[3rd Person POV]
Since the incident involving the elven princess and the two reincarnated, it had been a week before the last of them was allowed to leave the infirmary, and thus continue his life as a student, or even as a teacher. No matter how much time passed, that event and a few more details would never come out of the other students' mouths. This was unbelievable and too intense to be easily forgotten or something more impressive later.
It was Monday morning, Luz and Arthur had just had their first breakfast together outside of those hospital beds, around them were all the other members of the disciplinary committee. Claire was having a mini meeting to let everyone know the new routine that everyone there would do.
"Okay, so for the underclassmen students, your routine will be during the upperclassmen students' hours, and vice versa, in the case of you two, because you have classes until seven in the afternoon and on top of that you teach too, the The only routine period will be between the times you leave and go to another room. Any further questions?" Claire said that last part to the Leywin brothers, after all, they're both teachers.
"Wait a minute.. Routine during our trips to other classrooms...? That's not enough." Luz raised her hand and spoke his doubt.
"I asked Principal Goodsky that you are now allowed to miss a maximum of 15 minutes of class to be able to do this. The same goes for everyone. But I would like you to only use this extra time when you really need it and not take advantage of it. It was clear?" Claire answered and looked at all of her companions.
"AYE!" All shouted.
"Great. I hope this week isn't a problem." Claire said with a cute smile, with all of them now leaving the main room for their first class of the week or their morning practices.
Arriving at the place of the Fundamentals of Magic Theory class, Luz sighed looking at the classroom, without entering it. Elijah and Arthur said goodbye to him and entered the room, while the cursed boy continued on his way.
The Basic Rune Learning classes would take place in the first hour, causing the boy's schedule to change considerably, with some subjects automatically being put as completed. Some would see this as cheating, but given that he would now be teaching basic and advanced runes classes, some theoretical subjects he would have are seen as unnecessary.
While this was happening, on the other side of the school, Princess Tessia Eralith was having an assimilation training with her grandfather, Virion. Apparently, the Eralith royal family would be visiting Xyrus regularly for an entire month due to some meetings that the Dicathen's Council was having. With that in mind, Virion had started training his granddaughter as much as he could until he was needed to return to meetings.
Tessia's progress didn't look the best, but that Elderwood's beast will was assimilating at an abnormal rate, abnormal enough for Virion to be suspicious. The purification that Luz did in that mana core, created a "new type" of beast will, a type where the beast there was more "tamer" than it should, thus making the beast tamer have no difficulty in completely dominating.
Perhaps it was for this very reason that Reynolds was expected to be fully assimilated by the middle of that year? Very possibly.
"Aaah! Grandpa, I want to get some rest... I can't feel my legs." Tessia complained, already sweating a lot, even though it wasn't more than 7 in the morning, she had started training three hours earlier than usual.
"Hmm.. I already told you, while I'm training you, call me Mentor Virion. Didn't I?" Virion said with a serious expression on his face.
"Yes, Mentor Virion..." The princess spoke after catching her breath.
"Fine. And okay, you can take a 20 minute break, enjoy and go drink some of the juice that old witch delivered." the elder spoke with a smile, and she was doing as requested.
"Calling me that in front of her? I'm her official mentor, forgot?" Cynthia said getting close to the old elven king.
"Bah! Do you have a problem with me speaking the truth?" the two had a few laughs.
"Well, Virion. I wanted to talk to you." Cynthia said, still smiling, but her eyes showed seriousness.
"About?" The old elf raised an eyebrow and the director said in his ear, leaving him amazed.
"Uh... Now? But I'm training to—" He was interrupted.
"Is it okay to let her rest a few more minutes?" She said smiling and Virion heaved a sigh, accepting that.
----------------------------------------
[Luz Leywin POV]
I was walking into my classroom, still with a mug in my hand and drinking very strong coffee to keep me awake. In the corridors nearby I was the only focus of attention, and even within my teaching place, there were some students who apparently had nothing to do, so they kept watching me through the open door.
The place was a medium-sized laboratory with long diagonal tables, seating eight students at each table. The cabinets all had glass doors, allowing anyone to see some archaeological-style gems, artifacts, and stones, all with runes inscribed on them.
There were already some students there and others that were arriving, I could clearly hear the not-so-low whispers that were being made.
"So really our teacher is 13 years old?"
"Woah, this is crazy, is he just going to draw?"
"I heard that in Artificing I class he showed a unique rune spell."
"Unique? Impossible. Is there any way to create more things?"
I took a long breath and started pulling my backpack out of my dimensional ring, putting some of the things on my desk. Grabbing a notebook I'd made just to have a basic class script, I opened it and did a quick read, holding it in one hand. I looked at the only window there, seeing the sun and after a few seconds, I closed that notebook tightly, causing a noise that was intensified by a sound magic, thus calling everyone's attention to be quiet.
"Good morning, Hollow books!!!" I spoke in mock animation and started writing my name on the chalkboard.
"Today is going to be the very first Basic Rune Learning class! But you must be wondering... 'Whoa! I signed up this year and auditioned to get into the advanced class, why am I in Basic?' and I'll answer you! As everyone here knows, this subject almost never appears for you to study, because of the lack of people wanting to sign up for it because it was optional... More power in the word 'was'. Because now it will start to be mandatory! So of course, you were tested to see if you knew the basics or not!" I said starting to walk around the lab.
"Because I was in the infirmary at the moment, Professor Gideon was the one who made your tests, as he was also knowledgeable in the subject. Hilariously, the general result of the class that is here... WAS AWFUL!!!" I said slamming my hand on one of the tables. "Tell me, how did most of you get one or two hard questions right, but miss almost all the BASIC ones!? I wasn't the person who took the tests, but I read the questions over the weekend, and really... YOU ANSWERED THAT LIKE SHIT!!"
They all looked at me shocked by my way of speaking, I took a long breath and returned to my table, sitting on top of it and watching everyone there. There were students from all three races, but if I were to make an estimate I'd say my current class was 10% human, 20% dwarf, and the rest is all elf.
One of the elves raised her hand and I looked in her direction. "You can talk... Miss..." I took the list of students. "Miss Zenkya, any doubts?"
The elf stood up, looking in my direction, she was blonde and looked like a beautiful 17 year old girl, but from my list, I knew she was only 12. "Professor L.Leywin, I would like to know one thing, being basic knowledge, runes are tools that give magical effects to certain items... Am I wrong about that?"
"No, clearly not, you're right about that." I answered her, smiling in a friendly way.
"So how could you explain the runes you make in the air? I heard from some of Professor Gideon's students, you managed to make a rune in the air and it turned into a small item." When she said that, the people around her started whispering, I had to snap my fingers reinforced with sound magic to get them to shut up again.
"Well, Miss Zenkya, that's a very good question... Understand, each person has their quirks. Depending on one's level of knowledge, one can do things that are considered.. Impossible by others. Drawing runes in the air using wind mana is clearly not something super advanced, but making them work is something you need to know those runes so well, to the point that you can do them automatically without even thinking too much." I answered her while using wind magic to control the chalk that was writing on the chalkboard some elemental runes with their identifications.
"Any more questions?" I said, seeing everyone taking their notebooks and a dwarf raising his hand.
"Yes, Gilgrymo, what question do you have?" I said seeing the list of students while looking at that dwarf with red hair and fair skin, he seemed to have a greatsword that he always carried with him.
"Professor L.Leywin, I would like to know so that I can be prepared, would there be a chance of having a practical test involving runes?" He asked me.
"Hm.. Well... Practical exam involving runes? I would say at the end of the semester or just in the advanced class, for now I'm still thinking about it, why the question?"
"Because I wanted to use my sword as an item to be enchanted." He said it proudly.
"Oh! Well, of course this kind of practical test will only be in advanced classes, besides... Using personal equipment for this is a lot of courage, after all if you miss a rune it can all go wrong." I gave a little laugh and finally started to explain the matter.
This first class didn't have much, just simple things like, "how to draw runes of the four elements" and "what is a rune". There weren't many problems or questions outside of these topics, which made the class very peaceful and relaxing for me.
At the end of class, after I had released the students and started packing my things, two very similar elves came up to me. They both looked like twins, with the only thing that differentiated them being that one had an exposed scar on his cheek, their eyes were clear, to the point I thought they were blind.
"Professor L.Leywin... We learned some time ago that you are the royal guard of the kingdom of Elenoir who started the project to destroy the slave houses. We wanted to thank you very much." One of them said that, taking me a little by surprise.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"Oh...? That? I just found a notebook of these guys when they tried to kidnap an elf while my brother and I were lost in the woods. It was pure luck. But... why are you thanking me? Do you have any relatives who were in these houses? " I asked, finishing everything in my backpack.
"No sir... We were there being slaves, until several guards surrounded the place and we could be rescued." the other elf said so, making me smile.
I put a hand on each one's shoulder. "It's good to know about you, I hope you can enjoy this future I've given you." I said in a calm and kind voice.
Soon the two elves hugged me tightly and I gave them a light pat on the back. "ah... I'm still a student and I have a class to go to... Can you let me go?"
"Oh! I'm sorry. We also have another class now... See you later." Said one of the two elves, as they both left the room.
I left right away after putting my backpack in my dimensional ring and headed towards the Basic Chain-Casting I class. Not to waste too much time, I ran, using the dash wind spell that I put in my boots in a hidden way.
"Oh look who's here. Hello Professor Leywin. How are you?" Professor Veronica said while standing on top of the small arena of our rectangular room.
"Okay, first classes are always annoying, especially when you teach in them." We both laughed a little and I walked over to an empty chair that Elijah and Broznean had saved for me.
"Did I take too long, Vera?" I said sitting in the chair while highfiveing Broz.
"Not really, I just got up here in the arena." She would giggle and all the other students would look at me jealously.
Yesterday, even though it was my last day recovering in the infirmary, some teachers came to visit me to know more about me, Vera had been one of those. And wow... She's more outgoing than I thought.
Today, her class was something quite simple, being completely theoretical about the foundation of the connection between spells so that it was more reinforced in our minds. I didn't need this one, as her two classes were one of the ones I'd already earned full points for becoming an Advanced Rune Learning's Teacher. But even so, it was nice to be able to interact freely with Elijah and Broz during this time, they were the only people among those students that I could count as friends.
Halfway through the second period I poked Elijah on the shoulder. "Hey... Hey Elijah. How about we go see Art's class?" I spoke low.
"Dude… Better not, you know I'm not released from this class like you are." He answered me in a whisper.
"Yes, but the class for now is just to reinforce something she must have taught you all last week." When I said that, he sighed confirming that I wasn't lying.
"Okay, but you'll take responsibility." He told me while his glasses glowed super serious.
"Of course I will~" I whispered standing up and pulling Elijah by his left wrist.
"Professor Vera, the communicator daggers Elijah and I have just flashed, one of the DC members is calling for us. Could you excuse us?" I spoke calmly.
"Of course, you can go. But Elijah, get today's notes from another student later." She was looking seriously at my friend.
"Yes ma'am!" Elijah was saluting and then he and I were walking out of the classroom.
"I can't believe we're doing this." He said this in a cold sweat.
"Relax~" I giggled and I'm already running in front of him with my legs ringed with lightning mana.
"Hey!" my friend in glasses started running after me using a spell that simulates augmented legs.
Arriving at the Practical Mana Manipulation class, I could see that arena from before while Arthur was in the middle with all the students in a row trying to do something. I got closer and noticed that Kathyln was already looking at me strangely as usual and after that, other students noticed our presence, until Art turned to us.
"Oh, what are you doing around here, guys?" My brother said with a raised eyebrow.
"We just came to see what your class was like, after all I'm released from several theoretical subjects that I had enrolled in this semester." I smirked, because the only reason for that was that I was teaching an underclass and an upperclass subject, while my brother was only teaching an underclass.
"Hmm.. And you?" He looked at Elijah.
"Um... He's the one who took me out of the classroom and will take responsibility." He put his hand on the back of his head.
"Who?" I pretended not to understand, causing a desperate reaction in him.
"Haha! Relax, I'm kidding man." I laughed a little and then looked at the other students. "Hmmm.. What are you teaching them?" I looked at my brother again.
"I'm trying to show them the idea of a conjurer imbuing their hand with mana and an augmenter launching a ranged attack." Art smiled at me.
"Oh.. You mean this here?" I easily imbued my entire arm with fire and then cast that same fire upwards, my brother's students were left with confused and surprised expressions.
"Um...? What was it people? Is it that hard?" Elijah said moving a piece of the ground that was far away to his arm, creating a kind of Earth gauntlet, it wasn't well done compared to his other spells, but it did the trick.
All of Art's students, with the exception of Kathyln and FeyFey, became even more confused and started to complain about the fact that they weren't getting it. I gave a big laugh and looked at them positioning me next to my brother.
"Guys, relax, this is really hard to start doing, but once you learn it, it will be as easy as we are showing you.... And you don't have to try to perfectly imitate what my brother does, go at your own pace." I said and soon Art tapped me on the shoulder, after all that was his job, not mine.
Soon Art and I were sitting in one of the chairs there, while Elijah at least tried to explain what the way we had both taught him was. It was even a little comical to see our friend trying to do that.
"So, how was the first class? Did Professor Avius miss me?" I chuckled at that thought.
"Well... He acted like he was happy that a new classmate of his could teach." Art said giving a little kick in the air.
"Fine.... Hm... And as for a girlfriend for Elijah..."
"Yeah, I'm thinking of introducing Emily to him at lunch today, what do you think?" my brother said as he created an ice crystal on his fingertip.
"Hm... Sounds like a good one, but do you think she'll emotionally handle it?" I chuckled thinking of the way Emily acted when she didn't know someone.
"You never know..." He said looking at the floor.
"You... 'Nico' back then before all the troubles you guys had... Would he like a girl like that?" I spoke looking at the ceiling of that arena.
"....He won't like it as much as he loved Cecilia... But I think he'll be able to learn to live like this... I just would like to make him happy." Art said this low with a very dark and serious tone, I gave a soft tap on the his back.
"If we don't manage to do this... I become his psychologist." I said smiling, I wanted to understand better who this 'Cecilia' was, but I decided not to ask... At least not now.
All I knew about that name was that she was part of Arthur's old group, and that she decided to kill herself during a battle, so she wouldn't suffer anymore.... But why was she suffering? Why something so intense?..... And she did it leaving one friend with a hatred for another....
"She's pretty selfish, if you think about it that way." Zalgnity's voice was distant, but I could still hear him.
"....I've been in their shoes... I'll possibly be in her shoes... And I know that if this curse really continues... For all eternity... I'll know in my skin what everything and everyone feels..." I answered my inner demon.
I will never be empty, I will always be full... So full that there will be no difference in being empty... Confuse... I know... but that's how this works...
"Hey Luz, let's go to Gideon's class." I heard Art's voice pulling me out of my thoughts and then I looked around, seeing the students in his class already leaving that classroom.
I got up and walked to the front door where Art, Kathy and Feyfey were waiting for me. "Sorry, I went into deep thought there."
"Yeah, we noticed that, you were even drooling." Feyfey laughed a little leaving the room.
"Aahn...WHAT?!" I exclaimed following him.
"Yes, it was even comical, Kathyln was kind enough to clean it up using a cloth, it was so hilarious." my brother laughed at me as he locked the room.
I looked at Kathy and she just stared at me with an almost non-existent smile, making me feel a chill down my spine. "Okay, let's go. I don't want to know what Gideon will do to us if we delay!"
"Of course silly, calm down." Art approached me with a laugh and we would walk through the halls.
It didn't take long for our paths to separate us from Kathy and Fey, and after a few more corridors, we arrived at the mad scientist's lab. Like last time, we stayed in the back and watched Emily approaching.
"Good morning Emily." I smiled and she looked at me worriedly.
"Um... Good morning... Are you ok? I mean, sure you're ok, you're here, but wow... It took you a lot longer than your brother to reappear in class." She said sitting on the seat between me and my brother.
"Oh, a thousand apologies, I stood in front of Arthur while he protected Tessia, no big deal." I just said it neutrally and she laughed.
"Anyway, Gideon was pretty angry that you didn't show up last week." Emily tidied up her notebooks a bit.
"Heh, don't you think I didn't know? He came to visit me in the infirmary yesterday. My goodness, he wouldn't stop screaming and complaining just because Cynthia asked him to create the test my students would take to see if they could get into the advanced class." I laid my head on the table.
"Oh, by the way, how many people will be in your advanced class?" Art asked.
"Hmm..." I picked up my list and started rereading it. "Let me see... There were only six people who passed the test... And one of them was Kai."
"Kai? Kai Crestless?" the girl asked and I just nodded in agreement.
"Hmm... Strange. I didn't know Kai liked these things." Art was looking at the ceiling.
"At least there are only six students, that is, if they understand the subject well, I can finish the class early with the excuse that I don't have anything to say to them." I banged my head on the table.
"Uh... Why are you like this...?" She poked me in the shoulder.
"Because I wanted my schedule to be free... I'd be lying there in the lab sleeping or thinking about recipes." I replied.
"Recipes?"
"It's just that he makes sweets, Emily... So much so that you owe Claire a lot of cupcakes, right?" Art spoke.
"Exactly." when I answered him, I saw the door to the room opening and the 'famous Gideon' emerging.
He seemed to look right at me with a smirk. "Wonder Brat! You're back! Good, very good! Anyway, that means some of you took classes with him, doesn't it?" when he said that, some people raised their hands, looking more closely, I noticed that at least the elf girl and the dwarf who were in my class, were also here.
During this class, Gideon was detailing a project we would have to deliver to him. Apparently, he wanted a handmade artifact that could glow different colors depending on the type of mana injected, by the end of the month. I heaved a big sigh at the thought of it.
"Relax boys, I already have something like this." Emily said, to my delight.
"You already have?" Art raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I mean...it just glows, but modifying it to change color will be easy, after all, you're a quadra-elemental, so I'll test it on you whenever I need to see if everything is working. What do you think? " The girl smiled broadly and her bottle glasses gleamed menacingly.
"Okay...." Art replied uncomfortably.
"Oh really... Emily, you know that friend of ours we mentioned earlier in other day?" I turned my face to her.
"Oh..that other DC Officer? Elijah?" she tilted her head.
"Yeah, he told us he'd be more or less free from lunch until about 6 pm. And he loves inventions... So we thought... Why not let you meet him in person?" I smiled.
"Oh.. Another DC Officer as a friend... Is he a freak like us?" Her question caught me off guard.
"You could say yes, he doesn't like to be called that... But he is." Arthur replied.
"Alright then. I just need to follow you after Gideon's class, is that it?"
"Yes" we both spoke in unison.
We spent what seemed like two full hours listening to Gideon talking over and over about how we were all too silly to fully understand his genius mind. He even started asking for those, who said that were in my class, what I had talked about. And Gideon's gaze fell on me doubtfully.
"Wonder Brat, why did you say so little to them? That was near to nothing!" he exclaimed.
"It's because that was the first basic class, tonight I'll teach in my first advanced class." I replied.
"Oh, really.. Only six people have gone through as far as I can remember, so I really want to see results!" He said and the bell rang.
"Of course...." I said with a sleepy gaze and stood up. Me, Arthur and Emily went to the cafeteria together.