The Understaffed Academy

"Let's start with push-ups!"

Instructor Bell did not beat around the bush. He dropped to the floor and started doing push-ups to set himself as an example.

The students were stupefied! The instructor was too straightforward. He did not even motivate them or tell them what they would gain if they took the class seriously. Some basic first-day stuff. Well, at least he introduced himself, they all thought.

"PUHAHAHA!" Aeon burst out, laughing, his shock turning into amusement. He thought that the instructor was rather funny and charismatic. Aeon dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups as well. The class was perfect for someone like him. Also, he was curious about his own limitations as well. Is he be able to beat the instructor? Unlikely! But he'll give it a try.

Suri was still in shock. But when Aeon followed the instructor's lead, he shook his head and did the same. It was still a class he had to take seriously.

Soon enough, the majority of the Serans followed suit. However, there were still people who thought that the instructor was just joking. They were in the academy, not the gym. Warm-up was understandable, but their limits should be tested through spars, as far as they knew.

Instructor Bell looked up and apprehended those people almost immediately. He did not give a damn about what the students thought. He nagged while doing push-ups until everybody reluctantly started exercising.

"Psst."

"Aeon!" Suri whispered.

Hearing Suri's voice from right beside him, Aeon lifted his head up and responded, "Mn?"

"Is he the same person from earlier?" Suri gestured towards Instructor Bell which made Aeon look over.

Aeon tilted his head.

Was he really the same person? He could not tell. He had a sharp memory that told him both the instructor in front of them and the previous one shared the same features. However, they certainly do not have the same demeanor, so he was a bit hesitant on saying they're the same person. A twin, perhaps? Aeon shrugged and answered noncommittally, "I don't know man. I was asleep almost the entire time."

Throughout their conversation, the two did not stop doing push-ups.

….

Korona was holding a pen on her right hand, but her notebook was empty. She did not catch anything noteworthy from the lecture. She was currently taking a water element-specific class. She expected the class to enlighten her on some aspects that impeded her growth as a water mage, but everything that the professor discussed was too basic.

Of course, it was expected that they would start easy since it was still the first day of school. However, the lessons were too basic to the point where a person would not even become a mage without learning them. Every person in the room was already considered an excellent mage compared to their other peers, so why not skip those kinds of lessons?

Korona found herself thinking about other things.

Two hours passed and the class was dismissed.

Korona and the other three water mages headed back to Fria's Bed silently. They walked close to each other but no one spoke. Maybe because they do not know each other, yet. Or maybe because there was simply nothing to talk about.

As the four entered the open field, they were shocked.

Dozens of people were lying on the ground, panting. Some of them might even be unconscious.

Korona heard the shuffling of footsteps behind her getting closer and closer. She turned around and saw that the other Remorans had also arrived, and when they saw the scene, they were just as shocked as Korona's group was.

When the Remorans surveyed the scene more, almost all of them cocked an eyebrow. Yes, there were a bunch of people on the ground. But there was something more interesting than that. There were actually...four people who were not unconscious.

More surprisingly, they were doing push-ups?!

Some Remorans began to assume what had happened, what these people had been doing.

Did these guys do push-ups until they passed out?

Were they also going to follow?

They all felt their bodies shiver. As Remorans, most of them memorized incantations, for spells, and learning about magic theory. That was the most effective way for them to be stronger in terms of combat prowess. Some of them exercised. But for sure, none of them had ever exercised more than Serans.

The Remorans turned their attention towards the people who were still doing push-ups. Since they had no complete background of the scenario, they did not react too much regarding their ongoing activity.

One of the students in Korona's group started walking towards the front hoping to inquire about their next class. They were all told to go to the next class and join the Serans, so they also followed.

As Korona got closer to the front, she noticed that she knew the person…

Middle-aged guy with the blue robe?!

So one of the four who was still persisting on their exercise was actually a staff from the school. But why was he also doing push-ups? She shifted her gaze towards the other three and realized that she actually knew two of them.

Aeon and Suri?

"Ah, I see that you are already here. Sorry I was too caught up in the moment." A person suddenly spoke.

Korona, who was about to call out Aeon and Suri's names, looked towards the front. The middle-aged guy with the blue robe was looking at them. Well, technically he should not be called that anymore since his blue robe was nowhere to be seen. But that's beside the point. They immediately assumed that he was in charge. But immediately after, they felt something off. Why is this person suddenly so... active? He was not like that during their first class.

"Hurry, hurry." the instructor added.

Hurry? Hurry to do what?

Wait. He doesn't mean...

The Remorans looked at each other. They realized that their nightmare was about to come true.

As the instructor was doing his push-ups, he looked up towards the Remorans, who were still standing, and spoke in a clear and enthusiastic voice, "We're here to test our limits! Come do as many push-ups as you can! Show me what you got!"

At first, the Remorans did not follow the instructor's order. The instructor did not push them, either, thinking that they were still resting from their previous class. However, after a few moments of standing still, they suddenly felt a weird vibe.

They looked around and noticed that those zombie-like people who were lying on the ground were actually glaring at them. And it was not just a normal glare. It was a come-suffer-with-us type of glare.

The Remorans felt like crying but no tears would come out. Reluctantly, they started doing push-ups as well.

The instructor was fairly satisfied.

….

Inside a room somewhere in the academy….

"Principal, this is quite a big problem. It might cost us our reputation!" Klaus said, balling his hands into fists. He was not mad at the principal. Rather, he was frustrated by their current situation. "Can't we call back some of our researchers to teach the classes? You know that although our Serans are knowledgeable, some are not cut out for teaching. Moreover, we're losing the part where we divulge research results to the students for them to have a fair knowledge of our purpose as the Academy."

The academy's principal, Toran Fiore, frowned which was a rare occasion. The other 13 people inside the room, including Klaus and Montis, had clearly noticed this, but none dared to joke around. As someone who was always jolly, only a few things could sour the principal's mood. Obviously, bad news regarding the academy was one of them.

In reality, the Principal was actually helpless.

Why was the academy currently understaffed?

It was not because many became dissatisfied and left.

The real reason was more logical.

It was because all of the academy's researchers had gone someplace to study magic. The general description of the reason was not something very surprising but when the details regarding the subject of research were discussed, it was sure to blow any mage's mind.

After the school year ended in December of the previous year, several reports had been sent to the academy regarding weird behavior of magic near Mt. Eirene, the mountain three hundred kilometers to the west of Sera City. The mountain was situated in such a way where if a person climbs to the top, the person would see a vast expanse of ocean on the other side.

Before, no one had noticed anything weird about the mountain. It had actually been used before by the military several times to simulate training. However, lately, mages who happened to pass by noticed something odd. In several times of the day, when they were near the mountain, they would fail to complete any spell.

Yes. Fail to complete.

Meaning, as they casted their spells, magic would manifest. But after a few moments, it would just dissipate, no matter how short the spell was. This was something unexplainable because it completely went against the lifespan of magic.

Hearing about this, several researchers were appalled, confused, but ultimately… elated.

Why had they entered the field of research in the first place?

Of course, it was to discover the unknown!

And this event was something that had not yet been recorded in the history of magic. It was something that never occurred in three millennia. If they were able to discover the cause of this, or better yet, use it for themselves, the Academy, Fria, and all its researchers would change the course of history. Their names will be forever immortalized in books that tell their tale.

Toran Fiore spared no resource and sent all of the academy's researchers. None refused and the project began.

It was called Project Eclipse, as the strange phenomenon eclipsed the mage's connection with his own magic.

Since 95% of the researchers were Remorans, the majority would not be able to defend themselves effectively against any potential attacks if the phenomenon occurred, so several of the academy's Serans were sent to guard them, as well. The project was only known to a few people, even amongst the higher-ups of the Florentine Empire. Although the mobilization of a large number of staff members was indeed fishy, they were able to pull some strings to remove suspicion.

Suddenly, in the room where the meeting was being held, Toran Fiore gave a resolute order. "Cut down all the magic theory classes. Focus on combat training. We will not give up Project Eclipse."

The people in the room were shocked, but all of them nodded firmly.

….