The protagonist, a powerful ancient mage known as "Schubaldin" (though he prefers to hide his true identity and power), enrolls in the Mardegal Magic Academy as a scholarship student under the alias "Subaru Jin." He is motivated by a desire to investigate his former brother-disciple, Zephyr, who founded the academy under mysterious circumstances. Schubaldin, disguised as a 17-year-old, participates in the entrance exams.
The first exam requires students to damage a target at a distance of approximately 100 meters. Schubaldin, aiming to conceal his immense power, uses a minimal amount of magic, creating an electrical discharge directly above the target to avoid the typical range-based magic decay. He also subtly uses a "Suffocation" spell to extinguish the resulting fire, demonstrating his precise control and advanced knowledge. He passes the first exam, along with three other students: Tosh, Ajura, and Nasia.
The second exam involves fighting a group of 40 animated skeletons. Schubaldin, realizing the other students can only manage one skeleton each with their limited remaining magic, decides to handle the rest himself. He uses his enhanced physical abilities and "Spirit Sword" magic to swiftly and brutally dispatch the skeletons, demonstrating combat prowess far beyond that of a typical student. He passes the second exam, and all four students are admitted as scholarship students.
After the exams, Schubaldin, Ajura, and Nasia engage in a verbal exchange with the examiners, where Schubaldin fabricates reasons for his unusual exam choices, attributing them to his "specialties" and "lack of magic." He is accepted into the academy, while also learning that the academy's graduates are often employed as civil servants, providing a stable future.
Schubaldin then enters the academy, which is located in a remote mountain castle. He is accompanied by his familiar, a black cat named Kaja, who acts as a repository for his research and information. He also reconnects with his younger sister-disciple, Mariam, in a virtual space called the "Soul's Round Table." Mariam expresses concern about Zephyr's motives for establishing the academy and their inability to contact him. Schubaldin, despite his immense power, is revealed to be somewhat awkward and prone to overthinking, especially when dealing with his former master's teachings and his own past.
Upon arrival at the academy, Schubaldin is attacked by four "Flying Needle Leeches," which he deduces are being controlled by someone who wants to eliminate him. He easily defeats them by using the academy's floating disk transportation system as a weapon. He also learns that the academy has a surprisingly balanced gender ratio, which is unusual for the time.
During his first lecture, Schubaldin is tasked with demonstrating his magic to the class. He effortlessly destroys a target at the required distance with a simple "Force Bullet" spell, impressing his classmates but frustrating the instructor, who advocates for a "guts and determination" approach to magic. Schubaldin then intervenes to help a struggling student named Yuna, teaching her a more efficient method of casting magic by combining elemental manipulation with precise timing, rather than relying solely on brute force. This further clashes with the instructor's methods and solidifies Schubaldin's reputation as an exceptionally skilled but unconventional student. He also has a brief, confrontational encounter with older students, whom he easily intimidates.
