Talentless

Part 1

Sounds of students laughing behind my back because I showed up with a messed-up uniform. This is something I should have expected since I am not an adult anymore. Especially in this academy, where most of the children are from a noble family.

The world of adults and the world of children is different. Somehow I have returned to the first semester of my academy days and it turned out to be the day that I remember crystal clearly.

The first time when someone humiliated me in the academy for being talentless.

The person who humiliated me just walked inside and the classroom fell silent. Everyone got seated at their designated desks and looked towards our spell-casting professor who stood in front of us.

Julia Sanas, A Tall and beautiful lady wearing glasses who was stunningly beautiful but at the same time looked very hard to approach. She wore a grey colour skirt suit underneath the blue robe of the teachers that teach the first-year students.

With a professional smile on her face, she started her lecture...

" We were discussing the relationship between pronunciation and efficiency of the spell..."

Her lecture started with what we had studied in our previous lecture and then moved towards practical explanations. She explained how mana is a sentient energy and how the way we pronounce a spell affects the efficiency of the power behind spells.

I listened, wondering if the last time she picked on me was because I wasn't listening to her lectures carefully.

" Ethan Augustine, Come and demonstrate."

I was wrong...she just want to humiliate me.

The reason was not clear, and knowing what is going to happen. I felt reluctant to walk in front of her for some reason. But if I neglect a teacher's order then it would be more problematic for me.

Slowly I got up from my seat and walked...

" Cast an Ignition spell of any grade and light this lamp." She demanded.

Just like last time, she demanded that I show her an ignition spell...there were many ignition spells that I could cast in my previous life but since my mana vessel is still undeveloped at this age, I don't think I will be able to do it now.

" Bren!" I used the lowest-grade ignition spell and as expected it didn't work.

" Why didn't it work?" She asked with a curious look.

' Come on, you knew it will not work...Why are you acting and showing that expression?' I thought as I looked at her while hearing the whispers in the background.

"...Wait, Isn't he from the famous Augustine family."

" That was one of the lowest-tier spells...is he unable to pronounce it? Maybe he is nervous."

" I don't know if you know this but he has not developed any mana vessel in his body."

" Can something like that be possible? You are just exaggerating things...Don't you know that without having a mana vessel, you can't even enter the Academy?"

" His family..."

" ... he Lacks Talent..."

" ...Shame of Augustine..."

All kinds of students were whispering about me, whether commoners or nobles. They all stared at me with preying eyes...

' *Sigh* Nothing could be done about this anymore if only I have regressed to the time before I entered the academy. Let's just survive this.'

Meanwhile, Julia read some documents probably a file about the students... After seeing that I had not developed a mana vessel in my body she will say 'You don't have a mana vessel! How can someone so untalented even attend this Academy?'

" You don't have a mana vessel!" She sounded surprised as she looked at the paper once again.

" Yes, I don't have a mana vessel as of yet," I answered causing an uproar in the entire class.

" See I was right!" One student spoke, and then another and then one other...

" Silence!" Julia silenced the class with one word.

"...Go back to your seat, Ethan and meet me in my office after the class."

" Huh?" It was different from what I was expecting. She didn't insult me like before.

" I told you to go back to your designated seat." She answered calmly.

" Ah right! Thank you, Teacher." I spoke and escaped back to my seat while neglecting all the whispers about me.

' Did she not do it on purpose last time?' I questioned myself and attended the rest of the lecture, maybe paying attention to her class really worked.

Time passed and class ended, Julia looked towards me before leaving the class. I got up from my seat and followed behind her...

. . . . . .

Part 2

I reached her office in the teacher's building.

Every teacher in the academy was assigned an office, a research lab and a dorm room for their personal use. Her office was on the third floor of the building and it took me quite some time to reach her office.

Almost every teacher in the academy can use a teleport spell and Julia was one of them.

Now that I think about it. in my previous life, I never attended her classes after this day...

We were told to not miss the classes in the first week, that's why I attended her class today and didn't go back to my dorm room.

I was sure that the Academy will not hesitate to kick me out if I give them a reason.

During this time, my relationship with my family was very vulnerable, if I got kicked out then I will also not receive any compensation.

" Teacher Julia, May I come in?" I knocked.

" Come in." She spoke loud enough for me to hear and when I entered she added, " Please have a seat."

" I have something to ask, can I?" I requested permission before taking a seat.

" Hmmm"

" Teacher, What was the reason you called out to me for a demonstration today in front of the class?"

"...No reason in specific, it was just a random choice, why do you ask?"

" I was just curious.'

Well, that's an understandable thing. She could have called out to me for no reason at all. I carefully pulled a chair and sat in front of her with my back straight.

" Why do you not have a mana vessel?" She asked and added, " I don't think that a member of the Augustine family would have an issue like mana deficiency."

"...Because of Mana Chimerism," I answered honestly not hiding anything. After hearing that Julia fell silent and processed the information in her mind with a surprised expression.

It's not something that people would announce to the world. Mana Chimerism is a very rare case in which a human possesses different types of mana constitution in their body.

The reason for hiding this was simple, it's like a disease that spreads to the next generations. Having this type of constitution will make my political worth nill, in case my family tries to use me in a political marriage.

Having different types of constitutions means that you will never be able to surpass the level of a 5th-grade mage.

"...Are you okay with telling me that?" She asked.

" You are a teacher and besides you don't look like a person who would spread rumours about me...I can trust you, right?" I spoke doubtfully.

"..." She remained silent.

She wouldn't right? Man, did I ruin my chances of escaping my family with proper compensation? If she spreads this rumour then my family would blame me and kick me out without thinking twice.

" I have heard about cases where you can still create a Mana Vessel. If you are okay with it, I will ask Grand Mage Maurice to help you with it." She offered.

"...Umm, could you please not do that? I have a way to solve this problem on my own."

Hearing my response, she looked in acceptance and nodded her head.

" Fine...But the reason I called you today was to discuss whether or not you would be willing to transfer. Because I can't approve of someone like you attending my class, you are unqualified to attend my class for various reasons..." She started to speak about all the things that she had said to me in front of the class in my previous life.

"...I would suggest you attend a class like 'Rune Language' or 'Magic History', They don't require you to perform any magic."

" I will consider it."

After listening to what she said, I left the office.

From today onwards it would be a difficult life in the academy but at least this time I know how to deal with them.

. . . . . .

Part 3- Julia's POV

Among the crowd of students, my eyes shifted to Ethan...A student in my class. Today, he seemed different, he was paying attention to my class.

In the first week, I mostly observed students and tried to remember their names.

He wasn't a student that had anything special about him except for his family name...After knowing his potential was determined to be only Grade 5, I didn't waste my effort to know why?

The academy screens every candidate carefully and then assigns a potential based on their intellect and talent.

Despite assuming that he was not as intelligent or hard-working as everyone else...I had no plans of ignoring him.

I normally call out to such students so that they will at least feel like working hard after getting criticised. My motive was to call Ethan and criticize him for not working hard.

" Ethen Augustine, Come and Demonstrate."

He stood up from his desk in a reluctant manner and when he got closer I felt hostility in his eyes.

' Lazy students like him are always like this!' I hated these kinds of students who only prided themselves because of their family name and never worked hard.

" Bren!" The Boy spoke but the spell didn't work.

However, I didn't pay attention to that. The boy pronounced the spell flawlessly.

I was going to criticize him for that but there was nothing to complain about. Nevertheless, it did make me curious as to why the spell didn't work if he pronounced it so perfectly.

I quickly checked through the files to search for his evaluation and found what was the cause. And, it was something that I never expected...A child of the prestigious Augustine family without a developed Mana vessel.

Such a thing was almost close to impossible. For him to be from a mage family or to get admission to the academy without having a mana vessel...there had to be a reason.

Whatever it was...I don't think that I'll ever be able to help such a student. The best thing for him and me would be to change his class.

" You don't have a mana vessel," I spoke.

However, I shouldn't have as it caused the class to go into an uproar and talk ill of him. From his expression, I could tell that he was embarrassed.

" Silence!" I shouted angered by such behaviours of students. I realised why he gave me a hostile look when I called him out to demonstrate.

It was better to talk about changing classes in private so I asked him to meet me in my office.

After the class ended, Ethan came to my office...

The Boy was handsome compared to most of the boys in the academy but still not that outstanding. He had common black hair and black eyes, and a fair complexion but nothing that stands out.

His uniform was dirty maybe he had fallen into that slippery corridor that students often use.

"Teacher, What was the reason you called out to me for a demonstration today in front of the class?" He asked before taking a seat.

' Does he think, I did that on purpose...so childish!' I thought to myself.

I answered him, without getting angry at him. Then I asked him why he didn't have a mana vessel.

Unexpectedly, he answered something that any student from a noble family will never reveal to anyone. His eyes looked like they were seeking a reaction from me. I stayed calm and asked him why he revealed that to me.

"You are a teacher and besides you don't look like a person who would spread rumours about me...I can trust you, right?"

The boy even though answered me, for the first time, looked nervous. It pleased me that he trusted teachers with such information but his doubtfulness in that trust made me think again.

"I have heard about cases where you can still create a Mana Vessel. If you are okay with it, I will ask Grand Mage Maurice to help you with it." I offered.

"...Umm, could you please not do that? I have a way to solve this problem on my own." He answered.

'...But how?' That was what I thought when I heard this statement. Just when I had started thinking that the boy was not arrogant based on our conversation today.

There was no way a mere student couldn't achieve something like that alone...I acted calmly and proceeded with the conversation.

Now, I should start the real conversation, I asked him to change classes and he said he would consider it. He left the room without saying any particular reaction being sad...rather he looked somewhat happy about something.

'I hope he changes classes...' I thought in my mind.

There was no way that I was going out of my way to help him form a mana vessel. It is as difficult and time-consuming and I was sure that his claim about being able to do that on his own was just him showing off.

I didn't want to spend my time with a student that had such undesirable talent...