Classes and Daily Life (2)
Unlike the first period, which was our initial encounter with our guiding professor, the atmosphere in the second period was utterly barren. The No. 3 lecture hall, shrouded in silence, was filled only with the screeching sound of chalk on the blackboard.
The professor in charge of Basic Understanding of Magic was infamous even outside Arsen Academy.
As the cadets seated in their places exchanged wary glances, the professor turned from the blackboard.
"I am Bionel von Ebnpots Ainsberg of the Ainsberg family."
The second son of the renowned magical house of Ainsberg, known in short at Arsen as... 'Biern Professor.'
"You all look like you have a lot to say."
Tak! The cadets flinched as he smacked the blackboard.
"I know what you're thinking. You're wondering why you, non-magic majors, have to take a class on magic. Some of you might have even chosen different paths because you lack any aptitude for it."
This was my first time actually attending Biern Professor's class, but his tone was as arrogant as expected. No wonder his notoriety spread beyond Arsen. There were even stories of him tearing up cadets' assignments and berating them mercilessly, tales that had leaked outside.
Yet he continued teaching without issue, actively working between magic towers, because his magical prowess was that exceptional.
In this world, wizards are ranked by their magical achievements. The Ivory Tower, the highest magic tower, divides them into seven tiers.
It's structured like game tiers. True to its mishmash inspirations, the tiers draw from the motifs of the religious order that influenced the Holy Church.
The lowest is Angelus, the 1st tier in game notation. Essili Silvergaden and Elin Beonard, sitting far back, fell into this category.
Next come Archangeulus for 2nd tier and Arhes for 3rd tier—average tiers where most wizards in the story belong.
Up to here, even someone with zero magical aptitude could reach it through effort.
But from 4th tier onward, it's different. Talent is required to surpass it.
Biern Professor, standing on the podium now, was Dynamis, 4th tier—but in reality, a powerhouse pushing into 5th tier or higher. In Arsen, few could match him purely with magic.
Above that are 6th and 7th tiers, but they exist mostly in lore, unlikely to be encountered. If I had to pick one, Lara Steelhiden would step into 6th tier far in the future.
"To start, even in the combat track, you must acquire basic magical knowledge. That's Arsen's policy. If you can't accept it, pack your things and leave now."
No mere cadet could retort to a 4th-tier powerhouse. Biern Professor openly told them to get out if they didn't like it. But leaving would only put them in his bad graces, inviting unknown backlash later. He had connections across magic towers—a single word from him could ruin a career, severing all ties to magic.
So the cadets had no choice but to swallow their bitterness and attend. No matter how dull or humiliating the scoldings, they sacrificed the present for their futures. Admirable, in a way.
"Then I'll assume you all agree."
With a gesture, letters floated onto the blackboard like a hologram.
"You've come to Arsen each with your dreams. But most graduates become hunters, so Arsen's curriculum is geared toward producing hunters who contribute to the world."
Becoming a hunter after graduation aligned with my own plans, just as Biern said.
"A century ago, maybe not—but in this world where magic is widespread, hunters who can't handle it get weeded out. Thus, Basic Understanding of Magic is mandatory to ensure you won't fall behind after graduation."
Even in the combat track, basic magical understanding was essential. The Esperand family, hostile to the Hunter Association, still taught basic magic. Any educational institution would include it as a core course, like mandatory schooling up to middle school in Korea.
Magic majors needed combat knowledge too, and vice versa. Most frontline hunters thus mastered basics like hemostasis, barriers, or mana reinforcement.
Biern Professor's classes divided into basic, intermediate, and advanced. This one was basic, as the name implied. Magic majors like Lara would advance to intermediate after, but as combat track, I'd stop here.
Thinking of the original plot, I probably wouldn't finish his classes anyway. Still, I'd attend. There was plenty to learn from him—limited to 'magic,' of course.
"Now, pay attention."
Biern Professor didn't use beam projectors. He preferred his own methods over machines.
Snap! He just flicked his fingers lightly.
Then, a haze rose before the blackboard, and explosive mana flooded the lecture hall.
"Ugh?!"
"What the—suddenly?!"
Most cadets startled at the sudden mana wave. Some squeezed their eyes shut.
When they opened them, Lecture Hall 3 had transformed into a different scene.
Crumbled roads, collapsed buildings. Charred cars. Though still in the hall, we stood amid ruined city streets.
Not spatial translocation— just an illusion spell, one of Biern's specialties. But even as illusion, the devastation was too horrific to dismiss as fantasy. Most averted their eyes; some crouched, dry-heaving.
"Don't panic. If you become hunters, you'll see this daily. Get used to it."
Biern strode the road casually. We followed across shattered asphalt.
Beyond a mangled high-speed bus with exposed frame, a blackened, warped space loomed—a portal like the one at Georged Hall during entrance exams. But larger than that man-sized door; this gate could swallow a small villa whole.
"What you see is a gate incident from a city twenty years ago."
Biern raised his staff. Hunters fought beasts where it pointed—an illusion.
Monsters poured from the gate as hunters crawled, tending wounded, oblivious to flanks. Blood sprayed everywhere.
By the time magic tower wizards arrived, most hunters were neutralized.
Biern snapped again; the illusion vanished, leaving empty roads and prowling beasts.
"As you see, monsters won't wait for you to bandage or do first aid. Basic hemostasis could have prevented this. A barrier might have stopped attacks altogether."
Curiously, his teaching echoed Esperand's. Their assassins operated solo to avoid tails, so their curriculum included magic basics. I'd barely met the minimum due to low mana reserves.
"Thus, the education department made basic magic understanding a regular course."
If he'd led with that, it wouldn't have sounded arrogant.
"Even if you're uninterested, master the basics. Fail, and you'll repeat the year. Repeat too often, no graduation."
With a curt warning, he tapped the ground twice with his staff. Another mana wave, and we were back in Lecture Hall 3.
"Professor Biern! I have a question!"
A bold male cadet shot up his hand. Biern furrowed his brow, incredulous.
"You're Kyle, right?"
"Yes! A-4, Kyle Ivanstair!"
"I'll let it slide this time, but introduce yourself before questions next. Speak."
Making the great Biern sigh—probably a first this semester for Kyle.
"So, what happened with that gate incident twenty years ago?"
Biern sighed deeply. "The magic tower closed it successfully. I recommend checking history books before questions."
Snickers rippled, but one glance from Biern turned them to coughs and straightened faces.
As he turned back—
Bam! Someone kicked the door open.
Biern scowled.
"Sorry I'm late, Professor! I compiled everything you mentioned!"
His youthful face could pass for a cadet, not an assistant professor. Exion Assistant clutched a stack of documents, just like in the footage.
Biern wordlessly nodded to a corner. Exion slunk to the podium like a punished cadet and took a deep breath.
"Hello, cadets. Nice to meet you. I'm Exion, Professor Biern's assistant and Arsen's assistant professor. Looking forward to working with you!"
Exion beamed, but no one responded. I alone gave a slight nod as our eyes met.
As I walked the hall after second period, a familiar presence trailed me.
Click-clack-click-clack. Not Kyle or Iri.
Pretending to check the time, I raised my left hand. My watch glance caught Serin Anette's face.
She stared out the window innocently, but as an Esperand assassin, my honed senses picked it up inevitably.
Serin Anette was tailing me. Why? Maniito was my guess. No way.
I lingered by the stairs, then dashed out as she approached. She startled back, nearly tumbling—but recovered her trained balance.
"What're you doing, all alone?"
"Sion Illeionhart..."
The robotic Serin stood awkwardly.
"Just our paths overlapped by chance."
"I haven't said anything yet."
"Just preempting any misunderstanding."
She shot back, brushed past, and hurried down the stairs—unnaturally evasive, like fleeing my sight.
Her back alone confessed her situation. I'd half-expected it, but bad hunches always hit true. My trait Sense rivaled Telescopic Vision at catching this.
Even without it, I'd know. This was a scene from the original.
-What's going on here, Serin?
-Just our paths overlapped by chance.
-Huh? Really?
-Just preempting any misunderstanding.
Back then, it was Kyle, not me.
Bzzz. A vibration—message on my watch, as expected.
Congratulations. You have been selected as 'Leto'.
Someone is supporting your academy life.
Reveal your 'Peltus' to earn bonus points.
Somehow, Serin Anette had become my maniito, not the protagonist Kyle's.