Lessons

-Anos PoV-

"I heard our new professor is finally coming today."

"I know. I still can't believe it, though."

"How can the director even think about putting an underclassman in as a professor?"

"Anyone should be better than Professor Geist, right?"

"Don't jinx it, man."

"Hey, there he is! The disciplinary committee captain who beat Geist!"

The various conversations all changed to murmurs about me as soon as I walked in

How noisy. It seems the students are already gossiping about my new role as a professor. Well, it's not surprising. Students in this era seem to be quite enthusiastic about rumors. The spirits would have a field day if they knew about this.

I made my way to the professor's podium, giving the students a measured look. The conversations in the room died away as more and more of the young mages spotted me behind the professor's podium.

"I believe most of you already know who I am, but for those who don't, I am Anos Voldigoad, the captain of the disciplinary committee, the only son of two loving parents, and your new professor."

I waited to see the class's reaction. Although they had certainly heard the rumors, most of the students filling the classroom sat in silence for a moment before the room filled with murmurs of disbelief, shouts of anger, and incredulous laughter.

"I can't believe it! I thought it was a joke," one of the second-years exclaimed.

"What makes you good enough to be the professor?" a short first-year barked. "Who do you think you are?"

I sighed in response to the commotion.

"Goodsky has appointed me to be the professor for this class for the remainder of the semester and—"

"This is crazy!"

"I'm filing a complaint!"

"Shut up!"

More protests resounded within the room as the students grew rowdier.

I sighed inwardly. Were these children not taught any manners? To cut someone off while they're speaking is quite rude.

I looked at my fellow committee members. Feyrith's sharp face was filled with a mixture of incredulity and worry, while Kathyln looked perplexed. Arthur, on the other hand, didn't seem surprised, likely having expected such a reaction from his peers.

"Just because you beat the old professor doesn't mean you're that good. Do you think you could've won if Princess Kathyln and Feyrith hadn't tired him out?" A second-year jumped down and landed on the stage with a loud thud.

"What are you doing?" I asked sharply as he began walking toward me.

The student had a pretty solid build, but judging from his poor mana circulation, he was probably able to augment only some of his body.

"I just suddenly feel like I want to be a professor now," he said with a snide grin. "All I have to do is the same thing you did—pummel the instructor to the ground, right?"

I glanced around the room. Half the students were a bit nervous, not wanting to get caught up in another drama during class, while the other half was cheering him on.

I couldn't help myself—I burst into laughter. "Ha ha haaa! Say that again! Who are you going to pummel? Me?" I said a single word, "Sit."

My words flowed naturally with magic power, making the the large student crumpled to his bottom with enough force to shake the stage we stood on.

The room grew deathly quiet as I walked over to the confused and embarrassed student. I stood over him, remaining silent and giving him a moment to appreciate the position he was in.

"Before you say such foolish things, at least understand the difference in strength. Goodsky didn't bother giving me any official documents, but like it or not, I will be teaching this class."

I stepped over the student and made my way to the other side of the silent room.

The students looked at one another, unsure of what to do. "For those who want to leave," I continued, "I won't stop you—in fact, I'll even allow you to be put into another class of your choice. However, if any of you are even a tiny bit curious as to what this "underclassman" professor has to offer, then I suggest you stay and witness it firsthand."

I pointed at the door and waited a few seconds, but whether it was because of my demonstration with the second-year or because they were actually interested in the class, none of the students left.

I peered at the second-year who had jumped down so eagerly to show off his limited ability. "Now, if you'll go back to your seat, I'll begin my lesson."

His face turning beet red, the student quickly got up and scrambled back to his seat.

I went back to the podium. "Since this is the Practical Mana Manipulation class, I shall ask a practical question. What is the most efficient way to utilize mana from the surrounding atmosphere?"

Almost instantly, a beak-nosed human student with a ponytail shot her hand up. I nodded to her.

"Mana is best utilized by absorbing the mana naturally formed in the atmosphere into the mana core, where it can be condensed and purified for use when spells or techniques are cast." She gave me a smug expression, obviously proud of her answer.

"I suppose that's a satisfactory answer," I remarked, looking around the room. "Now, as you all know, the difference between augmenters and conjurers lies in the fact that augmenters mostly use the mana in their cores via their mana channels, while conjurers absorb mana directly from the surrounding atmosphere via their mana veins. So why do both types of mages have to meditate and absorb mana if only the augmenters actually utilize the mana they absorb into their core?" I quizzed, not looking at anyone in particular.

The same girl's confident hand shot up again, then shrank down as she pondered the question.

"While augmenters incorporate mana into physical attacks," Kathyln answered, her face relaxed, "thus reducing the amount of mana used, conjurers directly manipulate the space in which the spell is cast, consuming more mana. Because of that, conjurers use the purified mana in their mana core as a reserve to avoid backlash."

"Correct. Then the last question: Is the color of a conjurer's—or even an augmenter's—mana core a truly accurate way of measuring the level of the mage's power?"

Kathyln's usually composed face scrunched in deep thought.

"Keep that in mind," I said, "as you all come down to the stage and line up behind me. I want the conjurers to my left and augmenters to my right."

There were a few grumbled complaints, but eventually everyone made their way to the stage and into their places.

"This exercise will be quite simple," I said. "I will have each you strain your eyes and peer into the mana I passively emit. I suppose I don't have to explain the practical applications of this exercise, do I?"

The students exchanged glances, some still unsure of what to make of this unexpected turn of events.

The human girl from earlier spoke up. "Is it to increase our mana sensitivity so that we can see a person's mana core stage even if they have defenses against scrying?"

"That's one of the applications, yes," I replied. "Now, let's begin. Focus your attention on my mana, and try to perceive it."

The students began to concentrate, their eyes fixed on the mana I emitted. The atmosphere on the stage shifted as the young mages delved into the exercise. After a few minutes, I could sense some frustration among the students, especially those who struggled with the task.

Meanwhile, my three subordinates seemed to have the most progress among the students. I suppose they were selected for the disciplinary committee for a reason.

I walked around the stage, observing the students' attempts. Kathyln appeared to be handling it well, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Feyrith did the same, but with less progress than Kathyln.

On the hand, Arthur appeared to be the closest to successfully perceiving my mana. The strain on his eyes was evident, but there was a determination in his expression.

"Blar-!" Arthur stopped himself from vomiting.

Hmm. It seems he was successful. The look of fear on his face was a clear indication of that.

"Well done, Arthur," I commended. "Now, can you explain the second application of this exercise?"

Arthur took a moment to compose himself before responding, "The second application would be to withstand the shock of a sensing a powerful person's mana, allowing the mage to maintain focus and composure in high-pressure situations."

"Correct," I affirmed. "Perceiving the mana of powerful individuals can be overwhelming and disorienting for those not accustomed to it. This exercise will help you build resilience and maintain control in such situations."

I continued to observe the students as they struggled with the exercise. Some began to show signs of improvement, while others were still finding it challenging.

I went back to the podium, surveying the room. "That shall be it for today's lesson. You may continue practicing with a partner or individually if you wish to refine your skills. Try and come up with the answer to the question I asked earlier. See you tomorrow."

Most of the students left, some with expressions of frustration, others with a newfound determination. As the room emptied, I turned to one of my subordinates.

"Anything you wish to discuss, Kathyln?"

-Kathyln PoV-

I couldn't show any weakness; I had a duty to uphold. When men came to visit me, hoping to gain my favor, I couldn't show any weakness they could use against me. That was my struggle.

I couldn't read minds, but it wasn't hard to see that all the men who came to me—the ones my own age as well as the older ones—had ulterior motives. Royal lineage, superior ability, physical appearance—the things most people believed would make their lives easier were shackles that robbed me of the freedom I wished to have.

Yet here I was, with a boy my age who was so talented and sought after, yet still so… intriguing. He shined with a brilliance that made me want to be like him, but with so much arrogance that it made me want to resist. What made him so different from me? Was he foolish for expressing his emotions so freely, without the fear of how others would view him—or simply arrogant?

"Anything you wish to discuss, Kathyln?" Anos asked, breaking my train of thought.

"Is there a hint you can give us about sensing powerful mana? It seems like Arthur managed to perceive your mana successfully, and I want to improve as well," I admitted, trying to maintain composure.

Anos regarded me with a thoughtful expression. "It already seems you're on the right path. So here is a hint, do not simply look on the outside, but peer deep within."

I nodded, processing his words. "When I first saw you, I noticed right away that you were different from everyone else. I was very intrigued by you." I muttered under my breath, not sure if Anos would hear it.

"Is that right? I assumed the opposite, since your face didn't show any reaction or change the whole time." His ever present smile flickered, and his crimson eyes held a glint of amusement.

"I apologize. My family has told me be more expressive but to no avail." I tried to force a smile, though it likely looked more like a grimace.

"Expressing emotions is a skill that can be developed, just like any other. Simply don't force your emotions down; eventually your face will move according to how you're feeling inside." He said, his tone surprisingly encouraging. "I knew a person who was quite similar. Their face almost showed no emotion, but once you got to know them, you could sense the depth of their feelings."

"Did they learn to be more expressive?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Anos chuckled. "They did, eventually. Even if it was by quite a miniscule amount."

I considered Anos' words, realizing that perhaps there was more to emotions than I initially thought.

"Thank you for your advice, Anos. I'll keep that in mind," I replied, appreciating the unexpected conversation.

Anos raised an eyebrow in response. "It seems you're already quite capable of expressing yourself."

Anos took out a mirror and showed me my reflection.

Huh? I was startled to see a faint smile on my face. It was a subtle change, but it was there. Anos had managed to bring out a small, genuine expression from me.

"It's a good start," he commented. "I shall get going now."

With that, Anos left the auditorium. As the door closed behind him, I couldn't help but feel a mix of appreciation and intrigue to the boy who, despite his seemingly nonchalant demeanor, had a way of unraveling layers and leaving an impact on those around him.

—————

-Next Day-

-Arthur PoV-

I made my way to the disciplinary committee's meeting room. The DC had access to one of the bigger rooms in the academy so it could double as a training room. I was a bit late since I had woken up a little later than expected, but it wasn't too loud so I hoped I wasn't the last one there.

As I opened the door, I saw Curtis, Theodore, and Claire fighting Anos in a one versus three sparring match. Anos seemed to effortlessly evade their attacks, not even counterattacking, but rather redirecting their strikes with minimal movements.

Curtis swung his blade with great force, aiming for Anos' head, but Anos smoothly sidestepped the attack. This gave Theodore an opening to punch him from the side, but Anos gracefully twisted his body, avoiding the blow. Claire followed up with her own sword thrust, causing Anos to pivot and evade once again, leaving the disciplinary committee officers off balance.

"5 minutes are up," Anos announced calmly.

"Curtis, your intention is clear, but your attacks are too obvious," Anos said as counterattacked with a swift kick that sent Curtis flying towards the wall with a thud.

"Theodore, you really too much on your brute strength. Improve your technique and timing," Anos continued, effortlessly dodging Theodore's attempted counterattack and sent him flying in the same direction as Curtis.

"Claire, your swordplay has potential, but you lack experience and fall for feints too easily," Anos pointed out, sidestepping Claire's attack and did the same swift kick to send her next to Curtis and Theodore.

Anos dusted off his hands as he looked at the three on the ground. "Your teamwork is improving, but it's still not enough."

"Not even a single hit..." Theodore remarked with a hint of frustration.

"For a whole 5 minutes at that..." Curtis added.

"... Oh, hey Arthur," Claire waved at me as I entered the room.

"Good morning, Arthur," Anos greeted me casually. "A shame you couldn't join the sparring match."

"Uh, yeah. Good morning," I replied, still processing the scene in front of me. "Seems like I missed quite a training session."

"You did," Anos nodded. "We'll continue the training tomorrow with you and the others who are late.

"Speaking of late," Claire said. "Looks like we're still missing quite a few people. Feyrith, Kathyln, and Doradrea still aren't here—ah, there they are!" she said, pushing us both toward the door.

Feyrith was having a little quarrel with Doradrea about something, and Kathyln was behind them.

"Ah, Arthur, my rival! Have you healed? I believe we still need to duel, but I think it would be better to hold off on that until after I finish working on a spell I've been practicing. Not because I'm scared to lose to you or anything, just giving you more time to recover." Feyrith came up beside me, putting his arm on my shoulder with a hearty laugh.

"Now that everyone is here, I'd like you all to come sit down so we can start the meeting." Anos ushered us toward the round table on the second floor.

The lower level of the room was a wide area with all sorts of equipment and an arena for practice matches. A couple of couches provided seating for the spectators. To one side, a flight of stairs led to a second-floor balcony that overlooked the lower level. The second floor was furnished with a chalkboard, some cabinets, and a big, oval table with eight seats.

Anos sat at the very end of the table, the chalkboard behind him, while Claire and Theodore sat to his right and left. I didn't know if there was an assigned seating arrangement, so I remained standing and waited for everyone else to sit down first. On Claire's side sat Curtis, Kai, and Feyrith, while Doradrea and Kathyln sat on Theodore's side. The only seat left was directly opposite Anos, so I settled in and waited for the meeting to commence, my early-morning drowsiness slowly overtaking my body.

I watched Sylvie, who had hopped off my head and was playing with Grawder, until our leader began talking.

"This is the first meeting with everyone present, and today is the day we will actively start duty," Anos announced, his crimson eyes scanning each member of the disciplinary committee. "Although this is the first year this committee has existed, I've already started implementing changes to make it more efficient. In order to achieve this, I have decided to split the committee into two teams."

"These two teams will be divided into underclassmen and upperclassmen. The upperclassmen—Claire, Theodore, Curtis, and Kai—will split into pairs and watch over the campus in the morning while they don't have classes. The underclassmen—Kathyln, Feyrith, Doradrea and Arthur—will also form two teams and monitor the campus in the afternoon, while the upperclassmen have classes."

Our names magically appeared on the chalkboard behind Anos, grouped into the teams he had already decided on.

I raised my hand, but Claire, the vice captain, knew what I was about to say and interjected.

"Since Arthur is taking both upper and lower division classes, he will be waived from that duty. However, he is to be on standby at all times in case backup is needed. Also, we've received permission from Director Goodsky to allow you to be ten minutes late to your classes, so take your time between classes and be on the lookout for any trouble." She smiled in satisfaction as I put my arm back down.

Theodore also raised his hand, and Anos nodded at him to speak.

"And what about your team? Are you just going to sit back and relax while we do all the patrolling?" Theodore questioned.

Anos leaned back in his chair, his usual amused expression on his face. "Unfortunately, that won't be the case. I will be actively surveying the entire academy grounds at all times, be it day or night."

"How are you going to achieve this?" Theodore asked with a skeptical expression.

Anos' crimson eyes gleamed with amusement. "I have my ways. Let's just say, my eyes and ears are not limited by conventional means."

Theodore raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but also slightly wary.

"That being said, I've already considered the matter of which of the underclassmen will be scouting the campus alone, and Kathyln has volunteered to take on this duty. Kathyln, bear in mind that even though the upperclassmen are in class, they will still be available to assist you. If you're caught in a situation that you're not confident you can handle by yourself, call for help." The princess nodded, but Curtis wore a slight look of concern on his face.

Feyrith raised his hand. "How are we going to communicate with each other?"

"If you imagine any member of the disciplinary committee while placing your hand on the insignia on the sheath of your knife, the recipient's knife will emit a bright light and a soft shock, notifying them of who is in trouble. Each of our knives has a distinct color, so remember them well." Claire announced this, listing the different colors of our DC knives next to our names:

Anos – Black

Claire – Pink

Kai – Silver

Theodore – Yellow

Feyrith – Green

Doradrea – Dark Red

Curtis – Red

Kathyln – Blue

Arthur – Brown

I wondered what a black light would look like. Everyone else's colors were straightforward, and corresponded with their elements for the most part. I assumed Feyrith got green because he was an elf.

"That concludes today's meeting," Anos stated, his eyes sweeping over the members of the disciplinary committee. "Remember your roles, and don't hesitate to seek assistance if needed. Pride is not as important when you're injured, or worse, dead. We're here to maintain peace, not to be heroes."

"You guys are free to leave, or you can stay here and practice until classes start. The room will always be open for DC members, so think of this as your second home. I've already camped here for a couple of nights myself." Claire added, laughing to diffuse the serious tone.

That was a relief. I could get a little less than an hour of sleep before my first class started. The couches on the lower floor looked perfect for a power nap.

Curtis gave me a pat on the back before he headed down, but as I turned to follow him, I felt a tug on the waist of my pants from behind.

"Let's spar for a bit, pretty boy. I've sparred with everyone else here but you." Doradrea shot me an excited grin as she dragged me down the stairs toward the designated sparring arena.

"I'm still not fully healed, Doradrea. I don't think this is the best idea," I tried giving out an excuse to get myself out of this as she dragged me along.

"Stop being a baby. The best way to get rid of that soreness is to move around, don't you know?" She finally let me go and walked over to the other side of the arena.

Claire walked toward us, giving me an apologetic look. It seemed like she was about to intervene, but then Theodore walked past her and approached Doradrea, who was stretching.

"Move it," he growled.

"Aww, no fair," Doradrea grumbled as she slumped her shoulders, disappointed.

'Great. A muscular male replaces my muscular female opponent.'

Anos nodded, permitting the sparring match to proceed. I took a deep breath and faced Theodore, who seemed more focused than usual.

"Let me activate the barrier this time, so we don't have any more cracked walls," Claire said before we started.

Sylvie was riding on top of Grawder, and asked if I'd be okay. I just nodded in response as the rest of the DC members all got situated around the arena. I might be injured, but I was excited—I had wanted to duel against Theodore as well. I figured fighting against deviants might help me learn a thing or two.

"Anything you want to say before we start?" Theodore asked, cracking his neck.

"Sure. Can I call you Theo if I win? It's only fair for me to give you a nickname since you already gave me one, right?" I shot him a smirk while I stretched my still-aching body.

I could see veins bulging on his forehead as everyone's faces twisted in horror.

"You sure are full of yourself, twerp. Fine, but when I win, you're going to be my little minion for the rest of your school life." He smiled confidently.

"Our committee's vice captain will be acting as the referee. Any objections?" Anos declared, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Claire signaled for the duel to begin.

Theodore immediately took off, charging at me like a frenzied bull. I augmented my body using wind-attribute mana to skirt around the arena, keeping my distance. Theodore's gravity magic wasn't something to take lightly; his powers had simultaneous offensive and defensive features.

Though it usually took a bit longer to use earth magic while using wind magic, I was able to muster up shards of earth the size of my leg in time to kick them at Theodore. I shot out the shards of earth at different lengths, to gauge how far he was able to use his gravity manipulation.

Theodore didn't seem to get what I was doing, and he kept charging at me, seeming to grow more and more frustrated that I was running away and kicking rocks at him.

"Do you think I'll let you keep running around?" he roared as the rocks I had kicked toward him all began to float.

Theodore thrust himself toward me while reducing the gravity around him, increasing his speed tremendously.

Holding in a smile, I put my plan into action. Manipulating the earth around me one last time, I launched a boulder the size of my body and jumped away from my opponent.

With the decreased gravity field surrounding him, Theodore easily smacked the boulder and sent it flying up over him, but during the brief moment when his vision was blocked by the rock, I dashed forward.

Summoning wind to condense below my feet, I shot toward Theodore at a speed that caught him by surprise.

Using Draft Step—a technique I had thought up, drawing inspiration from the flicker step technique—I accelerated toward him with the help of the strong gale behind me.

Theodore clenched his fist. "Fall," he snarled. The sudden change in gravity knocked the wind out of me, and I had to fight to keep my body from slamming into the ground.

With a victorious grin on his wild, unshaven face, he took one last step to get in range for the final blow, but I shot him a smirk and pointed upward.

The boulder Theodore had knocked away fell directly on top of him from the abrupt change in gravity. The rock, significantly heavier due to the increased gravity, flattened Theodore flat on his stomach in an almost comical position.

"Stop!"

Claire stepped in between the two of us to make sure Theodore was okay. He had already regained consciousness and shoved the rock off of himself, and was silently dusting off his uniform. He would probably have a nasty bruise on his back, but his mana-enhanced body had allowed him to avoid any serious injury—the rock wasn't too big, after all.

"Good duel, Theo." I walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder before bouncing out of the room, Sylvie trotting behind me.

'Let's go find a bench to take a nap on,' I sent to Sylvie.