For those who have read the notes regarding Mana at the end of chapter 22, things might seem a bit strange when you read the early parts of this chapter but don't worry because I did not change anything (and you did not waste your time reading that note). Just read on and you'd understand.

WARNING: This is a 15k words chapter. I tried to make it shorter by cutting down the descriptions but it still turned out this long. So if you've got something important to do soon, maybe save reading this for later.

:lahla:

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"Yes, yes, now add a triangle there at eighty degrees to that line and... "

Professor Nequam, the Magic Diagrams teacher is overseeing the work of a couple of boys in his class. After providing a brief explanation on what Magic Diagrams do, he handed out rolls of parchments, rulers and protractors to the students for a hands-on activity. He would have explained how they work in detail but then over half the class would definitely get bored in no time. In order to avoid turning off the students, he chose to conduct a practical class instead of a lecture.

He had drawn an example of the simplest, basic spell in diagram form with measurements and the likes on the blackboard for them to copy. Even then, redrawing it might take fifteen to twenty minutes for an amateur. That is, if they do not make any mistakes which would require a redo from scratch.

In the field of Magic, the diagrams are akin to indispensable tools that everyone should have. The geometrical arrangements which makes up the diagram of a particular spell is the very depiction of the fundamental pathway that Mana flows through in the process. It had been a couple of millenniums since humanity cracked the workings of Magic, and the process of executing a spell boils down to three steps.

'First, the spellcaster converts his inner Mana into the corresponding element. Second, he or she would have to transmit the converted Mana on the Mana pathway. Finally, the spell manifests itself in its designated form' Nequam had had heard and repeated this explanation so many times that he could probably state it flawlessly while sleeping.

'And the Magic Diagram assists in cutting down the Mana cost of the second step' By having only the fundamental pathway visually represented, the spellcaster can cut down excessive Mana usage while casting the spell. At least, that was how primitive Magic Diagrams worked.

The old method of using the diagrams are too impractical as the spellcaster would have to keep the formation in view to receive the effect. Since then, nothing had really changed regarding the diagrams themselves. They are still just depictions of the pathways that could be made up of anything be it ink, blood, ashes or dirt. As long as the shapes are correctly arranged and represented, it counts as a functioning diagram.

What did change, is the mentality of magicians. By breaking the second step into two parts, they no longer have the need to look at the diagrams in order to benefit from them. Instead of using said diagrams as visual stimulus, they convert them into tools. When using these tools, modern mages only need to transmit their Mana with the uncomplicated intention of tracing the lines on the diagram. This could be observed when the diagram appears to glow once Mana had been pumped into it. Once that is done, the spell would be cast with the same specifications drawn on the diagram. The very act of tracing the lines with Mana itself is considered a spell, hence the three-step process is converted into a more efficient but slightly more lengthy four-step process.

The larger a magic diagram, the greater its Mana cost reduction. Although the process would consume a bit more time, it is too small of an amount that is hardly worth mentioning about. Layering diagrams over one another also enhances its efficiency but the difficulty is so high that superimposing even two diagrams together is considered to be the work of a genius.

It is quite rare to find magicians using these diagrams in fast-paced battles, unless it was inscribed into certain items. Having a predetermined pathway reduces the flexibility of the spell in terms of trajectory and modifications. To top it off, such items are very rare and could only be found in dungeons and dangerous places. Whenever one is found, modern diagram artists would try to replicate the patterns but they would only succeed for one in every ten arrangements discovered. The ancient magical patterns are too intricate to be drawn with human hands, so perhaps there were precision tools used to make them back in the days. As such, diagrams are only used for defense and Mana-heavy work such as construction.

"Hmmm.." Nequam scans the classroom and spots several idle students.

"For those who are finished, bring your work to the front so we can test it out" As he says that, the rotund man walks towards the teacher's table and sinks down into his cushioned chair.

Eight students gingerly carry their parchments, taking care not to fold it because the ink had yet to dry completely. They shuffle towards Professor Nequam and spread their diagrams over the long and spacious table that looks like a large, elegant workbench.

"Lovely, now you know what to do in order to check whether it's working or not!"

"Touch the paper, anywhere you'd like. Oh, except for the inky parts that is! Now, send in your Mana and watch the diagram do its work" Nequam eyes the spread out sheets and looks for any errors. He notices a few skewed shapes but there is nothing serious that would bring harm.

Following the instruction, Chase places his index finger on a corner of his paper.

'Will it work? Did I do anything wrong?'

Chase fidgets slightly and nervously breaths in and out. He had never used a Magic Diagram, let alone draw one on his own. He would have had the experience a few weeks ago if it were not for the blood ruining all the diagrams Gillian's team drew.

Pushing down his worries, Chase lets the warm energy inside him flow along the drawn lines. The diagram glows brightly in response, as if it was welcoming Chase's Mana.

From the center of its patterns, a globe of pure white light surfaces from the parchment like an object emerging out of water. It floats up to one feet above the paper and hangs in mid-air.

'It works... it works!' Chase beams as he stares at his airborne sphere of pure light. He could produce the same feat without the aid of a diagram in an instant but there is nothing wrong in enjoying the fruits of his twenty minutes labor.

"Bravo, bravo! Nice work there, everyone. I can see a few deviation in brightness here and there.. you should probably pay more attention to the thickness of the lines. Now, if you don't mind... can you cut off the Mana supply? Getting quite... sunny in here" Nequam explains while he covers his eyes with one palm. His drawn example had been adjusted to produce a soft, dim light ball but the students' errors had made the intensity unbearable to look at.

The light balls disappear one by one, bringing comfy lighting back to the classroom. Nequam's vision is still compromised though, he could see multiple annoying ghost-like spots all around.

"Now.. if the diagram could produce the spell, it means it works. So, did you feel it? The sensation of having your workload reduced, like lifting a bucket half-filled with water instead of a full one?" Nequam inquires as he blinks furiously to get rid of the spots he is seeing.

"What, didn't notice anything? Alright, try creating a simple light ball without and with the diagram to compare. Oh, wait until I turn around first" The professor shows his back to the students in order to protect his overstimulated retinas.

The students conduct their little experiments as instructed to find out the difference in Mana cost required. Chase closes his eyes to avoid shedding any unnecessary tears. Sky on the other hand, seems completely oblivious to the flashes of light. He probably switched off his ability and made use of his four layers of blindfolds.

'Hmmm?' Chase feels the amount of Mana flowing out through both of his hands. One of them is producing the sphere using the diagram, the other is done manually.

'I don't feel any difference...' He frowns in puzzlement, trying to figure out why.

'Is it too small of an amount to notice? No, that has nothing to do with it.. they really are using the same amount of Mana' To make sure of it, Chase opens his eyes to see for himself.

The two globes of light are same-sized and are shining with equal intensity. Then, why is the workload not reduced by the diagram?

"Psst... Sky, let me try yours" Maybe his work is faulty.

"Oh, is this an exchange to build up bonds of friendship? How delectable, let us proceed without any further delays!" Sky smiles widely from ear-to-ear thinking that this is a friendly gesture of some sort.

"..." Chase does not even bother to clarify himself. He had learnt that doing so would only make things worse.

He transmits his Mana into Sky's diagram and adjusts the light ball on his other hand to match the one freshly produced.

'... Nothing. There's no difference'

"Done? Great, now banish those little suns so we can get on with class! Take down the design and measurements in a notebook and... you there, what's wrong?" Nequam turns around and faces the students. He finds one of them still channeling Mana and maintaining the spell.

"I don't feel any difference.." Chase explains feebly to the confused professor.

"Eh, what do you mean? It doesn't feel easier to cast?" Strange, everyone should be able to sense the reduction in Mana cost. Is there something wrong with his work?

"Cancel your spell and let me see it for a bit" Nequam stretches out his open palm to grab the paper.

"Ah, that's not mine. I'm trying out this guy's work in case mine is faulty"

"Oh? And you still did not feel any difference? Strange.... let me try out both of them then" Nequam grabs both of the parchments and brings them closer to him.

He pulls out a monocle out of his coat pocket and puts it on his right eye. He brings his face close to the pieces of paper, so close that his nose is almost touching them.

'Nothing wrong here.... some slight kinks here and there but the reduction functionality should be working'

Deciding it would be faster for him to test it out himself, he places both of his hands on each diagram and sends his Mana into them. Two orbs of light emerge from the papers as expected. He inspects the two globes for a moment and lifts his palms off the parchments.

"It works just fine, perhaps you have low Mana sensitivity. It's a rare condition but nothing dreadful, maybe we can try larger diagrams next time for more noticeable changes but for now let's proceed with.."

Nequam brushes off the issue as a student error and continues to instruct the students. After all, he had already tried them out and found no problems.

'Low Mana sensitivity? No way, I did plenty of stuff that needed some delicate work!' Chase is dissatisfied with the professor's answer but he keeps the emotion from showing up on his face. He will figure things out on his own later.

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Chase and Sky walks around the complex looking for other classes to try. The corner of the silver-eyed boy's mouth is slightly curved downwards, portraying his unhappiness. The blindfolded teenager beside him watches with concern.

"Fret not, young master! I am sure you are more than capable despite being slightly impaired and-" Offering words of encouragement, Sky pats Chase on his back. He considers giving a tight, warm hug full of love if needed.

"Wha-what? Impaired? I am not impaired!" Chase replies hotly. The only thing 'impaired' here is most likely Sky's brain.

"My apologies, poor choice of word there. Let's replace it with 'special', yes that sounds better, so what if you are a bit spe-"

"No, that does not make it any better. You know what would make it better, though?" Chase looks straight into Sky's blindfolds, at the spots where the eyes should be.

"What would that be?" Sky asks curiously.

Chase gives a long, exasperated sigh and looks away.

"Never mind" Chase wanted to give an abrasive answer but he decided against it. Sky did not do anything wrong to him to warrant such rude behavior. In fact, no one did anything wrong to him. There is no need to get angry over anything, but why does he feel so unsettled over this matter?

He looks up at the blue skies above, searching for calmness in its endless expanse. He takes in a deep breath and exhales after holding it in for a few seconds. He extracts his pocket watch from within his uniform to look at the time.

"Do you have any classes in mind?" It is not even noon yet, there is still plenty of time to look around. Chase had already listed out the classes he is going to take, but maybe there are other noteworthy ones that he missed out. After all, he is quite inexperienced, so he might have made the wrong choices.

"Why don't we visit the far-" Sky begins excitedly.

"Besides farming and cooking, yes" Chase rolls his eyes before Sky mentions the predictable answer.

'Gosh, this guy should have been born a farmer' Chase resists the temptation to palm his forehead.

"I'm afraid not. Oh, oh, I have a flash of insight!" Sky snaps his finger and beams brightly while bobbing up and down.

"...What?"

'The only part that shows his nobility is his slightly eloquent and long-winded way of talking' Chase notes as he eyes the eccentric teenager with a mix of irritation and despair.

"Let us walk around and barge into any open classes!" Sky gestures at the rows of classrooms all around them. Signboards placed outside informs the students whether the class is closed or open. Some classes still allow entry even while they are in session.

"Okay, sounds fun. So which one-" Before Chase could even ask, Sky dashes to the entrance of a classroom and beckons him to come over.

'Why not.. why not...' Chase ignores the growing crowd that is observing their antics. Somehow, he is less conscious of himself knowing that the center of attention is skewed towards Sky instead of him. He had given up all hope of keeping a low profile yesterday, so it barely matters.

He arrives beside Sky who stretches his hand horizontally, motioning Chase to enter first. Chase does not even bother taking a look at the signboard to check what sort of class this is. He had been having little to no fun since he arrived at this Academy, so why not spice it up a bit? No matter how mild the excitement, that is.

With a gentle push, the mahogany door swings inwards and reveals the interior. The class is designed to be like a regular lecture hall, but the windows have been replaced with stained glass depicting white lions. The students fill half a dozen row of seats, and they exude an aura of tranquility and gentleness. Standing right in front of the students is a person Chase assumes to be the professor.

The professor is a bald man with a wrinkled forehead that speaks of wisdom rather than senility. He runs his fingers through his long grey beard which is neatly tied at the end. His choice of clothing is a brown robe adorned with a large white lion on the front.

As they hear the soft creaking noise made by the door, the professor and his students turn their heads to look at the newcomer.

A soft, warm smile that reaches the eyes forms on each of their faces. Chase is not sure whether he is imagining it, but he could see a ray of light shining down on the priestly professor.

"Welcome, to our humble class. My beloved students, say hello to our new brother" He spreads his arms wide as a welcoming sign.

"Welcome, brother" The students answer in unison, their smiles unwavering.

He points at an empty space opened up by the students.

"Come, seat yourself and we shall discuss about the greatness of the White Li-"

"Where are you going, young one?" He tilts his head in puzzlement as he sees the boy slowly closing the door.

Chase smiles stiffly and continues to pull back the handle of the door.

*Clack*

Chase closes the door completely, hiding him in entirety from the fervent eyes of the believers inside.

"Ah, I take it you are not a very religious person?" Sky shoots his question at Chase.

"If being religious means I put more faith in a sacred animal over myself, then perhaps no" Chase answers and steps away from the door, putting some distance between him and the classroom.

'Too creepy. Way too creepy' Chase grips his head in both hands and looks at the tiles below to shake off the image of those enlightened students inside.

"How about this class!" Sky's voice reaches his eardrums from a distance away. Chase lifts his head up to find Sky dozens of meters away in front of another set of thick doors.

Chase rushes over to the blindfolded boy and stops beside him. He tries to decide whether he should find out what class this is first or just enter and take the risk. However, he is not given the privilege to choose as Sky had already opened the door and walked in.

"Hey, wait a sec-" Chase chases after him.

*Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!*

Thunderous clangs reverberate over the brick walls. Chase has barely spent five seconds inside the room, but his sweat pores are already working themselves like no tomorrow because of the intense heat. The smell of sweat and burning metal seeps into his nostrils, creating an unpleasant mixture that he could live without experiencing.

A large, overly buff man wearing a blacksmith's apron is standing over an anvil ten meters away. He holds a monstrous-looking hammer in his right hand, the type that could possibly crumple armour like paper. He is not paying the slightest attention to the newcomers who had just entered, his eyes are focused solely on the reddish rod of metal placed on his anvil.

He swings back his hammer and brings it crashing down onto the helpless piece of metal. Chase could see that it was not a simple swing. The man twisted his waist and legs in unison with his arm, bringing together the force and weight of his entire body into one blow of the hammer.

Beads of sweat are shaken off his body from the movement, crimson sparks flies out from the victimized pounded metal. The blacksmith uses the recoil of his blow by swinging the hammer in a circle and bringing it down again. He repeatedly utilises the recoils to strike down mercilessly again and again, without wasting any moment to start over. Chase and Sky observes the blacksmith at work, mesmerized by his powerful, fluid movements. It is not as elegant as a dance, but it has its own manly charm to it that enthralls women and men alike.

On the twenty-seventh strike, the blacksmith stops pounding and places his hammer on a workbench a distance away. He grabs a dirty-looking towel and wipes off the lines of sweat on his body. He is not done with his work, a blacksmith's job is not a quick and easy one. He is merely taking a short break, a minute or two at most to ease his muscles. Tossing the towel aside, he stares fiercely at the two boys.

"DAVE, WE'VE GOT NEW APPRENTICES!" He bellows at another blacksmith working at the back of the class, or smithy for a more appropriate term.

"HUUUUH?!" A rough voice answers back in the midst of cringe-worthy clangs.

'Which part of that is 'Dave'?' Chase ponders in silence as he sizes 'Dave' up.

'Dave' is a woman. A huge, tall and muscular woman that could snap Chase in half if she wants to, but a woman still. Just what sort of parents would name their daughter 'Dave'?

"A woman named Dave? How peculiar!" Sky mentions aloud. Luckily the blacksmiths did not hear him or chose to completely ignore his potentially offensive statement.

"I SAID WE'VE GOT NEW APPRENTICES, YOU DAMN COW!!" The male blacksmith repeats himself roughly. Maybe Sky's statement is not even worthy of an offense, these people seems to be quite rough in terms of looks and manners. Perhaps they are partly deaf as well, from listening to this racket all day long.

"WHAT WAS THAAAAAT?!" Dave continues to swing her hammer down on whatever she is working on, drowning out even her own voice.

"DAMN YOU WOMAN, WAIT THERE I'LL COME OVER!" The male blacksmith stomps his way to approach Dave, his face a thundercloud of frustration.

"I SAID, WE -"

A strange noise mixes in with one of Dave's hammering sounds. A small fragment of steel breaks and jumps off the anvil, spinning wildly in mid-air. With a sinking thud, it embeds its sharp point into the male blacksmith's right boot. The man stares at the metal piece that is sticking out of his boot like a sore thumb, and reaches down to tug it out in one go. A thread of sticky red blood connects the fresh hole on his feet with the sharp object.

"SEE WHAT I TOLD YOU ABOUT WATCHING OVER THE TEMPERATURE? LOOK AT THIS CRAP, IT COULDN'T EVEN PIERCE MY FOOT PROPERLY!!" He brandishes the offending piece of metal in front of Dave's face. His injured foot seems to be of no concern to him.

"Forget that. What was it you were saying, George?" Dave ceases to shout as her work has already been ruined.

"I said, we've got some young 'uns in our class" George tosses the bloody steel piece away like trash and wipes his fingers over his apron.

"Where? I don't see anyone" Dave cranes her neck to look over George's shoulder. She squints hard to make sure she is not missing anything or anyone.

George turns around to see for himself and finds the smithy deserted, except for him and Dave. He scratches his head and crosses his arms like he is deeply contemplating something.

"....They're gone. Lads these days, none of them got any guts to work with metal!" He spits onto Dave's anvil, which causes a sizzling sound.

"Oi!" Dave retorts at her companion, angry that he has sullied her precious anvil.

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"So, I take it you are not too keen on smithing?" Sky asks while he fiddles with the blindfold. It must have soaked in all the sweat that went down his forehead.

"I WAS interested, but I need to rethink this option" Smithing had been one of Chase's predetermined choices, since he was quite fascinated with the stories he read about heroes forging their own weapons and the likes. It would definitely serve as a great method of physical training, at the very least. However, having seen its dangerous possibilities firsthand, Chase has to take it into account before deciding to take the class.

"Since we've-- I've chickened out of two classes, let's say we stay for a session for the next class we barge into for a change" Chase knows that abruptly exiting the class like what he just did twice is rude, and he should not make a habit out of it. He also acknowledges the fact that they would probably miss hidden gems scattered all around if he only relies on his first impression to judge a class.

'We've already got two outs, the next one has a high probability of being a good one!' Chase is still determined to continue the 'barging in without checking what class it is' plan.

"I'll pick this time, okay?" Chase says, receiving a smile and a nod from Sky.

'Maybe this one.. yes.. this one has the feelings of greatness to it!' Chase grabs onto a gilded doorknob connected to a white-painted iron door. He motions Sky to check the signboard whether the class is open and receives a confirmatory nod from his blindfolded companion.

The door has a number of monster carvings on it, each twisting and bending their bodies in what Chase assumes to be defeated poses. He sees a Hydra wrapping seven of its snake-like heads around its legs, a Wyvern curling up like a ball with its wings contorted around its waist and a few others in disfigured forms. This door must be the brazen display of the professor's confidence in teaching his or her students on how to defeat powerful monsters.

' It must be saying 'this is how those beasts would look like once you get your hands on them', I can tell' With unshakable conviction, Chase turns the doorknob and opens the path to greatness.

"The Winding Snake!"

He has yet to fully open the door, but he could already hear the name of a move being called out. It must be a combat technique of some sort, that involves the movements of a snake in a way.

"5, 6, 7, 8... The Crouching Tiger!" The instructor's voice rings over the parqueted floor and mirrored walls.

A man wearing some comfortable-looking, form-fitting pants and top has the upper half of his body bent down. Rather than looking fierce though, he looks absolutely ridiculous with his legs straightened and bottom poking upwards.

"7, 8! Now, The Drunken Hydra!" The instructor turns his body to the side and pokes out his upside down head between his knees.

The students copy his posture diligently, or at least attempt to copy him. The look of suffering is perfectly portrayed on the faces of the less flexible ones. Their countenance are contorted by pain, and reddened by strain.

"5, 6, 7" He sees the two newcomers standing idly at the doors and signals them to join in, using his eyes. It appears that he is not the type that appreciates any interruption in his class.

'Damn it' Chase wholly regrets his decision, but a promise is a promise. Whatever class this is, he has to stick with it for the remainder of the session. Hopefully, it is not a long one.

Chase and Sky walk to the very back row of students. As usual, Sky is smiling in a happy mood and trails behind him like a faithful dog. He feels the sidelong glances thrown at their direction as they pass by. It appears that there are only three males in the classroom, which is him, Sky and the instructor. Being surrounded by females is not a preferable situation for Chase, so he chose to place himself behind them and away from view.

However, that turns out to be a mistake. By positioning himself at the rear, he is unable to see the instructor due to the other students blocking his view. Hence they fail to copy the instructor's movements and has to resort to the alternative, copying the students in front. That, is extremely embarrassing.

Dressed in fitting pants and thin tank tops that follows the contours of their feminine bodies, there are hardly any safe places for Chase to rest his eyes on. Wherever he looks, he has the feeling that he is going to be labeled a pervert by the girls.

'What sort of class is this? Damn it! Oh my god, this pose... it's too risque!' Chase squeezes his eyes shut as soon as he captures the form, to minimize the embarrassment of both parties.

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"Oh, my back....." Chase complains to nobody in particular as he lies down on his bed.

He had to retire early from his class hunting due to the muscle pain he received in the afternoon. Apparently the class is named 'Yoh-ga' or something that sounds like it. it is a beneficial exercise introduced by the late 106th Hero around the time he laid out the plans for the Academy. He only demonstrated a few moves, and the remaining are added in later by people who were interested by his idea. In essence, the class is believed to forge a flexible and healthy individual in body and mind. Perhaps due to its lack of 'strenuous activity', the majority of practitioners are women, as Chase had seen for himself. As for the 'lack of strenuous activity' part, Chase has to differ.

At the end of class, both him and Sky were called by the instructor for a little talk as the other students shuffle out of the studio. The instructor admonished them both for not being properly dressed for class, and they should have waited even if they were so eager to join. This brought about some confusion in Chase, as the instructor is expecting them to know about it beforehand. Sky whispers into his ear about what was written on the signboard, apparently there was a section that told them to write their names and campus address first before joining. That information would be used to provide them with the proper 'yoga clothing' to wear during class. When Chase asked Sky why he did not inform him of it earlier, he replied with an infuriating 'You never asked' accompanied by an innocent shrug.

As such, he was forced to write down his name on the list because he did not have the heart to tell the instructor that he entered the class at random. By tomorrow, he would get a set of fresh yoga pants and a tank top. For some reason, the 106th Hero insisted that all women taking the class must wear the pair of pants. Chase can see why, and his impression of the 106th Hero drops a little bit.

Nevertheless the day was not entirely unproductive, he did enter five classes in total, and stayed for three out of five. What he needs now is rest, and prepare for his long-awaited classes tomorrow , the theoretical Magic and practical Combat class. With a flick of his hand, Chase extinguishes the lamps in his room and allows the darkness of the night to swallow it whole.

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Chase awakes to a fresh new morning with most of his muscle pains alleviated and takes a customary shower. Putting on his school uniform, he parts the safety curtains and opens the door to see an expected person waiting for him. He flinches a little bit at the sight of Sky's crimson irises scanning him over, but tries hard to ignore it for the moment. He realises something off about his neighbor's appearance, and that is the shiny white suit sewn with metal plates he is wearing.

"I thought the practical class is going to be held in the evening?" Chase asks, he would rather not wear the Battle Suit for the whole day since it looks quite uncomfortable. Besides, it looks ridiculously tacky.

"Yes, but I do not feel like returning to the dormitory to change later on" Sky answers as his eyes linger on Chase's face.

"...Good point, be right back" Chase closes the door and replaces the curtains to their original position.

Instead of changing his clothes, he grabs the suit and stuffs it into his bag for an easy solution. He would just find some place to change before class, nothing difficult.

'Speaking of uniforms...' Chase stares down at the uniform he is wearing.

'I still haven't returned this to that boy. Ethan, was it? Heck, I don't even know where to find him... probably need to drop by Garion's class to find out later on' Not to mention his own uniform is probably still stored somewhere in Garion's workshop. He should grab that and get it fixed sometime soon.

'Should I bring weapons?...Nah, they probably have some wooden ones prepared for class'

"Done, let's go" Chase says as he exits the room and locks the door.

"Ah, storing it inside your bag, young master? Brilliant solution, so simple and yet so brilliant!" Sky claps his hands enthusiastically. His ability allows him to see into the bag's content.

"Err..yeah..sure.." Chase responds in a half-hearted manner.

"So, what are your opinion on my Battle Suit's coloring? I believe the light blue shade could have been a bit darker..What say you, young master?" Once again his line of sight is locked onto Chase's face.

"Light blue? What are you talking about?" Chase raises an eyebrow and looks hard at the suit. It is definitely white, and a dash of silver maybe but no blue.

"Ahaha, yes of course. Just a morning joke, don't mind it" He smiles and waves it off.

'.....'

They walk side-by-side into the lift, going all the way down to the ground floor and into the carriage outside and Chase has the oddest feeling that Sky is observing him. Chase refrains himself from asking since it looks like Sky would not tell him even if he did ask about it.

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They part ways at the Main Building because Chase has to meet up with the professor in charge first before entering class. A small footnote at the bottom of his timetable informs him to do so, and so he shall. While Bolt Skylar heads to the classroom straightaway, Chase looks for the room of a certain "Professor Miria".

'I guess this is it... or is there another Miria?' He stops in front of a simple wooden door. A silver plaque with the professor's name is the only decoration on it.

Before he could knock to confirm, the door swings inwards to reveal a stack of papers hiding the upper half of a human.

Chase sidesteps quickly to avoid crashing with the woman but she does a splendid job of falling down on her own. The bundle of papers slips out of her hands and scatters all over the floor.

"Ouch!" The bespectacled woman with an auburn ponytail cries out.

She hastily recovers and starts to gather all the papers. It seems like there is a specific order for them as she keeps glancing at the papers before rearranging them into the stack. Chase helps to gather up the pieces that are gradually being blown farther away and brings them to her, but he leaves the sorting out to the professor.

"Thank you. Heaven knows what would've happened if these flew away to God knows where. Oh dear look at the time!" She gazes at a miniature clock tower built in the middle of the complex.

"Erm, are you the Professor Miria that teaches Magic in class 3-E?" Chase puts on a polite smile and asks.

"Huh? Oh, yes, yes! That's me, who are y-- Oh, it's you! The scholarship student!" Finally getting a hold of herself, she recalls the face that she saw during the test several days ago.

"Chase, Chase-" Chase introduces himself and stiffly offers a handshake then withdraws it hastily, seeing that the professor has her hands full.

"Blackstone, yes I've been informed. I'm sorry, I've completely forgotten about our meeting this morning... Well there's really nothing much actually, I was supposed to inform you of a few things and then introduce you to your classmates later on. We can talk as we move, I'm- We're going to be late if we keep chatting here, you see.." She finally managed to tidy up the mess she made. Holding the bundle tightly between her arms, she adopts a fast pace of walking.

"Umm.. professor? I can carry the papers, if you need help" Chase feels sorry seeing how uncomfortable she is, having to occasionally poke her head to the side to see where she is going. The tower of paper is blocking her view.

"Oh no, no it's okay, you don't have to burden yourself. I'm completely fi- fi-aaaaah!"

*Flutter* *Flutter*

She accidentally snags her feet over her trailing brown cloak and falls yet again, scrambling the bundle all over the place. It was so sudden and unexpected that Chase could not do anything to help, so he dashes off to collect the paper strewn about without being asked to instead.

"Hugh...I would.. appreciate your help.." She hangs her head low in depression and starts to clean up the mess yet again.

"It's no problem, no problem at all professor" Even if she refuses to receive aid, Chase would have insisted because they would never reach class at the rate they were going at.

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They make it to class without any further accidents, but there were a few close calls. Chase finds it hard to believe that such a person like her exists, given how prone she is to falling. Apparently the things she wanted to inform him has to do with how the Combat and Magic classes work.

The Academy uses an escalator system for those two particular classes, so her current third semester students had already known each other for quite some time. Since Chase is a newcomer, she would need to introduce him to the rest of the class. Along the way, she also talks a little bit about what the class is all about and how wonderful Chase's talents are. Chase could only blush in silence as he is praised.

"Now, let's go in" Miria opens the sliding door of the classroom. Thankfully it is located on the ground floor, otherwise she might fall somewhere on the stairs.

The class that was filled with chatters quiets down as the students return to their seats. Chase places the load he is carrying onto the teacher's table and tries to shrink himself as much as he could behind the professor. In the meantime, he glances around nervously and takes in the surrounding details.

A fancy reddish-brown wallpaper adorns the walls, illuminated by the orange glow of a large fancy chandelier bolted to the ceiling. While being air-conditioned like most buildings on campus, the students are seated on warm-looking sofas complete with a set of armrest and footrest. There are three long tables in each row, forming a three columned arrangement. Three students share a single table, to promote friendship. The 106th Hero once said 'Physical distance can distance the heart', hence they shall be seated close to each other to create friendships.

In the first row of the middle column, Chase sees two familiar faces and an empty seat. One is a blindfolded teenage male who is smiling and waving excitedly, the other is an emotionless boy who had lent him a uniform. Chase barely remembers the face, but he could never forget that peculiar brown hair which is slowly being devoured by its newly grown white parts.

"..And so I will hand it over to him to introduce himself" Miria ends her brief explanation.

'Eh? I have to introduce myself.... in front of all these people??' Chase widens his eyes in disbelief. He clutches the sides of his coat hard and forces down the bubbling nervousness.

Every single person in class 3-E has his or her eyes on him. As one of the four Scholarship Beasts, Chase holds a significant amount of fame in the Academy. The curiosity of his fellow students is only to be expected as he is an anomaly among the rich and wealthy.

"H-h...Ehem!" Chase tries to say hello but it got stuck somewhere on his tongue. Thus, he covers it up as an attempt to clear his throat.

"Hello, my name is Chase Blackstone. It is nice to meet you" His voice decreases in volume the more he talks.

Miria senses Chase's nervousness and claps her hand loudly to rescue him from his plight. Chase is greeted by a round of polite applause by seventeen students, one vigorous clapping from his temporary butler and one angry stare by a black-haired boy who sits close to the window.

'Eh..? What did I do..?' Chase averts his eyes from the intense gaze from the unknown student.

"You can take your seat now, Mr. Blackstone. There is an empty seat right here in front between Mr. Stream and Mr. Hall, and there's another one back there by the window right next to Mr. Deniro" She points at the available seats.

'Stream? Hall? I guess one of them is Ethan but I thought Sky's last name is Skylar?' Chase considers his options as he stares at the two known weirdos.

'Deniro... now why is this person looking at me so intently.. ? Damn it, I really want that seat by the window but I got a feeling he would hit me in the face if I sit beside him'

There is something special about that back-row seat next to the window. Chase can hear the seat calling to him, like it was made entirely for him. It has an air of greatness to it, as if it was a seat reserved for heroes and protagonists alike. Chase does not think so highly of himself, but the seat attracts him regardless.

'I can picture it, I can picture myself sitting there and staring out of the window to look at trees or perhaps the track field... but that guy is giving off too much killing intent!!'

Dripping with sweat, Chase's shoulders droop as he resigns himself to be sandwiched between Sky and Ethan. At least one of them is going to be quiet, so he would only have to endure one person. He hardens his resolve to change seats whenever a chance opens up sometime later.

"Oh, I knew you would choose this seat! Ethan, greet our new friend!" Not even bothering to lower his voice, Sky urges the silent boy to say hello to Chase. Thankfully, Ethan does not pay any attention to him.

Chase could hear the sniggering sounds coming from the row behind him, and he blames no one for it. If he is not stuck in this situation himself, he would have found it to be slightly comedic, just slightly.

"Hey, about this uniform.. I'll give it back as soon as I get mine fixed, okay? Thanks a lot, really" Chase drops his tone by several levels and whispers to Ethan. The boy glances sideways at him and nods. At least he is getting some acknowledgement, unlike Sky who is not even worth any attention.

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Miria POV

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'Hmm.. looks like he already has some friends. Good, good.. I was getting worried for him a moment ago, seeing how nervous he was. I should give the others more opportunity to get to know him then..' Miria thinks as she pulls out the attendance list.

She is just as nervous as the boy, actually. This is the first class she will be handling in her teaching career, and she has some doubts about her capability. She did ask the previous professor regarding the students in this class, and she could spot a few corresponding names based on the descriptions she got.

'Ethan Hall, the extremely quiet one who would only speak one or two sentences per week. He seems a bit.. worse than I thought, quite pale and tired-looking too..'

'Bolt Skylar Stream, the boy with the Opacity Canceler ability. The blindfold gave him away, so it wasn't that hard to recognize him. The naming sense of his parents is quite strange though.. a two-pieced first name of all things. No, no, Miria, it is bad to be so judgmental about your students!' She admonishes herself.

'And the last one I could recognise.. Aaron Deniro. Son of Illias Deniro, and also next-in-line to be the head of the wealthiest and most powerful family in Armitage. His black-hair and violet eyes, well-built frame is a dead giveaway since no one else has the same features here. He looks quite.. angry, though? Oh no, am I doing something wrong?' She could feel the murderous aura coming from him.

'Uuuu... I'm scared to call their names.. No, be strong, Miria! Your grandfather is the headmaster, you can't embarrass him!' She grips the quill hard, almost snapping it in half.

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As soon as the attendance had been taken, Professor Miria replaces the attendance list inside her file. Chase throws a look at Aaron Deniro and finds the boy still glaring daggers at him.

Professor Miria searches for a few pieces of paper from the stack she brought along and pulls it out. With trembling feet, she starts to read from it.

"Welcome back to the Academy and .. and welcome to the third semester Magic class! Today, we shall brush up on the basics you have learnt over the previous two semesters and we shall do that via... a quiz!" Her announcement is met by a number of groans from the students.

"Umm... okay, first question! Describe what is Mana and how spells are cast. Would anyone like to answer?" Miria pans her head from left to right, scanning for any enthusiastic faces.

'what is.. Mana, and how spells are cast? I... I have no idea!!!' Chase avoids eye contact and stares down at the table as if the answers are written there.

Gillian Cloud was an excellent teacher, in terms of the results he produced. His teaching objectives was to turn Chase into a spell-slinging battle machine, and he made plenty of progress in that direction. Since Chase has the Mana Manipulation ability, he completely neglected teaching him any theoretical things as Chase only has to imagine in order to cast the spells he desires. There were a few ancient books in Godric's Hollow that had some information regarding Magic but they hardly made any sense to him, none of them mentioned any usage of Mana.

"You seem to be very spirited, Mr. Stream" Miria noticed that Sky is the only one who shot his hand up as soon as she asked the question. She tries to wait for the others to volunteer, but it seems none of them are interested. The longer she looks around, the more energetic Sky gets. He is now standing up and hopping up and down to garner her attention.

"But let us give the chance to our new friend. Mr. Blackstone, would you mind?" She launches a hopeful look towards Chase.

'Crap, crap, crap, why me???' Having his name so blatantly called out, he no longer has the privilege to feign ignorance.

"Oh, umm.. no, not at all. Sure, I'll answer... yeah.. hmm...I know this" Before he could stop himself, his mouth has already begun to spew out lies.

'Damn it, why did I say that?! Now I HAVE to answer it correctly. Think... think... this is the basic of basics, there must be a very simple answer to it!'

"Mana is... it's a.. it's the energy present all around us and to cast a spell... you... uhh.. gather it up, then send them out  and just.. change the energy to fit your spell " Chase presents his answer, praying hard that he at least got it close.

"....." His answer is met by complete silence.

"Very.. hmm.. innovative. Good answer, and thank you Mr. Blackstone but I prefer more.. standard answers. Okay, let's go through this question together, shall we?" She diverts the attention away from Chase, knowing that she made a mistake in asking him. How would she know the prodigy level boy would not be able to answer something so simple? Her good intentions completely backfired.

"Mana exists in our surroundings in four basic elements. Namely Earth, Water, Fire and Air, and..." She continues to explain the well-known theory.

"Don't worry, young master. It was a brilliant answer, no doubt about it. Quite astounding really, I was amazed and..." Sky pats Chase's back in a reassuring manner.

'Damn it...' Chase palms his face.

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On the snowy cap of a craggy mountain in the middle parts of the Northern continent, the melodious sound of a harp being played permeates the skies and echoes throughout the network of caves below.

"This might sound repetitive, but I find this place to be very pleasant" The person on the wheelchair states to his musical companion. His youthful voice and appearance belies his old age.

"It's fine, I think of the same thing as well. A pity this mountain is not high enough to reach the clouds, otherwise I would truly feel like an angel playing the harp" The musician replies in a sing-song manner as he stares at the clouds above. The fluffy things are so close yet unreachable.

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He continues to play one of his favourite piece on the strings he spread out. Nifty tools, those strings. They could be a weapon when he needs to fight, they could be a sensory tool for scouting and most importantly they could take the place of any and all stringed musical instruments. Chatto loves the versatility of the wires, it is like an orchestra, suitable for playing a variety of symphonies.

"Well, I don't know about making this mountain any higher but I can bring the clouds down if you want" Alcee Blackstone, son of the 106th Hero presents his generous offer.

"Bring the clouds down, hahaha... I would have laughed more, but I believe you are not joking, are you?" He had seen and experienced for himself, the Mana Manipulator's overwhelming power.

"Partly joking, yes, but really.. I can do it if you want" The seemingly disabled man chuckles softly.

"No, it's fine. I'll have you take me up to the skies once I compose my ultimate masterpiece but until then... I'll settle for the peak of a mountain" Chatto does not know when he would be able to finish composing it, maybe it is just a pipe dream, but it is still something worth living for.

"Heh, saving the heavens for your best performance.. I like the way you think" Alcee Blackstone speaks with the back of his wheelchair facing the musician.

It had been almost two weeks since Alcee was 'taken' away from the capital of Hwalren. News of his absence had been heavily suppressed by King Rokusho as per the agreement signed. There are about fifty days until the Adventurer's Guild has to present its results on the reproduction of Mana Manipulation. The research into human modifications had not been fruitless, they have long found the method to change the colour of a human's eyes. Elite magicians with altered eyes had already been prepared even before the contract was signed, so the Guild could buy more time to find out the secrets of immortality within Alcee Blackstone.

However, their plans went astray due to the subject itself. Alcee Blackstone who was supposedly paralysed from the tips of his toes to the bottom of his neck, blind and also lost his ability, turned out to be a formidable foe. The other team mobilised to secure Aaron Blackstone and Chase Blackstone in Armitage had been soundly defeated by a stranger. So far, the Guild has yet to find any evidence regarding Heretic #17811 besides the panicked testimony given by No. #6 and No. #10, Kross and Luciella. The title 'Heretic' could be traced to the Underground Arena owned by the corrupted Grand Priest Horus, but the latest serial number is within the sixteen-thousands range. As such, the name Heretic #17811 is considered to be a baseless false alibi.

Before additional forces could be mobilised, the No. #1, Chatto and Alcee Blackstone arrived at the Northern Base and took the Northern Head of the Guild by surprise. Messages were sent by the Guild's secret methods, and the representatives of the Eastern and Western Head in the North were called up for an urgent meeting. There, Alcee Blackstone proposed his ridiculous plan in front of the top brass of the Guild. Upon seeing his ability and hearing the plan layout for themselves, they had to concur. The plan to conquer the world would take place after the battle between the Demon King and Hero, so as to not jeopardize the forces of humanity in the battle.

It entails a bunch of well-thought out steps to take which involves little to no force in taking over the three kingdoms. Alcee stresses the point that he would like to avoid forceful measures at all costs, because a rule forged by bloodshed shall not last. The Kings must be coerced into stepping down by the people themselves, this would of course be facilitated by the Guild's stealthy sabotage of various affairs of the kingdoms which would portray the nobility as poor rulers. Having slain the Demon King and backed up by his reputation as the descendant of the 106th Hero, he would be one of the finest candidates to unite the world. There are a few rough points in the plan, but the Guild Heads would work hard to refine it.

"Is it a habit?" Chatto asks.

"What is?"

"Sitting on that wheelchair, when you are fully capable of moving around" Chatto finds it odd that Alcee would still rely on that equipment.

"......" For a moment, Alcee remains silent.

"Partly a habit, I guess.. and I don't really like moving my body either, it's a chore to manually activate my nerves" He forces his finger to move, just a bit.

"!!" Chatto misses a note and ruins the song.

"..What do you mean? You.." Could it be he was mistaken all along?

"I am paralysed in all areas except for my head and neck, I am also blind.. no.. half-blind" Alcee says it before Chatto could put the words in his own mouth.

"But...how? I can believe that you are truly paralysed but.. you.. you can see, you can see colours, shapes and the likes!" The brief time they spent together had given enough proof to confirm that Alcee's sight is working fine.

"Yes, I can see.. there are many ways to see.. and this method in particular had revealed much more than my previous sight" and far superior to it too.

"I don't understand, I thought you acted like a disabled person all this time, you.. oh.." Chatto comes to a realization. He came up with that assumption on his own, Alcee never said anything like that.

"I thought you've realised, I mean how do you expect a person to continue a facade of disability for ten years? There was bound to be a slip-up somewhere, even if I was truly determined to do so" Not with the regular medical check-ups conducted by the kingdom. Since he is blind, there was no difficulty in falsifying the fact that he could still manipulate Mana because he has an excuse to keep his eyes closed.

"I move my body by manipulating it, though it is slightly difficult to do. When I lost my vision of the world, I attained another.. or perhaps it is better to say 'regained' rather than 'attained'. I regained the ability to sense Mana, not just my own Mana but the ambient Mana that exists all around us. They paint pictures far more vibrant than my eyes could ever create, I could 'see' for distances dozens of folds farther than I previously could without the images getting blurry. I even get a full three-hundred and sixty degree's view"

"Wait, it is difficult to move your body? Then how did you control the Four Guardians?" This issue is getting more discordant, the symphony being conducted is falling apart.

"Slightly difficult, but entirely doable. I did not control the Four as I control myself, I simply stopped them from moving until the time was right. Now that we are so far away, I have no control over them and they would probably come upon a hypothesis that involves me in it" Alcee only has to imagine the movements, the rest would be done by the Mana. However, a person's imagination can only do so much when it is forced to work in a ridiculously fast-paced battle.

"!!!"

"Then, are you telling me the entire kingdom's forces would come knocking on our doors soon to reclaim you?!" Chatto's hair begin to stand on ends at the thought.

"No, of course not. I wouldn't have come here without thinking it through... forty-seven of my family members gave their life for me to succeed. Now, calm down and listen... let's say King Rokusho finds out that I am fully capable of combat, and I was responsible for their recent casualties. Do you really think he would send the full brunt of his army to assault an Adventurer's Guild Base that has me backing it up? Even in the best case scenario, he would lose a good chunk of troops, which is worth more than I am. Furthermore, he would start a war which could escalate into world-scale, right before the start of the 108th Cycle"

"Then what happens next? Humans kill each other, further reducing our already limited numbers, weakening our forces and ultimately losing to the Demon King. Do you really think that rock-faced King would attempt something that could possibly lead to humanity's end? I've known him for years and I can tell he has enough sanity and cool temperament to avoid doing so. If he wants to make a move, he will wait until the Cycle ends but by that time.... our plan would already be in motion"

"I see... when you put it that way, it does make sense" Chatto could feel the orchestra regrouping itself to replay the symphony.

"So, this Mana sight of yours is similar to how I perceive through the vibrations of my wires, is it not?" Chatto strums his wires once, creating a beautiful sound.

"Hmmm.... sort of, but quite different. In order to explain, I'll have to know how much you understand about Mana and spells. Answer me this question, what is Mana and how are spells cast?" This is one of the truths that Alcee had found out.

"Well, Mana is .. the elemental energies that exists all around us. It is divided into several categories, but the basic ones are Earth, Water, Fire and Air. You draw in the relevant type of Mana to cast the corresponding elemental spell and you can combine them to cast compound Magic to-"

"Stop" Alcee interrupts halfway through the explanation.

"So you, too, think of it that way" He moves the earth and spins his wheelchair around to face Chatto.

"What if I tell you, what you have been told about Mana is wrong? What if I tell you, that for the previous two millennia we have been fed with incorrect knowledge?" He stares deep into Chatto's eyes.

"I.. I would find it hard to believe, I mean we've had more than a hundred generations of magicians since then.. there must have been some news if that is so" If the theories are wrong, someone should have discovered it and reveal it to the world.

"It's because of that thing.." Alcee moves a firm thread of air and extracts a hexagonal white metal plate from Chatto's pocket.

"The Glyph of Evaluation? What about it?" Chatto stares at the floating Glyph in confusion. How could the tool be related to this matter?

"Tell me, by what standards does this thing 'evaluate' us? How does it rank our levels of mastery in a particular element? Who created this?" Alcee twirls the Glyph. "Perhaps it is better for me to show you, watch" Alcee does not need to touch the Glyph, he merely wills a string of Mana to extend from him and into the Glyph.

The white metal plate emits a strong Azure-hued light, basking them in its radiance.

"It's so bright!" The ex-musician shields his eyes from the glaring light. He had never seen the Glyph glow with such intensity before, does this have to do with Alcee's Mana?

The light thins itself and forms a long string which encircles Alcee's body. It pulsates for a moment and shatters into a million pieces, as if broken by a strong impact. The scattered fragments of light rearranges themselves in the air before Alcee, forming luminous letters visible to him and Chatto.

NAMEAlcee BlackstoneTITLE???Skill ProficiencyCombatMagic

???

???

Abilities

* Paramount Mana Manipulation

* ???

Chatto reads his companion's evaluation, mouth agape with incredulity and eyes widened with disbelief.

"T-This!!" Chatto stares hard at the evaluation, unable to comprehend.

"This happened sometime after I understood what Mana truly is... all the parameters that it previously placed on me were wiped out and replaced with those signs. See that unknown ability part? I guess that's my Mana sight. So here's what I'm getting at, whatever database that this thing had been using to examine a person since time immemorial ... could not evaluate me because I've diverged from the belief that had been imposed upon all of humanity" To make it short, he has turned into an abnormality.

Seeing how shocked the No. #1 is, Alcee cuts the Mana supply and banishes the glowing letters. He returns the Glyph into Chatto's pocket, and waits for the latter to compose himself.

"Okay now? Let's start by talking about the Mana Source. Now, this does not differ much with the theory we have been taught. It is a phantom organ that acts as a filter, it takes in the ambient Mana and makes it usable by our bodies. Each Mana Source is unique, and that's why you can't use another person's filtered Mana to cast your own spell. It's a phantom organ because  it's there but it's not there. You can cut up a person's body but you won't find it anywhere, but it's definitely there. Are you still following me?" Alcee raises an eyebrow at Chatto who is sitting on the ground, looking tired.

"Yes, yes I am" Chatto rubs his temples. "Do you mind if I play a song to calm down?" Before he could receive an answer, he has already started to play a soothing melody.

"Go ahead. So here comes the difference. These Mana Sources, they have different capacities, which is why some people has an overabundance of Mana and some only has a small trickle in them. From what I've sensed, the Mana Source grows naturally without any outside stimulus. They have different growth potentials as well, just like human beings. So all those meditation training to increase Mana Capacity? They're all ineffective. Some people claimed to have increased their capacity to high levels thanks to their 'training' but that was actually all due to their Mana Source's natural potential and the passage of time" Training has no impact on a person's Mana Capacity. It is cruel, but those who were born without great potential would never reach the heights of geniuses no matter how much effort they pour into trying to improve themselves in this area.

"Then, you are saying that it all depends on someone's luck to be born with talent? You mean, all the elite magicians and Legendary figures across time, all of them were destined to be powerful..?" What is this, this absolute unfairness?

"Precisely. The strong were born to be strong, the weak were born to be weak..." Alcee pauses and gazes blankly at the sky. "At least, in the realm of this version of Magic".

"Not all Magic uses Mana, Chatto. That is part of the truth that I've discovered" Alcee closes his eyes, it is not like they affect his sight in any way.

"I can see Mana, every tiny particle of it, and I assure you that it exists in only one form" Yes, there was never any 'elemental Mana' in the first place. "Mana is pure energy".

"It seeps into the body of every creature into this world and is filtered and stored in the Mana Source for personalized use. When casting a spell, we transmit this filtered pure energy into specific pathways and THEN we transform them into the needed forms of energy to achieve the physical phenomenon we desire or 'spells' for short" Elemental mastery, there was never any such thing. "When the Mana Source is overworked, the unfiltered Mana would damage our body and this is what we call Mana Backlash"

"Then by your logic, I should be able to cast spells of any element at the same level but why couldn't I?" Chatto specializes in Air, he had never been good at creating fires or turning water to ice.

"The 'affinity for the elements' we learn about is your efficiency in transforming Mana into the respective types of energy but you might not understand it even if I explain them at the moment so just listen patiently for a while. Have you ever seen magicians that are somehow good at moving water around but completely abysmal at say, boiling or freezing it? That's evidence that Magic proficiency has nothing to do with the elements and is entirely based on types of energy instead because those two actions I've mentioned requires two different types of energy despite belonging to the 'Water Category'"

"Because the people had unshakable belief in the elemental theory, they are blind to the vast possibilities of Magic. I on the other hand, could produce the mythical feats that you name Gravity, Lightning, Blood magic and many more as according to my imagination. But that is not sufficient, even though I've observed how the energy interacts with objects in my daily life, it does not necessarily mean I understand how it works. If I could not comprehend it, I can't imagine it, just like how you cannot visualize a nonexistent colour"

"But you DID use those spells on me, so you found out how it works?" Chatto recalls the unusual spells he had been forced under in their first encounter.

"I did, but not on my own" Alcee reopens his eyes. "I had an entire world's worth of help, and also my father's"

"You mean, we helped you in some way?" Chatto tries to piece together Alcee's cryptic answer.

"No, not Armus. I am speaking of the world on the other side"

The world where Mana does not exist and Science reigns supreme.

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As soon as Theoretical Magic class ended, Chase packed up his notebook and stationery and left with Sky in search of Garion's Class.

'Ah... that was embarrassing. She didn't even ask me another question after that, probably thought I was too stupid or something... in this case, I guess I am' Chase knows nothing about the theories of Magic they were doing a revision on. He jotted down plenty of notes to review later on, maybe he could catch up soon.

"Young master, pray tell where our destination is?" Sky asks curiously. They have been wandering around aimlessly for the past fifteen minutes.

'Hmm... come to think of it, Garion should be quite well-known and this guy had been around for two semesters' Chase knits his eyebrows and criticizes himself for not thinking of this earlier.

"Professor Ga's Class, do you know where it is? You know, that guy with the beard and haggard looking.. laughs with a 'Ga Ha Ha' all the time, also makes plenty of golems" With that detailed of a description, Sky should know who he is talking about.

"Ah.... Professor Ga. I see, yes I believe I do have the knowledge pertaining the whereabouts of his class" Sky gives a thumbs-up. "But I believe he's not teaching today"

"Huh, how do you know? Are you one of his students or something?" Why would Garion not be teaching during this precious period? Does he not like having too many students?

"Oh no, no, he is quite famous. He used to teach a class about Golem creation, but changed it to Science by the time I first entered the Academy. Many of his theories challenge the ones we know today, and might even sound surreal. One of his claims is that it is impossible for Armus to have a uniform gravitational pull despite being flat, strange is it not?"

"So... how do you know he's not teaching today?" Chase repeats his question since he did not get an answer.

"It's his pattern. He usually only starts teaching on the third or fourth day of the semester so you might stand a better chance to try tomorrow or the day after, young master" Sky does an imitation of a butler's bow.

"Oh dear, look at that mural!" Sky exclaims.

"What mural?" Chase turns around to look and finds nothing. He senses Sky's gaze on him as he does so.

"Oh, never mind. You missed it, young master" He flashes his regular smile.

'What the hell is wrong with him today?' First he got the colour of the suit wrong, and now he sees a moving mural? Is there something wrong with his eyes?

"Word in the class says our Combat instructor for this semester is Squad Leader Scar from the 42nd division of the Zenithian Knight Corps. I advise you to be prepared, young master. Scar is known to be very strict and gives the hardest training among all the Combat Instructors" Sky wags his finger as he warns Chase.

"Hardest training? Isn't that good?" Chase came to the Academy to gain strength. This would be the class that would bring his level to greater heights.

"OH, as expected of a commoner such as you, young master! Such honest determination, I am ashamed for giving you needless advice" Sky bends his body and bows deeply as if he had been punched in the stomach.

'.........this guy is getting tiresome to put up with' Chase sighs and checks his pocket watch. 'I should probably get changed'

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Instead of spending the remaining five hours to randomly sample classes, Chase had Sky show him the library and they stayed there until an hour before class. He did not feel like testing out random classes today, partly because of his experiences yesterday and also because he wants to expand his knowledge on Magic. The prospect of finally learning practical Combat also kept him on the balls of his feet, he is confident that he had not gotten rusty, given the experience he had a couple of days ago.

'I see... but why does this feel wrong somehow?' Chase is reading a book he borrowed from the library while being transported to gymnasium no. #77.

The spellcasting process depicted in the book clearly differs from what Chase actually felt. However, the academic style of writing makes it very convincing and hard to oppose. Instead of doubting what hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of scholars had written on, it is wiser to assume himself to be wrong.

"We're here!" Sky announces at the precise moment the carriage stops.

Chase bookmarks the page he is reading and gently closes the book. He looks out of the window and observes the gymnasium for the first time. Unlike the circular dome-like shape he had pictured, the building is constructed in a rather odd form. It looks like a huge slice of pie, one that had been divided into eight parts. Regardless, it is still more than vast enough to house a measly twenty students in it.

"Why is the building built like that?" Chase asks his more experienced companion, Sky.

"Hm? Oh, sharp eye you have there! I would love to tell you why, but perhaps it is best to keep it a surprise. Look forward to the Academy Festival, because that is when you will find out" For once, Sky is not answering his question.

'...His last surprise was a lizardman, then I have no idea what sort of surprise he has in store that involves a building' Chase steps out of the carriage and sees other identical gymnasiums built a distance away.

As Chase had expected, the interior of the building is larger than its peculiar shape might suggest. He spots a running track on the left side, and he could see several weapons rack filled with various types of wooden weapons on the right side along with dozens of straw training dummies. Above the tunnel-like entrance is the seating area for observers and in the innermost parts of the building is an empty space.

The gymnasium, like its appearance suggests, seems like it had been cut from a larger building. Chase suspects that it could combine with seven other and form an even larger establishment, he would not be surprised since everything is strange and new in the Academy.

They make their way to the right side of the gym, where their classmates are hanging around. Surprisingly, none of them had touched the wooden weapons. Chase had expected the younger ones to play around with them in a mock battle, but it seems their level of discipline is quite high. Perhaps the contributing reason to their idleness is the instructor himself, who has yet to make an appearance.

"Damn it, why did we get Scar of all people?"

"I know, right...? It's going to be fourteen weeks of hell for us... shit"

The complaining voices of his fellow classmates confirms Chase's deduction. Unlike the others, his excitement is increasing steadily the more he listens to the comments. He tries hard to feign ignorance as Aaron Deniro glares at him once again. He really needs to find out what the problem is, sometime later.

"AT-TEN-TION!" A rough, manly voice crushes their relaxed atmosphere.

The students nervously snap into a straight, standing posture facing the instructor who had just entered. Chase assumes the stance naturally. He had been under similar military-like training in Thanes, after all.

"Grab a weapon and return to your positions!" Scar bellows at his students, male or female does not matter.

The students scatter about and chooses their preferred weapons then shuffles back into place.

'Wait a minute..' Wrinkles form on Chase's forehead. 'I recognise this voice...'

'Oh crap, it's that guy who threw those scary javelins at me the other day! Damn, damn, damn, please don't recognise me!!' Chase tries hard to delete his presence.

The instructor, Scar, is aptly named. It is most likely a nickname given for the long, deep scar running horizontally across the bridge of his nose from one end to another like the souvenir from an encounter with a sharp blade. Chase did not recognise him earlier because he had never seen the face of this person. On that night, all of the Zenithian Knights were fully armored from top to bottom, including those hawk-like helmets which hides their countenance.

"Those who did not pick a sword, come to the front" He says in a hard tone, harder than steel.

Those who were called shakily makes their way forward and stops about three feet away from the instructor.

"Let me teach you something, today" He says as he confiscates the wooden weapons the students are holding.

"These weapons.." Scar unceremoniously dumps them on the floor. "Are worthless!" He stomps with enormous force and crushes the various wooden weapons with his foot. The students wince slightly at his sudden aggressive act.

"For Melee, there is no better choice than the sword. Do you want proof? Name one Hero who did not wield the sword" He gazes over each student, challenging them to do so.

"See? The sword is the symbol of a true warrior, it is the weapon made for the strong. If you want to be strong, learn the sword" He finishes his opening speech by drawing out his own weapon, which is obviously a sword. The well-polished steel gleams dangerously in his capable hands.

'I don't really agree, but better not draw any attention...' Chase had been taught how to use several types of weapon up to a basic level. Aaron told him that each weapon has its own strengths and weaknesses and Chase has to choose the one he is most comfortable with. For example, a person with longer arms could overcome the short range of a dagger and utilise its light weight to the fullest.

"Now that you've understood, grab a sword and start practicing. Today all of you will do one hundred push-ups, one hundred squats, one hundred sit ups, ten kilometers running and also one hundred sword swings!" He announces his training schedule that is well known to be difficult.

The students stifle their groans and get down on the ground to do one hundred push-ups. By the looks of it, half of them would not be able to do even fifty.

'Is- this- really- it???' Chase's bewildered thought occupies him as he does the light exercise.

'This is not even difficult, damn it!! I had to run for four to six freaking hours, do a thousand swings with a real heavy sword and sometimes spar at sunset!!' Chase grits his teeth as he obediently continues.

Chase is the first one to finish doing one hundred push-ups, so he immediately moved on to the squats. The same pattern repeats itself and Chase soon finds himself running on the track alone while he occasionally throws glances at the students who are still gasping and wheezing, trying hard to accomplish their quota.

'Crap, I should've slowed down a bit.. he's glaring at me!!' Chase hastily turns his head and focus on the track once he noticed Scar's eyes. The Zenithian Knight must have recognised him by now. Thankfully he is cleared of the suspicion of being a dangerous intruder the other day, otherwise he would probably be pierced by a javelin by now.

Chase returns to the training dummy area and starts to swing his sword.

"Tch, show off..."

"Just because he's a scholarship beast, damn plebeian.."

The jealous remarks of his fellow classmates are made audible as he continues to swing. Each and every hurtful comment pierces Chase's hearts like fine needles, inflicting injuries on his emotional health. He knows that he should not care about them, but it is very hard to ignore when the words are directed at him.

'Shut up, damn it.. I worked hard to reach this level' Chase hears a specially annoying remark about people who are born talented like him and having it easy.

*Thwap!* *Thwap!*

The sounds of a wooden sword hitting dummies multiplies. Chase is joined by two more students, both of which he is uncomfortable with. On his left is Sky, who is unexpectedly quite fit. He is swinging the sword steadily as he flashes a grin at Chase. On Chase's right is Deniro, relentlessly swinging with excessive force bringing down tremendous impact on the poor training dummy. He shoots a murderous look at Chase. Chase has the suspicion that Deniro is imposing his image on the dummy.

'Uuuuu... what did I do wrong??' Flanked by both of them, Chase feels like crying.

'99! 100!' Chase finishes the set and takes a five second breather. '101! 102!' He continues to swing, because he could handle more.

"Oi, you" Scar's voice reaches his ears. "Ga's assistant" He clarifies who he is referring to.

Chase stops and turn around to face the instructor. Swallowing a nervous gulp, he looks at Scar's fierce face.

"You're finished, aren't you?" He raises his chin at the dummy behind Chase.

"Y-Yes" Chase answers. 'Is there going to be additional training?' He thinks hopefully.

"Then why are you still swinging?"

"Eh? Be-because I thought I should train more, sir" Chase responds politely to avoid offending Scar.

"Turn around and face the dummy" Scar moves his finger in a circle, gesturing Chase to follow his instructions.

Chase complies and finds himself to be staring at the dummy, as he previously did.

"!!!" A hand grips the back of his head. "Oof!" It pushes him and presses his face hard against the dummy.

"This- is- what- happens- when- you- disobey- my- orders!" Scar shouts out the word one-by-one as he grinds Chase's face against the training dummy.

"Just because you're a scholarship student, or 'beast' as the others call you, doesn't mean you should get so full of yourself, get it?" He presses the innocent student's face harder.

"Because, in the end you're just a student and I'm the teacher!" He pulls back Chase's head and smashes it against the dummy.

Thankfully the dummy is covered with straw, thus Chase does not sustain any visible bruise on his face.

"What's with that face?" Scar looks at the boy's reddened face which is a mix of anger and shame. "If you have anything to say to me, then do it after you can beat me!" He roars at the boy, causing him to flinch back.

A few other students who are still completing their quota had paused to observe the whole scene. They snigger in delight at the sight, seeing how powerless the scholarship beast is in the face of the teacher. The others who possess human hearts feel sorry for Chase, as the humiliation is too excessive for such a small mistake.

"Well?" Scar crosses his arms as he stares down the boy who is blinking back his tears. "If you've got nothing to say, you can go and cry in your room!"

Chase replaces the wooden sword on the weapons rack and dashes out of the gymnasium alone.

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*Hic* *Hic*

'What did I do wrong? Damn it' Chase sobs into his knees inside the horse carriage. The driver chooses to be silent and waits for the boy to calm down and tell him the destination.

'I just wanted to get stronger, was that so wrong?' The edges of his mouth are pulled back as his face contorts with sadness. 'Why did he have to do that?' The salty beads of water runs down from his eyes into his mouth.

Chase barely felt any pain from being slammed into the soft straw dummy. However, the instructor's words dealt far more damage to his heart. The pain of being misunderstood, belittled and humiliated by another is far worse than scratches and bruises.

"Alexander Dormitory, please. Thank you" A voice informs the driver of his destination but it was not his.

The carriage rocks slightly as it begins to move. On the seat opposite to him is Bolt Skylar, sitting casually. He does not have his usual idiotic smile, though. Instead, he is adopting a calm demeanor, giving a different air from his usual annoying self.

"W-what *hic* are you doing h-here?" Chase questions the older boy as he rubs the tears on his face with his sleeves.

"I finished, so I am heading back" Sky answers simply in a normal tone.

"...." Chase stops crying and stares at the window to avoid showing his puffy red eyes.

"...." Sky does not offer any of his usual words of comfort. He looks down at his feet and maintains a silent atmosphere.

"So you could cry, after all" He speaks after a full minute of silence.

"..So? Are you going to mock me about it?" Chase faces Sky and says in a challenging tone.

'Why is he so different?' Chase notes how unusual Sky is acting. He seems so normal at the moment.

"No, I wouldn't do such a tasteless thing" Sky shakes his head. "What I meant was, those eyes of yours" He grabs the top of his blindfolds and pull them down to reveal his crimson eyes.

"What do you mean?" Chase stares into Sky's red irises. They are similar, so similar to his own in a way.

"I didn't want to mention it earlier, but I suppose it is better to talk about it to take your mind off the class just now" Sky smiles softly in a non-annoying manner.

"On the first day I saw you moving in, do you remember me mistaking you for being blind?" He rests his head on both of his arms and lean forward.

"...Yeah, what was that all about" Chase responds faintly, the previous incident had been pushed to the back of his mind.

"I couldn't see your eyes" He points two fingers at each of Chase's eyeballs. "Even now, I still can't see them at all. Past your eyelids are just empty holes with light in them"

"...Huh?" Chase gives a blank and confused look.

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"The world on the other side..?" Chatto tilts his head and raises an eyebrow. Does Alcee mean the world of the dead, perhaps? Could the man see into the underworld?

"Yes. Maybe you've heard stories that say my father came from a different world" Alcee replies as he remains motionless on the wheelchair. The only part of his body which is visibly moving is his mouth.

"I find it hard to believe myself, even though he taught me how to read some strange alphabets when I was small" Alcee remembers the twenty-six alphabets his father had him memorize.

"I never gave much thought to it, until the Scorpicore's venom got into my eyes and blinded me" He recalls the intense pain he felt at that time, how his unintentional slip reduced him to the state he is now.

"At first it was dark, and I was scared, terrified even" Suddenly having your sight taken away and having your world engulfed in darkness is not a pleasant experience for anyone.

"But then, I began to catch glimpses of light. They grew bigger and clearer and I could make out blurry moving images and believe it or not after six months I could see!" Alcee exclaims and lifts his eyelids, revealing his silver eyes.

"However, what I saw... was another world. It was an entirely different world from ours, Chatto" He grins as he pictures the wondrous things he saw.

"You have my attention, go on" Chatto continues to play his wires like a harp. This is too bizarre to ignore. If there is truly another world, Chatto would have to search for sounds in there, too.

"Just like this world, that world is inhabited by humans but unlike our world, it has no Magic. What they DO have, is science, terribly advanced compared to ours in fact" Alcee remembers the mind-boggling contraptions and machinery.

"The humans there are laughably weak, even the strongest ones would not hold a second against you. But they overcome their weakness by making full use of Nature and inventing creations that exceeds our wildest imagination. They have systems, that could support the lives of thousands of millions of people! They have weapons capable of world destruction!" Alcee is very excited, if he is not paralysed he would be standing up by now.

"That's amazing... who are their enemies?" Beads of sweat roll down Chatto's back as he tries to think of an enemy that would require such powerful weapons to defeat.

"No one. They have no enemies" Alcee's smile turns into a frown. "Having no enemies made them turn against each other. That is when I realised, in order to usher an age of peace there needs to be a terrifying enemy... or a powerful conqueror" The Demon King had been playing the role perfectly all this time, but a world where the Blackstones suffer is not a world Alcee wants to live in.

"These eyes, are not merely eyes, Chatto" Alcee says to his companion. "They are the secret to our strength and also the windows to another world"

"Do you know how I took the abilities of my brethren?" Alcee could sense Chatto shaking his head. "The nature of our ability lies in the silver-coloring you see in our iris" Yes, that is all there is to it.

"It turns to silver from violet when Mana flows through it, now do you know of anything similar?" Alcee waits for Chatto to answer him.

".....It glows.. when Mana flows through.." Chatto squints and knits his brows together in consternation, his fingers not missing a single note.

"!!!"

"You mean, those are.. Magic Diagrams?" Those eyes that he had seen close-up. Alcee's eyes look like they were lighted by millions of separate points of light similar to a sea of stars up in the heavens.

"Precisely. We are not born with exceptional Mana Source, Chatto. However, thanks to these layer upon layer of Magic Diagrams in our eyes, we are able to use Mana at full efficiency. So that's why, even a tiny increase in Mana would make it seem like a tremendous growth.. because with these Diagrams, none of the Mana are wasted. That is also why we do not use Magic Diagrams, because they serve no purpose for us" The purpose of the arrangements is to cut down on wasted Mana, if a hundred percent efficiency had already been achieved, it would not have any effect whatsoever.

"I've learnt a lot from what I saw in the other world. Thanks to my father, I could read their discoveries and learn about the forces of nature unknown to us. Strange, how I could understand their written language despite it being different from ours... but nonetheless, I managed" The humans in the other world speaks different languages for some strange reason. Does it not make more sense for those of the same species to speak with the same tongue?

"So, can you tell me what you are seeing now? Or better yet, what you hear.. if you can hear, that is" Chatto asks hopefully. He would like to compose a song about this, it would be a waste if he does not incorporate this tale into its lyrics.

"I can't hear, I only have sight there. Sadly, I can't peek into that world anymore. It appears that I have delved too deep and stepped where I should not. As a result, I was banished" Alcee had peered into a world-leading company to sate his curiosity. He stumbled upon a man, and the man could actually see him. Using a power unbeknownst to him, Alcee was evicted from that world and barred from looking at it ever again.

"Did they use their technology to block you? Will we have visitors from their world, soon?" If so, Chatto hopes that they build a two-way path that connects the two worlds.

"No, I don't think it was technology... it was.. something else. Visitors? We already had one, my father that is" The 106th Hero is the only denizen of that world that Alcee knows of. Perhaps there are others hidden among them, but they are not part of his concerns.

"Speaking of fathers, how is my son and grandson doing in Armitage?" Alcee inquires in a fond tone. It warms his heart to know that he still has family living in this world. It would make his battle all the more worth it.

"Aaron Blackstone is still working on the reconstruction of a village in the Western parts of the continent. Chase Blackstone had recently been admitted into the Academy as a scholarship student" They actually had to form a special intelligence group on Alcee's demand. The man actually threatened them to tell him everything when he found out the son he thought to be dead is still alive and kicking. They had to stop him from boarding a ship to murder the people involved in kidnapping the two, namely Kross, Luciella and Stefan.

"Hahaha, it's good to know that muscle-head is doing fine. I thought he would be a goner without our ability, thank God he knows how to live" Alcee laughs heartily, his smile reaching his eyes. This is one of the rare moments of genuine happiness he experienced.

"The Academy, you say? It's great that he's talented... but I'm not very confident about their capability to teach him. I've heard they've only started teaching the spoiled kids how to fight recently, right?" They should not have plenty of experience at teaching the students, then.

"Yes, this would be the second year the Academy would be teaching Combat and Magic" Chatto extracts the piece of information from his knowledge-filled brain.

"That's no good, no good at all. I've seen the 'Zenithian Knights' among the reinforcements we get around here, they're not all that great. Chase would do well to learn from me than studying in that place. Why don't you commission a request to the Guild to bring him over?" The truth is, Alcee just wants to see his grandson. The reasons he proposed are secondary, despite being true.

"Uhm.. No, no we can't do that. He's already been marked by the Kingdom of Armitage so we can't just pull him out like that. I'm sorry but we'll have to let him stay there" Chatto pulls his collar nervously. There is no telling what this man on a wheelchair would do for his family.

"Tch, fine. I hope he'd see through the lies they teach him, though" Alcee would not have his grandson fed with false knowledge. The boy deserves to know the truth and realise his own true potential. To hell with the elemental crap they've been learning for the past two millennia.

"I'm sure he's bright enough to figure it out" Chatto praises the grandson to lift up Alcee's souring mood.

"Oh, you think so too? Yes, yes, I heard he's pretty smart. Luring thousands of monsters into a village and blowing it up? Brilliant! Why I would've done it a different way but then.." The doting grandfather repeats this particular story to Chatto for the hundredth time.

'Here he goes again...' Chatto rolls his eyes and focus on his instrument, drowning out Alcee's voice.

"Hey, are you still listening?" Alcee stops in the middle just to confirm whether Chatto is paying attention.

"Yes, yes, do go on. I am all ears" Chatto gives a dishonest reply to make the old man happy.

"Great, and then he made these Fire Walls.."

'Heh, taking over the world to save his family, what a man' Chatto smiles in admiration as he tries to compose a song about this incredible grandfather.

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So.... this whole 'What we think we know is false' thing was inspired by various things. It's like how humans 'knew' that the Earth is the center of the solar system. That false theory went unchallenged for a long, long time. When Galileo Galilei presented the sun as the center of our solar system, he was accused of heresy and placed under house arrest.

Yeah, it might sound like the people back then were stupid but think about it.... If I say we are actually breathing Nitrogen and not Oxygen, what do you think? It's just an example, but you would certainly say I'm crazy, no? That is because the knowledge is so firmly rooted in your brain that any claims that oppose it would be brushed off as mere nonsense. So that is what's happening here, the world had been led to believe a false theory of Mana and Magic all this time, and no one ever realised it because their belief is strengthened by the Glyph of Evaluation.

The efficiency thing? Same concept as electrical efficiency. It's hard to explain here, so try googling it. It's on Wikipedia, for those who does not know what it is.

Also featured in this chapter:

-A 'terrible gym teacher' type character

-Sky who turns out be not a one-dimensional character after all

-A 'female klutz' type character

-Yoga

-Aaron Deniro (who shares the same appearance traits with Chase Blackstone and seems to hate him)

-The 106th Hero who came from Earth

-The status window which had not made an appearance for... I don't know how many chapters

-The protagonist seat at the back of the class and right next to a window(you'd get this if you watch plenty of anime)

I hope I didn't miss out on including anything important in this chapter... till next week! (Oh yeah, next chapter might be a little late because I have assignments to do)

Hisssssxxssssdsdsssdssssss Armus Shrinking the Scope  

For The Curious Mind