Adrias' Flowers

Everyone watched with curiosity at Keshurn's sudden reaction.

But the situation was complicated by the arrival of Diane.

"Adrias. Did you really make this?"

Now that Diane had said it, even the professor looked at my bud, wondering if he had missed something.

Then, slowly, his expression hardened and he asked me.

"By any chance, student Adrias, have you ever taken a Magic class before?"

I was about to ask if he had, when I realized that the professor spoke in a way that made it sound like he must have, and I remembered.

Had I ever taken a magic circle lecture?

Honestly, the flowers I'm making now were created by borrowing experiences from the game, so there was no point in taking the lecture, but I nodded.

"I took it in first grade."

"First grade? I don't think you learned it back then, because the form or type of spell used...."

The students, not realizing what all the fuss was about, looked at us, eager for an explanation.

Keshun was the first to speak.

"This flower. It doesn't look like much, but it has advanced spells on it. It's difficult to create spells related to life with a magic circle, but I'm sure everyone here can create a flower."

The heads of the onlookers nodded at Keshurn's words.

"But the flower you've just created, student Adrias, is the result of an advanced level of work that includes not only the basic 'nature' and 'life' spells, but also 'time', 'rotation', and 'reversal'."

"Time?"

"Yes. It's just a flower on the surface, but I'm keeping him in reverse, and at the same time, I'm putting in spells of time and rotation to make him wither."

Keshurn's explanation was met with blank stares from the students.

Then Diane interjected.

"In other words, it's withering away in a green state. He's created a 'contradiction' with the simplest of spells."

Contradiction.

It's one of the most fundamental principles of magic, and one of the most difficult.

Being able to manipulate it, or even understand it, will take you to the next level as a mage.

Though not as grand in scale as Keshurn's, or as colorful as Diane's, the intent and form of the spell itself was unassailable.

"I can't help but admire this. Such meaning and intent in a simple flower. My magic circle was nothing more than an oversized, meaningless piece of junk."

I waved a hand at Keshurn's sudden self-deprecation.

If I'm going to get along with Keshurn, I might as well be a good student.

"No, I just made it without thinking, but you and Diane are giving me too much credit, and I don't want to get in trouble for that, and right now, even Keshurn's magic circle wouldn't compare to this flower if it contained the contradictions I intended."

"You say my circle contains contradictions...."

Hearing my words, Keshurn immediately took up his paper and fell into deep thought.

He, Diane, and the other students began to look at their own magic circles, trying to figure out how to give them a different meaning, if not a contradiction.

'Yes. That's what I want it to be, and I want it to grow and be useful to me.

Why did I make this bud?

It's to inspire Keshun and Diane, so I hope they can take it in their own direction.

* * *

Grace Mayne was having the worst day of her life these past few days.

"Damn him, damn him!

Ever since the day she'd been beaten by Adrias Cromwell, she'd been avoiding the students of the Exchange whenever she saw them.

It was a look of mockery and disdain, and Grace couldn't stand it.

"I am the master of the Roar of Dawn and the enemy of the Kingdom of Meirne, and you dare to disrespect me?

All because of Adrias Cromwell.

And the woman who was with him, Vivian, was just as furious.

If only he had dined with her and gotten to know her from the beginning, none of this would have happened.

He didn't dare ask the third prince of Mayne to dine with him, but he had the audacity to refuse.

'This one, that one. I want to kill them all.

To add insult to injury, Adrias Cromwell had excelled in his lectures on magic to the members of the Fellowship.

Adrias was only a beginner mage, and he was performing so well.

"Ugh."

Impatiently, I left the luxurious accommodations temporarily set up for the exchange students.

It was a little chilly outside, but her coat was made of luxurious fabric, so she didn't feel cold.

All Grace could think about was getting back home.

As she paced the deserted streets, killing time in the early morning hours when everyone else was asleep, she heard an unrecognizable voice.

"Oh no. Isn't this Grace from Mirko Academy?"

"Who are you!"

A nervous Grace quickly pulled out her wand as the mysterious figure appeared.

The other person raised both hands and smiled.

"Alas, there's no need to be so wary, I'm Antonio Holt, a senior at Rodlen Academy."

"Hmph. Well, I see. It's not that you frightened me. It's just that this place has been burned, and I've become more cautious, you understand."

"Yes. Of course. You're a prince, after all, and that level of caution is essential."

"By the way, why are you talking to me all of a sudden, and how did you know I was a prince?"

At Grace's question, Antonio smiled wickedly and shrugged.

"I heard a rumor, actually. That the prince of the House of Meirn himself attended the exchange, but from what I've heard, he's gotten himself into some trouble."

Grace's face flushed with anger as Antonio's words suddenly seemed to open an open wound.

She was so angry, she couldn't even speak.

"You, yes, you, do you dare to mock this Grace Mayne, the third prince of the House of Mayne, the true heir to the throne!"

"Of course not, I'm only here to introduce you to something that might be of use to Prince Grace."

Antonio pulled a potion vial from his bosom.

Seeing it, Grace let out a ragged breath and asked, "What is it?

"What does that mean? What is that potion?"

"It's an amazing potion that gives the drinker temporary physical enhancements and mana boosts. It was specially crafted for me."

"What? I can't believe such a potion exists."

"Of course, it's up to you to believe it. But I can say with confidence that it is not false. How dare I deceive your highness as to its safety?"

Grace nodded at Antonio's words.

She didn't know if the man's name was really Antonio, but at least she knew he looked the part and was a member of the Ministry of Magic.

"So you're saying you're going to sell me the potion?"

"Exactly. If you buy it, I'll give you some reagents for a sample, what do you say?"

"Well, I've got plenty of money. I'll play along with your trickery."

"Thank you. Your Highness."

Grace paid the large sum and took the potion from Antonio.

Antonio smiled and bowed.

"A very good deal indeed, and I'll leave you to it."

"If you drink this and it doesn't have the effect you say it will, I'll come right back and kick your ass."

"Of course."

With those words, Antonio slowly backed away.

But a meaningful smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.

"You won't be able to find me after that, even if you wanted to, haha."

With Antonio gone, Grace immediately took the free sample.

And just like he said, the effects began to take hold immediately.

"Holy shit...."

This was a revolution in potions.

If there was such a potion, why wasn't it being sold?

It was worth every penny he paid for it.

'This much power,' he thought, 'and that's just from drinking a sample the size of my fingernail.

The potion Antonio received was nearly ten times the size of the sample.

He wondered what the effect would be if he took it all.

"If this is it!"

Grace's mind was filled with thoughts of Adrias.

Adrias Cromwell, the man who had humiliated her in front of everyone.

It seemed only a matter of time before he was executed.

* * *

Diane, who had just finished visiting the lecture with the members of the Exchange and was about to go to the training room, her expression hardened when an unexpected figure suddenly appeared.

"Vivian Velocan.

The unexpectedness of her visit made even the most unassuming Diene nervous.

Before the tournament, she hadn't even known her name.

But her skills were stronger than any opponent she had faced in the tournament.

'If I didn't have experience fighting Adrias, I would have been the one to lose.

Her swordsmanship had reached such a state of perfection that if she had met Vivian without fighting Adrias, she would have lost.

Why such a talent had gone unnoticed until now was beyond me, but that didn't matter.

What mattered now was why she had sought him out after having no contact with him since the tournament.

"Diane Alven."

"Long time no see, can I help you?"

The sight of Diane and Vivian drew a lot of attention.

The winner and runner-up of the tournament.

They were also good-looking, so they couldn't help but attract attention.

"I heard."

That's what he said, coming out of nowhere.

Dene broke her stony expression and asked.

"I heard everything, what are you talking about?"

"Adrias said he gave you flowers."

I suddenly realized that Adrias Cromwell was here, and why?

But as Vivian spoke, I understood what she was talking about.

When you say Adrias and the flowers, I assume you're referring to the recent Magic Circle lecture.

"Yeah. I asked for it and he gave it to me. Is there a problem?"

"...."

Suddenly looking exasperated, Vivian lowered her head, then slowly raised it.

Biting her lip, a slight tear of exasperation formed in her eye, and Diane wondered why.

"Can't you give that to me?"

"What? The magic circle that Adrias gave you?"

"Yes."

I didn't understand why a student of the Knight's Faculty would want to have a magic circle.

Was he going to do research? No, the Knighting Faculty?

Vivian's behavior was puzzling, but Diane, who happened to have the paper with Adrias' magic circle in her hand, immediately took it out.

"Is that a flower?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I'm going to keep it for my own reference...."

As Diene trailed off, Vivian's expression turned pitiful.

The look on her face was like that of a puppy throwing a tantrum, and she sighed.

"Fine, I can make my own anyway. It's just that she had a great idea, and I can draw it."

With that, Diene opened the folded paper and infused it with mana.

A blue flower bud gently emerged.

"Wow."

Vivian's face instantly lit up, and she carefully took the paper from Diane's hand.

Just then, someone stepped between them.

"Uh, it's Ms. Diene and Ms. Vivian."

Lucia, who had finished her lecture, approached, sleepy-eyed.

The corners of her mouth were curled into a smile, so it was hard to tell if she was frowning or laughing.

"Lucia."

"Huh? Is this it, the rumored Adrias Cromwell contradiction?"

"It is."

The streets were now bustling.

People stopped in their tracks just to see Diane and Vivian, but when Lucia appeared, it was like a celebrity gathering.

"What's wrong with this? Is something missing?"

Lucia said while looking at the flower buds.

Her words made Diane scratch her head.

"What do you mean, it's missing?"

"Look here, don't you think this part is a little awkward?"

Lucia looked at the spot she was pointing to and realized that it was a little awkward in the middle of the circle.

In fact, I'd already spotted it, and even then, it had been Diene, whom I'd assumed Adrias had intended.

But Lucia's words shattered that prejudice.

"Intentional or unintentional?

Lucia suddenly began to arrange her mana, pushing aside the confused Diane.

"Let's connect this part a little more seamlessly, and at this point, if we put in a 'flow' spell...."

She improvised and tinkered with Adrias' mana.

The awkward gaps in the circle disappeared, and a new glow emanated from the smoothly transformed circle, and the buds began to move.

"Uh, huh?"

"Wow!"

The bud began to bloom.

And with it, something hidden was revealed.

"Ha, ha, ha...."

"You're lying, you really did this?"

Diane laughed hysterically, Lucia gasped, and Vivian exclaimed.

Even the bystanders around them were speechless at the scene that had suddenly unfolded.

It was a vast field of fairy flowers, created by fantasy.

The green petals that blossomed from the buds bore the double magic circle that Adrias had hidden.