Alistair stepped through the portal to the [Nurturing Ward]. He had arranged a meeting with his Sister and planned to make an unannounced visit to the Earth section, which Sol's followers occupied. Riseth would be busy with cultivation. Jessica had been successful in creating the pills needed. She even succeeded in creating multiple, which were stored in the treasury for now. The clan had bought a key for Riseth so she could learn body cultivation skills. Based on Mitania's recommendation, they bought a cheaper version of body cultivation that did not come with any legacy items or titles and only limited manuals focused on refining essences into weapons. This significantly reduced the cost of the key, which had still cost over a million [USC], a sizable sum in the current economy. Alistair knew she would be busy for most of the day because she would spend a good chunk of it out of commission from eating the pill. She had prepared a comfy environment where she planned to endure. Alistair promised he would make sure to check in on her despite her protests.
The air was clean and fresh, filled with the sounds of children's laughter and more alien noises. Parents and guardians walked with their children along the streets, adding to the lively atmosphere. The architecture displayed a diverse mix, much like what Alistair had seen in the Trader's Market.
Following his sister's guidance, Alistair proceeded until he reached the first set of stairs. From there, he could observe the magic school of this ring; it was a large medieval castle nestled within the concave space of the ward. Surrounding it were rings of higher elevation, forming concentric circles that gradually descended towards the center. The castle itself radiated magic, visible even from a distance, with spacious yards and walled-off sections for students to practice more advanced spells. Alistair knew there were many such rings, some designed to separate more incompatible species from each other, whether culturally or biologically. In some cases, this meant segregating beings that had incompatible dietary requirements or possessed other physiological differences that would make living together difficult.
"I know; Sis said to just keep heading towards the center until I find the budget Hogwarts, but damn." Alistair mused as he inspected the castle.
The castle sprawled grandly, boasting numerous sections and walls adorned with towers of varying heights. Each tower sported a roof of distinct materials and colors, giving them a bit of a garish look. Its expansive yard, carpeted in lush green grass, harmonized beautifully with the rustic red brick of the keep and surrounding walls. Alistair could see kids using magic against dummies in the yard. He was aware that the training fields, with proper consent, could be exempt from many of the nurturing ward's rules and were [Life Guarded]. As he surveyed the scene, he couldn't help but wonder how many children had already endured the harrowing experience.
Alistair headed down the stairs toward the castle. He garnered many curious glances and suspected the inhabitants would not see many armored figures outside of faction meetings. Alistair switched his armor for more casual clothes to blend in better. The air was incredibly fresh and clear, and besides the regular hustle and bustle of people and the occasional screaming kid, it was quiet.
During his walks, he got a feeling for his surroundings. Most of the structures were meant for teaching or living quarters; he also saw the occasional nursery. However, he also came across places of worship. Natural gods weren't the only ones able to reach the trial subspaces, as they offered guidance and powers in exchange for worship. Alistair avoided these structures as he had no desire to deal with any additional gods and their followers for now.
Alistair noticed how every species within this ring was moderate-sized and bipedal. He had seen Lamia, Centaurs, and more odd races in the [Arena Dungeon] and the [Trader's Market]. He had almost gotten used to their sight, so seeing the segregation felt weird, though he knew at least most of the centaur variants would struggle with the stairs, and so would smaller individuals.
Alistair eventually arrived at one of the many open entrance gates, the scent of grass wafting in as he stepped through. Inside, he observed a group of children playing in the yard while others were engrossed in reading spell books. As he made his way towards the entrance, he was struck by the modernity of the interior. The tiled floors, potted plants, and sleek reception area with magical stone elevators hovering in various directions seemed far more contemporary than he had anticipated. From a balcony above, several green-skinned children with tusks, presumably orcs, waved down at him, and he returned the gesture before approaching the reception desk. There, a crimson red-skinned elf with white hair and a robe was engrossed in a large leather-bound book, seemingly unaware of his presence. Using [Identify], Alistair learned her name: [Xizruprotyka Mezru - lvl 21].
"Hello, I'm here to see Melissa," Alistair greeted with a friendly tone, mindful of potentially mispronouncing her name.
The elf looked up and placed the book on the desk, identifying him as she picked up a small pile of documents before answering.
"Mr. Ryser? Ah, here we have it. Yes, please step on the platform. The class is expecting your arrival. Just follow the golden line on the floor," the elf said, directing him to a platform. On the floor, he could see a thin golden thread leading to the platform. He could tell this was one of her skills.
"Wait, the class? I am here to see my sister." Alistair corrected.
"And she is currently holding the class and has registered you as a guest teacher; please mind your manners around the children," Xizruprotyka said as she leaned back in her chair and resumed reading.
Alistair shook his head incredulously as the platform carried him upward, traversing through several levels. He couldn't help but chuckle at his sister's predictable yet endearing habit of enlisting him for tasks without so much as a word. Most of the family struggled to refuse her requests, which formed a bad habit where she occasionally expected them to go along with her whims. Yet, he knew this trait was reserved for those closest to her, and she knew she could get away with it. With strangers, she was more cautious and reserved.
Alistair followed the golden thread until he reached a solid wooden door. He knocked and stepped through, but what he found was unexpected. He was in a wide, flat, open field; the same smell of grass and clean air as in the yard struck him. Kids of various races were sitting on bean bags reading books, and his sister was sitting behind a lone desk and chair in the middle of the field, roughly 100 meters from the lonely wooden door. None of the roughly 50 students seemed to have noticed his entry except for one human kid who was already looking toward the door instead of reading. The kid looked roughly 14 years old, his body visibly covered in tattoos, and his hair was in a green mohawk haircut. Despite the colorful assortment of alien children, he stood out like a sore thumb. Inspecting the other children, Alistair recognized most of their species as those found in the [Arena Dungeon].
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Alistair used [Blink] to close the distance and appeared behind his sister unnoticed. He used [Identify], which he had neglected to do until now [Melissa Ryser - lvl 26]. The younger kids in the class began to snicker and whisper amongst themselves. She looked towards the door, and Alistair deftly sidestepped and bent down to whisper into her ear.
"Next time, please give me a heads up before you sign me up as a teacher," He requested with a smirk.
His sister startled, flinching slightly as she looked at him, surprise written all over her face. A smattering of laughs erupted from the kids, prompting her to quickly regain her composure before speaking up.
"I signed you up to expedite things. You wanted to delve into the inner workings of the [Nurturing Ward], didn't you? By giving a lecture, you can earn contribution points for library access and other rewards," Melissa explained nonchalantly, waving towards the children. "All these kids here signed up for your lecture, too."
"And what did you tell them I would teach them?" He inquired through the [Akashic Link], a skill he knew his sister had recently acquired.
"Self-defense courses and possibly some combat magic; you were advertised as a former human soldier and peacekeeper." She replied over the link.
Alistair let out a sigh. The advertisement explained the racial spread he had noticed. Many of the kids looked at him expectantly, but many others were visibly disappointed, and the kid with the green mohawk was the first to stand up and speak up.
"Is this the human soldier that was promised? He does not even carry scars or tattoos; he looks soft, what a fucking waste of time." The rough-looking kid said as he stomped towards the door, followed by some Insectoids, trolls, ogres, other humans, and lizard-like kids.
Alistair made no move to detain the departing child, nor did he deter the others who shot him hostile glances. It would have been both futile and contrary to his intentions; he had no desire to instruct them in combat skills that they might misuse against others instead of monsters.
"Very well, you're free to leave. Those who wish to remain and learn self-defense are welcome to stay," Alistair declared, watching as approximately three-quarters of the class opted to stay while the rest made their way toward the distant wooden door.
Alistair then proceeded to gauge the students' expectations and current abilities by having them introduce themselves. After all of the kids had introduced themselves to him, he sent those with the intention of harming or killing others packing. A common insult thrown at him as they left was "Paladin," a term he would adopt for future advertisements if he returned to teach again. In the end, he was left with 26 students, which was roughly half the number that signed up for the class.
He then separated the students based on stated interests and talents, setting up sparring groups for those more physically inclined while shepherding a small group of more magically gifted individuals, teaching them his understanding of magical theory.
"I didn't realize you had such an in-depth understanding of arcane theory," Melissa remarked, impressed by Alistair's teachings to the smaller group.
"Arcane theory?" Alistair inquired, intrigued by the term.
"Yes, what you're explaining to them is arcane theory. Although it's evident you're self-taught, your grasp of it is quite remarkable," Melissa observed, acknowledging his expertise.
It became evident that Alistair possessed a much deeper understanding of arcane principles than Melissa, who had learned from a book with limited information. Arcane, as an affinity, encapsulates the process of harnessing and manipulating energies for various purposes, including the development of abilities, spells, skills, and the crafting of magic items. Alistair had developed his own methods and techniques to direct his energies with his intent through experimentation and experience in various skills. Knowledge like this was restricted and viewed as incredibly valuable.
He proceeded with the lesson, instructing the students to form a barrier before shifting his focus to the sparring students. Whenever he noticed problematic stances or approaches, he intervened to correct them. This dynamic continued for a few hours, with Alistair and his sister collaborating to teach the students effectively.
"I was a little worried when you dismissed half the class, but everything turned out quite nicely," Melissa remarked once the class had ended.
"Next time, I'll know to advertise myself as a paladin. That way, I won't have to exclude the kids eager to learn how to devour their peers," Alistair remarked dryly.
Alistair had earned 1255 contribution points; however, he had no idea how much or what it was worth, so he asked.
"Here's the deal," Melissa began, her tone casual yet captivating. "You can spend 100 points for an hour in the library. Keep at it, and you can obtain a free skill point for 5000 points. You can buy up to five of them, and they will grant you a free skill point each."
Intrigued, Alistair questioned, "Teaching kids can earn me skill points? Why didn't you mention that before?"
"Both of us had other things to worry about. Also, besides the quality of the teaching, the level of the individual matters as they get more contribution points for their time. Unfortunately, the System can't rely on the charity of the stronger individuals to teach in the [Nurturing Ward] for free," Melissa said with a hint of resignation.
Alistair stroked his chin in consideration; he would have to tell Riseth about this, as she struggled even more than him with skill points. She had been scouring her first Trial world for dungeons with little success. And she had a lot of things she could teach the kids. As they made their way to the library, he casually brought up the topic of scheduling and how classes were advertised with his sister. They arrived at a thick, lacquered wooden door, where Alistair paid 100 of his contribution points to enter the library after his sister.
The Library, though modest compared to the [Study Dungeon], exuded a comforting ambiance with its scent of paper and inviting furnishings with plush chairs, tea sets, and carpets. Alistair, eager to find literature that would help him identify various concepts, began his search. His sister, one step ahead, handed him a book, which he inspected with disbelief. It resembled an interactive children's picture book, akin to "The Cow Says Moo," but delved into concepts and their behaviors. "Really?" he remarked incredulously.
"Individuals in the multiverse are exposed to concepts the moment they are born; most are taught about them like we would teach them about animals. There is some more dry literature listing them like a dictionary. I can fetch it for you, but I thought this one at least showed you what the concepts can do," Melissa said seriously before she left to fetch the dictionary version.
"Oh, God damned fine," Alistair murmured, unsure if his sister was messing with him or not. He flipped through the thin children's book while waiting for her to find the dictionary. Surprisingly, no matter how often he flipped, he never ran out of pages; there was always another page showing another concept, its name and rough description in golden lettering in the top left corner accompanied by a drawn animation of a child-like figure using the concept filling both of the open pages. He could even sense the concept depicted radiating from the tiny book. When Alistair wished to see a concept he had seen already again, it appeared after he flipped the page. Alistair was impressed with the magic used in the book, though it was far above what he could analyze. To his shock, some of the pages were rather gruesome and scary for a child, and seeing a cutesy animation of the small child-like figure being impaled by sharp bone spikes as the blood flowed out of it was a little off-putting.