The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest

In a world where every mage is born with one of four crests that determine their magical aptitude, Gaius rises to fame as the strongest sage despite bearing a creation-focused mark. Yet even at the height of his power, he’s frustrated by the limits of a crest unsuited for close combat. With no way to change what he was given, he chooses reincarnation, wagering that a distant future might grant him the crest he truly wants.

Millennia later, he awakens as Mathias Hildesheimer—and finally obtains his desired crest—only to find that magic has declined dramatically and once-common techniques have faded into legend. Worse, the very crest he sought is now dismissed as the weakest, branded the “Crest of Failure.” Undeterred, Mathias enters the royal capital’s Second Academy and quickly proves his ability, before uncovering the demonic cause behind humanity’s slide into magical mediocrity and setting out to correct what was lost during his long absence.