Ancient Magic Academy

Ancient Magic Academy
The Ancient Magic Academy in Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy
Name
Appearances	Madou Monogatari 1-2-3 Madou Monogatari: Chaotic Final Exam Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy

The Ancient Magic Academy (古代魔導学校) is a location that was first mentioned in the opening story for Madou Monogatari Episode II: Carbuncle. It is an academy in which students who study magic attend in hopes of honing their abilities and becoming skilled magicians. Originally, in order to pass the entrance exam and prove their worth, all students had to travel to the academy on their own without the use of vehicles, however, in Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, it is explained that this method is no longer used except for those that are selected via a special quota.

History

Madou Monogatari 1-2-3

Much of Madou Monogatari 1-2-3 revolves around Arle Nadja's journey to reach the magic academy. In most versions of Madou Monogatari I, Arle discovers a mural on the wall inside the Magic Tower depicting the magic academy, and she comments on how important it is for her to complete her kindergarten graduation exam so that she can attend the academy someday.

In Madou Monogatari II, the game begins with Arle, now age 16, already traveling to the magic academy. Along the way, she is confronted and imprisoned by Schezo Wegey, delaying her journey significantly. After managing to escape from Schezo's Dungeon, Arle decides to visit Lyla's Ruins in search of the Rubelcrack gem she was told of while inside the dungeon. Upon reaching the depths of the ruins, she meets Satan, who quickly became angered and attacked Arle after she mentioned wanting the Rubelcrack. Arle defeats Satan and the gem is revealed to be part of a living creature, Carbuncle, who Arle then takes with her before leaving the ruins to continue traveling to the magic academy.

Madou Monogatari III begins very shortly after the events of the previous game, with Arle back on track to reach the magic academy, this time accompanied by Carbuncle. The two eventually encounter Rulue along the way, who commands Minotauros to chase after Arle upon seeing her with Carbuncle, which sends her off course once again. The events that happen afterwards differ greatly between the MSX2 and PC-9801 versions of the game compared to the Game Gear remake, although the ending remains similar in all versions. After defeating Minotauros (or Rulue in the Game Gear remake), Rulue requests to join Arle on her journey to the magic academy, much to Arle's surprise. In the MSX2 and PC-9801 versions, Rulue explains to Arle that she wants to impress Satan by becoming a powerful magician, while in the Game Gear remake, Rulue simply wants to become stronger than Arle after being bested by her. Arle agrees to bring her along, and the two alongside Minotauros and Carbuncle begin traveling together towards the Ancient Magic Academy.

Madou Monogatari: Chaotic Final Exam

While the academy itself is never shown, the game's story involves Arle and Rulue beginning their final exam by exploring a special dungeon under Satan, who unbeknownst to them at the time, had been serving as the headmaster of the Ancient Magic Academy in his masked identity.

Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy

Set several years after Arle's adventures in previous Madou Monogatari games, the Ancient Magic Academy reappears as a major location in Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, serving as the game's main hub area. The inside of the academy contains classrooms for the students, a dormitory, a cafeteria, and a library, while the School Grounds contain a fishing pond, gardening areas, and a separate smaller building serving as a Storage Room.

Gallery

• 
  A mural of the Ancient Magic Academy depicted in Madou Monogatari 1 (MSX2)
• 
  The Ancient Magic Academy's design from the intro cutscene in Madou Monogatari II: Arle 16-Sai
• 
  Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy

Trivia

• The Ancient Magic Academy's original design appears to be directly based on the Taj Mahal in India.