Let’s Start The Warm-Up (1)

Several days later, on a clear sunny day—

Inside a special classroom built for magical training at the academy, Cordelia stood dressed in a simple outfit: trousers and a shirt like a boy’s. Her long hair was braided and now hung down her back.

“—Phew! I’m done… that’s my limit.”

She released the magic gathered in her hands and collapsed onto the wide floor. Sweat ran down her cheek.

“Young lady, excellent work! Your mana has visibly increased since before!”

Her milk-sister and maid Lily hurried over, her fresh green twin braids bouncing. Behind her, leaning against the wall in a knight’s uniform with a clear why am I here expression on his face, stood Jean.

“Really? I’m glad. All that effort paid off.”

“As expected of milady! Your magic is always magnificent… it’s breathtaking.”

Lily blushed as she handed her water and a towel. Cordelia gave a wry smile.

What she had been doing was mana-enhancement training. During training, magical aura surrounded the body—red for fire users, blue for water users.

Which meant that for Cordelia, a dark-magic user, an ominous pitch-black aura floated around her. Honestly, it wasn’t exactly beautiful. In fact, it looked downright sinister—but Lily still praised it as “so cool!” with unwavering devotion.

“It just looks creepy and pitch-black.”

“Sir Jean, please be quiet! That deep shade of darkness is practically art!”

Lily barked immediately.

“It’s fine, Lily. He has a point. More importantly, Jean—shouldn’t you be with His Highness instead of slacking here?”

“I’m not slacking! His Highness ordered me to guard you!”

“Oh my, I don’t need guarding… besides, you’re weaker than me.”

“That’s right. Come back after you can defeat milady.”

“You two…”

Jean sighed heavily at the treatment.

“For the record, Cordelia’s the abnormal one. I’m still a Sage-class mage! And I’m better with a sword!”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Milady is special—one of a kind!”

Ignoring Jean completely, Lily sniffed proudly.

Jean was right: Cordelia’s talent was abnormal.

‘I will take you to a world where your efforts are rewarded.’

At first she doubted the goddess’s words—but once she studied, she was shocked. Everything she learned was absorbed instantly.

What once took endless repetition in her past life now required only a single glance.

The same applied to magic.

Most people had a limit to their mana. Cordelia didn’t. The more she trained, the more her magic and mana increased—she was, quite literally, a monster.

Naturally, she ranked first at the academy.

(Still… dark magic has so few uses…)

Magic varied by element:

Fire: combat and daily use

Water: healing

Wind: transport and communication

Earth: agriculture

These four elements appeared in 20–30% of people and were often inherited, leading nobles to marry for magical lineage.

Beyond them existed extremely rare types—Holy magic and Dark magic.

Holy magic could perform miracles: curing incurable diseases and regenerating lost limbs. Users were immediately protected—and confined—by the state.

Dark magic, on the other hand…

(It only destroys things…)

Cordelia sighed.

Pure offensive magic. A dark spell the size of an apple could erase a hundred meters.

Dangerous enough that wars could be decided by a single user. Some in history even became “Demon Kings.”

Thus dark mages were tightly monitored. Her engagement to Isaac partly existed to keep her under national control.

(Still… my moment may finally come. If I train enough, maybe I can blow away the Sacred Beast!)

Historically, dark mages always lost to the Holy Maiden or Sacred Beast—but that also meant they could fight them evenly.

Encouraged by that logic, Cordelia continued her relentless training.