Chapter 15 — A Different Kind of Class

  I arrived at the classroom a little earlier than usual, mostly out of habit rather than necessity. The room was still half empty, and the usual noise had not fully formed yet. I took my seat and leaned back slightly, letting my thoughts settle for a moment.

  A few days had already passed since I started helping Mira family.

  It was not something complicated. I simply assisted with small tasks, carried things, fixed what I could, and made sure nothing caused them trouble.

  I heard footsteps approaching, followed by a familiar voice.

  “Oi, Rikuo.”

  Izuo dropped into the seat beside me like always, without asking.

  “You got here early again. Are you training secretly without me or something?”

  “I am not that obsessed.”

  Latris sat in front of us shortly after, turning slightly in her chair as she noticed we were already talking.

  “Did something good happen?”

  I hesitated for a brief moment, then decided there was no reason to hide it.

  “I have been helping a family outside the academy for the past few days.”

  Izuo raised an eyebrow immediately.

  “A family? Since when do you do that kind of thing?”

  “Since recently.”

  “They needed help, and i like helping.”

  "That explains why you look less grumpy"

  "I am not grumpy."

  "You are."

  Latris ignored Izuo and focused on what actually mattered.

  “What kind of family?”

  “A normal one.”

  I paused briefly, remembering the details.

  “They treat me well. Better than I expected.”

  That part still felt slightly strange to admit.

  Izuo leaned forward a little, suddenly more interested.

  “So you are just working for them? Or is there something else?”

  “I am helping them. That is all.”

  “That still sounds suspicious,” he said. “People do not just help others for no reason.”

  “I had a reason”

  "I had nothing to do, so I went to the guild."

  "A little girl was talking to the receptionist, and she needed help, so I helped her. Simple."

  He clicked his tongue, clearly unsatisfied.

  Latris, on the other hand, seemed to understand more than she showed.

  “And how is it?” she asked. “The environment, I mean.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  “It is simple, kinda fun i never have done something similar before”

  I continued, this time without thinking too much about it.

  “The mother cooks every day. She makes bread.”

  Izuo immediately reacted.

  “Bread?”

  “Yes.”

  “What kind of bread?”

  “Good bread.”

  “That does not answer anything.”

  I looked at him.

  “It is fresh. Soft. Slightly sweet. Better than anything you have probably eaten recently.”

  He stared at me for a second.

  “…And you did not bring any?”

  “I did not think you would care.”

  “I absolutely care, that is important information you are hiding.”

  Latris let out a small sigh, but there was a faint hint of amusement in her expression.

  “You are surprisingly detailed about this,” she said to me.

  “You usually do not talk like this.”

  I noticed that too.

  “It is just an observation.”

  “That is not how it sounds.”

  I ignored that comment.

  “I am going there again soon,” I added.

  “I can bring some next time.”

  Izuo leaned back, crossing his arms with a satisfied expression.

  “Now that is what I like to hear.”

  “You are very easy to please.”

  “Good food is not a small thing.”

  Latris rested her chin lightly on her hand.

  “…I would like to try it as well.”

  “That is fine.”

  For a brief moment, the conversation settled into something normal.

  I leaned back slightly in my chair again.

  I was still thinking about what today’s class would be like when the door suddenly slammed open with enough force to make several students flinch in their seats.

  “GOOD MORNING!”

  The voice echoed across the room with an energy that did not match the usual atmosphere of the academy.

  I immediately turned my attention to the entrance and saw Seraphine standing there with a wide, almost playful smile, holding her staff casually over one shoulder as if she had just arrived for something entertaining rather than a formal lesson.

  She did not wait for any kind of reaction.

  “Alright, everyone, we are not wasting time today because this class is going to be fun.”

  A student behind me tried to speak, probably to ask what she meant.

  “Wait teacher, what do you mean by—”

  He never finished his sentence.

  Seraphine moved her staff slightly forward, and in that exact moment

  Before anyone could react properly, the world around me changed.

  We weren’t in the classroom anymore.

  The first thing I noticed was the wind.

  Strong, constant, carrying the smell of salt.

  The second was the sound.

  Waves.

  Loud enough to be impossible to ignore.

  I blinked once, letting my eyes adjust.

  Sand.

  Open sky.

  Ocean in every direction.

  “…What?”

  Izuo shouted loudly, looking around with clear excitement instead of confusion.

  I took a slow breath while stabilizing myself.

  I looked around again, slower this time.

  We were on an island. Not small, but not huge either. Just… isolated. No visible land anywhere, just water stretching to the horizon.

  No buildings.

  No signs of people.

  Nothing.

  Only us… and teacher Seraphine.

  “The mana density here is significantly higher.” she said

  I concentrated for a moment and realized that she was right.

  The difference was not just noticeable.

  It was constant.

  The air itself felt saturated with mana, as if every movement required a higher level of awareness to fully understand what was happening around us.

  Behind us, Seraphine stretched her arms slightly, as if she had just completed something trivial.

  “Alright, everyone is here, so we can begin.”

  One of the students raised a hand, still visibly confused.

  “Professor, where exactly are we?”

  Seraphine turned toward him with the same relaxed expression.

  “We are on a restricted training island.”

  That statement immediately changed the reaction of the entire group.

  Even Izuo stopped talking for a brief moment.

  “Restricted?” another student asked.

  “Yes, this area requires special authorization. Only individuals with permission from high-ranking authorities, such as kings or officials, are allowed to access this place.”

  "And the academy have that free pass"

  A wave of murmurs spread among the students.

  I remained silent while analyzing the information.

  That explains the environment.

  Seraphine continued speaking before the discussion could escalate.

  “The reason we are here is simple. This island has a much higher concentration of mana compared to the academy, which makes it ideal for training.”

  She lightly tapped her staff against the ground as she spoke.

  “When the environment contains more mana, your control becomes more important, and your mistakes become more obvious.”

  That made sense.

  A denser environment would naturally amplify both control and error.

  “Additionally, this location is isolated enough that you can use your abilities without worrying about damaging anything important.”

  Izuo immediately reacted with enthusiasm.

  I did not find that particularly reassuring.

  I observed the surroundings again and confirmed that there were no visible structures nearby.

  The entire area seemed designed to allow unrestricted use of abilities.

  “Now.”

  Seraphine said, slightly adjusting her tone while maintaining her informal attitude.

  “We are going to start with the basics.”

  She looked at all of us to ensure that we were paying attention.

  “Magic is not just about activating your Sigil. Your Sigil gives you authority, but it does not automatically give you control.”

  I focused on her explanation.

  That distinction was important.

  “If you do not understand how to interact with mana properly, your abilities will become unstable, regardless of how powerful your Sigil is.”

  Power alone was not enough.

  “First, you need to develop perception, if you cannot properly sense mana, you will not be able to control it.”

  She made a small motion with her staff, and I noticed a subtle distortion in the air, which indicated a precise manipulation of mana.

  “Second, you need to understand flow. You do not force mana. You guide it in a controlled manner.”

  The demonstration was simple, but extremely efficient.

  There was no wasted movement.

  “Third, you apply that control through your Sigil”

  "And for those who have a sigil that does not use magic or mana directly, you use your body as the medium."

  Her smile returned, slightly more pronounced this time.

  “That is the part where things usually become interesting.”

  Izuo cracked his knuckles with visible excitement.

  “Finally.”

  Latrís remained silent, but her focus intensified.

  I took a slow breath.

  This lesson is going to be important.

  Seraphine stepped back, giving us enough space.

  “I want all of you to stand still.”

  The students obeyed without much hesitation this time.

  “Close your eyes.”

  I followed the instruction immediately.

  This is not about learning to sense mana.

  We already did that.

  At first, I noticed the wind and the ground beneath my feet.

  Then I extended my awareness further.

  Mana.

  The sensation was immediate.

  There was no need to search for it anymore.

  The difference was obvious.

  The density here is on another level.

  It surrounded everything in a way that made the academy feel artificial in comparison.

  It was not just present.

  It was overwhelming.

  “Good,” Seraphine said in a calm tone.

  “Do not try to control it yet.”

  “If you approach this place the same way you did inside the academy, you will fail.”

  That confirmed it.

  This is not a controlled environment.

  This is closer to how mana behaves naturally.

  I remained still, concentrating.

  Ending of Chaper 15