about twenty-three or twenty-four, with a quiet and elegant demeanor.
"Mr. Evans, please enjoy your tea. I'll go to the kitchen and prepare dinner for you all." Vera politely excused herself.
This prompted a lament from Roc: "Why is it that you, Jerome, could find a wonderful girl like Vera, while the girls around me don't know how to be proper wives?"
"Heh heh." Jerome smiled with a mix of pride and shyness, offering no answer.
Lazar didn't want to bring up such a melancholy topic, so he turned to Roc instead: "Roc, how's that magic research project you were planning to apply for going?"
"What project?" Lucian asked, playing along.
Mr. Roc answered dejectedly: "Don't even mention it—it's already been rejected. The reason was literally 'Sir, please don't joke.'"
Then he added with some excitement: "Lucian, it's a fantastic project. As a scholar of the Tower, I've always believed that everything can be expressed in numbers—the power of magic, the degree of defense and weakening, and so on. What we lack now is standardization. We need to measure the data of different mages casting spells, compile them into different tables, and then when mages who have disputes want to settle things by combat, they can just compare the data of their respective spells..."
"Sir, please don't joke..." That was Lucian's first reaction. Making such numerical descriptions was certainly a good idea in principle, but even with a supercomputer, simulating real spell-casting conditions would be incredibly difficult. After all, any change in a mage's physical or mental state would affect the power of their magic, not to mention that some spells were inherently random within a certain range.
Lucian certainly wouldn't express this reaction rudely. Instead, he casually deflected: "What if one mage has strong spells and another has weak ones?"
"Exactly!" Roc eagerly grabbed a stack of white paper from the table nearby and began writing. "My total spiritual power is 105, Lazar's is 96..."
He rattled off a string of numbers, which drew an indignant response from Lazar: "How come mine is so low?" The two then began to argue.
Jerome smiled at Lucian helplessly: "That's just how they are—they love to play around."
"So they're good friends," Lucian thought, recalling Lazar's earlier words "putting down" Roc. They seemed just as fitting applied to Lazar himself.
After that, Lucian and Jerome ignored Lazar and Roc and launched into a discussion of stellar and elemental magic. One had terrifying depth of knowledge, the other had extensive practical experience, and they hit it off wonderfully—feeling as though they wished they'd met much sooner.
"Heh heh, gentlemen, dinner is ready." Vera walked in, followed by a maid pushing a serving cart.
Lucian and Jerome set down their white-glazed teacups, only to turn and see Lazar and Roc deeply engrossed in playing improvised "card games."
"I'll use 'Magic Missile'—power level 5!" Roc slapped down a piece of paper.
Lazar's expression turning serious, he drew another card from his hand: "Sun Flare Shield—defense level 7!"