"Cecil! Lucia! Please stand!"

"!"

At the teacher's sudden call, Cecil and Lucia were startled and looked up questioningly at the instructor. Seeing their dumbfounded faces, the instructor continued, "Please stand! I want you two to recount my explanations for the entire class. I'm pretty sure this is easy for you two since the both of you are such ge~niuses."

Instructor Gal'ania's voice had a clear tinge of annoyance and sarcasm. Cecil picked up on this immediately and stood up while scratching his head, but what could he say? The lecture to him was literally pointless since he already knew it, however, it was still his fault since he disrespectfully didn't pay attention. Lucia stood up next to him and rubbed her eyes. It was clear that she was tired since she had to put extra effort in focusing her mind to write all those complex arrays and formations and clearly didn't pay attention to class.

Seeing the duo stand up, the class was once again sent into another round of small murmurs.

"Again? Cecil only just offended the Sage a couple of days ago. Now another problem?"

"...I guess they're too smart for this class?" Snickered another.

"Shut it, they're the top ranked in our class for a reason. Maybe they already know the contents of the research..."

"Pfft, don't kid yourself. The lesson materials were created and compiled from the research results of the academy and those are supposed to be top secret!"

"Man... even Lucia was dragged into this, probably because of Cecil right? Those two are always together... don't you think he's being a bad influence for her?"

"..."

Fina, Eli and Ainz were surprised that the teacher was irritated because of both Cecil and Lucia. Fina turned a worried gaze towards her two friends, while Ainz was snickering at Lucia. Eli only took a glance and just waited. Unlike her two friends, she had confidence in these two. She was sitting beside Lucia today and she saw the two gradually grow bored at the lecture.

This couldn't be attributed to the fact that Lucia and Cecil was being lazy since the girl beside her started doing something even more unbelievable than not listening to the 'advanced' lecture. She was taking out magic scrolls from her spatial ring and drawing complex formations and arrays on it while constantly murmuring to herself even more complex and indescribable knowledge regarding the lecture the teacher was giving.

Eli only heard a sparse amount of her murmuring, but even then she still couldn't understand what it was that Lucia was muttering. All she knew was that her friend's knowledge regarding the Foundations of Mana was much more advanced than the lecture's materials.

As for Cecil... she wouldn't worry at all since the boy in question could have heated conversation regarding magic research with the Spirit Sage. Just this feat was a clear affirmation to Cecil's advanced knowledge regarding magic and mana.

"Please, explain to the class. Who wants to go first? What about our 1st ranked?"

"Okay~" Lucia replied.

Seeing this Cecil sat back down and continued reading his book. This caused a small vein to pop on Gal'ania's head.

"Well, where to begin, huh? Anyway the material is pretty outdated anyway."

"...What?"

Everyone in class did a double take at what Lucia said. Outdated? The academy's research material was outdated? Laughable!

"Hah...hahaha. Outdated you say? Please explain, how is it outdated?" Gal'ania was too angry to get mad. She only laughed at Lucia's words. Outdated? The academy had years upon years of stacked up research.

Other than the magic research teams of the northern continent of Aizlandia, it was safe to say that their research was cutting edge and they were literally at the forefront of magic research. To call them outdated? Only a fool or an ignoramus would say this!

"Okay, well based on my mother's recent research results, they are really outdated."

"Your mother? Haha, and who is your mother? Is she some leading magic researcher? Hah! She's probably just some nameless woman. Just based on what do you say that the academy is outdated? How conceited! Are you sure that your mother's so-called research isn't flawed?!"

Lucia frowned when the teacher started debasing her mother's research.

"Hmph. I'll have you know that my mother's research is levels ahead of what the academy's at, especially in regards to this 'Foundations of Mana'. Hmph, even the name's the same, are you sure that the academy didn't plagiarize my mother's research?"

Lucia was surprised at first when the material that they would be learning for the next period of time was called the Foundations of Mana, the same name as her mother's research, she found it amusing that the downgraded version of her mother's research had the same name, but now she found it irksome. How could such a low, degraded version be called the Principle of Mana? It was clear which one was superior in theory and her mother's recent findings was way ahead of the academy's.

Before the instructor could berate her for her accusation, Lucia then continued, "Since you want an explanation then I'll give you one."

She walked up to the front of the class and started writing on the board a small portion of the things she learned from her mother's research that expanded upon the material that was being taught.

"Listen up, the Foundations of Mana that the academy is teaching can only be called a downgraded version of what my mother researched, though before her recent breakthrough it was oddly the same," Lucia said with dissatisfaction.

"Mana exists as particles in the air. It exists in a corporeal form! This is a proven fact since my mother was able to create a magic tool that could let the user 'see' mana."

Lucia then began explaining the new knowledge she gained from her mother's research. Of course, she didn't explain the entirety of Mrs. Anna's Foundations of Mana and only the portion that was related to the lecture materials that Miss Gal'ania was teaching. Even then, her explanation alone took a long time. By the time she finished, there were only a couple of minutes left before the class ended.

"Hmph. See? Like I said, outdated," Lucia said coldly before returning to her seat.

'Ouch... never insult her family. That's one thing you should never do.' Cecil thought inwardly.

At first, he wanted to stop her from doing anything rash, but the cold look she gave him when he was about to stop her deterred him from doing so.

Cecil only shrugged and thought, 'Welp, it doesn't matter now.'

Everyone could only stare in surprise at Lucia. The 'lecture' she gave to the class was indeed much more profound than the one the instructor just gave. It was not only profound, but even confusing to some of them. Not everyone could quickly capture and understand the things that Lucia had just spoken up about without properly going over it again. The slower ones in the class needed time to process the information before understanding it while the 'faster' ones were still pondering on the information since they only had a partial understanding of it.

Just as she was about to take her seat, Teacher Gal'ania raised her voice behind her.

"L-Lucia! Your mother... w-who is she?"

"Huh? Why would you care?"

"Her name. Please, tell me her name..." Gal'ania pleaded.

Seeing this, Lucia frowned and reluctantly opened her mouth, "Anna. Her name is Anna Yukihime."

"Big Sis?!"

"Hah?"

Hearing the name caused Gal'ania to involuntarily cry out in response which earned a questioning look from everyone in class. She quickly covered her mouth and recomposed herself.

"Who's your big sis?" Lucia scoffed and sat down in annoyance. She was just about to resume her inscriptions before the teacher suddenly bowed to her.

"I-I'm sorry... to think I called your mother a nameless woman... please accept my apology."

"What?"

Lucia was wide-eyed in astonishment. She didn't expect the teacher to actually bow down to her and apologize. She was expecting the teacher to scoff at the incomprehensible knowledge that she had written on the class's board. It was out of her expectations, so she was flustered and didn't know what to do.

"U-uhm... i-it's okay..."

"My gosh, it's no wonder though, since SHE is your mother. I wouldn't expect any less from the daughter of big Sis!"

"Huh? Like I said, who's big sis?"

"Hahaha~ nothing, nothing~ anyway... this research..." Teacher Gal'ania brushed off everyone's questioning gaze and turned her attention back to the board where Lucia had scribbled all sorts of incomprehensible knowledge.

Everyone in class turned to look back at Lucia with a gaze asking what happened, to which Lucia only responded with a shrug. She similarly had no idea what was happening. The teacher was berating her only a moment ago and insulting her mother, but in the next instant, she was suddenly apologizing to her and even praising her while calling her mother 'big sis'.

"Hmph... there's no way I have such an annoying aunt... not to mention we're from totally different races..." Lucia mumbled quietly.

"You never know, Lulu~" Cecil teased on the side.

"Shut it. How come I'm the only one who had to this?"

"Not my fault... you're the one who lost your temper and decided to go to the front."

"..."

Lucia resumed her inscriptions, but not long Teacher Gal'ania addressed her and the class.

"Please wait, I need to inform the headmaster of this! Don't erase the board, okay?!"

After saying this, Gal'ania dashed out of the room accompanied by a gale after casting wind magic to enhance her speed.

"...What the heck's happening?" Ainz asked incredulously.

"..." Eli was speechless at the odd development while Fina, "L-Lucia," directed a questioning look towards her best friend who was now nonchalantly inscribing complex magic arrays and formations onto a magic scroll.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

The girl in question shook her head and only shrugged her shoulders in response since she too didn't know what was happening while Cecil was just humming at the side, seemingly oblivious to the commotion that his closest friend had caused.

'Hmhm~ never a dull moment~'

After Teacher Gal'ania left, the class was sent into another round of heated discussion. This time they were wondering who Lucia's mother actually was. Just the mere mention of her name could cause the teacher to actually bow down and apologize to Lucia. The class was curious and the same went for Lucia's close friends.

Velicia actually came over from the front of the class where she was sitting with her other friends just to find out more from the person herself.

"Neh, Lucia! Who is your mother actually?" Velicia asked with eyes sparkling with intense curiosity.

Eli remained silent, but she had her attention on them. Fina was actually just about to ask the same question except Velicia beat her to it. Ainz went ahead to Cecil and asked him instead. From the beginning to the end he saw that Cecil wasn't at all startled to see someone act respectful just at the mere mention of Lucia's mother's name, so he figured that Cecil knew something.

Why didn't he ask Lucia? It was simple really. With how Lucia treated him, she would probably just brush him off to the side.

"Hey, Cecil, do you know who Lucia's mother actually is?"

"...she's my mother I guess..."

"WHAT?!" Ainz replied stupefied.

"WHAAAATTTT!!!!?????" The 3 girls who were just about to listen to Lucia's explanation similarly turned to Cecil and exclaimed in surprise.

The class who was in heated discussion turned their eyes towards their group. Although they didn't hear what Cecil said, they had their full attention on them since they figured that Lucia had spilled the beans on her mother's identity.

"C-Cecil... didn't you say that your parent's had already–"

Fina asked hesitantly. She didn't want to reopen any of Cecil's scars, but if what Cecil said was true... then wouldn't that mean it was Lucia's mom who actually...

Cecil looked up and shrugged, "Well, she is y'know..."

"Cel~ that's pretty misleading if you put it that way~" Lucia interjected.

"?"

Cecil only tilted his head in confusion at Lucia words, this caused her to sigh and explain.

"My mother and father took in Cecil as their son after he came to live with us in the village, so it's not what you guys are thinking!"

"Oh, so it's like that!"

Her words gave her friends some understanding, they then turned to Cecil and saw that the boy only shrugged and turned his head back to the manual he was reading. Seeming to have gained some sort of revelation, Ainz turned towards Lucia and asked something really insensible.

"So Cecil's like... your foster brother?"

The word 'brother' made the air around their group drop a couple of levels. Eli was startled and Fina shivered. The two began glaring at Ainz, but the boy only turned a teasing smile towards Lucia. Lucia turned a meaningful smile towards Ainz and said, "Ahaha, nope. He's just my childhood friend..."

"But–"

"He's just my childhood friend," Lucia emphasized with a chilly smile which immediately stopped Ainz from opening his mouth.

This caused him to quickly turn away and go back to his conversation with his friend, but this time around, he decided to speak in a very, very quiet voice, "Cecil, you still didn't answer my question."

Cecil didn't get why he was whispering, but he replied in a whisper as well, "Well... during my time with Lucia's family, mother was the person who taught us about magic..."

"...that's it?"

"Yeah! Haha!" Cecil laughed and turned his attention back to his book.

Ainz saw this and could only helplessly let out a breath. Asking Cecil anything that was unrelated to training was the same as asking a rock where the direction of the mountain was. He could only walk back to his seat and pretend to rest his head though his full attention was directed to the girls who were sitting just a few spaces away from him.

"...Ainz you could just listen in if you wan–" Lucia said teasingly.

At her words, Ainz immediately stood up from his seat and with a speed that looked like he was teleporting, arrived right next to Fina.

"WAH!" Fina exclaimed in surprise and started smacking Ainz with the text book she was holding. Lucia snickered seeing Ainz make a fool of himself.

"Ouch. Okay, now ta–ouch–lk," Ainz demanded.

"Jeez, you're a boy, but you sure like to gossip!" Velicia teased.

"Hah! I care not of your words! Now... talk!"

"Shut it, Ainz. Another word and you can go back to your seat." Eli said coldly.

"...yes, ma'am."

Lucia was looking at Ainz with an amused expression, she turned her gaze and glanced at the class, everyone had their attention on her.

"Well...my mom is Cecil's and my master, I guess? She taught us all we know about mana and spells. She's also a researcher, but most of her research is alien to me...Ah! Cecil would know more since he's been helping my mother with her research before we left the village!"

Lucia paused and continued, "Other than that... she's just my mother~"

"Gah!"

Ainz fell from his seat and the rest of her friends only looked back at Lucia with a little frustration.

"Hey, come on. You could at least tell us who your mother actually is!" Ainz desperately asked, "She must be some sort of important person judging from Teacher Gal'ania's reaction!"

Lucia only shrugged in response, "I really don't know! To me, mom's just mom! There's nothing special about her except that she's given birth to a genius like me~ Nahahaha~"

She laughed it off and just as she was about to continue with her inscriptions, a black gate opened in the front of the classroom.

"WAH!" From the gate, out stumbled Gal'ania. After her was the headmaster, Elufied Crescentia.

"Ahaha, please excuse my intrusion everyone~" The headmaster said as he leisurely greeted the class. His appearance immediately caused the class to burst into an uproar.

"The headmaster actually came!"

"That means!"

"The research materials from Lucia!'

"Are actually legit!"

Lucia just looked up at the headmaster and resumed her inscriptions once again. She couldn't care less really. It was only just a small portion of her mother's research results, it was nothing special.

The headmaster took a while to observe the board, during this time Gal'ania tried to calm down the class. Once the headmaster finished reading and recording the materials, He then turned around and addressed the class, "Well, this seems to be a very important piece of information~ so please do keep things under wraps for a while, okay?"

He smiled gently at the class and turned to look at Lucia who was busy with her scrolls before calling out to her, "Lucia!"

"...Yes?" Lucia raised her head and responded. She just finished inscribing her last formation.

"Could you please come with me?"

"..."

"Haha~ don't worry I won't bite."

Lucia turned her eyes towards the boy next to her who just looked back at her and shrugged. He made it clear to her that she should decide for herself whether to go or not. She thought for a moment before nodding her head and standing up, "Okay..."

She waved her hand and the magic quill, pen, ink, and scrolls disappeared into her spatial ring. She tapped the scrolls on her desk and they quickly rolled themselves up and she strapped them onto her belt.

The headmaster raised an eyebrow seeing her actions, he smiled gently before waving his hand and opening a spatial gate. He glanced backward and saw that Lucia was already standing behind him, then he turned and gave a slight nod to Gal'ania before walking into the gate.

Lucia turned around and took a quick glance at Cecil before she followed the headmaster into the gate. She felt her body being swallowed by an unknown force and felt a little lightheaded as her vision flashed and changed.

Back in the classroom, not long after Lucia walked into the gate, it blinked out of existence.

"Will Lucia be okay?" Fina asked worriedly.

"Don't worry so much, the headmaster probably just wants to ask her about her mother. I mean look, Cecil doesn't look worried at all," Ainz replied while giving a glance at the calmly reading Cecil.

"...okay."

"Does this mean class is over?" Velicia asked while taking a seat beside Eli.

Ainz went to sit next to Cecil, he only took out his MID and took a look at the time.

"Yup, we're done. HEY TEACH!"

"Y-Yes?"

"We're done now, right? I guess it's time to go to our next class?"

"Oh!" Gal'ania took a glance at the time on her MID and nodded her head.

"Class is dismissed. Please go to your next class and tell the instructor that Lucia has permission to be absent."

"Okay! Thanks instructor!" Ainz replied.

After Gal'ania walked out of the classroom, everyone packed up their things and walked out.

"Let's go Cecil! We can't be late for our next class." Fina urged hastily seeing Cecil still focused on his book.

"Okay."

"Next is practical combat class, so you'll have to put away that book, Cecil," Eli informed.

Cecil shrugged and kept his things. He then stood up and walked out of the class alongside Elizabeth with Ainz and Fina following after them. They headed towards the academy's training grounds for their next class while on Lucia's end, she was currently sitting on a chair in the headmaster's office right now.