Unlike the other time, when they got to the room there was no one.

After waiting a few moments and seeing that no one came, they looked at each other for a moment.

"I'm sorry"

Suddenly Shun interrupted the silence in the room, causing the gazes of the others to turn toward him.

“I shouldn't have said those things. These days have been like never seen. I was under a lot of stress” he turned to Austin and while he looked into his eyes he said:

"I'm sorry Austin, I shouldn't have treated you like this"

"It was not your fault. Just because I was upset doesn't mean you have to constantly listen to my complaints. I'm sorry"

Hearing Shun's apology, Austin was ashamed of his attitude and apologized to everyone.

For a moment the tension in the room seemed to slowly dissipate...

There was even the sound of the door opening.

The magician Albert entered the room and without looking at anyone he walked towards his table in silence.

Everyone was watching Albert's steps carefully until he got to his table. Once there, Albert finally fixed his gaze on the four students, raised an eyebrow, and said:

“How long are you going to keep me waiting?”

The four of them woke up from their stupor and quickly sat down. Although no one liked his arrogant attitude, what he did to Austin last week was still fresh in his memory.

Seeing that the four of them sat without saying anything, the magician raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything.

Alfred sat in his seat at the back of the room and said with a smile:

"So, I take it you've read the books on the little list I gave you?"

Zack could see how the question had annoyed the rest of his classmates, and rightly so. That list was anything but small.

Seeing that no one answered, Albert's smile became more pronounced and his voice began to take on a mocking tone.

"What's happening? Why does no one answer me? Could it be that our heroes have not been able to read that little list of books in a whole week of time? Alfred showed no intention of stopping, as he continued to smile the whole time.

Even Zack, who knew what was going to happen from the first day he received that list, was starting to get tired of this guy. Zack wondered what his superiors were thinking when they assigned Alfred to teach them magic.

Learning and teaching are completely different things. The fact of being able to acquire knowledge easily does not imply that it is easy to transmit it. If Zack could choose his teachers, he would not choose the person with the most knowledge in the subject, but the person who could best make them understand the knowledge they should learn at his level.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Just when we were all tired and it seemed that Austin was going to explode from the 'professor' attitude, Albert got up from his chair and asked:

"Who can tell me what mana is?"

Without leaving time for us to answer Albert raised his hand.

“You, the gangly one. Answer” he said while pointing to Shun.

Shun seemed surprised by the sudden change in conversation, but after a moment he replied:

"Mana is the essence of the world that is found everywhere"

"Wrong" Albert said without changing his expression.

Shun's face twisted in disgust, thinking that the teacher's teasing hadn't ended. In fact, Zack and the others thought the same.

All the definitions in the books they had read had similar definitions of what mana was. The fact that Albert said they were wrong only seemed to mean that he was making fun of the time they had been studying in the library.

Again, Albert did not allow them to speak.

“Mana is the substance by which magicians can use magic. That's all, the rest is irrelevant” said Albert raising his head proudly.

Upon hearing his response, Zack began to have a bad feeling.

“Sir, if the definition in the book is wrong then where does the mana come from? How is it formed? How does it react to the outside world?” Shun began to ask various questions about what they had read in the books.

Zack wasn't surprised to hear Shun ask these questions.

When they were in his world, Shun belonged to the group of geeks. Although it may sound like they spent their time watching anime and arguing over who would win in a fight between two guys, his parents, members of high society, would never allow that kind of hobby.

The group of geeks was made up of students with low physical ability and high interest in topics of an intellectual nature.

Physics, chemistry, geography, and medicine are the subjects of his main topics of conversation. If they had not been invoked, in the future that group would have been part of the next generation of scientists.

Hearing Shun's question, Alfred gave him a pleased look.

"That doesn't matter," Albert said.

Hearing the answer, the four of them were stupefied.

“Will knowing those things allow you to cast a spell? Or maybe knowing the nature of mana will prevent your enemy from slashing your throat with his sword? Knowing those things is completely useless” Albert said proud of himself.

Zack's fears were increasing.

"Sir, I have a question," Zack said hoping that what he was imagining was not true.

"Stop calling me sir. From now on you will address me as wizard Alfred. Ask your question.

"If that's the answer, why did we have to read those books?"

“That is the agenda our kingdom specially prepared for all the wizard apprentices. Do you think you can teach better than the archmage? Albert said with a condescending tone.

“So what will be the next books he will assign us when we finish reading those books? He asked Zack again as he ignored Albert's tone.

"You do not have to worry about that. I'll take care of that myself when the time comes. For the moment what I have given you is more than enough. Try to learn it for next week…if you can” Albert replied in the same tone.

Zack's face changed when he realized that his fears were true.

"One last question wizard Albert"

The magician's face showed discontent at having to constantly answer questions.

Seeing that Albert's patience wasn't going to last much longer, Zack quickly asked:

"Wizard Albert. Before coming to teach us, what did you do?

Finally a meaningful question. Before coming here I was the second vice-commander of the magical combat squad under the orders of his majesty” Albert said proudly as he looked at them as if they weren't worthy he taught them.

Zack's face could barely keep up its facade when he heard that answer.

Zack's fears had been fulfilled.

“Enough of questions. Today I'm going to teach you how to collect mana from the environment. After all, you can't use magic if you don't have mana."

During this week Zack has been forgetting what is the true objective of this damn kingdom.

The kingdom never had the goal that they become great magicians that would help them overcome their difficulties. From the beginning, they were just expendable tools to be used as the king and nobles wish until they get tired of them, or are too dangerous, and are eliminated.

The kingdom had not sent them a wizard to teach them the mysteries of magic. The kingdom had sent them someone who had no idea of advanced magic theory and only used magic as a weapon.

Albert was a combat magician.