Her hands slapped her desk, drawing all wandering eyes. Her appearance struck a memory of familiarity towards all who saw it: blue hair, yellow eyes. The class was made up of nobles, and they were now looking upon the highest noble of all.
She pushed herself up; her teeth gleamed pearl-white. Though her face was befitting of her status, her hair seemed even messier than Arthur's, like a tiger.
"My name is Celeste Devreux, new student," she said melodically, as if singing a lullaby.
She angled herself in Arthur's direction, but even though their pupils were perfectly aligned, it seemed as if she could not see him.
This is the only daughter of the strongest Aristocrat in the Viera Kingdom; the Grand Duke of Devreux!
"I am currently Rank Two, and I hope to have fun with all of you!"
She wobbled back and forth once or twice before falling into her seat, waving her head side to side whilst looking at nothing at all.
I sense something unusual; I have to be wary of her and Derrick.
"Now that introductions are finished, let's begin," Clive said.
"Our first unit will be understanding Blessings: They are physical markings left on your body by another being, whether that be by an Elemental or otherwise."
"Spirit is a general term for all beings who are not descendants of the first Celestial God, or the first Demon God. By that definition, monsters are spirits, and so are humans; this is true because the Human God was a first-generation descendant of one of the original Spirit, Dragon, or Ocean Gods. However, unlike any other lifeform, we do not have the ability to grant blessings ourselves."
"As you've seen on your own bodies, the structure of Blessings all share the same pattern."
He took a small white cylinder, twice the thickness of a pencil and half the length of one, and began drawing lines on the blackboard that stretched from entrance to exit.
"The element or attribute of the Blessing will always be in the center; it will be written in the Magic Language, and will have circles that correspond to the level of the blessing: One being beginner, two being Intermediate, and so on until the Emperor, with seven circles. Each is exactly fifteen millimeters apart from each other, with the first circle starting fifty millimeters from the center."
"You can research the uniquity of humans more thoroughly in the Monstrology Course I teach, or Magic Language in the Magic Engineering course my good friend Head Instructor Vigo teaches in your third year.
"There are = two types of blessings, and six symbols you need to know for this semester. Four of those symbols are those for Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind; blessings two of the students in this room currently hold."
He turned his head to a minor degree toward the one he suspected Clive referred to, and found her smiling widely.
"There are some key differences between Elemental Blessings and Non-Elemental Blessings; one such discerning characteristic is their actual function: Elemental Blessings enhance the magic efficiency, output, and control the user has. However, Elemental Blessings only apply when the user is using the enhanced element. It does nothing if the user is not using the element, or doesn't have the ability to manipulate magic."
"The other type of Blessing that you need to remember are Non-Elemental Blessings. While the Elemental Blessings are granted by Elemental Spirits, and last for as long as you live, Non-elemental Blessings are not always permanent: Monster Blessings die once the Monster who grants it dies, and Celestial Blessings have the potential to last forever, even after death, as the Celestial has complete control over its Blessings. The two Holy Blessings that are required for you to know now are Protection and Exercise."
"Non-Elemental Blessings do not enhance magic itself, though in some cases it can indirectly enhance its efficiency. Non-Elemental Blessings grant abilities; and for the most part, they have the same function, and don't require the ability to manipulate mana to use. The Holy Blessing of Exercise allows a person to use the power of the Celestial God, though the extent to which one can use it is directly tied to the tier of its blessing. This is what allows Priests to heal and Holy Knights to eliminate evil, though it must be trained all the same."
"The Holy Blessing of Protection provides shield from harm. This can range from physical strikes, to curses, to mental attacks, and so on."
Two suited individuals entered the room as he finished speaking, each carrying a stack of books some 130-pages thick that reached up to their necks.
"This is your textbook for the week. Complete the first twenty pages, and we'll review at the end of class."
"The thirty pages we don't complete will be completed in your own time. You will receive another next week."
"These two on their feet right now are my teaching aides; they were alumni who graduated from the Honor Class, so you will not be lowering yourself to ask them questions."
"They will be in charge when I am away; therefore you will respect them as you would me."
"The first test will be in two weeks."
Arthur froze, pushing the shock—warning of danger—sent by his nerves into his legs.
His quadriceps performed an isometric contraction, channeling the force into the floor with his feet, and his calves tensed to reduce the rest of the energy into heat.
He could feel numerous eyes staring the needles of envy at his crown.
Every test changes the class rankings; they stare at me so enviously, but needles are just needles.
"It will be a written test," he said, placing his hat on his head.
"Be at the Training Grounds in the North Wing before the period starts."
Clive held his book at his side and walked out of the room.
That was very efficient; everything he said was right to my knowledge. I judged him so quickly.
How could I judge someone so quickly?
An image appeared in his head: It was raining inside, heavy rain in a familiar room.
A person laid on the floor, a male. He looked relaxed: their arms and legs looked as if several chiropractors worked on them for a day straight.
His joints bent freely, without the constraints of muscles, tendons, or bone.
He was drenched, not from the rain, but deep-crimson fluid from his body.
Woe is he who fell from the plane of life; woe is he who created this terrible being.
Woe is he whose vision is impaired: who looks upon the field of futility, yet sees hope; he is blind.
He is deaf; he is faithless. He will—
That was very efficient; everything he said was right to my knowledge. I judged him so quickly.
How could I judge someone so quickly?