A young man from a poor petty-bourgeois family is accepted into the magical academy of the Grand Duchy of Pronya. Alongside other cadets—hereditary magicians from noble families and wealthy merchants—his simple background becomes even more obvious. But Peter Ptakhin’s natural quick-wittedness, combined with his bravery and enterprising spirit, changes how both his fellow students and his teachers regard him. And the two-month magical practice that concludes each year of studies in the academy turns him into a hero—transforming him from a boring routine into daring battle adventures, and even bringing him a tidy profit: both in banknotes and valuable artifacts.