Seneca, Maiol, and Gaia arrived at the high-power magic practice room with the four members of Css S.

  Stroh, Pulker, Chloe, and Maia were the ones in that room who possessed magical skills. Maia was a healer, well-versed in magic theory, which is why Maiol had asked her to join.

  “Well then, Gaia, if you would,” Maiol prompted.

  At her signal, Gaia stepped forward.

  Gaia exhaled slowly, preparing herself for the magic.

  ,,,

  The fact that Seneca and Maiol had formed a weekend party with Gaia and Prautia sent shockwaves through the students of Css S.

  They were both special schorship students. Everyone had hoped to recruit them into their own parties. Their achievements, abilities, and personalities all seemed impeccable.

  However, just when everyone was eager to be in their party, rumours spread that Seneca and Maiol had already formed their own.

  At first, people thought it was just a trial, but as time passed, the party showed no signs of disbanding, and the two were heard praising Gaia and Prautia.

  Naturally, this piqued the interest of others. Perhaps these two had some incredible talent hidden beneath the surface, sparking the beginning of an information war.

  Prautia’s talent was immediately apparent.

  Though her combat power didn’t compare to the S-Css students, her achievements as an adventurer were exceptional. Most notably, her innovation in gathering materials through the skill [Pnt Gathering] had gained high praise, and it was expected that she would soon rise to the Copper-ranked Adventurer status.

  It became clear to those around that Seneca and Maiol were not merely interested in becoming stronger. They were seeking a broad range of skills as adventurers.

  As for Gaia, she was the best student in her first year when it came to academics. Many specuted that this was the aspect they valued most, prompting several people to probe Seneca and Maiol. However, the response they received was always the same: “Her magic is incredible.”

  Yet, despite all the investigating, no one had actually witnessed Gaia’s magic in action.

  Gaia didn’t take any practical magic csses. There were no reports of her using magic in mock battles either.

  As time passed, some began to grow suspicious of Gaia. In fact, some in Css B were openly envious.

  It was at this point that Maiol approached Stroh for advice, leading to most of Css S gathering for a discussion.

  ...

  Gaia extended her left arm and faced her palm towards the wall.

  First, she directed the flow of magic within her body, creating the necessary current. Establishing this current was critical for magic.

  Next, she converted the magic rising from deep within her body into [Artillery Magic].

  The converted magic would then become the seed of the spell.

  Afterwards, she compressed the seed using most of her magic.

  Gaia believed that if the pressure was maintained long enough, the seed would reach critical mass and transform.

  Finally, she guided the compressed magic through her body, all the way to her left arm, ensuring the magic wouldn’t explode in the process. The flow had to be neither too fast nor too slow, but with her skills, Gaia could regute the speed to the right level.

  Gaia unleashed her [Artillery Magic].

  BOOOOM!!!

  A deep, resounding crash reverberated through the room, shaking everyone to their core.

  The four who weren’t Seneca or Maiol colpsed to the floor, unable to withstand the unexpected force.

  As they y on the ground, each one’s mouth hung open in awe and disbelief.

  “That’s to be expected,” Seneca’s soft voice was the only thing that broke the silence.

  ...

  The first to regain her senses was Pulker.

  “W-wait a moment! What kind of power is that?!” he excimed.

  “I told you, didn’t I?” Maiol replied, almost as if protesting. “I said that if Gaia can use this magic a hundred times, she could easily become a Ptinum-ranked adventurer.”

  “That’s just what you’re saying. No one would believe it unless they saw it for themselves!” Pulker snapped back.

  “Well, I certainly didn’t believe it until I saw it either,” Maiol said, her tone softening. “But you need to see it to understand.”

  “It's art…”

  Chloe, still seated on the floor, whispered in wonder.

  “This magic is art. Nothing else but art,” she added, her eyes wide with admiration.

  Maiol, knowing the eccentric nature of Css S, couldn’t help but think to herself, Here we go again…

  “That’s right. Just as Chloe said, that magic was artistic,” Stroh chimed in, clearly caught up in the excitement.

  “I knew you’d see it that way too! Every element came together perfectly, and there was not a single wasteful step in the process. A fwless spell!” Stroh continued, adding to the fervour.

  “I agree. The way she compressed the magic—it reminds me of Lucas’s theory. Do you think it could apply here?”

  “That’s something we’ll only know after we try some calcutions,” Maiol mused.

  A conversation about magic theory began between Gaia, Stroh, and Chloe, as Maiol looked around at Maia and Pulker, who were still in shock.

  Both had been thoroughly impressed by Gaia’s magic, but naturally, they acknowledged the need to help improve her mastery of it. They each had ideas on how to approach the training, and promised to share their thoughts ter.

  “I thought Leo’s hypothesis was somewhat close, though,” Maia murmured, looking at Seneca, who had also joined the discussion and occasionally contributed her thoughts.

  Seeing Seneca engaged in the debate made Maiol jump in surprise.

  ...

  After a few unexpected twists, Gaia began her training with a wealth of advice from others.

  Though immediate results were not expected, the things she had missed while thinking on her own became clear, and Gaia was able to fully appreciate the benefits of consulting others.

  The four who had witnessed Gaia’s magic were so excited that they couldn’t help but share their experience with the rest of Css S.

  At first, no one believed them, but as more students saw the same thing—Maia included—they began to accept the reality of Gaia’s extraordinary magic. They also saw Gaia, Stroh, and Chloe engaged in long discussions about magic theory, further solidifying the truth of what had happened.

  And once the rumours spread, no one questioned why Gaia was in Seneca and Maiol’s party. In fact, a small number of students even specuted that Maiol and Seneca might have moved to secure Gaia’s future for themselves. But that’s a story for another time.