Lunchtime ended, and it was time for the advanced class's combined lesson. As usual, the teacher was Ethela, and the location was the training ground with the Image Zone.
About ten minutes later, Shirone came running, out of breath.
Having gotten used to teleporting during the break, he hadn't realized how exhausting it would be to run here.
Shirone: "Ah, Teacher Ethela. I'm sorry. I tried to make it on time."
Ethela: "It's fine. I heard from Neid. Go in and get ready for class."
Dante and his group realized that meeting Shirone during lunch had been impossible from the start, and their faces soured.
If that was the case, they should have said something. What was the point of making them run around like idiots?
Ethela: "Alright, everyone. Good to see you all. I see some new faces this semester. Dante, Closer, Sabina, welcome to Alpheas Magic School. Let's give them a round of applause."
Dante raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He had heard great things about Teacher Ethela, who taught at the Royal Magic School, but this was not what he had expected.
She had a gentle face, wore large glasses, and her hair was tied up haphazardly. He had heard she was a nun, so he could understand that much, but her teaching style reminded him of the nanny who had taught him when he was seven.
What was even more absurd was how seriously the other students were clapping at such childish instructions.
Ethela: "Let's begin the lesson. The lower class will focus on spatial transformation and sequence formulas, while the upper class will practice mental pulsation, targeting, and sequence formulas in that order."
Sabina (whispering to Closer): "It seems the graduation class and the advanced class have completely different lessons here."
Closer: "Yeah. I was expecting practical training, but this is just as boring."
The only thing Sabina had looked forward to after transferring was Ethela's class, who held the title of Triple.
If you achieved 6th class or higher in three fields, you earned the title of Triple, and Ethela was a legend in the education world, having achieved 6th class in magic, martial arts, and spirit zone.
But when she actually attended the class, not only was the tone childish, but the curriculum was also unbearably dull basic training.
Sabina: "Teacher, aren't we doing any other training? I want to learn Sniper Mode."
Ethela: "That's a subject covered in major classes, so we don't teach it in the advanced class."
Sabina: "But Teacher Ethela, you could easily teach it. Honestly, I transferred here just for this class."
Ethela: "The advanced class is about finding your aptitude. Even Sniper Mode is ultimately a variation of spatial transformation. You can learn applied techniques after mastering the basics; it's never too late."
Sabina: "Ugh, can't you teach me privately? I could brag to my friends that I learned from Teacher Ethela."
For students from the capital, who their teacher was seemed to be a major point of pride.
If that were the culture of Bashka, it wasn't his place to interfere, but according to Alpheas Magic School's rules, teachers couldn't teach subjects outside their assigned curriculum.
Ethela: "I'd like to, but there's an issue of fairness. If you really want to learn Sniper Mode, improve your skills quickly and move up to the graduation class."
A clear voice echoed from the entrance of the training ground.
Olivia: "That's not necessarily true. Sticking too strictly to the basics can also hinder progress."
Olivia walked in. Behind her, all the teachers of the advanced class followed like attendants.
Along with Ethela, Sade and Siana, two of the three pillars of Alpheas Magic School, were also present.
When Ethela made eye contact with the two, they shrugged as if to say, "This is ridiculous."
It was a gesture only possible because they were outside Olivia's line of sight.
Ethela: "Good afternoon, Principal."
Ethela greeted her with the etiquette of a nun. Olivia acknowledged the greeting with a nod and looked over the students.
Olivia: "From what I saw at the entrance, one of the students wanted to learn applied techniques. If a student's passion lies in learning, shouldn't a teacher be able to teach them?"
Ethela: "But according to the school rules…"
Olivia: "Ah, I know that. But rules change over time. We have Jonah, who made a name for himself in the kingdom, yet we're forcing him to teach only the basics. I think that's inefficient too."
Alpheas had specifically asked Ethela to teach the basics to the advanced class because she was such a great Jonah.
But Olivia thought differently. While basics were important, realistically, the school needed visible results to rise in prominence.
Olivia: "Each of these children has a unique personality. Trying to unify them under the name of a class is futile. If there's potential for growth, we should actively support it."
Sade and Siana, who never stayed out of debates, kept their mouths shut this time.
That was the position of a certified 2nd-class grand mage.
The criteria for classifying mages were standardized worldwide. It was called the Line, a massive network system that managed all mages.
In the world, there are three major channels, and among them, the one with the widest bandwidth is the Red Line, overseen by the Magic Association.
The Red Line categorizes mages into official and unofficial ranks, with all mages, from 1st to 10th grade, belonging to it. The teachers under the Red Line system knew just how impossibly difficult it was to rise to a position like Olivia's.
There are usually fewer than five officially recognized 1st-grade mages in a kingdom, so even being a 2nd-grade mage is considered the pinnacle of the Red Line. Therefore, no matter how eccentric one's philosophy might be, if they've risen to the 2nd grade, there's no room for argument.
Ethela spoke up. As a monk with no ties to the mage network, she had more freedom to speak than the other teachers.
Ethela: "The advanced class students still lack a proper understanding of magic. It's not just about being different for the sake of it; it's about finding a unique individuality that others cannot replicate. That's why I emphasize the basics so much."
The teachers' faces turned contemplative. Meanwhile, Sade and Siana subtly gave her a thumbs-up. Ethela might have looked gentle, but her inner strength was undeniable.
Olivia: "Is that so? All right then. How about we test how well Ethela's students have mastered the basics using the Lifting evaluation method?"
Ethela had heard of the Lifting evaluation method at academic conferences. It was said to be more objective than other evaluation methods and was an effective way to gauge the overall level of the Spirit Zone.
Shirone and his group felt their hearts tighten as they watched the teachers' power struggle.
Student 1: "Wow, not only Ethela, but even the principal is no joke."
Student 2: "Right? Something big might really happen."
Student 3: "No way. Even Siana can't get a word in."
Ethela confidently nodded.
Ethela: "Very well. It's not a boast, but I'm confident that the basics of the students I've taught are second to none, even compared to other schools."
Olivia: "Then let's begin. Has anyone in Class Four ever trained in Spirit Zone Lifting?"
Only Dante's group raised their hands. Alpheas had rejected it due to lack of proven effectiveness, but the Royal Magic School had officially adopted it a year ago.
Olivia: "Good. Then, since everyone is curious about the transfer student's abilities, why don't you demonstrate, Dante?"
Dante: "Of course. It would be my honor, Principal."
As Dante walked to the image zone, Olivia instructed the teacher to set the target's sensitivity to its maximum.
Ethela explained Lifting to the students.
Ethela: "The Lifting test is designed to evaluate the overall functionality of the Spirit Zone. It involves holding a highly reactive target within the Spirit Zone. Depending on the density, weight, and shape changes of the Spirit Zone, the target will bounce in unpredictable directions. The longer you can maintain it, the better your Spirit Zone's functionality."
Dante positioned himself in the center of the image zone. With a snap of his fingers, a spherical target appeared above his head.
The moment the target entered the Spirit Zone, it trembled as if electrified. Then, following the shifts in his mental focus, it began bouncing in unpredictable trajectories.
When the target tried to escape the Spirit Zone, Dante used spatial techniques to secure the area. Then, with a burst of mental focus, he quickly pulled it back.
As the target returned to the center, it began thrashing again. Each time, Dante skillfully adjusted the spatial techniques to prevent the target from escaping.
As time passed, the target's movements grew faster, and its trajectory became increasingly erratic.
At times, it vibrated as if trapped against a wall, and at others, it shot out over ten meters in a single burst.
The students grew tense just watching.
When the target flew too fast to be caught even by the longest-range target form, a gasp escaped the crowd.
Student 4: "Whoa!"
At that moment, Dante expanded his Spirit Zone using a sequence technique. The target's distance stretched, and he trapped it once more. Without fail, his mental focus pulled the target back.
The spectators were left speechless by his near-miraculous control of the Spirit Zone.
After a minute, Olivia called for a stop.
Olivia: "That's enough. The demonstration should suffice."
Dante pulled the target back, floated it above his head, and released the Spirit Zone.
The students were left in awe. Even for a brief moment, the technique of moving the target in a desired direction was a level of skill unattainable with ordinary mental strength.
Olivia: "This is the Lifting test. For Class Four, maintaining it for about a minute is expected. Now, shall we have other students demonstrate? I've heard of a certain Shirone…"
Boyle raised his hand.
Boyle: "I'll do it."
It was a strategy to embarrass Shirone, but when another student unexpectedly volunteered, Olivia was taken aback.
Maintaining Lifting for a minute was far above the average for Class Four. Even Dante, who had practiced since the test's introduction, struggled to reach two minutes.
Boyle: "I'm the top of Class Four. I'm confident."
Olivia's eyes lit up. While it was a shame it wasn't Shirone, comparing the top of the advanced class would provide objective data to pressure Ethela.
Olivia: "Alright. Since it's your first time, think of it as getting a feel for it."
Boyle confidently walked to the image zone. As he climbed the steps, he glared at Dante, who simply shrugged and stepped aside.
As the students watched with tense expressions, Boyle's Lifting began.
The moment the target entered the Spirit Zone, it strongly rebelled.
It was much harder than he had expected. It felt like a rubber ball bouncing inside his skull.
True to his talent as the top of the advanced class, he maintained the Lifting, but the intervals at which he had to mentally pull the target back grew noticeably shorter.
Eventually, the speed of his spatial technique adjustments couldn't keep up with the target's movements, and the target escaped the Spirit Zone.
Boyle: "Huff, huff."
Boyle exhaled repeatedly. For a first attempt, he thought he did well. But the students' expressions were grim. When he checked the scoreboard, his eyes shook in shock.
21 seconds.
It wasn't even half of Dante's performance. With practice, he might improve, but maintaining it for a minute seemed impossible.
Boyle: "Damn it! Damn it!"
Boyle hung his head and returned to his seat.
He couldn't face Ethela. His failure had proven that Ethela's students lacked the basics compared to Olivia's.
But Olivia didn't gloat or scold Ethela. While her initial motives were petty, as someone who had dedicated her life to education, she was sincere about the school's matters.
Olivia: "Boyle, you did well. Twenty seconds on your first attempt is quite commendable. I'm not one to ignore the basics. What I'm trying to say is that even the basics must be functional. In an era where students nationwide are specializing, sticking only to the classics will lead to obsolescence."
Her words had merit. For the first time, the teachers wondered if they might have been wrong. Had they unknowingly fallen into a rut? To keep up with the changing times, fresh stimulation was needed. Perhaps that was why Alpheas had gone out of his way to bring Olivia.
Olivia smiled at the students. Her cold demeanor softened, and her beauty shone through.
Olivia: "Well, I'm sure you all want to try. Let's make today a free practice session for Lifting. Since it's the first day, getting a feel for it is important. Do whatever you like. Let's begin the practical session."
The students rushed forward as if they'd been given a new toy. Olivia stayed in her seat, watching their practice with satisfaction.
Feeling she had nothing else to do for the day, Ethela headed to where the other teachers were. She approached Sade and Siana, her shoulders slumping.
Ethela: "I'm sorry. It seems I was trying to break a rock with an egg."
Sade comforted her.
Sade: "Haha! Don't think like that. At least you said what needed to be said, and it's a relief. Besides, Dante is the top in the kingdom. Boyle's basics are by no means lacking."
Siana felt similarly.
Siana: "While there was a difference in level, if Boyle had practiced Lifting, it would have been a good match. Considering that most summoners don't shine until their 30s, Boyle, who had risen to the top of the advanced class at a young age, was a rare genius."
Ethela: "What worries me is what's to come. Since Dante won, the principal's influence will grow. If we're not careful, the school's foundation could be shaken."
Sade: "Ah, don't be ridiculous. There's only so much that can be done in the advanced class."
With the graduating class present, it wasn't feasible to introduce high-intensity training to the advanced class students. Besides, the curriculum wasn't that poorly designed.
But Siana was uneasy.
Siana: "I feel there's some intention behind Olivia's actions, using Dante as a front."