Chapter 27
The man strolled leisurely through the stunned students to the front of the classroom.
His long, loosely tied hair and casual, almost commoner-like attire hardly suited an academy professor.
This was Fred Arno, the Mana Manipulation Practice professor.
“Is… is that the professor?”
“He looked so polished at the ceremony…”
The students, facing Fred, whispered their surprise.
I couldn’t help but smile, seeing him.
Fred was exactly as Leodimir described in his letter.
Though I still needed to learn more about him, his first impression wasn’t bad.
My gaze scrutinized Fred.
Whether he noticed or not, he drew his wand and waved it lightly at the students, whose heights varied.
Swish—
Instantly, the spell lifted, and they returned to their original heights.
“It’s… back.”
“Phew… I thought I’d stay like that forever.”
The students sighed in relief, and Fred cleared his throat.
With a smile matching his refreshing appearance, he said,
“Greetings again. Let’s begin the actual lesson.”
…
Young Professor Fred Arno’s class was entirely different from the earlier theory lessons.
No books or desks.
The students stood, following Fred’s instructions to regulate breathing and focus.
It was the first step to moving mana as intended.
Next was gauging mana flow through circuits.
Finally, they activated their mana circles, converting accumulated mana into magical energy via practice methods.
It was the basic process of mana generation.
Since it involved physical effort and mana manipulation, no one dozed off.
But the overly basic difficulty made students, especially the upper-class ones, tilt their heads.
‘He toyed with us in a 4-star spell before, and now this?’
‘We covered this in magical theory prep for the entrance exam.’
‘At this pace, when will we learn spells above 4 stars?’
Students could use up to 3-star spells freely on campus.
Higher spells were allowed only during supervised classes.
Having tasted a 4-star spell at the start, the students were disappointed by the basic content.
Despite noticing their disappointment, Fred ended the class without progressing beyond mana generation.
“Well done, everyone. That’s all for today.”
***
After classes, in the evening, at the first-year dorm lounge—
Students gathered in groups, resting.
The topic was their impressions of the first classes.
“They went so hard from the first day… the exam scope will be brutal.”
“I heard ‘Origins of Ancient Magic’ has lots of quizzes. We’re doomed…”
“But the afternoon classes were okay, right? Especially Professor Arno’s—it woke me right up.”
Mention of Fred’s Claustro spell made students chuckle, recalling the scene.
Some were disappointed by the basic content, but Fred’s class left a fun memory.
And it wasn’t the only well-received practical class.
“I liked Professor Showman’s class too.”
Following Fred, senior Professor Powell Showman taught ‘Practical Wand Handling.’
Students were puzzled and tense that a senior professor taught a minor first-year subject.
But, contrary to worries, his class was clean and engaging.
Balancing theory and practice, with tales of the wand’s storied history, his seasoned teaching kept everyone attentive.
“Exactly. He’s known for being strict, but his class was surprisingly fun.”
“Yeah, that goblin tomb story made time fly.”
As the students chatted in the lounge—
Step, step, step.
A large group of ten students entered.
“…”
Silently, they headed to the lounge’s center.
As they approached, students chatting on sofas stood, sensing the mood.
Plop—
The now-empty sofas were taken by Alexein, who sat with legs crossed.
Jeremy and Derrick, now close to him, joined.
Other students gathered around—those already in their clique, those trying to join, and those lingering nearby, hoping to seem part of it.
Alexein scanned the crowd with a sly smile.
‘They’re quick to catch on.’
His followers awaited his words.
“The afternoon classes felt like a waste of time. Practicing mana generation after passing the entrance exam?”
“Exactly. We mastered that as toddlers. A commoner professor wouldn’t know the average academy student’s level.”
“Even the last class— a senior professor teaching wand handling instead of principles? Tells you everything.”
As Alexein spoke, Jeremy and Derrick chimed in.
Their words quickly shaped the group’s opinion, and others nodded, following suit.
Even those who had praised Fred and Powell’s classes changed their tune.
“Yeah… it was weird from the start. Claustro out of nowhere…”
“I didn’t like it either.”
“Me… neither.”
Alexein smiled, satisfied, at the nodding students.
Eating lunch with Jeremy, Derrick, and other noble heirs had been a good move.
‘If this keeps up, there’ll be no issues.’
As the group shaped the lounge’s opinion—
Two figures quietly entered.
Marcel and me.
With no intent to use the lounge, we crossed the center toward the boys’ dorm stairs.
Then—
“…!”
The students parted, making way for Marcel without a word or glance from him.
It happened naturally.
“…”
Marcel ignored the attention, walking through the parted crowd to the stairs.
I followed, showing no emotion either.
Alexein, watching us and the parting students, quietly bit his lip.
***
The first week at the academy passed quickly.
I focused not on classes or socializing but on gathering information.
I exchanged letters with Leodimir nightly, listened to students’ whispers while moving, and caught lounge conversations.
Trackers placed on academy staff I passed yielded intriguing tidbits.
[The magical world’s buzzing about this year’s freshmen. No surprise, with heirs from two of the three great families…]
[Just the three families? Jenkins, Dwina, Morrison… even the newly titled Vulcan. So many prominent heirs in one year is unheard of in decades.]
[Is that why so many senior professors are teaching first-years? Because of all the noble heirs?]
[Why else would they leave cushy senior theory classes for first-years?]
[Then Professor Showman suddenly teaching a practical class…]
[Obvious, isn’t it? With no magical connections, how could he resist pressure from senior professors backed by the board and families?]
Staff sighed, worrying about Powell’s limited influence.
I stored the information from the Trackers in my mind.
The power dynamics inside and outside the academy were becoming clear.
And something else became apparent—
‘Factions already forming.’
My gaze turned to a group of students heading to class.
The upper-class clique centered on Alexein, Jeremy, and Derrick.
They already dominated the first-years’ atmosphere.
And on the opposite side was another faction.
The eleven commoners, tightly knit around Joy.
I glanced back.
The commoners walked at the rear, keeping distance from others.
At their center was Joy, her red hair and fearless expression standing out.
“…”
Her expression hardened as our eyes met.
I confirmed her unchanged attitude and turned away.
‘Skilled and bold, but lacking in this kind of strategy.’
I shook my head slightly, feeling a bit of pity.
‘She thinks sticking with commoners and avoiding nobles is best.’
I understood her intent to avoid conflict with the disdainful upper class.
But I knew the unfortunate outcome of her choice.
The commoners, already distinct from the nobles, stood out more by grouping together.
‘With numbers rivaling Alexein’s clique, they might clash soon.’
As I pondered the future, the first-years entered Fred’s practical class.
“Good afternoon, everyone.”
Still with unkempt, loosely tied hair and casual attire unfit for a professor.
My sharp gaze fixed on Fred as he stood before the students.
His class progress over the week covered only mana practice and conversion.
‘His essential approach to mana is excellent, but ignoring students’ boredom and sticking to this pace doesn’t make a good professor.’
I watched Fred start the class with an even sharper gaze.
It was time for a change in the lessons.
As if reading my thoughts—
Hum—
A golden Nux shimmered above Fred’s right hand.
“Today, we’ll practice creating and sustaining a Nux with accumulated mana.”