The Professor had already given so much information, so everyone could already imagine what Aura was.
A third student, a blonde-haired boy sitting near the front, said with confidence.
"Then… is it the soul? I've heard some knights say their Aura is an extension of their spirit."
From the way he spoke, it seemed as if he actually knew an Aura Knight.
Professor Eustass gave an approving nod. "A very good perspective. Many warriors describe their Aura as the manifestation of their will, their spirit, or even their very existence. However, even that definition is incomplete."
He let the words settle before continuing.
"Aura is life. It is the very essence of one's being, refined into power."
The room fell silent as his words sank in. To be honest, many of them were still confused about the existence of Aura. They just know that it will manifest if they work hard in their training and aspire to be stronger.
It was vague but since they were still young, they were just listening to what they heard from the adults.
The Professor then continued.
"It is neither magic nor mere physical strength. It is not something that can be created from nothing. Rather, it is drawn from the core of your body—the culmination of your vitality, your will, and your experiences."
Professor Eustass turned his gaze to Hayden. "Now then, Hayden, you seemed to have your own answer. What do you think Aura is?"
All eyes turned toward him. Hayden was, of course, confused as to why the Professor knew his name but not the others. However, it seemed that he had underestimated his reputation.
Hayden remained quiet for a moment, considering his words carefully. Then, he finally spoke.
"Aura is control," he said.
A few students frowned in confusion, but Professor Eustass raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Go on."
"From what you've said, Aura is something that exists in all of us, but only manifests when the body is ready or once we awaken. That means it's always there—dormant, waiting. The difference between those who awaken it and those who don't isn't just luck or talent. It's whether or not they can control it, refine it, and use it properly. If Aura is life, then it must also be something that can be shaped by the one who wields it."
Professor Eustass studied him for a long moment before a smile formed on his face.
'It seems Mistress Hannah is right…' He thought. He didn't expect that Hayden already had such a deep understanding of the existence of Aura.
The other students also fell silent as they tried to understand Hayden's words.
Unfortunately, they just felt that it was getting more complicated than they initially thought.
On the other hand, the Professor felt satisfied to have such an intelligent student.
"That's an interesting perspective," he said. "And not an incorrect one. Control is, indeed, one of the most important aspects of wielding Aura. But control alone is not enough. Even the most disciplined warrior cannot command Aura if their body and spirit are too weak to handle it."
He turned back to the rest of the class.
"All of your answers hold some truth, but in the end, Aura is a force that cannot be fully explained with mere words. You must experience it yourselves, through training, through hardship, and through the countless battles you will face in the years to come."
With that, he gestured toward the board, signaling the start of the lesson.
"Now, let us begin."
At this, the Professor finally started teaching…
"First of all… Aura is not something that can be easily grasped. It is a power that exists within all of us, yet only a rare few can truly awaken it. Those who wanted to learn Aura would go through a process. They could be in the path of a Swordsman, a Warrior, or in your case, a Knight."
He paused, then turned back to the blackboard, writing down four words:
Novice → Apprentice → Squire → Aura Initiate
"Right now," he continued as he circled the word 'Novice'.
"All of you are at the very first stage: Novices."
He paused for a moment and confirmed that everyone seemed to be aware of it.
"This means that your bodies have yet to awaken or even sense a tiny bit of Aura, nor have you begun the long journey to mastering it. The next step is becoming an Apprentice, where you start to develop a body suited to hold Aura."
Professor Eustass continued, "After the Apprentice stage comes the Squire stage. A Squire is someone who can sense faint traces of Aura within their bodies but these traces were just a form of warmth that you might even think of as simple imagination… However, being Squire means that you're getting ready to awaken your Aura. Even if you still couldn't accumulate them, you should have some minor enhancements in strength, stamina, and speed at this stage."
He then looked at everyone with a smile and added.
"Most of you will reach this stage in the next few years, but there is no guarantee."
He then tapped the board and circled the final stage he had written.
"Then, there is the Aura Initiate stage. Reaching this level is what truly sets a warrior apart from the rest. An Aura Initiate has successfully begun accumulating Aura within their body, though it remains unstable and weak. It may be small and unrefined, but from this point onward, they can steadily grow their strength. However…"
His gaze grew serious, sweeping across the class.
"Not everyone will reach this stage."
The murmurs in the room stopped instantly.
"Many of you may never manifest Aura at all," he stated bluntly. "Even if you train, even if you push your bodies to their limits, Aura is not something that can be awakened just because you wanted to... However, as long as you reach the level of a Squire and learn from a true Aura Knight, you should not give up as your skills will never betray you."