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Chapter 41 - The End of Bureaucracy (II).

POV: RENATA SILVEIRA.

We were still processing what Professor Francisco had explained about mastery as we returned to class right after recess.

The first few minutes were always noisy, until everyone settled down, went back to their rooms, and the class reorganized. That always stole a few more moments than it should.

The professor, used to this, picked up his pen and quickly resumed the content without waiting for our attention.

"Now, let's talk about energy recharging."

I opened my notebook quickly, ready to continue my previous notes.

"You already know that QPs are our magical energy," he said, as he drew a circle on the board, filling it with short lines. 

"What you might not have realized yet is the process behind generating this energy."

He wrote the word 'reading' in big, bold letters.

"Each time we read, we're feeding our subconscious. The information piles up, and from it, QPs arise. That's why I'm always insisting: read every day. Even routine, brief reading guarantees at least a small recharge or a slight increase in energy"

I thought of all the times I forced myself to read before bed, even when I was tired. 

And all the dozens of times teachers repeated the same thing, and yet, many students chose to ignore it.

Maybe now it made more sense than I imagined.

"Reading time is crucial," he continued. "Ten pages equals, on average, one QP. An entire book, between three and five. But it's not just about quantity: quality matters too, more complex readings are usually better because they take longer…"

Some classmates whispered, trying to mentally calculate how many QPs they'd accumulated. I did my own quick math.

"But pay attention," the teacher raised the pen again. "You all cannot confuse energy channeling with energy activation, alright?"

He drew an arrow from the circle to a small mark, a symbol resembling a diamond.

"You can channel energy into a literary mark without activating the enchantment. In that case, the energy isn't spent. It stays there, dormant, like water stored in a dam. You can even transfer that energy to another mark or disperse it, if you want to cancel the action."

His words felt like a revelation. I'd never thought about the difference between channeling and activating.

"This principle," he continued. "has been exploited in fiction so much it's shaped many magical systems you've read about. The classic concept of mana comes from exactly that."

Some laughed, but I stayed silent, intrigued.

"Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?" he teased, smiling. "That's a question you should always think about in our lessons."

I frowned and copied each concept and diagram into my notebook.

'Because, if you think about it, a lot of things we see in fiction are actually inspired by real things we sometimes don't even know are real… interesting ideas, I'll look into that later.'

I saw Professor Francisco put the pen on the desk and pick up a sheet from a folder.

"That said... before we move on to the next topic, let me quickly wrap up some bureaucracy… A quick announcement."

He turned to the board and after a few moments, finished writing a date and the school address.

"For those who want to temporarily increase your magical energy, there'll soon be a book fair here at school. Reading besides being fun is also good training, so check it out, ok?" he announced, waiting for the class's answer

Which came instantly, almost in unison: "Okay"

A small commotion swept through the room. The book fair was already a tradition at the school, almost every year there was one… 

The detail was, always on different dates, always random

Why? Nobody knew… 

But that never stopped the students from speculating. I even heard rumors of people making pools to guess when it would happen…

Not that I've ever joined, of course…

'Hehe'

The atmosphere around the fair was always fun, we could buy new books, take a break from the routine, stroll a bit without worry. 

It was a welcome kind of pause.

Even at the start of the school year, which although mildly wasteful, was definitely a way to kick off the year strong.

I was already deciding which stands to visit, what books to buy… And of course, financial planning, prices would be higher, right?

'Complicated…'

But before I could get lost in these thoughts, a dry noise made me change my focus quickly.

THUD!

I looked to the side. One of the students in the third row had fallen out of his chair. 

His body started twisting oddly, arms and legs jerking uncontrollably. 

Were those… Convulsions?

"Hey!" someone shouted. "He's sick!"

The professor reacted instantly. He ran to the boy, moved the desks and students aside with help, and knelt next to him.

"Stay back!" he ordered, voice deep. "I need space!"

The sounds of violent movement echoed, mixed with terrified whispers. 

Some students stood up, others covered their mouths in shock.

I saw the professor firmly grasp the boy's shoulders and, with a discreet gesture, channel energy into one of his marks. 

He didn't activate anything visible, just kept control. 

I think he was checking if the boy's magical energy was reactive, which could be dangerous

The tension on his face said everything.

"Call the principal, now!" he ordered one of the students.

Seconds later, two staff members rushed in. The teacher helped lift the still-flailing boy and together they carried him out. 

The sounds of heavy footsteps echoed down the hall, then faded

We stayed in absolute silence.

No one knew what to say. The fallen chair felt like a symbol, a heavy shadow looming over us.

I took a deep breath, trying to understand what had happened. But the answer throbbed in my mind with no certainty. 

So, the question remained open…

"What the hell just happened, allergic reaction maybe?"

Class ended right there.

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