Enchantment and Runes

Having been offered to stay in the fake headmaster's office, I didn't waste this chance and accepted. I was able to peacefully eat my food without the fear of Raja appearing around the corner.

Even though nothing much happened while I ate, if anything, it was very awkward having the headmaster sit there looking through paperwork. Nonetheless, I would rather deal with the awkwardness than be burned alive. 

"Hmm, Saki." The headmaster suddenly spoke up, causing me to jump as I wasn't expecting to be spoken to. 

"Y-Yes?" I wondered what he could possibly want and I only hoped it wasn't anything bad. 

"Why do people think you are a peasant? As far as I know, the Lingrove family married into the creation magic family." 

I was at a loss for words. This was news to me, but I instantly suspected it had something to do with what my Mother was hiding. However, this was the first time that I was getting some kind of confirmation. 

"Judging by your face, this is the first time you have heard it and just found an answer to a question. If that's the case, there must be some internal affairs that didn't go so well." The headmaster was able to gauge my answer just from my reaction, which was a little scary, but it saved me from having to explain. 

"I-I was told to avoid Kirai, but I don't know who that is." I figured it wouldn't hurt to disclose who my Mother said to avoid, as the headmaster may be able to help. 

"Oh? That is the eldest son of the creation family I just mentioned… I'm starting to see what could have happened, but don't worry, my mouth is sealed. I do not know the reason behind your mother's decisions, but I won't interfere." I wanted to ask him to elaborate, but I also didn't want to poke into businesses I didn't know in the first place. 

'Perhaps Ignorance is bliss in this situation.' It may be the ticket to get out of this pit of being seen as a peasant, but what if finding out the truth results in death? It was clear from what my Mother said that whoever this Kirai is should not be messed with. 

"T-thank you." Should I even be saying thank you? Maybe I should push for answers. What if this is the last time I see the headmaster? 

"Well, I should get you to class. Make sure you learn as much as you can." Right as he finished speaking, the academy bell rang and the headmaster clicked his fingers. 

"Wa-." Before I could say a word, I was teleported out of the room and appeared in a classroom. The room was laid out like some science classroom, with tools hanging up across the back wall, which I assumed were for rune 1writing.

"Damn it. I missed my opportunity to get more answers." I regret not speaking up quicker, but there was nothing I could do. I might be able to meet him if I ask, however I assume it is almost impossible to get an audience with Tolverkin.

'Why do I have social anxiety.' There was also this deep pit of nervousness when I thought about asking him. 

'Maybe it's for the best.' I wasn't going to go out of my way to draw attention, especially since it would be suspicious if I regularly visited the headmaster. Somehow, nasty rumours would spread and just make life here harder for no reason. 

*

After a short while, the students finally began coming inside the classroom, soon followed by a teacher who looked ridiculously old. The teacher was a lizard of some kind, as evidenced by the visible scales on their arms and body. Their body was also the definition of a dad bod and I could imagine the guttural laugh that would come from this old man. 

The clothes he wore were those of a classic woodworker, which surprisingly fit the title of a rune crafter. What really finished the look though, was the fact that they were bald with a massive grey beard.

"Welcome, students! My name is Garolt! This class is either the most boring or the best class of the year. I will be brutally honest, this subject is not for everyone, but as long as you get a fundamental understanding, then you will be fine." In a low, southern American accent, the teacher instantly outlined the class. 

For me, I felt like I wouldn't be bored since so far, everything has been interesting. However, I didn't know how much I'd like crafting runes or enchanting things. It seemed like a very physical kind of class and with my newly acquired delicate hands, I didn't want to ruin them.

'Wow, I never thought I would be so concerned about my looks… well I guess when everyone judges you, you become extremely self-conscious.' I was beginning to be more aware of my femininity, trying to make sure that I didn't ruin my looks while I had a fresh start. In the end, it probably didn't matter, but if I was stuck being a girl, then I might as well embrace it fully. 

"To start things off today, I will teach you the basics of rune crafting and enchantments." The lecture was about to begin, but as usual, the students whispered to each other about how I was here. 

This time, I half expected the teacher to not care, like in my magical practical class. 

"Quiet! I will not tolerate gossip in the middle of my class." With a loud bang coming from the teacher's desk, runes that were engraved on the desk glowed a bright red. 

"Anyone who speaks without permission will have their rune lit up and will instantly get detention. This class is something you cannot mess up, otherwise you will accidentally kill yourself." The whispering students instantly stopped talking after hearing the teacher's warnings. 

It was a relief for me to know that most of my classes will be a safe place, away from any harassment. 

'Except for Caspian.' However, right as I thought it was going to be safe, I made eye contact with April, who was sitting on the other side of the room. She had a smile like she was already planning something, even with Garolt's warning. 

'It's fine, she won't do anything now, just pay attention to class.' 

"Ahem, now to start with a simple explanation of what the class is. Runes and enchanting go hand in hand with each other. In order to enchant something, you need to engrave the correct runes into the item you wish to enchant." 

"The process can vary depending on your skill, but for beginners, you will have to manually engrave your runes. However, by the end of the year, most of you should be able to engrave runes with your mana." 

'Hmm, okay, I wonder why students don't like this class. I would have thought a skill like rune crafting was something that was extremely useful.' Depending on the capabilities of the runes, I could imagine that many things in our daily lives are engraved with them. 

"Now for my warning when it comes to runes. Just like I said before, they can kill you. If you do not inscribe the rune correctly, the item you are holding will combust, crumble, or cause a mana shock. Now you can imagine if you are inscribing something and it explodes, the kind of shards that will be sent your way." Garolt dropped his voice when talking about the consequences of screwing up, knowing that students will inevitably fail at first. 

I assumed there was a safe way to practise, but no doubt we will be doing actual rune crafting. 

"As for what we are actually doing in today's class, we will begin practising on blocks of wood without infusing any mana. And before you think that you will be fine, these tools have anti-mana materials in them so even if you try, there is no way you accidentally blow yourself up." Garolt then picked up a hammer and, out of nowhere, he hit his desk, but then blocks of wood suddenly appeared in front of everyone as well as an engraving tool. 

"Now I will put up a bunch of simple runes that you can try engraving and I will give you all 30 minutes to cover the wooden block. After which, I will come around and see how accurate your runes are." With the go-ahead, Garolt drew a bunch of symbols in the air with some mana and students began to copy them. 

Picking up my own engraving pen, I lightly pushed up against the wood and began to sink into it. I was confused about how it really worked, but I was guessing there might be some runes on the metal tip. 

'Still amazes me the technology of this world. I feel like I've gone back in time, but everything we use is from the future.' I didn't know if I would ever get used to it, but this was only my second day here, so who knows what else I have yet to see?