Why Can't I Learn Magic?!

The black-haired boy apologized profusely to both teachers, even though they asserted that the problem was not Gauss' fault.

Technically, the exploding measuring device was the System's fault. Gauss currently had affinity with all magic that could possibly be learned with the human body and the device had no method to represent that overwhelming and universe-defying talent.

Thus, the machine exploded.

After some minor healing magic from Rebecca, everyone who had been cut or pricked by the flying shards was back to normal and the Academy staff finished cleaning up.

We were then divided into different groups based on what affinities we had. Students with multiple affinities like Perseus and Rebecca were able to choose between one or the other.

Several other freshmen and I were assigned to a broad-shouldered man with long, dark red hair and thick facial hair. His eyes were dark and piercing. His skin was black and he stood two heads taller than me.

"Hello." The man rumbled, his voice even deeper than Mr. Kvasir's rasp. "You may call me Mr. Booker. For the next couple months, I will be teaching you earth magic."

Mr. Booker spoke simply but his voice commanded attention.

I was curious since I did not remember writing about Mr. Booker-- after all, there was no need to describe the teachers for magic affinities the main characters did not have.

"Follow me," he said. "We are going somewhere different."

The other students and I followed him, though we had to walk doubly quick since Mr. Booker's massive stride was so long.

After several minutes of walking, we found ourselves standing in the middle of an arena.

There was no other way to describe the wide, dirt-covered field that had hundreds of empty seats surrounding the area from above.

I didn't expect to see this place until the Tri-School Tournament Arc.

We had passed multiple large doors on our way here. Presumably, there were more than one arena, which was a detail that I had not included in the books even though it made sense.

Mr. Booker began to explain. "While mages with earth affinity can create stones from mana, you are all completely untrained. The first class will focus on moving the already present earth."

"Your first exercise will be to shape the ground."

He followed this with a demonstration.

Raising his open hand and widening his stance, he took a deep breath. 

"Afugentar!"

His raised palm slammed into the ground and suddenly an enormous pillar of stone as wide as my shoulders erupted from the earth.

The pillar was slightly taller than most of the students, including me.

After several moments, the pillar crumbled back into the ground.

"This is the [Shape Earth] spell. Practicing this spell builds the basics for more complex magic."

"Ask me any questions you have. Begin."

The other students looked at each other before separating and finding their own spot.

Some of the students walked over to the tall, dark teacher, but I shrugged. Although I had never elaborated on earth magic, the concept should be similar to other types.

Magic enhancement is about circulating mana in your body. Since the mana never leaves your body, mana enhancers don't have issues with running out of magic.

Mages must expel the mana out of their body in order to shape the world around them.

Contact made channeling mana into the target easier. This was why Mr. Booker demonstrated with his bare hands on the ground, when a professor at the Academy could easily do it without contact.

I gently placed both hands on the ground and focused my mana into my hands.

"Afugentar."

The verbal component was another spellcasting aide. By chanting the spell's name, it allowed the mana to subconsciously follow certain patterns.

Power rushed through my hands and…

Nothing happened.

"I expected that… but it's still underwhelming…"

I sighed before refocusing on my hands.

"Afugentar."

…

"Afugentar."

…

"Afugentar."

This continued for the rest of class.

***

This… 

I stared wordlessly at the ground, the same spot that I had practiced for the past week.

The dirt had formed two shallow indentations where my palms were placed when I practiced the basic [Shape Earth] spell.

...this can't be real, right?!

For one whole week, there had been no results. Not even some minor shaking, much less an earth pillar like the one Mr. Booker had shown the other students.

I knew that my visualization was perfect.

The mana was moving though my hands.

But the ground wasn't moving.

Meanwhile, the other students had already begun more complicated exercises with the [Shape Earth] spell, like creating rough spheres and walls.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated, but I suppressed the anger boiling under the surface.

"You have mana blockage."

I was startled, realizing that Mr. Booker was standing next to me. He was surprisingly quiet for someone so massive-- up close, I could see that his biceps were larger than my head.

However, that wasn't what drew most of my attention. "'Mana blockage?' What's that?"

Mr. Booker turned his black eyes on me. "You have not shown any signs of mana exhaustion during the whole week. That is unusual."

I nodded, enlightened by the red-haired teacher's words. "So the problem is not my visualization, but because my mana cannot leave my body."

The towering man nodded. His expression was unreadable.

My expression twisted. I did not know how to solve my condition-- it had never appeared in my novel.

Once again, I keep running into new problems…

At this rate, will my knowledge of the future even be useful?

Regardless of how I felt, I did not express any of my emotions on my face.

"Do you know how I can fix this problem?" I asked the teacher.

Mr. Booker nodded, before saying something surprising. "I also used to have mana blockage."

"What?" My eyes widened in disbelief. 

Another coincidence, I thought as my eyes suddenly narrowed again.

Externally, I curiously looked at Mr. Booker. "Can you help me, then?"

Once again, the red-haired teacher just nodded silently.

He sat down on the ground and patted the earth next to him, indicating that I sat on the dirt as well.

When I was sitting with my legs crossed on the ground, Mr. Booker spoke.