The question came from the boy named Evan, who had not paid him an ounce of attention in the entire class. Emilio kept his mouth shut. He didn’t say a single thing. He couldn’t. He didn’t know how he knew everything there was to know about the plant sitting on the table. He just … did, somehow. He knew how old this particular plant was, how long it was likely to take to ripen, and what could be done to bring out its full potential. He also knew that every single piece of information flooding his mind was correct.

How was that possible?

He knew he had the power to talk to animals, and maybe feel what plants were feeling. But … he didn’t know he could just touch a plant and know everything there was to know about it.

Come to think of it … he also knew everything there was to know about the Banyan Tree back home. He knew it was around 560 years old, that it was planted by someone in the center of a growing number of woods during the rainy season, and he knew it still had a long time to live. He knew the first storm it endured and how it stood tall and strong, watching people, animals, and insects come and go while it remained rooted to the spot.

He frowned, realizing he had had this information in his mind since the first time he truly touched the Banyan tree … to say goodbye. He hadn’t even realized … he knew the history of the Banyan Tree vaguely, so he hadn’t thought the information was anything new …. Until now.

“Emilio, answer!” A soft voice hissed in front of him.

Emilio blinked at Lumnia and realized that he had been spacing out and staring at the table in a trance. Gods, he was going to have to stop doing that.

He turned his head to see all the eyes staring back at him. He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise and had to stop himself from shuddering. The intense look in those eyes, like something curious and disdainful and greedy at the same time, disturbed him.

“Oh, stop being silly, Mister Evan!” Professor Gias drew all the attention to herself. “How does he know? He knows because he read about it. Isn’t that right, Mister Florian?”

She turned to Emilio and he could see the reassuring smile on her face. He realized that she was giving him an out. Hesitantly, he nodded. “Yes… Professor,” he said slowly

“Excellent!” She clapped. “There you go. Clearly he did some pre-class reading, something every single one of you might benefit from.” She looked at the students down her nose. That was a look of silent scolding. Many of the students shrunk their necks. The Professor did not seem like someone who would scold a lot. But even without saying a harsh word, he reprimanded all of them.

Emilio smiled, being reminded of Captain Killian even though she was completely opposite of this Professor. While she was not one to hold back words of reprimand, sometimes one look from her was enough to get the Florian Knights off their asses and into training.

“Alright, class, let’s continue. This class and the next shall be spent examining the Sylphium and learning about it, as well as what, where, how, and with which combinations it can be used and why. Let’s get to it!”

She clapped again. Emilio realized he was going to hear a lot of this clapping. He didn’t mind. The Professor was endearing, something he never thought he would think about a teacher.

The rest of the class was rather uneventful. Emilio did not say anything unless explicitly asked and he made sure to say that he didn’t know or give a wrong answer sometimes even when he actually knew the answer. Lumnia was particularly helpful, answering where he didn’t.

The class ended.

And he was called back once again.

Balsea looked at him. “Well, I have Spatial Magic after this. What do you have?”

“Alchemy in …” he took a moment to look at his schedule, “half an hour.”

“Aww, damn!’ Balsea murmured, slumping slightly. “Alright. I’ll see you in the Student Hall?”

Emilio smiled and nodded. “Sounds good!”

He waved Balsea goodbye and made his way back to the woman.

“Let’s go talk in the cottage!” The Professor said as soon as he reached her.

“The Cottage?”

“Yes. Come now.” She said and walked away, heading towards the gate she came through.

Emilio sighed and made his way after her. Once again, he was taken through a narrow path, surrounded by woods, hedges, bushes, and vines. He felt the same buzzing intensity he had first felt while walking the path to Herbology. These plants, these lives … they were talking amongst themselves, in whatever way they could. He was sure of it.

“You feel it too? The energy and mana dancing in them?” The woman’s cheery voice came from ahead of him.

He frowned and then shook his head. “I … I don’t know if it’s mana or … any sort of energy. It’s just … a strange sort of buzzing. A hum … you could say. I know that they are alive and I know that they are communicating. But… I don’t know anything else.”

“Hm…” She tapped her chin. “The Archmaster told me about you. He told me you could talk to animals and somehow communicate with plants too. But I think your powers are far greater than that. If it was just communication, these things wouldn’t be vibrating with excitement like this.”

“Excitement?” He asked, frowning.

“Yes, they’re excited to see you!”

He turned to her. “You … you can communicate with them too?”

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“Oh, oh, no, no,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “No, I can just feel their energies. Us druids, once we deviate into nature core, our core starts to assimilate the natural energies around it. Nature core is the most rare among humans. But natural energies are abundant. So, we need to learn to adjust to a world that seems to be made entirely of the same energy as we have. We have to learn how to work it into our cores properly. Too little, and the core won’t be formed properly. Too much, and the body of the Druid could be damaged. That’s why Druids prefer to go deep into forests and woods, where there is an abundance of old, calm energy for them to slowly incorporate. In fact, most young Druids find themselves going to the Woodlands to learn from the older Druids who live there under the protection of the Elves.”

Emilio blinked rapidly, trying to process all the information she just heaped on him.

“Did … did you go to the Woodlands?” He asked.

She nodded excitedly. “Oh, yes. I was sent there when I was around … 15. I had deviated into a nature core about 3 years before that and was unable to cope. So instead of sending me to the Academy, my father sent me to the Woodlands Druids. I learned a lot, but they’re all a bit of stuck up old coots! I just had to get out of there and explore the world!”

Emilio couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Um … if you don’t mind me asking, how .. old are you?”

“Oh! Oh, I don’t mind at all.” She turned towards him with a mischievous smile. “I am closing in on 60!”

His eyes widened. She didn’t look a day over 35 at most. “Um… have you reached Archmaster Level?”

She threw her head back and laughed, shaking her head. “Oh no. The nature core is too unpredictable and volatile to track its progress the normal way. Nature ages slowly. And so do Druids. Oh, we are here.”

Emilio’s eyes trailed toward the clearing ahead. It opened up to a beautiful, small cottage with a beautiful red sloping roof, a canopy of trees surrounding it on the back and in the front was a quaint little garden. But by the way things were arranged, separated, labeled, and with how some of them had runes on their pots …. It was clear this was more than a normal, harmless little garden.

“Come, come! This is where I live.”

Emilio followed her, and a surprised look came across his face as he saw a familiar figure tending to one of the plants.

“Lumnia?” He said, a mixture of curiosity and incredulity in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

She turned around, surprise colouring her face as well.

"What are you doing here?"

"I …" He hesitated, glancing at Professor Gias.

"I brought him here. I have to ask him a few questions to determine which year I want to place him in." She said as she smiled at Lumnia. "And Lumnia is my Disciple. She learns the intricacies of the natural world from me. Now, come with me inside."

Emilio nodded and followed along, glancing at Lumnia when he passed her. "Is… is she a Druid too?" He asked softly once they reached the door. He knew she was halfling but as far as he knew, halflings could develop cores just as well as humans.

The Professor shook her head, stepping inside the cottage. "No. Her situation is … complicated. It's better if you ask her. It's not my place to say." She said, though she was frowning ever so slightly. Whatever she was thinking of, it didn't seem to be anything pleasant.

"Ah." That was all he could think to say. He was varying with curiosity. But he had enough tact not to pry further. It was already bad enough that he knew about her heritage. Anything the girl did not tell him herself was none of his business.

Professor Gias took off her vest and gestured at one of the small couches. "Come, sit. Do you want some tea?"

"No." He said softly as he sat down.

She sat down opposite to him. She didn't ask him any question. Instead, she leaned forward and spoke her mind. "I'll be honest, I don't think I can gauge a specific level for you in a couple of minutes. I'm sure you have another class in a while, right?"

"Yes," He nodded. "20 minutes, probably."

"Alright. I already know this, but still I'll ask." She sighed. "You didn't know anything about Sylphium when you walked into my class today, did you?"

He shook his head in answer.

"That's what I thought." She nodded, relaxing slightly. "That's why I cannot place you in any specific year. You could finish learning everything in a month or you could take years after years. Your powers are too unknown, too unpredictable. We need to gauge what you can do and what you cannot. What you can learn, what you can use, and how you can use it. As far as I understand, the sudden appearance of your powers did not bring with itself a core or mana for you, did it?"

Surprisingly, this time, it didn't hurt as much as it usually did. Perhaps it was the woman's calm, genuinely curious voice. Or perhaps he had just gotten used to it. He shook his head silently.

She nodded as if she confirmed something. "So here's my suggestion. Take this class for now. That Archmaster already put you in Specialties, which start in the second year, and the first year Foundationals at rhe same time. So it doesn't matter if you don't change the time here. You will be going to the Research Department later, right?"

He nodded.

"I'm the Research Head of Herbology. We can work together and find out how your powers work, at least when it comes to the plants. And once the semester is over, I'll have a placement for you. Though …" She frowned thoughtfully, "I don't think a placement will matter much for you. Most things you'll learn will probably be out of class."

Emilio did not hesitate to nod. It was a good plan and also relieved him of the pressure of trying to figure out everything on his own.

"That sounds good, Professor. Thank you."

She waved it off. "Oh, stop it! We are going to learn new things. It's going to be fun!"

He smiled in response before sighing. "I should get going, ma'am. Or I'll be late to my next class."

"Oh, of course!" She waved her hands in a shooing gesture. "Go, go! Oh, but do come back for some tea sometime."

"I will, Professor. Thank you."

He nodded at her before walking out of the quaint house. However, he had to pause when he saw Lumnia turning to him, clearly with the intention to speak.

"How did it go?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Well, I'm staying in the class."

"I see." She pushed the glass up on the bridge of her nose. She looked like she wanted to say something. But then she sighed. "Very well. It seems like we will be seeing each other often."

Emilio nodded. "Looking forward to it."

"I'm not," She sniffed before turning to the plant she had been watering.

Emilio let out a soft sigh. He felt tired. He still had one class left. And then he had to go to the Research Department. Gods, he just wanted to lie down. He hadn't felt this tired when he had to go through the reports of the day after going 10 rounds with Captain Killian.

He sighed as he walked past the garden like class and onto the path that would lead hum out of the Department. He opened the map, tracking the path to the Department of Alchemy. It would take ten minutes, he estimated.

He zoomed in on his spot and watched with fascination as the miniature image of this beautiful, green path that he was walking on. It was a pity that the map didn't have a feature to track the living beings around him. Otherwise, he would have noticed the presence ahead of him. As it was, he noticed neither the presence nor the hands that shot out from behind one of the trees to grab him and pull him into the cover of the trees without anyone seeing.