Chapter 29: First Day (Pt. 2)

As they filed into Physical Equations, the students were assigned seats. There were some grumbles from the kids as some were unhappy being split from their friends. There was even one kid with short blonde hair who exclaimed "my father will hear about this!" As he got into an argument with one of the instructors over being separated from his group. Suffice it to say, the instructors were neither intimidated or impressed, the boy was made to sit in a corner.

Is that also a reincarnated person? Or are spoiled blonde kids who tattle to their parents to solve problems just a multiuniversal thing? Either way I think I should keep my distance... Thought Carman.

As he sat through the lecture Carman came to the conclusion that the people of Fontaine, while advanced were nowhere near the level of science that his world had been while the Physical Equations class had many equations that mirrored the physics classes he had had to suffer through in college.

Due to his familiarity with most of the concepts they were introducing to the class Carman found his mind wondering around the subject while paying loose attention to what was being said. Do physics work the same way here? I assumed that Teyvat is a planet, but with the information revealed in Sumaru including the false sky, is the atmosphere artificial as well? If it's not and gravity works differently than it did back on Earth, how is everything being held together? Does this world rely on elemental or some other mystical energy? Man, I wish I had a microscope, too bad the ones that would let me see down to the atomic level have several complicated electrical components.

"Mr. Lepaute, would you please explain to the class what you find more interesting than my class." Said a stern voice. Due to his unfamiliarity to being called "Mr. Lepaute" having only received the last name from Livre recently, it took a few seconds for Carman to respond, which only caused the instructor to become more irritated.

"I was just wondering what stuff is made out of, you can cut a piece of metal or wood, you end up with smaller pieces of them, what if you kept cutting the material until it couldn't be cut any more, what are you left with?" Said Carman.

"Forgive me young man but I fail to see where this is related to my lecture."

"Well you mentioned how we have calculations to predict how much energy certain things have when falling from high places, and how depending on the hight they are dropped from lighter objects dropped from high above could cause more damage than a heavy one dropped from close to the ground. You also mentioned that outside of some exceptions, every object is pulled towards the ground. I have seen saw dust and metal gritt. I was wondering if the same or similar force held things together, preventing them from crumbling into dust."

"I see, that is quite the interesting thought, unfortunately now is not the time for such pondering, if you would bring your attention back to the front it would be most appreciated" said the instructor curtly.

Half of the other students were staring at Carman like he was crazy, there were a few however that started to also have contemplative looks on their faces as they listened to his musings hinting towards Gravity and electron bonds. Sure they didn't know what he was talking about, but they also started to wonder how their world was held together rather than falling apart like dry sand castles in the wind.

As the class filed out of the room there were a few students that walked up to Carman, some wondering why there was a kid like him who was so much younger them enrolled in the academy. After hearing his straight laced and strangely mature answers they understood and walked off. One older girl came over to give him a look and scoffed at the fact there was a five year old in the same class as her.

She couldn't believe that such a young kid had such an intriguing thought that the instructor would let him go unpunished for not paying attention to the lecture, and thought the whole thing, including his enrollment must be some kind of joke.

After making her opinion of him clear she walked off with a small group of their classmates following behind her.

"Well, that just happened... I don't even know who you are... Seriously if your going to complain to someone at least introduce yourself. Rude." Said Carman as he started filing out of his row of seats

"I'd be careful kiddo, that young lady was Ms. Camille Engrenage. She is the daughter of a merchant who specializes in selling fancy Gardemeks to the nobility of Fontaine. I wouldn't want to be on her bad side." Said one of the other girls as she passed him, lightly ruffling Carman's hair as she passed by.

Carman spent the next few hours pretending to pay attention to the mediocre introductory level information he was being taught. The thing that threw him off the most was the fact that for some reason some equations were written in base 7 and not base 10. The conversion was simple enough for him to figure out but the reasons behind it possibly beyond teyvat having 7 archons was beyond him.

After a long class where he would learn the strengths and weaknesses of certain materials, Carman finally got to the class he was waiting for. Physical Conditioning, all class cohorts were required to have this class in the middle of the day and before they had lunch, the instructors found long ago that students payed better attention after doing some exercise, but not to feed them before as some of the students ended up vomiting from overworking themselves.

It was after changing into clothes more appropriate for exercise and stepping out onto the flat stone area that Carman felt a vaguely familiar pair of eyes looking at him maliciously.

-to be continued