Mason swallowed. "Uhh… sure."
He stepped forward, resisting the urge to run away.
"My name is Leonard Lumberfoot," he said, trying not to wince at the absurdly noble name the system had slapped him with. "First year. I'm… new to everything."
A few students chuckled, but not unkindly. The teacher smiled faintly.
"Honesty. A rare trait in nobles," she said. "You may take your seat, Leonard."
Ren followed after with his usual ease. "Ren Oclaire. I like naps and food. That's it."
Some more laughter.
He sauntered over to the empty desks in the back and dropped into his seat. Mason joined him a moment later, still feeling hot in the face.
The teacher turned back to the board behind her, writing her name in elegant script with a bit of floating chalk.
Professor Lysette Vellara
"I specialize in elemental channeling, enchantment theory, and battlefield reinforcement," she said. "I will be your primary instructor for this semester. My classes will be difficult, fast-paced, and full of painful magical feedback if you aren't paying attention."
"Cool cool," Mason whispered. "She's hot and homicidal."
"I think I'm in love," Ren whispered back.
Professor Vellara paused. Her pointer stick tapped the desk with a loud thwack.
"Any questions before we begin?"
No one dared raise a hand.
"Good," she said, turning and writing an incredibly complicated diagram that involved magical leylines, mana circuits, and something that looked suspiciously like a chicken.
Mason sat back, trying to soak it all in and then sat back up.
He figured if he stared any longer at Professor Vellara's curves, he'd either get detention or an involuntary mana-induced nosebleed. Maybe both.
So instead, he slapped his cheeks lightly, straightened in his chair, and focused.
Today's lesson was apparently Magic 101.
And judging from how the students around him leaned forward with wide eyes and zero notes taken, it wasn't just a review.
"Magic," Professor Vellara said, sweeping across the room with grace and menace in equal parts, "is not some plaything or tool. It is the very expression of your soul."
With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a small flame in her palm. It danced like a living creature — flickering and twisting into tiny shapes.
"This is elemental channeling: fire, in this case. Simple, yes?" she asked, turning her palm to show the class. "But this flame, even at its size, could burn through three inches of iron if I willed it so."
Mason gulped audibly.
『SYSTEM NOTE: Try not to roast your eyebrows. They're your best feature.』
"Everyone," she continued, "is born with the capacity to wield one element naturally. Fire, water, earth, air, lightning, shadow, or light. Some — very rare individuals — can wield two. Dual-elementals."
She turned, tapping the board behind her with her pointer stick.
An elegant chart appeared with elemental affinities branching out in soft-colored sigils.
"Your element is not chosen. It is awakened usually through intense training, emotional stimulation, or sometimes traumatic events. Or, in the case of nobles, some sort of flashy coming-of-age ceremony involving a phoenix, an ancestral relic, and usually a dramatic monologue."
A few students laughed.
"Now, there are exceptions," she added. "The Princess, for example, Student Council President Seraphine Atrielle is a Tri-elemental."
The room murmured in awe.
"Her natural affinity is Wind, but she also controls Ice and Sound. You may see her occasionally conducting enforcement operations. Do not get in her way."
Mason muttered. "Tri-elemental? Wait, are we in an RPG or a flex tape ad?"
Techincally, he WAS in an rpg though.
"Yo, did she just say sound?" Ren leaned toward him, whispering. "What kind of power is that?"
Mason nodded slowly. "Bro... she might beat people by just dropping the bass."
Professor Vellara gave them both a look. Not annoyed. Just... knowing.
"Mr. Lumberfoot and Mr. Oclaire," she said, without breaking stride, "if you'd prefer a practical demonstration involving force magic, I'd be happy to oblige."
Both boys sat straight in their chairs, saluting like soldiers. "No, ma'am!"
"Good."
She turned back and continued. "Now. Let us discuss mana drawing."
With another flick of her fingers, glowing lines appeared on the board — blue spirals connecting dots inside a humanoid diagram.
"To use magic, you must first draw mana from within. All living beings have it. Mana flows through your body like blood — except you can't see it, smell it, or easily control it without training. That's why, before spellcasting, you must enter what we call focus state."
She raised both hands.
"Close your eyes. Breathe slowly. In through your nose. Out through your mouth."
The class complied, some more serious than others. Mason tried not to giggle when he heard a guy behind him let out a suspiciously yoga-sounding oooohm.
"Feel your heartbeat. Imagine a well inside your chest. Imagine dipping a cup into that well and lifting the water up."
Mason furrowed his brow.
"Focus," Professor Vellara said, voice softening. "That energy is your mana. That draw is your first step to channeling."
Mason did his best.
He pictured a deep well, water shimmering with light. He imagined scooping it with a metal ladle like he saw in anime. Nothing happened.
And then —
A spark.
A faint, flickering glow near his fingertips. He opened his eyes.
Just as it fizzled.
"Whoa," he whispered. "I actually… I think I did something."
Ren groaned beside him, gripping his forehead. "Dude, I got a headache. I think I drew a migraine."
Professor Vellara walked the aisles, inspecting her students' progress.
"Good," she said as she passed Mason. "You nearly reached channel. You may have affinity for light or lightning."
Mason blinked. "Wait, really?"
She didn't respond. Just smiled faintly and moved on.
When she reached the front again, she clapped her hands.
"That's enough for today. Those of you who felt something — keep practicing. Those who didn't, worry not. You'll get it. Or you'll explode. We'll find out together."
A few students chuckled. Others weren't sure if it was a joke.
Mason was sure it wasn't a joke though.